International Social Work10-13

International Social Work
Opportunities in International
Social Work
Introduction & Review
Why is Intl Social Work

Important?
What examples do you have?

We live in a shrinking globe
National actions cross national borders
Remember it can range from full time
overseas work to domestic work with
some intl. dimensions
Global interdependence
Intl. Social Work
1. Social agency caseloads have

changed
2. Social problems shared even by
developed countries
3. Actions of one country effects others
4. Advanced technologies & travel has
lead to enhanced sharing opportunities
History of Intl. Social Work
Role of COS & Settlement House

Movement
Formal schools develop in late 1890s
First Intl Conference of Social Work in
1928.
Dominance of US, Britain & Germany
Eastern Europe Influence
History Contd.
Latin America
Africa
China
India
Role of early missionaries
Denmark
History Contd.
1915 Abraham
Flexners Report
Problems with the
definition of the
profession
current example in
Latvia
Social Diagnosis
History Contd.
SW viewed as a
female profession
Role in World War I
Impact of worldwide
Depression
Rise of Nationalism
and shift away from
Intl. thinking
Social Work in World War II
Rise of Nationalism
Restrictions placed on German & Italian
Social Work Programs
SW attempts value-neutral stance
Japanese-Americans in Internment
camps
Post war impacts of Communism
Post War Changes
Social work was officially abolished after

the Soviet take over of Eastern Europe
It was declared as unnecessary & a
bourgeois profession in China as well
Social Work however continued in
Poland in spite of the devastation
UNRRA--Intl. SW Involvement
UNRRA
November 1943 --established

Developed by 44 Nations
Promised to organize relief &
rehabilitation for nations invaded by the
Axis powers.as soon as they are
liberated
UNRRA programs are a high point of Intl.
Social Work
Role of UN
With the est. of

UNRRA &
subsequent
developments the
UN became the
largest contributor to
the spread of Social
Work throughout the
world
1950 to 1960
Time period of independence

movements throughout Africa, Asia &
the Caribbean
The First International Conference of
Ministers Responsible for Social Welfare
was held in Africa in 1968officials from
89 countries, NGOs & observers were
present
1970s & Rejection of the West
New nations reject Western models of

Social Work in favor of a search for an
indigenous form of social workboth
culturally and economically relevant to the
society
Latin America leads the way
Radical approach
Moderate approach
Latin American Social Work
Impact of Paulo
Freire..stressing an
approach based
upon citizen
participation
Additional impact of
Liberation Theology
Fall of USSR
New opportunities occurred with the

end of Soviet domination
Establishment of Social Work programs
in Eastern Europe in early 1990s
First Intl. Russian Social Work
Conference in 1993
Movements in China in the late 1990s
Role of CSWE
1956 CSWE forms working committee

to develop definition of Intl. SW
Membership in IASSW stressed
CSWE International Commission
formed
Intl. Commission impacts EPAS
Accredited Programs to include content
Healys Definition of Intl. Social

Work
1. Internationally related Domestic

Practice & Advocacy
2. Professional Exchange
3. International Practice
4. International Policy Development &
Advocacy
Intl. Survey Results
Cross-cultural understanding
Comparative social policy
Concern with global problems
general worldview
knowledge of common profession
worldwide
International Practice
Survey Results contd.
Intergovernmental social welfare

experience
sense of collegiality with social workers
in other countries
We can also add:
a good sensed of humor
and a high degree of flexibility
NASW & Intl. Social Work
By 1999 NASW had begun to focus on

the role of Social Workers in International
Practice
A position paper was called for on the
role of social work in international
development
Social works contribution to policy
development was stressed
SW & International Practice
Rosenthal in her 1991 article stated that

although social work and International
social welfare organizations have much
in common, not many social workers
appear to participate in international
practice. WHY??
Elements of Occupational Choice
General Values & Skills
General Values & Skills

Acceptance of the intrinsic worth of the
individual
Preference for helping disadvantaged
people help themselves
Belief in the dual thrust of human welfarealleviate present & prevent future
problems
Desire to promote social justice
Technical Skills
Comm. Organizing
skills
Administration skills
Social Policy analysis
Program design &
development
Education & training
skills
Practice Location
1. Freedom to relocate from the US

2. Makes Professional & Personal
demands
3. Intercultural Experience
4. Need to be global-mindedneed to
be altruistic
Rosenthal Study Findings
Social Workers reported a lack of

freedom to relocate
They also perceived that living &
working in the developing world would
not be rewarding
Recruitment should focus on swers
with few $ problems & family obligations
Globalization from Below
What does CSWE CPS really mean?

This type of globalization represents the
interests of the common person not the
multinational corporation
Implemented through a pen-pal concept
via the internet
Aids in student understanding of different
peoples & cultures
Use of Internet
Social workers can share information

and collaborate in solving social
problems
International Social Work must be a
two-way street and American Social
Workers have much to learn from their
colleagues in other countries
Course Projects
List generated of potential student

partners & several local community
organizations
American students required to
communicate 2 times per week to
discuss common social problems in
both countries
Results of Project
Perhaps most significant is the

increased awareness between students
in the two cultures of the similarities &
differences they experienced
Additionally, it may be a way of
answering the questions raised in the
earlier Rosenthal studyit promoted
American social worker interest

