Het instituut IIRE Manila

IIRE Manila

iiremanila for website

Since 2008 the IIRE Amsterdam has been cooperating closely with its sister organization in Manila, in the Philippines. The mission of the IIRE Manila is similar to that of the IIRE Amsterdam, with a special focus on Asia. We cooperate on organizing courses and our fellows and staff contribute the activities of the IIRE Manila. They organize a yearly Asian Global Justice School which has been a great step forward in building an Asian network of anti-capitalist activists and organizations.

 

The IIRE Amsterdam provides organizational support to the IIRE Manila and cooperates with them in preparing courses.

iire manila

From 17th of July until the 7th of August 2011, the IIRE Manila, the sister organization of the IIRE based in the Philippines, held its third Asian Global Justice School. Like the yearly Global Justice Schools in Amsterdam, this school aims to provide a space for debate, exchange of information, knowledge and experiences and networking between international social justice activists - but with a specific focus on the Asia-Pacific region and Asia in general.

Twelve participants from six different countries (Philippines, Indonesia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Australia) made the school a success. Similar to the previous Asian Global Justice Schools, the session was divided in three parts: the Asian context, challenges for progressive movements and forms of organizing to change society, but this year more focus was given on the issue of oppression of sexual minorities. Of course, the continuing economic crisis as well as the impact of the Arab Spring colored many discussions.

 

 

 

From this 17th of July until the 7th of August 2011 the International Institute for Research and Education (IIRE) in Manila will organize the third Asian Global Justice School. At the end of this year the IIRE in Amsterdam will also organize a Global Justice School.

The International Institutes for Research and Education (IIRE) in Amsterdam and Manila both will organize a Global Justice School (GJS) in 2011. The Global Justice School (GJS) at the IIRE Amsterdam will take place from the 26th of November until the 17th of December 2011. The school at the IIRE Manila (Asian GJS) will be held from the 17th of July until the 7th of August 2011.

iiremanilaWe hope to have participants from all over the world in the Amsterdam GJS. This represents a real enlargement of the discussions with the comrades from Europe (normally the majority of the participants in Amsterdam).

The never ending traffic jams of Quezon City, Philippines, found its ‘compensation’ in the second Asian Global Justice School on August 2-2 1. Representing the Political Committee of the Poor-People’s Democratic Party (KPRM-PRD), along with 10 other left activists from Taiwan, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Japan and Pakistan, I participated in a three-week school in Manila organised by International Institute for Research and Education (IIRE)-Manila. The participants came from a variety of revolutionary organisations and parties with different traditions, engaging in different areas of national struggle. Some were peasant organisers, labour and women’s activists while others worked on rural issues or conflict areas.

The IIRE-Manila made a huge step forward in its second Global Justice School in August, with 22 attendees discussing context, movements and on alternative organizing for change. It can confirm that ten organisations are likely to take part in the third school, in the summer of 2011, and that numerous seminars will take part at the Manila campus before then. However, financial support remains needed to help participants to travel to Manila.

The IIRE-Manila recently concluded its first high-profile acitivity, the first Asian Global Justice School. The set-up of the school was inspirired by the many succesful Global Justice School held at the IIRE-Amsterdam. The IIRE-Manila was set up to facilitate educational sessions similar to those organised by the IIRE-Amsterdam, especially for social justice activists from Asia that often have trouble obtaining visa necessary to attend the schools in Amsterdam. Another aim was to provide a perspective more centered on the Global South.

Since 1982, the existence of the International Institute for Research and Education in Amsterdam (IIRE-Amsterdam) has been instrumental in bringing together activists from all inhabited continents for critical exchanges of thoughts and experiences in the daily struggle for emancipation of all oppressed peoples of the world.