Political supporters

We are asking Members of the European Parliament and EU member state governments to support older people in developing countries. 

With their support, we are pressing the European Commission to make aid "age friendly" by mainstreaming ageing into EU development cooperation and protecting older people's rights. 

Our supporters

Milan Cabrnoch, MEP, Czech Republic:

Mr Cabrnoch is a MEP and Co-Chair of the European Parliament Intergroup on Ageing and Intergenerational Solidarity.

During the 2011 Age Demands Action campaign, Mr Cabrnoch joined our partner in the Czech Republic, Zivot 90 along with a group of older people to celebrate the UN International Day of Older Persons on 1 October. 

In support of older people in developing countries, Mr Cabrnoch also took action by signing the EU Lead the Way petition. 

Danilo Türk, President of Slovenia:

During the Festival of Third Life Period in Slovenia in 2010, our partner, Slovene Philanthropy organised a discussion on the role of the European Union and Slovenia in tackling ageing and development issues through development aid. 

Present at the Festival was the President of Slovenia, Mr Türk, who expressed his support for the inclusion of older people in EU development aid.

Mr Turk also took action and further showed his support by signing the EU Lead the Way petition.

Thijs Berman, MEP, the Netherlands:

Mr Berman is a MEP and Coordinator for the Socialists and Democrats Group on the Development Committee.

Of older people, he commented: "European development aid has to support the vulnerable. I'm shocked that one of the largest groups of vulnerable people, older people, are not mentioned in European aid policies.

"I will raise this issue at the relevant podia and do my best to make older people, their plights and contributions to their communities, more visible in aid programming guidelines and policies."

Lambert Van Nistelrooij, MEP, the Netherlands:

Mr Van Nistelrooij is a MEP and Co-Chair of the Inter-group on Ageing. He supports our campaign and in his own words says:

"One word can change a world. Older people and their invaluable contributions to their societies are not mentioned or recognised in European aid policies. The European Year of Active Ageing and Intergenerational Solidarity provides a great opportunity to change this.

"I will seize this opportunity to do my best that 'older people' will be mentioned in the new guidelines of the European Development Fund and as such make sure that in the near future European aid also reaches older people."

Filip Kaczmarek, MEP, Poland:

Mr Kaczmarek is member of the European Parliament’s Development Committee. He is also a member of the Parliament’s Delegation to the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly, a unique international forum of elected representatives from Africa, Caribbean and Pacific states and the European Union.

Mr Kaczmarek says: "The current emphasis on population growth in development frameworks hides the full picture of global population dynamics, particularly the overall fertility decline and the rapid increase of the older poor age group.

"The EU must actively promote the inclusion of older people's needs and contributions in development policy and programming at national levels. I will continue to take action to champion these issues in the Parliament and call for concrete commitments to achieve age-friendly EU aid."

Mr Heinz Becker, MEP, Austria:

Mr Becker is a member of the group of European People's Party. He is also a member of the European Parliament's Committee on Employment and Social Affairs and Co-Chair of the European Parliament Intergroup on Ageing and Intergenerational Solidarity.

He says: "As a Co-chair of the European Parliament's Inter-Group on Ageing and Inter-generational Solidarity, I warmly welcome this initiative to build greater awareness amongst European citizens of the challenges facing older people in developing countries. Ageing is a global phenomenon and as a major global player, the EU therefore has a clear responsibility to protect the rights of growing numbers of older people around the world.

"Many older people are living in chronic poverty and are making unrecognised contributions to development in their communities. I put my full support behind the Make It Ageless campaign and urge others to show their solidarity and join the call for the EU to make concrete commitments to making its aid age-friendly."

Mr Karl Erjavec, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Slovenia:

In his statement to mark the European Year for Active Ageing and Solidarity between Generations 2012, Foreign Minister Erjavec welcomed the Slovenian initiative to join other EU member states in the Make it Ageless campaign.

He said: "We need to start addressing the problems of ageing beyond the borders of the EU. In this respect, the EU should take this issue into account in the process of negotiating aid programming for the 2014–2020 budget period and start promoting age-friendly aid that protects the rights of older people.

"I will do my best to promote this idea and I also invite Slovenians of all ages to join forces in support of the Make it Ageless campaign."