Foundation
The Lausanne-based foundation, established according to articles 80 onwards of the Civil Code, works thanks to a team of permanent employees and voluntary workers, but also thanks to two dozen employees for the field programs.
Taking action to advocate for girls’ and women’s rights
Surgir’s integrated approach combines the protection, information, training and reconstruction of the lives of victims of gender-based violence.
Human Rights Prize of the French Republic
On the 16th of November 2006, the Surgir Foundation was awarded with a special mention by the French National Consultative Commission on Human Rights for its merit in fighting for the social and civic training of women.
Our team
Hélène Delomez
Director ad interim
Hélène has worked for several years as coordinator of protection programs for international NGOs in various humanitarian emergency situations. She has a PhD in Political Science and has worked on women’s movements in post-conflict settings, especially in Bosnia and Herzegovina. She joined Surgir in 2020, now serving as Director ad interim.
Florie Leka
Accountant
Florie joined Surgir in 2015. She is an independent accountant and works in the humanitarian and private sectors. During her career, she worked for an animal rights association against vivisection and also for a human rights NGO against torture and the death penalty.
Aline Cottagnoud
Programme Assistant
Aline holds a Bachelor's degree in International Relations from the University of Geneva. During her academic career, several associative experiences allowed her to get involved and to set up initiatives for the protection of human rights. She also worked with Terre des Hommes Switzerland, raising awareness on children's rights. She joined the Surgir Foundation in 2021 and participates in the development and management of projects in Switzerland.
Board of trustees
The Board of Trustees is the supreme body of the foundation. It is composed of a minimum of three members.
President
Françoise Heraud Darbon
Members
Fabrice Maurer
Marie-Anne Dauvillier
Caroline Regina Schlunke
Volunteers
The work of volunteers is precious to Surgir and a number of activities could not be carried out without their commitment. Volunteers give their time and share their skills with Surgir each year, thus contributing to fighting against all forms of violence. Competences in translation, communication, event planning or fund raising are always appreciated to complete our team. We note the commitment of Marie-Josée, Fabienne and Max to the beneficiaries of Surgir. For several years now, the work of Marie-Josée, Fabienne and Max revolves around sharing information on cultural and linguistic aspects with foreigners.
“Marie-Josée created this small team that we are training: three French speakers, five Syrian citizens and two Pakistani citizens. Everyone gives the best of themselves and receives the best of the others. Each according to his gifts, we share the language and its learning, the customs of our countries. We have experienced, with great mutual respect, other ways of thinking and expressing oneself. So many discoveries and enrichment, much joy shared! Yes, we are very grateful for Marie-Josée for having taken us into this deeply human adventure.”
The Surgir Foundation would like to thank Marie-Josée for her commitment to our beneficiaries, we know that they are also grateful for her sharing and attention to others. We thank all volunteers, without being able to name them all: Hélène, Gabriele, Max, Marie-Josée, Fabienne, Rachel, Denis, Flore and all the others who have allowed Surgir to continue its fight over the years. If you would like to engage with Surgir, contact us!
Founder, Jacqueline Thibault
Greatly committed, Jacqueline Thibault leaves at a very young age to live in a collective village in Israel, Kibboutz. On her return in France, her native country, she works for several years for the Office de radiodiffusion-télévision française (ORTF) and, after working for a while in showbiz, she decides to retire to a monastery. Subsequently, the encounter with Edmond Kaiser, the founder of Terre des Hommes, will bring her back to Israel in order to help the Jewish and Arab communities. She will be the delegate of Terre des Hommes for 23 years in Palestine. Jacqueline Thibault’s desire to create Surgir in order to fight against all forms of violence, especially the crimes committed in the name of honour, is born by working directly with the communities.
Sustainable Development Goals
Surgir’s actions are in accordance with the following Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda:
Surgir in ONU
Since 2015, the Surgir Foundation has held a special consultative status within the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) in New York, Geneva and Vienna. Our commitments to the United Nations have increased in 2008 by becoming a member of the Conference of NGOs (CONGO). Our different statuses allow us to take part in the activities of these UN bodies. We mainly participate and intervene in the assemblies and round tables within the framework of the Human Rights Councils which meets three times a year in Geneva. We consider it essential to act at the international level in order to improve the situation of women worldwide.
Our partners
We can count on our valuable partners’ support in our fight against gender-based violence. The Surgir Foundation is also a member of the Fédération Vaudoise de Coopération.
Surgir © 2021 - Terms&Conditions - website created by Rachel Demumieux