After returning from my union conference in Torquay, I decided to write to the Westminster Government about private military companies. I was talking to a person on the War on Want stall when I saw some information about Private ilitary companies in Britain. I was amazed to find out that Britain was a world centre for Private Military Companies (Mercenaries) and that they operate freely without government oversight. These people make a fortune out if killing (£1.8bn in 2004 according to War on Want) and are referred to in the media as ‘Contractors’.
It seemed rather crazy to me that the government has more say in wether you can sell Brains SA than if you run a private army so I sent one of the campaign postcards and waited for the reply. The letter would have been funny if the subject wasn’t so serious. The letter said that the situation was ‘difficult’but the government had looked at a number of options …
‘The review…considered a number of ways forward, including self regulation through a trade association, national regulation based on export controls, and national regulation based on a company licensing system. We have also considered international regulation on the basis of common internatioal values and norms. However, the review, and subsequent analysis, has also highlighted difficulties with regard to implementation or enforcement, with respect to each of the options’
Do these people live on the same planet? Self regulation?! The fact that the government has more interest in the design of your new garage than if you want to set up in the international war trade is plain crazy.
Ar ol bod yng ngynhadledd undeb yn Torquay, penderfynnais ysgrifennu at lywodraeth San Steffan ynglyn a byddinoedd preifat. Roeddwn i’n siarad a’r person ar stondyn yr elusen War on Want am rywbeth hollol wahanol pan welais wybodaeth am fyddinoedd preifat ym Mhydain. Roedd yn syndod mawr i mi ddarganfod fod Prydain yn ganolfan byd-eang i Gwmnïau Diogelwch a Milwrol Preifat (Byddinoedd preifat i bob pwrpas) a’u bod yn cael gweithio heb oruchwyliaeth gan yr awdurdodau. Ers Rhyfel Irac mae’r cwmnïau (sy’n cael eu cyfeirio atynt yn y cyfryngau fel ‘contractwyr’ yn y cyfryngau) wedi gwneud ffortiwn allan o ladd. Yn ôl taflen gan War on Want enillodd Cwmnïau Militarydd Prydain mwy na £1.8bn yn 2004.
I fi, mae’n wirion fod angen trwydded i werthu Brains SA ond nid i recriwtio byddin breifat, felly codais gerdyn post o’r stondyn a’u anfon at y gweinidog perthnasol. Derbyniais i lythyr yn esbonio fod y sefyllfa yn ‘anodd’ ond roedd y llywodraeth wedi gwneud arolwyg o’r sefyllfa…
‘The review…considered a number of ways forward, including self regulation through a trade association, national regulation based on export controls, and national regulation based on a company licensing system. We have also considered international regulation on the basis of common internatioal values and norms. However, the review, and subsequent analysis, has also highlighted difficulties with regard to implementation or enforcement, with respect to each of the options’
Ydy’r bobl ‘mha yn byw ar yr un blaned? Hunan reoli?! Mae’r ffaith fod y llywodraeth yn cymryd mwy o diddodeb yn dy fusnes os wyt ti’n codi garej na rhedeg byddin breifat yn anghredadwy.
The Tranisiton Llambed group is really moving forward. To those who aren’t familiar with the group it aims to draw attention to our dependency as a community on oil and to lessen that dependency on a local level. With fuel prices at their current level we need to think about how we can live without wasting such an expensive resource. Its supported by both Menter Llambed and the Town Council.
Transition Llambed has a number of interesting developments on the horizon such as the local currency plan, which aims to keep more money in the local economy. However the main development reported at the meeting on Monday was the scheme to develop a cotton shopping bag for Lampeter. Mel (who has taken up this idea) has been round town selling the idea to local businesses and dealing with the manufacturer in Welshpool. The idea is for local shops to sell the bags and then reduce the number of plastic bags they hand out (and consequently their dependence on oil). It will also serve to promote Lampeter as a shopping destination by advertising on the bags. The cost per bag is substantially reduced if you buy in bulk which makes it a better idea for shops to take the Lampeter bag rather than order their own.
