In March 2011 we were honoured by a visit from the new Cuban Ambassador to The Netherlands, Zelmys María Dominguez Cortina. The ambassador met with IIRE Executive Director Marijke Colle, former directors Susan Caldwell and Antonio Carmona Báez, IIRE Fellow James Cockcroft and a delegation from IIRE Manila.
The IIRE's latest newsletter spotlights some impresisve accomplishments by the Institute's fellows. The lastest Asian edition of the Global Justice School (GJS), and the Youth School in Amsterdam are also reported. The newslatter also highlights the plans for our upcoming GJS in Amsterdam and other developments. The IIRE's successful contribution to the European Social Forum, also reported in this issue, is one of the reasons why we are extending our fundraising partnership with the SOWS, a Dutch foundation for scientific research.
News from Fellows
This year, the IIRE will once again hold its Global Justice School, a central educational event for activists world-wide. The preparatory works have now reached their final point, with the definitive program confirmed, and 23 out of 26 participant places covered. You can see the final program here.
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 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.
Kuyasu, a member of the Teduray tribe in the Philippines, recently stayed for several weeks at the IIRE. He participated in the International Youth Camp in Perugia this summer and later, visited Denmark and Sweden. We had numerous talks, on his life in the Central Mindanao Region, in his village. The Teduray tribe consists of about 6000 people, claiming an ancestral domain of 201,850 hectares.
Tell us about the current situation of your tribe…
Kuyasu:
