What We Do
Solidarity
Solidarity and advocacy for mining-affected communities
We act in solidarity with groups badly affected by London-linked mining companies. Communities include La Guajira in Colombia, opposing Cerrejon coal mine – the biggest coal mine in the world – jointly owned by three London-linked mining companies: AngloAmerican, Glencore, and BHP. Groups working for justice for Marikana community in South Africa – still reeling from the massacre of 34 striking mine workers in 2012, where Lonmin platinum mining company has still not provided sufficient reparations to those affected. We also work with groups challenging gold and uranium mining in Spain, and West Papuan and Indonesian groups opposing the Grasberg mine in West Papua, part owned by London-listed Rio Tinto.
Monitoring abuses of rights in mining-affected communities, and seeking redress
We support campaigns and petitions by member groups and others, write and support open letters, address our concerns with parliamentarians, and attend company AGMs asking question on mining-affected communities’ behalf, as well as inviting community representatives to attend the AGMs once or twice a year.
Building a worldwide network against injustice
Currently 21 groups are part of London Mining Network.
We also work with groups in the UK outside our network, including Global Witness, Business and Human Rights Resource Centre, student group Decolonising Environmentalism, and Latin American youth group Movimiento Jaguar Despierto.
Internationally, we work with groups such as MAB (Movimento do Atingidos por Barragens) and the Churches and Mining Network in Brazil, in Chile with OCLA (Latin American Observatory of Environmental Conflicts) in Colombia, with lawyers collective CAJAR, human rights investigation organisation CINEP, and indigenous women’s organisation Fuerza de Mujeres Wayuu. In South Africa, the Benchmarks Foundation and Sikhala Sonke in South Africa. We also work with the Yes to Life No to Mining network and the global mine workers’ union IndustriALL.
Research
Research into the impacts of mining on human rights and the environment
We have a small team of researchers who write reports, publications and articles. They attend relevant conferences and are currently working on issues such as mine waste dams and just transition.
Working to eliminate infringements of human rights by companies involved in the business of mining
As a network, we work with each other and with groups outside the network on joint reports, open letters, publications, campaigns, and parliamentary work.
Education
Working with young people
LMN’s education work is an integral part of our support for communities harmed by the activities of London Listed mining companies. We provide a variety of workshops, speakers and education resources to raise awareness about the impacts of mining on communities and land around the world and to stimulate discussion about potential ways of solving the problems caused by extraction of minerals. We encourage people to consider what the elements of a sustainable economy might be and what steps might be taken towards getting there.
We run workshops with schools, universities, youth and community groups and the general public mainly in and around the London area. We also have a growing number of resources available for download. Please contact education@londonminingnetwork.org for more information or to arrange a workshop.
Promoting public support for the rights of mining-affected communities
We are keen that it’s not just the academics, experts, NGOs and activists who know about and are interested in mining and the impact it has on people and the planet, but that we reach out to the wider public. The role of London and the UK in mining and extractivism is a big one and mining relates to many other issues such as the rights of women, indigeneous peoples, and workers, resistance and direct action, racism, neo-colonialism, corporate power, consumption, the environment and biodiversity, and climate change.
Raising awareness of the impacts of mining
We work hard to get coverage of mining issues in mainstream and alternative media – with a clear emphasis on reporting the voices and demands of mining-affected communities rather than our own. We do this through reaching out to journalists and creating our own media. We also use the website, social media platforms, a monthly newsletter (also available online), publications and reports. We organise and support events, particularly around community visits.