Sustainable development through building age inclusive urban environment - UN International Day of Older Persons

Statement from the United Nations

Click here to view enlarged photo.

According to the newly released 2015 Revision of World Population Prospects, there are 901 million people aged 60 or over in 2015, making up 12 percent of the global population. With a 3.26 percent growth rate each year, the number of older persons in the world is projected to be 1.4 billion by 2030 and 2.1 billion by 2050, and could rise to 3.2 billion in 2100.

Older persons are becoming an increasingly central demographic group in our world. To bring more attention to older persons, the United Nations is celebrating the 25th anniversary of the International Day of Older Persons (IDOP) on 1 October with the theme “sustainability and age inclusiveness in the urban environment”.

Events worldwide to celebrate older persons

Events marking the IDOP are scheduled around the world on 15 October, including a panel discussion in New York under the theme “Key components for age inclusiveness in urban environments”, a fundraising luncheon “Changing how we view older persons”, and another in Geneva, Switzerland titled “How to get to 100 and enjoy it!”.

“The steady increase in human longevity represents one of the greatest transformations and challenges of our time” Ban Ki-moon UN Secretary-General

The objectives of this year’s celebration are to draw attention to building age-inclusive cities in policy and technique scale, engaging older persons’ participation in city planning, building partnerships between government and the private sector to provide affordable and appropriate housing and transportation, as well as increasing inter-generational support for the social, economic and cultural arenas.

Keeping up with changing demographic trends

“The steady increase in human longevity represents one of the greatest transformations and challenges of our time. However, failure to keep pace with changing demographic trends will make it difficult to achieve a sustainable, secure and fulfilling future for people of all ages,” UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon stressed during the celebrations of the day last year. He pointed out that to realize sustainable development, older persons are a vital factor that should be taken into account.

The challenges caused by older persons residing in urban areas stand out, due to the fact that the move of older people to cities is occurring at higher frequency and on a larger scale. Six out of every 10 people in the world are expected to reside in urban areas by 2030. Consistent with urbanization trends, the number of older persons is increasing most rapidly in urban areas in developing countries.

This means that the number of people over 60 living in cities may grow to over 900 million by 2015, making up a quarter of the total urban population in developing countries. Based on these facts, the impact of the new urban environment on older persons, as well as the impact of older persons on the new urban environment, takes centre stage at this year’s event.

“In this effort, we must address shifting demographics, especially the needs and concerns of the world’s increasing number of older persons,” Ban Ki-moon said.

Strengthening human rights protection

In recent decades, the UN has made efforts within various areas affecting older persons’ lives, including strengthening their human rights protection, promoting a society for all, realizing longevity and reducing aging pressures occurring in social settings. This year, the commemoration seeks to demonstrate that an age-inclusive agenda is crucial for sustainable urban environments to promote equity, welfare and shared property for all.

Along with the IDOP celebration, the World Population Ageing Report 2015: Highlights is expected to be launched in October. The report will further illustrate the global trends in population ageing and include a series of indicators of the ageing process by development regions, major areas, regions and countries.

International Literacy Day

Yesterday was International Literacy Day, when the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and its partners launched a social media campaign to raise awareness of and concern for literacy problems in communities here and abroad.

It’s fitting that the day is during Grandparents Week, when we celebrate older Americans’ contributions.

In honor of International Literacy Day and Grandparents Week, we highlight UNESCO’s campaign as well as AARP Experience Corps, Senior Corps, Jumpstart and OASIS Institute - all of which use an intergenerational approach to promote literacy.

Through its campaign #literacyselfie, UNESCO and its partners called on all ages to take selfies reading their favorite book or reading to a child, and then posting the picture to Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

In addition to using the hashtag to contribute to the national movement, each community created their own local hashtag like #cleliteracy or #indyreads to capture local involvement.

Like UNESCO, Jumpstart takes a national focus to combat literacy problems.

Through its premiere national campaign, Read for the Record, Jumpstart mobilizes millions of children and adults to celebrate literacy by participating in the largest shared reading experience.

Since 2006, the campaign has, according to Jumpstart’s Campaign Impact, engaged 11.5 million children, raised more than $8.6 million for early education programs and provided more than 1.6 million books for children in low-income neighborhoods.

The year-round advocacy at AARP Experience Corps is just as impressive.

This award-winning national program engages people 50-plus in meeting their community's greatest challenges.

Two thousand volunteer members tutor and mentor in 19 cities across the country, providing literacy coaching, homework help, consistent role models and committed, caring attention.

Independent research shows that AARP Experience Corps boosts student academic performance, helps schools and youth-serving organizations become more successful, and enhances the well-being of adults 50 and older in the process.

The older adults at Senior Corps, a program of the Corporation for National and Community Service, are just as committed.

Conceived during John F. Kennedy's presidency, Senior Corps connects today’s 55+ with the people and organizations that need them most.

Through its Foster Grandparents initiative, older volunteers serve at thousands of local organizations that help children learn to read and provide one-on-one tutoring, mentor troubled teenagers and young mothers, care for premature infants or children with disabilities, and help children who have been abused or neglected.

