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On a group level, respect for justice, as we said , is an indispensable compass in the collective decision-making process, because it is the only tool for attaining unity of thought and action. Far from encouraging that punitive spirit that often in past eras was disguised under its name, justice is the practical expression of awareness that, in the pursuance of human progress, the interests of the individual and of society are inseparably linked. (70:3) encourages a consultative atmosphere that allows an impartial examination of options and a choice of the most proper courses of actions. In this climate the probabilities that the perennial tendencies towards manipulation and the spirit of side-taking can lead the decision-making process astray are sharply reduced. The implications in terms of economic and social development are profound. Respect for justice is a protection against defining progress as the temptation to sacrifice the well-being of the majority of humankind and of the planet for the advantages that technological victories can put at disposal of privileged minorities. In designing and planning, respect for justice assures that resources, already limited, are not diverted towards the pursuit of projects extraneous to the essential social or economical priorities of the community. Above all, only development programs that are considered adequate to the needs of the masses of humanity and which are just and equal in their goals can hope to attain the commitment of those masses on which their application depends [76].
(70:4)
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