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	The fundamental rights of older people need to be better protected by HelpAge International, agencies   Older people's experiences of care and support must be heard, by Ellie Parravani   For a convention on older people's rights to be strong and effective, it must reflect older people's experiences across the world. This means we must make sure that older people are listened to every step of the way.   This July, member states and civil society organisations will get together at the 9th United Nations Open-ended Working Group on Ageing (OEWG). There they will talk about older people's rights to long-term care and support, palliative care, and autonomy and independence, and how they should be framed in any new instrument on the rights of older people, such as a convention.   When the themes for 9th OEWG were announced, we set out to explore older people's experiences of these rights. HelpAge International's network members across the world held focus groups with 450 older people who talked about the availability of long-term care and palliative care in their communities, and what the barriers are in accessing them.   From Argentina to Zambia, many older people said they had little access to or control over the care and support services they need to live independent lives. And they said palliative care services are hard to access or, in many cases, do not exist at all.   Long-term care and support services are inaccessible and unaffordable   Long-term care and support are the services and assistance people receive to support with daily tasks like eating, washing, getting dressed or going out. In older age, these kinds of services are important to maintain other rights, including the freedom to live autonomously and independently.   Older people in every region told us that long-term care and support services are limited and unaffordable to everyone except those with high incomes. The types of care and support available varies, but often family members are the only providers.   "There are no support services available to older people in my community. Only family members are taken as or believed to provide assistance with daily activities. But this does not happen for all," said a 71-year-old woman in Nepal.   The lack of care and support services forces older people to be dependent on family members, what they can provide may not be adequate to meet a person's needs. For instance, in Serbia, one man said he has a lot of say over the care and support he receives, but what his relatives can actually do is limited.   But family members may not respect an older person's autonomy. This denies them their independence. A 68-year-old woman in Nigeria told us: "Since my son has brought me to live in their apartment in the city, I do not have a say anymore. Sometimes I am locked in my room".   Many participants said they have little choice over the types of care and support they receive, and sometimes do not trust the quality of those available. In the Philippines, one group concluded that "current programmes or provisions of the Government are unfit and incompatible or inappropriate for the needs of older persons". Older people should have the right to care and support in the setting of their choosing and from a provider they have picked.   Palliative care remains unknown to many   Palliative care aims to improve the quality of life of a person going through a life-threatening illness. It aims to relieve pain and help patients with any psychological, social or spiritual needs.   Older people often said this concept was completely new to them. Many explained that there were no services of this type in their community, or at least there were none they knew of. In Russia, one group revealed they were unaware of these services and that "everything falls on the shoulders of relatives". And in Moldova, another group said "we didn't even know such services exist in our country or elsewhere".   For those who knew about palliative care, older people identified high costs, lack of information and medical staff's negative attitudes as the main barriers in accessing them. Poor quality services and long distances between their home and those services were also mentioned too.   The rights to long-term care and support and palliative care are not clearly articulated in international human rights law anywhere.   Ultimately, we need a convention articulating that older people have the right to these types of care and support without any kind of discrimination. Right now, our Age Demands Action campaigners are out there advocating for these rights. They are using the results of the Freedom to decide for ourselves report to call on governments to listen to what older people in their countries are saying and to attend the Open-ended Working Group in July. http://bit.ly/2qhYdtf   * UN Web TV: July Open-ended Working Group session: http://bit.ly/2LueSY0   June 2018   The fundamental rights of older people need to be better protected. (EU Fundamental Rights Agency)   Nearly 60% of Europeans consider being old a disadvantage when looking for work. Societies often view older people as burdens. Too often we overlook the basic human rights of our older people. This year, the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) in its 2018 Fundamental Rights Report explores how a rights-based approach towards respect for older people is starting to happen.   