World Social Work Day and Social Work Week 2021
This year’s World Social Work day was on the 16th March 2021. The theme for 2021 has been Ubuntu: I am Because We Are. Strengthening Social Solidarity and Global Connectedness. Silvana Martinez, International Federation Of Social Workers (IFSW) President commented:
“At a time when global politics has retreated into nationalism, Ubuntu is a powerful message on the need for solidarity at all levels: within communities, societies and globally. It is a message that all people are interconnected and that our future is dependent on recognizing all peoples involvement in co-building a sustainable, fair and socially just future.”
This has been accompanied by World Social World Week (8-12 March 2021), a week-long opportunity to celebrate the social work profession across the globe. Organisations such as Social Work England (SWE) and the British Association of Social Workers (BASW) organised exciting programmes of activities for colleagues nationwide (BASW even had a month of activities throughout March).
In an event led by Richmond in partnership with Wandsworth, as well as Achieving for Children and the Teaching Partnership, guest speaker Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr inspired everyone with her experiences as Mayor of Freetown, Sierra Leone and managing National Ebola Response Centre during the Ebola epidemic of 2014-15. This event attracted over 1,300 attendees! Yvonne’s talk really highlighted the message of Ubuntu through the interconnectedness of all peoples and their environments, and shared experiences of those in social work across the globe.
To complement the social work celebrations, Kingston University held its annual Social Work and Social Care Conference on 17.3.21 – ‘New thinking and practice in services for domestic violence and abuse’ – and there were 487 in attendance. We heard from multiple speakers in the morning followed by an afternoon of a choice of workshops. You can access recordings of the conference below:
Part 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zgtd6szb4SM
Brid Featherstone/Kate Morris – The change project and setting the agenda for domestic abuse
Nicole Jacobs – The role of the domestic abuse commissioner and the domestic abuse bill
Amanda McIntyre (For Baby’s Sake) – breaking the cycle
Part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3WJ-1YyMT7M
John Devaney – Children living with domestic violence: effects on children’s well-being
Rose Lewis and Ivy MacCarthy (Sistah Space) – Bridging the gap for services for African heritage women and girls
Anna Mitchell – Safe & Together: working in partnership with children’s services
