II National Conference on the Problems of the Older Generation
A new look at aging
Alexander Bykov, conference participant, regional observer of IVANOVOOn October 9-10, Moscow hosted the II Annual National Conference "From an Aging Society to a Society for all Ages", dedicated to the aging of the country's population, support for the elderly, as well as the formation of a society for all ages – a new social system in which everyone's life, regardless of age, will be active and meaningful.
The event opened with a welcoming speech by Maria Morozova, General Director of the Elena and Gennady Timchenko Charitable Foundation. The Foundation organized the conference. She reminded the guests and participants that last year at the first conference on aging, a theoretical framework was developed and the problems were identified. The focus of the current conference was on finding concrete practical solutions and preparing material for the national strategy on aging.
Advisor to the President of the Russian Federation Alexandra Levitskaya in her speech invited the public to a dialogue: "At the state level, it is now clear that it is necessary to create a new perspective and strategic approach to the issues of caring for the elderly. But such a document cannot be abstract. It is important that there are concrete proposals from society and interested people. Officials, of course, will work on this topic, but it needs to be filled with life, so as not to get just plans on paper, in isolation from reality."
Within the framework of the business program, issues of providing employment for elderly people, creating territories for all ages, non-governmental social programs, new approaches and prospects for innovations in the practice of caring, as well as topics related to business in the field of services for the elderly, financing the quality of life in old age, family problems and generational relations, individual life strategies and personal stories of elderly people, topics of spiritual development and decent retirement.
Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Protection of the Russian Federation Alexey Vovchenko supported the idea of the need for comprehensive measures to support the elderly. In his speech, he, in particular, noted: "We need to look at the problems of social protection of the older generation more broadly. Therefore, a Strategy of actions in the interests of elderly citizens will be formed at the state level. It will affect the interests of the elderly in various fields, including healthcare, education, transport, sports, culture and the economy. In every industry, attention should be paid to this topic, and there should be measures aimed at creating conditions for their active, full-fledged life."
The participants of the event had the opportunity to examine in detail the successful international experience in the field of caring for older people. Presentations were made by Mikael Lyanders, Deputy Head of the Ministry of Health of the Southern District of the State of Israel, Luigi Migliorini, Special Representative of the World Health Organization in the Russian Federation, Vikki Tan, Executive Director of the international organization Connexions International (Singapore), Svetlana Bashtovenko, President of the Public Association "Resource Center for the Elderly" (Kyrgyzstan) and others.
At the plenary session "Aging and Society", moderated by TV presenter Fekla Tolstaya, the participants touched on the topic of social discrimination of the elderly. As a result of the discussion, a number of opinions were revealed, in particular concerning the attitude of young people towards the older generation. On the one hand, older people also have rights, like everyone else, and deserve equal treatment. On the other hand, this is a special group that needs specific care, has special needs, etc.
The guests of the conference actively participated in the question and answer sessions. There was no shortage of topical issues, problematic topics and heated discussions. Representatives of government, business, public organizations and non-profit structures, as well as all interested persons, were given opportunities for an open and constructive dialogue within the framework of the event.
The second day began with the screening of the animated film "Wrinkles" (Spain), which received several European film awards. The special guest of the show was the screenwriter and executive producer of the film Angel de la Cruz. The film evoked a lively emotional response from the audience, many guests of the show, being social professionals, admitted that the picture made them take a fresh look at familiar things and see the world through the eyes of older people.
Ksenia Frank, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Elena and Gennady Timchenko Charitable Foundation, spoke at the final session: "Our Foundation has been actively working in the field of supporting older people for 4 years, we have implemented more than 300 projects in different regions. The task of improving the quality of life of the elderly, which we have undertaken, is very ambitious, so we decided to follow the path of combining the efforts of the state, business and the non-profit sector around this topic. Our family and the foundation team are confident that by working with the concerned people involved, we will gradually come to an improvement in the quality of life of the older generation."
This year, more than 400 participants from Russia, the CIS, Israel, Spain and other countries joined the event. This is almost twice as much as it was at the 2013 conference, which was attended by 250 people.
Following the results of the event, a draft resolution was formed, which combined the results of the discussions and the proposals developed. This document will be available on the conference website for clearer elaboration based on feedback received from guests and participants of the event. The final resolution will become an important material for the preparation of an Action Strategy in the interests of Elderly citizens, which will begin to be developed in Russia in the near future.
The draft resolution contains provisions concerning the quality of life of the elderly, the principles of family support, strengthening intergenerational ties, individual care programs for the elderly, prevention and early diagnosis of diseases to preserve active longevity, stimulate employment and continuing education, support gerontology as an important scientific field, the development of the geriatric system in Russia, as well as strengthening the role of the media and culture in changing social stereotypes regarding older people.
The National Conference "From an Aging Society to a Society for All Ages" is an annual international conference. It is held in Moscow with the aim of finding effective solutions to create a decent social environment for all generations, as well as changing stereotypes associated with aging and the attitude of society towards representatives of the older generation. The participants of the conference are representatives of the professional community working with the older generation, federal and regional authorities, socially oriented business, the public sector and NGOs, the scientific community.
The Timchenko Foundation is a charitable foundation of Elena and Gennady Timchenko, established in 2010. The Foundation's activities are aimed at the systematic solution of social problems in Russia. Among the key areas are support for the older generation, as well as the development of sports and culture, assistance to families and children. Among the recent projects of the Foundation are the April photo exhibition at Sheremetyevo Airport, the heroes of which were active and stylish representatives of the older generation, the autumn literary evening "Moscow in Verse and Prose", which united artists of all ages in Krasnaya Presnya Park. These and other projects of the Foundation are aimed at drawing attention to the issues of the aging generation of people in Russia.
Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru16.10.2014