Campaigning & Activism Shortlist 2025

When Joe Condon was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2011, he faced it alone. There were no dedicated supports, no peer networks for people with Early Onset Parkinson’s (EOPD), and little understanding of what it meant to live with the condition at a younger age. Rather than accepting that isolation, Joe turned his experience into action. As a volunteer, he founded EOPD.ie, creating Ireland’s first organisation dedicated to supporting, connecting, and advocating for people living with Early Onset Parkinson’s Disease. 

From the very beginning, Joe’s leadership and passion transformed what began as a small peer support network into a powerful national voice. Most notably, he championed the creation of the Community Grant Scheme for People with Parkinson’s, which has funded exercise classes, social groups, and wellness activities across Ireland. These community-led projects have not only improved physical and mental health but have also built lasting local networks of connection and solidarity — the very things Joe himself lacked at the time of his own diagnosis. 

Joe’s nominator writes: “His impact reaches from hospital wards to radio studios, from government offices to the homes of individuals newly diagnosed and frightened about their future. Every life he touches is changed by his empathy, his courage, and his belief that together, people with Parkinson’s can create a more understanding, inclusive Ireland.” 

Through the experience of caring for a family member, Paula learned first hand how large a gap there is in services for people with eating disorders. She founded CARED (Care About Recovery from an Eating Disorder) Ireland which takes a person-centred approach to people dealing with eating disorders. The organisation has over time become a beacon of hope for many and actively works to prevent families from having to deal with these life-threatening illnesses alone. Paula and CARED provide a lifeline to carers as well as peer support and advocacy for better healthcare for people with eating disorders. CARED also informs health policy through work with the HSE and Bodywhys. Paula has become knowledgeable about different treatment methods and perspectives on eating disorders; she has played a significant role in the development and progression of eating disorder services and policy nationally through remaining steadfast in her aims and her cause. 

Fahmeda Naheed exemplifies active citizenship and positive social change through her extensive voluntary work, lived experiences, leadership, and advocacy in Cork and across Ireland for over fifteen years. She is the founder of the Irish Pakistani Community of Cork, building connections between cultures, supporting the underprivileged, and promoting community cohesion. 

Fahmeda hosts the weekly Let’s Integrate radio programme, co-chairs the Cork Three Faiths Forum, and serves as an Ambassador for Schools of Sanctuary, helping schools become welcoming, safe environments for refugee and migrant learners. A skilled communicator, Fahmeda speaks honestly yet respectfully about the challenges she and many others face globally, using her voice to break the silence around uncomfortable truths. She believes deeply in community power and often builds connections through community cooking initiatives—creating spaces where food, culture, and dialogue become bridges between people. She brings “unsettled” conversations into the open and transforms them into learning moments through empathy and effective communication. “Her special contribution lies in her ability to create welcoming, safe spaces where people of all backgrounds can share traditions and build understanding,” writes her nominator.