Interview with Rory Truell, Secretary-General, IFSW & Co-Facilitator of the People's Summit

IFSW is co-facilitating the ´Co-Building a New Eco-Social World: Leaving No One Behind´ people´s summit. Today’s press release, issued by the summit partners, invites all people globally to contribute their ideas to making this vision a reality.

“We the partners have walked alongside people who have navigated difficult journeys through the current global COVID pandemic. This is against the backdrop of economic, climate and social crises affecting the lives of the majority of the world´s population. We are at a critical time for the sustainability of our planet. We have an opportunity to make a difference”, said Rory Truell as one of the people´s summit facilitators.

The historical role the social work profession in shaping world values with others is highlighted in a video below. IFSW calls for action from the social work profession to engage with people and their communities to build a global conversation on values and actions needed to ensure that we have 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.”

Communication is seen by the people´s summit partners to be at the heart of this process for change. There will be different ways for you to contribute to this mass movement and IFSW invites you and all in our profession to work with your colleagues, the people you work with, your networks and communities to support people´s voices in the summit. Without local involvement sustainable change is not possible.