Shifting perspectives on international alliances in social work: Lessons from Ghana and Nicaragua

A growing movement of social work educators and practitioners worldwide is involved in democratizing activities through cross-national alliances. Through reflection on two experiences of cross-national collaborations in Ghana and Nicaragua, this article identifies elements for effective international collaboration that encourage a shift in perspective. Through an examination of these experiences, the authors address the questions of how we as Westerners can best serve as allies of our colleagues in the global South in their development of conceptions of social work education and practice appropriate to their own contexts, and of what Westerners can learn from these colleagues to improve their effectiveness as allies of communities of the global South in our own countries. Finally, the authors propose trading the troublesome concept of partnership for an understanding of the relationship as one of solidarity.