UP FRONT

Across the globe—north and south, east and west—people are uniting around a shared vision: a world where population pyramids morph into cylinders, and societies learn to adapt to the reality of a future with adults outnumbering children. Longevity is a gift of science that has raced ahead, leaving our systems catching their breath. Now we need fresh, bold thinking—new stories that make living and working across five or six generations feel natural, meaningful, and fair.

Recent months show the tide rising. In Cape Town, the International Federation on Ageing (IFA) gathered global leaders around the Evidence–Policy–Practice agenda. In Cannes, SilverEco made history with its partnership with Hong Kong’s Golden Foundation. In Paris, EURAG brought together European countries to explore how to improve older people’s lives, value their contributions, and rethink life after retirement.

On October 1st, the International Day of Older Persons was celebrated worldwide, raising awareness and urgency.. Just days later, the European Parliament held its first-ever debate on the situation of older persons and intergenerational fairness—a milestone moment -supported by Age Platform Europe.

Now, as November begins, attention turns to Doha and the Second World Summit on Social Development, where our own Margaret Young, PIONeer and advocate for older people’s rights, is leading a side event titled “Doha: From Potential to Progress – Empowering Every Generation for Social Development in Asia and Africa.” 

The world is listening. The conversations are multiplying. And each of us has a part to play in turning momentum into lasting change.

GLOBAL 50/50 ONLINE CONVERSATION

No One's Left Behind:
Ageing Matters for UN 2030 Goals

Older persons play a crucial role in building a just, sustainable future, yet their voices are often sidelined in global development discussions. Our October Global PIONeer 50/50 Conversation will offer a close up view of the International Stakeholder Group on Ageing (SGA), a coalition representing 800 million older adults, and demonstrate how ageing connects with all 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These goals are designed to ensure no one is left behind, focusing on eradicating poverty, promoting social inclusion, and fostering equality. 

Monday, 10 November
1pm EST / 6pm GMT / 7pm CET / 8pm SAST / 9pm EAT
 

Check your time zone here

GLOBAL OPEN HOUSES

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, 11 November
 1pm EST / 6pm GMT 
 7pm CET / 7pm SAST

Asia, Australasia
Wednesday, 12 November
7am CEST / 7am GMT  
2pm SGT / 5pm AEDT 

Find your local time. View Time Zone Converter here.

ADVOCATING FOR THE RIGHTS OF 
OLDER PEOPLE 

At the 2^nd World Summit for Social Development in Doha 

Together, we can help build a future where everyone can age with purpose, dignity, and choice.

Esi Anash, founder of the Association of Ghana's Elders, is one of the solutions panelists at the United Nations Second World Summit for Social Development taking place in Doha. From the 4-6 November. She is part of an online side event,  convened by Margaret Young under the title From Potential to Progress: Empowering Every Generation for Social Development in Asia and Africa. Program and registration here. Esi is an active member of the Stakeholders Group on Ageing-Africa. 

Signs That Things Are Moving

Health Works Leaders Coalition launched to promote health system investments and spur economic growth, job creation

The World Bank Group, the Government of Japan, and the World Health Organization officially launched the Health Works Leaders Coalition. This global alliance brings together health and finance ministers, philanthropic organizations, business leaders, leaders of global health agencies, and civil society representatives with the aim of promoting investments in health systems as a strategy for economic growth, job creation, and improved resilience.

The Leaders Coalition is central to Health Works, a broader, global initiative led by the World Bank Group and partners to help countries reach 1.5 billion people with quality, affordable health services by 2030.
 

PIONeer Stories

The Routledge Handbook of Contemporary Ageing Issues Global and Country Narratives

Edited By Mala Kapur Shankardass, Ph.D.

Published September 30, 2025 by Routledge India 

This recently published international handbook, spanning over 700 pages, offers an overview of emerging issues related to ageing. Gerontologists in Africa, the Americas, Asia Pacific, and Europe explore different dimensions of population ageing, gender, health, environment, care, elder abuse, generational relationships, and grief.

Several contributions are from PIONeers of the Pass It On Network and the Active Ageing Consortium Asia Pacific.

Chapters 23 entitled “Training Boomers to Transition into Retirement:  Best Practices in the Offing” by Cullen Hayashida (USA), Han Kristjan Gudmundsson (Iceland), Hunter Leonard (Australia) and Tomoko Ikeuchi (Japan). Chapter 23 summarizes the state of non-financial pre-retirement workshops to help marshal the power and potential of active older adults following retirement. 

Chapter 35 is entitled, “Population Aging, Depopulation, and the Workforce Shortage Crisis in Japan: An Overview of Nine Reversal Strategies and a Paradigm for a Macro-Research Agenda” by Cullen Hayashida (USA), Takeo Ogawa (Japan), Hiroo Ueda (Japan), Naomi Yamamoto (Japan), Yumi Kamoshida (Japan), Yuko Nakamura (Japan, Francis Nakamura (USA) and Gantuya Garmaa (Mongolia). Chapter 35 attempts to inventory nine strategies to reverse or moderate Japan's depopulation, providing recommendations for policy and research directions.

Listen In

How Intergenerational Living Creates Purpose & Joy | Marc Freedman On Chip Conley’s podcast 

That’s why CoGenerate founder and Co-CEO Marc Freedman joins Chip Conley on The Midlife Chrysalis podcast to make the case for a more multigenerational future. What if aging isn’t about slowing down—but about leveling up?

Hosted by Chip Conley, bestselling author of Learning to Love Midlife and founder of the Modern Elder Academy (MEA), The Midlife Chrysalis is a one-hour podcast featuring thought-provoking conversations with inspiring guests. Watch here.

PIONeer Pearls of Wisdom to Pass On 

"The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes." 

                                      – Marcel Proust

PIONeer Click-ons to Pass On 

AGE Annual Conference 2025 - Bridging the Gap Between Generations

Age Platform Europe systematically advocates for a Europe for all ages. This was a major theme at their annual conference in Belgium earlier this year.  This short video offers powerful messages from across the age spectrum on how we can go about bridging the gap between generations. 

Dr. Clive Colledge’s comments on the role of advertising is edifying. 

https://youtu.be/c-27CkzDoHY

In October, it was gratifying to see the European Parliament hold a debate in a plenary session, for the first time ever, on this issue.

The next step was to create the European Parliament Intergenerational Forum as a place to debate and find solutions to transform the challenges linked to demographic changes into opportunities for inclusive and participative societies.

It is a forum for all democratic, pro-European parties in the European Parliament to address ageing, longevity, healthy ageing, older persons’ rights, social inclusion, and intergenerational solidarity, with the participation of AGE Platform Europe.

The group includes around 35 Members of the European Parliament and welcomes new members.

PIONeer & Global Events 

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4-6 November 2025 

Second World Summit for Social Development 
in Doha, Qatar

The United Nations General Assembly, through its resolutions 78/261 and 78/318, decided to convene the "World Social Summit" in 2025, under the title "Second World Summit for Social Development". 
 

Further details about the session on 6 November, “From Potential to Progress: Empowering Every Generation for Social Development in Asia and Africa,” as well as the registration link, are available here.

5-8 July 2026 

23rd IAGG World Congress of Gerontology and Geriatrics in Amsterdam, The Netherlands 
Theme:  Ageing Well in a Globalized World