Comhlámh would like to thank our outgoing and long-standing Chair, John Durcan (after 5 years) and Vice-Chair Marie-Therese Fanning (after 5 years). John and Marie-Therese have been invaluable to our organisation, going above and beyond the call of duty to support staff and offer guidance throughout the years. We would also like to thank outgoing board [...]

Comhlámh Annual Report 2022: Foreward by the Chairperson, John Durcan   Dear Members and Supporters of Comhlámh, 2022 was an exciting and fruitful year for Comhlámh. It was a year that saw us welcome our new CEO, Dr Caroline Murphy, and develop a five-year strategic plan, ‘Global Solidarity in Action: Comhlámh Strategic Plan 2023-2028’. The [...]

We are excited to introduce ‘Global Solidarity in Action: Comhlámh Strategic Plan 2023-2028', officially launched at our AGM 2023. The Strategy outlines our vision, mission and main focus for the coming five years.   Developed collaboratively with our partners, members, and member groups, it outlines our commitment to achieving local and global justice through cultivating:   A [...]

JOB VACANCY: Solidarity and Capacity Development Coordinator Job Description Job Title: Solidarity and Capacity Development Coordinator Location: 12 Parliament Street, Dublin 2/hybrid option available. Reports to: Programme Manager Type of Contract: Part-Time (4 days per week) Permanent Probation: 6 Months Salary (5-day basis): €30,000 - €45,000 full-time equivalent plus three long service increments to a [...]

We are delighted to invite you to Comhlámh’s Social Circles. Join us to reconnect! These social evenings will give our community an opportunity to meet, connect, share stories, ideas and drinks! All Comhlámh friends, members, staff -past and present, (returned) volunteers, activists and anyone interested in connecting is more than welcome. We’ll be meeting in [...]

Pushbacks prevent people seeking asylum from being able to claim protection in the country they are attempting to enter, and can result in their forced return to a country where they face the risk of torture or persecution. A pushback is when a state actor (like the border police/coast guard of a country or of [...]

First Wednesdays Summer Series 2023 FROM LEGAL OBLIGATIONS TO ILLEGAL PRACTICES: Challenging Pushbacks & the Erosion of the Rule of Law on the European Borders Join us for First Wednesdays Summer Series 2023, in partnership with Oxfam Ireland, which will focus on the critical issue of EU pushbacks and the breakdown of the rule of [...]

Join us for Comhlámh’s AGM and Annual Forum on Thursday, 25 May, 6-8:30PM COMHLÁMH AGM 2023 6PM, Members only, HYBRID EVENT (in person at Comhlámh offices, 12 Parliament St, D2, or via Zoom) We invite Comhlámh members to the AGM 2023, where our CEO, the Chair and the Treasurer will report on the organisation’s work and [...]

Is your school currently planning a student trip abroad that might involve visiting or volunteering in a residential institution for children (‘orphanage’)? Or do you just want to learn more about the harms of institutional care and orphanage volunteering? If so, please join us online for a short Info Session about the ‘Put Children First: [...]

JOB VACANCY: Administrator - Information & Support Job Description Job Title: Information and Support Administrator Reports to: Finance and Administration Manager Location: 12 Parliament Street, Dublin 2/hybrid option available. Type of contract: Part-time, fixed term to 31/12/23 As the Irish Association of Development Workers and Volunteers, and a membership-based organisation, Comhlámh has over 45 years’ [...]

Join us for a conversation on the ECT and why Ireland must leave this climate-wrecking treaty. The Energy Charter Treaty (ECT) is an investment agreement between 50 countries specifically for the energy sector. It dates back to the mid 1990s, from a time when the focus was on access to oil and gas reserves in [...]

We were delighted to kick off our Development Education (Dev Ed) Series for Code Volunteer Sending Agencies Wednesday, February 22nd. Building on previous Dev Ed Series' for the Code network, this 2023 Series runs once per month over the next three months and spotlights Skills for Dev Ed (or GCE) facilitation.  Sessions are designed to be helpful and [...]

The Comhlamh Trade Justice Group and nearly 30 Irish and international climate and development organisations are calling on the Taoiseach to support a withdrawal of Ireland from the Energy Charter Treaty. The Energy Charter Treaty (ECT) is an investment agreement between 50 countries specifically for the energy sector. It dates back to the mid 1990s, [...]

In 2021, Comhlámh began a process of reviewing the Safeguarding Policies and Codes of Conduct of the Volunteer Sending Agencies that are signatories of Comhlámh's Code of Good Practice. This review happened in collaboration with international expert Angie Bamgbose. One of Angie’s recommendations arising out of that process was to review and update the Code [...]

Dublin, 25 January 2023 – Childcare Reformers and NGO Activists of the ‘Put Children First: End Orphanage Care’ campaign led by Comhlámh meet Oireachtas Members today in a call for an end to international orphanage volunteering and the institutionalisation of children globally. Presenting to Oireachtas members in the AV Room, Comhlámh and the End Orphanage Volunteering [...]

We have exciting news about our Put Children First: End Orphanage Care campaign, and we urgently need your help! Email your TD This Wednesday, January 25th 11am-12noon we will have an opportunity to present on the campaign at the Dail AV Room. In order for our message to be heard by members of the government, [...]

Comhlámh runs Skills in Development Education 8-part evening course annually in partnership with UCDVO. Applications for 2023  will open from 5th-26th January, and you can apply through an online application on the course page. Course dates for this coming year are Tuesday, January 31st to Tuesday, March 14th 2023. There are always a few places set [...]

Comhlámh has launched the ‘Emerging modalities of global solidarity and active global citizenship in Ireland’ report today. The report presents the deliberations and conclusions of an engaged research project that explored concepts of global solidarity and citizenship, conducted in 2022 by Comhlámh with Maynooth University’s Sociology Department and partners. It sets out the theoretical inputs [...]

INTERNATIONAL VOLUNTEER DAY 2022: Thinking about international volunteering? Our 'Where Do I Start?' online course is here to help. {{ vc_btn: title=FIND+OUT+MORE&style=flat&color=juicy-pink&align=left&i_align=right&i_icon_fontawesome=fas+fa-arrow-alt-circle-right&add_icon=true&link=url%3Ahttps%253A%252F%252Fcomhlamh.org%252Fcourses%252Fwhere-do-i-start-resources-international-volunteering%252F%25C2%25A0%7Ctarget%3A_blank }} Today marks International Volunteer Day (IVD)! IVD 2022 celebrates the theme of solidarity through volunteering, highlighting the power of collective humanity to drive positive change and the importance of supporting each other [...]

Dublin, 20 November 2022 – On this World Children’s Day, Comhlámh and the End Orphanage Volunteering Working Group (EOVWG) are calling on the government to adopt the recommendations of the ‘Put Children First: End Orphanage Care’ campaign to help end orphanage volunteering and the institutionalisation of children and ensure that Ireland can better support global [...]

First Wednesdays Autumn 2022 Series PART 3: Unpacking Commonalities in Struggle Date: Wednesday, 7 December, 7PM In the third and closing session of the ‘The Struggle for Democracy: Exploring Commonalities in Global Citizenship and Activism’ series we will take a closer look at current transnational justice issues, global campaigns and examples of democracy in action. [...]

Comhlámh is delighted to share a new think piece ‘We Need to Talk – Hosting Conversations on Climate Change and Unsustainability’. This think piece, was prepared by our colleagues Chris O'Connell and Sive Bresnihan, for IVCO 2022 'A New Era for Volunteering for Development', Forum's global annual conference for International Volunteering Cooperation Organisations (IVCO) which [...]

First Wednesdays Autumn 2022 Series PART 2: The Struggle for the Earth - The Global is Local Date: Wednesday, 2 Nov, 7PM While many communities around the world are threatened by the impacts of climate change, others face more direct environmental destruction in the form of extractivism. Following the supply chain disruption caused by Covid-19, European countries [...]

