GOLDEN STAR & THE RESETTLEMENT OF THE DUMASE VILLAGE

1 Background

Dumase is a small community in the Western Region of Ghana. Its relative position within Ghana is provided in Figure 1.

The Dumase community straddles the road linking the towns of Bogoso and Prestea in the Bogoso, Prestea Huni-Valley District in Ghana’s Western Region (Photo 1), and is about 2 km from Golden Star’s Bogoso/Prestea mine site entrance. The Dumase Pit lies to the east of the town at a distance of about 200 meters.

Golden Star (Bogoso/Prestea) Ltd (“Bogoso / Prestea”) would like to expand the Dumase Pit to mine the ore contained in the deeper part of the pit. This would involve the resettlement of the Dumase Village, which, in turn, requires the development and implementation of a Resettlement Action Plan (“RAP”). To achieve a RAP, there would be extensive consultation with the residents of the Dumase Village (“the Community”), which would result in a negotiated resettlement package acceptable to the community, regulators and Bogoso / Prestea. The Dumase Resettlement Project (“the Project”) is being carried out to the performance standards of the International Finance Corporation (“IFC”). The key performance standard is PS 5 – details of which are presented here in brief in the text box and at the following link:
http://www.ifc.org/ifcext/enviro.nsf/Content/EnvSocStandards.

2 Previous Consultation with Dumase Community

Due to past uncertainties over the project’s future, before 2006, Golden Star had undertaken some limited formal consultation on the possible expansion of the Dumase Pit and the resettlement of the Community. Bogoso / Prestea recognized that this uncertainty caused frustration among the Community, along with speculative activities in anticipation of resettlement and/or compensation. A partial survey of buildings, undertaken in 2000, added further uncertainty and fuelled building speculation, although the Company consulted with the local Traditional Leaders but not with the Community at large. To overcome the uncertainty and to provide complete transparency in the resettlement, Bogoso / Prestea has adopted the IFC performance standards. To that end, we are endeavoring to work with the Community and its leaders to negotiate an acceptable resettlement agreement. Issues raised during those previous consultations are summarized in Table 1.

3 A New Approach

In September 2006, Golden Star asked rePlan Mining Consultants Ltd (“rePlan”) to prepare a scoping report for the work required to complete a RAP for Dumase Village, and in February 2007, the Company appointed rePlan to undertake extensive consultations, negotiations and planning for the Project.

Representing Bogoso / Prestea, in March 2007 rePlan first met with the Community and traditional leaders in an open public meeting in the centre of Dumase. The rePlan resettlement team was formally introduced by Bogoso Prestea’s Community Affairs Officers. The rePlan team then started to improve communications with the Community and worked with Bogoso / Prestea to address some pending grievances. The start of an open period of consultation and exchange was declared which, if agreeable, would result in negotiations between the Community and Bogoso / Prestea on resettlement.

rePlan continued to work on the project until their departure by the close of the year 2007 when Golden Star took over the project and is presently developing on the same principles.

3.1 Identifying all the Stakeholders

The Dumase Resettlement Project involves a variety of stakeholders: Dumase residents, farmers, business people, regulatory authorities or organizations that could be directly or indirectly affected by the resettlement. In order to develop an effective stakeholder involvement program, we first identified the various stakeholder groups using different outreach methods required for each group (formal discussions with government agencies and opinion leaders; community meetings and forums; and focus groups with key groups such as women, youth, religious leaders, civic leaders and farmers). We also found that primary concerns differ between the various stakeholder groups.

3.2Developing a Public Consultation & Disclosure Plan (“PCDP”)

We developed a PCDP document early on in the Project’s life, so demonstrating our commitment to pro-active and ongoing communication with all interested agencies, organizations, and individuals. The goal of the PCDP is to address issues in a way that is transparent, provides timely, accurate information to affected people and other stakeholders, and allows sufficient opportunity for stakeholder input and exchange. The comprehensive PCDP that demonstrates our actions are in accordance with the IFC PS5 is available. Consultation specific to resettlement planning in turn has the following specific goals:

