.: Community Mining :.

ARM is an initiative of multiple stakeholders who participate in the Association through the Stakeholder Alliance (SA), which is comprised by individuals or organisations from any part of the supply chain, consultants and support organisations, committed to the mission, values and objectives of the Association who are interested in being engaged with ARM’s strategies, processes and standards.

Members of the SA should be individuals and organizations who believe in the usefulness of the development and implementation of fair trade criteria and standards applicable to ASM products, and are committed to the improvement of the quality of life of ASM producers and their communities and the environmental stewardship of fragile ecosystems where ASM is an economic activity.

Future interested parties shall present an application explaining why they want to be part of ARM’s SA, provide a letter of recommendation, ideally from an already existing member, and express commitment of support to ARM’s mission and principles in their application letter.

Nominate members for the Board of Director every 3 years
Recommend people for the technical committees
Participate in ARM meetings all over the world
Tap into a network of experts and organisations
Be featured and publish your news on the ARM website.

As a member of the SA you will have the right to inform your constituencies publicly that you are a member. In exchange we hope you can also support ARM with donations or advice for its different activities or with pro bono collaboration.

Applications may be sent to: arm@communitymining.org

GREEN GOLD CORPORATION (Colombia)

Corporacion Oro Verde was born in 2000 as a partnership between the Community Councils of Tadó and Condoto, Fundacion Las Mojarras and Fundacion Amigos del Chocó. Building on a sustainable livelihood and fair trade framework, the Green Gold initiative seeks to promote responsible mining practices in one of the world's biodiversity hot spots. It does so by providing economic, social and productive incentives to mining families who comply with rigorous certification criteria on mining and ecological restoration methods. The Oro Verde Initiative today produces the only certified ASM gold on the market. It originated the Association for Responsible Mining together with ethical jewellers and support organisations in 2004 in order to scale up the idea of certification for ASM.

BOTH ENDS functions as a go-between to support individuals and social organisations all over the world whose specialisation is ecological sustainability and social justice. The main focus is the realisation of sustainable forms of natural resource management and to promote policymaking in the Netherlands as well as worldwide. Both ENDS supports organisations through information, research, advocacy, campaigning, networking and capacity-building.

CRED is Fair Trade Jewellery Company that supplies customers with excellent quality, competitively priced; design led wedding jewellery that also addresses the social and environmental issues that are present in the jewellery world. The inherent value and beauty of a piece of jewellery must be judged by the impact it has on the whole supply chain, from miners to customers. Therefore CRED has developed relationships with small-scale miners who work to strict environmental criteria. CRED foundation has the mission to research, teach, advocate and partner with the global poor to release practical resources, helping to empower poor communities to establish productive and self-sustainable livelihoods.

The Institute for Cultural Ecology was founded on the conviction that visits to exotic destinations imply a commitment to cultural sensitivity and environmental stewardship. Our programs match the interests, academic goals, and passions of the participant to select host organizations and researchers. Once you connect with a place and its people, they become a part of you. Forever.

The Environmental Research Institute of the Pacific, based in the Choco, Colombia, was created by Law 99 of 1993; it develops scientific and technological research that contributes to improving the wellbeing of the population, through stewardship of the quality of the environment and the sustainable use of natural resources, and the provision scientific and technical support to the Ministry of the Environment of Colombia for the sustainable development of the biogeographic region of the Choco. Its members include the Indigenous and Afrocolombian communities of the Pacific coast of Colombia.

Fundación Amigos del Chocó is a NGO, which furthers community processes that develop sustainability and enhance quality of life in the Chocó Bioregion of Colombia. Its main fields of action are environmental communication and education, green and fair markets and research. In 1999, Amichocó invited the Environmental Research Institute of the Pacific and the communities of Tadó and Condoto in Chocó to find sustainable livelihood alternatives for artisanal and small-scale mining communities, while protecting this privileged ecosystem. It is from this open dialogue that The Green Gold initiative emerged.

The Center of Mineral Technology, CETEM, aims to develop technologies for the sustainable use of mineral resources in Brazil. Founded in 1978 CETEM has developed more than 750 technological research projects to attend diverse enterprises that work in the mining-metallurgic sector and in the chemistry of materials. CETEM is recognized internationally thanks to its active participation in workshops, seminars, conferences, exchanges, agreements and international projects like ARM.

