In school days we all read a beautiful saying ‘old is gold’. Now for old person senior citizen word is used. But earlier, old was a common word for a person. I remember an old person means hair has become grey and has a stick on the hand. But with the development of science,now stick is virtually not required for all aged persons. In August 2021, I interviewed a 99 years aged person in Hyderabad who is still totally fit, moves freely and has a sharp memory.
In this article, I am touching on two events: one is called World Senior Citizen's Day and another is International Day of Older Persons.
World Senior Citizen's Day has originated from the United States of America (USA) but International Day of Older Persons is celebrated under the banner of United Nations.
World Senior Citizen's Day, 21 August: World Senior Citizen’s Day concept was officially developed by Ronald Reagan, former President of the USA, after he had signed the Proclamation on August 19, 1988 to observe 21 August as World Senior Citizen's Day.
World Senior Citizen's Day is dedicated to the senior citizens and is observed on August 21 every year across the world. This day is dedicated to raising awareness about the issues that affect elderly persons including their mental health. On this day, the people appreciate the senior citizens for their dedication, accomplishments, and the services they have rendered throughout their lives to the welfare of the families vis-à-vis the society.
International Day of Older Persons, 1 October: According to the official site of United Nations, (un.org/en/observances/older-persons-day “on 14 December 1990, the United Nations General Assembly designated October 1 as the International Day of Older Persons (resolution 45/106). This was preceded by initiatives such as the Vienna International Plan of Action on Ageing, which was adopted by the 1982 World Assembly on Ageing and endorsed later that year by the UN General Assembly.
In 1991, the General Assembly adopted the United Nations Principles for Older Persons (resolution 46/91). In 2002, the Second World Assembly on Ageing adopted the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing, to respond to the opportunities and challenges of population ageing in the 21st century and to promote the development of a society for all ages. The composition of the world population has changed dramatically in recent decades. Between 1950 and 2010, life expectancy worldwide rose from 46 to 68 years. Globally, there were 703 million persons aged 65 or over in 2019. The region of Eastern and South-Eastern Asia was home to the largest number of older persons (261 million), followed by Europe and Northern America (over 200 million)”. Also it is evident from the UN site that ‘by 2020, the number of people aged 60 years and older will outnumber children younger than 5 years. Over the next three decades, the number of older persons worldwide is projected to more than double, reaching more than 1.5 billion persons in 2050，and 80% of them will be living in low- and middle-income countries”.
I am highlighting the facts so that there should not be any confusion between World Senior Citizen's Day, 21 August and International Day of Older Persons, 1 October.
Dr Shankar Chatterjee, Former Professor & Head (CPME), NIRD & PR ( Govt. of India), Hyderabad
Dt 21 August 2021
Good Article. Knew the difference between World Senior Citizen's day and International Day of Older Persons. Congrats!
Dr Satish Chandra
Former Prof and Head (CQT)
NIRDPR, Hyderabad
Our older generation are the gems of our society sir. We must learn from them and their experience whatever we can. I dont remember a single time my parents in laws or my parents advised me something and it did not help me. They are so experienced in their life that they can predict precisely how to act in every situation or rather they have a solution for our every problem. We must always make them feel loved and that we care for them. Thanks for writing about our elders sir
Mrs Smitha Nair, Hyderabad