Kia ora

As we mark World Social Work Day, we do so with a clear understanding that social workers practise in very different realities.

Across the world, we have colleagues who work in contexts of armed conflict, famine, political repression, and instability. Some practise without strong professional protection, and others risk retaliation or violence for upholding ethical standards. Not all governments safeguard human rights and not all systems protect helping professions.

Here in Aotearoa, our schools, hospitals, and universities are still standing, our infrastructure is largely intact. We practise within relative safety and stability, and that reality shapes our responsibility.

We do not know war in our streets.
But we do know colonisation.
And we know intergenerational trauma and structural inequity.

Our history calls us to approach global suffering with humility. We cannot claim the lived experience of colleagues working under bombardment or famine. Yet we can stand in principled solidarity.

The recent Special General Meeting of the International Federation of Social Workers highlighted the depth of feeling within our global profession. Perspectives differed, emotions were strong and the debate before us reflected the complexity of practising social work in a divided world.

Our responsibility as an Association is not to inflame division nor to avoid difficult issues. It is to remain anchored in our ANZASW Code of Ethics, the IFSW Global Ethical Principles and the Global Definition of Social Work, centring human dignity, human rights, and social justice in all contexts.

Hope is not naïve optimism and harmony is not the absence of disagreement.

Hope may be the determination to continue ethical practice under constraint.
Harmony may be the discipline of staying in relationship across profound difference.

And today on World Social Work day and in the spirit of Harambee and Kotahitanga, I simply want to say this:

I am grateful for all of you.

For the quiet work you do.
For the courage you show.
For the integrity you hold.
For the compassion you bring — in safety and in struggle.

Harambee. Let us pull together — grounded in justice, humility, and solidarity.

Arohanui
Sharyn – Perehitana/President
ANZASW
 

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E ngā mema o Te Rōpū Tauwhiro i Aotearoa, 

Over the past few weeks, I’ve had the chance to hui with social work students across Te Wai Pounamu. They’re entering the profession at a time when everything feels dialled up: the demand, the pressure, the expectations. One student asked me, bluntly, where the hope is in all of this. 

I didn’t have a perfect answer. Many are asking the same question. 

Things are heavy right now. People are doing it tough. Our systems aren’t keeping up, and sometimes government policy sits far from what communities actually need.  Add misinformation, political noise, and polarisation, and the mahi feels even harder. 

I feel that weight too. There are days when the inbox, decisions, and expectations stack up. But even in that, I haven’t lost hope; not because everything is fine, but because our profession has always drawn its strength from purpose, people, and collective care. Hope isn’t something we wait for; it’s something we build together, even in a storm. 

Today is World Social Work Day, and the theme ‘Co Building Hope and Harmony’ hits differently from inside the pressure. Our President reminded us that while our challenges aren’t the same as our colleagues overseas, we carry our own history: colonisation, inequity, and systems that haven’t served everyone. That context shapes our struggle, but it also shapes our responsibility and our potential. 

For me, that responsibility isn’t about pretending things are tidy. It’s about choosing connection, even when it’s messy. That’s kotahitanga in practice: backing each other, disagreeing well, and refusing to let noise or division pull us off course. 

As we head toward the ANZASW Conference in August, that’s the energy I hope we bring; unity that’s real, lived, and grounded. Not sameness but honouring the vā between us and continuing to show up for one another. 

So today, on World Social Work Day, I want to acknowledge you, our members and social workers across Aotearoa. In whānau homes, community spaces, hospitals, courts, schools, marae, and many other spaces,  you are showing up every day with courage, compassion, and integrity.
 
You are the ones holding hope with communities when things feel uncertain. You are the ones building harmony in the hardest spaces.
That is something really worth celebrating.

Ngā manaakitanga, 
Nathan Chong Nee 
Pou Whakahaere
 

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