INDORE, India — How can economic structures be transformed to better reflect humanity’s inherent interdependence and capacity for cooperation rather than competition? This question animated discussions at a recent symposium organized by the Bahá’í Chair for Studies in Development at Devi Ahilya University.

“A truly caring economy must recognize that human beings are not just material creatures with physical needs, but spiritual beings capable of developing noble qualities through service to others,” said Arash Fazli, Head of the Bahá’í Chair, in his opening remarks at the discussion forum titled “Transforming Economic Structures to Build a More Caring India”.

The symposium, the third in a series examining some of the implications of building a more caring world, was held by the Bahá’í Chair in collaboration with the University’s School of Economics. The forum brought together economists, academics, and development practitioners to examine how economic systems can better recognize and value care work while fostering spiritual capacities essential for social transformation.

In a paper distributed to participants, the Bahá’í Chair explored how current economic structures, by emphasizing competition and self-interest, often work against the fundamental principle of the oneness of humankind.

While current economic structures may be efficient at distributing goods and services, they frequently undervalue care work—labor that is vital for sustaining human life and developing human potential. This devaluation perpetuates conditions where caring work, predominantly performed by women and economically disadvantaged groups, becomes a source of social and economic inequality.

The paper emphasizes that transforming these structures requires recognizing the spiritual dimension of human life and the essential role of qualities such as love, reciprocity, and trustworthiness in economic life.

“Care opens a new vista on human nature,” the paper reads. “When viewed through the lens of care, people are seen to belong to one human family bound by bonds of interdependence, and yet unique in themselves, with each individual possessing an inalienable moral worth that requires that she or he be treated with dignity and respect.”

Naresh Singh, Professor and Executive Dean at the Jindal School of Government and Public Policy, highlighted the importance of expanding conceptions of development beyond material measures. “We need to move away from a narrow view of individuals as profit-maximizing to a broader view of material and spiritual prosperity,” he said.

Dr. Fazli echoed this sentiment, observing how the structures of society and its institutions can promote or inhibit certain values. “What we value in society is very much shaped by the structures of our society. If a structure is built on the assumption that human beings are utility-maximizing, profit-seeking, and self-interested, then that structure shapes people to behave like that.

“Development should be seen as distinct from pure economic growth,” he noted. “We need to foster both spiritual and material prosperity, recognizing that human beings have the capacity to transcend purely material considerations.”

In reflecting on the symposium’s discussions, Dr. Fazli pointed to examples from Bahá’í community-building initiatives across India where new patterns of economic life are emerging.

“In villages and neighborhoods, we see how Bahá’í community-building endeavors and social action initiatives—such as collective agricultural projects and other income generating undertakings—that bring people together from different backgrounds, are in fact creating spaces where caring capabilities are nurtured,” he explained.

“These efforts provide insight into how service to one’s fellow human beings can foster economic relationships based on cooperation rather than competition, and service to others rather than narrow self-interest.”