Commitment to Community: Insights on Engaging in Meaningful Dialogue Across Difficult Divisions from the Local to the Global
Wednesday, Feb. 25 | 12-1:45 p.m. (Virtual)
Social work centers dialogue as a core professional value and educational mission, yet our field often struggles to live fully into this commitment — especially in today’s polarized environment. Social work students, faculty, and practitioners are increasingly challenged to engage in meaningful dialogue across lines of difference in ways that honor both accountability and relationship.
This roundtable will examine how social workers sustain connection, hope, and critical reflection while remaining committed to shared work within deeply divided communities. Speakers will offer principles and practical insights drawn from macro, meso, and micro practice in local, national, and global contexts, highlighting approaches to dialogue, relationship-building, and bridge-building across conflict.
Speakers:
- Jody K. Olsen, PhD, MSW, director, Peace Corps
- Caroline Harmon-Darrow, PhD, MSW, LMSW, assistant professor, Rutgers University School of Social Work
- Joerg Fischer, DrPhil, professor, researcher, and political advisor, University of Applied Sciences Erfurt
- Dassi Postan-Aizik, PhD, senior lecturer, Yezreel Valley College in Israel, Department of Social Work