ASASWEI INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE 9-12 September 2025

Conference Theme
Advancing Social and Environmental Justice, Peace building, and Sustainable Development through teaching, research and practice.

Call for Abstracts:
We welcome abstract submissions under the following sub themes, as well as any other related topics:
i. Green Social Work and Climate Resilience: Supporting Vulnerable Communities in the Face of Environmental Crises:

• How social work integrates environmental justice, sustainability, and ecological perspectives into practice.
• The impact of climate-related disasters (e.g., floods, wildfires, droughts) on marginalized and vulnerable populations.
• How social workers support resilience, adaptation, and recovery in affected communities.
• How social workers influence policies to address climate justice and environmental sustainability.
• Incorporating traditional practices in promoting environmental stewardship and resilience.
• The role of indigenous knowledge in environmental conservation.
• Decolonizing environmental practices and fostering cultural sustainability.
• Collaborations with Indigenous communities for ecological justice.
  ii. Social Work and the Achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):
• Social work’s contribution toward global sustainability and equity goals.
• Research and practice strategies pertaining to health, mental health and wellbeing including poverty eradication, quality education, gender equality, decent work and economic growth
• Work with special and vulnerable populations (children, families, women, older persons, LGBTQIA+ etc)
• Social work supervision, management
• School Social Work and Environmental Education:
  iii. Policy and Advocacy for Peace building, Environmental and Social Justice:
• Influencing policies that promote environmental sustainability and social equity.
• Social workers, social movements and advocacy during wars, natural and medical disasters
• Social workers as advocates for environmental rights and sustainability.
• Influencing public policy to address environmental inequalities.
• Strategies for promoting environmental activism within the profession.
  iv. Social Work Education, Transdisciplinarity and Curriculum Development:
• Preparing future social workers for roles in in nontraditional social work environments
• Strategies on building responsive social work curricula
• Entrepreneurship, environmental justice and sustainable development.
• Building competencies for environmental practice in social work students.
• Innovative teaching methodologies focused on sustainability.
• Learning and teaching innovations during student protests and natural disasters
• Innovative teaching methodologies, and Innovations in postgraduate supervision
• Navigating curriculum audits
• Experiential learning and community-based research in environmental social work
  v. Feminist Perspectives and Environmental Justice:
• Gendered dimensions of environmental challenges and climate justice.
• Feminist approaches to green social work.
• Empowering women as leaders in environmental advocacy and sustainability.
  vi. Main-streaming Digital and Assessment Tools in Social Work Practice
• Integrating digital tools into traditional social work settings
• Evaluating the effectiveness of digital tools in Social Work practice
• Innovative digital interventions for diverse populations
• Digital literacy and capacity building for social workers

– Ethical Implications and challenges of digital adoption in social work

vii. International and Cross-Cultural Collaborations in Green Social Work

• Global perspectives and initiatives in environmental social work
• Partnerships between academia, NGOs, and governments for climate resilience
• South-South, South North knowledge exchange in eco-social work

1. Abstract Submission Guidelines

• Word Count: Abstracts should not exceed 300 words.
• Font: Use Arial, size 12.
• Authors: Include all contributing authors’ names (First Name, Last Name) and their affiliated institutions. The corresponding author should be clearly indicated with an asterisk (*) next to their name.
• Contact Details: Provide the corresponding author’s full contact details (email address and phone number).
  8.1. Abstract Structure:
• The abstract should be written in a single paragraph, summarizing the main objectives, methods, results, and conclusions of the work. We welcome theoretical explorations, practice-based innovations, and empirical studies.
• The abstract must be concise and clear, reflecting the core of your presentation. Please do not include references in the abstract
• Deadline for Submission: 30 April 2025 Submission Portal: secretary@asaswei.org.za
• Note: Accepted papers will be considered for a special conference publication on ‘Advancing Social and Environmental Justice, Peace building, and Sustainable Development through teaching, research and practice’.
• More details : https://www.iassw-aiets.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/ASASWEI-Conference-2025-Brochure.pdf