Tony Blair will launch a radically new global education programme, Face to Faith, that engages secondary school students of different faiths across the world in learning directly with, from and about each other – The City`s School in Bhit Shah, Sindh, has been selected to be in the first wave of this exciting new project involving schools in ten countries on four continents.

Tony Blair said: “The Face to Faith programme provides students with a unique opportunity to interact across continents, to talk about their own faith, and learn more about other religions and cultures. 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.”

Designed by an international group of education experts and piloted with more than 1,000 students on three continents, Face to Faith uses video conferencing, an online community and a course syllabus to support encounter, exploration and exchange between young people of different faiths. Face to Faith contributes to the project component of the ‘Global Perspectives’ IGSCE from Cambridge Assessment as well as to a range of national RE, Humanities, Social Sciences and Citizenship qualifications and curricula.

Danish Jatoi, Principal of The City School in Sindh has been an early pioneer of the programme, and his pupils have responded superbly. The City School’s engagement in Face to Faith is indicative of the way in which Pakistan is increasingly embracing the concepts of a globalised world and the way in which people of different faiths must live within it. They have made a valuable contribution to the development of this programme.

The programme has already been taken up by schools in India, Singapore, Lebanon, Palestinian Territories, Thailand, Indonesia, the US, the UK and Canada, who have recognised the programme’s potential to improve young people’s religious literacy, which is a vital skill in an increasingly complex, global society. Schools who have participated in the pilots are already reporting increased awareness by their students of the role of faith in today’s world as well as improved communication, critical thinking and problem-solving skills from collaborating with those of different faiths and cultures.

Annika Small, Director of Education, Tony Blair Faith Foundation: “Drawing on educational best practice, Face to Faith promotes active participation, collaboration and personal reflection which helps students to explore diversity both within and between religious traditions. By encouraging young people to enter into genuine dialogue with each other, Face to Faith leads students to a deeper understanding of their own beliefs and worldviews as well as those of others. The pilots have shown there is real enthusiasm for this sort of encounter and exchange within a structured framework, which supports collaborative learning and respect for difference.”