As part of the IFSW Archival Project, we are pleased to release another set of important historical documents, which provide evidence of key milestones in the Federation’s history.
In 1932 a meeting had been held, following the 1928 world conference in Paris, in order to establish a loose international cooperation of national associations of social workers. This cooperation led to the foundation of the International Permanent Secretariat of Social Workers, the predecessor of IFSW. You find the minutes by clicking on the following link:
The next document is a letter sent after the Second World War from the Secretary-General to associations of social workers. The letter painfully recalls the oppression and lack of communication during the war years and enquires about the continued existence of associations, as all communication had ceased:
Letter to enquire about the existence of Social Work Associations, 1946
The third document demonstrates the development of policies as social work associations regroup after the Second World War. This document contains what is believed to be the first international definition of social work, dating from 1957 (published in 1959). The international context for the policy statement was limited to Europe.
Readers can read the 1957 definition on page 3 of this report by following the link below and compare it with the current and the proposed global definitions of social work on the website by following the final link:
This document and the definition of social work is particularly interesting now as the current global definition of social work is being reviewed.
The comparison illustrates the growth and evolution of the social work profession.