Written and translated by Cai Phillips.
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Os oes ganddo chi diddordeb mewn gwleidyddiaeth neu achosion mae yna nifer fawr o cymdeithasau i chi ar y campws. Efallai bod chi’n un am brotest neu yn actifydd cyfrynghau cymdeithasol, mae yna rhywbeth i bawb. Ces i gyfle i siarad i rhai o’r cymdeithasau gwleidyddol ei naws yn y tent wythnos y glas i weld beth mae nhw’n cynnig i fyfyrwyr newydd a rhai sydd wedi bod yn Aberystwyth am cwpwl o flynyddoedd.
PLAID IFANC
Un o’r cymdeithasau newydd ar y sin, neu ddylen i ddweud sy’n dychwelyd i’r sin, yw Plaid Ifanc. Mae Plaid Ifanc yn grwp o fyfyrwyr sy’n aelodau neu’n cefnogol o Blaid Cymru, plaid cenedlaetholgar yng Nghymru. Mae Plaid Ifanc yn barod i ailddechrau ei gwaith yn Aberystwyth ar ol cyfnod estynedig o ddim fod yn gweithredol mewn ardal cryf i’r Blaid. “Rydym yn edrych ymlaen at cynnal gweithgareddau fel nosweithiau cymdeithasol, ymgyrchoedd a canfasio. Efallai bydd cyfle i wahodd Ben Lake ein Aelod Seneddol yng Ngheredigion, neu Elin Jones ein Aelod o'r senedd yng Ngheredigion neu efallai hyd yn oed Adam Price arweinydd ein Plaid am sgwrs.”
Gofynais pa fath o ymgyrchoedd sydd ganddynt ar hyn o bryd, “rydym yn canolbwyntio yn cynadledd y Blaid y flwyddyn yma ar ‘wahardd therapi trosi’, yr amgylchedd a ehangu cylch gorchwyl y GIG i gynnwys pob triniaeth ddeintyddol ac optometrig.”
Plaid Ifanc Aberystwyth: https://www.abersu.co.uk/society/10927/
Aelodaeth: Am Ddim.
RHYDFRYDWYR
Beth yw eu hachosion? “Rydym yn sefyll dros lawer o bethau y byddai gan lawer o fyfyrwyr prifysgol ddiddordeb ynddynt sydd mewn gwirionedd yn hanfodol i fywyd prifysgol” dywedodd Josh. Rhestrodd y tri achos y maen nhw’n ymgyrchu arnynt eleni “parhau â’r ymgyrch gwrth-sbeicio, ymgyrchu dros gyfreithloni rhai cyffuriau a gwneud yn siŵr bod hawliau trawsryweddol wedi’u gwreiddio yn y gyfraith.”
Mae ganddyn nhw ychydig o ddigwyddiadau ar y gweill, ddydd Mercher yn ystod wythnos y Glas mae cyn AS y Democratiaid Rhyddfrydol Mark Williams yn dod draw i siarad â’r myfyrwyr mewn digwyddiad gyda enw creadigol, ‘Confessions of a Recovering AS’. Dywedodd Josh hefyd eu bod yn cynllunio digwyddiad gyda’r Aelod o’r Senedd Jane Dodds sy’n arweinydd y Democratiaid Rhyddfrydol Cymru, a’r unig gynrychiolydd etholedig sydd ar ôl o’r plaid ar lefel genedlaethol yma yng Nghymru.
Rhydfrydwyr Prifisgol Aberystwyth: HTTPS://WWW.ABERSU.CO.UK/SOCIETY/YOUNGLIBERALS/
Aelodaeth: Am Ddim
CENTRE
Sefydliad a dechreuodd blwyddyn diwefath yw cymdeithas ymgyrchu Centre. Mae’r Centre cenedlaethol yn grwp pwyso/ melin drafod sydd yn cael ei rhedeg gan y par dyweddïedig Jasneet Samrai a Torrin Wilkins. Dyma ddau cyn aelodau o’r Democrataid Rhydfrydol ac mae Torrin wedi bod yn myfyrwr yn Aber ac mae Jasneet dal yn fyfyrwyr. Hi yw’r Llywydd o Centre Aberystwyth.
Gofynnais i William (trysorydd Centre Aberystwyth) beth yw Centre? “Rydym yn gymdeithas ymgyrchu sy’n gweithio i wneud y brifysgol yn lle gwell i fyfyrwyr”. Ar gyfer ymgyrchoedd eleni, esboniodd William fod ganddynt dair prif ymgyrch: “rydym eisiau gwell llety myfyrwyr, gwneud yn siŵr bod y brifysgol yn cefnogi myfyrwyr trwy fynediad haws at fanciau bwyd a chymorth iechyd meddwl ac rydym eisiau ddod â diwedd i NDA's (non-disclosure agreements sy’n gellu cael eu defnyddio yn y Brifysgol i dawelu dioddefwyr o drais).”
