UNESCO participates in a Seminar alluding to the World Elder Abuse Awareness Day in Brasília

Held by the Ministry of Human Rights and Citizenship (MDHC) in Brazil, the seminar “Human Rights of the Elderly: Confronting all Forms of Violence” occurred in Brasilia from 14 to 15 June 2023.

Among the authorities who attended the opening ceremony were the Minister of Human Rights and Citizenship (MDHC), Silvio Almeida, the coordinator of Human and Social Sciences and Natural Sciences at UNESCO in Brazil, Fabio Eon, the national secretary for the Rights of the Elderly, Alexandre da Silva, as well as representatives of various ministries and civil society.

The event is part of the actions promoted by the Junho Violeta (Violet June) campaign. Launched in early June by MDHC, this initiative aims to raise awareness in Brazilian society of the need to act to guarantee human rights and combat violence against the elderly.

During the opening ceremony, videos of the campaign #EnvelhecerSemViolência - Assim você me vê? (#GrowingOldWithoutViolence - So do you see me?) were released, in partnership with UNESCO in Brazil, on World Elder Abuse Awareness Day. The audiovisual production portrays violations such as aggression, abandonment, and financial exploitation, reinforcing the importance of making complaints to the National Human Rights Ombudsman through the "Dial 100" public system.

According to Marlova Jovchelovitch Noleto, Director and Representative of UNESCO in Brazil, it is necessary to ensure adequate conditions to exercise rights, particularly the rights to education, culture, and information so often denied to older people.