We are delighted to present to you our new Courses pages, including: Our Courses main page Courses for Organisations Courses for Individuals Extended In-Person Courses E-Tick Online Course on Ethical Communication ‘Where do I Start?’ Resources for people interested in volunteering overseas Covering a range of global themes, our courses and educational resources are for [...]

First Wednesdays Autumn 2022 Series PART 1: Struggle as Acts of Citizenship Date: Wednesday, 5 Oct, 7PM What ‘acts of citizenship’ could we point to in struggles here in Ireland? At our opening October session, we will take a closer look at how these examples might extend our understanding of citizenship, its role in affirming [...]

First Wednesdays Autumn 2022 Series THE STRUGGLE FOR DEMOCRACY: Exploring Commonalities in Global Citizenship and Activism  Join us this Autumn for the new First Wednesdays series, a set of three interlinked conversations with those currently involved in real-world struggles in Ireland and beyond. We will take a closer look at commonalities ‘in struggle’ across campaigning [...]

Comhlámh and Ireland Says Welcome Group are delighted to invite you to our celebration of Culture Night 2022 from 6 - 9pm on the 23rd of September in our offices at 12 Parliament St, Dublin 2. During the event, we will be showcasing the best of multicultural Ireland with our special guests from Sierra Leone, [...]

We are delighted to announce that Comhlámh has three new Board Members, Morgane Clarke, Siobhán Reynolds and Mairéad Roche, who were appointed at Comhlámh’s Annual General Meeting on 23 June 2022. They all are bringing a vast array of crucial expertise and skills that will strongly contribute to the development of our organisation. Morgane Clarke […]

Comhlámh is seeking a suitably qualified consultant/s to undertake external audits of four organisations involved in our Code of Good Practice for Volunteer Sending Agencies (CoGP). The consultant will evaluate levels of compliance with the principles of the CoGP, identify priorities for improvement and co-create an action plan with the organisations. The successful applicant should […]

Along with our partners, UCD Volunteers Overseas (UCDVO), Comhlámh is delighted to announce the launch of ‘Solidarity in Action 2021: A journey in Global Citizenship Education’. This digital publication captures some of the unique learning and impact for those involved in Solidarity in Action, a 3-month development education programme devised in partnership with UCDVO in […]

A joint Comhlamh & Maynooth University project We often refer to the concept of global citizenship education in our work, but rarely have the time to reflect on what the concept means, and how it relates to democracy and the role of the state in an increasingly globalised world.  In January, Comhlámh began a six-month […]

Comhlámh Annual Report 2021: Report Introduction Dear Members and Supporters of Comhlámh, We are very grateful for your ongoing support, encouragement and community, which helped sustain Comhlámh during the difficult second year of the pandemic. The effects have had a deep impact across the international development and volunteering sectors, affecting all areas of our solidarity-based […]

Re: To: Roderic O’Gorman, Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youthby email to: roderic.ogorman@oireachtas.ie20th June 2022 RE: Appeal to Minister O’Gorman to address new and long-standing human rights concerns and disparities in the international protection system and refocus on the objective of humanely addressing the accommodation needs of all who arrive in Ireland seeking […]

PRESS RELEASE Dublin, Friday, 17th June Following more than 2 years of a pandemic and the loss of an estimated over 15 million lives, on June 17th 2022 Members of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) agreed a Ministerial decision on the Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) Agreement. The agreement differs significantly from the […]

Comhlámh’s AGM and Development Forum are taking place on June 23rd, from 18.00 – 20.00. Comhlámh AGM 2022 (6PM, Members only) We invite Comhlámh members to the online AGM 2022, at which the new CEO, Caroline Murphy, the Chair and the Treasurer will report on the organisation’s work and finances in 2021. This will also include […]

Comhlámh is delighted to announce the appointment of our new Chief Executive Officer, Dr Caroline Murphy. She brings considerable expertise to the organisation with over 14 years’ experience of working for organisations across the Irish International Development sector, with a most recent appointment as Acting Director for Financial Justice Ireland.  Over the years, Caroline has […]

As our Erasmus+ funded “Working for a Better World” project concludes, we are very sorry to be saying goodbye to our colleague, Caoimhe Butterly. Since November 2019, Caoimhe coordinated this project, which aimed to resource migrant solidarity responders within their increasingly difficult work. She worked tirelessly to support internal and collective psychological and emotional safety, […]

About the #FirstWeds ‘Conflict and Migration Through the Lens of Solidarity’ Spring Series Our #FirstWeds Spring Series holds in mind Ukrainians and people of other countries ridden by war and conflict, who have been forced to leave their homes and cross borders in search of safety. What are some practical ways to extend support and […]

Last week our Working for a Better World (W4BW) – Sustaining Civic Response (W4BW) Project came to an end. We are wrapping it up in a very uncertain time – a time of war, escalating conflicts, forced displacements, increasingly perilous refuge-seeking journeys and the deepening impacts of climate change. In response, both communities and solidarity […]

  PRESS RELEASE Dublin, Friday, 29th April 2022. Campaigners from Access to Medicines Ireland (AMI), a leading group of doctors, academics and patients, took part yesterday in a global day of action to coincide with Pfizer’s global Annual General Meetings, demanding that the company drops all monopoly protections on its COVID-19 vaccine technology and proactively […]

You are invited to Decolonising Development Education workshop. DATES: Tuesday, 31 May and Tuesday, 30 August LOCATION: Dublin (in-person) We hope to see you there! Comhlámh is delighted to be collaborating with IDEA and WorldWise Global Schools on a 2-part ‘Decolonising Development Education’ training this summer. The 2-part training workshop is an invitation to explore colonialism’s […]

About the #FirstWeds Conflict and Migration Through the Lens of Solidarity Our #FirstWeds Spring Series holds in mind Ukrainians and people of other countries ridden by war and conflict, who have been forced to leave their homes and cross borders in search of safety. What are some practical ways to extend support and solidarity from […]

Tuesday, 15th March, 2022Campaigners from Access to Medicines Ireland, a leading group of doctors, academics and patients who advocate for greater access to essential medicines, have welcomed reports of a landmark deal at the World Trade Organization (WTO) on COVID-19 vaccines and treatments. The deal, reported to have been agreed by the EU, US, South Africa and […]

About the #FirstWeds Conflict & Migration Through the Lens of Solidarity Our #FirstWeds Spring Series holds in mind Ukrainians and people of other countries ridden by war and conflict, who have been forced to leave their homes and cross borders in search of safety. What are some practical ways to extend support and solidarity from […]

Our upcoming #FirstWeds Spring Series holds in mind Ukrainians and people of other countries ridden by war and conflict, who have been forced to leave their homes and cross borders in search of safety. What are some practical ways to extend support and solidarity from Ireland? And, as we extend this support and solidarity, how […]

Written by Stephen Ucembe, Regional Advocacy Manager with Hope and Homes and founder of the Kenya Society of Careleavers, for the official launch of ‘Put Children First: End Orphanage Care’ EndorserCampaign on 3 February 2022. My name is Stephen, I grew up in care, spent almost 15 years of my childhood in a children’s home, […]

Applications for Solidarity in Action are open from 1 to 18th of March. This course (or learning journey) aims to cultivate sustainable activism in participants. It is open to those who have previously participated in one of our evening courses (Be the Change or Skills in Development Education), the UCDVO Volunteer Programme, or members of the UCD Community with relevant knowledge/experience. Find out more and apply here.

  WEBINAR - Militarized Israel: How living in a highly militarized state affects children and young people in Palestine and Israel. A non-violent response.       Comhlámh Justice for Palestine Member Group invites you to a panel style discussion on how living in a highly militarized Israel affects children and young people.   Tuesday, [...]

