Faced with global challenges, tragic scenarios affecting the planet, and the news that reaches us, it seems as if everything conspires to take our breath away, darkening the horizon. Hope appears as a fragile commodity, almost a mirage. Therefore, it seems natural to ask this question: can we still hope for a better future for humanity, or are we condemned to resignation?

In this situation, the thoughts of the German philosopher Ernst Bloch (1885-1977) can be helpful: “Hope is not a passive illusion, but a 'dream forward,' an active principle that anticipates what has not yet happened. It is linked to the idea that the future is open and malleable, not predetermined.‘[1].

This is how each of us "can continue to wait," like someone daydreaming. If we know how to look closely, we can glimpse the dawn of a new awakening that is already here. We see it in a teacher's passion for education, in an entrepreneur's honesty, in the integrity of someone who manages with respect, in a couple's fidelity, in a child's embrace, in a nurse's care, in a grandmother's patience, in the courage of someone who peacefully resists violence, in a community's welcoming spirit.

Even more telling of hope is the testimony of children in war zones, where they find safe havens to safeguard their future. This is evident in the drawings created by the girls and boys participating in Save the Children's psychosocial support programs. Among pencils and colors emerge dreams of becoming doctors, writers, or fashion designers… These safe spaces where they gather offer them an environment to play, express themselves, and imagine a future beyond the conflict. The artwork was shared on World Mental Health Day, October 10, 2025, and testifies to the resilience of children in the face of war.[2].

And no less importantly, we find hope in the millions of people around the world—children, young people, adults, and the elderly—who, afflicted by serious illnesses, face with strength, tenacity, and resilience the challenge of overcoming this obstacle that life has placed in their path. What courage and what a lesson in love for life these people offer us!

These small, everyday signs remind us that hope is not an illusion, but a real force, born from the love that radiates and is capable of transforming society step by step.

Everyone thirsts for hope, both those near us and those far away (physically, existentially, or culturally). This idea invites us not to remain still, but to take a step to bring hope to those who need it and have lost their sense of purpose. Let us approach them with a gesture of care, becoming neighbors, offering our love gently and freely. Many await it, and we are called to reach them all.

As the Congolese poet Henri Boukoulou writes: «[…] Oh, divine hope! Behold, in the desperate sob of the wind, the first lines of the most beautiful love poem are being written. And tomorrow… is hope!»[3].

[1] Ernst Bloch (1885-1977), Das Prinzip Hoffnung (1954-1959)- “The Principle of Hope” (Spanish edition).
[2] https://www.cittanuova.it/multimedia/i-sogni-dei-bambini-di-gaza-tra-guerra-e-colori
[3] Cf. AA.VV. Poeti Africani Anti-Apartheid, I vol., Edizioni dell'Arco, Milano, 2003.