The International Consortium for Social Development (ICSD) is a network of practitioners, scholars and students in the social work and social development professions. ICSD has a strong focus on building networks for social peace and development. The tension between local belonging, community projects and global citizenship has been a focus through the history of ICSD. The vision of ICSD is to make a meeting point and a community of researchers, teachers, and practitioners in the field of community work, social development and welfare of societies.
The constitutional meeting of the IUCISD European Branch was held on 26 September 1989 during its first conference in Heidelberg. The initiative and action came from Harald Swedner, Sweden, who was also elected the first President of the organisation. Twenty two persons from twelve East and West European countries attended the conference. It title was "Human Services and Human Welfare in a European and Global Perspective" and it had a strong focus on building networks for peace and social development. That was the time of great political, social and economic changes in Europe. In order to emphasize the need for cooperation aimed at building social work professions in the Eastern Europe, the second conference of the IUCISD European Branch was organised in Budapest on 3-5 October 1991 under the headline of "The role of the Non-profit sector: How can our social welfare experiences be developed in East and West Europe." The conference was also attended by Jim Billups, President of IUCISD. Following the proposal by President Swedener for the European journal for social welfare and social development "AGELEIOS", the first IUCISD-Europe Ageleios - Newsletter appeared in Autumn 1992, edited by Fosco Ventura, Secretary of the IUCISD European Region. The third European conference on "Poverty and Nationalism" took place in the Santa Brigida Monastery of Farfa, Italy, on September 9-11 1993. At this occasion, IUCISD addressed the pope John Paul to proclaim Saint Birgitta the Patroness of Europe. In the 1990s, the European Branch has managed to enlarge its membership, both individual and institutional, including members from all over Europe. It keeps on organising biennial regional conferences, which are the main regional activity. Starting with the fifth conference organised in Ljubljana, Slovenia, it has been publishing the Conference Proceedings. Two issues of regional Newsletter were published, in 1999 and 2002. From the very beginning, the European Branch has been following the ideas and aims of the founders of IUCSD (now ICSD). European members, particularly its Board, have contributed to the IUCSD activities. They have been Consulting Editors of the Social Development Issues, organisers of two IUCISD symposia held in Europe (in 1996 in Oporto, Portugal, and in 2001 in Istanbul, Turkey), members of the Symposia Organising Committees, members of Nominating Committees and Ad-hoc groups. They were also active in the IUCISD Board (Haluk Soydan was Vice-President for Planning and Operations; some were Board Members at Large) and Board of Directors.
Roar Sundy