New Delhi, March 21: The Department of Social Work, Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) celebrated World Social Work week with a series of meaningful initiatives on the global theme ‘Buen Vivir: Shared Future for Transformative Change’.
The celebrations began on 19 March 2024, World Social Work Day with a compelling panel discussion on Inclusive Development in Practice : How to Bring Transformative Change. Dr Naghma Abidi, Indian School of Development Management and Mr Mahtab Alam, National Foundation For India spearheaded the dialogue.
Prof Neelam Sukhramani, Head, Department of Social Work highlighted how Social Work Day reaffirms the professions commitment to driving positive change through community-led approaches grounded in indigenous wisdom and principles of sustainability. Dr. Hem Borker introduced the idea of Buen Vivir, rooted in indigenous cultures of South America emphasizing collective well-being through harmony between human beings and nature, building solidarities and creating alternative paradigms of development.
The two panellists had a lively candid discussion with the students, presenting a practitioners perspective of inclusive development and transformative change. Dr Naghma cited practices from the field to underscore the importance of co-designing and co-building policy with local people to make change happen and achieve Sustainable development goals in the true sense. Addressing deep rooted issues requires looking at them from a system’s lens. While social transformation is influenced by the interplay of state, market and society, negotiating the differing ideologies can be challenging.
Mr Mahtab Alam talked about how a shared future is inconceivable without diversity, which is not merely about hiring a diverse workforce but incorporating diverse experiences and mindsets. He also stressed on the need to de-jargonise to bring about bottom-up development. The students of MSW and BSW and PhD scholars actively participated in the interactive session which concluded with an understanding that for transformative change to happen it needs to be at all the three levels - at the individual level, in the larger ecosystem, and in policy and legal frameworks. The session also saw the participation of the alumni of the department who joined the session online.
This was followed by a powerful Nukkad Natak titled ‘Thoda Compromise’ by Bachelors of Social Work students on the theme of gender equality. Through powerful narratives and vivid portrayals the performance poignantly portrayed the struggles women face and the myriad ways in which women compromise their rights, aspirations, and dignity due to entrenched gender norms and societal expectations.
The performance scripted by the students under the supervision of the Department’s alumnus and theatre instructor Jamal Siddiqui not only raised awareness but also sparked meaningful conversations and inspired action towards creating a more inclusive and just society for all genders. The field work team in the leadership of Prof. Ravindra Ramesh Patil had spearheaded this event.
On 20th March the poster making competition took centre stage as the Subject Association, Department of Social Work teamed up with the Department of Painting, Faculty of Fine Arts, JMI to create beautiful art pieces on themes of social work day ranging from environmental sustainability, dignity and worth of the elderly, technology and social work, importance of relationships and metal health.
The event saw a fusion of artistic expression and social consciousness showcasing the immense talent and creativity of the participating students. All the participants received prizes from the Heads of both the departments, Ms. Moeen Fatima (Department of Painting) and Prof Neelam Sukhramani (Department of Social Work) and judges The event was steered by Dr. Sarika Tomar, faculty in charge, Subject Association Department of Social Work and student volunteers Mohammad Kamran, Taqdeer Hussain, Amisha Jha and many others who worked towards making this a possibility.
The series of events to celebrate social work week which saw participation of students, scholars, alumni and faculty members alike showcased the abiding commitment of the Department of Social work, one of the pioneering institutions in the country, to the values of the profession and ideal of a Shared Future.