Ageing and News and analysis of issues affecting the lives of older people Development Issue 14 July 2003 Devastation in Biara, near Halabja, northern Iraq, during the war earlier this year. After the war in Iraq The aftermath of the war in Iraq The 2003 war also disrupted wished I were able to host more,’ raises many questions about economic activity and halted says Salha. ‘But we have used inside... the future of its most vulnerable government payments. The disorder all our stock of foodstuffs and 2 News Meetings on ageing citizens, including older people that has followed has further under- savings and we have only got and poverty; violence and their families. mined the ability of the poorest enough rice left for a few days.’ in Cambodia; attitudes in groups to maintain their livelihoods. The war leaves in its wake a HelpAge International’s Ghana and Sudan; briefing on HIV/AIDS multitude of long-term problems In the Kurdish-administered region, programme has included home for Iraq. Twelve years of UN where HelpAge International has visiting, support to small-scale 6 Briefing Raising the issue economic sanctions led to a been working since 1997, uncertainty income generation, and advocacy of rights in Africa serious deterioration in the and safety concerns led thousands for older people’s rights. It hopes 8 Profile Moving minds in conditions of life for the population. of people to move away from the to develop and expand this Moldova These economic hardships were areas that were close to Iraqi military work in other regions of Iraq, 9 Talking point Pension only partially mitigated by the UN’s lines. Many went to stay with friends where the needs of older people process in Uttar Pradesh ‘oil for food’ programme. When and relatives, stretching those are likely to be more acute. the war broke out, over 60 per cent families’ already meagre resources. 10 Resources Publications, websites and events of the population was wholly or HelpAge International’s Salha Khano, aged 72, ended up partially dependent on food rations. emergency response 12 Research update with ten of her daughter-in-law’s Web: www.helpage.org (click News) Non-contributory The country’s infrastructure – relatives staying in her house in ReliefWeb pensions, globalisation, electricity, water and sanitation Deir Alouk, a collective town to the Web: www.reliefweb.int/w/rwb.nsf communications, poverty systems – and its health care north-west of Dohuk. The relatives and livelihood strategies UN Integrated Regional services have been brought to had moved from their homes in Information Networks (IRIN) the brink of collapse. This is the Dohuk, fearing the dangers that Web: irinnews.org/Iraqfp.asp? result of economic sanctions, war might bring. SelectRegion=Iraq_Crisis the destruction caused by three Kurdish culture has a strong tradition International Committee of the wars since the 1980s, and the Red Cross of hospitality. ‘We welcomed the large-scale looting that followed Web: www.icrc.org/Web/Eng/ displaced people warmly and I the 2003 war. siteeng0.nsf/htmlall/special_iraq Newsroundup Developments that affect older people’s quality of life 2 Older citizens monitor poverty programmes Support to poor older people hardly features in national poverty reduction programmes, nor are older people included in national consultations on poverty reduction. These are some of the findings Older people talked of problems from the first phase of HelpAge related to health services, water, International’s older citizens income and landlessness. Policy monitoring project, which will makers admitted that issues support older people to press of age did not feature in policies their governments to implement designed to reduce poverty, and the Madrid International Plan of said they intended to change this. Action on Ageing and other Over the next two years, older development agreements. people in these six countries will An audit of poverty reduction be supported to monitor the effect programmes, using literature of measures designed to reduce reviews and consultations with poverty and improve health older people and policy makers, services. The results will be has been carried out in used to highlight both problems Bangladesh, Bolivia, Ethiopia, and successes, and to motivate Jamaica, Kenya and Tanzania. older people to claim their entitlements and become involved Eyecare queue in Bangladesh, one of the countries in which older people will review government services. in consultation processes. HelpAge International East meets west in Europe Older people’s organisations working with and for older people, by EU law, but must develop Another key issue for candidate in European Union candidate organised by Help the Aged policies in line with EU principles. countries is pensions. countries are preparing to and HelpAge International in At a follow-up meeting in June lobby their governments on Slovenia in April, representatives EU pensions process 2003, organised by AGE, the anti-discrimination and social of organisations from nine Web: