Arts, Faculty of
Social Work, School of
Alumni
DSpace
O’Neill, Brian
Azyan, Kimberly
A s acting director for 2008-09, I would like to highlight some of thesignificant events and achievements of members of the Schoolover the past year, provide some thoughts regarding challenges forthe future, and extend a welcome to Dr. Kwong-leung Tang who willassume leadership of the School in July 2009.I would like to begin this review highlighting an event that occurred earlyin the academic year. We were honoured that Professor Stephen Toope,President of UBC agreed to present the 2008 Richard B. Splane Lecture onSocial Policy, which was held at the Liu Centre. The title of ProfessorToope’s lecture was “A Right to Escape Poverty?” Interest in the topic andthe speaker was high, the event was ‘standing room only.’ The full lectureis reproduced later in the Bridge.Next, I would like to extend congratulations to the students who suc-cessfully completed their studies during this academic year. I expectthat the 26 BSWs and 41 MSWs who graduated will use their knowl-edge and skills to advance social justice and contribute to the wellbeingof those they serve. I know that they bring their commitment to socialwork values as well as their experience and energy to helping peoplewho are marginalized and disadvantaged in various ways. In addition,I draw your attention to the listing later in the Bridge of the variousawards received by our students.I would also like to note a recent increase to our faculty complement.With the support of Dean Nancy Gallini and Provost David Farrar, we havereceived an additional .5 faculty position. After an international recruit-ment process, Elizabeth (Liz) Jones has been appointed as a full-timetenure track Instructor I, a new position for the School. Liz will focus onteaching at the undergrad and Master’s levels and on leadership of theBSW program. Congratulations to Liz.Congratulations are also due to Dr. Barbara Harris, 12 month Lecturerand First Nations BSW Coordinator. Barbara completed her doctorate atSimon Fraser University this Spring. As Richard Vedan returns from hisVolume 4, Summer 2004Volume 4, Summer 2004An academic unit in the Faculty of Arts and a constituent member of the College of Health Disciplines.A professional school in the Faculty of Arts and a constituent member of the College of Health Disciplines.Volume 4, Summer 2004Spring/Summer 2009Mail to:DONATION REPLY FORMThese projects need your financial support and will be gratefully received by our Development Office, Suite 500-5950University Blvd., Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3. One of the easiest and fastest ways to donate to UBC is to make a secure on-line giftby credit card. Access www.supporting.ubc.ca and follow the instructions to make an on-line gift. Thank you for your support!❑ Mary Hill Scholarship ❑ Roopchand Seebaran Prize ❑ Annual Giving Fund❑ Lilian To Memorial Scholarship Fund❑ Henry Maas Memorial Scholarship Endowment Fund❑ 75th Social Work Anniversary Global Learning Endowment Fund❑ Richard Splane Doctoral Scholarship Endowment FundName: _________________________________________________ e-mail: __________________________________ Address: __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Does this match your mailing label? ______ Yes ______ No [To update your contact details go to www.vpadminfinance.ubc.ca/adv_services/update_addr.html].Editorial committee: Suzanne Moore, Brian O’NeillSchool of Social Work, The University of British Columbia2080 West Mall, Vancouver B.C. V6T 1Z2 604-822-2255 • fax 604-822-8656webpage: www.socialwork.ubc.caAttention Alumni: We depend on alumni, friends and relatives for Alumni information. Please send any contributions, comments, questions or items of interest to the Editorial Committee at the address above or to suzanne.moore@ubc.ca.May & November, 2008 Graduate StatisticsMSW - 6 (May) + 35 (November)BSW - 24 (May) + 2 (November)67 totalCongratulations Graduates of 2008!Table of ContentsColloquium: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18The Richard B. Splane Public Social Policy Lecture, Oct 2008 . . .18Did You Know? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27Director’s Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1Donors & Contributors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26Field Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14Fundraising . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25Graduate Statistics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28Internationalization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13MSW Graduates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4People: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6In Memoriam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6Alumni . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6Sessional Profiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7Students: News & Views . . . . . . . . . . . .8Social Work Student Awards . . . . . . . .11Research Roundup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14School Updates: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11Bachelor of Social Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11PhD Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12Centre for Inclusion & Citzenship . . . . . . .12Filming Project for SOWK570/NURS586 . .13Report...from the Acting Director, Associate Professor Brian O’Neill 2 Volume 14, Spring/Summer 2009 Volume 14, Spring/Summer 2009 3line with the priorities of UBC andshould help us respond to issuesidentified by the CASWE re-accreditation. In addition, stu-dents in the First Nations BSWpilot will be finishing their socialwork courses by 2010 and theproject will need to be evaluatedas we look to the future responseof the School to social work inrelation to Aboriginal peoples.As I complete my year as actingdirector, I have a sense of satisfac-tion that we kept moving ahead.I look forward to the leadershipof Dr. Tang. We appreciated histwo visits to the School over thepast year. He brings his experi-ence as leader of schools of socialwork in British Columbia andHong Kong. In addition to hiswidely-recognized scholarship, hehas ideas to build on the successof the School. He will have thesupport of a strong team of facul-ty and staff as we move ahead.Brian O’Neill, Associate Professorand Acting Directorsecondment as Senior Advisor tothe President of UBC onAboriginal Affairs and Director ofthe First Nations House ofLearning, he will resume his rolewithin the School in relation toFirst Nations social work educa-tion. We wish Barbara all thebest in her future career.Our faculty members met the chal-lenges of teaching in all our pro-grams and being active in researchand service while five of our facul-ty were on leave and I was takingthe director’s role – people reallypulled together. We could nothave achieved this without thecontributions of our sessionalinstructors – they expertly drew ontheir practice and research experi-ence to fill the gaps. I appreciatedthe spirit of cooperation andmutual supportiveness that all mycolleagues exhibited. As we cometo the end of this academic yearwe welcome back faculty whohave been on leave: Frank Testerwho returned in January, andGrant Charles, Tim Stainton andRichard Vedan who will return asof July 1.I could not end this reflectionwithout highlighting the essentialcontributions of staff – the con-stant structure around which theSchool is built. Together theyresponded to a myriad of ques-tions from prospective applicants,worked through detailed admis-sion processes, arranged fieldpractica, administered scholar-ships and provided ongoing sup-port to students and faculty. Akey aspect of this support wastechnical expertise in relation toIT and audio-visual services –often provided when we encoun-tered ‘mysteries’ in those areas.One of the revelations I experi-enced in taking on the director’srole was discovering the complex-ity of School administration interms of financial management,classroom scheduling, buildingmaintenance and security andmany other functions that hap-pen without most of us noticingthem unless they don’t happenproperly. The School administra-tor orchestrates all this work effi-ciently and effectively and with asense of humour that is key.In relation to research, clearly wehave been highly productive. Thebroad range of scholarship under-taken by our MSW grads is evi-dent later in this edition of theBridge. Faculty members havebeen very successful in obtainingfunding for their endeavours andhave disseminated their findingswidely through presentations aswell as publications. Two devel-opments are particularly notable.The Centre for Research onPersonhood in Dementia Care ledby Deborah O’Connor hasreceived additional funding fromthe Michael Smith Foundationallowing it to continue to provideleadership in that field. In addi-tion, the Centre for Inclusion andCitizenship, spearheaded by TimStainton of our School andRachelle Hole of UBC OkanaganSchool of Social Work has beenestablished within the School,undertaking research and educa-tion focusing on the inclusion ofpeople with developmental dis-abilities in community life.Richard Vedan, Frank Tester andPaule McNicoll all have continuedtheir ground-breaking work inrelation to Aboriginal and Inuitissues. Several faculty membershave also been active internation-ally. Sheila Marshall is coordinat-ing an international summerschool for doctoral studentsfocusing on adolescence, the firsttime this event will be held out-side of Europe. Miu Chung Yanand Liz Jones travelled to Nigeriato contribute to the developmentof social work in Nigeria, and Miuremained highly involved inChina. In Australia, Grant Charlesparticipated in a UN consultationon the sexual exploitation ofChildren. Our former director,Graham Riches made a keynoteaddress at an Anti-povertySymposium in Hong Kong.Margaret Wright has been invitedto lecture on gender and migra-tion in an international socialwork education program in Switzerland.It has been a busy and challeng-ing year. Several matters willrequire attention in the nearfuture. Most pressing is the needto present a progress report inrelation to the re-accreditation ofthe BSW program by theCanadian Association for SocialWork Education. The issues aretheir identification of the needfor more faculty in order to deliv-er the program and the need tofurther address issues in relationto First Nations social work educa-tion. These topics are keybecause the MSW program is upfor re-accreditation during 2009-10. A major focus of work in thenext months will be completionof the MSW self-study, headed upby Paule McNicoll. Also related tothe MSW, our new curriculum forthe Advanced Year MSW is cours-ing through the approval process.Paule has this project well under-way. We began two other initia-tives this year that will continue.One was the establishment of atask force to develop an equityplan for the School. This projectis consistent with UBCs develop-ing equity plan and responds toissues identified in our review ofthe MSW program. The otherproject is the development of aFirst Nations strategic plan for theSchool, being headed up byRichard Vedan. Again this is inKwong-leungTang4 Volume 14, Spring/Summer 2009 Volume 14, Spring/Summer 2009 5RECENT MSW GRADUATESMulholland, Eric An Exploration of the Closure of an Assertive Community Treatment ProgramOlonan, Ryna Engaging in Cross-cultural Social Work Practice in an International Development Project Working with Youth Impacted by HIV/AIDS in UgandaPannu, Darpanjot Help Seeking: Women's Experiences of a Benzodiazepine DependencyPartridge, Steph The Relationship of Foster Parent Training to RetentionPleysier, Roelof Perspectives and Interpretations of Bullying Behaviour According to Elementary School Principals in Vancouver, British ColumbiaPreston, Bobbi Spirituality and Palliative Clients: A Social Work PerspectiveRamirez Molina, Sadia Review of the Working Paper Series on Housing and Immigrants Published by Metropolis British Columbia and the Ontario Metropolis CentreReede, Val Lesbian Intimate Partner AbuseRenwick, Kristen Theoretical Underpinnings, Understanding Borderline Personality Disorder: Implications for the Health FieldRockwell, Jasmyne Relationships as Remedy: Meeting the Social and Emotional Needs of Elders Living in Residential CareRoy, Phillipe Listen To Me: Experiences of Recovery for Mental health Service UsersSeo, Seonae Intercultural-intergenerational conflict experienced by Korean-Canadian mothersSodhi, Sabina Negotiating Identities: Indian Canadian Child Protection Workers Speak OutSutcliffe, Carmela A Qualitative Analysis: