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The pan-Africa ASWEA was formed in 1965 during a meeting in Alexandria, Egypt, and operated between 1971 and 1989, a period of 18 years. It was a non-profit organisation dedicated to social work education and social development in Africa. Its members included schools of social work and individual working in community, agricultural and rural development workers training. By 1978, ASWEA had OAU observer status, 50 social work and development training institutions and 100 individual academics from 50 countries. The objectives of ASWEA were to:
- Address issues related to social work education, including dominance of Western social work curricula
- Provide opportunities for member schools to meet regularly to discuss social work’s role in national development planning
- The ASWEA Model
- Case Studies Project
- Directories
- Conferences and Seminars
- Courses Developed
- Surveys
- Publications
- Uhuru Archives
- Recommendations for African Social Work Based on ASWEA Archives
- Barriers ASWEA Encountered
- ASWEA successors
- How Useful is ASWEA’s Work Today? How Can it be Used in Teaching, Learning, Research and Management of Social Work?
- Acknowledgements
- Some of the Archived Documents
- How to Reference Each Document
The ASWEA Model
The ASWEA model of social work in Africa can be summarised as follows:
Shortcomings of social work in Africa | Solutions |
Dominance of Western social work curricula | Change the curricula |
Inadequacy of western models of social services | Change the services |
Dissatisfaction with the Christian approaches to services | Centre social work on Africa’s religion |
Western centred teaching and education focused on lectures and examinations | Develop and promote African centered pedagogy, content and approaches, for example, more oral and participatory approaches or using African case studies, roles plays and groupwork. Another example is making education interdisciplinary or integrated. |
Eurocentric knowledge | Develop, through research, a body of social work knowledge that would meet the needs of Africans |
Focused on remedial, curative or maintenance approaches | Move to a social developmental or developmental social work approaches that are preventative |
Focused on individual problems | Redefine social work to focus more on national development planning and policy |
Culturally opposing social work | Develop culturally relevant social work |
Lack of professional identity and defined area of competence | Redefine social work to make it more suitable for African problems and solutions and form professional associations |
Urban-focused and elitist | Focus on the majority of the people who are poor and residing in rural areas e.g. having a rural research unit, a rural fieldwork unit, rural placements and rural case studies. |
Focused on social issues without economic issues | Focus on income, self-sufficiency and growth |
Case Studies Project
The ASWEA created and published about 87 case studies to be used for social work and social development education and training in Afica. The case studies were on community development and groupwork suitable for lectures, group discussions, and role-plays. Volume 1 has 66 cases from Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mauritius, Tanzania, Zambia, and Uganda and Volume 2 has 21 cases from Mauritius, Sierra Leone, Togo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Ghana.
Directories
Two directories of social work training curricula in Africa were produced. The first in 1974 focusing on assessing ‘social, developmental and practical content and the second 1982 which was more comparative of the institutions.
Conferences and Seminars
The Association organsied conferences and seminars. One such conference is described in aU Archives here.
Courses Developed
The ASWEA developed courses and training material.
Surveys
The ASWEA led surveys to improve social work education.
Publications
Journal for Social Work Education in Africa. We currently do not have any of the published articles and we ask for copies if anyone has any.
Uhuru Archives
Through out its 18 year old history, the association produced written documents. We have termed these the Uhuru Archives because of their focus on decolonising and liberating social work in Africa. The Uhuru Archives consist of 3500 pages of communication, minutes, reports, conference proceedings, reports and case studies. The archiving and digitisation was facilitated by Linda Kreitzer with funding from IASSW and are currently housed at the Historical Papers Archive at the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Recommendations for African Social Work Based on ASWEA Archives
Recommendations from Gray, Kreitzer and Mupedziswa, 2014
- Develop teaching material for African social work in the classroom, based on local and regional case studies, so as to develop African curriculum content.
- Engage in the development of social development policies to confront contemporary challenges facing social work in Africa.
- Formulate an African code of ethics for social work in Africa, involving multiple stakeholders across the African continent.
- Strengthen national professional associations to speak out on national issues from a social work perspective.
- Hold regular pan-African conferences, workshops, and symposia.
- Publish ‘indigenous’ teaching models and materials, with reflections on evolving practice approaches in different contexts engaging with the specific challenges of the social work profession in Africa.