Since its beginning in 1986, ISAT has been oriented mainly to the reinforcement of the management of social, labour and union organisations around occupational health and working environment issues. ISAT has built on experience with the agricultural and mining sectors, advancing to the validation of local development strategies that promote healthier and safer working conditions, in harmony with the environment.

Created in Paris in 1992, S&P Trading acts in precious metals trading, including gold and platinoids in most of their existing forms (alluvial, bars, dross, earths, wastes). Our service is to unite the producers with markets by offering collaboration in technical, logistic, commercial and financial levels. Through our suppliers we have come close to the artisanal mining world, for which we are trying to apply Fairtrade mechanisms and philosophy. Almost a year ago we invested in a platinum and gold refinery in the heart of Paris, where we offer refining services to our providers and, since recently refining service to fairtrade gold, guaranteeing the metal’s origin so we can offer a metal that reflects a small producer in each gram.

UNIVERSIDAD SAN CARLOS DE GUATEMALA, CENTRO DE ESTUDIOS SUPERIORES DE ENERGIA Y MINAS (Guatemala)

The Centre of Studies on Mines and Energy of the University of San Carlos (Guatemala) is an research institute whose purpose is:

To educate human resources in the fields of Geology, Mining, Oil and Gas, Energy and environmental issues.
Research to create knowledge and search of solutions to national problems
Offer bibliographic material through its Information centre, in the relevant areas for the consult of individuals and institutions, interested in research, teaching and update of knowledge.
Extension in relevant fields through services of minerals identification, consulting, essays, studies on geological risk, etc.

More Info:
http://sitios.ingenieria-usac.edu.gt/cesem/index.html

The Institute for Sustainable Mining (ARTMINERS) is an international, non-governmental organization whose purpose is to use education and educational demonstrations to promote sustainable, clean mining methods to the world’s poorest miners to stop environmental and health risks caused by the misuse of toxins to extract minerals and other valuable materials from the earth. It also aims to work cooperatively with other NGOs to promote sustainable mining, and to improve the working conditions of artisanal and small-scale miners, particularly in areas of child labour, education, gender equality and health. In addition it works to influence governments and citizens to reduce or eliminate the use of other products which are the result of environmentally toxic, socially unfair or repressive mining practices.

CUMBRE DEL SAJAMA is a private sector company that undertakes research, training and qualification projects and programs The activities of CUMBRE DEL SAJAMA in the ASM include training programs in general administration and cooperatives organisation principles, basic accountability, mineral trading and conflict management and resolution; it also seeks to support ASM organisations in taking their products to international markets for the improvement of their living conditions. Its aim is to support the process of transformation of ASM towards a responsible sustainable activity that mitigates potential conflicts in its area of influence.

ASOCIACIÓN REGIONAL DE PRODUCTORES MINEROS ARTESANALES DEL SUR MEDIO Y CENTRO DEL PERÚ AMASUC (Peru)

Represents, protects and struggles for the rights of 36 artisanal and small scale miner’s organisations of middle South and centre of Peru. It focuses on lobbying for improved ASM laws and supporting the formalisation and the development of entrepreneurial capacities of ASM through training, juridical, technical, and administrative advisory services along with consultancies for safety in the workplace and social and environmental responsibility as the main factors to overcome the restraints faced by artisanal small scale mining communities and their families. AMASUC plays a key leadership role in the national and Latin American regional processes of organization of ASM.

This Federation of Cooperatives is the umbrella for all the gold producing cooperatives of the North of the Department of La Paz. It is in turn affiliated to the National Federation of Mining Cooperatives of Bolivia that congregates over 60,000 miners.

ASOCIACIÓN DE MINEROS DEL BAJO CAUCA Y NORDESTE ANTIOQUEÑO – ASOMINEROS (Colombia)

The association of miners from the lower Cauca and the north east of Antioquia – Asomineros; is a non for profit company that groups 38 small scale gold miners of the region; from whom just 6 had formalised their mining activity legal issues, the rest is working informally. The main objective of the association is to promote the formalisation of the small scale miner’s activity and to create the conditions for them to grow as companies.

The Community Council of Condoto (COCOMACOIRO) and the Community Council of Tadó (ASOCASAN), as community based organizations, are responsible for the management of the collective territories granted to them by Colombian Law 79, the local coordination of community development projects, and the organizational strengthening, support, internal monitoring and technical assistance to certified miners. They are key partners in the Oro Verde Initiative.

