Whisper it softly but something truly extraordinary has happened in Zambia in recent weeks - a major mining company has been forced (shock!) to take the health of local people into account and (horror!) to actually consult civil society and local communities about its activities. These 'earthshattering' events have not attracted nearly as much attention as they should. And if you're thinking 'well it's not much' - let me repeat - a rich, politically-very-powerful mining company has been forced to back down by the government because of concerns about the rights of local communities.
