Pope's meeting in the mines: the market does not guarantee integral human development

Manuel Cubías – Vatican City

Pope Francis began his speech by deepening in the encyclical Laudato Si and inviting the participants to the meeting to "talk to everyone about our common home" (LS 3). We need a dialogue that responds effectively to both the cry of the Earth and the cry of the poor (see ibid., 49), "he insisted.

The market does not solve the precariousness

The Pope invited the audience to be aware of the situation in our common home and described it as "precarious". Indeed, the current economic model is oriented only to profit and is based on the illusion of unlimited economic growth. He also invited to look at what the great powers do:

"The economic powers continue to justify the current global system, in which speculation prevails and the search for financial income, which tends to ignore all contexts and their effects on human dignity and the environment" (ibid., 56 ).

The pope emphasized that "the market alone does not guarantee integral human development and social inclusion" (ibid., 109) and that "the protection of the environment can not be guaranteed solely on the basis of financial calculation of costs and benefits "(ibid., 190). We need a paradigm shift in all our economic activities, including mining activities. "

Chat with Native settlers

In this context, the Pope considered the title of the meeting relevant: "Mining for the common good". In this way, she encourages judging what is related to the mining activity from three perspectives. In the first place, "mining, like any economic activity, must serve the entire human community". The realization of this service must take into account local communities at all stages of mining projects.

The pope says: "But in the debate, the local population must have a privileged place, which asks what it wants for itself and for its children, and that it can take into account the objectives that go beyond the immediate economic interest "(LS, 183) In this way," communities of the Amazon must become the main interlocutors, especially when it is about large projects that affect their spaces "(ibid., 146).

The pope insisted on the importance of valuing indigenous communities: these vulnerable communities have a lot to teach us "…" In fact, the land is not an economic good, but a gift from God and ancestors who rest in this sacred space with which they must interact to nurture their identity and values, however, in different parts of the world, they are driven to abandon their lands and leave them free for extractive projects, from agriculture or livestock, Do not pay attention to the degradation of nature and culture. "

Priority of the human person, no money

In second reading"Mining must serve the human person and not the other way around". Citing Pope Benedict XVI, the pope insists: "In development interventions, the principle of the centrality of the human person must be maintained, which is the subject that must first and foremost badume the duty of development". Each person is precious to God and his fundamental rights are sacred and inalienable. "

The Pope asked about corporate social responsibility: "This is not enough in itself, we must ensure that mining activities lead to the integral human development of every person and the entire community. "

Develop the circular economy

Thirdly, the Pope called for encouraging the development of a circular economy in the mining sector in order to break with the consumerist circuit, with the extractivist model, that is to say, to break with "the unbridled trend of the economic system to transform the badets of nature in the capital ".

In this context, the pope calls to "denounce and avoid this culture of waste". The industrial system, at the end of the production and consumption cycle, has not developed the capacity to absorb and reuse waste and slag. This is why it proposes a circular economy with a sobriety-based approach: "reduce, reuse, recycle" is also quite in line with the sustainable consumption and production patterns promoted in the 12th Sustainable Development Objective of In addition, religious traditions have always presented sobriety as a key element of an ethical and responsible way of life, and sobriety is also essential to save our common home. they will inherit the earth "(Mt 5,5).

The common house is the responsibility of all

The Pope called on participants to work together "to heal and rebuild our common home, we are all called to" collaborate as God's instruments for the care of creation, each with his own culture and experience, his initiatives and his abilities " (LS 14).

He also invited, reminding Latin American bishops, to question "the relevance of mining activities in the territories" and, therefore, to propose, plan, act to transform our way of life, to influence energy policies States and governments, as well as in the policies and strategies of mining companies, in order to achieve the common good and genuine, sustainable and comprehensive human development ".

Inherit a livable planet

Finally, he invited participants to "realize that what is at stake is the dignity of ourselves, we are the first to want to inherit a habitable planet for the humanity that will come after us. It is a tragedy for ourselves, as it questions the meaning of our pbadage through this country. "(Laudato et al., 160) Never allow you to lose sight of this great horizon !