Public speaking, debating, persuading: these are just some of the skills that the Eloquentia programme helps Luxembourg secondary school students develop each year. For this second edition, held from 17 to 21 November 2025, ten groups from six secondary schools across the country came together for five days, guided by trainers from the Eloquentia association, to practise public speaking techniques. The novelty of this edition lay in its central theme: fair trade textiles. By partnering with the ‘Rethink Your Clothes’ campaign run by the NGO Fairtrade Lëtzebuerg, the competition, renamed for the occasion ‘I wear, therefore I think’, invited students to transform their questions about fashion and consumption into committed speeches. One hundred secondary school students learned how to deliver a message close to their hearts in front of an audience, culminating in the grand final organised on 8 December 2025 at Neimënster by the Institut français du Luxembourg, in front of 120 spectators.

Beyond the public speaking itself, a sense of group dynamic took hold: the students supported and encouraged one another throughout the workshops, with each participant gaining confidence as the others became more comfortable speaking. Supported by the Fondation Sommer since its first edition in 2023, alongside the Institut français du Luxembourg and the Association Victor Hugo, the project has been further enriched this year by a new partnership with Fairtrade Lëtzebuerg, a sign that the programme continues to evolve with each successive edition.