| [00:00.10] |
From VOA Learning English, |
| [00:02.62] |
this is the Education Report. |
| [00:05.87] |
Former British prime minister Tony Blair |
| [00:09.42] |
recently urged governments around the world |
| [00:12.23] |
to support tolerance programs for young people. |
| [00:16.14] |
Mr Blair told the United Nations Security Council |
| [00:20.19] |
that such programs make it possible for students |
| [00:23.65] |
to accept people of different cultures and religions. |
| [00:27.96] |
The former British leader described education |
| [00:31.65] |
in the 21 century as a security issue. |
| [00:35.90] |
He made the appeal last month at a meeting |
| [00:39.15] |
of the Security Council's Counter-Terrorism Committee. |
| [00:43.41] |
Tony Blair served as prime minister from 1997 to 2007. |
| [00:50.21] |
He currently heads the Tony Blair Faith Foundation. |
| [00:54.46] |
The group seeks to help prevent prejudice, |
| [00:57.62] |
conflict and extremism. |
| [01:00.31] |
It operates tolerance programs |
| [01:02.76] |
in more than 1,000 schools worldwide. |
| [01:06.52] |
Mr Blair said the world faces extremism based on |
| [01:10.92] |
what he called "a perversion of religious belief." |
| [01:15.12] |
He said this way of thinking abuses religion |
| [01:18.62] |
to justify violence against innocent civilians. |
| [01:22.67] |
The former prime minister said |
| [01:25.19] |
people like to belong to something. |
| [01:27.24] |
And that belonging can provide a sense of identity. |
| [01:31.98] |
But he believes that misguided sense of belonging |
| [01:36.09] |
can make people think of others |
| [01:38.29] |
who are different as opponents. |
| [01:41.19] |
He said the wide contacts of today |
| [01:45.72] |
deepen and add greatly to extremism, |
| [01:49.02] |
because people now meet many others |
| [01:51.82] |
who differ from themselves. |
| [01:53.89] |
"The challenge then is to show our young people, |
| [01:57.83] |
who are vulnerable to appeals from terrorists, |
| [02:00.09] |
that there is a better way to live your life, |
| [02:03.04] |
a better path to having your voice heard, |
| [02:06.05] |
a more meaningful way to engage with the world. |
| [02:09.30] |
And we must address the extremists' funding and support |
| [02:13.16] |
so that they have less ability to teach and promote hate, |
| [02:16.76] |
persecution and murder," said Blair. |
| [02:18.91] |
He also said the Tony Blair Faith Foundation |
| [02:23.36] |
has operated its school programs for 4 years. |
| [02:27.67] |
This Face to Faith program as it is called |
| [02:31.47] |
now reaches 50,000 students between the ages of 12 and 17. |
| [02:37.33] |
Some of the students live in western countries, |
| [02:41.03] |
such as Australia, Canada, Italy and the United States. |
| [02:46.19] |
Others live in Egypt, India,Indonesia, Jordan, |
| [02:51.29] |
Pakistan and Philippines. |
| [02:55.36] |
Mr Blair said the students |
| [02:57.31] |
learn the skills needed to prevent conflict |
| [02:59.95] |
by breaking down religious and cultural misunderstandings. |
| [03:04.82] |
He says Face to Faith teaches what he calls "religious literacy." |
| [03:10.72] |
Basically, it works, he said, they love it |
| [03:14.87] |
and it changes their minds and the mindsets. |
| [03:18.22] |
He said many tolerance programs exist, |
| [03:21.42] |
but Mr Blair urged governments to start many more. |
| [03:24.93] |
"Let the young people in your country |
| [03:27.52] |
experience firsthand an opportunity to learn about the world |
| [03:31.65] |
and to form a relationship with someone far away |
| [03:34.79] |
who may not look like them, |
| [03:36.14] |
but for whom, |
| [03:37.51] |
once they have been schooled in cross-cultural education, |
| [03:40.65] |
they may see themselves in," said Blair. |
| [03:42.50] |
And he said his Foundation is willing to work |
| [03:46.71] |
in any country that invites it. |
| [03:49.42] |
From VOA Learning English, that's the Education Report. |
| [03:56.18] |
I'm Jerilyn Watson. |
