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Badges: symbols of identity
'Strike a light for Wales' badge
Many people derive a strong sense of identity
from where they were born or where they live, and express this by
displaying flags and other symbols representing places. This badge
was worn by sympathisers of the extremist Welsh nationalist group
Meibion Glyndwr (Sons of Glendower). Between 1979 and 1989 they
conducted an arson campaign on unoccupied Welsh holiday homes owned
by English people (known as 'white settlers'). More
than 150 second homes and 34 estate agencies dealing in Welsh
property were
firebombed.
According to an
opinion poll in 1989, most Welsh people deplored the
extremists' methods, but there was general support for the
preservation of Welsh language and culture. A growing consensus led
to the provision of Welsh language teaching for children aged
between five and sixteen and legislation putting the Welsh and
English languages on equal footing in public life in Wales. The UK
government published proposals for Welsh devolution in July 1997
and these were endorsed by a referendum on 18 September that year.
Parliament passed the Government of Wales Act in 1998 and the
National Assembly for Wales formally came into being on 1 July
1999, taking over responsibility for many areas of Welsh public
life, including education and the arts.