· 21 min read
The Trust Audit
I once watched a traditional leader sign every document a company put in front of him.
Topic
Community relations
32 articles on this.
· 10 min read
Leveling the Table: Independent Advice for Communities
When a mining company sits down across from your community, the table is not level, and everyone knows it.
· 9 min read
Reading the Company's Promises
Treat every promise a mining company makes as worthless until it carries a number, a date, and a consequence. That sounds harsh.
· 10 min read
One Voice: Building Community Cohesion Before Negotiation
Before a mining company sits across from your community, you must settle one question that decides everything else: who speaks for us.
· 10 min read
Before the Mine Arrives: How a Community Prepares to Negotiate
Your leverage is highest before the first shovel breaks ground, and it drains away with every dollar the company commits.
· 10 min read
Lithium's Local Resistance: Lessons From Contested Projects
The lithium the world needs for its batteries is not scarce, and it is not, for the most part, technically hard to reach.
· 10 min read
Crisis Communications When Trust Has Collapsed
When a community has stopped believing anything your company says, better messaging is not the fix, and reaching for it makes the hole deeper.
· 10 min read
Managing Misinformation and Social Media in Mining Disputes
A single WhatsApp voice note can shut your access road by morning. I once watched a rumor about contaminated water move through three villages in a day.
· 11 min read
The Future of Community Engagement Technology
The most effective community engagement technology I have watched a mining company deploy was a community liaison office and a set of hand-held...
· 10 min read
Mine Closure and Community Transition
Mine closure is an economic and social event that happens to involve environmental remediation.
· 10 min read
Post-Conflict Rebuilding in Mining Regions
When a mining company and a surrounding community fall into open conflict, attention goes to the acute dispute.
· 10 min read
From Protest to Partnership
I have stood in northern Portugal, in the Barroso region, and watched opposition to a mining project up close.
· 10 min read
The Community Relations Manager's Handbook
The community relations manager carries one of the most demanding roles in mining. You represent the company while you also advocate for the community.
· 10 min read
Five Essential Skills for Mining Community Relations Professionals
The community relations skills that matter most in mining are not the ones listed in typical job descriptions.
· 10 min read
Small-Scale vs Large-Scale Mining: Different Community Dynamics
Most community relations frameworks treat all mining the same way. They should not.
· 10 min read
Artisanal and Industrial Mining Coexistence
Two mining systems often want the same ground. An industrial company holds a legal concession with exclusive mineral rights.
· 9 min read
From Consultation to Collaboration: Climbing the Engagement Ladder in Mining
Consultation to collaboration explains how mining projects move from informing communities to shared decision authority that can hold.
· 9 min read
What Meaningful Community Engagement Looks Like
Meaningful community engagement shows whether affected people shaped mining decisions, not just attended meetings or signed registers.
· 9 min read
Mining in Post-Conflict Regions
Post-conflict mining needs conflict-sensitive engagement, honest risk planning, and mediation before board approval in fragile regions.
· 9 min read
Energy Transition and Community Relations
Critical minerals community relations require consent built for faster timelines, new actors, benefit pressure, and transition-era risk.
· 10 min read
Good Neighbor Agreements in Mining
Good neighbor agreements help bridge early mining uncertainty by defining commitments, monitoring, dispute paths, and a transition to a CBA.
· 15 min read
From Adversarial to Collaborative: Transforming Mining Conflict Dynamics
Adversarial mining conflicts need relationship transformation, not settlement. A practitioner guide for ESG leaders and community relations teams.
· 18 min read
Infrastructure Projects and Community Mediation: Pipelines, Roads, and Dams
Community mediation for infrastructure projects. Strategies for pipeline, road, and dam projects adapted from extractive industry best practices.
· 14 min read
Community Relations in Mining vs. Oil & Gas: Key Differences That Shape Your Strategy
Discover the critical differences between mining and oil & gas community relations. Field-tested strategies for each sector. Get expert guidance.
· 13 min read
Critical Minerals and Community Conflict: The New Frontier
Critical minerals projects are generating community conflict at scale. A practitioner risk analysis for ESG leaders and social performance teams.
· 20 min read
Industry Trends: What Is Changing in Community Relations for Mining?
What is changing in mining community relations? 2026 trends analysis with strategic implications and recommendations for extractive industry professionals.
· 14 min read
The Anatomy of Mining-Community Conflicts
Uncover root causes of mining-community conflicts with a practical framework. Discover prevention strategies for better relations and reduced risks.
· 16 min read
Resolving Community Protests at Mining Sites: A Mediator's Approach
When community protests block your mining operation, your first priority is stabilization, not resolution. You cannot negotiate comprehensive agreements while
· 25 min read
Mediating Resistance to Change in Communities: From Pushback to Participation
Transform community resistance from an obstacle into a resource. Learn how mediation converts adversarial pushback into collaborative problem-solving.
· 11 min read
How Mediators Can Help Mining Companies Avoid Local Escalations
Discover how professional mediators can help mining companies identify tensions early, facilitate difficult conversations, and prevent community conflicts from escalating into costly project delays.
· 5 min read
Mediating Between Facts and Emotions in Mining Disputes
Mining disputes aren’t resolved by data alone. Discover how mediation bridges facts and emotions to build trust, address fears, and restore dialogue.
· 5 min read
Understanding and Mediating Community Resistance to Change in Mining Projects
This article explains why communities resist change, and how mediation can turn opposition into meaningful dialogue, and co-created solutions.
If the relationship around a project is under pressure, or heading there, let us talk.
A 30-minute call is enough for me to understand the situation and tell you honestly whether I can help. Active opposition, a social license problem, an FPIC process that needs an independent facilitator, a negotiation a community has to prepare for, or a conflict that is not public yet but will be. It makes no difference which side of the table you are on. No obligation, no generalist pitch.
Every first conversation is confidential.