A Oes Heddwch? Peace at the Heart of Pontypridd’s National Eisteddfod
Over the first week of August 2024, WCIA and Academi Heddwch brought debates of world peace to the world of Wales’ National Eisteddfod, hosted by Rhondda Cynon Taff this year in venues around Pontypridd (with a ‘maes’ / main field in Ynysangharad Park) over 3-10 August 2024.
Much focus of discussions and campaigns on current affairs centred on the conflict in Palestine and Israel, particularly for organisations participating in the Peace Tent; whilst the shocking riots that broke out across the UK following the killings in Southport prompted a strong response from Welsh Civil Society, with WCIA leading a ‘Wales Statement of Solidarity and Togetherness‘ signed up to by many organisations over Eisteddfod Week.
During the week, the opening speech for the Eisteddfod itself, from Archdruid Professor Mererid Hopwood (Secretary of Academi Heddwch) conveyed a powerful peace message. The peace heritage story of Wales’ Women’s Peace Petition, exactly a century ago in 1924, proved a popular catalyst for inspiring action – with talks not only on the Maes but in local churches and community spaces.
Women’s Peace Petition Centenary and Academi Heddwch
Academi Heddwch and the Women’s Peace Petition team held an extensive events programme over Eisteddfod week, with a number of talks on the Eisteddfod Maes (Peace Tent and Societies Tent), a creative workshop in Storyville Books, and a talk in partnership with Cytun (Churches in Wales) on the 1925 Welsh Churches Peace Petition.
Young Peace Ambassadors
On the first Saturday of the Eisteddfod, an event was held in the Babell Llen (Literary Tent) which looked at the worth and importance of literature about war, peace and persecution. It was great to see two young people from Ysgol Gyfun Bryntawe (Swansea) taking part in this event, as winners in the Young Writers category of this year’s Young Peacemakers Awards in Llangollen.
At 2 events in the Peace Tent and St Catherine’s Church, Gareth Evans-Jones from Bangor University talked about the Peace Education project his students had led (another Llangollen winner!) and outlined his plans to continue this project with students next year.
Peace Tent programme
The ‘Peace Tent’ on the Eisteddfod Maes is a much-loved annual fixture of the week-long programme, with a heritage itself stretching back to the 1920s (when the Welsh League of Nations Union had a major presence and involvement in Eisteddfodau). The tent now is co-ordinated between CND Cymru (Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament), Cymdeithas y Cymod, and Academi Heddwch supported by and involving a range of organisations. There was a particularly large gathering in the Peace Tent on the Wednesday for the event ‘From Wales to Gaza: solidarity with Palestine’ (see below). CND Cymru also marked Hiroshima Day on 6th August with a Remembrance event ‘Cofio Hiroshima’.
Visitors to the Peace Tent were asked to take the name of a child from Gaza who had been killed in the recent conflict, and copy the name and age of the child onto a long piece of cloth (below) in brightly coloured textile pens. They took the slip of paper with the name of the child away with them as an act of remembrance. This was a simple and moving action, illustrating the extent of the tragedy in Gaza and our grief and indignation at the loss of so much young life.
Palestine Solidarity Campaign Cymru organised a number of discussions and public events over the course of Eisteddfod week, focusing on the present conflict and humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the Occupied Territories.
Heddwch ar Waith were promoting via the Peace Tent, their campaign and working groups on mapping militarism in Wales, and developing peace ambassadors across local authority areas:
‘Heddwch ar Waith’ / ‘Peace Action Wales‘ is a project funded by the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust to raise awareness of militarism in Wales and to grow a Wales-wide network of people (including young people) working to create a more peaceful and cohesive society also had a presence in the Peace Tent and held events in Pontypridd itself. People interested in being involved in this network can do so by contacting heddwcharwaithgmail.com.
Yma o Hyd
Welsh singer Dafydd Iwan dedicated a rendition of his much-loved song ‘Yma o Hyd‘ to the victims of the Palestine conflict, with a performance that roused the whole Eisteddfod Maes.
