COSW is inviting proposals and abstracts for a webinar in March 2022 on the history and development of social work across the Commonwealth.
Abstracts of proposed papers for this conference are now invited from practitioners, researchers, experts by experience, historians, social policy analysts and others. Proposals in other formats are also welcome.
Abstracts and proposals should be a maximum of 200 words and cover description and analysis of the history of social work in one or more Commonwealth countries. Particularly welcome are comparative studies and material including the perspectives of experts by experience. Material can be qualitative and include recorded oral histories as well as description from personal and documentary sources.
COSW Chair, Assistant Professor Sylvia Daisy Romanus, commented: ‘COSW is excited to form this partnership with ICwS and the other partners and looks forward to expanding the network to include other universities and practice settings in all regions of the Commonwealth. Social work in Commonwealth countries has a rich and diverse history and we have a responsibility to ensure that our experience is recorded accurately. Too often, others have recorded versions of our history and development which misrepresent what has happened. We must also be open to honest reflection on practices which have been misguided or inappropriate. In today’s world, we must be especially sensitive to the importance of recognising the strengths in indigenous community practices, linking professional social work with community realities. This major project is intended to help us do this more effectively.’
Professor Philip Murphy, Director of ICwS, commented: ‘We are delighted to be working with COSW on this important project, which seeks to enhance our understanding of how social work evolved in a genuinely global context. This strategic partnership will form an important element in the efforts of the ICwS to align its activities more closely with the concerns of the contemporary Commonwealth. We hope the research produced by this international collaboration between academics and practitioners will demonstrate the value of historical self-awareness in enhancing the social welfare of the Commonwealth’s 2.4 billion citizens.’
Abstracts must be sent to in a Word format by Friday 7th January 2022.
Discover more about the webinar here.