• Formation of a representative and inclusive Consultation Committee
• Formation of a representative and inclusive Resettlement Negotiation Committee
• Develop agreements on compensation principles
• Alleviate stakeholder fears and provide information on the resettlement
• Address stakeholder concerns in project planning and mitigation efforts
• Engender broad community support

The PCDP outlines and documents our consultation and disclosure practices for the project and includes details of public involvement activities with the Community that will occur:

• During the feasibility assessment stages of the Dumase Pit expansion and Dumase community resettlement;
• During development of the Pit; and
• Continuing throughout the life of the Pit

The PCDP aims to improve and ease decision-making and further the community’s understanding of the entire resettlement project by promoting the involvement of individuals, groups, and organizations that can affect, or be affected by, development of the Dumase Pit.

Following the PCDP allows formal communications to be carried out in an objective and simple manner focusing on improving communications between all interested parties, more particularly the Community.

The PCDP is a living document that evolves based on the ongoing development of the communications and the results obtained. Therefore, the PCDP remains in draft form throughout the Project and is updated and adapted as communications progress.

3.3Communications with Government Stakeholders

Our key government stakeholders (local, regional, and national) receive a monthly stakeholder update to provide them with information on the project. The updates include a covering letter, together with a summary of the previous month’s activities (consultations, data gathering etc.) and the activities planned for the following month.

Our initial briefings for the regulatory authorities were through formal meetings at all levels (local regional and central). Since April 2007, briefings have been given via regular meetings or through written correspondence, as preferred or appropriate to each of the following stakeholders:

• Member of Parliament
• National Ministries/agencies:
  • Environmental Protection Agency
  • Lands, Forestry & Mines
  • Lands Commission
  • Land Valuation Board
• Local Government and Rural Development
• Regional Ministries, officials and agencies
• District & local officials and agencies

3.4Consultations with the Community

Our key goals of the community consultation process include:

• Regular release of resettlement-related information, including our policies, resettlement project details, answers to frequently asked questions, and rights and responsibilities of affected people, presented as required in a manner consistent with local cultural norms
• Articulation and delivery of clear, consistent messages from our staff to the public and stakeholders
• Communication undertaken in both Twi (the local language) and English
• Regular meetings and forums documented by our team to present resettlement‑related information, answer questions, and address concerns
• An open-door policy for interaction with our team such that stakeholders feel comfortable approaching the team directly to ask questions, discuss matters, and raise concerns
• Creation of a responsive management system for recording and responding to comments and concerns in a constructive and timely manner

We use a variety of methods to improve community awareness about their rights and the steps required in the resettlement negotiations:

• Public meetings / community forums
• Focus groups
• Interviews with key people/groups
• Consultation Committee
• Dumase Oversight Committee
• Community information centre (InfoCentre)
• Community notice board
• Community events

All consultations and associated events are announced in culturally appropriate ways, such as:

• Dumase community notice board and Bogoso / Prestea staff notice board
• By calling of a local meeting through the recognized committee, traditional leaders or civic leaders
• Public Address (PA) System,
• Gongon or “Dawuruo”
• Formal letters and copies to recognized authorities
• We used to use the InfoCentre but the Oversight Committee asked that this be closed until further notice from the community

We carry out the majority of our consultation with the local Dumase community in Twi and we work to ensure that the broad-based consultation is in a culturally appropriate and transparent manner. In all cases, we use stakeholder input to develop the communications method and we offer communications in Twi at all community meetings.

3.4.1Public Meetings

From March 2007, we held a series of public meetings open to all members of the public and overseen by the civic leaders and the traditional leaders in the Dumase community centre. These public meetings started the sensitization process for the Dumase Resettlement Project and aimed to gain trust and support for the ongoing consultation process.
We used additional meetings to deliver key messages regarding the resettlement and to detail Project progress. We also gathered broad concerns and comments by stakeholders in these meetings, but the meetings are not a substitute for more focused stakeholder consultations.

3.4.2Focus Groups

Key stakeholders met in focus groups for open discussions about their concerns. We established the following focus groups and two rounds of consultations were held on both resettlement issues and livelihood concerns:

• Key communicators and opinion leaders
• Small business traders
• Traditional authorities
• Religious leaders
• Young men (known locally as the Youth)
• Women
• Settlers – people who have moved to Dumase, mostly to farm
• Galamsey (small, traditional (often illegal) miners)
• Farmers
• Gari and cassava processors

In addition, focus group meetings were held with other communities in the Bogoso/Prestea catchment area, such as Prestea, Bondaye, Kojokrom and Nsutum Mbease, specifically to gather data on livelihood initiatives and cooperation strategies.

