Leading with Compassion: A Global Vision for the Rights of Older People

January 16, 2025, 11:30 pm

There’s something extraordinary that happens when your work aligns with your values, passions, and goals—it stops being just a job and transforms your life but only if you let it. Sometimes this passion just sneaks up on us, and other times we are swept up by the enthusiasm of mentors, a personal situation or perhaps for no other reason that you are in the right place and right time.

A tension remains though for some of us, and it’s about work-life balance which can be viewed as a personal responsibility, while others see it as a shared accountability between the employer and employee. Recent disastrous events, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, has amplified the appeal for compassionate leadership in organizations. While compassion is a timeless concept, there is a lack of clarity around the idea of such leadership, yet it is relevant and pertinent to each and every one of us. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11301-023-00340-w

The field of population ageing still engenders in me profound curiosity and an even greater sense of compassion and humility for those “in service”. It’s more than addressing individual needs—it’s about stepping forward to driving global change from this generation to the next and beyond.  From global to local policy such as the UN Decade of Healthy Ageing, which seeks to foster communities where older people thrive, the Immunization Agenda 2030, aimed at ensuring equitable access to life-saving vaccines across all ages, or the urgent call for a UN Convention on the Rights of Older People, our collective efforts can shape a world that values ageing and protects the rights of older adults.

Of course, the journey isn’t without challenges.  Without purpose or adequate support, the path can feel overwhelming.  But when we as a collective anchor ourselves in these and other global agendas and remain committed to the mission, we not only find resilience, and motivation to push forward but we find compassion for others in all aspects of our lives.

Advocating for older adults is not a profession; it’s an investment in the future of others to build a society where ageing is met with dignity and care. The impact made is real and tangible, and the people we serve remain at the center of everything we say and do.

#AgeingWithDignity #UNDecadeofHealthyAgeing #ImmunisationAgenda2030 #RightsOfOlderPeople #ChampionsForOlderAdults