ABSTRACT
The mining industry for centuries has extracted value from the soils of countries across the globe, often with dire consequences for surrounding communities and environments. Since the early 1990s, the industry has been under increasing pressure from investors, downstream companies, and civil society to adopt more socially and environmentally ethical policy and operational practices. This chapter provides insight for Catholic peacemakers, advocates, and activists seeking to engage this sector. It opens with a broad overview of the major ethical and normative challenges facing the industry and the nature of their response to these challenges. It then explores the internal culture and historical mindset of the industry and the ability of industry leaders and companies to respond to these challenges. The chapter then provides a catalogue of normative progress underway within the industry in response to a range of issues including: social license, indigenous rights, free, prior, and informed consent, environmental impact, human rights, transparency, taxation, and climate change. The chapter concludes with a reflection on how Catholic peace advocates might rethink their strategies and tactics and build upon normative gains achieved by secular advocates in dealing with the mining sector.