Identification of Supports for Adolescent MothersYasuda, Yukiko Barriers of Mental Health Services Utilization Among Immigrant Women: Japanese Women Living in Metro VancouverMay, 2008Adshead, Karen International Development, HIV and Child Rights: Social Justice for Children in South AfricaLacombe, Karen Community Capacity Building: A Role for Neighbourhood Houses in Community RevitalizationLasting, nee Lambert Methed Up: How Do Street Youth with Methamphetamine-Induced Psychosis Access Mental Health ServicesMcCartie, Sandra Lesbian Widows: Challenging Disenfranchised GriefMiller, Julie Lightweight Women Rowers' Attitudes and Behaviours Towards EatingShermak, Sheryl Digging In, Moving On: The Experience of Breast Cancer Dragon Boat PaddlersNovember, 2008Bakker, Sheri Abuse of Immigrant Women by the Spouses who Sponsor themBradford, Fiona The Treatment of Adolescent Eating Disorders with Home-Based Family TherapyBreen, Jon Acquired Disability: From Acceptance to AddictionChan, Emily Jumping Ship: Factors that have Influenced Social Workers to Leave the Aboriginal TeamsConnors, Les Health Care Workers' Perspectives of Self Neglected Older Adults who Resist HelpCorrigan, Kelly (Dis)embodied Experiences: Exploring the Meaning of Participation in Pro-eating Disorder WebsitesDeacon, Jennifer Rural Social Service Delivery: Connecting Policy to PracticeDel Vecchio, Rhea Aging Out of BC's Child Welfare System: How Legal Status and Developmental Readiness Influence Successful TransitionsGorman, Jason Aboriginal GamblingGoulding, Myrne A Discussion of Compassion Fatigue: It's Nature, Impact, Mitigating Factors and PreventionHenthorne, Erin Ethical Decision-making in Dementia Care: A Theoretical FrameworkKeogh, Tara Mother Child Programs in Canadian Correctional Facilities: The Experiences and Views of Four Previously Incarcerated WomenKumar, Amenda Understanding Cultural Competency: An Exploration of Social Work Practices in Mental HealthLim, Michelle Anti-Racist Practice in Child Protection: A Training Workshop ManualLuey, Jason (Chee Hing) Understanding Social Work Experiences of Racism in the Current Health Care System: A Video ProjectLunny, Lindsay Making Connections: Grief and the MandalaMcCliggott, Sarah Are We Prepared? Acute Care Hospital Workers' Experiences Working with Persons Identified as Having a Personality DisorderMedjuck, Melissa People for Sale: The Challenges, Strategies and Politics of Human Trafficking in CanadaMontomery, Laura Healing Trauma: A Somatic Approach Within a Social Work ContextMorgan, Roberta How Women are Impacted and Recover from Childhood Emotional Abuse6 Volume 14, Spring/Summer 2009 Volume 14, Spring/Summer 2009 7Sessional ProfilesDAVID KEALY – Summer 2009I am a UBC School of SocialWork alum (MSW, 2002) andhave been working in communi-ty mental health since 1998. Myrole for the past seven years hasbeen as Clinical Coordinator foran assessment and treatmentteam in Surrey. My currentareas of interest include psycho-dynamic psychotherapy, treatment of and services forpeople with personality disorders, and clinical supervi-sion. This summer I am teaching Advanced SOWKPractice: Mental Health in Term 1.RENEÉ ROBERTMy name is Renée Robert and Iam currently at the NativeEducation College in the LowerMainland. I am a member ofthe British Columbia College ofSocial Workers and the BCAssociation of Social Workers.For more than 17 years I havepracticed in B.C., Alberta, andthe Northwest Territories, as well as overseas in Africa,Israel and Europe. For the last 10 years I have primarily focused on pro-viding crisis and therapeutic counselling services to theAboriginal community. Currently, I am theCoordinator at the Family Violence Resource Centre inVancouver offering both counselling as well as thera-peutic resources (books and other media) to communi-ty members. I also have the great privilege of work-ing as one of the faculty liaison to students enrolled inthe First Nations BSW programme at the UBC Schoolof Social Work.Throughout the years I have also volunteered in mycommunity. I served as a board member for severalAboriginal wellness agencies. I have volunteered witha variety of women’s groups, worked with Elders andassisted at spiritual and community events. I have alsospent some time working with families who have chil-dren who are diagnosed with FAS and NAS, and withother groups providing services to children.I was born in Vancouver and grew up in the West Endand Richmond. My heritage is Sahtu Dene from theNWT, and Irish/Welsh. I was a single mom, but nowlive with my fiancé and my (Honour Roll) teenagedaughter who is both Dene and Heiltsuk from BellaBella. My ancestry is an important part of who I havebecome. I have been taught and truly believe thateverything we need to help ourselves and others, wecarry inside. When you have the ability to share yourmedicine, your wisdom, your authentic self, changecan truly happen in the world. I love being a socialworker and contributing to the well-being of my peo-ple, it helps me grow and makes a better future formy child.HEATHER WHITEFORD – Crime Prevention CommunitySafety Individual AwardHeather Whiteford has just received a SolicitorGeneral Community Safety and Crime PreventionAward, 2008, “for outstanding contributionstowards crime prevention and community safety inBritish Columbia”, at the 30th Annual BC CrimePrevention Training Symposium on October 4, 2008.Her bio is below.Heather Whiteford has been employed with FamilyServices of Greater Vancouver (FSGV) since 1988 and hasworked tirelessly with, and on behalf of, individuals whohave experienced crime or who are at risk of victimiza-tion. In her current role as Manager of Victim Services,Heather leads a variety of programs that provide sup-port, education and counselling to children, adults andfamilies who have experienced, or are at risk of experi-encing, many forms of violence and abuse.With the staff in the Victim Services programs of FSGVHeather has continued the development of the work-ing partnerships with the Vancouver PoliceDepartment (VPD) and New Westminster Police Service(NWPS). These partnerships (the DVU and the DVRT)have become one model of excellence for PoliceServices and Community organizations across B.C.Heather is recognized for her development of theAbuse of Older Persons Pilot Projects with both VPDand NWPS. Likewise, Heather has played a critical rolein the establishment of a Family Violence Unit partner-ship with the Richmond RCMP, a program that sup-ports victims of family violence. Since its inception,Heather has chaired or co-chaired the NewWestminster Community Action Committee forWomen who Experience Violence. Heather’s work inall these programs and projects is based on the beliefIn MemoriamSharpe, Patricia L. (MSW’57)Chicago Tribune, Wednesday 17 Sep 2008 The Chicago Tribune celebrates the life of UBC AlumnaPatricia Sharpe, who died Sept. 12 of complicationsfrom leukemia. After receiving a master's degree insocial work from UBC in 1957, Ms. Sharpe went toChicago and ran the venerable Hull House social serv-ices agency in the 1980s. Born in Wynyard,Saskatchewan on Sept. 7, 1925 the youngest of 6 chil-dren, Pat spent many years at Hull House Assoc. even-tually assuming the position of Executive Director. Inher retirement years Pat was active as a consultant tonon-profit organizations with Executive Service Corps.Wife of the late Carl Kannewurf ; sister of Irene,Norman, Phyllis, Lindsay and Marshall; fond aunt ofmany nieces and nephews. Veljacic, Julie Ann (BSW’00)Julie Ann passed away suddenly on Thursday, June26th, 2008 at the age of 42 years. Beloved wife ofCreighton Bruce, loving mother of Riley and Owen,cherished daughter of Marilyn and Roger Pavan. Dearsister of David (Dean Veljacic- Thullner) and niece ofSandra and Bruno Quercetti. Julie will also be sadlymissed by her many family and friends. A celebrationof Julie's life was held on Saturday, July 5th, 2008. Chave, Estelle (MSW’52)CHAVE Estelle Christine (nee Matheson) November10th, 1914 - October 21st, 2008 Estelle died inVancouver General Hospital as the result of a strokeonly a couple of weeks short of her 94th birthday. Sheis predeceased by her husband Cyril (July, 1999), by herfirst grandson Richard Sanderson (February, 2008), andby her sister Jean Higginbotham (August, 2004). She issurvived by her daughter Rosalind Sanderson, her son-in-law Alan, her grandson Trevor, her younger sisterJoan Matheson, and other relatives in Vancouver andToronto. She was a warm, loving, generous, and intel-ligent person in all her roles, best-beloved mother,mother-in-law, grandmother, and sister. The family andmany friends will all miss her terribly. Estelle was bornin Winnipeg, but grew up in New Westminster andVictoria. She attended Oak Bay High School andVictoria College before moving on to U.B.C., whereshe attained her B.A. in Honours French in 1935, andperformed in several Players' Club productions. Shethen studied Social Work, and was subsequentlyemployed by the Children's Aid Society. In 1952, shereturned to U.B.C. and earned her M.S.W., after whichshe became a case-work supervisor at the ChildGuidance Clinic until1957. From the early 1960's untilher retirement in about 1975, Estelle was a professorin the U.B.C.'s School of Social Work. AlumniHi all; As many of you may recall, the UBC Social WorkAlumni was left a bequest of $5000 from the late JackMacDonald's estate. Some of these funds were usedto support Alumni events at our 75th Anniversary con-ference but we still have over $3000 from this bequest.It has been suggested that a process be put in place toconsider requests for funds to support various eventsor awards involving Alumni. An example might be amodest contribution of $50 to $100 towards a doorprize, gift or award at a social work conference thatwould have Alumni in attendance. I will be setting upa meeting with interested Alumni and Brian O'Neill inSeptember to discuss criteria for requests and how thismight be set up administratively. If anyone is interest-ed in participating in this meeting, or would just liketo provide some suggestions, please contact me atkazyan@trustee.bc.ca. Thanks, Kimberly AzyanDavid KealyRenée RobertPEOPLEThemed “Human Rights In A Diverse Community,” thisfour-day event offered a wonderful opportunity forstudents, practitioners, researchers, educators and poli-cymakers to gather and engage with one another onthe topic of human rights issues in the social workmilieu. Not only did I connect with other students fromacross Canada, I also had the opportunity to networkwith those individuals conducting innovative researchin my own areas of interest. This conference would not have been complete with-out the successful contributions from its four plenaryguest speakers. Marc Kielburger, Martha Kuwee Kumsa,Cindy Blackstock, and Ariane Brunet all touched medeeply with their inspirational presentations. Thesetalks emphasized their often courageous and alwaysunique experiences and life lessons, allowing partici-pants to become even more inspired as the conferencecontinued to unfold.The Social Work National Conference of 2008 was awonderful experience that I am especially grateful forhaving the opportunity to participate in. As my firstconference experience, this event truly stands out as atestament to Canada’s social work community. Melissa Strong, Student, MSW, Foundation YearA journey in possibilities: Exploring all that is right in UgandaI n 2008, I was awarded the distinct honour of beingthe sole UBC recipient of the CIDA/AUCC Studentsfor Development Grant Award for a governanceproject that I haddeveloped to facili-tate leadershipdevelopment andcapacity-buildinginitiatives with chil-dren and youthimpacted byHIV/AIDS inUganda. Thanks tothe support of theUBC School ofSocial Work 75thAnniversary GlobalLearningEndowment FundGrant, I was able totake my project anextra step furtherin a unique,refreshing and innovative direction. Ultimately, thisgrant from the School of Social Work gave me the fur-ther opportunity to take my classroom learnings aftergraduation and translate them into actual practice; toachieve this idea of praxis that we had spent so muchof our time in our MSW classes discussing. Using appreciative inquiry methodology, I designed andled a conference necessary to effectively kickstart andprovide a strong foundation for the entire course of myproject. And so it was in the small rural township ofMbale, Uganda that I facilitated the process of discov-ering, dreaming and designing destinies with youthrepresentatives interested in becoming leaders in thenational and even international effort to address theAIDS pandemic. Through song, poetry, music, danceand