- Research and Innovation are prerequisites for the development of indigenous social work: Prof. Rajneesh Kumar Shukla, Vice-Chancellor, Mahatma Gandhi Antarrashtriya Hindi Vishwavidyalaya (MGAHV), Wardha.
- Bharatiya Indigenous knowledge has a global world view: Mukul Kanitkar, National Organizing Secretary, Bharatiya Shikshan Mandal, Nagpur.
- Academicians from Nigeria, USA, Canada, Israel, Nepal, and several Indian universities are participating in the conference.
- The conference will have dedicated sessions on African Social Work, Indigenous Social Work, and Bharatiyakaran of Social Work.
August 15, 2020 / New Delhi
With a vision to provide a global platform to the discourse on indigenization and decolonization of social work education, Pundit Madan Mohan Malviya National Mission of Teacher Training (PMMMNMTT) and Mahatma Gandhi Fuji Guruji (MGFG) Center for Social Work, Mahatma Gandhi Antarrashtriya Hindi Vishwavidyalaya (MGAHV), Wardha with the Academic Support of Bharatiya Shikshan Mandal (BSM), Nagpur is organizing a two days International E-Conference titled ‘Indigenizing and Decolonizing Social Work Education: Perspectives from Africa and South Asia’ on 20-21 August 2020. The academicians, scholars, and social work practitioners from the USA, Nigeria, Canada, Nepal, and several Indian universities have confirmed their participation in the first-ever international discourse on such a topic of contemporary importance.
Shri Ashok Bhagat, Secretary, Vikash Bharti, popularly known as Babaji for his pioneering work for the upliftment of the rural population in Jharkhand will grace the occasion as Chief Guest, while Shri. Mukul Kanitkar, an eminent academician and social thinker who is presently National Organizing Secretary, BSM has kindly consented to deliver Key Note Address. The Vice-Chancellor of MGAHV Wardha, Prof. Rajneesh Kumar Shukla will preside over the inaugural function on August 20. In the conference, the scholars will discuss various problems in the path of indigenization and decolonization of social work education, define objectives, and chalk out strategies to achieve them.
“In my opinion, the lack of quality research is the biggest hurdle before decolonization and indigenization of social work. There may be several socio-cultural practices in communities across the world that has been facilitating healthy, holistic, and sustainable living beyond expectations. However, in the lack of proper research and knowledge dissemination, they are shamed and rejected by intellectuals of colonial ideologies for allegedly not being progressive,” said Prof. Rajneesh Kumar Shukla, Vice-Chancellor of MGAHV Wardha, Maharashtra. “The responsibility of our generation is to conduct scientific researches on such practices and develop them in the form of implementable professional models of social work. Besides, we also need high-quality research and innovation as per the needs of changing circumstances and weed out colonial elements from social work education,” he added.
As per the schedule, the E-Conference will have 5 technical sessions on the themes – African Social Work, Indian Indigenous Social Work (two sessions), Decolonizing social work in South Asian Countries, and Special Session on Bharatiyakaran of Social Work. The academicians from several Indian universities such as the University of Delhi, Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai; Himachal Pradesh University, Shimla; Davanagere University, Karnataka; St. Philomena’s College, Mysuru (Karnataka), IGNOU, New Delhi; Vishwa Bharti University, West Bengal; Gautam Buddha University, Noida; MGKVP, Varanasi; Indore School of Social Work, Punjabi University; Mizoram Central University; Tumkur University, Karnataka, etc. have also confirmed their participation. In addition to that social work practitioners, researchers, and administrators (IPS officers) have also registered to present their research papers.
“Bharatiya perspective of knowledge has territorial as well as global dimensions. When we say, Bharat Mata Ki Jai, it means holistic and sustainable development of all the living and non-living things on Mother Bharat including its citizens, biodiversity, ecosystem, natural resources, etc. in each and every possible way we can think of. As the mother sustains life in her womb, the motherland sustains life after our birth. My friends from Nigeria can say ‘Nigeria Mata Ki Jai’ and those from Canada can say ‘Canada Mata ki Jai’ in their respective languages but the spirit is the same,” said Mukul Kanitkar in his message to the conference. He further added, “In the Vedic literature entire planet Earth has been called mother (Prithvi Maata) but it guides us to celebrate diversity. The developmental requirements of every community across nationalities are largely defined by its environmental, socio-cultural, and historical factors. These factors inspire our minds to work for decolonization and embrace indigenization.” The scholars participating in the E-Conference will express their views on ten thematic areas i.e., Indigenization and Decolonization of social work: Perspective from South Asian Countries; Indigenization and Decolonization of social work: Perspective from Africa; Indigenous Social Work: History, Philosophy, Ideology and Methodology; Indigenous and Innovative Social Work: Models and Approaches; Field Work Training Models: Problems and Challenges; Indigenous Social Work: Issues and Concerns; Development, Sustainability and Indigenous Social Work; Indigenous Social Work Education: Curricula, Pedagogy, and Research; Indigenous Social Work for Community Organizations and Social Work Practitioners; and Indigenous Social Work and Social Movements.
“Social Work emerged as an academic discipline globally during the period of the industrial revolution in the United Kingdom and United States of America to address the dire needs of people who were the victims of new social order. With the passage of time, American-Euro centric knowledge and western perspectives are meticulously enforced in the existing literature for the Social Work curriculum offered all over the world. So, the conference aims at decolonization and indigenization of social work education,” said Dr. Bishnu Mohan Dash, Co-Convenor of the International E-Conference and General Secretary, Bharatiya Samaj Karya Parishad (BSKP) and also presently faculty member, Department of Social Work, Dr. B. R. Ambedkar College, University of Delhi. “We also reject the western world view and the way of understanding society from western perspectives. The conference will further challenge and critique the western hegemony, colonial legacy, and professional imperialism in social work education,” Dr. Dash also added.
Prof. Manoj Kumar, Dean, School of Education & Director, MGFG Centre for Social Work is Conference Director, Prof. Gopal Krishan Thakur Head, Department of Education and Convenor, PMMMNMTT is Conference Co-Director and Dr. Mithilesh Kumar, faculty, MGFG Center for Social Work MGAHV, Wardha is Conference Convenor.
Earlier, MGFG Center for Social Work, MGAHV, Wardha on 29-30 June 2018 had organized the first-ever two-day national workshop on ‘Bharatiyakaran of Social Work Curriculum’ with the aim to develop an inclusive and holistic syllabus for various social work courses in Indian universities with an aim to connect the discipline with Indian psyche by providing due space to Indian principles, models, approaches and experiences in the field of social service and social reforms. The curriculum has been implemented in several Central and State universities of the country.
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