3.4.3Interviews with key people/groups

We identified key influential people Community and they are interviewed regularly to provide an insight into the Community and its ongoing thoughts on resettlement. People are also able to raise concerns out of the public domain in these meetings, so providing us with another source of information that can be used to develop appropriate programs and address concerns.

3.4.4 Survey

We will undertake comprehensive surveys to develop the baseline for the resettlement planning and design process, including demographic and socio-economic questionnaires. These questionnaires will provide detailed individual feedback on stakeholder comments and concerns, outside of the group format. This socioeconomic work is currently going on in the community and the data from the exercise will be useful in drawing proposals and designing packages for negotiations.

3.4.5Community Information Centre

The InfoCentre was opened in June 2007 in Dumase. This was agreed upon by broad consensus, and an under-utilized building was redeveloped in a joint Community-Bogoso / Prestea project that demonstrated a new level of partnership and trust between the parties. An opening ceremony and formal meeting between us and the community leaders was carried out and both the community and Bogoso / Prestea used the InfoCentre as a key way to obtain and provide information on the Dumase resettlement project.

The InfoCentre allowed the broader Dumase community easy access to our people and information on resettlement and other Bogoso / Prestea information, so facilitating an open-door approach for information disclosure and consultation. A complaints/grievances/concerns logbook was made available at the InfoCentre, together with public files containing all minutes, correspondence and information concerning community and other stakeholder interactions.

However, the Dumase Oversight Committee closed the InfoCentre, as they feel access to information provided by us could cause anxiety among community members. We continue to negotiate with the DOC to allow us to reopen the InfoCentre so that we can provide all community members access to all information.

3.4.6Community Consultation Committee (“CCC”)

In early 2007, following community forums and focus groups, a CCC was formed, with members nominated and agreed from all identified stakeholder groups. Capacity building sessions were held with the CCC, agreeing the Committee’s modus operandi and we held a series of workshops on resettlement issues. The CCC was then replaced by a new Dumase Oversight Committee, formed to include natives who live outside Dumase.

3.4.7The Dumase Oversight Committee (“DOC”)

This Dumase Oversight Committee replaced the Community Consultation Committee and is now meeting regularly with us. We provided capacity building training for the committee members and further consultations are ongoing. Currently, the DOC is collaborating with the company to ensure that a reliable socioeconomic survey ongoing.

3.4.8Site Visits

Community members will be invited to tour other resettlement projects in Ghana.

4Consultation Completed to Date

5Addressing Outstanding Grievances

Following initial discussions with the Community, we recognized a number of outstanding grievances in the Community that required resolution to ease the path to resettlement discussions. These grievances, and their resolution, also demonstrated our determination to work with the community and to start a new era of best practice. The grievances, and their resolutions, are summarized in the following table.

The PCDP has now developed a pro-active complaints mechanism that is being followed and that will continue throughout the resettlement process. This is aimed at understanding and addressing grievances as early as possible. Therefore, we will respond to concerns as follows:

• Immediate verbal response, or response after consideration, within 30 days or in advance of next meeting
• Response in writing, typically to receiving a concern in writing, within 30 days
• Addressing valid concerns in the draft RAP, usually through identification of appropriate mitigation measures or compensation
• Further consultations and discussion on matter of concern

6Current Progress

All consultation with the community and continuing meetings are jointly done with the DOC and they are making inputs to move the resettlement process forward.

Our relationship with the Dumase community has improved since we resolved the outstanding grievances and established measures to develop our relationship with the community.

We are working with the DOC to provide a smooth start to the community socioeconomic survey. We are currently addressing a few concerns from the community as to how the survey data will be used so that our consultant can proceed with the application of the socioeconomic questionnaire.

We need to work with the DOC to provide information to the community and achieve an agreement about the timing and modality of the assets survey that would allow all parties to then develop a schedule for the resettlement negotiations.