Gray Panthers NYC's Jack Kupferman attended the Joint Forum and the Ministerial Conference on Ageing in June in Rome.
Official delegates expressed concern for older person in Ukraine. One Ukrainian NGO, which operates a chain of long-term care facilities, reported that Russia intentionally bombed several of their facilities.
A representative of the European Youth Forum delivered remarks that emphasized the similarities between the generations and how ageism affects both cohorts.
There was enthusiasm for mainstreaming ageing in all government policies, with long-term care prominently included. Jack met a very thoughtful woman from Lebanon who is working with several Middle Eastern countries as they work on establishing better standards for residential and informal long-term care. GP was approached for collaboration by several NGOs - only time will tell if these gestures will become long-term strategies.
While incremental progress has been made in most countries, is it sufficient? Does the passion in our hearts translate to the effective improvement of the quality of life for older persons? Where is the outrage given the tsunami of death affecting older persons due to COVID?
For many attendees, this was the first time in over two years that they were able to attend an in-person event. Jack sends thanks to Sylvia Beales who invited him to replace her as the Gray Panthers representative when she was not able to attend.