Seniors Week: Day of Solidarity
Thank you to Lisa Hodgkinson of COTA Qld who has provided the following information:
The first day of Queensland Seniors Week, Saturday 15 August, is being dubbed ‘a Day of Solidarity between Generations’, which is especially fitting given the need for us to remain connected and look out for each other.
Last year the “OK Boomer” hashtag was making global headlines. It became a derisive catch cry for members of younger generations to express frustration and disrespect towards older people they felt were out of touch.
Financial inequality, housing affordability, and climate change have become particular areas in which intergenerational tensions and ageism – on both sides – have escalated.
During COVID-19 a new mantra has emerged – we are all in this together.
Our communities are made up of people of all ages who care about and value other people, whether they know them or not, and whatever their age.
Council on the Ageing (COTA) Queensland Chief Executive Mark Tucker-Evans said Queensland Seniors Week provides opportunities for people across all generations to connect.
“We need to keep those connections, keep showing intergenerational solidarity, keep showing each other respect and care after the pandemic is over. This pandemic could change forever the way we live together in our communities”
“28 500 people have signed up to the Care Army to look out for those who are older, vulnerable, or in quarantine yet most older people have said they don’t need the support. The Care Army is now supporting international students as well as vulnerable seniors.
The theme of this year’s Queensland Seniors Week is ‘Celebrating Queensland Seniors’, and our first day being a ‘Day of Solidarity between Generations’, acknowledges how important family relationships are to the health and well-being of people of all ages, particularly in the lives of our seniors.”
“When we connect with people of all ages and backgrounds, we often find that there is more that connects us than divides us.”
Queenslanders are invited to gather with family and friends, young and old, to enjoy a specially curated online event on Saturday 15 August, to kick off this year’s Queensland Seniors Week (15 – 23 August 2020).
Presented by Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC) and COTA Queensland, this special event called Drawn Together celebrates the powerful relationships that exist across generations. Interspersed with performances by some of Queensland’s leading musicians and artists, the conversation will broach ideas of happiness, family heritage, and the value of the arts to individuals and to the community.
Don’t forget to go to the Qld Seniors Week website for information about events being held during Seniors Week: https://qldseniorsweek.org.au/
Do you have questions? Lisa is there to help. She can be reached on seniorsweek@cotaqld.org.au or by phoning 07 3316 2908.