Orientation for new delegates

IFSW General Meeting, Geneva, Switzerland, 10-12 July 2002

Dear Colleagues

A very warm welcome to your first General Meeting of the International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW).

This package of information has been designed to help you make the most of the General Meeting in both the formal and informal sessions.

We are always pleased to welcome new delegates to our meeting as this provides a unique opportunity for you to gain insight into the IFSW and international social work and for all present to gain from your experience.

We are however aware that the first meeting can be overwhelming and difficult to understand without some assistance.

We would ask you to read the attached material in addition to the papers for the General Meeting, which is being held in Geneva 10 - 12 July 2002. We ask you, wherever possible to be on time at the first session. This will provide you with an opportunity to meet the Members of the Executive Committee and other delegates. We will of course be there and look forward to meeting you at that time.

Networking is one of the great opportunities that a General Meeting presents. We hope that you will make use of the chance to meet your colleagues from around the globe. Be sure to bring your business cards or contact details to give out to people with whom you wish to remain in contact.

We look forward to seeing you on 10 July 2002 at 2:00pm (14.00 hrs).

Warm regards

Imelda Dodds, President
Tom Johannesen, Secretary General

An Orientation for Delegates attending for the first time

A Truly International Event

The 2002 General Meeting of the IFSW calls together the 78 Member organisations that in turn represent 500,000 social workers from around the world.

While it is unlikely that every organisation in membership will be present you can expect around half the membership to present representing organisations from all five regions.

Social work is a very diverse profession. We bring to the table a wide range of cultural, linguistic and social work traditions. It will help you to function well at the meeting if you remember that your colleagues will come from different traditions to your own. It is a rich and rewarding experience to share information about our respective traditions, both cultural and professional.

Our History

The International Federation of Social Workers is a successor to the International Permanent Secretariat of Social Workers, which was founded in Paris in 1928 and was active until the outbreak of World War II. It was not until 1950, at the time of the International Conference of Social Work in Paris, that the decision was made to create the International Federation of Social Workers, an international organization of professional social workers.

The original agreement was that the IFSW would come into being when seven national organizations agreed to become members. After much preliminary work, the Federation was finally founded in 1956 at the time of the meeting of the International Conference on Social Welfare in Munich, Germany.

Since 1959, IFSW has been accredited to the United Nations Economic and Social Council as an organisation with Special Consultative Status. This means that we through designated representatives in the UN centers in Geneva, New York and Vienna are working closely and on a regular basis with the United Nations and other international non-governmental organisations. Our task is to express social work experiences from around the world when UN programs and projects are developed.

The Aims of IFSW

The Aims of the Federations are contained in Articles 4 of the Constitution. They are:

a) To promote Social Work as a profession through international co-operation, especially regarding professional values, standards, ethics, human rights, recognition, training and working conditions.

b) To promote the establishment of national organisations of social workers or professional unions for social workers and when needed national co-ordinating bodies (hereinafter referred to collectively as "organisations" of social workers) where they do not exist.

c) To support organisations in promoting the participation of social workers in social planning and the formulation of social policies, nationally and internationally and the recognition of social work, enhancement of social work training as well as of values and professional standards of social work.

d) To encourage co-operation between social workers of all countries.

e) To provide means for discussion and the exchange of ideas and experience through meetings, study visits, research projects, exchanges, publications and other methods of communication.

f) To establish and maintain relationships with, and to present and promote the view of social work to, international organisations relevant to social development and welfare.

The Constitution of IFSW

The Constitution of any organisation must be a living document. So it is with the IFSW. Your organisation should have a copy of the Constitution last amended in Montreal 2000. If not it is available at our web site www.ifsw.org You should ensure that you bring your copy of the Constitution to the Meeting.

The Geneva General Meeting will devote some time to the Constitution. This is a direct result of requested changes discussed at the last General Meeting in Montreal. For a full description of the proposed changes we refer you to the paper Proposed Constitutional Changes for the International Federation of Social Workers. This paper was circulated to your organisation on 14 March, 2002.

Structure

The IFSW is structurally arranged in five regions. They are Africa, Asia & Pacific, Europe, Latin America and Caribbean and North America.

