News & Events

Information quoted from the press release - Global Agenda for Social Work and Social Development Oct 2020

IASSW/ICSW/IFSW

As a result of the consultation launched during the Dublin world conference 2018, the leadership of the International Association of Schools of Social Work, the International Council for Social Welfare and the International Federation of Social Workers, have adopted the framework for Global Agenda for Social Work and Social Development 2020-2030 and the first thematic for 2020-2022 during the tripartite meeting held on the 1rst of October 2020.

In order to articulate the four remaining thematic, the global bodies decided to continue the consultation in 2021 to enable time for reflection on the implications of the pandemic and other developments.

The first decade of the Global Agenda process has provided a unifying focus for social work and social development, laying a foundation for further development of the framework for the second decade.

Annamaria Campanini, President of IASSW, says that: “IASSW is committed to the ongoing partnership into the next phase of the Global Agenda by connecting schools of social work, social work education and research in co-building inclusive social transformation that embodies a new global social contract”.

The Global Agenda is a joint initiative of the International Association of Schools of Social Work (IASSW – President Annamaria Campanini), the International Council on Social Welfare (ICSW – President Eva Holmberg Herrström) and the International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW – President Silvana Martinez).

Eva Holmberg-Herrström, President of ICSW, says that “The pandemic has shown us that this is the time for a New Social Contract for public health and welfare in a sustainable world. The Global Agenda is a core contribution from us in this process.”

SILVANA MARTÍNEZ, President of IFSW, says that “For the past ten years, the Global Agenda has acted as a unifying force for the profession of social work. It has united us to act according to our principles: Social and economic equality, recognizing the dignity and value of all people, promoting community and environmental sustainability and the importance of human relationships. As we move into the second decade, our commitment is based on these principles. Long-time partners and new IFSW partners have identified that the overarching framework for 2020-2030 will be "Co-building an inclusive social transformation." This framework recognizes the need for important changes to take place in the world, a vision for a new social construction, in which all people are treated equally and can be protagonists of history and their future. The first theme from 2020 to 2022 lays the foundation for this framework: "Ubuntu, I am because we are." This recognizes that the lives and futures of all people are intertwined and our destiny is linked. By launching this framework, we are committing ourselves to actions for the next ten years, with which we hope that all communities identify and can play their role in the joint construction of a just and socially just new world.”

Global Agenda for Social Work & Social Development Framework for 2020-2030:

Co-building Inclusive Social Transformation

Globally, nationally and regionally the professions of social work and social development together with our partners, will actively work with people, communities and social movements to advance a 10-year agenda of ‘Co-building inclusive social transformation’

As global bodies with active membership in all countries, we recognize and commit to celebrating the strengths of all people and promoting their active role in leading sustainable development. We commit to working together to co-design and co-build thriving communities and societies for people and the environment.

Fostering the active participation of all voices, particularly those often marginalized, is at the core for the profession of social work and social development and is essential to co-design and co-build inclusive social transformation.

This would include the development of new social agreements between governments and the populations they serve that facilitate universal rights, opportunities, freedom and sustainable well-being for all people nationally and globally.

The role of the social work and social development in advancing and creating new platforms and spaces for all peoples, is of paramount importance for these new social agreements to emerge. The Global Agenda 2020-2030 is anchored in these commitments.

The Global Agenda is composed of five themes (a theme every two years) for the decade. At this juncture, the task force are proposing the first theme (pillar) for 2020-2022. A Process will be developed for articulating the four other themes.

First Theme 2020-2022

Ubuntu: Strengthening Social Solidarity and Global Connectedness

Commentary

Guided by ethical principles, social work and social development practitioners and educators have an essential role to connect people, communities and systems; to co-design and co-build sustainable communities and to promote inclusive social transformation. Ubuntu as a principle for enhancing social solidarity and recognizing global connectedness is central to shared and sustainable futures that highlight responsibility between all peoples and the environment. It lays the foundation for the promotion of an inclusive process of developing new social agreements between governments and the populations they serve. The new social agreement to emerge is aimed at facilitating universal rights, opportunities, freedom and sustainable well-being for all people nationally, regionally and globally. Ubuntu has been popularised across the world by Nelson Mandela and is generally interpreted as meaning ‘I am because we are’. A word, concept and philosophy that resonates with the social work and social development perspectives of the interconnectedness of all peoples and their environments. Ubuntu also highlights indigenous knowledge and wisdom and we invite all nations and populations to use an equivalent word or concept that speaks to your culture in promoting this theme: ‘Ubuntu: I am because we are.'

Translation of the press release (Chinese version) refers to the website of Peking University-The Hong Kong Polytechnic University China Social Work Research Centre

https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/HYMHtIzddwzRLNcaiYnQ0w