Working Towards Eco-Social Justice: Reflections on an International, Cross-Institutional Social Work Collaboration

The environmental challenges facing the globe are becoming increasingly clear. As the social implications of these challenges for individuals, communities and societies also become clearer, professions such as social work must begin to explore and clarify their role in responding to issues of ecological, as well as social, justice. In November 2011 an international conference on the theme of ‘Eco-social Justice’ was held at the De Paul Institute of Science and Technology (DIST), in Kerala, India. This conference was one outcome of a developing collaboration between the social work departments of DIST and James Cook University (JCU) in Australia.

This paper reflects on the nature of this collaborative enterprise, with a particular focus on how such international, cross-institutional partnerships may represent an important strategy in moving the global social work profession towards a more effective engagement with issues of eco-social justice. Partnership and collaboration has traditionally been an important dimension of social work education and practice, but have also emerged as key elements of effective environmental and sustainability education. Drawing these various elements together, the DIST-JCU collaboration serves as an example of the ways in which effective international partnerships may contribute to the quest for eco-social justice.