Outbreaks create fear. And fear, supported by marginalisation, is a key ingredient to drive ageism and isolation. The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has uncovered social and political fractures within communities. This has resulted in ageist responses.

Today, and following the spread of COVID-19, discrimination towards older people has increased.

In this webinar these issues are discussed by our eminent speakers, and solutions suggested.

Event Schedule

Opening Remarks – Moderator

Isabelle Parasram – Vice president Liberal Democrats, Trustee of The Paddy Ashdown Forum.

First intervention
Gordon Lishman CBE is a British social and elder rights activist, writer and former Director General of Age Concern England. Gordon will discuss how older people have suffered during the pandemic giving a perspective from various aspects of European and Human Rights law. Naturally, this will lead to presenting what has happened in care homes. Accordingly, Gordon will introduce the wider issues of ageism; how, after years of success for older or disabled people, to be described as “people”, has suddenly become “our elderly or “los ancianos”: to have their lives taken over and managed. Consequently, Gordon illustrates how some decisions by governments have failed older people by withdrawing their right to be assessed and treated individually. And, highlights how there appears to be little contingency planning for the future.

Second intervention

Debra Green OBE is the National Director and Founder of Redeeming Our Communities (ROC). Debra, using her extensive experience will discuss how to effectively engage with the community to make it inclusive and cohesive where those who are older in life have their views heard and understood. This will take participants on the journey of how you can take this information and develop projects that meet the needs of elderly people. As a result, how to form and empower effective community action groups that can develop and replicate good practice as well as advance ideas that both work and address elderly isolation and loneliness.

Q&A

Speakers Bio’s

Debra Green OBE is the National Director and Founder of Redeeming Our Communities (ROC). Founded in 2004, ROC is a registered charity and Limited company. ROC’s main aim is to bring about community transformation by creating strategic partnerships between statutory agencies, voluntary groups and churches.

Consequently, Debra has 25 years of experience in bringing organisations together towards the goal of social transformation, starting with her home city of Manchester. And, since 2004, this work has expanded. Debra has acted as a consultant to many other towns and cities with significant results. As a result, this work attracts interest from both public services and local authorities who are impressed by the proven track record and results achieved. In recognition of services to community cohesion Debra received an OBE in 2012.

Gordon Lishman CBE was a founder and officer of AGE – European Platform of Older People 2000-2008; and the International Vice-President of the global International Federation on Ageing. He was Director General of Age Concern, twice voted by Parliamentarians as the UK’s most effective campaigning charity and the largest provider of services to older people in the UK. He was awarded the CBE for his contribution to the 2006 cross-party settlement on pensions. He worked on EU legislation against age discrimination, the proposal for a UN Convention on age discrimination, and was instrumental in abolishing mandatory retirement ages in the UK.

Isabelle Parasram,

Vice President, Liberal Democrats (Moderator)
Isabelle Parasram is Vice President of the Liberal Democrats and a member of its Federal Board. She is also Patron of The Liberty Network and a Trustee of The Paddy Ashdown Forum think tank. She has previously stood as a Parliamentary and GLA candidate.

Professionally, Isabelle works nationally and internationally as Head of a barristers’ chambers. As an expert in regulatory compliance, she trains and advises organisations on procedural matters, including employment law, safeguarding and HR. Via her role as Special Investigation Counsel, she chairs internal Inquiries into allegations of sexual misconduct, discrimination and disciplinary breaches.
In addition to holding teaching qualifications, Isabelle is a former school governor and trustee of educational charities.

On a personal level, she was born in East London to Indo-Caribbean ‘Windrush’ parents. She and her husband have four school-aged children.