PEPE

Popular Education for People's Empowerment, Inc. or PEPE is a non-profit, non-governmental organization (NGO) based in the Philippines. It was formed in 1986 by several development-oriented NGOs to serve as a center for their various popular education -- "pop-ed" as we call it -- activities.

PEPE is dedicated to the promotion of "pop-ed" theories and practices as tools towards people's empowerment. As part of its commitment to human development, PEPE provides "pop-ed" services to a diverse set of people: urban poor, peasants, fisherfolk, professionals, women, indigenous peoples, etc. Its services are focused on enhancing these sectors' capacities, knowledge, skills, and attitudes as community educators. This key function has brought PEPE in close contact with numerous developmental organizations, in the process strengthening its advocacy and networking efforts at the community, national and global level.

PEPE's early years were devoted to helping consolidate the ranks of educators within the Philippine NGO and peoples' organization (PO) community. Trainings were mostly geared toward developing educators' capability to respond to the needs of their respective constituencies.

Since then, PEPE has constantly strived to be at the forefront of non-formal, adult education work in the Philippines. Aside from regularly organizing consultations and conferences and facilitating sharings of experiences in education work among educators, PEPE's innovative "pop-ed" concepts and methodologies, particularly in the area of training work, has brought about significant changes in the way many organizations conduct their own education activities.