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Logo of the European Year for Active Ageing and Solidarity between Generations 2012
epnn_brussels – Last week the European Commission and the Danish EU-Presidency launched the European Year for Active Ageing and Solidarity between Generations in Copenhagen. To remember: EY2011 was on volunteering and EY2010 on poverty and social exclusion.
In his keynote speech the European Commissioner, Laszlo Andor, underlined that this European Year comes at the right time: The demographic change is not anymore a future development in Europe, but “we are now at a critical turning point as the baby-boomers reach retirement age”. The European Year shall give the opportunity to reflect on how Europeans are living longer and staying healthier than ever before and to realise the opportunities that this development represents.
Active ageing, says the European Commission, can give the baby-boom generation and tomorrow’s older adults the opportunity to stay in the workforce and share their experience, to keep playing an active role in society and to live as healthy and fulfilling lives as possible. Besides these three pillars the year also will take in account to maintaining solidarity between generations in societies with rapidly increasing numbers of older people.
Beginning with this opening conference the European institutions but also the national and even regional and local governments as well as churches and NGOs are invited to contribute to this European Year.
Material
Web: Official website
Web: Opening speech, Laszlo Andor
Web: Presentations and speeches from the Opening Conference
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epnn is the European Protestant News Network. It covers the news stories of the Protestant Churches in Europe. epnn_brussels provides regular updates from the European Institutions, covering stories of interest for the Churches in Europe. epnn_brussels: Frank Dieter Fischbach, Commission for Church and Society, Conference of European Churches CEC / Community of Protestant Churches in Europe CPCE.
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