What is the name of the person who called the session?

Tom/Naomi

Who attended the session? (You can pass this piece of paper round and ask people to write their name on it.)

Tom, Naomi, Devinda, Rhiannon, Tina, Stephanie, Thayer, Ian, Esther

Summary of discussion: (Notes, ideas, further questions, conclusions, recommendations for actions to take, contact details of relevant people / organisations etc)

“Its people have a fierce independent spirit & a toughness necessary to survive in a nature that is little diluted, to farm among the hills, win slate from the heart of the mountains, and remain an independent nation. Here is a country steeped in history from Neolithic times to the present day & a people proud of their land, music & tradition” From a book about Snowdonia.

Rural communities
Socialism
Working-class communities
An appreciation of being part of a community, whatever that community is.
A country of opportunity
The people – they listen
It feels as though is it becoming harder to be “Welsh”
Patriotic pride in the rugby but this can lead to divisiveness
Being Welsh is a state of mind; it’s about mind-set rather than blood type.
There should be no borders
If you weren’t born in Wales, when do you become ‘Welsh’? When are you Welsh enough?
Language
One definition of Welshness is related to economics – Welsh being seen as subservient in relation to others – What is Welshness on its own or are we always defined in antithesis or in relation to others?
Wales should not be frightened to be what it is.
Need to allow disruption to be a Welsh trait
Where does multiculturalism fit into a sense of Welsh identity?
There seems to be a shifting tide in Wales – division is springing up, related to nationalism – we are in the danger zone, especially with regard to a notion of cultural fascism & the toxicity attached to this.
Wales as a nation of rebels – we need to embrace that.
We should not have to conform to tired stereotypes.
There are lessons to be learned from the past & we need to learn them honestly – don’t look back through a nostalgic lens.
Where are the plays that deal with having uncertainty around a national identity?
We seem to be in a no-man’s land – there is a divide between romantic nostalgia for a false past or diving headlong into divisive nationalism – we need to find another way.
A lot of people in Wales used to be defined by their faith; a strong tradition of church & chapel and their values were related to this.
What are these values? Kindness (as decency rather than generosity) being welcoming; being resilient.
The Welsh accent – as a source of pride or shame – accent pointing to other factors (class, finances etc) & subconscious bias being linked to this. A recent study showed that Welsh women are the most likely to alter or lose their accent.
The voices we hear influence how we identify Welshness.
We should embrace difference as a source of pride; difference allows us access to other people’s experiences.