Scroll Top

FONDEMOS - WHO WE ARE

Fondemos is a non-governmental organization dedicated to the development of political freedom, democracy and the rule of law on every continent.

Fondemos supports those working actively for the democratization of their countries, enabling them to acquire the knowledge and means to achieve this

Activities
REFLECTION: A THINK-TANK

Research and publications on:

  • The “Why“: philosophical foundations of democracy; objective advantages (political and economic); cultural and sociological adaptations.

  • The “How“: democratization (smooth transitions, radical changes); democratic life (institutions, governance, role of parties and civil society, transparency, justice, etc.).
ACTION: A DO-TANK

Accompanying and supporting citizen movements through:

  • Strategic advice and mentoring.

  • Training in fundamental activist skills (mobilization, non-violent action, public relations, security, the fight against electoral fraud, etc.) and governance (transitional justice, the fight against corruption, transparency, the life of institutions, etc.).

  • Advocacy (diplomacy, information campaigns, seeking public and private support, organizing legal proceedings, etc.).

  • Emergency humanitarian action for oppressed and disaster-stricken populations.
Philosophy of action

Convinced that every people has the right and capacity to establish a system of political freedom, the FONDEMOS team promotes two complementary approaches:

01
Audacity and optimism

Fondemos refutes all resignation, whether it is fed by fear and ignorance in the countries concerned, or by the comfortable conviction that democracy is not universal.

02
PRUDENCE & PROFESSIONALISM

Fondemos rejects all adventurism. Regime change is not something to be improvised out of anger or opportunism. They require a free social project that is not imposed by counterproductive interference. To these adventurist approaches, which inevitably lead to chaos and failure, Fondemos opposes prudence.

Political freedom : an essential requirement

The founders and members of Fondemos are driven by the conviction that political freedom is the sine qua non condition for the development and fulfillment of all nations, whatever their cultures and histories.

 

In order to act, it is not enough for Fondemos to believe that democracy is desirable, according to its own criteria, but that it is clearly desired by organized, determined groups concerned with the general interest, and willing to be helped in this endeavor.  The natural beneficiaries of Fondemos‘ action are citizens’ movements committed to justice, dignity and fundamental freedoms against oppressive regimes.

Fondemos believes that civil society in oppressed societies can and must be the main actor in democratization processes, and that civil society in democratic countries has the right and even the duty to assist it.

Management

Chairman:
Jean-Renaud FAYOL

A graduate of a French officer training college (Saint-Cyr), Jean-Renaud Fayol has been assisting and advising political opponents fighting against autocratic governments since 1996, particularly in Asia and Africa. 

He also runs a consulting group.

In addition, he lectures at a number of higher education establishments and conducts research in two fields: intelligence, economic intelligence and prospective on the one hand, and political resistance, insurrection and democratic transition in emerging countries on the other.

Vice-Chairman:
Etienne Dubern

Etienne Dubern has been an expert in the analysis of political and security dynamics for 25 years, first as a civil servant and then as a consultant.

He has worked mainly in the Balkans, Sahel and Maghreb, notably as part of peacemaking and stabilization operations, consulting missions and assistance projects for companies and international institutions.

A graduate of the Institut d’Études Politiques d’Aix-en-Provence, he taught there for over 15 years.

ADMINISTRATOR :
Anne-Sophie Ducreux

Anne-Sophie Ducreux worked as a political advisor for over 10 years in crisis situations in the Balkans and Africa.

She has worked for the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and various international organizations, including the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), the United Nations and the World Bank.

A graduate in public law, political communication, and political science (Science Po Paris), she is a regular lecturer at the INSP, the Institut National du Service Public (formerly ENA).

équipiers

Fondemos mobilise, en Europe et sur le terrain, des équipes constituées d’hommes et de femmes discrets, dévoués et déterminés à se rendre utiles à la cause de la démocratie.

Leurs interventions, variables, vont  de l’aide ponctuelle à l’engagement de longue durée, en passant par le parrainage discret.

Ils peuvent être bénévoles ou salariés.

DIRECTOR :
Benoît Barral

A graduate of Science Po Aix (International Relations), the Sorbonne (African Studies) and the London School of Economics (Conflict Studies), Benoit Barral has lived and worked in sub-Saharan Africa in three sectors: diplomacy (at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and in embassies), journalism (reports and documentaries) and strategic consultancy.

 

CHAIRMAN OF THE EXPERT COMMITTEE:
MICHEL DUCLOS

Graduated from ENA, Michel Duclos is a diplomat.

He was Ambassador to the PSC in Brussels,  deputy permanent representative of France to the United Nations, ambassador to Syria, diplomatic advisor to the minister of the Interior, ambassador to Switzerland, and director of the International Diplomatic Academy.

For several years now, he has been contributing his work and ideas to the at the Institut Montaigne, where he holds the position of special advisor on geopolitical and diplomatic issues.

He is also the author of La longue nuit syrienne (2019) and La France dans le bouleversement du monde (2021).

He contributed to the redaction of several books, including Le monde des nouveaux autoritaires (2019) and Guerre en Ukraine et nouvel ordre du monde (2023), published by l’Observatoire.

Reports

To view our reports and resources, please click on the button below

Solidarité Ukraine

Fondemos est engagé et travaille ave l’ONG le Comité d’aide médicale d’Ukraine afin de servir d’interface pour recueillir et distribuer les dons qui lui sont destinés.

Contact Us

    Upcoming Events
    THANK TO THE RESULTS ACHIEVED WITH YOU!

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla. pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia: deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Sed ut persp iciatis unde omnis iste natus error sit voluptatem accusantium doloremque laudantium, totam rem aperiam, eaque ipsa quae ab illo inventore.

    RESCUE STORIES
    JACK BEAR
    Marketing Manager

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco

    MARCUS FIELDS
    Marketing Manager

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco

    FRIENDS & SPONSORS

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.

    Charity Volunteers

    © Copyright 2017 Fondemos