In late 2008 Nomogaia began the process of testing and honing the Methodology for Human Rights Impact Assessment. The Methodology was employed on a Project located in Indonesia, with positive results.

Aimec Minerals’ Nuiguyo Project is an open pit gold and silver mine located in the tropical southern district of one of Indonesia’s forested islands. Approximately 12,500 people live in the 11 directly affected villages immediately impacted by the Nuiguyo Project.

Although the Project presents opportunities for many positive impacts on human rights -- particularly the right to health, right to education, and labor rights -- a unique set of issues presents itself at Nuiguyo that will likely result in one or more controversies being labeled as human rights violations. Activist groups in the area are demonstrably willing to redefine environmental issues as rights violations, and rights terminology has been effective for attacking foreign projects in the country in the past. Additional issues arise with Project water management and local fears.

Nomogaia concludes that if the Project maintains amicable relations with communities, it can be credited with creating lasting improvements in local economic, health and education systems. Otherwise it will be likely to fail.

Conducting the HRIA enabled the assessors to make modifications in the methodological process while deepening their understanding of the complexities inherent in developing a capital Project in a region unaccustomed to large-scale extractives and populated by fearful communities with an activist spirit. Rights issues present themselves where science says no issues exist.

This is a draft version.

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