Who is who: Charline Pasche
AFS Newsletter - Who is who
Short biography: Charline has been working as an academic trainee for the SDC's Health and Food Section since February 2025. She is supporting the Agriculture & Food Systems Network, and in particular its platform, newsletter and webinars. Passionate about international cooperation, her studies in International Relations, Public Management and Public Policy enable her to approach complex issues with an interdisciplinary, multi-stakeholder approach, aiming at innovation, sustainability and impact. Recently, her semester at the University of Botswana gave her valuable insights into possible approaches and policies to address challenges related to natural resources management, land property, human-wildlife conflict and food security.
What do you love or what is special about your work?
I love being part of Swiss Development Cooperation, working in the Thematic Division to address global challenges with innovative solutions. After years of studying international relations and Swiss public administration, I am now thrilled to be able to contribute to the organisation and gain a deeper understanding of its mechanisms. As an intern, I have the opportunity to explore a wide variety of tasks and topics. I particularly appreciate the interdisciplinary and cross-sectoral collaboration, as well as the exchange of ideas with my experienced colleagues from diverse backgrounds.
What is your favourite quote and why?
“Quand on peut empêcher la mort, laisser mourir, c'est tuer”
“Mais le sort le met dans une société si mal faite qu'il finit par voler : la société le met dans une prison si mal faite qu'il finit par tuer. Qui est réellement le coupable ? Est-ce lui ? Est-ce nous ?”
These quotes from Victor Hugo are a reminder that we are all responsible for what happens in our society. With globalisation and constant access to information, it's easy to feel powerless and wash our hands of responsibility. But history has shown time and again that a single individual can have a surprisingly large impact. So there is no excuse for me or you not to believe that you can help make our society a better place for everyone, even more so if we come together and work together.
What is the most important lesson you have learnt from your work?
It is often said that only 1 out of 10 startups survive. In the same way, when developing creative solutions, we must accept failure as a natural and essential part of the innovation process. Therefore, we should not let ourselves be discouraged by unsuccessful ideas, and never stop being positive, innovative and creative.