Belmopan, Fri. Oct. 1, 2021– Today, Belize joins other United Nations member states in observing International Day of Older Persons — a day which honors the contributions of older persons. The theme of the day this year is “Digital Equity for All Ages,” which highlights the importance of older people‘s accessibility to and involvement in digital processes and platforms.
A release from the National Council on Aging says, “The intentional inclusion of older persons and closing of the digital divide has always been a great concern, but COVID-19 has shone a harsh light on existing inequities, further demonstrating the need for action to be taken towards digital equity for all persons.”
The National Council of Aging this year commenced a series of initiatives that included the delivery of online digital skills training to enable older persons to safely navigate the web.
In Belmopan, Hon. Oscar Mira, delivered care packages to elderly ones in the community to commemorate the day. He was assisted by Christopher Tapia of the Belize Youth Movement and Belmopan City Councilor Pauline Soberanis.
The National Council on Aging encourages the public to spend time with older persons within the community.