plays, these brilliant youths narrated their personalstories and illustrated their visions for an empoweredfuture. The positive core energy could actually bephysically felt within that room as passion and inspira-tion radiated off each of the four walls that embracedevery participant that attended, myself included. Andas goats and chickens insisted on crashing the venue, Iwas sure that they must have felt it too. In the end, using this particular new process for wholesystems change to design a conference for the futureleaders of Uganda and perhaps even the world, ulti-mately provided these kids with an amazing opportuni-ty to meet one another in one place, share stories andexperiences, have their strengths highlighted, berewarded about their work and encouraged to buildupon their current programming in their fight to takecontrol not only of HIV/AIDS, but of their own des-tinies. All in all, the conference was a beautiful andinspirational day and thanks to the support of the UBCthat the safety of victims of crime and communities ispossible only with a collaborative, integrated approach,in which the contributions of each service and commu-nity member are valued.Students:News & ViewsInternational AIDS Conference – Mexico City, MexicoL ast August, with the help and support of the UBCSchool of Social Work, I was able to attend andpresent at the International AIDS Conference inMexico City, Mexico. This was an amazing experiencethat allowed me tomeet and network withthe leaders in the fieldthat I have been special-izing in. Along with sixother members of theYouthCO-Healing OurSpirit Theatre Troupe, Ipresented a poster andworkshop, about ourwork engagingAboriginal Youth inissues about oppressionand stigma throughforum theatre.This was a great professional and personal experiencethat allowed me to see and contribute to the workbeing done around the world in the field of HIV/AIDS. Iwas able to hear Bill Clinton, Ban Ki-Moon, StephenLewis, and countless other influential people in thefield of HIV/AIDS. This experience also allowed me toexpand the knowledge and interventions that I havebeen practicing in my current practicum with HIV posi-tive clients at the Downtown Community Health Centre(DCHC) Maximally Assisted Therapy (MAT) program. Iwill also use these skills as I set out as a newly graduat-ed B.S.W. in the field of community health.Brad Olson, BSWCanadian Professional Association for TransgenderHealth – Toronto, OntarioI n June 2008,MSW studentMarcusGreatheart present-ed a poster at thefirst national meet-ing of the CanadianProfessionalAssociation forTransgender Healthin Toronto. Theposter representedan early version ofwhat became histhesis research proj-ect, The Fred Study, and provided Marcus a greatopportunity to engage with trans people and serviceproviders from a variety of disciplines. The support hereceived was positive, and the critical feedback wasinstrumental in the process of developing the necessarycritical lens.The conference provided an opportunity to networkwith professionals from across the country, as well aslocal providers from Vancouver Coastal Health’sTransgender Health Program. Also in attendance was Dr.Aaron Devor, Dean of Graduate Studies at the Universityof Victoria, and a member of Marcus’ thesis committee,who presented a keynote on his own research.The conference coincided with Toronto’s annualLesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender PrideCelebrations which only added to the excitement of theevent. After the conference, Marcus was able to spenda few days visiting with family who live in nearbyMississauga before returning home to Vancouver.Marcus Greatheart, MSW studentSocial Work National Conference - TorontoAs a student representative for the School of SocialWork, I recently had the privilege of attending the2008 Social Work National Conference in Toronto.Hosted by the Ontario Association of Social Workersand co-sponsored by the Canadian Association of SocialWorkers and the Canadian Association for Social WorkEducation, this memorable event surely set a standardas my first-ever conference experience. Right to left: Hanna Polley,Brad Olson, Anna Soole, and Dirceu Campos presenting our Poster at the International AIDSConference 2008Ryna Olonan speaking about thepossibilities of appreciativeinquiry at the conference8 Volume 14, Spring/Summer 2009 Volume 14, Spring/Summer 2009 9Marcus GreatheartRyna with some of the first youth graduates of the new AIDS Challenge Youth Club’s Peer Leader Program10 Volume 14, Spring/Summer 2009 Volume 14, Spring/Summer 2009 11School of Social Work, I was honoured to have had asmall role in it. The energy, work and insight providedfrom this day was used to fuel the course of the restof my project, including the development of a peerleader program which included a workshop, peercounseling and education training modules and mate-rials, an income-generating activity including basicaccounting and marketing workshops, in addition to apartnership and advocacy work with a local grassrootscommunity-based AIDS service organization which hasincreased its commitment and even provided fundingto child and youth programming as a result of thisproject. And now that I am back in Vancouver and Ireflect back upon this journey, I know that from theseeds planted during that one conference, the possi-bilities will continue to be endless. Ryna Olonan, MSW StudentAre You Considering the Part-TimeStudent Option?Iwas a part-time student that did my MSW from2004 to 2008. I thought it might be of interest tothe readers to comment on this experience. It hasbeen my great privilege to complete this experienceand share it with my fellow students. Some passedeverything brilliantly, others dropped out complainingand some died much too soon and my fellowship andlearning commons were with all.I have been work-ing full time as aSocial Worker inaddition to mystudies. I havetaken 9 to 12 cred-its a year. I haveenjoyed the luxuryof being able todevote more of mytime to subjects,while my full-timepeers have bal-anced 5 to 6 courses. I miss the opportunity of gradu-ating with each year of the full-time student cohort,but my time did come in November 2008. It cost overten thousand in tuition total, so part-time remains amore expensive approach.I discovered there is no real structured plan for part-timestudents as there is for full-time students and this takessome time to understand and make up for. Across UBC,policies supporting full time students are clearly lessinclusive of part-time students. Despite the systemic bar-riers I found the MSW committee, Brian O’Neill andmany other professors and staff were supportive andpatient in giving a voice to the part-time students andtheir concerns within the School of Social Work.There is no student loan or bursary assistance for part-time students and very little in the way of scholarships.They may not hold student political office despite thefact there is real difficulty recruiting for these positions,as full-time students are so busy. Part-time students can-not apply for Teaching Assistant and Researcher posi-tions, and many other campus jobs. It would seem thereis a predominant assumption that we part-time studentsare all employed and economically independent.This is not an assumption supported by the researchof anyone I have heard from. When I have askedthe Faculty of Graduate Studies to help me illumi-nate better the issues of part-time studies at UBCand they had nothing to offer. It has been my expe-rience that part-time students in the School of SocialWork are usually female, older and with familyresponsibilities to support, as well as working part-time in low wage jobs. We observed that professorscan lecture about social justice but then refuserequests for extensions when a student has a childsick or their job and child care has gotten in the wayof their learning. In 2007 Revenue Canada cancelledthe practice of giving full time educational deduc-tions to part-time grad students, so support ques-tions will come up a little more expensively all thetime for part time students.As a new positive development, the bus pass pro-gram has been a very civilized addition to theopportunities for part time students. I am proud tosay I completed a degree without bringing a car oncampus more than few times. Despite my concerns Icould not have afforded a full time option so thiswas my only option. I am older, learn slower anddream. I would like to think taking my extra timehas made me learn exceedingly well. I have hadtime left over to do other activities such as theSunrun team, student rep. committee work, note-taking assistance and writing. I would heartily rec-ommend and encourage other students to considerthe part-time route and extra activities, but also tobe aware of some of the difficulties. A growth in applications by part-time students inresponse to a faltering economy and high tuition bar-riers is quite possible across the campus. FurtherEric Mulhollandthought and study to the support of part-time studenthuman resources could reap more enrollment, moreactive students, with better access to enrollment, pow-ered by necessary supports, and result in moreinvolved and productive graduates. “Tuum est”!Eric Mulholland, BA, MSWSocial Work Student AwardsScholarship Winners for 08WJack & Isabel Kirkpatrick Scholarships in Social Work Katherine Andersen (BSW)Laura Brook (BSW)Krista Mullaney (MSW)Kristen Stewart (MSW)St. Leonard’s Youth and Family Services Scholarship Carla Filippone (BSW)Jean Jure Scholarship Genevieve Frenette (MSW)Laura Holland Scholarship Hossein Kia (BSW)Beatrice Wellington Gonzales Memorial Scholarship in Social Work Skye Ruttle Richard Splane Doctoral Scholarship Harvey BosmaNeil Douglas McKay Scholarships Teresa Chan (MSW)Melissa Strong (MSW)Linda Smith Hawkes Scholarships Stefania D’Elia (MSW)Harjit Dhaliwal (MSW)Shannon Fitzsimmons (MSW)Priya Sharma-DeSilva (MSW)Lilian To Memorial Scholarship FundSonia Bilkhu, MSWThomas A. Dohm Scholarship in Social Work Denise Wynne (MSW)Mary Hill Scholarship in Social Work Corrie Funk (MSW)Zella Collins Scholarship Maria Spano (BSW)Penny Hicks Service Award Andrea Harstone (BSW)May 2009 graduating prizesMarjorie Ellis Topping Memorial Medal (BSW)Hossein Kia BC Association of Social Workers Membership Award (BSW)Skye RuttleUBC Employees Society CUPE Local 116 (BSW)Andrea HarstoneGeorge Davidson Harry Cassidy Prize (BSW)Hossein KiaBradley OlsonMax and Susie Dodek Social Work Prize (MSW)Jacqueline CoatesSCHOOL UPDATESBachelor of Social WorkT he BSW Accreditation Report received in late2008 gave the program a 2 year accreditation,based on two major factors: (1) The need foradditional faculty resources to respond to all the aca-demic offerings at the School, specifically 2.5 more fac-ulty; and (2) The need to further address First Nationseducation within the BSW program. To date, theSchool has received an additional .5 of a faculty posi-tion. A Strategic Planning process in relation to FirstNations has been initiated in the School, led by Dr.Richard Vedan. A Report will need to be sent to theCASWE (the accrediting body) in Spring, 2010, report-ing on the School’s progress in addressing these twofactors. CASWE will then decide on whether theaccreditation will be extended or not.Other than these two factors, the Accreditation Reportwas highly complimentary about the BSW program.12 Volume 14, Spring/Summer 2009 Volume 14, Spring/Summer 2009 13We continue to have an active and committed BSWCurriculum Committee made up of students, commu-nity members, staff, and faculty which meets 4 timeseach year to review the program and address anyemerging issues. A student program evaluation washeld at the end of the academic year in April, 2009,with all third and fourth years participating. The eval-uation will result in a report for the BSW CurriculumCommittee to be reviewed in September, 2009, and toinform the work of the Committee for the next aca-demic year.Elizabeth Jones, InstructorChair, BSW ProgramPhD Program T he 2008 cohort of the PhD program has 4 stu-dents all of whom are progressing well andengaged in funded research. We look forwardto Tim Stainton's return as Chair of the PhD programfollowing his sabbatical this year. Meanwhile, wehave admitted five very promising doctoral studentsinto the 2009 cohort, each of whom will be teamedwith a faculty advisor in their area of research. Ourtwo earlier cohorts are all progressing well andadvancing to candidacy and we anticipate our firstgraduates in 2010.Richard Sullivan, Associate ProfessorActing Chair, PhD ProgramCentre for Inclusionand CitizenshipT he School of Social Work ispleased to announce theofficial opening of theCentre for