The International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW) is pleased to announce that the first in the series of Social Work in Action Social Work Beyond Borders: The Importance of Relationships, edited by Ruth Stark, is now available in Japanese, significantly expanding access to its practice knowledge for social workers across Japan and Japanese-speaking social workers around the world.
The book centres on the importance of co-building relationships as essential to successful outcomes in social work practice. This is the fourth pillar of the Global Agenda for Social Work and Social Development. Bringing together contributions from practitioners working in highly complex contexts, it uses storytelling and reflective practice to illustrate how social workers co-build solidarity, strengthen relationships, and achieve sustainable eco-social change with local communities for our shared futures.
The Japanese translation has been led by Chieko Matsunaga, the Chair of the International Committee at the Japanese Association of Social Workers (a member organization of the Japanese Federation of Social Workers and thereby IFSW), in collaboration with other colleagues from the Committee. The translated edition is now freely available online, ensuring open access for practitioners, educators, and students.
Reflecting on the process, Viktor Virág, Vice Chair of the JASW Committee, noted: “This translation has been a truly collective effort, carried out on a voluntary basis by committed colleagues. We hope it will support social workers in Japan to engage with the rich practice experiences shared in the book, and to further develop approaches that are grounded in relationships, solidarity, and local realities.”
Editor Ruth Stark welcomed the publication of the Japanese edition, emphasising the importance of accessibility: “It is important that we share what we do in practice so we can learn from each other what works. This small volume brings together examples from every region in IFSW of how we can contribute to social well-being in our communities”
IFSW also expressed its appreciation for the initiative, noting that it is delighted to see Social Work Beyond Borders: The Importance of Relationships now available in Japanese. Making the publication accessible in multiple languages strengthens global knowledge exchange within the profession and supports locally grounded yet globally connected social work practice.
The Japanese version has been published as an open access resource and can be downloaded for free: