Developing Professional Leadership for Social Programs

The insistent demand in less-advanced areas of the world for improved living standards is dependent upon effecting social changes in the habits and living patterns of the people in these areas. Such changes can only be brought about in an orderly way through the development of competent, in formed, indigenous leaders. Among the personnel so urgently needed to initiate and carry on programs of social change are social workers to function at all levels of activity within these countries. As this need has become recognized, a growing world-wide effort to provide such leadership, carried on by many international and national, governmental and voluntary agencies, has emerged. These organizations have developed a great variety of methods to help less-developed countries acquire a nucleus of trained social workers to initiate and carry forward social welfare programs which will ultimately result in better, more secure, and more satisfying lives for the majority of their people. The need for social work personnel is great, and the time available for preparing them is limited. There is much to be learned from past and current experience on how to do this job most effectively.