Nomogaia’s first objective was to create a comprehensive and comprehensible HRIA methodology and the natural next step was to test and hone it.
This process has allowed the organisation to simultaneously pinpoint and alter trouble spots in the methodology. It has also augmented its field experience with some of the individual rights issues that are most damaging to a project. The so-called “Special Topics,” which, when present supersede the standard suite of rights issues, include the presence of high HIV rates, massive resettlement, indigenous populations and artisanal mining. Devising meaningful systems for dealing with these topics is a labour-intensive process, and one that is inherently integrated into the execution of HRIAs.