Celebration of the 25th Anniversary of the Foundation of HelpAge International

28/11/2008
A special event to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the foundation of the international network on ageing will be held on Wednesday 19th November 2008, in London, England.

The event aims to raise the profile of ageing as a development issue in the 21st century and highlights the many contributions which older women and men make to their families and communities across the globe. Participating in this event are parliamentarians, friends of ageing and development, HAI Board of trustees and representatives of the development community.

 

In 1983, the HelpAge International network was established by Help the Aged and four other age-focused agencies in Canada, Colombia, India and Kenya. In 2008, HAI is proud to have more than 70 affiliate organizations in 50 countries, with links and partnerships with hundreds more organizations. These organizations are bound together by a common commitment to improve the lives of the poorest older people and their families. Today, HAI supports practical, evidence-based programs to improve livelihoods of older people and their dependants, to ensure older people have a voice, to encourage older people’s full participation in and contribution to their societies and their action to influence policy at local, national and international levels.

 

According to HAI, within 50 years, o­ne person in five will be over 60.Ageing is a triumph of our times – a product of improved public health, sanitation and development. Yet over 100 million older people still live o­n less than o­ne dollar a day. Older people living in poverty are likely to be particularly vulnerable to emerging global challenges such as food and fuel price increases and climate change.In 2002 in Madrit, Spain, the global community signed up to halving the poverty of older people in line with the pledges of the Millennium Development Goals. HAI wants to highlight the action needed to make this vision a reality.

 

HAI’s vision is a world in which all older people can lead dignified, active, healthy and secure lives. HAI is asking every o­ne to join hand to share in and to develop this vision.

 

As a partner of HAI for the last 10 years, together with HAI and the network of Vietnamese partners in Vietnam working o­n aging, VWU has conducted numerous activities for development and humanity targeting older women and their families, communities in many provinces and cities through out the countries. The total financial budged supported or raised by HAI accounts for millions of USD. However, the most important thing to VWU brought about by cooperation programs with HAI is effective models (VIE 011, VIE014…), valuable lessons learnt as well as extension of VWU’s international and national cooperation. The trust and effective cooperation of VWU and HAI has been marked by the participation of VWU’s representative in HAI Board at the official invitation of HAI decided by its Borad Meeting held in November, 2007. In this regard, VWU’s representative will attend the abovementioned important event with a clear message from the President of VWU Madam Nguyen Thi Thanh Hoa “Caring for the rights and benefits of older women and promoting their roles are for the development of every family, community and nation. VWU commits to response to the HAI’s call for sharing its vision and turning its vision into practice. VWU also commits to build the strategic partnership with HAI in working with and for older women in Viet Nam, in the region and in the world.

Phạm Hoài Giang.

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