We Are the Ones — Working Together

Dr. Jan Hively from Cape Cod, USA, and Moira Allan from Paris, France, first met at the inaugural Positive Aging Conference at Eckerd College in Saint Petersburg, Florida, in 2007. At that time, Moira had just founded 2Young2Retire-Europe / Cercle des Seniors Actifs-Europe. Their friendship and shared passion for “meaningful work, whether paid or unpaid, until the last breath,” led to the creation of the Pass It On Network. In 2009, Jan and Moira envisioned a global network of elders called “We are the ones,” inspired by the words of a Hopi Indian leader:

We are the ones we’ve been waiting for.

Download the poem by the Hopi American Indian leader who inspired this movement.

From 2010 through 2012, Jan and Moira teamed with Patricia Munro and World Café Europe to engage older adults in discussions about issues relevant to an Active/Positive Aging network. In February 2013, they presented the concept of a “Pass It On Network” at an Encore.org Summit Conference, and began reaching out to Positive Aging advocates who might fill the role of liaisons stimulating “do it yourself” involvement in their home countries. And here we are!

 

Our Vision

Positive, productive aging worldwide. As older adults we will share our strengths with others to help ourselves, each other and our communities as much and as long as is feasible.

This is a place where innovative leaders from around the world meet to explore, document, and spread creative concepts, activities, and resources that are shaping a new way of talking and a new way of being as we adapt to a longer life span.

How can we be useful to ourselves, to each other and to our communities?

How can we remain independent and self-sufficient?

How can we keep on learning?

Where are we going to live in the long term?

Who will care for us if and when necessary?

The needs are pressing, the challenges daunting.

We of the older generations have what it takes to help ourselves, each other and our communities. We need to identify and share the wisdom and other strengths that we’ve gained from experience. We are living the longevity revolution in real time. We are both the actors and the producers.

Join us on this fascinating voyage of discovery and creation. Everyone is involved. Contribute your insights, experience and ideas. Help shape the new role history is prompting us to write.

Pass It On is a grassroots network* of adult thought leaders – a generation in progress – learning quickly and applying both old ways of outreach and new technologies to respond to the demands of aging through mutual support networks.

The Pass It On Network is an accredited member of the United Nations Open-Ended Working Group on Ageing.

The Pass It On challenge is to see what’s happening and apply what’s meaningful…. and to enjoy meeting new people from all over the world along the way. All of them encourage self-sufficiency… with a little help from others.

 

Pass It On – A Founding Member of Encore Network

A coalition of encore leaders and organizations providing resources, visibility and connections – strengthening members’ work to turn longer lives into an asset. “We view the world’s rapidly ageing population as an opportunity – an experience dividend for solving significant social problems. Our members work on the ground to make this vision a reality for more people in more places. We are connecting around shared interests while also pursuing our individual missions, creating win-wins through collaboration, leveraging local ideas globally and global ideas locally, and teaching/learning. Pass It On’s membership means we can invite all of you to participate in the regular network seminars and events. Encore’s affiliation with the Pass It On Network has already generated Encore South Africa, thanks to our Country Liaison, Lynda Smith.

 

The Pass It On Network is a project created by 2Young 2 Retire-Europe / Cercle des Seniors Actifs-Europe (French association loi 1901).