THE PUNE DECLARATION 2015 AGE-FRIENDLY SMART CITIES

The signed copy of the Pune Declaration on "Making Smart Cities Age-friendly" was handed over to the Hon'ble Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Shri Devendra Phadnavis, by the Chairman of ILC-I, Shri Jayant Umranikar on the auspicious day of Akshaytritaya, the 21st of April 2015. And the same is being sent to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

THE PUNE DECLARATION ON ‘MAKING SMART CITIES AGE-FRIENDLY CITIES AND COMMUNITIES IN INDIA’-2015

PREAMBLE:

On the cusp of the commencement of the vision of the ‘100 Smart Cities’ as propounded by Honourable, Shri Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister of India,

Acknowledging that,  India today has nearly 100 million elderly population over the age of 60 years which by 2050, may grow to  315 million and by the time these Smart Cities become functional,  every fifth citizen of a city and every third voter in the electorate, may be a senior citizen,

We, the representatives of senior citizens’ organizations, NGOs and stakeholders in the cause of population ageing, under the aegis of the International Longevity Centre-India (ILC-I), having met on the 15th of February 2015 in Pune, unanimously declare the following:

Principles of thought and action:

1. Advocating World Health Organization’s concepts of ‘Active Ageing’ and that of an age-friendly city with elder-friendly, barrier-free structures & services encouraging easy accessibility for all senior citizens,
2. Believing in the UN Principles of Older Persons and their emphasis on Independence, Dignity, Self-fulfillment, Participation and Care,
3. Drawing inspiration from the Priority Directions of the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing, with special focus on ”Ensuring Enabling and Supportive Environments”,

We, the representatives of senior citizens’ organizations, NGOs and stakeholders in the cause of population ageing,

Declare the following areas of intervention that would serve to build the framework for Age-friendly Cities and Communities:

•     Transportation, Outdoor spaces, Buildings &Housing
•     Community Support, Recreation and Health Services
•    Social and Civic Participation of Senior Citizens
•    Safety and Security of Senior Citizens
•   Employment, Communication and Information
•    Development of Affordable Technology and Assistive Devices

 

Dedicate ourselves to: 

1.     Ensuring an enabling environment to make an age-friendly city barrier-free, inclusive, connected and accessible.
2.  Building an elder-friendly social environment having an age-friendly, affordable infrastructure that aids mobility, connectivity and most importantly, independence of the senior citizen as also developing ‘ageing-in-place’ housing facilities, using inclusive innovations.

We, the Undersigned, Pledge ourselves to:

•      Supporting the building and development of safe & inclusive neighbourhoods, including public infrastructure, buildings, roads, pavements, elder-friendly housing, hospitals, retirement homes, residential care & nursing homes.
•     Establishing safe, comfortable and affordable transportation systems that facilitate qualitative mobility, connectivity and easy accessibility of places & services for senior citizens.
•      Ensuring the availability of good quality, affordable health services including preventive, primary, secondary care, rehabilitative and palliatives services, long-term and end of life care.

RESOLVE THAT:

•      The Government, society, community, NGOs and the Senior citizens themselves would work towards making all proposed Smart Cities of the country, “Age-friendly”using inclusive innovations and affordable technology, in the areas of Transportation and Roads, Housing, Infrastructure, Social Environment, Health Services, Safety and Security of the Senior Citizens, Outdoor spaces, Communication and Information.

Pune, 15^th February 2015

Name, Designation and Signed by:

Dr. R. A. Mashelkar, President, International Longevity Centre-India(ILC-I).

Dr. Arun Nigavekar, Vice President, ILC-I

Mr. Jayant Umranikar, Chairman, International Longevity Centre-India (ILC-I).

Mr. D. N. Chapke, President, All India Senior Citizens Confederation (AISCCON).

Mr. N. M. Kodolikar, President, Federation of Senior Citizens Organisations of Maharashtra (FESCOM).

Dr. T. N. Wazarkar, President, All Senior Citizens Organisations of Pune(ASCOP).

Dr. Siva Raju, Dean & Professor, School of Development Studies, Tata Institute of Social Sciences & Hon. Director, ILC-I.

