Social Workers Stand Up for a New Eco-Social World

Today, PSI salutes and joins social workers worldwide to celebrate World Social Work Day 2022. The third Tuesday in March is marked every year as World Social Work Day (WSWD). It is a day set aside to appreciate the dedication of social workers and the contribution of their work to the expansion of social development and promotion of social justice.

Social work is crucial in our communities. As professionals, social workers aim to enhance people and communities' overall well-being and empowerment.

They are at the forefront of helping reduce mental health stigma and support people with disabilities. They play essential roles in combating child abuse and preventing neglect. The functions of social workers in the provision of social housing and unemployment insurance in welfare states cannot be overemphasized.

With their practice and as researchers, social workers help expand the horizons of social policy and social protection. Trained to help society address social injustices, social workers contribute to implementing concrete measures to tackle poverty.   

The theme for the WSWD is set each year by the International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW), which is the worldwide professional collective of social workers. And the theme for this year is “Co-building a New Eco-Social World: Leaving No One Behind”. It is also the theme for The People’s Global Summit, which will virtually take place on 29 June to 2 July.

This theme is quite timely. The world is enmeshed in ecological and social crises of monumental proportions, and governments are not taking appropriate steps to rein in the profit-driven dynamics driving humankind and the planet towards the precipice of extinction.  

PSI has joined the IFSW and other groups which the federation has brought together to plan for the global summit. We will participate actively in the Summit and encourage people to register and participate. The people and planet must be put before the profit of a few. To win this, we must stand up and speak out, for building a new and more just world.

Once again, we celebrate all social workers, including members of PSI affiliated unions in over a hundred countries. Your work helps make the world go round.