In recent years, a growing body of literature adopted the capability approach and sought to analyze its links to collective action, empowerment and community mobilization. The aim of this group is to provide a forum for discussion among scholars, practitioners and also policymakers working on these issues. It enriches the intellectual debate on the multiple ‘spaces’ of human capabilities and seeks to extend the analysis of human capabilities from the individual to the collectivity, while at the same time accounting for the limitations that collectivities can pose to individual freedoms. This thematic group is meant to bring academics and practitioners together, in an attempt to exchange experiences in conceptualizing and applying the capability approach on the collective/ communal level. It will also promote research collaboration between academics and practitioners on policy relevant topics such as empowerment.