ABSTRACT
The emergence of large-scale resource extraction has profound consequences for a myriad of actors. In terms of prominence, companies seeking to develop new projects, and the communities who would “host” those projects, are considered to sit at the forefront
of activity. States, in addition to securing a balance between corporate and citizen rights, face the challenge of creating and fostering conditions for sustainable and diversified economic growth if they are to avoid the so-called “resource curse”. Traditionally, resource curse debates have focused on the economic prospects of the “nation”, while at the local level, discussion has centred on the formation of “resource enclaves” (Auty, 2006; Cardoso and Faletto, 1979). Research into the experiences of host communities indicates a pattern whereby social risk accrues most acutely among those people living nearest to mining activities (Littlewood, 2013; Saha et al., 2011).2 It has been clear for some time that the market system is unable to account for and regulate the kind of dynamic social and human rights risk associated with large scale development projects, and that new deliberate efforts are required to ensure that social risk is identified, understood and responded to by those parties involved in mining development.