Inclusion andCitizenshipThe Centre officially opened onMarch 25th 2009 with a publicreception at the School. TheCentre came about through apartnership between CommunityLiving British Columbia who pro-vided a $100,000 start up grant,the BC Association forCommunity Living and othercommunity organizations con-cerned with promoting theinclusion of people with developmental disabilities inall aspects of community life. The work of the centrewill be deeply rooted in the community living move-ment and committed to improving both access to andquality of needed supports and services that peoplewith developmental disabilities and their familiesrequire to enhance their inclusion in community life aswell as identifying and addressing broader barriers tofull social inclusion. Over time, the Centre will provide:Training and learning opportunities for individuals,families, service providers, direct support staff, profes-sionals and other interested community members • Conduct research and evaluation• Develop training curricula • Provide consultation• Facilitate leadership development through opportunities for student learning and research and community educationThe Centre operates as a unit of the School under thedirection of Professor Tim Stainton and Dr. RachelleHole of the UBC Okanagan School of Social Work andan advisory board drawn from community, govern-mental and academic organizations. Colleen Evanshas been hired as the Coordinator of the Centre. Ifyou’d like more information regarding the work ofthe Centre please contact any of the above personsthrough the School.Filming Project for SOWK 570E/NURS586I n order to understand family violence and to beable to produce effective responses to it, it is usefulto have visual representation of the dynamics ofviolence as well as models of effective interventions.Furthermore, visual representation of experiencedsocial workers explaining their approach can facilitatestudent learning. For a new Graduate cross-listedonline course at UBC, Violence in Families: AdvancedUnderstandings and Responses, SOWK 570E/NURS 586,the leading courseinstructor, Dr. MaryRussell, has devel-oped a number ofvideo components.These video clips havemade extensive use ofthe expertise avail-able in the local com-munity. The facilitiesand assistance of theOffice of LearningTechnology havebeen instrumental inthe filming, and editing. All clips will be incorporatedinto the lessons for the course. So far, three sceneshave been filmed:1. Children Who Witness Family Violence Mock Group:Understanding Anger and Developing Tools forHealthy Expression of Anger, filmed at SexsmithSchool with two Counselors from Family Services ofGreater Vancouver (FSGV) and nine students, 10-12years old. Special thanks for Kareen Hudson, ProgramManager of FSGV.2. The Car 86Program: This pro-gram is a partnershipbetween theVancouver PoliceDepartment and whatis now the BC Ministryof Children andFamily Development.Participants JanetDouglas (ChildProtection SocialWorker and UBC Ph.D.student) and LindseyHougton (VancouverPolice Sergeant) were filmed at the Vancouver PoliceStation at Cambie and 2nd Streets.3. Domestic Violence: Role play and interviews werefilmed at UBC Telestudios with the following participants:• Domestic Violence Role Play (Sandra Menker, GaliBar, and Dr. Mary Russell);• MCFD (Ministry of Children and FamilyDevelopment) Interview (Sheila Robinson, DebbieSamija, Paul Houle, and Dr. Mary Russell)Special thanks to Paul Houle, who is the team leaderof MCFD, for arranging the event.SHEILA MARSHALL, Associate Professor, is coordinat-ing an international and interdisciplinary summerschool on adolescence from June 1st to June 6th. Thesummer school, funded by the Jacobs Foundation, isjointly sponsored by the European Association forResearch on Adolescence (EARA) and the Society forResearch on Adolescence (SRA).Summer schools are training grounds for doctoral stu-dents interested in adolescent development. Since 2001,EARA has hosted summer schools to train youngresearchers. In 2008, a joint sponsorship between EARAand SRA was established. The summer school inVancouver will be the first to be held outside of Europe.The senior researchers who will be participating in theVancouver summer school are Lisa Diamond (US),Xiaojia Ge (US), Leo Hendry (Wales), Shelley Hymel(Canada), Margaret Kerr (Sweden), Reed Larson (US),Håkan Stattin (Sweden) and Marcel van Aken(Netherlands). These senior researchers were selectedfrom an initial list of 33 scholars from North America,Europe, and Australia.Sixty-eight doctoral students from 15 countries appliedto 24 positions in the summer school. Students wereselected by panels for their demonstrated excellencein research. Students are from universities inAustralia, Belgium, Cameroon, Canada, Croatia,Germany, Netherlands, Portugal, Sweden, UnitedKingdom, and the United States. Past summer schoolshave given students enthusiasm to search for scientificguidance outside of the borders of their countries andThe Car 86 ProgramMary Russell, Sunah Cho, Lindsey Houghton, Janet Douglas, Chris CrowleyCIC OpeningDomestic ViolenceBack row: Mary Russell, Pete Houle,Sandra Menker, Sunah ChoFront row: Gali Bar, Marilin Gutierrez-DiazINTERNATIONALIZATION14 Volume 14, Spring/Summer 2009 Volume 14, Spring/Summer 2009 15the walls of their universities. We look forward to theupcoming summer school at UBC this June.MIU CHUNG YAN, Associate Professor, has continuedwith his involvement with the Social Work in NigeriaProject (SWIN-P) with his third visit to the City ofBenin of Nigeria. This time he attended and made apresentation in a roundtable with over 70 partici-pants from 10 social work programs in Nigeria, localNGOs and government officials. During this trip, healso taught in one of the three days on AdvancedSocial Policy Analysis and Legislation in Nigeria,which is part of a special MSW program. ElizabethJones also participated in this program. Meanwhile,as part of his effort in social work development inChina, Miu has been invited as the InternationalAdvisor to the Shanchuan Social Service Centre,which is the first community-based multi-service cen-tre established by the Department of Social Work ofShandong University in Jinan of Shandong in China.He has been providing regular supervision to keystaff of the Centre through emails and Skype sinceSeptember 2008.FIELD EDUCATIONI n May, 2008, we welcomed a new Field EducationCoordinator, Laura Harvey. Laura has worked as aSocial Worker in hospitals, long term care facilities aswell as with at risk youth and women on income assis-tance. For her first year, Laura focused on building newpartnerships and opportunities for students with agen-cies who haven’t taken students in the past as well ascontinuing to strengthen relationships with agencieswho have consistently welcomed students over the years. The Chair of Field Education, Grant Charles, was onsabbatical in academic year 2008 – 9, so Liz Jonesassumed the role and worked with Laura on address-ing new and emerging issues such as increasing capaci-ty for international placements and developing newprocedures/policies for placements. As a result of thiswork a partnership with Go Global was established.Go Global is a UBC program that provides study, workand international service learning programs for UBCstudents. In consultation with Laura, Go Global hasdeveloped a specific project for Social Work studentswith an NGO in Uganda called TASO. TASO has beenoffering direct services such as outreach clinics, com-munity development programs, and advocacy for HIVresearch and policy through its 11 centres across thecountry for over 20 years. Our students will have theopportunity to join TASO in their work as early asJanuary 2010. We hope that this is one of many moreinternational opportunities for our students.On January 6th and 7th 2009, the annual Student/Practitioner Conference took place at the School. Thisconference is an opportunity for students to heardirectly from those working in the Field on specializedtopics. We welcomed a diverse range of presenterswho shared their work in areas such as Play Therapy,Human Trafficking and International Social Work toname a few. We received valuable feedback from stu-dents who attended the workshops and look forwardto planning the conference for January 2010. The next year our priorities will be developing moreopportunities for student placements in the non-profitsector as well as working on securing more placementsfor our MSW students with MCFD. Elizabeth Jones, Instructor and Acting Chair, Field Educationand Laura Harvey, Field Education CoordinatorGRANT CHARLES, in conjunction with other col-leagues, received just over $280,000 in grants this yearon projects related to psychosocial oncology, settle-ment and refugee services in BC, children of parentswith mental illness and community partnerships forhealth professional education. He presented at anumber of conferences on a range of topics includingyoung carers, field education, social work relationshipsand interprofessional education and practice. He wasalso a guest lecturer at Griffith University and theQueensland University of Technology. He was an invit-ed participant at the Business Unusual: The UnitedNations Global Thematic Consultation on CorporateSocial Responsibility for the World Congress III Againstthe Sexual Exploitation of Children and Adolescentswhere he moderated a panel on the SexualExploitation of Children in Travel and Tourism. EDWARD KRUK has published, "Child Custody, Accessand Parental Responsibility: The Search for a Just andEquitable Standard”, a peer-reviewed report threeyears in the making, examining the state of Canadianchild custody law and policy, with a proposal for anew "four-pillar" framework of child custody determi-nation. The release of this SSHRC-funded, FatherhoodInvolvement Research Alliance-sponsored report hasbeen widely reported in the media, prompting twonational newspapers to cite Dr. Kruk as "Canada'sleading child custody researcher”.PAULE MCNICOLL published two articles in the lastyear: McNicoll, P. (2008). “A group worker responseto a mission-based model for social work” Social Workwith Groups, 31, 1: 25-28.; Tester, F. J. and McNicoll, P.(2008). “A voice of presence: Inuit contributionstoward the public provision of health care in Canada,1900-1930” in Histoire Sociale - Social History, 41, 82:535-561. She also presented at two conferences: withYan, M. C. “Democratization of China: Social work andcommunity construction” at the Colloque sur le renou-vellement démocratique des pratiques: Actions etinterventions sociales organisé par la revue NouvellesPratiques Sociales in Montréal: November 14 and 15,2008; and Home, A. and McNicoll, P. “Groups for par-ents of children with FASD and other hidden disabili-ties: A study of facilitators’ views” a poster presenta-tion at the 3rd International Conference on FetalAlcohol Spectrum Disorder, Integrating Research,Policy & Promising Practice Around the World: ACatalyst for Change at the Victoria Conference Centre,Victoria, BC Canada, March 11th – 14th, 2009. Pauleand Miu also submitted the manuscript of their con-ference presentation for selection in the ConferenceProceedings. In addition, Paule continues her researchcollaboration with Frank Tester and Nathan Lauster.This is the last year of their SSHRC grant on InuitHousing. Their collaboration will contribute to a pres-entation entitled “Puvalluttuq: The Eskimo Point TBEpidemic of 1963 and the Contemporary Housing Crisisin Inuit Communities” at the 14th InternationalCongress of Circumpolar Health in Yellowknife, July11-16, 2009. Paule also works in collaboration withAlice Home from the School of Social Work of theUniversity of Ottawa. Paule will present their paper“Groups for parents with invisible disabilities:Similarities and differences across the cultural divide”at the International Symposium of the Association forthe Advancement of Social Work With Groups(AASWG) in Chicago, June 26-28, 2009. Finally, Paulewas invited to give the Grace Coyle lecture on groupwork at Case Western University, on October 1st, 2009.The topic will be: “Cultural approaches to group work:New explorations, new frontiers”. SHEILA MARSHALL and colleagues (Richard Young atUBC, Susan Lollis at U of Guelph, and Lauree Tilton-Weaver at Örebro Universitie in Sweden) received$166,827 from the Social Sciences and HumanitiesResearch Council of Canada to conduct “Project Ex:Parents' and adolescents' joint goal-directed actionsregarding extracurricular structured and unstructuredactivities with peers”. Adolescents’ time with peershas been the focus of a great deal of attention in theparent guidance and intervention