Webinar: Value of Trust in the Times of Covid-19

May 19, 2020

The founder and director of O Trade, Monica, presented an insightful webinar on Responsible Raw Materials.

When working on stakeholder engagement and building trust in mineral projects, none of us consider a pandemic to be the real test to the Social License and trust of the intangible asset to guarantee the restart of mineral activities.

In cases where the absence of the state is normal, communities either trust or distrust the mineral exploration or mining company in their region.

COVID-19 not only tests the capacity and effective response of the health system and the governments’ Responsibility to Protect, but also proves the approval of local stakeholders to mineral operations in their region. Approval understood as the trust in the humanitarian aid will bring help, not pain, authenticity in the information shared, the entrance of community relations to their regions, and the hope to go back to work in a safe environment.

Lifting the lockdown is becoming a political decision in the hands of presidents, governors, mayors, and councils, under the pressure of the people they represent. Their approval or disapproval translates to land access for mineral exploration or restarting mining operations, here is when the Social License materializes in a yes or no answer.

The presentation opens a discussion about the effectiveness of social management systems and stakeholder engagement as mechanisms to support operational efficiencies, in this case, restarting activities after a global pandemic.

About O Trade

O Trade is a socio-economic development firm with over twenty years of expertise in designing and implementing strategic ESG solutions to assist the private sector in partnering with local stakeholders.

Contact us by emailing monica@otrade.ca or calling +1 647 201 3161 to discuss how we can support your business endeavours.