HRE in the Era of Global Aging: The Human Rights of Older Persons in Contemporary Europe

Human rights education is central both to the dissemination of knowledge about human rights and also to the promotion of a universal respect for, and observance of, all human rights and fundamental freedoms. This chapter aims to contribute to the creation of a universal culture of human rights, specifically by strengthening the effectiveness of human rights education to build and reinforce people’s knowledge, skills and attitudes. It is only recently that the attention of the world community has been drawn to the social, economic and political issues related to the phenomenon of ageing on a massive scale. As the world’s population ages and the traditional role of the family as the main support of older people weakens, the elderly are increasingly vulnerable to abuse and various forms of negative stereotyping and discrimination. While a number of publications on human rights education already exist, this chapter focuses on a specific, age group the rights-holders who need to know their rights and possess the attitude and skills to claim them. The human rights of older persons is a topic that has been long time neglected and at present human rights is increasingly taken into consideration by the governments and policy makers in the EU and the Council of Europe member states. This chapter provides an overview of steps being taken in Europe and through the UN to create a ‘society for all ages’. The core processes of discrimination and exclusion based on old age, such as ageism, stigmatization and stereotyping will also be examined. Next we will try to highlight the extent to which European citizens perceive ageism and age discrimination to be problematic. Finally, the basic question will be asked whether human rights education can reduce ageism.