Student Session and Luncheon: Palestine, Free Speech and DEI Bans: Social Work's Response to Silencing Tactics, Genocide, and Systemic Injustice

Social Work's inaction in the face of ongoing genocide across the world speaks to a recurring issue: the disparity between our ethical principles and practical actions. Social Work has fallen short in upholding its core values amid genocide and erasure of Palestinians by colonial entities. This silence in the face of genocide is part of a larger tendency within social work to neglect our obligation to stand with the most marginalized and oppressed as demonstrated by the indifference towards genocide in African, Middle Eastern, and Caribbean countries such as Yemen, Sudan, Congo, Ethiopia, and Haiti. Silencing tactics by social work schools, agencies, and organizations have limited students, faculty, and staff's ability to challenge social injustice and work for social change on behalf of vulnerable and oppressed people. The fight for social justice should not be minimized by global distance as MLK Jr. once said, "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere". Genocide is far reaching and silencing tactics have also obscured the state-sanctioned genocide in African and Caribbean nations, necessitating greater attention and action among social work to address these overlooked human rights injustices.

These silencing tactics around genocide are occurring within a context of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion bans which collectively hinder our ability to dismantle oppressive structures uphold the core values of Social Work. Students, staff, and faculty have faced violence and academic discipline for exercising their right to free speech and protest through peaceful demonstrations and encampments. The combination of silencing, surveillance, and policing tactics have negatively impacted the overall safety and well-being of all those on campus regardless of their stance and involvement on the issue. Genocide's relevance has transcended into the field of Social Work with many implications for researchers, practitioners, and the communities they serve. This topic is not only relevant to those who focus on global social work, but for those working in all subsets of the field including legal studies, immigration, mental and physical health, housing justice, military, colonial and decolonial studies, racial and Indigenous studies, and policy at all levels, macro, mezzo, and micro.

This year's Student Luncheon convenes a diverse group of social work scholars, educators, organizers, and practitioners to discuss and promote a dialogue on: 1) Silencing tactics, and the politics of free speech within the context of Critical Race Theory and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion bans, 2) Encampment for Palestine and the importance of advocacy and resistance, 3) Utilizing the case of Palestine as well as Haiti, Sudan, and Congo to highlight Social Work's responsibility in promoting a unified approach to addressing systemic inequalities and advocating for human rights.

About SSWR: The Society for Social Work and Research (SSWR) was founded in 1994 as a free-standing organization dedicated to the advancement of social work research. The Society for Social Work and Research advances, disseminates, and translates research that addresses social work practice and policy issues and promotes a diverse, just, and equitable society. As part of this mission, SSWR organizes an Annual Conference with over 500 symposia, workshops, roundtables, poster presentations, and a student luncheon.