Demography and Ageing
It is evident that ageing in today’s society has changed radically during the last century. As people live increasingly longer, healthier lives, our understanding, expectations, and institutions will need to be revised. Longevity and heightened productivity and quality of living later in life are natural desires on the level of the individual and indeed are characteristic of a better and sustainable society. However, society does not yet value the potential contribution of older peoples, and policies in most facets are ill prepared to meet the changing demographics. Radical shifts in how we think about older peoples on all fronts are required. Positive management, for example the continued valuable contribution to the work force by the older generation, paired with pro-active measures, for example health promotion and disease management, can start to transform what some see as a looming crisis into a social revolution.
Ilona Kickbusch, closing remarks, World Ageing & Generations Congress St. Gallen 2006
World Ageing & Generations Congress St. Gallen
Ilona Kickbusch is the chairperson of the World Ageing & Generations Congress, an annual event in St. Gallen Switzerland > www.wdassociation.org. The aim of the World Ageing & Generations Congress is to address important topics related to demographic change and its effect on the labour market and social security, on health issues, on the development of new products and markets and on changing lifestyles in society.
By establishing a wide platform for a broad audience and bringing together over 100 specialists from different spheres of society and numerous academic disciplines, the World Demographic Association provides the framework for the development of innovative solutions in the realms of public policy, business, health and academia.
She is also a fellow of the World Demographic Association and has been invited to teach at the University of St. Gallen HSG > www.unisg.ch - as a visiting professor in the latter part of 2008. Further she is co-editor of the WDA-HSG Discussion Paper Series on Demographic Issues which publishes original research undertaken by the Fellows of the WDA-HSG Fellowship Scheme and invited authors.
Global Agenda Council on Demographic Shifts
Ilona Kickbusch is a member of this council which has been established by the World Economic Forum. This Council aims to convene 15 to 30 of the most innovative and relevant minds to capture the very best knowledge and integrate it into global collaboration and decision making processes. For more information see: www.weforum.org.
Alliance for Health and the Future
Ilona Kickbusch is a member of the advisory council of the Alliance for Health and the Future > www.healthandfuture.org - a "think-and-do tank" established to identify, inform and raise awareness of behaviours and systems that can lead to greater well-being and productivity throughout life.
World Health Organization: Active Ageing
During her time as a director at the World Health Organization she imitated and supported the development of the Ageing and Health Programme > www.who.int/topics/ageing/en/ - as well as supporting the World Health Day 1992 on Health Ageing. A key outcome of this work is the 2002 Active Ageing Framework Policy Framework (*.pdf). It builds on a life course perspective of healthy aging.
EULEN Award
Ilona Kickbusch ist Mitglied der Jury des Eulen der Stiftung generationplus > stiftung-generationplus.ch
Der Preis wird für innovative Projekte in den Bereichen Gesundheit, kreative Ansätze in Betreuung und Pflege, innovative Wohnformen, berufliche Neuorientierung nach dem 50. Lebensjahr, und altersgerechte Kommunikations- und Begegnungsformen vergeben.
