The “Guide to Good Practices for Businesses and Indigenous Communities in Southern Chile” was launched at the SOFOFA Convention Center. This project, developed by the Aitue Foundation, was made possible by the 2016 Canadian Fund for Local Initiatives, awarded by the Embassy of Canada in Chile.

The project, which ran from October 2016 to March 2017, aimed to create a document that would provide tools for both businesses and indigenous communities in southern Chile. Given the region’s social and territorial context, the guide facilitates proactive dialogue, enabling the anticipation of conflicts and promoting the development of all stakeholders involved in various investment projects.

The team, led by Matías Abogabir (ILO Consultant), conducted on-site interviews with businesses and indigenous leaders who had participated in negotiation and dialogue processes. The goal was to identify and systematize the best practices employed. The guide also benefited from the work of Andrés Cortés, Nicolás Figari, and Andrés Bazán.

The guide includes a special chapter on “Mapuche protocol” developed by the Mapuche linguist Necul Painemal. This chapter aims to provide knowledge about Mapuche culture and worldview, facilitating a positive initial approach between companies seeking to establish dialogue.

“This guide will highlight desirable best practices to help build respectful, lasting, and mutually beneficial relationships between companies and communities. It showcases practices and experiences currently being implemented in southern Chile that have contributed to building trust and ultimately, successful relationships. The implementation of investment projects in regions where the Indigenous context is an integral part of the territory must incorporate development strategies that consider this particular and intercultural reality,” stated Nicolás Figari, Executive Director of the Aitue Foundation.

For his part, Matías Abogabir points out that “the guide’s development begins with presenting some characteristics of the Mapuche people, relying especially on the knowledge of Kimches—wise men—and Indigenous leaders, so that companies can learn basic elements of Mapuche culture and improve their understanding and approach to it.”

He adds that “international standards linking business activities with Indigenous communities are then reviewed and systematized to help companies strengthen the social impact of their projects under the umbrella of widely recognized and used international instruments for responsible social and community management. Finally, and as the guide’s main element, its development involved conducting interviews with company executives, trade associations, Indigenous leaders, and key stakeholders to identify and document best practices being implemented by companies in their relationships with Indigenous communities.”