The role of a social worker in humanitarian organizations

Social work encourages social change, solving problems in human relations, strengthens and liberates people, in order to fulfill their personal welfare. Its goal is to let all people to fully develop their abilities and prevent failure. The point of social work in humanitarian aid area is removal of significant negative factors, which could negatively influent already difficult social situation of individual or whole society. The goal of providing humanitarian aid to suffering is alleviation of consequences of their social situation and providing self-sufficiency for individual and whole society. There have been radical changes in social area since 1990. Various social problems are growing and so is growing the need for solution. Social worker skill requirements are increasing. Social working education had to be re-gained to university level as a professional activity. Minimum social working education standards emerge, universities got accreditations for additional areas of social work. Newly emerged humanitarian work field prepares student for quality work in humanitarian and developing help. New ways of competence for social work are sought. The theoretical part of thesis informs about traditions, goal of humanitarian and developing aid, current education possibilities, describes method, theory and ethics of social work. It also focuses on effect of traumatizing events on individual and society. The research part of thesis uses experience, views and opinions of social workers on problematics of social workers role in humanitarian and developing aid, opinions of social working students about education in humanitarian and developing aid. Motivation for the thesis was also own interest in social working domain, the need to inform social workers about specificity of work in humanitarian and developing organizations and current options for education of social workers. The thesis can also be useful source of information for wide public and social working or humanitarian aid applicants