Javier Prades, Rector of the San Damaso University of Madrid. Introduced by Bernhard Scholz, President of the Meeting for Friendship Among Peoples Foundation.

In this pivotal moment of change we can notice the first signs of a significant discontinuity: the overcoming of a certain superficiality towards oneself, the re-emergence of existential questions that were minimized or neglected for a long time, the acknowlegement of the limits of individualism and the search for more solid and supportive relationships. The economic and ecological crises, the pandemic and geopolitical uncertainties have led many people to take a new look at themselves. In this context, the Danish philosopher’s invitation to “the courage to say ‘I'” becomes particularly powerful in recognising the deep needs of our lives, in order to follow without ado the desire for good and the search for truth that opens our “I” to the world and to relations with others. A courage that does not resign itself to the drama of life, but takes it up as a challenge to discover what can fulfil the expectations resonating in every “I”.