Laura Krishnan-Mackie, assistant professor of social work and director of online Master of Social Work practicum education at Colby-Sawyer, traveled to Nairobi, Kenya, to attend SWSD 2026, the International Joint Conference on Social Work, Education and Social Development, held June 26-29 at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC).

The biennial conference, collaboratively hosted by the International Association of Schools of Social Work, the International Federation of Social Workers and the International Council of Social Welfare, was titled Harambee: For Shared Sustainable Futures.

“Harambee, a Swahili term meaning ‘all pull together,’ is more than a word,” Conference Chair Charles Mbugua wrote in a welcome letter. “It is a philosophy and a lived practice in Kenya and across the region. It reflects the very spirit of solidarity, community-building and collective responsibility that lies at the heart of social work and social development.”

Krishnan-Mackie, who joined Colby-Sawyer in 2024, gave a conference presentation on a project she co-founded, INSPIRARE Global (The International Network of Social Work Partnerships & Innovation for Research, Advancing Scholarship, Rights, and Educational Praxis). The three-year project, funded by the Council on Social Work Education's Kendall Institute for Global Social Work Education, is a collaborative effort that addresses what it calls “key challenges, including migration, climate change, trauma and threats to equity and human rights.”

It clearly reflects the spirit of Harambee.

“The overarching goal (of INSPIRARE Global) is to build an accessible virtual community for students, practitioners, scholars and educators alike,” Krishnan-Mackie said, “creating opportunities for networking and relationship-building that foster mutual learning, knowledge exchange and meaningful collaboration.”

Krishnan-Mackie’s collaboration has included colleagues near and far, including students in Colby-Sawyer’s Master of Social Work program.

“I've been working with Graduate Student Fellow Jennifer Crossett ’26, MSW Intern Emryn Lessie ’27 and institutional partners in the United States and Greece to develop the project's initial infrastructure while leading outreach and promotional efforts to engage participants and build awareness of the initiative,” she said.

Her presentation at SWSD, “INSPIRARE Global: Building digital community, partnership, and shared learning in international social work education,” gave Krishnan-Mackie an opportunity to share the project with a global audience. Established in 2025, the project has already undertaken multiple projects, including hosting an inaugural virtual event in April with registrants representing more than 25 U.S. states and other countries; launching the project’s website; introducing a podcast; and presenting both virtually and in person.

The SWSD conference, Krishnan-Mackie said, gave her a renewed sense of hope and pride in being a part of the social work profession.

“Learning about global social work across diverse sociopolitical histories and cultural contexts broadened my perspective on what is possible within our profession,” she said. “It highlighted the many ways social workers contribute to meaningful social change and reminded me that, despite the unique challenges communities face around the world, our shared commitment to advancing social justice, human rights and holistic well-being creates countless opportunities for collaboration, innovation and lasting impact.”