The value of strategic communication for accountability and conflict prevention miners

Abstract

In Peru, the conflict between mining companies and local communities are becoming more visible and relevant to the public due to increasing crises in recent years. Given the difficulties of mutual understanding between actors, it has been established as a matter of study of communication for development. Based on this problem, I conducted a research on the patterns and communication practices developed between mining companies and local communities in conflict. From the case study methodology, three were selected wich cover different stages of relationships, whose comparative analysis contributes to the general understanding of conflict situations in the country.
This article, besides presenting the results of this study, proposes a model of communication intervention for conflict prevention, incorporating corporate social responsibility as a management model and recognizing the strategic value of consistent relationships with all stakeholders. In this context, the communication is no longer conceived as a tool used for utilitarian purposes, to reassess its strategic potential, playing a key role from the identification and mapping of stakeholders, to design, implementation and monitoring of the strategy of relating to each.