This is an open access title available under the terms of a CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO licence. It is free to read at Oxford Scholarship Online and offered as a free PDF download from OUP and selected open access locations. A key challenge for the post-COVID global economy is whether the disproportionate impact of the crisis on informal workers, who form the majority of the world's workforce, will be acknowledged. Or whether harmful and negative stereotypes will persist. Today, despite the role of these essential frontline workers - producing, processing, selling, cooking and delivering food, providing cleaning, childcare, eldercare, healthcare, transport, waste removal, and other essential services - many observers consider the informal economy to be non-compliant (resisting registration and taxation) and associate it with low productivity (a drag on the economy) or with crime (illegal activities) and grime (blight on modern cities). Yet, most informal workers are working poor trying to earn an honest living in often hostile environments. Most suffered severe declines in work and earnings during successive waves of the COVID pandemic, and related restrictions and recessions, and have gone deeper into debt and depleted their savings and assets in order to survive. This book explores and informs answers to that key challenge. It presents findings on the impact of the COVID crisis on informal workers in Asia, Africa, and North and Latin America. The chapters of the volume analyse the impact of the COVID crisis on informal workers, interrogate whether and which economic recovery plans and schemes include informal workers, and explore what a more inclusive economic recovery and reforms might look like.

When a child is struggling with a learning disability or behavioral disorder, it can be overwhelming for their parents, who often do not know what to do or where to turn for help. This groundbreaking book is a "must have" for any parent, educator, or person who cares for and wants to help children who face challenges in school. It will help you to recognize the warning signs that may indicate a potential problem with a child and explain how to find the best help. This superb guide shows you how to obtain the necessary assessment(s) that will help you to better understand a child's strengths and weaknesses. It also describes what an educational "accommodation" is and how it can serve as a bridge to learning. Every child has the legal right to fully access the learning environment and to show what they truly know when taking tests. The authors describe how accommodations specifically target a child's weaknesses in order to level the playing field in the classroom and during test taking situations. Accommodations can be as simple as giving the child extra time to finish a test or allowing them to take a test in a smaller group to minimize distractions. In addition, this handbook outlines the relevant research to help you understand the big picture of a child's learning and emotional needs. The authors offer extensive discussion of issues such as attention and concentration, memory, executive functioning, language, visual perception and processing, emotional functioning, and social skills. Throughout, they stress that, by focusing on behaviors and not labels, you will be able to better understand the whats, whys, and hows of a child's learning and emotional challenges.

Anis Bari is the author of two acclaimed books- Dreams of The Mango People, an inspirational book on how ordinary people choose to become extra-ordinary, and a monograph, Decoding Startups, which has notes on startups along with useful entrepreneurial frameworks. He has received many awards including the most promising entrepreneur of the year award by TiE (The Indus Entrepreneur) and has been a winner of the European Union Business Challenge. Born in Patna (Bihar), Anis went on to study engineering from PES Institute of Technology (Bangalore) and an MBA from the Asian Institute of Management (Founded by Harvard Business School & Ford Foundation), Manila. He is an International Rated Chess Player and a Global Shaper Alumni of the World Economic Forum. Currently, he is a Mason Fellow at Harvard Kennedy School.

A one of its kind biography, The Only Life is the story of a woman who blazed a path for herself and others in the presence of one of the greatest mystics, Osho. Growing up an ordinary Indian girl in British India, and rendered powerless in a domineering world, Laxmi went on to become Osho’s ?rst disciple and secretary. What follows is an account of not just a life, but of the massive international movement which grew around Osho in the 1970s and 80s—one that Laxmi was at the helm of. Equally, what unfolds is a narrative, full of pathos, where her protégé usurps her place. Heartbroken, ostracised and later banished, she wanders the wastelands of America in isolation, seeking to rediscover herself by choosing devotion for her master over despair. The Only Life is an extraordinary account of a life of starkly contrasting ups and downs. Laxmi’s journey and the way she lived continues to serve as a crucial illustration for dealing with life’s adversities. It shows that the path of kindness, devotion and awareness trumps all in these present chaotic and precarious times.

