Blair Urges UN to Support Tolerance Programs

布莱尔督促各国支持包容课程

From VOA Learning English, this is the Education Report.

这里是美国之音慢速英语教育报道。

Former British prime minister Tony Blair recently urged governments around the world to support tolerance programs for young people. Mr Blair told the United Nations Security Council that such programs make it possible for students to accept people of different cultures and religions.

英国前首席托尼·布莱尔（Tony Blair）日前督促世界各国政府支持针对年轻人的包容课程。布莱尔对联合国安理会表示，这类课程使得学生们能够接受来不同文化和宗教的人群。

The former British leader described education in the 21 century as a security issue. He made the appeal last month at a meeting of the Security Council's Counter-Terrorism Committee.

布莱尔称21世纪的教育是一个安全议题。他上月在安理会反恐委员会的会议上做出了上述表示。

Tony Blair served as prime minister from 1997 to 2007. He currently heads the Tony Blair Faith Foundation. The group seeks to help prevent prejudice, conflict and extremism. It operates tolerance programs in more than 1,000 schools worldwide.

布莱尔于1997年到2007年期间担任英国首相。目前他领导着托尼·布莱尔信仰基金会。该组织寻求帮助预防偏见、冲突和极端主义，并在全球1000多所学校开设了包容课程。

Mr Blair said the world faces extremism based on what he called "a perversion of religious belief." He said this way of thinking abuses religion to justify violence against innocent civilians.

布莱尔表示，全球面临着基于他所谓的“曲解宗教信仰”的恐怖主义。他说，这种思维方式滥用宗教为针对无辜平民的暴力行为辩解。

The former prime minister said people like to belong to something. And that belonging can provide a sense of identity. But he believes that misguided sense of belonging can make people think of others who are different as a potency. He said the wide contacts of today deepen and add greatly to extremism, because people now meet many others who differ from themselves.

布莱尔说，人们喜欢归属于一些信仰，这种归属感能够提供一种认同感。但他认为，这种被误导的归属感会让人们将与自己（信仰）不同的人视为敌人。他说，如今社会联系更加广泛，也深化和加剧了极端主义。因为现在人们能见到了更多与自己不同的人。

"The challenge then is to show our young people, who are vulnerable to appeals from terrorists, that there is a better way to live your life, a better path to having your voice heard, a more meaningful way to engage with the world. And we must address the extremists' funding and support so that they have less ability to teach and promote hate, persecution and murder," said Blair.

布莱尔说，“随之而来的挑战就是向容易受到恐怖分子言论影响的年轻一代表明，有一种更好的方式来过你生活，有一种更好的途径让你的意见被大家所听见，有一种更有意义的方式与世界沟通。我们必须解决掉恐怖分子的资助和支持，这样他们鼓动仇恨、迫害和谋杀的能力就会降低。”

He also said the Tony Blair Faith Foundation has operated its school programs for 4 years. This Face to Faith program as it is called now reaches 50,000 students between the ages of 12 and 17. Some of the students live in western countries, such as Australia, Canada, Italy and the United States. Others live in Egypt, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Pakistan and Philippines.

他还表示，托尼·布莱尔信仰基金会运作该课程已达4年之久。这一他们自称为“从表到里（Face to Faith）”的课程目前影响了5000名年龄在12到17岁的学生。这些学生有些住在西方国家，如澳大利亚、加拿大、意大利和美国。其他人居住埃及、印度、印度尼西亚、约旦、巴基斯坦和菲律宾。

Mr Blair said the students learn the skills needed to prevent conflict by breaking down religious and cultural misunderstandings. He says Face to Faith teaches what he calls "religious literacy." Basically, it works, he said, they love it and it changes their minds and the mindsets.

布莱尔表示，这些学生们学习了一些通过打破宗教和文化误解预防冲突的技巧。他说，从表到里（Face to Faith）课程讲授他所谓的“宗教素养。” 他说基本上该课程行之有效，学生们喜欢这一课程，而该课程也改变了他们的思想和心态。

He said many tolerance programs exist, but Mr Blair urged governments to start many more.

他说，现在有很多包容课程存在，但布莱尔督促各国政府开设更多这类课程。

"Let the young people in your country experience firsthand an opportunity to learn about the world and to form a relationship with someone far away who may not look like them, but for whom, once they have been schooled in cross-cultural education, they may see themselves in," said Blair.

布莱尔说，“让你国家的年轻人亲身体验了解世界并和远方可能不同于自己的人结识的这么一个机会。但对他们来说，一旦他们经历这一跨文化教育的教育，他们就会更了解自己。”

And he said his Foundation is willing to work in any country that invites it.

布莱尔还表示，他的基金会愿意到任何邀请它的国家去运作。

From VOA Learning English, that's the Education Report. I'm Jerilyn Watson.