ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book explores how a distinctly Nepali social work practice approach has been developing through examining the daily activities of social workers employed in International non-government organisations (INGOs) in Nepal. It utilizes a bottom-up approach to examine the perceived synergy between social work education and the practice of social work as it is emerging through INGOs in Nepal. The book examines whether the education that Nepali social workers receive indeed have a Western bent, and whether social workers share ongoing concerns on the need to decolonise and shift towards developmental social work in Nepal. It also explores the features and principles of a distinctive Nepali social work practice approach. The book reviews the literature on decolonising social work and critically analyses interrelated concepts, such as indigenisation, conscientisation, authentisation, contextualisation, and the need for a shift from indigenisation to decolonisation in Nepali social work.