literature asresearchers and clinicians attempt to ensure thatadolescents do not establish relationships with peerswho are engaged in risky or illegal behaviours. Theadvice has been for parents to track their children’swhereabouts and associations with peers and keepadolescents busily engaged in adult-supervised activi-ties. Although this advice has been around for along time the logic is unsound and the researchflawed. The advice is founded upon the idea that theflow of influence is only from parents to their adoles-cent children. The research does not use a model ofrelationships that takes into account interpersonaldynamics or the actions of adolescents. This two-site,multi-informant research is concerned with the waysin which parents and adolescents act together withregard to adolescents’ time in structured andunstructured activities with peers. The developmentand test of an intervention based on the joint actionsof parents and adolescents initiates a new approachto practice with families. The findings will help prac-titioners advance their understanding of how adoles-cents and parents anticipate change or stability inadolescents’ peer relationships, respond to changesin adolescents’ peer relationships, and construct andcoordinate family boundaries.BRIAN O’NEILL has submitted a chapter on issues inresponding to the needs of gay and lesbian immi-grants for inclusion in a forthcoming book on genderand immigrant health. He is also continuing his workexamining social services from the standpoint of gaymen. In May, at the Canadian Association for SocialWork Education Conference in Ottawa, he will be partof a plenary panel addressing how to teach aboutintersecting aspects of oppression and is also present-ing a paper with MSW student Marcus Greatheart onthe experiences and perceptions of transgenderedmen regarding their well being and satisfaction.GRAHAM RICHES has three recent publications:Right to Food within Canada: InternationalObligations-Domestic Compliance. Ch. 3 in G.Gilchrist James, R. Ramsey and G. Drover (eds),International Social Work: Canadian Perspectives,Toronto: Thompson Educational Publishing, 2009;Canada: One Step Forward: Two Steps Back?, co-authored with E. Lightman, revised and reprinted inP. Alcock and G. Craig (eds), International SocialPolicy: Welfare Regimes in a Developed World (2ndRESEARCH ROUNDUPRICHARD VEDAN is engaged with five research projectsat the regional, national and international level as Co-Principal Investigator. The goal of the AboriginalHealers and Western Health Care Providers Project is todevelop complementary practices and service deliveryby bringing participants together from across NorthAmerica. Annual funding of $65,240 is provided by theNetwork Environments for Aboriginal Health Researchin British Columbia and the Western Arctic (NEAHRBC-WA). Regionally the Splatsin (Spallumcheen) ChildWelfare Project with a $20,000 grant from theSaskatchewan’s Indigenous People’s Health ResearchCentre is examining individual, family and communityexperiences with the child welfare system. For the pastfour years with colleagues throughout the province,Richard has been involved with the NetworkEnvironments for Aboriginal Research in BritishColumbia. The $500,000 per year Michael Smith HealthResearch Foundation grant was recently renewed until2012 to establish a provincial strategic Aboriginalresearch focus, increase capacity in Aboriginal healthresearch, establish a sustainable network of researchersand communities, and to promote and facilitate excel-lent research. A CIHR/IAPH of $600,000 per year 2007-2010 grant funds the Network Environments forAboriginal Health in British Columbia and the WesternArctic. Research Fellowships are provided to studentsacross the province. Community-based research is alsoundertaken in pursuit of the overall goal of increasedcapacity and quality of health care. Since 2005 with col-leagues at the Universities of Alberta, Manitoba,Saskatchewan and British Columbia, Richard has beenactive in the “Resilient Indigenous Health WorkforceNetwork Project”. Maori and Aboriginal health profes-sionals in Aotearoa (NZ) and across Canada are also par-ticipants in activities designed to determine cultural andsocial factors that contribute to resilience and health inIndigenous health care professionals. Funding of$400,000 per year continues to project completion.Maori colleagues at the University of OtagoChristchurch receive similar NZ funding for their respec-tive activities. MIU CHUNG YAN received a UBC HSS Small Grant towind up his SSHRC project on labour market entry andsocial capital of youth from immigrant family, and as aco-applicant, was also awarded three SSHRC grants forstudies on the school-to-work transition experience ofrecent immigrant youth (led by Dr. Lori Wilkinson ofUniversity of Manitoba), on cross-ethnic relationship (ledby Dr. Sean Lauer), and on the healing of racializedyouth experiencing violence respectively (led by Dr.Martha Kumsa of Wilfrid Laurier University). He has alsopresented at six conferences on different topics includ-ing studies on youth from immigrant families at theNational Metropolis conferences in Halifax and Calgary,community and university research at University ofVictoria, and a study of social workers’ readiness to servenewcomers at the Joint Social Work Conference 2008 inToronto. He also co-presented with Paule McNicoll apaper on social work and democracy in China at theColloque sur le renouvellement démocratique at theUniversité du Québec à Montréal. As a domain leaderof the Metropolis British Columbia, Miu organized thefirst roundtable on how qualitative research can con-tribute to policy process at the National MetropolisConference in Calgary in March 2009. In the last twelvemonths, Miu has published six journal articles. Theseinclude: 1) “(Re)building Community: The Tales ofNeighbourhood Third Sector Organizations in TwoCities” in Social Development Issues with Rick Sin andSean Lauer; 2) “Imagining social work in China: A quali-tative study on social work students' perspective on thenature and future of social work” in Social WorkEducation with Zhong Ming Ge, Sheng Li Cheng and KaTat A. Tsang; 3) “Social capital and ethno-cultural diverseimmigrants: A Canadian study on settlement house andsocial integration” in Journal of Ethnic and CulturalDiversity in Social Work with Sean Lauer; 4) “Exploringcultural tensions in cross-cultural social work practice inSocial Work; 5) “Another Snapshot on Social Work inChina: Capturing Multiple Positioning and IntersectingDiscourses in Rapid Movement” in Australian SocialWork with Ka Tat Tsang, Rick Sin, and Cuifu Jia; and 6)“Exploring the Meaning of Crossing and Culture: AnEmpirical Understanding from Practitioners’ EverydayExperience” in Families in Society. His book chapter(with Ka Tat Tsang) “Re-envisioning Indigenization:When the Bentuhuade and the Bentude Social WorkIntersect in China” in Indigenous Social Work Practiceand Education Around the World, Edited by Mel Gray,John Coates and Michael Yellowbird (London, UK:Ashgate) was also published. With Sean Lauer andSurita Jhangiani, Miu also contributed an article enti-tled “Preliminary Understanding of Challenges inEntering the Job Market: Experience of NewGeneration Youth from Visible Minority ImmigrantFamilies” to the Canadian Diversity. Recently Miu hasbeen appointed as a member in the editorial board ofChina Journal of Social Work in addition to his existingmembership of editorial boards of the Journal ofSociology and Social Welfare, the Journal ofCommunity Practice, and the Journal of Ethnic andCultural Diversity in Social Work Practice.edition), New York: Palgrave-Macmillan, 2009; andRuokapankit ja oikeus ruokaan, Ch. 1 in Hanninen, S.,Karjalainen, Lehtela, K-M. and Silvisit, T. (eds) TheBank of the Others: Food Aid in the WelfareState/Toisten Pankki: Ruoka-Apu Hyvinvointivaltiossa,Helsinki: STAKES, 2008. He is also Co-Investigator ona 2009 SSHRC Research Grant Award ($248,230),Northern Communities Research Project (PI ProfessorE. Lightman, University of Toronto); and has madetwo recent conference presentations: ‘From Hungerto Food Security: Food Banks and the Human Rightto Adequate Food’, invited keynote address,International Symposium on Anti-Poverty SocialWork: Contributions from East Asia, ChineseUniversity of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, April 24, 2009;and ‘Food and Human Rights: Market Failure,Charity and Public Obligations’. Plenary panel,Thinking beyond Borders, Ideas, Values and Concernsfor Food in a Global World, Third Annual Conferenceof Canadian Association for Food Studies, Congressof Canadian Federation of Humanities and SocialSciences, Vancouver, May 31, 2008.MARY RUSSELL presented a paper at the 2008 SocialWork National Conference in Toronto, entitled “Lonemothers describe parenting needs: Canadian experiences,European solutions”. A revised version of this paper,entitled “Canadian lone mothers describe parentingneeds: European solutions explored”, is in press with theCanadian Social Work Review. Another paper, co-authored with Penny Gurstein (Community & RegionalPlanning), entitled “Housing and precariousness: Lonemothers on Income Assistance quest for housing”, waspresented at the 7th International Conference on UrbanHealth in Vancouver. Another paper emanating fromthe study of parent perspectives on parenting training isin press with Child Welfare having been submitted byAnnemarie Gockel (now a Smith College faculty member)and coauthored by Barbara Harris and Mary. Mary’sstudy of student responses from 5 years of teaching alifespan approach to family violence to social work andnursing students on-line was published in the Journal ofSocial Work Education. Mary also continues to researchservices to women who have been abused with theJustice Access Society for Maintaining Independence andEmpowerment (JASMINE).TIM STAINTON is continuing with the CommunityLiving Research Project. Results from this large-scalequantitative survey of families and service users arecurrently being analyzed and will be released by thesummer of 2009. On sabbatical for 2008/09, he hasbeen working on completing his manuscript on thehistory of the construction of intellectual disability.RICHARD SULLIVAN, together with social work PhDstudent Margo Nelson and Professor Michael Chandler(Psychology) is working with Vancouver AboriginalChild & Family Services Society to operationalize anaboriginal model of practice to determine whethersuch practice can sustain and facilitate cultural conti-nuity and whether that is related to better outcomesfor children and youth in long-term care. This researchis funded by UBC and the Ministry of Children andFamily Development through the Human EarlyLearning Partnership.FRANK TESTER was on sabbatical leave in 2008. Partof his time was spent with the Canadian StudiesProgramme, University of Edinburgh. Frank continueshis SSHRC funded research on the history of policy andpractice and current status of Inuit housing. InOctober, Frank’s documentary film“Iglurjuartaasaavut” (Our New Houses) premiered atthe 14th Biennial Inuit Studies Conference inWinnipeg. The film deals with the transition Inuitmade from land-based camps, tents and igloos to set-tlements and wood frame houses in the 1950s and‘60s. In January 2008, Frank was appointed researchadvisor to the Qikiqtani Truth Commission examiningevents related to the settlement of Inuit in the Baffinregion of Nunavut. His research resulted in three pub-lications: “A History of the Provision of Health andSocial Services in the Region, “An Early History of theCommunity of Kimmirut, and “A Report on the Fate ofInuit Sled Dogs”. The text is being used in the makingof a documentary film, ‘The Great Distemper’, to bereleased later this year. Frank’s legal challenge, onbehalf of Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated, an organi-zation representing Inuit rights, of a ruling by theCoordinator of the Access to Information and Privacyfor Indian Residential Schools Resolution Canada hasbeen accepted by the Federal InformationCommissioner. It will be taken to the Supreme Courtof Canada failing a ruling by the Minister of IndianAffairs and Northern Development that overturns theCoordinators denial of NTI and Frank’s access torecords pertaining to the schooling of Inuit children.Frank was asked to present his research on the socio-psychological problems related to current Inuit hous-ing conditions to the National Aboriginal Policy forumin Ottawa in March of this year. He also publishedtwo papers, one with Peter Irniq dealing with Inuittraditional knowledge (Arctic 61.1 (2008): 48–61), anda paper with Paule McNicoll, “A