Ljubljana played host to the 11th Festival of the Third Life Age at the end of September, the biggest such event for older people in Europe.

In terms of timing and content, the festival linked 1 October, which is the International Day of Older People, and 3 October, which is the International Day of the Child while a common thread throughout the festival was that it was dedicated to the European Year of Volunteering.

For the eleventh consecutive year, the Festival of the Third Life Age created a space for co-operation between generations, civil society, voluntary organisations, businesses, academic and political spheres and thus sought to contribute to sustainable intergenerational solutions. On offer was a very rich cultural programme, educational workshops, round tables and exhibitions of products and services for older people, at which its programmes for older people were also showcased by the City of Ljubljana together with the NGOs and public institutes of which it is the founder.

At the exhibition space in the ‘Park of Local Communities’, the City of Ljubljana presented the programmes and activities that it finances or cofinances intended for senior citizens and dedicated to the most diverse forms of intergenerational relations, while the different generations are encouraged to volunteering and intergenerational cooperation.

The ageing of the population is a challenge that we must not be afraid of! Old age today is very far from being simply the final part of life; older people are an important foundation of society from whom younger people can draw knowledge and experience. With the extension of the working life and life expectancy, senior citizens are becoming an ever more active part of the community, which is rapidly changing nowadays. The festival sought to demonstrate that older people have so much working, intellectual and creative potential that we have to nurture and take advantage of. In this it is necessary to demonstrate that potential to younger generations, foster them in a spirit of solidarity and thereby achieve a better and more advanced social environment.

The festival was also an excellent opportunity for businesses which showcased their products, ideas and services for older people in the themed parks. The festival has grown over the years, and outgrown national boundaries. Therefore, we also invited to this year’s festival partners from other European countries. Guests came from Croatia, Macedonia, the UK, Hungary, Italy and Bosnia and Herzegovina as well as a representative from far away Australia, who came to showcase his offer to the Slovenian public.

The 11th Festival of the Third Life Age ran at Cankarjev dom in Ljubljana on 27, 28 and 29 September, and further information about it can be found on the official website.