Dear Colleagues,

This year the German Association for Social Work (DBSH) in conjunction with the Social Sciences Faculty of the Saarland University of Applied Sciences (HTW) is organising the first “Ethics Symposium” for Social Work from 22. to 23.04.10. On the eve of the symposium (22.04.10) at 19.00 hours the DBSH is hosting an opening event followed by a reception at the Saarland HTW’s Rastpfuhl Campus.

Together with Ms Stark-Angermeier, the Vice Chair of the DBSH, I am delighted to be able to invite you to Saarbrücken to our “1^st Ethics Symposium” for Social Work.

The symposium offers you special opportunities.  It provides the special expertise of those employed in the various sectors of Social Work with their very own forum, independent of the interests of providers and organisations. Continuing on from the Social Work Professional Congress the aim of the “1^st Ethics Symposium” is to enable a better link-up of the practice and science of Social Work.

People working professionally as Social Work specialists deserve particular attention. At the same time we have a special responsibility towards the people with whom and for whom we work, and towards society and politics.  When Social Work offers and arranges help and support, it is the focal point of the party negotiations between very different interests. Time and again the issue associated with this is the positioning of Social Work in the general context and in the practicality of professional activity.

I would be delighted to be able to welcome you, too, to our opening event followed by a reception at the Saarland HTW’s Rastpfuhl Campus on 22.04.2010 at 19.00 hours. This opening event also includes a varied cultural programme and a buffet.

Fortified after this opening evening, in our Ethics Symposium on the following day we can then get to grips with the Ethics in Social Work, Statement of Principles (adopted at the General Meeting of the IFSW and the IASSW in Adelaide, Australia, in October 2004).  The Ethics Symposium will be opened by an inaugural speech made by an IFSW representative. Afterwards the various topics will be dealt with in depth in working groups led by representatives from both theory and practice.

The invitation is extended in particular to social workers, youth and child-care workers and remedial teachers, higher education students and teaching staff, supervisors, interested persons and the (specialist) public.

I wish us all a good and successful “1^st Ethics Symposium”.

Yours sincerely,
Michael Leinenbach
(Chair of the DBSH)