Let 2026 be a year of solidarity in action for a more just world

Let it be a year where volunteers, new and experienced, step forward with curiosity, courage, and care, and where Ireland strengthens its long-standing contribution to a more just, connected, and sustainable world

Fri, 09 Jan, 2026 - 01:00

Caroline Murphy

When Comhlámh was founded in 1975 by returned development workers, it was rooted in the belief that Ireland’s engagement with the world should be grounded not in charity, but in solidarity. Volunteering is not an act of charity. It is a relationship. It is a way of learning, listening, and acting together in the face of injustice.

Fifty years later, that founding belief feels more urgent than ever. We are living through a period marked by war, forced displacement, genocide, ecological breakdown and deepening inequality. Across the world, human rights are being eroded, and space for civil society is shrinking. The scale of the challenges can feel overwhelming.

Yet even in the face of this, we see something profoundly hopeful. People in Ireland continue to want to build connections, to collaborate, and to take collective action for a more just world.

Since the 1970s, Irish volunteers have worked with communities around the world, contributing to education, healthcare, climate resilience, and human rights. This contribution has always been about partnership and humility.

Solidarity in Ireland is expressed not only through volunteering abroad, but also through collective action at home. Comhlámh’s network of member groups plays a vital role in shaping the country’s civic landscape.

Over the years, these volunteer-led groups have tackled urgent issues: apartheid; the influence of pharmaceutical multinationals; the rights of people in the international protection system; justice for Palestine; and debt and trade justice.

This activism demonstrates how long-term commitment strengthens communities and builds connections across society. This is what solidarity looks like in practice: persistent, collective, and rooted in shared responsibility.

Comhlámh offers a space where individuals can pause, reflect, and make sense of their place in wider struggles for justice. Our educational programmes have supported thousands of people to reflect critically on their volunteering and development experiences, to understand the global systems that shape them, and to explore how their actions connect with the movements and communities working for change.

What we offer is not instruction, but space: space to reflect, to listen deeply, to learn from one another, and to stay rooted in relationships rather than individualism.

Over time, we have learned that solidarity requires not only action, but also deep care. Reflection, support, and community are essential conditions for sustaining justice work.

This understanding also shapes how we work with Volunteer Sending Agencies (VSAs). For Comhlámh, care and values are not limited to individual volunteers; they must be embedded structurally in how organisations engage internationally.

Twenty years ago, we established the Code of Good Practice for VSAs, which remains one of the most comprehensive and values-led frameworks of its kind. One aspect of this, Our Say No to Orphanages campaign, launched in 2016, has worked with civil society partners across the world to end orphanage volunteering and advocate for child-centred family care reform.

Through this work, we have seen the harm caused by the institutional care of children, often unintentionally fuelled by well-meaning volunteers — 80% of the 5.4 million children in orphanages globally have at least one living parent and even more have wider family who could care for them with the right supports.

As a result of this work, in 2024, the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs issued updated travel advice, emphasising people should not visit or volunteer in orphanages. We have worked closely with Irish Aid to ensure Government funding is not contributing towards the ongoing institutionalisation of children.

Now, we are calling on the Department of Education to develop guidelines for school tours, stating no trips should include visits to orphanages or institutions for children. We call on the Irish public to raise awareness in their community about this harm and help us to say no to orphanages.

The United Nations has designated 2026 as the International Year of Volunteers for Sustainable Development (IVY 2026). This global initiative recognises volunteering is vital to sustainable development because it builds relationships, fosters understanding, and strengthens collaboration across communities and borders.

IVY 2026 is not a celebration of volunteering for its own sake. It is an opportunity to reflect on the kind of world we want to build and the relationships we need to nurture to make it possible.

Ireland’s reputation for global solidarity was not built overnight. It has been shaped through decades of relationships, activism, and imagination.

Let 2026 be a year where organisations recommit to values-led approaches to their work. Let it be a year where volunteers, new and experienced, step forward with curiosity, courage, and care, and where Ireland strengthens its long-standing contribution to a more just, connected, and sustainable world.

We are framing IVY 2026 as ‘Solidarity in Action’ because solidarity is not a slogan; it is something we do. It is the foundation for a world beyond injustice.