Tony Blair Faith Foundation

On behalf of the Tony Blair Faith Foundation. Tony Blair wishes everyone a Happy Christmas.

For the 2009/2010 Faiths Act Fellowship, I was placed with my partner Elyse in the city of Ottawa to create an interfaith movement of young leaders working towards the Millennium Development Goals. Being from Vancouver, I’ve always considered it home but after the eight months I spent in Ottawa, I feel that I have a special connection to that city and it’s my home away from home.

I am glad to share with you our solidirTEA event that took place last evening in Kauga Village Mukono Township.It was a very joyful moment, well attended by all the people I invited. Hosting this event was so beautiful seeing people of different faiths; Muslims, Catholics, Seventh Say Adventists, Anglicans coming together to honour the 10th – 20th December SolidariTEA campaign and issues regarding the Millennium Development Goals particularly putting an end to extreme poverty  with in their communities.

As one of the inaugural group of Faiths Act Fellows with the Tony Blair Faith Foundation my job was to encourage local multi-faith action in support of the Millennium Development Goals. It was inspiring to witness how the impact of action on global poverty was multiplied when people of different faiths stood side by side, both on the ground in Africa and in the local communities we worked with in the UK. I believe that making trade fairer is one of the most effective ways of eradicating poverty.

Following a successful trip, run through the Prince of Wales Teaching Institute, in the summer term where Pleckgate and Bowland worked together another joint event was held recently to look at team building and SolidariTea. In total one hundred and twenty pupils from Bowland came to Pleckgate to work with thirty pupils from year nine looking at raising awareness of interfaith friendships with activities from the SolidariTea charity, a branch of the Tony Blair Faith Foundation.

Following a successful trip, run through the Prince of Wales Teaching Institute, in the summer term where Pleckgate and Bowland worked together another joint event was held recently to look at team building and SolidariTea. In total one hundred and twenty pupils from Bowland came to Pleckgate to work with thirty pupils from year nine looking at raising awareness of interfaith friendships with activities from the SolidariTea charity, a branch of the Tony Blair Faith Foundation.

Today on UN International Human Rights Day students from Aboud Secondary Boys School in the Palestinian Territories, Salwan Public Afternoon School in India and Nottingham Girls’ High School in UK engaged in a live video-conference with Tony Blair, Founder of the Tony Blair Faith Foundation.

UN International Human Rights Day marks the beginning of 10 days of SolidariTEA. From 10-20 December, people around the world are celebrating what people can do when they come together to work on common action for the common good - in classrooms, places of worship, workplaces, dorms and residences. Find all the tools and information you need to show some solidarity at www.solidaritea.org

Today on UN International Human Rights Day students from India, Pakistan, the Palestinian Territories, United Arab Emirates, UK, US and Canada will be connecting in a series of video conferences around Human Rights questions.

It’s 8.30 in Jakarta. It’s the Hijriyah New Year break, and a small group of Yr 13 students, (Andre Sinaga, Anthony Tanudjaja, Daniel Loekman, Kelvin Wijaya and Kevin Ganiswarna) are now on their way to pick up the Indonesian children from the shanty. Students at Apeejaye Secondary School, New Delhi, India, and also preparing for the VC.