Vetek Association Yearly Report 2023

Vetek (Seniority) Association – the Movement for Longevity and Quality of Life, Israel, report for 2023

 In 2023, Vetek (Seniority) Association – the Movement for Longevity and Quality of Life continued its operation in its various areas of activity (see the full report in Hebrew https://www.longevityisrael.org/vetek-association-2023-yearly-report/):

Organization of and participation in conferences. Activists of the Vetek association, in cooperation with International Longevity Alliance (ILA), Biogerontology Research Foundation (BGRF) and other partners, organized the international conference “Longevity Nation” in Bar-Ilan University in Israel. https://longevitynation.org/ https://www.longevityisrael.org/longevity-nation-conference-resolutions/

As well as participated and helped to organize several other international conferences.

Promoting the national longevity ecosystem. In cooperation with BGRF, Vetek created the online interactive platform and analytical report “Longevity Industry in Israel 2023”

https://www.longevityisrael.info/

Scientific publications. Several scientific publications were written and published on behalf of the Vetek association, and under the Vetek affiliation, including a monograph on Artificial Intelligence for Healthy Longevity.  About 10 more academic articles and book chapters were written and accepted for publication. https://www.longevityhistory.com/about-the-author/. Many more scientific articles were published by members of the Vetek scientific advisory board (on behalf of their universities, not the association) https://www.longevityisrael.org/scientific-board/

Education and grass-roots advocacy. As a part of the Longevity Day/Month campaign, the Vetek (Seniority) Association – The Movement for Longevity and Quality of Life (Israel) conducted a demonstration on October 1, in Tel Aviv. https://www.longevityisrael.org/longevity-day-demonstration-tel-aviv-1-october-2023/  

Moreover, live and online lectures on longevity research and advocacy for the broad public were held online. 

Collaborations. Vetek association established and strengthened collaborative ties with leading allied organizations for healthy longevity, in particular with the members of the International Longevity Alliance (ILA, France) https://longevityalliance.org/members/Biogerontology Research Foundation (BGRF, UK) https://www.biogerontology.info/strategic-partners;  Longevity Alliance Baltic (LAB, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia). The Vetek Association also  promoted cooperation in longevity medicine between Israel and India, and in longevity research between Israel and South Korea.

Administration. Vetek association received the “good governance certificate” (the 6th year in a row), and the tax deduction certificate for donors (Article 46 of the Israeli Income Tax ordinance). We continue to seek funds and resources to advance healthy longevity research, development and education in Israel and internationally.  https://www.longevityisrael.org/donate 

High level advocacy. In the past, Vetek achieved successes at its high level advocacy in Knesset and the Israeli government, such as the inclusion (at the initiative of Vetek association) of the subject of “Enhancing research, development and education for healthy longevity and prevention of aging-related diseases” into the Israel National Masterplan on Aging, published by Knesset in 2019, and encouraging calls for research proposals on aging and longevity in Israel and in cooperation with Israel (such as the Britain-Israel Research and Academic Exchange Partnership on Ageing – BIRAX Ageing).

In 2023 we continued these activities. There was an understanding to conduct special meetings on longevity research at the Knesset science and technology committee, and to encourage calls for research proposals on aging at the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Science and Technology. Also, there was planned the second Longevity Nation conference in Bar-Ilan university on March 26-27, 2023.

These plans were postponed by the war. The general attention became focused on the war. Yet, we continued to advance the mission of the association, by writing opinion papers, scientific and popular texts, working on the association’s administration, participating in international collaborations, and most importantly preparing for when we can again intensify our activity after the war ends and security returns.