2011 Global Social Work

Student ConferenceSilver School of Social Work – New York University

27 March 2011

www.globalsocialagenda.org

Abye Tasse - IASSW

Charles Abbey - ICSW

Gary Bailey – IFSW

David N Jones – 2012 International Programme Committee

New York City

March 2011

3 International Organizations

IASSW

International Association of Schools of Social Work

ICSW

International Council on Social Welfare

IFSW

International Federation of Social Workers

Why are we doing this?

The three organisations (IASSW, ICSW, IFSW) have set up a common platform to help steer The Global Agenda process

And to support colleagues around the world in their deliberations and mobilisation initiatives

To claim/reclaim the priority of social action

To create a collective voice of those in social work and social development and in social work education

To develop a process for setting a common agenda

To strategise the implementation of actions and to develop ways of monitoring, evaluating and improving our efforts

Vision for the Agenda process

New Challenges - New Strategies

The development of a Global Agenda gives us the opportunity to:

• take stock of our past experiences

• to articulate a new and crucial vision for engagement that can

• mobilise our members, our partners and beyond

Purpose of 2010 & 2012 Global Congresses

Begin a process of shared engagement in 2010

Stimulating a larger global movement

Rebuilding confidence

Focusing on implementation and action in 2012

Outcomes from Hong Kong 2010

Over 3,000 participants met in Hong Kong and agreed to launch a global movement to address the major challenges of our societies

Major and relevant social issues that connect within and across our profession have been identified in The Agenda and provide a basis for consultation

First draft – Hong Kong - June 2010

Revised – September 2010

Consultation – October 2010

Review of responses – December 2010 – themes from feedback identified and disseminated (no revision at this stage)

Consultation – February 2011

World Social Work Day – 15 March 2011 - world-wide discussion

Towards World Social Work Day 2012

Information and communication strategy - Global organisations stimulate engagement and ownership

World Social Work Day 2012 - 20 March 2012

The Agenda officially submitted to the United Nations Secretary General

Every Region submits The Agenda to continental organisations (African Union, ASEAN, European Union, Mercosur, etc.)

National groupings submit The Agenda to their governments

Towards World Social Work Day 2012

Communication and Mobilisation after WSWD 2011

Revise Agenda statement taking account of feedback

Activate social networks

Commission publications

Develop materials to support debate

Strengthen lobbying, diplomacy and influence

Link with user groups

Universal Declaration of Human Rights - Article 25

“Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control. Motherhood and childhood are entitled to special care and assistance. All children, whether born in or out of wedlock, shall enjoy the same social protection” (1948)

Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)

„The MDG‟s are global time-bound and quantified targets for addressing extreme poverty in its many dimensions - income, poverty, hunger, disease, lack of adequate shelter, and exclusion - while promoting gender equality, education, and environmental sustainability. They are also basic human rights - the rights of each person on the planet to health, education, shelter, and security as pledged in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the UN millennium declaration.‟

Investing in Development: A Practical Plan to Achieve the Millennium Development Goals (2002)

Poverty

Disaster prevention and intervention

Peace-building processes

Human rights

Challenges across the life cycle

Disabilities

Partnership with Service Users/ Consumers

Interdisciplinary practice and policy

Previous areas of local,nationaland global engagement

Social and economic inequalities within countries and between regions

Dignity and worth

Environmental sustainability

Importance of human relationships

The 4 themes

Social and economic inequalities within countries and between

regions

Recent and continuing economic crisis

Damaging interventions chosen in response (e.g. supporting financial systems while cutting social support and development)

Absence of a social protection floor

Social and economic inequalities within countries and between

regions

Increasing rates of poverty and other forms of social inequalities

Worsening marginalisation of populations and of the working poor

Community disintegration

Dignity and worth

Human rights issues in relation to social, economic, cultural and political situations

Respect for diversity and different belief systems, especially indigenous and first people‟s voices

Dignity and worth

Political instabilities, violence, dominations, erosion of peace building processes,

Terrorism and mode of responses by states and the modalities of handling global conflicts

Migration, refugees, trafficking, immigrants, immigration and ways of handling these issues

Environmental Sustainability

Disasters of natural and human origin - management & prevention

Involvement of local communities in developing responses

Implications for sustainable social development

Protecting physical environment

Proactive engagement with social, human and ecological development

Family and relationship issues and challenges across the life span emerge as a major concern in relation to the transformation of the world

Importance of human relationships

For example

Children and families

Disabilities

Health and mental health

Ageing

Drugs and substance abuse

Violence within domestic and intimate relationships

Importance of human relationships

Since the 2010 Hong Kong conference, numerous initiatives have taken place across the globe

Feedback from the first consultation in 2010 demonstrated that issues identified in the draft Global Agenda are endorsed by the majority of the members who provided feedback

Action since Hong Kong 2010

Feedback from the first consultation – additional topics

Improving access to social work education

Health issues

Differing local and regional agendas

Social protection mechanism for all

Indigenous Peoples and UN Declaration

Intergenerational Equity

Gender

All forms of Discrimination

Knowledge generation and sharing

Feedback from the first consultation – additional topics

Social and economic inequalities

• conflictual and post-conflictual situations; vulnerability of people in low income countries to global pressures - individual & community

• “social, health and economic inequalities within countries and between regions”

• health consequences

Dignity and worth of the person

• religion and human rights issues; human rights issues in relation to social, health, economic, cultural and political situations

Environmental sustainability

• natural resources & healthy communities; environmental sustainability for health

Strategic challenge

Can we agree on a set of priorities, or do we continue to develop others?

Together we build the agenda

Together we face the challenge

Together we thrive