The continuing existence of political, economic and social barriers that prevent millions of people across Europe from participating fully in society is being challenged by a range of groups and organisations. The expansion of the European Union (EU) from 370 million to nearly 450 million people in May 2004 has required groups and organisations to redouble their efforts: most of the new citizens are significantly poorer than those from the former EU.

The focus of Including the excluded is on actions taken by community groups across Europe. It has been prepared and written on a collaborative basis by individuals who are closely involved in working on the issue. Critical to the publication's authenticity has been the involvement of activists and community development workers in Norway, Sweden, Belgium, England and Spain. It is their voices that have informed the writing and, on behalf of the Combined European Bureau for Social Development (CEBSD), I would like to thank them for their support.

CEBSD is a small European network playing a key role through the breadth of its activities and its capacity to keep in contact with grassroots action. It depends heavily on informal contacts and the willingness of its member organisations to contribute time and energy. In the case of this publication, two of the members have made specific contributions: the Combat Poverty Agency by way of a grant towards the costs of producing the book, and the Community Development Foundation through its support for the involvement of Paul Henderson in the project. I would like to thank both organisations.

The issues of poverty and social exclusion are far from being new, but they have acquired new dimensions. Furthermore the mechanisms and tools available to address social exclusion have developed: national and European programmes, research findings, the work of non-governmental and campaigning organisations, networks and community groups. CEBSD believes that this publication will help to sustain the action being undertaken by local, regional, national and European community development organisations on the issue of social exclusion. CEBSD is committed to supporting the activities of its members and others in this process. It also seeks to inform and influence policies of the EU and the member states about effective, community-based strategies for combating social exclusion.