On May 8, a conference titled “Reforms, Recovery, and Expansion — Rebuilding a Society for All Age Groups in Ukraine” took place, organized jointly by international organizations HelpAge International and Friends of Europe, with the support of the British Embassy in Ukraine. This event is a very important step both for our society and for Ukraine’s European integration processes as a whole.
Our country has committed to upholding and protecting the rights of both young and older people, and the international community is ready to support and assist us in this. We plan to highlight in detail how and what was discussed at the conference.
Older people can be very different: some need help and care, while others can and want to support others, participate in public life, volunteer, and take part in important discussions. We gathered such people for online participation in the international event, which was dedicated to building a society in Ukraine that considers the interests of older people. Speakers included officials from the European Commission, the European Parliament, EU member states, and other international institutions, as well as Ukrainian government officials and civil society representatives.
The conference on “Reforms, Recovery, and Expansion — Rebuilding a Society for All Age Groups in Ukraine” was organized jointly by international organizations HelpAge International and Friends of Europe, with the support of the British Embassy in Ukraine. Our Foundation’s team was responsible for ensuring that the voices of Ukrainian elderly people were heard and considered.
As a result, three active elderly individuals — Ms. Svitlana, Ms. Valentyna, and Mr. Heorhii — shared their stories and their desire to be useful and included in society.
Additionally, about fifteen more older people, recommended to us as very active and concerned by the social service centers of Dnipro and Shevchenkivskyi districts of Kyiv, attended the online event.
This event is a very important step both for our society and for Ukraine’s European integration processes as a whole. Our country has committed to upholding and protecting the rights of both young and older people, and the international community is ready to support and assist us in this. We plan to highlight in detail how and what was discussed at the conference.
Lastly, we want to note another important point. It is very significant that our elderly activists gathered for such an important mission within the walls of a space where young people usually gather and hold their events and activities.
The Ukrainian-Danish Youth House kindly hosted our guests and supported this event, opening up great opportunities for the development of intergenerational dialogue, where young and older people establish connections and interactions, overcoming stereotypes and prejudices, and together creating a world friendly to people of all ages.