Thank you to all our members and partners who made this happen!
The world came together on 21 March 2017 as social workers, civil society, people who use services, politicians and the media celebrated the contribution the profession makes, with all its partners, to safer, inclusive, sustainable communities.
The Global Agenda for Social Work and Social Development has transformed how we explain our contribution to developing social health as the basis for economic health. On a macro level we work with people in major disaster areas who struggle for life in the floods of Peru, seek food and water in East Africa or are forced from their homes in Syria to escape the trauma of war, our messages about the importance of the environment in which we live, to nurture social health, are critical messages for policy makers and politicians.
On the micro level we work with individuals and their families facing equally lonely journeys who feel excluded emotionally from their families and communities through sexual, emotional and physical abuse, poor mental health, disability or criminality. This work is often carried out by self-effacing people who have studied long and hard to develop skills knowledge and expertise in finding ways to helping people find positive change in their lives.
At whatever point a social worker is involved in this work they follow a social work process, backed up with stacks of knowledge and work within a strict ethical code that is built on human rights and social justice
Thank you everyone for making World Social Work Day such a great celebration!
Ruth Stark
President IFSW
22 March 2017