The General Meeting is the supreme decision making body of the IFSW. It meets in person every two years and usually convenes immediately before the World Conference. At the meeting, each member organisation can have up to three delegates and in addition to this observers.

Between meetings the membership may be required to submit postal votes on matters that are considered to be straightforward.

The Executive Committee is elected by the General Meeting to carry out the business of the IFSW. It is comprised of the President, 5 Vice Presidents, The Treasurer and 10 Members at Large. It meets annually and in conjunction with a regional Conference and then again immediately before the General Meeting.

The Staff of the IFSW is modest in number but very effective. The Secretary General is the principal position in the Federation and is responsible for the day to day operations of the IFSW. He is supported by the part time position of the Communications Officer. The Secretary General is Tom Johannesen and the Communications Officer is Lisbeth Mattsson.

The Volunteers are numerous and currently totaling over 80 individuals worldwide. They serve on various committees, working parties, as representatives of the IFSW or on dedicated projects.

Programmes of IFSW

For a full description of each area you are referred to the IFSW Action Plan 2000-2002 or the 2002-2004 Plan enclosed with the papers for the Meeting.

The Plan provides a summary of the objectives of each area and the work undertaken.

Friends of IFSW are the way in which individuals can engage with the work of the IFSW. As you know the members are actually the national bodies. Many social workers have expressed their personal support for the work of IFSW by becoming a Friend. You can find more information at the IFSW web site.

Membership

Membership is open to national bodies that represent social workers and can demonstrate that they meet the criteria for membership. These include evidence of post secondary education in a social work course, a Code of Ethics or commitment to the IFSW principals. The main reason for existence of the organisation must be to represent social workers.

In many countries there are more than one organisation who represent social workers. When this occurs and more than one wishes to enter membership they are required to form a co-ordinating body.

Finances

75 % of the operating funds for the IFSW come from membership dues. At the present stage the fees are calculated on CHF 1.40 per member of each organisation. There are both minimum and maximum fees applicable.

Other sources of funding include income from the Friends of IFSW program, special funds and project funding when applicable.

A Word about Language

The IFSW operates in three official languages. They are English, French & Spanish. Many other languages are of course spoken at the meeting, however we operate in these three languages.

The entire meeting is normally simultaneously translated in the three official languages. At this meeting, however, interpretation is provided only to Spanish. There are many things to remember when working with interpretation.

There is headset at your seat. You can either hear the Spanish translation or listen to what is being said in English. It can often be easier to follow what is being said in English by using the headset.

We use highly skilled interpreters. However they are human and you must have regard for their task if you hope to communicate effectively. They following tips will help.

Speak slowly and in short sentences. Pause briefly between sentences to allow the interpretation to finish. Use simple clear language that will be easy to interpret and understand Do not use idiom, colloquial or slang language – it only has meaning to you and your delegation and can easily be misunderstood and or give offence (however unattended that may be) Do not use abbreviations, they may not be known to everybody. If you absolutely must use a local term explain what you mean by it – otherwise your message will be completely lost. Beware of jokes and humour. They are the hardest thing to interpret and very often there is not interpretation or they may unwittingly give offense.

It takes a little while to adjust to using interpretation but once you have it is a skill you will never forget and always value.

Rules of the Game

We do not expect delegates to be able to recite the constitution, however you should take time to read Articles 1-16 inclusive. That will give you a background on the organisations, its structure and the role of the General Meeting.

Format of the Meeting

Because of the number of delegates and the amount and nature of the business it is necessary to conduct the meeting in a formal manner.

At the commencement of the Meeting the Secretary-General will conduct a roll call of member organisations to register which organisations are present.

Each delegation will be given a card with your country flag, which you use to vote or show that you wish to be recognised in order to address the meeting. Some member organisations bring a small national flag to put on the table in front of their delegation.

Papers Required

The papers, which form the basis of the meeting, are circulated to Member organisations 40 days ahead of the Meeting together with the Agenda. In addition to these papers it is essential that you bring with you at least a copy of the Constitution plus any other papers that may be requested in correspondence.

Many of the papers will be in English only. This is because despite our best endeavours we cannot afford to have every document translated.

Some of the documents may be complex and you may not understand the topic to begin with. Do not hesitate to ask for clarification.

