Dear Colleagues,

Due to popular demand, the deadline for the submission of abstracts for SWIC 2023 has been extended to September 10th, 2023.

We look forward to receiving your abstract!

The SWIC 2023 Organizing Committee

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Organizers: The Department of Social Work, Faculty of Sociology and Social Work, the University of Bucharest in collaboration with the Association of Schools of Social Work in Romania (ASSWR)

Conference theme: Social Work in Changing Times: From Resilience to Transformative Action

Conference dates: November 2^nd – 3^rd, 2023

Conference venue: Faculty of Sociology and Social Work (Șoseaua Panduri 90, Bucharest, Romania)

Conference language: English

Conference website:  www.swicub.com

The Social Work Department of the University of Bucharest is pleased to invite submissions for presentations at the 7^th edition of the Social Work International Conference (SWIC) to be held between November 2^nd – 3^rd, 2023.

Contexts of collective trauma remind us of the unstable equilibrium of social structures and individual lives in times of crisis. In the past five years alone, the World has experienced a plethora of socio-political and environmental risks: a pandemic and the global healthcare and economic crisis it generated; a geopolitical crisis representing one of the most serious threats to global peace and security since the Cold War; humanitarian crises sparked by wars and disasters with disproportionate effects on already socially excluded populations; an increasing backlash on human rights, intensified extreme weather conditions across the Globe etc. The widespread immediate effects and longterm consequences of all of these amplify the urgency of the call for cooperation, solidarity and visionary action toward a safer future for all.

In the increasingly interconnected World, while collective trauma emphasizes the fragility of human values such as peace, social security, inclusiveness, and sustainability, at the same time, it can lead to unprecedented acts of solidarity and innovative responses. Such responses require conscious efforts from all relevant stakeholders: from governments and public authorities to the civil society, community organizers as well as the market; from the first respondents to all the individuals concerned with their own safety. There remains the need for articulating coordinated responses in the form of intervention programs, social policies, reconstruction strategies not only for relief and resilience, but also for transformative longterm benefits. What does it mean to have a transformative vision for our future societies that can resiliently meet social challenges and at the same time successfully prevent similar risks?

Historically, social workers have played a vital role in crisis management, from humanitarian/relief work to interventions and programs for building the resilience of oppressed or excluded populations, from case management and community work to valuable contributions to social policy. How can social work as a profession and practice contribute to a transformative vision of the future? In order for transformative action to take place, are there new competencies/abilities needed to complement the existing ones (such as compassionate support, human connection, cultural awareness, fast targeted intervention)? What does it mean to think creatively in social work?

We invite researchers and practitioners from the field of social work as well as other connected social science fields to join us in reflecting on the idea of a transformative vision and action for better futures. We welcome scientifically sound and original contributions from researchers, educators, practitioners, and students from social science in the focus areas listed below. Submissions can be empirical, theoretical or practice based. We accept submissions from both experienced researchers/practitioners and students.

Focus areas

The streams of the conference are divided based on the 6 focus areas:

1. Resilience and transformative action in social work practice: changes, adaptations, programs, interventions and initiatives at the local, national and/or global level.
2. Resilience and transformative action in social work education: projects, programs and strategies for the social workers of the future.
3. Resilience and transformative vision in social work research: extending the role and scope of social work research within a transformative approach.
4. Social work and human rights: best practices, theoretical frameworks toward resilience and transformative action for human rights.
5. Social work and sustainability: eco-social initiatives and environmental approaches in social work for building resilience and transformative action.
6. Social work and technology: digital and other technological solutions supporting resilience and transformative action in social work.

Abstract submission – instructions for authors

All abstract submissions are to be made by filling in the Abstract Submission Form by August 20^th, 2023 September 10th, 2023. Please see all the key dates here.

Presentation types include individual or co-authored papers, poster presentations, and organized workshops. The papers will be selected based on criteria such as compliance with the conference theme, relevance, and actuality of the subject.

Abstract submissions should include the following:

• Title of the presentation
• Name and affiliation of the author(s)
• 3-5 keywords

The abstract body should have 300 words or less (maximum 3000 characters) and it is recommended that to follow as much as possible the below structure:

• Background/Context
• Research objective
• Methodology
• Main results and/or implications for social work education, practice and/or research
• General conclusion

We are now receiving abstract submissions! To apply please fill out the Abstract Submission Form.

The abstract submission deadline is August 20^th, 2023 September 10th, 2023.

Please see the important dates here.

The full Call for Abstracts is available here.