PAUL Partnership is an organisation made up of communities, state agencies, social partners, voluntary groups and elected representatives. We work with local communities that have benefited least from economic and social development and we aim to promote social inclusion and improve the quality of life of people living in these communities.
PAUL Partnership is a local, area-based, multi-sectoral partnership company, based in Limerick City. It was initially established in 1989, under the EU Poverty 3 Programme, as a local response to long-term unemployment. Since then, it has expanded its remit to address the wider issue of social exclusion and to promote social inclusion.
The Partnership Concept
The concept of Partnerships is one of organisations and individuals working together to achieve a certain goal. This goal is one which is relevant to each of the partners. PAUL Partnership is one of a network of 53 local development companies in Ireland which aims to promote social inclusion and combat poverty. In addition to implementing a range of developmental initiatives, the Partnership achieves its goals by seeking influence national policy.
Social Exclusion
Social exclusion is the process whereby certain groups are pushed to the margins of society and prevented from participating fully by virtue of their poverty, low education or inadequate life skills. This distances them from job, income and education opportunities as well as social and community networks. They have little access to power and decision-making bodies and little chance of influencing decisions or policies that affect them, and little chance of bettering their standard of living.
http://www.cpa.ie/povertyinireland/glossary.htm#S
Social Inclusion
Social Inclusion is a process which ensures that all people in society have equal access to basic rights in relation to areas such as education, employment, healthcare, housing, and information, and which seeks to eliminate processes and barriers which prevent people from exercising those rights.