©ARM
May 18th, 2015
In early April, the Alliance for Responsible Mining (ARM) brought together miners, local partners and government agencies from Senegal, Burkina Faso and Mali to exchange experiences and learn more about the requirements and benefits of Fairmined Certification. It was the first regional workshop under ARMs project in West Africa that pilots Fairmined Certification and promotes solutions for drastic mercury emission reduction.
The workshop was a testimony to the miners commitment and the support of local organizations in their road to a more formal, safe and sustainable sector. However, it was also a testimony to the great challenges miners face in the three countries where they struggle with little or no access to drinking water, low technical knowledge and inefficient techniques, hazardous working conditions, child labor and gender inequality.
“When such meetings between miners from different countries occur, it creates great incentives for transforming the way they see their activity. It is an opportunity to create stronger links amongst the West African Mining communities and to share technical and organizational experiences. ” Said Yves Bertrán project Coordinator in Africa in the Alliance for Responsible Mining. “It is just as important for our local partners to exchange experiences on their programs and approaches to boost capacities and foster new didactic initiatives for the people in day to day contact with the miners.”
The workshop was partly carried out by ARMs local partners SADEV, Réseau Afrique Jeunesse, AFDC and Fédération Nationale des Orpailleurs du Mali (FNOM). It included sessions on health and safety, System of Production, mapping techniques and the use of monitoring tools. It also focused extensively on the traceability aspects in the certification process.