Title of Project: Canada/International Component: Indigenous Perspectives on Consultation and Decision-Making about Mining and Other Natural Resources in Latin America, the Caribbean and Canada (Phase II)
Key Staff Involved
Viviane Weitzner, Marcelo Saavedra, Bente Molenaar
Research Period
2005-2007/8
Output
Multi-party launch meeting and report; case study of Lutsel Ke’s experience negotiating with government and mining companies; evaluation of Aboriginal Participation in the Whitehorse Mining Initiative and subsequent national policy processes; first international research team meeting; Phase II synthesis report; Phase II policy brief; journal articles
Completed documents from Phase 1 of this project.
Over the last decades, mining activities – particularly by Canadian companies – have increased dramatically in Latin America and the Caribbean. Increasingly, these activities are taking place on or near the ancestral lands of Indigenous Peoples. While there is a heightened awareness of the need for Indigenous Peoples to meaningfully participate in processes of consultation and decision-making in order for equitable development to take place and conflict to be minimized, there is a dearth of understanding regarding what Indigenous Peoples themselves view as appropriate processes, mechanisms and policies.
This multi-country collaborative research project between The North-South Institute of Canada (NSI), the Amerindian Peoples Association of Guyana (APA), the National Organization of Indigenous Peoples of Colombia (ONIC) and The Association of Indigenous Village Leaders in Suriname (VIDS) seeks to further understanding on these issues. Phase I of the research (2000-2002) scoped out Indigenous perspectives and assessments of consultation and decision-making within the mining sector of Latin America and the Caribbean in order to deepen understanding of the issues at stake.
Phase II (2004-2007) will use and build on the results of Phase I. The general objective of the multi-country project is to facilitate, document and analyze efforts in strengthening the capacities of Indigenous Peoples to engage with government, industry and other relevant actors through multi-party dialogues and other interactions with a view to more equitable outcomes, policies and practices that respect the processes, aspirations and rights of Indigenous Peoples in natural resources decisions affecting their lands. At the conceptual level, the research seeks to document to what extent efforts in strengthening the individual and institutional capacities of Indigenous Peoples, providing resources for intra and inter-community dialogue and strategizing before undertaking multi-party dialogues and other interactions that are designed and driven by Indigenous peoples, help tip the power balance towards more equitable outcomes, policies and practices that respect Indigenous processes, aspirations and rights.
The research will use a variety of participatory approaches – including multi-party round tables, community workshops and capacity-building activities – and will be guided primarily by Indigenous Advisory Committees established in each of the countries. It will also involve Indigenous-to-Indigenous capacity-building, drawing on the knowledge and experience of Canadian Aboriginal people affected by mining and related activities.
The research process and outcomes will be documented, analyzed and disseminated through the World Wide Web and other vehicles appropriate to the community, national and international levels.
While there is an overall framework for the multi-country project, each component has specific goals and outputs. Specific goals of the Canada/international component of the project are:
To evaluate Aboriginal participation in Canada’s Whitehorse Mining Initiative and its replications, with a focus on Aboriginal perspectives.
To document the experience of the community of Lutsel K’e in Canada’s Northwest Territories in interacting and negotiating with BHP and other mining companies.
To organize an international workshop for Government, Industry and Donor Community Representatives to share the results of Phase I and begin dialogue on Phase II.
To design and implement a communications strategy in Canada and internationally.
To synthesize research findings and produce policy recommendations.
To ensure overall coordination and management of the project.
Outputs will include a report on the multi-party launch meeting with Canadian mining companies, government officials, donors and other relevant parties; a case study of the Dene community of Lutsel Ke’s experience negotiating with government and mining companies; an evaluation of Aboriginal Participation in the Whitehorse Mining Initiative and subsequent national policy processes; a report of the first international research team meeting; a synthesis report for Phase II of the overall multi-country project; a policy brief for Phase II; and 2 journal articles.
