HERITAGE INITIATIVE: MAKE SEPTEMBER WELSH HISTORY MONTH

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Mis Medi - Mis Glyndŵr - Mis Hanes Cymru.

This Initiative is being launched with the deliberate intention of using Mis Medi - Mis Glyndŵr celebrations as the vehicle, platform and umbrella for furthering information and interest in all of our history but in particularl the much ignored medieval period of Independent native principalities and story of the struggle for Cymric unity and independence from conquest and colonisation by the ''Anglo - Normans''. This document informs as to our general direction with this initiative and over the coming years it may be greatly developed and advanced. Grant funding may be sought from various bodies at home and abroad to further this work and If any person, organisation or society would wish to aid and assist us with this great Cymric Heritage Initiative then do get in touch with us at Embassy Glyndŵr with out delay.

PLEASE INFORM OTHERS BY ALL MEANS POSSIBLE AND DO NOTE, WE WELCOME ALL VIEWS, OPINIONS, SUGGESTIONS AND PROPOSALS REGARDS THIS MAJOR INITIATIVE. FURTHER NOTE, IT WILL HELP PROMOTE AND ADVANCE THIS INITIATIVE IF YOU AND OTHERS WRITE LETTERS TO THE PRESS AND GET INVOLVED IN ANY PHONE IN'S THAT MAY ARISE REGARDS THIS INITIATIVE OVER THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER. Please do not just read and put aside out of mind..

Mis Medi Mis Glyndŵr - Mis Hanes Cymru

To mark a decade of 600th anniversaries associated with Hanes Glyndwr’, we call for the month of September, henceforth, to be designated, recognised and observed annually as ‘Welsh History Month’ Embassy Glyndwr, representing his Majesty Prince Owain IV of Wales and Cenedl Glyndŵr in commemoration and celebration of Owain Glyndŵr; his life, times and society during the period of the Great War of Welsh Independence 1400 – 16 – 22 calls for recognition of Mis Medi - Mis Glyndŵr, annually to be officially designated, recognised, observed generally and broadly accepted as Welsh History Month. Embassy Glyndŵr does further call upon the Welsh Assembly, Regional and Local Government, National and Community Institutions, Organisations and Societies, not least Mentrau Iaith Cymru & other cultural bodies to observe September annually as a special month with promotion of our nation's history by means of specific and relevant commemoration and celebration programmes of events and activities in communities across the whole nation of Wales and, not least, in community educational establishments such as, libraries and Community Centres. September, Mis Medi - Mis Glyndŵr, annually should be a unique collective experience of our nation’s history with particular attention being given to education and information on the history of Wales. Such can be achieved by using Welsh History Month as a vehicle and platform for public expression of Welsh consciousness and identity by means of various educative, informative and entertaining ways. Welsh History Month will receive public recognition by communities throughout Wales being proactive in establishing such but, if we are to seek official recognition, then do please write letters of support to your M.P’s, M.E.P’s, and A. M.’s - as well as to your local Authority councillors – seeking the support of national, regional and local government in Wales to declare Mis Medi - Mis Glyndŵr – September as ‘Welsh History Month’.

Why a Welsh History Month? Despite the fact that many may consider Welsh History to be well looked after and catered for, there remains factors such as “Anglicisation & Acculturalisation'', “Commercialism and Globalisation”; such are trends that threaten to destroy our heritage - which, of course, will include loss of knowledge of our history and ‘’ghettoisation of our culture’’. Imperialism has long ensured the encouragement of Welsh Historical Amnesia through means of cerebral colonialism, the trends aforementioned can only serve to further erode our native communal historical consciousness. . Thus, only by means of the ‘national will’ in ‘conscious effort’ - to uphold and promote Welsh history in particular, will we prevail to save our history and native heritage from being overwhelmed by a plethora of contemporary distractions and what is, as often as not, irrelevancies of mass media global trivia of the ‘Cult of Celebrity’. Inspiration for the concept of a ‘Welsh History Month’ is derived from two sources; the first being the Native American Heritage Month in the U.S.A. and the latter being the World Black History Month - which is well founded in Britain and, perhaps, is more relevant for our consideration as the chief source of inspiration in regards to this article. Our attention was drawn to Black History Month through a publication entitled ‘The Public Eye’ (Number 8 : 2000) and an article therein entitled ‘Black History Month’ which dealt with the historical development of the initiative and its continuing relevance.

The aforementioned article points out how the “Black Experience” was a footnote in History and that as early as 1926, American scholar, Dr Carter Godwin Woodson Black, had led a struggle to establish a ‘ Negro History Week’. In 1987,The 'London Strategic Policy Unit' established ‘Black History Month’ as an annual event each October. The purpose of Black History Month was explained – and I quote…

“ What black History month should be about is the reclaiming of our Black Heritage, the reaffirmation of the struggle and determination to change attitudes and to heighten the understanding of the Black experience”.

