51 Degrees South have published the latest in their series of videos on the people of the Falkland Islands. This episode features Samantha Brownlee, who was FIA Student of the Year in 2008. The FIA send their best wishes to Samantha and wish her well for the future. Find the video at http://vimeo.com/47459657

It has been some time since I turned to the blog - not a lot to say. Have been busy chasing up the non-payers and still a few trickling in although it looks as though a number of members have just disappeared - letters not sent back 'gone away' just, well, nothing! Perhaps when the Newsletter doesn't arrive in October I will hear something.

In my last post I mentioned the episode of 51 Degrees South featuring Samantha Brownlee was due on 6th August - it will now be published on August 13th.

I may have mentioned a request for a Falkland Islands Association tie - well, we now have them in stock - they were delivered yesterday. We will sell them to members at £9 + £2 post and packing.  Cheque to Falkland Islands Association and orders to me at 6 St Annes Road, Shrewsbury, SY3 6AU

Sorting out the lapsed subscribers has taken a lot of time and sadly over half of the responses have been from the next of kin advising the death of a spouse or parent.

Good news yesterday via Twitter that one of our Students of the Year, Samantha Brownlee (winner 2008) has won a Silver Medal at the Century Skill At Arms Combat Shooting competion at Bisley where she is part of the FIDF team taking part in the event. Samantha is also to feature in one of the profiles being broadcast on line by 51º South who have produced documentary series on the Falkland Islands with the title 51º South. Find them at  - http://www.51degreessouth.com Samantha's profile will be broadcast 6th August.

Now that the flow of incoming subscriptions for 2012/13 has eased I have made a start on a task long overdue - checking on members who did not pay their subscription last year and have discovered that several are long overdue. The Newsletters are not being returned so I assume they (or someone) are still getting their copy or there are piles of Newsletters in empty houses throught the world. A gentle letter will have to be sent but I have one problem in that some Bankers Order that appear on the bank statements have insufficient information to identify the subscriber so one or two of the unpaid on the list will be able to put me right - in a friendly way I hope.

Another task this summer, before I get down to Battle Day planning, is the review of subscription rates for the FIA. Our rates were first fixed in 1982 at £10 for members, £5 for Associate members (students and seniors). The £10 subscription was increased to £15 in March 1989, the associate rate staying the same. With ever rising postal costs the £5 rate just covers the costs of printing and mailing within the UK whilst copies going overseas cost more than the subscription a situation that cannot be allowed to continue - whilst we welcome support from our overseas members we cannot expect full price members to subsidise the associate member overseas. Our membership suscriptions should be set at a level to pay for the two Newsletters and postage charges with something left over to run the Association. The next Executive Committee meeting and the following AGM may be difficult if this subject gets a proper airing. This is a difficult time to suggest an increase but 30 years at the same rate!

Whilst I am bogged down with routine matters things move on on the political front with the announcement by the Falkland Islands Government that a referendum on their future will take place in early 2013. Some strange reactions in the press suggesting that it was the UK Government's idea and several saying this is the first time it has happened ignoring the November 1994 poll that rejected the idea of an Argentine buyout.

Off to London tomorrow for the FIG Reception at Lincoln's Inn - numbers are up this year following the increase publicity as it is the 30th anniversary of the liberation of the Islands. As we meet in London President Kirchner will be at the UN to berate the C24 Decolonisation Committee and the Falkland Island representatives on how she hopes to colonise the Falkland Islands. Interesting times.

Sold the last copy of Lisa Watson's 'Waking up to War' yesterday and one more order came in this morning! Still have plenty of 'Diddle Dee to Wire Gates' but just three copies of 'Rocky the Rockhopper'. Have sold half of the stock of lapel badges but still plenty left.

 

Must remember to take some stock of badges and 'Diddle Dee to Wire Gates' to the FIG Reception at Lincoln's Inn on 14th June.

The flood of subscription renewals has eased for the moment. Will have to get down to reviewing unpaid lists for last year.

The Newsletter is published at last and is landing on the doormats as I write. We apologise for the delay but Lisa has had a very busy summer with all the press and TV interest in the Islands for the 30th Anniversary of the conflict.

And still it goes on - the latest incident involves a film clip transmitted on many Argentine TV channels showing Fernando Zylberberg, captain of the Argentine men's national hockey team, running through the streets of Stanley (not an Islander in sight!). There is no commentary but the strap lines at the end say "To compete on English soil we train on Argentine soil" . Seems to me a clear breach of the International Olympic Committee rules which say“No kind of demonstration or political, religious or racial propaganda is permitted in any Olympic sites, venues or other areas. The film clearly has Argentine Governnment blessing as it is also published on the Casa Rosada YouTube site. You can watch the film at

   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSlyQp9NAoM&feature=youtu.be

It has also been suggested that the Argentine teams at the London Olympics will be wearing badges stating "Malvinas son Argentinas" also in clear breach of the IOC rules. It does seem possible that the politicisation of the Olympics in this way could lead to the teams being disqualified.

Argentine Ambassador to the UK, Alicia Castro, has arrived and wasted no time in upsetting readers of the Daily Telegraph with her attack on Britain in an article headed "Warmongering won't settle this old dispute". In the article she claims that she is 'facing a campaign that “celebrates” a war that took place 30 years ago and warmongering, disrespectful and aggressive language that obstructs dialogue'. I assume she means Britain by this remark which has commemorated, not celebrated, the 30th Anniversary of the Falklands Conflict, war was never declared by either side. Or perhaps she means the celebrations that took place in Argentina, the violent attack on the British Embassy in Buenos Aires and the disrespectful and aggressive language of President Cristina Elisabet Fernández de Kirchner when talking about the Falkland Islanders and the British Government. Judging by the 500 plus on line comments on the article her readers are not impressed by her attempts to 'to rebuild and strengthen bilateral relations.'

Her biased and error ridden account of the history of the Falkland Islands is capped with the denial of self determination for the Falkland Islanders under the United Nations Charter.

The statement that ' We are not willing to take away the Britishness and the way of life of the 3,000 inhabitants of the islands.' sounds rather hollow. In the last 74 days of Argentine rule in the Islands in 1982 the official language became Spanish, residents were required to drive on the opposite side of the road, the laws administering the population were replaced with rules in Spanish. Falkland Islanders were rounded up, imprisoned and in many cases evicted from the Islands. Ambassador Castro blames the Military Junta that was in power at that time for the invasion and its effects but the Junta were the Government at that time and the crowds in front of the Casa Rosada seemed very happy with their actions.

Sadly any chance of negotiations to bring about peaceful relations between the peoples of the Falkland Islands and Argentina are pushed further into the background by this aggressive attack on the Falkland Islanders and the Great Britain which closely follows the party line of the present Argentine President.