About me
Hi! I am Degree in International Relations of University of the Republic, and Postgraduate student in International Studies: International System and Integration of University of Republic in association with Universities of Paris 3, 8, and Toulouse Le Mirail.

I speak Spanish and Portuguese (both mother tongue), English and a bit of Italian. Also I have additional studies in social communication, management, negotiation, youth leadership and regional integration.

As a student, I participated in various meetings of internationalists and academic journeys where I did presentations about Intellectual Property in Free Trade and Integration Politics in the Information Society.

At the beginning of my career, I worked as Content Advisor and Assistant Thematic Units of the Executive Secretary 2008-2009 in Mercociudades; the premier network of municipalities in the MERCOSUR with 230 cities from Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, Venezuela, Chile, Bolivia and Peru. I coordinated training sessions of local development, communication between the member cities of the network, and worked as editor of Dialogue Magazine and the Report and Summary of Activities of the Executive Secretary. (www.mercociudades.org)

Then, I worked as Coordinator Assistant of the Project "Programme of Cooperation between Local Governments Network. Dialogue Platform" funded by Catalan Cooperation Fund Development – Spain, where Spanish and Latin American cities, through international cooperation for development projects, seek to generate and exchange ideas with the aim of improving the quality of life in their communities. (www.fonscatala.org)

Also, I had the opportunity to work in the various activities that build the diplomatic relations between Portugal and Uruguay, when I was Senior Administrative Assistant Consular Section and Secretariat Support Charge d'Affaires in the Portugal Embassy in Montevideo. In addition, I was connected in organizing cultural activities developed by Portuguese immigrant communities in Uruguay, and I represented the Embassy at seminars and conferences, such as the XXXV Meeting of the Directing Council for the Development Fund for Indigenous Peoples of Latin America and the Caribbean. Even, I met the various projects that European Union developed in Uruguay, for example, "Uruguay Integra”. (www.embajadadeportugal.com.uy)

I am an activist since age 9 when I got involved in the different youth leadership programs of Rotary International. Here, we developed several projects of community service, with the aim of promoting dialogue and international goodwill. By undertaking such projects, I was elected District Representative Interact Club, and through training sessions I could build a network for exchange of good practices between the clubs in my district, and meet successful projects in the region. (www.rotary4980.org)

I was coordinator of “Somos Mercosur”, an e-course about Mercosur and other examples of integration, organized by CEFIR, Identidad MERCOSUR, and Internationale Weiterbildung und Entwicklung gGmbH, (www.cefir.org.uy)

At present, I am working like volunteer consultant in INCIDIR - Initiatives for International Cooperation, Development and Regional Integration, an Argentinean NGO dedicated to promoting and developing proposals, studies and projects that provide greater integration in Latin America. (www.incidir.org)

I am member of Amnesty International Uruguay (amnistia.org.uy) and Avaaz. Recently I was on-line Delegate of Uruguay in Global Youth Panel‏ of Climate Change organized by Debatewise (gyp.debatewise.org), and I represented my country in the 5th World Youth Congress - Turkey 2010, organized by Peace Child International. (www.turkiye2010.org)

I love meet other cultures, meet new people, and work for ideas that can change the world! If you like the same feel free to get in touch with me =)

Big hug,
Rafael Alvariza. Hi! I am Degree in International Relations of University of the Republic, and Postgraduate student in International Studies: International System and Integration of University of Republic in association with Universities of Paris 3, 8, and... (more)