ProDESC (Proyectos de Desarrollo Económico, Social y Cultural) - Protecting Mexican Mining Communities
Team: Mac Glovinsky, Chelsea Long, Ingrid Rosario
Semester: Spring 2009
Proposed Terms of Reference
Organizational Background
ProDESC, Proyectos de Desarrollo Económico, Social y Cultural (Projectos for Economic, Social and Cultural Development), is a Mexico City-based NGO founded in 2005 (http://prodesc.org.mx/ Also see link at bottom for brochure). Its main goal is the defense of economic, social, and cultural rights in Mexico by fostering enforcement of and accountability for these rights on a systemic level.
Project
ProDESC team of GPIA/New School graduate students prepared a written report regarding "international best practices and comparative perspectives on human rights-based community development in the extractive industry in Mexico." The organization works with local communities affected by transnational mining projects in several states of that country. It seeks not only to assist them in negotiating agreements with companies and authorities that protect local health and promote housing, local employment in mine-related activities, and local income generation more generally. It also endeavors to improve and create appropriate Mexican legislation regarding rights of community consultation and compensation which builds on international norms and best practices. A parallel goal is to identify specific norms and strategies by which leverage can be brought to bear on mining companies through transnational campaigns as well as by activating leverage over companies through such elite international actors as First World governments, international financial institutions, and socially responsible investors.
To the latter end in particular, the team also conducted desk research regarding how such issues are being dealt with in other countries in Central and South America as well as in the home countries of some of the main mining TNCs (e.g., Canada, Australia). Such research might involve, interalia, review of publicly available or private documentation and relevant academic and policy research; telephone interviews; and personal interviews. Informants for this research came from international organizations, NGOs active on mining and community issues at a grassroots and transnational level, government agencies in the respective countries sending or receiving mining investment, and perhaps the companies themselves.
Mechanics
The research and preparation of the written final report was conducted under the faculty supervision of Prof. Scott B. Martin. Prof. Martin taught the GPIA seminar "Corporations, Justice, and Rights: Campaigns for Corporate Social Responsibility in the Global South." He has extensive background working onlabor rights issues in Latin America, including in Mexico. The practicum team met weekly with Prof. Martin at the designated time of 5:00-5:50 Tuesdays throughout the spring semester.
The client contact was Ms. Valeria Scorza of ProDESC.
Student Background
It is ideal but not strictly required that students possess one or more of the following:
(1) GPIA concentration in Governance and Rights or Development
(2) background in Latin America
(3) reading knowledge of Spanish
It will be helpful if at least one member of the team has a background in Latin America and a reading knowledge of Spanish.
Core Documents
Terms of Reference
Timeline
Final Presentation
Additional Documents
ProDESC Report.pdf
Navigate: All Spring 2009 practicums