Plans for this year’s main Age Demands Action campaign are well under way, with 60 countries expected to take part and celebrate the UN International Day of Older Persons on 1 October, 2012.
We have new partners taking part in South Africa, Tanzania, and Kenya as well as St Vincent and Grenadines, Dominica, and potentially Croatia and Mauritius joining the campaign for the first time!
Lobbying governments to implement a National Policy on Ageing
As part of the campaign, delegations of older people will be meeting with their Prime Ministers in Cameroon, Uganda, Belize and Nepal, their President in Tanzania, and in Zambia and Myanmar with their vice presidents.
Delegations in other countries will also be meeting with top representatives from relevant government ministries including Ministries of Health, Ministries of Social Development or Social Welfare, and Ministries of Labour.
Fighting for better rights
Campaign asks for 1 October will focus mainly around several key areas including the implementation and/or regulation of a National Policy on Ageing in Cameroon, Tanzania, Zambia, Vietnam, Ghana, Uganda and Myanmar; Improved access to health care for older people in DRC, Ethiopia, Sudan, Zimbabwe, Cambodia, Fiji, Indonesia, Thailand, Belize, Dominica; and increased social pension coverage in Philippines, Jamaica, Haiti, India and Sri Lanka.
Other campaign asks include delegations calling for better protection against and prosecution of elder abuse in Kenya; access to micro-credit schemes in Jamaica; secure housing and improved access to food assistance in the Democratic Republic of Congo; and improved age friendly transport and environment in Bangladesh and Pakistan.
Raising awareness
As well as delegations meeting with government representatives, ADA 1 October will also include many exciting awareness raising activities. In Indonesia, a walkathon will take place in Jakarta and a march in Banda Ache, which 
will be followed by a mass gymnastics event with 350 elderly people taking part. ADA in the Philippines will involve an intergenerational musical concert at Quezon Memorial Park, and ADA plans in Thailand include a march of around 50-60 of older and younger people in Chiang Mai.
Other places with exciting ADA plans include the Occupied Palestinian Territories where a march is planned in the Gaza strip, followed by a meeting/festival for older people and decision makers in both Hebron and Gaza to highlight issues, follow up action points and set new goals, and an exhibition with a focus on the skills and rights of older people.
A two day festival of cultural events is being organised in Bangladesh, to explore the works, crafts and creations of older people as well as a human chain and the publication of a booklet to celebrate 5 years of ADA in Bangladesh.
This year’s ADA 1 October promises to be bigger than ever! Stay tuned to this space for all the updates.
Get involved!
Support older people’s rights by signing our Age Demands Action petition.
Read more about the global Age Demands Action campaign.