SENSITIZATION WORKSHOP FOR TEACHERS, COUNSELORS, PARENTS, GRAND PARENTS & STUDENTS TO BRIDGE INTER-GENERATIONAL GAP

Society for Empowerment & Advocacy (SEA)  offers its sincere thanks to the National Institute of Social Defense (NISD) for selecting SEA for organizing such an important and timely program, where the school children and teachers can share their views regarding Inter-generational Gap.

This one day sensitization program gives us scope to ponder over in a collective manner to put our new generations to the best use from grass root level. The main objective of this program is to train them since childhood to realize and fulfill the needs of the elderly people. The program aims to understand the problems faced by the older people and suggest remedies through interaction with their grandparents. The participants of the training was participated in one such sensitization program for school children and teachers to bridge the intergenerational gap.

The session highlighted inter-generational gap, how it affects the elderly persons, their status and position in the families and the consequence of generation gap – how and why it occurs and how it can be minimized. The basic rights and five principles of senior citizens were also discussed. The different mental disorders of older persons, their symptoms, causes and solutions to these disorders were discussed. As a solution to all such problems, counselling was highlighted. Empathy is the bridge of the two generations.

The session highlighted the developmental task of old age and the importance of positive attitude than negative ones. The perceptual, cognitive aspects of depression were also discussed. Conflicts generated during adolescent period with older generations in the family, their alienation from adult society, reckless behaviour, changing values are said to be the root cause of generation gap.

At the end of the session, suggestions were given to minimize the conflict between the two generations through companionship and by spending quality time. The impact of communication network in the life of the elderly and the problems of aging can be solved by the use of computer and communication. At the end of the day an interactive session was held. There were many interactions between the resource persons and the participants with regard to basic meaning, inter-generational conflict, adjustment problems etc. Each group gave a very colorful presentation which conveys the message of strengthening the inter-generational relationship.