World Social Work Day is an annual event organized to highlight the contribution of social work to society. This day aims to facilitate dialogue with all partners on how best to address social problems. Social work has contributed and continues to contribute to achieving economic and social change, supporting marginalized groups and socially vulnerable communities. Social work promotes the social development of individuals, groups, and communities, facilitates social cohesion during difficult times, supports and protects socially excluded members of communities, and works in partnership with users of social services, communities, and other professions. Social workers help individuals, families, and communities who are disadvantaged in dealing with the impact of negative changes and positively influence their lives. Social workers fundamentally contribute to promoting social cohesion, both through preventive work and by addressing emerging social problems. Social work is therefore an investment in the present and future well-being and happiness of our communities. This year, World Social Work Day is celebrated on March 20.

The International Association of Schools of Social Work (IASSW), the International Council on Social Welfare (ICSW), and the International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW), the three largest global organizations for social work, education, and social development, have joined forces to achieve positive global change in the social sector. These three international organizations are collaborating with the United Nations to address the persistent problems of poverty, inequality, and a non-sustainably favorable social environment.

The Association (IASSW), the Council (ICSW), and the Federation (IFSW) have created and will present a joint document, Global Agenda for Social Work and Social Development: Commitment to Act, in New York at the United Nations headquarters on March 26, 2012. Helen Clark, former Prime Minister of New Zealand and currently Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), will formally receive this document on behalf of the UN. The presidents of the sponsoring organizations (IASSW, ICSW, and IFSW) will be represented at this event.

Heads of permanent delegations of UN member states will be present and will also receive this document on behalf of their countries. Participation in the event will also include leading representatives of non-governmental organizations and more than 600 social workers, social educators, and social development activists.

All three organizations will participate in the 29th UN Social Work Day, which will take place on March 26, 2012. The theme of the day will be "Partnership with the UN: Global Agenda for Social Work and Social Development." It is also traditional to hold a student conference on global aspects of social work.

UN Social Work Day allows people from all over the world—people striving for a better shared life—to meet. For 28 years, students, practitioners, and educators have gathered at the UN to learn about the UN, innovative projects, issues related to international aspects of social work, and the important role of social work at the international and global levels. The author participated in such a UN Social Work Day and a separate student conference of social work schools from across the United States in 2011 (http://bluehawk.monmouth.edu/swork/UN/index.htm). He became convinced that similar events in Slovakia would be justified and that the level of social work education in Slovakia is comparable and its insights could also benefit the USA.

The Global Agenda commits the three organizations to fight the root causes of oppression and inequality and to strive to ensure that people have power over their lives. They have committed to leading a movement to create a more socially just and equal world. All the founding non-governmental organizations were established in 1928. IASSW, ICSW, and IFSW have had consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council for over 60 years.

Over three thousand social workers, social development activists, and educators met in Hong Kong in June 2010 and agreed to create a global movement that will identify the major challenges and problems facing our society (http://www.globalsocialagenda.org). Delegates from the three organizations agreed on a coordinated course of action, drawing on their experience of working with diverse communities. The delegates agreed to focus on issues that most directly affect the social problems addressed in relation to their organizations' focus.

Based on the decisions and consensus reached in Hong Kong, the leaders of the three international organizations (IFSW, IASSW, ICSW), representing the entire global spectrum of social workers (practice), social work educators (pedagogy), and social development activists (civil society), agreed on setting goals to achieve social justice and social development. This year, on

July 8 – 12, 2012, in Stockholm

a continuation and evaluation of work on a joint conference of the three organizations titled Social Work and Social Development will take place.

Social workers, educators, and social development workers are witnessing negative changes in the lives of individuals and communities. It is high time to act together at all levels to achieve positive change, social justice, and the full implementation of universal human rights through social movement initiatives.

Members of the three organizations (IFSW, IASSW, ICSW) recognize that the existing and past world order has an uneven reach and often has a negative impact on people. Therefore, they particularly emphasize that:

  • the full range of human rights is available only to a minority of humanity;
  • an unfair and insufficiently regulated economic system, driven by irresponsible market forces, in discord with international labor standards, and lacking socially responsible business, has harmed the health and social well-being of people and communities, thereby causing poverty and increasing inequalities;
  • cultural diversity and the right to self-realization enhance intellectual, emotional, moral, and spiritual fulfillment; these rights are threatened by globalization, which standardizes and marginalizes nations, with a particularly damaging effect on indigenous peoples;
  • people living in communities benefit from mutual help, which is suppressed by prevailing economic, political, and social forces;
  • human health and social levels suffer from the consequences of inequalities and a deteriorating environment caused by climate change, pollution, wars, natural disasters, and violence, to which there is an inadequate international response.

Therefore, it is necessary to support an alternative order that genuinely upholds respect for human rights, human dignity, and the diversity of human relationships.

These organizations are therefore committed to supporting systems that enable people to have power over their lives and will positively address the causes of oppression and inequality. The aforementioned organizations will collaborate with people who share the same goals to create a more socially just world that we can confidently pass on to future generations.

