AC99 - Newsletter and IYOP Initiatives

	Newsletter and IYOP Initiatives Australian Coalition '99

AC '99 Update - Edition No. 4 (October 1998)
1999 IDEAS FOR NGOs

There are many opportunities for non-government organisations to become engaged in IYOP.
The following list of ideas has been adapted from a United Nations Department of Public Information publication.

Neighbourhoods, Families and Individuals

Local government, town community leaders, families and individuals may wish, as appropriate, to:

Integrate the needs of older people in urban and community planning, including for housing, transport, and health and social services, bearing in mind the diversity of older people including indigenous elders and migrants;

Draft local plans of action on ageing in cooperation with representatives of older people, and support establishment of community-based organisations on ageing including "'99 Committees" to spearhead preparations for the International Year;

Establish senior advisory groups to advise local government on community matters, especially those concerning ageing;

Open a older persons' bureau to establish and maintain a directory of older people according to talent and expertise;

Arrange a lecture series for and by older people, for example: a farmer on improving farming or gardening; an accountant on financial planning; a physiotherapist on physical exercise; a doctor on nutrition; a pharmacist on drugs; a police officer on safety and security; and a lawyer on making wills;

Open community training/ recreational centres in cooperation with local enterprises, which would serve older and other citizens currently under-employed and wishing to improve their entitlements and capabilities;

Commission a history of the district by a group of older persons and for example, girl and boy scouts. Information could be collected from libraries, local historical societies; individuals, museums and historic sites;

Organise sports tournaments, encompassing all age groups;

Support family integration and solidarity through dialogue in schools, community forums and local media on inter-generational exchanges, family consultaiton, euiable task-sharing within the family and causes and remedies of abuse of older people in a domestic setting or family;

Introduce surrogate kinship programmes of families or community groups for older people living alone;

Introduce or support practices that ensure dignity in death, support in bereavement, and respect for the wishes of older persons in these regards.

The Business Sector

Where not already established, the business sector and professional societies and individuals may wish to:

Establish new or liaise with existing employment agencies to identify and promote suitable work opportunities and environments for older people in consultation with older persons;
Expand lifelong on-the-job training and retraining opportunities for new technologies, community service and income security in old age;
Examine whether expanding work opportunities for older persons in the neighbourhood implies contracting work opportunities for the young, and whether both age groups could cooperate on joint projects;
Organise a older persons=B9 trade show;
Issue a older persons=B9 directory listing older people willing to share expertise and support local, regional, state/territory and national development efforts;
Prepare a manual on income-generating activities by seniors to which end local business clubs and organisations may provide useful advice, models and practical support;
Publish a handbook on fundraising for local self-help or service organisations to enable them to tap financial backing from different sources;
Request community leaders to issue business awards to enterprises that have special rates for older people, give generously to older persons' organisations or make other significant contributions to older persons' well-being;
Support employees who are caregivers through introducing flexible work hours and integrated day-care centres for dependants of all age, possibly in cooperation with the local government and the voluntary service sector;
Introduce flexible retirement ages and practices and organise pre-retirement consultations.

Schools and Colleges

Schools might consider any of the following ideas:

Conduct a series of surveys and youth assemblies on ageing;
Introduce flexible retirement ages and practices and organise pre-retirement consultations;
Expand education for seniors by (I)opening to them a number of places in regular courses at reduced rates or free of charge, and (ii)organising special courses for seniors on themes directly relating to ageing, such as health maintenance, income security and changing images of older people;
Arrange lectures and workshops for journalists, advertisers, architects, employers, social and health care caregivers, family caregivers, volunteers, and members of local government on the implications of an ageing population and options in responding to it;
Conduct surveys, in cooperation with older persons, for use in developing local plans and programmes on ageing, including, for example, a survey of training needs of the ageing, their families and socio-economic and political institutions. A parallel survey of training needs of the ageing, their families and socio-economic and political institutions.
A parallel survey could be conducted on the preparedness of adult and other educational institutions to provide the required training.
Write and perform an oral history play where, first, a group of students make tape-recordings of older persons talking about their lies and then write a play on the basis of the recordings, in which older persons would play themselves as they are today and youth would play the older persons as they were during the events recorded;
Launch a poster and/or essay competition offering prizes for the poster or essay that best depicts a theme related to inter-generational cooperation. Prizes could be donated by local business or shops; winning posters could be exhibited, and the best essays published or broadcast by the local media;
Establish gerontology as a core subject for students of social sciences, journalism and education, as well as nursing and medicine, where geriatrics may also be made a core subject;
Organise exchanges between retired teachers in developed and developing countries to support literacy as well as cultural understanding and enrichment.

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