Intergenerational Day. Representational imge by Janosch Lino on unsplash
CMEDIA: Intergeneration Day was reportedly launched by the Foundation Institute (now call the Intergenerational Foundation) on first Sunday of October. August 4, 1997, the day Frenchwoman Jean Calment passed away at the age of 122 years and 165 days.
2020 marked the 10th Anniversary of Intergenerational Day in Canada when all a call out was issued to Canadians of all generations to help us built a virtual national quilt of intergenerational relationships.
Research shows that intergenerational relationships offer benefits to both younger and older people, including the opportunity to learn new things including insight into the past to understanding new and current information and technologies allow both younger and older generations to overcome stereotypes and gain a better understanding of different age groups.
Canadian Network for the Prevention Of Elder Abuse endorses June 1ST as Intergenerational Day Canada to promote respectful and purposeful intergenerational relations, and prevent elder abuse.
“On Intergenerational Day, we celebrate the meaningful connections forged between generations.” Harwinder Sandhu, British Columbia’s Parliamentary Secretary for Seniors’ Services and Long-Term Care, and Brittny Anderson, Special Advisor on Youth said in joint statement in recognition of Intergenerational Day on June 1, 2023, a news release said.
Participation in community service such as delivering groceries for an older neighbour, spending time with a grandchild or young person in your life, or simply socializing together and making a new friend can be beneficial.
People should be encouraged to come together to help close the generational gap to build a sense of community and the sharing of ideas, reduce social isolation with a positive impact on mental health.
Toronto Intergenerational Partnerships (TIGP) first came into existence in 1981 as a working group in Toronto’s Riverdale community, responding to the needs of two distinct groups – children and youth, and seniors.
Their work motivated the City of Toronto and the Toronto School Board to proclaim June 1st Intergenerational Day Canada.
Since 1986, TIGP has reportedly been the only non-profit charity mandated and funded to bringing generations and communities together through intergenerational programming across the GTA.
Creating Caring Communities toolkit also provides resources to support learning, understanding and mutual respect between generations.
The government of Nova Scotia sponsored the initiative of Intergenerational Awards
British Columbia’s BC Retired Teachers Aassociation (www.bcrta.ca) has initiated Golden Star Awards for Intergenerational Excellence in schools
“On behalf of the government, we would like to wish everyone in B.C. a happy Intergenerational Day. Let us continue to celebrate and build on these invaluable relationships,” said Harwinder Sandhu and Brittny.
#IntergenerationalDay; #meaningfulConnections; #CreatingCaringCommunities
