World Social Work Day Celebration – 2025 – National Institute of Social Development: NISD

The National Institute of Social Development (NISD) celebrated World Social Work Day 2025 on March 18th and 19th at its premises, highlighting this year’s theme: “Strengthening Intergenerational Solidarity for Enduring Well-being.”
The event commenced with a welcome speech by Senior Professor Wasantha Subasinghe, Director General of NISD. This was followed by Mrs. Gowry Vasudevan, Additional Director General (covering duties), who provided an insightful explanation of the theme of World Social Work Day. Additionally, Mrs. Shamini Attanayake, Former Director General of NISD and President of the Sri Lanka Association of Professional Social Workers, addressed the gathering.
On the first day, a panel discussion on Strengthening Families was held, covering key aspects of social work practice. The distinguished panelists included:
• Prof. Siri Hettige, Emeritus Professor of Sociology, University of Colombo, who spoke on Family Solidarity.
• Mr. V. Jeyaruban, Director, School of Social Work, NISD, who discussed Economic Empowerment and Micro Practices in Social Work.
• Mr. Sasika Konara, Community Work Practitioner, who addressed Social Empowerment and Macro Practices in Community Work.
The discussion was chaired by Mr. A. Ranaweera, Former Director of the School of Social Work.
The celebration also featured cultural performances by students, adding vibrancy and energy to the event. Furthermore, a special recognition was awarded to Mr. A. Ranaweera, Former Director of the School of Social Work, NISD, in appreciation of his outstanding contributions to social work education and development.
On the second day, NISD launched the Clean Sri Lanka Project, an initiative aimed at promoting environmental sustainability. The project was introduced by Mrs. Manjula Wijeysekara, Director of the Centre for Quality Assurance, NISD. Mrs. Gowry Vasudevan, Additional Director General (Academic), elaborated on the project’s objectives. During the event, appointment letters were distributed to the project team.
Parallel to the launch, a Shramadana (volunteer service) activity was conducted at the Vocational Training Centre in Seeduwa, reinforcing the commitment to community service and environmental responsibility.