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Assistant Professor of Social Work Evelyn Tomaszewski outlines social workers’ key role in creating and building partnerships that commit to a sustainable and just approach to battling global issues.
Social workers can play a vital role in addressing growing global inequities resulting from public health crises such as climate change, pandemics, natural and purposeful environmental destruction, and conflict. These inequities diminish human and environmental rights. Assistant Professor of Social Work Evelyn Tomaszewski co-authored the International Federation of Social Work (ISFW) United Nation’s (UN) Commission’s Eco-Social World Policy in her role as a North American UN Commissioner for IFSW.
An eco-social world is where countries, communities, and people work together to create sustainable and just communities and environments for all people, across the globe.
“This paper is a call to action for social workers and all persons to commit to building relationships and partnerships across communities and governance, including access to and equitable distribution of resources, as critical to ensuring success of the UN Sustainable Development Goals,” said Tomaszewski. Only through co-building a new eco-social world can we ensure a sustainable and fairer world for all of us and future generations, the paper states.
This is an emerging approach to global social work practice that aligns with the social work values of the dignity and respect for each person and honoring the diversity of individuals and communities.
“The social, economic, and environmental crises experienced worldwide have a profound impact on clients and communities, creating fewer resources and great human need,” said Tomaszewski. “We are in dire need of a transformation of the political and economic systems. As both rights holders and duty bearers, we each have a role in creating and supporting policies and practices to take action to build sustainable development and create well-being for all people.”
“The Role of Social Workers in Advancing a New Eco-Social World” was written by Tomaszewski and her fellow IFSW United Nation Commission members Anne Deepak; and Shenae Osborn; and Sebastian Cordoba.