About Us

The Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) is a German non-profit, private educational foundation committed to the concepts and basic values of social democracy.

The FES promotes democracy and social justice within the context of national societies as well as international cooperation. Its projects give special focus on:

• Empowering marginalized social sectors and groups to represent their interests in areas of socio-economic and socio-political decision-making;
• Promoting socio-political dialogue between various groups in the understanding, that peace and democracy can only prevail on the basis of sharing and compromising;
• Exchange program and international cooperation to build awareness of global interdependence of states and societies and the need for multilateralism with fair participation.

FES is an internationally-oriented organization with activities in more than 100 countries. While its headquarters is located in Bonn, it maintains a network of branch offices in some 70 countries. The FES Philippines Office is based in Metro Manila. It was established in 1964.

FES cooperating partners come from all walks of life and include: Authorities and offices of central state and local government, NGOs and NGO-Networks, environmental groups, women and feminist organizations, trade unions, professional associations, peoples organizations, research and academic institutions, and human rights groups.

HEADQUARTERS

Staff

A total of 570 (2005) in the offices in Bonn and Berlin, the four academies and thirteen State and regional offices and abroad. Budget Approximately 111 million Euro (2005); mainly public funding. Events In Germany alone more than 150,000 persons took part in some 3,000 educational courses, discussion forums and special-subject conferences in 2005. International cooperation Activities in more than 100 countries. Scholarships Approximately 1700 students received a scholarship in 2003, 250 of them from abroad. Over 400 new scholarships were awarded that same year.

Library Largest specialized library on the German and international labour movement with over 700,000 volumes. Archives Largest collection of documents on the history of the labour movement in Germany.

History

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 his country, in response to his own painful experience in political confrontation had proposed the establishment of a foundation to serve the following aims:

Furthering political und social education of individuals from all walks of life in the spirit of democracy and pluralism, Facilitating access to university education and research for gifted young people by providing scholarships, Contributing to international understanding and cooperation. The Foundation, which was banned by the Nazis in 1933 and not re-established until 1947, continues today to pursue these aims in all its extensive activities.

As a private cultural non-profit institution, it is committed to the ideas and basic values of social democracy.