June 15 is World Elder Abuse Awareness Day

The International Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse (INPEA) announces the 3rd Annual World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD) on June 15, 2008.  Communities and municipalities will make proclamations declaring June 15, 2008 as World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD) and hold events designed to raise their communities’ awareness of elder abuse. The first Awareness Day in 2006 involved several hundred organisations and governmental bodies at international, national, regional, local, community and neighbourhood level, in every continent in the world.

The day is in support of the United Nations International Plan of Action which recognizes the significance of elder abuse as a public health and human rights issue. Governments, non-governmental organizations, educational institutions, religious groups, professionals in the field of aging, interested individuals as well as older persons themselves will promote a better understanding of abuse and neglect of older persons by organizing activities around the world to raise awareness of the cultural, social, economic and demographic processes affecting elder abuse and neglect.

Throughout the world, abuse and neglect of older persons is largely under-recognized or treated as an unspoken problem. Unfortunately, no community or country in the world is immune from this costly, public health and human rights crisis. Research indicates that public education campaigns like World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD) are vital for informing people in a growing number of countries
about elder abuse and active involvement of the media is central to its success.

People worldwide will be wearing purple to show that elder abuse is a global problem.

Source/more:  http://www.inpea.net/weaad/weaad2008/downloads/weaad2008_Press_Release.pdf