THE TEAM
by alphabetical order
The current CoCreate Humanity team is made up entirely of volunteers (five Board members, a peer support team, and a supervision team). The Board's mission is to define the strategic direction of the association and to ensure its values are upheld.
The CCH initiative is supported by numerous contributors: humanitarian peer supporters, mental health professionals, holistic medicine practitioners, humanitarian experts, artists, artisans, as well as members of the general public who, touched by the association's mission, provide valuable occasional help.
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Franziska Heizmann
Board Member - Safety and security consultant
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Franziska Heizmann was born in 1969 in Zurich, Switzerland.
A seasoned security professional, Franziska brings a wealth of international experience across various sectors, combining expertise in law (holding a master’s in law), commerce, military service, and humanitarian and development work. Her broad-based knowledge is further enhanced by specialised training as a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner (SEP), along with trainings in psychological first aid and Trauma Risk Management (TRiM).
Franziska’s diverse background has shaped her holistic approach to safety and security, where she seamlessly integrates her extensive leadership, management, and training expertise. Known for her strong interpersonal skills, she is a passionate teacher and coach, driven by the goal of motivating others to reach their full potential.
Her impressive career spans a variety of roles: she is a retired Major in the Swiss Army, a former desk officer for the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC)/Humanitarian Aid and has participated in numerous rapid response missions with the Swiss Humanitarian Aid Unit (SHA). For over 11 years, she served as a Pool Officer for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), and since 2008, she has been an Associate Trainer for RedR UK. Her work continues to take her around the globe, particularly to the Middle East and Africa, where she offers her consultancy services.
Since 2007, Franziska is operating as an independent safety and security consultant and trainer through her Bern-based firm, heizmannconsultancy. She is highly regarded for her ability to swiftly understand the unique needs and environments of her clients, consistently delivering professional, reliable support and advice.
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Hélène Ros
Board Member - President
Head of Communications and Public Relations
Hélène Ros was born in France and has been living in Switzerland since July 2014. She is the eldest of six children and the daughter of two political refugees who fled the genocidal regime of Pol Pot and immigrated to France in 1977.
She began her higher education in law at the University of Reims Champagne-Ardenne. Hélène started her professional career in the agri-food industry before moving into international logistics and the oil and gas sector.
In 2015, her experience in logistics led her to the headquarters of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Geneva, where she worked in the logistics department managing field vehicles. She later transitioned into roles focused on private donations and humanitarian diplomacy.
Hélène’s personal history has been a driving force behind her deep commitment to the humanitarian sector. Her father’s encounter with a Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) surgeon—who advised him to immigrate to France for a delicate surgery following a gunshot wound—was a turning point in her family’s journey. As a child, she was also profoundly impacted by Handicap International’s work in Lyon, especially its efforts to combat anti-personnel mines, which resonated deeply as members of her extended family were injured by mines in Cambodia.
Through extensive therapeutic work, Hélène came to understand that she suffers from transgenerational trauma. As the daughter of two parents affected by post-traumatic stress disorder, she describes herself as a “collateral victim,” having experienced what she calls the “violence of silence.”
The path to healing sometimes begins with speaking, listening, or simply being seen and supported. CoCreate Humanity was founded to embrace that path—as a community of peers—remaining grounded in the very heart of humanitarian work: the human being.
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“Human beings have the tremendous capacity to recover from anything, even the worst, if they are well supported” - Doctor Daniel Dufour.
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Julie Sévilla-Fraysse
Board Member - Artistic Director
Ambassador of Cocreate Humanity since 2020
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Julie Sévilla-Fraysse is one of the most promising artists of her generation. She graduated from the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Paris and also studied at the Julliard School in New York. Back in Europe, she joined the Queen Elisabeth Chapel in Belgium as artist in residence. She studied notably with Roland Pidoux and Gary Hoffman.
Laureate of the Banque Populaire Foundation, she performed as a super soloist with the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra at the Flagey concert hall in Brussels, with the UAEH Orchestra in Mexico as well as with the Camerata Orchestra Venia directed by Gleb Skvortsov.
In 2018, she performed live in front of 50,000 people at the French festival "Un Violon sur le Sable", offering a tribute to rock legend Johnny Hallyday.
Passionate about chamber music, she has given recitals with renowned artists such as pianists Abdel Rahman El Bacha, Nicolas Angelich, violinists Régis Pasquier, Laurent Korcia, harpist Anja Linder and cellist Gary Hoffman.
