| Sumario: | The article presents information on the "Eleventh International Conference of Social Work," held in Brazil, during August 19-24, 1962. For the author the very experience of meeting with 2,115 persons from fifty-four countries and territories was in itself an unusually stimulating and important one. It provided fine possibilities for greater understanding of many international problems and also a rare opportunity to explore at first hand the relationship between social workers of different countries and their common interests. It is true that differences of language prevented as much interchange between individuals as one would desire. However, the differences of language, customs, traditions, and the problems of the countries from which people came paled in the light of the desire to learn from one another better ways of helping people in need. The common concern of the delegates from all the countries with the conference theme, "Rural and Urban Community Development," was a significant factor in unifying this diverse group. There could be little question that the subject matter was of as much moment to delegates from the highly developed countries as to those who represented countries with more visible problems and fewer resources to meet them. The report of the Pre-Conference Working Party mentioned earlier did much to facilitate an orderly approach to the highly complex subject of community development. The Working Party, composed of twenty-three persons representing sixteen countries and six international agencies and organizations, together with five observers, met for a week's deliberations prior to the conference.
|
|---|