Ac olaf gofynnais a yw Centre yn haen ddibwrpas o ddemocratiaeth a llais myfyrwyr pan fo cymaint o wahanol ffyrdd o ymwneud â gwleidyddiaeth myfyrwyr, “Wrth gwrs mae’n bwrpasol” atebodd William.“Mae’n ffordd hawdd o fynd i fyny’r hysgol [gwleidyddiaeth], mae llawer o wleidyddion wedi cychwyn mewn cymdeithas Prifysgol sy’n ymgyrchu.”
Centre Aberystwyth: https://www.abersu.co.uk/society/centreaberystwyth/
Aelodaeth: Am Ddim
FEGAN
Mae’r Cymdeithas Vegan yn gymdeithas sy’n ymgyrchu am Veganiaeth ac yn lle ar gyfer pobl llysieuol a vegans. Gwelais arluniaeth sialc o buwch yn un o’i protestiadau stryd ar y concourse gyda’r geiriau “Not Your Mum, Not Your Milk” yn y tymor diwefath. Maen’t yn dweud ar ei Instagram mae grwp cymdeithasol ar gyfer pobl ar un melfyrfyrd a nhw yn rhoi tips am bywyd vegan yn Aber ond hefyd mae elfen ymgyrchu gyda nhw’n ceisio dwyn perswad pobl sy’n caru cig a cynnyrch anifeilaidd. Beth gallwch ddisgwyl os byddwch yn ymuno a’r cymdeithas yma?
Danfonais neges i Karoline, llywydd y gymdeithas, i ddysgu mwy. Mae “digwyddiadau clyd” yn eich disgwyl gyda cyfle i bwyta bwyd fegan gyda’ch gilydd.
Ond beth am yr ochr actifiaeth, esboniodd Karoline fod y gymdeithas wedi gwneud mwy o brotestiadau heddychlon cyhoeddus y llynedd. Roedd y rhain yn brotestiadau Cube of Truth lle mae gweithredwyr yn gwisgo mwgwd ac yn dangos sgrin o ddelweddau i geisio argyhoeddi'r cyhoedd o'r llwybr fegan. Ond i aelodau roedd y rhain yn gallu fod yn "intimidating” a byddan nhw'n canolbwyntio mwy ar "Nosweithiau dogfennol, gwneud sticeri i'w rhoi o gwmpas y dref ac ysgrifennu mewn sialc" eleni.
Gofynnais yn olaf, a yw'r gymdeithas hon yn mynd yn erbyn pobl gan fod Aberystwyth yn ardal wledig amaethyddol a chydag adran IBERS fawr yn y brifysgol. Dywedodd Karolina "Nid ydym byth yn ceisio eithrio neu ddieithrio unrhyw un o'r gymdeithas yn benodol, ond gan fod feganiaeth wrth gwrs yn erbyn yr arferion mewn amaethyddiaeth anifeiliaid, mae'n ddealladwy y gall deimlo fel hyn."
"Ond yn union fel mae Aber yn dref wledig, mae hi hefyd yn dref brifysgol, gyda llawer o bobl ifanc a syniadau ar sut i wella'r byd, a dyna'r agwedd yr hoffem ganolbwyntio arni'n fwy", ychwanegodd Karoline.
Cymdeithas Fegan: https: HTTPS://WWW.ABERSU.CO.UK/SOCIETY/VEGSOC/
Aelodaeth: £3.00
Felly os mae bach o wleidyddiaeth bleidiol chi’n edrych am neu ymgyrchu am faterion neu un mater pwysig i’ch calon, gobeithio bod y rhestr yma wedi eich helpu. Rwy’n gobeithio cewch chi lawer o hwyl gyda’r cymdeithasau yma a byddwch chi’n actif yn wleidyddol ar gampws!
If you are interested in politics or causes there are a large number of societies for you on campus. Maybe you are one for protest or you're a social media activist. There is something for everyone. I had the opportunity to speak to some of the political societies in the fresher's week tent to see what their offering to new students and those who have been in Aberystwyth for a couple of years.
