Over 45 community relations professionals gathered in Johannesburg to share and discuss experiences in mining, oil and gas operations across Africa. The gathering was organised in partnership, by the International Council of Minerals and Metals (ICMM), Synergy Global Consulting and hosted by the Experiential Learning Centre of Anglo American.
Holle Wlokas, a research associate at the CST, attended the event as an academic observer and gained deep insights into the practices and lessons learnt of the extractives industry in delivering community benefit and managing relationships with stakeholders in their ‘zone of influence’.Participants learnt about the latest research on Social and Labour
Participants learnt about the latest research on Social and Labour Plans in South Africa’s mining industry and the global reflections of the Rio Tinto mining house on the external influences on social performance. Holle listened to the conversations with an interest to inspire the discourse in the renewable energy sector on matters concerning community relations and development practice.
The analysis of the event revealed that community relations practice (CRP) in the extractives sector is further advanced than in the renewable energy industry. The professional capacity active in the extractives is thus far greater than that in the growing number of wind, solar and hydro energy projects on the continent.
Going forward the RE4T’s research ambition will, therefore, continue to foster the connection between the conversations and hence the community of practice in both sectors. RE4T’s intention is to support the renewables industry in growing its capacity to develop professional responses to the social benefit and impacts associated with its operations.
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PHOTO: Synergy Global Consulting
Centre for Complex Systems in Transition 