Coming Home Weekend

national | miscellaneous | event notice Tuesday April 20, 2010 14:09 by Stuart White - Comhlámh stuart at comhlamh dot org Ballast House, Aston Quay, Dublin 2 01 478 3490

Comhlámh (pronounced ‘co-law-ve', Irish for ‘solidarity') is a member and supporter organisation open to anyone interested in social justice, human rights and global development issues. Marking its 35th anniversary this year it connects, informs, educates and campaigns on these matters.

Comhlámh was set up originally in 1975 to support development workers returning home and to promote greater understanding of development issues in Ireland. Today the support we provide to development workers and volunteers before, during and after overseas assignments is a core element of our work. We also actively promote the continued involvement of returned development workers and volunteers in working for a better world from Ireland and provide a range of information and opportunities for how you can get involved.

As part of our Support Services Programme to returned development workers, Comhlámh’s next Coming Home Weekend will be in May. Coming Home Weekends are residential weekends running from Friday evening to Sunday lunchtime.

The May Coming Home Weekend will be held in Cork form Friday, 21 May – Sunday, 23 May 2010 at St Dominic’s Retreat centre.

The weekend is a fantastic opportunity for you to meet with other returned development workers and volunteers, to hear each other's experiences, reflect on the meaning of your experiences for you personally, share tips for settling back, plan how to put to good use in Ireland the experiences you gained overseas and have some fun! The weekend is facilitated by fellow returned development workers and professionals.

Past participants have described their sentiments in one word at the end of the weekends as "energised, enthused, focused, comforted, supported, encouraged, refreshed, relaxed, enlightened, relieved, motivated, optimistic, positive and empowered".

The cost of the weekend is €50 to people who have been overseas in a development capacity for longer than three months with accommodation and meals provided.

Please contact stuart@comhlamh.org for booking forms and further information or click on the link to our website to download the booking form.