The challenge is to create resources for communities targeted by predatory mining companies. Mining is at the heart of the global economy. In the absence of mining, it would be impossible for many of us to continue our way of life, which is tied to energy sources and materials we use on a daily basis for work, leisure, and subsistence. And as global material consumption has increased in the last several decades, mining is more important than ever as a practice that can sustain our lifestyles.

However, mining for minerals and high value substances like gold, silver, molybdenum, coltan, coal, and gems frequently cause severe and sometimes irreparable damage to land, mountains, forests, rivers, air quality, agriculture, local economies, and public health. Not surprisingly, many people in communities facing the possibility of mining on their lands wish to oppose such rapacious practices but often have few tools with which to resist them and to promote sustainable practices.

Goals

• Provide a written guide to assist communities facing unwanted mining activities by large companies. Share knowledge and technical resources (legal, media, fundraising, etc.) with these communities to empower them to make decisions that best suit their own needs, not the needs of shareholders and investors in other countries whose primary interest is profit-making. Link these communities with others around the globe facing similar threats. Build regional and transnational movements for sustainability and environmental justice.

Actions

• Develop written and visual resources and media based on previous and ongoing struggles for sustainability where mining is concerned. Share these resources with as many communities as possible. Get feedback from communities about their use of these resources and future needs. Add new information to existing guides and media and create additional resources.

Solutions

A Guide for Community Organizers Facing Mining Companies

By David Pellow on July 05, 2010 at 07:36 AM

Opportunities

No Opportunities have been added to this Challenge.

There are plenty of researchers and scholars assisting mining companies in how to improve their yield, profitability, efficiencies, including how these firms can better gain the approval of affected communities. Unfortunately, there is a dearth of research on 1) how mining impacts the social fabric and ecological basis of affected communities around the globe; 2) how these communities can resist such practices tactically and strategically; and 3) how such communities can promote and develop sustainable solutions to mining.

A robust agenda for further research on this topic might:

*be interdisciplinary, including the social sciences, humanities, law, public health, medicine, and science.

*explicitly prioritize the needs of communities and ecosystems over those of mining companies.

*seek to re-imagine, re-think, and chart a cultural, political, and economic transformation of our society’s relationship with mining and minerals.