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Peaceful Transition of Power - Call to Action

 

In response to President Donald Trump’s remarks concerning the peaceful transfer of power, which include “we’ll see how it goes” and ordering the Proud Boys to “stand down and stand by,” many Americans are concerned. The president continues to say that he has concerns about the election and mail-in-ballot fraud, even dismissing his FBI Director, Christopher Wray, who has said that there is no evidence of widespread voter fraud. The peaceful transfer of power that has become a hallmark of American Democracy and accepted practice of congress is under attack.


Read the Entire Statement Here




A Call to Action in Response to the Discontinuance of DACA


Accepted at the September 13, 2017 Executive Committee Meeting


Written by Shane Brady with input from Michel Coconis, Stephen Stoeffler,
Aster Tecle, and Rachel West


The Association of Community Organization & Social Administration (ACOSA) is appalled by President Trump’s decision to discontinue the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. Despite substantive evidence supporting the success of the DACA program, many myths still exist about recipients of DACA that must be challenged. As a result of DACA, out of the more than 1.1 million people eligible to participate in the program, more than 800,000 people have been provided a way to legally work and live in the U.S. (Pew Institute, 2014). Additionally, more than 95% of all DACA participants are currently in school or working, thus dispelling the myth that DACA recipients aren’t contributing to U.S. society (Hipsman, Gómez-Aguiñaga, and Capps, 2016). Finally, it is important to point out that an estimated 21% of all DACA recipients are working in helping professions and education related fields, thus making substantive contributions to the well-being of our society (Patler and Cabrera, 2015). It is as a result of the widespread success of the DACA program reported by policy experts, alongside our commitment to social justice and reform that ACOSA stands firmly against President Trump’s decision to eliminate DACA.

Read the Entire Statement Here





Statement on President Trump’s First 100 Days in Office


Accepted with Revisions at the April 19, 2017 Board Meeting


Written by Stephen Burghardt, Michel Coconis, and Stephen Stoeffler


Soon after the inauguration, several ACOSA members called for the organization to issue a statement in response to the policies and personnel being put into place. On April 19th, our Board approved the statement drafted by Steve Burghardt, Michel Coconis, and Stephen Stoeffler.


Read the Entire Statement Here





Ferguson Statement


September 27, 2014


Dear Colleagues:


Back in August, social workers on Twitter reached out to ACOSA requesting that we address the Michael Brown shooting and events that unfolded in Ferguson, Missouri following his death. Over the past month a handful of ACOSA members volunteered their time to come up with an appropriate response to these events.


Our call to action provides clear steps that social work professional organizations, schools of social work, and individual practitioners can take to advance social justice. Actions range from hosting forums and lecture series to conversations with neighborhoods and colleagues. The social work profession cannot be silent on this matter.


Read the Entire Statement Here

Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to work on this project: Chris Avilla, Bruce Hall, Jacob Lesniewski, Heather McCabe, Amy Murphy-Nugen, Michael Reisch, Monica Leisey, Jason Plummer, Vilissa Thompson, Rachel West, Michel Coconis, Juliet Dorris-Williams, Johny Augustine, Valerie Radu, John Ramey, and Wendy Shaia.