FUNDACIÓN VÍCTIMAS DEL TERRORISMO 93 - ENGLISH

48 RODOLFO BENITO SAMANIEGO FOUNDATION On 19 November, the 21st edition of the series "Coexistence and Tolerance in To- day's Society", one of the most established activities of the Rodolfo Benito Samanie- go Foundation, took place in the Interna- tional Conference Room of the University of Alcalá. With more than two decades of history, this series has become a meeting place for reflection, dialogue and civic en- gagement, especially significant for those who have experienced violations of their rights, including victims of terrorism. On this occasion, the Foundation focused its attention on a topic that was new to its programme: ageism, a form of discrimi- nation that affects older people and often goes unnoticed in everyday life. The Foun- dation's president, Ana Isabel Hidalgo, emphasised at the opening of the event that the aim of the series — to promote coexistence and tolerance — also involves raising awareness about groups that may be exposed to situations of discrimination or lack of protection of their fundamental rights. In her words, the choice of topic responds to an ethical responsibility to an increasingly visible social reality. The conference, entitled "Fighting age- ism: older people with rights", was led by Dolores Carrión Martín, a retired civil servant from the Senior Corps of Civil Ad- ministrators of the State and responsible, for decades, for important positions in the Administration, such as Government Delegate in Madrid and Undersecretary of Culture. She is currently a member of THREE MILESTONES IN A DECISIVE MONTH FOR THE FRBS: NOVEMBER PROMOTES REFLECTION AND HUMAN RIGHTS the Board of Trustees of HelpAge Interna- tional Spain, an organisation dedicated to defending the rights of older people dec- ades, important positions in the Admin- istration, such as Government Delegate in Madrid and Undersecretary of Culture. She is currently a member of the Board of Trustees of HelpAge International Spain, an organisation dedicated to defending the rights of older people. Carrión began her speech by emphasising that the concept of "older person" is not uniform and varies according to the reg- ulatory framework. However, she wanted to highlight an essential idea: ageing is not a state, but a process that accompa- nies every human being from birth. From there, she outlined the three levels at which ageismmanifests itself: institution- al, interpersonal and at the "micro" level. The speaker highlighted various effects on older people: their autonomy, dignity and full personal development are limited, de- spite having contributed to social progress for decades. She therefore defended the need to move towards a model that rec- ognises older people as active individuals with rights, capabilities and diversity. Drawing on her experience at HelpAge International Spain, Carrión recalled that the fight against ageism not only involves denouncing situations of discrimination, but also promoting public policies, acces- sible environments and a cultural change that allows all people to live their old age fully, safely and with respect. The conference concluded with a mes- sage that sums up the spirit of the cycle: to build a society where every stage of life can be lived with dignity and without 1) THE RODOLFO BENITO SAMANIEGO FOUNDATION ANALYSES AGEISM IN ITS 21ST CONFERENCE SERIES ASSOCIATIONS AND FOUNDATIONS