Recognising the organisations’ efforts in advocating for the rights and dignity of the elderly, the Cyprus Third Age Observatory was on Wednesday honoured with the Stella Soulitotis human rights award.

“This year’s award highlights the importance of recognition, protection, and dignity for all, regardless of age,” Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos said at the award ceremony.

He acknowledged the organization’s achievements in improving the quality of life of seniors, emphasising their efforts had allowed for an enhanced feeling of security, dignity and community involvement among older generations.

“The award selection committee has decided to award the 2025 prize to an organisation which has dedicated its work and activities to senior citizens. To our parents, grandparents, teachers, and mentors, to those who laid the foundations of the Republic of Cyprus, Cypriot society, and the country’s economy,” Kombos said.

Kombos described elderly individuals as “key pillars of both our history and society,” adding that their influence extends beyond simply observing history.

Thanking Kombos for the award, Cyprus Third Age Observatory President Dimos Antonis said respect for the elderly is not just an ideal, but a critical value that should be upheld by the government

“By highlighting the value of human rights through such institutions, the state sends a message to society as a whole that no human being is expendable,” he said.

Despite living a seemingly fulfilled lives with their families and a careers, elderly people often experience isolation and neglect, which can lead to feelings of invisibility, Antonis added.

This feeling, he said, eventually turned out to be true due to exclusion, neglect, financial exploitation and age discrimination.

Antonis explained that through its work, his organisation aimed to turn awareness into action by providing structure to caregiving, giving a voice to the elderly, and directly respond to their needs.

Instead of simply shedding light on the “dark side of aging”, Antonis emphasised the importance of providing opportunities for participation and establishing points of contact for elderly people, reiterating that this was crucial to maintaining stable mental health and ensuring people’s dignity.

“(…) We will continue to remind everyone that our society is judged by how it treats its most vulnerable and wisest members. We therefore dedicate this award to the elderly people of Cyprus, to our parents, to our grandparents, to those who taught us what it means to love through actions,” he said.

The Third Eye Observatory was funded in 2015 and operates as a non-profit organisation. It has initiated several information campaigns on the needs of elderly aand age discrimination and offers workshops, as well as expertise on related matters to various stakeholders.

On its website, the organisation challenges false or negative perceptions of the capabilities of seniors, urging society to recognise their vital role in a rapidly aging world.

“Our perceptions of aging must align with the reality of our growing longevity and not clinging to the past,” Third Eye writes.

The “Stella Souliotis” human rights award, named after Cyprus’ first femal attorney-general, was established in 2021 to honour individuals or non-governmental organisations making significant contributions to the protection of human rights in the Republic of Cyprus.

Past recipients include the Paraplegics Organisation and Xenophon Kallis, former head of the foreign ministry’s missing persons service.