How Far Do Social Workers Go in the Fight for Human Rights?
This paper will look at the struggle for human rights and equality in South Africa in light of the experiences of three social workers who lived and worked through the oppressive apartheid era and are now citizens of Australia.
The first social worker will discuss her experiences of oppression and removal from her home by authorities in terms of the apartheid legislation and her resultant move to Australia to escape the oppression.
The second social worker will discuss her role in the process of change which involved community education for democracy, community social action and involvement in the armed struggle. This social worker was inprisoned for her role in the community firstly then for her role in the armed struggle(war).
The third social worker will discuss the current situation where people enjoy a society free from the policies of apartheid and are recovering from the devasting influence that these policies have had on their lives.
The paper will highlight the ethical issues of social workers as agents of control and the status quo or agents of change. The question of how far social workers go in the struggle to achieve human rights will be raised. Theoretical influences that inform the struggle for human rights will be interspersed in hte paper.
There will be discussion about the boundaries between personal experiences and the professional role and how these two factors interact. The issues that will be raised are very relevant in the light of current world events where people feel compeled to violence to achieve change and where powerful nations feel "justified" in using force to achieve their ends.