WHO's Global Age-Friendly Cities Project.

Within the paradigm of Active Ageing, social participation is a fundamental pillar. Social functioning is associated with a person's survival and longevity, physical and mental health, performing everyday activities, proper cognitive functioning, satisfaction with life and quality of life. The self-perception that an individual can exercise control over the world is one of the psychological conditions for active ageing. In the bid for an age-friendly society, we can increasingly see greater emphasis being placed on the benefits older adults' participation has for society, from the point of view of both social and economic capital.

The intervention does not aim to eradicate the deficits or weaknesses of people looking for a solution to problems, but rather seeks to promote and mobilise the resources and potentialities that enable individuals, groups or communities to take command and control over their lives.

The practice goals relate to the Methodological level (deepening our knowledge, developing evidence-based programmes, networking amongst researchers, disseminating the programme in other environments); Community level (securing the commitment of communities to be more age-friendly, seeing things from an older person’s perspective, combating negative images of old age); and Personal level (improving quality of life, promoting social participation and stable relationships, enhancing participants' personal empowerment and sense of community).