But ten years on from their first engagement with CRC, the mining co-ops, though still active, were grappling with issues that were deemed inevitable. Worsening conflict, a lack of funding, and a range of social and economic issues were making it increasingly difficult for these co-ops to survive.
Yet, the cooperatives showed the enormous potential local people and ex-combatants had to be the producers of ethical gold. As put by Jean-Claude, CRC’s Coordinator, “There is no better policy for a community than its involvement in the search for peace.”
A radical new approach.
In 2017, Peace Direct, CRC and the co-ops submitted the idea for Peace Gold to the GHR Foundations Bridgebuilder Challenge – a funding competition seeking radical new approaches to solve urgent global issues. This competition aimed to find and fund projects around the world working at the intersection of peace, environmental protection, and livelihoods. PeaceGold proposed that local artisanal mines could model the future of sustainable goldmining.
Such a feat seemed near impossible at the time, particularly in the DRC. Many mine sites were in the hands of militia groups, women were unable to build livelihoods, and child labour was a widespread issue, not to mention the damage mining was causing to the natural environment.
Out of 900 applicants, just five proposals won: including PeaceGold.
The PeaceGold Community. Image Credit: Joel Embati / PeaceGold.
Over the years that followed, PeaceGold evolved into a social enterprise based on a simple idea: get artisanal mines producing and selling ethical gold to the international market and ensure that a percentage of profits go to peacebuilding efforts in the local community. PeaceGold was designed with sustainability at the forefront. 1% of traded income will be put into a social development fund that, in turn, allows communities to control their own development and invest in initiatives that benefit their everyday lives.
Stories of new livelihoods, healing and persistence emerged from the local communities over time. You may have heard some of them over the years.
One story we shared last year was Stella’s. Despite most of her income coming from mines, women were often given less responsibility than men and received lower pay. This created a negative cycle as most women were the main earners in families due to men struggling to find work because of armed conflicts. Through PeaceGold, Stella was supported to transition into fair and sustainable employment outside of the mines, and has set up her own business.
Akiki Mavone Stella. Image Credit: Joel Embati / PeaceGold.
