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This first unit, titled «Justice and the Oneness of Humankind», consists of three chapters. The first one examines the nature of the evolving conceptual framework that governs our thought and action as we strive to contribute to the advancement of civilization. The next two chapters are dedicated, each in turn, to one of two fundamental elements of the framework: the principle of the oneness of humankind is addressed in Chapter 2, followed by a discussion in Chapter 3 of justice as an essential attribute of the individual and of social structures and processes.

To engage in actions that contribute to significant social change, individuals need to apply certain knowledge, principles and insights gained from experience that are consistent with each other and form elements of a collective conceptual framework. Understanding these elements, sharing and applying them to our reality is something that we must learn to do. This learning occurs through individual study and application, and through interaction with a community committed to a process of consultation, action and reflection.

The elements constituting the conceptual framework explored in this text can be grouped into categories such as our beliefs about fundamental issues of existence; the role knowledge plays both in the life of the individual and in the development of society; the principles governing our lives and our value system; and the approaches and methods we adopt. Various elements of each category are discussed in the following units that constitute this text.