I am very pleased to send this short greeting to the Aotearoa New Zealand Association of Social Workers and to all social workers on Aotearoa New Zealand Social Workers’ Day being celebrated on 23 September 2009.
This message has special significance this year because I am looking forward to joining you at the Asia-Pacific conference in November, my second visit to your country.
As I meet social workers around the world, I sense that, wherever they are working, social workers are wanting to re-assert their professional vision and to influence the environment in which they practice. In these difficult economic times, governments and societies are recognising the social stresses for individuals and groups. In many senses there is a growing social crisis, with rising concerns about social INjustice, made worse by the consequences of climate change and global social mobility. Governments are looking for solutions – and social work is a major part of the response.
That is why IFSW, IASSW and ICSW have launched a consultation about the future agenda for social work. We are orchestrating a global consultation process within and beyond social work, involving social workers at all levels and from all countries, to identify key issues for our profession, to develop our agenda, and to set our priorities for the second decade of the 21st century as we face up to the social crises of the 21st century. The Auckland conference will make a significant contribution to that consultation.
