Press Release: Innovative Community-Driven Engagement Services for Indigenous Communities & Industry

July 31^th, 2012, Toronto – CES, a leading provider of community engagement services and sustainable community development, today announced the launch of their new ‘Community-Driven Engagement Services’ for indigenous communities considering partnerships with the resource extraction sector. 

Indigenous communities across Canada and abroad receive a constant flow of resource extraction companies knocking at their door. Relationships between communities and companies can be fragmented and there is often a lack of cultural understanding. This inspired CES to develop community engagement services that work towards creating a sustainable relationship between communities and companies alike.

CES recently worked with Teck Resources Ltd., to develop a beta-testing model for a mobile app that provides access to two-way transparent communication and support between communities and resources extraction companies. Ray Proulx, Teck Community Liaison for the Northeast BC region, spearheaded the project by acknowledging the need to create an accessible open dialogue between Teck and the communities they work with.  From working side by side with Teck’s Community Liaisons and community leaders, CES became familiar with the time constraints and conflicts that communities and companies have to deal with.

Our Community-Driven Engagement Services bridge the communication gap by creating meaningful dialogue between communities and companies. The services include the following tools to share each community’s story:

·         Community Engagement Guidebook – Working with our Community

·         Community Video – Sharing our Story

·         Interactive Guidebook – Communicating with Technology

These tools give communities the edge and control to negotiate the best opportunities for them, saving valuable time and resources. Additionally, companies have the opportunity to understand the land, culture, governance and how community’s work from their (the community’s) perspective in a variety of engaging formats. This allows companies to make equitable business decisions by understanding a community’s cultural values and what’s important to them.  As a result, Community-Driven Engagement Services prevent potential conflicts and misunderstandings resulting in a triple bottom line: sustainability that impacts economic prosperity, environmental quality and social equity.

Whether you are a community working with resource extraction companies or a resource extraction company hoping to create a more sustainable relationship with the communities you work with, contact CES for more information at 1-877-444-5550 or ces@cesclients.com.  

About CES

CES is a community & tourism development firm.  They provide turnkey products & services for entrepreneurs and organizations, from idea to implementation and everything between.  CES incorporates innovative coaching and planning methodologies that use technology to enhance projects and take them to a whole new level.

CES’s expertise lies in Aboriginal & Indigenous Peoples’ community development, stakeholder consultation and strategic planning. For the past 15 years, they have worked with Aboriginal entrepreneurs, communities and organizations in often remote areas to find innovative solutions for sustainable economic development. They have established an ability to work closely with their clients to assure that planning and business development initiatives are integrated with local conditions.

Over the past 15 years CES has collaborated with over 70 clients on 85 projects across Canada and internationally in Chile, South Africa, Singapore, Paraguay and Honduras.