The conference marked the conclusion of a two-year Erasmus+ cooperation project designed to raise awareness among young people about the deep interconnection between consumption patterns, working conditions, human rights, and climate challenges worldwide. In addition to theoretical input, the initiative emphasized practical engagement, equipping participants with tools and strategies to help build a more just and sustainable future.
Through workshops, training sessions, and international exchanges developed throughout the project, organizers worked to make complex global supply chains more accessible and relevant to young people. Educational resources—including a handbook, a youth work toolkit, and an interactive “escape room” game—were presented as innovative methods to foster understanding and active participation.
The main public conference day, held at Europahaus Wien, featured discussions with representatives from politics, academia, and business, including Members of the European Parliament Andreas Schieder and Lena Schilling.
A significant highlight of the program was the contribution of Don Bosco Mission Bonn, which brought an essential Global South perspective to the discussions. Sister Lisa Elavunkal from Assam, India, offered a compelling account of exploitation in the tea industry, illustrating the human realities at the very beginning of global supply chains. Her testimony underscored how education and empowerment—central to the Don Bosco charism—enable young people to recognize injustice and work toward social transformation.
Rooted in Don Bosco’s educational vision, which places young people—especially the most vulnerable—at the center, the conference reaffirmed the importance of forming active and responsible citizens. By connecting international perspectives with concrete youth engagement, the event demonstrated that fair supply chains and sustainable development are not abstract ideals, but urgent and everyday concerns.
The conference was organized by the Austrian development organization Jugend Eine Welt in collaboration with its European partner organizations.