The North-South Institute
55 Murray Street, Suite 200
Ottawa, Ontario
CanadaK1N 5M3
Telephone: (613) 241-3535
Fax: (613) 241-7435
Email: nsi@nsi-ins.ca
© 2005 The North-South Institute
Key Staff Involved
Viviane Weitzner, Marcelo Saavedra, Bente Molenaar
Research Period
2005-2007/8
Output
Multi-party launch meeting and report; case study of Lutsel Ke’s experience negotiating with government and mining companies; evaluation of Aboriginal Participation in the Whitehorse Mining Initiative and subsequent national policy processes; first international research team meeting; Phase II synthesis report; Phase II policy brief; journal articles
Completed documents from Phase 1 of this project.
Over the last decades, mining activities – particularly by Canadian companies – have increased dramatically in Latin America and the Caribbean. Increasingly, these activities are taking place on or near the ancestral lands of Indigenous Peoples. While there is a heightened awareness of the need for Indigenous Peoples to meaningfully participate in processes of consultation and decision-making in order for equitable development to take place and conflict to be minimized, there is a dearth of understanding regarding what Indigenous Peoples themselves view as appropriate processes, mechanisms and policies.
This multi-country collaborative research project between The North-South Institute of Canada (NSI), the Amerindian Peoples Association of Guyana (APA), the National Organization of Indigenous Peoples of Colombia (ONIC) and The Association of Indigenous Village Leaders in Suriname (VIDS) seeks to further understanding on these issues. Phase I of the research (2000-2002) scoped out Indigenous perspectives and assessments of consultation and decision-making within the mining sector of Latin America and the Caribbean in order to deepen understanding of the issues at stake.
Phase II (2004-2007) will use and build on the results of Phase I. The general objective of the multi-country project is to facilitate, document and analyze efforts in strengthening the capacities of Indigenous Peoples to engage with government, industry and other relevant actors through multi-party dialogues and other interactions with a view to more equitable outcomes, policies and practices that respect the processes, aspirations and rights of Indigenous Peoples in natural resources decisions affecting their lands. At the conceptual level, the research seeks to document to what extent efforts in strengthening the individual and institutional capacities of Indigenous Peoples, providing resources for intra and inter-community dialogue and strategizing before undertaking multi-party dialogues and other interactions that are designed and driven by Indigenous peoples, help tip the power balance towards more equitable outcomes, policies and practices that respect Indigenous processes, aspirations and rights.
The research will use a variety of participatory approaches – including multi-party round tables, community workshops and capacity-building activities – and will be guided primarily by Indigenous Advisory Committees established in each of the countries. It will also involve Indigenous-to-Indigenous capacity-building, drawing on the knowledge and experience of Canadian Aboriginal people affected by mining and related activities.
The research process and outcomes will be documented, analyzed and disseminated through the World Wide Web and other vehicles appropriate to the community, national and international levels.
While there is an overall framework for the multi-country project, each component has specific goals and outputs. Specific goals of the Canada/international component of the project are:
To evaluate Aboriginal participation in Canada’s Whitehorse Mining Initiative and its replications, with a focus on Aboriginal perspectives.
To document the experience of the community of Lutsel K’e in Canada’s Northwest Territories in interacting and negotiating with BHP and other mining companies.
To organize an international workshop for Government, Industry and Donor Community Representatives to share the results of Phase I and begin dialogue on Phase II.
To design and implement a communications strategy in Canada and internationally.
To synthesize research findings and produce policy recommendations.
To ensure overall coordination and management of the project.
Outputs will include a report on the multi-party launch meeting with Canadian mining companies, government officials, donors and other relevant parties; a case study of the Dene community of Lutsel Ke’s experience negotiating with government and mining companies; an evaluation of Aboriginal Participation in the Whitehorse Mining Initiative and subsequent national policy processes; a report of the first international research team meeting; a synthesis report for Phase II of the overall multi-country project; a policy brief for Phase II; and 2 journal articles.
The North-South Institute
55 Murray Street, Suite 200
Ottawa, Ontario
CanadaK1N 5M3
Telephone: (613) 241-3535
Fax: (613) 241-7435
Email: nsi@nsi-ins.ca
© 2005 The North-South Institute
