Former prime minister Tony Blair today launched a new global education programme designed to put children from different faiths in contact with each other to aid understanding.

Mr Blair said he believed that religious differences played a part in many international conflicts. "If you look round the different parts of the world and you look at conflicts, I would say a very large percentage of them have a religious dimension or a faith dimension to them," said Mr Blair at the launch at the London offices of the Tony Blair Faith Foundation. "So to get young people at an early age to be comfortable with people of a different faith is extremely important."

The Face to Faith project will encourage video conferencing and eventually even meetings between children of different faiths and nationalities. It is based on the concept that "religious literacy" is a vital skill in a globalised and multicultural society.

The launch was marked by an international video link-up between pupils from Bolton, Delhi and Bethlehem.

Palestinian pupils aged 11 to 16 from a school in the Middle East put questions to Mr Blair in London via a live video link. Pupils from Westhoughton Technology College in Bolton were at the table with Mr Blair.

The Faith Foundation was created by Mr Blair after stepping down as prime minister to promote better relations between world religions.

Mr Blair said: “The Face to Faith programme provides students with a unique opportunity to interact across continents, to talk about their own faith, and learn more about other religions and cultures. It is only by discussing different cultural and religious perspectives that young people can build their awareness of the role of faith in today’s world.”

Designed by an international group of education experts and piloted with more than 1,000 students on three continents, Face to Faith uses video conferencing, an online community and a course syllabus to support encounter, exploration and exchange between young people of different faiths.

Face to Faith can also be used for the project component of the Global Perspectives IGSCE from Cambridge Assessment as well as for a range of national RE, Humanities, Social Sciences and Citizenship qualifications and curricula.

Phil Hart, head teacher of Westhoughton Technology College, said: “Our students have welcomed the opportunity to discuss important global issues with people of different faiths in an engaging manner that challenges many of the negative views that are regularly portrayed across the media. I am confident that connecting young people across the globe and facilitating discussion and exploration, will have a positive impact on cultural understanding and intolerance, irrespective of an individual’s faiths and beliefs."

The programme has already been taken up by schools in India, Singapore, Pakistan, Palestinian Territories, Thailand, Indonesia, Lebanon, the US and Canada.

According to the foundation, schools that have taken part in the pilot schemes are already reporting increased awareness by their students of the role of faith in today’s world as well as improved communication, critical thinking and problem-solving skills from collaborating with those of different faiths and cultures.

Annika Small, the foundation's education director, said: “Drawing on educational best practice, Face to Faith promotes active participation, collaboration and personal reflection which helps students to explore diversity both within and between religious traditions. By encouraging young people to enter into genuine dialogue with each other, Face to Faith leads students to a deeper understanding of their own beliefs and worldviews as well as those of others. The pilots have shown there is real enthusiasm for this sort of encounter and exchange within a structured framework, which supports collaborative learning and respect for difference.”