Cyprus opent 'Europees Jaar van actief ouder worden en solidariteit tussen generaties' (en)

Cyprus inaugurated the European Year for Active Ageing and Solidarity between Generations on 15th March 2012 at the Journalist House in Nicosia.

In Cyprus, the Department of Social Welfare Services Division of the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, headed by Toula Kouloumou and her designee, Marina Efthymiadou, are leading efforts to kick off the EY 2012, educate and engage the stakeholders through a national programme, which is highlighted in the website www.mlsi.gov.cy/sws in Greek and English.

Mrs. Kouloumou opened the event and introduced the keynote speaker, the Minister of Labour and Social Security, Sotiroulla Charlambous, who reiterated the importance of the continuous engagement of the elderly in society and the European Union at large.

The event included short presentations from key stakeholders including representatives from the Youth Parliament, the Elders Parliament, the Youth Organisation, the Cyprus National Coordinating Committee for Volunteering, the Cyprus Athletic Organisation, the Research Unit in Behaviour and Social Sciences (RUBSI) of the University of Nicosia and the Social Welfare Services.

In addition, through a short panel discussion and a question and answer session, stakeholder representatives and audience members engaged in a vibrant dialogue on the subject. The closure of the event included a storytelling activity, told by an elderly member of the audience as told to him by his father, underscoring the importance of the solidarity between generations.

The event heralds the opening of the European Year of Active Ageing in Cyprus, and will include several programmes in the upcoming months engaging volunteers and bridging the gap amongst generations, which will culminate towards the end of the year with Cyprus presiding over the European Union from July - December 2012.