Back | Programme Area: Social Policy and Development

World Social Work Day 2021: Community Engagement for Social Justice

Date: 17 - 18 Mar 2021

Time: Wednesday from 10:00 to 15:45 / Thursday from 10:00 to 12:00
Location: Online (Zoom)
Counterpart(s): School of Social Work, Geneva (HETS-GE) / School of Social Work, Fribourg (HETS-FR) / International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW) / International Association of Schools of Social Work (IASSW)

World Social Work Day has been celebrated around the globe since 1983. This year, the United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD) teams up once again with the Geneva School of Social Work and its international partners to mark the Day at the UN in Geneva.

World Social Work Day aims not just to showcase the achievements of social work and increase its visibility, but also to highlight its synergies with social development: shared commitments to social justice, inclusive development and human rights.

This year's event will take place online and will focus on Community Engagement for Social Justice.

Community Engagement for Social Justice

The Covid-19 pandemic has exposed the weaknesses of our global system. The most vulnerable in our societies are struggling to cover their basic needs. All over the world, communities are responding to these challenges, claiming the right to participate in decisions that affect them, and demanding the care and services to which they are entitled. The active and varied involvement of social work in support of these communities is at the heart of the reflections that will be carried out during these two days of conferences and workshops.

The event is open to international civil servants, social workers, students and interested individuals. Participation is free of charge.

For detailed information, see: the Concept note, the Programme and the Keynotes/Workshops Abstracts

How to participate: Pre-registration is required as indicated below

Please register separately for each session in which you wish to participate.

French<>English Interpretation will be available for plenary sessions only. Workshops 3 & 5 will be presented in French in morning session #1 and in English in afternoon session #2.

WEDNESDAY 17 MARCH (10:00 - 15:45)

10:00 to 11:00	Opening Statements & Keynote Speech by Prof. Yvonne Riaño (UNINE) Register
11:15 to 12:15	Workshops Session #1 - see workshops details Economy and social work in the 21st century: The transformational power of social and solidarity economy (French) Social change from the inside out (French) Dispossession/s: Rethinking social work in the light of global social movements (French) From community-level social work to the international level: Lessons learned (English) Contaminated communities: Social and environmental perspectives (French) Select your first and second choice among the 5 workshops listed in the registration form. Each workshop is limited to 30 participants, who will be assigned to the workshop of their choice based on the registration time (first come first served basis). Identical workshops will be presented in the afternoon session (#2) from 14:30 to 15:30, allowing participation in 2 different workshops during the day. Separate registration is required for the morning and afternoon sessions. IMPORTANT NOTICE: To join your chosen workshop on the day of the meeting, you will be prompted to sign in to Zoom. Please use the same email address you indicated during your registration. Register
13:30 to 14:15	Keynote Speech by Ms. Aruna Roy (Activist and Founder of Workers and Peasants Strength Union) Register
14:30 to 15:30	Workshops Session #2 - see workshops details Economy and social work in the 21st century: The transformational power of social and solidarity economy (French) Social change from the inside out (French) Dispossession/s: Rethinking social work in the light of global social movements (English) From community-level social work to the international level: Lessons learned (English) Contaminated communities: Social and environmental perspectives (English) Select your first and second choice among the 5 workshops listed in the registration form. Each workshop is limited to 30 participants, who will be assigned to the workshop of their choice based on the registration time (first come first served basis). Identical workshops will be presented in the morning session (#1) from 11:15 to 12:15, allowing participation in 2 different workshops during the day. Separate registration is required for the morning and afternoon sessions. IMPORTANT NOTICE: To join your chosen workshop on the day of the meeting, you will be prompted to sign in to Zoom. Please use the same email address you indicated during your registration. Register
15:30 to 15:45	Workshops Conclusion by Teresa Bertotti (EASSW) Registrants in workshops sessions #2 will automatically participate in the conclusion speech in a plenary meeting mode.

THURSDAY 18 MARCH (10:00 - 12:00)

10:00 to 10:20	Special Session: The profession’s global responses by Rory Truel (IFSW)
10:20 to 11:20	Roundtable: Supporting communities for an inclusive recovery: Lessons learned Moderator: Isolda Agazzi, Journalist Speakers: Alexandre Morel, Deputy Director/animation, Fondation pour l’animation socioculturelle Lausanne (FASL) Ana Rădulescu, European President, International Federation of Social Workers Europe (IFSW Europe) Abye Tassé, Head of Mission Telema Project, Ministry of Social and Humanitarian Affairs, Expertise France, Republic of Congo (Brazzaville) Olivier Grobet, Program Officer, Brazil and Colombia, Terre des Hommes (TdH) Shahra Razavi, Director, Social Protection Department, International Labour Organization (ILO)
11:30 to 11:55	Looking Ahead: Community challenges and responses for the future (Agenda 2030) by A. Campanini (IASSW), K. Hujo (UNRISD), B.Joyeux (Jaj Jagat Genève)
11:55 to 12:00	Closing Remarks by J. Libois (HES-SO Genève)
	Register (once for the 2-hour Webinar above)