SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
Community relations and social responsibility are an important part of all Minera IRL projects. In Peru, the company approaches each individual community with careful dialogue and research to understand the local identity, culture and approach, in order to establish sustainable initiatives which will in turn assist in gaining sustainable social licenses to be able to develop its projects.
The social focus of the company is on the basic pillars of education, health, production, training and skills development, generation of employment and commercial interaction with local business, in order to improve the quality of life and economy of its related communities.
PARTNERS IN MINING AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT
In its major project Ollachea, Minera IRL promotes the integration of the community in a partnership whereby the community has a 5% shareholding participation in affiliate company Minera Kuri Kullu SA, once the project is in production. Minera IRL currently conducts its exploration activities alongside artisanal miners in the area.
The agreements in place with the Ollachea community were a result of 15 months of dialogue and negotiation, at the end of which a Surface Rights Agreement was signed, allowing for direct payments to the community and investment in Social Responsibility Programmes. Alongside this, an Artisanal Mining Explotation Agreement was signed which included clauses for Technical Mining Assistance Programme.
The Corihuarmi Gold Mine currently in production, allows significant proportional benefits to be distributed at local and regional levels. The benefits include employment at the mine, programmes of sustainable development as well as health and education programmes in the local communities.
EXPERIENCES: THE CHACCU OF CUSHURO
Each year, the Community of Cushuro (situated in the mountains in the north of Peru) and the Company celebrate the traditional Chaccu ceremony, which involves the rounding up, shearing and vaccination of vicunas. This is a result of a community project established 6 years ago with the assistance of Minera IRL who were conducting exploration in the area at the time. Now the community benefits from the proceeds of the sales of the wool, considered among the finest internationally.
A Chaccu in the Andean Cordillera of Trujillo, Peru
BBC Reports:
How Peru's 'Andean rodeo' is helping save the vicuna
Annual 'Rodeo of the Andes' as wild vicunas are rounded up
As part of its philosophy and commitment to sustainable development projects in the communities in the direct and indirect areas of influence to its concessions, Minera IRL Limited has, for over 4 years, promoted a sustainable Vicuña project and the traditional ceremony, or Chaccu, associated with the shearing of the Vicuñas. This Vicuña project is run by the community of Cushuro in the district of Huamachuco in La Libertad.
The Vicuña is the smallest of the South American camelid family, and its wool is the finest and most expensive by weight in the world. Historically, during the Inca period, only the royal family were permitted to wear cloth made from Vicuña wool. The annual traditional ceremony, which dates back to the Incan period, takes place near the Cushuro lagoon, on concessions previously held by the company Minera IRL. The Chaccu ceremony involves the participation of the entire community in the rounding up, shearing and vaccination of the Vicuñas.
The Vicuña project was started in a three way coordination between the Company, local community leaders and regional government bodies, before the exploration phase began at the Cushuro Project. The Company sponsored the installation of a protective fence in part of its concessions that were not considered useful for exploration, but which suited the raising of vicuñas. Two hundred Vicuñas were then transported from Pampas Galeras, Ayacucho, and the numbers now exceed four hundred. This project has been a success due to the active participation of the community, the company’s care and financial assistance, and the national policy of conservation and management that have organized the sale of the vicuña wool to international markets.
The Company made the committment in 2008 to continue supporting this project, until it grows sufficiently to be self sustaining, despite the coinciding decision not to continue with exploration in the area. This entails financial support for the maintenance of the protective fences, the provision of vaccines and assistance with pasture development and care.
Minera IRL is committed to the objective of taking a long-term view in order to ensure that the local community becomes a satisfied partner in every project and at every stage of the process - from the initiation of exploration to production and on to and beyond mine closure.
The Cushuro Vicuña Project project holds a special place for the Company, as it honors the work of Mr. Felipe Benavides Barreda, who was the father of the current President of Minera IRL SA. Felipe Benavides led the fight for the conservation and repopulation of this beautiful species, and created for their protection the National Reserve of Pampas Galeras, Ayacucho, as well as other recognized zones in Peru. His initiative was acknowledged by the bestowing of the J. Paul Getty prize, granted by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). Felipe Benavides to this day is the only Peruvian to have received this award.