Seasons Greetings from the Icelandic Association of Social Workers and IFSW European Conference 2017

Seasons Greetings from the Icelandic Association of Social Workers and IFSW European Conference 2017

The Icelandic Association of Social Workers wishes you a merry christmas and a happy new year 2016 and hope that it will be a successfull year for all social workers.

We are very happy to welcome you to the IFSW European Conference in 2017 that will be held in Iceland on the 28th-30th of May 2017.

We have launched a website for the conference where you can find all the important dates, information on how to travel to Iceland and introduction videos on Iceland and Reykjavik City:
http://ifsweurope2017.yourhost.is/
We have also opened a Facebook Page for the website that we encourage you to like and follow:
https://www.facebook.com/IFSW-European-Conference-2017-198849847125422/?ref=hl
IFSW European Conference 2017
www.facebook.com
IFSW European Conference 2017, Reykjavík, Iceland. Welcome to Reykjavík to the IFSW European Conference 28 – 30 May 2017

Merry Christmas!
Kær kveðja,
María Rúnarsdóttir,
President of the Icelandic Association of Social Workers

Seasons Greetings‏ from the Executive Committee of IFSW Europe

50 Years of IFSW Europe (1965-2015)‏

This year - 2015 - IFSW Europe celebrates 50 years!

A Special Session “Socializing in IFSW Europe – IFSW Europe celebrates 50 years supporting social workers” took place at the conclusion of Day 2 of the European Delegates Meeting in September 2015 in Edinburgh.

Delegates enjoyed a nostalgic and stimulating presentation from Herbert Paulischin, former President of IFSW Europe, about the history of IFSW Europe over its 50 years highlighting achievements, prominent individuals and how the Federation has grown and developed over the years. 
Ana Radulescu, former Honorary Secretary of IFSW Europe, and members of the ASproAS from Romania supported his presentation with an exhibition. 

A toast with Armenian brandy, gently offered by our colleagues from Armenia, Mira Antonyan and Manane Petrosyan, was made to IFSW Europe as celebration and memories were shared by all the delegates.

Please see the photo from the moment.

Thanks to IFSW Europe's designer Maria Mónica for the design of the photo.

Executive committee of IFSW Europe e.V. in Edinburgh, Scotland - September 2015

Message in solidarity with the Russian people following the plane crash

Message in solidarity with the Russian people following the plane crash

The International Federation of Social Workers, European Region expresses its sympathy and condolences to the families and friends who have lost loved ones in the crash of the Russian airplane on the 31st of October where 224 people lost their lives so tragically, children and their parents travelling home from their holidays.

Antonina Dashkina, President of the Russian Union of Social Pedagogues and Social Workers has advised us of the important work social workers are continuing to carry out for those directly affected by this terrible tragedy. In her words “Social workers from 15 regions of Russia are in the process of working with families now - DNK, morgues, confines, funerals - they deal with this all”.

Social workers are trained in supporting people in the most difficult situations and crisis in their lives and IFSW Europe expresses solidarity with our Russian social work colleagues who are now supporting and assisting the families of the victims in times of great grief and sorrow. 

In Solidarity,

IFSW Europe Executive Committee

18th November 2015

Message to our French colleagues following the terrorist attacks in Paris

Message to our French colleagues following the terrorist attacks in Paris

We are in deep shock following the terrorist attacks that took place last Friday (13/11) in the city of Paris, France.

We express our solidarity with the Parisian people and the whole of France.

Our thoughts are with the victims and their loved ones.

We are hoping that all our friends and French colleagues in ANAS, Association Nationale des Assistants de Service Social, are unharmed.

As social workers, we can only reinforce the belief that solidarity and democracy are the answers to a peaceful coexistence of humanity locally, regionally and globally.

In Solidarity,

IFSW Europe Executive Committee

16th November 2015

Message in Solidarity and Call for urgent support for burn victims of Bucharest fire accident

Message in Solidarity and Call for urgent support for burn victims of Bucharest fire accident

On October 31, 2015 a fire engulfed a night club in Bucharest, Romania killing 27 people immediately and injuring hundreds. Since then the death toll has risen to more than 50. IFSW Europe wishes to extend our sympathy and condolences to the victims and their families. 

We also wish to express our solidarity with our Romanian social work colleagues who are caring for the families of those victims still hospitalized. In times of tragedy social workers provide the emotional and practical support the families need to continue functioning.  Social workers are trained to assess and respond to changing needs. These needs might include help with administrative issues, mediation with hospital personnel and the concrete needs of families who are away from their homes for long periods: accommodation, food, clothing, etc.

The large number of victims has created a unique situation requiring international social work cooperation.  The Rumanian health administration started some days ago to transfer patients to different specialized clinics all over Europe because they cannot provide adequate treatment for so many cases.  This may be is the only chance for at least some of the victims to survive.

Those patients going to other countries are accompanied by one family member at government expense. The Romanian authorities take care of many organizational problems, but these family members need individual, local social work support - somebody who is available for them during the crisis situation, who answers their questions, helps them immediately with everything they need while staying with their relatives.

In Bucharest, the Association Pro Social Work - ASproAS has set up a team of social workers to support the relatives in the hospitals and outside. The Romanian association has contacted the member IFSW associations in Austria, Germany, Switzerland, UK and Israel and asked that they make sure that local, medical social workers are helping those family members who are in a strange country and probably don't speak the language.  Our Romanian colleagues are then able to provide updates to the family members in Romania. 

ASproAS still needs contact persons in the Netherlands, Belgium, France and Norway to help care for the families of the victims hospitalized there. It is preferable for medical social workers to be the contact person or, at least, to be able to identify the appropriate social workers in the hospitals that have accepted the Romanian fire victims. 

IFSW Europe calls to our member organizations and national associations of social workers from these countries to connect directly with ASproAS (asproas2013@gmail.com) in order to provide the best support to the patients and their families.

IFSW Europe Executive Committee, 14th November 2015