Mark Preston & Carl Beech's

Freedom & Justice Partnership

Leveraging philanthropy, partnerships and technology to bring education and inclusion to the child miners of DRC

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FJP Origins

They gained remarkable access to an artisanal cobalt and copper mine. At great personal risk, they were able to capture footage and images of hundreds of men, women and children mining cobalt and copper.

They have a vision to make known the plight of these children, to help companies improve supply chain integrity, and to deploy philanthropy and technology to support improved conditions and opportunities for artisanal mining communities.

Slide 1 of 3

Mark and Carl are in the process of establishing the Freedom and Justice Partnership which will seek to offer a way out of artisanal mining for the families and children of Kolweze. The project will leverage technology and philanthropy to bring education and inclusion to the DRC’s child miners.

There is virtually no scenario in which the world will cease using smartphones, laptops and EVs, There is much that is good to be said of them, but the hell on rare earth we witnessed cannot be justified, however serious our climate predicament might be.

To be clear, we do not oppose tech or EV’s, and climate science is far outside of our expertise. We do believe though that the children of Kolweze deserve better.

Carl and Mark

Mark and Carl are in the process of establishing the Freedom and Justice Partnership which will seek to offer a way out of artisanal mining for the families and children of Kolweze. The project will leverage technology and philanthropy to bring education and inclusion to the DRC’s child miners.

There is virtually no scenario in which the world will cease using smartphones, laptops and EVs, There is much that is good to be said of them, but the hell on rare earth we witnessed cannot be justified, however serious our climate predicament might be.

To be clear, we do not oppose tech or EV’s, and climate science is far outside of our expertise. We do believe though that the children of Kolweze deserve better.

Carl and Mark

Mark and Carl are in the process of establishing the Freedom and Justice Partnership which will seek to offer a way out of artisanal mining for the families and children of Kolweze. The project will leverage technology and philanthropy to bring education and inclusion to the DRC’s child miners.

There is virtually no scenario in which the world will cease using smartphones, laptops and EVs, There is much that is good to be said of them, but the hell on rare earth we witnessed cannot be justified, however serious our climate predicament might be.

To be clear, we do not oppose tech or EV’s, and climate science is far outside of our expertise. We do believe though that the children of Kolweze deserve better.

Carl and Mark

FAQ

How can I donate?

You can donate here

Where does my donation go?

There is a huge amount of work to do, including returning to DRC to explore the best ways we can help and to meet with potential partners. We've already made a significant financial investment and we would be grateful for any help that you can give us

Who founded the Freedom and Justice Partnership and why?

In April 2024, following senior and long-standing careers in the not-for-profit sector, Mark Preston and Carl Beech travelled independently and self-funded to Kolwezi on the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). They gained remarkable access to an artisanal cobalt and copper mine. They were able to capture footage and images of hundreds of men, women and children mining cobalt and copper. They have a vision to make known the plight of these children, to help companies improve supply chain integrity, and to deploy philanthropy and technology to support improved conditions and opportunities for artisanal mining communities.

Are you a charity?

No. We began the process as soon as we returned from DRC. Delays in the UK charity application process mean it could take as long as a year to register a charity and we don't want to delay starting to help the children unnecessarily.

How can I get involved?

The team is building towards charity status and are looking for partnerhsips, funding and support. You can get involved via the Contact Us page or donate here.

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