Synopsis The Fiftieth anniversary of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights prompts a re-examination of the links between ‘development’ and the range of economic, social, political, and cultural rights that are enshrined within it. Chronic poverty is a flagrant denial of what the international community once hailed and security must rest. The papers in this collection consider, among other entitlements, the rights to food, adequate housing, safe employment, protection from sexual assault, and popular involvement in the political processes that shape the lives of poor communities.