30 December 2022

Dear ICSD Members and Friends,

We are pleased to present to you December 2022 ICSD Newsletter.

As we say goodbye to 2022, my reflections on it suggest that it has been a tough year in many respects. The 2021-2022 Human Development Report shows that in 2020, 87 countries, and in 2021, 51 countries, experienced drop in their Human Development Index value because of the impact of overlapping crises, the pandemic, natural disasters, wars and conflicts, and variegated governments’ responses. While some developed countries were able to bounce back, many developing, and the least developed countries were struggling.  Rising interest rates and inflation are further contributing to it, questioning the role of institutions. To control energy inflation, as coal and gas prices were capped in Australia, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese argued the necessity of government intervention on failure of free market. The fast-changing economic situations and fear of recession are impacting the poor and vulnerable groups in many countries. We all need to think what social development practitioners can and should do in terms of policies and provisions, and their implementation.

Welcome to members

I would like to thank and welcome all new individual and institutional as well as existing members who have renewed their membership.

If your membership has expired, I would appreciate if you renewed it.  Members are the foundation of ICSD. Many colleagues are interested in ICSD; it is a matter of reaching out to them. I earnestly request you to approach interested colleagues and institutions and recruit new members.

Visits to the ICSD Website

In the last six months, the ICSD website has attracted nearly 75,000 visits, which shows colleagues’ interest in ICSD. I hope some of you will be able to join ICSD as paid members.

Open Access to Archived Social Development Issues

I welcome you to take advantage of the 44 volumes of Social Development Issues freely available on the ICSD website https://www.socialdevelopment.net/full-article-access-for-members/ for your research, teaching, and training. This is a great resource, and I encourage you to read and cite as many relevant articles as possible in your writing and publications.  

Social Development Issues

The ICSD’s journal, Social Development Issues (SDI), has entered the 45th year of publication. Thanks to the leadership of Prof. Brij Mohan, Editor of SDI, for regularly brining out all the issues and contributors to the journal.

Also, I would like to thank Dr. Tejaswini Patil, Chair of the SDI board of managers, and all the members on the SDI board for managing the journal. I am sorry for a few typos on the journal’s landing page. Dr. Patil is working with the Michigan Publishing Services to improve the journal website. Please visit: https://journals.publishing.umich.edu/sdi/

In this competitive environment, the SDI faces critical challenges. I appreciate the prompt support of contributors and consulting editors. We need more of them. Please write to Prof. Mohan, if you have new ideas and papers and if you are interested in reviewing the articles.

23rd ICSD Biennial Conference – August 23 – 25, 2023

I am pleased to inform you that in a recent ICSD board meeting, Dr. Komal Singh Rambaree, ICSD Vice President for Planning and Organization Evaluation and the coordinator of the 23rd ICSD conference, informed us that the conference preparations are progressing well. They have been successful in generating some funds for the conference and arranging keynote speakers. They also have finalized the conference registration fee. These details may be viewed at the conference website: https://hig.se/Ext/En/University-of-Gavle/About-the-University/Evenemang/Konferenser/ICSD-2023-Biennial-Conference/Key-Note-Speakers.html

If you have any questions, please contact Dr. Komal Sing Rambaree (Komal.Singh.Rambaree@hig.se)

I welcome you to submit your abstracts and participate in the conference. Please encourage your colleagues and professional networks to contribute to the conference.

ICSD Branches

The 9th ICSD Asia-Pacific branch conference on “Sustainable Development Efforts in Times of Crises” was successfully organized in collaboration with the School of Global Studies, Thammasat University, Thailand from November 29 to December  1, 2022, under leadership of Prof. Asok Sarkar, Chair of the ICSD AP branch and A/Prof. Jitti M, co-coordinator of the conference. I delivered an online keynote address at the conference. For further details, please see Prof. Sarkar’s report in this newsletter.

The ICSD Africa branch rescheduled its inaugural colloquium dates. It will be held on March 14-15, 2023, in Johannesburg. The colloquium theme is “When crises collide—social development responses to intersecting crises in Africa”.  For further details, please contact Prof. Lauren Graham (lgraham@uj.ac.za), convenor of the ICSD Africa branch.