Placement Possibilities
Practices, Responsibilities,
Accountability & Contracts
Massive changes taking place around the

globesuch as??
What is a definition of global
interdependence?
Has the end of the Cold War made the world
a safer place?
Whats the role of International Social Work?
Why is social work a primarily locally

focused profession?
Reality today is the social workers
much have a global focus.local
practice is increasingly impacted by
global factors
What do social workers know about the
World Bank & the IMF?
End of Cold War means political

ideologies decline & ethnicity as well as
religion become sources of conflict
How has this impacted upon the
refugees & resulting immigration
issues?
Largest worldwide Diaspora of people
in history
Increased need for professions to have

an understanding of the cultural roots of
the new immigrants & ethnic groups
Worldwide poverty is increasing
Some societies have a nonexistent or
shrinking middle class
Increasing disparities in the area of
wealth
Too little food

Too little safe water
Poor or inadequate health care
Human rights violations
AIDS pandemic
Increasing poverty & apathy
Obstacles to social works role

internationally?????
Lack of status
Lack of resources
Political oppression
No official govt. sanction
Service structures that limit assistance
Limited societal understanding of the
role of social work
How do social workers begin to take a

global perspective??..without being
overwhelmed by the problems of the
world?
Role of social work organizations
IFSW
IASSW
ICSW and IUCISD
To date, the Intl. SW organizations

perform a primarily educational role
Increased UN and International NGO
involvement is needed.perhaps a role
for MU ICD graduates??
Why are American SWers absent from
these organizations?
Impacts of economic growth & social

improvements
Requires programs & policies that
enhance peoples welfare & well-being
while at the same time contributing to
economic advancement
Disjointed development often means

some benefit from economic policies,
but not the majority
Many are left with the idea social
benefits are an economic drain upon
the society
Economic plans must enhance social

programs & services
Also Social development must
contribute to economic development
Any IDEAS how this can be done at a
National level?
FACT: the highest standards of living in

the world today are found in those
nations that experienced economic
modernization & at the same time
introduced extensive social programs.
What is distorted development?
The Developmental Perspective

Seeks to promote the well-being of
people through harmonizing economic
& social policies within a dynamic
process of development.
What was British experience in West
Africa??
UN definition of Social Development

stressed a movement beyond
traditional remedial short-term services
to that of promoting a wider inclusive
view of social welfare
The UN challenged governments to
ensure economic benefits reached
ordinary people..equity concept
In response to a top-down model of

social planning the UN in the late
1970s began to stress citizen or
community participation to enhance
local citizen involvement in the social
planning process
Community participation is now
considered vital in social development

Problem Statement
You have just taken a job as a social

planner for the government of
Belarus.what are your initial plans for
work in the areas of social & economic
development?
How the approach works:

First, it establishes organizational
mechanisms to integrate economic & social
policies.
Second, economic growth must have a
positive impact on peoples welfare
Third, social programs that directly impact
economic development are stressed
Social workers & social agencies need

to have a focus that is concerned with
the promotion of human welfare rather
than the treatment of personal
problems
This has not been worked out in the
profession as we continue to deal the
correctness of micro vs. macro
practice
Midgleys perspective on SW
involvement in Development
1. Assist in mobilizing human capital
2. Foster the formation of social capital
3. Help low-income & special-needs
clients engage in employment
Realities of Practice
2 billion people will be added to the

worlds population in the next 30 years
and another billion in the following 20
years..what is the concept of
doubling time?
2.5 billion to 3 billion people currently
live on less than $2.00 per day!
Realities
Poverty declining but still a problem

Inequality widening
Increased conflict
Air pollution
Little fresh water
Soil & forests destroyed
Biodiversity disappearing
Social Work & the Global

Economy
The Role of Global

Interdependence
SW & the Global Economy
Global Interdependence is a fact of life

for us all
A Global focus has been strong in
economics & environmental issues
Understood by swers in developing
nations given their involvement in
structural adjustment programs through
the IMF
Today, global interdependence has

impacted swers in developing nations
as well.
Increasing similarities in social
problems
Countries can no longer solve their
problems themselves.for example
the problem of human trafficking
Social workers must be cognizant of

global matters in order to understand
the problems they face in working with
clients and communities and in
contributing to problem resolutions.
Can you think of any examples??
Remember, in a global economy social

problems at the local level may be
caused in part or wholly by economic
changes occurring far away
Impacts of capital-absorbing and laborsaving production
technologies..leading to the reduction
in the need for human capital
Changes have come in the nature of

human work
In the next 25 years many industrial
countries will see the virtual elimination
of the blue-collar assembly line worker
Impact of down sizing & right sizing
effects the white-collar workers
Some white-collar workers are being

transferred from permanent jobs to
short-term employment including
leased, temporary and contingent
work.it reduces the companys fiscal
liability in the areas of wages, benefits &
commitments.
Social & Political forces have widened

the distance between rich & poor
people as well as rich & poor nations.
Rich & poor people increasingly live in
separate worlds
the rising tide does not lift all the boats
anymore but only lifts the yachts of the
rich.
Falling real wages & job insecurity are

lurking behind the host of social
maladies that plague our societies,
including family breakdown, welfare
dependency & teen pregnancy
Meanwhile, Govts. Have given up plans
to temper the negative effects of
economic development.
Post WW II, European Govts.

