This is an inspiring story of what one church can achieve. 30 years ago, Caring For Life began as a local Christian response to the desperate needs of vulnerable young men in Leeds, struggling to adapt to life beyond the care system. From this small beginning it rapidly expanded to offer lifelong support to over 100 men and women of all ages who had fallen into homelessness, criminality and addiction. Juliet Barker told the remarkable story of the charity's first ten years in 'The Deafening Sound of Silent Tears'. Now, for its 30th anniversary, she tells of the miraculous transformation that has made the charity's home, Crag House Farm, a state of the art horticultural, agricultural, equestrian, therapeutic and adult learning centre - all in the face of funding cuts and fears of closure. All royalties go to Caring For Life and its work of mending broken lives.

In 2000, the first social agenda in the history of the European Union was launched, and the endeavor to combat poverty came increasingly to the forefront as a specific area for EU policy cooperation and coordination. Regrettably, however, little progress has been achieved so far, either at the national or European level. On the contrary, the EU's social fabric is under major stress: convergence in national living standards has halted or reversed while progress in terms of poverty reduction in the last decades has been disappointing in most EU Member States. In Europe, despite high social spending and work-related welfare reforms, poverty often remains a largely intractable problem for policymakers and a persistent reality for many European citizens. In Decent Incomes for All, the authors shed new light on recent poverty trends in the European Union and the corresponding responses by European welfare states. They analyze the effect of social and fiscal policies before, during, and after the recent economic crisis and study the impact of alternative policy packages on poverty and inequality. The volume also explores how social investment and local initiatives of social innovation can contribute to tackling poverty, while recognizing that there are indeed structural constraints on the increase of the social floor and difficult trade-offs involved in reconciling work and poverty reduction. Academics and graduate students in comparative social policy, inclusion and anti-poverty policy, sociology, and public economics will find the book to be a particularly helpful resource in their work.

Training is an essential and ongoing part of your Peace Corps service. Pre-service training will give you enough skills and information to begin your adjustment to and service in South Africa. It is the first "reality test" of your life as a Volunteer, which will help you make an informed commitment when you swear in as a Peace Corps Volunteer. The 8- to 10-week pre-service training in South Africa is community based, meaning that the bulk of the training takes place in a community similar to where you will be placed as a Volunteer. The training staff will design a learning environment with experiences and meetings designed to allow you to develop the knowledge and skills needed for your work as a Volunteer. There will be sessions on language, community integration, cross-cultural communication, development issues, health and personal safety, and technical skills appropriate to your assignment. Throughout your training, you will live with a South African family and work in villages and schools.