PRESS RELEASE
Brussels, 6 March 2020
ROSEnet COST ACTION – closing conference
On 5 March, the conference ‘Inclusive Ageing Reducing social exclusion amongst older people – The Way Ahead’, co-hosted by the Committee of the Regions, ROSEnet Cost Action and AGE Platform Europe, marked the end of four years of work to overcome fragmentation and knowledge gap in research and policy on the causes of old-age social exclusion. At this occasion, a Roadmap for policy makers and resarchers was launched. With an aim of making ageing experience more inclusive for all older people in Europe, the Roadmap offers a three-strand approach across measurement, research and policy action at all levels.
“We hope that this Roadmap will inform social inclusion policies at all levels. It should also help to implement the European Pillar of Social Rights. The EU should use this rights-based agenda to support our governments in addressing the daily struggles of many older persons. Older women, people living on minimum old-age income, old persons living alone, those in rural areas, older ethnic minority groups, or older migrants… They all deserve to age in dignity. It is a matter of human rights.”, said Christine Nanlohy, OVN-NL, AGE Dutch member.
Whether struggling to afford basic goods and vital services such as health and long-term care, being discriminated in employment, feeling lonely and isolated, or simply dropping out of social, civic or cultural participation, older people experience various and often hidden forms of exclusion. “You must listen to older people, hear our aspirations and preoccupations. Yet, older persons in vulnerable situations have strengths too, and can offer a lot to society. Empowering them and seizing their energy can be a powerful strategy to enhance social inclusion in later life. This is the only way to overcome the hardship faced by many older persons and to combat their social exclusion. This is my demand to our policy makers at national level and in Europe.”, said Guido Cuyvers, OKRA, AGE Belgian member.
“When bringing examples of good practice on what we can do to prevent exclusion in old age, I wanted to inspire researchers and policy makers. As senior citizens’ organisations in all member states, we are calling for ambitious measures at all levels and in all policy fields to combat poverty and social exclusion of our fellow older people. It’s time to act!” concluded Elke Tippelmann, BAGSO, AGE German member.
Useful links
- ROSEnet Briefing Paper Series including the Roadmap
- AGE work on poverty and social exclusion of older people: where are we?
- AGE thematic report on older people What should an adequate old-age income entail to live in dignity?
- ROSEnet Policy seminar agrees on need to change old age narrative to address exclusion
- AGE-ROSEnet pledge for a holistic response to address old-age loneliness & social isolation
- ROSEnet COST Action on Reducing Old-Age Exclusion in Europe: www.rosenetcost.com