Established generous social welfare
programs.
The Maastricht Treaty of 1991, helping
to est. a single European currency,
stressed the casting aside of generous
social benefits and stressed the local
level rather then the National level to
solve social problems
Economic Interdependence
1. Long-term unemployment
2. Labor insecurity
3. Debt
4. Low incomes
All are negatively impacting human
welfare around the world
Economic Interdependence is
demonstrated by:
World trade, investments, currency
regulations, aid, lending & the influence
of multinational corporations.
Multinationals blur the concept of
domestic & foreign production
In an increasingly more competitive

world.some countries grow or
produce only 1 or 2 major commodities.
This leaves them to vulnerable
economically to world trade events.
The global economy also means jobs
can be shifted from one country to
another with cheaper labor costs.
Economic Interdependence is also

present when one or a few countries
possess items or commodities that
other countries desire or more pointedly
NEED like..oil for example.
What happened in the oil crisis of the
1970s & today?
Oil is the worlds

most crucial &
essential nonrenewable resource
OPEC forms in
reaction to
political/military
action to influence
politics of the future
The need for poorer countries to

purchase oil led to the international
borrowing of money
The economy of poorer nations contd.
to fall & they were soon in debt
Debt payments were often more than
the GDP of the nation
The remedy for the debt crisis was a policy

from the IMF and/or World Bank known as
Structural Adjustment.
SA demanded that govts. Spend within
their means, keep exchange rates
competitive, let markets determine prices,
diminish regulations & subsidy and
privatize industries previously nationalized.
RESULTS of STRUCTURAL
ADJUSTMENT:
Govts. Spend less on health & education
Govts. Remove subsidies on food &
transportation
Govts. Devalue their own currencies
Declining purchasing power for citizens
The structurally adjusted world led to:

Increasing poverty
Rising rates of infant mortality
Reappearance of diseases thought to
be eliminated
Decreasing school enrollments
Security Interdependence..what is
this and how does it effect Social Work
& the world??
Social Welfare Interdependence:

Migration..
1. As of 1997, 100 million people are
involuntarily living outside their country of
origin
2. Most refugees have fled from developing
nations to other developing nations
What is a guest worker & what impact

are they having on migration?
What are the current trends in
immigration both legal and illegal?
What is the definition of a multinational
family & what unique problems does it
create for social workers?
AIDS
Its rapid spread indicates no country is
an island!
Global interdependence through trade,
war & air travel spread the problem
AIDS is now the worlds 4th leading
killer disease
POVERTY.is now a global

phenomenon.
It is related to many if not all other social
problemsmigration, AIDS, drug use,
street children, homelessness, child
labor, family breakups, abuse, disease,
malnutrition and other indirect social
issues.
Status of Women:
Women fare much worse in some
countries than others
Two-thirds of the worlds illiterates are
female
Girls have a low % of access to education
Girls have poorer nutritional status
Women Contd.:
Impacts of sex-selection abortion &
infanticide
Two million girls a year suffer female
genital mutilation (FGM)
Every 6th infant death in India is due to
gender discrimination
Street Children.caused by globally

sponsored poverty & worsening
economic conditions
Social Policy Emulation. Policy of one
country impacts the development of
social policy in another..Reagans
retrenchment policy is duplicated by the
World Bank
More countries are experiencing the

unsettling paradox that the process of
economic globalization has increased the
prosperity of some but led to the growing
numbers of unemployed & poor people.
It is evident that the world economy
increasingly affects social cohesion at the
local level.
Social Works Role:

developing local empowerment or areabased strategies for securing the welfare
of citizens
Developing ethically sound & well defined
comparative research studies
Transnational SW problem solving &
information exchanges
The UN & NGOs
International Social Welfare

Organizations
UN & NGOs
There is a wide range of international

organizations working on projects such
as:
planning income generating projects to
combat poverty
continuing education 7 low cost education
models
encouraging rights for women & children
UN & NGOs
International social welfare activities are

provided by a myriad set of
organizations
Some domestic organizations also
perform international social welfare
functions in the areas of economics,
health & agriculture.
UN & NGOs
Three major groups of organizations are:

1. The intergovernmental agencies of the
UN
2. Governmental agencies of individual
countries
3. Private or nongovernmental (NGOs)
agencies
UN & NGOs
Most international agencies are

engaged in development or social
development work, the enhancement of
social welfare, the promotion of social &
economic well-being & the sponsorship
of professional exchanges
UN & NGOs
Most international social welfare

organizations are involved in:
1. Development
2. Promotion of human rights
UN & NGOs
Economic
development
became a UN
priority after WW II
Difficulty in
achieving it became
obvious by the
1960s
UN & NGOs
Today we realize development is a

complex intertwined process involving
social, economic, and environmental
factors
Much of todays assistance is being
provided through multilateral aid-assistance by intergovernmental
organizations as well as NGOs.
UN & NGOs
The UN & its

agencies are also
major players in
international social
welfare and the
provision of
multilateral
assistance.
UN & NGOs
Remember the UN first began this role

in the UN Relief & Rehabilitation
Administration (UNRRA) near the end
of WW II.
UNRRA & its success provided the
beginning of the evolution of the social
development agenda of the UN
UN & NGOs
The third purpose in the charter of the

UN (1945) legitimizes the many social
welfare and social development efforts
of the UN.
It statesthe UN is to achieve
international cooperation in solving
international problems of an economic,
social, cultural or human rights focus.
UN & NGOs
The UN currently has 185 member

nations.
A large amount of development work is
carried out by specialized agencies
including UNICEF, WHO & the UN
Development Program (UNDP).
UN & NGOs
The Economic & Social Council (ECOSOC)

of the UN reports to the General Assembly.
Its purposes are to: Promote higher
standards of living, full employment,
conditions of social & economic
development, solutions to international
problems, observation of human rights &
nondiscriminatory freedoms.
UN & NGOs
ECOSOC also utilizes Regional

