• This program has greater importance as the world deals with the pandemic’s impact on youth education

LONDON: 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.

SPA