The ICSD European Branch is working on the publication from the last regional conference under leadership of branch president, Dr. Gordana Berc.                                  

ICSD in Linkedin

Please visit and follow ICSD in Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/international-consortium-for-social-development?trk=public_profile_topcard-current-company You can also read this newsletter on the ICSD Linkedin website.

Governance

ICSD board meeting was held on December 10, 2022, and several agenda items were discussed.

Among other things, the board supported the idea of conferring ICSD best student awards in social development and related courses offered by ICSD institutional members. We hope to begin this award soon on a trial basis.  

We are proud to announce that the ICSD has received a certification of Gold Transparency 2022, issued by Candid (one of the major two external organizations certifying non-profits).

Appreciation

I would like to thank all members of the ICSD Executive Council and Board for their contribution to ICSD, particularly, the ICSD website, budget matters, membership, branches, conference planning, media, and the governance.  

Finally, if you have any suggestions, comments, and ideas, in order to contribute to the further development of ICSD, please email me: mpawar@csu.edu.au

Once again, season’s greetings and best wishes for the New Year!

Yours sincerely,

Manohar Pawar, President, ICSD

30
June 2022

Dear
ICSD Members and Friends,

This
time of the year is a mixed one as some of you are in the middle of your
holidays (particularly after pandemic lockdowns), some in the beginning and end
of teaching sessions, and a few are unfortunately caught up in disasters.
Wherever you are, I hope you are staying safe and doing well.

This
is a very challenging time for social development practitioners and thinkers.
Inter- and intra-country conflicts and war in many countries have a global
impact. Many are troubled with the way peaceful life has been compromised. Loss
and suffering of innocent lives, disasters, growing regional tensions and arms
build-up and threats, energy crises, inflation, rising interest rates,
violation of human rights, and freedom by those who are meant to protect them
make us contemplate about ideas of social development and their application at
this critical juncture.  Many of you, I
am sure, are raising these questions. Socio-economic and political events do
influence social development ideas, and these social development ideas should
be able to influence socioeconomic and political developments. Do they? I
think, this is the challenge for organizations such as ICSD and many social
development thinkers.

Welcome
to members

At
the outset, I would like to welcome all new individual, institutional as well
as existing members who have renewed their membership.

If
your membership has expired, I would appreciate it, if you renew it.  Members are the foundation of ICSD. Many
colleagues are interested in ICSD; it is a matter of reaching out to them. I
would be grateful if you approach interested colleagues and recruit new
members.

Visits
to the ICSD Website

This
year alone, so far, the ICSD website has attracted over 70,000 visits, which
shows colleagues’ interest in the ICSD. Over 300 colleagues have registered on
the ICSD website. I hope some of you will be able to join as ICSD members.

Open
Access to Archived Social Development Issues

I
welcome you to take advantage of the 43 volumes of Social Development Issues
freely available on the ICSD website https://www.socialdevelopment.net/full-article-access-for-members/
for your research, teaching and training. This is a great resource, and I
encourage you to read and cite as many relevant articles as possible in your
writing and publications.

Social
Development Issues

I
am pleased to inform you that the ICSD Executive Council has appointed Prof.
Philip Hong, Dean, the University of Georgia, USA, as the Associate Editor of Social Development Issues. I am sure,
you will join me in warm welcoming of Prof. Hong to ICSD in the capacity of
journal’s Associate Editor.

Despite
challenges, Prof. Brij Mohan Editor of Social
Development Issues, is working hard to bring out its issues on time. Publication
of SDI is up to date, and volume 44, 2nd issue will be released soon. 

Dr.
Tejaswini Patil, Chair of the SDI board of managers is liaising with the
Michigan Publishing Services and facilitated the publication of the SDI on
their new platform, Janeway, including the new colour design.  For further details, please visit: https://journals.publishing.umich.edu/sdi/

In
this competitive environment, there are critical challenges to the journal, but
our journal managers and editors know what needs to be done and have clear
strategy to work toward it.  

