LONDON, England- Tony Blair, Former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, wrote in his article for The Reporter that education is now a security issue. Blair took a deep look into the state of foreign affairs. He revealed how education affects global security and what must be done to improve it.
Blair described how much the dialogue about global security has changed since he last spoke at the United Nations Security Council in September 2000. It was a different time 13 years ago. Blair explained that it was the decade after the fall of the Berlin Wall and security was not the major issue that it is today.
Blair described the atmosphere as light and positive. The discussion among U.N. members was focused on ridding the developing world of poverty.
Fast forward to the present time and a stark contrast exists between the years 2000 and 2014. Blair described the first days of 2014 as having a dark mood when he returned to the Security Council to speak for the first time in 13 years.
The past 13 years have been plagued by an increase in terrorist and violent attacks based on what Blair referred to as a false view on religion. Non-state actors and even some state actors have been the perpetrators.
Regardless of who carried out the attacks, Blair named division and conflict due to religious differences as the cause. He recognized religious division and conflict as the new struggle of the twenty-first century.
The struggle will not end until the root cause is determined. Blair revealed that extremist networks understand the power of education and use it to propagate violence to young people.
Extremists teach young people to believe that those who disagree with their religious beliefs are their enemy and God’s enemy.
Blair argued that a proactive approach must be taken rather than a reactive approach for security. Security matters typically focus on the consequences following the attack.
Blair explained that states implement immediate security measures after the attack has taken place. Efforts are put toward hunting down the terrorists and then everything returns to normal until there is another attack.
The best prevention, according to Blair, is education. Education provides vulnerable young people with the understanding that there are positive ways to be heard and engage with the world.
Blair advocated to the Security Council for an education program that encourages a close bond between young people and those who are not like them.
Moreover, Blair emphasized the importance of an education that shows how people respected as equals, no matter their faith or culture, is the only succeeding future.
Blair pressed for all the countries to create cultural and religious literacy education programs. He has led by example with the Tony Blair Faith Foundation’s Face to Faith program. The program is active in 20 countries and more than 1,000 schools. More than 50,000 students between the ages of 12 and 17 years old are in the program.
Students from diverse faith and belief perspectives are given a unique opportunity to discuss global issues through facilitated video conferences in the Face to Faith program. Religious and cultural stereotypes are broken down in the process. As a result, students develop dialogue skills needed to keep conflict from occurring.
Special arrangements are made for schools in impoverished communities that do not have access to the Internet.
Students gain a respect for one another’s faith and beliefs from the early and positive exposure given by the Face to Faith program.
The U.N. works in close collaboration with the Faith Foundation on global education initiatives and counter-terrorism efforts.
– Brittany Mannings
Sources: The Reporter, United Nations
Photo: Mirror