Getting everyone out of the habit of using plastic bags is not going to be easy – we’re used to the convenience. But I’ve found that since I bought two large bags from the Farmers’ Market my use of plastic carrier bags had substantially reduces. It would be great if, as a town, we could ban the use of plastic bags but unfortunately we don’t have that power. We’ll have to wait on developments in the National Assembly for changes on that scale but the little things so make a difference – and that is the key message.
Mel deserves recognition for the work she’s done on the Lampeter Bag project. If successful it will lay the foundations for more ambitious projects such as the local currency and make Lampeter a beacon of good practice for sustainable development.
Mae grŵp Transition Llambed yn symud yn ei flaen. Roeddwn i mewn cyfarfod nos Lun ac roedd llawer wedi digwydd. I’r rhai sydd ddim yn gyfarwydd â’r grŵp mae’n treio codi ymwybyddiaeth o’r ffordd mae ein cymdeithas ni yn or-ddibynnol ar olew ac yn yr amgylchiadau presennol mae’r neges ‘na yn berthnasol iawn. Mae’r mudiad wedi cael cefnogaeth Cyngor y Dref a Menter Llambed.
Mae nifer o ddatblygiadau diddorol ar y gorwel gan gynnwys datblygu arian lleol er mwyn cadw mwy o fasnach o fwn yr ardal. Ond y prif ddatblygiad nos Lun oedd cynllunio cwdyn cotwm arbennig i Lambed. Mae Mel (sy’n aelod gweithgar iawn) wedi bod o gwmpas yn gwerthu’r syniad i siopau yn y dref a delio a chynhyrchwr yn y Trallwng. Y bwriad yw i siopau lleol werthu’r cwdyn yma er mwyn lleihâi defnydd o gwdinau plastic (sy’n arbed olew) ac i hyrwyddo Llambed fel canolfan siopa ar yr un pryd. Mae angen archebu dros 1,000 o fagiau er mwyn cael pris rhesymol felly nid yw’n rhywbeth gall rhai o fusnesau’r dref wneud yn annibynnol.
Fydd hi ddim yn hawdd cael pawb allan o’r arfer o ddefnyddio bagiau plastig; maen nhw’n handi iawn wrth fynd i’r siop. Ond rwy wedi ffindio ‘mod i’n defnyddio llawer llai o fagiau plastig ers cael 2 bag mawr o Farchnad y Ffermwyr. Buasai hi’n braf i ni fel tref gael gwared â bagiau plastig yn llwyr ond nid yw’r fath ‘na o rym gyda ni - bydd yn rhaid i rywbeth ddigwydd yn y Cynulliad ond wrth wneud camau bach gallwn wneud gwahaniaeth.
Rhaid i Mel gael cydnabyddiaeth am ei gwaith caled yma. Gobeithio bydd llwyddiant Cwdyn Llambed yn gosod sylfaen i brosiectau mwy fel datblygu arian lleol ac yn arwain at droi Llambed yn esiampl o ymarfer da i drefi eraill sydd am ddatblygu’n gynaliadwy.
Mae’n flwyddyn ers sefydlu Llywodraeth Cymru’n Un rhwng Plaid Cymru a Llafur. Gan ‘mod i’n hen sosialydd dyna oedd fy hoff opsiwn ar y pryd ond nid oedd pawb o’r un farn! Ta beth ‘rwy’n meddwl fod y flwyddyn diwethaf wedi bod yn eithaf llwyddiannus ac mae ein Haelod Cynulliad ni, Elin Jones wedi bod y brif ser fel gweinidog yn y llywodraeth newydd. Penblwydd hapus Cymru’n Un!
Its one year since the One Wales Plaid/Labour government was established. Being an old socialist the red/green option was the one I favoured although not everyone felt the same way at the time. Anyway, I think we can say that its been a pretty good year and that our Assembly Member, Elin Jones has really shone as an outstanding minister. So there we are - Happy birthday One Wales - Many happy returns.
Last Monday evening the Lampeter Swimming Pool AGM was held. Its been a hard year for the pool with funding cuts and old equipment getting more and more unreliable. This unfortunately culminated in the pool closing for a few weeks in April but following emergency work we are now open again and the hot tub is also working. That doesn’t mean that the problems are over however. We still need substantial money for urgent repairs to keep the pool open in the short term We’re currently seeking grant funding for this work.
