World Social Work Day – Third Tuesday in March

World Social Work Day is celebrated each year on the third Tuesday of each March. This year, it falls on Tuesday 16th of March 2021. It is the key day in the year that social workers worldwide stand together to advance our common message globally. This year, the 2021 World Social Day highlights Ubuntu: I am Because We Are. This is the first theme of 2020 to 2030 Global Agenda for Social Work and Social Development.

This year’s theme is Promoting the Importance of Human Relationships.

A global organization of social workers comes together for social justice, human rights, and social development all through the promotion of best practices in social work.

Social workers serve many roles in their communities. They assess their client’s needs and challenges. As advocates, they speak for their clients, getting them access to the resources they need to improve their lives. Social workers also respond to crisis situations.

They work in many settings, too. Social workers find positions in medical facilities, child welfare and human service agencies, and schools. They can also work in education, teaching new social workers.

‘I am because we are’ is a concept and philosophy that resonates with the social work perspective of the interconnectedness of all peoples and their environments. It speaks to the need for global solidarity and also highlights indigenous knowledge and wisdom.

The theme comes from extensive consultation within IFSW and beyond. At a time when global politics has retreated into nationalism, Ubuntu is a powerful message on the need for solidarity at all levels: within communities, societies, and globally.

Guided by ethical principles, social work and social development practitioners and educators have an essential role to connect people, communities, and systems; to co-design and co-build sustainable communities, and promote inclusive social transformation.