First thoughts, genesis of the idea

For more than 10 years, the Active Senior Foundation has been engaged in the broadly understood activation of older people – in the public sphere referred to as “seniors”. This is a special social group that emerged at the beginning of the political and economic changes after 1998. These people were on their way to early retirement. Most of them “missed” the technological changes of the 1990s and 2000s related to computerization and the spread of the Internet. At the Foundation, we refer to these people as the “post-transformation seniors” group.

In 2012, many development-education-activation programs were created for this social group in Poland thanks to the European Year of Active Ageing and Inter-generational Solidarity (Resolution on Establishing the Government Program for Social Activity of Older Persons for 2014-2020 and Resolution on Adopting the document Assumptions of Long-Term Senior Policy in Poland for 2014-2020). Among other things, the Government Program for Social Activity of the Elderly for 2014-2020 was created. Third Age Universities, Senior Citizens’ Clubs and many more various activities implemented by NGOs were organized. For more extensive justifications, see the 2021 Research Report of the Lower Silesian Regional Labor Office: “Study of factors determining the maintenance and return to the labor market of people from older age groups in the area of the Lower Silesian province”.

In our opinion, it should be noted that the group of post-transformation seniors is the only such specific group of people in the history of Poland connected with the political, economic and technological changes of the 1990s. As time goes by, this group will naturally shrink. We draw attention to this phenomenon in order not to confuse the needs and behavior of post-transformation seniors with the established roles and needs of seniors (older people) in the countries of the European Union  and people who acquire pension rights on an ongoing basis, and who have not undergone such political and economic changes in the last three decades. It is important that the current stereotypical perception of post-transformation seniors as “takers” , is not permanently established in the consciousness of the “new” generation of those acquiring pension rights.

Nowadays, those leaving the labor market and retiring are already “mature” beneficiaries of the political and economic transformation of the 1990s. And therefore, people who are aware of their values and social roles of a democratic state. (This is confirmed by the above-mentioned DWUP research report “Study of factors determining the maintenance and return to the labor market of people from older age groups in the area of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship”).

As part of its experience, the Foundation has recognized the need to prepare and implement prophylactic adaptation for those acquiring rights and retirement benefits to the new, dynamically changing economic and social conditions (in pedagogy referred to as “education of late adulthood”, also – “lifelong learning” – LLL – Lifewide Lifelong Learning).

On this basis, we have developed the so-called MODEL OF THE PROCESS OF THE SOCIAL LIFE OF HUMANITY – XXI CENTURY and the first stage of its implementation. Based on this process model, a search was launched for people and entities (especially among Wroclaw universities) willing to detail and transform this idea into a concrete outline of the project. Initial invitations were accepted by academics from Wroclaw University of Technology, Wroclaw University, the Mayor of Wroclaw, the Western Chamber of Commerce, the District Labor Office, and a team of experts from the Active Senior Foundation. An initial scientific outline was worked out.

In order for the project’s ideas to be implemented in an innovative and useful way, it is proposed to introduce many new concepts, interpretations, roles, social and life functions of late adulthood. The initiators of this idea propose to implement it through two paths in a complementary form. One, scientific, which will be tasked with studying and defining the entrepreneurial characteristics of late adulthood people in general, including the possession of talents or the propensity to launch startups. This seems to be all a product of past work, life experiences and acquired competencies.

The second, practical, in the form of a living laboratory, whose task will be to prepare willing persons acquiring pension benefits for further professional and social activity. Here the experience and knowledge of the NGO Active Senior Foundation will be used. As the project activities progress, the teams will continuously share the knowledge and experience gained. Both forms will be implemented within the city of Wroclaw.

In our opinion, at the current stage of the country’s socio-economic development, the proposals presented here are in line with the concept of the silver economy. On the one hand, they support new products and services to improve the quality of life of the elderly, and on the other hand, they focus on measures to support the entrepreneurship of the elderly and to keep them professionally and socially active for as long as possible.

The implementation of the project proposes the use of new nomenclatures, in order to move away from the usual patterns of perception of people in late adulthood. Thus, it is suggested:

1. Introduction of a new concept of PARTNERSHIP in the existing relationships arising from the employment relationship or civil law contracts. Thus, the participants in these relationships become actual PARTNERS in the modern labor market and area of social activities.
2. The existing terms EMPLOYEES, SENIORS are replaced by the term LATE ADULT PERSONS – SILVERS.
3. When a person of late adulthood – a Silver undertakes his own business activity (e.g. startup, gigers, etc.) we refer to him as a CREATOR.
4. When a Silver acquiring pension rights intends to continue to cooperate with the existing entrepreneur, employer then the existing term – EMPLOYER is replaced by the term CO-OPERATOR.
5. The existing term SENIOR VOLUNTEER shall be replaced by the term COMPETITIVE VOLUNTEER.

It is recommended that the above-described terms be used optionally in existing schemes, model employment contracts or civil-law contracts and volunteer agreements. We believe that such an approach will, over time, consolidate and consolidate the new terms and will allow people of late adulthood – Silvers, to be perceived as equal partners in the co-creation of social and economic life in Poland.