United Nations

Public health social worker appointed as regional representative to United Nations social work commission

Taylor Thomas — Wed, 19 Nov 2025 17:04:53 +0000

Public health social worker appointed as regional representative to United Nations social work commission Taylor Thomas Wed, 11/19/2025 - 12:04

In This Story

Evelyn Tomaszewski, MSW, ACSW

Evelyn Tomaszewski, divisional director of graduate programs and associate professor in the Department of Social Work. Photo provided.

Evelyn Tomaszewski, divisional director of graduate programs and associate professor in the Department of Social Work, has been appointed to a four-year term as a regional representative to the United Nations Commission for the International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW).

“This role aligns with George �鶹��Ƶ’s Department of Social Work mission and allows me to bring real-time policy, practice, and advocacy experience back into the classroom. As a public health social worker, my hope is that this work highlights the essential role of social work in advancing health, human rights, and sustainable development around the world,” said Tomaszewski.

In this role, Tomaszewski oversees the IFSW team’s engagement with the United Nations in New York. She serves as liaison to the social work professional associations in Canada and the United States and represents the team to the IFSW UN Global Commissioner. She co-leads a team of five IFSW UN representatives and two content-expert advisors, along with Master of Social Work student representatives completing their practicum placements.

Through participation in forums such as the UN High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development and the Commission on Social Development, she aims to strengthen the visibility and impact of the social work profession within UN agencies and across global civil society.

Tomaszewski is also committed to expanding collaboration with regional representatives across IFSW’s five global regions to ensure the profession’s diversity, values, and community-rooted practice are reflected in global policy discussions. With IFSW representing social workers in more than 150 countries, she views this role as a unique opportunity to connect with colleagues worldwide.

Her responsibilities include helping navigate and interpret UN processes, reviewing and coordinating IFSW policy statements and interventions submitted to the UN, and identifying opportunities for social workers to contribute to UN initiatives.

The mission of the George �鶹��Ƶ Master of Social Work program emphasizes preparing students for systems transformation, global citizenship, and community partnership. Learn more about the Master of Social Work program.

Tomaszewski’s appointment comes after over a decade of UN-focused service with IFSW. Learn more about her previous work here.

Topics

United Nations

International Social Work

Social Work

Advocacy

Social Work Faculty

Faculty and Staff News

George �鶹��Ƶ and Walter Reed Bethesda collaborate to support veterans through the arts

Shayla Brown — Mon, 10 Nov 2025 15:33:46 +0000

George �鶹��Ƶ and Walter Reed Bethesda collaborate to support veterans through the arts Shayla Brown Mon, 11/10/2025 - 10:33

This year marks the 10th anniversary of �鶹��Ƶ's Veterans and the Arts Initiative—an important example of George �鶹��Ƶ's long-standing commitment to assisting military-connected learners as they embark on new paths following their service.

Since 2014, the Veterans and the Arts Initiative has reached more than 20,000 military-connected community members by offering everything from hands-on workshops to art exhibitions and concerts—all designed with veterans, service members, military family members, and military caregivers in mind.

What began as a yearly effort to offer gratitude to veterans each Veterans Day by providing a creative outlet at the Hylton Performing Arts Center on the Science and Technology Campus has grown into a thriving hub—a place where art meets community, providing a much-needed space for the military community.

Coinciding with its 10-year milestone, the initiative once again received the opportunity to join forces with the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center's Arts in Health Program to discuss how to help servicemembers and their families through the process of injury recovery and the transition from military to civilian life.

The seeds of the Walter Reed collaboration were planted in 2018, when Niyati Dhokai, who leads George �鶹��Ƶ's Veterans and the Arts Initiative, was asked to be a panelist at a Creative Forces: National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Military Healing Arts Network event. It was there that Dhokai met Captain (Ret.) Moira G. McGuire, founding chief of the Arts in Health Program at Walter Reed Bethesda.

Later, when Dhokai and her team were selected for a contract to create an artist vetting process for McGuire's newly formed Arts in Health Program, the relationship continued to grow. The program was established to support servicemembers recovering from traumatic brain injuries and psychological health conditions.

At the time, Walter Reed Bethesda was the first destination stateside for all wounded and ill service members, McGuire said.

Over several months, the George �鶹��Ƶ and Walter Reed teams examined the program from multiple perspectives, aiming to determine how resources could have the greatest impact, explained McGuire.

Dhokai (right) and McGuire (left) presenting at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) Healing Arts Week Research Symposium. Photo by NYU Steinhardt.

In addition, McGuire co-taught AMGT 599 Managing Arts Programs in Healthcare with Dhokai, who is also a research associate professor at George �鶹��Ƶ's College of Visual and Performing Arts (CVPA), at George �鶹��Ƶ in fall 2023, emphasizing the importance of the arts in healthcare and how it can be implemented safely.

More recently Dhokai, McGuire, and their colleagues presented a panel titled "Supporting the Well-being and Social Connectedness of Military-Connected Communities through Clinical and Community-Based Arts Workshops" at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) Healing Arts Week Research Symposium, which was produced by the Jameel Arts & Health Lab and the World Health Organization, in September 2025 in New York City.

