Statement

Statement of Ethics for the International Consortium for Social Development (ICSD)

Author:

Abstract

Background: In June 2019, Professor Manohar Pawar, President of the ICSD, constituted a committee, comprising Prof. Richard Hugman, University of New South Wales, Prof. Manohar Pawar, Charles Sturt University, and Prof. Vijayan K. Pillai, University of Texas at Arlington, to develop a draft statement of ethics for the ICSD. The statement was circulated for ICSD members’ feedback. The feedback received from members, including, Drs. Michael A. Dover, Gokul Mandayam, and Francis Okello, was used to revise the statement. The following statement of ethics for the ICSD is an evolving document for the benefit of development practitioners and it is hoped that ICSD members would further refine and strengthen it periodically.

Keywords:

How to Cite: Pawar, M. (2022) “Statement of Ethics for the International Consortium for Social Development (ICSD)”, Social Development Issues. 43(1). doi: https://doi.org/10.3998/sdi.1819

1 Introduction

A statement of ethics for any profession or occupation must address several related elements, which include its purposes, actions, and the character of its members. Ethics is the value connection between the definition of ends (intended outcomes) and the means of achieving them (practices). Therefore, a profession’s ethics should attend to the following:

This could be achieved using two elements. First, a statement of ethics should consider the principles guiding action. Second, it should provide a framework to reflect on the character of practitioners. These elements are complementary and together ensure that the ethical basis of social development covers all dimensions of theory, knowledge, and practices.

In the contemporary world, models of such ethical statements can be drawn from various cognate disciplines, notably social work, health (including medicine), and education. In different ways, these disciplines bring together insights from the ethical approaches of considering inherent moral duty (deontology), consequences (utilitarianism), and character (virtues). These are supported in doing so by the following statements: Universal Declaration of Human Rights (United Nations 1948), Declaration of Helsinki (World Medical Association [WMA] 1964, 2014), Global Social Work Statement of Ethical Principles (International Federation of Social Workers/International Association of Schools of Social Work [IFSW/IASSW] 2004/2018), and Declaration on Professional Ethics in Education (Education International [EI] 2001).

As an interdisciplinary field, social development appropriately draws on the above-mentioned statements. At the same time, because of its distinctive goals, roles, tasks, and methods, it is necessary that a specific statement be made to guide and support this field.

2 The Goals and Tasks of ICSD

The ICSD has set out the goals for the promotion of social development through the following principles:

These goals are identified as the necessary conditions for sustainable social development. The goals establish the practice basis for social development and express values necessary to underpin good practices.

3 An Ethical Framework

3.1 Humanity Dignity and Worth

Social development seeks to achieve the dignity and worth of all humanity. Therefore, social development practitioners should have the following roles:

3.2 Satisfaction of Human Needs

The goals of social development require the satisfaction of those universal human and psychological needs required to avoid serious harm, ensure full social participation, and achieve human wellbeing. Therefore, social development practitioners should ensure the following:

3.3 Human Rights

Social development seeks to achieve human rights. Therefore, social development practitioners should:

3.4 Equality and Justice

Social development seeks to achieve equality and justice for all people. Therefore, social development practitioners should:

3.5 Integrity (Character)

Social development cannot achieve its goals unless practitioners possess moral qualities that would enable them to demonstrate the ethical principles defined in this statement. Therefore, social development practitioners should:

3.6 Peace

Social development cannot be optimally achieved in the presence of war, repression, terrorism, violent crime, gang violence, racially and ethnically motivated violence, family violence, and nuclear weapons. Therefore, social development practitioners should:

4 Plurality of Responsibilities

Social development occurs in a world of plural relationships between people of different cultures who hold different values and whose interests may even be in conflict. At the same time, social development also occurs in a world with finite resources. For these reasons, all social development practitioners have a responsibility to share in the examination and advance of theory, knowledge, skills, and values, and in the education of new and emerging practitioners.

Furthermore, there may be reasonable differences of view between social development practitioners concerning the importance of particular ethical principles or virtues in circumstances when particular values are incompatible. Therefore, all social development practitioners have a responsibility to engage in dialogue on such matters with respect. The ethical principles and virtues of social development apply to relationships and actions within the field as well as between practitioners and beneficiaries.