PLAID IFANC
One of the new societies on the scene, or should I say returning to the scene, is Plaid Ifanc. Plaid Ifanc is a group of students who are members or supporters of Plaid Cymru, a nationalist party in Wales. Plaid Ifanc is ready to resume its work in Aberystwyth after an extended period of not being active in a strong area for the Party. "We are looking forward to holding activities such as socials, campaigns and canvassing. There might be an opportunity to invite Ben Lake our Member of Parliament in Ceredigion, or Elin Jones our Member of the Senedd in Ceredigion or maybe even Adam Price the leader of our Party for a chat."
I asked what kind of campaigns they have at the moment, "we are focusing at Party conference this year on 'banning conversion therapy', the environment and expanding the remit of the NHS to include all dental and optometric treatments."
Plaid Ifanc Aberystwyth: HTTPS://WWW.ABERSU.CO.UK/SOCIETY/10927/
Membership: Free
LIBERALS
There is also the Aberystwyth University Liberals. Historically the liberals have been one of the main parties in the Ceredigion area with support in some pockets of the rural county. Is the support as strong in the University, this is what I asked Josh Rutty who is the president of the group. “We see a lot of support, but because of the diverse nature of our University, there are a lot of political opinions.” Josh emphasises that the Liberals are a society not just for people who support Lib Dems, but also for people who support their causes. What are their causes? “We stand for a lot of things that many uni students would be interested in that are actually critical to uni life” Josh said. He listed the three causes that they are campaigning on this year “continuing the anti-spiking campaign, campaigning for the legalisation of certain drugs and making sure that transgender rights are entrenched in law.”
They have a few events coming up, on Wednesday during Freshers week they had former Lib Dem MP Mark Williams coming along to speak to the students in an event creatively named ‘Confessions of a Recovering MP’. Josh also said that they are planning an event with Member of the Senedd Jane Dodds who is the leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats, and the only remaining elected representative of the party on a national level here in Wales.
Aberystwyth University Liberals: https://www.abersu.co.uk/society/youngliberals/
Membership: Free
CENTRE
Centre is a society that started a year ago. The national Centre is a pressure group/think tank run by the engaged couple Jasneet Samrai and Torrin Wilkins. These are two former members of the Liberal Democrats and Torrin has been a student at Aber and Jasneet is still a student. She is also the President of Centre Aberystwyth.
I asked William (the treasurer of Aberystwyth Centre) what is Centre? “We are a campaigning society working to make the university a better place for students”. For campaigns this year, William explained that they have three main campaigns: “we want better student accommodation, make sure that the university is supporting students through easier access to food banks and mental health support and we want to bring an end to NDA’S (non-disclosure agreements that can be used in University to silence victims of sexual assault).”
I finally asked if Centre is a purposeless layer of democracy and student voice when there are so many different ways of getting involved in student politics, “Of course it’s purposeful” William answered. “It’s an easy way of getting on the ladder [of politics], many politicians have started off at a campaigning University society.”
Aberystwyth Centre: HTTPS://WWW.ABERSU.CO.UK/SOCIETY/CENTREABERYSTWYTH/
Membership: Free
VEGAN
The Vegan Society is a society that campaigns for Veganism and is the place for vegetarians and vegans. I saw a chalk drawing of a cow in one of their street protests on the concourse with the words "Not Your Mum, Not Your Milk" last semester. They say on their Instagram that the society is a social group for people that have the same beliefs as them and they give tips about vegan life in Aber but there is also an activism element with them trying to persuade people who love meat and animal products. What can you expect if you join this society?
I messaged Karoline, the president of the society, to learn more. You can expect “mostly cozy events” with a chance to eat vegan food together.
But what about the activism side, Karoline explained that the society did some more public peaceful protests last year. These were Cube of Truth protests where activists wear a mask and show a screen of images to try to convince the public of the vegan lifestyle. These were "very intimidating" for members and they will focus more on "Documentary nights, making stickers to put around the town and writing in chalk" this year.
I finally asked, is this society alienating as Aberystwyth is an agricultural rural area and with a big department in the university. Karolina said "We never seek to exclude or alienate anyone from the society specifically, but as veganism is inherently opposed to the practices in animal agriculture, it's understandable that it can feel this way."
"But just as Aber is a rural town, it's also a university town, with many young people and ideas on how to improve the world, and it's that aspect we would like to focus on more", Karoline added.
Vegan Society: HTTPS://WWW.ABERSU.CO.UK/SOCIETY/VEGSOC/
Membership: £3.00
So if you are looking for a bit of party politics or campaigning on issues or a single issue important to you, I hope this list has helped you. I hope you have a lot of fun with these societies and you will be politically active on campus!