Can we no less adopt this same purpose and motivation in respect to the Cambro – Celtic experience? to quote again from the aforementioned article:

“ So when some one asks why do Black People need a month to celebrate their history ? we can tell them our history is long and varied and when we talk about Black History, we are also talking about Black Astronomy, Black Mathematics, Black Metallurgy, Black Medicine, Black Engineering and so on”.

Perhaps the most relevant subject matter to quote from this article is on the subject of education;…

“Past evidence has conclusively shown that we can not depend on the current education system to teach us our history…..our children’s children grow up integrated into British society, learning about ‘British history”

. The implication is that Black History is ignored or but a mere footnote. Then, what of Welsh History in education – is it central or, similarly, but a footnote and on the fringe of serious study? One way to find out is if, during the proposed Welsh History Month, somebody or even a journal/newspaper organises a public survey in a number of differing communities throughout the land; this survey would ask a number of questions on various subject areas of our history in order to test the knowledge of the general public on such. Quotas could, perhaps, be based on sex, age and geographic location. Also of interest would be to see if there is any differentiation in knowledge of Welsh History between our two main linguistic communities with also, perhaps, "ethnic minorities" being taken into consideration.

To conclude, it is worthwhile to quote a Black American Historian…

“ To control a people you must first control what they think of themselves and how they regard their history and their culture. And when your conqueror makes you ashamed of your culture and history, he needs no prison walls and no chains to hold you.”

Hopefully a very broad representation of Welsh Society in the arts & culture in particular will fully involve themselves and participate in a number of ways as associated to their talents and skills. Towards such ends, we are sure that any number of grants could be made available by bodies such as the National Assembly and Arts Council of Wales etc. After all, surely, Welsh History Month could make a most valuable contribution towards strengthening our national identity in times when our heritage is in a very precarious position. "Without heritage without soul"; The Welsh heritage is rich and precious, we cannot afford to lose it.

Discuss & Debate.

the abovementioned 'WELSH HISTORY MONTH' Initiative in association with current issues arising out of matters appertaining to the English Governments desire to make ''ethnic communities more ''BRITISH'' i.e. ''ENGLISH''. If the desire is to make ''Afro - British'' and ''Asian - British'' what would that make of the Cymry? - ''WEST BRITONS''?. If British ''Ethnic Minorities'' are to be made to feel more ''BRITISH'' i.e. ''ENGLISH'' -as the Cymry have been made to feel down through the centuries. Would it not be "politically and multi - culturally correct" if the ENGLISH PEOPLE were given a heavy dose of the history, heritage, culture and customs of ''BRYTHONIC CELTISM''? they who, after all, could be described as the ''FIRST NATION PEOPLES OF BRITAIN'' (to borrow and adapt Native American terms)

Black History Month Wales is supported by the National Assembly of Wales, National Museum & Galleries of Wales, Arts Council of Wales and many other national & local Institutions & other bodies. Embassy Glyndŵr appreciates that we have been inspired by concept of Black History Month and thus also wishes it to be known that we too fully support Black History Month Wales (Annually throughout October) Further, we also consider it ''historically correct'' to include in Welsh History Month the history of "ethnic minorities" in Wales.

Above was written by G.Gruffydd in 2004 whilst Information Attaché for Embassy Glyndŵr.

Stop Press:

The newly established NATIONAL ABOLITION of SLAVERY DAY was marked with an exhibition at the Dylan Thomas Centre in Abertawe. At the opening ceremony Uzo Iwobi representing the Swansea African Community Centre said: ''It was important for people of African descent to make a day that none would forget, just as Jewish people mark Holocaust memorial day. Equally true of Wales of course but in this respect our national ‘’Halocaust day’’ would be 11 Rhagfyr 1282 already greatly advanced and promoted annually as our national remembrance day by COFIWN but, sadly, since that movement’s demise, national commemoration of this day has all but been totally superseded by patriots being only concerned with an annual outing to Cilmeri in December. This year, under the label of an YSBRYD COFIWN INITIATIVE, Gethin ap Gruffydd, co – founder of Cofiwn, is revisiting and revitalising ‘Gwaith Cofiwn’ regards Coffâd 1282, by the production of new material for a generation of patriots who will have missed out on the work of COFIWN in this direction. This material will also be A timely reminder and will include much regards Cilmeri attaining to it’s 40th founding anniversary 1966 – 2006 and, of course next year, will mark the 725th anniversary of the last days of Llywelyn ap Gruffydd and that of our homeland’s Independence. For further information on this Inititiative contact Gethin at gethin.apgruffydd@ntlworld.com.