An international newsletter published on the first day of every month for U3A members and kindred groups anywhere in the world.

Please send items of possible interest to the general editor, Tom Holloway or the Asia Pacific Editor Thomas Kuan

Feel free to copy any or all of this information in your local newsletters.
Issue number 235 (August 2020) from the WorldU3A Service and the U3A Forum, and a 2-minute video about our projects may be found here >>>
U3A FORUM -Charles Dickens revisited

In 1860 Charles Dickens burned twenty years of his private letters and papers. In 2019 one surviving copy of a letter was discovered which might explain why he did so.

Following a brief slideshow the U3A Forum will discuss this and other matters surrounding his life. For information and to register visit www.u3aforum.org>>>
NIGERIA - Lagos Webinar
RESEARCH - University of Hertfordshire

This is an invitation to take part in a survey about everyday memory errors.
Do you know how good is your memory in everyday life? Can you tell us how often you forget to do things (e.g., make a phone call) or facts and episodes from your past? Do you know how good are people in other age groups, than yours, at these tasks?

A research team at the University of Hertfordshire (UK) needs your help in answering these questions. You are invited to take part in a new online survey that focuses on people’s everyday memory errors and their knowledge and beliefs about the frequency of these errors. The study can be completed from a laptop or mobile phone and takes about 30-40 minutes to complete. No identifiable information will be collected. Click here for more>>>
CARE HOMES REPORT - a roundup from The Economist
This important and timely review of Care Home facilities in Europe, Asia and the Americas in the light of the Covid-19 pandemic is reprinted from The Economist.
Across the rich world nearly half of all deaths from covid-19 have happened in care and nursing homes, even though less than 1% of people live in them. In Canada 80% of all the deaths from covid-19 have happened in places such as Camilla (see chart 1). In Britain the pathogen has killed an estimated 5% of all people living in such institutions. The problem is not only that the residents’ age makes them particularly vulnerable, but also that their living arrangements created opportunities for the virus to spread. Countries with fewer care homes have had fewer covid-19 deaths, all else being equal. The number of care-home beds explains 28% of the variation in death rates among European countries and 16% among American states, according to a study by Neil Gandal and colleagues at Tel Aviv University. For the full report click here>>>
INDIA - Delhi U3A and 'Plantation Drive'

A Plantation Drive in Delhi has been launched by Delhi Government during Van "Mahotsav, 2020, from 10th to 26th July, 2020 against the backdrop of the Covid -19 crisis, which is a challenging times for all of us in Delhi and everywhere in the World.

The last few months have taught us that we cannot ignore the health of our fellow citizens. We cannot ignore the air,water & noise around us. If we take care of the environment the environment will take care of us. Delhi Govt. is commited to care for our relationship with nature.
The Virtual U3A News
From Ann Vipond - Paris correspondent of The Virtual U3A:
The August edition of the newsletter contains links to a great many interesting sites, including how scores of young women worked secretly in garages and cowsheds to build Spitfires out of the sight of Hitler's bombers. To read this edition click here>>>
SINGAPORE - U 3rd AGE virtual tour
Like most locked-down seniors worldwide, life becomes boring staying indoors during the Covid-19 period. Friends of U 3rd Age were luckier to be invited to participate in virtual tours as part of a pilot initiative by the National Gallery Singapore; https://www.nationalgallery.sg/). The docent-led programme of the DBS Singapore Gallery, and the Silver Tours Permanent exhibitions were attended by more than 60 senior participants in July 2020.

The U3A movement in India and several other asian countries is growing fast. So fast that WorldU3A is bringing back an earlier newsletter that ran for over a year, then stopped due to lack of input. The current issue under the banner 'U3A ASIA POST' has been launched and you can see it here>>>

U3A Online: A complete GEMs newsletter archive - produced every month by Jillian Reid -
pdf printouts of all prior editions can be found at www.u3aonline.org.au
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