The event of an encounter is something singular, unrepeatable and unpredictable, one that marks not only a unique moment of temporary contact, but also the past and the future, makes them meaningful, defines them anew. Such an event is, as Esa Kirkkopelto writes in this volume, a "moment of liberty - a feast, a revolution or a catastrophe - a moment we should find again in order to become responsible for it and to it."This volume in itself consists of a network of encounters. The multiplicity of viewpoints, styles and modes of argumentation displays the ultimate aim of our shared project: to form a discursive space where the notion of encounter is not only a theme among others but also a way of thinking.
