Bridging the Gap: How IRMA Helped Rebuild Trust Between Mine and Community
Earlier in 2025, IRMA published a case study of the IRMA audit of the Unki mine in Shurugwi, Zimbabwe: Bridging the Gap: How IRMA Helped Rebuild Trust Between Mine and Community, excerpted below.
In the Beginning, Voices Were Lost in Translation
Before the audit, community members rarely had a seat at the table. Now, they bring the chairs.
That’s how it feels in Shurugwi, Zimbabwe, where a shift in how mining is done – and who gets to speak about it – has started to take hold.
The Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance (IRMA), a global standard for more responsible mining, played a big role in that shift. IRMA is not just about emissions or tick-box safety, but the full picture: labor, land, community, biodiversity, water, human rights. It brings companies, workers, communities and civil society to the same table, and it doesn’t just ask for compliance — it pushes for better.
The audits are independent, the findings are public, and the focus is on shared progress. Change doesn’t come from slogans or public relations campaigns. It comes from patient work: dialogue, discomfort, and the simple act of being heard.
Read the rest of the Unki case study.