ICSD
Conferences

I am pleased to inform you that ICSD Africa branch is
planning to have a symposium on When crises collide—social development
responses to intersecting crises in Africa, 23-24 November 2022. For further
details, please contact Prof. Lauren Graham (lgraham@uj.ac.za), convenor of the Africa
branch.

I
attended a couple meetings with Prof. Asok Sarkar, Chair of the ICSD AP branch,
to explore the possibility of organizing the ICSD AP branch symposium in
collaboration with the School of Global Studies, Thammasat University, Bangkok,
Thailand. The proposed theme of the symposium is Sustainable Development Efforts in Turbulent Times
and dates are, 29 November to 1 December 2022.  For further
details, please contact Prof. Asok Sarkar (asok.sarkar@visva-bharati.ac.in).

As already announced, preparations
for ICSD’s 23rd biennial international conference to be undertaken by the
University of Gavle and Municipality of Gavle are in progress under the
leadership of Dr. Komal Singh Rambaree, ICSD Vice President for Planning and Organization Evaluation.
The scheduled dates of the conference have been changed in the interest of organizers
and participants of the conference. However, organizing committees of the conference
are being formed and the conference work is in progress. For further details, please
visit the ICSD website in due course or contact Dr. Rambaree (Komal.Singh.Rambaree@hig.se).

ICSD
in Linkedin

I
contacted  Linkedin  and was able to develop an ICSD page under
Linkedin, which has emerged as an important social media platform for
professionals. Please visit and follow: https://www.linkedin.com/company/international-consortium-for-social-development?trk=public_profile_topcard-current-company
You can also read ICSD  newsletters on
the ICSD Linkedin website.

Governance

Our
Treasurer, Dr. Benjamin Lough, has submitted the ICSD annual registration
renewal fee report to Attorney General of California.

ICSD
Branches

I
would like to congratulate and welcome newly elected ICSD Asia-Pacific branch
office bearers. All ICSD branches, Africa, Asia and Europe, are active and
engaged in planning their activities. I appreciate the tasks of all leaders and
members of the branches.

Members’
News

I
am excited about ICSD members’ accomplishments and intellectual contributions.
I would like to sincerely congratulate Prof. James Midgley, Prof. Mark
Henrickson, Ms Ann McLaughlin, Prof. Brij Mohan and other scholars on their
publications and Dr. Marissa Kaloga on her new adventure. For further details,
see the ICSD newsletter, June 2022.

Personally,
I am sad to inform you that I have lost one of my social development Gurus,
Prof. David Cox, who introduced me to the subject of social development. A
brief obituary is published in the recent ICSD Newsletter.

Appreciation

I
would like to thank all members of the ICSD Executive Council and Board for
their contribution to ICSD, particularly, the ICSD website, budget matters,
membership, branches, conference planning, media and the governance.

I
would like to thank Dr. Zhaoen (Penny) Pan, who assisted me in bringing out
four ICSD newsletters as its interim editor. Due to other commitments, Penny
will discontinue this role.  I wish her
well in her new assignments.

Finally,
if you have any suggestions and comments, and ideas, as to how you can
contribute to further develop ICSD, please email me: mpawar@csu.edu.au

Have
a good read and enjoy whatever you are doing, working or holidaying.

Yours
sincerely,

Manohar
Pawar, President, ICSD.

29 December 2021

Dear ICSD Members and Friends,

Season’s greetings and best wishes for the New Year 2022!

I hope you are able to stay safe and healthy in the midst of an unpredictable pandemic and the new normal. In some parts of the world, access to and the take-up rate of COVID-19 vaccines has given hope that the pandemic is behand us. However, the reemergence and spread of virus as Omicron variant has caused uncertainty, confusion and concern to most people. The pandemic has exposed global health inequities, as some are able to have boosters to protect from the virus whereas in other parts even 10% of eligible people have not received their first dose. From a social development perspective, unless all people are given vaccines, we will not be safe, and so is the case in relation to the other dimensions of development, whether it is poverty, education, unemployment, income, people’s movements, climate change and peace. It is imperative to address these issues globally to feel safe and to enhance everyone’s wellbeing.

