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Forum: Building Resilience around Natural Disasters

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Fulbright New Zealand presents Fulbright Forum: Building Resilience around Natural Disasters

WELLINGTON, NEW ZEALAND, 21 April, 2017 --- Recent events, like the Kaikoura earthquake and Cyclones Debbie and Cook, have shown that natural disaster can strike at any time with potentially devastating results. Experience has shown that every aspect of our lives and community can be affected.

Therefore, Fulbright New Zealand is pleased to host a holistic discussion on the evening of 17 May, 2017, Fulbright Forum: Building Resilience around Natural Disasters, which will explore the multi-faceted nature of building individual and community resilience in the face of natural disasters.

This forum features an expert panel of professionals to discuss social behaviour, fault mechanics, Government response, the unique contribution indigenous knowledge makes, and the role of communication and social media in resilience against natural disasters.

Seismologist Dr. Helen Anderson, Fulbright New Zealand alumna and chair of the Government’s inquiry into the impact of the November 2016 Kaikoura earthquake on buildings in Wellington, will lead the forum.

The panel of expert speakers are:

· Dr. John Townend - Fulbright alumnus, Professor and Head of School of Geography, Environment, and Earth Sciences Victoria University of Wellington, and Director of EQC Programme in Seismology and Fault Mechanics, speaking on earthquakes and fault mechanics and what we have learnt from recent experience.

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· Dr. David Johnston - Senior Scientist at GNS Science and Director of the Joint Centre for Disaster Research in the School of Psychology at Massey University, Wellington, speaking on the role of social behaviour and what helps people build resilience around natural disasters;

· Dr. Te Kipa Kepa Brian Morgan – Fulbright alumnus and General Manager of the Ngati Makino Iwi Authority, speaking on the unique contribution that Indigenous Knowledge is able to make in disaster response contexts;

· Dr. Sara McBride - Information Management Team Leader at GNS Science/GeoNet, speaking on the role of communication and social media in natural disasters, what people want to know in the immediate aftermath of natural disasters and in the longer term;

· Sir Maarten Wevers – Chairman of EQC, speaking on the whole of Government response in natural disasters, the role of Government in providing reassurance and leadership in building long term resilience.

“In order to be stronger together in future, we must consider how to improve our resilience as organisations, individuals and communities. By learning more about natural disasters, people can empower themselves to be more resilient,” Fulbright New Zealand Executive Director Penelope Borland said.

“I am pleased to bring together Fulbright New Zealand alumni and other respected experts to discuss this highly relevant topic for our times.”

Fulbright Forum: Building Resilience around Natural Disasters will take place at Te Papa Marae in Wellington on 17 May from 6 p.m. to 7.30 p.m. Registration is free and open to the public, but space is limited. Questions for the panel will be taken throughout. Please register by 12 May on Eventbrite.

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About Fulbright New Zealand

Fulbright New Zealand opens doors for tomorrow’s leaders and thinkers through life-changing educational and cultural exchanges between New Zealand and the United States. The Fulbright Forum is a speaker series aimed at addressing topical areas of research that affect our world.

Fulbright New Zealand was established in 1948 to promote mutual understanding through educational and cultural exchanges between New Zealand and the United States of America. The Fulbright programme offers a range of prestigious awards for New Zealand and American graduate students, academics, artists and professionals to study, research and teach in each other’s countries. Fulbright New Zealand offers exchange awards annually. More than 3,000 people have benefited from a Fulbright exchange between New Zealand and the United States to date. The programme is jointly funded by the US and New Zealand governments with additional funding from award sponsors, private philanthropists and alumni donors. More information is available here.


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