The activities of the Forum for Elderly Services (11) organized by the Department of Social Services in Sharjah, will be launched on the 29th of this month, at Al Qasimia University in Sharjah, under the slogan “Paths of Positive Aging” under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Sultan bin Muhammad bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Crown Prince and Deputy Ruler of Sharjah Chairman of the Executive Council. 15 local, Arab and foreign bodies will participate in the forum, led by the World Health Organization in Geneva, which is a key partner in the forum. The forum will also witness honoring the winners of the institutions that received the title of friendly to the elderly within the initiative of age-sensitive institutions, as well as honoring the winners of the Green Heart competition organized by the Department of Social Services for the first time, and the evaluation committees are honored. Maha Al Ali, Director of Government Communications, confirmed that the department is keen to develop the forum year after year by providing it with everything that is new and beneficial to the target group, namely senior citizens, and to allow them to participate in the forum. The continuous department is towards enhancing the emirate's vision and its humanitarian approach towards social well-being, and in line with Sharjah's initiatives as an age-friendly city within the "community participation" axes, which is one of the 8 axes of the standards of the World Health Organization's Global Network of Age-friendly Cities. The department decided that the winners would be announced at the forum, especially since the award is the first of its kind as a prize for the elderly, launched by the Sharjah Age-sensitive Office of the department. As for the initiative of institutions sensitive to the elderly, it was launched about two years ago with the aim of encouraging all institutions, departments and establishments to provide a variety of services for the convenience of the elderly, thus obtaining the title of an institution sensitive to them within the conditions and specifications set by the Sharjah office that are sensitive to age. The Director of Government Communication continued her words, and both events aim to appreciate senior citizens for their efforts in various activities, and motivate them to adapt by developing their daily lifestyle, spreading a culture of green heart practices and active aging, and highlighting successful models of senior citizens in the emirate's society. And provide an attractive environment for them to help them move around comfortably. As for the parties participating in the forum - says Al Ali - we consider them a key partner for the success of the forum, and we have allowed many of them to participate in the forum's sessions to benefit from their experiences at the local and global levels. The forum will be hosted by the State of Ireland, where the Director of the Regional Program for Age-Friendly Ireland, Dr. Anne Rizzo, discussed her experience in an interactive dialogue session with the Community Development Authority, whose representative presents creative initiatives implemented by the Authority for senior citizens, and the session will be attended by the Family Welfare Authority in Abu Dhabi and the Community Police in Sharjah It is represented by Colonel Ali Saif Al Dabbahi, Deputy Director of the Sharjah Police Research Center Department, and Kholoud Al Ali, Director of the Elderly Services Center in the Department of Social Services in Sharjah. This session is also held by Obaid Al Khamisi, President of the Emirates Pensioners Association. As for the second session, entitled "The Cognitive Path", Dr. Radi Al-Zubaidi, Director of the Center for Continuing Education and Professional Development at the University of Sharjah, will participate with a working paper on training by taking positive steps for the elderly. Under the title "The Strategic Plan for Sharjah's Membership in the Global Network of Age-Friendly Cities", Asma Al-Khodari, Director of the Sharjah Office of Age-Friendly Cities, talks about the experience of Sharjah. The third session is entitled "The Psychological Path", and under the title "Promoting Mental Health in the Elderly", Dr. Salwa Al-Suwaidi from the Dubai Academic Health Corporation will speak. It deals with the topic "Psychological well-being and quality of life for the elderly", Dr. Abshan Muhammad Al-Abshan, a consultant psychologist from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The fourth session, "The Social Path", and the participants, Dr. Tiago Herrick, representative of the World Health Organization - Geneva, Switzerland, will discuss the future directions of the Age-Friendly Cities Program worldwide and initiatives for the Social Path to Positive Aging for the elderly. Dr. Samar Elfeki from the World Health Organization - Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean Region, Egypt, addresses the topic of "Social Services for the Elderly". On the topic of "Social Innovation in the Service of the Elderly", Dr. Hayat Malawi, Head of the Ejlal Center for Elderly Services - Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, speaks. Finally, Dr. Salah Gad, Head of the Sociology Department at Ajman University, will participate in the session with a paper on "The Reality of the Elderly in the UAE Centennial 2071".