10 Feb 2022 Today marks the departure of our dear colleague Sandra Byrne. Sandra has been a member of the Comhlamh staff team since 2017, mainly in her capacity as Volunteer Quality Project Officer and more recently as Interim Programme Manager. With a background in community development, Sandra brought such care and depth to her […]

MEDIA RELEASE Comhlámh and the End Orphanage Volunteering Working Group launch their key policy recommendations to help end the practice of orphanage volunteering and the institutionalisation of children globally Dublin, 3 February 2022 – Comhlámh and the End Orphanage Volunteering Working Group today launched their ‘Put Children First: End Orphanage Care’ campaign’s key recommendations to […]

Job Vacancy: Chief Executive Officer Job vacancy: Chief Executive Officer    About Comhlámh: Comhlámh is the Irish Association of Development Workers and Volunteers. Our mission is to nurture, guide and mobilise development workers and volunteers to work for social justice locally and globally. We work to promote and support volunteers and development workers to critically engage […]

In February 2022, Mark Cumming will move on from his role as C.E.O of Comhlámh, a role that he has held since 2013.   Mark is returning to his roots in training, programme development and accompaniment and while the impending loss weighs heavy on our hearts, we know that this new work is going to bring […]

You are invited to Put Children First: End Orphanage Care’ Endorsement Campaign Launch. Comhlámh and the End Orphanage Volunteering Working Group launch its endorsement campaign to secure support for key policy recommendations on global care reform. The event will take place on Thursday, 3 February, 10:00-11:30 AM. We hope to see you there! It is […]

Job Vacancy: Project Officer, Capacity Building & Volunteering Quality Job Vacancy: Project Officer, Capacity Building & Volunteering Quality Job Title:        Capacity Building & Volunteering Quality Project OfficerReports to:     Programme ManagerLocation:        12 Parliament Street, Dublin 2 Comhlámh is the Irish Association of Development Workers and Volunteers. Our mission is to nurture, guide and mobilise development workers and […]

Applications are now open for Skills in Development Education 2022, a course that Comhlamh runs in partnership with UCDVO each year. This 7-week participatory course (one session per week) comprises of seven evening modules and a one-day practical workshop and aims to equip participants with skills and methods to work effectively with groups on global development […]

You are invited to Rooting Resilience: Panel Discussion and Launch of Psychosocial Support Resources for Migrant Solidarity Responders. The event will take place on Wednesday, 15 December, 10:30 AM-12:30 NOON. We hope to see you there! As part of Comhlámh’s Erasmus+ funded “Working for a Better World – Sustaining Civic Responses” project, you are warmly invited […]

Join us for the meeting of our ‘Put Children First: End Orphanage Care’ pledge and Student Action Group to help us end orphanage volunteering. We are meeting on Thursday, 25 November, 7PM. We hope to see you there! Comhlámh and Tearfund Ireland invite all students to join us in our work to end orphanage volunteering […]

Join us for December #FirstWeds series where our panel of community-based activists discuss outcomes from COP26 and to explore how we can continue to work towards a social transformation that is grounded in justice and in responsibility for Earth and for each other.

MEDIA RELEASE: ‘Put Children First: End Orphanage Care’: Comhlámh Launches a New Campaign to End Orphanage Volunteering MEDIA RELEASE ‘Put Children First: End Orphanage Care’: Comhlámh Launches a New Campaign to End Orphanage Volunteering Comhlámh and the End Orphanage Volunteering Working Group today, 10th November, launched a public awareness campaign and a pledge to help change […]

Comhlámh, the Irish Association of Development Workers and Volunteers, expresses its solidarity with three humanitarian volunteers, one of them Irish, facing 25 years in prison for their work rescuing and supporting people seeking refuge in Greece. Seán Binder, Sarah Mardini, and Nassos Karakitsos were arrested in 2018 while working and volunteering with Emergency Response Centre […]

Join us for the launch of our ‘Put Children First: End Orphanage Care’ pledge and Student Action Group to help us end orphanage volunteering. The event will take place on Wednesday, 10 November, 7-8:30PM. We hope to see you there! Comhlamh and Tearfund Ireland invite you to join us in our work to end orphanage […]

We would like to invite you to Ending Orphanage Volunteering & the Institutionalisation of Children. Transforming the Way We Care Event directed at Students. The event will take place on Wednesday, 27 October, 7-8:30PM. WHY ATTEND? Join Comhlamh and Tearfund Ireland in an online discussion around the growing global movement to end orphanage volunteering and […]

With COP26 as the backdrop, join us this autumn for our #FirstWeds series where we will be seeking wisdom and inspiration from youth, elders, and a wider cohort of community activists on the climate crisis, present and future.

A Development Education Programme for Code Volunteer Sending Agencies Development Education Programme for Code VSAs This is a programme for Comhlámh Code Volunteer Sending Agencies  WHEN: Sessions will take place on the last Thursday of every month, beginning Thursday, 28 October, from 11.30am to 1pm.  Register now On 28 October, Comhlámh is ​starting a new Development […]

This paper by Sive Bresnihan, Training & Education Officer with Comhlámh asks how the field of volunteering for development – which typically enjoys and asserts an aid of neutrality and benevolence – might meet growing calls for decolonisation. It calls on us, at IVCO and beyond, to break the cycle of conversations that ultimately lead […]

On behalf of NUI Galway we would like to invite you to Ending Orphanage Volunteering & the Institutionalisation of Children. Transforming the Way we Care Event for Student Journalists. The event will take place on Wednesday, 13 October, 7-8PM. Sign up now to attend now here. WHY ATTEND? Join Comhlamh and its Orphanage Working Group in an […]

With COP26 as the backdrop, join us this autumn for our #FirstWeds series where we will be seeking wisdom and inspiration from youth, elders, and a wider cohort of community activists on the climate crisis, present and future.

Building a new look Volunteer Charter: Join the Working Group by 23 September Join the Volunteer Charter Working Group JOIN now Are you a returned volunteer? Are you keen to support the re-imagining (and making) of a new look resource for Volunteers to take the place of Comhlámh’s 2012 Volunteer Charter? If yes and yes, you can […]

The Comhlámh Trade Justice Group is launching its new resource page today to inform the Irish public on what is at stake with the ratification of the Comprehensive Economic Trade Agreement, CETA. Visit the page now.

With COP26 as the backdrop, join us this autumn for our #FirstWeds series where we will be seeking wisdom and inspiration from youth, elders, and a wider cohort of community activists on the climate crisis, present and future.

Continuing the Journey: A Development Education Series for returned volunteers and development workers Continuing the Journey: register now ‘Continuing the journey’ is an introductory course to Development Education and an invitation to learn, share and reflect in order to make sense of our world. WHEN: Tuesday evenings over 4 weeks (5th, 12th, 19th, and 26th […]

MEDIA RELEASE: EU Leaders urged to immediately support the WTO TRIPS Waiver for COVID-19 vaccines and treatments Coinciding with the arrival of President Macron, Access to Medicines Ireland (AMI) and its supporters are demonstrating outside Government Buildings at Merrion Street today. AMI calls on the EU leaders like Emmanuel Macron and Micheál Martin to immediately support the WTO TRIPS Waiver for COVID-19 vaccines and treatments and save lives.   Founding […]

Join us at the World Café event for returned volunteers and development workers The World Café is an event for returned volunteers and development workers interested in connecting with each other, sharing stories and continuing their global justice journey back home.   Comhlámh is a place for people to come together, share stories and make […]

Invitation to Tender: Evaluation of Comhlámh’s Irish Aid Programme 2017-2020  TERMS OF REFERENCE Evaluation of Comhlámh’s Irish Aid Programme 2017-2020  1. BACKGRUND   Comhlámh is the association of international volunteers and development workers. The association’s vision is of development workers and volunteers working in solidarity for a socially just, equitable and sustainable world, locally and globally.  Our mission is to nurture, […]

MayDay #FirstWeds: Workers Solidarity in International Supply Chains Wed 5th May Livestream 7pm Covid 19 has brought the issue of international supply chains to the fore. Given an increasing move to online purchasing in clothes, FirstWeds wanted to look at what this means for workers in garment manufacturing. Exploitation, sweatshops, and dangerous working conditions in […]

On Nicaragua’s Transformation In late 1979 Valerie Roche was invited to go to Nicaragua to work in the Ministry of Planning as an information advisor. For the following 4 years she worked enthusiastically alongside many dedicated people in a variety of projects aimed to bring about positive changes in Nicaraguan society. Here are some of […]

