Alex Alvarez, PhD
he/him/his
A native of Cuzco, Dr. Alvarez received his undergraduate degree in anthropology from the National University of Cuzco, his master鈥檚 in social sciences with a focus in environmental management and development from the Latin American Social Sciences Institute (FLASCO), and his PhD in development studies from the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva. He received doctoral fellowships at the National Centre of Competence in North-South Research in Geneva and the Russell E. Train Education for Nature program with the World Wildlife Fund. He also received the Exchange Legacy Lelong grant for social anthropology research from the National Center of Scientific Research in France.
Dr. Alvarez has written specialized articles for science publications abroad about Andean and Amazonian indigenous peoples, land governance, conservation, and protected areas in indigenous territories in Peru and has been a reviewer for various Latin American journals. He provides volunteer technical and scientific support to the Indigenous Federation of Madre de Dios in southeastern Peru on issues related to environmental governance, property rights, cultural landscapes, natural resource extraction, conservation of biodiversity in indigenous territories and democracy. In 2017, he was nominated as an honorary member of the TICCA Consortium based in Geneva in recognition of his expertise in and activism regarding issues faced by indigenous peoples.
Courses Taught
History of Indigenous Cultures in Peru
Indigenous Peoples in Motion: Changes, Resistance, and Globalization
Research Methods and Ethics
Independent Study Project
Select Publications
Silverman, H. and 脕lvarez, A. (in preparation) La Estatua del Inca en la Plaza de Armas del Cuzco, Peru. Debate sobre el cambio y la gesti贸n en un centro hist贸rico inscrito en la Lista del Patrimonio Mundial.
脕lvarez, Alex (in preparation) 鈥淕overnance of the Territoriality of the J铆baro Indigenous Peoples on the Peru 鈥 Ecuador Border: A critical analysis between two governmental systems and ways of seeing the world.鈥 For: Mountain Research and Development.
脕lvarez, Alex (in preparation) La Construcci贸n del Territorio Amaz贸nico de la Regi贸n del Cuzco: Historia y pol铆tica de un futuro incierto. Book.
脕lvarez, Alex (Accepted, n.d.) Gobernanza y Gesti贸n de la Tierra: Instituci贸n Comunal de Uso y Propiedad de la tierra en los Andes del Cuzco, Per煤. Revista del Archivo Departamental del Cusco.
脕lvarez, Alex (2017) Rese帽a de Ram贸n Pajuelo Teves: 鈥淯n R铆o Invisible: Ensayos sobre pol铆tica, conflictos, memoria y movilizaci贸n ind铆gena en el Per煤 y los Andes鈥. In: Revista Andina 55, p.266-269.
脕lvarez, Alex (2013) El r茅gimen de Propiedad y la Amazon铆a Peruana 驴Conservaci贸n o destrucci贸n? Serie Evidence for Policy. Edici贸n de Sudam茅rica, No.7, ed. Elizabeth Jim茅nez. La Paz, Bolivia: NCCR Norte-Sur.
脕lvarez, Alex (2010) 鈥淐onservaci贸n Participativa en la Reserva Comunal Amarakaeri, Per煤鈥 In: Revista Latinoamericana de Conservaci贸n / Latin American Journal of Conservation Vol. 1(1):18-37.
Boillat S., Alca, J., 脕lvarez, Alex, Bottazzi, P., Ponce D., Serrano, E., Biffi V., Mathez-Stiefel, S.-L., Larsen P., Rist, S. (2010) 鈥Protected Areas and Indigenous Peoples in Bolivia and Peru: dilemmas, conflicts and ways out鈥 In: Hurni H, Wiesmann U, editors; with an international group of co-editors. Global Change and Sustainable Development: A Synthesis of Regional Experi颅ences from Research Partnerships. Perspectives of the Swiss National Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR) North-South, University of Bern, Vol. 5. Bern, Switzerland: Geographica Bernensia, pp. 501鈥515.
脕lvarez, Alex (2009) 鈥淩eserva Comunal Amarakaeri: entre la vida y la muerte鈥, Viajeros Online Vol. 5. Construyendo Nuestro Futuro, julio de 2009.
