As Bernhard Scholz, president of the Meeting Foundation for Friendship Among Peoples, said, “In recent years, the Meeting has highlighted the vital force of those who, amid numerous 'deserts' – loneliness, despair, conflicts, wars – have been able to build places of authentic sharing. This momentum comes from a deep gratitude, which allows for the construction of good even where it seems impossible.”

The 2025 edition of the Meeting aims to be a place for dialogue and discussion, to collect and share experiences of construction that go beyond mere technicality or utilitarian approaches. The approximately 100 conferences, 15 exhibitions, and an equal number of shows, as well as the Kids Village and the sports areas currently in the planning stages, will all be opportunities to present experiences of reconstruction and transformation. “We want to bring to light the ability”, adds Scholz, “to turn situations of stagnation or crisis into an opportunity for rebirth, rediscovering the strength of work, solidarity, and creativity.”

The president of the Meeting especially emphasizes the relationship between gratitude and construction. “Gratitude”, explains Scholz, “is a source of energy and intelligence for facing the most complex challenges. Gratitude for life, for the talents received, for friendships, for the beauty that surrounds us, and for the history that has passed on to us an invaluable heritage.”

During the Meeting, crucial topics such as the crisis of relationships, social fragmentation, climate change, technological acceleration, and geopolitical conflicts will be addressed. “The Meeting is an invitation to everyone,” concludes Scholz, “to contribute to building places of encounter and hope. It is not just an event, but an experience in which everyone can be a protagonist of a construction that leaves its mark. In the desert places of our time, we can truly discover and use “new bricks” to build a more humane and just future.”