Julie Sévilla-Fraysse is part of the prestigious Paris National Opera Orchestra. She is also a founding member of the Klimt Trio and, at the same time, she combines her classical career with unusual experiences such as her duet with hip-hop dancer Yann Antonio.
Because music can also heal souls, Julie has been Artistic Director and Ambassador of the CoCreate Humanity association since 2020.
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Lisa Merzaghi
Board Member - Treasurer
Head of Health Service
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Lisa Merzaghi was born in Ticino, an Italian-speaking canton of Switzerland, in 1988.
From a young age, she always showed a keen interest in medicine and contact with people, pushing her to first obtain an ASSC diploma, and then to train as a nurse. Her interest in solidarity and humanitarian aid appeared very early, during a special day at secondary school where the Italian association Emergency made a presentation, thus leading to her meeting with Gino Strada, who opened the doors to him. eyes on other realities.
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After her experience as a nurse in Switzerland and obtaining a diploma in tropical medicine, she embarked on a humanitarian experience with Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) and CUAMM Medici con l'Africa, for about ten years. From the Democratic Republic of Congo to Cameroon, from Sierra Leone to Chad, via Greece, Tanzania, South Sudan and even Iran, she has participated in different types of health-focused projects, including responses to epidemics (Ebola, measles and cholera), malnutrition, sexual violence, and many others.
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Accessibility and improvement of the healthcare system have always been a priority for Lisa. Back in Switzerland, she continues to work in this field within a health institution in northern Vaud. Always committed to the front of solidarity, she is involved in the integration of migrants in Switzerland and is part of the technical committee of the Fédération Vaudoise de Coopération (FEDEVACO) as a volunteer.
Outside of her work and volunteering, her passion for creativity is expressed through painting, knitting and sewing.
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Having lived through both wonderful and sometimes difficult experiences, and having been a peer support worker within Médecins Sans Frontières' Peer Support Network (PSN), Lisa realized the importance of peer support and her journey gives her a unique perspective on the needs of humanitarians. She has been convinced by the association's initiative since its creation and joined CCH in March 2024 with the desire to contribute to creating a strong support environment for all members of the humanitarian community.
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Lydie Béguelin
Board Member - Secretary
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Lydie Béguelin was born in Lausanne, Switzerland, in March 1972.
At the age of 20, after completing her business studies, she spent a year discovering the American continent, mainly Latin America. This magnificent backpacking adventure has since then guided her life. When she returned, her desire to help suffering populations was obvious, and she wanted to join the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). To accomplish her dream, she had to wait until she was 25. She worked as an insurance claims manager, gave ski lessons and perfected her English at Cambridge.
During her 24 years with the ICRC, in addition to missions in Afghanistan, Congo Brazzaville, the Democratic Republic of Congo and emergency deployments to Kyrgyzstan and Libya, she worked at Geneva headquarters in the legal department and for many years in the unit responsible for relations with arms bearers. Among other things, she organized the administrative and logistical management of workshops for senior officers about the respect of international humanitarian law and human rights. She had the opportunity to travel to Colombia, Algeria and Mexico to organize these international seminars.
She then worked as Director of a house for university students in Lausanne, whose vocation is to take into account the whole human being, supporting interactions between different cultural identities.
Since the creation of CoCreate Humanity in 2019, Lydie has always supported and encouraged the commitment of its founders. She finds it extraordinary and relevant that such an association has come into being in Switzerland. When returning from some difficult missions, Lydie would have hoped to receive a sympathetic ear in a neutral space, in order to exchange freely with a network of humanitarian peers. This would have enabled her to regain her equilibrium more quickly. In the field, like many of her peers, she was confronted with often dramatic situations, which were emotionally difficult to share with those around her back in Switzerland. This gap and a certain isolation are not easy to manage without adequate support.
Lydie joined the association in March 2024. She has always been committed to putting people at the center of her concerns, in line with her own values. So, it's only natural that she should be keen to co-create this humanity, convinced that teamwork is the essential driving force behind the association's initiative.
On a personal level, Lydie enjoys the mountains, practicing ski touring. She has been a race leader with the Swiss Alpine Club since 1997. She also enjoys bike racing and sailing.
"In this life, we can't do big things. We can only do small things with great love". Mother Teresa.​
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