Voice of Presence:Inuit Contributions Toward the Public Provision ofHealth Care in Canada”, 1900-1930, Histoire Sociale -Social History, 41.82 (2008), pp.535-561.16 Volume 14, Spring/Summer 2009 Volume 14, Spring/Summer 2009 17O n Thursday, October 2nd, 2008, the 2ndAnnual Dr. Richard B. Splane Lecture series wasprivileged to present Professor Stephen J.Toope in a public lecture on International HumanRights: Canada’s Role in Combating Global Poverty.The title of Professor Toope’s lecture was “A Right toEscape Poverty?” and is offered here in its entirety. Itis also available as a video stream from our websitewww.socialwork.ubc.ca. This lecture series is co-spon-sored by the United Nations Association in Canada,the World Federalist Movement of Canada and theUBC School of Social Work and coordinated by PatsyGeorge, President of the UNA (Vancouver Branch).The details for the next Splane Lecture to be held inFall, 2009, are not yet available but are in the finalstages of being developed. Look to our School web-site for information in the near future.A Right to EscapePoverty?2008 Dr. Richard B.Splane Lectureon Social PolicyThursday, October 2, 2008Remarks byProfessor Stephen J. ToopePresident and Vice-ChancellorThe University of British ColumbiaT hank you, Graham [Riches] and Patsy [George]for inviting me to give this year’s Richard B.Splane lecture. Dr. Splane’s contributions toCanadian social policy and his work on behalf ofagencies like UNICEF and the International Council ofSocial Welfare have given him a well-deserved repu-tation as a progressive, wide-ranging, and influentialthinker, someone whose ideas have had a profoundeffect on this country’s policies both at home andabroad. I feel honoured to be associated with Dr.Splane in this way.My remarks are entitled “A Right to Escape Poverty?”Let me begin by addressing the question-mark in mytitle. Am I challenging the view that people are enti-tled to a life of reasonable comfort, with access to allthe basic necessities that make life possible—food,water, shelter, security of person? Am I questioningthe validity of the claim made in article 25 of theUniversal Declaration of Human Rights?Everyone has the right to a standard of living ade-quate for the health and well-being of himself and ofhis family, including food, clothing, housing and med-ical care and necessary social services, and the right tosecurity in the event of unemployment, sickness, dis-ability, widowhood, old age or other lack of liveli-hood in circumstances beyond his control.Clearly, I am not opposed to such sentiments, norindeed to any of the other assertions made in theDeclaration. As a proponent of human rights andinternational law, I firmly believe in the right of all18 Volume 14, Spring/Summer 2009 Volume 14, Spring/Summer 2009 19human beings to enjoy equal rights, liberty, and whatFranklin Roosevelt described as the “freedom fromfear”; and to make those conditions possible, onemust be able to rise above the constraints and limita-tions created by poverty.The question I am posing in my title is: can poverty beovercome simply by the establishment and articulationof rights? What exactly do we mean when we assert aright, and how do we make such notions meaningful?First, let me remind you of the dimensions of theproblem. Everyone here is familiar, at least in generalterms, with the nature and scale of poverty aroundthe world, though of necessity understandings ofwhat constitutes poverty will differ from country tocountry. In Canada we have no absolute scale bywhich to measure the concept of poverty: there havebeen attempts to match dollar incomes against “basicneeds,” and on such a scale it has been calculated thatcurrently a family of four would have difficulty meet-ing basic needs with an income below about $23,000annually 1. Such measures are only guidelines at best,however, for they operate against the background ofa society which provides healthcare, public schooling,welfare support, minimum wage laws, and so on. Imagine instead a society in which none of these con-ditions apply, and in which the average annual incomefor a family is a fraction of what is regarded as barelyacceptable in Canada. Last month the World Bankestimated that “1.4 billion people, or one quarter ofthe population of the developing world, lived belowour international line of $1.25 a day in 2005 prices.”2To take this a little further: It has been calculated that95% of the world’s population lives on less than $10 aday; and that 40 percent of the world’s population—around 2.6 billion people—account for just 5% of theworld’s income.And let me give you one last, grim statistic: that25,000-30,000 children die around the world eachday—almost 10 million a year—before they reach theage of five, deaths directly attributable to poverty—tothe inability of their parents or caregivers to providethem with the basic necessities of life. The numbers are so large as to be almost meaningless;they are simply too hard - - and perhaps too sad - - tograsp. Research in social psychology tells us that peo-ple are much more likely to be influenced by concretecases of poverty, malnutrition and death. Hence thepower of child sponsorship schemes. However, devel-opment research tells us that it is exactly that desire tomake concrete and to personalize that tends to movepeople away from systemic analysis and action. Yes,helping one person is helping the world, but it isunlikely to change the world.The UN’s Human Development Report for 2007-2008 triesto find some hope in our situation, asking us to view sta-tistics longitudinally, and not in the immediate term:Since the first Human Development Report was pub-lished in 1990 there have been spectacular—if spec-tacularly uneven—advances in human development.The share of the population living in developing coun-tries on less than US$1 a day has fallen from 29 per-cent in 1990 to 18 percent in 2004. Over the sameperiod, child mortality rates have fallen from 106deaths per thousand live births to 83 and lifeexpectancy has increased by 3 years. Progress in edu-cation has gathered pace.3These figures point to a gradual amelioration of theworld’s poverty—yet at a rate that hardly suggests aforeseeable end to misery, hardship, and death formillions and millions of people who lack the basicneeds of food, clothing, and shelter, let alone med-ical care or schooling. The Report continues less opti-mistically:Only around 32 countries out of 147 monitored by theWorld Bank are on track to achieve the MillennialDevelopment Goal of a two-thirds reduction in childmortality by 2015. South Asia and sub-Saharan Africaare comprehensively off track. On current trends theMDG target will be missed by a margin that will rep-resent 4.4 million additional deaths in 2015. (p.25)In his 2007 Commencement address at Harvard, BillGates observed: “[H]umanity’s greatest advances arenot in its discoveries – but in how those discoveries areapplied to reduce inequity. Whether through democ-racy, strong public education, quality health care, orbroad economic opportunity – reducing inequity is thehighest human achievement.” But in the face of con-tinuing global poverty, what is to be done? We know that there are many non-governmentalagencies that are dedicated to fighting poverty allover the world—Oxfam, for example, has beenengaged in famine relief and development aid aroundthe globe for over 60 years; similarly CARE, the“Cooperative for Assistance and Relief Everywhere,”was founded at about the same time, and operates in70 countries around the world. These and many otherCOLLOQUIUMSplane Lecture, October 2008Left to right: Brian O’Neill, Dean Nancy Gallini, Prof. Stephen Toope, Richard Splane, Graham Riches, Patsy George, Kwong-leung Tangnon-governmental agencies contribute billions of dol-lars every year to address poverty and sickness, and doa wonderful job. But the difficulty they face in many,if not most cases, is that they exist in a kind of moraland political vacuum: in most of the places that theyoperate, they cannot effect the kinds of changes inlaw or governance that might help to attack the rootsof poverty. Indeed, such organizations often producea negative response in local regimes that see them asintroducing western ideas and values that mightthreaten the current power structure. At the level of state involvement, there have beenmany attempts to come to some kind of internation-al understanding about the need to eradicate pover-ty and its most obvious manifestation, hunger.From the time of the Universal Declaration ofHuman Rights onwards, the UN has addressed theissue of poverty through a series of internationaldeclarations and covenants, and urged nationsaround the world to work together to find solutions.In 1974, governments attending the World FoodConference agreed that "every man, woman andchild has the inalienable right to be free fromhunger and malnutrition in order to develop theirphysical and mental faculties."In 1996, a similar conference, the “World FoodSummit” organized by the Food and AgricultureOrganization of the United Nations, produced whatis known as “The Rome Declaration on World FoodSecurity,” in which many heads of state affirmed“the fundamental right of everyone to be freefrom hunger”:Here is what they said:We pledge our political will and our common andnational commitment to achieving food security forall and to an ongoing effort to eradicate hunger in allcountries, with an immediate view to reducing thenumber of undernourished people to half their pres-ent level no later than 2015…..We reaffirm that a peaceful, stable and enabling polit-ical, social and economic environment is the essentialfoundation which will enable States to give adequatepriority to food security and poverty eradication.Democracy, promotion and protection of all humanrights and fundamental freedoms, including the rightto development, and the full and equal participationof men and women are essential for achieving sus-tainable food security for all.4This is a clear and straightforward declaration of whatwe would all consider to be fundamental humanrights, and it is followed by a concrete plan of actionthat begins:We will ensure an enabling political, social, and eco-nomic environment designed to create the best condi-tions for the eradication of poverty and for durablepeace, based on full and equal participation ofwomen and men, which is most conducive to achiev-ing sustainable food security for all….Given these ringing declarations, what has happened?Well, as we saw from the Human Development reportI cited earlier, the situation a dozen years after theRome conference is bleak, and while there is reason tobelieve that there has been improvement, no-one isunder any illusions about the prevalence of povertyand hunger in large parts of the world today. Why, given such widespread agreement about thenature of the problem and possible solutions, are wemaking so little headway? Why, given all theresources, all the material wealth and technologicalknow-how in the developed nations, can we not sim-ply help people attain what all agree is theirs byright?Part of the problem lies in our understanding of whatis meant by “human rights,” for contrary to the confi-dent assumption underlying such documents as theUniversal Declaration of Human Rights, not all nationsnecessarily agree upon a common definition. We talkabout rights as though such a concept existed like alaw in physics—outside ourselves, something eternaland immutable over which no-one has any power.This is the premise behind the Universal Declaration ofHuman Rights, which celebrates its 60th anniversarythis year. It was adopted by the United Nations inresponse to the horrors of the Second World War; theintention was to set forth principles that would formthe basis of peace, liberty, and freedom from fear andwant among all the peoples of the world. The preamble of the Declaration gives us the founda-tion on which the articles are erected: it opens withthe words, “Whereas recognition of the inherent dig-nity and of the equal and inalienable rights of allmembers of the human family is the foundation offreedom, justice and peace in the world….”5Universally applicable as such statements may seem,the fact remains that international human rights law,as articulated in key international instruments like theUniversal Declaration, is rooted in philosophy and20 Volume 14, Spring/Summer 2009 Volume 14, Spring/Summer 2009 21political evolution grounded largely in Western cultureand history. Words like “freedom” and “justice” maynot carry the same meaning for an educatedEuropean, say, as they would for someone working inrural Asia or Africa.When we speak for example of “the