From 25 to 27 March 2025, ‘Pact4Future’, the international forum organised by Università Bocconi and Corriere della Sera that aims to build a more inclusive and sustainable future under the banner of the three words ‘People, Purpose and Planet’, returned to Milan. Experts from all over the world met students and the civil society to address the most pressing challenges, proposing good practices already being implemented in the business and non-profit world to generate positive impacts for both society and the planet. Among the speakers was also Sr. Alessandra Smerilli, FMA, Secretary of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, who participated in a reflection on ‘Global health and inequalities: how to guarantee care for all’.
Sr. Smerilli introduced ‘care’ as a broad concept, as something fundamental that defines the human being. Caring for others, oneself and the Common Home is what best respects this deepest meaning. Relationships themselves, based on mutual care, are the basis of everyday life. For the construction of a more just society, the recognition of ‘care’ as a fundamental value and the proper valorisation of ‘care work’ in social policies is necessary; this can bring the person and his or her dignity back to the centre.
Care and work are closely related; work is participation, it is essential to feel recognised and the same applies to care. However, while great social and economic progress has been made in the area of work over the years, the same cannot be said for care. In fact, activities related to this sphere are often less well paid than before. It is therefore important to change the social norms; work and care are interconnected and care will not be properly valued unless the way work is understood and the time devoted to it is restructured. It is necessary to re-value care in order to restore well-being and reduce inequalities.
A cultural change in the approach to care is therefore essential: from being considered something ‘to be contracted out’, care work should be revalued as an essential dimension. Only by taking care of each other will it soon be possible to build a more equitable and supportive society.