Social justice

Development is not a technical fix.

The challenges and practices of citizenship, of political, social and cultural belonging, and of individual and collective rights are at the heart of development.

An important strand of our research focuses on the ways in which individuals, communities and civil societies, at local, national and global scales, engage with development concerns and the challenges of building a fairer world. 

Our research ranges from the rights of people with mental health problems in the global South, to the rights of working children and young people, and community inputs into managing environmental risk.

Delivering socially just and sustainable futures demands governance that is accountable, transparent, democratic and inclusive at all levels – global, regional, national, local and within cities and communities.

Our research focuses on some of the challenges around governance, including resource limitations and state weaknesses, but also identifies new, innovative and experimental forms of governance, for example around natural resources. It also addresses the global governance of development and, in particular, Agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals, which will shape government targets, civil society activism and societal expectations for the next generation.