Social Work for Human Rights

As the recent violence in East Jerusalem, Gaza and the West Bank enters its second week, more than 212 people have been killed, including 61 children in Gaza and 10 children in Israel. Thousands more are wounded and millions are terrorized.

As a social worker and Dean of The School of Social Work at Portland State University, I uphold a Code of Ethics stating we should act to prevent the domination of any person, group, or class on the basis of race, ethnicity, and national origin. Social workers are advocates for changes in policy that improve social conditions to fulfill basic human needs. We also promote conditions that encourage respect for cultural and social diversity across the globe. Social workers are change agents and social work educators train students to work against violence resulting from institutional systems. We should stand in solidarity with communities living under occupation and call on other social workers and the international community to put an end to the erasure, uprooting, and dehumanization of Palestinians.

Dr. Rory Truell, Secretary General of the International Federation of Social Workers, recently stated, “In their communities, social workers take the hardest road by working with people to transform desperation and pain away from the political, cultural dominance of justification, to the direction of non-violence, and a new shared vision for secure and better futures for all.”

The School of Social Work at Portland State University is deeply committed to social justice, human dignity and worth and I grieve the killing of civilians and total destruction of homes and communities. I condemn the escalation of Israel’s continued state-sanctioned violations of Palestinian human rights. I encourage the global community to focus on dignity and the value of human life.

In Solidarity,

Jose Coll, Ph.D

Dean and Professor
School of Social Work
Portland State University