Page 49 - Corporate Responsibility Report 2018

A LOCAL LEADER’S PERSPECTIVE REGARDING GTE’S
COMMUNITY RELATIONS:
“As a counselor, I appreciate the vision that Gran Tierra has, because they place the relationship with communities, including Indigenous communities, at a very high priority and they operate very publicly, openly and transparently. Gran Tierra socializes projects, tries to reach agreements on social and environmental responsibilities, reports to and collaborates with the appropriate government institutions and then begins to operate. This is the process other companies should apply.” – Jonny Portilla, Counselor, Orito
HOSTING A WORKSHOP TO SUPPORT SOCIAL LEADERS
Some of the greatest human rights challenges in Colombia today are the threats to security and safety often faced by social leaders in certain areas of the country. As a result, the work on behalf of Human Rights can be very stressful and dangerous. In 2018, Gran Tierra held workshops for social leaders and human rights defenders in Putumayo and Middle Magdalena Valley, aimed at building competencies for self-care and prevention and management of public safety risk.
Social leader Libya Criollo, pictured with her eight-year-old son, leads a committee that manages job opportunities, payments and training on behalf of three communities near the town of Puerto Asís.
“The most important aspect of our relationship with the company is respect. We are grateful for having here such responsible and respectful members of Gran
Tierra’s social team that we can work with every day and who are always supporting the community. Gran Tierra is the only large company in this area, and it provides important jobs, additional income and training for our communities.
The workshop provided helpful information on what to do in case of threats or emergency.” – Libya Criollo, Puerto Asís
Municipal Representative (Ombudsman) Daniel Cordoba is a lawyer who provides a vital local link between the state, the people responsible for the defense of human rights and the community in the San Martín area. He and his fellow representatives across the country who fulfill the role of “personeros,” Spanish for community advocates, also play the role of neutral mediators during disputes. Daniel has been threatened, a fact that he attributes to misconceptions about the role he plays in the community.
“Gran Tierra should be commended for forging positive relations here. The workshop they hosted was very good. Communities and leaders were educated about their rights and provided with tools to help them in their work.”
– Daniel Cordoba, Municipal Representative (Ombudsman), San Martín
Libya Criollo
Governance 47
Daniel Cordoba