The more than 200 members of the Sint Maarten Seniors and Pensioners Association this year will commemorate the International Day of Older Persons for the third time since they were founded in July 2010. The SMSPA encourages all persons and organizations in the Sint Maarten community to observe the day as intended by the UN in establishing the International Day of Older Persons. The day is a day to appreciate the contributions that older people made and still make to society. It is a day to commemorate the achievements and challenges of the seniors. This can be achieved by raising awareness about issues affecting the elderly, such as how society is dealing with aging, how far we are with the implementation of the 2nd International Action Plan on Aging and to address elderly abuse.
THANKSGIVING SERVICE
On Sunday afternoon 16:00 pm, one day before the official commemoration of International Day of Older Persons, the seniors of the SMSPA upon invitation of the Home Away from Home Foundation joined in a thanksgiving church service which was held in the Methodist Church here in Philipsburg.
COMMEMORATION MONDAY OCT 1 EMILIO WILSON PARK
SMSPA members to observe the contribution they made to society will join the seniors of the Home Away From Home Foundation, the seniors from the Sint Maarten Home and the seniors from the Hope Estate Seniors Citizen Recreational Center and seniors from the French side today Monday October 1st in the Emilio Wilson Park from 10 am in the morning till 4 pm in the afternoon.
CONFERENCE WEDNESDAY MORNING OCT 3 JOHN LARMONIE CENTER
To reflect upon the achievements and challenges in the realization of the objectives of the International Action Plan on Aging the SMSPA is inviting all the seniors and pensioners in Sintr Maarten to attend a half day conference on Wednesday morning from 10 am to 12 noon in the John Larmonie Center here in Philipsburg. Speakers from the Sint Maarten Seniors and Pensioners Association and of social organizations in the Sint Maarten Anti-Poverty Platform will address the seniors after which on 11.30 am the Minister of Public Health, Social Development and Labour, the honorable Minister Dr Cornelius de Weever will join the speakers in a panel to share and discuss the challenges the seniors still have to face.
After the panel session all participants in the Conference will be offered a lunch sponsored by the Sint Maarten Chamber of Commerce and Industries as a token of appreciation for the seniors in Sint Maarten.
AWARENESS INTERVIEWS WITH LOCAL RADIO HOSTS
Talk show host Lloyd Richardson on Monday October 1st from 12:00 pm -13:00 pm at Radio PJD 2 and talk show "Lady Electra" Mercedes Wyatt on Wednesday morning 8:00 am - 9:30 am at Radio Laser 101 will have an extensive interview with board members of the SMSPA to review the achievements of the seniors and the challenges of the seniors for equal rights in the Kingdom of the Netherlands, an equal treatment that the seniors on the French side already have acquired being part of the Republic of France.