VOLHOUBARE SOSIALE ONTWIKKELING NUUSBRIEF SUSTAINABLE SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT NEWSLETTER

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1 VOLUME 1 ISSUE 1 VOLUME 1 UITGAWE 1 VOLHOUBARE SOSIALE ONTWIKKELING NUUSBRIEF SUSTAINABLE SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT NEWSLETTER 11 Junie June 2007 Inside This Issue 1 Message from the Director 2 More about: F A 7.2 Fokusarea 7.2: Volhoubare Sosiale Ontwikkeling Nuusbrief Baie dankie dat u belangstel om die eerste uitgawe van die nuusbrief van Fokusarea 7.2: Volhoubare Sosiale Ontwikkeling te lees. Die doel van die nuusbrief is om die aktiwiteite van die Fokusarea aan die res van die NWU te kommunikeer. In die Nuusbrief gaan daar op die volgende gekonsentreer word: 4 Achievements 6 Focusing on: Africa Centre for Disaster studies Boodskap van die Direkteur Meer oor die Fokusarea Prestasies Fokus op: Afrika Sentrum vir Rampstudies Contact Details Fokusarea 7.2: Volhoubare Sosiale Ontwikkeling Focus Area 7.2: Sustainable Social Development Interne bussie 279/ Internal box 279 Noordwes-Universiteit / North-West University Privaatsak X6001 / Private Bag X6001 Focus Area 7.2: Sustainable Social Development Newsletter Thank you for reading this newsletter. This is the first newsletter from the Focus Area and the primary goal of this newsletter is to highlight the activities of the Focus Area to the rest of the NWU, by focusing on achievements, projects and outputs from the staff within the Focus Area. In this Newsletter we will focus on the following: Message from the Director Focusing on: Focus Area 7.2 Achievements Focusing on: Africa Centre for Disaster studies POTCHEFSTROOM 2520 Gebou/Building F13 Kamer/ Room G35 Tel: Fax:

2 PAGE 2 VSO/SSD Boodskap van die Direkteur Message from the Director Fokusarea 7.2, met as fokus Volhoubare Sosiale Ontwikkeling, is in 2001 in die lewe geroep ter bevordering van navorsing en entrepreneurskap binne hierdie transdissiplinêre studieveld. Die komplekse aard van die kontemporêre ontwikkelingsproblematiek in Suid-Afrika en Suider Afrika posisioneer verskeie dissiplines gunstig om bydraes te lewer op terreine soos: Institusionele kapasiteitsbou op plaaslike en provinsiale regeringsvlakke Algemene ontwikkelingsbeplanning Strategiese bestuursleiding Veranderingsbestuur Ontwikkelingskommunikasie en beplanning Ramp-risikovermindering Politieke bestuur en transformasie Sosiale ontwikkeling Ekonomiese ontwikkeling en armoedeverligting. Under the guidance of a new management team in the Focus Area, we will strive to expand research contributions in the field (in conjunction with other role players within and outside the NWU) and if needed develop contributions from grass roots level. It is my conviction that in a university which strives to be balanced, this Focus Area should be a priority and that the operations in this area can contribute to the strategic positioning of the University in the country in general and the province in particular. Any contributors that can help to contribute this strategy are invited to contact the Focus Area Groete Regards Prof André Duvenhage Research Director: Focus Area 7.2 Sustainable Social Development Navorsingsdirekteur: Fokusarea 7.2 Volhoubare Sosiale Ontwikkeling

3 VSO/SSD PAGE 3 Meer oor: More about: Fokusarea 7.2: Volhoubare Sosiale Ontwikkeling Focus Area 7.2: Sustainable Social Development Vertrekpunt In die algemeen gaan Volhoubare Sosiale Ontwikkeling oor die balans tussen die vervulling van menslike behoeftes en die bewaring/ beskerming van die natuurlike omgewing vir huidige en toekomstige gebruik. Konseptueel is Volhoubare Ontwikkeling saamgevat in die volgende vier saamgeweefde punte. 1. Omgewingsvolhoubaarheid 2. Ekonomiese volhoubaarheid 3. Sosiale volhoubaarheid 4. Politiese volhoubaarheid Die makro konteks gee dan die raamwerk vir navorsing binne Fokusarea 7.2 wat die volgende skole insluit, nl. Skool vir Kommunikasiestudies, Skool vir Sosiale en Owerheidstudies en Toegepaste Wetenskappe (Vaaldriehoek kampus). Verder word die navorsing van die Skool vir Filosofie ook by aktiwiteite van die Fokusarea gereken. Vision Prof Andrè Duvenhage Navorsingsdirekteur: Navorsings Fokusarea 7.2: Volhoubare Sosiale Ontwikkeling The Focus Area aims to become a highly regarded research unit, focusing on the creation, facilitation, management and evaluation of the social development roles and responsibilities of government, the business sector and communities in developing societies, thereby making a significant contribution towards sustainable social development solutions and strategies in these societies. Mission/ Missie Die Fokusarea sal deur middel van verskillende tipes navorsing n betekenisvolle bydrae maak tot die verbetering van n volhoubare kwaliteit leefwyse van spesifiek Suid-Afrikaanse, asook Afrika gemeenskappe. Within the context of international academic excellence and the global field of development studies aim to apply and adapt theoretical frameworks to social development problems in South Africa, and to produce new scientific knowledge within this context relevant in the international development realm. In addition to basic research on the foundations of developmental principles, applied research and research-in-application embarked on by the Focus Area aim to create, facilitate, manage and evaluate social development contexts and programmes within the disciplines of: Communication Studies, History, Philosophy, Political Studies, Public Management, Social Anthropology and Sociology.

