World Social Work Day

World Social Work Day

From Ubuntu to Intergenerational Solidarity

Analyzing the Global Discourse of the IFSW and Its Reflection on the Social Work Movement in Iran

Paradigmatic Foundations and History of World Social Work Day (WSWD)

Definition, Origins, and Organized Goals of World Social Work Day

World Social Work Day (WSWD) is an annual global event that serves as a pivotal opportunity to celebrate the achievements of the social work profession and promote its common global message.

This day is held annually on the third Tuesday of March by the International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW), an international non-profit organization.1

For example, the commemoration of this day for 2024 fell on March 19 (Isfand 29 in the Iranian calendar).1

The official history of the day dates back to 2007, when the first World Social Work Day was celebrated under the theme “Social Work – Making a World of Difference.” However, IFSW directors trace the initiative’s roots back to the 1980s; specifically, to 1983 when Federation representatives first participated in a session at the United Nations headquarters in New York and introduced the day internationally.1

The main objectives of this global day extend beyond mere celebration. The IFSW pursues three core goals: firstly, to draw greater attention to the achievements of the social work profession; secondly, to foster a clearer horizon for social services in the future of communities; and thirdly, to firmly advocate for social justice and human rights.1

Furthermore, the strategic aim of this occasion is to strengthen cooperation, partnership, and communication with UN organizations and international Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) to disseminate social work knowledge and its actions in line with common international goals (such as the Sustainable Development Goals).2

Although this day is not yet officially registered on the UN calendar, it has become an international opportunity for professional and humanitarian cooperation.1

The Global Agenda for Social Work (2020–2030): The New Theoretical Framework

World Social Work Day is a platform for showcasing the progress and goals of the Global Agenda for Social Work and Social Development, which was adopted by the IFSW General Assembly in 2010.1 The most important recent theoretical and operational framework is the 2020–2030 Agenda, defined under the central theme of

“Co-building Inclusive Social Transformation”.3

This agenda outlines a 10-year commitment for social workers and social development professionals, along with their partners globally, nationally, and regionally.

This commitment focuses on actively working with people, communities, and social movements to co-design and co-build thriving communities and environments for both people and the planet.3

The core of the profession in this agenda is defined as promoting the active participation of all voices, especially those often marginalized.3

A fundamental concept in this global policy is the effort to develop “new social agreements” between governments and the populations they serve. These agreements must facilitate universal rights, opportunities, freedom, and sustainable well-being for all people nationally and globally. The role of social work in creating new platforms and spaces for all people is of paramount importance for the emergence of these agreements.3 The 2020–2030 Agenda defines five thematic pillars (each lasting two years) to fulfill these commitments, from which the annual WSWD themes directly derive.3

WSWD’s Role as a Policy Tool and Paradigmatic Shift

An examination of the IFSW’s goals and activities on World Social Work Day reveals that this occasion is not merely a day of celebration but is also considered a strategic global advocacy tool.

WSWD operates with the conscious goal of increasing influence in global policymaking processes.2 The Federation uses this day to disseminate knowledge and highlight social work actions in pursuit of common goals with bodies such as the United Nations.2

Global research conducted by the IFSW, such as studies highlighting the deteriorating conditions of social workers, is directly used to strengthen discussions with governments and employers.4

This data supports lobbying for better funding and sufficient resources to counter high workloads and insufficient organizational support.4 Therefore, World Social Work Day effectively serves as a platform for professional leverage to promote urgent policy changes based on global evidence and findings.4

This new framework also indicates a paradigmatic shift towards the “Eco-Social World” model. The 2020–2030 Agenda and related themes (like environmental sustainability 5) confirm the formal adoption of this model in global social work policies.

