medicusmundi and Centro Terra Viva hold National Week of Artisanal Mining in Maputo

Medicusmundi and Centro Terra Viva (CTV) held, between April 26 and 30, the National Week of Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining (MAPE), with a view to establishing an open space between civil society and public institutions to share knowledge, debate issues of common interest and propose strategies for the dignification of artisanal and small-scale mining activity in Mozambique.
Events held throughout the MAPE week.

Artisanal mining

• Aroused the interest of different actors and sectors in artisanal mining and its impacts on the environment and health;

Medicusmundi and Centro Terra Viva (CTV) held, between April 26 and 30, the National Week of Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining (MAPE), with a view to establishing an open space between civil society and public institutions to share knowledge, debate issues of common interest and propose strategies for the dignification of artisanal and small-scale mining activity in Mozambique.
Events held throughout the MAPE week.
• Aroused the interest of different actors and sectors in artisanal mining and its impacts on the environment and health;
• They drew attention to the role and responsibility of each actor and sector in the process of dignifying artisanal mining activity;
• Disseminated the actions developed by the projects being carried out by the partnership between medicusmundi and Centro Terra Viva (CTV); as well as,
• Started an open debate on the advocacy process for the revision of the legal framework for artisanal mining adjusted to the current socio-economic situation.

During the National Week, the Director of medicusmundi, Justo A. Calvo, stated that this event would contribute to the improvement of the activity, as a privileged space was opened in order to advocate for the need to increase the areas designated for legalized associations of small-scale artisanal miners, as a way to carry out their activities in a legal manner. In response to the demands that embody the need to facilitate access to the mining pass, the Provincial Director of Infrastructure of Cabo Delgado, Danta Rosse, guaranteed that the Government would simplify “the paths” to obtain the document that would allow artisanal miners carry out their activities legally. On the same occasion, regarding the value chain, the Cabo Delgado miners who participated in the event – ​​Jorge Domingos and Esperança Gulube – praised the intervention of medicusmundi and CTV, highlighting that they had greatly improved their working conditions and they asked for the next projects to be implemented in the artisanal mining sector to have a greater focus on the market, thus improving sales conditions.

During the debate on the vision of Civil Society, with regard to the future of artisanal mining in Mozambique, the Director of Sekelekani – Civil Society Organization, Tomás Vieira Mário, warned that it would be necessary to eliminate the stereotypes and stigma that befall practitioners of artisanal mining activity and that the future would depend on the distribution of roles. "The message that is transmitted from artisanal mining is that it only brings problems against women, children and the environment, but that is not the case, artisanal mining generates income for many families and will bring great benefits when it is practiced in a structured way. ”, said Vieira Mário.
The MAPE week was in person, but also broadcast online, through the platforms of medicusmundi and its partners, with the participation of the European Union – Maputo Delegation; civil society organizations such as SEKELEKANI, TV Surdo, AMPCM, WILSA, ARIELLA, WHO, CEISA, CESC, NIOP Cabo Delgado, MASC, Rede Hpem and Fórum Mulher; government entities such as the National Directorate of Environment, the Ministry of Health and the Provincial Directorate of Infrastructure of Cabo Delgado, INS; academic personalities from different areas, among others.
The National Mining Week was an initiative of medicusmundi and Centro Terra Viva, within the scope of the implementation of the projects: “Artisanal Mining, Environmental and Cultural Rights in Cabo Delgado” and “Reduction of the negative impact of artisanal mining on individual and community health, in the districts of Namuno, Montepuez and Ancuabe, in Cabo Delgado”, financed by the European Union and the Generalitat Valenciana, respectively.
Check out the full video summarizing the MAPE National Week (link) and the materials developed throughout the project (link).