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Mrs. Mary Mayer, IFA representative at the United Nations died on 4 June 2015, after a battle with mesothelioma. Mary was dedicated, committed and a driving force for the IFA at the United Nations. She was one of the most knowledgeable persons in the field of ageing from both a national and global perspective and wrote many of the statements that IFA submitted to the United Nations.
In 2011, before the time of the UN OEWG Mary wrote a paper about working on a convention which is now testament to her vision and beliefs. She was a quiet force, yet strident and strong in her conviction around protecting the rights of all older people.
Relentlessly she visited many missions over many years and was well known, loved and respected beyond friends and family. She was generous with her knowledge and a powerful voice in any forum but particularly at the UN Meetings, when people debated her point of view.
A compassionate, thoughtful and understanding human being — and practical, so very practical. Mary wrote to the IFA on May 19th not long before she died, resigning her position as IFA representative and thanking the IFA for all of the years where she had served. It is IFA that thanks her for the incredible contribution over the past 20 years.
In honour of her dedication we must continue the pursuit of excellence in protecting the rights of older people and do this with integrity, humility and conviction as only Mary did.
Dr. Jane Barratt, Secretary General, IFA
Obituary for Mrs. Mary Mayer in The New York Times.
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The IFA is pleased to announce our brand new website design! www.ifa-fiv.org still aims to be a repository of information surrounding the IFA and its associated networks with up to date news, resources, projects and initiatives. Now with the new responsive and interactive design, it has the ability to offer so much more:
- Members can stay up-to-date on all of IFA’s current activities through the project blocks on the home page
- The IFA Group of Websites offers a clear connection between all IFA entities
- The new DONATE button allows members to easily donate from any page on the website
- Keep an eye out for the IFA symbol next to any resourcesthat are published by the IFA
In the coming months, we hope to continue improving the site so that it best serves how we communicate with our members. We encourage you to visit and explore the site at your leisure!
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The Adult Immunization Advocacy Summit is just around the corner
 Vaccinations, according to the WHO, have been identified as one of the most economically sound health interventions available.
Adult immunization coverage rates, however, remain far below public health targets.
Promoting a life course approach to vaccinations as part of an overarching healthy ageing policy while being a ‘thoughtful approach’ is without substance if there is no consensus of the steps to firmly position the evidence within a policy framework.
The Adult Immunization Advocacy Summit convening on 25 — 27 June 2015 in Rome Italy marks a major step to considering the life course approach to immunization in the context of the healthy ageing policy agenda.
The Summit comprises of experts in the field of adult vaccinations from eight European countries representing key European and International Scientific Organizations. The IFA will report on the outcomes of the Summit in the coming months.
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Do you want to be part of the IFA Board of Directors?
 The IFA Nominating Committee welcomes expressions of interest from expert individuals, academia, business and NGOs for election to the IFA Board of Directors.
Individual members in good standing or persons from organizations in good standing (up to date with their membership fees) can make nominations. The nomination process includes a formal statement of candidacy which is accepted by the Secretary General on behalf of the IFA Nominating Committee.
Each statement of candidacy will be considered on its own merit with close attention to their involvement in the IFA and other relevant organizations and their commitment to the field of ageing and older people.
If there are any questions, please direct them to the Secretary General, Dr. Jane Barratt (jbarratt@ifa-fiv.org).
Learn more about the nomination process and access the statement of candidacy form here.
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Gain Steps by Learning More about Walking the Age-friendly Talk
 On 2 June 2015, the IFA with the support of Grantmakers in Aging (GIA) hosted the webinar entitled «Walking the Age-friendly Talk — Case Studies», attracting nearly 200 attendees.
This webinar showcased four global case studies from the United States of America, Spain, Israel and Canada by way of five dynamic presenters.
Presentations focused on project successes, barriers, toolkits and personal experience in developing and achieving project outcomes.
To gain access to this unique webinar recording and PowerPoint presentation, go to the IFA website at www.ifa-fiv.org, with no cost to IFA members and for a small fee of $20 for non-members!
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 Early-bird registrations are open and the IFA along with COTA Queensland are calling for abstracts on 5 main themes:
- Disasters and Older People
- Age-friendly Cities and Communities
- Care and Support for Older People (Community and Residential)
- Elder Abuse, Law and Rights
- Income Protection and Security
World Elder Abuse Awareness Day on the 15th June reminds us of the critical importance of profiling oral presentations, symposiums, workshops and poster presentations at the conference on topics such as preventing abuse, rights of older adults, financial abuse, and age discrimination in the workplace in the conference.
Don’t miss your chance to discuss elder abuse topics of interest, network with other experts in the field and bring back useful resources to enhance the programs and services you provide to those older people impacted by abuse.
The conference is timely as it takes place the week following WEAAD 2016 and will be an ideal platform to raise awareness and contribute to the elder abuse awareness dialogue.
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The Americas becomes the first region in the world to have an instrument for the promotion and protection of the rights of older persons!
The member states of the Organization of American States (OAS) have approved the
Please note that though the Resolution has been passed, it was not endorsed by Canada and the United States of America (see footnote in draft resolution).
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As the new Chief Executive of WCVA I have a number of priorities including a governance review, a focus on innovation, evidence and impact as well as effective collaborations.
One in three people in Wales volunteer and a significant number are older people.
As the population ages and as public funds to support people’s independence in terms of housing, care and health reduces; the role of volunteers and the 3rd sector will become increasingly important. The expertise offered by the IFA Secretariat led by Dr. Jane Barratt and Mr. Greg Shaw ensures the organisation is always keeping an eye on the horizon in terms of emerging policy themes and the opportunity to influence national and global agendas.
As a Board member I look forward to supporting IFA goals and objectives and making appropriate connections with colleagues in Wales and the UK.
Read Ms. Marks full biography and her work with the IFA here.
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The IFA is looking for bloggers like YOU that are passionate about ageing issues and are interested in keeping the conversation going! If you would like to contribute to the IFA Blog, email Ms. Dana Bandola at dbandola@ifa-fiv.org. 
 A New Era for Caregiving Families — «In recent decades there has been a burgeoning awareness about the importance of family carers for supporting the independence and quality of life of frail older adults with dementia…» Read more here. |
Dear Readers,
If you wish to make comments or recommendations on how we might improve this publication or would like to get involved in one of the projects please email Greg Shaw (gshaw@ifa-fiv.org) or Izabella Kaczmarek (ikaczmarek@ifa-fiv.org). You can contact us by telephone at +1 416 342 1655.
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