This NGO is based in Condoto and has as its aim, the environmental, ethnic and territorial integration of Chocó. It was created by committed researchers and practitioners of Choco, to provide support to the grassroots organisational work of the Community Councils.

Solidaridad is a development organization based in the Netherlands working for Latin America, Africa and Asia. Solidaridad has two programs: Sustainable Economy & Fair Trade; and Human Rights & Society Building.

This corporation has been actively supporting initiatives and programs to benefit artisanal miners in West Africa. In December of 2002 they began working in Sierra Leona and became a founding member of the Peace Diamond Alliance. They are also promoting a special initiative to teach the women of mining communities in Liberia to shape and polish corundum into jewellery components.

RED SOCIAL is a NGO founded in 2003; that works with the artisanal small scale miners of the Middle South in the departments of Ica, Ayacucho, Arequipa, and the Region of Puno. It has a, strategic alliance with the Regional Association of Mining Producers of Middle South and Centre of Peru (AMASUC), with whom it develops projects in favour of the artisanal small scale mining sector of Peru.

African Precious Metals Gold Ltd. is a new company that is a wholly owned subsidiary of FBME Bank Ltd. based in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania. The company buys and sells gold in a formal, fair trading scheme where business is transacted in a transparent setting. APM Gold Ltd. constructed five Fairtrade Gold Centers (FTGC) within the Geita Region to upgrade the business environment for many miners operating in the informal sector who live in deplorable conditions with inadequate resources. Each solar powered community service centre located in Nyaragusu, Rwamagasa, Katoro, Ushirombe and Mwanza is equipped with a precious metals testing laboratory, microfinance window and internet service. Gold supplied by the miners is verified by APM experts as to its provenance and authenticity and further processed at the site. The semi-refined gold is transported to our larger refinery in Mwanza for further processing. Our centres offer loans to miners for leasing/purchase of equipment; and we are sensitizing communities to reduce environmental contamination by mercury through use of proper recovery techniques e.g. distillation. In addition a Miners Trust Fund has been created to provide health and educational facilities for miners and their families.

Fifi Bijoux was founded as a label which believes in promoting positive ethics and which offers an alternative to exploitation, human rights abuses or irresponsible damage to the environment. Is a company which is committed to making a positive contribution to the people and the communities from which we purchase our materials. The brand carries these values to our customers, who benefit from an ethical, luxury product with the added value of knowledge of the provenance of the materials.

Estelle Levin is a Geographer, working as a Minerals and Sustainability Consultant. She specialises in minerals certification, conflict and post-conflict minerals management, sustainable livelihoods, and the political economy of artisanal minerals exploitation, trade and export. She researched and co-authored ARM’s Feasibility study on Fairtrade-labelled artisanal gold, and is conducting scoping studies for FT gold in Africa. She works with NGOs, business, and development organisations to help make artisanal and small-scale mining a force for development, empowerment, and ecological protection. Past and present clients include CASM (World Bank), the Diamond Development Initiative, the Foundation for Environmental Security and Sustainability, Target Resources, plc., Urth Solution, the Central African Initiative (INICA), the University of British Columbia, and the Durban Process. Estelle believes that development must come from within a society and cannot be imposed, though it can be nurtured and enabled; external actors can play a role by adjusting the field of opportunities and constraints that structure the political and economic choices available to people. Fair Trade is one such way of providing people with new opportunities and new ways of improving their lives. She is proud to be a member of ARM and to be contributing to this process.

Felix Hruschka is an Austrian mining engineer with a PhD in mineral economics from Leoben University. After a few years in the academic field, he started in 1992 a second career as independent consultant, mainly related to the development of the artisanal and small scale mining sector. More than 15 years of field work in Latin America and partly in Africa (frequently in close cooperation with the German consulting firm Projekt-Consult), on behalf of Development Agencies, Mining Ministries, Mining Companies and NGO’s, accumulated a vast experience in the fields of mining and mineral processing techniques; safety, health and environmental management; mining policy with emphasis on legalization and formalization of artisanal mining; and a wide range of other aspects related to sustainable development. As an engineer, Felix is convinced that most problems demand sound technical solutions on a solid economic basis, but also that a participative, human-centric, sustainable livelihoods approach is the key to success.

Fair Trade, as a win-win-option, is a promising way to improve technical performance of artisanal miners and produce economic benefits for the families of artisanal miners, entire communities and even Governments, and to simultaneously reduce negative environmental and social impacts. Thus, Felix feels strongly committed to ARM’s approach of responsible mining.