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 editor, Tom Holloway.

Feel free to copy any or all of this information in your local newsletters.

As population demographics shift, there is a worldwide increase in diseases associated with old age and rising incomes, such as dementia, arthritis, diabetes and heart disease. At the same time, the cost of developing new drugs is skyrocketing. This major review and comparison of Health Services around the world reveals how different countries’ are coping with these pressures.

So, with our international partners, we commissioned a series of articles. Andrew Street analyses the challenges facing the UK’s National Health Service, creaking after endless reorganisations – and with the prospect of Brexit bearing down upon it.

The US, meanwhile, spends a greater proportion of its GDP on health care (an eye-watering 17%) than any other country covered in our series. Yet, as Simon Haeder points out, this doesn’t result in a better service. Indeed, the system is beset by controversy, soaring costs and growing health inequality. Nearly one in ten Americans has no health insurance at all.

A World Health Organisation comparison of 191 countries, put the French healthcare system in first place. But Laurent Chambaud says that more needs to be done on preventative measures – France has one of the highest rates of tobacco use among young people.

Report by Dr. Hans Kristján Guðmundsson, Chairman, U3A Reykjavik
The BALL project has received the Erasmus+ Award for Excellence in the field of adult education. The award was given at the occasion of the celebration of the 30th anniversary of the Erasmus program. This is a great honour for all the BALL partners, the project coordinator Evris, the LUTW (U3A) in Lublin, Poland, UPUA, the Permanent University in Alicante, Spain, and not least for U3A Reykjavik, where the project idea was born and developed, and who were the prime movers in the professional development of the project. The results of the BALL project are published in the book: “Towards a Dynamic Third Age” with guidelines and recommendations on how to best prepare for the third age. These results and the entire book can be found, read and downloaded from the project website www.ball-project.eu.

A new project is now running, with continued support of Erasmus+, aiming at implementing the most important suggestions of the BALL project, the Warehouse of Opportunities and the Personal Development Academy. This project, Catch the BALL, is carried out in cooperation between Evris, Reykjavik (project coordinator), U3A Reykjavik, MBM Training Center, Liverpool, England, and Kaunas Science and Technology Park, Lithuania. See the website www.catchtheball.eu for further information. The picture shows representatives of the BALL project in Iceland with the President of Iceland. From left to right: The President, Dr. Guðni Th. Jóhannesson, Anna Margrét Guðjónsdóttir, coordinator, Evris, Jón Björnsson and Ingibjörg Rannveig Guðlaugsdóttir U3A Reykjavik team members, Ingibjörg having originally suggested the idea.

On invitation UK Third Age Trust, Prof François Vellas visited Trust Age new headquarters in London last November 9th and met Pam Jones, Third Age Trust Chairman with Ian Mc Cannah, vice Chairman and International Committee members Maria Chester, AIUTA Secretary General, Sam Mauger, Chief Executive and Ian Funnel, AIUTA former Treasurer. Discussion focussed on the UK Third Age Trust contribution to formulate AIUTA strategy and actions on international cooperation and new ways for education. Third Age Trust will participate actively to disseminate good practices on new technologies education tools and senior social life and will work together with AIUTA to extend U3As international mouvement worldwide.

A l’invitation du Third Age Trust du Royaume-Uni, le Porfesseur François Vellas, Président de l’AIUTA a visité le nouveau siège du Third Age Trust à Londres le 9 novembre. Une réunion de travail a été organisée avec Pam Jones, Présidente du Third Age Trust Chairman et Ian Mc Cannah, vice Président ainsi que des membres du Comité International avec Maria Chester, Secrétaire Général de l’AIUTA, Sam Mauger, Chief Executive et Ian Funnel, ancien Trésorier de l’AIUTA. Les discussions ont porté sur l’implication du Third Age Trust dans la définition de la stratégie et des actions de l’AIUTA et des nouveaux aspects de la coopération dans le domaine de l’éducation tout au long de la vie. Le Third Age Trust participera activement à la dissémination des moyens pédagogiques liés au nouvelles technologies pour continuer à préserver le lien social entre les étudiants des Universités du Trosième Age ainsi qu’aux actions conduites ensemble avec l’AIUTA pour développer le mouvement des Universités du Trosième Age dans le Monde entier par la promotion des échanges internationaux et de la coopération.

On invitation MariaVitoria Mansardes, Prof François Vellas, AIUTA President with Nelly del Forno, AIUTA GB Member from Italy met Vice Rector General EAFIT, Julio Acosta Arango, Director EAFIT Center for Continuing Education Luis Fernando Rendon Cortes and Sabores de Vida U3A President Jorge L Rodriguez and Seniors Students from EAFIT Sabores de Vida U3A in Medellin on friday 24th November. Prof François Vellas spoke on new AIUTA U3As development on education, research and on international cooperation. EAFIT U3A is one of the most U3A in Latin America and leader in Colombia. EAFIT participated for decades to AIUTA cooperation and is developing innovative intergenerational programmes to help young students to set up new entrepreneuship and startup firms on technologies. These successful stories would be a chance for seniors and youth and Prof François Vellas propose EAFIT to present this programme to next AIUTA Conferences in as Colombian Medellin EAFIT contribution to the U3As movement worldwide.

A invitation de MariaVitoria Mansardes, le Professeur François Vellas, Président de l'AIUTA President et Nelly del Forno, Membre du Conseil d'Administration de l'AIUTA (Italie) ont rencontré le Vice Recteur Général d'EAFIT Julio Acosta Arango, le Directeur del' EAFIT Center for Continuing Education Luis Fernando Rendon Cortes et le Président de l'Université du Troisième Age Sabores de Vida de l'EAFIT President Jorge L Rodriguez ainsi que les étudiants séniors de Medellin le vendredi 24 novembre. Le Professeur François Vellas a présenté les actions de l'AIUTA notamment dans le domaines de la coopération internationale. L'EAFIT est d'une des principales Universités du Troisième Age dans toute l'Amérique Latine et joue un rôle de leader en Colombie. EAFIT a coopéré avec l'AIUTA pendant les dernières décennies et produit actuellement des programmes pédagogiques innovants tel que le programme inter-générationnel de soutien à la création d'entreprise pour de jeunes étudiants de l'Université. François Vellas a proposé que des représentants d'EAFIT puissent dans le futur participer aux prochaines conférences de l'AIUTA pour présenter ces importantes innovations à l'ensemble des universités du troisième âge dans le Monde.

"Our Network is a movement of vital elders, dedicated to growing in consciousness while actively addressing our nation’s critical social, economic, and environmental issues.

"CEN news this month comes from all three of our branches – Outer Activism, Education, and Community Building". Note that the Fall issue of Turning Point Journal is available here >>>

Report from Moira Allan, Co-founder and International Coordinator of the Pass It On Network
First “SeenAgers” Conference in Lagos looked at the Challenges of Ageing in Africa. The Pass It On Network had a vibrant presence at this conference through 26 goodwill messages from our liaisons around the globe that were sent to the convenor, Dr David Mark Oludare Okusanyo, CEO of the Family Ark Mission and our liaison in Nigeria, and Moira Allan, co-founder and international coordinator, who flew to Lagos to spread the word about our mission.

During the conference the Pass It On Network received three 2017 Voice for the Aged Awards. They went
to Jan Hively, co-founder of the Pass It On Network, Kari Henley, CEO of Age without Borders, who created the conference website, and Moira Allan, co-founder of Pass It On. The awards were presented to Moira by David and Mrs. Major (rtd) Opeifa. See the full conference report here >>> and the current Pass It On Network newsletter is here >>>