Your Role

If you are a delegate then your role is to represent the views of your organisation (coordinating body). It is not your role to extend personal views. If you do present a personal view at any time please be sure to make that clear for the purposes of the record.

Dealing with Motions

Throughout the course of the meeting a number of motions will be put to the meeting. The vast majority are procedural, that is in order to run the meeting. Examples are motions to adopt a report and its recommendations.

Motions that relate to a change in the Constitution or seek to direct the IFSW in relations to change or structure must be tabled in advance of the meeting so that all member organisations have the opportunity to consider and vote (in person or by proxy)

It is often the case that member organisations will prepare a motion on a particular topic, e.g., HIV Aids, Treatment of Refugees. If you intend to submit such a motion please make every effort to have it circulated to all members before the meeting, and preferably with the official papers. This will enable all members to consider your motion.

If you arrive with it at the meeting it will have to lie on the table as members not present have not had the opportunity to consider its contents.

Moving a motion

Any motion must be moved by one organisation and then seconded by another. It is always important to remember that by moving or seconding a motion you are not necessarily agreeing with the motion. You are simply putting it up for discussion and subsequent vote.

If the motion is a new motion and is not already formulated in the papers please write it down to pass up to the Meeting Secretary.

Speaking to Motions

You indicate your wish to speak to an item by raising your national card.

When it is your turn to speak raise your hand and press the microphone button to make it possible for the operator to know where you are.

When you speak to the item please remain seated to remain close to the microphone and remember the following

Your comments are being translated – speak slowly Be clear and precise Do not talk for too long – 2 minutes is a good guide unless you are actually presenting the item. Speak to your main points

Voting

Each country has 1 vote. Members of the Executive Committee do not vote in their own right, except the President who holds the decisive vote.

Voting is usually by a show of cards. Silent ballots can be used and are always used for the elections process.

Lobbying

There is likely to be a number of issues which you will have views about. You may wish to gain support for your view and the classical lobbying process is the most useful. We aim to provide an agenda that will allow time for lobbying and discussion to occur before key decisions are taken.

It is a common error to believe that you must be heard by all present in order to get your view across. Dominating the meeting (whether intended or by accident) can have a negative effect. Caucusing and lobbying will be a more effective way of gaining support for a position.

Elections

The 2002 elections will be different to those that have gone before. The IFSW is in the process of constitutional change. Part of that change relates to the size of the Executive Committee and the process for elections. Whereas before all positions were elected at the General Meeting there is a proposal that regional elections occur in those meetings and that only the President and Treasurer be elected by the whole body present at the General Meeting.

For a full description of the proposed changes please read the paper titled Proposed Constitutional Changes for the International Federation of Social Workers which was circulated to all member organisations on 14 March 2002 and is also available at the IFSW web site.

Networking

The eternal question is who to meet? The answer is as many people as possible. Do not hesitate to seek out others and introduce yourself and your organisation. Use it as an opportunity to find out about social work in other countries and the issues that your colleagues are facing across the globe. They will also be interested to hear about critical issues facing social work in your country.

Regional Meetings

Your region will meet either before and/or during the time of the General Meeting. It is vital that you attend this.

If you have a written report please forward it to the Vice President of your region to the Secretary General.

The report should be issues based and describe the key areas of concern and activity for your organisation in relation to IFSW plans. For example work done at a national level to support the Convention on the Rights of the Child, Refugees, HIV etc.

What else should I bring

Business cards or your contact details are a must. If you do not have a business card there is no need to go to the expense of having them printed. A typed page of your contact details that can be photocopied and cut up will suffice.

Your organisation may have material that is wishes to share with colleagues. Examples include back copies of newsletters, journals, publications of various types. There is usually a session on Ethics and Human Rights at our Meetings. Both will be covered in some detail in Geneva. A copy of your Code of Ethics and any material relevant to Human Rights is always welcome.

You may also wish to bring some small national tokens (not expensive) to give to others. Organisational pins are a common token of friendship.

Conclusion

We hope this guide will assist you to make the best of your first General Meeting. While there is a lot of hard work involved in sitting through two an a half days of meeting there is also plenty of opportunity to enjoy the company of your colleagues from around the globe.
We wish you well and trust that you enjoy this process.