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

Mission  |  Contact Us  |  Internships  |  Donate Now!  

back

The attached document is a draft of a proposed Charter for a Society for All Ages developed for consideration by the United Nations for the International Year of Older Persons in 1999. The Charter was developed by staff at AARP. The initiative for this draft came from a LTN planning group which thought it might be appropriate to introduce a document in the LTN General Assembly that could serve as a lasting testimonial to the theme chosen for the Year - "Towards a society for all ages " (a theme remaining largely undefined). The occasion of the 10th anniversary of the LYN's World Assembly on aging served as the catalyst for obtaining approval of what is now known as the UN Principles for Older Persons. A similar effort is contemplated for 1999 with the proposed Charter.

We would very much like your comments and suggestions on this effort. The document remains a draft and has no official backing by the LTN or any other group at this time. Your comments will be seriously considered in the further evolution of the Charter. A questionnaire has been enclosed for your use. Please send your comments at your earliest convenience to:

Charlotte Nusberg
AARP
601 E St., NW
Washington, D.C. 20049 U.S.A.
Fax: 202/434-6408

Many thanks indeed!

Background

Implicit in the theme for 1999, "Towards a society for all ages," is a vision of society in which the interests of all groups are considered; this moves us away from segmenting society and examining just the needs of one particular group at a time. While the latter approach has much for which to commend itself, it is a rather artificial way to look at the dynamics of society and runs the risk of overlooking if not distorting the needs and interests of other groups. Further, no one is a member of just one group; our concerns overlap those of others - most of us participate in a number of communities of interest.

Thus, the emphasis in this Charter is on our interdependence, but narrowing our concerns somewhat to interdependence in age-related issues. This Charter has been, after all, drawn up for the International Year of Older Persons and the theme of aging serves to focus the document (as well as drawing appropriately on my expertise!). However, I have tried to place aging within a life cycle perspective, stressing those issues that not only augur well for a good old age but improve the quality of life of everyone regardless of their current age. These two criteria were used in determining the inclusion of most of the bulleted items.

Most of the bulleted points are drawn from already approved LTN declarations and action plans emanating from earlier conferences, including, most importantly, the Vienna International Plan of Action on Aging, and should not prove controversial. The value added by this Charter is highlighting and organizing them in a coherent and different framework. Undoubtedly, additional points could be added and some subtracted. The sections also dovetail the themes chosen by the LN as worthy of special focus in 1999 - i.e., aging and development, intergenerational relationships, and lifelong individual development. The fourth theme, the situation of the elderly, runs implicitly throughout the entire document.

Introduction

The world has seen many special subject conferences in recent decades which have focused public attention on distinct concerns or groups within society seen as suffering some disadvantage or having special needs. While not their intent, an unanticipated consequence may have been to further segment society and elevate one group's concerns over another's when, in fact, we are more similar than unlike. The unifying theme of "Towards a society for all ages" chosen for the International Year of Older Persons provides an opportunity to repair or reweave the social fabric and reflect on our interdependence and the variety of forms that this takes, as well as to realize that aging permeates all our lives regardless of where we are in the life cycle.

The forces unleashed by expanding global economic practices, environmental degradation and the revolution in telecommunications result in the growing interdependence of countries, societies and individuals on one another. The "Charter for a Society for All Ages" proposed for the Year is consistent with these broader trends and seeks, in part, to temper some of their impact or build on their strengths. What better symbol of productive/generative aging than to focus the Year on what unites rather than separates us, on breaking down stereotypical thinking that robs us of our common humanity. Let the charter itself become an example of the mutuality that defines the relationship between all people and all age groups.

Interdependence of Individuals and Society

Individuals live in societies and societies are made up of individuals. The two constantly interact, sometimes in harmony, sometimes in tension and conflict. The latter can arise when a lag occurs between societal structures and the way individuals actually lead or want to lead their lives. One example is the desire for easier and more frequent transitions between periods of education, work and leisure evident in some countries, yet many societies are still rigidly structured in supporting sequential periods of education, work and retirement. Another example is the impact of population aging on development through expanded demands for pension coverage and health and social services. Yet it is the process of development itself, with its accompanying declines in fertility and mortality, that leads to population aging and often reduces older persons to a "roleless" role when, in fact, they want to remain productive, contributing members of society.

Because of this interdependence, Member States, in cooperation with appropriate parties, should:

· assess the consequences of development on individuals' lives and introduce or adapt societal structures so that individual ability to function effectively replaces chronological age as a marker of life stages

· build in flexibility and age irrelevance wherever possible in social structures

· remove arbitrary age discrimination in employment, political life, and volunteer opportunities

· provide appropriate social services and structures to enable vulnerable populations to improve their lives, exercise their rights and participate fully in all social, economic and political activities

· promote more flexibility and easier transitions throughout the lifespan among education, work and leisure by facilitating the restructuring of work patterns to take into account changing capabilities and needs

· treat older persons, youth and others outside the labor force as a resource, not a burden

· create an enabling environment to encourage older persons and youth to make full use of their skills and abilities for the benefit of society

· provide recognition for unremunerated work and for the contributions older people and others outside the labor force make to society

· promote self-help and self-reliance

Interdependence of Life Stages

An optimal old age - one in which full human potential has been realized and "life has been added to years" - is not reached without considerable preparation in earlier stages of life for later material, physical, social, psychological and spiritual well-being. The growing likelihood of living to old age should and does inform and moderate life choices in younger years. Individual self-reliance and foresight are required, but society can do much to provide the setting in which such virtues flourish.

