The Islands with open doors

Last Tuesday, March 11, was the first anniversary of the referendum on the political status of the Falkland Islands. A year ago on that date, 99.8% of voters said yes to keeping their political status as an Overseas Territory of the United Kingdom.

As we mentioned previously, the Members of the Falkland Islands Legislative Assembly have a programme of extensive outreach to other countries in South America, including Brazil, to tell the Islanders’ story and explore opportunities for more trade and people-to-people links. As part of that strategy, several Brazilians visited the Islands last year. A series of short documentaries about the life there resulted from one of those visits.

From this weekend a group of eminent Brazilian academics interested in the history and politics of the Falkland Islands will spend a week there. I met two of them last week.

Professor Leila Bijos, from the Catholic University in Brasilia (UCB), says she is looking forward to experiencing the daily life of the Islanders. She is hoping to investigate how is it to live in such remote islands and the extent of any feelings of insecurity among the people. Professor Bijos suggests that the field of Public International Law should include the study of the Falkland Islands` social, political and economic systems.

Professor Eduardo Viola, from the University of Brasilia (UnB) has been interested in the Falkland Islands since primary school in Argentina and is looking forward to learning more about the early stages of settlement in the Falklands in the 19th and 20th centuries, as well as the Islanders’ experience in the 1982 conflict. As an environmentalist, Professor Viola is keen to analyse the relationship between the environment and society and the expected effects of climate change there.

Their programme will include lots of opportunities to talk to local people, including youngsters, and to journey around the Islands. Initiatives like this have the power to bridge different regions by promoting mutual understandings and people-to-people links. I cannot say I am not jealous of them but I hope they enjoy their time in that paradise of nature and do not get discouraged by a temperature of 03°C.