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<!DOCTYPE html><html><head><meta charSet="utf-8" data-next-head=""/><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width" data-next-head=""/><title data-next-head="">Welcome | Encyclopedia of World Problems and Human Potential</title><meta name="description" content="Encyclopedia of World Problems and Human Potential" data-next-head=""/><link rel="canonical" href="https://encyclopedia.uia.org/" data-next-head=""/><link rel="preload" href="/_next/static/media/14423d296b760e9d-s.p.woff2" as="font" type="font/woff2" crossorigin="anonymous" data-next-font="size-adjust"/><link rel="preload" href="/_next/static/css/4172b8472860ef11.css" as="style"/><link rel="preload" href="/_next/static/css/b597001db6c873e0.css" as="style"/><link rel="stylesheet" href="/_next/static/css/4172b8472860ef11.css" data-n-g=""/><link rel="stylesheet" href="/_next/static/css/b597001db6c873e0.css" data-n-p=""/><noscript data-n-css=""></noscript><script defer="" noModule="" src="/_next/static/chunks/polyfills-42372ed130431b0a.js"></script><script src="/_next/static/chunks/webpack-b4df1a4ef8d557f3.js" defer=""></script><script src="/_next/static/chunks/framework-e1318d73d2a43521.js" defer=""></script><script src="/_next/static/chunks/main-334dd76eceb4e3ff.js" defer=""></script><script src="/_next/static/chunks/pages/_app-a052351c6bac0f57.js" defer=""></script><script src="/_next/static/chunks/967-91d1cc4c1cf6b2c2.js" defer=""></script><script src="/_next/static/chunks/157-7a9d1dfe58a1fc04.js" defer=""></script><script src="/_next/static/chunks/pages/index-f4d7d191c743b0af.js" defer=""></script><script src="/_next/static/7wAez8qnAP6b3C9a9wmur/_buildManifest.js" defer=""></script><script src="/_next/static/7wAez8qnAP6b3C9a9wmur/_ssgManifest.js" defer=""></script></head><body><div id="__next"><link rel="stylesheet" href="https://use.typekit.net/ckm0jil.css"/><div class="max-w-screen-xxl px-3 mx-auto __className_8bd802 flex flex-col h-screen relative bg-[url('/uia_logo_bg_right.png')] bg-no-repeat bg-right-top"><header><div class="container flex py-6 mx-auto items-center"><a href="https://uia.org" target="_blank" title="Union of International Associations (UIA)"><img alt="Logo of the Union of International Associations (UIA)" loading="lazy" width="140" height="110" decoding="async" data-nimg="1" style="color:transparent" srcSet="/_next/image?url=%2Fuia_logo.png&w=256&q=75 1x, /_next/image?url=%2Fuia_logo.png&w=384&q=75 2x" src="/_next/image?url=%2Fuia_logo.png&w=384&q=75"/></a><a class="text-lg sm:text-xl lg:text-2xl xl:text-2xl 2xl:text-3xl font-black no-underline self-end mx-2 md:mx-4 lg:mx-6 xl:mx-8 truncate text-sky-800" title="Encyclopedia of World Problems and Human Potential" style="font-variant:small-caps" href="/"><p class="leading-none">ENCYCLOPEDIA</p><p class="leading-none">OF WORLD PROBLEMS</p><p class="leading-none">AND HUMAN POTENTIAL</p></a><a rel="external" class="text-sky-800 hover:text-red-800 font-bold text-2xl ml-auto" title="Search" href="/search"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 16 16" width="1em" height="1em" fill="currentColor" class="bi bi-search" style="fill:rgb(7 89 133)"><path d="M11.742 10.344a6.5 6.5 0 1 0-1.397 1.398h-.001q.044.06.098.115l3.85 3.85a1 1 0 0 0 1.415-1.414l-3.85-3.85a1 1 0 0 0-.115-.1zM12 6.5a5.5 5.5 0 1 1-11 0 5.5 5.5 0 0 1 11 0"></path></svg></a></div></header><main class="container mx-auto"><div class="py-7"><div class="h-full flex flex-col"><h1 class="mb-10 hidden text-4xl font-bold">Welcome</h1><div class=" text-lg">The rapidly changing state of the world makes planning in the face of complex interconnected problems a formidable challenge. Our ability to conceive adequate solutions and strategies is often undermined by our lack of understanding of the nature of problems in their wider context. The<!-- --> <em>Encyclopedia of World Problems and Human Potential</em> offers a radically different perspective to associations, policy-makers, social researchers and those concerned with development strategy. By clarifying the ways in which problems reinforce and sustain each other, the Encyclopedia shifts the level of attention from isolated problems to problem cycles, and thus to sustainable strategy cycles. This allows for a more holistic understanding of the environment in which global problems and strategies are situated.