Commissions, Functional Commissions,
& expert bodies.
Every 4 years the Dept. of Economic &
Social Development of the UN produces
a major social welfare report entitled
The Report on the Worlds Social
Situation (most recent report 2001)
UN & NGOs
The Centre for Social Development &

Humanitarian Affairs (now located in
New York) has been a focal point of
social welfare activity serving as the
organizing force behind the
Interregional Consultation. Additionally
a renewed focus in this area has led to
a restructuring of the Centre.
UN & NGOs
UNICEFThe Un
Childrens Fund has
become a strong
agency with a focus
on development.
Its goal is to improve
the lives of children
& youth in the
developing world
UN & NGOs
UNICEFs work in the area of child

protection are of interest to social work.
The agency has addressed issues of
abuse and exploitation through its
various initatives.
UNICEF aides children affected by war,
child labor sexual exploitation, AIDS &
disability.
UN & NGOs
UNICEF has supported NGOs in their work

on prevention, prevention & rehabilitation
It also compiles statistics on the status of
children to promote research and planning.
UNICEF helped the UN adopt the
Convention of the Rights of Children in
1989.
UN & NGOs
UNDP was created in 1965. It is now

the largest source of multilateral grant
assistance and provides a greater
variety of services to more people in
more countries than any other
development institution.
It is also the source of technical
assistance grants.
UN & NGOs
87% of UNDP grants go to the worlds

poorest countries.
Largest sector aided by UNDP is
agriculture, followed by industrial
development, transportation,
communications, natural resources and
about 25% its resources on education,
population, health & human development.
UN &NGOs
In 1986, UNDP set

up a Division for
Women in
Development.
It administers the
UN Development
Fund for Women
(UNIFEM)
UN & NGOs
UNIFEM is a special fund to support

projects for low-income women in poor
countries. Priorities are: poverty
elimination, grassroots participation,
environmental & natural resource
management, management for
development, women in development &
technology transfer between developing
nations.
UN & NGOs
World Health
Organization (WHO)
is another
specialized agency
of the UN.
Goal is to
encourage the best
possible health for
all.
UN & NGOs
WHO monitors international health

issues, works to control communicable
diseases, sets international health
standards in areas of drugs & vaccines,
conducts research, engages in efforts to
solve health problems & attempts to
strengthen national health systems.
UN & NGOs
WHO is now leading the campaign to

control the spread of HIV.
Africa with almost 50% of the total world
cases of HIV infection & poorly
developed health resources is a special
priority.
WHO is credited with eradicating small
pox.
UN & NGOs
United Nations Fund for Population

Activities (UNFPA) is the largest source
of funds for family planning related
programs in developing countries.
A recent focus has been on linking
family planning & reproductive health
with development goals as well as to
provide services to refugees.
UN & NGOs
The United Nations High Commission

for Refugees (UNHCR) established in
1951 provides protection, assistance,
and aid to refugees in transit, voluntary
repatriation where possible,
resettlement & integration into countries
of first asylum.
UN & NGOs
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)

& the World Food Program.
The goal of these agencies is to work
toward global food security.
Global Information & Early Warning
System identifies areas of risk of food
shortage.it supplies 25% of the worlds
food aid.
UN & NGOs
Special Years, Conferences,

Declarations & Conventions
The UN designates special years &
decades & global conferences to draw
attention to important issues & bring
world leaders together to work on
strategies to bring about change.
UN & NGOs
1968..UN Conference of Ministers

Responsible for Social Welfare
1987..Interregional Consultation on
Developmental Social Welfare Policies
& Programs..this meeting resulted in
adoption of guiding principles for
developmental Social welfare policies in
the near future.
UN & NGOs
1995..two major social welfare events

occurredthe World Summit on Social
Development (Copenhagen) & the
Fourth World Conference on Women
(Beijing).
Copenhagen put the needs of people at
the center of development efforts
UN & NGOs
The World Summit addressed issues of

achieving sustainable development with
social justice, enhancing social
integration, reducing poverty &
expanding opportunities for productive
employment.
NGOs participated actively & also held
an NGO Forum at the same location.
UN & NGOs
The Beijing Conference focused on a

universal ratification of the Convention
on the Elimination of all Forms of
Discrimination Against Women by 2000.
World Summit for Children in 1990
adopted goals to improve the lives of
children.
UN & NGOs
1992 UN Conference on Environment &

Development (Rio de Janeiro) explored
relationship between environmental
preservation & sustainable
development.
1993 World Conference on Human
Rights & 1994 Conference on
Population & Development.
UN & NGOs
The UN designates international years &

decades to highlight issues & attempt to
mobilize resources.
For example: International Year of the
Family 1994; International Year of Older
Persons 1999. To recognize humanitys
demographic coming of age & the
promise it holds.
UN & NGOs
UN Conventions usually result in policy

documents. In 1989, the UN adopted
the Convention on the Rights of the
Child. To date all but 2 nations have
ratified the convention (Somalia & the
US). It focuses on identifying standards
for survival, protection & development
of children.
UN & NGOs
The World Bank and International

