It’s less than a month until this year’s Age Demands Action campaign culminates on 1 October and the excitement here in the East Asia and Pacific region is really building.
From Cambodia to South Korea, ADA is taking place in eight countries across the region this year.
Planning steps up a gear
Over the past few weeks campaigners have been sharing their fantastic campaign plans with us. Fiji will be the first country in the world to take action on 1 October.
In August, staff from HelpAge’s affiliate, Fiji Council of Social Services (FCOSS) met the Minister for Social Welfare. Together, they discussed plans for this year’s campaign as well as the ten year review of the Madrid Plan of Action on Ageing.
The Minister agreed to meet a delegation of older people on 1 October and the meeting was covered in national newspaper the Jet. Since the meeting, FCOSS Director, Hassan Khan has been interviewed about ADA plans on Fiji’s most listened to radio station.
Planning in the Philippines
Campaigners in the Philippines hope to build on the success of last year’s campaign. This saw the introduction of a new Social Protection Bill which granted a social pension to over five million older people.
On 15 August, 25 ADA leaders gathered in Manila to discuss plans. They agrred their campaign would focus on last year’s victory and urge the Department for Social Welfare and Development to make sure all older people can access their pension. Currently, administrative errors mean that this doesn’t always happen.
At the meeting, 85-year-old, Epinfanio Clorres was nominated to be an “ADA Leader” for the campaign in the Philippines.
Campaigning across the region
Other campaigns across the region will ensure that 2011 is the best year yet.
In Cambodia, ADA messages will be translated into Khmer before being attached to the side of tuk tuks.
An ADA delegation will meet the Minister for Social Affairs and call for greater recognition of older people in the “I.D Poor” scheme, which targets support at the most vulnerable.
In Myanmar, campaigners hope to win increased support for the National Plan of Action on Ageing, which is due in December.
In Vietnam, a documentary highlighting access to pensions will be shown on television and, in Thailand, a delegation will meet with the Minister for Social Development and Human Security.
In South Korea, campaigners have been meeting local businesses to fundraise for ADA activities, whilst in Indonesia campaign actions will take place in the capital Jakarta and across Banda Aceh.
These are just some of the fantastic campaign actions that will take place on and around 1 October.
For the very latest updates, check out the Age Demands Action pages on the website.
Support older people around the world, sign the Age Demands Action petition