Barriers ASWEA Encountered
ASWEA had a good model, however, several reasons impacted progress, until today. According to Kreitzer (2013) these problems are (i) the colonial legacy; (ii) gap between educated Africans and the majority of Africans; (iii) social work’s absence from national development planning; (iv) need for trained human resources for national development; (v) institutional changes following structural adjustment; (vi) lack of Indigenous teaching materials; (vii) inappropriate teaching styles; (viii) better use of social research; (ix) reorientation from social services to development and aid; (x) the establishment of a strong professional identity and powerful professional associations; and (xi) the tensions between social development and social welfare practice.
ASWEA was closed in 1989 due to a shortage of finances but also other reasons that followed. The leaders of ASWEA never intended to close it forever, they were hoping to open when conditions improved. The organisation did well by encouraging grassroots membership, expanding African social work to include development and taking a pan-African approach that supported liberation and decolonisation. However, it seems, they relied more on funding from outside, although they also had funding from AU.
ASWEA successors
East and Southern Association of Schools of Social Work (ESASS)
The East and Southern Association of Schools of Social Work (ESASS) was formed in 1994, to succeed ASWEA but it was ineffective from the start and folded immediately. One reason ESASS did not live long was because it could not attract members from all parts of the continent. As the name suggested, it started with East and Southern Africa.
Association of Schools of Social Work in Africa (ASSWA)
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After several years without a regional social work education association, in 2005, the Association of Schools of Social Work in Africa (ASSWA) was formed. The ASSWA promotes the interests of social work education in African region. The objectives of the association include providing opportunities for consultation and exchange of ideas, educational resources, faculty and students, serving as a body for channeling resources to social work educational institutions in the region, promoting inter-regional, regional and international co-operation in social work education. The association strives to uphold the social work values, principles and human rights of all people and social justice. The composition of ASSWA includes schools of social work, other tertiary level social work educational programmes, and social work educators. By 2022, the ASSWA had 22 school members out of a possible 300 schools on the continent. This low membership could be a result of them failing to take a pan-African focus but there could be other results including limited resources.
How Useful is ASWEA’s Work Today? How Can it be Used in Teaching, Learning, Research and Management of Social Work?
- The ASWEA model forms the basis for decolonising and indigenising social work in Africa, and should therefore inform current efforts.
- The Uhuru Archives should be used to teach history of social work in Africa.
- The case studies should be used to teach different contextual methods and techniques of social work.
- The Archives should be analysed and researched to gain deeper insights into managing organisations in Africa, teaching and fieldwork.
- The pan-African objectives of the ASWEA are as relevant now than before, and African social workers should revive them. In its work, the ASWEA worked with the African Union and had consultative status.
- The courses developed then should guide current courses and help stop a trend where social work courses in Africa copy those from the West or East.
- Sankofa – look back to inform the future.
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ASWEA will be remembered for its pan-African direction and its focus on moving to developmental social work or social developed as opposed to imitating the western social work model. We hope by sharing this information, it will inspire libraries of social work to have copies of ASWEA publications including the Six Volumes Linda Kreitzer created and motivate social workers to use the ASWEA history, model and archives for education, training, learning and research.
Acknowledgements
Kreitzer, L. (2023). Decolonizing Social Work Education in Africa: A Historical Perspective Gray, M., Coates, J., Hetherington, T., & Yellow Bird, M. (2013). Decolonizing social work. Burlington: Ashgate.
