IFSW Newsletter
ASIA & PACIFIC REGION

This issue includes:
Editorial
News from round-about
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Reports on Observance of World Social Work Day
2013- Yemeni General Union of Sociologists, Social
Workers and Psychologists- Hong Kong Association of Social Workers- Nepal School of Social Work- Iran Association of Social Workers
Report from the Moroccan Association of Social
Workers
Report from the Malaysian Association of Social
Workers
News from Hong Kong Association of Social
Workers
News from Cambodia

Upcoming EventsRegional Conferences
International Conferences

Editorial
June 2013 is just round the bend and I’m racing towrite this editorial and rush off the June issue tomembers! Wither thee, time?
It’s amazing how much can happen in the blink of aneye yet leave one wondering what to say. Let me
start by quoting this line from a propaganda poster
used by the British Government in 1939 to raise themorale of the people at the beginning of World War II
and in the aftermath of bombings on cities:

Issue 1, June 2013

reams of reports, competency requirements,organisational demands and scarcity of funding andresources. Personally, I need to keep that reminder infront of me all the time!
The Executive Committee has been busy preparing
for coming meetings to be held during the week ofthe 22nd Asia Pacific Social Work Regional
Conference to be held in Manila from 4-6 June 2013.
The Executive Committee meeting will be on the 4 thof June while the AP Regional General Meeting andthe IFAP Disaster Workshop will be on the 6 th June.
From all the emails criss-crossing the region before
this, it is expected that the meetings will be
generating some interesting discussions andoutcomes.
The President is especially geared up to raise several
issues at these meetings amongst which is the future
directions of the Regional Office. Kudos to John Ang
for his tireless e-mails and reminders to members in
his visionary efforts to sustain the Office as aneffective, efficient and current regional network forsocialwork
discourse,
development
andcollaboration!
A positive development in membership is theinclusion of the Tajikistan Association of Social
Workers into the IFSW membership. Ourcongratulations go to the President, Khuvaydo
Shoinbekov and his members for their efforts ingathering their social workers into a professional
association. There have also been interests shown by
the Palestinian Union of Social Workers as well associal workers in Nepal who are working towards
forming their association. We hope to have them join
us in the near future.

(Scan of an original poster of the Ministry of Information, UK)

In this issue, we have snippets of news and pics
about observing World Social Work Day 2013 from
Yemen, Hong Kong, Nepal and Iran, and reports on
recent professional events from Morocco, Malaysia,
and Hong Kong while Cambodia is given space toinform us of its International Social Work Conferenceon Children and Youth to be held in June 2013.

I think that aptly describes the way social workers
practise in the midst of escalating number of cases,
problematic situations, challenging personalities,

Till the next issue, happy meeting and conferencing
in Manila and everywhere else social workers aregathering and sharing!
IFSW-AP Newsletter – December 2012- 2

Reports on Observance of World Social
Work Day 2013
Speech by John Ang, President of IFSW-AP to
the Yemeni General Union of Sociologists,
Social Workers and Psychologists on theobservance of World Social Work Day 2013
Mr. Refat Hassan, President of the General Union forSociologists, Social Workers and Psychologists,
Executive Committee Members and Members of theUnion, Representatives of the Government of the
Republic of Yemen, Representatives of Internationaland Non-Government Organisations, Distinguished
Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,
On behalf of the International Federation of Social
Workers and in particular, the Asia Pacific Region of
the Federation, it is my great pleasure to greet you on
this auspicious day in observing World Social WorkDay which we will also observe at the United Nations
General Assembly Headquarters in New York.
We observe this day with more than 750,000 social
workers across 90 countries to underline theimportance of social work in addressing the issues of
economic and social injustice, poverty, hunger, ill
health, illiteracy, unemployment, homelessness,
crime, violence, the destruction of habitats and theenvironment as well as the protection of women andgirls and children and young persons. In each ofthese fields, somewhere in this world, there aresocial workers who are working tirelessly and often
at the cost of their own well-being, to make things
better. I want to tell the members of this Union thatby your membership of this vigorous and giving
profession, you are in the company of some of thefinest men and women of this world who know how
to love and to care.
Although you are a young organisation, you haveexpressed the same concerns in your own society.
You have recognised that children need to be
nurtured at home, educated in school and protectedin the community but poverty and ignorance haverobbed them of a chance to grow up strong, healthy
and literate. You have recognised that the position of
women in your community has to be lifted up so thatthey are able to live more fulfilled lives to better
contribute to the community and the society at large.
There are refugees, war victims, people withdisabilities and people who live desperate lives thatyou want to help but you lack resources and there isinsufficient recognition of the mission, calling andcapability of social work here in Yemeni society.
I call on the Government, the business community,
our friends from International organisations, therepresentative bodies of the United Nations andother non-Government organisations to make yourbest investment in promoting and supporting social
work and social work education. In practical ways,
you can provide scholarships, training grants, fundsocial work community development projects, andsupport the activities of the General Union. There areindeed such supporters among you.
In this connection, I take great pleasure incongratulating the recipients of the Certificate ofAppreciation awarded by the Yemeni General Unionof Sociologists, Social Workers and Psychologists tothree very worthy candidates. These recipients are
an inspiration to you for their work in promotingsocial development in your community. If you do notalready know who they are, I would like to keep you
in suspense for a little while longer till the actualaward.
On behalf of the IFSW, I would also like to thank themfor their support of social work through the General
Union which represents them and wish all of you avery Happy World Social Work Day 2013.
John Ang
President, IFSW (Asia Pacific)
18 March 2013

