Tony Blair launches faith foundation

by amyjudd | May 30, 2008 at 01:39 pm | 148 views | 3 comments

Tony Blair, John Prescott and David Blunkett visit the OU

Former British prime minister Tony Blair has launched a faith foundation, in which he hopes to tackle global poverty, challenge conflict and unite the world's religions.
I say good luck to him - it seems like an impossible task, but I suppose that's why it's called the 'faith' foundation, as you need to have faith for something like that to succeed.

Mr Blair, who is a Roman Catholic, unveiled the foundation in New York.

The Tony Blair Faith Foundation has three aims: to promote faith as a force for good, improve awareness between religions and tackle poverty and war.

Mr Blair said there was "nothing more important" than creating understanding between different faiths and cultures.

Before the official launch at the headquarters of media group Time Warner, he said: "Religious faith will be of the same significance to the 21st Century as political ideology was to the 20th Century.

'Peaceful co-existence'

"In an era of globalisation, there is nothing more important than getting people of different faiths and cultures to understand each other better and live in peace and mutual respect; and to give faith itself its proper place in the future."

At the launch in New York he said: "The characteristic of today's world is change. The consequence is a world opening up and becoming inter-dependent.

"The conclusion is that we make sense of this inter-dependence through peaceful co-existence and working together to resolve common challenges."

In another interview with Time magazine, Mr Blair, who is now a peace envoy to the Middle East, said the foundation was "how I want to spend the rest of my life".

The vocation is something the former prime minister has been considering for some time.

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azzayindia

at 13:48 on May 30th, 2008

good stuff:

amyjudd, I like this story. It's good stuff.

well now he has the time it is a good passtime for him

generaldecay

at 13:56 on May 30th, 2008

I wonder if I'm the only one who's cynical about this - I would imagine not.

Blair is bored since leaving No 10, I think, and he really wants something to do. He's had his fingers in a lot of pies since in the last year.

Swan

at 21:09 on May 30th, 2008

good stuff:

Hello Amy,

Good story! He certainly has a mammoth job ahead of him, if Blair thinks he can succeed, when and where better leaders have failed in the past.

I would love to see something truly positive be accomplished by the Faith Foundation and sincerely hope that the media will always be aware, of where, when, why and to whom any donations are actually applied.
~ Swan