by Bishop James Larbi

Created on: October 04, 2008

Dear Honourable Mr. Blair,

I would like to congratulate you for funding the Tony Blair Faith Foundation, a foundation which certainly has an important mission, an important role to play.

Young people have certainly a special vision and your launch of search for thirty young ambassadors for the millenium development goals is a very important contribution to what is expected to be a fascinating interfaith service. In spring 2009 and for ten months thirty young leaders drawn from different faiths from the United States, United Kingdom and Canada will have the opportunity to establish a new vision of inter-religious interaction that places protecting the welfare of the world's poorest at its centre. These Faiths Act Fellows will become ambassadors for inter-religions cooperation in the fight against the deaths from malaria and the accomplishment of the Millennium Development Goals.

I was very satisfied to hear you saying that "in their ten months of work, Faiths Act Fellows will reach tens of thousands of young people of faith with essential education about the devastating impact of malaria and the ways faiths communities can work together to make a real difference. Inspired by their different religious traditions, they will motivate and equip young people in congregations, schools and university religious student groups to lead their faith communities in spreading the awareness of the MDG challanges, raising life-saving funds for the fight against deaths from malaria and promoting a new inter-religions dialogue of life and action".

500 million people contract malaria each year and 1 million die, the vast majority are in Africa and under 5 years old. However, malaria is both preventable and treatable. Your foundation show us the best way forward in treating this disease. By launching your foundation in May 2008, you made a significant contribution to the promotion of respect and understanding of and between the major religions and to make the case for faith as a force for good in the modern world.

You are certainly quite right in saying that faith plays a crucial role in how the challenges that globalisation presents will be met.

We share a common goal. Together we can certainly achieve more. The thirty young ambassadors for the millenium development goals are expected to deliver an important service, thanks to you. I am a great believer in the vision of young people and whatb they can really offer. I am very happy that you share this belief and I wish you from the bottom of my heart all the best in achieving the goals you have set for your organization.

Yours in Christ.

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