As sustainability and climate crisis are key priorities for young people, the EU and CoE Youth Partnership has been exploring his topic through research on youth climate activism and sustainability in the context of learning mobility, as described in the Youth Knowledge Book #31 on young people and democracy in the climate crisis (2024), which was launched during the final day.
More than 100 participants from the European youth field, including young people, policy makers, youth workers and youth researchers discussed youth engagement in the context of climate crisis, exploring the main emerging priorities, challenges, and innovative responses. A particular emphasis was placed on climate justice, intergenerational dialogue, eco-anxiety and youth mental health, as well as the current polarisation and concerns about the rise of far-right parties in Europe and the different meanings of activism.
The keynote speeches by Eimear Manning (National Youth Council Ireland) and Anúna De Wever Van der Heyden (Youth for Climate Belgium) were highly appreciated for their frankness, vision, and inspirational models.
Among the interesting workshops, DBI took part in the one focused on multiple insecurities, where the climate crisis was analysed under the lens of current conflicts and the involvement of young people from vulnerable and socially marginalised backgrounds.
During the networking evening organised in the presence of ambassadors to the Council of Europe, DBI Executive Secretary had the opportunity to exchange a fruitful dialogue with Monsignor Marco Ganci, Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the CoE.
The protection of peace and future generations is becoming increasingly crucial in today's development of European policies, which tend to invest in security and defense by pursuing a competitive market model.
After days of discussions with young people, it emerged that innovative answers to fight the climate crisis cannot be found only in technological progress, but in the awareness of the need for a change of mindset in our way of life as consumers, citizens, people.
Don Bosco International
