Social work IS without borders. Frequently, social work is about helping people who are in "borderlands." Assisting people in negotiating borders is part of the helping process. Differentiated and explicit borders, both societal and personal, contribute to the need to help those in these borderlands (poverty, war, discrimination, prejudice, refugee and immigrant status) cross beyond these restraints.

Recognizing our global interconnectedness and being aware of how a decision made in the U.S. can have profound implication throughout the globe. Social workers are equipped to understand and respond to the systemic interactions between micro and macro environments.

I believe social work without borders means to look to and OVER the horizon and not be limited to the horizon we have become used to. We need to be curious about a broad array of resources such as The New Internationalist, The World Press Review and the United Nations. As faculty we're trying to expand our intercultural and global awareness. We would very much welcome input from our international alumni and partners.

Social Work Without Borders means to make connections with social workers around the globe and gain knowledge on how culture influences practice and to learn from each other. As Minnesota becomes more ethnically complex we need to connect with other social workers around the world so that clients here will be able to recognize practices.

To me social work without borders means that you don't have to have an allegiance to a specific country, but to humanity. As in the example of Doctors Without Borders, social workers take the skills that are needed--making your practice free of political allegiance and addressing people's strengths and needs within their own culture.

Faculty Voices: On Social Work Without Borders