Course

Level: Introductory

Facilitator: Monica Ospina, Founder and Director, O Trade and Market Access

Social sustainability and community relations are strategic for the positive development of mineral projects.

Community Relations is a growing discipline that calls for specialized knowledge in Human Rights, Indigenous Rights, Stakeholder Engagement, and Conflict Management, and considerations around including ESGs, SDGs, responsible investment, social risk management, the social license, community consultations and social inclusion.

This course offers participants fundamental community relations principles in the context of mineral exploration and mining operating in Canada and the developing world.

Short Course Objectives:

Provide an introduction to community relations as part of social management.

Target Audience:

Community Relations onsite Social Performance Sustainability Environmental coordinators or Mine Managers

About the instructor:

Monica is the Founder and Director at O Trade. O Trade is an ESG- Sustainability and Social Performance expert with recognized experience in designing and implementing strategic solutions that support operational productivity while building trusting relationships with traditional communities and indigenous peoples impacted by mineral exploration and mining operations. Her approach to transforming social risk into opportunities in human and social capital creates value for shareholders and stakeholders and has contributed to ensuring land access and operational readiness, improving the perception of mining and the well-being of communities across regions. In 2022, Monica was recognized under the Women in Mining 100 inspirational women in the mining industry. In 2020, Monica received Distinguished Lecturer recognition from the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (CIM). As an author, Monica created the Local Community Procurement Program (LCPP), a sustainable supply chain model awarded by the IFC-World Bank in 2012. She has also contributed to the IFC-World Bank’s Guide for the Early Stakeholder Engagement (published in 2015) and participated in discussion groups for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the RIO + 20 World Convention on Sustainable Development in 2012. Monica holds a Master's Degree in Diplomatic Studies from the University of Westminster. She has completed postgraduate programs in Sustainability Management from Harvard University and International Business Strategy from the London School of Economics.