Състояние: Много добро
Забележка: Здраво книжно тяло, без забележки в текста. Позахабени корици.
Подзаглавие: Тhe EU investing in people through the European Social Fund
Издателство: European Commission
Град на издаване: ---
Наличност: singular
Ширина (мм): 240
Височина (мм): 240
Корици: Меки

Making a difference in life / Personal stories from the European. Social Fund

The European Union - what does it really do for us?The European Social Fund is one answer to the question. It invests in people: some 10 million of them every year throughout the 27 EU Member States. The impact is often felt at a personal level, and the 54 stories in this book show how the ESF is making a real difference to real people's lives.

The ESF was set up in 1957 and today accounts for about 10% of the EU budget. This money is spent on a wide range of individual projects across the EU, formulated nationally and locally to meet the specific needs of people in differing situations.

It reflects the far-sighted understanding of the EU's founders, more than half a century ago, that building unity between nations depends on more than treaties and trade deals. The ESF is a practical demonstration of solidarity between Member States and communities, enabling European citizens to adapt to the new challenges that have ('volved over the years. It implements the shared values of European society, based on fair treatment and a decent quality of life for everyone. In practice this means access to employment, healthcare, housing and education, as well as care and support for the more vulnerable members of society.

The key principle underlying the ESF is empowerment: helping people to help themselves, make their own choices and realise their own ambitions. This book tells the stories of 54 individuals who have taken up the opportunities offered by ESF-funded initiatives.

What all the stories have in common is that they are tales of people who have resolved to do better for themselves or refused to give up in the face of obstacles; of setbacks; sometimes indeed of the most harrowing hardship. They have all reacted to improve their situation, or to get back on track. But they have needed that helping hand; that extra bit of support; that added confidence that ESF projects can offer.

The interviews focus on women and men, on every age group from teenagers to pensioners, in urban and rural communities, in every country of the European Union. They feature ambitious entrepreneurs with an idea to sell, parents juggling work and childrearing, people fighting to overcome mental or physical disabilities, and others wanting to integrate into societies they are not familiar with.