A rich old age, in turn, depends in part on how well life has been lived. A life well-lived can provide meaning, comfort and a sense of personal integration in the later years.

Because of this interdependence, Member States, in cooperation with appropriate parties, should:

In the area of education and training

· provide universal and affordable access to basic education and literacy training for all age groups

· provide or strengthen adult education, lifelong leaming and continuing vocational training

· eliminate discrimination in access to education and vocational and other forms of training on the basis of age, gender or other arbitrary characteristics

· adapt teaching and training methods and content to changing individual capabilities and needs

· promote education about the aging process and the specific concerns of each generation starting at very young ages

· encourage early retirement planning

In the area of employment and other productive activity

· prohibit discrimination in hiring, promotion or dismissal decisions on the basis of age, gender or other arbitrary characteristics

· promote work patterns that harmonize work and family responsibilities and facilitate reentry into the labor force at different stages of life

· promote the adaptation of work to changing individual capabilities and needs · promote volunteer opportunities for all age groups remove tax, pension and other constraints against part-time and temporary work and volunteer opportunities

· encourage flexible rather than mandatory retirement ages

In the area of income protection

· guarantee a right to a standard of living adequate for individual and family wellbeing

· strive to reduce economic inequalities

· establish or adapt social security systems to protect young and old, ensure intra- and intergenerational equity and solidarity, and remove gender biases

· permit women, as well as men, to acquire their own rights in social security systems

· ensure the protection of labor laws and social security benefits for part-time, temporary, seasonal and home-based workers

· give women full and equal access to economic resources, including the right to inheritance, the ownership of land and credit

· create a financial environment that encourages people to save for their old age and other contingencies

In the area of health

· assure safe water, adequate food supplies and sound nutrition

· control or eliminate noxious substances in the environment

· undertake public health campaigns against tobacco, alcohol and drug abuse

· reduce the possibilities of accidents in high risk areas, such as work and on roads

· encourage exercise and other elements of a healthy lifestyle

· ensure universal and affordable access to adequate health care

· develop a broad continuum of health services to treat both mental and physical illnesses and dysfunctions

· promote early diagnosis and appropriate treatment, as well as preventive measures, to reduce disabilities and diseases of aging and avoid premature aging

· encourage the coordination of health and social services

· promote self-care where appropriate

· explore the potential of appropriate technology to support people in their health needs

· explore the interdependence of physical, mental, social, spiritual and environmental factors in determining well-being

In the area of social services

· strengthen state-based and community-based support systems as an integral part of social policy

· ensure universal and ready access to basic social services, with particular

· efforts to facilitate access by people who are older, disabled, homebound and living in poverty

· provide accessible and affordable public transport systems

· promote a continuum of housing and shelter arrangements from independent living to various degrees of assisted living for the physically and mentally vulnerable

· promote home care to permit persons to remain living in familiar environments for as long as possible

· arrange for basic training, counseling, financial and services support for caregivers of all ages

· cultivate an equal partnership between men and women in the care of family members of all ages

· explore the potential of appropriate technology to support people in their social needs

In the area of human rights

· promote and protect the RAI enjoyment of all human. rights and fundamental freedoms throughout the life cycle

· promote the equal right of men and women regardless of age to the enjoyment of all economic, social and cultural rights

· protect physically, culturally and otherwise vulnerable and weak populations against abuse and violence

· eliminate discriminatory practices that marginalize or exclude any group

· respect diversity in populations and in their cultural and religious practices

· facilitate the participation of all groups in decisions affecting their lives

· eliminate and prevent all forms of violence in society, including domestic violence

· provide opportunities for redress if fundamental rights are abused

Interdependence of Generations

All persons share common needs for love, emotional support, respect and recognition from one another, for the exchange of knowledge, experience and insights and for economic support and care. The extent of need will vary from individual to individual, age group to age group and culture to culture. Each generation also stands on contributions made by earlier generations, whether alive or deceased, creating a sense of stewardship towards future generations. At the same time, each generation brings unique skills or qualities - the old are the only group that have lived through many of the experiences that younger generations have yet to encounter and can serve as valuable role models; the young bring a special energy and enthusiasm to life from which older and often more conservative temperaments can benefit.

Because of this interdependence, Member States, in cooperation with appropriate parties, should:

· recognize the binding emotional ties and the considerable monetary, in-kind and other transfers that take place in both directions between generations

· assist in maintaining families and other social networks intact, including those of refugees and immigrants, while, at the same time, promoting tolerance for diverse family structures

· promote aging in place by supporting age-integated environments and living arrangements, universal design, and domiciliary services or community care

· remove physical constraints to the independent living of persons with disabilities

· support realistic and positive images of different age and population groups

· facilitate multigenerational exchanges and collaboration

· promote receptivity to the wisdom, experience and insights of every individual and age group

· advance the active role of older persons as custodians and transmitters of cultural heritage, history, traditions, knowledge, and skills

· encourage solidarity between generations