Tiempos difíciles: Crisis políticas y esperanza en las dimensiones individual y colectiva

Crises are constant individual and collective phenomena in human history and, therefore, have profound implications in the lives of individuals and their communities of reference. When we speak of a political crisis we mean the problems that originate, directly or indirectly, in the spheres of management of a given political system and can also derive in economic, social or environmental crises, among others. The purpose of this editorial is, on the one hand, to serve as a presentation for the October-December issue of Cuestiones Políticas, Vol. 41 No. 79 of the year 2023, on the other hand, to develop an editorial on a topic of general interest. The reflections developed allow us to conclude that, at least in some crises, organized civil society, without the participation of state actors or agencies, can build forms of social capital that, although they are not enough to solve systemic problems, improve the situation of many people by solving everyday problems through community organization practices, the emergence of non-partisan leadership and intersubjective relationships of solidarity that strengthen the social fabric.