The research symposium centered around the idea of engaging in the arts being recognized as a health behavior—like sleep, nutrition, exercise, time in nature, and social connection. Attendees included local and international policy leaders, cultural leaders, health providers, practitioners across disciplines, and students.

Dhokai said the Veterans and the Arts Initiative isn't just offering workshops; it's about creating a space where veterans, service members, and their families can explore creativity as families, as friends, and as people sharing similar experiences.

"As a program director, my joy is creating these welcoming, supportive programs," said Dhokai, who is also a George �鶹��Ƶ alumna. "Our team includes faculty, staff, and arts practitioners, and we're always evolving our workshops to meet the needs of participants."

George �鶹��Ƶ's School of Art, Dewberry School of Music, and the Arts Management Program have all contributed to the initiative. Some veterans are even teaching classes for the initiative.

Current George �鶹��Ƶ student and Air Force veteran Valerie Acosta-Gonzalez will be the lead instructor for the upcoming Gel Printed Journals series.

A senior art and visual technology major, Acosta-Gonzalez says her own life has been positively influenced by using art as a tool for self-care. Her mediums include acrylic, gouache, watercolors, pencils, pens, clay and wood. Her art has been exhibited at the Arches Gallery in the Workhouse Arts Center in Virginia.

Her favorite thing about conducting workshops with veterans is the camaraderie. "Making art is vulnerable, and when you show veterans how they can use the language of art to express things that others may not quite fully understand, you inevitably create a bond," Acosta-Gonzalez said. "We already have our military experiences in common, and we can add a deeper layer of meaning by creating art together."

Dhokai said that the connections the initiative makes with the military families extends beyond a single workshop offering. "For example, we held a songwriting series for military children in collaboration with �鶹��Ƶ Community Arts Academy, and now some of those kids are participating in our Veterans Guitar Workshop Series. Additionally, student veteran alumni take workshops after they graduate," she said.

Dhokai and her staff continue to collect data longitudinally to understand how community-based arts projects have a role in the ongoing support of military-connected individuals.

Three major themes that emerged from initial participant responses and that continue to be highlighted by participants are increased interest in learning new skills, social connectedness, and a sense of well-being.

The program is just one of many ways George �鶹��Ƶ supports its military-connected students, who make up about 10% of the student population.

In This Story

Niyati Dhokai

Moira McGuire

Topics

veterans and the arts

Veterans Day

Community Partners

United Nations

�鶹��Ƶ Community Arts Academy

College of Visual and Performing Arts

Campus News

Global summit looks at the future of education

Katarina Benson — Fri, 25 Jul 2025 16:17:45 +0000

Global summit looks at the future of education Katarina Benson Fri, 07/25/2025 - 12:17

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Alpaslan Özerdem

Alpaslan Özerdem, dean of �鶹��Ƶ’s Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution, recently participated in discussions at the 2025 Global Higher Education Symposium, held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York on July 18.

Özerdem was invited in his capacity as the chair of the United Nations Academic Impact Hub for Sustainable Development Goal 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions—a leadership role held by the Carter School through 2027. At the invitation-only symposium, thought leaders were discussing UNESCO’s Reimagining our futures together: A new social contract for education report, which asks three guiding questions to help envision education beyond 2050: What should we continue doing? What should we abandon? And, what needs to be creatively invented afresh?

A high-level dialogue focused on rethinking the purpose and design of higher education in light of rapid global change, Özerdem emphasized that in an era marked by political volatility and deepening societal divisions, higher education institutions must rise to the challenge of becoming credible and reliable partners to the public.

Dean Özerdem with colleagues at UN Sustainable Development Goal Hub meeting. Photo provided

“As universities, we hold a distinct and urgent responsibility—not only to foster democratic values but also to help rebuild public trust by championing truth, transparency, and the integrity of knowledge,” he said.

The symposium highlighted the potential of universities to play a far more prominent role in shaping the future. As articulated in the group’s consensus statement, “Higher education institutions can demonstrate responsible leadership that anticipates and addresses long-term individual and collective readiness for economic, environmental, and social challenges—including climate resilience, peacebuilding, and community impact.”

The SDG16 Hub is a global initiative that brings together universities, scholars, and students to advance more peaceful, just, and inclusive societies. Under the Carter School’s leadership, the hub collaborates with three vice chairs—the University of Oxford (UK), University for Peace (Costa Rica), and Narxoz University (Kazakhstan).

George �鶹��Ƶ’s engagement in this high-level platform further cements its reputation as a thought leader in peace and conflict resolution, while opening exciting new pathways for research collaboration, student engagement, and global visibility. As the first school in the United States serving as a hub chair, the Carter School represents the George �鶹��Ƶ community on the world stage and contributes to shaping the next social contract for education—one that places peace, justice, and human dignity at its core.

Topics

Campus News

Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution

United Nations

GCI-Grand Challenge Initiative

hub

Evelyn Tomaszewski Appointed to International Federation of Social Work United Nations Commission

Mary Cunningham — Mon, 11 Apr 2022 14:28:27 +0000

Evelyn Tomaszewski Appointed to International Federation of Social Work United Nations Commission Mary Cunningham Mon, 04/11/2022 - 10:28

In This Story

Evelyn Tomaszewski, MSW, ACSW

�鶹��Ƶ faculty member to provide perspectives on social justice and social work as representative for the International Federation of Social Work to the UN for North America.

