Learning Summary: Tanzania – Let’s Join Hands for Development

Search for Common Ground (Search) in partnership with Acacia Mining conducted a 20-month project in Northern Tanzania. The project, “Let’s Join Hands for Development” (Tuunganishe Mikono Kwa Maendeleo Yetu) was designed and implemented to promote positive long-term relationships between the community, decision-makers and Acacia at local and district levels. This a report of a learning assessment, which took a critical view of the project’s activities to assess their relevance, effectiveness, impact and sustainability with an aim toward improving Search Tanzania’s Sustainable Business Practices (SBP) programming going forward. With headquarters in Washington, D.C. and Brussels, Search is an international non-profit organization established in 1982 to promote peace between different ethnic groups, guided by the motto “understanding the differences and acting on the commonalities.” With a presence in 35 countries, Search seeks to change the way the world handles conflicts so that enmity and confrontation can be transformed into cooperative solutions. Acacia Mining (formerly African Barrick Gold) developed and is implementing a sustainable communities (SC) strategy that sets in action its commitment to robust stakeholder engagement, respect for human rights and sustainable community development. Since its implementation of the Maendeleo Fund in 2011, Acacia worked with Search as a partner in addressing its commitment to the communities in which it operates. Acacia Mining operates three mines in Bulyanhulu, Buzwagi and North Mara, Tanzania. The number of security incidents in Bulyanhulu, Buzwagi and North Mara has declined in recent years. However, misunderstandings and misinformation between communities, local government, and the private sector persist, resulting in tensions. These tensions emerge from underlying grievances and frustrations over land compensation policies, perceived inequalities, underground mining (and its potential environmental and health impacts), alleged corruption, perceived lack of transparency and government mismanagement. Search’s SBP programs are based on the Common Ground Principles and focus on conflicts arising between communities, local governments, and the private sector. The SBP programs are relevant in resource-rich developing countries where large private investments in the extractive industry affect economic and social development of local populations. Since 2011, Search has worked alongside Acacia Mining to promote sustainable business practices and address conflicts related to gold mining in North Mara and Shinyanga regions of Tanzania. A survey conducted as part of this evaluation found that 78 percent of respondents in these areas are aware that Acacia funds community development programs, 49 percent of respondents had participated in at least one of Acacia’s community programs. Of those who have participated in Acacia’s community programs, 90 percent stated that they were familiar with Search, with 26 percent of those stating that they knew Search very well. While Acacia has a broad range of programs that were outside of Search’s specialization, Search and Tuunganishe Mikono Kwa Maendeleo Yetu are a well-known components of Acacias efforts to leave a positive legacy in the places it operates.