How

We Work

M4H works with a wide range of partners – including communities, educational institutions, public authorities, miners and those that use the products of mining – to grow the contribution of the metals and minerals industry to human wellbeing.

Independence

An autonomous organisation working in the ‘middle space’ between industry and civil society, M4H catalyses change by aligning interests in support of inspiring, innovative projects that bring practical benefits to communities in need.

TRANSPARENCY

M4H is accountable to its public, private and social partners. Initiatives are results driven, science based and are audited by independent, third-party assessment organisations.

Sponsor

FRESNILLO PLC

Octavio tried very hard not to be a miner – like his dad. Even though he had been born and raised in the mining camps of Mexico, he didn't want to "take the easy route" and go straight into mining as his job. Mining might be in his blood, his earliest memories might be set around mines, and his fondest recollections would always be of friends and family amongst the mining community, but instead, he set out to study architecture.

Didn’t last long, Octavio will tell you. He had a dilemma – all his experiences were in mining, what he actually enjoyed was mining, what he wanted to do was mining. So he went back and told his dad, who – truth be told – was shocked. And so Octavio became a miner. And now Octavio Alvídrez is CEO of Fresnillo. Has been since 2012.

Perhaps, though, a little of the would-be architect remains in Octavio. Working from a blank sheet of paper, sketching out a vision, seeing it materialise. Listen to him describe his journey of what happened next, after he quit architecture: “So I studied mining. And I came to Peñoles (now the parent company of Fresnillo). It’s been a fantastic ride – seeing things you imagined first, putting it together, seeing the result. Fantastic. From when I was a kid in the mining camps, to Fresnillo, up to this level.”

And now even more with the Pure Silver Initiative, which Fresnillo has thrown its weight behind as Mexico’s – and the world’s – largest silver producer. Because Octavio recognises that with leadership, comes responsibility. You can hear Octavio talk about the Pure Silver Initiative in the above video.

If you listen carefully, you’ll hear a little of the architect – still determined to make his own way in life, to do something different, however difficult – when he says that the initiative has the scope to reach in many directions, local, nationally and internationally. In fact, you’ll hear Octavio describing the situation that faced Fresnillo – and the mining industry – before the arrival of the Pure Silver Initiative, as a “dilemma”. Same word he used to describe the choice between mining and architecture.

And the dilemma was this. That although Fresnillo and the mining industry had already made big advances in sustainability and in its environmental approach, its efforts were still not getting through. Something had to be done differently – by Fresnillo and by the mining industry, for communities and society at large.

Faced by dilemmas, choices must be made – this is the point in the story that the Pure Silver Initiative comes in. Again, you can hear Octavio himself talking about the solution to that dilemma – linking, combining, building and creating something that can last beyond the here and now.

Partners

Successful projects are rarely realised by a single organisation working alone. Project implementation, in particular, is complex. It requires not only capable, committed partners, but an alignment of vision, such that everyone working towards a common goal. A diverse range of skills and experiences is crucial, as a diversity of viewpoints helps establish a comprehensive plan and approach. M4H serves importantly as convener, bringing together progressive resource companies, leading NGOs, engaged academics and government authorities, and recipient communities, to undertake projects that inspire and reward all involved.

Development partners include:

Isla Urbana

Enrique Lomnitz, Co-founder and General Director of Isla Urbana, explains how sharing knowledge and expertise in rainwater harvesting with mining engineers can help make mining operations more effective partners in an integrated development model.

Concentrarte

Liliana Riva Palacio, Founder and General Director of ConcentrArte, points to the practical dependence of technology on social and cultural habits and the need to take a holistic approach to human development.

Cameras 4 Change

Cate Cameron, Creator and Co-Director of Cameras 4 Change, discusses the transformational potential of photography as a shared experience and its capacity to create new possibilities for dialogue and mutual understanding.

Construyendo Esperanzas

Kenia Montiel Pimentel, Founder of Construyendo Esperanzas, discusses how growing needs and a reduced availability of public funding made private-sector participation necessary in addressing water challenges in Hidalgo.

UAEH

Dr. José Angel Cobos-Murcia, Professor of Material and Earth Sciences at the Autonomous University of the State of Hidalgo, discusses the "citizen scientist" programme and the importance of bringing science into the community.

Sponsor

Partners

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