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Wednesday, 1 pm.

Grey and white tents gather on the market square in Dornbirn, along with more and more people wearing FFP2 masks and keeping a safe distance. The 24-hour protest begins. Wet conditions, snow and temperatures below zero will ensure that it won’t be too cosy. The theme is clearly visible and audible: “Jetzt schlägt’s 13” or “Wir haben Platz” is written on the posters. Supporters give speeches and sing, there are video contributions and dance interludes, the audience is kept warm by a flash mob. And it’s always about the conditions in Europe’s refugee camps, calls to improve the situation and to agree on humane solutions on the ground. There is definitely nothing absurd about what we youth ambassadors, together with many supporters, have demanded and continue to demand. Respect for the most basic rights of our society. The very rights on which our much-loved “values” are built. The rights that are enshrined in the core of the Austrian Republic. Human rights and, above all, children’s rights.

What does that mean in concrete terms? Children must be able to grow up safely. They have a right to a peaceful home and basic supplies of medicine, food and water. In addition, children should also have space to develop. In the refugee camps, there are no places of retreat, no privacy, no freedom. There is a lack of safe spaces to play and dream. There is little or no access to education. The lack of psychological support is particularly bad. Most refugee children suffer from chronic anxiety, panic attacks, depression and suicidal thoughts. Children live in danger on European soil every day. The camps are the places of their childhood. How are they supposed to learn to overcome these traumas without professional help and intensive care? How will they ever grow up to be healthy and happy adults?

There are often people who argue that so many children are in a bad way and that not everyone can be helped. But what about those whose fate is in our hands? How can we simply stand by and watch? How can Austria commit itself to protecting children’s rights by ratifying the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and not fulfil these obligations in the EU’s hotspots?

If the politicians fail, the population must put pressure on them. This one night should be a sign of solidarity and at the same time a renewed wake-up call to society that things cannot go on like this. To remind people that the horror does not end when they reach Europe’s borders. In the camps, they face chronic overcrowding, inadequate accommodation and care, mud and rats, long periods of detention, violence and danger, a lack of prospects and hopelessness. Given this long list of problems, it is incomprehensible to me why people are still asking why we are campaigning for something to change as quickly as possible. The rights of those who are particularly worthy of protection are at stake. Change is needed. Quick, joint and sustainable solutions. Actions that give people back their dignity. Actions that not only give hope, but above all realise dreams. Because no child can build a future from one-off payments, nice gestures and empty words.

‘How was the night?

I think about this question as I sit in the warm kitchen at home, fresh from a hot shower, a cup of tea on the table in front of me.
One night. In the cold, in the snow, outdoors. What is this compared to the conditions in which people and especially children have to live in the refugee camps in Europe? One night. How many for the refugees? I think of what was going through my mind as I lay in my sleeping bag. What would it be like to spend the night here, not knowing how much longer? On wet blankets because the rain flooded the tent again yesterday? Not being able to fall asleep because I’m worried about my child’s future, which looks a little bleaker every day? I thought about the shattered dreams, the fears and worries, the feeling of hopelessness.
I realised that we had a choice that night in the protest camp. If it gets too cold, we have a room to warm up in. If I don’t feel well, there is good medical care available. And tomorrow I’ll be safe in a warm bed, because it’s only one night.

If this night has made me realise one thing more, it is that it is unimaginable for us what these children and families are going through in the refugee camps. We cannot empathise with what they have already experienced as a result of their flight and how they now have to live. We had a choice, these people do not. They cannot simply return to their warm, clean homes. The “tent city” is their new home. For a week, a month, a year or even several. The situation is inhumane, violates rights and is the reality of far too many people.

This is precisely why we can no longer stand by in silence. Something has to change, more has to happen, the outcry has to grow. It is clear that this one night is not enough and will not work miracles – but it was enough to give me hope. Because we received active support, many people showed solidarity and a willingness to help. Everyone made a contribution in their own way. And if enough creative minds, strong-willed personalities and warm hearts come together, start campaigns and demand politicians, then we could really make a difference.

Did you know that not even a third of plastic waste is recycled in Austria every year? Despite the well-functioning waste system in Austria, there is great potential for improvement in the recycling and reuse of plastic. More than two thirds of plastic waste in Austria is incinerated. Huge amounts of CO2 and other toxic substances, including carcinogens, are released into the atmosphere as a result. In a society that sees plastic as a typical disposable product, it is all the more important to offer alternatives such as reusable plastic and to raise awareness.

Deposit system

Nineteen years ago, the mandatory deposit on plastic containers was abolished in Austria. Since then, the bottle range in supermarkets has focussed heavily on disposable plastic bottles, which has resulted in a massive environmental impact. In principle, it is more environmentally friendly to refill bottles several times, regardless of the material. A well-functioning deposit system in which both the consumer and the producer are involved is crucial. Ideally in combination with further developed recycling options. Austria also has great potential for saving plastic in schools. Schools produce huge amounts of plastic due to vending machines with packaged bread rolls or bars and drinks machines with plastic bottles. The “Drastic Plastic” project by Caritas International Aid’s youth ambassadors aims to convert all schools in Vorarlberg from plastic bottle vending machines to glass bottle vending machines with a deposit system – as a strong signal in favour of climate protection!

Plastic instead of fish

Did you also know that by 2050 there will be more plastic particles than fish swimming in the sea? Due to plastic waste in the sea, microplastics are ingested by marine animals via algae or by confusion with plankton and therefore end up in our food chain. One of the consequences of this is that ever larger quantities of plastic are also being found in the human body, which can have serious consequences for our health. Marine animals and birds die of agonising starvation when they mistake plastic waste for food and lack vital nutrients. 106 kg of plastic waste per year On average, each and every one of us in Austria produces 106 kg of plastic waste per year. Reducing or avoiding plastic often has nothing to do with a radical lifestyle change. A conscious approach or a change in attitude can make a big difference. Above all, we should rethink our “throwaway attitude”, prioritise reuse and recycling and consider alternatives. Alternatives such as solid hair and body soaps, bamboo toothbrushes, beeswax cloths instead of cling film or washable cotton pads, which can now be found in every health food shop and drugstore. Me. You. We are all called upon to make a contribution – either by consuming less or consuming right. Or ideally both!

106 kg of plastic waste per year

106 kg of plastic waste is produced on average by each and every one of us in Austria every year. Reducing or avoiding plastic often has nothing to do with a radical lifestyle change. A conscious approach or a change in attitude can make a big difference. Above all, we should rethink our “throwaway attitude”, prioritise reuse and recycling and consider alternatives. Alternatives such as solid hair and body soaps, bamboo toothbrushes, beeswax cloths instead of cling film or washable cotton pads, which can now be found in every health food shop and drugstore. Me. You. We are all called upon to make a contribution – either by consuming less or consuming right. Or ideally both!