Madrid, Spain, April 2002

The International Plan of Action on Ageing, adopted at the first World Assembly on Ageing in Vienna, has guided the course of thinking and action on ageing over the past 20 years, as crucial policies and initiatives evolved. Issues of human rights for older persons were taken up in 1991 in the formulation of the United Nations Principles for Older Persons, which provided guidance in the areas of independence, participation, care, self-fulfilment and dignity.

The Twentieth Century saw a revolution in longevity. Average life expectancy at birth has increased by 20 years since 1950 to 66 years and is expected to extend a further 10 years by 2050. This demographic triumph and the fast growth of the population in the first half of the 21st Century mean that the number of persons over 60 will increase from about 600 million in 2000 to almost 2,000 million in 2050 and the proportion of persons defined as older is projected to increase globally from 10 percent in 1998 to 15 percent in 2025. The increase will be greatest and most rapid in developing countries where the older population is expected to quadruple during the next fifty years.

Such a global demographic transformation has profound consequences for every aspect of individual, community, national and international life. Every facet of humanity will evolve: social, economic, political, cultural, psychological and spiritual.
(excerpted from the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing 2002)

As a contribution to the Conference the Brahma Kumaris highlighted the need to focus on the following areas:

The Treasure of Well-being

Our well-being at any moment of our lives, but particularly in older age, is influenced by our well-being in earlier years. Starting from a young age, individuals need to structure their lives accordingly towards an overall concept of well-being in which life too is viewed as a whole. Nurture, family, education, financial security, social involvement and leisure, or time for the self, are all important throughout life rather than being consecutive areas of predominantly exclusive focus and dedication. The golden years of life, however, very naturally lend themselves to the dedication of time to inner well-being, the cultivation of the mind and the achievement of a state of spiritual well-being, fruition and completeness.

The Dignity of Participation

Having and exercising control of one's own life is a fundamental expression of the innate worth and dignity of the human spirit. For as long as possible, older people must accordingly be allowed to maintain their own independence and participate in the taking of decisions affecting them, including those relating to the care and facilities they receive.

When older people are part of a learning society other members of the community may benefit from their wisdom, values and experience. Such intergenerational exchanges can facilitate the traditional role of elders in the transmission of skills, tradition, values and cultural heritage. The values, principles and wisdom that older persons can hand down to the next generation are a spiritual, moral and cultural capital at least as important and valuable an inheritance for its future as any more tangible legacy.

Our world is ageing as ever before. But demographic facts need not blind us to spiritual truths and the ultimately spiritual identity of every human being. A spiritual understanding of the self will help empower us to see beyond the biology of the body, and its inevitable ageing, to the divine qualities and strength of the soul and the rights and responsibilities that we all have regardless of our age.

The foundation of an inclusive, respectful and integrated society that lives by a culture of peace, dignity and caring is the awareness of the inherently spiritual nature of the human being. It is the spirit within our body, whether that be frail or sturdy, young or old, that gives value and worth to our lives and is the basis of the rights accorded to the human person. If society is to include all humanity, it must first include the human spirit.

The Attainment of Self-fulfilment

Ageing is a continuing and natural process within the overall cycle of life. It will bring an increasing dependency and vulnerability but decades of experience can also be the threshold to wisdom while the autumn years offer a natural window in time to reflect back on life and harvest from the field of youthful action the ripe fruit of contentment and fulfilment.

Self-fulfilment can seem like an elusive or mystical phenomenon but ultimately it largely depends on such familiar and fundamental aspects of life as doing something worthwhile or meaningful and the giving and receiving of love. While fulfilment may be facilitated by the externalities of an enabling environment and physical capacity it primarily comes from inside, hinging on individual initiative, self-development and the realization of one's potential.

It has its roots in the purposeful expression of the best of oneself, in remaining true to oneself and in sharing and experiencing higher values.

Broadening and deepening our focus on life to encompass not just a state of doing but also more spiritual notions of becoming and being can help ensure from the start that the autumn of life is a mature season of rich and vibrant colour, full of significance, self-respect and a sense of accomplishment.