Team

Maritza Paredes is a Sociologist with a PhD in International Development from Oxford University. She is a professor and senior researcher at the Department of Social Sciences, Sociology Section of the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú.
From a political sociology approach, she has studied environmental issues in particular mobilization and activism for environmental justice in a context of expanding extractive capitalism. More recently, he has also examined conflict and negotiation as a consequence of the local implementation of global climate change policies, in particular conservation in the Amazon forest and among indigenous peoples.
She has published extensively on these topics. His most recent publications are "The weak institutionalization of prior consultation in Peru: ambivalent cooperation between indigenous organizations and state activists". Third World Quarterly, 1-17, 2003; and with Anke Kaulard, "Forest as 'nature' or forest as territory? Knowledge, power and conservation of climate change in the Peruvian Amazon".

Maite de Cea is a sociologist with a PhD in Political Science from the Institute of Political Studies in Grenoble, France. She is an associate professor at the School of Sociology and the Director of Research and Doctoral Studies at Diego Portales University. Her research has focused on the institutional evolution of cultural policy in Chile and the analysis of indigenous rights and their recognition. She serves as the Principal Investigator at the Center for Intercultural and Indigenous Studies (CIIR). Maite has led scientific research projects (Fondecyt, Fondap) on cultural decentralization, cultural policies, and indigenous rights in Chile. She has authored numerous book chapters, books, and articles in international journals on these topics. Noteworthy publications include the co-edited book with Francisca de la Maza, "Políticas en acción. Participación indígena e interculturalidad. Estudio de casos del sur y centro de Chile" (Pehuén, 2022); "Hacia un Estado plurinacional e intercultural como respuesta a las demandas por autonomía" (with F. Pairican, in I. Castillo et al. (eds.), Hasta que la dignidad se haga Constitución, Catalonia, 2022); and "Derechos político-electorales de los pueblos indígenas en Chile" (in G. Morales and I. Ramírez (coords.), La tutela de los derechos político electorales de los pueblos y comunidades indígenas en América Latina, 2020). Her work also includes "Reconocimiento débil: derechos de pueblos indígenas en Chile" (with C. Fuentes, Perfiles Latinoamericanos 25(49), 55-75).

Claudio Fuentes es Profesor titular de la Escuela de Ciencia Política de la Universidad Diego Portales. Doctor en Ciencia Política de la Universidad de Carolina del Norte (Chapel Hill). Su agenda de investigación se ha centrado en comprender dinámicas de cambio institucional. Entre otros reconocimientos, obtuvo el premio a la mejor tesis de doctorado otorgado por la Asociación Americana de Ciencia Política (APSA), es Luksic Fellow de la Universidad de Harvard (2011) y Visiting Fellow en la Universidad de Carolina del Norte (2023). Es investigador asociado del Centro de Estudios Interculturales e Indígenas (CIIR) y director adjunto del proyecto ANID-Exploración sobre legitimidad policial (2023-2025). Es el actual Director del Instituto de Investigación en Ciencias Sociales (ICSO UDP).

Based in Ottawa, Canada, Daniel Morchain is the Conservancy's Global Director of Climate Adaptation. In his role, Daniel leads the establishment and implementation of a common adaptation vision and agenda across the organization.

The global adaptation team supports Conservancy teams and partners around the world to identify and implement nature-based adaptation solutions that reduce the impacts of climate change felt by communities and help them build resilience. Undertaking adaptation efforts that deliver equitable and just outcomes, especially for the most climate-vulnerable populations, is a priority for Daniel and the organization as a whole.

Prior to joining TNC in early 2022, Daniel worked with the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), the Global NAP Network, advising state and non-state actors on the development of National Adaptation Plans, multi-level governance approaches and gender equity. Previously, he spent seven years as a senior advisor on climate change adaptation and resilience at Oxfam. Daniel holds a Master's degree in Environmental Management and Policy from Lund University in Sweden, and a Bachelor's degree in Economics and Latin American Studies from Yale University. He is a native Spanish speaker, fluent in English and has a working knowledge of French.