Javier Alfonso Lastra Bravo

Dr. Javier Alfonso Lastra Bravo is a researcher at the Institute of Sociology (ISH) and a member of the Center for Atlantic and Global Studies (CEAGS) at Leibniz University Hannover. His work bridges sociology, cultural anthropology, and political ecology, focusing on socio-environmental justice, energy transitions, and Indigenous rights in Latin America and Polynesia.

• Education: PhD in Sociology and Cultural Anthropology from Leibniz University Hannover; BA in Sociology from Universidad de Concepción (Chile); studies in Public International Law and International Studies (EU-Latin America focus).
• Research Focus: Environmental Sociology, Cultural Anthropology, Just Energy Transition, Neo-Colonialism, Global Consumption, Human Rights, and Indigenous Rights.

His recent publications analyze lithium mining's socio-ecological impacts, Indigenous resistance in the South American 'Lithium Triangle,' and the interplay between energy policies and cultural preservation. Projects like CROSSJET (funded by Volkswagen Foundation) examine EU lithium policies and their effects on Indigenous communities. He actively advises UN bodies on Indigenous rights and contributes to global health frameworks via WHO collaborations.

Lastra-Bravo employs discourse analysis and ethnography in his research, with fieldwork spanning Chile’s Mapuche communities, Easter Island, and Tierra del Fuego. He is affiliated with academic networks like ALAS, LASA, and ADLAF.