sad news ... social policy researcher and campaigner Peter Townsend - who co-founded CPAG and Disability Alliance - died earlier this week ..

.. there's an obituary in the guardian @

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2009/jun/09/obituary-peter-townsend

Thanks Shawn for the above posting, Peter Townsend was someone who is definitely worth commemorating, and reading his obituary was really heartwarming, if that makes sense, set against the current tweedledumdom and tweedledeedom views that dominate the current socio-economic-political spheres of influence.

I was quite shocked and saddened to read Peter's obituary on Tuesday.

As recently as April, he was at a Disability Alliance Trustee meeting setting out his vision for a campaign and research programme for the next 3 years to try to set us on the front foot in terms of shaping Governmental policy on welfare. He had a very bright mind and was always pushing us to be pragmatic and principled in the work that we did. I learnt a great deal from Peter over the years and he will be sorely missed I am sure.