In the coming period, from 2012 to 2016, they intend to focus primarily on promoting social equity, supporting human dignity, promoting environmental sustainability, and strengthening acceptance of the importance of interpersonal relationships. These commitments will be fulfilled in accordance with the definition of social work and its ethical principles.

The Global Agenda is the result of three years of intensive work by the most representative organizations in social work, education, and civil society with a focus on social development.

The International Federation of Social Workers (http://ifsw.org) is a global federation of national social work organizations from 90 countries worldwide, representing over 750,000 social workers. Among its founders was Alice Masaryková. Within IFSW, its regional European branch operates. Unfortunately, Slovakia is not an active and full member of IFSW. All our neighboring countries are involved in its activities. Therefore, the author of this contribution has taken advantage of the individual possibility to participate in its activities as a special member, a so-called friend of IFSW. It would be good and right for Slovakia to become a regular member very soon, and our social workers should therefore create their own full-fledged representative and professional organization.

The International Association of Schools of Social Work (http://www.iassw-aiets.org/) is an international community of schools and educators in social work that supports improving the quality of education, training, and research in social work theory and practice, social service administration, and social policy development. IASSW represents 2,000 social work schools with about 500,000 students. Within the global association of schools, the European Association of Schools of Social Work (http://www.eassw.org/) operates independently. We also know of the Eastern European branch of social work schools in Ljubljana (http://www.eesrassw.net/). Some Slovak social work schools are currently beginning to show interest in the possibility of such international activity, which would allow them to improve their standing and comparison at the international level. Similarly to the previous case, individual membership is possible, which the author has utilized for IFSW as well.

IFSW, together with IASSW, is the author of the current international ethical code, Ethics in Social Work – Statement of Principles, from 2004. The document contains briefly formulated ethical principles with a short commentary. These should be formulated in more detail and specifically by national social work associations in each country, taking into account local culture, legislation, and other specifics (Mátel, 2010, p. 59). These international organizations also originate the "international definition of social work" (Montreal, 2000): "The social work profession promotes social change, problem-solving in human relationships, as well as the empowerment and liberation of people to enhance well-being. Utilizing theories of human behavior and social systems, social work intervenes at the points where people interact with their environments. Principles of human rights and social justice are fundamental to social work."

The International Council on Social Welfare (http://www.icsw.org/) is a global non-governmental organization representing tens of thousands of organizations from 70 countries worldwide that are actively involved in promoting social development, social security, and social justice. Membership is open only to the most representative national organizations. Only one per country. Slovakia has been represented since the beginning of 2011 by the Standing Conference of Third Sector Organizations of the Slovak Republic (http://www.skts.sk). Miloslav Hetteš is currently the permanent representative of SKTS at ICSW.

In preparing the Global Agenda, the collaboration of social workers, social work educators, and activists and specialists in social development associated with the three sponsoring organizations (IFSW, IASSW, ICSW) was fully utilized. They commit to striving for economic and social equality. This part has a parallel in the European intention of inclusive growth. All organizations will seek to achieve this growth in collaboration with the UN and its agencies. They will focus on preparing development plans for the period after 2015. This period should focus, for example, on the initiative to guarantee minimum social security (this year, there will be a discussion on this within the International Labour Conference), on decent work and international labor standards; on social determinants of health within the WHO, and education for all. It is necessary to support a global economy that promotes social justice, human rights, and sustainable development for people.

It is necessary to support the activities of local communities that aim for sustainable, adequate social security for all their members. These communities must have the opportunity to collaborate with their own governments in expanding social and economic development. IFSW, IASSW, and ICSW will support social work education and the establishment of standards in social work and social development that enable faster achievement of sustainable development.

IFSW, IASSW, and ICSW will strive for the full implementation of international conventions and other instruments on social, cultural, and political rights for all, including, but not limited to, children, seniors, women, persons with disabilities, indigenous peoples (ethnic minorities), and to end discrimination based on race and sexual orientation.

The three organizations will develop social strategies that help build cohesive societies and eliminate the seeds of conflict. It is necessary to renew the commitment to conflict prevention and to international agreements that reduce violence and mitigate its consequences. They will specifically monitor violent responses by states against their citizens who defend their rights. The sponsors of this agenda will protect the right to free movement between states and the right of legal and illegal migrants to social services. In this context, measures to reduce and eliminate human trafficking should be supported.

IFSW, IASSW, and ICSW will support communities and organizations involved in preventing violent conflicts within and between countries. They will help organizations working on the rights of migrants. They will also engage in supporting international, national, and regional entities in combating human trafficking and focusing on respecting cultural differences.

The three organizations, in collaboration with their members, will strive to ensure that laws and practices do not hinder the right to conduct activities in the field of social development. They will support respect for diversity and strengthen education and training for social work and social development professionals, preparing them for ethical and proper conduct regarding gender equality, sexual orientation, and cultural diversity. They will also strive to prepare these professionals to act appropriately in crisis management, human trafficking, and migration.

IFSW, IASSW, and ICSW commit to orienting their activities towards development initiatives that are sustainable and integrated with the human essence. They will strive to fulfill common environmental mandates and commitments. They will seek to improve capacity for addressing environmental challenges and natural disasters (floods, drought, food shortages).