Mr. R. H. Belavadi, Hon. Director, ILC-I

Dr. Dilip Satbhai, Hon. Treasurer, ILC-I

Dr. Bhushan Patwardhan, Director, School of Health Sciences, University of Pune & Hon. Director, ILC-I.

Ms. Anjali Raje, Executive Director, International Longevity Centre-India (ILC-I).

Mr. Sailesh Mishra, Founder, Silver Innings, Mumbai.

Mr. Hiren Mehta, Harmony for Silvers Foundation

Mr. Prakash Borgaonkar, Director, HelpAge India

Dr. S. P. Kinjawadekar, Former President, AISCCON

Mr. Jaydeo Naik, Secretary, Viman Nagar JyeshthaNagrik Sangha

Dr. Vinod Shah, President, Janseva Foundation

Mr. Madhukar Pawar, Executive President, ASCOP

Mr. Ramanbhai Shah, Former President, AISCCON

Mr. Avinash Lakare, Central Council member of AISCCON

Dr. Alka Vyas Vice President,AISCCON & Vice President (Women’s Cell),FESCOM.

Mr. Vinayak Bhave, Hon. Advisor (Finance), ILC-I.

 

WHO AM I - A Poem on Alzheimer's

The twilight hours of cool breeze;

a time for resident-relative to meet;

Seated on Chairs and Wheel-chairs;

they looked unperturbed with the crowd around;

Some could talk, few sobbed …….agitated

but many gave just a vacant look,

If one walked non-stop all around,

others would sit and watch far away…..

The meaningless questions of “how are you”

exchanged with a mute silence or a sob,

What is this disease??????

Why this Suffering ??????

A successful  and eventful career

enough of wealth to enjoy their retired life,

their dreams of being with kith and kin,

in their loving home built with love and care,

All a forgotten past; never to recollect!!!.

Who knew the wheels of  Life

would rotate this way????

the road of destiny

would lead them here….

Can they…….

Enjoy what they own;

remember their mission of life;

share their fears and pain;

express their love to kith and kin?

For ages ….

Sages have dwelled in Silence to realize Atman!!!

This dwelling  has a different search

Neither of Atman nor Paramatman….

A search within…..

WHO AM I??????

-         After a visit to Alzheimer's facility in South India Poem written by Rama Rangaswamy for Silver Innings ' A1 Snehanjali' project.

      Copyright of Silver Innings

Chasing the Grey Population, a Japanese way

DESIGNING underwear to fit human curves is tricky. For decades, Wacoal, a global manufacturer of lingerie based in Kyoto, has been measuring the female form and making products that factor in the toll of time and gravity. Its research is proving ever more rewarding. The company’s sales to senior citizens—who are just as interested in a graceful silhouette as women decades younger—are growing by double-digit rates each year.  

Many societies are ageing, from America to China, but Japan has a head start. One in four Japanese are over 65; by 2035 it will be one in three. So the country is serving as the world’s laboratory for selling to older consumers. Elderly Japanese outspend younger ones, says a study by the Boston Consulting Group. They now account for two-fifths of personal consumption.

Many of the country’s biggest firms have adjusted their strategies to tap into the grey yen. Panasonic, a maker of domestic appliances, has rolled out a string of new products, including foot heaters and lightweight vacuum cleaners. Aeon, a giant retailer and shopping-centre operator, has a “Grand Generation” strategy, which ranges from providing one-stop medical clinics on the premises to making in-store signs easier to read. Fujitsu, an electronics firm, has sold 20m of its “Raku Raku” mobile phones, with larger buttons and simplified functions, and is now introducing them into Europe.

Japanese firms have been equally inventive in the area of medical products for the elderly. But this is an area where cumbersome regulation can hold them back. Cyberdyne, a spin-off from the University of Tsukuba, designed a robotic exoskeleton suit to give mobility to the elderly and disabled. Although it gained approval for clinical use in Europe in 2013, it has yet to do so at home. Testing for medical products is costly as well as slow in Japan, and getting new devices covered by health insurance is a long and arduous process. Having opened up a lead in robotics for nursing care, the country risks losing it.

Chasing the Grey Population, Japanese way