Statement by Slí Eile
We are living through a time of profound crisis. Ever-escalating wars and genocide, the basics of life becoming a luxury for the rich, extreme weather events and the poisoning of our land and water. At the same time the systems of democracy, which are the tools needed to address these challenges, continue to be undermined, replaced by the rule of billionaires interested only in furthering their own power.
These crises are particularly strong in Ireland. The government in the south, continuing our historical dependence on colonial powers, has made our country the plaything of billionaires. As a result, there is a widening gap between the ideas of the people on this island and the political and economic system we are forced to live within. A crushing example of this is the southern state’s complicity in the genocide in Gaza, despite the broad support for the Palestinian people across Irish society. But the crisis of housing across the island, ecological catastrophes from Lough Neagh to the Blackwater, the channelling of alienation into a politics of division and hate, should all be seen as the consequences of a system that values private profit at the expense of the common good.
While this can all feel overwhelming, the way forward is to come together as a society, to recognise our common strength and take back control of our lives. Communities on the frontline fighting projects of extractivism, like those in the Sperrin Mountains opposing a goldmine or those in Leitrim and Fermanagh who successfully blocked the introduction of fracking in Ireland, show the power that we can have in these difficult times. They highlight how community and connection are the most important tools we have in defending ourselves against billionaires and imperialist states. In these times of crisis, we need to draw strength from the collective culture that surrounds us, deepen our connection with the land and communities across the island, and build a democratic alternative that can challenge the system of greed and destruction that currently dominates us.
In Ireland there is now a tangible swell of grassroots organisations putting this alternative way of living and relating into practice. Many of these groups will gather at Climate Camp, which will take place in Co Clare on 7th-9th August. This year the camp will focus on the Shannon Basin — connecting the struggles against US military use of Shannon Airport, LNG terminals, data centre expansion, mining and water extraction from the River Shannon.
As heatwaves and forest fires sweep across Europe, Climate Camp is an opportunity to become proactive, to see the connections between militarisation, climate change and environmental justice, and the ways we can respond to them. The camp will be a space of education and connection, allowing for people, communities and groups from across the island and beyond to come together to learn from each other and build common plans for working together in the future. And it will be a space of community, where we will live together, eating, working, learning, singing, dancing and dreaming together, building the collective strength that we need now more than ever.
If you’d like to take part in Climate Camp 2026, please register here:
https://cryptpad.fr/form/#/2/form/view/8u-Ye5ticF3Ho-4PW9GQNm8-LC7yvTb3RuysucGFbqY/