Monetary Fund (IMF) are not social
welfare organizations but their work
often has an impact on the social
welfare services of a developing
nation.some times for good & other
times for bad!
UN & NGOs
The IMF provides technical assistance

to countries on banking, balance
payments, taxation, etc.
The major goal of the World Bank is to
provide loans to encourage economic
development. It is a development
organizationonly developing countries
can borrow from the World Bank
UN & NGOs
The IMF insists that nations with poor

balances of payments & large debt
adopt programs of structural
adjustment in order to qualify for
additional credit.
Structural adjustment often leads to
cutbacks in health, education & social
services.
UN & NGOs
Governmental
Agencies
International social
welfare functions of
Govts include
foreign assistance,
professional &
educational
exchanges &
research
UN & NGOs
It must be remembered that

international assistance serves many
purposes for the donor nations & that
humanitarianism is often not the major
considerationcan you think of any
examples??
Bilateral aid is an instrument of foreign
policy
UN & NGOs
Fully half the $ the

US allocates for
multilateral aid is
spent on US goods.
US generosity in
distributing food has
benefited farm
prices at home
UN & NGOs
Examples of Bilateral Aid Agencies:

US Agency for International
Development (USAID)..directs
economic & humanitarian aid programs
Focus of USAID in the 1990s has been
to strengthen democracy & capitalism in
countries of former Soviet Union.
UN & NGOs
Peace Corps est. in

1961 to develop
international cultural
exchange efforts.
Volunteer programs
that emphasize
urban development,
primary health care
& comm.
participation
UN & NGOs
Bilateral Aid is supplied by other

countries such as: Japan, Nordic
Countries and Canada
Japan became the largest donor as
early as 1989
Sweden, Finland, Norway & Denmark
have the most pro-development
progressive aid programs.
UN & NGOs
Canada through the

Canadian
International
Development
Agency (CIDA)
strongly stresses
cooperation with
recipient countries
to improve
development
UN & NGOs
Government Agency Exchange Efforts

In US DHHS the international affairs
staff in the Office of Public Affairs of the
Administration for Children & Families
organizes US participation in
intergovernmental meetings,
administers bilateral programs &
arranges visits for foreign visitors
UN & NGOs
The US Information Agency.under the

Bureau of Educational & Cultural Affairs
(where we received our Latvian Grant
from!!)has been responsible for
administering educational & cultural
international exchanges.as of 1999
USIA was abolished & its work
assumed by the State Department.
UN & NGOs
Agencies dealing with Refugees:

The best known is the Office of Refugee
Resettlement (ORR) which is within
DHHS.
The Dept. of Labor plays a role as well
The Dept. of Agriculture shares
responsibility for international food
assistance programs.
UN & NGOs
Nongovernmental
Organizations
play a significant
and expanding role
in international
social welfare
UN & NGOs
NGOs provide a wide range of

functions:
Relief & development
Advocacy
Education
Exchange
International networks & associations
UN & NGOs
Relief & Development

Working in developing countries &
poverty-stricken areas of industrialized
nations
Example is the International Red Cross,
CARE, Catholic Relief Services, PLAN
& the Christian Childrens Fund
UN & NGOs
Innovative work often in politically

difficult climates is being done by the
American Friends Service Committee,
Oxfam & the Unitarian Universalist
Service Committee.
Growing belief that development efforts
must be self-sustaining & community
oriented to be successful.
UN & NGOs
One of the best known NGOs is the

Grameen Bank of Bangladesh. It is an
organization that has developed microenterprise especially for women..like
the Green Belt Movement in Kenyaa
womens environmental movement in
which 50,000 women have planted
more then 10 million trees to stem soil
erosion.
UN & NGOs
Advocacy:
Most NGOs include advocacy as one of
their functionswhich is usually
focused on development priorities &
adequate funding for foreign
assistance.
Or advocacy focuses on the
intergovernmental level through
consultation with the UN.
UN & NGOs
Some NGOs are entirely devoted to

advocacy particularly in the human
rights area.like Amnesty International
which documents abuses of human
rights & sponsors campaigns to
improve human rights treatment &
prisoner release.
UN & NGOs
Development Education: NGOs which

provide efforts to educate the public on
conditions in the developing world & to
motivate action on behalf of the worlds
poor.
Examples are the Save the Children
NGO, Bread for the World & the
American Forum.
UN & NGOs
Exchange Programs: used as a means

for the transfer of knowledge & service
models as well as bridging cultural
barriers & increasing understanding.
Examples: The Council of International
Programs (CIP), World Learning
formerly the Experiment in International
Living) & the Fulbright Scholar Program.
UN & NGOs
Social & Youth Agencies With

International Aspects: The Boy Scouts,
Girl Scouts, YMCA, YWCA, the
Salvation Army, & the Red Cross.
These organizations have branches in
many nations.
UN & NGOs
Agencies in Cross-National Social

Work:
Serving areas such as.international
adoption, child custody problems,
divorce and family problems involving
citizens & laws of more than one
country as well as sponsorship &
resettlement of refugees.
UN & NGOs
Examples are: International Social

Services located in Geneva with
branches in 16 countries. The agency
maintains a document center on
migration, refugees, family law &
childrens rights.
Holt International Childrens Services
focuses on adoption issues.
UN & NGOs
In summary: basic needs issues

continue to exist like food, shelter,
primary health care, & primary
education. Ensuring respect for the
rights of children, women, the disabled
& minorities remain a challenge.
At the same time governments are
moving away from social welfare.
UN & NGOs
In order to move forward organizations

involved in international social welfare
must assess both their success &
failures. And there have been millions
of small social development successes
in terms of individual lives changed &
villages revitalizedbut more needs to
be done!!
HUMAN RIGHTS
Social Work & the UN

Conventions
Human Rights
Social work is a human rights

profession
Human rights serves as a statement of
social work values
They are also a source of policy
guidelines
Human rights are therefore a core
concept for global dialogue
Human Rights
The Universal Declaration of Human

