October 1 is the International Day for Older Persons.
The various activities organized throughout the day aim to remind people that the rights of the elderly are inseparable from the principles set out by the United Nations.
In these times of the Covid-19 pandemic crisis, we have realized the importance and the fragility of our elders. This virus has hit the elderly hard and revealed their vulnerability to this disease. We all have protective systems in place to save our elder, but the fight is not over. We must continue to protect the elderly and respect social distancing and frequent hand-washing.
On the other hand, our elders have proven to be pillars and quiet strengths. They walked through the lockdown with their heads held high and hearts filled with hope and prayer. Elder people have seen, known or heard their parents talk about pandemics, wars, etc. They are strong, conquerors, and resourceful.
Almost 700 million people around the world are aged 60 and over. They will be 2 billion in 2050, or about 20% of the world population.
Throughout this day, several initiatives are organized. They will reevaluate the respect for the rights of elder people around the world since the establishment of the principles in favor of older people first articulated by the United Nations in 1991: independence, participation, personal development, and dignity. It will also discuss the implementation of the Recommendations of the Plan of Action on Aging adopted by the United Nations at the Second World Assembly (Madrid, April 2002).
Let yourself be charmed by their stories, their lives, their experiences.
