Gamechangers | Changemakers
Gamechangers | Changemakers is about disrupting and challenging the status quo. Social Work leaders will share … what’s worked? what’s tricky? and what keeps them awake at night?
Gamechangers | Changemakers
Professor Nuzha Allassad Alhuzail on breaking boundaries and daring to lead in Social Work
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In this episode of Gamechangers | Changemakers, we chat online with Professor Nuzha Allassad Alhuzail from Sapir Academic College, situated near the Gaza border. As a Palestinian Arab social work leader in an Israeli academic institution, Nuzha discusses how genuine leadership means acting against injustice, challenging exclusionary criteria, breaking rules when necessary for social justice, and speaking out against systemic racism.
What you’ll learn in this episode:
- How to move beyond silence and use your voice to challenge systemic injustice
- Why social work leadership sometimes means challenging rigid institutional rules for the betterment of communities
- The unique challenges of being a minority leader and academic in a conflict zone
- How lifting up women through Social Work can lift up entire communities
About Prof. Nuzha Allassad Alhuzail
Prof. Nuzha Allassad Alhuzail is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Social Work at Sapir Academic College, Israel, located near Gaza. As a Palestinian Arab academic in an Israeli institution, she is a fierce advocate for social justice, especially for the Bedouin community, and champions the inclusion of Indigenous voices and knowledge in the academy. She is also the driving force behind the ‘Gateway to the Academy’ program.
Learn more about Nuzha’s work here: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Nuzha-Allassad-Alhuzail
Follow Nuzha on LinkedIn here: https://il.linkedin.com/in/prof-nuzha-allassad-alhuzail-599215a6
Resources mentioned:
- Prof. Alhuzail’s work looking at the Nakba: A range of articles published by Prof. Nuzha Allassad Alhuzail. Find them here: https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=Q7u75ZQAAAAJ
Want to dive deeper? Here are some more resources to explore:
- Addressing the Ongoing Effects of the Nakba: Experiences and Challenges that Israel’s Arab Social Workers Face, by Prof. Nuzha Allassad Alhuzail: https://doi.org/10.1093/bjsw/bcad225
- Social Workers as Leaders Rather than as Agents of Change, by Prof. Nuzha Allassad Alhuzail: https://doi.org/10.1093/bjsw/bcac044
- An Arab Lecturer, Jewish Students, and Social Work in a Conflict Area, by Prof. Nuzha Allassad Alhuzail: https://doi.org/10.1177/08861099211038935
- Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts., by Brené Brown: https://brenebrown.com/book/dare-to-lead/
This episode was recorded in 12/2023 with initial edits by Akshay Ramkumar. Final edits by Solstice Podcasting.
Gamechangers | Changemakers is produced by UniSA and hosted by:
Associate Professor Michelle Jones
If you want to get in touch, you can email: SocialWorkLeadersPodcast@gmail.com.