Blair Charity Launches Interfaith School Programme

June 9, 2009

Author: Paul Lauener

Source: Reuters

http://in.reuters.com/article/southAsiaNews/idINIndia-40173620090608

Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair launched a project on Tuesday to get schoolchildren of different religions and countries talking to each other using video-conferencing.

The "Face to Faith" initiative, undertaken by the Tony Blair Faith Foundation, will involve more than 1,000 secondary school students in Asia, Europe and North America who will discuss their views on global affairs,

Blair, who became a Roman Catholic in 2007 after stepping down as prime minister, said in a statement issued by the charity: "It is only by discussing different cultural and religious perspectives that young people can build their awareness of the role of faith in today's world."

Teachers said the issues they hoped to tackle varied from the need to steer children away from militant influences in Pakistan to preventing Islamophobia in British schools.