Éxito total en tercer foro de minería del Grupo Prodeco
Total success in the Prodeco Group’s third Mining Forum
01|08|2016
On July 30, in Valledupar, all everyone was talking about was Prodeco and its good mining practices. For the third year in a row, the mining company gathered in a single place the most important figures in Peace and Sustainable Development, Mining Companies and Human Rights, Challenges for Cesar in Times of Post-conflict and Journalism and Peace Building, as well as journalists and opinion leaders, for the purpose of properly discussing mining issues.
The event, with a notable assistance of over 130 participants, was held from 9 a.m. at the Sonesta Hotel in the capital of Cesar, under the modality of four panels lead by moderators, addressing concerns arising from the main table and from participants.
Mark McManus, CEO of the Prodeco Group, was responsible for setting up the forum, together with Franco Ovalle, Governor of Cesar; Silvana Habib, President of the National Mining Agency; Tatyana Orozco, Director of Social Prosperity; and Santiago Ángel, President of the Colombian Mining Association.
“Mining will not be with us forever, and any planning done today must take this into account. We have invited experienced panelists with the knowledge to promote productive discussions, which I am sure will be both informative and enjoyable. I welcome you all to today’s forum, whose purpose is to build a better and more informed society,” declared Mark McManus in his opening speech.
Furthermore, among the panelists were Lina Arbeláez, representing the UNDP, which works together with the Prodeco Group in its commitment to help eradicate extreme poverty in Cesar; Carlos Campo, Department Secretary of Agriculture of Cesar; Yarceli Rangel, Mayor of La Jagua de Ibirico; León Valencia, Director of the Peace and reconciliation Foundation; and Leonor Zalabata, Commissioner for Human Rights of the Confederation of Native People of Tayrona.
“Mining is the way. Progress should not go against new generations,” affirmed Zalabata, who also drew attention to the ‘little brothers’ in Valledupar, who had just panicked upon hearing the news that the water in Valledupar was poisoned.
In the afternoon, the turn was for the panel on companies and human rights, which had the participation of José Rafael Unda, Manager of Ardura SAS; Carlos Franco, Manager of Social Standards and International Relations at Cerrejón; Pablo Urrutia, Vice President of Communications at Drummond; and Álvaro Amaya, Director of the Companies and Human Rights Program of the Ideas for Peace Foundation.
Finally, León Valencia, Cofounder of Las 2Orillas, and Mildreth Zapata, closed with a talk on journalism and peace, inviting the journalists attending the forum to forget about the ghost of war and start using their pen to write about peace and reconciliation.