AIEB at World Community Development Conference 2023
Anastasia Crickley and Anna Clarke, June 21st , WCDC 2023
Speaking at the closing plenary on Wednesday June 21st in Darwin Australia, Anastasia and Anna stressed the ongoing global need for Community Work and Community Workers to articulate and address the key issues facing marginalised and minority communities, as well as those facing Indigenous Peoples throughout the world.
They pointed to racism and associated hatred, oppression of women, disablement, global class divisions, criminalisation of migrants, and a dominant global economic system which makes the rich richer and the intersections between all of them as evidence of the systemic issues that community workers who subscribe to community work values cannot ignore and must reflect in practice however challenging that might be.
In Ireland they said, Community Work has a strong history of acknowledging that change in systems outside the community experiencing the brunt edge of their inadequacies and embedded discrimination is required, that engagement is not participation and that real participation has to include rights and not just needs. Change sought through Community Work may rightly be about procedures and in local experiences, but change in laws may also be needed, as well as change in the system and its ideological underpinning with power as an issue throughout.
Anastasia told of how our Irish Values and Standards are reflected in government policy and strategy, as well as in a new Community Development Programme and also in the overall terms of our local development programme (SICAP). However, she said this, and the current focus on support for inclusive Community Work education did not happen by accident but took considerable and committed efforts over a period from Community Work Ireland(CWI) and the All Ireland Endorsement Body for Community Work Education (AIEB) and will continue to require this, especially if the current support of a committed Minister and officials changed as could happen with a change Ministers or of government.
Anastasia and Anna started the closing plenary of the day with an acknowledgment in Irish and English of the Larrakia country and people on whose land the conference took place and finished by giving details of both CWI and AIEB.
Later that evening, at a dinner to mark IACD’s 70th year, Trustees made a presentation of a Lifetime Achievement Award to Anastasia in acknowledgment, as she reaches the end of her term as an IACD trustee and previous vice- president, of her long term contributions globally to IACD and Community Development. She will continue an active role in IACD’s International Group which links IACD with the UN, with Community Development associated global civil society organisations and Community Work Educators throughout the world
