Age Demands Action campaign in 50 countries today!
It’s finally here- the day we have all been waiting for! It’s the UN International Day of Older Persons and the day of our international campaign, Age Demands Action!
Older people meet decision makers today
Excitement levels are high in the office in London but they’re nothing compared to the excitement amongst older people worldwide today as they prepare to meet Presidents, Prime Ministers and MPs. They will be calling for an end to age discrimination and asking for better treatment from their national governments.
In Haiti, 700 older people will be marching to call for support to send their grandchildren to school, many of whom were orphaned by the earthquake. And in Bangladesh, a human chain of hundreds of activists will be formed and a delegation will call for an increase in the Old Age Allowance in the country. From Fiji to Kyrgyzstan (and most places in between) older campaigners will be raising awareness of older people’s rights in marches, fun runs, meetings and events.
News just in!
Because of time differences, some of the events and meetings have already taken place and updates are coming in all the time! This morning at dawn, 2000 older people in the Philippines marched through the streets from a gigantic globe in front of the largest mall in the Philippines. They called for the full implementation of the Expanded Senior Citizen Act which would give a pension to the poorest people over 60 in the country.
And two days ago, older people in Kenya kicked the campaign off early with a march (and marching band!) to ask for free healthcare and increased cash transfers for the poorest older people.
Updates will be coming in all day so keep an eye on our twitter and facebook pages for up to the minute news!