Rights develops 4 categories:
1. Human dignity
2. Respect for civil & political rights
3. Economic rights (food, education,
health care)
4. Peace, justice & clean environment
Human Rights
Clearly the 4 categories of rights can

only be achieved by international
cooperation.
They involve social works agenda in
working for economic security, as well
as social participation for all & equality
for special populations.
Human Rights
The human rights orientation of the

profession assists social workers in
focusing on social justice rather than
individual pathology..at both the micro
and macro levels of practice
Social work practice should be based
upon the promotion of rights.
Human Rights
The human rights model bridges the

gap between individual interventions
and advocacy/social change
Client focused services can assist
clients in need while also documenting
the need to influence legislatures,
funders as well as impacting public
opinion.
Human Rights
The professions focus on human rights

shapes its conviction that the
fundamental nature of these needs
requires that they be met not as a
matter of choice but as an imperative of
basic justice.
Social workers must uphold the rights of
their individual & collective clients.
Human Rights
Social work must be concerned about

the protection of individual & group
differences. Human rights are
inseparable from social work theory,
values, ethics & practice.
Advocacy of such rights must be an
essential part of social work even under
oppressive governments.
Human Rights
UN definition: Human rights are rights

which are inherent in our nature
including fundamental freedoms to
allow us to develop fully & use our
human qualities.
Denial of these rights creates conditions
of social & political unrest often leading
to violence within or between people.
Human Rights
The historical development of current

human rights is traced to the 18th
century & the American Declaration of
Independence as well as the French
Declaration of the Rights of Man.
The demand for civil & political rights
have joined today with the demand for
economic, social & cultural rights.
Human Rights
Both World Wars helped us realize the

interdependence of humankind.
WWII led countries to adopt a new
framework for international cooperation.
Norms of international behavior
needed to be stated as rights.
The Universal Declaration of Human
Rights has progressed since 1948.
Human Rights
Values behind Human Rights:

1. Life
2. Freedom & liberty
3. Equality & non-discrimination
4. Justice
5. Solidarity
6.Social Responsibility
Human Rights
7. Peace & non-violence

8. Relations between humankind &
nature .sometimes called biodiversity.
These values are the underpinnings of
social workers & schools of social work
worldwide!
Human Rights
International Covenants on Human

Rights produced the following elements:
the right to life, liberty & security
the right not to be subjected to torture or
cruel, inhuman or degrading
punishment
the prohibition of slavery
Human Rights
The right not to be arbitrarily detained

the rights to freedom of expression,
religion, assembly & association
the right to freedom of movement &
residence
the right to vote
the right to a fair trial
Human Rights
The rights of minorities to protection

the right to work
the right to social security
the right to protection of the family
the right to an adequate standard of
living
the right to education
Human Rights
The right to health

the right to join trade unions
After WWII the international community
began to accept its obligation to
establish guarantees for human rights
affording protection to people.
Human Rights
Various dilemmas will face social

workers as they practice in an
environment that emphasizes human
rights.
Students via the web should dialogue
on how they would handle the following
practice situations..
Human Rights
Case # 1: You believe that people have

a right to work; but the only cash crop in
the area where you are a social worker
is a narcotic drug; I.e. the basis of illegal
& harmful traffic, when exported
What do you advise if there is a
restriction on growing this substance?
Human Rights
Case # 2: Your Government has to

service a large international debt &
chooses to cut expenditure on social
services, including the services you are
working with for disadvantaged people.
How do you respond to this?
Human Rights
Case # 3: As a social worker in a clinic

you are aware of traditional practices of
mutilating the sexual organs of young
girls. A woman seeks advice on behalf
of her younger sister, who fears that she
will be mutilated in this way.
How do you respond?
Human Rights
Case #4: You are a social worker in a

city project for street children, many of
whom have been abandoned. The
police say they are being directed to
take action against these children
What do you say to the police & to the
children?..what do you do in other
ways?
Human Rights
Case #5: As a social worker for a

church-based NGO you are
approached for advise by an elderly
widow who is being urged to go live in
an institution for elderly people. She
wants to know what it is like to be there
What details do you find out to give her
particularly about her rights?
Human Rights
Case #6: A development project

proposes to bring irrigation &
hydroelectric power to a rural area.
This will benefit many farmers & other
people but, by submerging existing
villages, it will displace many
economically & socially disadvantaged
persons. In response to criticism from
Human Rights
Social Activists the Government claims

that the project will raise many peoples
living standards & help modernization.
You perceive that this will be at the cost
of the village communities.
As a social worker working in the
villages what do you try to do?
Human Rights
Two particular areas in which social

work & human rights policies intersect
are in guarantees of equality &
nondiscrimination as well as in
economic & social rights.
A remaining challenge is to secure
global recognition of human rights for
sexual minorities.
Human Rights
With social works special knowledge of

human behavior & ethical codes
requiring antidiscrimination, the
profession can provide leadership in
overcoming the barriers to effective
policies that embrace a human rights
perspective
Human Rights
Nations have different records on

human rights however no nation is
without problems in first-and secondgeneration rights
For example even the US permits the
execution of offenders for crimes
committed when they were minors.
Multicultural Understanding
Education for cross-cultural

practice
Little attention has been given to the

needs of international and American
social workers who are preparing for
direct practice outside the USA.
American social work education has
focused almost exclusively on practice
with ethnic & minority groups in
America.
Yet there is a growing number of social

