• Campaigns & Initiatives

• Emergencies

• Issues We Work on

• Our Approach

• Where We Work
• South America
• News & Publications
• Local Partners
• Background
• What Oxfam is Doing
• CAMEXCA
• United States
• Southern Africa
• Horn of Africa
• East Asia
• West Africa

Advanced Search

• Contact Us

Tintaya Copper Mine

TINTAYA COPPER MINE: OXFAM'S ROLE

Oxfam provides the advocacy skill building and technical training essential for the people affected to address the problems in their community.

Ingrid Macdonald interviewing women in Bajo Huancane, near the Tintaya Copper Mine. By: Diego Nebel/Oxfam

Starting in 2000, Oxfam America has been funding a series of projects to help people in the communities affected by the Tintaya Copper Mine to develop the skills needed to seek justice from the mine company. In keeping with Oxfam's philosophy of enabling local communities to advocate on their own behalf, the advocacy skill building and technical training carried out in these communities was essential for the people to address the problems in their community. Despite the fact that it was not their decision to place a copper mine in their community, people living near the mine are committed to doing what it takes to alleviate these problems and get compensation from the mine company. As explained by Miguel Palacin, President of the Communities Affected by Mining (CONACAMI) organization partly responsible for the training process, "The communities understand that it is their problem, and they have to be part of the solution. No one can come from outside and solve it for them."

For some time, the work of local communities was stymied by lack of recognition from the managers of the Tintaya mine, owned by BHP-Billiton corporation. They refused to respond to the communities' appeals for compensation. Knowing that Oxfam America was part of the Oxfam International confederation, CONACAMI suggested that Oxfam America and Oxfam Australia could take the concerns from the communities directly to BHP-Billiton head office and the company managers in Australia.

After an on-the-ground investigation, Oxfam Australia’s Mining Ombudsman, Ingrid Macdonald, met with the Peruvian and Australian managers of the Tintaya Copper Mine in Lima, Peru, accompanied by community representatives, Oxfam America, CooperAcciòn and CONACAMI. Later she met with company managers of the BHP-Billiton Corporation in Melbourne, Australia. Community Aid Abroad - Oxfam Australia also published a detailed report on the case as part of its Mining Ombudsman Annual Report in 2001 and 2002.

Read Oxfam Australia's Mining Ombudsman Report

Following these actions and meetings, the managers of the BHP-Billiton mine in Tintaya agreed to a series of consultative meetings with community representatives—the Mesa de Diálogo—to address the problems identified by the communities described in the Oxfam Australia Mining Ombudsman Report. It is partly due to the strength of the Oxfam International organization that this dialogue strategy has been so effective. Cooperation between Oxfam International affiliates has taken the concerns of the local communities to key decision makers at the national and international level (and most importantly, in the home countries of companies) and forced the responsible parties to take action.

According to Ingrid Macdonald, "The publication of the Ombudsman report helped place pressure on the company to follow through on the dialogue process and their promises," particularly now that the Tintaya part of the report has been translated into Spanish.

"One important part of this dialogue process has been the linkage between the local, national, and international, which Oxfam Australia and Oxfam America have coordinated. The advocacy work at the international level and the support of partners at the local level have helped the people to achieve real change for themselves in terms of their relationship with the company. It's a case of the micro meeting the macro—and the macro following the lead of the micro, which is rare today."

Despite the assistance at the international, national and local level from Oxfam, the local communities are still in control of their own destiny. Oxfam supports their strategies, and provides some additional pressure at the international level and in Peru. As Macdonald puts it, "The people have control over this process—I listen to them and take their concerns to the company management in Australia, who may never have heard them otherwise. However, the most important part of this process is that the company must go to the people themselves to resolve the problems at the mine site—this helps the community members have their voices heard by those at the top of companies."