The Nordic Older People Organisations meeting in Denmark in September 2015 issued a common statement calling on Nordic countries to welcome fleeing refugees.
Read the press release below:
Nordic Senior organisations: We owe it to the world to welcome refugees to our countries
“We who represent the generation that has seen war up close, remember all too well how a divided Europe destroyed the communities and development for many years. We also remember the human cost, which was huge for the millions persecuted and displaced during the world wars. And we remember how it influenced future generations. But although we also in recent times have experienced refugees, the amount of refugees right now is heartbreaking”. This statement comes from representatives of a number of Nordic senior organizations, which have just met in Denmark on September 15 to 17 2015. In total, they represent more than a million seniors in the Nordic countries.
Senior organizations therefore call on both governments and people in the Nordic countries to welcome the many refugees which are fleeing war and misfortune. “We owe it to human terms and we owe it because we are so fortunate to live in welfare societies which have both means and duty to help the people in need,” said the Nordic seniors. “We encourage our members to be active at the local level so that people in need experience humanity.”
Participants in the Nordic meeting comes from older people’s organizations in all the Nordic countries working together in the common forum for Nordic Older People Organisations NOPO.
For more information, please contact ewa.hedkvist-petersen@pro.se