To this end, they will develop standards for education and practice that accelerate sustainable development, improve prevention, and increase the effectiveness of disaster mitigation. They will support research that improves social work's response to natural disasters and environmental challenges. IFSW, IASSW, and ICSW have committed, in collaboration with the UN, to support the sustainability of communities in achieving social development and social security. Therefore, the necessary methodology will also be developed. They will support strong, inclusive communities that allow all their members to participate in common efforts. They will support policies of social integration and cohesion as a means to achieve an adequate economic and social standard for all people, including older persons, persons with disabilities, and those with mental illnesses and learning disorders.

The three organizations themselves will, within their memberships, promote the importance of reducing social isolation and building interaction through social relationships, reinforcing principles of social cohesion, social development, and inclusion in all published principles, policies, and standards regarding social work and social development education and practice.

IFSW, IASSW, and ICSW will support the development, dissemination, and exchange of knowledge among all professionals through all forms of communication. They will strive to develop regional research centers in social work and social development that will contribute to positive outcomes in social work and social development.

IFSW, IASSW, and ICSW are fully committed to implementing this global social agenda during the period 2012 – 2016 in collaboration with all who share its goals and commitments. This intention will be detailed in an implementation plan with the possibility of monitoring and evaluation. They will provide regular information to the global community of social workers, social work educators, and all who are striving for social development.

I believe that in Slovakia, we should also commemorate the significance of social work on World Social Work Day. The results of social work mean a great contribution to society in our country as well. We have opportunities for collaboration between social workers, social work educators, schools, and the non-governmental sector in fulfilling the goals of the global social agenda in our space as well.

The European Commission, in its announcement of November 25, 2011 (Annual Growth Survey, p. 11), recommends creating initiatives that facilitate the development of sectors with the highest job creation potential, including, among others, healthcare and social services ("white-collar jobs"). Our country has enormous reserves here as well.

For the fight against poverty, a new paradigm that replaces the social safety net with a right to a guaranteed social minimum will be of immense importance. Such an initiative will begin to be discussed at the International Labour Conference this June in Geneva, within the ILO (Social Protection Floor, 2011). This was facilitated by the report of the ILO working group led by former President of Chile Michelle Bachelet. Being unemployed is becoming a standard situation. Work does not fully protect against poverty. Neither does education. The number of poor people among the employed is growing (in Europe, about 8% of the poor are employed). Many people will never have full-time work, or will spend a large part of their lives without it. It is necessary to prevent poverty and provide people with a meaningful, sustainable, and dignified life.

According to the report led by Joseph E. Stiglitz, Slovakia is among the countries where the level of gross domestic product does not correspond to the level of people's incomes (Stiglitz, Sen, Fitoussi, 2001, p. 104). In other words, the growth of gross domestic product in Slovakia does not automatically create a better economic situation for households. The price of labor in Slovakia remains dump-like, and the situation on the labor market is not improving. We are a country with the heaviest share of long-term unemployed. Beyond achieving adequate compensation for work, reducing already extreme disparities in living standards, rising poverty, and generational separation—tasks for social policy—the need for social work with the growing, almost unemployable segment of our population is increasing, a segment with very low employability and a lost will to work even if the crisis ends. For all of this, appropriate jobs with adequate pay must be created. It is unbelievable that work in various gambling dens and mindless competitions should have higher value in human society.

An aging society increases pressure on services for the older population. Low birth rates do not create the human potential for employment in this area in the near future. Today's most income-risk group—young people—have a high probability that after they retire, they will again be the most at-risk group, not only in terms of income due to insufficient pension insurance, but also because there will be no people to care for them in old age. Because they were not born. All of this also raises challenges and the need to address the national social agenda.

Author: RNDr. Miloslav Hetteš, CSc. References: Global Agenda For Social Work And Social Development, IFSW, IASSW and ICSW March 2012, 10 p., http://www.goodtvhk.tv/GA_E_8Mar.pdf (note: the document is also attached to the article) HEALY, M., L., HALL, N.: International Organizations In Social Work, p. 223 - 242, in Wagner L., utz R., eds. Internationale Perspektiven Sozialer Arbeit. International Perspectives in Social Work. IKO, 2007,. ISBN: 978-3-88939-875-8. HETTEŠ, M.: Aging of Society, 2011, Bratislava, University of Health Care and Social Work St. Elizabeth, 192 p., ISBN: 978-80-8132-031-6 MÁTEL, A. et al.: Ethics of Social Work, 2010, Bratislava, University of Health Care and Social Work St. Elizabeth, 183 p. ISBN 978-80-89271-85-6 Annual Growth Survey. Communication from the Commission. 19 p., November 25, 2011, Brussels, 17229/11 Social Protection Floor for a Fair and Inclusive Globalization, 2011, ILO, Geneva, Report of the Advisory Board, 117 p., ISBN 978-92-2-1235338-9 STIGLITZ, Joseph E., SEN, Amartya, FITOUSSI, Jean-Paul: Report by the Commission on the Measurement of Economic Performance and Social Progress, 2009, Paris, 292 p., http://www.stiglitz-sen-fitoussi.fr/documents/rapport_anglais.pdf