On 16 February, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo of the Philippines signed the Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2010. The Act includes the introduction of a new non-contributory pension which will be targeted at the “poorest of the poor” over the age of 60.

It will also bring into place a range of tax breaks for senior citizens that are expected to affect 4.2 million older people, as well as health insurance provision and a death benefit. 

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Sarah Obama, the grandmother of US president Barack Obama, has joined our Age Demands Action campaign by donning an ADA T shirt and showing her support for older people’s rights around the world.

Too often older people are ignored or excluded because they are seen as a burden on society.

Not only is this wrong in principle, but this discrimination also ignores the fact that older people make huge contributions – through working, caring and sharing their experience.

Delegations of older people united around the world on 1 October, UN International Day of Older People, to push for better treatment from their governments and support Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which states: ALL people are born free and equal in dignity and rights.

Find out more about Age Demands Action.

Read the rest of our Age Demands Action blog.

Show your support by signing our petition.

This year a delegation of older people will meet various high-level ministers to address issues relating to older people, such as a law to protect older people and their rights and improved access to health care services.

To find out more about Kyrgyzstan’s participation in Age Demands Action, click here

Our partner in Slovenia, Slovene Philanthropy has been touring festivals and gaining public support for Age Demands Action.

To see more photos, visit our gallery.

Some of the HelpAge team in London went down to the Houses of Parliament to show our support for Age Demands Action, older people’s rights and Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

At 1 o’clock exactly we took photos, videos and almost got passers-by involved too…

Here are the results!

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

Older people in Korea have taken a photo of themselves at 1pm with their index fingers raised to join others around the world and say ALL people, including older people, have human rights.

The Fiji Council of Social Services (FCOSS) has just completed their meeting with Dr Jiko Luveni, the Minister for Women and Social Affairs. and got photos of her with the ADA delegation raising their index fingers at 1pm in support of Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The message: all older people have rights that must be respected.

Dr Luvenie said the Government will discuss the issues that were presented today in the next cabinet meeting.  She said that even the prime minister of Fiji is committed to develop a policy for older people. Hopefully this is the start of things to come.

Well done FCOSS on holding such a great event.

News just in!

The Age Demands Action delegation in Ethiopia are to meet with their President.

They have also been involved in organising a march by an older people’s group. Local administrative leaders and a representative of the National Ministry for Labour and Social Affairs took part and listened to “asks” from the community. 

More information to follow…

To find out more about the work happening in Ethiopia, click here!