The Foundations for Peace in Artisanal Gold Mining in Burkina Faso project aims to shape a more responsible artisanal gold mining sector and contribute to the development of peace within mining communities. To achieve this, the project will promote economic autonomy and financial inclusion of women and men in artisanal gold mining communities. At the same time, the project will build the capacity of stakeholders to combat informal trade and promote legal trade in artisanal gold.
Family photo with participants
The launch workshop held in Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso, on 25 February 2022, with the aim of presenting the main thrusts of the project, brought together a variety of stakeholders including mining governance authorities, technical services of the mining administration, supply chain actors, representatives of civil society and the private sector as well as technical and financial partners. The meeting also provided an opportunity for consultation with participants through workshop discussions on the project’s main themes. These discussions and sharing will be used to compile a technical dossier with recommendations aimed at contributing to the promotion of a more responsible artisanal gold mining sector.
“As part of the Foundations for Peace project, we will work with national and local authorities to identify the drivers of illicit trade and build the capacity of these authorities to encourage legality. The ultimate goal is to create an enabling environment for the legal gold trade,” explains Joanne Lebert, IMPACT’s Executive Director.
According to Désiré NIKIEMA, National Coordinator of the Alliance for Responsible Mining in Burkina, “The project allows for the development of synergies of action between partners in order to revitalise the artisanal and small-scale mining landscape by contributing to responsible supply chains. It also contributes to increasing the capacity of artisanal miners to develop internal savings mechanisms to finance their activities and all this contributes to improving the living conditions of the beneficiary mining communities.
IMPACT’s previous studies and work have shown that economic security is a necessary step towards the formalisation of the artisanal gold mining sector, and a condition for sustainable development and peace building.
ARM on the ground will work to support community-based financial services in six mining sites located in the Centre-West and Centre-North regions through the establishment of village savings and credit associations to improve financial inclusion and thus contribute to peace and equitable development.
“Through this project, artisanal gold mining communities will be supported to access savings and credit in a context where basic financial services are lacking. Our previous experiences have shown that the provision of financial services not only promotes social cohesion, but also reduces the dependence of miners on predatory creditors,” says Ms Lebert.
The Foundations for Peace project is being carried out with the financial support of the Government of Canada through Global Affairs Canada.
For more information on the Foundations for Peace project, visit:
Press contact:
Alliance for Responsible Mining
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In Canada:
Zuzia Danielski
Director of Communications, IMPACT
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IMPACT, formerly Partnership Africa Canada, is transforming the management of natural resources in areas where security and human rights are at risk. We analyse and design approaches to natural resource management with a three-pronged focus on security, development and equity. As an independent, not-for-profit organisation, IMPACT works with local partners to achieve sustainable change. www.impacttransform.org
The Alliance for Responsible Mining (ARM) is a global initiative that began in 2004 with the goal of transforming artisanal and small-scale mining into a socially and environmentally responsible activity that improves the quality of life of artisanal miners and their communities. www.minesresponsables.org