The DI was founded on the belief that NGOs and companies can more effectively support good outcomes for communities if they can find ways to work together.  The group first came together on March 5, 2007 at the University of Toronto to discuss the Kimberley Process on Conflict Diamonds. This first meeting highlighted the benefits of multi-stakeholder discussions and the DI was formed in 2009. 

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Before the DI, there was no iterative, long-term venue in Canada to build relationships, trust, and partnerships between the private sector and development NGOs working in the mining context. What began as a series of workshops and meetings aimed at building understanding and encouraging collaboration has become an important forum building relationships and testing ideas.

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In 2022, we moved from a membership model to a participant model and expanded our focus outside of mining. This allows us to include a broader group of people and organizations in our discussions. 

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