106 - The International Resource Journal

FEBRUARY 2013 The International Resource Journal23national and local governments, as well as civilsociety, to avoid becoming embroiled in competingpolitical agendas.To mitigate risk and promote a positive legacy,companies also need to help strengthen governmentinstitutions to operate in a transparentmanner and to consider how they can developlasting social and economic opportunities for localpopulations beyond mining jobs. These needto reflect the concerns and aspirations of the disenfranchisedcommunities and the middle classalike. This can be done through, for example:• Robust “local content” programs• Skills/capacity-building activities (e.g.training centers)• Social-investment partnership throughfoundations to address basic health, education,or infrastructure needs• Mine construction demobilisation andclosure planning to support longer-termeconomic prosperity and to minimiseboom/bust effectsThe region is changing rapidly and strangebedfellows are coalescing around convergentagendas; companies need to have a firm understandingof such changing landscape andtrends to operate in a sustainable manner forthe long term.Alejandra Martin is manager of AdvisoryServices at BSR, a global nonprofit businessnetwork and consultancy that works with businesson sustainability.BSR works with its global network of nearly300 member companies to build a just andsustainable world. From its offices in Asia,Europe, and North and South America, BSRdevelops sustainable business strategies andsolutions through consulting, research, andcross-sector collaboration. Visit www.bsr.org formore information about BSR’s more than 20years of leadership in sustainability.