This trend guides the profession toward interdisciplinary approaches to climate justice, such as supporting environmental migrants 6 and promoting projects like renewable energy that directly impact communities affected by climate injustices.7

In essence, social work defines itself as an agent of change in complex global systems, seeking enduring security for the planet and all its inhabitants.6

Content Analysis of IFSW Annual Themes (2018–2025): From Sustainability to Indigenous Wisdom

The IFSW’s Global Agenda has clearly shaped the professional discourse at the international level. A review of the annual WSWD themes from 2018 to 2025 indicates a conscious movement towards focusing on sustainability, indigenous wisdom, and structural solidarity.

Early Years of the Paradigmatic Shift and Entry into the New Agenda Era

The 2018 theme was “Promoting Community and Environmental Sustainability”.5 Although this was the final phase of the previous Global Agenda, it solidified the growing importance of environmental issues on the global social work agenda and paved the way for a more serious engagement with the field of eco-social justice in the coming decade.5

With the launch of the 2020–2030 Agenda, the IFSW utilized new approaches and indigenous concepts to define its pillars.

• 2021: Ubuntu: I am Because We are – Strengthening Social Solidarity and Global Connectedness
  This theme constituted the first pillar of the 2020–2030 Agenda.3
  Ubuntu, an African philosophical concept popularized by figures like Nelson Mandela, is generally interpreted as meaning “I am because we are”.3 The choice of this concept emphasized social solidarity and global connectedness, directly aligning with the social work perspective on the interconnectedness of all people and their environments.3 The strategic importance of this choice lies in the IFSW’s explicit invitation for nations to use an equivalent word or concept culturally appropriate for promoting the theme.3 This is viewed as a conscious effort to decolonize Western knowledge and respect indigenous wisdom globally.9
• 2022: Co-building a New Eco-Social World: Leaving No One Behind
  This theme emphasized the vision and action plan for creating new global values, policies, and practices that develop trust, security, and the sustainability of the planet.10 This was accompanied by a global summit and showed how social work seeks to form broad global partnerships, including trade unions, health sectors, faith networks, and UN agencies.10 At the regional level, for example, the Malaysian Association of Social Workers localized this global theme by focusing on “Social Work and the Family”.11
• 2023: Respecting diversity through joint social action
  This theme focused on the necessity of working together to respect cultural, social, and identity differences globally.12 In Iran, the Iranian Association of Social Workers (IASW) also commemorated this day in cooperation with universities and local and international entities.12
• 2024: Buen Vivir: Shared Future for Transformative Change
  Buen Vivir (which means “Living Well” or “Living in Harmony”) is rooted in the indigenous wisdom of the Andean region of South America.13 This theme emphasized the need for social workers to adopt innovative, community-led approaches grounded in indigenous wisdom and harmonious coexistence with nature.13 The IFSW President stated that this principle resonates deeply with the core values of social work, emphasizing the co-design of peaceful and sustainable communities for a shared future.13 This choice reinforced the Federation’s ongoing use of non-Western concepts to redefine the universal principles of the profession.13

The 2025 Theme: Strengthening Intergenerational Solidarity and Structural Critique

• 2025: Strengthening Intergenerational Solidarity for Enduring Wellbeing
  This theme, celebrated on March 18, 2025 15, emphasizes the importance of mutual care and respect across generations to build strong societies, sustain the environment, and share wisdom.15 It continues the concepts of
  Ubuntu and Buen Vivir by recognizing the crucial interdependence of peoples and focusing on intergenerational caregiving.17
  A significant point in analyzing this theme is the underlying structural critique. The IFSW and partnering organizations explicitly state that intergenerational care and connections, which are vital for well-being, “are too often overlooked or ignored by governments and policymakers”.17 Furthermore, this theme highlights the importance of moving away from the stereotype that care is merely “women’s work”.17 This shows that the IFSW uses WSWD as an opportunity to highlight and challenge policy failures by governments regarding welfare responsibilities, elevating the responsibility of care from the private sphere to a socio-political duty.17 The theme also stresses the importance of transferring knowledge from older generations and the role of younger generations in reinterpreting this wisdom to face future challenges.17