Welcome to members

First, I would like to welcome all new individual and institutional as well as existing members who have renewed their membership. Please check their names in the given list below. May I ask you to recruit new members interested in ICSD and to renew your membership if it has expired. Members are the foundation of ICSD.

22nd ICSD Conference—A Grand Success

The first fully online 22nd ICSD conference on “Poverty, Inequality and Social Development: Innovations around the World,” was successfully organized from 13–16 July 2021 by the Centre for Social Development in Africa (CSDA), University of Johannesburg (UJ).  The conference attracted over 300 participants from 42 countries across six continents. Over 240 presentations created over 80 hours of recorded content that participants can access from the following website: https://portalapp.confsa.eventsair.com/VirtualAttendeePortal/22nd-biennial-conference-of-the-international-consortium-for-social-development/22nd-icsd-online-event-portal/

During the conference, Africa branch of ICSD was launched. Exciting! We need to focus to build the branch in order to learn from and contribute to development experiences in Africa.

It was gratifying to confer 10 ICSD presidential awards on distinguished scholars, and I am very proud of their achievements and contributions. The details of these are included in the ICSD  newsletter of December 2021 and in my concluding address.

Presidential welcome and concluding address may be viewed and downloaded from the following links.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/15r5cC0AS-Mv1abCGoVaCJ02wYRh7ScLE/view

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/25166026211062307

23rd ICSD Conference

The Municipality of Gavle and Department of Social Work and Criminology, University of Gavle, Sweden, will host the 23rd ICSD conference in June–July 2023. The dates are being finalised and will be announced as soon as possible.

Social Development Issues (SDI)

I am pleased to inform you that the ICSD Executive Council has appointed Prof. Brij Mohan as the Editor of Social Development Issues. I hope you will join me in congratulating and welcoming Prof. Mohan. For further details, see page 7 of the ICSD  newsletter of December 2021.

Launch of the digitized SDI journal

All archived issues of SDI have been digitized and uploaded on the ICSD website https://www.socialdevelopment.net/full-article-access-for-members/ It was officially launched by distinguished professor and dean emeritus Shanti Khinduka on 11 December 2021. The launch was moderated by Dr. Tejaswini Patil, Chair of the SDI Board of Managers. On this occasion, several scholars were part of the panel: Ms Linnea Anderson, Professors James Midgley, David Hollister, Brij Mohan and Ram Ramanathan, and Vijayan Pillai from the floor. Interested scholars and practitioners can freely access this rich resource from any part of the world now. For further details, please see the newsletter of December 2021.

Governance

As planned and announced, to discuss ICSD matters and to report the progress, the ICSD Executive Council and Board meeting was held on 9 July 2021, and the General Body meeting was held during the conference on 13 July 2021.

As a follow-up of these meetings, a committee comprising four members (Dr. Francis Okello, Chair, and Drs. Heather Walter McCabe, Benjamin J. Lough and Chathapuram S Ramanathan) was appointed to amend the constitution in consultation with members. The committee worked hard to propose amendments to the constitution, which was discussed in the ICSD board meeting held on 25 October 2021 and a special General Body meeting held on 21 November 2021. The body unanimously approved the amended constitution. The final version of the ICSD constitution may be accessed from the ICSD website: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1yNBrP4fRXKveKD3LJI902rwYDep8VIvC/view

I would like to thank the amendment committee and ICSD members for facilitating the amendments and approving the final version of the constitution.

In light of members’ feedback, Dr. Benjamin Lough has prepared draft ICSD strategic plan and circulated it to the ICSD executive committee for consideration.

I would like to thank distinguished professor and dean emeritus Shanti Khinduka and Dr. Benjamin Lough for their generous donation of $500 and $150, respectively, to the ICSD.

