The World Summit for Social Development (Copenhagen, 1995) established the notion of social integration in the intergovernmental discourse and national policy making. The Copenhagen Declaration and Programme of Action, a key outcome of the Summit, pledged to make the eradication of poverty, promoting full employment and fostering social integration overriding objectives of development. The Declaration contains a specific commitment to advance social integration to create "a society for all" through fostering inclusive societies that are stable, safe, just and tolerant and that respect diversity, equality of opportunity, and participation of all people, including disadvantaged and vulnerable groups and persons. In general terms, being excluded is understood as being left outside the mainstream and denied access to the social, economic and political rights afforded to others. The Copenhagen Programme of Action gave special emphasis to measures to meet the needs and interests of those who face obstacles in participating fully in societies A "society for all" is one in which every individual, each with rights and responsibilities, has an active role to play. Such an inclusive society is promoted by social policies that seek to reduce inequality and that are trying to create flexible and tolerant societies that embrace all people.

Social integration is that integration as a two-way process in which both new communities and host communities share values and opportunities, respect and accept each other, are open up, listen to each other, and learn from each other; all communities have similar life opportunities, strong relationships exist between people from different backgrounds in the workplace, in schools and within neighbourhoods. Social integration can be realised by supporting community groups who are particularly vulnerable to poverty, racism, marginalisation, discrimination, isolation and exploitation, are at the margins of society, and find themselves outside mainstream systems of social support. Social Integration involves:

• Equal access to services, facilities, opportunities, rights and entitlements;
• Equal access to full information, guidance and advice about individuals' rights;
• The voice of excluded communities is heard or represented at the decision-making level;
• No discrimination in the labour market and at the workplace; no exploitation of migrant workers and asylum seekers;
• True social justice: not just policy but practice, not just equal opportunities policy and procedures but practice;
• No stereotyping, apartheid, racism, prejudice and discriminatory behaviour;
• Transparency in planning, allocating services and benefits (e.g. housing, ), and recognition of people's values and circumstances;
• Acceptance and respect diversify of different communities without treating them as a large homogenous group ( e.g. BME communities);
• No concentration of BME groups in deprived areas or ghetos, e.g. where other communities are not willing to live;
• Not being forced to live where you don't want to live;
• Not preventing people from having access to the labour market and other opportunities because their names do not sound like British names;
• No negative perceptions and attitudes toward people from different backgrounds;
• Equal access to funding, business opportunities, civic centres and local facilities, media, arts, local clubs, schools, pubs, libraries, restaurants, cinemas, churches, sports, leisure, heritage and tourist attractions, etc;
• Decent housing and good quality education for all;
• Equal participation in democracy and decision-making.

1. I went to a restaurant in South London, which was full of white people eating and drinking. I was very hungry. Before entering in the restaurant, the waitress came quickly and met me at the door. She stopped me. She asked me: What do you want? I said something to eat or to drink. She told me No. Then I left. She did not allow me to enter in the restaurant because I was black.
2. I am black with a British name that I got from marriage with a white British. I applied for a job and was short-listed for the interview. I was invited to the interview and went to the company for the interview. The manager of the company was surprised that I was a black. He did not tell me this but I realised through his body language that he was not happy to see me coming to the interview. Then, he told me that he was very sorry for the mistake made because it was another person who has a similar family name who was short-listed to attend the interview. I couldn't find someone to help me on this.
3. I am 45 year old and working with a company as warehouse operative. I always work at night from 10:00 pm to 6:00 pm. The work involved lifting and packing heavy materials. I am paid £5.00 per hour. It this fair?