Road to justice and co-operation

what was considered to be the social and economic development of the nations of the planet. Although six decades have passed, the results of these efforts are rather disappointing. 
A self-sustaining process of development in developing countries, and ensuring broad-based participation, remain more an aspiration than a reality, and gross disparities in living standards and inequalities of wealth persist. Conditions of justice and equity that should promote both individual and collective well-being still remain an elusive goal. At one extreme, deprivation and despair afflict vast numbers of the world’s peoples, whilst, at the other very few have access to abundant wealth. 
The current concept of development, based mainly on a materialistic approach, has not been able to solve the problems for which it was intended. It has neither been capable of leading humanity to the tranquility and prosperity, which it seeks. The spiritual nature of humankind and the role of religion in influencing our attitudes and the spirit in which we carry out everything, including our development projects, have been forgotten or ignored.
In search of alternative approaches, development practitioners are increasingly realising that new efforts will only succeed when spiritual values and their enforcement are made an essential part in the development process “No matter how far the material world advances,” the Baha’i Writings state, “it cannot establish the happiness of mankind. Only when material and spiritual civilisation are linked and coordinated will happiness be assured”.
And also that, “successful development efforts require, above all, a spirit of cooperation and collaboration among the participants in the development process. The absence of such a spirit of common endeavour up to the present time — within local communities and nations as well as between countries — constitutes in our view the main reason for the limited success . . . and the persistence of gross economic inequalities . . . The required higher level of co-operation can only be motivated by a sincere appreciation for the unity of all human beings. Only on such a basis can prejudices related to nation, race, religion, sex, and other prejudices that hinder determined and equitable development activities be eradicated”.
Besides the importance of co-operation at every level, it is essential that all members of a community have input into decisions that affect the entire group. Through dialogue at grassroots level the experiences and aspirations of the people can be incorporated in shaping action.
According to the Universal House of Justice (the governing council of the Bahá’í international community), in a 1985 statement entitled ‘the Promise of World Peace’: “The inordinate disparity between rich and poor, a source of acute suffering, keeps the world in a state of instability, virtually on the brink of war. Few societies have dealt effectively with this situation. The solution calls for the combined application of spiritual, moral and practical approaches. A fresh look at the problem is required, entailing consultation with experts from a wide spectrum of disciplines . . . and involving the people directly affected in the decisions that must urgently be made.”
The above quotations raise a number of points about cooperation. First, co-operation should be aimed at eliminating human suffering and at ensuring that every individual meets his/ her basic human needs.
Second, close cooperation among the local population through participatory groups and organisations is important for the success of community development efforts if they are to be sustainable and equitable. 
Third, development strategies should include all members of community concerned and in particular women, who have often been left out in the past. 
Besides, according to a statement of the Bahá’í International Community: “co-operation between countries is essential in eradicating the gross inequalities among nations that continue to destabilise the world. A new level of conscious recognition of world community must be brought about in order for developed and developing countries to be willing to co-operate . . .”
In order to cultivate an attitude of cooperation at all the levels of society, there is need for universal education in the oneness of humanity and the concept of world citizenship. Besides, science and religion should be used both in order to come up with effective strategies and plans for the kind of development we are seeking.
The creation of a peaceful and just society, in which every individual is able to meet his/ her basic human needs; the people of diverse background cooperate and live in harmony, will require a significant reorientation of individual and collective goals and a profound transformation in attitudes and behaviours. We have to set aside trends based on past thinking and ask fundamental questions and reconsider the basis of development theory, both in terms of science and in terms of religion. 
Religious and spiritual values should be viewed not as separate from “real world concerns,” but as vital sources of knowledge and motivation, as source  of values, insights, and energy without which social cohesion and collective action are difficult, if not impossible, to achieve.