The Amazon Alliance Coordinating office staff is a small but dynamic team committed to working in partnership with its member organizations to preserve the territories, rights and homelands of indigenous peoples in the Amazon Basin. The diverse skill set of this team allows the Amazon Alliance coordinating office to be an ally to the indigenous movement in the Amazon, and to the greater global indigenous agenda.
Juan Carlos Jintiach is Shuar from the Amazon Rainforest in Ecuador. He belongs to the organization Interprovincial Federation of Centers Shuar (FICSH). Mr. Jintiach studied Natural Resource Management from the University of San Francisco, Quito. He also received a diploma from the International Training Center of Indigenous Peoples in “Indigenous Peoples in the International Systems”. Mr. Jintiach has worked continually with his Shuar Communities of Miasal- Tsurim, Asunción and the organizations FICSH, Confederación de Nacionalidades Indígenas de la Amazonia Ecuatoriana (CONFENIAE) and Confederación de Nacionalidades Indígenas del Ecuador (CONAIE). Most recently he worked as a Parliamentary Advisor in Ecuador’s Congress. He brings years of experience in environmental advocacy for indigenous peoples.
If you would like to reach Mr. Jintiach please e-mail him at: juancarlos@amazonalliance.org.
Trevor Stevenson is originally from Wyoming, where he lived enmeshed in the environmental and indigenous issues of the region. Trevor has worked with indigenous movements in Latin America, primarily in Amazonia, for nearly a decade. He lived for years among indigenous communities in the Amazon, has extensive experience in improving coordination between indigenous peoples and other institutions, and has worked directly with local governments, indigenous federations, and NGOs in the Amazon. Trevor now serves as the Executive Co-Director of the Amazon Alliance, and is particularly interested in strengthening the unity and effectiveness of the diverse indigenous organizations and NGOs in the Amazon. He holds a Masters Degree in International Development, Community, and Environment from Clark University, and undergraduate degrees in Environmental Studies, Sociocultural Psychology, and Latin American Studies from Bates College.
If you would like to reach Mr. Stevenson please e-mail him at: trevor@amazonalliance.org.
Juanita Cabrera-Lopez is from the Maya Mam people of Guatemala. She fled Guatemala with her family in 1982 due to the armed conflict and was given sanctuary in the United States. Her work for the advancement of indigenous rights stems from the genocide of the Maya people in Guatemala where an estimated 200,000 people were killed during the civil war. She has worked with the International Maya League/USA, the Guatemala Human Rights Commission/USA and the Association of Midwives of the Mam Area, Guatemala. She is committed to the preservation of land rights, culture and identity of indigenous people and bringing this struggle to the forefront of the international arena. She supports the directors in the Coordinating Office through project management of the Amazon Forum, Annual Meetings, research and communication between the Alliance office and member organizations. Juanita also runs the Amazon Alliance Intern Program. Juanita received her B.A. in Psychology and Health Care from Beloit College.
If you would like to reach Ms. Cabrera Lopez please e-mail her at: juanita@amazonalliance.org.
Jodi Lasseter, brings her expertise in teaching, facilitation, planning and community organizing to her role as the Organizational Development Director. Originally from the mountains of North Carolina, Jodi has worked with numerous NGOs in South America, East Africa, and Western Europe. She has conducted teacher trainings at a community college for indigenous youth and consulted with indigenous women’s organizations. Jodi recently helped organize the first US Social Forum and continues to be actively involved in global justice movements. She holds a Masters Degree in International Development, Community, and Environment from Clark University, and undergraduate degrees in Women’s Studies and Anthropology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her honors include being a recipient of the International Development and Social Change Fellowship and membership in Phi Beta Kappa.
If you would like to reach Mrs. Lasseter please e-mail her at: jodi@amazonalliance.org.
Bio coming soon!
If you would like to reach Ms. Gualinga please e-mail her at: patricia@amazonalliance.org.
Lauren Johnson comes to the Amazon Alliance with an interest in intercultural communications, indigenous rights and conflict resolution. She grew up in Tampa , Florida and graduated from Emerson College with a degree in journalism. As a journalism student, Lauren loved to write about different cultures and how international issues impact readers in the United States. She has written for the Boston Globe, the Lakeland Ledger and her college publication, The Berkeley Beacon. She founded a chapter of the Model United Nations at Emerson College to further encourage student interest in international topics. Lauren’s interest in indigenous issues was piqued by learning about grave human rights violations in Guatemala. While studying in Boston, she participated as a member in the Guatemala Solidarity Committee of Massachusetts. She has also traveled to Guatemala to study Spanish and volunteer. She is excited to bring her communications and office skills to the Amazon Alliance and to work on behalf of indigenous and traditional peoples of the Amazon Basin.
If you would like to reach Ms. Johnson please e-mail her at lauren@amazonalliance.org.
Lorena’s bio is coming soon!
If you would like to reach Ms. Vaca Larrea please e-mail her at: lorena@amazonalliance.org.