</div><div class="flex-grow flex justify-center"><div class="w-full px-1 py-10 sm:px-6 lg:px-8 lg:py-14 mx-auto"><div class="grid sm:grid-cols-2 md:grid-cols-3 gap-3 sm:gap-6"><a class="group flex flex-col justify-center items-center bg-gray-100 hover:bg-gray-200 border drop-shadow-md lg:drop-shadow-xl rounded-xl hover:shadow-md transition min-h-[130px] md:min-h-[180px] lg:min-h-[230px] xl:min-h-[280px] p-8 text-center text-nowrap" href="/problems"><div class="p-4 md:p-5"><div class="flex justify-between items-center gap-x-3"><div class="grow"><h2 class="group-hover:text-red-800 text-xl xl:text-2xl font-semibold text-sky-800 hover:text-red-800">World Problems</h2></div><div><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 16 16" width="1em" height="1em" fill="currentColor" class="bi bi-caret-right"><path d="M6 12.796V3.204L11.481 8zm.659.753 5.48-4.796a1 1 0 0 0 0-1.506L6.66 2.451C6.011 1.885 5 2.345 5 3.204v9.592a1 1 0 0 0 1.659.753"></path></svg></div></div></div></a><a class="group flex flex-col justify-center items-center bg-gray-100 hover:bg-gray-200 border drop-shadow-md lg:drop-shadow-xl rounded-xl hover:shadow-md transition min-h-[130px] md:min-h-[180px] lg:min-h-[230px] xl:min-h-[280px] p-8 text-center text-nowrap" href="/strategies"><div class="p-4 md:p-5"><div class="flex justify-between items-center gap-x-3"><div class="grow"><h2 class="group-hover:text-red-800 text-xl xl:text-2xl font-semibold text-sky-800 hover:text-red-800">Global Strategies</h2></div><div><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 16 16" width="1em" height="1em" fill="currentColor" class="bi bi-caret-right"><path d="M6 12.796V3.204L11.481 8zm.659.753 5.48-4.796a1 1 0 0 0 0-1.506L6.66 2.451C6.011 1.885 5 2.345 5 3.204v9.592a1 1 0 0 0 1.659.753"></path></svg></div></div></div></a><a class="group flex flex-col justify-center items-center bg-gray-100 hover:bg-gray-200 border drop-shadow-md lg:drop-shadow-xl rounded-xl hover:shadow-md transition min-h-[130px] md:min-h-[180px] lg:min-h-[230px] xl:min-h-[280px] p-8 text-center text-nowrap" href="/values"><div class="p-4 md:p-5"><div class="flex justify-between items-center gap-x-3"><div class="grow"><h2 class="group-hover:text-red-800 text-xl xl:text-2xl font-semibold text-sky-800 hover:text-red-800">Human Values</h2></div><div><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 16 16" width="1em" height="1em" fill="currentColor" class="bi bi-caret-right"><path d="M6 12.796V3.204L11.481 8zm.659.753 5.48-4.796a1 1 0 0 0 0-1.506L6.66 2.451C6.011 1.885 5 2.345 5 3.204v9.592a1 1 0 0 0 1.659.753"></path></svg></div></div></div></a><a class="group flex flex-col justify-center items-center bg-gray-100 hover:bg-gray-200 border drop-shadow-md lg:drop-shadow-xl rounded-xl hover:shadow-md transition min-h-[130px] md:min-h-[180px] lg:min-h-[230px] xl:min-h-[280px] p-8 text-center text-nowrap" href="/development"><div class="p-4 md:p-5"><div class="flex justify-between items-center gap-x-3"><div class="grow"><h2 class="group-hover:text-red-800 text-xl xl:text-2xl font-semibold text-sky-800 hover:text-red-800">Human Development</h2></div><div><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 16 16" width="1em" height="1em" fill="currentColor" class="bi bi-caret-right"><path d="M6 12.796V3.204L11.481 8zm.659.753 5.48-4.796a1 1 0 0 0 0-1.506L6.66 2.451C6.011 1.885 5 2.345 5 3.204v9.592a1 1 0 0 0 1.659.753"></path></svg></div></div></div></a><a class="group flex flex-col justify-center items-center bg-gray-100 hover:bg-gray-200 border drop-shadow-md lg:drop-shadow-xl rounded-xl hover:shadow-md transition min-h-[130px] md:min-h-[180px] lg:min-h-[230px] xl:min-h-[280px] p-8 text-center text-nowrap" href="/patterns"><div class="p-4 md:p-5"><div class="flex justify-between items-center gap-x-3"><div class="grow"><h2 class="group-hover:text-red-800 text-xl xl:text-2xl 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