Pitfalls and Pipelines - Philippine Indigenous Peoples Links

Chapter 2.3: International Advocacy with Companies and Their Investors
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wrong. It is likely that a community is able to give them first
hand examples of those risks.
If the information is reliable, and the corporation wants to
appear responsible, that can lead to favorable changes in staffing
or policies. If a company wants to keep a reputation for
being a “responsible corporate citizen,” it may even withdraw
from the project. Of course, you may get a completely irresponsible
company with no reputation to speak of. But that in
itself can provide its own publicity.
The first stages of this form of advocacy is outlined in the
research and networking mentioned in Chapter 2.1. After
identifying the key advocacy targets, and which countries
they are based in, make contact with potential partners who
can support you. You can of course write to the chair of the
company yourself, but if you want to have more impact, it is
good to seek support. There are likely to be a number of activists
groups, networks and NGOs, focusing on issues around
the extractive industries in the country in question (including
indigenous peoples issues, human rights, environment,
transparency, ethical business). There are also organizations
working specifically on mining, and to a lesser extent hydrocarbons,
in each of the major home countries of the companies.
They will either be able to assist directly, or to put you in
contact with others who can. In some cases, with the biggest
companies, you may even find organizations or networks focused
on the single company you are concerned with. 9 (Please
refer to List of Resources in the Appendix.)
One of the major exceptions to this is likely to be for
Chinese companies, as there seems to be a lack of support
organizations within China, especially with a focus on support
for those abroad. There has, however, been a slow expansion
of capacity in those dealing with Chinese companies, especially
given registrations on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange,
or where there is non-Chinese investment involved in the
company. 10
One of the first actions you can do, in concert with your
local support, is to contact the media in the company’s country
of origin. Ensure they are copied into all press releases,