Celebrating World Social Work Day

By Luke Aldred

World Social Work Day is being celebrated on Tuesday 17th March 2020. As this day approaches, we wanted to draw your attention to a range of events which are taking place across the UK to celebrate and recognise the social work profession.

The international day of recognition (which is now in its 37th year) is designed to appreciate the achievements of social workers from around the globe. Launched by the International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW) in 1983, World Social Work Day encourages social workers to stand together and share a common message. The campaign is focusing on “Promoting the Importance of Human Relationships”.

The British Association of Social Workers (BASW) has devised a schedule of events throughout the UK including film screenings, conferences and workshops. A full list of events (plus booking information) is available on their website.

Many universities are also hosting events for World Social Work Day; for example, the London Metropolitan University is running a half-day workshop featuring a keynote speech from Dr. Sevasti-Melissa Nolas, Senior Lecturer in Sociology at Goldsmiths, University of London. The West Midlands Teaching Partnership are holding a free event in Staffordshire, as is the University of Salford.

It’s exciting to learn that World Social Work Day will be officially celebrated by the IFSW at the United Nations building in New York City. It shows the impact of social workers on a global level and raises awareness of social works’ valuable contribution to society.

Each year, more and more events are being held by local authorities, professional organisations, and universities. It’s a remarkable way of celebrating such a fantastic profession.

How will you be celebrating World Social Work Day? We’d love to hear about anything you have planned for the day, and you can join in the conversation online using the hashtag #worldsocialworkday2020