ntialities of its victims,
corrupts its perpetrators, and blights human progress. Recognition of the
oneness of mankind, implemented by appropriate legal measures, must be
universally upheld if this problem is to be overcome.

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, devoid of
economic and ideological polemics, and involving the people directly
affected in the decisions that must urgently be made. It is an issue that
is bound up not only with the necessity for eliminating extremes of wealth
and poverty but also with those spiritual verities the understanding of
which can produce a new universal attitude. Fostering such an attitude is
itself a major part of the solution.

Unbridled nationalism, as distinguished from a sane and legitimate
patriotism, must give way to a wider loyalty, to the love of humanity as a
whole. Baha'u'llah's statement is: "The earth is but one country, and
mankind its citizens." The concept of world citizenship is a direct result
of the contraction of the world into a single neighbourhood through
scientific advances and of the indisputable interdependence of nations.
Love of all the world's peoples does not exclude love of one's country.
The advantage of the part in a world society is best served by promoting
the advantage of the whole. Current international activities in various
fields which nurture mutual affection and a sense of solidarity among
peoples need greatly to be increased.

Religious strife, throughout history, has been the cause of innumerable
wars and conflicts, a major blight to progress, and is increasingly
abhorrent to the people of all faiths and no faith. Followers of all
religions must be willing to face the basic questions which this strife
raises, and to arrive at clear answers. How are the differences between
them to be resolved, both in theory and in practice? The challenge facing
the religious leaders of mankind is to contemplate, with hearts filled
with the spirit of compassion and a desire for truth, the plight of
humanity, and to ask themselves whether they cannot, in humility before
their Almighty