workers who will be practicing outside
the USA.
Garland & Escobar make the point that
preparation for cross-cultural practice
differs significantly from practice with
American ethnic & minority groups.
A social worker in a cross-cultural

setting needs to assess the match
between a clients life patterns &
normative patterns in that culture.
Remember, in cross-cultural practice,
the social worker not the client usually
is the one attempting to adjust to the
cultural setting.
Social workers cannot expect clients to

translate their troubles to fit the
expertise & practice models they
learned in graduate school.
Effective practice requires social
workers to understand cultural
differences & the effect of their own
culture on factors such as perception,
assessment, & values.
Further, effective cross-cultural practice

requires not only an understanding of
ones home culture but also a shift in
the social workers cultural identity to
what scholars call ethnorelativism or
multiculturalism.
The identifications & loyalties of

multicultural persons transcend national
boundaries. They view the world as a
global community.
Social workers can feel as though they
live on the fringe of two cultures,
belonging to neither.
Although practice models are lacking,

practice in cross-cultural settings can
follow one of two directions.
They can identify culturally specific
principles related to one particular
culture
Or they can describe culturally general
principles that apply in many cultural
settings.
Given its complexity it follows that

cross-cultural practice content has
tended to focus on specific models of
practice within one other culture and
has stayed away from developing more
generalized models of international
practice. (To date!)
Some progress has

been made in this
universal model
given the research
conducted to identify
the common
functions &
purposes of family
life.
The development of cross-cultural

social work practice models needs to
begin with identifying common
processes of helping across cultural
contexts.
It cannot begin with describing how
American models can be adapted to
other cultural contextsprofessional
imperialism!
We need to understand that ideas about

the nature of persons & personality are
culturally defined.
Most Western models naively imply that
they are applicable to all populations,
situations & problems.
There may not be a universal
agreement about the desirable outcome
of helping.
In Taiwan:
Interaction occurs
between helper &
patient
Healer interprets the
cause of the
problem
Healer prescribes
something the client
does.
Cross-cultural social work practice must

provide a general conceptual
framework for organizing an
overwhelming amount of information
about cultures & cultural differences.
Using a framework can permit the
development of hypotheses about
practice in that specific culture.
Developing the framework requires the

social worker to know the dominate
world-view in the host culture & how
problems of life are interpreted within
that view.
Also, subcultural groups, which appear
in each culture, may vary in significant
ways in their systems of values &
beliefs.
Social workers need to explore how

they will be seen as representatives of
their home culture in the cross-cultural
context.
For example, white social workers
practicing in Zimbabwe need to really
understand the cross-cultural history
between African & American cultures.
Every culture has a variety of patterns &

processes for helping persons with
problems & for making changes in
persons, relationships & social systems.
These systems can involve formal &
informal helpers in the society.
Different cultural groups have different

ways of expressing emotional distress,
but also different cultural groups may
use similar symptoms as expressions of
quite different processes.
The social worker needs to identify
accepted processes of change in the
culture.
For success, an attitude of mutual

learning & sharing needs to replace the
assumption that majority American
culture provides the expertise while
other cultures provide the practice
context.
Workers must be more aware of their
own cultures worldview, values &
helping processes.
The effective cross-cultural social

worker must understand not only a
cultures definitions of problems & the
subsequent content of helping attempts
but also the process of helping.
In Eskimo treatment
sessions:
confession plays a
central role and the
interaction between
the patient, Shaman
and members of the
community are key
in facilitating this
process.
Learning about cross-cultural practice

involves learning about how change can
be introduced.
Additionally, one must understand the
amount of variance and change within
the culture itself. Heterogeneous
cultures have more difficulty undergoing
rapid changes.
Simply teaching about distinct

ethnocultural groups is not enough
since it runs the risk of developing &
reinforcing stereotypes.
Yet social workers must have
knowledge about specific cultures.
It requires a difficult balance to not
overemphasize cultural differences.
Persons employed in cross-cultural settings

are usually prepared for the personal
adjustments by employer training programs
or other forms of consultation/assistance.
A key to success is raising consciousness of
ones own culture, identification of functional
equivalents across cultures in developmental
& interpersonal issues.
We must recognize our own biases

usually at the most difficult timewhen
we are first entering the new society &
most overwhelmed by adjustment
issues. Strangeness brings about
anxiety & anxiety often leads to
stereotyping.
Need to develop your consciousness of
your own culture.
Being effective requires understanding

of functional equivalents referring to
different behaviors that carry the same
meanings in different cultural contexts.
Process of adaptation involves learning
new cues of the new culture &
functional equivalents in the home
culture.
Language is the key to helping

professionals learn functional
equivalents as well as cultural
variations. Studying a language
presents insights into the culture that
uses the language.
Ideally, intermediate fluency is
necessary!
Theories of psychological &

interpersonal processes often are
culturally relative. Stages of individual
psychosocial development, normal grief
processes, & group development are
culturally influenced.
Rememberthe importance of
becoming bicultural.
VALUES--present one of the most

challenging areas of content for crosscultural practice. They differ across
cultures & professional social work
values vary internationally.
Example value difference of the
individual vs. the community or clan.
To be effective one
must create cultural
distance from ones
own experiences, so
that values &
attitudes that have
worked before are
no longer adequate.
Knowing ones own personal biases,

values & interests (which are a product
of our culture), as well as ones own
culture will greatly enhance your
sensitivity toward other cultures.
The following questions can serve as a
reference point:
1. What is my cultural heritage? What

