Editorial

25/05/2011

Like all of New Zealand, the Embassy was deeply involved in the events in Christchurch after the February 22 earthquake.

The intense and sensitive job of locating Brazilians either living in or visiting Christchurch was worth it when it became clear that, despite suffering loss and trauma, all of our citizens were safe and well.

I’d like to thank everyone for their patience and understanding in the hectic days after the quake.  The three staff in our Consular section, acting for the estimated 7000 Brazilians here in New Zealand, put aside all their normal duties in order to concentrate on providing information about the disaster.

I would especially like to mention the Brazilians who helped us locate missing people and provided shelter to those left homeless.  This support from the Brazilian community is beyond value.  Without this help, the Embassy could not have located so many people in just over two weeks, given the unreliability of communications networks.

The Consular Register was another precious source of information and proved its worth in emergency or disaster situations.  I can’t emphasise strongly enough how important it is for the Embassy to have a register of up-to-date contact details for its citizens.  I’m glad our efforts to promote the register have paid off and that Brazilians can see its importance at times like this. Click here for more information about the Consular Register and to fill out the registration form (in Portuguese).

And on a happier note, I’d like to remind you all that our cultural programme is in full swing with our “Films at the Embassy” and “Brazilian Topics” sessions.

Renate Stille
Ambassador