«Buen Vivir» as the global social work agenda for 2024-2026
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.25128/2520-6230.23.4.4Keywords:
social work, social development, global agenda, Buen Vivir, ecosocial approach, transformational changesAbstract
Since 2012, three global organizations that unite social workers - the International Association of Schools of Social Work (IASSW), the International Council of Social Welfare (ICSW) and the International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW) - have offered the professional community their vision of global social work priorities and social development. The theme for 2024-2026 was "Buen Vivir: A Shared Future for Transformative Change." The purpose of this article is to review the history of the formulation of global social work priorities, and to discuss the implementation of the Buen Vivir concept in social work practice. The article is based on the synthesis of information from various sources and personal reflection. The material presents and analyzes the document "Global Agenda for Social Work and Social Development: Commitment to Action", the implementation of which took place in 2012-2020. The content of the global priorities of social work in 2020-2023 is presented. The advantages of having a global professional vision of the development of the profession and its place in the modern world are discussed. Particular attention is paid to the content and key characteristics of the rather controversial concept "Buen Vivir" ("Good Life", "Sumak Kawsay"). Its advantages are determined and challenges for social work are considered. The article presents the author's translation of the statement of three global organizations, which substantiates the choice of this concept as a key global topic for the coming years, the need for the development of political social work and microsocial practices, and the use of the knowledge of indigenous peoples. The conclusions emphasize that the analysis of the content of the global priorities of social work and social development, published in 2012-2023, testifies to the radicalization of social work in the promotion of egalitarian ideas and its orientation towards eco-social approaches.References
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