Between May 21 and May 29, 2026, twenty-four young people aged 16 to 30 from Austria, Türkiye, and Germany gathered at the Sommerhaus Hotel in Linz for the Rights Matter Erasmus+ youth exchange. Co-funded by the European Union, this nine-day mobility project focused on human rights, active citizenship, and civic responsibility, proving to be much more than just a typical trip. Coordinated by Love Unity in Austria, alongside partners Journey to Essence Youth in Türkiye and My Voice in Wuppertal und Umgebung e.V. in Germany, the initiative aimed to empower youth to understand and advocate for their rights. To ensure a truly inclusive environment, half of the young participants came from fewer-opportunity backgrounds, reinforcing the realization that diversity and different people coming together are what truly strengthen a community.
The journey through the streets of Austria provided a deep dive into the essence of human rights and how these powerful concepts translate into daily life. By exploring the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the participating organizations' basic laws, the group internalized the fundamental principle that human dignity is inviolable. Rather than remaining just a legal sentence, this concept became a shield for equality, the right to education, and freedom of belief. To see how these rights operate in the real world, the exchange included two significant study visits:
The Ombud for Equal Treatment: Participants learned about Austria's independent, free, and confidential equality body that protects individuals from discrimination at work or in public services.
The JKU Law Faculty: Johannes Kepler University hosted an interactive workshop detailing how international human rights become national law, followed by a campus tour highlighting future European study paths.
These real-world experiences highlighted that while dedicated institutions work to protect these rights, active work remains necessary to fully eliminate discrimination. Throughout the workshops, participants shared the firm conviction that every voice matters and that human rights cannot wait. They translated their learning into five creative formats: a poster, a short film, a collage, a theatre piece, and a digital campaign under the hashtag #RightsMatter. The group also engaged in personal reflection using a life-size figure named "Erasmusio" to track their fears, expectations, and contributions from the beginning to the end of the exchange.
By the end of the project, all twenty-eight individuals involved—including twenty-four participants, three leaders, and one facilitator—received Youthpass certificates reflecting their newly acquired competencies in areas like multilingualism, digital skills, and citizenship. Although the days in Linz concluded, the participants left with lasting friendships and a cemented belief in values like the right to privacy and freedom of movement. The project ultimately taught them that true education extends beyond classroom walls, respect is a stance to carry forward, and building a more just world begins with a single voice.
