Social development processes aim to bring about economic and social improvement in the lives of people through capacity building. Often this involves institution-building and social change. The International Consortium for Social Development (ICSD) is an organization of practitioners, scholars and students in the human services.
It was started in the 1970’s by a group of social work educators to respond to pressing human concerns from an international, interdisciplinary perspective. The organization seeks to develop conceptual frameworks and effective intervention strategies geared to influencing local, national and international systems. It is committed to creating peaceful solutions to the problems of survival at the local, national and global levels. ICSD members use a social development approach to:
- Develop capacity of individuals and communities
- Promote world peace and social justice
- Improve access to adequate health care and education
- Overcome discrimination against women and minorities
- Create sustainable income and economic structures
ICSD serves as a clearinghouse for information on international social development. The Consortium fosters collaboration among personnel of organizations such as the United Nations, World Bank, UNESCO, and UNICEF as well as among professional associations in the human services and institutions of higher learning. ICSD is a well-established and widely recognized international catalyst for sharing ideas among many nations and across many cultures.
The ICSD Technical Assistance Roster links members’ special expertise in international social development to agencies, governments and organizations upon request. Areas of expertise include:
- Community and economic development
- Organization and program building
- Education and training in problem-solving processes
- Monitoring of social development projects
ICSD provides mutual consultation and cooperative action on social development. Typical areas include:
- Curriculum development
- Faculty recruitment and training
- International liaison among colleagues with similar research or practice interests
- Conferences for educators, practitioners, officials, and others
- Research and demonstration projects
- Increasing decision making capacity of local residents including women