People of all ages were invited to take a stand against ageism in a local project led by the Bundaberg Seniors Alliance with support from Bundaberg Regional Council’s Community Development team.
As part of the project, participants were asked to share ‘the best thing about the age you are right now’ to help challenge age-based stereotypes and spark positive conversation.
The initiative inspired an important conversation about how age-based assumptions affect people of all ages and encouraged community members to reflect on their own biases.
Council Community Resilience and Connection portfolio spokesperson Councillor Tracey McPhee said ageism continued to negatively influence how people were treated, valued and included in society.
“Ageism isn’t just about older people, it affects young people too,” Cr McPhee said.
“This can be seen in everyday situations, from jokes on birthday cards to lost job opportunities because of perceived lack of experience due to age.
“This project aims to shine a light on those stereotypes and encourage everyone to value people for who they are, not by the number of candles on their birthday cake.”
Ageism is defined as the stereotyping, prejudice and/or discrimination against individuals based on their age or perceived age.
It can be institutional, subtle, deliberate or unconscious.
Examples include:
- Assuming an older person cannot learn new skills.
- Denying gym membership to someone based solely on their age.
- Believing all older people are financially secure.
- Stereotyping younger people as lazy, entitled or lacking motivation.
“This initiative encourages the community to think about the impact ageism has on people’s lives, hopefully inspiring all of us to challenge our own thinking about age,” Cr McPhee said.
The idea for the project was originally developed by Celebrate Ageing Ltd in New South Wales and encourages people to appreciate and celebrate the age they are right now as a way to combat age-related stereotypes.
The Bundaberg project gave people across the region the opportunity to reflect and share what they valued most about their current age, helping to build a more inclusive, age-positive community.
Some of the messages collected through the project will be displayed on food court tables at shopping centres in the Bundaberg Region, providing a reminder to celebrate all ages and challenge age-based assumptions.
For more information, contact Council’s Community Development team on 1300 883 699.
