You, me, each one of us is an emitter sending out a constant flow of electric currents that tell the whole world what we’re feeling and how what we’re thinking about ourselves.  

We have no choice in the matter, the only choice is to be aware of this and decide what message we want to transmit – are you alert to new experiences, do you engage positively with all you meet, do you stand up straight and have a light step? 

The last couple of weeks I’ve attended gatherings where agism and its negatives effects were emphasized time and again, as was the message that very often we are our own worst enemies because of our own negative self-speak, the ideas we harbor and emit about ourselves and our age.

At one of these meetings a young clinical psychologist said he saw the challenge as awakening the spark in each individual and each one passing it on. 

I’m now making a conscious effort to see myself as an emitter and frankly, it’s adding zest to my days. 

Join us for a timely conversation on "How Artificial Intelligence (AI) is Shaping the Future of Ageing." We'll look into two key themes: 

• The importance of recognizing a worldwide shift of older adults as a vital and growing demographic.
• The profound impact of AI in reshaping the role and well-being of older adults, while addressing the challenges faced by these aging populations.  

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Every month Moira Allan, our co-founder and international coordinator, hosts an Open House for anyone who wants to find out more about our network. We offer a choice of two sessions to accommodate PION’s global outreach.

Americas, Europe, Africa
Tuesday, 12 December
 1pm EST / 6pm GMT  
7pm CET / 8pm SAST

Asia, Australasia
Wednesday, 13 December
 7am CET / 6am GMT
2pm SGT / 5pm AET

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Preparing for a world where 50% of the population will be over 60 

A strong turnout of more than 120 NGOs and Human Rights Councils working for a convention on the rights of older people within the framework of the UN’s Open-Ended Working Group on Ageing participated in the 20 November Briefing to the Member States providing vital diverse regional and intersectional input to support the call for a UN Convention on the rights of older persons. The deadline for the Questionnaire was 24 November. 

A new WHO commission on Social Connection

The World Health Organization’s (WHO) Global Campaign to Combat Ageism and build #AWorld4AllAges continues is being, reinforced by a new WHO Commission on Social Connection will advance the goals.

The commission will concentrate on social isolation and loneliness by increasing visibility and repositioning these global ills as genuine and serious public health problems. It’s about promoting health, well-being, social cohesion, and human rights. It’s also linked to fostering intergenerational solidarity and reducing ageism to ensure a sustainable and inclusive future for all. 

#PowerOfConnection

Click below to access a treasure house of tools and resources to help you step up and play your part wherever you are.
 

Europe and the Work Force 

Empowering older people in the labour market for sustainable and quality working lives

Age Platform Europe’s 2023 edition of its Age Barometer, analyses the situation of older people in the labour. Data collected from 19 European countries including Germany, Austria, Hungary, Spain, and Portugal, highlights commonalities and divergences between member states and sets out AGE’s positions on three policy areas with an intersectional perspective: support for older people in the labour market, tackling ageism in the workplace and workplaces for all ages. Read full report here

France: Thousands of older adults rally to say “nothing for us without us”

November has been a roller coaster month for ageing in France. On the one hand, it highlighted a rising swell of refusal to be shut out of decisions that concern every facet of the lives of older people including their true place in a society for all ages, housing and health to raising their voices on questions of sexuality, spirituality and mobility. 
 

On the other hand, the French Ministry of Solidarity announced advances in the laws for adapting society to the ageing population as promised by President Emmanuel Macron at the start of his first mandate. Moves in this direction have been postponed many times. The two new long-term strategic laws now are firstly, to prepare for the growing number of dependent people, and secondly, to encourage people to age at home and provide financing for adapting homes to make this possible.

Civil Society is increasingly vocal

On the civil society side, OLD’UP, a leading French association asserting the utility longer lives led the dance with more than 300 participants at their national “Vivre à tout âge » (Living at all ages) conference, at the Ministry of Solidarity’s headquarters. Ironically, the full day conference program had to be truncated and squashed into a half a day because a week before the date, the Ministry made it known that the hall was needed for their presentation.
 

The CNaV, attracted more than 2000 people to its 3-day Contre Salon in the Marais quarter in Paris. It was a resounding success just two year after the launch of the movement. 

It was a joyful, dynamic, and pertinent gathering. A clear statement of “Nothing for us without us” by people who are actors of their lives and not victims. A strong call for society to accord the same urgency and importance to demographic change as to the two other major societal urgencies of our times – climate change and digitalization.

Every aspect of the salon from workshops, debates and stands to keynotes exuded the pleasure to talk freely about old age with the conviction that the people concerned are entirely capable of being in control of the decisions that concern them, they are not trembling and incapable spectators...they are people capable of deciding for themselves.

The organizers said, “The counter-exhibition allowed us to meet, to exchange, to make projects, to mobilize, to understand, to create knowledge, to realize that we are not alone, to imagine a future, to no longer brood alone in your corner, to laugh, to be informed, to feel useful, and tomorrow to act!”

Visit the CNaV’s site and see their Charter in French and English. 
 

Martine Gruere 
Vice President of OLD’UP

November was declared the First Month to own your age by proudly claiming you're  #NotAfraidofMyBirthday.

If you want to get involved and get ready for the 2024 edition, here’s a link to the frank evaluation made by the three organizations who created the event. In the meantime – use the hashtag #notafraidofmybirthday. View PDF here.

Meet Antonius Tanan

Antonius Tanan and his wife, Jeni Putri, in Aichi, Japan, at the Independent Ageing 2023 event. “This event was very exciting and showed how longevity presents unsolved challenges that, tackled from different angles by innovation scholars, can be met with hope for our future.” 
 

Since retiring from a very full academic career that culminated as chief executive of the Ciputra Education Foundation of the Ciputra University in Jakarta, Indonesia, where he was in charge of entrepreneurship education, Antonius, is on a new mission to share his enthusiasm for the extraordinary opportunities life has to offer in this new season. His findings from intense research into the field of “life after retirement” will soon be published.    

ACAP Study Tour on Fukuoka-Care Challenges 
10-15 March 2024

If you want to learn about « Kaigo », the Japanese way of in aging Asia and how the country with the oldest population in the world is supporting the independent lives of older people, you have a prime opportunity to do so with a select international group that will be hosted in Fukuoka, Japan from 10-15 March 2024. Since 2016, Fukuoka city has been actively striving to ensure well-being in the era of 100-year lifespans.

The study tour has been developed and will be led by Takeo Ogawa, Ph.D., Chairperson of The Fukuoka Council for Designing Society in Aging Asia, Professor Emeritus, Kyushu University and Yamaguchi University, representative of the Asian Aging Business Center, and founder of ACAP ) the Active Aging Consortium in Asia Pacific.

The program includes a seminar on sharing the Japanese way of Kaigo in aging Asia, site visits to a dementia friendly centre, Dissemination Center for Practical Long-term Care, and a Laboratory of Care Robots.

Registration Fee with Lodging (5 nights, 5 Breakfast, 4 lunches, 2 Dinners, Materials,and Bus): US$ 700 (106,000JPY) per person. 

Register here. For further information: hirata@aso-education.co.jp

Download the Guide here.

Listen in to Jane Leder, podcaster at "Older Women and Friends", Kicking stereotypes to the curb; Blogger at seventynme.com; Award-winning author, talking to Ashton Applewhite here and learn some startling facts! 

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2 December - 8:30 am Bangkok Time
ACAP Webinar

Research from the next generation 

Register here 

4 December – 13h – 15h 
Age Platform Europe Webinar

Intersectionality:  Age & Disability  Register here 

For further information visit nena.georgantzi@age-platform.eu