While unions, government and the private sector bicker over pay cuts, higher taxation and ‘you earn more than I do’, communities across the land are being decimated by cuts, amalgamations and the steamroller that is the politics of bulldozing the oppressed.

The cuts in services in the field of anti-poverty projects, community childcare, community health, meals on wheels, drop in services, drug rehabilitation projects, projects, youth work organisations ,and community regeneration go largely unreported. It’s not about builders, trophy houses, ministerial salaries or politicians expenses – it’s about the lives of young old, parents, disabled and able bodied and traditionally disenfranchised and those who work with them who have fought hard to build and support themselves and others.

An alliance of community workers and projects are launching CAMA – if you are sick of NAMA this new agency will probably be easier to understand, transparent, able to whistle blow and far more important and feasible to fight to see established.

The Community Development Alliance has set up a new agency to protect the most vulnerable people in Ireland. CAMA aims to protect the Community Development Projects that are being closed down at a time when their services are most needed. Community Development Projects give a voice to those people and communities who consistently experience poverty; we empower people to set up the services, politics and programmes aimed at reducing poverty and inequality. CAMA aims to articulate and protect those those voices.

The board of CAMA and the Community Development Alliance calls for the retention of the CDP programme, with all of its values and ethos protected, including the bottom up approach, and the retention of all community assets that were sought for and fought for in the name of those people and communities who are poor, vulnerable and left out on the margins.

We urge the government to listen to us and reverse the decision to close projects down. It will only hurt the young, the old, the poor, the disabled, the excluded and the marginalised – and it will cost the state more in the end. CDP’s have a proven track record as a ‘value for money’ and it attracts five times more funding that the Department gives to the programme.

The first public event hosted by CAMA will take place on 11am on Friday November 6th at a Press Conference. The venue is a public one, outside of the GPO, on the streets, in solidarity with those communities and CDP’s who will soon lose their projects and community premises and services. CAMA will announce it’s alternative vision for a more equal society.

Speakers will include those who experience poverty and disability, voluntary boards of management, and board members of CAMA. If you believe in equality and a fair share for the poor then please come and hear us.

So that’s 11 am at the GPO on Friday next – all are welcome – if anyone is free with a camera and wants to blog it even better. I hope to be attending in my own Special Purpose Vehicle!