It is with great concern that we have learned that Professor Michael Lavalette has been summoned by the police for an interview under the Public Order Act, following his public expressions of solidarity with the Palestinian people.
On behalf of the IFSW Education Commission, we express our full support and solidarity with Professor Lavalette as he faces this unjust and troubling investigation. Professor Lavalette is not only a distinguished social work academic, but also a lifelong advocate for anti-racist social work, human rights, and social justice. His scholarship and activism are widely respected across the international social work community.
Efforts to criminalise political speech, particularly when it challenges oppression and defends human rights, represent a profound threat to democratic principles, academic freedom, and the core values of social work itself. The right to speak out against injustice, to act in solidarity with oppressed peoples, and to advance social justice is central to our profession.
We stand with Professor Lavalette and all those who continue to speak truth to power in the pursuit of justice and human rights.
IFSW Education Commission