Resources on intergenerational practice

Intergenerational practice is not just nice to have, it’s essential!

Get involved:

What’s Global Intergenerational Week?

Global Intergenerational Week is an annual, civil society-led campaign that aims to highlight the importance and benefits of intergenerational practice.

Intergenerational practice brings people of different ages or generations together in purposeful, mutually beneficial activities that promote greater understanding and respect.

Evidence shows that intergenerational practice can reduce ageism, which is widespread and harmful for our health and well-being.

This year’s Global Intergenerational Week might be over, but intergenerational practice is here to stay. Use the resources on this webpage, and learn more about the community of organisations around the world working to champion the importance of intergenerational practice.

Together, let’s celebrate the power of connecting people of all ages to help spark new relationships, strengthen communities, and build on the positive resources people of all ages have to offer each other!

A message from the WHO Director-General on intergenerational practice

Key messages on intergenerational practice

  • Globally, one in two people are ageist against older people. In Europe, the only region for which we have this type of data, younger people report more perceived ageism than other age groups.

    Ageism has serious impacts on our physical and mental health, and overall well-being. For example, ageism is associated with earlier death, poorer physical and mental health, social isolation and loneliness and poor quality of life.

    ➔ Learn more about ageism in the UN Global report on ageism.

  • According to the UN Global report on ageism, intergenerational practice is one of three strategies that has been proven to work to combat ageism, alongside policy and law, and educational interventions.

  • These activities can take many forms, from educational interventions to cultural activities like music, sharing food, and arts and crafts.

    Intergenerational practice can be implemented across a range of levels from learning about what the lives of people in other age groups are like, to shaping communities at the planning or policy level. This allows adaptation to diverse resource and local contexts.

  • These benefits include better physical health, better mental health, enhanced social connections, development of new skills, and heightened well-being.

  • The 11 principles of effective intergenerational practice are: participatory; inclusive; universal; friendship; do no harm; equity; human rights; cross-/inter-disciplinary; mutual, reciprocal benefit; asset-based; and evidence-based.

  • Connecting Generations builds on existing evidence and resources on intergenerational practice and has been developed in collaboration with stakeholders and experts from around the world.

    The guide aims to be as practical as possible and covers all the stages of planning, implementing, and evaluating intergenerational activities. The guide also provides an annex of 40 sample activities.

  • In a world that can seem more divided than ever, the need for solidarity – including across generations – has never been more urgent.

    Intergenerational practice can bring benefits to any field and setting. This Global Intergenerational Week – and on every other week – spread the word on intergenerational practice, join the Global Campaign to Combat Ageism, and help create #AWorld4AllAges.

Practical guides and tools

Connecting Generations

A practical, step-by-step ‘how-to’ guide from the Global Campaign on planning and implementing intergenerational activities.

Quick guide to avoid ageism
in communication

How do we avoid ageism as we communicate about age and ageing and intergenerational practice? Use our quick guide.

Global Campaign toolkit

All of the tools and resources that have been released so far by the Global Campaign to help you take action on ageism, in one place.

Spread the word on social media

Key accounts:

  • World Health Organization – @WHO

  • UN Decade of Healthy Ageing – @UNDecadeAgeing

  • Generations Working Together – @GenerationsWT

Key hashtags:

  • #AWorld4AllAges

  • #GIW24

Key links:

Infographic: Ageism is everywhere and harmful, but it can be combatted

Suggested caption:

Ageism is everywhere & harmful – but it can be combatted.

Good news: according to the UN Global Report on Ageism, intergenerational interventions works to reduce ageism!

Join the Global Campaign to Combat Ageism and help create #AWorld4AllAges 💪

♾️ aworld4allages.org

Animation: What’s intergenerational practice?

Suggested caption:

In a world that seems more divided than ever, building solidarity between people of all ages has never been more needed. #AWorld4AllAges #GIW24

What's intergenerational practice & how can it help? Find out from the Global Campaign to Combat Ageism:

♾️ https://bit.ly/GIW24-GCCA

Tile: What are the benefits of intergenerational practice?

Suggested caption:

Intergenerational practice can reduce ageism and bring wide benefits for well-being – if planned and implemented well. #AWorld4AllAges #GIW24

Learn how with the Global Campaign to Combat Ageism's practical resources:

♾️ https://bit.ly/GIW24-GCCA

Tile: An intergenerational activity for everyone

Suggested caption:

Intergenerational activities don't have to be complicated to be effective.

In fact, you can adapt activities you already do to be more age-inclusive & promote mutual understanding. #AWorld4AllAges

Need a few ideas? ⬇️

Get more examples here: https://bit.ly/GIW24-GCCA

Vertical tile: 11 principles for effective intergenerational practice

Suggested caption:

Wondering how to do intergenerational practice effectively? #GIW24 #AWorld4AllAges

Here are 11 practical principles you can implement, from the Global Campaign to Combat Ageism:

♾️ For more tools and guides, visit: https://bit.ly/GIW24-GCCA

Vertical tile: Top tips for planning intergenerational activities

Suggested caption:

Everyone can plan and implement activities that bring people all ages and generations together. #AWorld4AllAges #GIW24

Here are 6 top tips from the Global Campaign to Combat Ageism’s guide on Connecting Generations 👇

♾️ More resources: https://bit.ly/GIW24-GCCA

Catch up on the conversations for each day of the week!

