|
 The successes of the IIRE-Amsterdam and the challenges faced by third world activists, particularly the Asian sections, greatly inspired the establishment of the International Institute for Research and Education – Manila (IIRE-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 bold move 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.  The Manila-based IIRE is an Asian center providing activists from the Philippines, the Asia-Pacific and the world with opportunities for research, education and actual learning through grassroots exposures. The IIRE-Manila also organizes different discussions, study sessions and schools in order to reach out more closely to all third world activists and political activists of the world for the purpose of strengthening regional and international solidarity and discussing exhaustively points of discussions on various issues related to the overall struggle of all the oppressed to democratically change the world from below.
The IIRE-Manila promotes South-South exchange studies on the particular experiences of social activists in the third world, with selected participants from the advanced capitalist countries, i.e., the United States of America, Japan and countries in Europe, in dealing with the neo-liberal context of modern capitalism. Further, it promotes comparative experiences of the situations of the North and the South, and at the same time it internationalizes local and regional issues. Moreover, it is a venue for discussing and assessing the different frameworks, and their respective application, of the different social movements and progressive forces in the Philippines and in the Asia-Pacific region. Facilities 
The institute is a three-storey apartment with four (4) air-conditioned rooms and an averagely wide ground floor where the kitchen is located. Every room has its own study tables and every bed has its reading lamps. The rooms of the building can accommodate 20 persons. Every floor of the building has one (1) comfort room with a water pump to ensure adequate water supply. The institute has a small library with selected books on political thought, political theory, political economy, books about Mindanao and the Philippines and some selected publications of partner institutions in the Philippines and abroad. Discussions can take place on the ground floor in the  dining area, while small group discussions may be done in the reading/waiting area just outside the building but inside the gate where two (2) coffee tables and chairs are provided. The institute is also conducive to small meetings, small conferences, and accommodation of back-packers and other transient travelers for socialized and affordable prices.
Strategic Location The IIRE-Manila is located in the northern part of Metro Manila. It is specifically situated in Teacher’s Village, Quezon City. It is accessible by taxi and by bus from the domestic and international airports. It is more or less an hour by taxi from the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA). The institute is also located near the major universities of the country. It is just two short rides away by Philippine Jeepney from the University of the Philippines (UP), the premier state-owned academic institution of the Philippines. The IIRE-Manila is just a ten-minute walk from the beautiful “Heart of Quezon City”, the Quezon City Memorial Circle, a park along an elliptical road where the major routes to other parts of Metro Manila converge. The institute is located in the area where the offices and headquarters of various Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) and political organizations from various political lines and blocks are to be found. The neighborhood of the institute includes small markets and grocery stores, travel agencies and cheaper hotels and conference halls. For directions of going to the IIRE-Manila, please see the map linked on the right side of this website. |
Section Blog
