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.
The various yearly schools, seminars and discussions organized by the institute have greatly helped in the training and broadening of perspectives of activists, especially young ones.
These successes of the IIRE-Amsterdam and the challenges faced by third world activists, particularly the Asian sections, greatly inspired the establishment of a branch of the IIRE in Manila. The present global economic crisis brought about by the barbaric capitalist system has caused indescribable sufferings to the peoples of the third world, since they are the most vulnerable and unsecured sections of the world against globalization. Thus, the struggle of these peoples for their basic right to live is also directly aimed at crippling the imperialists and capitalists in their respective countries.
On the other hand, the opportunities for reflection and studies in IIRE-Amsterdam for third word activists have become increasingly difficult, financially and technically. Thus, the need to open a more accessible venue for discussions to third world activists, specifically, Asia-Pacific activists, amidst the growing difficulties and challenges, reinforced the necessity of establishing a sister institute in Manila. This is also a way to strengthen the unity and solidarity of the third word activists in order to intensify the struggle for their political and social agenda and for a new internationalism in the face of the worst capitalist crisis in the century.
Now the IIRE-Manila is formally open. In this connection IIRE-Manila invites activists and militants proposed by their national leaderships of the Fourth International, as well as supportive progressive groups and movements, to the first ever Regional Global Justice School to be held in Manila and Mindanao, Philippines. Generally, the purpose regional global justice school is to reach-out more closely and gather activists, primarily, from the third world in order to collectively reflect on the present realities of the world and to strengthen the social and political agenda towards the New Internationalism through discussions on the praxis of different movements. The first half of the School will be conducted at IIRE Manila, with some exposures and dialogues with various organizations and sectors in the National Capital Region. The other half will be a travelling/Mobile school to and around Mindanao, stopping by in key cities for topic discussions with allocated time for directly talking with the various grassroots’ movements and the communities of Mindanao. All the sessions will be conducted in English.
For more information check www.iiremanila.org or send an email to iiremanila @ iire.org