Events see social workers come together to celebrate profession
By News England, ,

Today, social workers around the globe come together to celebrate World Social Work Day 2016 (WSWD).

This years theme, ‘Promoting the Dignity and Worth of Peoples’, creates another opportunity for the profession to express international solidarity and to bring common messages to governments, regional bodies and communities.

The theme is the second year for Promoting the Dignity and Worth of Peoples (each theme runs for two years), and comes from the Global Agenda for Social Work and Social Development.

The Agenda was developed when three thousand social work practitioners met in Hong Kong in June 2010 and decided to launch a global movement that addressed major challenges in societies. 

Led by the International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW), International Association of Schools of Social Work (IASSW) and the International Council on Social Welfare (ICSW), delegates agreed that these organisations should speak out clearly on issues relevant social issues and connect within and across the profession. World Social Work Day forms part of these objectives.

Events on World Social Work Day

  • WSWD 2016 Event in Geneva
    WSWD 2016 will address the role of social work facing the situation of refugees and displaced persons. Millions are fleeing their place of living in search of survival and security, risking their lives on dangerous escape routes and threatened by human traffickers and other criminals who take advantage of their distress. The reasons for internal and international forced migration are manifold: discrimination, oppression and expulsion of political, ethnical or religious opposition or minorities, violent conflicts, natural and manmade disaster and climate change, land expropriations for dam building, urbanisation projects, land grabbing etc.
  • Social Work Day at the UN New York

    The International Federation of Social Workers & the International Schools of Social Work are pleased to announce that the 33rd Annual Social Work Day at the United Nations is scheduled for Monday, April 4th from 10:00 am – 12:00 pm. Our theme for the program is Refugees and Displaced Persons: Ensuring Dignity and Worth. Our program is scheduled to be held in Conference Room 4 of the United Nations main building. Registration check-in will begin at 9:00 am outside of the UN. There is no registration fee to attend Social Work Day at the UN.

    A student event (for a limited number of students) will be held in the afternoon from 3:00 – 5:00 pm.
    All social work faculty, professionals, alumni and students are most welcome.

    Program of SW Day 2016 in New York (online)
    Registration (online)

    Electronic registration for SW Day will begin on Tuesday, March 8th at 1:00 pm Eastern Standard Time. Electronic registration for the Student Event will begin on Wednesday, March 9th at 1:00 pm Eastern Standard Time. Registration will close when we reach our capacity.

  • WSWD 2016 Event at the University of Portsmouth

    Social Work Students have organised to set up a day to promote World Social Work Day. They are focusing on unseen disabilities. They have made posters, stickers to give out on the day, flyers and received real stories that people are willing to share on ways they feel they have been frowned upon in the community over using disabled toilets or a disability parking badge due to the public not knowing they have a disability. They are trying to enlighten people that not all disabilities are visible. Poster (PDF)

Futher information and details on other events can be found here: http://ifsw.org/world-social-work-day-2016/