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Hello All, I've been a member of Americymru for a couple of years, so this isn't a "stranger" asking. I am also on the Board of two non-profit Welsh-American organizations--the Welsh National Gymanfa Ganu Association www.wnnga.org and the Great Plains Welsh Heritage Project www.welshheritage.org .

The WNGGA puts on the wonderful North American Festival of Wales each September, which draws people from all over, including Wales. We also bring over Welsh performers, choirs, and speakers for the 4-day event.The NAFOW has a link on Americymru from the home page.

The GPWHP has a wonderful Welsh museum and archives and also holds one of the only complete collections of Y Drych on microfilm. Y Drych is the only Welsh-American newspaper (now called Ninnau & Y Drych) and dates from the 1800s, with the earlier years written totally in Welsh. The museum offers obit look-ups and translations for a modest fee. The GWPHP also holds a terrific Welsh Heritage Weekend every other October, drawing people from all over the US and even from Wales and holds other events throughout the year.

Both of these organizations are in need of items to sell as fundraisers. Notecards (and maybe calendars) with pictures of Wales are wonderful and not generally available over here. I have made some from some of the photos I have taken on my trips to Wales, but am looking for other (and better) photographers to donate some images that we can make into notecards and Christmas cards and St. David's cards (and maybe calendars). If you have some images you'd like to donate to these 2 causes, you can email me high resolution jpegs, along with your name and copyright date,which we will include on the photo, and a short statement giving us permission to use them for the above causes. I will mail you a copy of the finished notecard(s) and the gratitude of both organizations if you send your postal address. The photos here are of some of the GPWHP Board members in a local parade in Wymore, and Welsh Language Lessons at NAFOW 2009, and the From Wales to the Great Plains mural at the GPWH Centre in Wymore, NebraskaThank you very much,

Mona Everett mona_sydd_yma@yahoo.com

( This is not an official press release but rather the personal observations of a Cymuned supporter )

Cardiff, the Assembly and YouGov

Firstly, a word of cheer: Quiet campaigning by individuals works! The story comes from Cardiff, where Coop have been working to freshen the image of their Llandaf shop. This involved, amongst other things, getting rid of the old bilingual signs and replacing them with "easier to read" English-only versions. But, in the words of the shop manager, she received a "strong reaction" from shop customers that convinced her to return to bilingual signage. Yes, it is awful that we still have to "campaign" in the 21st century for something as basic as recognition for the language, but this story shows that it is possible to change some things by quiet words in the right ears!

Which brings me neatly to an appeal for contributions! The Assembly's Heritage Department are starting the process of creating a new language strategy to replace "Iaith pawb" - the current blueprint for a bilingual Wales. They would like to hear the ideas and views of the public and relevant organisations to help them in their work. You may very well have your own ideas about the way forward to securing the Welsh's place as a vibrant community language, so now is the time for you to make them known in a way that can make a real difference.

Perhaps you remember an earlier email telling of a language Board conference where one recommendation was to encourage public bodies in the 'Fro' to use Welsh as their internal language - This shows that the ideas of CyngorNi are already being considered. Its time for us to push our message to the Assembly in the most powerful way available- through the submissions of the electorate and others that love the country. Please contribute, so that we can develop a strategy that will turn the vision in Iaith Pawb of: "a truly bilingual Wales ...a country where people can choose to live their lives through the medium of either or both Welsh or English..." into reality.

The consultation closes on the 29th January. Contributions by post to:

The Welsh Language Unit, Welsh Assembly Government Cathays Park Cardiff CF10 3NQ

Online at cymru.gov.uk/topics/welshlanguage

Or by e-mail to cymraeg@cymru.gsi.gov.uk .

It was interesting to see the YouGov opinion poll during the month, giving details of voting intentions in a general election and Assembly referendum. At the tail-end of the poll there was a question regarding the usage of Welsh showing that 42% of the population of Wales have some amount of Welsh (18% were fluent).

This is excellent news until you read the following question. Even in the North, and the "West and Central" regions, less than 30% of the Welsh speakers used their Welsh "all or most of the time" in their own homes. Now, predictions of disaster cannot be made as a result of one poll, especially when the question was just for sorting statistics rather than an important element of the poll, but I think that supporters of the Welsh language are justified in worrying about this statistic. However important a new Welsh Language Act may be, I'm not sure that people who don't use Welsh in their own homes are going to be all that enthusiastic about a right to use Welsh in a bank or with a mobile phone company. Then again, promoting Welsh as the language of work amongst public bodies in the 'Fro Gymraeg' would certainly ease the pressures on people to use English on every occasion.

Until next month!

Iestyn

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Dewi Sant told us to "Do the little things."

To see what he had in mind, have a quick look at:

www.cymuned.net/ymlaen/dewisant

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Are you a dreamer or a doer?

Cymuned can't survive without YOUR help.

Have a look at:

www.cymuned.net/ymlaen/ourfuture

to hear how to make things change

To everyone celebrating Thanksgiving tomorrow, we wish you a wonderful day, hopefully with family and friends!