'Fundamental rights are not just for the young. They protect everyone regardless of age', says FRA Director Michael O'Flaherty. 'We need to do a better job of protecting the older members of our communities. It's high time to translate political commitments into tangible actions. We must stand up for the civil, political, social, economic and cultural rights of older people'.   This year's Fundamental Rights Report dedicates its focus chapter to equal treatment for older people and respect for their fundamental rights. It recognises growing awareness of the issue and how policies are changing to better respect their rights. However, it advises against a one-size-fits-all approach as barriers faced by women, ethnic minorities and people with disabilities may be compounded as they age. It also warns how young people today may face difficulties in later life if their education is poor and they cannot find work.   It underlines the need to broaden protection against discrimination on the grounds of age by adopting the EU's Equal Treatment Directive that extends anti-discrimination protection beyond employment to access to services, housing and healthcare, etc. It also suggests making better use of EU funds to promote inclusion and equal treatment for older people.   * Access the report via the link below: http://bit.ly/2LxTDjK http://www.coe.int/en/web/commissioner/-/the-right-of-older-persons-to-dignity-and-autonomy-in-care http://ageing-equal.org/ http://www.abc.net.au/4corners/who-cares/10258290 http://www.helpage.org/what-we-do/rights/towards-a-convention-on-the-rights-of-older-people/ http://www.helpage.org/newsroom/press-room/press-releases/violence-against-older-people-is-a-global-phenomenon-says-helpage-international-as-activists-call-for-a-un-convention-on-the-rights-of-older-people/ http://www.helpage.org/blogs/   http://pension-watch.net/ http://www.helpage.org/newsroom/latest-news/ http://www.rightsofolderpeople.org/new-garop-report-in-our-own-words/ http://www.who.int/ageing/events/international-day-older-persons/2017/en/ http://www.age-platform.eu/special-briefing/age-joint-seminar-finds-important-gaps-protection-older-person-human-rights http://www.age-platform.eu/good-practice-introduction http://social.un.org/ageing-working-group/eighthsession.shtml http://www.developmentpathways.co.uk/news/pensions-progress-towards-extending-social-protection-reach-outlined-by-new-ilo-report/ http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/OlderPersons/IE/Pages/IEOlderPersons.aspx   * Report of the Independent Expert on the enjoyment of all human rights by older persons July 2018: http://ap.ohchr.org/documents/dpage_e.aspx?si=A/HRC/39/50 http://www.rightsofolderpeople.org/our-voices-our-rights/ http://bit.ly/327wyx8 http://www.un.org/en/events/elderabuse/ http://www.un.org/development/desa/ageing/ Visit the related web page
	State of Civil Society Report 2018 by Mandeep Tiwana Chief Programmes Officer, CIVICUS   This year's 'State of Civil Society' report from CIVICUS reaches an important conclusion: even as fundamental freedoms and democratic values are being encroached upon, peaceful acts of resolute resistance by civil society give us reasons for hope.   The report encourages active citizens to join or start their own organizations, social movements and social enterprises to further rights based agendas and defend progress on human rights.   Each year, CIVICUS publishes the State of Civil Society Report, which chronicles major global developments and key trends impacting civil society. The report draws from interviews with civil society leaders at the forefront of social change from around the world and CIVICUS ongoing research initiatives. This year it reaches an important conclusion: even as fundamental freedoms and democratic values are being encroached upon, peaceful acts of resolute resistance by civil society give us reasons for hope.   Sobering data from the CIVICUS Monitor, a participatory platform measuring civic space, reveals serious systemic impediments on core civil society freedoms of expression, association and peaceful assembly in 109 countries and worrying attacks in many more. But many have found renewed purpose in the face of attacks on democratic values to challenge irresponsible exercise of power. In Romania, hundreds of thousands of people came forward to protest when the government tried to soft pedal on corruption. In El Salvador, after years of advocacy, a law was passed to end gold mining activities harming land, water and local communities. In South Korea, a new government borne from citizen action is seeking to forge a different kind of people-centered politics.   The report points out that everywhere we look, there are signs of citizens organizing and mobilizing in new and creative ways to defend democracy and fight for equality and social justice. Perhaps the most promising recent development has been the blow to gender inequality and patriarchy struck by the #MeToo and Time's Up movements, demanding an end to sexual harassment and discrimination.   