FOLLOW US
Tribute to Grandmothers in Buenos Aires on the International Day of Older Persons
Written by UPF - Argentina
Thursday, October 17, 2013
Buenos Aires, Argentina - Creating the atmosphere of an extended family, UPF-Argentina organized a simple but warm tribute on October 17 to all the grandmothers at the San José Nursing Home in Ciudadela (Buenos Aires), in observance of the UN International Day of Older Persons. A group of Ambassadors for Peace and volunteers with UPF-Argentina and the local Women Federation for World Peace went to the nursing home to shared warm moments with more than 40 grandmothers who had been vulnerable, isolated or abandoned. There were certificates of recognition, music and raffles.
Mr. Hugo Cattoni and his collaborators and volunteers received the group with hospitality, being himself the director of the Nursing Home of the recognized international association Mensajeros de la Paz (Messengers of Peace). It was a spacious place, isolated from the usual noise of the city, where people can enjoy relaxation, surrounded by a green environment. He presented each of the grandmother a token of recognition for the “work done during their years as older persons, for their desire to be service and assistance, for their wisdom and experiences, and for their sympathy and support.”
Art is connected directly to the heart, so it was a necessary component of the occasion. Hiroko Kimura, Hiroyo Sakamoto, Emi Nakai, Kanami Hira, and Kayo Matsubayashi, who recently arrived from Japan, sang a song together with Noriko Ietzuka and Emiko Nakasone. Their presence was a reminder that in Japan, older adults and ancestors are revered. After that, the dance pair Marcos Daverio and Elsa delighted everyone with folk dances with their characteristic costumes.
“It is important how much love we put in our actions,” said Mother Teresa of Calcutta; the phrase, which was printed on the certificate of recognition, expressed the heart of the organizers. The grandmothers were extremely grateful for this humble gesture and for the emotional moment shared, which included small gifts.
In his message for the International Day of Older Persons, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said: “Nowadays, almost 700 million people are over 60 years. In 2050, there will be 2 billion people aged 60 or more, that is, over 20% of the world population. Considering this, it is necessary to pay more attention to the needs of older people and the problems most of them have to deal with. However, it is also important to remember the essential contribution that most of older men and women can give to the development of society, if they have appropriate safeguards.”
UPF Founder Rev. Sun Myung Moon said, “God is the oldest grandfather of the world. Therefore, a life in which we receive love from our grandfather and we live for the sake of our grandfather is a life in which we will come to understand the love of God and live for Him. We should keep this tradition so as to open the secret storehouse of the Kingdom of God and receive His treasure of love. Any nation that ignores its elders also ignores its roots and abandons its national character.”
Translation: Ricardo Gómez
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