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Filling the Void?: Stakeholder Perceptions towards Corporate Alternative Livelihood Projects in the Ghanaian Gold Mining Industry
Filling the Void Stakeholder Perceptions towards Corporate Alternative Livelihood Projects in the Ghanaian Gold Mining Industry Author:Louise Dignum The increasing global influence of multi-national companies has led to growing calls for a corporate social responsibility ethic, especially in mining. Western-based mining companies are under pressure to give fair treatment to indigenous communities. This work looks at illegal gold mining in Ghana, where poverty and illegal mining plague ... more »the industry today. Alternative livelihood projects, developed by foreign-owned mining companies, are intended to reduce the incidence of illegal mining. This study gathered public perceptions on these projects, which provides important indicators on the success of said projects and evidence of the level of commitment that is invested in them by their designers. Regulation theory is employed to evaluate the evolution of alternative livelihood programs as an emerging form of social regulation within the minerals extraction industry. Critical evaluation of these projects is necessary to differentiate promising initiatives from corporate PR exercises. This work should prove a useful resource to the many people working in the field of development, especially those involved with the design and implementation of sustainable livelihood initiatives.« less