Evelyn Tomaszewski, Master of Social Work program director and assistant professor, was appointed to a four-year term as a United Nations (UN) Commissioner for the International Federation of Social Work (IFSW). As one of five commissioners for North America, she will bring a social work perspective to the UN and the UN agencies and work towards joint action based on social work principles and highlight social solutions that can be achieved through applying the social work principles as a framework for achieving social justice, inclusive participatory democracy, sustainable peaceful societies, and social transformation for equality and rights. Tomaszewski has been asked to lead IFSW’s efforts related to the UN’s High-Level Meetings (HLM) and High-Level Political Forums (HLPF) as well.

“The appointment to represent IFSW as a United Nations Commissioner provides a unique opportunity to connect with and build partnerships and collaborations with social workers from across the globe,” said Tomaszewski. “My role as a commissioner will allow me to increase the visibility and importance of social work on an international scale and tie social work into the UN’s global public health work. As a faculty member, I am equally excited about the real-time learning opportunities for students interested in the social worker’s role and leadership in promoting global human rights.”

Tomaszewski has been involved with the IFSW as a representative to the UN for more than a decade. Through her previous positions, she attended the UN HLM on HIV/AIDS, HLM non-communicable diseases (NCDs), and HLPF sustainable development (SDGs). She has continued participation in HLMs while at �鶹��Ƶ, and her impeccable work throughout the years led to her appointment as a commissioner.

The UN Commission is comprised of representatives from the five IFSW regions. IFSW is the global body for the social work profession.

Topics

College of Health and Human Services

CHHS Faculty

United Nations

From Jerusalem to DC, �鶹��Ƶ alumna dedicates her life to solving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict

Mariam Aburdeineh — Wed, 23 Sep 2020 05:00:00 +0000

From Jerusalem to DC, �鶹��Ƶ alumna dedicates her life to solving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict Mariam Aburdeineh Wed, 09/23/2020 - 01:00

After graduating from �鶹��Ƶ, Fakhira Halloun returned to Jerusalem, where she works as a civil society and peacebuilding consultant at the Office of the United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process. Photo provided.

Fakhira Halloun holds two contradictory identities: She is Palestinian and an Israeli citizen.

It wasn’t until she began facilitating peace dialogues between Israelis and Palestinians in Jerusalem in 2000, that she realized Palestinian citizens of Israel could be the missing link in bridging ties between the two groups.

“Palestinian citizens of Israel have an important role to play in solving the conflict,” said Halloun, a 2019 PhD graduate of �鶹��Ƶ’s Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution. “We know the mindset of the Palestinians in the West Bank and share the same national identity and culture; at the same time, we know the Jews in Israel because we live with them and a lot of relationships are built there.”

That realization inspired her studies at �鶹��Ƶ and life goal of bringing about peace, she said.

After graduating from �鶹��Ƶ, Halloun returned to Jerusalem, where she works as a civil society and peacebuilding consultant at the Office of the United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process.

“This was my dream work,” Halloun said. “I’m helping civil society organizations engaged in peacebuilding work on both sides to reexamine and redefine their work in order to make a difference.”

Though she is overseas, Halloun’s impact in the Washington, D.C., area remains.

Halloun was part of a team that established the D.C.-based Museum of the Palestinian People, which highlights the history, identity, culture and achievements of Palestinians.

Fakhira Halloun (left) shows a guest around the Museum of the Palestinian People, which she helped establish. Photo provided.

“Usually the story about the Palestinian people is very narrow, and it’s linked with the conflict,” Halloun said. “We wanted to expand their narrative and bring out the complexity of it so that Americans and others can see themselves through the stories of the Palestinian people.”

Halloun has also stayed connected to �鶹��Ƶ.

Since 2019, she has been co-teaching a study-abroad course with professor Marc Gopin that takes students to Israel and Palestinian territories to understand the conflict from both sides.

It’s an enlightening course, Halloun said, and one she also took as a student.

“Fakhira is an extraordinary peacemaker who understands intellectually and personally the power of compassion and the heart to heal wounds of war and conflict,” Gopin said. “She combines that with reasoning and strategy to build bridges across lines of adversaries.”

“I brought my passion, commitment and persistence to impact my reality, but professors like Dr. [Kevin] Avruch and Dr. Gopin equipped me with a deep lens in conflict resolution through their knowledge, analysis and approaches to understand,” Halloun said. “I couldn’t be successful now where I work in the UN without their contribution to who I am.”

Creating a better future is Halloun’s top goal, she said. According to her professors, she has what it takes.

“If peace with justice is ever to have a chance, it will be people like Fakhira—on all sides—who will commit to seeing it through, and bring it about,” Avruch said.

Fakhira Halloun (far right) with her students in Jerusalem. Photo provided.

Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution

Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution

Carter School Affiliate Faculty

peacemaking

peacebuilding and analysis