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Social Commitments |
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SOCIAL AND CULTURAL COMMITMENTS We are committed to building and maintaining positive relationships with our Papuan neighbors, in particular those closest to our area of operation. We have adopted a Social, Employment and Human Rights Policy, which is included in appendices to this report. We are committed to providing opportunities for social, educational and economic development, including special efforts to train and hire those indigenous to the area. We also strive to learn more about the Papuan people, their histories and changing circumstances, in order to build more constructive relationships and better structure our outreach efforts. Most important is our commitment to extend respect to indigenous Papuans and their culture and consult with them on issues impacting their communities. We understand the need of the unique peoples of Papua to preserve their cultural traditions and are committed to helping them accomplish this goal. We have long supported the Asmat and Kamoro Art and Cultural Festivals. In an effort to improve our understanding as well as to aid cultural preservation, we have sponsored social, artistic, cultural, language and economic studies of the Amungme and Kamoro peoples. These studies have improved mutual communication and understanding with our neighbors, and have also contributed significantly to world knowledge of their unique cultures. We have also sponsored two books about the Kamoro and Amungme to help us and others throughout the world understand and appreciate their special cultures. |
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WITH AN
EYE TOWARD THE FUTURE,
PT Freeport Indonesia works
in partnership with the local people and the government to foster
sustainable education, health and economic development initiatives.
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BUILDING MUTUALLY BENEFICIAL RELATIONSHIPS In furtherance of our commitment to build and maintain constructive and positive relationships with our Papuan neighbors, we engage in continual dialogue with local leaders. These dialogues have led to important agreements with the Amungme and Kamoro peoples. In a 2001 agreement, PT Freeport Indonesia established a trust fund of $2.5 million initially and annual contributions thereafter at a current level of $1 million annually for the Amungme and Kamoro, enabling them to use some of these funds to purchase shares in Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc., thereby becoming shareholders in the mine. This fund is in addition to the social development fund (see Freeport Partnership Fund for Community Development) established by PT Freeport Indonesia, which has received nearly $132 million from our operations since 1996 for investments in projects selected by a board of local stakeholders. A memorandum of understanding consummated in 2000 by Amungme and Kamoro local community organizations and PT Freeport Indonesia focuses on socioeconomic resources, human rights, land and environmental rights. This landmark agreement, achieved after five years of negotiations, fosters continuous dialogue to improve mutual understanding and respect, to enable the local people to achieve their aspirations and to continue harmonious relationships. This continual dialogue has led to other agreements and mutually beneficial projects and has achieved a great deal in terms of instilling a sense of partnership and community between us and our Papuan neighbors and aligning our shared interests in a sustainable and more promising future. |