Thursday 29 October 2009

Mr Pain yn y pen ol i Gymru


Sut ar y ddaear ei bod hi’n ddemocrataidd i un person bach (Mr Pain) gael penderfynu ar refferendwm yng Nghymru. Os yw’r genedl wedi penderfynu yn ôl adroddiad y Confensiwn (fydd allan mis nesa), yna sut bod yr owns wedi disgyn ar un person i benderfynu dweud ‘ie’ neu ‘na’ i ganlyniad yr adroddiad hwnnw?

Mae’r peth yn hollol warthus a chwerthinllyd. Eto fyth dyma enghraifft arall o byped i Lundain yn penderfynu ar ddyfodol Cymru.

Wednesday 28 October 2009

CymruX yn Nghynhadledd yr SNP

Ar fore oer main yng Nghaerdydd daeth criw ohonom ni ynghyd i deithio’r holl ffordd fyny i Inverness i Gynhadledd yr SNP. Ar ôl glanio sylweddolais fod y tymheredd tipyn is ond yn ddisgwyliedig gan ein bod ni yn mynd i’r ddinas fwyaf gogleddol yn y Deyrnas Unedig.

Pwrpas ein hymweliad, oedd nid yn unig i gryfhau ein brawdoliaeth gyda ein chwaer Blaid ond i ddysgu ganddi hefyd. Er efallai nad yw polisïau’r Blaid yn hollol unfrydol gyda’r SNP ar y cyfryw mae ein hamcanion yn debyg iawn ac felly o’r herwydd yn golygu ein bod fel dwy Blaid yn cyd-weithio’n aml.

Difyr oedd darganfod bod yr Young Scottish Nationalists (YSI) hefyd wedi bod yn anweithredol ers cryn amser a dim ond yn ddiweddar wedi ail gynnau eu gweithgarwch. Eglurodd y cynghorydd David McDonald sydd hefyd yn Gadeirydd yr YSI fod galw cenedlaethol gan ieuenctid yr Alban ar gyfer adain ieuenctid ond bod diffyg trefn a chydweithrediad wedi achosi i’r adain fynd a’r chwâl ac ddim yn gweithio mor effeithiol ac y gallasant. Ond nawr mae’r sefyllfa yn dra gwahanol gyda’r pwyllgor gwaith cenedlaethol yn cynnal gweithgareddau ar hyd a lled y wlad. Efallai bod hyn yn gymhariaeth dda i sefyllfa CymruX tan yn ddiweddar, ond erbyn hyn yn llwyddiannus dros ben ac ar y trac cywir i fod hyd yn oed yn well.

Cawsom groeso cyfeillgar gan bawb, o’r aelodau etholedig i’r actifyddion i drefnwyr a staff. Cynhadledd fyrlymus a thipyn mwy o ran maint na Chynhadledd y Blaid ond mi roedd yr awyrgylch groesawgar yr un fath. I’w weld yn amlwg oedd cynifer yr arddangoswyr o fudiadau, elusennau, gwmnïau neu sefydliadau hyd yn oed stondin gan Coke ( falle bod gan Iron Bru rhywbeth i’w wneud gyda hynny), ond fel eglurodd un o’r aelodau i mi. “You’d be surprised how much money these organisations are willing to spend on you when you’re in Government.” Beth bynnag aethon ni draw i’r awditoriwm i wrando ar gynigion neu “resolutions” fel y geilw SNP hwy. Doedd y cynigion eu hunain ddim byd sbeshal, ond synnodd Natsaha Cody a mi ar eu dawn llefaru ac areithio. Ni chlywsom ni run aelod yn siarad yn wael ac yn achosi i’r gynulleidfa ddifalsu. Dwi’m yn siŵr iawn beth oedd fformiwla'r ddawn dweud ond yn sicr mi fyddai un neu ddau o aelodau Plaid Cymru yn gallu gwneud hefo dos neu ddau ohono fo. Diolch byth daeth Helen Mary Jones i roi araith y frawdoliaeth. Dechreuodd Helen ar ei haraith yn ddigon hyderus a deallus ac yna allan o nunlla... daeth na dân o’i henaid a’r gynhadledd ar flaenau eu seddau yn clapio ar ôl bron bob brawddeg. Roedd y gynulleidfa gyfan dan ei sang yn barod i godi ar eu traed i sefyll mewn undod a Helen, bloeddiodd y gynulleidfa gan glapio a churo dwylo yn wyllt wrth wrando ar ei haraith. Gorffennodd Helen gyda phob un o aelodau’r gynulleidfa ar eu traed ac arhosodd pawb ar eu traed am bum munud arall. A dyna Plaid Cymru wedi gadael marc ar y gynhadledd yn Inverness 2009.
Roedd araith Salmond yn dra wahanol i’r math rydym ni wedi arfer clywed ond mi oedd hyn yn fwriadol. Araith bwyllog a distaw, fe gadwodd draw o’r jocs a’r sarhau gan yn hytrach sdicio i’r ffeithiau a chydnabod nad oes diben dechrau clodfori eu llwyddiannau cyhyd - mae na lywodraeth Geidwadol ar y ffordd i San Steffan!