Job Vacancy: Communications Project Officer Come work with us! COMMUNICATIONS PROJECT OFFICER Job Title:         Communications Project OfficerReports to:     Head of ComhlámhLocation:        12 Parliament Street, Dublin 2 Comhlámh is the Irish Association of Development Workers and Volunteers. Our mission is to nurture, guide and mobilise development workers and volunteers to work for social justice locally and […]

Job Vacancy: Volunteer Engagement Project Officer Job Title:         Volunteer Engagement Project Officer (VEPO)Reports to:     Programme ManagerLocation:        12 Parliament Street, Dublin 2   Comhlámh is the Irish Association of Development Workers and Volunteers. Our mission is to nurture, guide and mobilise development workers and volunteers to work for social justice locally and globally. Comhlámh is committed […]

The True Cost of Fashion – Who’s Paying for It? The Comhlámh Trade Justice group Thursday 22nd April 2021 from 3pm – 4.30pm The global fashion industry is polluting our environment, exploiting workers while making millions for big brands.  Is there a better way to make our clothes? The Comhlámh Trade Justice group are excited […]

Education, Emancipation and Social Change What role does education play in social change? What links learning and emancipation? In this month FirstWeds we are bringing together a diverse panel involved in community, adult and development education to explore different approaches and practice in learning for a better world. They will help us unpack some of […]

Focus Podcast: Women On The March Following the successful referendum to remove the 8th amendment from the Irish constitution, Ireland has become a beacon of hope for women in other parts of the work where abortions are prohibited or allowed in very specific cases, which means that women are too often forced to risk their […]

CETA Trade Deal Requires Scrutiny – Irish Times Letter Published on Saturday 8th March Sir, – I would like to respond to the issues raised by David O’Sullivan concerning non-ratification of the Canada-EU trade agreement (Ceta) in his piece “Causing EU crisis over Canada trade deal would be mistake for Ireland” (Opinion & Analysis, March […]

Solidarity in Action Course Comhlámh, in partnership with UCDVO, is delighted to announce the launch of Solidarity in Action, a new educational offering for 2021. Running from March to June 2021, Solidarity in Action is an extended learning journey open to past participants of Be the Change and Skills in Development Education courses and UCDVO’s […]

Irish Coalition calls for government action on WHO waiver to address COVID-19 vaccine inequality Comhlámh and member group Access to Medicines Ireland have joined call’s for urgent support for the Covid-19 emergency waiver of World Trade Organisation rules so more vaccines and treatment can urgently be produced, in an open letter to Taoiseach Micheál Martin. […]

Just Health: Challenges and Hope for Real Solidarity One Year into a Global Pandemic #FirstWeds 3rd March 7pm “There is almost no area of our lives, our communities or societies that has not been impacted by COVID-19. Similarly, there is no area that has not been untouched by the measures introduced by the authorities to […]

CETA ICS Comhlamh Factcheck This briefing note has been developed by the Comhlámh Trade Justice group. It addresses some of the assertions and misunderstandings there are about the decision facing Ireland on the ratification of the EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, CETA. Download the Factchecker here Help #StopCeta and share our Factcheck Or read […]

We believe that this is anti-democratic. At this urgent juncture of multiple overlapping crises, ISDS erodes our democracies and the power held by ordinary people in favour of multinational corporations.

International Citizens for Local Perspectives (IC4LoP) recommendations The project International Citizens for Local Perspectives (IC4LoP), an Erasmus+ KA3 social inclusion project, took place between 2019-2021. It worked to engage and mobilise young migrants, returned volunteers and others interested in global issues to participate in social justice collective action.A set of recommendations were developed as part […]

Comhlamh began the dissemination of the initial research results of the Working For a Better World (W4BW) – Sustaining Civic Response Project this week. W4BW is a 2.5 year, EU-funded consortium of organisations in Ireland, Italy, Greece and Spain which is focused on the psycho-social resourcing of staff and volunteers working with refugee and asylum-seeking […]

Join us as Comhlámh and the Department of International Development in Maynooth begin our 2021 season of #FirstWeds.This months discussion will look at how Ireland can use its seat on the United Nations Security Council to support Palestine? Tune in live on Wed 3rd Feb, 7pm here: We are delighted to be joined by: Abeer al-Mashni:Abeer […]

Irish Government to push through CETA trade deal Comhlámh is concerned that the government is moving to ratify the EU Canada Trade Deal known as CETA. The Comhlámh Trade Justice Group has highlighted the devastatingly negative impact that Investor State Dispute Settlement provisions will have on the formation of public policy. ISDS is a mechanism […]

Lisa Byrne shares their experience of UN Volunteering (UNV) in Laos. My role as Programme and Reporting Specialist with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Laos began in February 2018. At first I was quite nervous about this new venture as it was very far from home and I had never been to South […]

Premiere: Social justice in a time of global pandemic The Wednesday 9th December at 7pm we will premiere a conversation between Chiamaka Enyi-Amadi, Amel Yacef and Caoimhe Butterly, hosted by Sive Bresnihan. Through the lens of the Covid-19 pandemic, the the conversation pulls on different threads including Black Lives Matter, #endSARS and the tens of […]

Ireland Says Welcome is a membership group sharing news, information and refugee solidarity initiatives in Ireland and across Europe. Our vision is of a welcoming, inclusive and participatory Ireland for those escaping war, persecution and poverty. 6th of November 2020 Dear Sir/Madam This submission is in response to the consultation by the Department, for its […]

Join us to mark International Volunteer Day whose theme this year is ‘Together we can through volunteering’.

Health & Wealth: Solidarity and justice in developing and delivering vaccines for COVID19 The race for a vaccine for COVID19 is a regular feature of the airways and newsprint since the outbreak of the pandemic in February and March this year. But what will happen after an effective vaccine is developed – do these headlines […]

Health and Wealth Solidarity and justice indeveloping and deliveringvaccines for COVID19   The race for a vaccine for COVID19 is a regular feature of the airways and newsprint since the outbreak of the pandemic in February and March this year. But what  will happen after an effective vaccine is developed – do these headlines inform […]

Access to Medicines Ireland Calls on Government to Halt ‘Vaccine Nationalism’ C-TAP Initiative for Global Equitable Access to Covid-19 Healthcare supported by President Higgins and Leading Irish Health Experts The Access to Medicines Ireland (AMI) campaign group calls for the Irish government to take immediate action to support the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) ‘Solidarity Call […]

Comhlámh joins call for urgent practical solidarity with people on Lesbos. Comhlámh have co-signed an open letter calling for immediate action from the Irish government following the fire in Moria, Lesbos which has left over 13,000 people destitute. If Ireland seeks to live up to the platform of promoting human right and being a voice […]

Conversations with volunteers.  Eoin Ryan  In 2018, Eoin Ryan came to the Irish Aid Volunteering Fair at Dublin Castle and spoke to Comhlámh about his international volunteering options.  Below he reflects on his placement in Zambia, and gives advice to other people thinking about international volunteering options (online and onsite) Taking shelter from the sun after planting soya […]

Comhlámh’s Justice for Palestine presents ‘Why BDS?’ Livestream Monday 28th Sept 7pm YouTube Comhlámh’s Justice for Palestine member group presents this free online event to discuss the international movement of Boycott, Divestment and Sanction (BDS). BDS will be discussed by three well-respected speakers: Fatin al Tamimi, Richard Falk and Omar Barghouti. BDS has been described […]

“Stories From Home” Culture Night 2020 with Comhlámh and Ireland Says Welcome Comhlámh and the Ireland Says Welcome group are delighted to be hosting our annual multi-cultural Culture Night. For our 2020 event we will be moving online so please join us virtually for an evening of “Stories from Home” with stories and pieces written […]

Is Free Speech Racist October FirstWeds: In Conversation With Gavan Titley. We all know what free speech means. Or at least that’s the way the term ‘free speech’ gets bandied about. But is there more to unpack about meanings and intentions of the term. Who gets to decide? Who is excluded? And why has racism […]

