International Institute of Research and Education Islamabad (IIRE) is to organize first “Global Justice School Islamabad”

The first school will start from October 9-14, 2010. 20 activists from trade unions, peasant, social, and political organizations will participate in this five days intensive school from the different parts of Punjab.

The main emphasize of this school is to discuss and learn about the realities of capitalist globalization and social re-composition of the society. It will discuss capitalist globalization, Communist Manifesto and its relevance today, the debt trap and strategies of building an alternative political movement. The resource person for this school includes Qalandar Memon, Agha Abdul Sattar, Farooq Tariq and me. This school will be helpful to develop the understanding of activists from different backgrounds toward the economic, social, and political issues in the era of offensive capitalist globalization.

The working class of Pakistan is facing multiple challenges because of privatization and downsizing that has led to more unemployment, price hike and poverty. There is a big political vacuum in the country and an organized struggle of workers and peasants could fill such vacuum but there seems to be no effective coordination between them. The government is still continuing to peruse the policies dictated by IMF and World bank and asking more loan even after the most disastrous flood in the history of Pakistan.

One of the purposes of this school is to provide an opportunity to the activists involved in various movements so that they could share their views and experiences. Activists from Labour Qaumi Movement, Anjaman Mozareen Punjab, Labour Party Pakistan, Women Workers Help Line, Labour Education Foundation and Progressive Youth Movement will take part in this school. This would help them to come up with some a joint strategy to intensify their struggle against the capitalist globalization.

About The International Institute for Research and Education IIRE

The International Institute for Research and Education (IIRE) is an Amsterdam-based centre providing activists and scholars around the world with opportunities for research and education.

It has now established a centre in Philippine called IIRE Manila and another in Islamabad Pakistan.

Since 1982, when the initial building opened, its main activity has been the organisation of courses, seminars and study groups dealing with all subjects related to the emancipation of the world’s oppressed and exploited. It has welcomed hundreds of participants from every inhabited continent. Most participants have come from the Third World. The IIRE has become a prominent centre for the development of critical thought and for interaction, and the exchange of experiences, between people who are engaged in daily struggles on the ground. The Institute’s sessions give participants a unique opportunity to step aside from the pressure of daily activism. The IIRE give them time to study, reflect upon their involvement in a changing world and exchange ideas with people from other countries.

The IIRE shares the belief of grassroots activists that societies can and must be changed democratically from below. This change must be made primarily by those who suffer from exploitation, oppression and injustice. The IIRE reflects the importance of situating each struggle in a particular country in a broader context, and of the need to develop wide-ranging international solidarity.

After a quarter of a century, the IIRE moved to new and more modern premises in Amsterdam. Thus in 2007 the Institute became equipped with a large and modern conference hall and meeting rooms, all provided with equipment for professional simultaneous translation. The institute has its own kitchen and bedrooms for visitors. Finally, the Institute’s library of 25.000 books and periodicals is a unique resource for researchers in critical social theory and history.

In addition to the Institute’s own activities, it supports broader global and local projects to promote emancipation and social justice. The Institute regularly hosts public lectures and debates organised with other progressive forces in Amsterdam.

The board of the IIRE has appointed a network of Fellows which plays a crucial role in developing critical research Most Fellows teach at universities, but all combine practical experience of activism with scholarly expertise. Fellows edit and contribute to our publications, and take part in lectures and discussions at the Institute in Amsterdam.

The IIRE is an international foundation, recognised in Belgium as an international scientific association by Royal decree of 11^th June 1981.

Nisar Shah,
Director,
IIRE Islamabad

E-mail
rednisar33 hotmail.com,
iireislamabad iire.org