International Longevity Centre Global Alliance members have been foundational and central to the development of age friendly cities and communities. As an alliance, we work closely with the World Health Organization’s Global Network of Age Friendly Cities and Communities. In this workshop we will unroll our ambitions as a GNAFCC affiliate, and make connections to help further support existing and new GNAFCC members.

Learning Objectives – Workshop activities will follow the objectives of the ILC GA Age Friendly Cities plan, by:

INSPIRING participants to look at their communities through an age friendly lens.

Alex Kalache will take us on a journey from the very origins of age friendly thinking to the global phenomenon of today’s age friendly cities and communities movement. He will highlight successes, and how these motivate us to grow the network. He will help us understand some of the difficulties and shortfalls in trying to become ever more age friendly, in our changing world.

CONNECTING age friendly cities across the ILC GA and beyond.

Julie Byles and Silvia Perel-Levin will present global and national stakeholder maps of cities and communities working with the WHO GNAFCC model, highlighting different activities and innovations, and allowing participants to connect and engage with other GNAFCC members.

COMPARING different communities and strategies and showcasing exemplars of innovative solutions.

Susana Harding will present an exemplar of age friendly practice demonstrated by the Community for Successful Ageing in Singapore which provides a community-wide approach to forge an integrated system of comprehensive programs and services that promote health and well being over the life course and enable ageing in place. Participants will be encouraged to add other examples and to discuss how age friendly features foster abilities of the older people in their communities.

ENGAGING and interacting with GNAFCC members and affiliates across the world.

Workshop participants will discuss experiences, examples and opportunities within their own country settings. The discussion will also consider issues of measurement and evaluation, and the use of evidence in building knowledge and changing policy and practice.

SUPPORTING new GNAFCC members, especially in countries where there are currently no members.

Participants will discuss the practicalities of becoming a GNAFCC member and consider opportunities to support new members through the age friendly process.

Outcomes – theoretical and concrete understandings of the age friendly cities and communities approach, and motivation to progress age friendly features within various local settings.

CHAIR

Emeritus Professor Julie Byles

Co-President, ILC Global Alliance | Director, ILC Australia

Bio:

Professor Julie Byles is an internationally renowned researcher on aging and health systems. She has undertaken research into housing and environmental factors affecting where and how people age, and the relationship between housing, community and care. She leads the ILC Global Alliance Age Friendly Cities and Communities working group. She is editor of the recent book “What Matters for Healthy Ageing.”

 

Dr. Alexandre Kalache

President, ILC Brazil

Bio:

Dr. Alexandre Kalache is President of ILC Brazil and former Director of the WHO Global Ageing and Health Program. He is globally recognized for pioneering the concept of age-friendly cities and for decades of leadership in healthy aging and human rights.

 

Ms Silvia Perel-Levin

President, ILC Israel | Chair, UN NGO Committee on Ageing (Geneva)

Bio:

Silvia Perel-Levin is an internationally recognized expert on ageing, health policy, and the human rights of older persons. She is President of ILC Israel and serves as Vice-chair of the NGO Committee on Ageing in Geneva, committee she chaired from 2014-2022. With decades of experience working with WHO, the United Nations, and civil society, she has been a leading advocate for global action on ageism, elder abuse, and the promotion of human rights in later life. Silvia’s work focuses on promoting a UN Convention on the human rights of older persons and raising the visibility of older persons throughout the UN system. Silvia edited the book “Ageing of the Oppressed: A Pandemic of Intersecting Injustice”.

 

Prof. Susana Concordo Harding

Director of the International Longevity Centre Singapore

Bio:

Susana’s policy and research interests are ageing and gender and its intersectionality, caregiving, financial security, community resilience, active and successful ageing, long term care, empowerment, and community development. She is also the Honorary Secretary of the Board of Directors at Centre for Seniors, a non-profit, Social Service Agency that is dedicated to helping seniors to remain meaningfully engage in work and in life, as well as Honorary Secretary of the Gerontological Society of Singapore.