We live in an age of upheaval and crisis; our existence is at the threshold of a new epoch that leaves nothing as it was before. It became clear that the natural materials of our world in transformation were a finite and exhaustible resource. The ambitious projects of humankind were already beset by doubts and the optimism of something better in store for us in the future became ever more subdued. An era of sceptical thinking dawned. What was only recently celebrated as an achievement is today placed in question: democracy, human rights and the bond of solidarity between the generations. But the art of dialogue must always be preserved. The capacity for critical reflection must be repeatedly practised and the sensitivity of our perception deepened.