Extract from Report of the Republic of Yemen
Yemeni General Union of Sociologists, Social
Workers and Psychologists (YGUSSWP)First Celebration of WSWD 2013

The YGUSSWP with more than 500 Yemeni social
workers and Organizations celebrated the WSWD forthe first time in Yemen. It was organized with the
Department of Social Work, Sana'a University withIFSW-AP Newsletter – December 2012- 2

the theme ''Promoting Social and Economic
Equalities'' which ''is of fundamental importance tous all, as we know that unequal and unjust societies,
where people cannot have influence their own lives,
suffer significant social and health problems, and inmany instances are forced to live in poverty andviolence. This year’s theme will assist each social
work organization to develop their plans that enable
the voice of ordinary people to be heard so that
others will listen and engage'', as Dr Rory Truell,
Secretary-General of the IFSW wrote in his speech to
the YGUSSWP members and social workers. This was
one day after the Yemeni National Dialog Conference
on 18 March 2013, so the YGUSSWP sent a message
to all participants in the Yemeni National Conference
that they must recognize ''the importance of social
work in addressing the issues of economic and social
injustice, poverty, hunger, ill health, illiteracy,
unemployment, homelessness, crime, violence, thedestruction of habitats and the environment as wellas the protection of women and girls and children
and young persons'', as stated by Mr. John Ang,
President of the IFSW (Asia Pacific) in his video
message of 18 March 2013.

The President of YGUSSWP, Mr. Refat Hassan
congratulated all YGUSSWP members and Yemenisocial workers, stating that ''the time has come for all
Yemeni social workers to prove that their role in thesociety is very important and that they will be
important playes in building a new world for Yemeni
people''.
YGUSSWP awarded three appreciation certificates,
one to an individual and two to organisations forcontributions to the improvement and support ofsocial work in Yemen in 2012. The three outstanding
recipients were:
1. Mr. Abdalkadar Halal, Mayor of the Capital City of
Yemen, most prominent governor and social figure
for his contribution to social work, social
development and peace in Yemen;
2. UNICEF Office of Yemen for their support in theestablishment of social work education;
3. Al Hubaishi Import and Foods Marketing forproviding financial support for social work activities.

YGUSSWP also gave recognition awards to 50 social
work organisations and NGOs, and 100 social
workers in Yemen for contributions to social work
education, the profession and the people.

Special guest, Professor Abdarwaf Althaba, theInternational Relations Officer of the Egyptian Social
Professions Union, said he was very happy to sharethe celebration of WSWD with Yemeni social workers
and stated that ''our Arab societies need good andactive social workers and that is what our social
work union plan to achieve, throughout this strong
relation between the Egyptian Social Professions
Union and the YGUSSWP. And we would like to thankthe YGUSSWP for their great role in building good
relations with and between Arab Social Work Unions
to establish an Arabic Social Work Federation for all
Arabic social workers''.

The YGUSSWP will work very hard to make theWorld Social Work Day as a national day in Yemen.
For additional information, contact us at:
yuoswp@gmail.com**************************

From Hong Kong Social Workers Association…
Social Work Day 2013
It is the sixth year that the social welfare sector ofHong Kong organized a series of activities to celebrate
World Social Work Day. Altogether there were 16
social work organizations forming the Organizing
Committee of the Social Work Day (Hong Kong) 2013,of which the chairman elected is the representative of
Hong Kong Social Workers Association. The theme
this year was “Development and Way Forward”.
IFSW-AP Newsletter – December 2012- 2