If you have any suggestions and comments, and ideas, as to how you can contribute to further develop ICSD, please email me: mpawar@csu.edu.au

I would like to thank Dr. Mithun Mostafiz, vice president for public relations and communications, for facilitating the media coverage of ICSD events. For details, please visit the links included in the newsletter of December 2021.

I would also like to thank our information technology director, Dr. Vikash Kumar, for promptly updating our website.

Once again, Season’s greetings and best wishes for the New Year!

Yours sincerely,

Manohar Pawar, President, ICSD

Previous update

16^th August 2021

Dear ICSD members and friends,

Greetings from Australia!

I hope you are staying safe and doing well, and able to have access to the vaccine of your choice to protect yourselves from the Corona virus.  Recently, I completed my second jab of AstraZeneca.

I am pleased to report to you that the 22^nd ICSD online biennial conference was a great success!

Prof. Leila Patel and Prof. Antoinette Lombard, Co-Chairs of the Conference, Prof. Lauren Graham, and their partners, including national and international committee members have done an outstanding job in hosting the conference. I am grateful to all of them and participants.

The conference brought together over 300 development scholars, practitioners, decision makers and development agents from 42 countries across 6 continents to share knowledge, policy and practice solutions to address the issues of our times. Over 4 days more than 240 presentations created about 80 hours of social
development focused content that you all have access to for the next year on the conference platform. – 22nd ICSD Online Event Portal

https://portalapp.confsa.eventsair.com/VirtualAttendeePortal/22nd-biennial-conference-of-the-international-consortium-for-social-development/22nd-icsd-online-event-portal/login

About the conference, Professor Michael Sherraden commented:

“…this ICSD Conference is setting a higher standard in planning, quality, and contributions.  The Launches of ICSD Africa Regional Branch and FCAB (Financial Capability and Asset Building) Africa will be lasting contributions that continue for years, maybe decades…”

During the conference, I conferred ten social development leadership awards. These details are in the following table.

Table 1. Recipients of the ICSD Presidential Social Development Leadership awards at the 22^nd ICSD conference.

At the end of the conference, I began my second four-year term. ICSD members demonstrated their trust in me by electing me again. That members’
support has really humbled me. May I take this opportunity to briefly summarise what we have achieved in the last four years and what remains to be achieved in
the next four years.

When I assumed the role of the president of the ICSD on 11 July 2017, in Zagreb, in my incoming address I stated:

“… it is natural for the ICSD members and friends, scholars and intellectuals, universities and development organisations and social development practitioners to expect more from the ICSD. Equally, it is important to contribute to the ICSD so that it keeps meeting our rising expectations.”

I also stated that we must walk our talk. Our talk is expressed through the ICSD constitution and the roles and functions of all ICSD office bearers. We must walk these roles and functions.

As the president of the ICSD, I aimed to reduce the gap between our talk and walk.  We have met the following promises we made in July 2017. 

     
1. Updated and renewed the ICSD website, which you all can see it has been done. It isfunctional and it is working well.

     
2. We promised to publish ICSD members’ survey results and share with all members to develop strategic plan for the ICSD. These results have been published in the Social Development Issues and the International Journal of Community and Social Development and uploaded on the ICSD website.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FLE2o4CANfUv85MUxHn4lfFXarIzboGx/view?usp=sharing

     
3. Statement of Ethics for the ICSD was developed and published in SDI, 43 (1). It could be accessed from ICSD website: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Qd7f1sgob4JmYEC0Y0e-fR0JD_aL0BvR/view?usp=sharing

     
4. Committed to continue with biennial conference and we have organised two wonderful conferences in Indonesia and South Africa. The 23rd ICSD conference will be held in Sweden.

