January 2025

EPAS Competency 2: Advance Human Rights and Social, Economic, and Environmental Justice.

The CSWE Center for Diversity and Social & Economic Justice is proud to announce a new initiative that will highlight one key 2022 Educational Policies and Accreditation Standards (EPAS) competency each month. This ongoing commitment aims to foster a deeper understanding and application of these competencies in a way that supports social justice and equity across all areas of social work practice. 

We are especially pleased that the 2022 EPAS articulate a clear commitment of social work education to principles of anti-racism, diversity, equity and inclusion. As the national education organization of our profession, CSWE promotes a competency-based education framework. This month we highlight EPAS Competency 2: Advance Human Rights and Social, Economic, and Environmental Justice. 

The Civil Rights Movement reminds us simultaneously how devastating and seemingly permanent systemic racism can appear to be and how creative non-violence and sustained and principled advocacy can dismantle those seemingly permanent racist and oppressive forces and laws. We pause during January to honor the tremendous sacrifices of all those whose names are known and in many cases, will never be known. Not all were in the spotlight at rallies, protests, or marches, but everyone made a unique contribution towards advocacy for basic human rights, while also laying the foundation for groundbreaking advances in social, economic and environmental justice.  

We highlight this competency in January, as we herald in a new year, and as a reminder to each of us in social work that, the time is always right, in the words of the late Congressman John Lewis, to make good trouble.