Title: Science and Technology for Human Advancement | Bahá’í International Community
Headings: Statements
Statements
Science and Technology for Human Advancement
Statement to the United Nations Conference on Science and Technology for Development
A Balanced Civilization
Curing Disunity
Agents for Human Enrichment
The Most Potent Forces
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Content: It has become clear, however, that even in the most advanced countries, present material development cannot be sustained into the future; and even more important, that it does not lead to the happiness and tranquillity of mankind. For if material civilization outruns the social and spiritual progress of man, as it does today, it will cause great harm and threaten the survival of the human race. Curing Disunity
It is not surprising to the Baha'i­ International Community, therefore, that a permanent solution to global problems may still seem elusive and distant, since all efforts at development, including those using science and technology, will have only temporary effect unless the basic problem of our age, the disunity of the peoples of our planet, is first recognized, its fundamental cause understood, and its expression in individual and social behavior eliminated. Regarding this span of earth as "but one homeland and one habitation," Baha'i­s see the establishment of unity among peoples of all backgrounds as a paramount condition for the peace and happiness of individuals and nations. The development process should accordingly employ science and technology first of all to reflect fully the fundamental organic oneness of the human race, by helping to abolish all prejudice and divisiveness, whether of class, creed, sex, race, or nationality. Agents for Human Enrichment
We know that, if correctly employed, science can lead to the betterment of the human race, to the development of the qualities of humanity, and to an understanding of the mysteries of the universe. we know that it has the potential to eradicate poverty, enrich humanity, and free it from the struggle for existence. If the material exists, as Baha'i­s believe, for the benefit of human beings, it is through science that we can understand the potential of existing resources and learn to develop this natural heritage for ourselves and future generations. Science should, therefore, be pursued to improve human life, and have as its conscious and ultimate goal the establishment of world peace and the unification of the human race.