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’s 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 Álvarez, A. (in preparation) La Estatua del Inca en la Plaza de Armas del Cuzco, Peru. Debate sobre el cambio y la gestión en un centro histórico inscrito en la Lista del Patrimonio Mundial.
Álvarez, Alex (in preparation) “Governance of the Territoriality of the Jíbaro Indigenous Peoples on the Peru – Ecuador Border: A critical analysis between two governmental systems and ways of seeing the world.” For: Mountain Research and Development.
Álvarez, Alex (in preparation) La Construcción del Territorio Amazónico de la Región del Cuzco: Historia y política de un futuro incierto. Book.
Álvarez, Alex (Accepted, n.d.) Gobernanza y Gestión de la Tierra: Institución Comunal de Uso y Propiedad de la tierra en los Andes del Cuzco, Perú. Revista del Archivo Departamental del Cusco.
Álvarez, Alex (2017) Reseña de Ramón Pajuelo Teves: “Un Río Invisible: Ensayos sobre política, conflictos, memoria y movilización indígena en el Perú y los Andes”. In: Revista Andina 55, p.266-269.
Álvarez, Alex (2013) El régimen de Propiedad y la Amazonía Peruana ¿Conservación o destrucción? Serie Evidence for Policy. Edición de Sudamérica, No.7, ed. Elizabeth Jiménez. La Paz, Bolivia: NCCR Norte-Sur.
Álvarez, Alex (2010) “Conservación Participativa en la Reserva Comunal Amarakaeri, Perú” In: Revista Latinoamericana de Conservación / Latin American Journal of Conservation Vol. 1(1):18-37.
Boillat S., Alca, J., Álvarez, Alex, Bottazzi, P., Ponce D., Serrano, E., Biffi V., Mathez-Stiefel, S.-L., Larsen P., Rist, S. (2010) “Protected Areas and Indigenous Peoples in Bolivia and Peru: dilemmas, conflicts and ways out” In: Hurni H, Wiesmann U, editors; with an international group of co-editors. Global Change and Sustainable Development: A Synthesis of Regional Experiences 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. 501–515.
Álvarez, Alex (2009) “Reserva Comunal Amarakaeri: entre la vida y la muerte”, Viajeros Online Vol. 5. Construyendo Nuestro Futuro, julio de 2009. http://www.viajerosperu.com/articulo.asp?cod_cat=4&cod_art=1440
Álvarez, Alex (2009) La Reserva Comunal Amarakaeri, entre la vida y la muerte por la operación de un lote petrolero. Madre de Dios, Perú. Publicado en el Portal virtual sobre Conservación y Equidad Social de la UICN: http://www.portalces.org/component/option,com_sobi2/sobi2Task,sobi2Details/sobi2Id,915/Itemid,76/lang,spanish/ (16.06.2009)
Select Presentations
La Reserva Comunal Amarakaeri y la Conservación Participativa, Madre de Dios – Perú. Seminar online “Experiencias de Gobernanza de Áreas Silvestres Protegidas en Latinoamérica: Nuevos Enfoques y Desafíos” January 26, 2022. Proyect Bien Público “Generación de un Modelo de Gobernanza Local para las Áreas Silvestres Protegidas y Zonas Aledañas”, Corfo – Bienes Públicos Regionales, Centro de Desarrollo Local UC, Pontificia Universidad Católica 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 “Arts and crafts: cultural survival and income generation for local communities.” October 29. Conference proposed by the University of East Anglia’s School of International Development, co-organizers alongside UEA: Forest Peoples Programme, the Linnean Society, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, the University of Kent’s School of Anthropology and Conservation, the Anthropology and Environment Society (a section of the AAA), Botanic Garden Conservation International, the Society of Ethnobiology and Cambridge Conservation Initiative. 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 “Development, Indigenous Peoples and Anthropocene in Peru” for the course “Human Flourishing in the Anthropocene: From Development to Regeneration” of Master of Arts of Development Sustainable at SIT Graduate Institute, USA. August 5, 2021.
Los Regímenes de Propiedad, los Recursos Naturales y los Pueblos Indígenas de la Amazonía 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.
“Los Harakmbut, El Estado y El Cazador de Petróleo: Genealogía de un conflicto entre la economía y la bio-ecología de un territorio indígena de la Amazonía”. XXI Congreso Nacional de Estudios de Antropología. November 20th 2021. Cuzco, Peru. Keynote lecture.
La Gobernanza del Centro Histórico del Cuzco – Perú, una aproximación para su estudio. Annual Meeting ICOMOS-ICAHM. 27—30 November. Cuzco, Perú. Lecture.
Congreso Nacional de Antropología, Trujillo 2010. Área Temática de Antropología Amazónica. Commentator.
“Políticas de Conservación y Explotación en la Amazonía Peruana, el caso de la Reserva Comunal Amarakaeri.” V Congreso Nacional de Investigaciones en Antropología. Retos y perspectivas de la Antropología ante el Perú Actual. Cuzco 17 – 20 November. Lecture.
“Limitaciones y Oportunidades en la Investigación Amazónica Regional” IN: Seminario Amazónico I: Investigaciones en la Amazonía 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
