Why Join

Comhlámh is celebrating its 38th anniversary this year. Our membership has continued to grow over the past couple of years on the back of a lot of campaigning work, public events, a heightened media profile and a wider recognition of the organisation generally.

What is particularly encouraging is that people of all ages and backgrounds are joining Comhlámh. They believe that being a member of an organisation like ours is more important then ever during an economic crisis, so as to ensure that the economic choices of Ireland Inc do not hit the world’s poor.  Right now, human rights, social justice and global development were never so important.

By taking out membership, you can help us to function more effectively and with more PEOPLE POWER by being part of an organisation that can lobby and campaign for a better and more just world, and from a key position of STRENGTH IN NUMBERS. Membership fees of only €45 for 2012 represents exceptional value for money. We have reduced rates for students, unwaged (€10) and asylum seekers (€1). Recently returned development workers are eligible for free membership.

When you are a member of Comhlamh you get the opportunity to act for global solidarity and to support others in doing likewise.

Comhlámh members were involved in the 'Jumping Through Hoops' Trade Justice campaign action on Dublin's O'Connell Street

Your Membership Benefits

When you are a member of Comhlamh, you are welcome to take part in any of the campaign areas and Comhlamh working groups. We have active groups and initiatives made up of volunteers from the public in the areas of Trade Justice, Anti-Racism, Focus magazine and Options and Issues in Development and we run regular courses and training workshops for the public and development workers alike.

In addition, as a member you will receive:

• all issues of our quarterly Focus Magazine (Ireland's premier magazine on development issues);
• our regular e-Link email newsletter (on membership activities and a range of upcoming events, courses, etc);
• great discounts on Comhlamh courses and events (indeed, just the discounts on courses alone could cover the cost of your outlay for membership!!)  

Join us now   

Members' Handbook

To improve our support offered to members we prepared a new useful publication, a Members' Handbook. The Handbook is intended to be a basic reference manual that gives a general overview of Comhlámh's work and activities. In Members' Handbook you can read about Comhláh's history, organisational structure, way how you can get involved in Comhlámh's work and much more...

Read more by downloading the pdf of Members' Handbook

Have You Returned from Time Overseas?

Bringing It All Back Home

On your return to Ireland, continuous engagement is the key to getting the most out of your time overseas. By drawing on the experience and learning you have gained, your input and perspective are invaluable to others and to yourself, whether you go on to study in a related discipline or get involved in campaigning or development education. As one volunteer remarked, "Commitment doesn't end at the airport."

Comhlámh (which means "Link Hands" or "Solidarity") provides an invaluable conduit for studying, campaigning, activism, and lobbying for change. What makes it unique, and imbues it with a specific understanding of volunteers, is that it was set up in 1975 by Irish returned development workers, who defined the organisation's principle objective as, "to enable persons who have rendered services overseas in developing countries upon their return to Ireland to bring to bear their own particular experience in order to further international development co-operation."

It now has activist groups and initiatives made up of volunteers from the public in the areas of Trade Justice, Anti-Racism, Focus magazine, Audio Visual Productions, and Options and Issues in Development, and it runs regular courses and training workshops for the public, volunteers and development workers alike.

Comhlámh members and supporters have always seen overseas development work as part of a broader commitment to global development and solidarity. Many of the causes of global inequality, poverty and oppression have their origin in the industrialised countries and can be addressed by education and campaigning.

People of all ages are joining Comhlámh and they believe that being a member and supporter of an organisation like Comhlámh is more important then ever in the ‘new' post-Celtic Tiger Ireland and an increasingly troubled and unequal world.

Right now, human rights, social justice and global development were never so important.

Get involved through Comhlamh...

PLEASE NOTE: If you are a Returned Development Worker (RDW) you are entitled to twelve months FREE MEMBERSHIP from the date of your arrival back in Ireland. If so, please contact Susan Collins at susan@comhlamh.org