Calgary Social Workers for Social Justice (CSWSJ) has four committees that meet monthly in addition to the monthly CSWSJ meetings. Committees provide information, organize activities and social action, plan their budgets, and provide summaries to the larger group. All committees welcome new members. Current committees are as follows:
Coordinating Group: Chairs of our committees and of CSWSJ meetings become members of the coordinating group. Their role is to organize an annual Strategic Planning Meeting for the whole group, coordinate actions and activities, ensure that processes work and information and decisions on budgets and activities are brought to the larger group and make any needed decisions between meetings.
Policy: The policy group meets once a month at noon. Members gather information re priority policy areas and key issues in the community. The group discusses ongoing and emerging issues and develops and recommends action strategies to the larger group.
Communications: This group uses social media to increase awareness of social justice and advocacy issues and successes. it proposes activities that help raise the importance of Social Justice and Advocacy, the public profile of social workers, and of CSWSJ. It and ensures communication to members of CSWSJ, proposes ideas for promotional campaigns (T -shirts. postcards or business cards) and encourages letter writing campaigns.
Education: The Education Committee provides learning opportunities for social workers with the goal of enhancing our capacity to engage in social justice work. The two key audiences for the education committee are members of CSWSJ and social workers and social work students in Calgary and the surrounding areas. The Education Committee focuses on three key types of learning: Critical learning and unlearning: focuses on shifting our own understanding and experiences of oppression/oppressor;
Learning as a tool for action: focuses on specific knowledge or strategies that can be utilized for social justice work;
Capacity-building: focuses on the individual or group’s capacities to implement social justice activities.
Coordinating Group: Chairs of our committees and of CSWSJ meetings become members of the coordinating group. Their role is to organize an annual Strategic Planning Meeting for the whole group, coordinate actions and activities, ensure that processes work and information and decisions on budgets and activities are brought to the larger group and make any needed decisions between meetings.
Policy: The policy group meets once a month at noon. Members gather information re priority policy areas and key issues in the community. The group discusses ongoing and emerging issues and develops and recommends action strategies to the larger group.
Communications: This group uses social media to increase awareness of social justice and advocacy issues and successes. it proposes activities that help raise the importance of Social Justice and Advocacy, the public profile of social workers, and of CSWSJ. It and ensures communication to members of CSWSJ, proposes ideas for promotional campaigns (T -shirts. postcards or business cards) and encourages letter writing campaigns.
Education: The Education Committee provides learning opportunities for social workers with the goal of enhancing our capacity to engage in social justice work. The two key audiences for the education committee are members of CSWSJ and social workers and social work students in Calgary and the surrounding areas. The Education Committee focuses on three key types of learning: Critical learning and unlearning: focuses on shifting our own understanding and experiences of oppression/oppressor;
Learning as a tool for action: focuses on specific knowledge or strategies that can be utilized for social justice work;
Capacity-building: focuses on the individual or group’s capacities to implement social justice activities.
