in harmony with the evolving interests of a rapidly maturing human race.
Such principles include the obligation of those in authority to win the
confidence, respect, and genuine support of those whose actions they seek
to govern; to consult openly and to the fullest extent possible with all
whose interests are affected by decisions being arrived at; to assess in
an objective manner both the real needs and the aspirations of the
communities they serve; to benefit from scientific and moral advancement
in order to make appropriate use of the community's resources, including
the energies of its members. No single principle of effective authority is
so important as giving priority to building and maintaining unity among
the members of a society and the members of its administrative
institutions. Reference has already been made to the intimately associated
issue of commitment to the search for justice in all matters.

Clearly, such principles can operate only within a culture that is
essentially democratic in spirit and method. To say this, however, is not
to endorse the ideology of partisanship that has everywhere boldly assumed
democracy's name and which, despite impressive contributions to human
progress in the past, today finds itself mired in the cynicism, apathy,
and corruption to which it has given rise. In selecting those who are to
take collective decisions on its behalf, society does not need and is not
well served by the political theater of nominations, candidature,
electioneering, and solicitation. It lies within the capacity of all
people, as they become progressively educated and convinced that their
real development interests are being served by programs proposed to them,
to adopt electoral procedures that will gradually refine the selection of
their decision-making bodies.

As the integration of humanity gains momentum, those who are thus selected
will increasingly have to see all their efforts in a global perspective.
Not only at the national, but also at the local level, the elected
governors of human affairs should, in Baha'u'llah's view, consider
themselves responsible for the welfare of all of humankind.

VII

The task of creating a global development strategy that will accelerate
humanity's coming-of-age constitutes a challenge to reshape fundamentally
all the institutions of society. The protagonists to whom the challenge
addresses itself are all of the inhabitants of the planet: the genera