World Social Work Day 2023
The Social Work Training and Research Centre (SWTRC’s) grounds served as the setting for World Social Work Day (WSWD) 2023, which occurred on Tuesday, March 21, 2023. On this crucial day, held the third Tuesday of March each year, social workers from all around the world unite to spread our shared message. The Social Work Training and Research Centre and Department of Sociology, Psychology and Mona Social Work, of The University of the West Indies (UWI) Open and Mona campuses in Jamaica respectively, collaborated to raise awareness of social workers and allied professionals and engage the community in development initiatives.
The 2023 WSWD celebrations included the opening ceremony, the Social Work village, and the launch of social service activity aligned to the year’s theme of "Respecting Diversity through Joint Social Action''.
Panel Discussion
To kick start the day, greetings were offered by representatives of The UWI. This was followed by an intellectual debate on the theme. In the midst of the formalities, guests were entertained by a sign language performance of “This is US” showing that with effort the barriers of communication between social groups, especially the vulnerable, can be minimized.
Social Work Village
The Social Work Village hosted eight (8) social work or related agencies displaying exhibitions. During the segment, attendees had the opportunity to have one-on-one conversation about the services provided and possibilities of employment opportunities in the industry for the visiting social work students of Portmore Community College, Knox Community College and Mona Social Work Unit.
Donation Drive Launch
Proceeds from the donation drive benefitted the Caribbean Christian Center for the Deaf. The school received cooking equipment, valued at $600,000, for the school's kitchen and to improve its Food & Nutrition programme. This will make it possible for the deaf and hearing-impaired children to acquire practical life skills for their professional and/or personal development.
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