17th April 2009
Gwasanaeth Cenedlaethol Cymreig / Welsh National Service
Mae yn saith mlynedd ers i mi awgrymu creu fersiwn Cymreig o’r rhaglenni gwasanaeth cenedlaethol Americanaidd a grewyd gan driawd o Arlywyddion Democrataidd yn fodelau suful o wasanaeth milwrol. Dechreuwyd y Civilian Construction Corps gan Roosevelt yn y tridegau. Erbyn diwedd y ddegawd mi oedd tair miliwn o bobl ifainc wedi adeiladu pum deg mil o bontydd. Yng nghanol y rhyfel oer fe greodd yr Arlywydd Kennedy y Peace Corps i roi’r cyfle i filoedd o ddelfrydwyr ifainc dangos ochr mwy dyngarol i ddylanwad Americananaidd. Ac yn ystod tymor Bill Clinton fe greodd yntau Americorps fel corff cyfatebol i bobl ifainc oedd am helpu mewn prosiectau nes tuag adref.
Nawr mae Arlywydd Obama – oedd ei hunan wedi dechrau ar ei ymdaith hir i’r Ty Gwyn fel trefnydd cymunedol yn Chicago – wedi cytuno i arwyddo mesur gan Kennedy arall, yr hynafgwr o Massachussets, Edward, sydd am gyflwyno’r newid mwyaf pellgyrrhaeddol fyth yn rhaglenni gwasanaeth cenedlaethol America gan dreblu’r gullideb ar gyfer llefydd wedi eu noddi, a mynd a’r nifer o lefydd ar gael i gwarter miliwn y flwyddyn – nol lan ble fuodd e pan ddechreuodd Roosevelt a’i gynllun yntau.
Ond yw hi’n hen bryd nawr i ni gael rhywbeth tebyg yng Nghymru. Mae dros 50,000 o bobl ifainc yn ddiwaith. Mae yna lu o anghenion – cymdeithasol ac amgylcheddol, cenedlaethol a rhyngwladol – heb eu diwallu. Mae David Cameron wedi son am gynllun o wasanaeth chwech wythnos ar ol gadael ysgol ond dyw hyn ymhell o fod yn ddigonol. Dwi yn meddwl ei bod hi’n bryd i greu gwasanaeth cenedlaethol dinesyddol newydd ar gyfer pobl ifainc rhwng 16 a 24 oed yn para hyd at flwyddyn fydd yn rhoi cyfle i bobl ifainc treulio amser mewn gwahanol rhannau o Gymru a’r byd, i weithio gyda phlant, yr henoed a’r anghenus ac helpu’r amgylchedd.
Iddo fe wneud gwahaniaeth mae rhaid i’r wasanaeth bod o ddigon o faint – 5,000 i ddechrau yn cynyddu i 25,000 o fewn deg mlynedd. Er yn cydweithio gyda’r sector gwirfoddol, rhaid iddo fe cael ei redeg fel rhaglen cenedlaethol gyda hunaniaeth ei hunan – TirnaNog fyddai fy newis i am enw. Fe ddylai’r bobl ifainc cael eu talu – isafswm cyflog o leiaf – a gallant hefyd ennill arian tuag at gostau astudio. Gwirfoddol fyddai’r rhaglen i ddechrau, gyda’r opsiwn o’i droi yn ofynnol i bawb ar ol y cyfnod prawf yn dibynnu ar agwedd pobl ifainc – mae arolygon barn yn dangos mwyafrif o blaid. Ym 2011, blywddyn etholiad nesaf y Cynulliad, mi fydd hi’n ganrif yn union ers i Owen M Edwards a Mallt Williams creu Byddin Cymru – rhagflaenydd yr Urdd oedd a phwyslais ar wasanaethu Cymru. Pa ffordd well o ddathlu’r canmlwyddiant nag i Lywodraeth Plaid Cymru creu byddin o’r newydd dros heddwch rhyngwladol a chenedligrwydd Cymreig.
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It is seven years since I first suggested creating a Welsh version of the American national service programme that was formed by three Democrat Presidents as a civil model of armed service. The Civilian Construction Corps was started by Roosevelt in the thirties. By the end of the decade, three million young people had built fifty thousand bridges. In the middle of the cold war, President Kennedy created the Peace Corps to give the chance to thousands of young idealists show a more humane side to American influence. And during Bill Clinton’s term he created Americorps as a corresponding body for young people in order to help with projects closer to home.
Now, President Obama – who himself began his long journey to the White House as a community organiser in Chicago – has agreed to sign a Bill by another Kennedy, the senator from Massachussets, Edward, who is introducing the most far-reaching change ever in American national service programmes by trebling the budget for sponsored places, and taking the number of places available to a quarter of a million, back when they were when Roosevelt began his scheme.
But it is now time for us to have something similar in Wales. There are more than 50,000 young people out of work. There are a host of needs – social and environmental, national and international – that need to be satisfied. David Cameron has talked about a six week service programme after leaving school, but this is far from adequate. I think it is time create a new national citizenship service for young people between 16 and 24 years old, lasting up to a year and giving the opportunity to young people spend time in different parts of Wales and the world, working with children, the elderly and needy and helping the environment.
For it to make a difference, the service must be of a large enough size – 5,000 to begin with, rising to 25,000 within ten years. Although it will be working with the voluntary sector, it must be run as a national programme with an identity of its own – TirnaNog would be my choice of name. Young people should be paid – at least the minimum wage – and also be able to earn money towards study costs. The programme will be voluntary to begin with, with the option of becoming requisite after a test period, depending on young people’s attitudes – opinion polls show a majority in favour. In 2011, the Assembly’s next election year, it will be exactly one hundred years since Owen M Edwards and Mallt Williams created Byddin Cymru, the Welsh Army – fore-runner of the Urdd with the emphasis on serving Wales. What better way of celebrating the hundredth anniversary than a Plaid Cymru Government creating a new army for international peace and Welsh nationhood.
3 Responses to “Gwasanaeth Cenedlaethol Cymreig / Welsh National Service”
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sanddef says:
April 17th, 2009 at 11:00 am
What is this Welsh fad with the Irish afterlife? There are two TirnaNogs in Arfon alone, a nursery and a Siop Gymraeg.
I’d be strongly opposed to the scheme becoming requisite. A substantial portion of young people have a natural anti-authoritarian sentiment and such a requisite scheme no matter how good its intention may be would drive them out of Wales and foster resentment towards a Welsh State and indeed Welsh nationhood. In contrast, as a voluntary scheme it could prove to be very popular.
Richard says:
April 21st, 2009 at 12:14 am
You socialists have no idea of the concept of VOLUNTARY Christian service! When Christ said ‘the things you do for the least of my servants you do for me’ he didn’t add ‘and you will receive the minimum wage for it’! Responsible politicians should be encouraging unemployed youngsters to become Service Cadet Officers, Scout and Guide Leaders, St John Ambulance Personnel, etc not creating another cohort of public sector workers that will cost Wales more than they contribute!
landsker says:
April 22nd, 2009 at 8:47 am
The notion of an “enforced national service”, implies the mechanics of master and servant, maybe it would be less contentious if such a scheme were to be administered within the educational system.
Local solutions for local occasions, a community based rather than a nationalised force to serve the outlook of government.
As for the notion that youngsters join an officer cadet force, as a pacifist, I find that suggestion to be an insult.