4 PAGE 4 VSO/SSD Strategiese doelwitte van die Fokusarea 1. Die ontwerp en ontwikkeling van ʼn administratiewe en bestuursmodel wat as ʼn medium kan dien vir kwaliteit navorsing binne die bogenoemde raamwerk. 2. Die vestiging van transdissiplinêre nagraadse programme binne die raamwerk van die Fokusarea. 3. Die vestiging van ʼn unieke navorsingsprogram binne die Fokusarea. 4. Die bevordering van navorsingsuitsette binne die konteks van die Fokusarea sowel as aangrensende dissiplines. 5. Kapasiteitsontwikkeling deur entrepreneuriese aktiwiteite 6. Die promovering en bemarking van die Fokusarea (intern sowel as ekstern) in terme van kennis en innovasie met die doel van kapasiteitsbou. Number of active researchers Twenty-nine researchers are currently actively involved in the Focus Area on the Potchefstroom and Vaal Triangle Campuses.. Prestasies van Fokusarea 7.2 Achievements of Focus Area 7.2 By `n Gala-aand die jaar, het die volgende navorsers toekennings ontvang. Prof Bennie van der Walt (Potchefstroom Kampus) vir die meeste artikel ekwivalente op al drie kampusse. Prof Bennie van der Walt (Potchefstroom Kampus) vir die meeste artikel ekwivalente op al drie kampusse. Prof. Johann Tempelhoff (Vaal Driehoek Kampus) ontvang ʼn meriete toekenning vir navorsings ekwivalente op die Vaaldriehoek Kampus. Gedurende 2006 het daar 32 Verka artikels vanuit die Fokusarea verskyn Volgens ʼn navorsingsverslag wat in Mei 2007 vrygestel is, is Fokusarea 7.2 in die afdeling van die medium grote Fokusareas, die Fokusarea wat die meeste navorsings ekwivalente in 2006 gelewer het. Africa Centre for Disaster Studies: Highlights (The ACDS was recently incorporated into the Focus Area.) Activities (2006) Launching of the Magazine Jamba with the focus on reducing disaster risks. The Pat Reid Annual lecture with the focus on institutional progress in the implementation of disaster management in government

5 VSO/SSD PAGE 5 Projects (2007) The impact of drought in the Bophirima District Municipality (South Africa) on older people (for Help the Aged London) Disaster risk management plan for Tshwane Municipality Disaster risk management framework for the Tshwane Municipality Disaster risk management plan and disaster risk assessment for the Fezile Dabi district Municipality. Media Baie kollegas word betrek by media onderhoude met ʼn verskeidenheid instansies en radiostasies wat SAFM, RSG, Voice of the Cape, Radio Lesedi, Radio Rosestad, Radio Overvaal en Radio Pretoria insluit. Televisie en die gedrukte media maak ook gebruik van sekere spesialiste in die Fokusarea aangaande ontwikkelingsake. (Proff. A, Duvenhage, J. Kirsten, en J. Tempelhoff het bydraes gelewer tot die media) Gemeenskapdiens Personeel van die Fokusarea is aktief betrokke by gemeenskapsdiens in ʼn wye spektrum gebiede insluitend: Gister & Vandag under the leadership of Prof E van Eeden, which will be presented for accreditation during 2007 Openbare Optredes Opleiding van Staatsdiens amptenare Kapasiteitsbou geleenthede op plaaslike en ander vlakke Research projects A research project with the title: The sustainability of local Aids councils HIV/Aids programmes in the North-West province: An analysis of organizational processes focusing on similarities and differences in meaning was completed during 2006/7.(SANPAD Project; Project leader and final editor: Prof Paul Schutte) Interdisciplinary Research Project: Experiences of Health service delivery by learners of a University to a disadvantaged community. (Project team: Proff P Schutte, M Greeff, Drr C Wessels, C Strydom & Mrs E du Plessis.) Magazine: Gister & Vandag under the leadership of Prof E van Eeden, which will be presented for accreditation during (This magazine will be focusing on the education of History.) Magazine: The Journal for Transdisciplinary Research in Southern Africa that was published in December In 2006 a second volume (1 & 2) was published. Prof E van Eeden acted as a consultant for the publication of New Contree. Since 2007 she was appointed as Editor of the magazine that is now being run from the Vaal Triangle Campus. Prof. A. Duvenhage

