UNIS Vienna representatives were invited by the senior citizens' association
Seniorenbund of Lower Austria, which is made up of 15 local groups, to a special church service on Sunday, 9 October 2005, to draw attention to the United Nations International Day of Older Persons. The ceremony took place at the local church of Deutsch-Brodersdorf in the province of Lower Austria. The church was decorated with the United Nations flag and the traditional provincial flag.
A special mass was held by Vicar-General Father Amadeus Hoerschlaeger and the congregation was addressed by the guest speakers Paul Renner, Mayor of Deutsch-Brodersdorf; and important politicians such as Member of Parliament Christoph Kainz, and Edmund Freibauer, President of the Lower Austria regional assembly.
Nasra Hassan, Director, United Nations Information Service Vienna, and Spokesperson, United Nations
Office on Drugs and Crime, emphasized in her speech the need for empowering older persons worldwide, so that they can participate fully in economic, political and social lives of their societies as this is already exemplary practice in many communities in Lower Austria. Christian Strohmann, deputy to the Director, United Nations Information Service Vienna, delivered the United Nations Secretary-General's message on the occasion of the International Day of Older Persons (in a German translation by UNIS Vienna).
The event was well attended by about 200 citizens of Deutsch-Brodersdorf and neighbouring communities; important politicians as well as by a number of associations and civil society organizations and representatives of local media.
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