World Social Work Day ‘intergenerational solidarity’ theme announced

‘Strengthening Intergenerational Solidarity for Enduring Wellbeing’ is announced as the World Social Work Day theme for 2025.

World Social Work Day, which takes place on Tuesday 18 March 2025, and is the key day in the year that social workers worldwide stand together to advance a common message globally.

The theme acknowledges that intergenerational care and connections are essential to everybody’s well-being and fostering functional economies and societies, yet they are too often overlooked or ignored by governments and policymakers. Through this theme, the social work profession recognises the need for societies to strengthen and more actively support respectful intergenerational solidarity for the enduring wellbeing of all.

This 2025 theme builds upon the previous recent World Social Work Day themes of Ubuntu and Buen Vivir by recognising the crucial interdependence of peoples and expands on these bodies of knowledge by focusing on intergenerational caregiving. The theme highlights that care is everyone’s responsibility and not just the domain of ‘women’s work’ as some societies promote.

Intergenerational solidarity also speaks to the economic and environmental challenges we face, as each generation needs to act in relationship with the environments in which we live so that future generations can inherit healthy and sustainable economic and ecological environments. The theme recognises the importance of the transfer of knowledge across the generations and the value in acknowledging our elders and ancestors and the gifts of wisdom they have provided. It further acknowledges the role of younger generations in interpreting these wisdoms in new ways, to fit the challenges of today and to find new solutions for the future.

Care between peoples is at the heart of this theme and highlights social workers’ role in shining light on and supporting the diverse range of care arrangements.

“The central figure represents the caregiver in all of us, helping all kinds of people across the waterfall,” the poster’s designer commented.

“The figure is our mother/father/brother/sister/aunt/uncle/child/or chosen family. It has no gender or features because it represents everyone. Whether it’s through support, a helping hand, finding an alternate path, or just being there.

“Compassion is the catalyst to helping families, friends, and neighbours. It’s also showing that the caregiver is being re-energized and fortified through helping. The colours are bright and bold to show their resilience. The people come from all walks of life all around the globe and the landscape isn’t meant to be any one place, but rather a symbol of the journey we all travel.”