| Summary: | Natural resource extraction has a deeply rooted legacy in the developing world,
especially in Latin America, due to the historical onslaught of colonialism and
mercantilism. For the past couple of decades, Latin America has been experiencing the
phenomenon of globalization, accompanied by the influx of trans-national natural
resource companies whose main mandate seems to be to enter a country, extract
resources and then exit the area. However, as a result of this type of corporate conduct,
the surrounding communities are often left in a state of cultural and environmental
degradation. Interestingly, a new era of "corporate consciousness" is entering the
business world where corporations are chanting the mantra of "social responsibility" and
are thereby becoming committed to creating positive change in many marginalized
communities throughout the world.
This thesis examines two themes: (1) the role of a trans-national oil company as a
"socially responsible" company in the communities of the Ecuadorian Amazon and; (2)
the establishment of a local NGO, as a bridge between the trans-national oil company and
communities, in order to implement viable community development projects.
A community questionnaire (structured interview) was applied and unstructured
interviews were conducted with community residents, NGO staff and environmental
specialists. The principal findings were: (1) petroleum development creates adverse
effects on the social, cultural, economic and environmental fabric of many communities;
(2) there is a dire need for community organization for communities to become selfsufficient;
(3) community residents must become part of the political process in order for
their voices to be heard and recognized and; (4) community development projects can
provide marginalized communities with alternative livelihood opportunities and effective
conservation programs. === Applied Science, Faculty of === Community and Regional Planning (SCARP), School of === Graduate
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