Friend of EngAGE Ashton Applewhite was one of the distinguished speakers at the UN’s International Day of Older Persons. In her newsletter, Ashton commented:
“People were really listening, to the Ambassador from Argentina (Argentina sponsored the event) and to my colleagues on the panel that followed: Burhan Gafoor, the Ambassador of Singapore; Alana Officer of the World Health Organization in Geneva; and Necodemus Chipfupa the South Africa Regional Director for HelpAge International—what fantastic company! Edith Lederer, Chief AP Correspondent for the UN, was kind enough to give me the last word, in response to a question about the relationship between ageism, sexism and racism. The women’s movement, I pointed out, largely left women of color behind, the civil rights movement did little to promote equal rights for women, and no one was considering people with disabilities. I closed with, ‘This time around we have the chance to build a movement that is truly inclusive. Everyone ages. Let’s do it right.'”
Here’s the link to the full three hour presentation. If you don’t want to commit to watching the entire event, it’s worthwhile to take a look at the brief video right after the introduction. It shows the reactions of people who try to buy something from a staged food truck that won’t serve anyone over the age of 40! (“You’re just not a good fit.”)
