Establishment of Eastern European Sub-Regional Association of Schools of Social Work of the IASSW - EEsrASSW

Dear friends and colleagues!

It is my greatest pleasure to announce that Eastern-European schools of social work have for the first time in the history of this region the opportunity to be join together to form a regional association. In July 2008, during the Board Meeting of the International Association of the Schools of Social Work at the 34 th biennial congress of the IASSW in Durban, South Africa, the Board of Directors acknowledged the initiative for the establishment of the new Eastern-European Sub-Regional Association of Schools of Social Work as a new sub-region of the IASSW.

The beginnings of this endeavour go back to the year 2006 – with the initiative to create a network of Eastern-European schools of social work which has gradually transformed into an association which is part of the EASSW and IASSW. In accordance with the common previous deliberations and suggestions, the formation of the Eastern European Sub-Regional Association of the Schools of Social Work was agreed in date. It currently has the following aims:

- strengthening the status of schools of social work in Eastern-Europe and beyond while ensuring mutual support among the member schools;

- encouraging the regional networking and exchanges of students, teachers and researchers;

- encouraging the Eastern-European schools of social work to become active members of EASSW and IASSW;

- fostering and promoting social work education, research, innovations and international cooperation;

- encouraging schools in the Eastern-European region to become active agents within national and international debates on social development, social work and social policy;

-actively responding to the events and processes which threaten, diminish and ignore the level of people’s social rights, economic, social and environmental well-being and the principles of welfare states;

- promoting global standards and ethical principles in social work.

I strongly believe that this association will strengthen our endeavours in the region, where people have been facing turbulent changes of political regimes, economic scarcity and ethnic conflicts. Social justice, social development and advocacy for the most disadvantaged individuals and groups promoted and implemented by social workers are exceedingly needed, especially in times of the decline of social justice and human rights for the majority of populations. The EEseASSW will serve as a meeting point for schools in the region and aim to encourage and promote a support framework for all of us – social work teachers, practitioners, researchers, students and all those individuals who want to be actively involved in social work and social policy debates, share experiences and further develop support networks and actions.

Therefore, I would strongly like to encourage you to become an active member of the EEsrASSW. The new association needs your support and involvement in order to develop into a respected and influential organization not just in the region, but internationally as well.

There is no membership fee and the work of the organisation is undertaken by volunteers.


Yours sincerely,


Prof. dr. Darja Zaviršek, president