Brave or wrong stand?

In our latest web poll more than half of those voting believed that
organisations representing social care, such as the British
Association of Social Workers, should express opposition to the war
in Iraq.

But a hefty 46 per cent said they should not. So it was far from
being a foregone conclusion when last week’s annual meeting of BASW
unanimously agreed a resolution expressing “profound sadness” over
the war.

Speakers focused mainly on how social work values should inform the
reconstruction efforts. But they stopped short of any outright
condemnation of the hostilities.

Social care workers’ organisations in countries such as Brazil,
Australia, Turkey and even the United States have all demanded an
immediate end to the war and a resumption of the role of the United
Nations in attempting to resolve the conflict. The strongest
statement of all has come from the International Federation of
Social Workers.

So surely BASW should be congratulated in showing some leadership
on this issue. If social care staff can’t speak out about the
terrible human toll that war leaves in its wake, then who on earth
can?