Mi allai gario mlaen adrodd fy hanes wrth yr awr, ond dwi’n tybio mai diflasu fydde chi a fi! Felly os am glywed am yr hynt a helynt dewch i gysylltiad, ac os am wybod beth oedd cyfrinach e’u ‘dawn dweud’- ceisiwch shot o chwisgi (Oban) gyda Iron Bru a fyddwch chi ddim yn bell o fod rhywbeth tebyg i Adam Price ar lwyfan!

Saturday 24 October 2009

I want to change the world, I'm looking for a new England

by Luke James
Cymru X Vice-Chair

I was speaking to a Labour student on Friday in the wake of Nazi Nick Griffin’s appearance on BBC’s Question Time.

Although a short conversation I think I was somewhat enlightened as to why the racist BNP are now winning national elections and consequently appearing on QT.

I dared to suggest that I thought Griffin had a point when he asked why the option to state your nationality as ‘English’ was not on the census.

To which the response was ‘all nationalism is sh*t’.

I’m not for one minute going to be taken in by Nick Griffin or the BNP and their attempts to dress race based discrimination up as ‘standing up for the silent majority.’

I know and you know that man will say anything for votes; I shudder at the thought of such a vile individual and party gaining any further ground.

However it does seem that the mainstream English/British parties’ refusal to accept an English identity and hold their own national conversation is playing straight into the hands of the far right.

At the Plaid Cymru conference in Llandudno members of Cymru X were present at the Undeb (English:Union) fringe meeting to hear Mark Perryman speak about his efforts to form an inclusive, left leaning English national identity.

Perryman is a serial contributor to the Guardian: Comment is Free and this piece outlines his vision for a better England. http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/apr/23/britishidentity



Imagined Nation: One of Mark Perrymans books.


It struck me that Perryman was so frustrated in his efforts, being hit by the brick wall of the British parties on one side who want to sweep England under the carpet and the far right hijacking English identity on the other.

And this Labour student’s response was just typical of the attitude of the British parties.

Identity is important to us all, whether that be we are a supporter of a football team, a Royal Mail worker or English.

What nationalism does is bring all these identities under a national community, as I have mentioned before Plaid’s vision of Wales is a diverse community of communities.

If the London parties refuse to wake up and accept English people want to be recognised as such and not under a false British identity then maybe we will see the civil war Nick Griffin is so eager for.

England is in such an early stage of its national development, Wales as Perryman admits is the envy of many English men and women of all religions and origins.

We have much work to do in Wales building our national future and contribution to the world and humanity, but our English friends can rest assured Cymru X and Plaid Cymru will always have time to guide you on your course too.

"Take down the Union Jack, it clashes with the sunset" - Billy Bragg

Free England!

Sunday 18 October 2009

Victory over fascists in Swansea

by Luke James, Cymru X Vice-Chair

Swansea stood united yesterday to send 60 fascist protesters packing from our streets.

Members of of the Cymru X Swansea University branch joined a peaceful demonstration in Castle Square, the heart of Swansea city centre, to stop the 'Welsh Defence League' from holding a demonstration there.


Myself and Bethan Downes (Cymru X Abertawe Secretary) centre with other Swansea students.

Demo

The fascist 'Welsh Defence League' could be seen 'mobbing up' like hooligans at a pub facing onto the square.

Despite this intimidation the Unite Against Fascism demonstation didn't move an inch and held Castle Square all day to prevent the facists from taking centre stage.


