A Historical Perspective on International Social Work

Social work has long transcended national borders, offering support and advocating for vulnerable populations across the globe. But how did this international dimension emerge? The story of international social work traces back more than a century to a modest school in the Netherlands, eventually expanding into a worldwide network of educators, practitioners, and organizations united by shared values. Understanding this history reveals how the profession evolved from local charity efforts into a coordinated global force for social justice and human development.

The Amsterdam beginning: pioneering formal social work education 🔗

In 1899, a groundbreaking development occurred in Amsterdam, Netherlands, when the world’s first formal school of social work opened its doors. This institution offered a two-year full-time program that combined theoretical knowledge with practical field experience, establishing the blueprint for professional social work education worldwide. The school emerged during a period of rapid industrialization and urban growth, when European societies grappled with poverty, poor housing conditions, and social inequality.

While Amsterdam claims the distinction of hosting the first structured school, the roots of social work education actually extend back to the 1870s in London. Octavia Hill, a housing reformer, began training volunteers in what she called “friendly visiting” and housing management for the poor. Her innovative approach emphasized personal relationships between helpers and those they served, combined with practical skills. By the 1890s, this training had evolved into organized one-year programs of courses and field practice under the Charity Organization Society, which eventually became the London School of Sociology in 1903.

Around the same time, Germany witnessed similar developments. In 1899, Alice Salomon, a pioneering advocate for women’s rights and social reform, initiated a one-year training course in social work for young women in Berlin. Her program became the Alice Salomon School of Social Work in 1903, serving as a model for social work education throughout Germany for many years. Salomon would later play a crucial role in connecting these national efforts into an international movement.

These early schools shared common ground despite emerging independently across Europe. They recognized that addressing social problems required more than good intentions-it demanded systematic training, scientific methods, and professional standards. As the 20th century dawned, social work education spread to North America, with the New York School of Philanthropy (now Columbia University School of Social Work) opening in 1898, followed by programs in Chicago and Boston.

Building international connections: the founding of global organizations 🔗

The scattered national efforts to professionalize social work education found unity at a landmark gathering in Paris. In July 1928, the first International Conference of Social Work brought together over 2,400 delegates from 42 countries, resulting in the establishment of three partner organizations that would shape international social work for decades to come: the International Association of Schools of Social Work (IASSW), the International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW), and the International Council on Social Welfare (ICSW).

The International Association of Schools of Social Work 🔗

Alice Salomon, the German social work pioneer, became the first president of IASSW when it formally organized in 1929. At an organizational meeting in Berlin, seven European countries joined with the International Labour Organization to establish the association’s purpose: encouraging exchange of ideas and information, documenting social work education practices, and organizing international conferences and seminars. By 1939, membership had grown to 75 schools across 18 countries, representing a truly international commitment to advancing social work education.

World War II severely disrupted the young organization. Member schools in Germany withdrew after IASSW leadership refused demands to remove Alice Salomon due to her partly Jewish heritage and her advocacy for pacifism and gender equality. When war broke out, a planned 1940 conference was cancelled, and Salomon was expelled from Germany, becoming an exile in the United States. Many European schools were destroyed, and the rebuilding period occupied social workers through the late 1940s.

Yet the association persevered. By 1947, IASSW had gained consultative status as a non-governmental organization with the United Nations Economic and Social Council, becoming one of the very first NGOs to receive such certification. This achievement positioned social work education within global policy discussions and established a permanent voice at the UN. Through the 1950s, 60s, and 70s, IASSW expanded beyond its European and North American roots, welcoming member schools from Australia, Guatemala, India, Japan, and eventually across Africa, Asia, and Latin America.

The International Federation of Social Workers 🔗

The story of IFSW parallels that of IASSW, beginning with discussions at the 1928 Paris conference. In 1932, the International Permanent Secretariat of Social Workers was established in France, operating from Berlin, Geneva, and Prague. Like IASSW, this organization became a casualty of World War II, with its operations disrupted by the conflict.

After the war, efforts to rebuild international cooperation among social workers gained momentum. An International Conference in 1948 began discussions to establish a new body representing social workers globally. These efforts culminated in 1956 when the modern IFSW was formally constituted in Munich with twelve national member organizations. The new secretariat was established in New York, sharing offices with the National Association of Social Workers. In 1959, IFSW gained consultative status with the United Nations, positioning professional social workers alongside educators in global advocacy efforts.

Expanding into humanitarian action and global development 🔗

As international social work organizations matured, their scope expanded far beyond education and professional development. The profession increasingly engaged with emergency relief, humanitarian crises, and international development efforts, particularly from the mid-20th century onward.

Social work in disaster relief and humanitarian response 🔗

The United Nations system, established after World War II, created new avenues for international social work engagement. UN agencies like UNHCR, UNICEF, the World Food Programme, and WHO coordinate humanitarian relief of emergencies due to natural and human-made disasters, and social workers found roles within these operations. Their unique skills in assessment, case management, family tracing, and psychosocial support became recognized as essential components of humanitarian response.

The evolution of humanitarian medicine and emergency nutrition from the 1970s onward was accompanied by developments in humanitarian social work in family tracing and psychosocial programs. Social workers contributed to early warning systems for famine and disaster, community-based interventions, and programs addressing the psychological trauma of conflict and displacement. Organizations established protocols for child protection, gender-based violence prevention, and mental health support in refugee camps and disaster-affected areas.

Contributing to international development 🔗

International social work also found expression in long-term development efforts. Social workers brought community organization skills, participatory planning methods, and attention to social justice issues to development programs. They worked on projects addressing poverty, health systems, education access, and social protection in diverse cultural contexts across Africa, Asia, Latin America, and other regions.

The collaboration between IASSW and IFSW strengthened over time, leading to joint initiatives that set global standards for the profession. Together, they developed the Global Definition of Social Work, the Global Social Work Statement of Ethical Principles, and Global Standards for Social Work Education and Training. In 2012, along with ICSW, they committed to the Global Agenda for Social Work and Social Development, articulating policy priorities and action plans for addressing inequality, promoting human rights, and building sustainable communities.

The journey from that single school in 1899 Amsterdam to today’s worldwide network demonstrates how local innovations can spark global movements. International social work emerged when educators and practitioners recognized that social problems transcend borders, requiring coordinated responses grounded in shared values of human dignity, social justice, and solidarity. The organizations founded in the 1920s provided the structure for this collaboration, while subsequent decades saw the profession engage with increasingly complex global challenges-from post-war reconstruction to refugee crises to climate change impacts.

What do you think? How might the early international collaborations in social work inform current efforts to address global challenges? In what ways can today’s social workers build upon this legacy to strengthen international cooperation for social justice?

References

1. https://www.amsterdamuas.com/study/education/exchange/applied-social-sciences-and-law
2. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/295445260_World-wide_beginnings_of_social_work_education
3. https://www.iassw-aiets.org/about-iassw/brief-history/
4. https://www.ifsw.org/about-ifsw/archives/
5. https://www.un.org/en/our-work/deliver-humanitarian-aid
6. https://www.elac.ox.ac.uk/programmes/solferino-21/humanitarian-aid-past-and-present/