INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE IN MACEDONIA ,,THE ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERSPECTIVES OF SOCIAL WORK AND SOCIAL POLICY"

Armenian Association of Social Workers celebrates Social Work day in Armenia

On November 11^th, Armenia celebrated National Social Work Day. 

To mark the day, the Armenian Association of Social Workers, in collaboration with Armenia’s Ministry of Labor and Social Issues and Yerevan State University, jointly presented We Are Together: A Celebration of Social Services in Armenia. The day was exceptional and we are honored to share that Mrs. Mira Antonyan, President of the Armenian Association of Social Workers, was bestowed with the Prime Minister’s Award for her contributions to the social work field during the opening ceremony. 

 

With over 500 decision makers, policy makers, representatives of governmental and non-governmental organizations, and students in attendance, We Are Together celebrated the accomplishments of social workers, facilitated networking and collaboration between social services, and provided an opportunity for students to learn more about their profession. Many important civil society figures were in attendance, including Prime Minister Mr. Hovik Abrahamian, and the Minister of Labor and Social Affairs, Mr. Artem Asatryan. 

 

The attendance of these figures shows the growing acknowledgment of the importance of professional social work in Armenia. The government of Armenia (RA) is currently involved and interested in reforms within the social work field, as social work in Armenia has an immediate window of opportunity for positive change. Since Armenia’s system of social service provision is under active reformation, the presence of social service agencies and government officials provided an opportunity for vested interests to examine the current process of social reforms and to search for mutually agreeable, cohesive solutions. Such improvements will support RA in the revision of social sector legislation, facilitate smoother donor cooperation in the social field, and improve solidarity within the field. 

 

Throughout the day, interested parties had the opportunity to see what individual social work organizations are doing to improve social services in Armenia by visiting the Exhibition of Social Services. Over 30 organizations from all social service sectors presented themselves in an interactive format. The AASW, for instance, asked social workers passing by their booth to share their thoughts on the meaning of social work in Armenia. 

You can see the thought-provoking results here and you can also see some photos of the celebration here:

In the afternoon, AASW organized a Conference titled “Towards Social Services in Armenia”, which focused on issues Armenian social work faces today: the integration of social services, the educational sectors role in social services, and the continuing education of social workers. With over 200 participants, the conference’s working groups achieved the goal of promoting recognition, collaboration, and mutual support between the government and social service agencies. AASW plans to use the results of the conference, created through the collaboration of experts including political leaders, officials, social service providers, and members of the academia, to produce policy briefs to address the future of social work in Armenia.

Journal Social Services and Social Policy - "Social Journalism Award" 2014, given by the Foundation Ineprodes Group‏

Dear colleagues,

I am glad to inform you that our scientific journal Social Services and Social Policy has been recognized with the "Social Journalism Award" 2014, given by the Foundation Ineprodes Group. The award ceremony will be held on November 11^th.  Kindly, find more information on the Social Journalism Award on the following link http://fundacion.grupoineprodes.com/?p=36

The editorial board of the journal would like to thank all the Social Work Professional Associations, especially those who are already subscribers, for your support. We are deeply grateful to all professional associations because the work of the journal would not have been possible without their cooperation.  Thanks to their contributions, the journal features experiences and researches of each Autonomous Community, and the professionals’ members have access to the printed scientific journal with the largest circulation in Spain.

We also gratefully acknowledge the contributions of the colleagues from other Journals on Social Work, writers, members of the Scientific Committees Advise, and in general to all of you who collaborate in the Journal.  The success of the Journal is a reflection of all your work.

Warm regards,

Ana I. Lima Fernández / Carmen Verde Diego
Revista y Publicaciones – CONSEJO GRAL. TRABAJO SOCIALPremio IMSERSO al Mérito Social 2010 Cruz de Oro de la Orden Civil de la Solidaridad Social 2011 (MSPSeI)C/ San Roque, 4 Local 2. – 28004 MadridTel: (+34) 91 541.57.76-77 consejo@cgtrabajosocial.eshttp://www.cgtrabajosocial.es

IFSW Europe Key documents - Executive Members Work Portfolio & Connecting Members Project

IFSW EUROPEAN CONFERENCE 2015 - EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND

Statement of IFSW Europe: Social Work for Peace and Self-Determination – Peace is the way

Peace is the way to freedom and self-determination for every human being. Everyone has a right to be free and freedom is a precondition of sustainable peace.

Social Workers are committed to the realisation of Human Rights and Social Justice. Therefore we are against all kinds of abuse and violence that endanger the full achievement of people’s basic needs. Situations of armed conflict almost inevitably result in the injury, death or violation of the rights of innocent and defenseless citizens of all ages.