individual’s rightto privacy,” a matter of concern to Vancouverites justnow because of security preparations for the up-com-ing Olympics, would someone living in China orIndonesia understand exactly what we mean? It’smore likely that they would look at the world fromthe perspective of collective rights and responsibilities.Westerners, by contrast, are encouraged to perceivethemselves as individuals, and taught to fight for therights of the individual. As to privacy: well, those ofyou who have done some traveling will know what avariable concept that is in different parts of the world.This is not to say that there is an unbridgeable gapbetween cultures here—that, in the words ofKipling’s ballad, “East is East, and West is West, andnever the twain shall meet”—there are similarities aswell as differences in outlook and values. But thereare problems of definition. Add to this the fact that,even in a highly individualistic society like ours, rightsare not absolute; depending upon circumstances,they may be trumped by other rights. Your right tofreedom of expression, for instance, must give way tomy right to be protected from hate speech. Humanrights are not in themselves a legal concept; howev-er, what gives the notion of “rights” its meaning, isthe framework of law by which the idea of humanrights is structured, articulated, and protected, andby means of which such rights are implemented andrelated one to another.What are the implications of all this for any attemptto implement the principles promulgated by theUnited Nations and other world bodies? Of the 192nations that currently form the UN, 162 have ratifiedthe International Covenant on Economic, Social, andCultural Rights, which affirms the right of citizens of acountry to an adequate standard of living, free pri-mary school education, freedom from hunger, equalopportunity, and a host of other rights which wewould take for granted. Yet we know very well thatsome of the signatories to this agreement have notlived up their obligations, have not met its terms, andin some cases have committed abuses against theirown citizens. In such cases, the UN committeeinvolved should be able to identify the offender andthe offence, and require that the terms of thecovenant be complied with. The problem is that such international covenantshave no practical means of enforcement. The bodiesthat draw them up and seek to apply them existessentially at the discretion of the states that createdthem; they are limited in power and in their permit-ted scope of inquiry, and they are powerless to inter-vene in the affairs of states that reject them. Thereare a few legal mechanisms that may be invoked ifone state wishes to punish another. But for the mostpart, there have been few occasions on which inter-national sanctions have successfully forced a changeof heart or policy. By far the most common form of implementation ofhuman rights standards by states remains traditionalbilateral diplomacy. This can extend from oral con-demnations through ambassadorial démarches to for-mal contacts with opposition and human rights organ-izations. In extreme cases, linkages may be madebetween state policies relating to aid and trade; youwill recall for example the case of South Africa, whereextensive trade sanctions played a role in the downfallof apartheid. However, such linkages appear to havebeen lessening, rather than increasing, over the lastfew years. Recent Canadian governments have inmost cases explicitly rejected the linkage of humanrights with aid and trade initiatives.Perhaps, when we hear that people have beendeprived of their rights, we should seek to restorethem with the help of a fleet of planes or battleships.This would be quick, perhaps; but I have only to saythe word “Iraq” to convey the idea that in all proba-bility such “solutions” are not solutions at all—theyare simply the prelude to further difficulties. So how do we bring about the establishment ofhuman rights in nations unable or unwilling to complywith international covenants they may have signed?How can we go about helping the millions of peoplewho are dying of poverty and malnutrition, and whomay have the misfortune of living in a country likeZimbabwe, where the economy has utterly crumbled,the political system has all but collapsed, and humanrights have been put on hold by a President whoseems to have lost touch with all the ideals that tookhim into the political arena thirty years ago? Zimbabwe offers us a useful example of the helpless-ness of the world to act in the face of an abuse of“rights”. When other countries have criticized theharshness of the Mugabe regime and pointed to thehuman rights abuses suffered by Zimbabwean citizens,Mugabe’s response has been to appeal to his followersliving below $1 (PPP) per day•Proportion of own-account andcontributing family workers in total employment.7Both in organization and lan-guage, the targets are laid out inbusiness-like fashion—there isnone of the rhetorical generalitythat often characterizes such pro-nouncements; and to remind usthat these goals are to be achievedby 2015, the MDG web-siteincludes a count-down clock (whenI was preparing these remarks,there were 6 years, 142 days, 2hours, 41 minutes, 20 seconds andcounting to the target date!). In his 2005 Report Secretary-General Annan did not appeal tothe notion of “rights” except in thesense of human rights in general.Simply to insist that people havethe right to be free of hunger isnot, as we have seen, a means ofguaranteeing that this right will bemade real in real lives. Instead, helooked to the broader concept ofinternational obligation, by whichall states would agree to act collec-tively to stop genocide, ethniccleansing, and crimes againsthumanity. In the statement accom-panying the Report, he focussedupon the principle of the“Responsibility to Protect”; that is,each state has the responsibility ofprotecting its own citizens fromsuch evils, but if the state fails tomeet its obligations in this regard,then “the responsibility shifts tothe international community.” Inthe last resort, he concluded, “theUnited Nations Security Councilmay take enforcement actionaccording to the Charter.”This idea was actively promoted bythe Canadian government, andhas now been adopted as a tenetof foreign policy action by statesas diverse as Norway and Korea.But the responsibility to protecthas not yet become a bindingnorm of international law, and thecurrent Canadian governmentseems to have lost interest in pro-moting the concept.Perhaps, if we return for a momentto the situation of the people ofZimbabwe and similar states, thereis a case to be made for collectiveaction. Clearly the state is failingto protect its own citizens fromabuse, and allowing huge numbersof people to suffer in extremis. Alldemands that human rights be rec-ognized have had no effect. This isperhaps the kind of situation thatAnnan envisaged when he adoptedthe language of the “Responsibilityto Protect.” However, a problemhere is that members of the UnitedNations are also committed to theprinciple of a state’s sovereignty, ofnon-intervention in another state’sinternal affairs; violation of thatprinciple creates resistance andpolitical tensions that are just aslikely to exacerbate a problem as tosolve it. My own view is that wehave reached a moment of oppor-tunity in international affairswhere, if we keep working hard atnormative development, it may justbe that sovereignty will cede to theresponsibility to protect, at least inthe case of massive threats tohuman life and personal security.It may be that over time a body ofinternational law will come intoforce that is based on universally-accepted human rights norms,norms that are accepted by mem-ber states and implemented bycommon agreement within aframework that has real power toexact consequences for non-com-pliance. But at present interna-tional legal mechanisms have littleforce in the attempts to establishand implement human rights.Within some domestic systems oflaw, international human rightsstandards find solid support innational legislation and practice,which in turn can lead to relativelyeffective implementation. But thisimplementation is haphazard andcompletely inconsistent betweendifferent states; and it remainslargely outside the reach of anycompulsory international scrutiny.Many states are parties to theOptional Protocol to theInternational Covenant on Civiland Political rights, which does putsome teeth into that covenant byallowing a Human RightsCommittee to investigate andjudge complaints of human rightsviolations by individuals fromcountries who are signatories tothe protocol. But in the end, theonly real consequence even here isthe censure of an offender by thecourt of public opinion—there isno enforceable legal consequence.Organisations like AmnestyInternational and Human RightsWatch do much to bring humanrights violations to the light ofpublic scrutiny, but again there islittle that they can do beyond cre-ating public pressure on offend-ing governments.If I may return one last time to theUniversal Declaration of HumanRights, Article One of that docu-ment maintains that “All humanbeings are born free and equal indignity and rights. They areendowed with reason and con-science and should act towardsone another in a spirit of brother-hood.” Indeed, it is in everyone’sinterests that we live in a spirit ofbrotherhood and peace. But asthe Dalai Lama reminded us in hisNobel lecture of 1989, “Peace, inthe sense of the absence of war, isof little value to someone who isdying of hunger or cold. . . . Peacecan only last where human rightsare respected, where the peopleare fed, and where individuals andnations are free.”8to stave off interference byWestern imperialism disguised ashumanitarianism. The humanrights invoked by developednations are denounced as justanother Trojan horse, introducedby the West as a means of restor-ing old colonial values. Meanwhile, people are suffering:according to the UN’s HumanDevelopment Report 2007-08,Zimbabwe ranks 91st among 108developing countries in what iscalled the “Human PovertyIndex”; and in perhaps the mostchilling statistic, Zimbabweans arelisted as having the lowest proba-bility in the world of survivingbeyond the age of 40 – yes, 40!The operations of NGOs have forthe most part been suspended,and their workers threatened orbeaten on the grounds that theywere spies. At 2.2 million percent, inflation is higher inZimbabwe than anywhere else inthe world; until a recent revalua-tion of the currency, a loaf ofbread cost 100 million dollars.These are the realities facingZimbabweans. How has the worldresponded? Largely by expressionsof concern—and little more.When Mr. Mugabe went to a con-ference of African prime ministersearlier this year, there were norepercussions, and precious littlepublic criticism of his policies, byhis fellow-politicians. Yet manyAfrican countries are signatories toone or more of the many declara-tions of support for the fightagainst poverty and the protectionof human rights around the world.The reason is perhaps obvious:signing a declaration of principlesis one thing; implementing thoseprinciples is quite another. Assoon as one begins to stressimplementation rather than sim-ply the articulation of norms,states—no matter what their cul-tural or ideological roots – feelthreatened. This is particularlytrue in the area of human rightswhere the mechanisms for imple-mentation remain largely politicalrather than legal. To appeal toother countries to bring pressureto bear on Zimbabwe is invitingscrutiny of their own situation,and not many countries wouldnecessarily pass muster in a closeinspection of this kind. In other words, an appeal foraction grounded in “rights” maynot be the most effective way ofrousing support for the victims ofpoverty and hunger. Instead of broad appeals to uni-versal principles, we may have tolook at much simpler, more local-ized approaches to poverty reduc-tion: the approach favoured, forexample, by the Grameen Bank inBangladesh, the bank created byNobel-prizewinner MohammedYunus, who visited UBC last year.The Bank makes small loans topoor people in developing coun-tries so that they may break thecycle of poverty and invest intheir own future and the futureof their community. In 2007, thebank could boast over seven mil-lion users, and claimed a recoveryrate of 98%. The bank now oper-ates in over 40 countries, andclaims to have lifted millions ofpeople out of the depths ofpoverty. And it has inspired otherbanks to follow suit, banks thathave discovered that the micro-finance approach can benefitboth borrowers and investors. There is no question that micro-credit can make a very positive dif-ference in the lives of many