EURAG : meetings in 2024
Conference to celebrate the “International Day of Older Persons” of the United Nations
organized by the NGO Committee on Ageing, UN Vienna
Monday, 30th September 2024, at 13:00 at the United Nations,
Marginalization of Older Persons in Society – A Significant Health Risk
Click here for more information
Selected remarks of the opening Speech of D i r k J a r r é at the EURAG Conference on
“How to Take Active Care of Body and Mind When Ageing –
Aiming at Preserving One’s Capacities as Long as Possible”
Piéstany, Slovakia, 27 August 2024
* EURAG event in Slovakia organized by EURAG secretariat with assistance of our Slovak members
August 24th-29th, 2024 in Piešťany – the famous spa town cca 90 km from Bratislava
* EURAG event in Albania organized by prof. Shpetim Cami, a former mayor of Tirana in
co-operation with Mira Pirdeni from Asag Albania
Conference title and a call for presentations:
« NATIONAL POLICIES ON AGING 2024. CHALLENGES AND NEW APPROACHES IN ALBANIA! ISSUES, CONCEPTS AND POSITIONS IN EU COUNTRIES »
In Tirana between 23 and 27/05/2024
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October 2, 2023 at « Haus Doebling » Wien
Violence and Abuse Affecting Older Persons : Prevention and Intervention
Opening by our President dirk JARRE, who is also Chair for NGO Committee of Ageing, UN Vienna
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Some news from our members/friends from Ukraine – September 2023
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Our half-yearly meeting event took place in Prag in March 2023
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EURAG is now a senior!
Hard to believe: Our parent organization, which is now established in 27 European countries, is
celebrating its 60th birthday this year. To mark the occasion, the city of Graz is organizing a party
to which EURAG members are also cordially invited.
The history of EURAG, the oldest representation of older people in Europe, is eventful and unthinkable without the willingness of volunteers. The city of Graz plays an important role in the history of EURAG – without its active support the organisation could not have survived.
Founded in 1962 as a non-partisan, non-political and non-religious organization, EURAG was registered in the same year in the register of associations of Luxembourg, as well as a secretariat was established in Switzerland.
After the oil crisis in 1973, as the previous sponsors became scarce and the end of the voluntary organization threatened, two members who were also active in « Active Retirement Graz » were found: Karl Stoiser and Eduard Pumpernig, both members of the Graz city government, succeeded in having the EURAG General Secretariat moved to Graz in 1974.
It is thanks to the then mayor Alfred Stingl, who supported the association financially almost until the end of the last millennium, so that an employee for the office could be financed to manage the growing organization. Stingl’s successor was unfortunately not willing to do this to the same extent, so the secretariat moved to Vienna for a while under a new EURAG president and to Prague with the current secretary general.
Graz was also the venue for two major EURAG congresses. In 1982 and 1999, the congress hall there welcomed about a thousand participants, mainly seniors from all parts of Europe. Both conferences were generously supported by the city of Graz. It is therefore no wonder that the current mayor, Mrs. Elke Kahr, who is known as a social activist, also has a heart for EURAG and made a worthy celebration of its 60th birthday possible in the newly renovated city hall.
Graz City hall where the 60 th anniversary was celebrated sept 15 th , 2022
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EURAG’s Message Regarding the Situation of Older Persons in the Ukraine
EURAG members are collecting money for its Ukrainian organisation Age concern Ukraine. More than 5.000 EUR has been already transfered in order to support the care of the elderly who are unable to escape from the war rampage. The EURAG humanitarian aid is going on in order to help as much as possible, even though it can never be sufficient enough, concerning the circumstances.
The European Federation of Older Persons, the oldest European voluntary organization of and for older persons, is a non-political, non-sectarian, humanistic association, functioning on the totally free contributions of its membership. Since its creation some 65 years ago, it counts individual and organizational members from most of the European countries – and this across political and ideological borders. Its objective is to improve the implementation of fundamental rights and the enjoyment of adequate living conditions for older persons, wherever they live.
In the name of all EURAG members, I confirm our full solidarity with all older persons in the Ukraine and our determination to help as much as we can through individual support or donations to charitable organization. We express our intense hope and clear demand that all acting parties will responsibly and rigorously respect older persons’ rights, recognize their special needs, and protect them from any danger affecting their lives and living conditions.
Our deep concerns and warmest feelings are with our older friends and colleagues, but also with the whole Ukrainian society, and we send them all possible thoughts and wishes – by prayers and other means of support – hoping that they can help to support and improve their optimism and confidence in again quickly forthcoming peaceful living conditions in dignity, with self-determination and full mutual respect.
In the name of EURAG – Dirk Jarré, President
On behalf of our RASA – Riga Active Seniors Aliance – we want to congratulate
the members of EURAG with the World Old Seniors Day !
1rst of October, 2021
Best regards,
Terezija Mackare
Association « Riga active seniors alliance » (RASA)
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Why EURAG ?
EDITORIAL Spring 2021
Whatever the country, the finding is unanimous: seniors are not sufficiently represented and, as a result, it is difficult for them to defend their interests.
And this is true, as much at the level of districts, cities, regions, countries as at the level of Europe.
Not enough members of parliaments, governments and public administrations take consciously care of the needs and aspirations of older persons – too often considered as « people at the end of society ».
These decision-makers consider general political, economic, legal and party issues as much more important than the life realities of the older population.
But they are wrong – and they will realize their error once they have also reached a higher age and will be in need of understanding, care and respect.
We defend respect for human dignity by referring to seniors!
But who will fight to make their needs heard, in terms of health, social life, housing, access to rights and digital technology, pensions? And who to go to the elderly and listen to their complaints about their daily life, their loneliness.
Nowadays voices are being raised to say that we should not vaccinate seniors first, that containment is put in place because of the seniors or that it is upto them to stay confined to let the young live.
It appears more and more often in the press. But who defends their cause? Who is responding to these accusations?
We offer our seniors to be vaccinated. But to get an RV, you have to go on the Internet, as the national phone number is full and only answers “during office hours” … until 6 p.m.
But to go on the Internet, you need a computer, an Internet connection, some know-how.
And to fix an RV, you need an email address!
EURAG must be the voice of those who remain in the shade.
Join EURAG Today!
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HOT NEWS
January 2021
The Secretary General of the European Economic and Social Committee has informed DIRK JARRE that he has been re-appointed, by decision of the General Assembly, as Expert Delegate to the Consultative Commission on Industrial Change, CCMI, for another mandate period of 5 years – until December 2025 – belonging again to the “Diversity Europe Group”, in which Dirk is now listed as nominated by the European Federation of Older Persons, EURAG