Glyndwr Commemorations: Embassy Policy.

Despairingly, I feel there is the need (once again) to clarify Embassy Glyndŵr's policy when it comes to annual commemorative events. The need has come about because 'certain people' are choosing to ignore the significance of 'dates' and 'locations' when it comes to organising a commemorative or celebratory event and are organising events on dates and at locations that have absolutely no association with the historical event that they're claiming to be commemorating or celebrating.

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Embassy Glyndŵr and its predecessor movement COFIWN has, for the last thirty six years, spent a great deal of time, energy and resources in our quest to promote the history of Welsh historic happenings to the wider public that make up Welsh communities. We have been tenacious in our efforts and, as a result, have made major break throughs and had major successes. From the outset, as far as Embassy Glyndŵr has been concerned, it has always been our policy to encourage each community, once it has been reminded and reunited with its history, to work as a community to organise annual events to commemorate or/and celebrate that history as a community. We have stressed the need for such a policy for the following reasons.

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1. Each community has its own individual history so, once they've been reunited with it, it should be their privilege, as well as responsibility, to organise annual events locally as a means towards the end of ensuring that the history is remembered and passed on from generation to generation in that community.

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2. The community effort of organising such events serves to educate and unite the community and will, undoubtedly, strengthen that community's patriotism.

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3. Over time, members of each community involved with the organising of annual events will become accomplished in their roles, this could, eventually, assist in ensuring that they can stay in their communities in paid occupations associated with the organising of local historical events. The spin offs could be a boost for the local economy and would be one step in the right direction towards combating the problem of migration - and why not? The cultural and language needs of Welsh communities throughout Wales are providing jobs for young people in the 'Mentrau Iaith' so, in the same way - and on a larger scale really, jobs could be created for the organising of commemorative historical events in communities throughout Wales. If the Cymry don't take advantage of their history for this purpose, incomers will - as is already happening under our noses - again!

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So, for the above mentioned practical reasons, local historical commemorative and/or celebratory events should be organised by the relevant community and not by people stepping in from another community.

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Then the holding of commemorative and/or celebratory events on the correct historical date and at the correct location is of paramount importance. For example, it would be ludicrous to commemorate and celebrate the 'Crowning of Prince Owain Glyndŵr' and the establishment of his Senedd in September because, those most significant of historical events took place on 21 June 1404! - and again, Embassy Glyndŵr spent a great deal of time, energy and resources in our endeavours to draw the attention of the world, as well as the people of Machynlleth and surrounding communities, to the importance of remembering the events which took place there in 1404. For such reason we organised the 600th anniversary Commemoration in June 2004 in Machynlleth. We pointed out very clearly then that the people of Machynlleth should capitalise on this very important part of their history by forming as a community enterprise to organise spectacular 'Dydd y Senedd' and 'Dydd y Coroni' events in the town annually at Midsummer. Following our policy, we stressed that once the first 'Gŵyl Dydd y Senedd' and 'Dydd y Coroni' events had taken place ( which they did and very successfully so in 2004 - and with no financial or any other type of contribution from the National Assembly, Shame on it!) neither we, nor any other outside movement, should intrude in the organising of on going annual Gŵyl y Senedd and Dydd y Coroni events which, undoubtedly, would assist greatly in giving a much needed boost to the economy of Machynlleth. Powys and Machynlleth Council and the people of Machynlleth have not picked up the gauntlet to date, but we hope that 'somebody' resident in the town will see the potential soon and not leave it to 'outsider entrepreneurs' to walk in under their noses to capitalise on this obvious potential and reap the economic benefits. Embassy Glyndŵr paved the path in 2004, now its up to the Councils of Powys and Machynlleth and the Machynlleth community to organise this event annually. Patriots note, we are not promoting 'Dydd y Senedd'/Dydd y Coroni' events all over Wales to mark this anniversary and so, this could become the truly National Patriotic Glyndwr Mid-summer Festival that you may wish to make every effort to attend. (Information on any 2007 events will be posted soon).

As everyone in Cymru should know by now, the big historical event that took place in September was the beginning of Owain Glyndŵr's Great War of Liberation and his proclamation as 'Prince of Wales which took place on September 16th 1400. 'Dydd Glyndŵr' is now recognised far and wide in Wales and around the world and we have campaigned tenaciously for every community, not only in Wales but also around the globe, to fly the Glyndŵr '4 Lions Rampant flag' and to organise community celebratory events on this day. This means...Caernarfon people should organise events in Caernarfon, Bala people should organise events in Bala, Blaenau Ffestiniog people should organise an event in Blaenau Ffestiniog, Hope people in Hope...and so on. Not only would this practise strengthen the cooperation, unity and patriotism within communities, it would strengthen the unity and patriotism throughout Wales - and whereas in each case this would be a community venture for that community, it would mean that people are not drawn from one community to attend a Dydd Glyndŵr event in another community miles away. They would support the 'Dydd Glyndŵr' event in their own community. Its a policy of "Let a Thousand flower bloom" Then, if and when Machynlleth does get their annual Major Gŵyl 'Dydd y Senedd' and 'Dydd y Coroni' off the ground, every community in Wales would be able to attend as it would be held on the correct date in June and not in September where it would clash with local Dydd Glyndŵr events in communities throughout Cymru.

Although, in this posting we have stressed throughout the importance for patriots to sustain their own Medi 16 - Gwyl Glyndwr annual event in their own communities, we would suggest that this year, due to the fact that its a special year in Corwen - as they are to unveil a new and decent statue and will hold major celebratory events, that all other communities have their Dydd Glyndwr day on a different date to Corwen's programme so that all communities can also then have the opportunity to attend the 16 Medi 1400 commemorative events in Corwen, Llys Glyndyfrwdwy, Caerdrewyn and, possibly Ruthun.

I hope that this clarification of our policy makes sense to one and all and that in future, people and groups will organise events at the right historical location and on the right historic dates. Let's work together to awaken and unite our communities to their history and not confuse everybody with inaccuracies of history.

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As a guide for those of you who can see the sense in our methods, my next posting will be a 'Potential Monthly Commemorative Agenda of the Owain Glyndŵr War of Independence'. This item used to be on the old Embassy Glyndŵr website and will be on the new one in due course - once I get a chance to work on it.

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Siân Ifan