National Association of Social Workers

From the President

With Much Done, Still More to Do

By Elvira Craig de Silva, DSW, ACSW

I am a social worker. We are social workers. Let the sound and meaning of those words reverberate in our hearts and minds, fueling the passionate determination to further the cause of human well-being.

Let's roll out those words to the world as we put our courage and direction into action to influence and shift those processes in society that impede equality and equity for the populations we serve.

Let the world know who we are, what we do, how proud we are of the significant roles we play in the community.

Let's use our National Social Work Public Education Campaign to carry the message that, in the intricate and layered reality of the 21st century, we are the main weavers of the fibers of diversity that fortify the fabric of our society.

I am a social worker.

We are social workers.

What a privilege, a gift and an opportunity to be part of a profession that proactively and ethically assists people in achieving their life goals. Our profession gives voice to the disenfranchised and alleviates and prevents distress that hinders the way to a dignified existence.

What a privilege, a gift and an opportunity to be a member of a profession that, as part of the expectations of its Code of Ethics, requires from us constant updating of our knowledge base. The code also requires ongoing self-evaluation and cross-cultural skills, so we can provide culturally sensitive programs and services to our clients, thus becoming effective instruments of societal change.

What an honor, exciting challenge and humbling proposition it is for me to write to you this month as president of NASW and to help lead our professional organization for the next three years. My leadership is also our leadership. I see it as a joint, inclusive operation. It is we — the membership — our skills, talents, perspectives on the profession, our leadership across the country and within NASW.

I am counting on the collective wisdom of all my colleagues and of the outstanding leaders who have preceded me — leaders like Ruth Mayden and Terry Mizrahi, who pioneered efforts and forged ahead in perilous times for our profession.

I am particularly indebted to the leadership of Gary Bailey and Betsy Clark for their contributions to the profession and the current success of NASW. I am grateful for the changes they have implemented, for the comprehensive progress achieved and the stability of the organization — stability that has given rise to a wave of vitality and creativity which has placed NASW on the national and international scene.

From my perspective, the most important function of NASW is the commitment to develop and strengthen the social work profession. The association upholds the values and standards that increase the quality and power of social work practice within a framework of advocacy, social justice and political action.

During my term in office, I expect to facilitate access to and exchange of best practices among chapters, use my leadership position to enhance the image of social work and enlarge pathways to create social work jobs.

We are faced by a growing number of challenges that affect our society and the world: immigration; globalization; poverty; extremist movements; oppression; abuse of women, children and vulnerable populations; inequities in access to health care; the erosion of social conscience.

Challenges to our profession portray our field of work as something that people of good will, without preparation — or people of similar fields — can do without our specific training and expertise.

I believe that in order to respond to those challenges, locally and nationally, we need to keep our professional and political training current.

I see our professional organization continuing the development of strategies to influence the outcome of legislative and political issues affecting the practice of social work and the status of human rights.

We live in a multicultural world in which understanding diversity and developing cultural competency are keys to effectiveness. We have, then, the charge to seriously and diligently attract and recruit a diverse force of social workers, particularly those who speak more than one language.

We need to continue forming coalitions with like-minded organizations, both within the United States and abroad. There are international issues weighing on all of us, and there is a sense of urgency to get involved at the international level.

It is gratifying and encouraging to know that we have done much. It is sobering to know that there is still much to do. It is inspiring to know that we will accomplish much by doing it together.

To comment to Elvira Craig de Silva: president@naswdc.org

From July 2005 NASW News. © 2005 National Association of Social Workers. All Rights Reserved. NASW News articles may be copied for personal use, but proper notice of copyright and credit to the NASW News must appear on all copies made. This permission does not apply to reproduction for advertising, promotion, resale, or other commercial purposes.