1. Copyright © 2010 Thompson Educational Publishing, Inc.
SOCIAL WORK IN CANADA An Introduction Third Edition
Chapter 16: International Social Work Practice
Chapter 16:
International Social Work Practice
Social Work In Canada
Copyright © 2010 Thompson Educational Publishing, Inc.

2. International Social Work Practice
What is International Social Work?
International Social Work Practice Models
The Promotion and Protection of Human Rights
Ensuring Sustainable Development
The Human Development Report
What Do International Social Workers Do?
The Internet and International Social Work
Participatory Action Research
Chapter 16:
International Social Work Practice
Social Work In Canada
Copyright © 2010 Thompson Educational Publishing, Inc.

3. What is International Social Work?
Possible Meanings:
Comparative social welfare
Work within international organizations, particularly in underdeveloped regions
Day-to-day work social workers do in a country other than their own
Chapter 16:
International Social Work Practice
Social Work In Canada
Copyright © 2010 Thompson Educational Publishing, Inc.

4. What is International Social Work?
The North-South Divide:
Poverty levels in countries of the global south are high
Difficult for social workers to effect major change at local levels
Social work activists increasingly focusing on two guiding principles:
promotion and protection of human rights, and
ensuring sustainable development
Chapter 16:
International Social Work Practice
Social Work In Canada
Copyright © 2010 Thompson Educational Publishing, Inc.

5. International Social Work Practice Models
Social Welfare Model
New World Order Model
Social Development Model
Chapter 16:
International Social Work Practice
Social Work In Canada
Copyright © 2010 Thompson Educational Publishing, Inc.

6. International Social Work Practice Models
Social Welfare Model
More conventional model of international social work
Help move countries through the necessary stages of development
Satisfaction of basic social and material needs of people
Chapter 16:
International Social Work Practice
Social Work In Canada
Copyright © 2010 Thompson Educational Publishing, Inc.

7. International Social Work Practice Models
New World Order Model
Concerned with bringing about widespread change:
Active participation in transformation process
World peace and war prevention
Alleviation of human suffering in the world
Creation of effective systems of social protection and social service provision
Increased social and political justice
Protection and enhancement of the natural environment
Chapter 16:
International Social Work Practice
Social Work In Canada
Copyright © 2010 Thompson Educational Publishing, Inc.

8. International Social Work Practice Models
Social Development Model
Somewhere between the Social Welfare Model and the New World Order Model
Addresses immediate causes of human degradation, powerlessness, and social inequality
Guides collective action towards the elimination of all forms of oppression, injustice, and violence
Chapter 16:
International Social Work Practice
Social Work In Canada
Copyright © 2010 Thompson Educational Publishing, Inc.

9. International Social Work Practice Models
Respect for Cultural Diversity
Cultural competence emphasizes understanding the cultural frame of reference of the client
Avoid stereotypes based on a limited knowledge of another culture
Cultural competence is increasingly necessary skill set in our work, home, and community lives
Chapter 16:
International Social Work Practice
Social Work In Canada
Copyright © 2010 Thompson Educational Publishing, Inc.

10. Promotion and Protection of Human Rights
Individuals possess certain inalienable political
and civil rights:
Part of our human heritage
Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations in 1948
Chapter 16:
International Social Work Practice
Social Work In Canada
Copyright © 2010 Thompson Educational Publishing, Inc.

11. Promotion and Protection of Human Rights
Three Types of Human Rights:
Negative rights
Positive rights
Collective rights
Chapter 16:
International Social Work Practice
Social Work In Canada
Copyright © 2010 Thompson Educational Publishing, Inc.

12. Promotion and Protection of Human Rights
Negative Rights:
Protection of basic rights such as freedom from
torture, false imprisonment, or summary execution.
Positive Rights:
Employment rights, housing and health care rights, as well
as the right to social security.
Chapter 16:
International Social Work Practice
Social Work In Canada
Copyright © 2010 Thompson Educational Publishing, Inc.

