David Lane - Editor Wonderful Copenhagen It has taken fifty years for it to happen, but on Tuesday 27th May 2003 the three leading international professional bodies in the social field met together for the first time. There were senior representatives of the International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW), the International Association of Social Educators (AIEJI) and the Federation Internationale Des Communautes Educatives (FICE). It was therefore an historic occasion. To an outsider it might also seem an occasion for shame. That it has taken so long for them to come together is a disgrace. In international matters, alliances are important if one wishes to carry influence. Social matters always carry a very low priority by comparison with politics, big business and military matters, and we need to have maximum impact if we are to be listened to, and if the needs of people at the bottom of the social heap are to receive attention. Success Although it has taken too long to come together, the meeting was a success in four ways. First, there was a genuine enthusiasm to work co-operatively on issues where the different associations can contribute from their differing viewpoints. In the past there has at times been rivalry. It was once said that seven people would have to die before two organisations would work together; there was no such animosity at this meeting, and no-one was trying to carve out patches for themselves. Secondly, there was an appreciation that any international organisation in this field has to struggle to achieve success. There are hardly any paid staff and so virtually all the work has to be done by volunteers. Most of the volunteers have full-time jobs and responsibilities in their national associations, as well as in the international roles they fulfil. To find the time and the resources to hold a meeting with other associations is one more task, and so it is perhaps not so surprising that time has not been found in the past. Thirdly, it was found that there are many areas of common interest between the organisations. To give just two examples, IFSW are revising their Code of Ethics at a time when AIEJI are putting theirs out for consultation, offering a chance for both organisations to take account of each other’s thinking before finalising their Codes. The ideal - one day - might be for all the associations to share the same Code of Ethics, but for the present, sharing ideas will be useful. All three associations have been giving thought to what FICE terms Education sans Frontieres, but all three have struggled to find a model they could implement. The idea is that after natural disasters or man-made crises, communities need help to re-establish their social infrastructures through support and expert advice as well as practical help. Out of their hundreds of thousands of members, organisations such as IFSW, AIEJI and FICE have hundreds of professionals prepared to respond to calls for help, but what is needed is the data base listing their skills, experience and contact details and the organisation to trigger the response. For organisations with limited resources, this is a hard task, but it is possible that it might be managed on a joint basis. This is a matter for further discussion. Fourthly, there was an appreciation that all three of the organisations face similar problems - shortage of resources, over-reliance on volunteer workers, tensions between international and continental levels, communication problems and getting feedback to discussion documents, for example. Action Ahead It was agreed that further meetings should be held, with a view to closer collaboration, and hopefully there will be a greater impact if policies and declarations are agreed and promulgated by the three main professional bodies. Thanks are due not only to the three organisations but also to the Socialpaedagogernes Landsforbund, the main Danish trade union for social workers and social educators / pedagogues, who acted as hosts, providing a congenial setting for the meeting. Whether the event proves useful, only time will tell, but its success will no doubt depend upon hard work and time put in by people who already have many other commitments. Yet the impact of such meetings could well be vital if the social professions are to have the right sort of international impact on behalf of the people they serve. If you are concerned about the way things are going and wish to help to shape future thinking, why not join CfC? Then you can have your say. Click here for an application form.