Our catch phrase is on its way.

Dear Fellow Earthlings,

I continue to follow events in the Falkland Islands closely. This past Christmas British Prime Minister David Cameron asked Argentine leaders to deal with the matter of the Falklands using a “more mature” approach. At the same time, he made a promise to defend and maintain “Britain’s links” to the Falklands and to allow the people of the Falklands to develop their country as they wish, free from outside political pressures.

Tourism, commercial fishing, and servicing the fishing industry are at present the big money earners for the Falklands, with sheep farming (the dominant economic activity between the 1870s and 1980) not far behind. The petroleum industry seems to be coming along, too, although current low oil prices are presently putting a lid on that.

I feel that oil will bring more harm than good – especially if any oil spills were to occur. Rather, I would like the Falklands to consider becoming a “southern hemisphere English training center”. In doing so, the Falkland people could host students from around the world, providing them with English lessons included in cost packages that would include sightseeing, room, board, and transportation both internally and between the students’ various countries of origin and the Falklands.

I would hope to open a Stanley branch for “The Jingles” as part of such a Falklands’ countrywide English training program.

Mr. Cameron’s recent pronouncements provide quite a lot of reassurance not only to me but to the Falkland Islanders as well. Just today I spoke with one of my friends from the Falkland Islands. She maintains an optimism that she developed when the British drove invading Argentine soldiers from the Falklands back in 1982. She knows that Great Britain can be trusted to defend the independence of the

Falklands!

Steve Walker Earthsaver and Jingles Creator

© 2013 Steve Walker, The Jingles-The Japan Foundation for English Pronunciation, Summit Enterprises.