Ghana vice president Dr Mahamudu Bawumia is schedule to connect the inaugural session as chief guest at the summit organized by Centre for Social Development in Africa at the University of Johannesburg, said a news release on Thursday.

Global Social Development Innovations (GSDI) at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, Centre for Social Development (CSD) at Washington University, St Louis, and the Peking University- Hong Kong Polytechnic University China Social Work Research Centre are coorganisers of the conference. 

According to the ICSD secretariat, the Johannesburg conference will cover eight themes and will look at a range of topics including social development responses to global challenges including pandemics, migration, racial injustice, the digital divide, and economic crises.

ICSD President Prof Dr Manohar Pawar said the conference will address the issues like responses to climate change and environmental challenges, inequality, gender, social inclusion and livelihoods.

ICSD vice president Dr Mostafizur Rahman, a Bangladeshi scholar, said the corona pandemic has deepened financial vulnerabilities as livelihoods have been shaken.

“More than ever, policies, programs, and professionals are badly needed to assist people in developing financial capability and tools for applying it. Innovative solutions to address these challenges will be presented and discussed at the Johannesburg conference this year,’ he said.

International Consortium for Social Development (ICSD) is a platform of interdisciplinary scholars, practitioners that aim to build knowledge and capacity to bring about social, economic, and environmental improvement.