100 Years of ISS: The Silent Force Behind Global Social Work – Jean Ayoub, Secretary General and CEO of International Social Services (ISS)

In this episode, recorded on the 6th June 2024, I sit down with Jean Ayoub, Secretary General and CEO of International Social Services (ISS), to uncover the remarkable century-long history of this little-known yet crucial organization. While the Red Cross and Geneva Conventions are globally recognized, ISS has been quietly working across borders for 100 years, handling individual social cases that often fall through the cracks of larger humanitarian organizations.

We discuss:

• The origins of ISS: How a group of social workers, mainly women from the YWCA, laid the foundation for modern cross-border social work in 1924.
• The human side of migration: How ISS assists individuals with vital records, family reunification, and social support across different legal systems.
• ISS as an early influencer: How the organization leveraged advocacy and networks before the internet era to shape global social policies.
• The hidden risks of surrogacy: ISS’s work on ethical guidelines, including the Verona Principles, to protect children born through surrogacy.
• The vulnerability crisis: How unaccompanied migrant children are at risk of exploitation, abduction, and human trafficking.
• How you can help: Opportunities to support ISS through donations, volunteering, and participating in their upcoming centennial events in Geneva.

Join us for an eye-opening discussion on the vital but often overlooked role of social work in international humanitarian efforts, and learn how ISS continues to change lives—one individual case at a time.