Some mining companies analyze impacts and consider issues of vulnerability. Each person’s unique circumstances and cultural values lead to varying experiences and points of view regarding mining. Researchers have observed different views being expressed, through constructive dialogue, complaints, or through peaceful protest. In some cases, violent conflicts arise often stemming from social unrest, which can impact the physical safety and welfare of community members. An analysis of the potential for conflict is another important issue when considering the social impact of mining.

For this reason and many others, Barksanem™ has preemptively adopted and integrated, into the very core of its business model, an ethical approach in alignment with various international charters like the Universal Declaration of Human Rights or the OECD guidelines on responsible mineral sourcing. Our ethical approach addresses various social impacts and will vary in nature based on the degree of risk that it addresses for each collectivity. Social impacts also vary depending on political climate, the regulatory environment, whether the state recognizes and protects human rights, as well as the mode and processing of waste management, the physical environment, the project ecological footprint, the duration of the life of mine, and the characteristics of affected and nearby collectivities.

The degree of risk that a project poses to local people will affect overall project risk. If a project puts a group of people at risk and does not attend to that risk, the company may fail to meet its regulatory obligations, its voluntary commitments, or face strong opposition. It’s important that risk factors are understood by all stakeholders involved-companies, regulators, and affected people-so that harmful social impacts can be avoided wherever possible, such as through project design, and then monitored and managed over time.

Over the past 40 years, members of the management team have seen firsthand what these unmitigated risks can do to local micro-collectivities in West Africa. Our business model has been designed in a way to intrinsically mitigate these risks by putting people at the center of the equation. Barksanem™’s approach aims to restore equilibrium and progressively build a more virtuous model for the benefit of the local populations, in a better-preserved environment.