World Elder Abuse Awareness Day 2007
Western Australia
13 - 14 - 15 June

As a lead up to WEAAD, the non-Government agency Advocare Inc held a Financial Abuse of Older People Seminar on 13 June 2007. The keynote speaker was Dr Cheryl Tilse from the University of Queensland who presented a paper Older People, Financial Assets and Abuse: Developing policy and practice responses from research. Paper from the seminar available at www.advocare.org.au. A number of other people from local service providers, and from government also gave presentations.

The Office for Seniors Interests and Volunteering (OSIV) organized other events.

On 14 June 2007, the Hon Sue Ellery MLC, Minister for Seniors chaired a roundtable meeting with representatives of the banking and finance sector as a lead up to WEAAD. The aim was to identify ways the Western Australian Government can support the industry to respond to situations of financial abuse of older people. Mr Colin Neave, the Australian Banking and Financial Services Ombudsman, participated in the meeting as did members of the Alliance for the Prevention of Elder Abuse: Western Australia.

On 15 June 2007, also organized by OSIV, the Hon Sue Ellery MLC, Minister for Seniors launched the new Older People’s Rights Service. The service will provide legal information and support and short-term counselling for older pole who are victims of elder abuse. The service will be run by the Northern Suburbs Community Legal Centre in partnership with Advocare Inc. In addition, the event was attended by local Members of Parliament Ms Dianne Guise MLA, Member for Wanneroo and the Hon Bob Kucera MLA, Member for Yokine.

The contact and media releases resulted in an interview on ABC Radio, the national broadcaster in Australia, involving a senior officer from OSIV and Dr Cheryl Tilse from the University of Queensland, on the topic of financial abuse of older people.

The West Australian ran an article in late June on elder abuse in culturally and linguistically diverse communities using some of the information from the press releases.

Six community newspapers ran an article and a photo in relation to the launch of the Older People’s Rights Service.

WEAAD in India

WEAAD in Korea
The Second World Elder Abuse Awareness Day in Korea

Korea Information Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse (KINPEA) held the 2nd World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD) Anniversary on June 11, Monday, 2007, following the first event in 2006. The second event was held from 10:00a.m. to 6:00p.m. on the 12th floor of the Busan Metropolitan City Hall. There were 300 participants, including many older persons, counselors and professionals from the Elder Abuse centers nationwide as well as the elders along with their family.

Particularly, the special event to mark the purple color as the token of hope for the awareness on elder abuse to be brought to light from darkness was included in recognition of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day.

All participants tied purple handkerchiefs around their wrists and shouted the slogan, "Moving Forward" right before the declaration of Human Rights for the Elderly, and let their handkerchiefs remain worn until the end of ceremony as the sign for the 'Purple Movement.'

Ms. Alrene Groh, Elder Abuse Restorative Justice Resource Consultant for the Elder Abuse Response Team, presented the examples of many inevitable family conflicts caused by elder abuse and suggested restorative justice as the alternative solution. In the following session, the discussion and Q&A session followed to offer a valuable opportunity for professionals from both Korea and Canada. After the event, we received the letter of gratitude from the mayor of Kitchener, the mayor of Waterloo, and the Waterloo Regional Police. We thank them all for their kind acknowledgement. Also, we'd like to extend our sincere gratitude to Ms. Alrene Groh, for her kind cooperation as well as strong effort, and we look forward to continued exchanges and cooperation to build the society free of elder abuse.

The event in Busan made a great contribution to raising awareness on elder abuse nationwide, as it was published on the main newspapers such as Joongang Daily, Kyongnam dominilbo, and Ohmynews. Many elder abuse centers in every part of the region also participated in marking the 2^nd World Elder Abuse Awareness Day with different events from this year. Such ceremony will let people know what elder abuse as a human right is. We promise to continue to exert our utmost to raise international awareness on elder abuse and move forward in search of the ultimate solution.

Principle1
To prevent the victimization of the elders within the society wherein the negative prejudice has prevailed over the rights of the elderly as the senior citizen. The society should not neglect the victims of the elder abuse with the old custom of silence anymore.

Principle2
To change the view of the media on the elderly to correct their attitude toward the elderly to cover the positive aging and convey the message that living as an elderly is not associated with the negative situation, and spread the new image of the elderly to destroy the negative prejudice in the society.

Principle3
To establish the culture of the elderly in a more desirable direction, we call for the government to provide policy for the welfare to the senior citizens.

Principle4
To raise the awareness of the elder abuse within the community in which the victim of the elder abuse is neglected by social indifference.

Principle5
To encourage the elderly to act as the senior citizen in their community and maintain their health as well as good relationship with the family to participate in the society as an active member.

WEAAD Activities 2007 in Korea
June 14th & 15th

Since the Senior Welfare Law amended 2004, the Korean government installed Korea Elder Protection Agency nationwide. As of 2007, with a headquarters, 18 nationwide branches, and 110 workers, they have been working hard to prevent elder abuse and provide appropriate intervention to abused elders.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare, Korea Elder Protection Agency, organized events and a public awareness campaign for WEAAD 2007.

One major seminar was held in Seoul, capital city of the Republic of Korea, with a simultaneous public campaign “Hug your parents” in over 18 cities around Korea. The seminar topic was “Why the family members abuse elderly “, a first-time occasion to analyze elder abuse with perspective of family structure. It was a significant step forward to intervene elder abuse based on cultural reality and dynamics of family in Korea.

Also the Korean representative of INPEA, Dr. Han, held a ceremony and workshop at Busan. "Moving Forward".

It was fun and meaningful to participate in WEAAD 2007.

