COMMUNIQUÉ
PREAMBLE
1. We the participants in the IFSW AFRICA REGION CONFERENCE 28th- 31st October, 2019 met in Kampala, Uganda, to jointly discuss the role of social work in strengthening Human Relations for Social, Economic and Political Transformation.
2. The Conference recognizes that development in Africa targets the vulnerable populations and that governments have put in place relevant national policies and frameworks to guide interventions that target them and that African Governments are committed to the Sustainable Development Goals 2030 and social work education and practice.
3. Whereas policies and frameworks and commitments exist, the limited political will to invest in social work services constrains the harmonization of social work efforts to contribute to sustainable development.
4. The conference is cognizant that opportunities exist for social work advancement including the youth demographic dividend; technology; partnerships with development agencies; north-south collaboration; tapping into emerging issues but not limited to migration, children outside family care, climate change, refugees; leveraging evidence-based practice; which can elevate social work practice and training in Africa.
PARTICIPANTS DECLARATION
It is hereby declared on this 31st day of October 2019, by the conference that social workers in Africa commit to:
1. Transformative leadership to realize stronger National Associations and amplification of social work outcomes to impact the social, economic and political landscape in Africa;
2. Evidence generation on social work practice to showcase the contribution of social work to societal transformation at all levels to attract increased investment in social work;
3. The creation of a strong brand for social work driven by National Associations of across Africa to build the confidence of social workers in their profession;
4. Indigenization and improvement in the quality of Social work education as a key to legitimizing social work;
5. Regulation of Social work education and practice to ensure the quality of social work services guided by social work principles, ethics and the protection of social workers in the line of duty;
6. Design national frameworks for planning, developing, and supporting the workforce by developing common objectives and strategies for the social sector;
7. Social work education by developing minimum standards for educating and training professional social workers and supporting implementation and monitoring.
Adopted at Speke Resort, Munyonyo, Kampala, Uganda on this 31st day of October 2019.
IFSW-AFRICA REGION PRESIDENT,
Dr. Noel Muridzo
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Signed