The Seeds of Exclusion (2008)
The effects of social exclusion are often all too easy to see: family breakdown, poverty, poor health, addictive behaviour and homelessness.
The purpose of The Seeds of Exclusion, the fourth in a series of reports published by The Salvation Army, is to identify how patterns of early-life experience contain the seeds of later problems, and how The Salvation Army and others might tackle them.
The Seeds of Exclusion Symposium: 14 October
In the late 19th century William Booth, the Founder of The Salvation Army, drew on the analogy of a cliff fall to describe his understanding of social intervention. While it is entirely appropriate to rescue the man or woman who has fallen into the sea, it is much better to tackle the roots of the individual's problem at the top of the cliff from which they fell. This report is a 21st-century expression of Booth's 'top-of-the-cliff' vision and strategy.
Booth's driving passion was his firm belief in a life-changing God and a strong sense that the mission of The Salvation Army must be to the whole person, body and soul. And so it remains for The Salvation Army today!
The Seeds of Exclusion draws on rigorous original research and participation from a wide range of academics and social work practitioners. The process has been underpinned with theological reflection by The Salvation Army's leaders in the United Kingdom and Ireland.
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