Global education is education that opens people’s eyes and minds to the realities of the globalised world and awakens them to bring about a world of greater justice, equity and Human Rights for all”
The Mastricht Declaration, 2002
For Comhlámh, global citizenship education is at the heart of everything we do. It shapes our courses and trainings, our #firstweds debates, our support for good practice in international volunteering, as well as our accompaniment of member groups who are active on a wide range of social justice issues. It also informs how we, as a team, work with and support each other.
Through our practice, we strive to create space for open inquiry, for exploration of the complex, interdependent and unequal world of which we are part and for the envisaging of a more just and sustainable future for all. We encourage people (including ourselves) to begin from a place of compassion and critical inquiry, focusing on the exploration of sometimes difficult and uncomfortable topics (colonialism, whiteness, privilege, inequality) and the building and sustaining of allyships, all in an effort to deepen and strengthen the work for social justice.
Our offerings reach, among others,volunteer sending organisations, international volunteers and development workers, volunteers and activists in the community here in Ireland, global education practitioners including teachers. We are also proud to collaborate with a host of grassroots civil society groupings at the local level as well as at national and regional level. These groupings work on refugee and migrant rights, environmental justice, anti-racism, gender equality and many other issues.
Want to try out our courses?
We have a number of online courses available for you to check out today, including online interactive resources for people thinking about volunteering in the global South. You can jump to those here
Our collaborations with European partners
Over the past few years and in collaboration with some fantastic European partners, Comhlámh has worked on several pan-European projects, always with the aim of supporting organisations/initiatives, trainers and facilitators as well as individuals to draw on prior experience and strengthen their capacity to engage in solidarity work. This short video gives a flavour of our work
It profiles a Training of Trainers event that we delivered with partners in Palermo, Sicily back in February 2020 as part of the International Citizens for Local Perspectives Project. The training was about strengthening facilitator capacity to work with groups and support collective action for social justice. This training brought together over 30 youth workers and global educators from across Europe
Another recent European project has been Volunteering for a Better Future
More here about our approach to Global Citizenship Education
Against the backdrop of intersecting global crises, ongoing injustices, and heightened uncertainty about what the future holds, an important consideration is how to equip ourselves to face the challenges and enact change.
Global Citizenship Education provides a starting point but there are many ways to think about and conceive of Global Citizenship Education.
So how is Comhlámh thinking about it and conceiving it? In recent years, through our courses, trainings and public events, we have been seeking out questions and approaches that:
support relating differently (to each other);
encourage a leaning into complexity;
provoke honest examination of the web of relations and power that are at play in our world,including models of development that are no longer serving our planet;
support the envisaging of a more just and Earth centred future;
– and we go from there.
Want to get involved with Comhlámh?
You could become a member and connect with a community and a long history of like-minded people interested and engaging in solidarity and social justice work https://comhlamh.org/join/
Or maybe you are a volunteer sending agency and interested in joining the Code of Good Practice network? There are multiple benefits of joining including international volunteer programmes which work to develop a critical understanding of global issues, support volunteer engagement and lead to more sustainable relationships with local partners. For more information go to: http://codeofgoodpractice.com/join/
Comhlámh has several active member groups. They are made up of Comhlámh members and supporters coming together around campaigning, education, advocacy and change. To find out more about the member’s group and to become involved click here: https://comhlamh.org/member-groups