13. Promotion and Protection of Human Rights
Collective Rights:
Such things as self-determination, economic and
social development, healthy environment, communication,
cultural heritage, and sustainability.
Chapter 16:
International Social Work Practice
Social Work In Canada
Copyright © 2010 Thompson Educational Publishing, Inc.

14. Promotion and Protection of Human Rights
International Policy on Human Rights
The International Policy on Human Rights has been adopted by the International Federation of Social Work (IFSW)
Responsibility to advance the cause of human rights throughout the world
Not only to respect human rights, but to oppose and eliminate all violations of human rights
Chapter 16:
International Social Work Practice
Social Work In Canada
Copyright © 2010 Thompson Educational Publishing, Inc.

15. Ensuring Sustainable Development
“Sustainable development is development that
meets the needs of the present without compromising the
ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”
(World Commission 1987, 43)
Chapter 16:
International Social Work Practice
Social Work In Canada
Copyright © 2010 Thompson Educational Publishing, Inc.

16. Ensuring Sustainable Development
Sustainable Social Progress
A central organizing principle for international social
workers with three basic premises:
Equity and justice for all
Long-term view
Structural understanding of the society
Chapter 16:
International Social Work Practice
Social Work In Canada
Copyright © 2010 Thompson Educational Publishing, Inc.

17. Copyright © 2010 Thompson Educational Publishing, Inc.
Chapter 16:
International Social Work Practice
Social Work In Canada
Copyright © 2010 Thompson Educational Publishing, Inc.

18. The Human Development Report
Independent report released each year by United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
Goes beyond income alone and assesses the level of people’s long-term well-being
Emphasizes that the goals of development are choices and freedoms
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International Social Work Practice
Social Work In Canada
Copyright © 2010 Thompson Educational Publishing, Inc.

19. The Human Development Report
There are four composite indices for human
development:
Human Development Index
Gender-related Development Index
Gender Empowerment Measure
Human Poverty Index
Chapter 16:
International Social Work Practice
Social Work In Canada
Copyright © 2010 Thompson Educational Publishing, Inc.

20. The Human Development Report
The Human Development Index
Powerful starting point for understanding human development
Focuses on three basic dimensions of development:
Long and healthy life (life expectancy)
Knowledge (literacy rate)
Decent standard of living (GDP per capita)
Chapter 16:
International Social Work Practice
Social Work In Canada
Copyright © 2010 Thompson Educational Publishing, Inc.

21. What Do International Social Workers Do?
International social workers perform a wide range of
activities in a variety of national, international, and
overseas organizations. These organizations include:
International intergovernmental organizations
Non-governmental organizations
Churches and other humanitarian organizations
Community organizations
Chapter 16:
International Social Work Practice
Social Work In Canada
Copyright © 2010 Thompson Educational Publishing, Inc.

22. What Do International Social Workers Do?
International Intergovernmental Organizations
The United Nations (UN) is best known, with twelve specialized agencies (UN Development Programme, UNICEF, World Health Organization)
Social workers participate as analysts and direct practitioners
Chapter 16:
International Social Work Practice
Social Work In Canada
Copyright © 2010 Thompson Educational Publishing, Inc.

23. What Do International Social Workers Do?
Non-Governmental Organizations
International organizations, not directly related to government
Work on issues related to political or philosophical stance
Frequently work in peace building and conflict resolution
Chapter 16:
International Social Work Practice
Social Work In Canada
Copyright © 2010 Thompson Educational Publishing, Inc.

24. What Do International Social Workers Do?
Churches and Other Organizations
Extensive overseas humanitarian programs
Large international grant foundations employ social workers as consultants, field representatives, and directors for programs
Canadian government also maintains offices in many countries
Chapter 16:
International Social Work Practice
Social Work In Canada
Copyright © 2010 Thompson Educational Publishing, Inc.

