1st Conference "Older People in Society"

Involvement in social processes generates an emotional and informational impact that has an important and sometimes decisive influence on personal self-fulfilment, on people's self-esteem and on the self-concept of the ageing person as an active subject of rights. An inclusive society in which older people can have agency and share leadership with other people in order to bring about beneficial changes for all is absolutely necessary, and thus reverse the effects of the imposed prophecy of doom and passivity that is often naturalised by older people themselves.

Participating, sharing and taking responsibility for one's own realities turns the person into a social actor who, through the analysis of reality and the consequent proposals and demands, produces changes in his or her reality and in that of others with the aim of producing greater social integration of both the person and the people around him or her. The spaces for social participation may be diverse, but they are fundamentally related to grassroots politics, work, education, the family, the social and civic sphere, the media or leisure and free time. Something that seems quite reasonable in a global social environment, is to be created, disseminated, exposed or made visible with regard to the collective of older people, both in their groups, as well as in individual examples and actions.

For this reason, this 1st Conference on Older People in Society, organised by the European Senior Citizens' Foundation (PEM) and the UNATE Torrelavega Headquarters, emphasises different ways of understanding social participation but, above all, its impact on society and on older people themselves.

Programme

Friday, 10th June

17:00h Opening

17:30h "Is politics old enough? The political participation of the elderly". Imanol Zubero Beaskoetxea (University of the Basque Country).

18:45h "Participation and friendliness as a basis for social progress". Juan Albarrán (Matia Institute)

20:00h End

Saturday, 11th June

17:00h "Good ageing and good participation: social movements of the elderly". Teresa Amezcua (University of Jaén) and Tomás Alberich-Nistal (UNED).

18:15h Documentary Cantabria: Older People in Society

20:00h Theatrical performance Laboratorio escénico UNATE

20:30h Closing ceremony