The annual Day on Peace is a signal for all of us, drawing our attention to the importance of peace. This year, the topic of Peace is combined with the ‘Sustainable Development Goals’(SDGs), indeed a good choice. The absence of peace, namely conflict and wars are the most devastating environment for people and nature and it impedes a positive growth and development.
On this occasion, Social Workers can proudly highlight their professional work as daily work for peace. Peace within society is not something that we reach easily, nor is given by nature. It is accomplished by people who contribute to cohesion by seeing the other people of a community and care, by social workers who facilitate conflictive discussions among communities and families, and advocate for the people we work with. Always, peace is made by people like social workers who go the extra mile with endurance, aiming to change (or saving) systems for the better, for all age groups, for all peoples and nature.
Besides the people, we must state that clearly, peace is most of all an accomplishment of politicians, where the society is largely excluded. However, by the same nations, as United Nations agreement on the SDGs, a new foundation has been given that social workers can use for their advocacy. It is a commitment of States to share more power with the communities and support local development in a more democratic manner and towards an eco-social world.
This year, the world celebrates halfway of the SDGs Agenda 2030. Several good practices let us hope that people will bring the transformation to a peaceful eco-social world.
I wish all my more than 5 million social work colleagues to help reaching peace globally – and I wish to all colleagues not living in a peaceful area the power, passion, and endurance and most of all: strong partnership to create a peaceful and safe place.
IFSW urges people in powerful positions such as governments, military and paramilitary, faith-based organizations, banks, economy, etc. to treat civilians with respect and dignity and enable them to live in a peaceful and safe world.
Priska Fleischlin
IFSW United Nations Commissioner
Resources
‘Peace begins with me’ is a video produced by the UN, an invitation to everyone to reflect
https://youtu.be/XaMEAF592as?si=MsCyoJSCunf91CMt
IFSW policy paper on Social Work and the SDGs
https://www.ifsw.org/new-policy-paper-social-work-and-the-united-nations-sustainable-development-goals-sdgs/
IFSW policy paper for a new eco-socal world
https://www.ifsw.org/the-role-of-social-workers-in-advancing-a-new-eco-social-world/
In our work as Representative of the International Federation of Social Workers to the United Nations, we refer to the work our colleagues (you!) are doing. Our shared definition on social Work but also the code of ethics are guiding documents, among narratives of daily social work that we know from various regions. In some cases we agree with the UN, in others we don’t and this is where advocacy for Social Workers and the people we work with begins.