Following the tremendous changes in Hong Kong indifferent aspects including the election of the Chief
Executive last year, social workers have to think
about the direction of society’s development. The
theme coincides with the theme of the World Social
Work Day 2013 – Promoting Social and Economic
Equalities. Definitely it is the mission of social
workers to strive for social and economic equalities in
the process of social development.
Three events were held for Social Work Day (HongKong) 2013 namely, the annual marathon held on 6
January 2013 with social workers partnering theirclients to run; a survey on social workers’ jobsatisfaction, future development and professional
identification; and a forum on “Social Work and Social
Movement” held on World Social Work Day of 19
March 2013.
All the three events received
encouraging feedback. While a record high of 388
participants entered the marathon on a sunnymorning enjoying the beautiful seaside scenery,almost 600 social workers
returned thequestionnaires in response to the survey.
Theseminar also attracted around 300 social workers andsocial work students.
On social workers’ job satisfaction, future
development and professional identification, thesurvey showed that social workers think there areareas for improvement in the field including the highturnover rate of social workers, few promotion
opportunities and intensity of professional
supervision.
Nevertheless, the survey has also
showed that amid all the challenges, social workers
have a high commitment to their profession andfeel they can uphold the social work values inpractice. A press conference was held to announce
the survey result to the public.
The Forum on Social Work and Social Movement
was a roundtable discussion and four concurrent
panel discussions.
Legislative Council Members,
experts, social movement practitioners and scholars
were invited as speakers.
The four panel
discussions were on Land and Environmental
Protection, Labour, Livelihoods and Life Security
and Deprived Groups. It was a good opportunity
for social workers to reflect on their roles in the social
movements which promote social and economic
equalities.
The Social Work Day (Hong Kong) 2013 was a
success, not only it helped social workers to cometogether to exchange their views on common concerns
and the issues in the society, but also it was a good
opportunity for the entire social work sector to joinhands to work for the solidarity of the profession.

More information on the Social Work Day can befound on the website www.socialworkday.org.hk*****************************

Nepal School of Social Work Celebrates World
Social Work Day 2013
Nepal School of Social Work celebrated World Social
Work day on 19th March 2013 with the global themeof “Promoting Social and Economic Equalities” inthe college premises. The inauguration program beganwith lighting of lamp jointly by Chief Guest Prof.
Keshav Kumar Shrestha and Pradipta Kadambari,
Board Chair person of NSSW.

The program began with the drama named Bachieki
Cheli (Trafficked Girl) performed by Nepal College ofDevelopment Studies Year II (new) students. The main
objective of the play was to highlight the emerging
social problem of women trafficking and HIV/AIDS.
The play focused on the role of social worker as a
unified entity to sensitize the society. The Sangharsa
project video clips were presented by Kavin Tse, an
AYAD and representative of National MicroEntrepreneur Federation Nepal focusing on pertinentissues of rural life of Nepalese women. The video clips
highlighted the success stories of women
entrepreneurs of marginalized women of different
communities of western region of Nepal.

Next the Kadambari Memorial College 1st Semester
students placed in Dhigragivi Voluntary Group (NGO)presented the field work activities done by thestudents during their field work practicum followedby an inspirational song with the social message tohelp differently able children and children sufferingfrom cancer. The student of Kadambari Memorial
College 3rd Semester students sang a song with the
IFSW-AP Newsletter – December 2012- 2

theme of peace and love HEALS THE WORLD. The
students of Kadambari Memorial College V Semester
presented their library project activities implemented
Dhading district. The students shared their mutual
efforts for book collection, fundraising and challenges
to establish library for rural children.
The Chief Guest of the day long program, Prof. Dr.
Keshav Kumar Shrestha, Director of Curriculum
Development Centre, Tribhuvan University, Kirtipur
addressed the function and urged the students towork to realize the theme of the day and its
importance in their actions as well. Prof. Shrestha atthat time shared the good news that Tribhuvan
University is launching the MSW programme from thisacademic year. He also requested the BSW students of
NSSW to explore other hidden serious social issues
bring them into the limelight and advocate in the same
way as they had presented in the drama.

The Chair of the executive board of Nepal School ofSocial Work, Mrs. Pradipta Kadambari expressed her
best wishes on the occasion of World Social Work Day.
She shared that students field work activities, play,and library project were really appreciative and she
felt proud of it. She recalled the vision of the funding
Director of Nepal School of social work, Dr. Bala Raju
Nikku “Nurturing Young Social Workers to Create aJust Society”. Her inspiring speech concluded with theneed for commitment, honesty and professional social
workers in Nepalese society which is transforming at
this point of history. She also thanked all thecommitted faculty members and students who madeNSSW a place of great learning and an institution ofnational prominence.
The guest of honour representing Peace for Nepal, Dr.
Sushil Koirala expressed his best wishes oncelebrating World Social Work Day.
The Chairperson of this program, Dr. Dilli Ram
Adhikari, Principal of NSSW thanked the guests,
students and faculty members for their active
participation for making the program a meaningful
and successful. He also called on social workers tofocus on psychological, physical and mental aspects ofpromoting socio-economic equality. He thanked Dr.
Bala Raju Nikku for promoting social work practice in
Nepal by creating network and linkages in national
and international arenas. The Chairman alsomentioned activities of NSSW and the upcominginternational conference on Child Friendly Cities to beheld on June 27-29 in Kathmandu under the aegis of

