In the News (from the European Commission): “The European Commission has proposed that 2012 be designated as the ‘European Year for Active Ageing.’

“The initiative aims to help create better job opportunities and working conditions for the growing numbers of older people in Europe, help them take an active role in society and encourage healthy ageing. …

“The EU is in a process of significant population ageing. From 2012, the European working-age population will start to shrink, while the over-60 population will continue to increase by about two million people a year. The strongest pressure is expected to occur during the period 2015-35 when the so-called baby-boom generation will enter retirement. …

“Active ageing includes creating more opportunities for older people to continue working, to stay healthy longer and to continue to contribute to society in other ways, for example through volunteering needs to be supported by a wide range of policies at all levels of governance.”

“The financial crisis has intensified what has long been a simmering problem; what to do about ageing populations with ever fewer workers supporting ever more pensioners, living longer?

“Trying to defuse the demographic timebomb and cut budgets to avert a financial meltdown, governments are further raising the retirement age and reining in benefits. …

“As unions threaten more strikes in the New Year the showdown over pensions is not likely to go away any time soon.” (Source: Euronews)

My Comment: Here, instead of explaining in the process of integral education and upbringing when the same retired and unemployed people could become conscious participants in what is happening now—the process of transformation from an individual egoistic society into an integral society when a person himself changes—the change comes from above, which triggers protest.

Integral education encourages understanding of what is happening now as a natural process of human development, which aims to change today’s humanity as a society of individualists to a society of mutual responsibility and care. Integral education and upbringing of the masses is intended to begin this change consciously (easily, quickly, gently).
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