Overall, the report highlights ten key trends impacting civil society. One of them is the undermining of democratic institutions in many parts of the world. Personal rule by political leaders remains a major challenge to the rule of law. Parliamentary and judicial independence is under threat from right-wing populism in countries as diverse as India, Hungary, Philippines, Russia and the US. In many parts of the world, from Bolivia to Uganda, long-time leaders are engaging in constitutional rewriting to extend their tenures.   Recent political shifts towards mean-spirited politics are causing the notion of national sovereignty to be both strongly reasserted, and simultaneously narrowed: it's not the people who are being seen as sovereign, but presidents and ruling elites. Multilateral institutions are correspondingly being undermined as they struggle to end violent conflict and roll back climate change. The report also points out that as the UN's funding base has declined, it has increasingly embraced the private sector, whose role appears to be hardwired in the 2030 Agenda.   Privileging the private sector to attract additional resources could make some of the Sustainable Development Goals harder to achieve, such as those on decent work (SDG 8), income inequality (SDG 10), reducing corruption (SDG 16) and encouraging responsible consumption and production (SDG 12). Such ambitions require radical and systemic change, something businesses that benefit from current models of governance are unlikely to embrace.   The report also highlights the spread of neoliberal economic policies as a worrying trend whereby core government functions are being offloaded onto favored corporations. This is creating avenues for cronyism and corruption on a grand scale. In many countries, social safety nets and services for excluded populations are being slashed while mega businesses are incentivized through minimal regulation and tax breaks, resulting in deeply unequal societies with obscene wealth amid searing poverty.   Despite the negative trends, there are reasons for hope. The 2018 Nobel Peace Prize recognized civil society organizing led by the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN). A treaty on eliminating nuclear weapons was agreed in 2017 even amidst a crisis of multilateralism, which continues today.   Moreover, civil society activists have proven their mettle as the worst of humanity has come to the fore in recent situations around the world, such as the possible genocide of the Rohingya people in Myanmar and grave violations of the Geneva Conventions in Syria and Yemen. Individuals have placed themselves in the firing line, documenting and exposing rights abuses. When devastating earthquakes hit Mexico and hurricanes struck the Caribbean, it was civil society groups that mobilized as first responders to provide succor to affected populations.   The report includes several sets of recommendations, recognizing that global challenges cannot be tackled alone by organized civil society. Democratic governments are urged to model good practice by enabling spaces for discussion, dissent and dialogue at all levels and to also resist moves to weaken human rights standards at the multilateral level. Multilateral institutions are advised to reinforce the primacy of civil society participation in decision making and to find new ways to open up spaces for direct public involvement in their activities. Progressive businesses, independent media and academia are called upon in their own interest to use their influence to champion democratic norms and make common cause with civil society in defense of human rights and shared values, by forming new alliances, sharing platforms and developing and partnering in joint campaigns.   The report urges active citizens to connect with each other locally, nationally and internationally, encouraging them to speak out and mobilize in different ways, including by supporting social justice initiatives through volunteering and offering financial and in-kind contributions. It also encourages active citizens to join or start their own organizations, social movements and social enterprises to further rights based agendas and defend progress on human rights.   Ultimately, the reports finds in myriad examples of public mobilizations that resistance works. The opportunity lies in sustaining momentum, making connections and moving beyond specific moments of defiance to a shared vision of a world where change is possible. http://www.civicus.org/index.php/state-of-civil-society-report-2018   http://sdg.iisd.org/commentary/guest-articles/civil-society-resolute-resistance-and-renewed-purpose/ http://www.openglobalrights.org/Reclaiming-civic-space-global-challenges-local-responses/ http://www.equaltimes.org/2018-points-to-a-new-wave-of http://disrupt-and-innovate.org/report-fight-back-rising-repression/ Visit the related web page
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