Global communities are facing one of the most challenging times with multiple forces influencing the way communities are being developed and sustained. They face varied risks: economic, geopolitical, environmental, technological and societal risks.

Rising urbanisation, ageing population, increasing wealth and income disparity, continuing polarisation of societies; rapid rise of chronic diseases; malnutrition; and poor access to health care have become key issues needing immediate resolution. This is compounded by sectarian violence; failing urban planning policies; falling governance standards; financial risks, diminishing employment; forced migration; and natural resource conflicts which have led to micro and macro level disruptions in communities.

Rapid changes of attitudes in areas such as gender, languages, education, race, multiculturalism, environmental protection have changed the framework of creative and constructive collaboration. Conflicts of diverse nature leading to global migration of people have led to loss of property, learning opportunity, inaccessibility to healthcare and indigenous knowledge systems.

Rising income and wealth disparity is rated as the most important trend in determining the standard of social developments over the next 10 years. Advances and deployment of new technologies, both physical and digital have radically altered the fundamentals of business and society in diverse ways. These have been compounded by lack of proper energy, water and food security policies. Timely resolution of these complexities will need continuous and iterative dialogues between all the stakeholders.

We seek to engage with the global communities in these spheres to develop a repository of knowledge and new pathways for the future.