Three days ago – June 18 – we marked the UN inaugurated World Elder Abuse Awareness Day(WEEAD). The reason the day was created and the aim of it is to:
“focus global attention on the problem of physical, emotional, and financial abuse of elders. It also seeks to understand the challenges and opportunities presented by an ageing population, and brings together senior citizens, and their caregivers, national and local government, academics, and the private sector to exchange ideas about how best to reduce incidents of violence towards elders, increase reporting of such abuse, and to develop elder friendly policies.”
Now in its 12thyear (in the US and the 11thannual event in Minnesota), different communities nationwide are hosting a variety of events to mark the occasion and increase awareness within the general goal of this day. One example is the National Indigenous Elder Justice Initiative (NIEJI) and the Turtle Mountain Tribal Council which are hosting a forum open to the public in North Dakota. The aim is to “restore respect and dignity by honoring indigenous elders.”
