Human Rights of Old Persons

December 21, 2004

Donor: FRESTA – Neighbourhood Programme of the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Duration of the project: November 2004 – March 2005

This was the activity done in cooperation with Croatian Helsinki Committee in Zagreb and Human Rights Centre from Sarajevo. The project is conceived as a multi-dimensional and it includes a number of activities indicating the unfavourable material position and life of older persons. The project offers analytical and statistical data analysis on the number of elderly persons, i.e. old persons’ households, their structure, economic position and other issues in the states in the region (Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia).The rapid ageing of population, especially in rural and remote areas was not followed in such manner to answer on the growing social problems of older persons. Naturally, the main responsibility was on the side of the state authorities, who were obliged to take the measures and social programs to protect those people.

Researching component of the project addressed the main obstacles and basic needs through the number of statistics and other information from the field of the social policy in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia. Monitoring of the state administration activities have the main goal to find out is there the political will and state potential to meet the problem of the ageing and standard of living of older persons. Campaign on the older person’s situation as a tool for the publicity involvement in the process on a long-term problem solving was one of the activity of the project. Part of Campaign was the “Week of solidarity with older persons”. Belgrade Centre for Human Rights produced short film about older people and it was shown on TV stations in Serbia. 

One seminar was organised addressing the regional aspect of the problem. It was the possibility exchange all the relevant data, basic programs components and practical solutions to make successful the concept of the social reform and older people easier position.