Grievance Redress, Conflict Resolution, Community Relations & Community Engagement in Mining Areas

Growing demand for minerals, agitations and distress over resource scarcity, and rising prices are driving mining companies to operate in new environments in order to obtain the resources they need mostly in developing countries. Mining companies often explore and operate near lands and properties belonging to or being used by communities. Mining can negatively affect the local environment including water and biodiversity as well as people’s livelihoods. Although, the effects of mining activities are not always negative in that they may provide employment opportunities, procurement benefits for local businesses, significant tax contribution both at the local and national levels, and development of local infrastructure. Conflict is anticipated as a real risk of many mining projects especially in areas where environmental damage affects health and livelihoods. These adverse effects could lead to public protest in response to the activities being carried out by the companies. The drastic increase in number of social movement resisting mining over the last decade (especially after the Ogoni oil spillage issue) has helped to drive a sense of responsibility and accountability on both governments and companies. Community relations is conceptualized as a three-dimensional practice that involves working for the company to understand local community perspectives, bridging community and company perspectives to generate dialogue and mutual understanding and, facilitating necessary organizational change to improve social performance. However, there are some key challenges of institutionalizing and professionalizing community relations within the mining industry and this require the need for mining companies to build knowledge to properly function and handle community grievances and community-company disputes. Consequently, there is growing pressure on companies to address the concerns of communities before and during a project and even after operations have ceased, in order to obtain a social approval and to avoid the costs associated with delays due to blockades and protests. Therefore, having a credible mechanism in place for the systemic handling and resolving of complaints is of great importance. This training is therefore designed to equip delegates with the skills and techniques for grievance redress, conflict resolution, community relations and community engagement in mining areas.