10th June 2020
IASW Statement on Racism

In the aftermath of the recent brutal killing of George Floyd and other Black people at the hands ofthe police in the United States, the Irish Association of Social Workers condemns racism in its various
manifestations throughout the world. The IASW stands in solidarity with the Black community, with
the Black Lives Matter protests and with the National Association of Social Workers in the USA andexpresses solidarity and support to NASW at this time.
In particular we stand in solidarity with Black social workers and those of ethnic and minority
backgrounds and value their contribution to the profession here in Ireland and internationally, manyof whom also face discrimination and prejudice in the workplace and in wider society. As socialworkers, we must be vigilant to the manifestation and impact of racism on Black and minority ethniccolleagues and challenge beliefs and actions of those persons who devalue, stigmatise, ordiscriminate against others. We need to challenge and seek to address any actions of colleagues whodemonstrate discrimination or prejudice. As outlined in the IFSW Ethical Principles social workers
must bring to the attention of employers, policymakers, politicians, and the public situations in which
policies and resources are inadequate or in which policies and practices are oppressive, unfair, orharmful. In accordance with the CORU Code of Ethics for Social Workers, we should promote social
justice in our practice through challenging negative discrimination and unjust policies and practices
respecting diversity, different cultures and values and through advocacy and work towards socialinclusion.
Social workers need to take the lead in recognising our own prejudices to ensure that we do notdiscriminate against any person or group and that our services are offered and delivered in a
culturally appropriate manner. As individual practitioners and members of the Irish Association ofSocial Workers we must commit to self-examination and reflective practice in this regard.
As an Association we commit to anti-racist and anti-discriminatory practice, to identifying, discussing
and challenge issues of race and the impact they have on our organisation and to providing within
our CPD programme, training that supports and promotes anti-discriminatory and culturally sensitive
practice. We recognise the need to have a more culturally inclusive education and intervention
methods and commit to contemporise and ‘decolonise’ existing Eurocentric social work educationand practice, which are no longer relevant to the current Irish social workforce and the multi-racial
and multicultural population it serves.

Social workers in international practice and throughout the history of social work have worked withpeople in marginalised communities, where constraints such as inequality and discrimination may
hamper service user’s ability to fulfil their needs. These constraints cannot always be resolved at thelevel of the individual. In line with IASW principles, social workers will advocate with and on behalfof those whom society excludes and in doing so should engage with service users and facilitate themin contributing their views to such developments. We commit to working with service users tochallenge practices, systems, and cultural barriers which disadvantage and allow discrimination tocontinue.
The IASW acknowledges that systemic racism exits in Ireland and calls for action regarding racism inIreland in the following areas and will revise the strategic plan to reflect this;•••••

Given that the 2019 UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) reportsets out that the Irish State is failing to sufficiently tackle racism and discrimination and tolive up to its international human rights obligations in combatting racial discrimination, we
support the call of CERD for Ireland to adopt a new national action plan against racism toreplace the Government’s ‘National Action Plan against Racism 2005-2008’ which expired 12years ago.
Given the findings of the UN Committee on Economic Social and Cultural Rights citing thesystem of Direct Provision in Ireland as a severe violation of human rights, we call for
immediate action in relation to ending the current system of Direct Provision and theintroduction of a humane reception system for people seeking international protection in linewith international best practice. Living conditions in direct provision accommodation havecontributed to the vulnerability of residents in these centres during the Covid-19 pandemicand we support Nasc’s ‘Move the Vulnerable Out’ campaign.
The treatment and exclusion of Mincéar/Traveller and Roma communities needs to beaddressed and the implementation of the National Traveller Roma Inclusion Strategy (NTRIS)
needs to be stepped up through adequately resourced actions by all Government
Departments involved.
The repeal of the 27th Amendment to the Irish Constitution which excludes Irish born children
from citizenship and exposes them to the risk of deportation.
To support the call for the Government to enact hate crime legislation immediately to protect
people from various minorities in Ireland, to encourage the public to report racism and otherhate attacks.

In adhering to the IASW Principles of Social Work Practice, social workers should use theirprofessional association as a forum for critical debate and dialogue with other professional agencies,
the government and the public at large, to advocate for and to promote positive social change. The
IASW International Affairs Committee is committed to pursuing the above actions on behalf of theAssociation in challenging systemic racism and promoting anti-racist and culturally sensitive social
work practice.
THE IASW welcomes input and further suggestions from all members in furthering these actions. A
motion will be presented to the upcoming Annual General Meeting of the Association on 1st July
2020 regarding the IASWs role in promoting positive change in this area.
Statement prepared by The International Affairs Committee (Anna Deneher, John Brennan, Kerry
Cuskelly and Aine McGuirk) with consultation with Dr Colletta Dalikeni (Board member) andOluromade Olusa (Member).