Concern's mission
Our mission is to help people living in extreme poverty achieve major improvements in their lives, which last and spread without ongoing support from Concern. To this end, Concern will work with the poor themselves, and with local and international partners who share our vision, to create just and peaceful societies where the poor can exercise their fundamental rights.
To achieve this mission we engage in long term development work, respond to emergency situations, and seek to address the root causes of poverty through our development education and advocacy work.
Our identity – who we are:
Concern Worldwide is a non-governmental, international, humanitarian organisation dedicated to the reduction of suffering and working towards the ultimate elimination of extreme poverty in the world’s poorest countries.
Our vision – for change:
A world where no-one lives in poverty, fear or oppression; where all have access to a decent standard of living and the opportunities and choices essential to a long, healthy and creative life; a world where everyone is treated with dignity and respect.
How Concern started
The catalyst which gave rise to Concern was the disastrous famine in Biafra in 1968. Ireland had many close links with Biafra via the thousands of Irish missionaries who worked there and who found themselves caught up in the conflict of the Nigerian civil war. Among the many people in Ireland who expressed their anxiety about the famine-stricken victims was a group of individuals collectively known as ‘Africa Concern’.
Donations poured in
On 28 June 1968, Biafran-based Catholic Bishop JB Whelan and Anglican Bishop GEC Cockin launched a Send One Ship Appeal (SOS) before a large gathering in Dublin. The target of the appeal was to send one ship, loaded with relief supplies, from Ireland to Biafra. Donations poured in, and within three months over a quarter of a million pounds had been raised. A ship – the SS Columcille – was purchased, and on 6 September 1968 she sailed for Sao Tome, a small island off the coast of West Africa. In order to avoid Nigerian Government detection, supplies were flown nightly into Biafra. Other ships loaded with relief supplies followed.
What happened next?
Following the end of the fighting in January 1970, the situation in Biafra began to improve. For Africa Concern it became a time of self evaluation, and it was decided that it would concentrate on small projects, particularly in Africa, and give financial and personnel assistance to people operating both relief and development projects in other parts of the world. Events in other parts of the world, however, soon saw Africa Concern spread its work. A cyclone disaster in east Pakistan, civil war and refugee problems in Calcutta meant that a change of name had to come about.
Today Concern is working in up to 28 countries.
Forming alliances around the globe
In order to achieve our mission, Concern will respond to people in a caring and personalised manner, which emphasises their human and cultural dignity. Concern is prepared to work effectively with poor people, in the most difficult of circumstances, by forming alliances and working arrangements with other organisations and government bodies.
Knowing when to engage and respond
Concern's aim is to balance enthusiasm and necessary risk-taking with prudent judgment and a professional approach, and to use creativity and pragmatism in the face of obstacles to its work. Concern will engage in long-term development work, respond to emergency situations and undertake development education and advocacy on those aspects of world poverty which require national or international action.
