The Miguel Hernández University of Elche (UMH) is participating in the World Happiness Fest to open the Unlocking the Power of Belonging international summit, with a discussion by three UMH community members on how this university’s telephone accompaniment program, UMH Te Acompaña, is alleviating loneliness in elders.

Debate participants include associate professor of educational and evolutionary psychology, Esther Sitges; professor of social psychology and coordinator of the aforementioned program, José Joaquín Mira; and development cooperation graduate student, Marta Puig.

Their intervention will address subjects that include the construction of support networks, the roles of new technologies to help cope with loneliness in the elderly, the challenges facing this cohort (such as the digital divide and lack of technological knowhow), and the importance of multi-generational support to enhance wellbeing in people.

The summit is an interactive event and it is open to the public. Its workshops offer more than 55 sessions to address topics related to sustainable development, the value of engaging with society, and combating loneliness in elderly individuals.

This online event, taking place over November 20-21, forms part of the World Happiness Fest, a global forum on social wellbeing that attracts experts on this topic, and it is aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations. Each year, the World Happiness Fest brings together prominent scientists, politicians, artists, business leaders, and experts from more than 80 locations all over the world.