Every year, each day of Global Intergenerational Week spotlights a link between intergenerational practice and a specific topic. Click on each of the days and themes below from 2024 to learn more about the connections and catch up on the conversations:

  • The first day of Global Intergenerational Week 2024 focussed on raising awareness on intergenerational practice as crucial and essential for our health and well-being.
     
    1. Learn more about intergenerational practice and its benefits in a webinar hosted by Generations United (United States of America), joined by representatives from the Global Campaign to Combat Ageism drawing on the Connecting Generations guide. Watch the webinar recording here.
       
    2. Join the Global Campaign to Combat Ageism and the worldwide community of intergenerational practitioners by posting on social media about ageism, its impacts, and how intergenerational practice can reduce it. Take a look at all our social media resources here.

  • The second day of Global Intergenerational Week 2024 was all about building partnerships, collaborations, and coalitions to generate change.
     
    1. Explore the practical recommendations from the Global Campaign to Combat Ageism's Connecting Generations guide. For example, Section 2.2 outlines how you can identify resources and assets from your wider community to draw on for implementing intergenerational practice.
       
    2. The Global Campaign to Combat Ageism is a unique opportunity called for by the 194 Member States of WHO to come together to create #AWorld4AllAges. Join the Global Campaign (if you haven't yet), and share the links with your colleagues and networks using our toolkit.
       
    3. Did you know the Global Campaign to Combat Ageism has a calendar of ageism-related events on its online home? Take a look at the calendar, and let us know if your event or initiative is missing from this list!

  • The third day of Global Intergenerational Week 2024 highlighted the potential of intergenerational contact to foster social connections within a community.
     
    1. Did you know WHO recently launched a Commission on Social Connection to raise the priority of social isolation and loneliness as serious public health issues that affect all regions and ages? Learn more about the issue on the WHO Commission's website – and subscribe to their newsletter to stay updated on the latest developments.
       
    2. Intergenerational practice has been shown to be an effective way to strengthen communities, help spark new relationships, and connect people of different ages. Spread the word on what intergenerational practice is and how it can benefit us all by using our social media resources.

  • The fourth day of Global Intergenerational Week 2024 unpacked how intergenerational practice is already a part of the work of many cities and communities around the world to become more age-friendly. Challenge misconceptions: making places and spaces more age-friendly not only benefits older people but brings benefits for people of all ages and abilities.
     
    1. Explore the WHO Global Database of Age-friendly Practices to learn what cities and communities around the world are already doing to implement intergenerational practice through becoming more age-friendly. And if your city and community's intergenerational work isn't in the database, submit one!
       
    2. Is your city or community part of the WHO Global Network for Age-friendly Cities and Communities? Double check on the Global Network's membership database – and advocate for your community to join if they aren't!
       
    3. The Connecting Generations guide includes 40 sample intergenerational activities that have already been implemented with good results across the world. Take a look at the guide's annexes to explore these activities, and share your favourite one on social media using all our social media resources here.

  • The fifth day of Global Intergenerational Week 2024 reiterated an important fact: according to the UN Global report on ageism, intergenerational practice is one of three strategies that have been proven to work to reduce ageism.
     
    1. Use all our social media resources to spread the word on social media and to your networks – intergenerational practice works to reduce ageism, and a practical 'how-to' guide is available from WHO and the Global Campaign to Combat Ageism to support stakeholders.
       
    2. If we change how we think, feel, and act towards age and ageing, we can break down barriers and benefit more from the diverse strengths of every generation. If you, or anyone you know, haven't yet already, take the first step by joining the Global Campaign to Combat Ageism and spreading the world on the worldwide movement to create #AWorld4AllAges!

  • The sixth day of Global Intergenerational Week 2024 was a special day in Europe, as it's been officially designated the European Day of Solidarity between Generations.
     
    1. Whether you're based in Europe or elsewhere, learn more about intergenerational practice by listening back to a webinar hosted by the Australian Institute for Intergenerational Practice, Generations Connect New Zealand, Mighty Oaks (Hong Kong SAR, China), and Genlab Co (Singapore) on intergenerational practice as 'essential'. A member of the Global Campaign to Combat Ageism Secretariat from WHO framed the conversation using the Connecting Generations guide. Recording available soon.
       
    2. Use the Global Campaign's media assets on intergenerational practice, including a video message from the WHO Director-General, to join the conversations and celebrations whether online or in-person. Download our social media resources here.

  • Last but not least, the seventh day of Global Intergenerational Week 2024 brought a much needed focus on how ageism affects the workplace. Ageism is everywhere, including where we work, and age shouldn't be a barrier to getting or keeping a job. By making our workplaces more age diverse, we can benefit from the unique skills everyone has to offer.
     
    1. Don't forget to read the full UN Global report on ageism for more details on the best available evidence on how ageism manifests in the workplace.
       
    2. Explore the Connecting Generations guide to discover concrete and practical examples of intergenerational activities that can be carried out in workplaces.
       
    3. Have you experienced ageism in the workplace, or have you implemented an intergenerational intervention to address ageism at work? Let us know by posting your thoughts and perspectives on social media using our social media resources, or by reaching out to us using the Contact form on this website.