Team
Our Team develops the program and implements its actions, in close partnerships with several tens of employees of local authorities and associations in Ukraine working to implement them.
Stanislav Kutsenko
Acting Director
Doctor Stanislav Kutsenko has experience in both the public and state sectors. From 2015 to 2019, he headed the Main Department of Justice in Kyiv. Currently, he is engaged in international activities within the Ministry of Education of Ukraine. During the armed aggression against Ukraine, as an advisor to the Khmelnytsky Regional State Administration, he assisted internally displaced persons and organized trips for over 150 children as part of the EP initiative. In the past, Stanislav led the Ukrainian Students' Association, which advocated for students' rights. Stanislav enjoys playing the guitar, working out in the gym, and playing volleyball.
Vilena Yaniuk
Project Manager and Administrative Assistant France
A graduate of Sorbonne University in intercultural communication in Central Europe, Vilena was actively involved in student life, working to create a new image of a renewed Europe. During the onset of the war in Ukraine, she provided support as a volunteer at the refugee center for Ukrainians, assisting with administrative and language-related matters for displaced individuals. She teaches French to children and is passionate about Greco-Roman cultures and ancient languages.
Yuliana Khymchuk
Project Manager Ukraine
Yuliana Khymchuk, the owner of a theater and event agency, founded a center for internally displaced persons in Lviv in February 2022 and also actively supports humanitarian efforts across Ukraine. Her initiatives include evacuating individuals and delivering aid to conflict zones. Beyond her humanitarian work, Yuliana loves traveling, reading books, has a passion for art, and continues her work in teaching and theater. She leads "GAMAK," focusing on social issues and aiding vulnerable groups, showcasing her multifaceted dedication to making a difference.
François Trésorier
Project Manager Ukraine
François Trésorier leads two educational companies and is the co-founder of a humanitarian NGO. He has helped over 2000 Ukrainians find refuge in France. Additionally, he has launched mobile clinics in the Donbass and organized dozens of humanitarian convoys in the areas most affected by the war. Beyond his humanitarian efforts, he enjoys learning languages, producing music, and reading.
Annabelle Guiot
Administrative and Project Manager France
Sciences Po Graduate in Public Policy, she worked alongside local actors' international solidarity initiatives within various contexts. She likes reading novels and playing music.
Ana-Ramona Vasar
Project Manager Germany
Ana-Ramona Vasar is an educational expert with a multitude of studies in different fields such as: Psychopedagogy, Literature and Philosophy, Foreign Languages, Nursing, and Fashion Design. Formal co-founder of a German NGO, she continued to develop project management skills by founding “WorkationScout”, a Berlin start-up which organizes travel arrangements for remote workers. At the same time, Ana was founding Gamienkids, a language school for children. She loves to travel, discover
new cultures, and learn local languages.
Advisory Committee
Our Advisory Committee provides guidance to the program.
It is chaired by our Co-Founder Colleen Thouez.
Colleen Thouez
Co-founder and Chair
Appointed concurrently as senior fellow at Sciences Po Paris and the New School in 2022, Dr. Thouez is an expert in global governance and migration. She advises the highest levels of decision-making at the multilateral sphere, dozens of national governments, and hundreds of cities. She is the former director of the Welcoming and Inclusive Cities at the Open Society Foundations (OSF), where she founded the Mayors Migration Council, the Africa-Europe Mayors Dialogue, among others. She served previously as the Head of the United Nations Institute for Training & Research (UNITAR), and as special advisor of the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative on Migration.
Bernard Kouchner
Member
Former Minister of Foreign Affairs in France, founder of Doctors Without Borders, Doctors of the World and a reference for the humanitarian action and human rights around the world.
Dominique Bussereau
Member
Former Minister of Agriculture and Secretary of State for Transport and for the Budget, former President of the Assemblée des Départements de France.
Maksym Kozystskyy
Member
Maxim Zinoviyovych Kozitsky, head of the Lviv Regional Military Administration, played a key role in organizing a children's camp in France. In 2022, through cooperation with French organizations and regional social protection departments, 233 children were sent to French summer camps, experiencing the Mediterranean Sea, the English Channel, the Bay of Biscay, and the French Alps. In 2023, with support from Montpellier and the Occitanie region, 40 children enjoyed vacations in France. An appeal has been made to French representatives to accept more children in 2024, aiming to provide memorable vacations and strengthen Ukrainian-French relations.
Benjamin Abtan
Co-founder and former director
A former advisor to the French Ministers of Foreign Affairs and of Justice, he established a European network of 400 Members of Parliaments for democracy in 25 countries and a European network of human rights NGOs in 40 countries. An Adjunct professor at Sciences Po Paris and ESCP Europe Business School, he is a Fulbright Fellow and holds an MPA from the Harvard Kennedy School.
Andreas Hollstein
Member
Andreas Hollstein is a renowned politician and jurist. He has held various positions of responsibility, notably as the mayor of the city of Altena from 1999 to 2020, where he distinguished himself through his commitment to the integration of refugees and migrants. In 2021, he was appointed as delegate to the Polish community by the government of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, demonstrating his ability to promote intercultural dialogue and strengthen ties between communities. His extensive political experience and dedication to integration have earned him accolades such as the National Integration Award in 2017 and the UNHCR Nansen Refugee Award in 2018.