6 PAGE 6 VSO/SSD Fokus op: Focusing on: Afrika Sentrum vir Ramp studies Africa Centre for Disaster studies Hierdie eenheid bestaan uit die volgende persone: Dr. Dewald van Niekerk (Direkteur), Mnr Gideon van Riet, Me. Suna Meyer en Mnr Christo Coetzee. Die sentrum het ontstaan in Januarie 2002 binne die Skool vir Sosiale en Owerheidstudies, en het in 2006 verskuif na Fokusarea 7.2: Volhoubare Sosiale Ontwikkeling. The ACDS aims to address the research as well as training and education needs in disaster risk within Southern Africa. The ACDS aims to address the research as well as training and education needs in disaster risk within Southern Africa and the wider African continent. Since 2002 the Centre has embarked on various research, training and consultancy projects at local, provincial, national as well as international level, and in the process has developed a considerable network of professionals in the multi-disciplinary field of disaster risk reduction. The ACDS has three broad research focuses: Geospacial aspects of disaster risk; Vulnerability studies; Political economic analyses of disaster risk. We are going to look at some of these projects. Research on the impact of drought on older people The ACDS in conjunction with the subject group psychology at North-West University was commissioned by Help the Aged (HtA) a London based Non- Governmental Organisation in February to conduct an African case study on the impact of drought on older people (people above 60). This forms part of a larger study aimed at assessing the impact of various emergencies on older people across the globe, focussing on both negative effects and the role of older people as a community resource in times of drought. For this purpose, the North-West University research team visited Tosca, Ganyesa, and Vryburg in the Bophirima district in the North-West Province of South Africa from the 19 th to the 21 st of February The full research report can be downloaded at acas.co.za/jamba/final_report_hta_2007.pdf Dr. Dewald van Niekerk. Tshwane Municipality Disaster Risk Management Framework The ACDS is currently developing a disaster risk management framework for the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality (CTMM) in South Africa. The framework was developed in line with the key performance areas (KPAs) and enablers outlined in the National disaster management framework as well as the Gauteng provincial framework. A process of wide consultation with various internal role players was used. A public participation process will follow this in order to insure that the inputs of external role players will also be taken into account.

7 VSO/SSD PAGE 7 Tshwane Disaster Risk Management Plan The ACDS in partnership with MetroGis (a Tshwane based Geographic Information Systems company) has been appointed to develop a disaster risk management plan for the CTMM. The plan will include a macro level risk assessment serving as a foundation for developing the plan further. In the process all departments in the municipality will be consulted in order to enable them each to develop their own disaster risk management plan. The plan will also identify residual risks, which will be addressed by means of contingency plans. The entire process will be linked to Tshwane s development planning. Draft Regulations on Volunteers The ACDS recently took part in a workshop on the draft regulations pertaining to volunteers as it relates to the Disaster Management Act of South Africa, hosted by the National Disaster Management Centre (NDMC). Henk van Elst from Low Risk Disaster Management Consultants developed the draft regulations. The workshop was well attended by all three tiers of government In the process all departments in the municipality will be consulted in order to enable them each to develop their own disaster risk management plan The ACDS is also a member of a task team appointed by the workshop to incorporate feedback into the final draft, which will be presented to the national assembly, the national council of provinces and national portfolio committees. For more information, contact the NDMC. First Africa regional platform The ACDS director, Dr. Dewald van Niekerk was invited by the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR) to attend the first African Regional Platform on Disaster Risk Reduction consultative meeting, held in Nairobi from the 26 th to 27 th of April. A Global Platform will follow various regional forums in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Europe for Disaster Risk Reduction, which aims to boost global support for the implementation of DRR in accordance with the Hyogo Framework of Action (HFA) and to achieve greater coherence in this regard. In accordance with the HFA adopted by 168 countries in January 2005 governments commit towards ensuring that DRR is a national and local priority, identifying, assessing and monitoring disaster risks and enhancing early warning systems, promoting a culture of safety and resilience, reducing underlying risk factors and strengthening disaster preparedness. The objective of the African platform was to review progress made in implementing the Hyogo framework of action, promote regional cooperation and to prepare Africa s participation in the First Session of the Global Platform. Gideon van Riet