The European Region of the International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW) calls on all social workers and member organisations across Europe to join the IFSW global campaign to promote change in the Middle East, which has been so affected for decades by never ending conflict between Palestine and Israel. A ceasefire should be the beginning of a process that has a vision for sustained peace based on social and economic equalities for all in the region.

As social workers witnessing the atrocities recently televised worldwide, we have a duty to demand that the UN send a sizeable peacekeeping force to Gaza provided with the best equipment to put an end to the use of weapons by either country that are indiscriminately targeting population centres and places where civilians have taken refuge. Such action should be taken in conjunction with humanitarian aid and the resources to restore essential services, rebuild homes and communities and of course the necessary negotiations to secure a permanent solution to this longstanding conflict.

Social Workers are united in diversity and have the mission and the duty to assist politicians and other decision makers to find solutions for a better world where all are respected regardless of their history, cultures, religion, race, etc.

We support our members in Palestine and Israel in their efforts to promote peace based on social work principles.

Violence leads to more violence and human rights are compromised.

“There is no way to peace; peace is the way.” Mahatma Gandhi

15th August 2014

For further information contact: Cristina Martins,President of the IFSW European Region[International Federation of Social Workers Europe e.V.]
E-mail: martinscristina25@hotmail.com Cell phone: + 351 936272618
Web: www.ifsw.org/europe

Link to statement

Public statement by the British Association of Social Workers, concerning the humanitarian disaster currently taking place in Gaza

This is a public statement by the British Association of Social Workers (BASW), concerning the humanitarian disaster currently taking place in Gaza.

The United Nations has unequivocally condemned recent Israeli government actions, and we believe that it is time for the whole international community to act decisively, including the international community of social workers.

The majority of the Gazan population are refugees and we note the International Federation of Social Workers policy statement on refugees in which it states: “The social work profession accepts its share of responsibility for responding to the distress of refugees”. Social workers in Gaza are fulfilling their responsibility, for example in the Rapid Response Team set up by the Palestine Trauma Centre. However, they are working in desperately hard circumstances and they need firm support. As social workers around the world, we need to act on this responsibility ourselves.

We therefore welcome the lead taken by the International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW) in responding to this disaster, in particular by their statements of 28 July and 2 August 2014. In the more recent statement, the IFSW calls on its members to develop their own campaigns at a national level, and this statement signifies BASW’s intent to do just this, here in the United Kingdom.

We have also been contacted by our professional colleagues in the Palestinian Union of Social Workers and Psychologists (PUSWP), who have asked for our support by making clear our own position as social workers in the UK. We are pleased to do so and to stand in solidarity with our Palestinian colleagues.

The British Association of Social Workers joins with our IFSW colleagues in being appalled by Israel’s attacks on Gaza and its ongoing illegal occupation of Palestinian land. While we condemn all indiscriminate attacks on civilians, the scale of the actions of the Israeli government forces, especially the shelling of UNWRA schools and the killing of children while they sleep, in supposedly safe places, is grossly disproportionate. We are appalled by the many violations of human rights that are taking place in Gaza, leading to ever-rising numbers of deaths and serious injuries, particularly among the civilian population. We condemn Israel’s attacks on people’s homes, hospitals and even on children while they play on the beach.

We call for an end to Israel’s aggression, a lifting of the blockade of Gaza and the end of Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories.

We believe too that the Israel Association of Social Workers have a particular responsibility to act, and we urge them to make their voices heard in Israel and abroad in opposition to what their government is inflicting on the people in Gaza.

We were saddened and angered to hear of the killing of Hashem Khader Abu Maria, a social worker at Defence for Children International (Palestine Section), who lived in Beit Ummar in the West Bank. He was shot dead by Israeli forces while participating in a peaceful demonstration against Israel’s assault on Gaza. Hashem was instrumental in setting up the Hebron branch of PUSWP, who once hosted a visit by BASW members. We send our condolences to Hashem’s family and to his social work colleagues.

As social workers in the UK, we will be turning our attention to our own government and institutions, in relation to the occupation of Palestinian land and the current intensification of the Israeli government’s attacks. We call on the British government to condemn Israel’s actions as grossly disproportionate, to support any motions at the United Nations condemning Israel’s aggression or calling for an end to the blockade of Gaza and the occupation of Palestinian land, and to stop all arms sales to Israel.

We will be making direct contact with our elected representatives, and we encourage individual social workers, whether or not you are members of BASW, to take similar action.

We look forward to a time when there can be a just peace in the region, and we hope that as social workers, drawing on our principles of human rights and social justice, we can play our part in such an outcome.

Guy Shennan                         Maggie Mellon                         Bridget Robb

BASW Chair                            Vice Chair                           Chief Executive