scholarly journals The 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 17-31
Author(s):  
Venkat Rao Pulla ◽  
Charles Kalinganire
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Western World ◽  
East African ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Historical Reality ◽  
Community Ties ◽  
Moral Narrative ◽  
Court Process

This study, written collaboratively with a native Rwandan author, briefly recalls the historical reality from a Rwandan perspective and addresses the consequences of the Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda. Furthermore, the way the Western world was a passive spectator to the economic, political and social pillage and Genocide that occurred in the last part of the 20th Century, that was, in 1994, is discussed.  How is reconciliation fostered in the communities across Rwanda? In particular, the sites and communities where massacres were held?  Strong community ties and community being central to social work practice is observed in most East African countries, with no exception to Rwanda. While social work pedagogy is something new and possibly introduced by Western idiom, the tradition of welfare and mutual caring (would have been/ has been part) of the Kinyarwanda culture, language, and manner of living. What factors have worked for reconciliation, reconstruction of the society?  How were people made to understand violence, and what did they replace it with?    How is the post-genocide moral narrative shaped?  The traditional indigenous processes that have been utilised, including the Gacaca, unique court process, are briefly discussed. How do people implant hate into people? By the same token, how do people put peace and love into people? These are a few questions that were central to this study throughout.

scholarly journals Social Work with Muslims: Insights from the Teachings of Islam

2005 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdullahi Barise
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Western World ◽  
Way Of Life ◽  
Socially Constructed ◽  
A Value ◽  
The Social ◽  
Work Integration ◽  
Work Knowledge

Social work knowledge and skills are socially constructed. Professional social work was initiated in the Western world in the early twentieth century on the basis of a secular, euro-centric worldview (Graham, 2002, 2005). Thus, social work is shaped by the European and North American (hereafter the West) socio-cultural contexts in which it originates (Payne, 1997). However, multicultural sensitivity has been a value held by the social work profession for decades (e.g., Latting, 1990). Additionally, as professional social work is internationalised, its indigenisation has been gaining more acceptance lately world wide (Hokenstad, Khinduka, & Midgley, 1992; Hokenstad, Midgley, 1997). As well, as more and more models of social work emphasize the importance of understanding clients’ worldview for effective social work, integration of spirituality in social work is increasingly being called for. As Van Hook, Hugen, and Aguira put it, “as wholistic, empowerment-focused, and culturally appropriate approaches to social work practice become more widely adopted, the ability to integrate spirituality and religion into practice will become a critical professional skill.” (2001, p. 3). However, since Islam is a complete way of life, spirituality is viewed in Islam as uniquely comprehensive (e.g., Abdalati, 1986; Barise & France, 2004; Haneef, 1999; Lahkim, Barise, & Boukhobza, 2004; Zaid & Barise, 2004).

University Community Engagement: Insights from Field Work Practices

2016 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jagdish Jadhav ◽  
Vinay Suhalka
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Community Engagement ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Field Work ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Western World ◽  
Societal Needs ◽  
Academic Practices ◽  
Work Education ◽  
University Community

Higher education cannot be enriched without active linkages with neighborhood. Community-university engagement is a reciprocal process which strengthens each other. Western world has accepted the said engagement as a means for aligning research with societal needs. Though, India is having a deep rooted history, legacy and various academic practices, only in the recent times University community engagement has acquired certain significance. For the promotion of new types of teaching and research the societal engagement need to be more deepened. In continuation to the recommendation and provisions earmarked in 12th Five Year Plan (2012-17), the University Grants Commission (UGC) has also launched a new scheme to support setting up a Centre for Fostering Social Responsibility and Community Engagement (CFSRCE) in various universities. The appeal of Honble President of India for setting up Community Development Cell in Higher Educational Institutions (HEI) and Prime Ministers idea of Unnat Bharat Abhiyan envisages the same thrust. Engagement with a community is a pre-requisite for Social Work Education and practice. Present paper is highlighting the community field work practice of Department of Social work, Central University of Rajasthan. The components of university community engagement are discussed in the context of social work practice.

scholarly journals The expansion of developmental social work in Southern and East Africa: Opportunities and challenges for social work field programmes

2017 ◽  
Vol 61 (6) ◽  
pp. 974-987 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mel Gray ◽  
Kylie Agllias ◽  
Rodreck Mupedziswa ◽  
Jacob Mugumbate
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
East Africa ◽  
Resource Constraints ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Practical Experience ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Developmental Approach ◽  
Social Work Educators

This article reports on a study that examined how fieldwork education in Southern and East Africa was responding to the developmental social work agenda. The study used semi-structured qualitative interviews with key informants from 15 social work programmes in 11 different Southern and East African countries. It investigated whether the social work fieldwork placements on offer provided practical experience of a developmental approach to social work practice. The study showed the creativity and enthusiasm with which social work educators were embracing the goals of developmental social work education, despite the pitfalls and limitations of doing this within fieldwork resource constraints.

Making sense of African thought in social work practice in Zimbabwe: Towards professional decolonisation

2018 ◽  
Vol 63 (4) ◽  
pp. 419-430 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vincent Mabvurira
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Social Protection ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
African Continent ◽  
African Countries ◽  
African Students ◽  
Ethical Conflicts ◽  
Western Theory ◽  
Principles And Standards

The problem with current social work practice in Africa is that following its development in the West, it came to Africa grounded in values and ideologies stemming from capitalism, social Darwinism, the protestant ethic and individualism, all of which are un-African. Western ideas permeated social work institutions despite the ethical conflicts between traditional African cultures and values and the Western Judeo-Christian norms on which social work was based. Despite the political independence of most African countries, the profession has remained stuck in Western methods, values, principles and standards. Some of the traditional social work principles seem alien in African contexts. The social work principle of individualisation, for example, is un-African as it promotes individualism and yet life in Africa is communal. The content used in social work education and training in most institutions in Zimbabwe originated from elsewhere outside the African continent and as a result does not respect Africana values, beliefs, mores, taboos and traditional social protection systems. As it stands, social work in Zimbabwe in particular is a ‘mermaid’ profession based on Western theory but serving African clients. If social work in Africa is to decolonise, practitioners should have an understanding of and respect for African beliefs and practices. This is mainly because there is no clear separation between the material and the sacred among indigenous African people. This article therefore challenges African scholars to generate Afrocentric knowledge that should be imparted to African students for them to be effective in the African context. Afrocentric social work should be based on, improve and professionalise traditional helping systems that were in place prior to the coming of the Whites to the African continent.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document