Social work promoting community and environmental sustainability : a workbook for global social workers and educators Edited by: Michaela Rinkel and Meredith Powers Rinkel, M. & Powers, M. (Eds.). (2017). Social Work Promoting Community and Environmental Sustainability: A Workbook for Social Work Practitioners and Educators (Vol.1). Switzerland: International Federation of Social Work (IFSW). (http://ifsw.org/product/books/social-work- promoting-community-and-environmental-sustainability-free-pdf/) Made available courtesy of International Federation of Social Workers: https://www.ifsw.org/product/books/social-work-promoting-community-and- environmental-sustainability/ ***© International Federation of Social Workers. Reprinted with permission. No further reproduction is authorized without written permission from International Federation of Social Workers. *** Abstract: Incredible work is being done all over the world by social workers addressing issues at the nexus of community and environmental sustainability. Whether you are a longtime supporter of social workers investing in social and environmental sustainability work, or you are new and curious about the topic, we hope this resource will inspire and equip you. It is formatted as a workbook, with short lessons accompanied by exercises that help you apply the lessons theoretically and in your own practice. This book is intended as a tool for international social work practitioners, students, and educators to help advance the Global Agenda for Social Work and Social Development theme of “working toward environmental sustainability”. The four themes of the Global Agenda are interwoven and all equally important; there is no way to help those in social, economic, and/or political peril without also looking at their physical environment, both natural and built. It is imperative that we see the bigger picture and acknowledge these inextricable links as we engage in work at all levels to address global injustices by promoting community and environmental sustainability. Keywords: social work | social workers | environmental sustainability Publication: ***Note: Full text of article below Social Work Promoting Community and Environmental Sustainability: A Workbook for Global Social Workers and Educators Edited by Michaela Rinkel and Meredith Powers The International Federation of Social Workers Edited by Michaela Rinkel and Meredith Powers Cover design by Martha Rothblum Layout by Pascal Rudin Published by IFSW Printed in Germany on 100% post-consumer recycled paper 978-3-906820-10-1 Copyright © 2017 by International Federation of Social Workers, Berne, Switzerland Acknowledgements We would like to honor those who helped develop the Global Agenda for Social Work and Social Development and so clearly tied together the environment, sustainability, human rights, and social and economic equality. The Global Agenda commitments guide our profession as a whole toward acknowledgement of our role and responsibility to be involved and help the world move in this direction. We are so incredibly proud to be part of a profession that has a global agenda that includes addressing climate change and creating sustainable communities (both ecologically and socially). We would like to thank IFSW for publishing this tool, and helping us see this vision come true. We knew from the beginning of this project that we wanted, most of all, to create a set of materials that were accessible: free, open access, digital, and, dynamic. You helped to make the seemingly impossible come true. Most of all we would like to thank our contributors. To work with this diverse range of social workers was nothing less than inspiring. At times sustainability work can be isolating and the improvements we see seem too miniscule when faced with the enormous tasks at hand. These contributors, from across the world, are not only doing their part to reshape society, but have built solidarity with all social workers through their efforts. For many authors, this was the first time writing and publishing their work, and we are thankful to them for taking this risk and sharing their stories. We are indebted to each author for their contribution to this collaboration and appreciate their time, effort, and speedy work with our intense deadlines. We have learned so much from each of them and consider it an honor to edit their work. We acknowledge that there are so many more social workers who are doing similar, amazing work, but who could not contribute to this resource at this time. We hope that you will participate in future editions as we continue to share our stories and reshape this profession. From Michaela: I would like to express my gratitude to the many in Hawai'i who are committed to Malama 'Aina, caring and nurturing