On 18 November 2023, Max Hahn, Minister for the Family, Solidarity, Living Together and Reception, attended the sixth edition of the "Forum fir den 3. Alter", a conference dedicated to promoting the actions of local authorities for the benefit of the elderly, which took place at the Lycée Ermesinde in Mersch.
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The public at the forum 2
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Edvin CEMAN, moderator, Alain BREVER, director of GERO Kompetenzzenter fir den Alter, Claude SIBENALER, head of the Age Division of the Ministry for the Family, Sammy WAGNER, mayor of Steinfort, Mara KROTH, director of Golden Me, Anna KORNADT, professor at Uni.lu and Idette CATTIVELLI, a very active senior citizen.
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The public at the forum
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Minister Max Hahn at the forum
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Group photo
Organised by the Ministry for the Family, Solidarity, Living Together and Reception with the support of Syvicol, this year's Forum was devoted to "Images of age and old age in our society".
In his speech, Minister Hahn called for us not to give in to the clichés, positive or negative, that circulate about age and ageing. He raised three important questions:
- How are age and ageing perceived and represented in our society?
- What are the clichés and prejudices still circulating about age?
- How can age discrimination be avoided?
He also stressed the importance of looking at age with kindness, so as to lay the foundations for a more enjoyable old age.
The remainder of the programme was devoted to the call for projects entitled "Communes amies des seniors" ("Senior-friendly municipalities"), and the two winners, the municipalities of Sanem and Esch-sur-Alzette, each presented their project for senior citizens in their region, before being presented with their certificate by Minister Max Hahn and Syvicol representative Michel Malherbe, Mayor of Mersch.
The presentation of certificates was followed by a talk by Professor Anna Kornadt of the University of Luxembourg on perceptions of age and the influence they have on older people and on their own ageing: "Images of old age can become 'self-fulfilling prophecies'.
L’importance de prendre conscience et de remettre en question sa propre image de la vieillesse dans le contexte privé et public a également été au centre de la table ronde qui a réuni des interlocuteurs aux profils différents comme des échanges qui ont clôturé le Forum autour d’un verre de l’amitié.