peo-ple; however, there is considerabledebate about whether it can makethe kinds of lasting inroads intopoverty that its proponents prom-ise; and it is also evident that itdoes little to alter the structuraland political inequities that bedev-il many of the world’s poorercountries.6Still, it offers a realalternative to the social paralysisengendered by grinding andunremitting poverty.Like Mohammed Yunus, theUnited Nations has understood theneed to move beyond rhetoricabout rights and principles topragmatic approaches based inconcrete action. It addressed theproblem in its MillenniumDeclaration of 2000, out of whichemerged the eight “MillenniumDevelopment Goals,” goals intend-ed to meet the needs of theworld’s poor. The principles enun-ciated there are familiar—endpoverty and hunger, establish uni-versal education and genderequality, and so on; what is differ-ent is that the emphasis is on prac-ticality, on setting achievable,time-bound goals. The drivingforce was then-Secretary-GeneralKofi Annan’s report to the GeneralAssembly in 2005 urging all mem-bers of the United Nations toembrace the MDGs, aim to achievethem by 2015, and begin theprocess immediately by taking aseries of concrete steps outlined inthe report. Eradicating extreme poverty andhunger is the first of theMillennium Development goals,and this is presented as a series ofspecific targets, each divided fur-ther into sub-headings. ThusTarget 2 is to “Achieve full andproductive employment anddecent work for all, includingwomen and young people”; this isthen marked out as four concretepoints to be monitored: •Growth-rate of GDP per person employed•Employment-to-population ratio•Proportion of employed people22 Volume 14, Spring/Summer 2009 Volume 14, Spring/Summer 2009 23If there is to be a solution to the problem of worldpoverty, it may lie in a combination of all the forces atplay: international covenants raising awareness andinfluencing public opinion; cooperation among manystates to exert pressure on those states that abusehuman rights; support for improving the governanceand legal systems of many states around our globe; aworld-wide effort to meet the goals and targets estab-lished by the MDG; and promoting a richer interplayof international law and internal legislation—that is, awillingness by the state to shape or change its laws inaccordance with international agreements about civiland political rights.Only when human rights are fully integrated into anation’s political structure can we be sure that theywill be fully protected; only when rights are embed-ded in the principles by which states govern them-selves can they be invoked to drive governments intofinding solutions to chronic poverty, malnutrition, anddisease. This may be difficult to accomplish in devel-oping nations with weak legal institutions and trou-bled economies; but here a combination of socialaction from within, judicious application of interna-tional aid, and the pressure of legal mechanismsapplied by the international community might worktogether to enable a state to meet its obligations toits own citizens. The eradication of poverty is a goal to which all statesshould aspire, because it is the right thing to do —and it is in all our interests. If we succeed, we shallhave gone a long way towards establishing the kindof brotherhood among nations that the framers of theUN Charter imagined for a traumatized post-warworld. For that reason, even as we recognize the limi-tations of a rights-based doctrine, we must exploreevery practical way of helping the poor of the worldto realize what is their undoubted right: their right toescape poverty.Thank you.1 Chris Sarlo, “Poverty in Canada: 2006 Update,” FraserAlert, p.2. Fraser Institute. http://www.fraserinstitute.org/COMMERCE.WEB/prod-uct_files/PovertyinCanada2006.pdf Retrieved 14September 20082 Data & Research: The World Bank.<http://econ.worldbank.org/external/default/main?pagePK=64165259&piPK=64165421&theSitePK=469372&menuPK=64166093&entityID=000158349_20080826113239> Retrieved 14 September 2008.3 Human Development Report 2007/2008: 1. The 21stCentury Climate Challenge, p. 24.http://hdr.undp.org/en/media/HDR_20072008_EN_Chapter1.pdf Retrieved 14 September 2008.4 World Food Summit: archived web-site.<http://www.fao.org/wfs/index_en.htm> Retrieved 14September 2008.5 Taken from the website of the Office of the HighCommissioner for Human Rights,<http://www.unhchr.ch/udhr/lang/eng.htm> Retrieved14 September 2008. 6 See Ian Fraser, “Microfinance comes of age,” ScottishBanker Magazine, 3 August 2007; <http://www.social-capital.net/articles/view.php?viewid=151> Retrieved14 September 2008.7 <http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/poverty.shtml>Retrieved 14 September 2008. 8 Nobel lecture, December 11, 1989. <http://nobel-prize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/1989/lama-lec-ture.html> Retrieved 14 September 2008.The 75th Social Work AnniversaryGlobal Learning Endowment Fundhas been created in honour of the 75th anniversary ofthe School of Social Work (2005). This endowmentwill assist students in the School of Social Work withexpenses locally, nationally and internationally toadvance their learning and citizenship in globally chal-lenging contexts. The endowment will be awarded onthe recommendations of the School of Social Work. The Henry Maas Memorial ScholarshipEndowment FundThe Henry Maas Memorial Scholarship for doctoralstudents at the UBC School of Social Work has beencreated to honor his spirit, memory and his strongbeliefs in the merits of theory and research informingsocial work education and practice. This scholarshipwill enable Doctoral students to develop their owntheories and contribute to knowledge building insocial welfare. Roopchand Seebaran PrizeIn recognition and celebration of Professor Seebaran’ssignificant contributions to community development,teaching and practice, and to anti-racist social workeducation during his academic career, the UBC Schoolof Social Work has established the RoopchandSeebaran Prize. The prize is awarded on an annualbasis to BSW or MSW student(s) whose essay or projectwork on the subject of either community developmentor anti-racist social work education is judged to be ofthe highest quality.Mary Hill ScholarshipFriends and alumni of the School have established ascholarship in honour of Professor Emerita Mary Hill, apioneer in the field of social gerontology. Under theleadership of Kathy Hamilton (BSW, MSW) a group ofcommitted fundraisers have raised over $30,000 toendow a scholarship for students in Social Work whoare studying in the area of gerontology.Social Work Annual Giving FundThis fund allows the School to work beyond our annu-al operating budget to respond to priorities that ariseeach year. It supports the production and distributionof the School newsletter to more than 3,000 alumni,the Alumni Reading Room (hiring student assistanceand purchasing publications).Lilian To Memorial ScholarshipA scholarship has been established in memory of LilianTo for graduate students in the UBC School of SocialWork intending to study in the area of immigrationand refugee policy and practice. Lilian, a social workgraduate (1968) of the University of Hong Kong andan MSW graduate (1979) of the UBC School of SocialWork, was a renowned and internationally recognizedsocial worker and Chief Executive Officer (1988-2005)of S.U.C.C.E.S.S, Vancouver’s leading Chinese socialservice agency with a particular interest in meetingthe economic, social and cultural adjustment needs ofnew immigrants to Canada.Richard Splane Doctoral ScholarshipA $2,500 scholarship has been endowed to recognizeand honour Dr. Richard Splane’s work as a distinguishedSocial Policy and Social Work academic, and ProfessorEmeritus at UBC. Dr. Splane’s initial contribution to theendowment principal has been matched by the Facultyof Arts. The award is made on the recommendation ofthe School of Social Work, in consultation with theFaculty of Graduate Studies, to a doctoral studentdoing research in the area of social policy.FUNDRAISING24 Volume 14, Spring/Summer 2009 Volume 14, Spring/Summer 2009 25Fundraising continues for priority projects that need your support. Please see the back page for a donationform and information for on-line gift giving.26 Volume 14, Spring/Summer 2009 Volume 14, Spring/Summer 2009 27Mr Robert AdamsMr Herbert AllardMrs Anna AllenMrs Alice ArceMrs Sheila ArcheckMrs Christina ArmstrongMrs Asta AuksmannMs Miriam BalenMr Adin BaumanMrs Kathy Berggren-CliveMrs Sally BerryMrs Barbara BjerringMr Samuel BlakelyMrs Elizabeth BlakelyMr Robert BurrowsDr Corrinne CaldwellEstate of Earl E Cammock JrMrs Suzanne CampbellMs Linda CarlsonMrs Sharon CartmelMrs Retta ChanDr Adrienne ChanMs Vivian ChanMs Bernice ChiuMs Mary ClohoseyMr Allan CobbinMs Laura CrookshanksMrs Eyvolle CuthbertMr Sylvin DetervilleMr Terence DysonMs Geraldine EarlyMiss Joan EllinghamMrs Lynne EmpeyMr Allan EtmanskiMiss Carol FarquharsonMr Michael FenwickMrs Doreen FerratonMiss E Jane FisherMrs Etta GlassMr Peter GloverMr Patrick GormanMs Joyce GrantMiss Lynne GuinetMrs Barbara GustafsonDr Stanley HamiltonMiss Joanne HaramiaMrs Phyllis HarveyMr G Sholto HebentonMrs Susan HobkirkMrs Elaine HooperMrs Catherine HuberMs Tara JarvisMr Paul JenkinsonMrs Meryl KearneyMrs Deborah KeeveMrs Anita KilbergMr David KirkMr Joseph KirkmanMrs Christine KlineMs Sonya KraemerMrs Elaine Krilanovich-CikesMr Raymond LafondMs Alison LeaneyMrs Cora LeffelaarMiss Dolina MackinnonMrs Margaret MaerovMrs Juliana McCaigMrs Joan McNeelyMs Susan MendelsonMs Joan MillarMrs Jane MintenkoMrs Jane MorleyMs Thelma MulhollandMiss Janet MurphyMs Mary MutterMr Robert MyersMs Sandra NelmesMs Maria NguyenMr Rainer NicdaoMrs Sheila OberdieckMs Alison OrrMrs Mona PackerMs Audrey PanterMr Nicolai PapoveDr Geoffrey PawsonMr Harry PennyMrs Bery Petty Mr Robert PhillipsMr Chris PincottMs Patricia PitsulaMrs Elizabeth PollardMr John PollardMs Vera RadyoMr Mark RayterMrs Wendy ReifelMr Basil RobinsonMr Ronald RogersMiss Helen RuckleMr Alexander RyanMs Yesha SawhneyMr Alvin SchimpkyMrs Aileen ScottMr Roger SmithMrs Gale SteckMs Rita SwanMs Agnes TongMr Robert TorenMrs Ruby Traill UBC Employees Society 116Vancouver Alumnae Club Pi Beta PhiVancouver Chinatown Lioness ClubVancouver FoundationDr Renate VarwigRev Joy VernonMs Shirley VollettMr William WallaceMs Colleen WalshMr George WellwoodMr Stephen WernikowskiDr Blossom WigdorMs Sheila WilkinsMs Catherine YauMs Lillian ZimmermanDONORS AND CONTRIBUTORSThe School would like to thank the following individuals for being financial supporters for the periodJanuary to December, 2008. We apologize to anyone whose name has been inadvertently left off this list.MISSION STATEMENTSBachelor of Social Work (BSW) Mission statementThe BSW program provides students with the knowledge, values and skills necessary for an initiallevel generalist professional practice through a social justice lens.Master of Social Work (MSW) Mission statementThe MSW program offers an accessible, advanced professional degree focused on social work practicein the fields of child and family welfare, health and social inclusion, and international and socialdevelopment using a social justice lens.PhD in Social Work Mission statementThe PhD program provides opportunities for advanced scholarship towards the generation of transformative knowledge through research relevant to social work theory and practice, social development and administration.In September 2000, leaders from 189 nations agreed on a vision for thefuture: a world with less poverty, hunger and disease, greater survivalprospects for mothers and their infants, better educated children, equalopportunities for women, and a healthier environment; a world in whichdeveloped and developing countries worked in partnership for the bet-terment of all. This vision took the shape of eight MillenniumDevelopment (MDGs), which provide a framework of time-bound targetsby which progress can be measured. Goal 1: Eradicate extreme poverty and hungerGoal 2: Achieve universal primary educationGoal 3: Promote gender equality and empower womenGoal 4: Reduce child mortalityGoal 5: Improve maternal healthGoal 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseasesGoal 7: Ensure environmental sustainabilityGoal 8: Develop a global partnership for developmentThe Declaration established 2015 as the target date for achievement ofmost of its quantifiable commitments. Half the period to this targetdate has now passed. Check the MDG Monitor for progress atwww.mdgmonitor.orgUnited Nations Millennium Declaration:www.undp.org/mdg/basics_ontrack.shtml Did you know?
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