IFSW is pleased to announce that three more national associations of social work have been admitted as full members. The National Alliance of Professional Social Workers of Kazakhstan, the Guinea-Bissau Association of Social Workers and the National Association of Social Workers Ukraine (NASWU) have been successful in their applications to join the International Federation of Social Workers.
IFSW President Joachim Mumba said, ‘We are delighted that these associations now stand proudly together ‘shoulder-to-shoulder’ in the international profession. We whole-heartedly welcome them and look forward to working with them in advancing the social work profession’.
The application process involves the applying national association demonstrating that it meets the required global standards and policies of the Federation. The three new members join the other 147 national associations and together they democratically set the standards, policies and strategies for advancing international social work professional practice.
Rory Truell, IFSW Secretary-General said, ‘The social workers of Kazakhstan, Guinea-Bissau and Ukraine each brings many gifts of experience in applying global social work principles in differing settings. They will add significantly to the rich, positive and visionary work that the profession has been advancing’.
Dinara Yessimova, Executive Director of the National Alliance of Professional Social Workers of Kazakhstan said, ‘it is a great honor to be a member of IFSW and a challenge to get a deserving part of the global community, developing possibilities of social work, being involved into the international agenda of social work. The membership will help us to reach our goal of social work institutionalization in Kazakhstan based on global standards and promote social work in Kazakhstan on significantly new level, helping us advocate social work as profession and practice. Social workers of Kazakhstan will get access to the wealth of resources of the IFSW community uniting nearly 150 member countries with their rich experience of developing social work. All of it will help us promote social justice, human rights, respect for diversities and increase public respect for the profession of a social worker. Dreams of many social workers shall come true. We would like to express our gratitude to our valued colleagues from IFSW, who supported us on the way to the membership – Dr. Rory Truell, IFSW Secretary-General, Rose Henderson, IFSW Asia Pacific President, Lola Casal-Sanchez, International Relationship Manager, Dr. Seyed Hasan Mousavi Chalak, the Head of Iran Association of Social Workers, and Hamed Olamaee, IFSW- Asia Pacific Representative to the United Nations, Iran Association of Social Workers Board of Directors Member and Head of International Relations and Dr. Jane Shears, IFSW Europe Ethics Commissioner / Acting IFSW Ethics Global Co-Commissioner’.
From the Association of Social Workers of Guinea-Bissau, Mr. Ussumane Embaló – President commented, ‘First of all, we thank God for the gift of life that he has bestowed on us and then express our gratitude to the IFSW for admitting our membership. It is public and notorious that the world’s nations face multiple challenges of various kinds, in particular the social order, a fact that challenges us to combine efforts with a view to transforming our countries into fairer and more dignified places for all, using the Social Work formula for the good of the people, especially the most vulnerable and at-risk people in Guinea-Bissau’.
The President of the National Association of Social Workers Ukraine, Yana Melnychuk, said, ‘We thank IFSW for accepting our membership application. At this time when our country has been invaded, social work is critically important in developing systems to support people undergoing extreme trauma and crisis. IFSW has supported us from the beginning, resulting in real solutions. Social work in Ukraine is now visible and growing and we look forward with confidence and optimism that we will continue to play a key role in securing and rebuilding our country’s social systems’.