View an extended version of the discussion programme
Hywel Williams is a historian and political commentator who holds controversial views on Wales and in a major new series on S4C he expresses those views with wit and honesty.
In Cymru Hywel Williams, he asks how mature Wales is as a nation, ten years after devolution. In doing so, he hopes to spark a debate on Welsh nationhood, something that doesn't happen in modern-day Wales, according to Hywel.
During the six-part series he'll cover a number of themes, including religion, the economy, environment, culture and health. At the end of the series, S4C will broadcast a studio debate giving a wide cross-section of speakers the chance to debate Hywel's ideas and air their views.
"One of the shortcomings of most official history of Wales is that it only looks at Wales from the inside and in relation to big brother England, rather than approaching the subject from within an international context," says Hywel.
And so Cymru Hywel Williams will break new ground by viewing Wales' history and situation today from an international perspective. And as well as comparing Wales with other countries, Hywel contrasts Wales 'yesterday and today' by tracing our history over the past 50 years.
In this week's opening programme on nationhood, Hywel travels to Egypt. He compares Wales' story with the history of Egypt which was under British and French control until 1956. He discusses the Suez Crisis when the canal that was so important to British and French trade was nationalised and when Colonel Nasser came to power.
Hywel draws parallels between Wales' situation today and Egypt in the 1930s, before Suez, with the Senedd "very similar to the crown of King Farouk", the British and French puppet ruler in Egypt at the time. "You can have as many grand buildings as you like and plenty of activity while the real power is still to be found elsewhere," says Hywel.
The particular expertise of the Welsh over the centuries - from Tudor times to the socialism and nationalism of modern Wales - is the ability to 'blend in', according to Hywel. England's expertise, on the other hand, is pragmatism. As a consequence, the Welsh have been given concessions to placate them and keep them under control - 'gifts' including the first translation of the Bible into Welsh allowed by Queen Elizabeth I in 1588.
"This has been our history, chasing success and cwtching up to power," says Hywel. "The influential Welsh have worked cleverly within the British establishment and have been rewarded for conforming. There hasn't been much basis for their claims to radicalism and socialism."
For too long, Wales has seen its nationhood in terms of culture alone, says Hywel, adding, "Things will have to change or this is where we will remain, telling the same old stories until the nation disappears. This is the choice we face."
© 2010 S4C
O Gymru / Made in Wales
