The Association of Social Workers (SHUDER) organized the 9th Social Services Congress with the theme of “Social Services in the Spiral of Hope, Shame and Despair” on November 15-16, 2025, in Ankara.
Social work education and provision of public social services in Turkey started in the 1960s. The first graduates of the Academy of Social Services, which was established in 1961, celebrated their 60th anniversary this year. With the increase in social work schools over the past 20 years, the number of social workers has increased significantly.
Social work is a profession that focuses on human life and is nourished by human sciences. It aims to solve problems at the individual, family, group and community level and contributes to the development of social policies, legislation and service systems while providing services. Today, social workers continue their work by struggling with limited resources and structural deficiencies in the face of increasing and complex problems.
The first three Social Services Congresses were organized by the Ministry of Health and Social Assistance. SHUDER, organized the 4th National Social Services Congress in 1994; and It continues this tradition as a professional organization of social workers.
Congress President, Prof. Dr. Özlem Cankurtaran, Faculty Member of Hacettepe University Social Work Department, emphasized that the state is gradually withdrawing from the field of social services and implementing more control-oriented policies. She also stated that the multiple crises created by global capitalism — such as poverty deepened by the economic crisis, natural and man-made disasters such as earthquakes and fires — increase shame and despair for both those who provide services and those who receive them. She stated that knowledge cannot be produced in the field of social work without seeing power inequalities and domination relations; and critical approaches build a bridge between theory and practice, and in this way, hope can be strengthened against shame and helplessness.
Audience of the congress
SHUDER President İrem Coşansu Yalazan emphasized that social workers face legislative obstacles and limited resources while struggling with increasing, complex and multi-layered problems. Despite this, he stated that those working in the field continue to make efforts to rebuild hope, transform shame and find solutions to despair. She emphasized that in 2025, when the first quarter of the 21st Century is being completed, artificial intelligence and digital transformation are rapidly changing the world, and this change may bring new intergenerational problems while reshaping the practices and service delivery of the social work profession. For this reason, she stated that the theme “Strengthening Intergenerational Solidarity for Lasting Well-being” is very important for World Social Work Day 2025. She emphasized that it is a common responsibility to transfer the knowledge of the social work profession to young colleagues, to respond to the changing needs of the society and to bring scientific knowledge and experience together.
Dr. Ruth Allen, President of the International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW) Europe, in her video message stated that “Hope is central to social workers’ purpose. Social workers often hold hope for the people we support when they have lost hope and cannot hold it for themselves. We can look beyond their current situation and help people connect and start to believe in their strengths and the possibility of solutions and change for the good. This is part of the emotional labour of social work that we must do alongside the practical support and help we often need to mobilise.” She emphasized that the IFSW Europe focus on increasing opportunities for associations and their members to network with each other, share more, provide mutual support and celebrate together the great work done by social workers around the world.
Dr. Ruth Allen, President of the International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW) Europe, addressing the audience in her video message
At the opening of the Congress, writers Sezgin Kaymaz and Güven Tunç made inspiring speeches in the field of social services. Sezgin Kaymaz shared his own life story and explained the remedy and hope offered by his mother against his father’s violence; He emphasized that his mother’s support should be provided by social services. Güven Tunç, on the other hand, stated that the impoverishment, segregation and marginalization created by neoliberal policies cause shame and helplessness, and that solidarity and humanity can bring hope, peace and equality.
Academicians, practitioners, service recipients, public and civil society representatives and social work students attended the congress. Within the scope of the program, 5 panels were held and 20 papers were presented.
On the first day of the congress, two panels titled “Connecting Past to Present in the Spiral of Shame, Helplessness and Hope” and “From Control to Care, From Oppression to Hope” were held. On the second day, three panel sessions were held under the titles of “Resisting Shame and Helplessness with Hope“, “The Struggle to Regain Hope as a Social Service Action” and “Facing Shame, Solidarity with Hope”.
The voices of people who should benefit from social services were included in the Congress. An activist who survived incest spoke about her own struggles and emphasized that she had serious difficulties in accessing social services. The representative of the Federation of Schizophrenia Associations shared striking examples of the stigmatizing attitudes of society, institutions and families in the field of mental health.
In one of the presentations in the field of child welfare, the speaker recounted an interview she had with a woman who was sexually abused as a child, and stated that the woman was subjected to the words “you are the toilet of that house because of what you have been through” by the judge; In response, she shared that the survivor said, “All my life, I have tried to become the room of the house rather than the toilet.” This example starkly illustrated how shame weighs on survivors.
Discussions during one of the breaks
The SHUDER Adıyaman Community Centre team also emphasized the importance of solidarity and rebuilding hope by explaining their work with those affected by the earthquake.
Speaking on behalf of the Ankara Rainbow Families Association (GALADER), a parent reminded that the government declared 2025 as the “Year of the Family” and shared their experiences, saying, “While they exclude our children from society with their policies, we are expected to exclude and not to love our children.”
One of the important suggestions that emerged from the congress discussions was to remind Michel Foucault’s approach that social services function as a control mechanism and to emphasize the need to apply the “Principle of Hope” (Ernst Bloch) and pedagogical approaches based on critical and dialogical relations (Paulo Freire) in the fight against this supervisory structure.
All presentations, discussions and sharing made the current situation of social services in Turkey visible and the Congress was completed by raising hope for the future.