Arab News, Monday, Aug 23, 2021 | Muharram 15, 1443
Muslim World League, Tony Blair Institute for Global Change sign deal to empower 100,000 young people
Saudi Arabia:
The Muslim World League and
the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change have launched a new partnership to
bring together their common vision to serve the future generation of youth.
There are about 1.8 billion young people in the
world and many of them face a myriad of challenges, such as poverty, violence,
exclusion and negative perceptions. They are not getting the information they
need or learning the necessary skills to thrive in an increasingly
interconnected world. They also feel that they do not have a secure platform
that gives them the confidence to share their opinions and make choices that
affect their future and the way they live.
The MWL and the TBI will work together over the
next three years to deliver a global education program to equip more than
100,000 young people aged 13 to 17 in more than 18 countries around the world
with critical thinking and dialogue skills.
The program will work through networks of schools
and education partners around the world to train more than 2,400 teachers in
active listening and global communication to transfer these skills to their
students.
This will contribute to building greater mutual
understanding, tolerance and trust between young people and their communities
and correct perceptions of religious and cultural diversity.
The program will also build a broader dialogue
between followers of different religions and cultures within diverse
communities, utilizing young people’s empathy and understanding of those who are
different from them in their daily lives, their families and their communities.
This program has greater importance as the world
deals with the pandemic’s impact on youth education. Learning dialogue skills is
vital to building bridges of understanding and exchange, combating
misinformation and building empathy among young people.
The TBI is a nonprofit organization whose mission
is to equip leaders and governments for a global future, by shaping debate and
providing expert advice to help leaders build open, inclusive, and prosperous
societies in an increasingly interconnected world.