We are committed to making a positive difference in the communities in which we live and work. Our focus is on fostering sustainable development that will improve economic opportunities and overall quality of life. We believe we have a leadership role to play.
When evaluating the viability of projects, we take into account social, cultural, economic, environmental and governmental factors in the region. We foster an open and public dialogue and receive input from communities, governments and other stakeholders. We listen carefully and are responsive, in order to address impacts and build relationships based on trust. Through this constructive approach, we are able work collaboratively to identify the needs, priorities and concerns of local people and regions, and create sustainable community development programs.
In tangible terms, we invest in people and the communities neighboring our operations. We make it a practice to hire locally. We offer skills training to area residents and support local procurement. These measures create employment and economic opportunities, often in some of the most remote developing regions around the world.
We work directly in the community, through our community relations teams. Frequently these efforts are in partnership with non-governmental and civil society organizations to implement programs, services and initiatives which may meet the most pressing development needs of the community. We forge long-term partnerships with international organizations, including World Vision, CARE, and the African Medical and Research Foundation (AMREF) and Habitat for Humanity, and welcome new partnerships and insights to build on our experience. Click here to see a full list of our partnerships.
Our vision for sustainable community development includes the environment. Through comprehensive environmental management programs, we ensure environmental effects are adequately addressed and strive to continually improve our environmental performance. This may include working directly with communities on environmental monitoring projects.
Barrick’s Corporate Social Responsibility Charter sets out our overall commitments. In 2006, Barrick developed Community Engagement and Sustainable Development Guidelines, which outline in detail Barrick’s principles, standards and approaches related to the communities where we operate. The Guidelines provide direction for community interaction and engagement and feature core principles and best practices during the various phases of mine life. A summary of the Guidelines can be seen here.
Responsible Person: Senior Vice President, Corporate Affairs
Click on the following sections to learn about Barrick's social performance and awards the company has received.