Elections 2024: Candidate Amir Jamal English

Aamir Jamal Election: IASSW Board Membership
Brief Biography 
Dr. Aamir Jamal, Associate Professor in the Faculty of Social Work, University of Calgary, serves as Director, Global Engagement and International Partnerships and program lead of the International Community Development graduate program. He has a PhD in International Social Development and over 25 years experience in the international development sector. His research on engaging men in gender justice and preventing violence against women encompasses a wide geographical scope, spanning multiple countries and regions, particularly in the Global South.
Dr. Jamal’s scholarship in gender justice, girls’ education, and women’s rights informs policy and practice for national governments and international agencies. He is renowned for his book “The Gatekeepers: Engaging Pashtun Men for Gender Justice and Girls’ Education in Pakistan”. His insight into human rights and social and economic marginalization in a region impacted by decades of war makes him an influential leader and has created the foundation of an Indigenous social movement for gender justice in the Pashtun region (Pakistan and Afghanistan). His service to the profession and the international community was recognized with prestigious awards, including the City of Calgary International Achievement Award (2021), the Arch Award for International Career Achievement (2022), and the Sustainability Award for Faculty Research (2022).

Statement of my vision for the IASSW 
As an international social worker, social activist, educator, and researcher, I am committed to transformative work that interrogates deeply rooted socio-cultural and political issues affecting the marginalization of women and other oppressed groups in the Global South. Central to my work is men’s engagement in prevention of violence against women and advancement of girls’ and women’s rights to education. With a background in teaching, research, and social activism in the Global South and Global North, I have been successful in engaging Indigenous communities and local students in efforts for global social justice, violence prevention, human rights, and gender equity. I work closely with governments in countries experiencing wars, conflicts, and associated human rights and gender equity issues to develop peace-building strategies.
I am dedicated to advancing international social work education through respectful engagement of communities and local scholars in program design, knowledge circles, students/scholars exchange, and organizing conferences in regions where social work is an emerging profession. Through community-based approaches and knowledge co-construction, I have facilitated capacity-building opportunities for social workers to practice ethically, engage in policy, and contribute to human rights and gender equity initiatives across the globe. Following the completion of a qualitative research course for International PhD students, I am now spearheading the development and implementation of a decolonial, and Indigenous research methodologies course tailored to Social Work students in the Global South, in collaboration with Academics Without Borders. In Canada, I led the redesign of the University of Calgary graduate program in International Social Work, rooted in an ethical and theoretical framework that centers on Indigenous worldviews, anti/postcolonialism, anti-racism, transnational feminism, anti-oppressive theory/practice, and mutual aid. This program resulted from ongoing collaboration, community involvement, and professional consultation. As a newly elected Board member and Chair of the International Affairs committee of the Canadian Association of Social Work Education (CASWE), I will continue to facilitate strong partnerships and collaboration between social workers in Canada and globally.
Aamir Jamal Election: IASSW Board Membership
IASSW’s vision to promote and develop “excellence in social work education, research and scholarship across the globe, in pursuit of a more just and equitable world” aligns with my mission and life goals.
The IASSW is central to developing sustainable global alliances in co-constructing and decolonizing social work education and practices. As a Member-at-Large I will contribute to strengthening IASSW’s vision and mission of engaged community, mutual exchange, and global partnership for advancing excellence in social work education, research, and practice.