Studies in Global Justice and Human Rights Series Editor: Thom Brooks This series publishes ground-breaking work on key topics in the area of global justice and human rights including democracy, gender, poverty, the environment and just war. Books in the series are of broad interest to theorists working in politics, international relations, philosophy and related disciplines. 'Human rights and community often have a contentious relationship - this book aims to show that human rights are an integral part of the love and empathy, which humans need to realise community. In lucid, passionate and sensitive prose, Onazi develops this theory using the example of development politics in Nigeria.' Zenon Bankowski, Professor Emeritus of Legal Theory, The University of Edinburgh School of Law Shows how community can inspire poor and vulnerable individuals to realise their human rights Despite its predominance, human rights discourse, for all its claims and potential to challenge deep-rooted injustice, continues to develop without significant reference to community. It is therefore no surprise that poverty, exclusion and lack of participation continue to thrive and are symptomatic of the failings of the dominant state- and market-based human rights approaches alike. This book presents community - a fundamental source of hope, relief, support and comfort to individuals' lives in cities and villages across Africa - as a better alternative, capable of inspiring the poor and the vulnerable to organise themselves democratically to claim ownership of the processes that determine their human rights. Key Features - Uses Nigeria as a case study to empirically illustrate and develop the argument - Contributes to a better understanding of the significance of community to human rights discourse - Develops a novel theory of community applicable to human rights discourses, approaches and practices of development Oche Onazi is a Lecturer in Law at the University of Dundee. Cover image: (c) ranplett/iStockphoto.com. Cover design: [EUP logo] www.euppublishing.com