Mercy Global Concern - 2002

Reporting from Madrid and the
Second World Assembly on Ageing, Madrid 2002

What Does this mean for the Sisters of mercy?

"In Africa it is said that when an old person dies, a library disappears. This reminds us of the vital role older persons plas as intermediaries between the past, the present and the future; of the veritable lifeline they provide in society. Without the knowledge and wisdom of the old, the young would never know where they come from or where they belong. But in order for the old to have shared language with the young, they must have the opportunity to continue learning throughout life."
United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan

At the recent World Assembly on Ageing, held in Madrid, Spain there were seven Mercy participants from Australia, Kenya, Ireland and the United States. During the conference and indeed since taking up office at the United Nations I continually ask myself... how is what I do, at the United Nations or at conferences organized by the UN translated at local level? Mercy participants were asked to reflect on how we would share what we heard and how or does this make a difference to how we approach the topic of Ageing?

What I learned at the conference is that while we do not officially define old age as a second childhood, some of the programs we devise are highly efficient in helping the aged become children.....
Preoccupation with games and hobbies, the over emphasis on recreation, while certainly conducive to eliminating boredom temporarily, hardly contribute to iner strength. Is this the goal of existence? To study, grow, toil, mature and to reach the age of retirement in order to live like a child?
Old age is not a defeat but a victory, not a punishment but a priviledge. The goal is not to keep old people busy but to remind them that every moment is an opportunity for greatness. Inner purification is at least as important as hobbies and recreation.

The Secretary-General Kofi Annan reminded us in Madrid "Trees grow stronger over the years, rivers wider. Likewise, with age, human beings gain immeasurable depth and breadth of experience and wisdom. That is why older persons should not only be respected and revered; they should be utilized as the rich resource to society that they are."

One of the Mercy Participants at the conference Deirdre Moran from Ausralia had this to say. "The provision of age care in my workplace has traditionally targeted the 'poor' and we need to ensure that our services are geared to meet the increased need in this area in the future. We have a care model focused on individual needs, which recognizes the'spirituality' of ageing. We need to ensure that spirituality is not exclusive and that it celebrates all faiths.
As a religious institution we need to act as 'keepers of the vision' where older people are brought together in 'community' and where we are innovators of social solutions and use our outcomes to influence government."

Front:(left to right) Brenda Dolphin(Ireland), Moya Mullan(Ireland), Simeon Courtade(USA) and Anne Itotia(Kenya/Ireland)
Back(left to right) Max Moran(Australia), Deirdre Mullan(MGC/Ireland), May Ellen Howard(USA) and Deirdre Moran(Australia).

Further information is available on the official website www.un.org/esa/socdev/ageing