Since Comhlámh was established in 1975, we have worked with members and partners to create a solidarity-based movement for local and global justice. This has taken many forms over the years, with Comhlámh playing an important role in leading and supporting the emergence of networks, social movements, partnerships, new policies and pedagogies, and a community of interest that continually reflects on how we can respond to the major challenges facing our interconnected, interdependent world.
Comhlámh’s Legacy
- Member Groups have been at the heart of Comhlámh’s work for almost 50 years. Apartheid, debt, trade, pharmaceutical multinationals, FGM, the EU Common Agricultural Policy, CETA, ECT, the rights of people in the international protection system – many of these campaigns are ongoing today, through our Access to Medicines, Trade Justice, Justice 4 Palestine, Ireland Says Welcome, and Dympna Meaney Women’s Leadership Fund member groups.
- Shaping development education/Global Citizenship Education thinking and practice, with courses that have engaged many thousands of people and encouraged them to dig more deeply into: making meaning and connection through international development or volunteering experiences; working towards a more just future for all that starts from a place of compassion and critical inquiry; and strengthening and sustaining practice as global educators.
- Building ecosystems of care for development workers, volunteers and migrant solidarity responders through debriefing, workshops, and resources that support resilient practices and cultures. From our original Coming Home weekends through to our Working for a Better World psychosocial resources, Comhlámh has always placed great importance on nurturing sustainable systems of care, for individuals, networks, and organisations.
- Influencing national and international policy and practice through initiatives like our Put Children First: End Orphanage Care and Volunteering campaign and campaigns on trade justice and equitable access to medicines. With partners across Europe and the Global South, we helped to shape the EU’s humanitarian aid volunteering programme; and we are ongoing contributors to the Global Volunteering Standard.
- Supporting public discussion and reflection on the complex, interdependent and unequal world of which we are part. Our First Wednesday conversation series has been running for decades, providing a unique space where contributors from across the Global South and Global North come together. Through their reflections and chats, they encourage and inspire audiences to consider issues of justice, solidarity and connection.
50 Years of Comhlámh
In 2025, Comhlámh celebrates 50 years of promoting global justice and solidarity.
We would love your input! If you have historical materials, photos, stories, or ideas for marking this milestone, please email us at 50years@comhlamh.org.
Stay tuned for updates and features as we honour the past and look to the future!
Learn More
Our Story
Comhlámh, founded in 1975, will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2025. Click below to learn about our story so far.
Annual Reports
Explore our rich history and milestones through our Annual Reports, offering more insights into our journey over the years.
Want to Dig Deeper?
Become a Member
Join the growing Comhlámh community of like-minded people interested in activism.
Join Member Groups
Join us as a Member and get involved in one of our groups active on global and social justice issues.
Watch First Wednesdays
Join our First Wednesdays conversations, explore the linkages between local and global justice issues.