OUR WORK 9 Our Story

Our Story: Through the Years

OUR STORY
OUR LEGACY

Comhlámh, founded in 1975, will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2025. It was established by returned development workers and volunteers, to enable them “to bring to bear their own particular experience in order to further international development co-operation from Ireland.”

The Name Comhlámh

The original position paper proposed the name Meithal, referring to the old Irish tradition of mutual co-operation at harvest time, but this was already being used by another organisation and so Comhlámh came into being. Comhlámh (hands together in Irish) has been variously translated as ‘handshake’ and ‘cooperation’ over the years. We take it to mean ‘solidarity’.

Origins

Comhlámh was one of a number of Irish organisations founded in the mid-1970s with a commitment to global perspectives and solidarity. Afri remains a great friend of Comhlámh and was founded in those same years. Another long-standing friend is the Kimmage Centre for Development Studies (now Department of International Development Studies, Maynooth University), also founded at that time.

In the 1970s, overseas voluntary work in countries of the South offered a way of expressing the idealism of the time in a practical way. In addition to the charitable urge to ‘help those less fortunate’ there was a well spring of politically motivated support for newly independent former colonies. Comhlámh has always provided valuable space and meeting points for those engaged in such endeavours.

Membership

In the early years, Comhlamh organised meetings of returned development workers in different parts of the country, leading to the establishment of Comhlámh branches in Kilkenny, Cork, Galway, Sligo, Donegal, and Limerick. At first, most members were recruited through public advertising and word of mouth.

‘Coming Home’

In January 1977, the first ‘reorientation’ (later renamed ‘Coming Home’) weekend for newly returned development workers was organised and Comhlámh members began to organise internal education seminars each Spring known as Spring Seminars.

Critical Debate

Much of the early impact of Comhlámh’s work came from the Comhlámh debates, which attracted large attendances and had a considerable impact on the thinking of development agencies and political decision-makers at the time. Attendance was almost 500 people at the debates in the mid-80s, and the consistent flow of articulate and radical speakers from both the ‘third world’ and Europe helped to make an impact on public understanding of development issues. The so-called “Autumn Debates” were discontinued in 1988 and succeeded by “Development Forum Meetings”, which were held monthly in Dublin until 1996.

We are proud to continue this legacy today through our First Wednesdays Conversations.

Development Education

In 1986, the Comhlámh Development Education group developed its most ambitious project yet – a 22-week ‘Beyond Live Aid’ course. The name built on the popularity of Bob Geldof’s Live Aid concert for Ethiopia, while pointing to the need to go deeper in our understanding of the causes of underdevelopment. After the first year the course was divided into two parts – one part was to be an ‘Issues in Development’ course, and the other part to be about ways to explore issues with groups. This basic pattern of courses laid the foundation for Comhlámh’s development education courses for decades to come. Skills in Development Education is still going strong today.

In the early years, the work of Comhlámh members focused on questioning the practice of development work overseas; examining causes of ‘underdevelopment’, particularly unfair trade; influencing priorities for the newly developed Irish overseas development assistance programmes; promoting understanding of the cultures of countries where members had worked and the images of Southern countries shown in Ireland, particularly by the media; learning about poverty and development patterns in Ireland and promoting the rights of refugees coming to Ireland.

These threads are true to our work today and we continue to have member groups invested in trade justice work as well as refugee solidarity.

Over the years, members have campaigned on mercury soap, apartheid, debt, trade, pharmaceutical multinationals, images on development, the EU Common Agricultural Policy, CETA, Palestine, asylum, refugee rights and more. Learn about our current member groups.

*With thanks to ‘BRINGING IT ALL BACK HOME: A HISTORY OF COMHLÁMH’S FIRST 21 YEARS OF GLOBAL SOLIDARITY 1975 – 1996′ by Robin Hanan from research by Dermot McLaughlin

50 Years of Comhlámh

2025 will see Comhlámh celebrate its 50th year. Watch this space for further news and features about Comhlámh’s work over the years.

Learn More

Our Legacy

Over the years, Comhlámh has worked with members and partners to create a solidarity-based movement for local and global justice. Learn about our legacy below. 
LEARN MORE

Annual Reports

Explore our rich history and milestones through our Annual Reports, offering more insights into our journey over the years. 
EXPLORE NOW

Want to Dig Deeper?

Become a Member

Join the growing Comhlámh community of like-minded people interested in activism.

LEARN MORE

Join Member Groups

Join us as a Member and get involved in one of our groups active on global and social justice issues.

JOIN NOW

Watch First Wednesdays

Join our First Wednesdays conversations, explore the linkages between local and global justice issues.

WATCH NOW