Creation of a sustainable interaction platform for the promotion of social work in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan

SAMARKAND – An educational Summer School under the slogan «Professionalization of social work – the guarantor of the quality of social services» has started at the International University of Tourism «The Silk Road». This is the first event organized by the Association of the School of Social Work of the Samarkand region with the support of the branch of the Association Caritas Germany in Tajikistan and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) in Uzbekistan.

More than 80 participants representing universities, state and public organizations involved in the training of social workers from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan discussed the improvement of educational programs and professional development of social workers in the region until August 5.

This event is also a unique opportunity to discuss issues and processes that affect the daily practice of social workers at the regional, national, and local levels.

«One of the activities of Caritas Germany in Tajikistan is aimed at supporting Central Asian countries in creating a social protection system and a mechanism for organizing social services. Summer School is very important for understanding the challenges and opportunities that society is facing today and how social workers are coping with them in Central Asian countries. Such events are of great importance for raising awareness of decision makers and key players in the field of social work, as well as creating an opportunity for expert exchange», says Parvina Tajibayeva, Regional Director of Caritas Germany in Tajikistan.

It is expected that the Summer School will make a significant contribution to the development of training programs for social workers and unify approaches to the definition of social work. Following the results of the summer school, recommendations will be developed that will be aimed at further improving and promoting social work as a sought-after profession in various fields of activity and improving the quality of life in society.

«The right to social protection was laid down by the UN in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948. The development of the capabilities and competence of the social service will allow Governments to ensure equality and justice in society, effectively promote the development of human personality, and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the Global Agenda. In this regard, assessing the role and contribution of social workers to the development of human capital in the Central Asian region, it is necessary to support the development of social work as a profession and academic discipline», said Elvira Azimova, Commissioner for Human Rights in the Republic of Kazakhstan.

«I enjoy participating in this event. The Summer School provides us with an opportunity to get better acquainted with community-based rehabilitation tools and other useful approaches that certainly raise the status of people with disabilities and other vulnerable groups of society. In addition, we have the opportunity to create strong ties and strengthen regional cooperation for a fruitful exchange of information between professors, experts, and specialists in social work», said Madina Zhamankulova, Head of the Department of Nursing of the A. K. Akhunbayev Kyrgyz State Medical Academy.

The summer school was initiated within the framework of the Caritas Germany project in Tajikistan «Consolidation of CSR structures in Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan and further professionalization of education in the field of social work using the CSR approach», funded by the Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development of Germany (BMZ).

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