Context

The IFA 11^th Global Conference on Ageing, entitled ‘Ageing Connects’ is taking place during the greatest demographic upheaval in the world’s history – the juncture between globalisation, urbanisation and population ageing. In the twenty years since the first IFA conference in India in 1992, the average life expectancy in the Czech Republic has increased by nearly 7% with a corresponding improvement in health status of older people in this region. Notwithstanding these improvements, today there are now more people globally living in poverty; family caregivers are an essential and expected partner in the health care system; and workforce trends across generations are volatile, as are the debates around social pensions and financial protection

Despite the growing understanding of the role older people play in the day-to-day life of communities and society – even in the gravest times of natural and man-made disasters – there is a lingering and pervasive stigma toward older people which often results in a violation of their rights. This may also be marked by the lack of sound and proactive government policies and limited evaluation of promising programs. Furthermore there is a paucity of mechanisms to exchange information and learn from one another to the extent that we are able to help shape and influence future policy with the legitimate engagement of older people.

Through the conference program the protection of human rights is expressed as the fundamental prerequisite to an effective response to population ageing. Equally critical is the recognition of important contributions older people make to the broader social and economic productivity of a nation. “Ageing Connects” provides an opportunity for the development and strengthening of powerful alliances in 2012, a year which also recognises:

• The 10th Anniversary of the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing (2012)
• The European Year of Active Ageing (2012)
• The World Health Organization Year of ‘Health’ (2012)

The IFA 11^th Global Conference on Ageing entitled “Ageing Connects” provides a multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary forum for networking and the sharing of information related to new research and evidence-based programmes and policies. It is an opportunity for those interested in the field of ageing and the evolution of the human spirit to take stock of social trends (e.g., age friendly environments), evaluate recent policy developments and collectively chart a course. Together we must aim to facilitate stronger linkages among research, policy and practice and explore in greater depth the role of civil society in building effective relationships.