3. Steps towards a Society for all ages

Summary

Moving towards the society for all ages will require policies that simultaneously strengthen both:

  • individual lifelong development into late life, focused on self-help and independence, and, relatedly,

    enabling environments of families, neighbourhoods, communities of interest and broad societal institutions based on principles of reciprocity and interdependence.

It will require an openness to new ways of perceiving, valuing and ordering reality in the next century as longevity increases, and population ageing affects the organization of society.

While explorations of the society for all ages must be made within the scope of national aspirations and capabilities, the transformations of individual life and the institutions of society will be common features.

And while the society for all ages has many complexities, a basic idea behind it is that all age groups are equally worthy, and that no age group should be discriminated against or especially favoured by society.