What has Comhlámh Achieved

Comhlámh has had a major impact on a very wide range of activities. Some examples include:

• Campaigning for an increase in Ireland's overseas development aid and leading debates on the quality and effectiveness of aid;
• Producing Ireland's leading magazine on global issues, Focus on Ireland and the Wider World , over more than 64 issues;
• Initiating debates on gender and development in Ireland;
• Starting the first fair-trade coffee and tea imports and sales;
• Standing a candidate for the Senate;
• Promoting the establishment and growth of development education centres and groups throughout Ireland;
• Pioneering and running courses in development issues and development education approaches in Ireland;
• Promoting responsible, responsive international volunteering through the development of a Code of Good Practice for Volunteer Sending Organisations and the provision of information, training and resources.
• Organising major public debates and meetings from the early 1980s to date;
• Campaigning on mercury soap, apartheid, debt, trade, pharmaceutical multinationals, images on development, the EU Common Agricultural Policy, asylum rights and more;
• Seeing two of its activist groups develop into fully-fledged independent organisations: Banulacht and Integrating Ireland;
• Initiating the very popular and engaging public forums on development topics, 'The First Wednesday Debates' at Bewleys Cafe Theatre in Dublin;
• And organising the best multi-cultural parties around.

In recent years, the Executive has worked to promote more effective integration of Comhlámh activities through the re-enforcement of our identity as a membership-based organisation. Some themes which have been particularly strong over the last few years include:

• Promoting a more equal dialogue between people in Ireland and in the countries of the South on global themes and linking local issues in Ireland with global issues;
• Promoting a greater understanding among people considering development work at home and abroad and among the general public on the issues involved in global development;
• Promoting the rights of refugees and asylum seekers in Ireland and building social contacts and understanding.
• Promoting anti-racism.

The next chapter of Comhlámh's history is over to you!