Mwansa, L.-K. (2011). Social Work Education in Africa: Whence and Whither? Social Work Education, 30(1), 4–16. https://doi.org/10.1080/02615471003753148
Book: Social Work In Africa: Exploring Culturally Relevant Education And Practice In Ghana by Linda Kreitzer
Some of the Archived Documents
- 2017: Documents of Association for Social Work Education in Africa (ASWEA) – Social Work
Relationship Between Social Work (Book 1A)
ABSTRACT - 2017: Documents of Association for Social Work Education in Africa (ASWEA) – Social Work
Case Studies of Social Development (Book 1B)
ABSTRACT - 2017: Documents of Association for Social Work Education in Africa (ASWEA) – Social Work
Curricula of School of Social Work (Book 1D)
ABSTRACT - 2017: Documents of Association for Social Work Education in Africa (ASWEA) – Social Work
Directory of Social Welfare Activities (Book 1E)
ABSTRACT - 2017: Documents of Association for Social Work Education in Africa (ASWEA) – Social Work
Techniques d’Enseignement et Methodes (Book 2)
ABSTRACT - 2017: Documents of Association for Social Work Education in Africa (ASWEA) – Social Work
Realities and Aspirations of Social Work (Book 3)
ABSTRACT - 2017: Documents of Association for Social Work Education in Africa (ASWEA) – Social Work
The Role of Social Development Education (Book 4)
ABSTRACT - 2017: Documents of Association for Social Work Education in Africa (ASWEA) – Social Work
ASWEA Seminar on Guidelines (Book 5E)
ABSTRACT - 2017: Documents of Association for Social Work Education in Africa (ASWEA) – Social Work
AESA Reunion du Groupe d’Expert (Book 5F)
ABSTRACT - 2017: Documents of Association for Social Work Education in Africa (ASWEA) – Social Work
ASWEA Expert Group Meeting on Development (Book 6)
ABSTRACT - 2017: Documents of Association for Social Work Education in Africa (ASWEA) – Social Work
AESA Document 16 sur “Les Principes (Book 7F)
ABSTRACT - 2017: Documents of Association for Social Work Education in Africa (ASWEA) – Social Work
Social Development Training in Africa (Book 8)
ABSTRACT - 2017: Documents of Association for Social Work Education in Africa (ASWEA) – Social Work
Survey of Curricula of Social Development (Book 9A)
ABSTRACT - 2017: Documents of Association for Social Work Education in Africa (ASWEA) – Social Work
Compilation of Curricula by Country – Benin (Book 9B)
ABSTRACT - 2017: Archives of Association for Social Work Education in Africa (ASWEA) – Social Work
Compilation of Curricula by Country – Ivory (Book 9C)
ABSTRACT - 2017: Archives of Association for Social Work Education in Africa (ASWEA) – Social Work
Compilation of Curricula by Country – Nigeria (Book 9D)
ABSTRACT - 2017: Archives of Association for Social Work Education in Africa (ASWEA) – Social Work
Compilation of Curricula by Country – Senegal (Book 9E)
ABSTRACT - 2017: Archives of Association for Social Work Education in Africa (ASWEA) – Social Work
Compilation of Curricula by Country – Upper Volta (Book 9F)
ABSTRACT - 2017: Archives of Association for Social Work Education in Africa (ASWEA) – Social Work
Annex I-VI (Book 9G)
ABSTRACT - 2017: Archives of Association for Social Work Education in Africa (ASWEA) – Social Work
The Organization and Delivery of Social Services (Book 10)
ABSTRACT - 2017: Archives of Association for Social Work Education in Africa (ASWEA) – Social Work
Training for Social Development (Book 11)
ABSTRACT - 2017: Archives of Association for Social Work Education in Africa (ASWEA) – Social Work
Association for Social Work Education (Book 12)
ABSTRACT - 2017: Archives of Association for Social Work Education in Africa (ASWEA) – Social Work
Case Studies from Ethiopia (Book 12A)
ABSTRACT - 2017: Archives of Association for Social Work Education in Africa (ASWEA) – Social Work
Case Studies from Kenya (Book 12B)
ABSTRACT - 2017: Archives of Association for Social Work Education in Africa (ASWEA) – Social Work
Case Studies from Malawi (Book 12C)
ABSTRACT - 2017: Archives of Association for Social Work Education in Africa (ASWEA) – Social Work
Case Studies from Mauritius (Book 12D)
ABSTRACT - 2017: Archives of Association for Social Work Education in Africa (ASWEA) – Social Work
Case Studies from Tanzania (Book 12E)
ABSTRACT - 2017: Archives of Association for Social Work Education in Africa (ASWEA) – Social Work
Case Studies from Uganda (Book 12F)
ABSTRACT - 2017: Archives of Association for Social Work Education in Africa (ASWEA) – Social Work
Case Studies from Zambia (Book 12G)
ABSTRACT - 2017: Archives of Association for Social Work Education in Africa (ASWEA) – Social Work
Social Development Agents (Book 13)
ABSTRACT - 2017: Documents of Association for Social Work Education in Africa (ASWEA) – Social Work
Techniques of Teaching and Methods of Field Work (Book 1C)
ABSTRACT
How to Reference Each Document
ASWEA. (n.d.). An Effort in Community Development in the Lakota Sub-prefecture, Doc. 1. Addis Ababa: ASWEA publication.
