Insuco and its think tank, the ICSI – Insuco Center for Social Innovation, recently concluded their second mission to Jamaica, engaging actively with the island’s key development stakeholders on the theme of social sustainability.
Advocating for Change in the Mining Sector
The Jamaican Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries & Mining, invited Guillén Calvo, Insuco’s General Director for Latin America and the Caribbean, to intervene during its annual National Minerals Week. Guillén strongly advocated for a critical shift in the mining sector. He called for development models to move from being transactional to truly transformational. He also stressed the necessity of models rooted in inclusive consultation and genuine community partnerships, asserting that social sustainability is strategic, not secondary, to project success. Guillén finally highlighted the need for collaborative frameworks between companies, communities, civil society, and governments to ensure mining growth leads to inclusive and sustainable territorial development.
Social Sustainability Dialogues at the French Embassy
On 29 May, Insuco and ICSI co-hosted the Social Sustainability Dialogues with His Excellency Olivier Guyonvarch at the French Embassy in Jamaica. The event successfully brought together influential figures in Jamaica’s economic and sustainability landscape to explore inclusive development pathways.
The dialogue yielded several crucial takeaways:
- Natacha C. Marzolf (Inter-American Development Bank) underscored the central role of social sustainability in IDB-supported projects, citing the Spanish Town Hospital as a flagship initiative.
- Francis Léonard (director of the Jamaican environmental national agency, NEPA) addressed the challenge of aligning economic development with environmental and social standards, calling for early-stage engagement and social mapping from the private sector.
- Dr. Goffe (Jamaica Beach Birthright Environmental Movement – JaBBEM) urged public authorities to strengthen their engagement with affected communities to support more representative decision-making.
- As facilitator, Guillen Calvo emphasised the necessity of sharing social data with communities. He noted that making existing social information accessible and co-interpreted would be essential for building mutual development visions.
