In recent times, several global agreements including the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) have successfully presented a road map and a shared vision of building just societies throughout the world.

Peace, human security, economic prosperity and social justice the four pillars of just societies are the aspirations of each and every citizen of the world. The hope for peace, the search for social justice and indeed the quest for economic prosperity outweigh the experience of terror and war. A new wave of citizen participation and means to organize, globally, nationally and locally has given new meaning to the mission of building just societies. Today, the avowed goals of prosperity, equity and social justice for all are not only a universal ambition, but also regarded as a basic right of all citizens. There is also a collective resolve to realize these goals.

In order to build just societies, governments and civil society organizations are now exploring new mechanisms of partnership and devising new ways of running the businesses of the states. International organizations, NGOs and governments are becoming increasingly responsive to public demands for greater space in governance. The result is a redefinition of the state- citizen relationship and evolution of new meanings to the concept of citizenship itself. These new developments warrant creation of new institutions, new skills and new forms of leadership.

The ability of the citizens, governments, businesses, non-governmental and non-profit organizations and other civic entities to work together for the common good of the societies, to build just societies requires both a philosophical commitment to and concerted actions to realize these values.