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350 people attended the lnternational Forum on a Japanese model of a senior ce
nter, and exchanged opinions about actively working toward 1999, "The International Year of Older Persons", at the Dream Hall, site of the GLOBAL VISIONS EXPO '97 in Sendai.
The number of the senior centers, which is an institution peculiar to the United States, was increased drastically after the "White House Conference on Aging" was held in 1961 and the "Older Americans Act" was introduced in 1965. At present, the number is said to be as many as 15,000. Many of the senior centers are run by NPO (Non Profit Organizations) which have several employed staff as well as volunteers in the community who promote various programs for theaged.
About 350 people attended the forum and discussed the possibility of establishing a senior center which would suit well with the aging situation in Japan, referring to the management system of senior centers in the United States.
At the beginning of the forum, a video "Senior Centers in the U.S.A.", produced
by an American agency on the request of SCNS, was screened. Throughout the video, two types of the Senior Centers in California were introduced and at those centers, many senior citizens in the community took part as volunteers in the operation.
They talked with delinquent boys and helped children who found it difficult to keep up with their studies. Also, the video discussed various plans such as counseling on learning, recreation, health, and taxes provided in order to meet the needs of the aged people in the community.
The panelists were: Ms. Marcylouise O'ward(Director of the Retired Senior Vol
unteer Program), who has been supporting a Non Profit Organizations (NPO) which runs a senior center in the United States; Ms. Setsuko Isoe, a journalist residing in the United States, Ms. Kazuko Demura, a professor at Shokei Women's College and president of the SCNS; and Mr. Naoki Tanaka, an executive director of the Wonderful Aging Club.
Ms. O'ward stressed that aged volunteers themselves should support various activites such as education, welfare services, hobbies, and entertainment. On the other hand, she pointed out, "The senior center is at a turning point. One problem is how to secure funds for its operation when the welfare budget tends to be cut down.
Ms. Isoe reported in respect to activity programs, that one big problem is how to satisfy the needs of "young seniors", the younger-aged generation in the total aged population, who have quite different views from "old seniors".
Mr. Tanaka confirmed that, for Japanese civic activities, legislation systems are quite limited in getting the status of legal person and tax deduction , compared with those of the United States. He pointed out if aged people could be more freely engaged in social activities, a rich aged society would easily be realized.
And, by effective
coordination of iningvolunteer group's power, the capability of administration in the community would be generated to twice the level the city office currently has
Ms Demura said, with the International Year of Older Persons, 1999, in mind, activities of the aged people at senior centers will become the key to solving many kinds of community problems such as the problems of young people. She then asked the participants to join SCNS for further actions."
SCNS will accelerate its plans of establishing a Japanese model of a senior center based on the arguments at the forum, and will rent an office to promote an experimental project as a step toward realizing a senior center.
  Sendai Citizens` Network for Seniors 1-Chome,Nagamachi, Taihaku-ku, Sendai-shi, 982, Japan Copyright(C) 1996-1999, Sendai Citizens' Network for Seniors E-mail:info@sendai-senior.org |
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An International Forum on Japanese model of a "Senior Center", hosted by Sen
dai Citizen's Network for Seniors"(SCNS), was held on August 31 at the "Dream Hall", site of the GLOBAL VISIONS EXPO '97, in Minato District, Miyagino Ward, Sendai.