Online, virtual and remote debriefing.  Comhlámh’s information and support officer, Ruth Powell, reflects on delivering online, virtual and remote debriefings during a pandemic.  I didn’t want to do online debriefings at first.    I didn’t think I could do them and I worried they wouldn’t work; but on the 12 March 2020 Covid–19 changed the way we live and work indefinitely in Ireland, and doing debriefings online, virtually […]

Project Officer, Capacity Building & Volunteering Quality (Career Break cover – 13 months) Job Title:         Capacity Building & Volunteering Quality Project OfficerReports to:     Programme ManagerLocation:        12 Parliament Street, Dublin 2 Comhlámh is the Irish Association of Development Workers and Volunteers. Our mission is to nurture, guide and mobilise development workers and volunteers to work for […]

Comhlámh joins the “Stop Hate for Profit” campaign against Facebook. Comhlámh also calls for other organisations to suspend paying advertising revenue until tech giant takes substantive action. While Facebook likes to promote itself as bringing people together, mounting evidence shows its products are having the opposite effect across the globe. Comhlámh has halted all advertising on […]

‘Stop Filming Us’ screening and discussion – July #FirstWeds Wednesday 1st July from 7pm Watch ‘Stop Filming Us’ Here at 7pm Join the live post screening panel here at 8pm The Black Lives Matter movement has lit a fire under international conversations about the nature of our societies, including questions about the under-representation and indeed […]

Virtual, online and remote volunteering for international development On 20 May Comhlámh attended a webinar on remote volunteering, hosted by FORUM which is the global network of organisations involved in international volunteering for development.  There were a number of presentations from a variety of the FORUM organisations, namely; Cuso International Canada, the UNV Online programme, […]

#FirstWeds Migrant Voices Across Europe Make sure and subscribe to Comhlámh’s YouTube channel by clicking here to ensure you dont get notified about our live feed videos Streaming from 7pm Wed 3rd June, we will be in conversation with people self organising as migrants and looking at what solidarity work is happening and how it […]

Children in orphanages at specific risk of Covid-19 Comhlámh and the Orphanage Working Group: Supporting the Global Movement to Keep Children Safe Children in orphanages at specific risk of Covid-19 An estimated 8 million children currently live in orphanages worldwide.1 They are at specific risk of Covid-19, both in terms of infection and the socioeconomic […]

Conversations with Volunteers and Development Workers Áine Lynch left Comhlámh in mid 2019 to take up a role as project coordinator with Médecins Sans Frontières.  This is her second deployment with MSF and we caught up with her over email, to ask her a few questions about her role in Pakistan during Covid-19.  Áine Lynch, […]

Social Justice and Radical Hope in a Global Pandemic On the 8th April three Comhlámh staff members, Sive Bresnihan, Caoimhe Butterly and Mark Malone asked if it were possible to have radical hope and show solidarity with social justice issues during a global pandemic, when people are experiencing such challenging feelings.  They recorded the conversation […]

E-TICK – our new online course on Ethical Communication has landed! Did you know, by the time you read this page, 500 hours of video will have been uploaded to YouTube? Did you know that in the second it takes you to read this word, 9,000 tweets will have been tweeted on Twitter (this corresponds to over […]

#FirstWeds Green New Deal, Just Transition and COVID-19 Watch below with Dr Lorna Gold, Dr Conor Mc Cabe & Sean Mc Cabe Wednesday 6th May, 7pm. Can be played above. Press play now to set a reminder 7pm Live streaming from Comhlámh YouTube Channel Subscribe to our channel here to get a reminder and notification […]

The Art of Listening In the first of two pieces reflecting on her time working with Comhlámh Hannah R a student from Maynooth University’s Youth and Community Work Programme, writes about the art of listening. Since the beginning of your time, you were listening, hearing. Hearing the murmurs of your mother’s voice through the thin […]

In times where we see a rise of nationalism and isolationism in many places, it is important to redouble our commitment and efforts around principles of international solidarity and cooperation. The idea and practices of the WHO are an integral part of those principles and play an invaluable role in helping peoples of the world face the shared multiple challenges ahead of us.”

My human library book experience with Comhlámh I had never heard of a ‘human library’ book and when the opportunity came to speak about my recent volunteering experience in this experimental event, I jumped at the chance! I volunteered as a human library book at International Volunteer Day and this was a very enjoyable and […]

Virtual #Volops Since the launch of VolOps at the Irish Aid Volunteering Fair in 2014, we have used the social media platforms of Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn to post updates about international volunteering opportunities from the volunteer sending agencies in the Comhlámh code of good practice.  We also post updates from International Non-Government Organisations (INGOs) […]

Access to Medicines Conference Live-stream

Press Release: Defending the Public Interest in Vaccine and Medical Development Access to Medicines Ireland are hosting a Web Conference here on Tuesday, 7th April, from 10am to 1pm, entitled: “Defending the Public Interest in Vaccine and Medical Development,” specifically focused on COVID-19. Leading international experts will explore how best to support research that ensures effective vaccines and medicines are developed rapidly […]

Access to Medicines Ireland – LIVE Web Conference 10.00 am to 1.00 pm 7 April 2020    Available on ZOOM via the link: https://zoom.us/j/996912898 Adapting to Covid-19:  Defending the Public Interest in Vaccine and Medical Development COVID-19 has shone a light on a fatal weakness in our health system: the profit-driven pharmaceutical innovation model that we rely upon […]

‘The Global Thread’- A new radio series from Comhlámh Comhlamh have a new 4 part radio series out next week. ‘The Global Thread’ will start broadcasting weekly on NearFM beginning on Tuesday 7th April at 7pm. Produced in partnership with Near FM, this series will focus on gender equality and reproductive rights; the global architecture of extraction […]

International volunteering has played a key role in working to address social injustice and building resilience in the face of multiple local and global challenges. We are now facing an unprecedented global challenge which requires true solidarity to make decisions in the best interests of all, but particularly for those who are most vulnerable. Many […]

Comhlámh call for immediate action to end Direct Provision People that seek state protection in Ireland under international law should not have to live in circumstances that contradict the government’s own health advice to people. Cramped overcrowding within direct provision is a long-standing and well-publicised issue that remains a source of day-to-day indignity for individuals […]

Comhlámh condemns attacks on humanitarian workers in Greece; offers practical support in Ireland Comhlámh condemns the recent spike in attacks on humanitarian workers in Greece.  We have witnessed volunteers attacked in their cars, solidarity support projects burned to the ground and organised intimidation of people assisting those arriving in Greece.  This includes volunteers who are, […]

“Protect our laws and humanity!” – Open Letter by 152 Organisations about the situation in Greece. Comhlamh co-signs the following. To: Prime Minister of the Hellenic Republic, Kyriakos Mitsotakis President of the European Parliament, David Sassoli President of the European Council, Charles Michel President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen Athens, 6 March […]

Young People Developing Collective Actions The project focuses in particular on young migrants and international volunteers, drawing on their experiences of living in other cultures. At the end of February, we had the privilege of heading to Palermo, Sicily, to collaborate with more than 30 trainers and facilitators from around the world.  As part of […]

Coronavirus (COVID-19) and International Volunteering Preparing for the almost inevitable global spread of this virus, now dubbed COVID-19, is one of the most pro-social, altruistic things you can do in response to potential disruptions of this kind. We should prepare, not because we may feel personally at risk, but so that we can help lessen […]

Reflections on volunteering in two worlds Ewnetu Ermias compares his volunteering in Ethiopia with the volunteering he does here in Dublin, and finds extraordinary similarities At the end of 2017, after over a decade of work in a fast-paced multinational IT company in Dublin, I hit the wall and felt burn out.  Eventually, I took […]

Fifteen Children Killed in Haiti Orphanage Fire Comhlamh and its Orphanage Working Group were shocked and extremely saddened at the deaths of 15 children killed in a fire at an unlicensed orphanage in Port Au Prince, Haiti.  Living conditions at the orphanage, operated by a US based Christian Group, were described as ‘truly, truly neglected’.  The […]

