Right across the Caribbean from Jamaica to Dominica, older people have been making governments sit up and take notice!
Raising awareness of older people’s rights
In Jamaica, 300 older people marked 1 October with a procession through the capital city of Kingston.
They wore colourful ADA T-shirts and carried banners and placards showing their demands as they danced and sang to a local marching band which led the procession.
After this, a public forum took place and entertainment included a lively performance from an aptly named older people’s dance group, the Recycled Teenagers, which delighted the audience!
In Dominica, older people joined forces in delegations to visit government officials and demand that age discrimination must end. They wanted to show the government that older people should not be seen as a burden.
Governments listened
These activists made lots of noise about older people’s rights and their governments listened. In Jamaica, the government promised to improve social protection programmes, reduce bus fares and provide free health care for older people.
Awareness of older people’s rights was raised throughout the Caribbean but more action still needs be taken by governments before we will see a real improvement in older people’s lives.
That’s why we want to make Age Demands Action even bigger this year. Promises are not enough.
Support our Age Demands Action campaign by signing our global petition.