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From VOA Learning English, |
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this is the Education Report. |
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Former British prime minister Tony Blair |
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recently urged governments around the world |
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to support tolerance programs for young people. |
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Mr Blair told the United Nations Security Council |
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that such programs make it possible for students |
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to accept people of different cultures and religions. |
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The former British leader described education |
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in the 21 century as a security issue. |
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He made the appeal last month at a meeting |
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of the Security Council's Counter-Terrorism Committee. |
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Tony Blair served as prime minister from 1997 to 2007. |
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He currently heads the Tony Blair Faith Foundation. |
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The group seeks to help prevent prejudice, |
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conflict and extremism. |
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It operates tolerance programs |
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in more than 1,000 schools worldwide. |
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Mr Blair said the world faces extremism based on |
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what he called "a perversion of religious belief." |
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He said this way of thinking abuses religion |
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to justify violence against innocent civilians. |
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The former prime minister said |
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people like to belong to something. |
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And that belonging can provide a sense of identity. |
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But he believes that misguided sense of belonging |
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can make people think of others |
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who are different as opponents. |
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He said the wide contacts of today |
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deepen and add greatly to extremism, |
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because people now meet many others |
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who differ from themselves. |
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"The challenge then is to show our young people, |
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who are vulnerable to appeals from terrorists, |
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that there is a better way to live your life, |
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a better path to having your voice heard, |
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a more meaningful way to engage with the world. |
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And we must address the extremists' funding and support |
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so that they have less ability to teach and promote hate, |
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persecution and murder," said Blair. |
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He also said the Tony Blair Faith Foundation |
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has operated its school programs for 4 years. |
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This Face to Faith program as it is called |
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now reaches 50,000 students between the ages of 12 and 17. |
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Some of the students live in western countries, |
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such as Australia, Canada, Italy and the United States. |
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Others live in Egypt, India,Indonesia, Jordan, |
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Pakistan and Philippines. |
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Mr Blair said the students |
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learn the skills needed to prevent conflict |
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by breaking down religious and cultural misunderstandings. |
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He says Face to Faith teaches what he calls "religious literacy." |
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Basically, it works, he said, they love it |
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and it changes their minds and the mindsets. |
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He said many tolerance programs exist, |
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but Mr Blair urged governments to start many more. |
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"Let the young people in your country |
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experience firsthand an opportunity to learn about the world |
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and to form a relationship with someone far away |
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who may not look like them, |
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but for whom, |
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once they have been schooled in cross-cultural education, |
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they may see themselves in," said Blair. |
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And he said his Foundation is willing to work |
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in any country that invites it. |
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From VOA Learning English, that's the Education Report. |
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I'm Jerilyn Watson. |