This campaign used ICTs to mobilise citizens to raise their voices on behalf of elderly people in developing countries, to the end of fostering economic development goals globally (such as those articulated by the United Nations (UN), as part of the Millennium Development Goals, or MDGs). The hope was that, by raising awareness about this issue and providing ideas for ways to communicate with those in power who may in a position to amplify ageing persons' voices and needs, citizens of all ages can take action.

Specifically, a section was set up on the Help the Aged website which featured information, case studies, and action points for those seeking to help end poverty for older people. In light of the G8 summit, to gain background on why the elderly are struggling with poverty and how to potentially address this problem, visitors to the website could access a page with various facts indicating how social pensions have made a difference to older people in developing countries. They may also read Help the Aged's "Pensions Not Poverty: A Basic Human Right" (click here to access it in PDF format). The key strategy underpinning the latter document, as well as the 5-minute film narrated by author Bill Bryson, was to share the personal tales of ageing people around the world, as part of this effort to educate people around the world about the importance of what organisers deem a human-rights-based crisis.

The case studies shared through this campaign signal various communication strategies for addressing poverty among the ageing. For example, one such study focuses on the experiences of a middle-aged woman in one of South Africa's economically poorest provinces who works as a Skills Development Facilitator for the local non-governmental organisation (NGO) Muthande Society for the Aged (MUSA). In an effort to tackle poverty, MUSA has trained a team of older people to work as literacy tutors; they hold courses in Zulu, English, and numeracy, with lessons designed to help students cope with everyday challenges such as filling out pension forms, sending bills, and using telephone numbers. MUSA also attempts to address the needs of older people living with HIV/AIDS across the province through its centres, which provide a place where elderly people (including those dealing with issues related to the disease) can socialise, take part in activities, and engage with one another.

The hope, then, is that visitors to the Pensions Not Poverty website - having been educated by factual details and inspired by personal stories and strategies such as that reflected by the MUSA participant's experience cited above - would use ICTs to take action to challenge world leaders attending the G8 meeting to protect the rights of the elderly. The method suggested here for doing so was visiting a "Have Your Say" page on the Help the Aged website, which led to an email form (which could be modified) to be sent to the UK's Hilary Benn. The gist of the suggested text was that, until all older people receive a social pension, the international community will struggle to "make poverty history".

Ageing, Economic Development, Rights.

According to the report "Pensions Not Poverty: A Basic Human Right" [PDF], by 2050, there will be an estimated 2 billion people over 60, two-thirds of whom will live in economically poor countries. Click here to view additional statistics illustrating the extent of the problem.

To help address poverty amongst this population, Help the Aged claims, governments around the world must ensure that social pensions become a vital component of relevant aid, development, and debt-relief initiatives. Help the Aged indicates that there is strong evidence that providing small but regular transfers of cash, in the form of a pension, has huge benefits for economically poorer people. For example, in South Africa, the old age pension has increased the income of the economically poorest 5% of the population by 50%. A social pension can help address health issues as well, Help the Aged explains, by, for instance, serving as a source of income for older people who have to care for their HIV-positive children or grandchildren orphaned by AIDS.

Post-campaign update:
In November 2007, the British Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, responded to the petition - signed by over 7,000 people as part of Pensions Not Poverty - calling on the UK government to help fund social pensions in developing countries through its overseas aid budget. In his letter, Gordon Brown wrote that he was "pleased that the Department for International Development (DFID) has a strong partnership with HelpAge International to take forward the shared objective of increasing the number of older people in developing countries with access to a non-contributory basic pension." Asserting the importance of knowledge sharing between developing countries, he added, "we [the British government] recognise the importance of fostering international learning and capacity, particularly for low-income countries to draw on the practical experience and lessons from countries such as South Africa and Lesotho." Joint funding by DFID and Help the Aged enabled HelpAge International to facilitate a visit by government ministers from Uganda to South Africa. The purpose of this visit was to allow the ministers to find out more about the South African experience in providing a universal non-contributory pension.