25. What Do International Social Workers Do?
International Community Work
Problem solving and planning effective social services
Bringing about major social change between nations, within nations, and between groups of people
Working to achieve fullest participation of community members in transforming various aspects of their lives
Empowering - “sense in people that they have the ability and right to influence their environment” (Lee, B. 1999, 43)
Chapter 16:
International Social Work Practice
Social Work In Canada
Copyright © 2010 Thompson Educational Publishing, Inc.

26. What Do International Social Workers Do?
Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA)
Canada’s lead agency for development assistance
Established in 1968 to administer Canada’s official development assistance (ODA) program
Chapter 16:
International Social Work Practice
Social Work In Canada
Copyright © 2010 Thompson Educational Publishing, Inc.

27. What Do International Social Workers Do?
CIDA’s priorities are:
poverty reduction
democratic governance
private sector development
health
basic education
equality between women and men
environmental sustainability
Chapter 16:
International Social Work Practice
Social Work In Canada
Copyright © 2010 Thompson Educational Publishing, Inc.

28. The Internet and International Social Work
Connects people and communities for the promotion of social justice and peace
Being used for electronic advocacy, human rights protection, and community building
Chapter 16:
International Social Work Practice
Social Work In Canada
Copyright © 2010 Thompson Educational Publishing, Inc.

29. The Internet and International Social Work
Electronic Advocacy
Using communication and information technologies to disseminate information and mobilize support to influence decision-making processes or policy change
Connect with people who would have been unreachable in the pre-Internet era
Familiarity with online communication is becoming part of the skill set of international social workers
Chapter 16:
International Social Work Practice
Social Work In Canada
Copyright © 2010 Thompson Educational Publishing, Inc.

30. The Internet and International Social Work
The Digital Divide
Important social justice issue in its own right
Unequal access to information technology becomes especially important in the context of international social work
Chapter 16:
International Social Work Practice
Social Work In Canada
Copyright © 2010 Thompson Educational Publishing, Inc.

31. Participatory Action Research
Useful set of techniques to bring about social change
Combines three types of activity: investigation, education, and action
PAR is ideally carried out by local people for local people
Often the process is continuous
Chapter 16:
International Social Work Practice
Social Work In Canada
Copyright © 2010 Thompson Educational Publishing, Inc.

32. Copyright © 2010 Thompson Educational Publishing, Inc.
Websites
New Internationalist
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
Heritage Canada Human Rights Program
Chapter 16:
International Social Work Practice
Social Work In Canada
Copyright © 2010 Thompson Educational Publishing, Inc.

33. Questions for Discussion
Why is it important for social workers to
understand their own cultural contexts before
working with others with diverse cultural
backgrounds?
Chapter 16:
International Social Work Practice
Social Work In Canada
Copyright © 2010 Thompson Educational Publishing, Inc.

34. Questions for Discussion
Describe the role of faith-based organizations in
international humanitarian work. What are the
benefits of faith-based organizations’
involvement in this arena? What are some
challenges?
Chapter 16:
International Social Work Practice
Social Work In Canada
Copyright © 2010 Thompson Educational Publishing, Inc.

35. Questions for Discussion
Which areas/populations in Canada might be
categorized more as belonging in the “global
south” than in the “global north”?
Chapter 16:
International Social Work Practice
Social Work In Canada
Copyright © 2010 Thompson Educational Publishing, Inc.

36. Questions for Discussion
What are some of the benefits of using a PAR
approach to community work? What are some
challenges, particularly for social workers
coming from Canada?
Chapter 16:
International Social Work Practice
Social Work In Canada
Copyright © 2010 Thompson Educational Publishing, Inc.

37. Questions for Discussion
Give an example of electronic advocacy in
action. How was technology used? Do you think
its use affected the outcome in the situation?
Chapter 16:
International Social Work Practice
Social Work In Canada
Copyright © 2010 Thompson Educational Publishing, Inc.