Indigenous peoples have historically gained little from large-scale
resource development on their traditional lands, and have suffered
from its negative impacts on their cultures, economies and
societies. During recent decades indigenous groups and their allies
have fought hard to change this situation: in some cases by
opposing development entirely; in many others by seeking a
fundamental change in the distribution of benefits and costs from
resource exploitation. In doing so they have utilised a range of
approaches, including efforts to win greater recognition of
indigenous rights in international fora; pressure for passage of
national and state or provincial legislation recognising indigenous
land rights and protecting indigenous culture; litigation in
national and international courts; and direct political action
aimed at governments and developers, often in alliance with
non-governmental organisations (NGOs). At the same time, and partly
in response to these initiatives, many of the corporations that
undertake large-scale resource exploitation have sought to address
concerns regarding the impact of their activities on indigenous
peoples by adopting what are generally referred to as "corporate
social responsibility" (CSR) policies. This book focuses on such
corporate initiatives. It does not treat them in isolation,
recognising that their adoption and impact is contextual, and is
related both to the wider social and political framework in which
they occur and to the activities and initiatives of indigenous
peoples. It does not treat them uncritically, recognising that they
may in some cases consist of little more than exercises in public
relations. However, neither does it approach them cynically,
recognising the possibility that, even if CSR policies and
activities reflect hard-headed business decisions, and indeed
perhaps particularly if they do so, they can generate significant
benefits for indigenous peoples if appropriate accountability
mechanisms are in place. In undertaking an in-depth analysis of CSR
and indigenous peoples in the extractive industries, the book seeks
to answer the following questions. What is the nature and extent of
CSR initiatives in the extractive industries and how should they be
understood? What motivates companies to pursue CSR policies and
activities? How do specific political, social and legal contexts
shape corporate behaviour? What is the relationship between
indigenous political action and CSR? How and to what extent can
corporations be held accountable for their policies and actions?
Can CSR help bring about a fundamental change in the distribution
of benefits and costs from large-scale resource exploitation and,
if so, under what conditions can this occur? Earth Matters gathers
key experts from around the world who discuss corporate initiatives
in Alaska, Ecuador, Australia, Canada, Peru, Papua New Guinea,
Indonesia and Russia. The book explores the great diversity that
characterises initiatives and policies under the name of "corporate
social responsibility", the highly contingent and contextual nature
of corporate responses to indigenous demands, and the complex and
evolving nature of indigenous-corporate relations. It also reveals
much about the conditions under which CSR can contribute to a
redistribution of benefits and costs from large-scale resource
development. Earth Matters will be essential reading for those
working in and studying the extractive industry worldwide, as well
as those readers looking for a state-of-the-art description of how
CSR is functioning in perhaps its most difficult setting.
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