Home |  Elder Rights |  Health |  Pension Watch |  Rural Aging |  Armed Conflict |  Aging Watch at the UN  

Mission  |  Contact Us  |  Internships  |  Donate Now!  

back

1. Denmark

We are about 5.2 million Danes -- 800.000 (or 15%) are 65 years and above. 750.000 are old age pensioners.

Basically Denmark is a rich country -- one of the richest in the world. And basically our old citizens have a good or a reasonable social and material life. This, however, does not exclude marring examples of low life quality and even poverty.

2. Who Will Care and Provide for Us Danes when we Grow Old?

Primarily ourselves through our work in house and garden, as long and as far as our health permits. Financially we may have savings, private pensions and labor market pensions.

For most of us, however, the Society - State and Municipalities - will provide the major part of our financial and material resources, such as:

(1) 'folkpension' granted to every person - rich and poor - from 67 years of age. It is tax financed and paid irrespective of former connection with the labor market. Thus women are paid the same amount as men. The basic 'folkspension' amounts 44.400 DKR (=US$7,400) -- and for people with no or only little means of their own there is an additional grant of 20.000 DKR (=US$3,200) - totalling 64.000 DKR (=US$10,600) per year; for a married couple double this amount.

(2) In addition to this there are special disbursements for medicine, transport, rent subsidy for housing, and free home assistance and nursing according to need.

(3) The municipalities -- and to some extent non-profit and charitable organisatons - provide housing specially designed for senior persons and handicapped, including nursing homes, rehabilitation and activity centers.

(4) Hospital treatment is given free of charge to all citizens irrespective of income.

Conclusion: although the family of course is still an important support and network for our old people, it is the Society which primarily provide the financial and material basis for a good life quality for those who have no means of their own. A very large part of old people are satisfied with their conditions and rather few feel lonely.

My impression is that most other countries envy us our system. The results we have to-day are, however, built up over a long period of our history, not least during the last one hundred years, crowned by the establishment of the Welfare State after World War II.

Can we still rely on the welfare state in the future???
I shall return to that question in a moment. First:

3. Senior Citizens' Own Activities

Senior and old-age people are not as such 'social or medical problems'- we shall not in general be characterized as somebody who should be taken care of and provided for. We are an active and valuable resource for ourselves and for the communities where we live.

We want to organise our own lives, our social relations, our cultural activities, and our political influence. About this broad and important subject I shall say a few words:

(1) all over Denmark we have numerous local Pensioners' Organisations forming Regional and National Committees. A Cooperation Committee - 'Senior Citizens' Mobilization' -- has recently been established between the major National Committee with the purpose of presenting the needs and wishes of senior citizens to the government and the 'Folketing' ( our Danish Parliament) and to keep up a friendly and fruitful liaison with government officials.

This of course includes a lot of secretarial work in order to follow legislation, statistics and the general development.

The local organisations carry out extensive social, cultural and educational activities, gathering a great number of seniors who are to get well acquainted and thus establish solid personal networks.

(2) A particular and very important feature in our efforts to gain political influence are the Senior Councils. The first one was established about 20 years ago, but since 1990 we have experienced a steep curve for the forming of new SC.s. The SC.s are based on the municipalities, of which we have 275 -- and we now have SC.s in about 200 of these municipalities. About 2000 persons are active members of the councils.

The municipalities are responsible for most of the direct relations between old people and the authorities. It is, therefore, important to have a strong and active representation of senior citizens at that level.

We have no legislation on SC.s -- it is, therefore, voluntary for the Municipal Councils if they will accept a SC or put it in another way: we have to work (sometimes fight) for it. Very briefly the characteristics of a functional SC should be:

an agreement between the Municipal Council and the Senior Citizens, formed as a Statute, giving the SC the right:
(1) to be consulted on all matters concerning old age policy and its performance - and
(2) the right to present proposals, which should be included in the agenda of the Municipal Council. The SC shall receive all information necessary for its considerations and functions. Regular meetings between the SC and the MC or its Social Committee shall be held in order to discuss matters and develop a close and fruitful cooperation. The SC members work as volunteers with no payment, but the direct expenses shall be refunded by the Municipality. The members are elected either by direct election or they are appointed by the local Pensioners' Organisations.

During the last five years we have organised frequent courses for the education of SC members in order to improve their understanding of and insight in the organisational procedures and the municipal structures.

Does what I have said here imply that Denmark is the honey jar of the World? -- that here is 'peace and no danger' as we say? NO!!!

4. Signals of Danger for the Welfare State Have Been Raised!!!

This of course will be a major issue at the conference -- both the official and the NGO-FORUM. Senior Citizens are increasingly discriminated at the labor market, at hospitals, suffering cutbacks in home assistance etc., and being told -- and frightened -- that it may not be possible in the future to pay us the 'folkspension' which we consider our right in a well functioning society.

But the Society is not well functioning. Large numbers of people with capacity to work and earn their living are kept idle and unemployed. We are told, that we must be very careful to please or not to upset the anonymous Financial Market. So far we have had the well known tri-partite division of power: the Parliament - the Government - the Jurisdiction. It is in our constitution, but the Financial Market has suddenly sneaked in through the backdoor, apparently as the most potent part of the power game.

It is one of the consequences of a false philosophy or ideology: the Neo-Liberalism which claims that selfishness, personal greed, and profit maximisation should be the necessary, only, and most efficient way of developing and governing the world. It propagates the gospel of the Free and Open World Market as the right way to prosperity for all. The influence and responsibility of the Governments shall be reduced, as shall all obstacles for the privileged to compile more and more wealth at the cost of common people.

All this we are told in a period where poverty, insecurity, and break-down of social and family networks are becoming more and more obvious, widespread and burdensome.

Let me end this short introduction by saying:

We must reconsider the relationships between people so that solidarity, personal responsibility for our 'neighbor', and mutual assistance can be the basis for social structures. We must reconsider the right for property and decision making, so that the needs and interests of common people, of our descendants and the beautiful variety of our Globe will be at focus.

A Great Task -- A Necessary Task for Young as Well As Old!