Henry Matthews, Campaigns Coordinator for HelpAge International explains how age helps…
Over the past 25 years HelpAge International has seen at first-hand how older people contribute so much to their communities.
Mediators, educators, advisors…older people play all these roles and more.
When emergencies strike, older people use their experience to rebuild lives. If grown up children become ill or move away to work, they often step in to look after the grandchildren. And where they can get credit, older people are proven as reliable business people.
Watch the film clip below to see evidence of just some of the ways in which older people all over the world make invaluable contributions.
To those that still wonder if age can really help, look at the thousands of older people that get active in their communities through our Age Demands Action campaign; the group of elder world statesmen in The Elders organisation, offering mediation in crisis situations; or even the MySpace blogging of Kirk Douglas, aged 91, encouraging young people to vote in America.
These are shining examples of the resource and leadership age represents for our global society. And yet millions of older people are ignored, discriminated against or even persecuted in the world today.
HelpAge is about helping those millions of older people not able or allowed to live their lives in safety, security and to the benefit of others. On our website www.helpage.org you can read more on our work to make this happen.
But let’s do it together! We want to hear about the ageing issues in your region, and what Age Helps means to you.
Post your comments below so we can get the world listening to this urgent story.
Read more about our Age Demands Action campaign.