NGO Forum on Ageing 5-9 April 2002

Location: Juan Carlos I Exhibition Centre (IFEMA) 

With the theme of “Building a Society for All Ages”,  the NGO Forum opens in the afternoon of April 5^th  in Madrid at a colorful ceremony welcoming all international visitors.    Registration will take place beginning on April 5^th and continue throughout the Forum. 

Planners have organized a thematic day by day presentation with a daily morning plenary and afternoon roundtable and workshop sessions. (On some days there will be time for morning workshops.) 

A “People's Parliament” will convene in the evenings to discuss issues raised during the day.  By the end of the five day Forum, the Parliament will have a statement for the Forum’s consideration.

Here are the six themes:

                    Public Policy :
The following topics will form part of the debate: private and public pension schemes, retirement, home services and residences.

                    Older People’s Rights :
This area will focus on guaranteeing economic, social and cultural rights of this important sector of society, as well as civil and political rights, including the elimination of all types of age discrimination. The debate will have a special focus on abuses that older persons suffer in the home or in residences. Also, legislation protecting older persons and guardianship issues will be discussed.

                    Environmental issues :
The segment of older persons is one of the most vulnerable to diverse forms of environmental contamination. This area will focus on: adapting the home to older persons' needs, adapted transportation and urbanism (eliminating architectural barriers).

                    Culture, Training, Participation, Leisure :
This topic will analyse older persons' opportunities to fully participate in an effective manner in society, as well as review possibilities of individual development and self-realization by means of on-going learning. In this section, new technologies will be studied, group activities, social participation, volunteering, and intergenerational relations.

                    Poverty and Development :
The primary objective in this area is to achieve security in old-age by means of eradicating poverty in older persons' lives. The role of older persons' in humanitarian crises will be analysed. Social exclusion and immersion will be debated as well.

                    Health Care :
Promoting healthcare encourages individuals to monitor and improve their personal health. NGOs that participate in the design of illness prevention policies may help improve the quality of life of older people, including those who are handicapped. This area will also focus on: residential care, mental health, handicaps and dependency, and genoma. The WHO is planning to organize activities on these topics with respect to International Health Day.

However, since there are only four days, the Planners compressed the issues in the following format:

Day 1        Poverty, Development and Environmental Issues

          Day 2        Health Care

          Day 3        Public Policy and Social Integration

          Day 4        Older People’s Rights

          The Organizing Committee continues to receive proposals for workshops and presentations.  There is still time to submit proposals.  Try to follow this format:

1.                 State the issue and why it is significant

2.                 Outline the issues to be presented, questions to be raised

3.                 Elicit Recommendations for governments and civil society about how to address the issues.

Send proposals for round tables and workshops to the Forum at forumageing@servimedia.es. Or by fax at 34 91 416 7948.

The Forum will also have an Exhibition Hall where NGOs, corporations, cultural groups can show and distribute brochures, printed and graphic materials. The cost for the booths (size approximately 6 x 9 feet) is undetermined.

Audiovisual equipment and translation will be available.

NGOs will be able to travel without any charge from their hotels to the Forum via Shuttle buses.

Contact persons for Work Group Areas :

•      Public Policy and Welfare of Society

European Federation of Pensioners and Elderly People (FERPA)
Contact : Luigina de Santis at ldesanti@etuc.org

Unión Democrática de Pensionistas y Jubilados de España (UDP)
Contact : Ignacio Martínez at udp@mayoresudp.org

•      Older Persons' Rights

CONGO (Conference of Nongovernmental Organizations)
Contact : Danielle Bridel at danielle.bridel@bluewin.ch

Cruz Roja Española 
Contact : Susana Gende Feel at sgf@cruzroja.es

•      Environment

Amigos de la Tierra
Confederación Española de Consumidores y Ususarios (CECU)
Contact : Ana Etchenique at ana.etchenique@cecu.es

•      Culture, Training, Participation and Leisure

Fédération Internationale des Associations de Personnes Agées (FIAPA)
Contact : Albert Magarian at fia.pa@libertysurf.fr

Unión General de Trabajadores (UGT)
Contact : Salvador Guirado at uniate@cec.ugt.org

•      Poverty and Development

HelpAge International
Contact : Andrew Humphreys at ahumphreys@helpage.org

Cáritas
Contact : José Ramón Solanillas at mayores@caritas-espa.org

MPDL
Contact : Susana Amor at m.deaguilar@mpdl.org

•      Healthcare

International Association of Gerontology
Contact : Miguel Angel Acánfora at acanfora@connmed.com.ar

Fundación Humanismo y Democracia
Contact : Araceli García de Rojo at fhdcooperacion@navegalia.com