Dunford shows how organized peasants use 'Left arts of government' to construct a collective peasant identity, a collective analysis of the rural world, a common demand for food sovereignty, and diverse processes to build peasant autonomy and processes from below.

Peter Rosset, Professor and Researcher, El Colegio de la Frontera Sur (ECOSUR), Mexico

This philosophically engaging and accessible book offers an innovative take on prospects for global democratic transformation. By grounding his reflections in actually-existing struggles, Dunford makes an important departure from those who think about political theory only in relation to abstract categories and values, offering new perspectives on the political possibilities and limits of human rights.

Lara Montesinos Coleman, Lecturer in International Relations and International Development, University of Sussex

In this thoughtful and compassionate book, Robin Dunford explores contemporary peasant movements as a case study in effective transnational resistance. Against the background of increasing planetary slummification, Dunford addresses a number of key theoretical debates about autonomous democratic mobilization, arguing that we must heed the practical lessons of those engaged in the quest for planetary food sovereignty.

Nicholas Kiersey, Assistant Professor of Political Science, Ohio University Chillicothe

Robin Dunford’s book demonstrates the efforts of grassroots mobilizations to reimagine human rights and democratic politics theoretically and politically. This nuanced and carefully argued book makes a powerful case for recalibrating contemporary debates on human rights in light of the empirical evidence on the ground, and shows that human rights politics are neither only ever minimalist, individualist, neoliberal and empty but can also be collective, non-market led and emancipatory.

Sumi Madhok, Associate Professor, Gender Institute, London School of Economics