was the culture of my parents &
grandparents? With what cultural
group(s) do I identify?
2. What is the cultural relevance of my
name?
3. What values, beliefs, opinions, &
attitudes do I hold consistent with the
dominate culture?
Contd. Which are inconsistent? How

did I learn these?
4. How did I decide to become a social
worker? What cultural standards were
involved in the process?
5. What unique abilities, aspirations &
limitations do I have that might influence
relations in a different culture?
The culturally sensitive individual must

be cognizant of world events & how
members of various cultures translate
those events into personal meaning.
Knowledge of the culture in a clients
country of origin provides the helper
with a more complete picture of that
clients worldview.
Culture can be defined as: all behavior

patterns socially acquired & socially
transmitted by means of
symbols.including customs,
techniques, beliefs, institutions, &
material objects. The primary mode of
transmission of culture is language.
People learn, experience & share their
traditions & customs.
Williams identified cultural themes:

1. Achievement & success
2. Activity & work
3. Humanitarian mores
4. Moral orientation
5. Efficiency & practicality
6. Progress
Williams themes contd.
7. Material comfort
8. Equality
9. Freedom
10. External conformity
11. Science & secular rationality
12. Nationalism-patriotism
13. Democracy
Williams themes contd.
14. Individual personality

15. Racism & related group superiority
We need to know how that culture
defines a psychologically healthy
individual, reinforces the family &
defines the concept of community in
terms of size & who is included in it.
There are many elements of culture to

examine: sociopolitical factors, the
cultures history of oppression, poverty
& racism within the culture, influence of
language, arts & religion, child-rearing
practices, family role & structure, values
& attitudes, & the degree of opposition
to acculturation.
Principles:
The members of any given cultural
group are not all alike.
We must understand & have empathy
for those events from the past that have
impact on the present.
Learn the dominate language.
Significant attention should be given to

nonverbal communication. Remember
research indicates that in any given
message 7% is given verbally, 38% is
vocal & 55% is facial. We must learn &
appreciate the nonverbal
communication within the cultural
context.
Remember the importance of clarifying

the definition of normality within the
cultural group, the place of the
individual within the system, how
independence is treated within the
culture, the place of support in the
culture, & the meaning of personal
change.
Without increased
cultural
understanding we
can only anticipate
an increase in
conflict & wars in the
world.
Currently, some
wars have lasted for
more than 30 years
Multicultural Misunderstanding
No fewer than 160

violent & potentially
violent domestic &
international
conflicts confront
humankind around
the world.
Post-Cold War world
has a variety of
security problems.
Ethnic nationalism has been a critical

factor in increasing regional & global
conflicts.
Political mobilization takes place around
ethnic markers and in some countries
political parties are nothing more than
ethnic parties.
Recent
technological
advances in warfare
have significantly
heightened its
dangers &
devastating effect
for humankind.
Most of the
casualties in
wartime have not
been injured by
bombs, mines or
bullets but have died
as a result of
starvation and/or
sickness.
One of the saddest & most distressing

realities is that most wars have been
fought in those countries that can least
afford them.
Manipulation of food supplies has been
a tactic of warfare.
Even water can be a weapon of
destruction.
UNDP has estimated that redirecting

just 1/4 of military expenditures in
developing countries could provide
additional resources to implement most
of a program aimed at primary health
care for the entire population,
immunization for all children, elimination
of malnutrition, safe drinking water,
universal primary education, etc.
Between 1945 & 1988 the UN has

initiated 13 peacekeeping operations.
From 1988 to 1994, 22 new
peacekeeping operations were
approved.
Preventive diplomacy is an evolving
concept. This policy led to creation of
UN Prevention Deployment Force
(UNPREDEP).
Preventive action can be used where

there is an emergency conflict, with the
primary objective of deterring the
escalation of that situation into armed
conflict.
Social work is ideally suited to work in
the emergency relief & rehabilitation
programs needed in early & midcrisis
phases of ethnic conflict.
Specialized skills are needed for

monitoring & reporting human rights
violations as well as reporting
humanitarian concerns. Social workers
need to contribute to the planning and
implementation of preventive action &
peace-building programs.
They should also help to develop Early
Warning Models to forecast disasters.
Social workers need an orientation to

the UN system, international relations,
international regimes, declarations,
conventions, standards & rights.
Work with the media is a capability that
must be acquired as well.
No part of the planet remains in

isolation. Peace is everybodys
concern. Social workers who stand for
human dignity, freedom, & social
justice, have a professional obligation to
contribute to global security and
international cooperation.

International Social Work10-13

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International Social Work10-13

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International Social Work

Why is Intl Social Work

What examples do you have?

Intl. Social Work

1. Social agency caseloads have

History of Intl. Social Work

Role of COS & Settlement House

Social Work in World War II

Post War Changes

Social work was officially abolished after

November 1943 --established

With the est. of

Time period of independence

1970s & Rejection of the West

New nations reject Western models of

Latin American Social Work

New opportunities occurred with the

1956 CSWE forms working committee

Healys Definition of Intl. Social

1. Internationally related Domestic

Intl. Survey Results

Survey Results contd.

Intergovernmental social welfare

NASW & Intl. Social Work

By 1999 NASW had begun to focus on

SW & International Practice

Rosenthal in her 1991 article stated that

Elements of Occupational Choice

General Values & Skills

General Values & Skills

1. Freedom to relocate from the US

Rosenthal Study Findings

Social Workers reported a lack of

Globalization from Below

What does CSWE CPS really mean?

Social workers can share information

List generated of potential student

Perhaps most significant is the