Concern Worldwide

“We have a duty to use our experience, know-how, and shared humanity to prevent the suffering caused by malnutrition and food insecurity. Ireland has been a steadfast champion of global efforts to reduce hunger and undernutrition, and we cannot take this for granted." – Dominic Crowley, CEO, Concern Worldwide A huge thanks to everybody who attended and participated in Concern’s round table dialogue “The Best Ireland Can Be For Food and Nutrition” last month. This dialogue brought together actors from government, academia, and civil society to explore how Ireland can continue as a global leader in food and nutrition security through ODA investments and strategic policy engagement. With the Nutrition for Growth (N4G) Summit in March fast approaching, discussions explored how to optimise Ireland’s ODA investments in nutrition and food security, strategic pathways to enhance Ireland’s influence on global nutrition policy, and the power of innovation, partnerships and multi-sectoral collaboration in achieving SDG 2 - Zero Hunger by 2030. As global challenges to food and nutrition security persist, Ireland’s leadership remains critical. As Michael Gaffey, Director General of Ireland’s Development Cooperation and Africa Division (Irish Aid), said: "Ireland is engaging at a time of uncertainty and difficulty... But all the more reason for us to stay the course…. Ireland is known for working to tackle poverty and hunger, and in doing so, to reach the farthest behind first.” Insights from this dialogue will help shape Ireland’s future commitments and advocacy in advance of N4G 2025 and beyond. The finalised discussion paper will be available in the coming weeks — stay tuned! #NutritionForGrowth #FoodSecurity #GlobalLeadership #Ireland #NutritionPolicy #ODA Irish Aid Alliance2015 Eleanor Crook Foundation

A huge thanks to Kevin Kelly, Ireland’s Ambassador to Bangladesh, for visiting Concern’s programme in Cox’s Bazar, the world’s biggest refugee camp which is home to nearly 1 million Rohingya. Alongside UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, Ambassador Kelly visited Camp 20X, where Concern is delivering comprehensive acute malnutrition treatment and prevention, to ensure lifesaving nutrition support for children.

Today the Concern Worldwide Global Citizenship team had a thought provoking afternoon at the Huge Lane Gallery exploring Brian Maguire's exhibition 'La Grande Illusion' which focuses on the fragility of human rights. Participants from a range of third level and adult education courses took part in a guided tour of the exhibition, followed by a workshop. It was an absolute pleasure to work with such a diverse and interesting group of people who were so generous in sharing their thoughts and feelings on the art work. The conversation explored peace, conflict, bias, social media, migration and human rights. There was a lot of discussion around how difficult it can be to talk about these controversial or difficult topics, even with our closest friends or members of our families, let alone with people who we might perceive to be different from us. My big take away from the day was the ever increasing need to have spaces, both in person and online, where people can engage in dialogue and explore the nuances of our world to find a way to overcome the many challenges we are facing as a global community. We as humans exist in the grey areas in many aspects of our lives and we need to be able to lean into this rather than buying into the polarisation that we are being sold. #GlobalCitizenshipEducation #GlobalCitizenship #Art #Humanrights #Peace #Conflict

At #N4GParis, ICAN UK calls on Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and Anneliese Dodds to save lives and build a brighter future for millions by putting nutrition at the heart of international development. We're proud to be a part of the International Coalition for Advocacy on Nutrition (ICAN) UK, a broad array of international NGOs, advocacy organisations and foundations united around the shared goal to save and improve lives through better nutrition. Here's our recommendations for how they can do it: https://shorturl.at/KqjwD #NutritionForAll Action Against Hunger UK Save the Children UK Results UK Unlimit Health (formerly SCI Foundation) Nutrition International UNICEF UK The Power of Nutrition Mercy Corps World Vision Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Movement Civil Society Organizations Network

Join Concern Worldwide on Tuesday January 28th at 5pm in the Concern offices in Dublin 2 for an in-person panel discussion as we unpack the outcomes, breakthroughs, and missed opportunities of COP29. Hosted by  Jennifer Salmon Our excellent panel line up features: Alannah Wrynn Concern's Youth Climate Ambassador Beldine Josiah Atieno, Global Technical Advisor-Advocacy for Horn of Africa, Concern Worldwide Laura Bahlman Climate Resilience Advocacy Adviser, Concern Worldwide Lauren Boland, journalist at The Journal Registration is essential! #climatechange #COP29 #COP30

Reminder to register for our upcoming Round Table Dialogue on nutrition!

