Events
INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON SOCIAL WORK RESPONSES TO CLIMATE CHANGE
On 23 March 2022, an international symposium on Social Work Responses to Climate Change was held remotely to celebrate the World Social Work Day 2022 and its theme Co-building a New Eco-Social World: Leaving No One Behind.
The symposium was organised by the KUAS in collaboration with the Department of Social Work, Central University of Tamil Nadu, India, with the participation of the Department of Social Work, Bharathiar University, India, and the Centre for Applied Research, Gandhigram Rural Institute, Gandhi. The symposium was moderated by Dr. Komali Kantamaneni, Senior Research Fellow, Department of Science and Technology, Central Lancashire University, UK. The KUAS Director Dr. Ramunė Bagdonaitė-Stelmokienė welcomed the participants. Prof. Sulochana Shekhar addressed the symposium participants on behalf of the President of the Central University of Tamil Nadu, while Prof. Velmurugan, the Dean of the School of Social Sciences and Humanities, made the opening remarks.
Presentations were made by Prof. Lovelina Little Flower, the Dean of the Department of Social Work, Bharathiar University, Dr. Iveta Varnagirytė-Kabašinskienė, the KUAS Lecturer, Prof. Sigamani Panneer, the Head of the Department of Social Work, Centre for Happiness, Central University of Tamil Nadu, India, Dr. Giedrius Bučas, the Founder of the social initiative ‘Creativity Angle 360’ and the Head of the NGO ‘For Clean Lithuania’. More than 80 participants from Lithuania, India and Germany took part in the symposium.
The speakers gave an overview of climate change in India and Lithuania, its impact on nature and on people’s lives and activities. They discussed the challenges faced by social workers in both countries and practical solutions in helping people deal with climate change. They also talked about engaging communities to reduce the human impact on climate change and the impact of climate change on people.