PCF5 Sub-theme: Governance and social justice // This paper explores the issues involved in providing education to excluded communities and reviews some case studies where the mediated use of open educational resources available from the UK Open University’s OpenLearn website has empowered socially excluded groups. It argues that the successful use of e-learning in the long term is dependent on appropriate interventions within excluded groups and communities, and that open educational resources provide a safer option for them to gain confidence and competence and so become more empowered. // Paper ID 405