Before the violence, Sabah and her family lived a simple but secure life. “I was a housewife,” she says, “my husband worked in construction as a daily labourer. Although his job was not permanent, life was simple, Syria was safe, and everything was affordable and accessible.” Conflict changes everything. Those who survive the shelling and gunfire often do so by fleeing their homes, with no idea of when they can return. “Once the conflict started, everything changed. Job opportunities disappeared, the value of our currency fell, food prices increased, the cost of health care and medicine increased. We now live in constant fear and uncertainty about the future.” Since 2011, it is estimated that over 300,000 Syrians have lost their lives, and more than 13 million have been displaced. Sabah, her husband, and their five children are among them, living in a displacement camp in northern Syria. When Sabah’s husband was no longer able to do physical labour due to a leg injury, the family began to borrow money to meet their needs, and their debts gradually increased. Sabah needed to work to help meet their family’s needs. “Securing employment often requires an educational degree or professional experience,” Sabah says. “Even if you have the necessary skills, starting your own business demands capital.” In partnership with Irish Aid, Concern empowers mothers, and other female caregivers, through business management skill training and the provision of small business grants. These grants enable families to generate income and meet their basic needs. Concern also offers case management services and psychosocial support to children within Child-Friendly Spaces, providing them with a safe, positive space in which to heal. This effort is complemented by our positive parenting sessions, in which caregivers learn stress management skills, and how to foster a positive home environment. Sabah attended the positive parenting sessions, and her children enjoyed activities in the Child-Friendly Space. She also received business management training and a small business grant. While Sabah had been sewing for years, she was using an old machine and lacked a reliable source of power. As a consequence, her work was slow, and she couldn’t take on many customers. With the grant, Sabah purchased a new sewing machine, a knitting machine, a generator, and a table to make the process more comfortable. Her business grew. “I can now work more efficiently and for longer hours. I can now offer a variety of fabrics for sale, allowing my customers to choose what they want and find the latest trends for every season,” she says. When struggling to survive, imagining a future beyond the next meal is difficult. Sabah and her family now have room to breathe. The children talk about what could be: “They dream of having a refrigerator and doors for the rooms in our home.” #concernworldwide #syria #conflict

🚨 Invite alert! Come to our round table dialogue on “The Best Ireland Can Be For Food and Nutrition” 🕑2pm, January 28 📍 Online The event will set the scene for 2025 – an important year for progress on nutrition and food security, with global events including the Nutrition for Growth Summit (March 2025), the UN Food Systems Summit stocktake (UNFSS+4), Financing for Development (June 2025), and COP 30 (November 2025). This dialogue is an important opportunity to reflect on Ireland’s achievements over 15 years and identify further opportunities for Ireland to continue to play an important leadership role on global nutrition. The roundtable discussions will be informed by a discussion paper (which registered participants will receive in advance), outlining Ireland’s investments in nutrition and food security through ODA analysis, spotlighting key innovations such as the 2008 Hunger Task Force, important commitments on child wasting, and identifies synergies to strengthen Ireland’s leadership in this area. Register now for this fascinating discussion: https://bit.ly/4hkqW8Q

We’d like to extend our deepest thanks to the incredible businesses who chose to make a difference by supporting Concern Worldwide this Christmas season. The ongoing support of Irish businesses is creating real change, providing life-changing support to families facing extreme poverty, and spreading hope to communities around the world. Our programmes in education, health, livelihoods, gender equality, climate adaption, and emergency response create major and sustainable improvements in the communities that need it most. From all of us at Concern Worldwide, thank you for your remarkable support. Your generosity has truly created a meaningful difference. Wishing you a happy and prosperous 2025! Ward Personnel Stonebridge Commercial Estates Limited Tern Business Brokers Shannonferry Group Limited Ei Electronics Pan Euro Foods T&D Allenwood Argi Ltd Agrihealth Woodberry Capital MRH Engineering Ltd. Drain Doctor Ireland Bantry Glass & Glazing Ltd Kirby Group Engineering Sanctuary Synthetics Explosion Hazards Ireland Limited Clancourt Management Oliver Sheehan Whiteriver Group Finnigan Cranes & Construction Planalife Financial Dennison Trailers M.V. Tuohy (Coose) Ltd. The Coaching and Mentoring Partnership Serfac Limited Shanganagh Marble & Stone Centre Gilmores Kingscourt Ltd Michael O'Sullivan Water Pumps Thomas Patrick Kiernan Farms – Aughafad DJF ENGINEERING SERVICES LTD Finnegans Shop, Rossnowlagh, Donegal Keane Environmental Ltd W O Morrissey & Son Architects For more information about how your business can support Concern’s work, please visit https://lnkd.in/emwzRQ4M or email corporate@concern.net.

It has been a difficult year, but Concern's staff in 25 countries have been working hard to support communities facing the impacts of hunger, poverty, conflict and climate change. As the year draws to a close, we asked some of our fantastic colleagues to reflect on their 2024, and to share their hopes for 2025. To all of our colleagues, partners and peers worldwide, we wish you a safe and happy new year! https://bit.ly/3DuVFRS