Faculty of Theology
Department of Science of Religion and Missiology
Selected Highlights from Research Findings
Prof Piet Meiring continued research on reconciliation. He was invited to participate in the work of the Canadian School of Peacebuilding, where practitioners, students and scholars from around the world and from diverse religious and cultural backgrounds can respectfully gather together to deepen their practices of peacebuilding. He also participated in the work of the Canadian Indian Residential Schools’ Truth and Reconciliation Commission and published articles in a number of journals on the issue of reconciliation.
Prof Nelus Niemandt participated in a research project on missional churches in partnership with the South African Partnership for Missional Churches, the University of Stellenbosch and Communitas. The results were published. He delivered a paper at an international conference, Acts for Today’s Missional Church. The project on Acts continues in 2010, when the University of Pretoria will host a conference on the theme. He also published articles in a number of journals on the issue of the missional church.
Contact person: Prof PGJ Meiring.
During October 2009, a team comprising members from diverse backgrounds took part in the People’s Power Project (PPP) of Research and Development for the Prevention of Poverty/Navorsing en Ontwikkeling vir die Voorkoming van Armoede (NOVA) and the Institute for Missiological and Ecumenical Research (IMER). The aim of the project was to determine the feasibility of a project to reduce domestic electricity use through behaviour change.
The team consisted of six members from the Dutch industry, Imtech, one from Share People, an office of the ICCO-Kerk in Actie (Church in Action) partnership of the Protestant Church in the Netherlands, and two from Kessels and Smit, a consultancy firm. The team furthermore comprised two electrical engineering students from the Netherlands, six members from NOVA (a partner of the IMER) and one doctoral student in Psychology from the University of Pretoria. The project was funded by Imtech, ICCO-Kerk in Actie and the South African-Netherlands Research Programme on Alternatives in Development (SANPAD).
The team visited six households in Garsfontein, five in Mamelodi and five in the Woodhill residential areas. They installed meters in each house to measure the electricity use of different appliances over a few days. This made it possible to determine where the possibilities for savings are. These households that participated in home audits have received personalised feedback about their energy use and advice on how to conserve more. Some households saved up to 20% of the energy used in their homes, solely by changing their behaviour. This project will be continued in 2010.
Contact person: Dr AS van Niekerk.
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