Asia Pacific Child Friendly Cities Network. Dr.
Adhikari congratulated TU second year students onachieving 100% results in annual examination andofficially closed the program.
It was meaningful day for everyone to reflect on thesocial work profession and crucial role of social
workers in post conflict countries like Nepal.
Celebrating World Social Work Day since 2007 by
NSSW is a unique event through which it aims to reach
Nepalese society and seek wider recognition for social
work as a profession. The programme wascoordinated by Ms Samjhana Bhetwal and conductedby Mr. Keshav Nepal.

****************************

Iran Association of Social Workers celebrates
WSWD 2013 with a poem…
Human beings are members of a whole,In creation of one essence and soul.
If one member is afflicted with pain,
Other members uneasy will remain.
If you've no sympathy for human pain,
The name of human you cannot retain!1(Saadi Shirazi2)
Naming days or weeks in national or international
levels in special occasions including professions is aconvenient
opportunity
toappreciate
that
profession’s activists and also present some
information about that profession and express theirideas and expectations.
One of these days is“international social work day” which is on 18th ofMarch 2013. One of the traits of today’s community isbreadth and complexity of social issues and needs. In
this situation, attention to enhancement of quality oflife and developing indicators of social health is evenmore necessary. The practical realization of theseneeds to focus on social foresight and continuous
assessment by taking advantage of global up to dateknowledge and logical engagement in related areas of
1
2This poem is Inscribed On United Nations Building Entrance
Persian poet of the medieval period
IFSW-AP Newsletter – December 2012- 2

academic and administrative fields. In this regard,social work, because of taking advantage fromdifferent sciences and having diversified, real,
expended and updated information, has a special
place between different sciences in social andsupportive sphere. To enhance this position it
seems necessary to note the following points:

The Symposium saw a participation of 400 social
workers from various fields of practice and researchexpertise from within Morocco and other countries. It
was also widely covered by local and regional radio
and television media. Its objective was to promote theimportance of and necessity for developing theprofessional practice of Moroccan social workers.

- Social work community to take advantage ofglobal knowledge and experience;- Presence of social workers in social policy at thenational and international levels;- Continuous production of knowledge in the field ofsocial work;- Notice to foresight and future research in thesocial sphere;- Facilitate access of people to professional social

work services;- Community-based and community-oriented

approach;- Regard to the different levels of prevention;- Continuous assessment of community healthindicators;- Avoid political bias (politicization) in areas

related to social work;- Questioning and accountability in the publicdomain;- Social responsibility of organizations toward thesociety;- Proper utilization of virtual capacity;- The humanities and social ethics;- Providing basis to enhance social vitality and social

capital in the community;- Providing basis to NGOs and people's

participation in society;- Using community cultural capacity.

Iran Association of Social Workers as a member of
IFSW congratulates the global community of social
workers and pays tribute to every single of them andall the others whose concern is caring for humanity,
altruism and development of social health indicators.
Seyed Hasan Mousavi Chalak

President of Iran Association of Social Workers****************************

From the Moroccan Association of Social
Workers…
Report on the 1st International
Symposium: Social Work is our Motto
ALHORIA Complex, Fes, Morocco
Saturday 27 April 2013

Scientific

In his opening speech, the President of the
Association, Mr. Mohamed Elardi talked about theimportance of organizing such symposiums topromote the profession and highlight the pertinentrole of social workers in various areas of social
services like working with individuals in schools andhealth centers as well as working with society insolving social problems which hinder the desired
development of the country. In addition, Mr. Elardi
pointed out the essential need for development ofsocial and national policies for ensuring social justiceand human rights and dignity.
Mr. Ahmed Dokkar, Professor of social work in the
Faculty of Letter and Human Science Sais-Fes,
emphasized on the essential need for social workers
in schools to deal with problems impacting on thedevelopment of the education system in our country.
Mr. Mohamed Ikij, Professor of the Higher Judicial
Institute in Rabat discussed the crucial role of social
workers in repairing justice system in Morocco. He
shed light on the work of social workers in courts suchas solving social issues of women in situations ofviolence, reconciliation between couples facing
divorce and monitoring couples who wish to sponsor
children to prevent abuse. Professor Ikij stressed on
the necessity for reforming the legislation system toprotect the rights of social workers in courts to carryout their roles and tasks, i.e. accompanying clients,
listening to female victims of violence and working
with the Justice of the Peace to resolve conflict for
divorcing couples.
Mr. Mohamed Abraymi, Professor of social work in the
Faculty of Amsterdam, Holland enriched the
Symposium with his views on the state of theprofession in many countries. He asserted thenecessity for creating a professional concept of social
workers in Morocco based on their practice andadherence to human rights, human dignity and social
justice. Having said that he cautioned that social
IFSW-AP Newsletter – December 2012- 2

