Seven students who are members of a new “Methods of Policy Practice” course designed by
University of the West Indies Lecturer in Social Work, Peta-Anne Baker, recently took part in a
one-week study tour to New York City and Hartford, Connecticut.

The group participated in the annual Social Work at the United Nations Day, the theme of which was “Policy Issues facing Women in Poverty”. Social Work at the UN day is organised by the International Association of Schools of Social Work (IASSW) and the International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW). There were presentations on indigenous women issues, human trafficking and women’s mental health by representatives of agencies working on these issues.

The group had two other opportunities to learn about processes used to influence public policy at the international and local level. They met with Joan Ross-Frankson, Communications Director of an international NGO working for social justice for women, the Women’s Environment and Development Organization (WEDO) in New York City. WEDO is one of the main organizations involved in monitoring progress in the implementation of the agreements made at the UN World Conference on Women held in Beijing in 1995.

The students also travelled to Hartford, Connecticut where they visited the NGO Democracy Works, whose focus is on influencing public policy at the state level. The agency is headed by Jamaican social worker, Joyce Hamilton. The visit included a trip to the Connecticut State Capitol, where they met with Chris Donovan, the Majority Leader of the Connecticut Legislature and sat in on a public session of the Committee addressing the issue of same sex civil unions.

The group was hosted in Hartford by the University of Connecticut School of Social Work. At the school, members of the group did presentations in a community organization class and during a lunchtime “Lunch and Learn” session put on by the Centre for International Social Work founded by Professor Lynne Healy, a long-time partner of the UWI Social Work Unit. The final leg of the group’s hectic programme involved participating in the Annual Programme Meeting of the Council on Social Work Education, where they had an opportunity to listen to academic presentations on a wide range of topics.

The goal of the ‘Methods of Policy Practice’ course is to develop students’ skills in influencing internal and external policy environments. The purpose of the trip was to provide students with exposure to the policy process in other settings and at the international level. The tour took place from February 22 - March 1, 2005. Support for the visit came from the Department of Sociology, Psychology and Social Work and the Sir Arthur Lewis Institute for Social and Economic Studies (SALISES).