The Camio Story Part 3

So the stage is set . After our first public meeting in July 2018 . We formed a committee and constituted ourselves as a community organisation with elected chair person, secretary and treasurer. We set out our aims and objectives which are listed here on this page . And we went into action.

We were acutely aware that there was a huge need to raise awareness and educate locally . We also knew that Dalradian were taking out full page advertorial each week in the local papers which told only one side of the story. We contacted the local papers and invited them to stop accepting advertising from Dalradian .... in our naivety thinking that perhaps as they called themselves community papers that they would see what they were doing was not serving all parts of the community.

Laughable now when we look back at it. Their answer to us was, if you provide the news we will report it. We complained loudly about their inadequate coverage  of both sides of the story. They came back with all the evidence of how many pieces of editorial they had written, but not with the total amount of advertorial space that was given to Dalradian each week. To this day, it irks the hell out of us, how little good editorial comment is written about the whole contentious  issue of toxic mining in the Sperrins and indeed  the rest of Ireland.  Arthur Miller's quote  “A good newspaper is a nation talking to itself.” rings hollow in our ears. We suppose business comes first before news.

By now we are beginning to understand exactly what we are facing. On one side we have big business coming uninvited into our local communities, creating utter devastation , to our nature, poisoning our water, contaminating the very air we breathe. In return they offer the  jobs, the wealth, the supposed spin offs for associated industries .

They never tell us about the uselessness of the land after toxic mining, the mine acidification that when turned on is virtually impossible to turn off . The lead poisoning that occurs with contaminated air. The tailing's pond collapses . The erosion of community and the loss of a whole way of life.

Two sides, with two absolutely opposing views and then, all the reluctant  players, no discernible referee, and a slope on the pitch in favour of  the toxic mining side. The wind blows against us, the less favoured, weaker side: US THE PEOPLE .  We may not have much money, we may not have many resources but we have solidarity, community support, time, energy, commitment and passion. We don't get paid for what we do; we do it because it is important to us, we do it because we care. Many's a company would wish for the workforce that is available to us,  wish for the ethos, drive and integrity of purpose  that shows up everywhere amongst us. We are part of something that is beginning to come awake, alive and take on a momentum of its own. It will probably be the game of our lives.