The ONE Campaign and the Dilemma of Social Work Majors

April 24, I went to a ONE campaign workshop, which I found absolutely amazing. Not only did I get to learn more about the ONE campaign and how I can help make a difference for persons in Africa who suffer from extreme poverty, I got to meet several other ONE members who are passionate about helping those people and making the ONE campaign part of their day-to-day lives.

As I sat there, I began to understand that they don't want my money, they want my voice. They want people who will stand and fight for those people in Africa who are often oppressed and are not allowed to speak up or speak out. The ONE campaign is specifically an advocacy organization that works with other organizations to ensure that the United States of America is upholding its part of the bargain when it comes to foreign aid and development. For more information on how to get involved or more information on their current campaigns go to www.ONE.org.

As I was sitting there in the workshop though, I realized that I need to make a decision when I go to grad school. In the social work profession, there are generally two routes of concentration, direct practice (DP) or community and administrative practice/community and administrative leadership (CAP/CAL). I find myself leaning towards the CAP/CAL concentration because I love working with organizations to provide help around the world, but I also love working one-on-one with individuals to achieve their goals in self-sustainment. It's rather frustrating to me because I know once I choose a route, I'll end up making a career based around the concentration until I decide to go for a PhD so I can teach and do research (which is my long-term goal either way).

What I'd like to hear from whoever reads this blog is: Do you find yourself in similar situations? If so, how have/will you deal with them?