This paper explores some of the dimensions related to poverty and exclusion,
by defining a Relational Capability Index (RCI) which focuses on the quality
of relationships among people and on their level of relational empowerment.
This index is rooted in a relational anthropology; it insists on the quality
of the social fabric and of interpersonal relations as a key aspect of human
development. As a multidimensional index, the RCI includes integration into
networks, private relations and civic commitments. We provide an axiomatization
of a family of multidimensional indexes. This axiomatic viewpoint fills
the gap between theories of justice and poverty measurements. By means
of illustration, we apply three different versions of the RCI, which are elements
of this family, to the measurement of the impact of oil companies
on local communities in the Niger Delta (Nigeria) and to national surveys
(Afrobarometer).