Mutual Aid Action CommitteeIASWG’s Mutual Aid Action Team was convened in 2022, inviting members from around the world to reconnect social groupwork to the social work profession. Since then, an international group of scholars, practitioners, and educators has been collaborating on an evolving position paper: “The Democracy of Social Groupwork as Essential Knowledge and Ethics for All Social Workers: A Critical Analysis for the Decolonization of the Social Work Profession”. Our IASWG Board Committee status was formalized in January 2025. Active members include Joanne Sulman, Ann Bergart, Julie Rhoten, Denise Lawlor, Ishari Gunarathna, Kimberly Moore, Mark Ragg, Sara Kotzin, Sunday Ibobor, Tee Tyler, and Kenny Turck, with important early contributions from Shelita Birchett Benash and Gio Iacono. Our First Report: February 2025 This Committee is deeply concerned about the dramatic loss of social work’s unique method of working with groups and the increasing marginalization of social groupwork within the profession. Today, many social workers are aware of the field of groups but often do not know that social groupwork is social work’s own method of working with groups. Social groupwork is rooted in the fusion of social care with individuals, groupwork, community development, and social justice advocacy, allowing social policy to emerge organically from community needs. Any group within the field of groups can be transformed into a social work group by applying four value-based social groupwork practice skills, which date back to the Settlement movement:
The Mutual Aid Action Committee urges members to fiercely advocate for the reintegration of these foundational social work values into the entire social work profession. Selected Social Action Goals:
We welcome all who are interested in working with this Social Action Committee or who would like a summary or a full copy of the latest draft of the position paper to contact: [email protected] |