About the Book A BEAUTIFUL STORY ABOUT RECLAIMING VOICE, AGENCY AND FAITH. Kalpana, a twelve-year-old girl living in a village nestled in the dense hills of the Western Ghats, goes missing one morning. When she returns, she has gone silent. Nothing can get her to speak. What happened in those three days that she went missing? What prevents her from communicating with her parents and sister except through notes and scribbles? And why does her grandmother's presence provoke such a strong reaction from her? As the village gets ready to celebrate the annual Deepavali festival, a rumour spreads that Kalpana will speak the day after the festival. What will she say, and what will be the impact of her words? Here is a novel that defies expectations to sweep to a stunning end.

A Godmother is a woman who takes the place of a mother and helps her Goddaughter accomplish her goals and succeed in life, by being there for her, and supporting her in the journey. Anyone can become a Godmother – a friend, a teacher, a sister, a daughter, a colleague… The Godmothers is a selection of short stories about women, young and old, and their Godmothers. These are stories about women who help other women grow, achieve, and live a free life. Every story has two key protagonists: the Godmother and her Goddaughter. The stories describe how the Godmother supports her Goddaughter to overcome a struggle in her life. Each story talks about a different challenge, in a different context, thereby touching upon a variety of women’s issues such as female foeticide, domestic violence, sexual harassment, corporate growth challenges, and so on. The stories aim to provoke women to selflessly support other women around them. It is an attempt to motivate women to take their own little step towards achieving gender justice and women’s empowerment. If every woman decided to support one other woman in need, we will not be far from reaching our dream of gender equality.

"Russell King has written the most definitive account of this grand American saga. Rajneeshpuram is rich storytelling." —Chapman and Maclain Way, directors of Wild Wild Country In 1981, ambitious young Ma Anand Sheela transported the Indian guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh to the United States to fulfill his dream of creating a utopia for his thousands of disciples. Four years later, the incendiary Rajneeshpuram commune in Oregon collapsed under the weight of audacious criminal conspiracies hatched in its inner sanctum, including the largest bioterrorism attack in US history, an unprecedented election fraud scheme, and multiple attempted murders. Rajneeshpuram explores how this extraordinary spiritual community, featured in the Netflix docuseries Wild Wild Country, went so wrong. Drawing from extensive interviews with former disciples and an exhaustive review of commune records, government and police files, and archival materials, author Russell King probes the charismatic power that Bhagwan (later known as Osho) and Sheela exercised over the community and the turbulent legal and political environment that left commune leaders ready to deceive, poison, and even murder to preserve their home and their master. Rajneeshpuram is a fresh examination of the Rajneesh story, using newly available information and interviews with high-ranking disciples who have never before shared their stories.

A stupendous journey of Roopika and Deeksha to Bangalore! Jack a north Indian by growth… Deeksha a south Indian… If it’s not for Paramedical course Deeksha would not have met Jack. The two become close friends among their gang in college and the boundless feeling of love which they had for each other was bemused as infatuation by Jack. What happens then? Does Jack accept his love for Deeksha? How long Deeksha keeps waiting? Does destiny play a trick on Deeksha and Jack? Find out…

The global phenomenon of the Oneness Blessing, also known as Deeksha, is a non-denominational transfer of energy from one person to another. Deeksha works in a neurobiological way, activating the frontal lobes of the brain and deactivating the parietal lobes. This subtle but powerful shift in brain function supports an experience of interconnectivity, awareness, authenticity, and bliss. Partaking of the Oneness Blessing is not a religion or path; it requires no allegiance to any beliefs, doctrines, or practices. With surprising simplicity, it opens the door for ordinary people to discover what is unique, extraordinary, and true for them. In The Oneness Blessing, Paula interviews awakened Oneness Trainers whose lives have been transformed through Deeksha. Their humor, gratitude, insights, and inspiration intimately illuminate what it means to live an awakened life. You will discover how Deeksha can catalyze: A change in inner perception, resulting in miraculous shifts in relationships, prosperity, health, purpose, and joy A letting go of resistance to people and situations Relief from cravings and addictions A shift in brain function that opens the heart, quiets the chattering mind, and lets one be fully alive