Photo: Members of the Korean Association of Social Workers at the AvenirSocial office in Bern
This month the Korean Association of Social Workers met their Swiss and British counterparts for shared learning and strengthening links. A five-member team from the KASW led by Ahyoung Song met the Swiss association’s Co-Secretary-General, Nadia Bisang and Project Officer, Camille Naef at the AvenirSocial office in Bern. The exchange included presentations from each of the Associations on how their professional bodies are organised and how the profession responds to the social challenges in each country.
The meeting included the Swiss-based IFSW Secretary-General, Rory Truell and Global UN Commissioner Priska Fleischlin who also provided presentations on the Federation and its work at the United Nations. Priska Fleischlin said, “In my experience, the international exchange of social workers is one of the best ways to learn social work in all its variations, I warmly thank the Korean Association of Social Workers for providing this opportunity”.
Simone Gremminger Co-President of AvenirSocial then invited the Korean delegation to visit her workplace so they could get a direct impression of social work practice in Switzerland. Further insights were gained the following day when Priska Fleischlin took the delegation to visit a social work supported farming family that co-works with people who have disabilities, a program that belongs to the Green Care sector in social work. Later, they visited a centre for people with disabilities, where people with disabilities have formed their own council to co-work alongside the management and professionals.
The Korean delegation then visited the British Association of Social Workers, meeting with BASW CEO Ruth Allen and Chair of the International Committee Janet Walker for further exchanges and learning. The day in London covered many areas of shared interest including the benefits and otherwise of licensing and regulating social workers; maintaining standards of education and practice as the workforce grows; differing approaches to social work assistants and volunteers and how social workers’ rights and conditions of work are protected in Korea and the UK. Ruth noted, ‘We were delighted to meet Ahyoung and her colleagues and found many points of similarity and contrast. These shed new light on things we take for granted in the UK. We will be pleased to keep in touch with our visitors and build on these valuable international connections.’
Ahyoung Song commented, ‘It is really interesting to observe how social work is applied in different countries. We share many of the same social challenges and it is fascinating to learn of the different ways that social workers put our shared professional principles into effective action’.
Rory Truell thanked the member representatives and the UN Commission for their efforts, commenting, ‘When IFSW member organisations come together to share and learn it results in strengthened bonds which have positive effects for the social workers in each of the related countries’.
Photo: Members of the Korean Association of Social Workers with BASW representatives.