Many people are still stunned by the sudden turn of events in our country. Just over a year ago everything appeared to be running along smoothly, and the then the wheels came off the wagon, with the wreckage now all around us.
A growing number of families and individuals now face the prospect of losing their homes; the job queues are growing; we are facing a penal budget this year; and for the foreseeable future we will be subjected to cuts in social welfare, wages, and workers' terms and conditions, not only those of public sector workers but of employees in all areas of the economy.
Many people are feeling frustrated, angry and confused about how it all happened. No one appears to be listening to their concerns or respecting their voices; no one appears to care about what is happening in communities the length and breadth of the country.
The local organisation of the Communist Party of Ireland (CPI) is holding a series of open forums to provide people with an opportunity to come together to discuss their opinions and their solutions. The CPI will present its analysis of both the global and the national nature of the crisis and put forward some of its ideas about possible solutions and for a different way forward. These meetings are not for lecturing but for listening and learning, for people and their experiences.
The first meeting on the northside of Dublin will take place on Monday 16 November at St Fionnbharr's GAA clubhouse on Faussagh Avenue, Cabra at 8pm. All are welcome.
Eugene McCartan
Phibsborough
Dublin 7