“Reconciliation is dead”: Wet’suwet’en peoples respond to Canadian military backing of pipelines As a wave of solidarity actions crossed Canada, James O Neill, has written this piece. James was a long term resident of Sinixt territory, British Columbia who recently returned to Ireland while remaining in contact with pipeline struggles “A huge militarised police raid […]

Comhlámh’s 2020 Outreach Programme Comhlámh’s 2020 Outreach Programme began on 16 January at the Volunteer Fair in NUI Galway.  Comhlámh was one of 30 organisations showcasing their work to students, staff and lecturers in the James Hardiman Library, in Galway.  It was a rainy day outside, but that didn’t prevent warm interactions between the participating […]

Dympna Meaney Women’s Leadership Development Fund: 2020 Bursaries Each year the Dympna Meaney Women’s Leadership Development Fund* awards skills building bursaries to human rights activists in the global south. We are passionate about supporting grass roots women working to combat gender based violence among migrant, displaced or refugee populations. Since 2015 we’ve helped more than […]

Transforming care: Stopping the demand for orphanages In this article written and published in Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) union magazine we outline the shift in policy and practice from supporting orphanages towards enabling family and community-based care Irish nurses and midwives have a proud and long-established tradition of international volunteering and contributing to […]

Caoimhe Butterly

Focus Podcast: Visiting Achill Island, global health and growing inequality Focus headed to Achill island for the the second International Health and Development Training for Healthcare Workers. Organised for people interested in volunteering or working in healthcare in less developed countries, this two day residential workshop of the west coast of Ireland looks at the […]

Christmas Party 2019 Friends Members and Comrades – come along to our Christmas party We hope you can join us at our annual Comhlámh, Kimmage Alumni / Department of International Development Studies Maynooth University and VSI Christmas drinks. Come and see who you might meet up with. All welcome. From 6.30pm till late Platters of […]

Fracking, Neocolonialism and International Resistance Fracking gas has been banned in Ireland. So why is the government driving through plans to build a fracked gas refinery plant in Shannon?  What does this mean for communities still fighting to defeat fracking in their communities and country?  And what does that international resistance look like? These are […]

Comhlámh Drivetime interview calls for an end to volunteering in orphanages

Focus Podcast: The Cambodia-Ireland Changemaker Network Focus dropped into Donabate-Portrane Educate Together National School (DPETNS) and PEPY  Empowering Youth during an exchange visit to speak about the work of the  Cambodia Ireland Changemaker Network. The network  has developed from 2013, when four young Irish teachers from Dublin travelled to Cambodia seeking to establish an educational […]

Live recording of

Umbrella Foundation Ball Our collegues at The Umbrella Foundation are holding a fundraising ball to assist with their organisation transistion as it phases out its work in Nepal. Heres Umbrella in their own words: Umbrella will phase out its work in Nepal, having succeeded in our original mission of supporting 411 vulnerable children, Umbrella will […]

VIDEO: Heineken in Africa : #FirstWeds Conversation with Olivier van Beemen For our November #FirstWeds we were delighted to have Investigative journalist Olivier van Beemen to talked to Patrick Marren from the Department of International Development at Maynooth University, about his book “Heineken in Africa” For Heineken, ‘rising Africa’ is already a reality: the profits […]

Search and Rescue activists drop into Comhlámh ahead of Frontline Witness event. Comhlámh staff were only to pleased to take the opportunity to show solidarity with search and rescue activists, ahead of the Frontline Witness event this week. We were joined over lunchtime by Anabel Montes from Open Arms and Joby Fox from from Refugee […]

Focus Podcast: Rethinking the divide between International and Community Development Focus has a chat with Dr Eilish Dillon, exploring some of the ideas, assumptions and practices underpinning much of the work of the international development sector in Ireland and elsewhere. We explore the problematic and artificial divide between community and international development that has evolved […]

Comhlámh shortlisted for a Good Governance Award We are delighted to be nominated for a Good Governance Award connected for our 2019 Annual Report. Our strategic plan 2018-2021 laid out our values and one of these was Legitimacy: “At a time of great questioning of the legitimacy and credibility of not-for-profit organisations, we re-commit ourselves […]

Extinction Rebellion, Civil Disobedience & Social Change Subscribe To Focus Podcast: Android | RSS ¦ Apple Podcast Show Info: “Civil Disobedience and Social Change” took place in the Teacher Club in Dublin a few weeks ago.  While the discussion looks at civil disobedience in the general sense, a lot of the conversation revolved around challenging preconceptions of the term as […]

Focus Podcast: Ending Volunteering in Orphanages It is estimated that around 80% of children and young people living in orphanages and other institutional settings, have at least one parent alive.  It is known now that institutional living is really damaging for children and young people.  They are more vulnerable to abuse and very often forced […]

Blocking of Opposition Bills is troubling Sir, – In recent months, the Government has faced growing criticism over its use of the “money message” device to veto Opposition legislation. Nearly all Opposition Bills with majority support in Dáil Éireann have been blocked in this manner, and it raises serious questions for how our democracy functions. […]

Heineken in Africa: Our November First Weds We are delighted to have investigative journalist Olivier van Beemen to speak about his book “Heineken in Africa” for our November #FirstWeds Where: Teachers Club, 12 Parnell Square West When: 6th Nov. 7-8.30pm Facebook event here. For Heineken, ‘rising Africa’ is already a reality: the profits it extracts […]

Dates: Thursday 7th, 14th, 21st, and 28th November 2019 ‘This course is well organised and presented. I loved the opportunity to contribute and to hear others’ Are you thinking about volunteering internationally? Are you unsure about where to start? Are you wondering about whether it is a good thing to do? Or maybe you are […]

Our new online course on ethical communication is almost here! Thinking about or preparing to volunteer internationally? Interested in reading (and communicating) our increasingly image and news saturated world more skilfully? We’re delighted to say that our new E-TICK e-learning platform on ethical communication is almost here! A collaborative effort between Društvo Humanitas (Slovenia), Zavod […]

Psychosocial resilience: sustainable activism and building resilience In May, I took part in a 10-day training up the Pyrenees Mountains in Catalonia. The training was called ‘Regenerative Activism.’ A new partner of Comhlámh called Ulex ran it. Ulex is the Latin for gorse. A thorny evergreen shrub that is extremely adaptive and resilient. It cannot […]

FirstWeds: Civil Disobedience and Social Change In a society and world of overlapping crisis, ecological and political, what role does civil disobedience have to play? With increasing numbers of people feeling that formal politics is exacerbating growing inequality and injustice, can civil disobedience be harnessed as collective action? We are kicking off a new season […]

New Erasmus+ project starts this October We’re excited to announce a new project that’s starting this October, which will enable Comhlámh to develop our work with civil society organisations who are supporting migrants arriving in crisis situations in Europe.  Funded by the European Commission under the Erasmus+ programme, the project involves organisations from Greece, Italy […]

Comhlámh’s Access to Medicines: Corbyns proposals “major moment in a wave of reform” Comhlámh member group ‘Access To Medicines’ have welcomed proposals set out by the UK Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn.  At the annual party conference Corbyn launched Labour’s plans to “public health before private profit” aiming to challenge rampant profiteering and inequality around […]

Focus Podcast: Ethical Living and Social Change If you want to keep up to date with Focus podcasts, be sure and subscribe via you favourite podcast app. Please share and like to. Give us a rating and some comments if you really like (or maybe not) what we are covering on Focus. It helps others […]

Culture Night 2019 Ireland Says Welcome @ Comhlámh “Following the great success of the human library and music from Kaleidoscope Collective at Culture Night last year we are delighted to announce our entertainment for Culture Night 2019! We look forward to welcoming both return visitors and new faces to Culture Night at Comhlamh, Parliament St, […]

Nepal Day 2019 Comhlamh attended Nepal Day over the weekend just past. This from Ruth Powell. We had a terrific time at Farmleigh Sunday with the Nepal Ireland Society celebrating Nepal day and talking about #volopsThere was a lovely atmosphere, some wonderful dances and music and of course, great people – thank you for the invite Nepal Ireland Society – […]

