Project “SAGE - Supporting Active Ageing in Europe”

The project ‘SAGE – Supporting Active Ageing in Europe’ is part of a pilot programme to promote the mobility of senior citizens, funded by the Directorate General for Employment and Social Affairs of the European Union.
The philosophy of the project is to highlight the potential of senior citizens, who should become an asset for society and play an active, dynamic and constructive role.
Today, the senior citizens’ potential remains largely untapped. The project’s objective is to promote their mobility on a Europe-wide level, to acknowledge and to develop their skills for the benefit of others and of future generations.
SAGE is a 12-month, transnational cooperation project, with the following partners: the Municipality of Bologna, Italy (project Leader), the Municipalities of Duesseldorf and Berlin, Germany, the Borough of Islington, London, United Kingdom, and the Municipality of Stavroupoli, Thessaloniki, Greece.

The project has the following objectives:

• to promote healthy and active ageing by preventing the social exclusion or marginalisation of senior citizens.
• to promote a positive attitude towards ageing, highlighting the contributions of senior citizens to society and going beyond the mere socio-sanitary approach usually adopted by local authorities.
• to urge senior citizens to build new social relations by taking advantage of mobility opportunities within the European Union, by promoting intercultural values and by acting as fully energetic citizens.
• to raise the awareness of the current political, economic and social development in the European Union, by promoting the concept of lifelong learning.

PROJECT ACTIONS
Transnational meetings.
Visits to the cities of Network partners in order to promote contacts among senior citizens, to exchange views and experiences, as well as to understand the culture and social policies now under development on behalf of senior citizens.
Information seminars on the European Union.
The organisation of information seminars in order to promote the understanding of the role and policies now under development by the European Union on various levels.

ICT literacy and guided Internet navigation workshops.
The organisation of information and communication technology (ICT) workshops for senior citizens.
The objective of these workshops is to help promote contacts among senior citizens through the use of new technologies, to provide access to public electronic services and to help senior citizens overcome the fear of the new and unknown.
Project dissemination and diffusion – Deliverables.

• Creation of a website.
• Production of printed information material.
• Production of an Internet navigation guide for senior citizens.

Local Partners’ Network.
In the framework of project implementation, each transnational partner shall develop its own local partners’ network and will cooperate with a wide number of social partners.