NETWORKS AND NETWORKING

First of all, I do not agree with these authors' views. Although he says some things that I agree with, like the fact that, "Interdependence and fair exchanges foster network cohesion and solidarity" (Hardcastle and Powers, 2004. p. 297). But, I believe that labor organizing and community organizing are two separate processes. Community organizing, as a process, is for people who are stuck in unmitigating circumstances; whereas labor organizing is for a company that is bargaining with its workers. The fact that people are referred to as "units" is dehumanizing and demoralizing.
I see networking as an important process in social work. Networking, as defined by Barker (2003) in The Social Work Dictionary, is: "efforts to enhance and develop the social linkages that might exist between people. These efforts include strengthening the supportive quality of existing networks, establishing new ones, creating linkages among the various networks to promote more competent support, and mobilizing these networks" (p. 294). In our book, bargaining is the most widely used strategy (a win-lose situation). A win-win situation is collaboration and cooperation. I do not see why these methods are not used more often. Although, for marginalized people, core beliefs are motivating us to function on their behalf. What I take issue with are the rules of engagement. "These rules govern where the bargaining will occur; the length and nature of the sessions; the format, agenda, and procedures; and even the shape of the bargaining table," (Hardcastle & Powers. 2004. p. 304), which is petty and trivial where people's lives and struggles are concerned. The dominant culture has to pursue these unimportant things, like the shape of the bargaining table, to maintain control of the people. If we want to fight for people's rights, we have to remain in solidarity with them and not worry about the rules of engagement.

References:

Barker, R.L. (2003). The Social Work Dictionary. (5th Ed.). USA: NASW.

Hardcastle, D.A., & Powers, P.R. (with Wenocur, S.) (2004). Community practice: Theories and skills for social workers. (2nd Ed.). New York:
Oxford University Press.

International Social Work

International social work is based on a society which is living in chronic poverty and chronic hunger, as one of its manifestations. In rural areas throughout the world, working the land to provide nourishment to its people, as well as to making microbusiness ventures with other countries with the fruits of their labors, is one way that social workers can be involved in eradicating hunger and poverty. As defined by the Brundtland Commission, called Our Common Future (Schobert, & Barron. 2004. p. 182), it was said that: “the essence of sustainable development is ‘a process of change in which the exploitation of resources, the direction of investments, the orientation of technological development, and institutional change are all in harmony and enhance both current and future potential to meet human needs and aspirations’” (World Commission on Environment and Development. 1987. p. 46). Every poor, hungry country looks for this, to meet their human capacities and to ensure health and safety for their members.
The World Hunger Relief, Inc. (WHRI), an agribusiness intervention, works to promote development and end hunger in countries that are developing. They train and educate others in sustainable agriculture, which consists of animal husbandry as well as crop production (Scales & Streeter, 2004. p. 184). In Ferrier, Haiti, a rural community with a population of about 4,000 people which suffers from chronic poverty and chronic hunger, WHRI went in, along with several other organizations, to produce both fruits and vegetables, and to start a small animal husbandry. The project was a success for about three years, when political unrest forced its hand, and an international embargo on Haiti allowing the production of fruits and vegetables to eat, but not as a cash crop to be exported to the U.S. The members of the cooperative decided to “fell the trees to supply much-needed firewood, lumber, and charcoal” (Scales & Streeter. 2004. p. 185).
Social workers are able to “effectively employ interpersonal and group skills to identify problems, to mobilize strengths and assets, and to forge collaborative alliances to empower communities” (Scales & Streeter. 2004. p. 188).
The idea of working with rural communities in developing countries is intriguing. It is not that we, as a nation, do not have impoverished neighborhoods with hungry children in them. Or sections of the country where medical care is non-existent. In America, at least in North America, hunger and poverty is not an all-encompassing problem as it is in some developing countries. And, if we were to work with the skills and mindsets that we learned in graduate school, we could possibly do a lot for promoting world-wide peace and advocating for the rights of human beings.

Scales, T.L. & Streeter, C.L. (Eds.), (2004). Rural social work: building and sustaining assets. Belmont, CA: Thomson Brooks/Cole.

Schobert, F.M. & Barron, D.A. ( 1987). Community development in an international setting: The role of sustainable agriculture in social work practice. In Scales, T.L. & Streeter, C.L. (Eds.), (2004). Rural social work: building and sustaining community assets. (p. 182). Belmont, CA: Thomson Brooks/Cole.

World Commission on Environment and Development. (1987). Our common future. In Scales, T.L. & Streeter, C.L. (Eds.), (2004). Rural social work: building and sustaining community assets. (p. 182). Belmont, CA: Thomson Brooks/Cole.