Social work and economic justice topic of Social Work’s 4th Annual Symposium

Published March 14, 2019 This content is archived.

Social work and economic justice is the topic of the School of Social Work’s 4th Annual Symposium on March 27.

Sponsored by the Global Interest Group within the School of Social Work, “Poverty is a Human Rights Issue: Social Work and Economic Justice” will take place from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. in room 1220 of the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences’ building, 955 Main Street, Buffalo.

Symposium organizers note that the United States is among the most unequal societies in the world, with the richest 1 percent seeing its wealth increase seven-fold since the 1960s, while the poorest 10 percent went from no wealth into actual debt. 

Recent federal policy changes and tax reforms will hurt poor people even more, organizers say. And compared to other developed countries, the U.S. lags behind in health indicators, infant mortality rates, clean water and sanitation, and child poverty.

The field of social work prioritizes economic justice, and considers extreme poverty as a human rights issue, organizers say. Symposium participants will explore these gaps and hear about current efforts that show promise in alleviating poverty.

The symposium is free and open to the public, but registration is required. The full agenda and other details may be found here. Those with questions should contact Honour Odigie.