In this short video Social Work educators and students from around the globe discuss the importance of drawing on Community Development ideas in Social Work teaching, learning and practice. From Australia, Finland, Ireland, India, New Zealand and Spain, the educators address the key challenges facing Social Work including responding to environmental change with creativity, using digital technology for social good, reducing economic inequality and achieving economic opportunity and justice. Their arguments are based on three main premises. Firstly, grounding Social Work teaching in values such as social justice and human rights, critical thinking and working collectively helps to nurture dynamic, innovative forms of practice that can respond to community and societal issues. Secondly, critical and network thinking can foster new ideas and facilitate influence in key areas including decision-making and policymaking where new thinking is needed now more than ever. Thirdly, engaging in a vigorous interchange of knowledge, practice and skills between disciplines like Community Development and Social Work strengthens these areas of work, side-steps separate and distinct professional silos and emphasises the importance of humanistic values and approaches. These ideas are explored in depth in an accompanying Themed Section of the Community Development Journal (Vol 56, Issue 4, 2021).
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