Photos and Survey submitted by:
Eunju Kim, MSW
Director of Research Team.
Korean Elder Protection Agency
121-146 Dangsandong 6ga
Yeoungdeungpogu, Seoul

WEAAD in Nepal
Press Statement

World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD) (15 June) has been celebrated worldwide. National Senior Citizens Network and Nepalese Society of Victimology (NESOV) jointly celebrated the program (15 June) for the first time in Nepal. The most senior citizens (Male and Female) have been honored as well as felicitated in the program held at Gothatar Village Development Committee Ward No. 4 and 5 Kathmandu Nepal.

In the program the executive member of National Senior Citizens Network, Dr. Gauri Shankar Lal Das felicitated the senior citizens by providing them with flowers, shawls and stick.

Mr. Manohar Upreti the vice-chairperson of the (NESOV) threw light upon the important of the program and Ms. Rita Pant delivered the welcome speech. The program was successfully carried out in the mass presence of the local people.

Vice president

Manohar Upreti
Nepalese Society of Victimology
15^th June 2007

WEAAD in South Africa
WORLD ELDER ABUSE AWARENESS DAY - 15 JUNE 2007

Over 3000 Elders in Africa tell the World Elder Abuse Must Never be Ignored!

Age-in-Action encouraged its members to participate in this important day to help fight the scourge and break the silence on elder abuse.
Visit their website on www.age-in-action.co.za for more information.

In Limpopo [right]
260 people participated
in the World Elder Abuse Awareness Campaign.

[picture courtesy
Polokwane Observer]

Age-in-Action in Mpumalanga
and SAVF Herfsakker [left]
combined their efforts
to create awareness about
their fight against elder abuse,
attended by 200 seniors.

In the North West [left] 400 elderly were bussed in to participate and hand a memorandom to the Central District Executive Mayor.

In the Eastern Cape [right] 500 elderly took to the streets to show their disapproval of elder abuse.
The Honour the Aged Committee joined Age-in-Action for this event

In die Noord-Kaap het sowat 80 mense van Barkly-Wes saamgekom en in die Pixley ka Seme gebied omtrent 60. Die oudste persoon wat deelgeneem het was 90 jarige mev Lilly Thomas van Phutanang Dagsortsentrum.

Sowat 200 menste het te Wellington, Wes-Kaap ysige reenweer getrotseer om deel te neem. Ouer persone sover as Laingsburg was ook teenwoordig. Die Paarl Dienssentrum het daarna 'n toneelstUK op-gevoer.

In die Suid-Kaap het vier streke deelgeneem en 'n getal van sowat 400 bejaardes
het deur die strate gestap met hulle plakkate teen mishandeling.

Click photo for larger image (1MB)

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ACTIVITIES DONE SPECIAL

0.1 INTERVIEW: An interview was carried out with the general public on their perception on WEAAD. Where answers such as, it is an appropriate time for an association of this sort to be established, to change attitude of youths, family members, and general public towards elders in any giving situation, it make people aware that there is a need to break the culture of silent and also this will help in bringing youths closer to their elders.

0.2 SENSITISATION: A sensitization programme was organized with students in senior and junior secondary schools on elder abuse and its prevention along side with the definition and different forms of abuses. Mainly financial exploitation, sexual abuse under the influence of drugs and alcohol. After which students were later urged to break the culture of silent anywhere such incident may occur and also show more respect and regards to elders. Which should not only stop with their biological parents but to be extended to all elders generally.

0.3 TALKS: Talks with Elders were held who were been interviewed on the topic of comparing the present and past generation in our cultural and traditional norms and values. Where most people interviewed stated that there is a great gap difference between the two generation, taking for example the up bringing by their fore parents which cannot be compared to this time for simple reason that children of these days are not willing to cope. Again our rich cultural values are massively fading in the society, which more emphasis must be giving. Loosing these values and culture is one of the issues creating elder abuse in our society.

0.4 YOUTHS FOR ELDERS CLUB: An introduction of youths for elders club in schools was held in the form of a meeting with principals and head teachers in senior schools in Banjul, to create awareness for the up coming launching of the club. Some of the aims and objectives are:
1. To bridge the gap between youths and elders.
2. To encourage and facilitate moral teaching in schools.
3. To offer voluntary teaching in mathematics and science subjects in schools to motivate students to take their studies seriously.
This initiative was welcome and accepted by these personals.
DRAMATIZATION: This was developed from the information gained from elder's points of view comparing the present and past generation in a short skit staged. By the students and coordinator of the club. In this way putting their dramatic ability into practice will help to inculcate and nature good attitudes towards elders in our society.

Submitted ..James C. Nwodo.
Secretary-General(TAPEA)

The Aged Family Uganda (TAFU) with assistance from Rise and Shine Dyslexic Organization (RASDO) and Munyonyo Church of Uganda primary school organized activities that included school children through Debates, Talks and Music, Dance and Drama, all on the theme. Board members of TAFU offered certificates to all participating schools. There were radio talk shows by older persons, people working for and of older persons. FM Church Radio Maria was utilized for both mobilization and covering the day.

A coffee morning and Elder Abuse awareness event was held to raise awareness on elder abuse and raise funds for the UK charity "Action on Elder Abuse"
The event was well supported by residents of Ness Court, and others from around the area, also on hand was Age Concern Home Help Organizer for Cambridgeshire Jane Finch and local Police Community Support Officer Jonathan Hall.
Care manager for Ness Court Elly Catling with her deputy ECM Josie Matthews both did a wonderful job in arranging a number of fund raising ideas such as raffles and cake sale, while Elder Protections very own Ed Mullenger chatted with supporters about elder abuse and the WEAAD events that have been taking place world wide.