workers need to also respect the privacy of Moroccan
culture in relation to the global profession of social
work.
The fourth paper was on ethical approach in social
work by the Professor of Philosophy and social
worker, Mr. Ahmed Farhane. He spoke about the
moral duty that social workers have to adapt and put
in his/her mind whenever he/she is treating any
problem and discussing any issue without making
distinctions between man and woman, black andwhite, Muslim and Christian or Jesus as well as richand poor, etc.
The international contribution was by Madame
Patricia Pellit who described the French experience inthe composition and qualification framework for basicsocial assistance: working with singles, working withgroups and the way society is organized, and theimportance of a balance between the theoretical andpractical training for social work careers.

- The State should give great importance to theprofession of social work;- Benefit from international experiences in the field ofsocial work in level of training and legislation;- Provision of social worker workforce in various
fields: school, courts, local groups, local
communities, prisons;- Work on a unified perception of the profession ofsocial work;- The need to educate judicial officials, administratorsand lawyers on the essential tasks of social workers
in Moroccan courts;- Improve and develop the teaching of social work in
Moroccan university;- Creating partnerships with different national
institutions, Arab and international so as to develop
the profession of social workers in Morocco.

**************************
Malaysian Association of Social Workers…
Following that Professor Saida Benkirane, Specialist in
psychiatric treatment in Fes, dealt with real cases inher professional experience and the importance of
psychotherapy for treating the problems of people
and how social workers benefited by this concept intheir career.

40th Anniversary Celebration:
1st National Convention of Social Workers
40th Annual General Meeting
Saturday 18th May 2013
MASW celebrated its 40th Anniversary by organising
its 1st National Convention of Social Workers topromote the World Social Work Day theme of 2013 –Promoting Social and Economic Equalities.
The Convention was held on Saturday 18th May 2013
followed by a buffet lunch and the 40th Annual General
Meeting at Armada Hotel, Petaling Jaya. A total of 86
members and guests came for the Convention,
officially opened by Dato’ Norani binti Haji Mohd
Hashim, Director-General of the Department of Social
Welfare, and a Life Member of MASW herself.

After the presentations, the President thanked all who
contributed to the success of the Symposium andopened the floor for discussions. Participants agreed
on the following recommendations:

IFSW-AP Newsletter – December 2012- 2

Mr. Teoh Ai Hua as President of MASW wishedmembers a Happy 40th Anniversary andacknowledged in his Welcome Address the 40 Years ofPassion and commitment of past and present
Executive Committees as well as the members andsupporters of MASW who continue to drive the
Association forward. While MASW has achieved
significant milestones in the past 40 years, hereminded everyone that their continuing support andefforts are needed to prepare for the imminent
regulation of practice, amongst a long list of shortterm and long term future plans.
Dato’ Norani touched on her Department’s on-going
efforts to enhance the quality of social welfare
services through administrative re-structuring,
reviewing of policies, formulation of legislation,
adoption of new approaches and new programmes
and developing human resource to provide competent
practice. She linked current efforts to establish
National Competency Standards and the enactment ofa Social Workers Bill to regulate practice as a strategy
to promote social and economic equalities for target
groups.
The Keynote Address was delivered by Dr.
Christopher Hodshire from the University of Michigan,
USA and currently a Visiting Lecturer at Science
University of Malaysia in Penang. He provided aninternational perspective on the theme while four
local speakers presented papers on Promoting Socialand Economic Equalities in four specific areas of social
work practice.

Dr. Hodshire shared his views on how social justicepromotes human growth physically, emotionally,
mentally, spiritually, etc., and how participative anddistributive justice contributes to economic harmony.
An inspiring and captivating example of social justice
was the first free high school programme offered in1858 by the Kalamazoo Public School in Michigan
which went on to offer college/university scholarships
to all its graduates, and in a rippling effect, impacted
affirmatively on literacy rates, employment, housing,businesses and welfare of the people. He alsopresented some alarming global facts and figures ofworld poverty, child mortality and illiteracy, and how
the wealth of the seven richest people in the world
could free 41 countries from poverty!
Associate Professor Dr. Azlinda Azman from Science
University of Malaysia then chaired the panelpresentations of four invited speakers.