europa.eu.int/comm/ European older people’s platform, protection issues, in line with EU candidate countries looked employment_social/soc-prot/ members of the East and Central pensions/index_en.htm EU policy. at how they could lobby their Europe Network were briefed governments on EU issues and Conference on social protection Ten countries – Cyprus, Czech on EU structures and processes. in the candidate countries strengthen links with western Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Web: europa.eu.int/comm/ European NGOs. In particular, AGE is supporting Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovak employment_social/news/2003/ members to lobby on an jan/conf_en.html Republic and Slovenia – will In some areas, including anti- anti-discrimination directive that join the EU in 2004. Bulgaria and discrimination, EU candidate AGE will come into force in 2006, 111 rue Froissart, Romania hope to join in 2007. countries will have to implement prohibiting age-based 1040 Brussels, Belgium EU law. In others, including social At a meeting of the East and discrimination in employment. Email: [email protected] protection, they will not be bound Web: www.age-platform.org Central Europe Network of NGOs So said Montoya, an older and speak loudly to make their went on to say: ‘What we need Comment magistrate from Dodoma, voices heard. They have rarely is resources – older people Time to listen and act Tanzania, at a consultation for been informed about poverty have been put into trash cans, HelpAge International’s older reduction programmes, but and we are not sure if they are ‘It is not proper to consider older citizens monitoring project (see they know it is their right to be breathing or not!’ persons as only a vulnerable above). included in them. group; we have to see them as resource people with skill The older people involved in the It is time for governments to listen Sylvia Beales and wisdom! We need to change project know that they will need to and act on the raised voices of Policy Development Manager, factors that make them vulnerable.’ acquire new skills, organise well, their older citizens. As Montoya HelpAge International Ageing and Development July 2003 3 Meetings on ageing and poverty The United Nations Department in implementing the Madrid Plan, A regional civil society proportion of people living in of Economic and Social and an intergovernmental consultation in Santiago in June, extreme poverty by 2015, Affairs is convening a number workshop on mainstreaming and a meeting of older people’s poverty reduction strategies must of meetings with government ageing in Vienna in December. leaders to be held in Colombia in focus on the poorest and most and civil society experts to October, will enable older people’s vulnerable older persons, promote older people’s right An expected outcome of these voices to be channelled into especially women, and on to development, as set out in meetings will be guidelines ministerial debates. breaking the poverty cycle that the Madrid International Plan for governments to promote runs from one generation to the older people’s rights, including of Action on Ageing. Report echoes Madrid Plan next, says the report. their right to be included in An intergovernmental workshop development processes. The ‘State of world population on ageing and poverty, with a 2002’ report from the United Workshop on ageing and poverty 29-31 October 2003, special focus on how ageing The regional follow-up process in Nations Population Fund, People, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania should be included in national Latin America and the Caribbean poverty and possibilities: making More information: poverty reduction strategies, will will culminate in a ministerial development work for the poor, Diane Loughran, UNDESA be held in Tanzania in October, meeting in Santiago, Chile, in echoes the Madrid Plan’s call Email: [email protected] Web: www.un.org/esa/ with the participation of 11 November. Expert meetings have for ageing to be mainstreamed African governments. This will be been held on health and into the development agenda. Latin America follow-up process followed by an expert meeting in wellbeing, income security and UN ECLAC Web: www.eclac.cl Malta in November to develop poverty, and strengthening social To meet the Millennium indicators for measuring progress networks. Development Goal of halving the State of world population 2002 Web: www.unfpa.org/swp/swpmain.htm Picture of violence in Cambodia A picture of domestic violence, The older people were living in a difficulties supporting my understanding by the government and powerlessness of older variety of situations – with their grandchildren, because I do not of their situation, education for people to intervene, emerges children and in-laws, with a single have a good shelter or enough younger generations about the in a set of interviews with older child and grandchildren after in- food for them to eat and I cannot problems faced by older people, people in Cambodia.