     
 5. The ICSD continues to publish Social Development Issues journal

     
6. We have increased individual and institutional members and can do better.

     
7. Enhanced communication amongst members by regularly publishing ICSD newsletters and emailing announcements. All newsletters can be accessed from the website: https://www.socialdevelopment.net/news-events/

In the first term, two of the promises made have not been fulfilled in some respects. We wanted to enhance scholarly and research activities and conceptualise and

implement visionary projects. Limited organisational resources did not allow us to progress these matters. Promises made relating to the Social Development
Issues have not been fulfilled due to a range of unexpected issues we experienced. However, we have highly committed and experienced SDI board of managers and Editor-in-Chief, Prof. Brij Mohan. Under their guidance and support, SDI has maintained quality articles and timely publication of all issues. I am particularly grateful to Prof. Brij Mohan for volunteering to assume the Chief Editor role with such a short notice. The ICSD board and the Executive Council will pursue these two matters in the next term. In addition:  

• We aim to prepare an application and apply to the UN to seek the UN consultative status for the ICSD.
•  In light of members’ survey results, we will develop a strategic plan for the ICSD.
•  We will complete reforms initiated in the ICSD governance procedures and processes and amend the constitution, which is overdue.
•  We also hope to expand and strengthen ICSD branches.
•  We will complete digitalisation of all Social Development Issues and upload them on the ICSD website to freely disseminate social development knowledge to all
  countries. 
•   Along with these plans, my important goal is to develop a team of enthusiastic and committed colleagues who can take the responsibility to serve and lead the ICSD
  better than me, once my second term is completed.

All these can only be achieved with the cooperation, commitment, voluntary time and hard work of ICSD members and office bearers. I hope you will make these readily available to keep our promises and achieve our goals.

I welcome you to join and serve the ICSD.

Yours sincerely,

Manohar Pawar

President, ICSD

25 December 2020

Dear ICSD members:

Wish you a very happy Christmas and New Year!

This year, both Christmas and New Year will be celebrated differently in different parts of the world. Except that 2020 sounds good in both figures and words, it is difficult to find anything good in the year as we all are significantly impacted by the coronavirus pandemic in one or the other way and by incidents of injustices occurring around the world. The year is to be remembered for a long time in the human history. I hope, 2021 will bring freer and more open world. The vaccine provides us the great hope. I hope you all have safe celebrations.

Since the last newsletter, ICSD has made good progress on several fronts.

Welcome to members

At the outset, I would like to warmly welcome all new individual and institutional members and existing members who have renewed their membership. Please see their names under a separate list in the ICSD Newsletter, December 2020 (https://drive.google.com/file/d/19vx9awks-QbHrhyvWAd6hy3tZUvk-tng/view?usp=sharing ). I encourage all those who have registered their names on our website to pay their membership fees and join ICSD.

ICSD elections

I am grateful to all those who participated in the recent ICSD elections and for showing confidence in me through your votes. I am really humbled and heartened by your support. I am sure, you will join me in warmly welcoming the following elected office bearers of the ICSD.

Elected Officers of the ICSD                             

Thanks to the Nomination Committee

I would like to sincerely thank the nomination committee comprising Dr. Roar Sundby (Chair), Dr. Paramita Roy, and Freddie Wilson for conducting the elections methodically. I also thank Dr. Sharvari Karandikar and Dr. Vikash Kumar for assisting the nominating committee by providing the updated membership information.

Orientation to the ICSD

For newly elected members and interested Executive Council members, for the first time we organized an orientation session focusing on a brief history of the organization, the ICSD governance, and roles and responsibilities, on 5th December 2020. PowerPoint slides used for this session will be uploaded on the ICSD website for members’ benefit.

22nd ICSD Conference

Plans for the 22nd ICSD conference on “Poverty, Inequality and Social Development: Innovations around the World,” to be held from 13–16 July 2021 at the University of Johannesburg, are progressing well. Prof. Antoinette Lombard has kindly assumed the role of conference’s co-chair from the ICSD side. I attended a few preparatory meetings. I would like to thank members for volunteering to review the abstracts. For details of the conference, please visit https://www.socialdevelopment.net/22nd-icsd-conference/

Social Development Issues

The transition of social development issues (SDI) to Michigan Publishing has been slow. However, it is pleasing to see an SDI-dedicated page and the first issue of the 42nd volume on their website (https://www.socialdevelopmentissues.org/). The second and third issues will be uploaded in due course. Further updates are provided by the SDI chair and treasurer, Dr. Tejaswini Patil. 

