Conceptualizing mining impacts, livelihoods and corporate community development in Melanesia

This paper provides a clearer conceptual exposition of the nature of social transformations around large-scale mining by theoretically delineating the place of corporate community development (CCD) initiatives in the transformations that mining brings to adjacent communities, and the livelihoods and developmental prospects of the affected peoples. We illustrate this argument with reference to an examination of CCD initiatives at four Papua New Guinea mine sites. This highlights the diversity of contexts (geographic, institutional and transnational), structures, activities and motivations that drive these activities. One aspect that is particularly apparent is the conservative nature of these CCD initiatives in the face of the often chaotic social transformations that the presence of the mine has sparked. We conclude with reflections on how such CCD activities can be shaped to provide more positive, sustainable outcomes for communities and livelihoods.