How will LGBTs have access to social work?

Tess Vo (Canada), Onyii Udegbe (Canada), Juul van Hoof (The Netherlands), Martyn Higgins (The United Kingdom) and Hans Knutagard (Sweden) will be the panelists of the “Social Work Symposium: Social Work for LGBTs!” on December 13 Hacettepe University and on December 14 at Başkent University.

The topics tackled in “Social Work for LGBTs” panels organized by Kaos GL in dedication to the International Human Rights Day as a part of the “Symposium Against Discriminations” will be:

 

“Sexuality and diversity remains a neglected area within the social work education and social work practices of today. Although sexuality is a very significant part of our client’s lives and can be a demanding and a challenging aspects of the social work practices.”

 

“Together we will discuss the ways in which the social construction of disability and queer and trans identities are produced, enacted and sustained within interpersonal, institutional and systemic narratives within our communities and the societal landscapes that inform and shape our work as service providers. Through an inquiry into the social construction of disability and queer and trans identities that is based on critical disability perspectives, self advocacy and activism, we will explore the ethics of our roles as helpers in the deconstruction and dismantling of self sustaining oppressive ideologies and practices such as heteronormativity and ableism in the institutions we work with and beyond.”

“What are some of the factors that ought to be considered in order to increase service access and equity for queer and trans communities? With the increasing professionalization in the social services fields, how can we incorporate the strategies and knowledge gleaned from years of lived experience and practice to sustain our community building efforts?

Through a critical reflection on community building philosophies and strategies that have been implemented in Canada at Griffin Centre’s reachOUT program, I will reflect on my personal experiences as a service provider to share key practical insights on the impact of innovation in action through a continued commitment to building community as a critical component of service delivery.  Through the implementation of community engagement frameworks that are focused on capacity building and skills exchange we will examine the ways we operate and deliver services so as to acknowledge the unique factors and resiliencies of our communities as a way of addressing the compounded effects of gender based violence and systemic oppression that shape us all.”

“Cities inhabit a diversity in people. And it is the responsibility of the city to make sure these people can live together in peace, security and with equal access to services. When it comes to LGBT citizens, making local policies more inclusive to them can be a small effort. Professionals (of service providers, in the police force, health care and social work) can be trained to work on a more inclusive basis. LGBT organisations can be actively involved in sharing their expertise and bringing forward the needs of LGBT people. In The Netherlands, one of the approaches is to form Gay&Straight Alliances, on a local and on a national level.”

 

“The growing importance of human rights and, perhaps just as importantly, visibility as citizens for LGBT are positive and welcome developments. Concepts of human rights and LGBT identities need to be placed within the wider complexity of late modernity. Many states have also seen a resurgence of narrow nationalisms and exclusive religious fervour, which are opposed to notions of plurality and diversity. The problem faced by LGBT and champions of human rights is how to promote rights and plurality within the complexity of re-emerging nationalisms and religions.  This panel applies the paradigm of social identity to consider this problem and sketches ways forward within late modern society.”

 

“Symposium Against Discriminations”

Kaos GL Derneği: GMK Bulvarı, 29/12, Kat:6,

Demirtepe/Kızılay – Ankara
Tel: 0312 230 0358  

Faks: 0312 230 6277
bilgi@kaosgldernegi.org