Digitalization of all Issues of SDI Journal

In a recent meeting, the Executive Council has resolved to digitalize all previous Social Development issues archived in the Minnesota library. The project is expected to begin soon and once it is completed, all SDI issues will be available on the ICSD website. 

Governance

In due course, the Executive Council will appoint an independent entity to examine the governance of the ICSD and to make recommendations to further improve it. The ICSD constitution is also due for amendments. If you have any suggestion for amendments, please do not hesitate to email me.

Resignations

Dr. Kala Chakradhar, ICSD Newsletter editor, Dr. David Androff, secretary general, and Dr. Vijayan Pillai, SDI editor have resigned from their respective positions. I have accepted their resignations and thanked them for their significant services to the ICSD. Dr. Chakradhar helped to edit three newsletters. Dr. Androff served in the position for about three years and was co-chair of the 21st ICSD conference, in which a certificate for leadership for social development was presented to him. Dr. Pillai edited SDI for over a decade and in recognition of his service, James Billups International Social Development Award was presented to him in absentia in the same conference. 

Awards

As you can see later in this newsletter, several of the members have received significant awards for their outstanding achievements. I am sure, you join me in congratulating them on the receipt of those exceptional awards.

ICSD Logo

As you can see on top of this newsletter, Dr. Mithun M. Rahman, our vice president for public relations and communications, helped us update the ICSD logo to make it look clear and sharp. The logo in the background has bright rays of the rising sun spreading on the dark earth, symbolizing the spread the social development knowledge to remove ignorance and injustice from this world. The surrounding silver line is the hope to see a just, fair, peaceful, and happy world.

Network and Collaboration

In the recent orientation session, several members expressed interest in collaborations, research, and linkages. In fact, one of the goals of the ICSD is to “Sustain a process of mutual consultation and cooperative action among individual and institutional members.” I encourage you to contact members of mutual interest, develop networks, and collaborate to develop and share ideas, conduct research, and initiate social development action.

Like many other members, I was invited to speak at several international webinars organized by universities and nongovernment organizations (e.g., Doctors Reforms Society and Indonesian Association of Social Development). It was a great learning and mutual knowledge-sharing experience for me.

Finally, I am grateful to Dr. Zhaoen Pan, who has kindly helped me to edit this newsletter in the interim and publish it on time.

Once again, season’s greetings and the best wishes for better 2021!

Yours sincerely,

Manohar Pawar

President, ICSD

30 June 2020

Dear ICSD members:

Several things have happened in the International Consortium for Social Development (ICSD) and in the entire world, since my update at the end of 2019. In the down under, we were covered by thick smoke that travelled to distant places, far from bush fire disasters, which impacted many lives and houses. While the recovery and rehabilitation was occurring in Australia, we were globally hit by the coronavirus pandemic, which has been impacting several aspects of our lives, namely, social, economic, health, cultural as well as educational. In the midst of fighting the pandemic, the sudden eruption of racial attacks in the United States and anti-racism protests all over the world have awakened us to the reality of racism that we experience and live with in our daily lives. I would like to pray for all the victims and appreciate the efforts of all those who are contributing to saving the lives of people and selflessly assisting them.

A few ICSD members have expressed their views and taken action on these critical issues, and these have been included in the June 2020 ICSD Newsletter.  One of the goals of the ICSD as stated in its constitution is to: “Work toward the creation and maintenance of peace and social justice internationally, nationally and locally.” The ICSD needs to do more and contribute to realizing this goal.

There are several exciting developments in the ICSD.

ICSD portal

As you can see, our new website is up and running. Please visit our website when you have time and explore the different social development education resources. https://www.socialdevelopment.net/

I would like to immensely thank Dr. Vikash Kumar, our technical director, for successfully leading this project and liaising with web developers. I also would like to thank Mr. Sampath Seshadri from VED SOFTWARE SERVICES INC, and his colleagues, who helped the ICSD to build this website and also generously offered a significant discount. I appreciate Dr. Ram Ramanathan, Associate Secretary General for Linkages and Branches, for facilitating this linkage and negotiating a 50% discount.

