Atif Rafique, Ed.M.'03, is thinking how right someone was when they said all you need in life is love and money.

The world has been Atif Rafique's playground. Or, more precisely, it's been his office. From England to the United States to Pakistan to Tanzania and, finally, back to England, Rafique, Ed.M.'03, has traveled the globe in pursuit of a single goal: social inclusion for all.

After studying as an undergraduate at the London School of Economics, Rafique enrolled at the Ed School to immerse himself in education, which he felt at the time was "the key to improving life's chances." What he came to learn, though, was that not only was education an essential component to tackling poverty, but so was family.

"The evidence on the intergenerational transfer of disadvantage is really quite clear," Rafique explains. "If parents have problems and experience disadvantage, then we need to tackle that at the same time. My goal now is not merely about ensuring I can contribute to better education for children, but to ensure it is part of a wider commitment to tackling intergenerational disadvantage."

So, after stints with the World Bank in Pakistan, where he worked to promote the inclusion of people with disabilities -- "I was so excited about the job that I jumped on a plane and missed the [HGSE] graduation ceremony" -- and the Dar es Salaam, Tanzania-based Aga Khan University, Institute of Educational Development, Rafique returned to Britain.

Now, as a member of the British Cabinet Office's Social Exclusion Task Force, he focuses on strategy and policy with regard to the socially excluded. The group regularly deals with citizens affected by issues such as substance abuse, unemployment, and homelessness.

"At worst, people experiencing complex problems like these often fall through the net of mainstream service provision, and at best, services focus on one of the problems in isolation," Rafique explains. "The job of the task force is to ensure there are systems in place to ensure that the socially excluded get the support . . . they need to grip all their problems."

Although the task force is young -- it was created in 2006 -- it has already experienced some success. Its Think Family program expands on Britain's Sure Start early education program to include adult services, ensuring that a parent's needs are being met at the same time as a child's, the first step to solving the problem of intergenerational disadvantage.

Rafique remains committed despite the many discouragements along the way. Too little money, not enough time, and resistance to change are common challenges. But Rafique and his colleagues are undeterred.

"In the words of our director, Naomi Eisenstaedt," he says, "'you need plenty of charm to do what we do.'"