Ms Maya Fachrani Faisal, Social Policy Specialist from
UNICEF Malaysia highlighted some statistical data onsocial issues in Malaysia linking to child protection
concerns. She also presented indicators for child wellbeing where social workers could further promotesocial and economic equalities for children in
Malaysia.
Dr. Farah Nini binti Dusuki, a law lecturer from the
University of Malaya expounded on the need for the
local juvenile justice system to move towards a more
protective and reformative approach to upholdchildren’s rights as ratified under the United Nations’
Convention on Rights of the Child. She emphasisedthat punishment is not the statutory purpose of asocial worker’s role, and advocated that the utility of
the law must be based on the best interests of thechild.
Associate Professor Siti Hawa binti Ali, Senior Social
Work Lecturer at the School of Health Sciences,
Science University of Malaysia, Kelantan Campus
delivered a strong message on how inequalities andinequities still exist in accessibility to and delivery of
quality health and medical care in Malaysia. She was
especially concerned about the capacity and capabilityof medical social workers in public and teaching
hospitals to deliver competency based services. She
stressed on the need for medical social workers to be
more visible and audible in advocating for patients’rights to affordable, accessible, effective and efficient
medical treatment and health care.
Datuk Dr. Denison Jayasooria, Principal Research
Fellow from the Institute of Ethnic Studies, National
University of Malaysia provided case studies ofcommunities or villages which are being marginalised
or disadvantaged due to factors such as economics,
politics, social class and geographical access. Suchsituations open up opportunities for social workers toplay pivotal roles in advocating for social andeconomic equalities through the development of social
policies, local governance, integration of services, andpromotion of civil and political rights. However social
workers in Malaysia lack adequate training andconfidence in this arena of practice which is an issue
for the profession and the Association to address.
IFSW-AP Newsletter – December 2012- 2

The Convention was closed following constructive andpositive comments from the participants whorequested for more of such events.

News from Hong
Association…

Kong

SocialWorkers

Supportive Supervision Scheme

Pioneer social workers, past presidents and current members of
the Executive Committee posing for a commemorative photographCutting of MASW’s 40th Anniversary cake

Four pioneer social workers, two of them pastpresidents of MASW and members were invited to cut
the anniversary cake and proceeded to enjoy a buffet
lunch.
Members returned to the meeting table after lunch forthe 40th AGM during which a new Executive
Committee was elected for the term 2013/2015, aslisted below:President: Mr. Teoh Ai Hua
Vice-President: Dato’ Hjh Shamsiah Abdul Rahman
Hon. Treasurer: Mrs. Amy Bala
Hon. Secretary: Ms Elsie Lee
Hon. Asst. Secretary: Dato’ Meme Zainal RashidCommittee Members: A/P Dr. Azlinda Azman
Prof. Dr. Ismail Baba
Mr. Raymund N.A. Jagan
Mr. Andrew Wong Eng Tek
Congratulations to the new Executive Committee!
The day ended on a relaxed and happy note with somemembers enjoying a karaoke session till 8pm.

The issue of Supervisory Support and Guidance has
been a key concern for the past decade, particularly
when society changes with increasing new social
demands while the supervisory ratio in welfare
agencies is skimmed proportionately. We are aware of
the insufficient supervisory support in the small NGOs
and in the secondary setting. HKSWA has madenumerous attempts in concerted effort with theacademia, fellow practitioners and members to pursue
a Pilot Scheme namely, the Supportive Supervision
Scheme. The Scheme will provide a professional
Certification Course featuring a programme of study
and professional supervisory practice for seniorpractitioners/social workers in order to elevate thelevel of effectiveness and professionalism of thesesupervisors. After the completion of the Course, theparticipants will become Approved Supervisors (AS),a credential that would be recognized for providing
effective supervision to social workers, especially for
those in secondary settings or small NGOs. As forfurther advancement, the ASs will be encouraged toundertake continuous education and specialized
professional development so that they can acquire thequalification as Certified Supervisors (CS).
The objective of the Scheme is not only for training
purposes but to advocate for a cultural change andparadigm shift in the field. The skill in coaching will be
one of the foci of this Scheme among all other skills
required for an effective supervisor. Although allsocial workers have completed their fieldwork
placement before entering into the field, ongoingprofessional development is vitally important.
Continuous learning for social workers is proven to be
more effective at their work place than in classrooms
through taking direct observation, action and on-sitecoaching by experienced workers in real life
situations. In doing so, the experienced social workers
and supervisors would be further equipped to scale
up their knowledge and skills in managing thechallenge of coaching which may be a new experience
for them. Most importantly, we aim at benchmarking
the standard of supervisors and supervised practicefor our profession so as to upkeep our professional
standards. Besides, we also hinge on the invaluable
experience and commitment of the seniorpractitioners in the field to nurture the young
generation of social workers for sustaining our
professional growth and development.
We have solicited the support from a number ofrenowned local and overseas scholars fromuniversities and training institutes as our advisors forthe accreditation of the courses. Meanwhile, our
Association has submitted proposals to the Social
IFSW-AP Newsletter – December 2012- 2

