Our vice-chair Branwen Mair looks back at two very successful winter schools.
January is the ‘black month’ according to many a poet. But Plaid Ifanc experienced a rainbow of colours in the darkness of the long nights found at the beginning of 2017. This year, for the first time ever, we held our winter school. There wasn’t one but two winter schools, one in Bangor at the beginning of January and the second in Neath as the days grew longer.
I was not fortunate enough to attend the school in Bangor but as I understood it, it was a very productive day. A thank you goes to Liz Saville Roberts, Siân Gwenllian and Mair Rowlands for a panel discussion on how to change politics today and our role as young people in the mvement. Feminism was the topic chosen by Fflur Arwel, our Communications Officer.
Both winter schools were opened by a presentation and discussion led by our Chair, Emyr Gruffydd. The aim of the session was to look at our activity and what we believe, by looking at terms we use to define ourselves but can sometimes be difficult to articulate. Why are we a nationalist movement? What is our perspective as a left wing movement ? Independence ? Wales in Europe ?
We also had a very engaging discussion with the Hope not Hate movement on how to answer questions that are difficult on the doorstep. My personal highlight was the importance of not getting angry and turning your back, but listening to change a view. That session will be very useful as we campaign for the council elections this year,.
Economics was the last subject of the day and the discussion I had been looking forward to the least ! But I was pleasantly surprised, thanks to the clear contribution of Daniel Roberts who succeeded in persuading us that economics is not a boring and complicated study. Rather, it is a science studied primarily by privilieged white men from the rich areas of south east England. This must change because Wales’ economy, as we know, is udnerperforming compared to other areas in Britain. The clear message was that we must change this and we can change this, with the correct vision for Wales.
Thank you to all who organised and those who attended. Onwards to the next one!