Project Officer, Sustaining Civic Responses to Migration (Erasmus+) Job Description Job Title: Sustaining Civic Responses to Migration – Project Officer Reports to: Programme Manager Location: 12 Parliament Street, Dublin 2 Comhlámh is a member organisation that works to mobilise for an equitable and sustainable world. As the Irish association of development workers and volunteers, Comhlámh promotes […]

IC4LOP Launch On June 21st, we held the launch event for our latest Erasmus+ funded project, ‘International Citizens for Local Perspectives’ (IC4LOP).  We were delighted to host over 50 representatives of migrant support organisations, volunteer sending agencies, and other national organisations in Wood Quay for a very engaged programme.  The project aims to create innovative […]

Dates for the Irish Aid Volunteering Fair 2019 have been confirmed When: Saturday 9th November 2019. 11am-4pm Where: Hibernia Conference Centre, Dublin Castle Come along if you would like to meet returned volunteers and staff from more than 35 volunteer sending agencies.  Come along if you would like to participate in interactive workshops and hear from people […]

The Deliberate Rebellion is a short film commissioned by Extinction Rebellion UK and made by All Hands On. The film examines Extinction Rebellion’s demand that Government must create and be led by the decisions of a Citizens’ Assembly on climate and ecological justice.  The film is directed and produced by ex-Reuters reporter Patrick Chalmers. Music […]

Comhlámh would like to invite you to an information day about our new Erasmus+ funded project, ‘International Citizens for Local Perspectives’.Join us to: Examine how we can develop connections between young return international volunteers and young migrants from the global south to develop global justice action projects; Learn more about a new app that’s mapping integration […]

When : Thursday evenings 18:30 – 21:30pm 16th Sep – 24th Oct 2019 Where: Comhlámh offices, 12 Parliament Street, Dublin 2. Book Your Place Places are limited and fill fairly quickly so click Here This course is open to anyone interested in learning about the impact of international trade on the global economy. Are you […]

Comhlámh would like to invite you to an information day about our new Erasmus+ funded project, ‘International Citizens for Local Perspectives’.Join us to: Examine how we can develop connections between young return international volunteers and young migrants from the global south to develop global justice action projects; Learn more about a new app that’s mapping integration […]

“Myself and some friends in ATD Ireland (All Together in Dignity) are organising the Dublin to Paris cycle for a few reasons. Officially we are raising awareness about the SDG’s or as I prefer to call them “The 17 Global Goals” which basically aim to eradicate extreme poverty everywhere, make the world a fairer place […]

Three events on Wednesday 17th July that our members and supporters might be interested in. In our own offices, MASI – Movement of Asylum Seekers Ireland are hosting an open conference planning meeting.  MASI are having its first conference in Liberty Hall on Saturday 5th October  “marking five years since we first came together in […]

To coincide with World Refugee Day 2019 Comhlámh’s ‘Ireland Says Welcome’ group would like to share this Direct Provision Explainer to highlight some of the continuing issues with Ireland’s system for accommodating people seeking asylum in this country. This one page graphic is a resource to help people fill in any gaps they may have […]

The purpose of this submission is to express our conviction that DP is not an adequate system and should be ended – and to make recommendations for improvements which would be led by the rights of the asylum-seeker rather than the economics of the state. Ireland Says Welcome submission paper. May 2019 In May past […]

Previous Annual Reports can be found in our About Us section here

On the 27 June, author Séan Ó Tuathaigh will be here in the Comhlámh offices for an evening of questions and answers about his new book “Outlanders: Stories of the displaced”. Beforehand we caught up with him to ask him a few questions about his book. Can you tell us what the book is about […]

Julius Arega is chair of a community based organisation in Ngong, Kenya called Rays of Hope. Rays of Hope works to support proper family and community based care for children. He speaks about the situation in Kenya, and his input was part of the launch of ‘Children First: A Global Perspective on Volunteering in Orphanages […]

Climate justice, Independent Living Movement Ireland, volunteering and orphanages, Direct Provision, the housing crisis and much more You can read or download Focus 104 below. The editorial team would like to thank all our contributors: In this issue we have WILLIAM HEDERMAN on the states attempt to import hydraulically fracked gas from outside the country […]

Children First : A Global Perspective on Volunteering In Orphanages and Transforming Care. This report was produced by Comhlámh and the Volunteering and Orphanages Working Group (OWG ) The OWG was set up in 2016 by Comhlámh and a number of Volunteer Sending Agencies party to Comhlámh’s Code of Good Practice who were concerned at […]

Stand up for making medicines accessible & affordable! @AccessToMedsIRL & @MSF_Ireland are calling on @LeoVaradkar to support the #TransparencyResolution at #WHA72 which will help countries get a fairer deal for patients & health systems RT & help put #LivesOverProfit Share it out with the links below

Comhlámh AGM Thursday 23rd May 2019 Carmelite Community Centre, Whitefriar Street, Dublin 6pm – registration and refreshments (sandwiches and tea/coffee) 6.30pm-8.30pm – Meeting Are you a returned development worker or volunteer who has spent time in the Global South?  Are you interested in global justice issues, and in linking the local and the global dimensions […]

Last week Comhlámh had a great meeting with the Red Cross about the new Community Based Refugee Sponsorship Programmes and Comhlámh’s new European project supporting returned international volunteers and newly arrived migrants to work towards social justice Comhlámh has always been about solidarity. Here is a great opportunity for people in Cork to get involved […]

Finding just and compassionate solutions: Comhlámh’s Skills in Development Education course 2019 As a lifelong local community volunteer who, on a regular basis, facilitates groups as part of the ‘day’ job, I was delighted to be offered a place on the Spring 2019 UCDVO   Skills in Development Education Course.  I looked forward to the programme, […]

The upcoming European and Local elections on Friday, May 24th are an important one. People will be canvassing for your votes, and so we have pulled together some key questions around particular themes that our members have been working on.  These cover areas of human rights and anti-racism; international trade deals and Palestinian solidarity along […]

To mark Mayday 2019, this month #FirstWeds will explore some of the themes and issues of trade unionism and working in the local and global community and development sectors. From a global perspective, we can clearly see those trade unionists, and others involved in collective struggles against inequality and injustices, are specifically targeted because of […]

‘Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare.’ Audre Lorde Comhlámh is delighted to announce that our next Coming Home Weekend will take place in Django Hostel in Cloughjordan eco-village on Saturday 22 and Sunday 23 June. This two-day residential retreat will give you time to […]

Unveiling Cultivate’s new Elements of Change Festival, June 29th: “Celebrating what a ‘sustainable community’ is and exploring what actually sustains community. Many movements are calling for change – let’s come together to rethink what these diverse elements of change can look like. From scheduled workshops to Open Space, from walks and talks to collaboratively walking our talk and […]

Last weekend, Ciara Conlon from Access to Medicines appeared on The Echo Chamber Podcast ahead of the Access to Medicines conference this month. You can listen in full below. Irish patients have access to fewer new medicines than those in other EU countries and have to wait longer to get them. Some of the issues […]

Mark Cumming, the Head of Comhlámh reflects on deliberations at our event looking at Volunteering and the SDGs. We were delighted to host UNV in Dublin on 12th March last. There was an excellent line up in the room with representatives from the United Nations Volunteer programme along with Volunteer Ireland. Participants straddled those involved […]

Continuing our series of interviews with development workers and volunteers, retired teacher and long term volunteer Eilís McDonald writes for us below reflecting on her many years volunteering experiences in Malawi, Uganda and Kenya. ” Things do go wrong sometimes.  Mostly something that seems perfectly ok on paper, doesn’t translate the way we expect.  This […]

In a powerful thread in Twitter, writer Zoé Samudzi set out some thoughts about how western media reports invariably omits or renders invisible African responses of solidarity in crisis, and are infused with a sense of inevitability, rather than examining real causes and dynamics or the social, political and ecological forces at play. You can […]

It’s that time of year again and Comhlámh are delighted to announce our call-out for concert volunteers for Summer 2019.  As a festival volunteer, you will be helping raise funds exclusively for the use of Comhlámh member groups.  Volunteering with us means helping run the bars along with other campaign groups and the Workers Beers […]