Convergence of Indigenous Concepts for Global Challenges

The IFSW’s conscious selection of global indigenous concepts like Ubuntu and Buen Vivir is a discursive strategy that moves beyond traditional Western welfare frameworks. This choice directly serves the larger movement of the “decolonization of knowledge and practice” in the social sciences.9 By linking these concepts to climate justice and environmental migration 6, the Federation not only expands the profession’s identity but also creates a common global language that can be more effective in the context of ecological crises and community-led needs in the Global South.6

These indigenous concepts help social workers operate based on a holistic worldview that sees individuals as part of a larger community and the natural environment 9—a perspective critical for addressing complex challenges (like environmental migration) known as “wicked problems”.6

Global and Comparative Reflection of the Themes

World Social Work Day is a platform for activities around the globe, but the reception and adoption of IFSW themes in different regions are often adapted to local priorities. This process of “localization” or “local refocusing” demonstrates a strategic practice by member organizations.

Regional Focus in Asia and the Pacific

In the Asia and Pacific region, local organizations strive to link global concepts with indigenous challenges. For example, in 2022, the Federation of Social Workers in Thailand and the Ministry of Social Development held WSWD and ASEAN Social Work Day, focusing on the theme “Co-building a New Eco-Social World”.11 The Malaysian Association of Social Workers also localized the same theme as

“Social Work and the Family: Co-building a New Eco-Social World” to discuss family challenges within the new ecosystem.11 This shows the region’s tendency to reinterpret broad global frameworks through the institution of the family as the primary unit of society.

In Japan, despite the global 2025 theme of “Strengthening Intergenerational Solidarity,” the Japanese Federation of Social Workers (JFSW) held a special event focusing on “Japan’s Changing Society and Its Readiness for Immigration”.18

This choice of topic reflects a critical indigenous priority: Japan, facing an increasing immigrant population (over 3.5 million people) and labor shortages, has an urgent need to integrate this population and provide social work support at micro, mezzo, and macro levels.18 This is a clear example of “local refocusing”;

national organizations connect the global theme to a local challenge to increase the issue’s relevance to their governments and policymakers.18 This practice defines localization as an effective advocacy strategy serving the country’s immediate needs.

Linking Indigenous Concepts in Africa and Europe

On the African continent, particularly in South Africa, the IFSW discourse aligns with powerful indigenous concepts like Ubuntu.

In commemorating WSWD 2024 with the Buen Vivir theme, the University of Pretoria in South Africa hosted a panel discussion that actively linked the concepts of Buen Vivir and Ubuntu in the local South African context.19

This connection demonstrates a trans-regional approach where indigenous wisdoms from the Global South are used not only to redefine social work on their own continent but also to influence the global discourse.19 This emphasizes the importance of intellectual independence and the capacity of indigenous concepts to create transformative change.19

In Europe, approaches often focus on the structural critique inherent in the IFSW themes. For instance, the British Association of Social Workers (BASW) held a webinar for 2025 titled “Social work in Europe across the generations,” which explored the importance of an intergenerational perspective in social practice and how social workers support each other across different generations.20

This focus aligns with the IFSW’s critique of policymakers for ignoring these issues 17 and shows that European organizations use the theme to enhance internal welfare policy discussions.20

Social Work in Iran and the Challenges of Localizing the Global Agenda

Examining the institutional and professional responses in Iran to the IFSW‘s global themes presents a picture of the intersection of local concerns with transnational discourses. Social work in Iran faces challenges often rooted in internal structural, economic, and social issues, which influence how the global agenda is localized.

