At the World Conference on Disaster Reduction, Hyogo, Japan, in January 2005, the international community adopted a 10-year plan to make the world safer from disasters. The resultant Hyogo Framework for Action is the global blueprint for disaster risk reduction with the goal of substantially reducing disaster losses in human lives and socio-economic assets. What is the signi!cance of the HFA for the adoption of disaster prevention, management and risk reduction frameworks in African States? Since 2005, what has been the attitude of African States to the promise of the HFA? In terms of policy and planning, how should African States engage the HFA towards securing human lives and properties against natural and human-induced disasters? With the myriad challenges of mass poverty and underdevelopment across Africa, what implications does the HFA hold for disaster risk reduction and management in African States? This article attempts to address this plethora of questions, drawing on lessons learned in Africa and beyond. The article examines the background of the HFA and its progress in shaping the global policy agenda towards disaster management and reduction. While the article acknowledges some of the inherent weaknesses in the promise of the HFA, it nonetheless accentuates its inimitable implications for broad legal and policy strategies towards ameliorating the usual horrific aftermath of disasters in Africa.

No abstract

The increasing value of community engagement activities in universities worldwide is yielding a rising emphasis on benchmarking university-community engagement. However, the emergence of effective benchmarks is still at an incipient stage. This article aims to provide some practical directions for developing a systematic approach to benchmarking university-community engagement within the South African milieu. The observation is made that comparative university experiences could provide useful insights into the challenges of evaluating university-community engagement in South Africa, and proposes what the responsive modalities could be. Extrapolating from such experiences and analysing the measurement tools in literature, this article examines the conceptual quandaries involved and proffers a typology of approaches to university-community engagement to highlight aspects that South African universities might want to address in benchmarking community engagement activities. A critique of the scenarios presented and the lessons learned provides the basis for the key questions South African universities may need to ask when determining appropriate benchmarking tools.

No abstract

This article attempts to establish the key contribution by people of faith to the global HIV pandemic response, using Lesotho as a case study. Particular focus is paid to the work of selected religious organisations in Lesotho in this context, assessing their capacities to coordinate an effective HIV and AIDS action at the grassroots levels through education, health care, development, and social service activities. Empirical evaluations and findings regarding the level and quality of faith-based engagement in this field establish the basic premise of this article, namely, that faith-based organisations are contributing energy, expertise, and experience in order to achieve the commitment of the global commitment to advance universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, and support. Although the article is particularly focused on the Lesotho context, its tremendous implications for simulated studies and approaches across Sub-Saharan Africa are accentuated.