Social Work Action Network (SWAN) would like to express its solidarity with the inspiring, brave action of the Extinction Rebellion movement over the last two weeks and into the future. Young people in particular are risking their own future through arrest to force Politicians and the world to wake up – not to the reality of the climate crisis – but the now distressingly narrow window to change society fundamentally before the collapse of society and life. Social workers know that those most deeply affected by the crisis are the poorest communities, living in the most precarious environments and social conditions mostly the global south but increasingly across the world, even in impoverished neighbourhoods . Social work is about addressing social and environmental justice and challenging inequality. We have a formidable task in taking unprecedented social action and fighting back to save the planet. And so we add SWAN’s voice to ER’s call on the UK government to meet its three demands and act urgently to address this climate emergency. Social Work and SWAN is with Extinction Rebellion!
One of our SWAN steering committee members added: “By the way, Phil
Kingston, the 82 year old who was on the platform with Greta Thunberg
at Marble Arch and then arrested on top of a train in Docklands was a
Social Work lecturer at Bristol Uni! I did a fair few joint things with him
back then. He is the kindest, most thoughtful gentle man you can imagine and with a very powerful sense of social justice – all power to him!”
