On Thursday, August 20, the Pre-Congress “Organizations that care. Conversations about care” was held , organized by the Center for the Study of Interpersonal Relations of the ICF , within the framework of the X International Congress of Interpersonal Relations, which took place in the Buenos Aires Legislature.

The meeting began with the words of Dr. Dolores Vicente , dean of the Institute of Sciences for the Family, who pointed out that currently “we are experiencing the unprecedented phenomenon for humanity at the national and international level, which is the drastic fall in the birth rate and the sustained increase in longevity,” which entail a structural change and a crisis of care.

In the face of this crisis, he presented "the dynamic of the gift, and the logic of care, which have their origin in the human heart: 'whoever was cared for, will care'", highlighting that "human life is sustained by responsibility, confirming that man is not self-sufficient but eminently relational and that society is a network of relationships."

In closing, he addressed the organizations present as “agents and professionals motivated by a transcendent desire, willing to contribute to the face of reality, as great builders of hope. It is in this way that we can all respond, central elements that represent care, and will allow us to achieve the humanitarian prosperity that the logic of the current world demands. Let us begin to make the invisible visible.”

These words were echoed by Patricia Glize , a member of the Buenos Aires City Legislature, who thanked the university and the organizations present for fostering dialogue, noting that “in politics, we often lag behind what organizations are doing. You are on the ground and have extensive experience; we need to learn to listen to you and translate that experience into decisions here in the legislature.” For her part, Sofía Torroba , Undersecretary for Disability of the Buenos Aires City Government, highlighted the opportunity this forum provided to learn about and recognize the “enormous work” of civil society: “Care work is intersectoral, and the government has a fundamental role, but without civil society, the private sector, the university, and academia, it is impossible to carry it out.”

Next, the first panel, "Care as an Organizing Principle," was moderated by Pedro Crespi of the Discar Foundation . Participants included Felipe Laxague of the Jérôme Lejeune Foundation ; Magdalena Saieg of the Navarro Viola Foundation ; and Vanesa Epstein of AMIA Social. They discussed the implementation of care within their organizations and the challenges they face in carrying out care initiatives. To conclude the panel, Crespi emphasized that care involves "giving people the tools they need to live their lives to the fullest, supporting them through the different stages of their lives. This is much more than an act of charity; it is, above all, the ultimate expression of social justice."

The second panel, on “Care as an Innovative and Networked Practice,” was moderated by Paula Watcher of Red por la Infancia (Network for Children) and included the participation of Dolores Irigoin from Fundación Espartanos ( Spartans Foundation ); Matías Najún from Hospice Buen Samaritano (Good Samaritan Hospice ); Daniela Dávila from Fundación Pilares (Pilares Foundation ) ; and María Belén Milici from “El Granero” (The Granary) . They discussed how they approach networked care work. In conclusion, Watcher noted that “Building networks allows us to dismantle myths, make visible the problems that were evident to us and compelled us to commit, and also to raise awareness among all stakeholders, put it on the agenda, and commit to co-creating change so that they become protagonists of the social change we want to see.”