World Social Work Day commemorated

Today has been marked as the World Social Work Day, to celebrate the outstanding performance by social workers and highlight the importance of their profession altogether.

The Department of Social Development has released a statement in celebration of the day, pinpointing social work as a critical and a necessity for all communities.

“The social work profession is primarily tasked with facilitating social change and development, social cohesion and the empowerment and liberation of people and at a quick glance. This sounds like an easy task, but considering the dynamics which are involved, in a country like South Africa, this becomes a mammoth task, even more so with the limited resources available,” reads the statement.

According to the department, the 2015 international theme for Social Work Day is “Promoting the dignity and worth of people”. This is based on the second pillar of the Global Agenda for Social Work and Social Development, key aspects of which include:

• Protecting the rights of all peoples including children, women, people with disabilities, older people, and indigenous peoples
• Ending discrimination
• Advocating the rights of people to move within and between countries, and the rights of migrants (both documented and undocumented) to have access to human services
• The elimination of human trafficking
• Promoting peaceful prevention and resolution of conflict

MEC for the development, Miss Nomsa Mtshweni, has appreciated the work done by social workers in society.

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank all Social Workers; in the public sector, private and NGOs for your relentless efforts. These efforts have a positive impact on others, it empowers others to develop strategies and mechanisms to solve their own problems and protects the vulnerable and support those in need,” she said.