No one should lose their human rights simply because they grow older
Nicosia - Cyprus
No one should lose their human rights simply because they grow older
The ESU Summer Academy 2026 in Nicosia brought together participants from across Europe to discuss some of the challenges facing older people today. One of the central themes was loneliness — a complex issue examined from different perspectives and supported by research presented by universities and experts.
For Dr. Edeltraud Paul, Member of the ESU Executive Committee from Austria, the discussions in Nicosia were not only intellectually stimulating. They also raised an important question: How can we bring ideas from a European conference back into our towns and communities and turn them into practical action?
We spoke with her about her impressions of the Summer Academy and the ideas she would like to see developed further.
The conference in Nicosia was very interesting for me. I was particularly impressed by the discussions about loneliness and by the research presented by different universities.
The research gave us a good basis for thinking about the loneliness experienced by older people. It also showed how complex the problem is. Loneliness is not always visible from the outside, and it is not easy to help someone who is experiencing it.
Sometimes people are ashamed to speak about their loneliness. This can prevent them from taking part in meetings or activities where they could meet other people. That is why I believe we need to think about very practical and accessible ways of creating opportunities for people to come together.
Loneliness can become a kind of invisible circle. A person may feel lonely but may not want to admit it. And because of this, they may not take the first step towards meeting other people.
We therefore need opportunities that do not make someone feel that they are being identified as a “lonely person”. Instead, people should simply have reasons to meet, talk and participate.
Sometimes coincidence can be important — simply meeting another person who has similar experiences and being able to speak together can make a difference.
The good thing is that these opportunities do not necessarily have to be expensive. Communities can do a great deal with relatively simple ideas.
I tried to think about what we could take home from the conference and discuss in our own communities.
For example, communities could install benches along longer walking routes or in cemeteries, giving people a place to sit down and perhaps start a conversation.
Another possibility would be to create small spaces where people can meet informally and play games together — for example, boccia or similar activities.
These may sound like small things, but they can create opportunities for encounters. And sometimes an encounter is exactly what someone needs.
I have been thinking about a kind of exchange programme for people who are already working.
Imagine that people voluntarily exchange places with another person working in the same profession in another European community for perhaps three weeks.
It could work somewhat like the Erasmus programme, but with a focus on people in employment and on exchanges between European communities.
For example, a person from one town could spend three weeks working in another European town, while someone from that town comes to the first community.
This could be supported through town twinning — the partnerships that already exist between many European municipalities.
I think town partnerships could play an important role. The municipalities involved could be asked to help finance such exchanges.
The costs could be shared or supported by the partner communities, so that the opportunity becomes accessible to more people.
There could be a real win-win situation.
The person taking part in the exchange would experience a new environment and meet new people. The two workplaces could benefit from new perspectives and ideas. And the participating communities would strengthen their European connections.
But there is something even more important.
People would have the feeling of being European.
Yes. This is very important to me.
We should not think about loneliness only as an individual or local problem. Europe can also provide opportunities to create connections between people.
When people travel to another European community, work together, share experiences and discover another way of life, they can develop a stronger sense of belonging.
At a time when our European countries need to stand together, I believe that these personal connections are particularly valuable.
Europe is not only institutions and policies. Europe is also people meeting people.
I would like us to take ideas home — and then discuss them.
We should ask ourselves: What can our own municipalities do? What can senior organisations do? What can town partnerships contribute? And what can we do together at European level?
Some solutions may be very simple, such as creating places and activities where people can meet. Others may require more cooperation, such as European exchanges between workers and communities.
The important thing is that we do not stop with discussion. We should try to turn good ideas into practical initiatives.
I am happy to live in Europe, and I am grateful for the opportunity to have taken part in this conference.
The Summer Academy reminded me that European cooperation is not something abstract. It can begin with very simple things: sitting together, talking to another person, visiting another community, sharing an experience or working together.
These personal connections can help us build a Europe in which people feel less isolated and more connected to one another.
So I would simply like to say: thank you for the conference in Nicosia — and let us bring its ideas home.
Dr. Edeltraud Paul
Member of the ESU Executive Committee
Austria
The discussions at the Summer Academy also invite us to look beyond the conference itself. The workshop contribution by Gordana Matolek can be used as a practical extension of the discussion, helping to translate the broader theme of loneliness into concrete community initiatives.
Rather than treating loneliness only as a social or academic issue, the workshop perspective encourages us to ask a practical question:
How can communities create more opportunities for older people to meet, participate and feel that they belong?
One starting point is the design of public spaces.
A bench along a walking route, in a park or even in a cemetery may seem like a very simple measure. Yet such places can encourage people to pause, meet and talk.
Similarly, small areas for recreational activities such as boccia can provide an informal reason for people to leave their homes and spend time with others.
The objective is not to create special places “for lonely people”, which could unintentionally create stigma. Instead, communities can create welcoming places for everyone.
A second idea is to build on existing European connections.
Many European towns already have partnerships with communities in other countries. These relationships could be used for more than cultural visits or official meetings.
They could become platforms for practical exchanges between citizens.
One possible pilot project could involve a voluntary three-week professional exchange between people working in the same occupation in two partner towns.
Such an initiative could combine several objectives:
The workshop discussion and Edeltraud Paul’s reflections point towards a common conclusion: tackling loneliness does not always require large-scale programmes.
Sometimes it starts with creating a place to sit, an activity to join, a person to talk to or an opportunity to discover another community.
Local authorities, senior organisations, associations and town partnerships can all play a role. European cooperation can provide another dimension by connecting these local initiatives across borders.
The challenge now is to move from ideas to experiments: identify one practical initiative, find the partners, try it in one community and learn from the experience.
In this way, the reflections from Nicosia can continue to live on after the Summer Academy — in our towns, our organisations and, above all, in the connections between people.
What could your municipality or senior organisation do to create more opportunities for older people to meet — locally and across European borders?
The ideas discussed in Nicosia could be the starting point for a wider European conversation.