脕lvarez, Alex (2009) La Reserva Comunal Amarakaeri, entre la vida y la muerte por la operaci贸n de un lote petrolero. Madre de Dios, Per煤. Publicado en el Portal virtual sobre Conservaci贸n y Equidad Social de la UICN: (16.06.2009)
Select Presentations
La Reserva Comunal Amarakaeri y la Conservaci贸n Participativa, Madre de Dios – Per煤. Seminar online “Experiencias de Gobernanza de 脕reas Silvestres Protegidas en Latinoam茅rica: Nuevos Enfoques y Desaf铆os” January 26, 2022. Proyect Bien P煤blico 鈥淕eneraci贸n de un Modelo de Gobernanza Local para las 脕reas Silvestres Protegidas y Zonas Aleda帽as鈥, Corfo – Bienes P煤blicos Regionales, Centro de Desarrollo Local UC, Pontificia Universidad Cat贸lica de Chile – TKO Consultores. Chile. Lecture.
Indigenous Peoples and Conservation in Peru. SIT Faculty Forum. December 7. Lecture. USA.
Participative Conservation on the Amarakaeri Communal Reserve. Madre de Dios, Peru. Anthropology and Conservation conference. Paper. Panel P068 鈥淎rts and crafts: cultural survival and income generation for local communities.鈥 October 29. Conference proposed by the , co-organizers alongside UEA: , the, , the , the (a section of the AAA), , the and . Lecture. United Kingdom.
Indigenous Peoples and Democracy in Chile and Peru: Politics from the community, streets and institutions. Lecture.Critical Conversations Webinar Series with SIT. May 10. Lecture. USA.
Guest Lecture 鈥淒evelopment, Indigenous Peoples and Anthropocene in Peru鈥 for the course 鈥淗uman Flourishing in the Anthropocene: From Development to Regeneration鈥 of Master of Arts of Development Sustainable at SIT Graduate Institute, USA. August 5, 2021.
Los Reg铆menes de Propiedad, los Recursos Naturales y los Pueblos Ind铆genas de la Amazon铆a Peruana. XI Sesquiannual Conference, Society for the Anthropology of Lowland South America (SALSA), Lima, 20-23 July. Panel Proposal: Ethnic Identities and Territoriality in Southwestern Amazonia in Historical Perspective. Lecture.
鈥淟os Harakmbut, El Estado y El Cazador de Petr贸leo: Genealog铆a de un conflicto entre la econom铆a y la bio-ecolog铆a de un territorio ind铆gena de la Amazon铆a鈥. XXI Congreso Nacional de Estudios de Antropolog铆a. November 20th 2021. Cuzco, Peru. Keynote lecture.
La Gobernanza del Centro Hist贸rico del Cuzco – Per煤, una aproximaci贸n para su estudio. Annual Meeting ICOMOS-ICAHM. 27鈥30 November. Cuzco, Per煤. Lecture.
Congreso Nacional de Antropolog铆a, Trujillo 2010. 脕rea Tem谩tica de Antropolog铆a Amaz贸nica. Commentator.
鈥淧ol铆ticas de Conservaci贸n y Explotaci贸n en la Amazon铆a Peruana, el caso de la Reserva Comunal Amarakaeri.鈥 V Congreso Nacional de Investigaciones en Antropolog铆a. Retos y perspectivas de la Antropolog铆a ante el Per煤 Actual. Cuzco 17 鈥 20 November. Lecture.
鈥淟imitaciones y Oportunidades en la Investigaci贸n Amaz贸nica Regional鈥 IN: Seminario Amaz贸nico I: Investigaciones en la Amazon铆a Regional, Centro Cultural Pio Aza, Cuzco, May 14. Lecture.
Research Interests
Environmental governance
Cultural landscapes
Natural resource extraction
Conservation of biodiversity in indigenous territories
Education
- PhD, Development Studies, Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, Geneva, Swizerland
- Certificate, Indigenous Peoples Rights and Policy. Institute for the Study of Human Rights and Center for the Study of Ethnicity and Race at Columbia University, New York
- MA, Social Sciences on Environment Management and Development, Latin American Social Sciences Institute (FLACSO). Unesco Universtity
- BA and License, Anthropology, National University of Cuzco
