The Department of Social Work at Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) organized an International Webinar on March 17, 2021 on the contours of post pandemic social work during this social work month. It had speakers from south and south east Asian countries who deliberated over the issues of social solidarity and global connectedness in the Covid-19 world and deliberated on strategies to be adopted to make the social work profession more proactive and responsive. The webinar was coordinated and conducted by Prof Archana Dassi, Head of the Department of Social Work. She stressed on the role of human service professionals, and the need to re-examine their role so that the profession can be more responsive in the face of similar pandemics.
The session was chaired by Dr. Sandra Joseph, Principal, Jesus and Mary College, University of Delhi who emphasized on the necessity of social solidarity during the ongoing pandemic. Prof Adi Fahruddin (Department of Social Welfare, Universitas Muhammadiyah Jakarta, Indonesia) asked for national and international networking to restructure social work. Prof. Surinder Jaiswal (Deputy Director, Tata Institute of Social Sciences), advocated “inclusiveness” in all aspects of life. Ms. Pradipta Kadambari (Principal, Kadambari Memorial College, Nepal), talked about the significance of ‘self-advocacy’. Mr. Amarawansa Ranaweera (President, Sri Lanka Association of Professional Social Workers), spoke about the necessity to develop sign language for children with hearing difficulties.
Prof. Zubair Meenai (Honorary Director, Centre for Early Childhood Development and Research, JMI) talked about the importance of ‘community work’.The webinar was streamed live on the Facebook page of Department of Social Work, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi .The webinar was attended by people representing the Social Work Educational Institutions, civil society organization, researchers and Scholars, and students from all across the country. The webinar ended with a vote of thanks to the Vice Chancellor and to all the speakers, dignitaries and participants. The Webinar was a big success and was widely appreciated by all for addressing such a significant issue during the ongoing pandemic.