Definition and Importance of Indigenization in the Professional Context

Indigenization in social work means challenging the dominance of Western knowledge and empowering local communities to define social issues and solutions appropriate to their context.9

For Iran, this includes developing social work terminology and concepts in the local language and adopting the holistic worldview of many indigenous cultures that see individuals as part of a larger community and the natural environment.9

Indigenization is vital for several reasons: culturally appropriate interventions are more effective, they validate local knowledge and practices, and they are part of the broader “decolonization of knowledge” movement.9 However, this process is not without challenges, including the necessity of balancing universal principles (like human rights standards) with local practices, and avoiding the romanticization of all traditional practices.9

Achieving this requires ongoing dialogue between educators, practitioners, and local communities to re-examine social work education, research methodologies, and practical approaches.9

Discursive Independence and National Priorities in Iran

While the IFSW focuses on the eco-social paradigm shift, Iran’s professional bodies tend to prioritize responding to local tensions and immediate policy needs.

Focus of the Iranian Association of Social Workers (IASW):

The Iranian Association of Social Workers (IASW) has demonstrated its discursive independence in choosing its themes. In years when the IFSW focused on eco-social concepts, the IASW placed its emphasis on internal issues. For example, the IASW President explicitly stated at a conference that the choice of the theme “Mediation” (coinciding with the global theme “Shifting towards a better future”) was based on the “situation and felt needs of Iranian society”.21

This choice indicates that immediate internal concerns, such as the need for peace, compromise, and mutual understanding in Iran’s current social climate, take priority over the broad global eco-social agenda.21

Furthermore, the holding of the 38th National Social Work Day Conference in 2024 (1403 Solar Hijri) under the title “Social Work and Empowering Policymaking” 22, is another affirmation of national priorities. In this discourse, social work has a key role in improving the quality of life for individuals and communities, and empowering them through policies that create equal opportunities for achieving independence and self-sufficiency.23

This focus on changing governmental structures to provide services, educational programs, and financial support is a classic social welfare concern that stands in contrast to the IFSW’s focus on global eco-social reconstruction. In this context, the role of social workers in implementing internal protective laws, such as the Law on the Protection of Children and Adolescents, is highlighted.22

Focus of the State Welfare Organization (Behzisti):

In its statements regarding World Social Work Day, the State Welfare Organization (Behzisti) emphasizes citizen rights and the concept of “Social Well-being” (Beh Zistan-e Ejtemaei).24

The organization expects social workers, by being familiar with citizen rights, to raise awareness among target groups, such as women, children, the elderly, and people with disabilities, regarding the realization of “Social Well-being”.24

In its message for 2025, the Behzisti organization, referring to the global theme “Strengthening Social Solidarity and Enduring Wellbeing,” offers its local interpretation. This interpretation is founded on the belief that shared social goals can increase social justice and the feeling of belonging in society, leading people to feel responsible towards opportunities and threats.24

The organization emphasizes that to achieve such conditions, accepting all citizens with their differences and avoiding fragmentation among ethnicities and races is essential.24 The result is a more law-abiding, participative, and ethical citizenry, creating equal opportunities for the integration of all groups.24

This demonstrates that in Iran, the global concept of “solidarity” is primarily defined within the context of citizenship rights, social ethics, and increasing social capital within national borders.24

Analysis of Discursive Independence and Potential for Convergence

The choice of themes like “Mediation” or “Empowering Policymaking” by the IASW is more than a simple divergence; it signifies intellectual and professional independence in defining national priorities.

The IASW President explicitly stated that the theme was selected based on the situation and needs of Iranian society.21 This independence is crucial for maintaining the profession’s relevance to the real challenges faced by the Iranian people, even if it means a relative disregard for the global eco-social discourse.

Nevertheless, there are potentials for convergence. The concept of “Social Well-being” (Beh Zistan-e Ejtemaei) raised by the Behzisti organization 24 can be interpreted as a local equivalent for global concepts like

Buen Vivir (Living Well) or Sustainability. To achieve this alignment, the local definition of “Social Well-being” needs to be expanded beyond mere human welfare to include environmental dimensions and long-term ecological sustainability. Iran can link indigenous wisdom concepts like Ubuntu (based on which “I am because we are”) 3 with its own cultural and religious principles emphasizing collective responsibility and environmental preservation, thereby aligning indigenization with IFSW’s global standard.9

This alignment would not only deepen Iranian social work theory but also allow internal organizations to participate more robustly in global discussions.