ASWEA. (1972a). Community Services, Lakota Project Methodology, Doc. 2. Addis Ababa: ASWEA publication.
ASWEA. (1972b). The Important Role of Supervision in Social Welfare Organizations, Doc. 3. Addis Ababa: ASWEA publication.
ASWEA. (1972c). The Use of Films in Social Development Education, Doc. 4. Addis Ababa: ASWEA publication.
ASWEA. (1973a). Case Studies of Social Development in Africa, Vol. 1. Addis Ababa: ASWEA publication.
ASWEA. (1973b). Guidelines for Making Contact with Young People in Informal Groups in Urban Areas, Doc. 5. Addis Ababa: ASWEA publication.
ASWEA. (1974a). Relationship between Social Work Education and National Social Development Planning, Doc. 6. Addis Ababa: ASWEA publication.
ASWSEA. (1974b). Curricula of Schools of Social Work and Community Development Training Centres in Africa, Doc. 7. Addis Ababa: ASWEA publication.
ASWEA. (1974c). Case Studies of Social Development in Africa, vol. 2. Addis Ababa: ASWEA publication.
ASWEA. (1975a). Directory of Social Welfare Activities in Africa (3rd edn). Doc. 8.Addis Ababa, ASWEA publication.
ASWEA. (1975b). Report of ASWEA’s Workshop on Techniques of Teaching and Methods of Field Work Evaluations, Doc. 9. Addis Ababa: ASWEA publication.
Decolonizing Social Work Education in Africa203
ASWEA. (1976a). Techniques d’ Enseignement et methodes d’Evaluation des Travaux Pratiques, Doc. 10. Addis Ababa: ASWEA publication.A
SWEA. (1976b). Realities and aspirations of social work education in Africa, Doc. 11. Addis Ababa: ASWEA publication.
ASWEA. (1977). The Role of Social Development Education in Africa’s Struggle for Political and Economic Independence, Doc. 12. Addis Ababa: ASWEA publication.
ASWEA. (1978a). The Development of a Training Curriculum in Family Welfare, Doc. 13. Addis Ababa: ASWEA publication.
ASWEA. (1978b). L’Elaboration d’ un programme de formation en benêtre familial, Doc. 14. Addis Ababa: ASWEA publication.
ASWEA. (1979a).Guidelines for the Development of a Training Curriculum in Family Welfare, Doc. 15.Addis Ababa: ASWEA publication.
ASWEA. (1979b). Principes directeurs pour l’establissement d’un programme d’etude destine a la formation aux disciplines de la protection de la famille, Doc. 16. Addis Ababa: ASWEA publication.
ASWEA. (1981). Social Development Training in Africa: Experiences of the 1970s and Emerging Trends of the 1980s, Doc. 17. Addis Ababa: ASWEA publication.
ASWEA. (1982a). Survey of Curricula of Social Development Training Institutions in Africa, Doc. 18. Addis Ababa: ASWEA publication.
ASWEA. (1982b). Seminar on the organization and delivery of social services to rural areas in Africa, Doc. 19. Addis Ababa: ASWEA publication.
ASWEA. (1985). Training for Social Development: Methods of Intervention to Improve People’s Participation in Rural Transformation in Africa with Special Emphasis on Women, Doc. 20. Addis Ababa: ASWEA publication.
ASWEA. (1986). Association for Social Work Education in Africa. Addis Ababa: ASWEA publication
Thank you for the information on ASWEA.
With reference to the archived documents gathered by Dr Linda Kreitzer –
Dr Kreitzer started a research project on the history of ASWEA about three years ago and the team have been meeting throughout this period to analyse and discuss the archived documents. The project’s outcomes will contribute to learning more about ASWEA and will be a relevant source of reference.
Thank you very much for contributing to this post through your comment. If you are able, we would be happy to hear the outcomes.
Thank you for highlighting the ASWEA documents. As principal investigator on the project referred to by Dr. Lombard above, I want to say that 7 researchers from all over Africa have been working on analyzing, in depth, these document. Each month we meet on zoom and one of the researchers presents their analysis. We have almost completed this analysis and will be presenting our findings through webinars in the future as well as publishing a book that will detail our analysis for social work educators in Africa to use in the classroom. We are excited about this document analysis project and look forward to sharing with you all our findings.
Thank you for commenting here and more importantly for the work that you are doing. We can’t wait for the findings.