Stop bullying elders: mission statement

Submitted by Jerry Halberstadt on Wed, 08/29/2012 - 20:35

To create a virtual peer-to-peer support network to combat bullying of seniors

  • To provide meaningful peer support for seniors living with bullying in subsidized housing for the elderly and disabled. Including practical ways to empower seniors to protect themselves and to advocate for themselves: we will seek to provide support, information and education, and to share tested ideas.
  • To promote and carry out advocacy to protect and enforce the rights of elders to have a safe and peaceful living environment. To use the political process to seek legislation, oversight, and enforcement of the rights of tenants. To advocate to the managers and owners of subsidized housing, to social service agencies, law enforcement, and the legal system.
  • To empower seniors to advocate for themselves by providing information, education, and support to elders and tenants' associations .
  • To use peer-based education and support for seniors and other vulnerable groups, and to work together with other advocacy groups and community institutions.
  • To provide education for all in the community, working towards a culture where bullying is never accepted and where bystanders will intervene.
  • This mission statement has been drafted by Bonny and Jerry. We invite comments and suggestions so that we can improve it.

    Comments

    A national organization for advocacy and support

    Guest contribution by Mary

    I have been thinking about the idea of a national senior housing advocacy and support organization, maybe it could focus on a positive idea of what we do want in housing, such as:

    • Respect
    • Dignity
    • Freedom
    • Peacable Communication & Conflict Resolution, using Democratic or Consensus Principles
    • Only Compatible Populations Housed Together I wonder how that could be made to happen? Any suggestions? There may be legal constraints that preclude excluding certain classes of residents. The solution may be to properly address rights and governance of all residents—Jerry
    • Safety [both Physical & Psychological]
    • Rules of Conduct Explicitly Spelled Out for Residents
    • Classes in respectful, peacable ways of relating with each other that residents are required to take before moving in, and required to agree to, in writing?
    • Affordable
    • Effective Legal Help [& other advocacy?]
    • I would like to add, taking advantage of the right of residents of a subsidized building to organize and advocate for themselves.—Jerry
    More on the topic, Stop Bullying