What is the role of the social work profession in building new global values?

The International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW) has announced a ‘People’s Summit’ to bring together individuals, communities, people of lived experiences, and global organisations to share a combined worldwide conversation on the creation of universally shared values.

The values will help to inform the basis for what the event partners are calling a ‘new eco-social world that leaves no one behind’.

The Summit will provide a space for individuals, as well as group representatives, to put forward their ideas and provide a platform for engagement across different cultures, diverse lived experiences, and perspectives. The contributions will shape the Global Values Declaration that will be delivered to the United Nations High-Level Political Forum in July 2022, which the IFSW says will create a catalyst for further global action.

The vision for the Summit emerged from the pandemic, the climatic crisis, and the need to build a world based on values that shape policies and practices that work for people across cultures.

“We think this is the time. We’ve got climate change, we’ve got economic crises, we’ve got now a pandemic all of these need a global solution. We need new global values,” Rory Truell, Secretary-General of the IFSW and Co-Facilitator of the People’s Summit said, speaking to Social Work Today.

The historical role the social work profession in shaping world values with others was also highlighted.

“Social work is no stranger to social change, of course. It’s the bread and butter of what we do.”

“It’s been absolutely wonderful as we’ve worked with this growing list of partners, this growing list of international organisations […] it’s been wonderful to hear them say: they’re not surprised that social work is initiating this need for change.”

“They commented: wasn’t it social workers that helped develop the International Declaration of Human Rights? Wasn’t it social workers that helped develop The New Deal in the 20s and 30s, and again in the 40s?

“It’s been wonderful to have that affirmation of the role of social work in the change process of society.”

The Summit’s partners include the world’s trade unions, health sectors, the FaithInvest network, global student bodies, international social work associations, and United Nations agencies.

The IFSW is now calling for action from the social work profession to engage with people and their communities to help to build a global conversation on values and actions needed to ensure there is “a sustainable world to enjoy, where there is reciprocal confidence, trust and respect so that everyone knows they belong.”

Representing IFSW in the summit partner´s group, President Silvana Martinez said: “As a founding partner to the People´s Summit, IFSW has contributed to the summit’s common values, our international social work experience, including indigenous knowledge of sustainable communities, in promoting equality, rights and justice for all.”

“I am particularly pleased that in the discussion of our shared values, the summit partners have agreed to incorporate the values of the indigenous movement of Buen Vivir from South America. Their values sit alongside our social work principles which include other indigenous philosophies such as Ubuntu from Africa.”