Brazil

With the support of the MFRI, successful Courageous Dialogue events have been hosted in Belo Horizonte and Maceió, bringing together stakeholders from affected communities, mining corporations and faith leaders.

An inaugural Day of Courageous Conversation was hosted by Anglican Archbishop Marinez Bassotto in Minas Gerais in October 2024, successfully bringing Brazilian faith leaders into dialogue with mining sector representatives, with a commitment from all sides to continue. The meeting was attended by His Eminence Cardinal Stephen Brislin, Archbishop Thabo Makgoba, and MFRI Chair, The Right Revd David Urquhart.

Following this, an in-country, faith co-ordination group of community and industry representatives was established to maintain momentum. To close the inaugural Dialogue, faith leaders visited communities impacted by mining.

The second Courageous Dialogue took place on 8 October 2025 in Belo Horizonte, again hosted by Archbishop Bassotto. With 30 participants representing churches, mining companies and social movements, the dialogue was productive and positive. The third Dialogue was held in May 2026 in Maceió.

Peru

Peru has a well-established platform for Courageous Dialogue between the mining sector and Peruvian faith leaders, under the leadership of Archbishop Javier Del Rio. The group meets regularly and has participated in major mining events, including the Lima Mining Symposium and PERUMIN 37, and they regularly visit mine-sites to build shared understanding.

Re-engaging through the Lima Mining Symposium in May 2024, meetings throughout 2024 and 2025 brought together representatives from at least 20 mining companies and at least 12 faith leaders, supported by the Sociedad Nacional de Minería, Petróleo y Energía (SNMPE).

The assassination of 13 mine workers in Pataz in May 2025 starkly highlighted the urgency of this work and prompted increased cooperation between the mining and faith communities. In 2025, MFRI Peru conducted three in-person meetings, two virtual meetings, a site visit to Coloquisiri, and a final session at PERUMIN in Arequipa.

Dialogue and engagement has deepened in 2026 to an increasingly local level, building on the strong foundations established over the past two years. In May, Archbishop Javier convened a meeting to coincide with the 2026 Mining Symposium in Lima.

South Africa

2026 marks the 11th year of Courageous Conversations (CC) successfully bringing together the mining sector, faith-based organisations and broader society in South Africa. Over the past decade, CC has established itself as a trusted intermediary, called upon during the COVID-19 pandemic to liaise between churches and business, and more recently as the AIDS crisis resurged following the withdrawal of US funding.

Building on this foundation, several mining companies have initiated local dialogues with churches and surrounding communities. Currently six such conversations are ongoing, each at varying stages of progress.

Chile

There are strong similarities between the Peruvian and Chilean mining sectors, with both centred on copper and lithium and positioned as strategic suppliers for the global energy transition. Major operators include Codelco, Antofagasta, Lundin, Freeport, Glencore, BHP, Teck, Gold Fields and Anglo American.

Argentina

Argentina presents a very different context to Chile or Peru; its mining industry is still in an early stage. But rapid expansion is underway. The MFRI sees an opportunity to apply lessons from more mature mining jurisdictions and help build a foundation for constructive engagement from the outset.

Ghana

The Church of the Province of West Africa (CPWA) currently has 19 dioceses spanning 6 West African nations including Ghana, Liberia, Cameroon, Gambia, Guinea and Sierra Leone, with Ghana home to 13. The Primate of the CPWA, Anglican Archbishop Cyril Ben-Smith, has jurisdiction covering each of these dioceses and, with the support of the World Gold Council (WGC), attended the Mining in Motion conference in Accra alongside Bishop David in May 2025. Archbishop Ben-Smith and Bishop David also conducted informal meetings with the Chamber of Mines and Newmont.

Zambia

There is growing enthusiasm among both faith and mining stakeholders to explore a Day of Courageous Dialogue in Zambia. The Zambian government is likely to be supportive, given their dual commitment to expanding the mining sector and meeting ESG responsibilities.