The BPD International Committee continues to grow, as does social work educators’ interest in international issues.  This year at the BPD Conference in Los Angeles, BPD International Committee members were involved in numerous presentations.  At our board-sponsored Session, Dennis Ritchie and Robin Mama presented on human rights, with approximately 23 in attendance.  We also organized a preconference workshop, with an audience of over 40 BPD members in attendance; presenters were Julie Guevara, Robin Mama, Tim Rehner, and Dennis Ritchie.  Their material focused on globalizing the social work curriculum.  Also, twelve other sessions at the BPD Conference listed international issues as the topic, and many presentations focused on related issues such as immigration.

Our priority goal for the year is to begin planning for a BPD-sponsored international faculty development activity.  BPD International Committee board members and chairs will meet in summer 2007 to plan this event.  We hope to offer the faculty development activity as an international conference/training experience, focused on social development and global social work issues.  Ideally, we would hold the first conference in summer 2008, with BPD members nationwide invited to attend.

Our committee leadership has changed, with Julie Guevara and Tim Rehner stepping down as co-chairs.  Thanks, Tim and Julie, for all of your hard work on behalf of BPD International!  The new co-chairs are Lisa Avery (Eastern Washington University; lavery@ewu.edu), Robin Mama (Monmouth University; rmama@monmouth.edu) and Dennis Ritchie (George Mason University; dritchi1@gmu.ed). 

Questions about BPD International can be directed to any of the new co-chairs above.  Please write one of us if you would like to be added to the BPD International listserv.