Membership

By using the new website, about 36 members have joined/renewed their ICSD membership.  I warmly welcome them and thank them for joining. Their names are separately listed in the June 2020 Newsletter.

SDI online

Social Development Issues (SDI), volume 29 to volume 41 (except seven issues), have been uploaded on the ICSD website (https://www.socialdevelopment.net/full-article-access-for-members/). Members and the public can freely access these articles. ICSD is spreading knowledge of social development through this online means now, and it was long overdue.

ICSD office bearers

I would like to profusely thank Dr. Colleen Fisher for serving as the Chair and Treasurer of SDI Board of Managers and for completing a 4-year term. I appreciate Dr. Fisher’s contribution to managing the SDI and to the ICSD.

In consultation with the ICSD Executive Council, the following appointments have been made in respective positions, and I hope you would join me in warmly welcoming them in their roles.

Dr. Sharvari Karandikar, Associate Secretary General for membership

Dr. Kala Chkradhar, ICSD Newsletter editor

Dr. Vikash Kumar, ICSD Technical Director

Dr. Tejaswini Patil, SDI Chair and Treasurer of Board of Managers

Dr. Chathapuram Ramanathan, Associate Secretary General for Linkages and Branches

Prof. James Midgley, Member SDI Board of Managers

Vacant positions

There are a number of vacant positions on the ICSD board. A nominating committee will call for nominations, and ICSD hopes to conduct elections in due course.

Management of social development Issues

The board of managers of SDI has significantly contributed to reducing the cost of producing SDI. Earlier, about $20,000 was the cost of SDI production per annum. All things being equal, with the current arrangements, we will be able to produce this journal at a cost of about $2,500. If this works, ICSD will be able to publish this journal in a self-reliant manner, without depending on any partners or donations. Money saved in this way can be used for digitalizing SDI archived volumes in which ICSD seminal work is published and which can be disseminated to the public through the ICSD website.

SDI is being transitioned to Michigan Publishing Services. More details on this would be provided later.

ICSD 22nd conference in 2021

The preparation for the 22nd ICSD international conference is progressing well. At this point in time, the plan is to organize the conference on-site in Johannesburg. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, if the circumstances demand, the organizer has the capacity to move the conference to online format through webinars.

ICSD challenges

In my view, some of the challenges the organization faces are:

1. Not fully appraised of clear organizational and governance policies and procedures, as stated in the constitution.

1. Not having full accountability to and compliance with the ICSD constitution.
2. Promising action followed by slow and or no action.
3. The need to further increase visibility, profile, and prestige of the ICSD and the flagship of ICSD, the SDI Journal.
4. Decreasing financial base in terms of membership fees and reduced income generation from the SDI Journal.
5. The development of new, emerging, and committed scholars who would join the ICSD.
6. The need to further internationalize the ICSD and strengthen and expand ICSD branches.
7. Beyond all this, increase attention to our core business: creating and spreading social development knowledge.

To address these issues and challenges, it is imperative that significant decisions by adhering to the constitution followed by action are necessary. In my capacity as the president, I have taken decisions in the interest of the organization to act on these long-standing and deep-seated systemic and governance-related issues. I believe this has upset a few members of the organization. However, taking decisions in the interest of an organization following due process is not easy, and this can potentially create dissatisfaction among a few. However, I can say with confidence that we are making good progress and that we will improve further by keeping together and by promptly attending to our designated roles and functions.

To update you, the Executive Council is proposing to hold elections in due course, so that we can have all the positions filled, and have a President, Executive Council, and ICSD Board for 2021. My main priority and responsibility is to improve the governance process and ensure a smooth transition for a newly elected panel of members starting 2021.

The year 2020 has unexpectedly turned difficult and shocked us one and all, with one tragic event after another, disasters, the COVID-19 pandemic that is upending social and economic systems, and above all protests and violence related to racism!

I hope you are staying safe and that peace will prevail soon.

My best wishes to you.

Manohar Pawar

President, ICS