Conclusion, Summary, and Policy Recommendations

Summary of IFSW’s Global Theme Shift and Transformation

Over the past two decades, World Social Work Day has evolved from a mere celebration to a strategic platform for leveraging global policies.2 The IFSW’s 2020–2030 Agenda has guided the profession toward a paradigmatic shift toward eco-social justice.3 The conscious selection of indigenous concepts from the Global South (like

Ubuntu and Buen Vivir) and the focus on “Intergenerational Solidarity” and structural critique of policymakers, signify an active effort to decolonize knowledge and reconstruct the profession’s identity in response to complex global challenges like the climate crisis and migration.9 This defines social workers as agents of change at the macro-global level.

Opportunities for Convergence and Points of Divergence between Iran and the IFSW

Points of Convergence: Iranian social work demonstrates significant alignment with the IFSW in terms of core values. The focus on citizen rights, the realization of “Social Well-being” 24, and the pursuit of Empowering Policymaking 23 are directly consistent with the IFSW’s main goals of advocating for human rights and social justice.1 Furthermore, the IASW has actively participated in global WSWD events.12

Main Point of Divergence: The primary point of divergence is the lack of explicit and central prioritization of eco-social and environmental justice dimensions in Iran’s main institutional discourses.21

While the IFSW emphasizes “harmonious coexistence with nature” 13, the core concerns of the IASW and related organizations in Iran (such as mediation and empowering policymaking) are primarily driven by immediate internal structural and social needs.21

This divergence expresses the discursive independence of Iranian social work in responding to pressing local tensions.

Policy and Research Recommendations for the Iranian Social Work Community

Based on the analysis of IFSW’s global trends and Iran’s local needs, the following recommendations are proposed for deepening the profession’s standing and its strategic alignment:

Recommendation 1: Deepening the Indigenization Discourse from an Eco-Social Perspective:

It is essential for the indigenization process to go beyond mere translation and engage in the “re-examination of social work education” to include environmental dimensions.9

Researchers and educators should be encouraged to extract indigenous and traditional Iranian wisdom regarding environmental preservation and collective responsibility, formalizing them as local equivalents for global concepts like

Buen Vivir.13 This work would contribute to the creation of an “Iranian Eco-Social Justice” framework.

Recommendation 2: Utilizing WSWD as a Lever for Structural Advocacy:

The IASW can use the IFSW’s global themes as an effective advocacy tool to reinforce its demands on the government.4

Instead of simply choosing a different theme, the IASW can localize the global theme (such as Intergenerational Solidarity) based on local challenges (such as retirement dilemmas, elderly citizen rights, or implementing the Law on the Protection of Children and Adolescents 22) and present it as a priority. This strategy combines Iran’s local voice with global weight.

Recommendation 3: Strengthening Participation in IFSW Global Projects:

Given the IFSW’s focus on action-oriented projects like climate justice initiatives (e.g., renewable energy projects) 7, professional and academic institutions in Iran should explore opportunities for participation in these regional and global projects.

This participation can facilitate the transfer of knowledge and modern social work practice techniques in the eco-social field to Iran and enable Iranian social workers to play a more effective role in responding to internal environmental challenges (such as the water crisis or dust storms).7

Future Outlook

Iranian social work currently stands at the intersection of national and global trajectories. The profession’s success in the coming decades will require a careful balance between preserving its independence in defining national priorities (such as policy empowerment and mediation) and critical, active participation in the IFSW’s new global discourses (such as climate justice and intergenerational solidarity).17

By focusing on the balance between global principles and local approaches, Iranian social work can both address the internal needs of society and enhance its standing in the global professional structure.

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