Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung: Promoting justice, equality and sustainable democracy in the Philippines

The Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) was founded in 1925 as a political legacy of Germany’s first democratically elected president, Friedrich Ebert.

Friedrich Ebert (1871-1925), a Social Democrat from a humble crafts background who had risen to hold the highest political office in Germany, had proposed the establishment of a foundation to further political and social education of individuals from all walks of life in the spirit of democracy and pluralism; to facilitate access to education for gifted young people by providing scholarships; and to contribute to international understanding and cooperation.

The Foundation, banned by the Nazis in 1933 and not re-established until 1947, continues today to pursue these aims in all its activities.

With headquarters in Berlin, the FES supports activities in more than 100 countries, and maintains a network of branch offices in some 90 countries. Its cooperating partners include national and local governmental agencies and offices, civil society organizations (CSOs) and networks, environmental groups, women’s groups, trade unions, professional associations, people’s organizations, research and academic institutions, and human rights groups.

In the Philippines, the FES has been active since 1964, cooperating with CSOs, labor groups, the academe and government. It seeks to contribute to consolidating democratic institutions and in strengthening an inclusive political system and a people-centered economic development.

As part of its goal of democracy promotion, the FES has supported efforts of local partners to engage in political system reforms (e.g., Federalism discussions, Election Law reform, Party Development Bill, etc.), and to strengthen active citizenship by building a constituency for transparency and accountability among young people. To promote workers’ rights and decent work, the FES has also been working with local and global trade unions to advance security of tenure, occupational safety and health, fair wages, gender justice in the workplace, and social protection. It also has a long-standing cooperation with NGOs to ensure that migrant labor policies are developed and implemented to promote migrants’ rights and welfare.

The Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung also supports economic reform initiatives, such as inclusive discussions on the tax reform proposals, and on a more coherent and strategic Industrial Policy for the Philippines.

In the area of security sector reform (SSR), with a focus on the democratic control of the armed forces, the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung has pioneered SSR workshops with local stakeholders, in cooperation with the DCAF Foundation of Geneva. It has also been supporting the capacity-building of “Bantay Bayanihan,” (now known as “Bantay Bayanihan sa Kapayapaan”) a national network of 180 groups, which institutionalized the participation of civil society and relevant agencies in the implementation of the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ (AFP) Internal Peace and Security Plan (IPSP). Since 2013, the FES has also partnered with the National Defense College of the Philippines (NDCP) and the AFP in an Operational Law Course (‘OpLaw’) designed to promote understanding of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights Law in the context of the military’s Rules of Engagement (ROE).

Initiatives on the promotion of renewable energy (RE) are also currently being supported by the Foundation, believing that energy, being one of the most important inputs to development, should not only be efficient but also accessible, sustainable, and economically viable. The Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung works with RE experts, power advocates, policymakers, local government officials, and CSOs in pushing for energy democracy and RE development in the Philippines.

For more information, visit the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung website at www.fes.org.ph/