After directing the organization NGOabroad: International Careers and Volunteering for 20 years, the author wrote this guidebook to help both prospective and active social and humanitarian workers pursue their careers in international development. She has witnessed many individuals miss international job opportunities because they lack knowledge of the realities on the ground or the requisite skills. This practical book fills in the gaps. Chapters detail the common problems of global poverty and injustice and instruct on community-building as a means of creating lasting change. The book is designed for those who wish to work or volunteer abroad in nursing, public health, engineering, education, entrepreneurship, environmental work, women’s empowerment and other fields.

Since 2002, former psychotherapist and social worker Ann McLaughlin has provided international career counseling to help people enter or advance in international development careers. She has done extensive work coaching, training and consulting with grassroots organizations in Asia, Africa, Central and South America, and the Middle East and North Africa.

Ann McLaughlin

Foreword by Cathryne L. Schmitz, PhD, MSW
Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 236
Bibliographic Info: 26 photos, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2022
pISBN: 978-1-4766-8711-7
eISBN: 978-1-4766-4474-5
Imprint: Toplight

Foreword by Cathryne L. Schmitz 1
Introduction 5
I—Perspective
1. Why Social Work Is So Valued in International Development 16
2. Know Poverty? How Does Half the World Live? 33
II—Skills
3. Needs and Strengths Assessment to Program Development 56
4. Capacity Building: Creating Collaborators, Not Passive Recipients 75
5. Capacity Building: Other Steps to Empowerment 91
6. Partner to the Poor and Participatory Development 102
7. Community Organizing: Having a Voice 126
8. Advocacy: Impacting Policies Which Create Poverty 149
III—Attitude
9. Attitude Is Everything 180
Conclusion 199
Appendix: Discussion and Skills Development
Guide for Classroom Use 203
Acknowledgments 211
Chapter Notes 215
Bibliography 221
Index 227

• “In this book, Ann McLaughlin takes you around the world, boldly sharing her firsthand, vivid experiences and observations that are insightful, instructive and inspiring to passionately engage you in international social work and development, not only to get a job, but to contribute to making a difference to the world in your own ways.”—Manohar Pawar, professor of social work, Charles Sturt University, Australia, president, International Consortium for Social Development, author of International Social Work: Issues, Strategies, and Programs

• “This is a practical, experience-based book that holds valuable lessons for those working or hoping to work in aid and development. As an international development professional working in Malawi, it’s abundantly clear that the lessons of this book can be a strong start in outlining and overturning many myths about working in international development using straightforward language that is easy to digest.”—Olivia Scott Kamkwamba, Ph.D., executive director, Moving Windmills Project

• “Ann has written a needed book about the skills you need to build to work in International Development. She has clearly seen the community organizing work that we are doing in Puerto Rico. Her book is full of such stories and models to guide people working in international social work and international development.”—Alexis Massol González, executive director, Casa Pueblo

• “Ann McLaughlin emphasizes the key approaches necessary for building equitable global health partnerships – understanding context and legacies, practicing humility, and following community-led priorities. While written with social workers in mind, this book contains important lessons for global health practitioners of all disciplines.”—Dr. Lisa V. Adams, associate dean for Global Health, professor of medicine, and director of Center for Global Health Equity, Dartmouth College

• “There is hardly a book that offers a hands-on experience in International Social Work that builds knowledge-based skills for International Development. Ann McLaughlin has filled a vacuum. This book offers a symbiotic interface between International Social Work and Global Development. I strongly recommend this book for everyone who longs for a well-connected, inclusive world.”—Brij Mohan, dean emeritus, School of Social Work, Louisiana State University