the land so it can give us all we need to sustain this and future generations. Through my life here, I have come to see culture as the key to sustainability. I thank my mentor, Lorraine Marais, for helping me develop my vision and then bring my actions into concert with it. She assured me that once I acted on my vision, the path and the people would come; indeed! I want to offer my appreciation to my co-editor Meredith, someone that I found on the path. I reached out and she gave an immediate “yes.” I hope that I can learn to embrace those opportunities and people as she does. Finally, I express thanks to and for Cindy, the embodiment of support. From Meredith: I especially must acknowledge Dorothy “Dee” Gamble, one of our contributing authors. Dee developed a course on Sustainable Development and taught it for years in the MSW program where I attended. It was in her class that I first realized that social work and environmental sustainability are inextricably linked. Since my graduation, Dee has remained my mentor as she inspires me with the amazing work she continues to do, even in her retirement. She has been my champion and encouraged me in my doctoral program, when I researched this topic, and as I continue to find a way to make this topic my agenda as I forge a career in academia. I am thankful that although she said she was done with writing, she agreed to do one last publication and have it be part of this book. I want to offer a special thanks Rory Truell for being a constant encouragement to me since I first met him at SWSD JWC 2014 in Melbourne, AUS. It was his support of this endeavor that allowed this dream to become a reality. I want to express my gratitude to my adoring family (Kevin and Kaia, and my parents) for their encouragement, support, and acceptance of the numerous working hours I poured into this passion. I would also like to thank my graduate research assistant, Rosh Keating for her assistance with the mundane details of formatting that allowed me more time to edit for content. And, I appreciate the support of my amazing, “secret” writing group, GSD, that cheered me on. Finally, I want to thank Michaela for inviting me to co-edit this book with her. I had no idea what I was getting in to, but I am so grateful for the experience, and thankful I had such a great partner in this delusional dream that we somehow magically made happen in such a short time- frame. Contents Dedication 10 Foreword By Rory Truell 11 Preface ‘Be the Change’ 15 By Meredith C. F. Powers & Michaela Rinkel Chapter 1: Communities, Social Sustainability, and Social Work 20 Practice in the Face of Disaster By Letnie F. Rock Chapter 2: Youth and the Green Economy 28 By Abigail Borst, Lisa Reyes Mason, & Mary Katherine Shires Chapter 3: Agitating through an Alternate Economy: Social Work, 35 Sustainability, and the Circular Economy By Luis Arevalo Chapter 4: Sustainability in Social Work: Exploring the ‘Integrative 45 Well-being Model’ By Finaflor F. Taylan Chapter 5: Sustainability and Ecological Citizenship 61 By Paula Sousa & José Luis Almeida Chapter 6: Greening Social WorkThrough an Experiential Learning 74 Framework By Sylvia Ramsay & Jennifer Boddy Chapter 7: The Social Work Change Agent Role: Building Capacity 89 in Rural Communities for Sustainable Natural Resource Management By Tatenda Nhapi & Takudzwa Mathende Chapter 8: Community Development Intervention Guidelines for 107 Communities Affected by Natural Disasters By Allucia Lulu Shokane & Hanna Nel Chapter 9: The Role of Social Workers in Promoting Sustainable 121 Community and Environmental Development By Sunday Ofili Ibobor Chapter 10: Sustainable Wellbeing and Social Work with Children: 133 Promoting Our Connectedness with Nature Through Nature- Assisted Interventions By Harriet Rabb Chapter 11: Promoting Sustainability by a Paradigm Shift Towards 146 Commons By Jef Peeters Chapter 12: Water is Life 161 By Amanda Martin Chapter 13: Gentrification and Displacement: An Environmental 175 Justice Challenge for Social Work in Urban Environments By Eileen M. Brennan, Kevin R. Jones, & Ryan Elizabeth Bender Chapter 14: Forced Migration and the Lived Experiences of Refugees 192 By Julie Drolet Chapter 15: The Juxtaposition Between Environmental 202 Sustainability and Social Sustainability: An Indian Perspective on Climate Change and Mental Health By Aarti Jagannathan, Janardhana N, Ameer Hamza, & Ragesh G Chapter 16: Social and Environmental Sustainability as Ethical 214 Values to Guide Social Work Practice By Lola Casal-Sanchez Chapter 17: Building Sustainable Communities Through Social 223 Work in Emergency/Disaster Situations: Learning from the Association of Social Work Professionals of Spain By Manuel Gutiérrez Pascual & Ana Lima Fernández Chapter 18: Using