Event to explore world of promise for mining communities

Artisanal and small-scale mining may be one of the most difficult occupations, with its back-breaking work and often rudimentary tools. Despite the inherent challenges, more than 100 million people worldwide are estimated to rely on artisanal and small-scale mining for income. Pact works to ensure their choice is as safe and secure as possible.

This evening, Pact, with support from Boeing, Global Advanced Metals, Qualcomm and Devex, is hosting a reception to highlight the many opportunities to transform the lives of artisanal and small-scale miners around the world. From programs to reduce child labor and bring access to the global minerals markets to support to governments in formalizing the artisanal mining sector, the event will feature promises made by Pact and our partners to mining communities worldwide.

“We believe that resource-dependent communities should be able to gain lasting benefit from the sustainable use of the natural resources around them,” says Mark Viso, president and CEO of Pact, “and, if people choose to mine, they should have every opportunity to earn a dignified living in a safer, healthier environment.”

Pact works extensively with miners, local communities, governments and companies to make this often-hazardous activity safer, more efficient, less environmentally damaging and more lucrative so that it can be a viable and valuable rural livelihood for the millions of men and women who’s lives depend on it.

But miners face many unique challenges to their work depending on where they are in the world, ranging from conflict to child labor to lack of safe water and sanitation.

“In the Democratic Republic of Congo, we work closely with miners, the government, local communities and others to address the issue of conflict minerals,” says Yves Bawa, Pact’s regional director for Congo, Rwanda and Burundi. “But there are still other development challenges faced by miners and these underserved communities.”

To address the variety of challenges these communities face, Pact takes an integrated approach to its work, linking mining to livelihoods, governance, human rights, health, environment, and the strengthening of local, regional and national institutions.

To learn more about how you can help mining communities realize a world of promise, join the conversation on social media using #mining4change.

For more information about Pact’s work in mining globally, visit www.pactworld.org/mining.

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About Pact – Pact is a promise of a better tomorrow for all those who are poor and marginalized. Working in partnership to develop local solutions that enable people to own their own future, Pact helps people and communities build their capacity to generate income, improve access to quality health services, and gain lasting benefit from the sustainable use of the natural resources around them. At work in more than 25 countries, Pact is building local promise with an integrated, adaptive approach that is shaping the future of international development. Visit us at www.pactworld.org.