Bridget Sleap, HelpAge’s Rights Policy Advisor, (pictured left) writes about older people’s rights on Human Rights Day:

Across the world, populations are ageing. There is no denying that this phenomenon presents huge challenges. How do you protect the rights of an ageing population? How do you build stronger, more inclusive societies?

Equal members of society

Taking a human rights approach can help. Protecting older people’s rights, treating them with respect and on an equal basis with younger people will enable them to lead dignified, secure lives, as equal members of society, as is their right.

Human rights and development go hand in hand – respecting people’s rights results in better development, where respect, dignity and having a say are recognised alongside material security as important to people’s wellbeing.
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I met the children at Bigwa primary school who are brought up by their grandparents, having lost their parents to AIDS. They have dreams of becoming doctors, lawyers prime minsters and sung of education being the key to life. 

I visited Mama Amina who, at 76, is bringing up 11 grandchildren in shocking conditions with no income. Her plot of land is far away and she finds it difficult to farm now. The children gather stones to sell to other families building houses. This is their income. 

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Wilbur has an energetic commanding character, a retired secondary school teacher and journalist, he says “I retired 15 years ago but although retired, I am not tired.”

Born on the slopes of Africa’s highest mountain Mount Kilimanjaro, he is happy living in the shadow of the Acropol mountains with his wife, chickens, goats pineapples, bananas and mangoes - he is self sufficient. But he is well aware that many of his older neighbours are struggling to eat, unable to afford medical care and that the poorest are those who are raising grandchildren alone because they have lost their parents to AIDS.

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‘Age helps’ sums up HelpAge’s core position. We believe that older people are a benefit to society and a positive force for change.

Unfortunately, we find that most messages about older people in the media are extremely negative and focused on older people’s vulnerability – something that we are constantly challenging and trying to change.

I found a really interesting article in PlusNews this week, “ZAMBIA: Orphans grow up without cultural identity” which finally showed the need for older people’s experience in communities, and was a rare example of an ‘age helps’ message.

It highlighted the crucial and unique role that older people play as educators and mentors around the world and why it is so important for us to empower older people and fight for their rights.

Growing up without cultural identity

UNICEF’s latest report on Orphans and Vulnerable Children shows that there are 20,000 households in Zambia led by children, with the number increasing.
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The New York Times Magazine recently ran a special issue focused on inspirational women in the developing world. Ngoc Trai, from our partner RECAS in Vietnam, was nominated, with this story:

“A precious pearl - a true friend of older people”

Her name is Ngoc Trai which means “pearl” in Vietnamese.

At the age of 76, she still devotes herself working for the rights and benefit of old people in Vietnam.

Believing that older people are a crucial resource for development of the country, in 1991 Ngoc Trai decided for an early retirement and devoted the rest of her life to establish The Research Center for Ageing Support (RECAS) together with leading social scientists. It is the first ever Vietnamese non-governmental organisation in the field of ageing, working for the rights and well-being of older people.

Over the past 18 years, she has been seen as an invaluable resource person to motivate and bring together people from all walks of life; professors, medical doctors, journalists, writers, and researchers to work voluntarily for the Center.

Ngoc Trai does not only shed light on older people, but also widens the door to an international cooperation to seek technical and financial support from overseas to bring better lives to older people in her own country.

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The UN turned 64 on 24 October. To celebrate this, events were organised around the world, including a flag raising ceremony in Fiji and, in Tanzania, UN staff rebuild class room floors in schools.

However, the main focus of the day and indeed the article, The UN at 64: Climate change in the spotlight was, unsurprisingly, climate change. With the UN Climate change conference in Copenhagen fast approaching, it calls on the world community to join efforts to mitigate climate change.

Climate change is a universal issue

Most of us already know we need to act. Climate change is a huge threat to us and our planet - potentially the biggest we have ever faced. However, if climate change is a universal issue, why is everybody not treated equally in its light?

Having just hit the very impressive age of 64, the UN is an older being. It has a wealth of experience, understanding, knowledge and skills to offer the climate change debate. Exactly like older people all around the world. However, time and time again we find that older people and their potential contribution to climate change mitigation are forgotten.

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As the climate change debate rages on, with the International Day of Climate Change on 24 October and the countdown to Copenhagen well under way, is there is a glimmer of hope that people are starting to make the link between climate change and ageing?

Twice this week while watching the news and reading articles online, I was amazed, surprised and thrilled simultaneously. News outlets were mentioning older people when referring to the challenges the world faces due to climate change. I thought, “I must write about this!”

On the BBC News at Ten, 19 October, a rural village in China was featured. Due to droughts, their crops were failing and younger generations were forced to leave to find work in big cities, leaving older people behind. This is an issue faced by many communities worldwide, which HelpAge is trying to address by raising awareness of how climate change is affecting older people.

Additionally, on AlertNet, an audiovisual montage shows older people’s frustration at the unpredictability of the weather. Their crops have failed and their livestock is dying. They plead with their Gods to bring them rain, asking why their usual means to ensure their survival are failing.

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There is no avoiding the impending threat of climate change and the impact it is already having around the world - most often affecting already struggling and developing regions of the globe.

Age change

Another phenomenon that is transforming the world as we know it and is often overlooked by organisations, governments and policy makers is global ageing.

By 2050, 1 in 5 people will be over 60. Globally, the number of people aged 60 plus will outnumber children aged 14 and under.

The missing link

Climate change and ageing are two of the most important issues facing humanity this century, yet explicit links between the two are rarely made.  So why does the climate change debate completely disregard the impact of climate change on older people?

At best, older people are mentioned as a “vulnerable group”. But they are more than this - older people’s knowledge and experience can help us reduce the effects of climate change.

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Age Demands Action in Manila has had to change course following Typhoon Ondoy (also known as Ketsana). Meetings with local councillors and a march have been cancelled and instead the delegation of older people are distributing aid to their peers in the worst affected areas.

These inspirational community leaders still managed to take a stand for older people’s rights by joining with campaigners around the world and raising their index finger to show support for Article 1 at 1pm on 1st October, which states: ALL people are born free and equal in dignity and rights.

Yayasan Telaga Amal (YTA) activists in Banda Aceh have shown they stand for the principle that everybody, including older people, have rights. They’ve done this by raising their index finger at 1pm on 1st October to show support for Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which states: ALL human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.

This is happening across the world today. Click here to see more photos