Social responsibility is key to the success and reputation of resource projects. AME’s Integrated Social Responsibility (ISR) Committee supports members by providing resources geared towards socially responsible industry initiatives. The nine-member committee is dedicated to sharing industry best practices with all AME members, ranging from small-scale prospectors and junior explorers to large mining companies. “Really we just want to bring the best practices for corporate social responsibility forward, in the form of tools and resources online and networking events,” says committee chair Angela Johnson, “just to get the discussion going as to how we can all work together to really integrate communities into our projects and create value through community development.”
Johnson, a geologist currently working in the environment and community relations department at SSR Mining, has been involved with the committee for five years and has been chair for two years. “It’s a great group of passionate individuals all volunteering their time,” she says. “We have people from all backgrounds – geologists, biologists, engineers, environmental scientists, as well as government representatives – sitting on the committee.” Social responsibility encompasses a range of issues including outreach, community and Indigenous relations, allowing plenty of opportunities for collaboration. “The biggest group that we collaborate with is AME’s Indigenous Relations Committee,” says Johnson, “For example, at the gathering place at Roundup, which the Indigenous Relations committee organizes, ISR plays a role in developing some of that content as well.”
This year, a video is being developed to expand the selection of available member benefits and services. “We’re working to create short, snappy videos for the website to bring new social responsibility-focused tools and resources to our members,” Johnson says. The new resources will complement the two live learning session videos already on the ISR Committee web page. Roundup 2020, including the popular Social Innovation Panel on the Innovation Stage, is also at the forefront of the committee’s agenda. “Jumping forward to Roundup next year,” Johnson says, “we’re already starting to plan for our panels, trying to get speakers lined up.“ Past course offerings have been a resounding success, featuring innovative speakers and excellent discussion periods. “We held a couple short courses at Roundup that were really well attended,” Johnson says. “The first one, a full-day course, was sold out. The next year we coordinated with the indigenous relations committee and held a full-day course as well.”
Looking beyond the short term, the committee is involved in providing more resources and tools to AME members into the future. “We’re working on updating AME’s guiding principles,”
Johnson says. “These are right now being worked on and we’re just making sure that they’re aligned with industry standards and what our members need at the moment.”
Johnson says members should watch the ISR webpage in the coming months as new, exciting content is added. “Our two main biggest initiatives are keeping up our online resources and Roundup,” she says, adding, “I would really urge members to go check out the website and videos because they’re really a great wealth of knowledge.”