In St. Louis, MO, OASIS Institute is also changing lives.

The program’s intergenerational tutoring connects seniors with children in grades K-4. Volunteers work one-on-one with children each week, helping youth build confidence and experience success.

Promoting literacy is one way you can Do Something Grand for Grandparents Week. Check out GrandparentsDay.org for other fun ideas.

Let's Raise Our Grand Voices in Support of Children and Families

co-authored by Drs. Mary Catherine Bateson and Joan Lombardi

Nelson Mandela left his mark on his country and the world, dedicating his life to justice and equality.

We want to talk about a cause that Mandela championed: The Elders, an independent group of global leaders, chaired by former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan and whose members include, among others, former Presidents Jimmy Carter, Mary Robinson (Ireland) and Ernesto Zedillo (Mexico).

Six years after Mandela launched this group, with help from other leaders from South Africa and around the world, The Elders continue to promote the shared interests of humanity by working on issues ranging from climate justice to promoting equality between men and women to ending conflict in the Middle East to political reform and peace-building processes in Myanmar.

The Elders set up a strategic 2014-17 framework with the hope of establishing a just and inclusive global community for future generations, one free from fear and want.

read the full article at the Huffington Post

Universal Children’s Day – No Age Limit on Making a Difference

For her ninth birthday, Rachel Beckwith asked her family for donations to help bring clean water to people in poor countries. She died in a car crash before she could see her $300 goal exceeded a thousand times over.

Ryleigh Kastra and Joshua Williams fed needy people in their communities. Rachel Beckwith brought clean water to African villagers. These young people, all of whom Youth Service America (YSA) recognized as Everyday Young Heroes, weren’t in their teens when they decided to make a difference…they were children.

Yesterday was Universal Children’s Day, which the United Nations and its member countries observed for two reasons: 1) promote mutual exchange and understanding among children and 2) to promote the welfare of the world's children.

Of the former, these young people weren’t waiting on anyone to take action. They did it, themselves – like Rachel Beckwith of Seattle, Washington. On her ninth birthday, Beckwith asked her family for donations to Charity: water. She set up a website with the nonprofit, hoping to meet her $300 goal (she only reached $220 by her birthday).

Ryleigh Kastra from Charlottesville, Virginia, was just as ready to affect change when she joined a national food drive initiative started by another Everyday Young Hero. Kastra was 8 years old when she created flyers, asking for canned goods donations. She distributed nearly 400 of her flyers. She collected 700 pounds of food to deliver on her first trip to Neighbors-4-Neighbors.

(PHOTO: Lance Cheung) The White House recognized 11-year-old Joshua Williams, of Miami, last year as a “Champion of Change” for strengthening food security in the United States and around the world.

Joshua Williams, of Miami, Florida, and his family were on their way to feed the homeless when officials told them it was against public health laws to distribute food without a permit.

He was initially inspired by what he saw on TV. “I was watching Feed The Children, and I felt sad for the children,” Williams said in the Sodexo Foundation’s video, which included interviews with Williams’s aunt KerryAnne McLean and his friend Alexander Bailey. Of Feed the Children, Williams added, “I wanted to do [something similar] in Florida.”

That’s when his mom, aunt and a consultant helped him start his own foundation, Joshua’s Heart, when he was 5 years old. “It was amazing because his friends and other family members -- everyone -- was excited to help…and put a smile on someone else’s face,” McLean said.

The Foundation has since raised over 400,000 pounds of food to needy families in South Florida, while teaching some recipients how to prepare healthier meals. “We have volunteers and elves,” Williams said. “Volunteers are adults, and the elves are children. They’re my friends, or friends of my friends.”

An elf admired Williams’s selflessness. “I think Joshua has a very big heart,” Bailey said. “I would say that he's a very thankful person and he's very helpful.”

Universal Children’s Day is an opportunity to be as helpful in promoting the welfare of the world’s children. Two years ago, Generations United teamed up with the MetLife Foundation to help the Ryleighs, the Joshuas and the Rachels out there, looking to put their entrepreneurial spirits to work.

Through our youth-led jump-start grants, young people developed volunteer projects working with, or on behalf of, older adults. I remember what a teenager, who took part in our project, once reported. “One thing I learned through this project is to respect your community and your history,” he said.

“For all of the retired teachers we worked with, most had lived here for a while, and even though they are done working and could leave if they wanted to, they did not. I learned through their stories that your community has a way of shaping you and your history, and that your community never leaves you.”

Generations United promoted the welfare of the world’s children by stating our support for the victims of Typhoon Haiyan that devastated the Philippines two weeks ago – leaving thousands, who lost everything, struggling to survive without food or medical care. We used our weekly e-newsletter, Generations This Week, to direct support to HelpAge USA and Save the Children.

At our Signature Report event next month, we’ll tackle the zero-sum framework (funding programs like Social Security and Medicare for Americans over 65 vs. addressing college debt and youth unemployment), which sets up a false conflict between our older and younger generations.

As we celebrate Universal Children’s Day, let’s nurture our children’s potential and show them there’s no age limit on affecting change.