Welfare Department to secure funding resources forstarting up a 3-year pilot project. We hope that the
project will materialize in the near future when we
obtain the necessary resources. We are also
mobilizing the sector to address the supervisoryneeds of social workers and advocate for a culturalchange and paradigm shift in the field.
Since this is a pilot scheme, we are moving forwardwith a bold but cautious step. We would keep our
fellow members and friends in IFSW posted in due
course of our progress. We would be delighted toreceive views and sharing of experience from yourcountry so that we may learn from yours as well.

*******************************
News from Cambodia…
International Social Work Conference on Children
and Youth
Phnom Penh, Cambodia
24 & 25 June 2013
Organised by the Asian & Pacific Islands Social Work
Educators Association (APISWEA) in the UnitedStates, in collaboration with the University ofWashington-Royal University of Phnom Penh Social
Work Partnership, this conference aims to foster
rigorous, meaningful and forward-looking discussions
on contemporary social issues affecting the wellbeingof children and youth. Conference topics include, but
are not limited to, the following issues related tochildren and youth: Urbanization and its issues: drugs, street children,
sex industry
 Rural/urban immigration issues
 Migrant labor/human trafficking issues
 Mental health (including contemporary andtraditional forms of healing) Improving access to basic services—education,
health, sanitation, nutrition, etc.
 Rural/indigenous social work Intergenerational social issues
 The role of pagodas in the lives of children andyouth Child protection issues—abuse, neglect &exploitation
 Alternative care (kinship care, foster care, adoption,
institutional care) Social work education—trends, successes andchallenges
THE CAMBODIAN CONTEXT for SOCIAL WORK and
SOCIAL WORK EDUCATIONThis conference is being held at an important stage in
Cambodia’s healing, development and nation building.

While Cambodia continues to experience theconsequences of civil war and colonization there are
hopeful signs of recovery. Three decades after the fallof the destructive Khmer Rouge regime, many socialand health indicators remain below expected levels.
Thirty-nine percent of its population is under the ageof 18 and the circumstances for these children remainchallenging with approximately 90% of childrenclassified as severely deprived. However, there aresigns of healing and rebuilding such as increasing life
expectancy rates for both men and women, and risingschool enrollment rates.
The country is at a turning point with the government
rallying to respond to the social welfare needs of thepeople. For example, the Procedures to Implement the
Policy on Alternative Care for Children is a significant
step in developing a more systematic response tochild welfare issues, and the Council for Agricultural
and Rural Development is launching the country’s first
cash transfer program within an overall social
protection framework. Since the Ministry of Education
approved the first college level degree program insocial work in 2008, the program at the Royal
University of Phnom Penh (RUPP) graduated its first
BSW cohort in 2012. The Ewha Women’s University is
supporting RUPP with a master’s degree program insocial work. The Ministry of Social Affairs also
recently opened the National Institute of Social Affairs
and enrolled their first cohort of undergraduates.
These signal the timeliness of this conference, which
will help to build this momentum in positive andsignificant ways.

Optional Excursions
Participants can join a half day field visit on June 26th
to learn more about the context and some pressing
issues in Cambodia. Additionally, for participantsinterested in visiting Angkor Wat or other incrediblesites of Cambodia before or after the conference,linkages with organized tour opportunities will bemade available.
For further information, please go to the website:
www.APIsocialwork.org
OR contact APISWEA Conference Co-Chairs:
Tracy
Harachi,
UniversityofWashington:
tharachi@u.washington.edu and
Jini
Roby,
Brigham
Young
University:
Jini.roby@byu.edu
IFSW-AP Newsletter – December 2012- 2