It was good that there was a fair crowd at the AGM and that there were people willing to put their names forward to help out. Cllr Cecilia Barton, the other Town council representative was there and another new member was elected to the board. Fiona Huges, the new Llanybydder County Councillor was also elected as our treasurer. As well as bring new blood, more energy and fresh ideas I hope that this will help us improve our relationship with Carmarthenshire which as been strained of late. In the subsequent board meeting Ivor Williams was re-elected chairman of the board and Janes Norris-Hill as acting company secretary. I was elected vice chair. Its going to be a busy year!
Ar nos Lun diwethaf roedd Cyfarfod Cyffredinol Blynyddol Pwll Nofio Llambed. Mae wedi bod yn flwyddyn anodd i’r pwll nofio gyda thoriadau yn y gyllideb a hen beirianwaith yn dechrau mynd yn annibynadwy. Roedd yn rhaid inni gau’r pwll am ychydig ym mis Ebrill ond gyda rhywfaint o waith mae’r pwll ar agor eto. Sut bynnag, nid yw’r problemau drosodd. Mae angen arian sylweddol arnom i wneud y gwaith i gyd sy’n angenrheidiol i gadw’r pwll ar agor yn y tymor byr.
Felly roedd yn dda fod crowd da wedi dod i’r cyfarfod gyda rhai ohonynt yn fodlon rhoi eu henwau ymlaen i fod ar y bwrdd a’n helpu i ddatrys y problemau. Ymunodd y Cyng. Cecilia Barton â’r bwrdd fel un o gynrychiolwyr y Cyngor Tref. Etholwyd un aelod newydd i’r bwrdd a phenodwyd Fiona Hughes, cynghorydd sir newydd Llanybydder fel trysorydd. Mae hyn yn dod a gwaed newydd, mwy o egni a syniadau ffres i’r bwrdd a gobeithio bydd yn helpu gwella’n perthynas gyda sir Gaerfyrddin sydd wedi bod dan straen yn ddiweddar. Yn y cyfarfod wedyn ail-etholwyd Ivor Williams yn gadeirydd y bwrdd, a Jane Norris-Hill fel ysgrifennydd y cwmni dros dro. Ces i fy ethol fel is-gadeirydd. Rwy’n rhagweld fod blwyddyn brysur o’n blaenau.
Mae ‘na erthygl yn y Western Mail heddiw am y problemau ym Mhrifysgol Cymru Llambed. Yn ôl yr adroddiad nid yw HEFCW yn fodlon a rhai o agweddau rheoli’r brifysgol ac maen nhw wedi comisiynu ymgynghorwyr i baratoi adroddiad ac i argymell newidiadau. Mae’r brifysgol wedi tynnu sylw at nifer o ffactorau positif fel ei chyfraniad i’r economi lleol a’i statws fel canolfan ymchwil. Yn wir derbyniodd Adran y Gymraeg adroddiad positif iawn y llynedd.
Mae iechyd economi Llambed yn ddibynnol ar lwyddiant y brifysgol. Mae’r brifysgol wedi dangos parodrwydd i weithio gyda’r gymuned ac mae hyn wedi bod o les i’r sefydliad ac i’r dref. Mae’r ymgynghorwyr wedi dweud yn barod nid yw cau neu symud y brifysgol ar yr agenda ond yn y sefyllfa bresennol rhaid inni weithio gyda’n gilydd i helpu’r brifysgol a diogelu ei dyfodol. Heb y brifysgol byddai Llambed yn dioddef yn sylweddol.
An article in today’s Western Mail mentions problems in the University of Wales, Lampeter. Apparently HEFCW is unhappy with some aspects of the university’s management and has commissioned a team of consultants to draw up a report and make recommendations for improvements. In its defence the university has drawn attention to its status as a center of research and its impact on the local economy. The Department of Welsh received a very positive report recently.
The health of Lampeter’s economy is dependents on the success of the university. The university has shown a great deal of willingness to work with the local community of late and it’s been of benefit to both the town and the college. Fortunately the consultants have ruled out any extreme measures such as closing or moving the campus but we now all need to work together to help the university secure its long term future. Without it, Lampeter would be a shadow of its present self.