The Comhlámh Trade Justice group sent the following letter to all sitting Irish MEPs around the upcoming vote regarding fresh talks around a new US EU trade deal. Given the disaster for people and environment that was proposed in the original TTIP agreement, we call on our sitting MEPs to vote against the opening of […]

Comhlámh’s information and support officer Ruth Powell will have a number of conversations with volunteers about their unique experiences of international volunteering over the coming months. Here is the second conversation, with Dominic Hannigan Why did you decide to volunteer internationally? I was always interested in international volunteering, and this opportunity was right for me. […]

Comhlámh is delighted to host the United Nations Volunteer programme in Dublin for a dialogue on on Volunteering and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).  In December 2018, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution on Volunteering for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, encouraging the participation and integration of all people — including youth, […]

The first thing you notice about “Learning Service:  The Essential Guide to Volunteering Abroad” is that it comes highly recommended by Noam Chomsky who states that it is “an extraordinary contribution” and “a manifesto for doing good well”.  The second thing you notice is the sheer size of the work.  This guidebook has more than […]

Sir, – Ireland is failing in its responsibility to migrants seeking asylum in European countries. More than 1,600 people died in the attempt to cross the Mediterranean to Europe in the months up to September 2018. There is little evidence that European ministers for justice, including Charlie Flanagan, have done much to ensure the safety […]

Over the next few months, Comhlámh’s information and support officer Ruth Powell will have a number of conversations with volunteers about their unique experiences of international volunteering.  First up, a conversation with Ewnetu Ermias who is currently volunteering at Salale University in Fitche, central Ethiopia. What is your name? My name is Ewnetu Ermias.  I […]

Communicating Volunteering Comhlámh is happy to announce the start of a new Erasmus+ funded project that will focus on the complex and frequently contentious topic of how volunteers communicate about their international placements and experiences in the Global South.  Using global education methodologies, the project will support volunteers to develop skills around critical self-reflection and […]

School children mobilised across several schools on Dublin for a demonstration outside the Dail. It was part of the first primary school strikes highlighting the lack of government action on Climate Change. The call for a strike by school children around climate action arose from the the 6th year class taught by Jenny Stanley at […]

Video posted by the Say No to Direct Provision in Ireland Facebook page

The UK government has published recently details on its ongoing investigations into siting nuclear waste dumps in Northern Ireland. In it’s examination, published online on the 19th December, Northern Ireland is divided up into 4 sub regions. The website states that in Sub-region 2 pictured above Our work shows that we may find a suitable […]

“It feels like I’m at a firefighters conference and no one is allowed to speak about water”  Rutger Bregman speaks about the elephant at the Davos Economic Forum, the role of tax avoidance that keeps wealth stockpiled for the richest as inequality increases. “Stop talking about philanthropy and start talking about tax” You can watch […]

Comhlámh is delighted to be part of a new Erasmus+ funded project that will link our work on international volunteering with the creation of a more inclusive and equitable society in Ireland.  Entitled ‘International Citizens for Local Perspectives’ (IC4LOP), the project will help us create innovative ways of promoting civic participation and combating social exclusion […]

Leyla and Niall attended Comhlámh’s Global Trade Justice Course last year, run by our Trade Justice member group. We had a brief chat about their experience       Why did you take the course? Leyla: In early 2018, I was going through the Eventbrite website to see if there were any upcoming events that I would […]

In April 2017, Comhlámh officially launched the Supporter Network with a reception at Wood Quay and a speech from the then Minister of State for Development, Joe McHugh.  We welcomed 13 associations and organisations into the Supporter Network and we celebrated the new initiative.   The Supporter Network is made up of organisations that do […]

Comhlámh member group Access to Medicines (AMI) delivers the launch their Policy Document in Leinster House at the invitation of Dr Michael Harty, chair of the Oireachtas joint committee on Health.   “Escalating prices for new medicines put an ever-greater strain on the overall health budget”   Speaking in advance of the launch, AMI member […]

Access to Medicines (AMI) delivers the launch their Policy Document in Leinster House at the invitation of Dr Michael Harty, chair of the Oireachtas joint committee on Health. You can read it or download it by clicking on the download button on the bottom of the viewer.  

The 2018 Budget for Direct Provision was over €66 million, of which the vast majority is privately operated – Who is monitoring the units? Mick Wallace questioning Minister Charlie Flanagan on Direct Provision

https://youtu.be/wUUjPvnWFgM The untold stories of orphanages, a system that’s harming the very children we believe it protects, and how you can choose to be part of the solution.     Over the years many kind and well-intentioned people have volunteered in orphanages. They have done so in order to help some of the world’s most […]

The paper was brought together by Trisanhi Gosine, NOHA MSc student on placement and explores volunteers responses to the refugee situation in Europe with particular focus on Greece.

  Dear Friends Please join us this International Human Rights Day  to mark the contribution of southern based women working to  eradicate gender based violence. Our celebration of this inspiring collaboration takes place on 10th December at 6:30 p.m. at the Mansion House Dawson Street Dublin 2 with our special guest speaker Noeline Blackwell, Director […]

  Dympna Meaney Women’s Leadership Development Fund Applications are now open. Please note these are to be be submitted by Friday 29th March 2019. Please do share this across you networks.  Purpose of the Fund The Dympna Meaney Women’s Leadership Development Fund seeks to connect women leaders from Africa, Asia, and/or Central or South America with […]

 Volunteering for the future   ‘Volunteering for the Future’ is a project that was developed by Comhlámh and three of our partner organisations across Europe, Volunteering Matters in the UK, INEX in Czech Republic and finep in Germany. Collectively we believe in the power and importance of returned volunteers taking action when they return to […]

An interesting paper was published this month by Patricia Kelleher  and Cathleen O’Neill examines the social and political forces that have lead to the undermining of “a vibrant state-funded community development, anti-poverty and equality sector which built on community and citizen involvement of the 1960s and 1970s”   Entitled ” The Systematic Destruction of the […]

  At last weekends Irish Aid Volunteer Fair, we launched the latest edition of #Volops magazine. It promotes responsible and responsive volunteering practices from the point of view of returned volunteer development workers, volunteer sending agencies, and us, Comhlámh.  If you would like to write an article for the next issue of #VolOps, please get […]

This is a typical day in the life of an asylum seeker in Knockalisheen Accommodation Centre (Direct Provision). The first thing is a trip to communal bathrooms to brush teeth and shower before breakfast which will be served in the canteen between 08h00-10h00. The condition of the bathroom will depend on the type of a […]

        This is a new report from the Centre for Global Education which assess the social and economic conditions in which Palestinian refugees are living in Lebanon. These conditions have worsened as newly arriving refugees from Syria have placed an added strain on the 12 Palestinian camps administered by the UN in […]

Lessons from Ireland’s abortion referendum in the current global context. by Comhlámh member Janet Horner.   On May 25th 66.4% of the Irish people voted to repeal a 35 year long constitutional ban on abortion. In doing so, they sent a powerful signal to the world that abortion rights are human rights and that when […]

  Ambassadors, civil society organisations, citizens, and government representatives gathered in Dublin today to mark the third anniversary of the adoption of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and the promise to Leave No One Behind. Coalition 2030, an alliance of over 100 Irish civil society organisations and networks, today led a street march in […]

    The Irish Aid Volunteering Fair will be held in the Hibernia Conference Centre, Dublin Castle on Saturday 29 September from 11.00am – 5.00pm. If you are thinking about volunteering abroad, or just curious about the different ways you can get involved in international development, you should come to the Fair.   Every year […]

      “Comhlámh are delighted to host the Trump Baby blimp with Afri,  Friends of the Earth, and the Latin American Solidarity Center.  It affords an opportunity for collective expressions of discontent about how our societies are organized at local and global levels. Trump is not the only leader with a clear desire to […]

Photo by Andy Aitchison / Trump Babysitter Trump Baby team announces Irish groups will host blimp for November visit