Social Workers Join ONE Campaign Delegation at G8 Meeting to Urge End of Poverty Worldwide

Find out more about how social workers are helping with the campaign

Representatives from the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) will travel to Scotland this week with organizers of the ONE Campaign to urge President Bush to implement human rights and other public policies that help achieve the Millennial Development Goals established by the United Nations. President Bush will meet with the leaders of the world's eight richest nations for the G8 Summit July 6 -8 .

The ONE Campaign is an international mobilization effort of allied organizations and individuals committed to pressing the world's most influential leaders to live up to their promises of eradicating poverty--at home and internationally--by ensuring the alignment of debt cancellation, trade reform and foreign assistance policies.

The primary mission of the social work profession is to enhance human well-being and to help meet the basic human needs of all people, with particular attention to the needs and empowerment of people who are vulnerable, oppressed and living in poverty. As the ONE Campaign speaks to the essence of social work, NASW is encouraging its 153,000 members to get involved in local mobilization efforts, to write to President Bush, and to sign the ONE Declaration to make poverty history.

"The ONE Campaign is an important movement for shining a spotlight on the crushing issue of poverty, and for asking our government to be more accountable for relieving suffering in the U.S. and around the world," says Luisa Lopez, MSW, Manager for Human Rights and International Affairs at NASW.

Ms. Lopez will represent NASW at the ONE Rally in Scotland with NASW Sr. Policy Advisor Leticia Diaz, MS. ONE delegates will collaborate to further strengthen networks and build awareness about global AIDS and extreme poverty in preparation for the Millennium Development Goals Summit to be held in New York this September.

For more information about NASW policies regarding human rights, civil liberties, HIV/AIDS, and peace and social justice, visit http://www.socialworkers.org/resources/abstracts/default.asp

The National Association of Social Workers (NASW), in Washington, DC, is the largest membership organization of professional social workers with 145,000 members. It promotes, develops, and protects the practice of social work and social workers. NASW also seeks to enhance the well being of individuals, families, and communities through its advocacy.