Querida Amazonía celebrates its fifth webinar entitled “Weaving Hope from the Everyday: A Call from Our Smallness”

This meeting of reflection and commitment was inspired by Pope Francis' message and the need to build networks from the small and the community.

On May 7, 2025, the Querida Amazonía group held its fifth webinar entitled "Weaving Hope into the Everyday: A Call from Our Smallness." This virtual event was characterized by a spirit of unity, listening, and commitment to the challenges currently facing the peoples of the Amazon and, in general, our humanity. The event aimed to strengthen the call to weave networks of hope from the concrete and everyday. It also served as a tribute to Pope Francis, recognizing his tireless exhortation to live as "pilgrims of hope."

Throughout the event, testimonies, theological reflections, and community experiences were shared, highlighting how hope, more than a feeling, constitutes a way of life built on the small, the everyday, and the collective.

This session was opened by Fr. Peter Mullan, L.C., who gave a talk entitled "Keys to Understanding the Jubilee of Hope," in which he recalled that Christ never abandons us, even in the midst of darkness, and emphasized that hope is born from faith in the resurrection, transforming pain into trust.

On this occasion, the webinar was divided into two panels. The first, titled "Hope as a Virtue," featured three keynote speakers:

Juan Miguel Espinoza, professor at the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru, proposed three keys to rekindling hope: recognizing Christ's infinite love, cultivating a hopeful outlook, and embodying this virtue in our actions. He also emphasized that hope is not passive, but rather a task and a responsibility that translates into commitment.

Ronald Rivera, a Venezuelan lay theologian from the Diocese of Tenerife, delved into the theological dimension of hope, recalling that even God expects a response of love, inviting us to return to the heart of the Gospel as an authentic source of hope in a world saturated with false promises.

During her presentation, Ms. Karen Castillo, director of IMDOSOC, highlighted three essential concepts: weaving, everyday life, and smallness, and emphasized that hope doesn't originate in grand gestures, but in the simple and constant connections we cultivate daily. "Weaving hope is a collective task," she added.

The second panel addressed hope from a pastoral perspective, led by Dr. Jovani Fernández, who structured the discussion around two key questions: What does it mean to weave hope from the small things? and How do these threads of hope spread wherever we go?

The first to participate was Sister Dolores Palencia, who shared her moving experience of accompanying migrants, highlighting a hope that persists even in the midst of pain and displacement. She concluded by calling for recognition of the land as a common heritage and for viewing borders as constructs that can be overcome when human fraternity is lived.

Along the same lines, Dr. Javier Valbuena, director of the Pondera Foundation, pointed out that the Amazon's greatest burden is indifference. He denounced selfishness as the root of the injustice manifested in environmental exploitation and insensitivity to the suffering of others. To conclude his remarks, he proposed countering this injustice with tenderness, constructive criticism, and a sense of humanity.

From an indigenous worldview, Weica Omaca, a health promoter for the Waoraní people, denounced the deculturation imposed by economic and political powers and stressed the urgency of educating new generations in human values ​​and respect for the identity of indigenous peoples.

Finally, Dr. Yearim Ortiz, professor at the Universidad Iberoamericana and member of the Sant Egidio community, focused her presentation on the transformative power of community among young people. She pointed out how positive influence can inspire paths of love and service, and highlighted the importance of creating networks and alliances to enrich community action.

Without a doubt, this webinar was a space that rekindled the call to live hope as a gift and a choice, as well as the commitment to continue weaving together, through the everyday and the small, a web of hope that transforms the world.