Sesión Principal 5

Con 70 años de experiencia, las líneas de ayuda brindan apoyo emocional en momentos de crisis y promueven el bienestar emocional, gracias a decenas de miles de voluntarios capacitados que fortalecen el tejido social. 

Esta sesión presentará las experiencias y proyectos más inspiradores de TES, destacando su papel en fomentar cualidades humanas, anticipar el malestar social, y ofrecer perspectivas positivas y orientadas al futuro en un mundo que cambia rápidamente.

Change is part of life. It happens continuously, to each of us: sometimes by choice, sometimes by necessity; sometimes as an opening, sometimes as a loss. We need tools to interpret the changing world, to understand our minds and our relationships, to orient ourselves in times of uncertainty. Hence the invitation to not fear change and to begin to inhabit it, not out of resignation, but by choice; not to simplify the world, but to learn to navigate its complexity with awareness, responsibility, and balance. Because the ability to embrace change - inside and outside of us - holds the possibility of growing as individuals and as a community.

Drawing on the reflections, evidence, and contributions of the 22nd IFOTES "Winds of Hope" Congress, Stefania Pascut has written the book "Embracing Uncertainty," in which she analyzes resilience as a personal and collective skill: from the analysis of uncertainty to self-knowledge, from social relationships to the digital context, from artificial intelligence to the mind-body connection. An invitation not to fear the unpredictable, but to actively engage with it.

The study conducted by the Social Observatory of Télé-Accueil Brussels is based on testimonies from volunteer listeners and a theoretical analysis aimed at understanding why this volunteer commitment is so essential. Listening provided by volunteers offers a unique space for free expression, free from therapeutic injunctions or expectations of concrete outcomes. Trained and carefully supervised, these citizens embody genuine solidarity that helps free speech in the face of social crises, supports people through hardship, and combats isolation. Unlike a professional’s therapeutic approach, which focuses on diagnosis, structured follow-up, and long-term goals for change, volunteer listening values the present moment, unconditional acceptance, and the strengthening of the social fabric. The complementarity between listening provided by citizen volunteers and the professional support network is invaluable: the therapist guides toward deep transformation, while the volunteer offers immediate, citizen-based support. 

For more than 60 years, IFOTES member helplines have responded to the emotional needs of European citizens, 24 hours a day, every day of the year. The information and data collected - through approximately 4 million phone calls annually, as well as 350,000 chats and emails - are representative of the emotional well-being of the population. These data illustrate the evolution of social well-being across the continent and provide valuable insights for predicting mental health trends.