As I mentioned in a post a couple weeks ago, this year’s US-NZ Partnership Forum was in full swing at AMI Stadium in Christchurch when the earthquake struck on February 22nd. Among the participants were 11 American students and 11 Kiwi students. Dubbed “Future Partners,” they attended plenary sessions of the main Forum but then broke away for separate panel discussions.

The goal was for the Future Partners to go through the same kind of agenda as the main Forum, formulate recommendations about the future of the US-NZ bilateral relationship, select a couple of spokespersons, and then present their report to the full Forum at the conclusion of the conference. The idea was as innovative and powerful as it was obvious, and I know that the main Forum delegates were energized by the presence of the students.

Our Future Partners delegates, with coordinators Mele (from Fulbright NZ), Adrian (from the Embassy), and Therese (from the Forum).

The students were in the midst of putting together their recommendations when the Stadium suddenly rocked and pitched, parts of the ceiling fell in, furniture overturned, and folks were forced to flee, leaving behind workpapers, drafts, and computers. The evacuation from the Stadium and then from Christchurch prevented the students from completing their deliberations and making their report.

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