Other Upcoming Events…

International Conferences

Regional Conferences
IFSW-APASWE 22nd Asia Pacific Social Work
Regional Conference, 2013 Manila, Philippines
4th – 6th June 2013
Theme: “Social Work in Climate Change, Disaster
Risk Reduction and Response: Building Capacity
and Global Partnership”
Organising Host: Philippines Association of Social
Workers, Inc.
Tel/Fax: (63-2) 453-8250
Website: http://www.paswi-national.org
International Humanitarian Conference 2013
Venue: Swan Convention Centre, Sunway,
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Date: 28th – 30th November 2013
Featuring HRH Raja Nazrin Shah Lecture Series
Theme: Sustaining Humanitarian Efforts, Over theLong Haul...
Organised by Mercy Malaysia, the conference willconsist of topics and workshops focusing ondelivering humanitarian aid during conflicts anddisasters, resilience, health issues and handling of
media and politics amongst others.
Conference Secretariat:
Bloom Communications
Tel : +6016 2069 610 / +603 2242 0902
Fax: +603 6207 6795
Em: secretariat@humanitarianconference-mercy.com
Website: www.humanitarianconference-mercy.com

International Conference on ASEAN Women:“Empowerment: Issues and Challenges”
Bandung, Indonesia
10th – 12th December 2013
Organized by the Northern Corridor Research Centre,
Universiti Utara Malaysia (NCRC-UUM)and Pusat
Studi Wanita, Universitas Islam Bandung (PSWUNISBA)
SECRETARIAT ICAW2013
Northern Corridor Research Centre (NCRC)
Level 2, Economic Building, College of Business,
Universiti Utara Malaysia
06010, UUM Sintok
Kedah Darul Aman
Tel : +604-928 3895; +604-928 3653; +604-928 3652
Fax : +604-928 3647
Email : icaw2013@uum.edu.my

7th International Conference on Social Work in
Health and Mental Health, Los Angeles, California
23rd – 27th June 2013
Theme: ‘Research to Practice: Completing the Circle’
Hosted by the USC School of Social Work and Los
Angeles County Department of Mental Health,Southern California, USA.
Website: http://pathways2013.com‘The Voices for Development’ Conference
Sandton Convention Centre, South Africa
25th – 27th September 2013
The National Association of Social Workers South
Africa, in association with IFSW, will be hosting The
Voices for Development Conference. This conference
will enable countries targeted by development policy,
their communities and on-the- ground social workers
to voice their practical experiences and makerecommendations on the Sustainable Development
Goals (SDGs) that will succeed the Millennium
Development Goals (MDGS) when they expire in 2015.
For more information, contact the conference
secretariat on:
Tel: +27 87 080 4983
Fax: +27 86 545 8915
Emails: nasw.southafrica@gmail.com or
info@naswsa.co.za or info@naswsa.co.za
Website: http://www.naswsa.co.za/conference2013/

Joint World Conference on Social Work, Educationand Social Development 2014
Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre,
Melbourne, Australia
9th – 12th July 2014
Organised by the IASSW, ICSW, IFSW and the local
Organising Committee, this Conference will bring
together practitioners, researchers and educatorsfrom around the world who are engaged in Social
Work and Social Development. The Conference will

IFSW-AP Newsletter – December 2012- 2

continue the work of the Global Agenda, first set inHong Kong in 2010 and then continued in Stockholm
in 2012. Together with the Australian Association ofSocial Work, the Australian Council of Heads ofSchools of Social Work, and the Australian Council ofSocial Service, we are planning an inspirational
program in true Australian tradition.
Conference Organisers:
Waldron Smith Management
119 Buckhurst Street
South Melbourne VIC 3205 Australia
T: +61 3 9645 6311
F: +61 3 9645 6322
E: swsd2014@wsm.com.au
W: www.waldronsmith.com.au

We make them cry
who care for us,
We cry for those
who never care for us,
and we care for those
who will never cry for us.

IFSW Asia Pacific Regional
Working Group
President:
John Ang (Singapore)Member-at-Large: Mariko Kimura (Japan)
Secretary:
Rose Henderson (New
Zealand)Treasurer:
Michiko Hirata (Japan)
Members:
Irene Leung Pui Yiu(Hong Kong)
Sung-Kyung Kang
(Korea)Elsie Lee (Publications
Secretary, Malaysia)
Ng Shui Lai (Human
Rights, Hong Kong)
Richard Hugman (Ethics
Representative,
Australia)
Regional Advisor: Justina Leung(Immediate Past
President, Hong Kong)
Co-opted Members: Eva Ponce de Leon (ThePhilippines)
Munther Amira (Palestine)

Editor: Elsie Lee (Malaysia)
Layout: Jodi Johnstone (Australia)
Publisher: Griffith University for IFSW Asia
Pacific Region (Australia)
Note to Contributors:
Please send items, stories and articles preferably
in MS word format as well as photos to the
Editor, Elsie Lee at elsilee@gmail.com

IFSW-AP Newsletter – December 2012- 2