María Luisa Carasusán: Reflections of a 90-Year-Old Activist

• María Luisa Carasusán, born in 1936, is a lifelong activist, retired schoolteacher, and active member of groups like 'Martes al Sol' and 'Sasoia'.
• She describes her life as a continuous journey of political and social engagement, emphasizing the importance of adaptability and finding joy in the present moment.
• She identifies loneliness among both the elderly and the young as the defining 'illness' of the current era, calling for structural state intervention to address it.

Early Life and Education

• Raised in a humble environment, she credits her teacher, Doña Eusebia, for enabling her academic future.
• Her professional career included teaching in rural villages and conducting literacy and sexuality workshops for the wives of Potasas miners.

Political and Social Activism

• Her activist history spans decades, involving organizations such as HOAC, Euskadiko Ezkerra, and CCOO.
• In the early 1980s, while with the 'Unemployed Assembly' (Asamblea de Parados), she took part in direct actions including bus fare protests, food redistributions at supermarkets, and industrial occupations to highlight unemployment.
• More recently, she helped launch the Observatory for the Elderly of Navarre, participated in the 15M movement, and co-founded 'Elders for Peace'.

Policy Recommendations

• Nationalization of all care homes for the elderly.
• Significant increases in pension levels.
• Expanding the workforce of geriatricians and gerontologists.
• Implementing a dedicated national plan to alleviate social isolation across generations.