ICSD

28 July 2025

Over the past 50 years, the ICSD has pioneered a new field of social enquiry and developed a platform of action to tackle local and global social development issues. Our work is undergirded by a deep commitment to promote human rights, people’s centered development and social and economic justice. The ICSD has contributed to my personal growth as a social development scholar and practitioner for 35 years. The institution is a global asset that must be nurtured by all as we confront the challenges of a rapidly changing global environment.

I took over the baton from Prof Manohar Pawar, the outgoing President of the ICSD. We all owe a great debt of gratitude to him for his service, leadership and stellar contribution to the organization.

I hope to build on the strong legacy that Manohar and the outgoing Board of Directors leave behind. They in turn have built on the foundations laid by many past presidents, dedicated scholars and practitioners.

I shall endeavor to work with each one of you to grow the organization and to strengthen the ICSD’s footprint globally. I shall strive to be an honest representative of the membership and the people and communities we serve.

The world has changed significantly over the past 50 years and the ICSD has had to respond to these changes. The ICSD remains as relevant now as it was since its inception. Its principal concern has been to contribute to the creation of a more just, equitable, and peaceful world. The social development approach to social welfare pioneered by ICSD thinkers and practitioners has been highly influential in shaping global policy debate and in building knowledge.  It has also contributed to repositioning social work education toward a social development approach including crossing disciplinary boundaries to find solutions to complex challenges.  Although social development has its roots in southern countries grappling with difficult social development issues, the approach is equally important in both the north and the south.

Ongoing critical reflection and engagement with real world social issues and finding innovative multidisciplinary solutions to improve people’s everyday lives has always been the hallmark of the ICSD and its approach to social development.

We need to redouble our efforts to strengthen social development’s contribution to creating a better world. This can be achieved by sharing our knowledge and skills with civil society organizations, governments and non-state actors. These engagements will help us in our search for real world and proven solutions to the intersecting human development, social, cultural, economic, political, technological and environmental challenges we face. The progress that has been made in reducing poverty has been reversed over the past few years and inequality has increased.  Other challenges abound, emanating from poly crises complicated by historical legacies of colonialism, income and gender inequality and high levels of unemployment.

Social development’s concern with addressing structural and systemic issues emanating from hyper capitalist solutions to social provision, inefficient and inadequate public social provision, growing levels of corruption in societies, social exclusion, and violence and wars in different parts of the world remain as pressing as ever.  The hollowing out of global institutions and withdrawal of development assistance for vital human development programs will undoubtedly lead to greater hardship for vulnerable groups of people. These developments are complicated by geopolitical tensions that threaten world peace.

It is against this backdrop that I wish to identify two themes for taking forward the ICSD’s social development agenda:  first is to ensure that our voices are heard in local and global forums in the run up to, during and after the Second World Summit for Social Development which will be held in Doha, Qatar between 2-4 November 2025.  I hope that all members of the ICSD will participate actively in shaping this agenda and to put people and our planet first.

Second, my hope is for the ICSD to contribute to evidence led innovation and dialogue to ensure a just energy transition in response to climate change. This is one of the greatest challenges facing the world with far reaching consequences for people’s everyday lives.

In closing, I wish to welcome our new Board members and general members.  I am happy to say that the ICSD is in a strong position to build on the excellent foundation laid by our predecessors.  I hope that each one of us will be ambassadors for the ICSD and actively engage in taking the organization forward through its various initiatives.

I will work hard to ensure that the ICSD continues to be a vibrant, proactive, participative platform for our members to engage in global social development issues and a force for social good.

I am honored to lead the ICSD. I hope to work with each one of you in taking the organization forward.

lpatel@uj.ac.z