Our flag not yours! - Cymru X member shows fascists they don't speak for Wales.

When the WDL tried to move in they were opposed and the police stepped in and kept them penned outside the sheep shop opposite the square for an hour before they were marched to the trainstation and dispersed.

Whilst held in the street the fascist WDL gave Nazi salutes, chanted rule britannia and burnt an anti Nazi flag.

The counter demonstration and everyone present showed that when opposed Nazi's will get nowhere, and our streets belong to the whole community and not small minded rascists.

Rhyddid,Tegwch,Cymuned

At the demo I took along the Welsh republican tricolor and had a couple of questions about what it was about and what it stood for.

The green is for freedom, the white for equality and the red for community. Rhyddid, tegwch, cymuned.

That is what Cymru X and Plaid Cymru are all about, which is why I took the tricolor to fly alongside Y Draig Goch.

And I believe the tricolor represents our national future and the community of communities we are trying to build, our vision for a inclusive Welsh Republic.

Lighter moments

Although it was a day where passions ran high there were some very amusing moments.

Throughout the day UAF supporters had been playing bongo drums to keep up the atmosphere, this continued despite tensions rising when we faced down the fascists.



At one particuarly intense moment in the stand off when the police were moving people back, the ever indomitable Aled of Swansea Uni Gym Gym and Cymru X Abertawe turned round to a drummer and said "butt, try sticking in a counter rythem."

Which he did and to be fair it sounded a lot better.

Result

As a result of our actions yesterday the WDL have called off their Newport demonstration. You can read more about that @ http://welshramblings.blogspot.com/

Da iawn to everyone who went and stood their ground against fascism yesterday. Dal dy dir!


Cymru X Prifysgol Abertawe/Swansea University facebook group


cymruxabertawe@hotmail.com

Wednesday 7 October 2009

CymruX yn Ystalyfera

Cerith Rhys Jones a Jenny Ann Hopkin, Cadeirydd Gweithredol ac Is-gadeirydd Gweithredol Cangen Ysgol Gyfun Ystalyfera, CymruX Plaid Cymru

Ar ôl trafod sefydlu cangen CymruX Plaid yn yr ysgol ers amser gyda Phrif Weithredwraig y Blaid, y Cyng. Ddr. Gwenllian Lansdown. Wedi i ni gyfarfod â’n gilydd dros yr hâf, penderfynnom i gymryd y cam nesaf, sef cyfarfod gyda rai o gynrychiolwyr y Blaid yn Nhŷ Gwynfor. Yn y cyfarfod ‘roedd Gwenllian Lansdown, Bethan Jenkins AC, Caryl Wyn Jones (Cadeirydd Cenedlaethol CymruX) a Colin Nosworthy (ymgeisydd i’r Cynulliad dros Sir Frycheiniog a Sir Faesyfed). Trafodon sut yn union byddem yn trefnu’r cangen ac phan ailddechreuodd y flwyddyn academaidd, aethom ati i drafod hyn gyda’n cyd-fyfyrwyr yn Ysgol Gyfun Ystalyfera.

Datblygon gyflwyniad pwynt pŵer i’w ddangos mewn cyfarfod â’r ysgol hŷn – sef tua 300 o bobl ifainc – er mwyn hysbysebu’r gwaith ‘rydym yn gobeithio’i gyflawni ar ran y Blaid.

‘Roeddem yn falch iawn â’r croeso cawsom, yn ychwanegol at yr adborth rhoddwyd gan y myfyrwyr a gan y corff dysgu. Cawsom, hyd yn oed, gwyn allanol wedi ei wneud yn ein herbyn drwy’r Awdurdod Addysg Leol – o leia’ mae’n dangos ein bod yn generadu rhywfaint o ymateb, yn enwedig wrth y Blaid Llafur, mae’n debyg!

‘Rydym yn y broses o gasglu’n ôl ffurflenni ymaelodi â’r cangen, ac chyn gynted ag y bod hynny wedi ei wneud, byddwn yn trefnu’n cyfarfod cyntaf i weithio ar gynllun o’r hyn y bwriadwn ei gyflawni fel cangen.

Oes oes diddordeb gyda chi mewn rhoi cyflwyniad yn eich ysgol yna peidiwch petruso cysylltu gyda CymruX ar postcymrux@googlemail.com.