Who are we?

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.

Benoît Barral holds master’s degrees in International Relations (Institut d’Etudes Politiques d’Aix-en-Provence), African Studies (Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne), and Conflict Studies (London School of Economics). Benoît Barral has lived and worked in sub-Saharan Africa in three sectors: diplomacy (at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and in embassies), journalism (reporting and documentaries), and strategic consulting.  

Irène is a country analyst for West Africa at Fondemos, where she supports the structuring of citizen movements and the development of their strategies, while delivering Fondemos training to teams and partners. She is also the administrative manager and head of fundraising, supporting the strategic and financial development of the organization since 2022.   A graduate in business from ESCP Business School and currently pursuing a master’s degree in Global Security at King’s College London, she has also carried out humanitarian work in Syria, strengthening her commitment to crisis situations and field action.  

Paul Gré-Beauvais holds a double master’s degree in Policies and Governance in Europe (King’s College London and Luiss Guido Carli, Rome). His academic work focused on the European Union’s foreign policy and international crisis management, with a particular expertise on the EU’s security and defence posture in the Asia-Pacific.

At Fondemos, he began as a Myanmar Country Analyst in May 2024 and now serves as Advocacy and Country Analyst. He monitors the situation in post-coup Myanmar in real time, drawing on local sources and field intelligence. He is also actively involved in advocacy with French and European institutions, contributing to policy discussions on human rights, sanctions, and democratic support. He finally manages Fondemos’ Paris-based team, overseeing coordination, and the organisation’s external outreach.

A graduate of Sciences Po Paris in Public Affairs, following a period of study at Galatasaray University in Istanbul in International Relations, Isaac Morize joined Fondemos in September 2024. Within the organization, he is responsible for strengthening and diversifying training programs by highlighting and integrating case studies produced on various episodes of collective mobilizations, both in France and abroad. His work aims to give greater visibility and analytical depth to these experiences, making them more accessible and operational for training activities. 

Jeanne holds a master’s degree in literature and a master’s degree in philosophy. She joined Fondemos in September 2024 and is currently a doctoral student in social and political philosophy, jointly supervised by Paris Sorbonne University and the University of Navarra (Spain). Her research focuses on Simone Weil’s philosophy of work, intermediary bodies, and the political community. Within the organization, she supervises and participates in the production of case studies. At the heart of our think tank work, these analyses put today’s democratic struggles into perspective based on recent or older experiences. They enable us to bring together strategic tools that are then integrated into our training programs.