Tony Blair Faith Foundation

A thought provoking, topical and witty keynote speech from 'Digital Nun' Dame Catherine Wybourne at the Faith 2.0 Religion and the Internet conference. This was a one day conference the Tony Blair Faith Foundation and Durham University held at the RSA exploring the impact of the internet on religious identity, community and authority.

“The moments of happiness we enjoy take us by surprise. It is not that we seize them, but that they seize us.” It was just a small poster stating an event called Faith Shorts. It was a movie making competition. Something I had never done before. The theme for the inaugural competition was “Let Me Show You How My Faith Inspires Me”. It started out with planning out the plot, the pitch and etching out different characters. Finally my pitch was selected and was sent a camera. This marked the beginning of an informative journey.

On World Malaria Day I was honoured alongside some incredibly dedicated campaigners against malaria such as Ray Chambers, Ted Turner and Yvonne Chaka Chaka as one of the UN's 25 Champions to End Malaria.I was there on behalf of everyone who has participated in my Foundation's Faiths Act campaign against malaria, so I want to take this opportunity to thank you for all you've done to bring your faith communities together to raise funds and awareness to combat malaria.As UK Prime Minister, I signed a commitment to the Millennium Development Goals, and since then I have witnessed the multitude of

(Krio for ‘always sleep under a bed net’ and this year’s NMCP slogan for the Roll Back Malaria Campaign) 25th April, Lumley, Freetown, Sierra Leone Saloneons love to collect T-shirts, hats and badges for every occasion and the forthcoming 50th anniversary of independence is no exception, everyone is wearing the flag colours with the 50th logo on. You simply can’t miss the preparations with banners and flags everywhere. Road side kerbs, street lights and fences painted green white and blue, even miscellaneous rocks in the middle of roundabouts!

Rev Joel Edwards, Internatonal Director of Micah Challenge, shares a reflection on Easter. He finishes by saying that is appropriate that the world should be focusing on the 3/4 million people dying each year of malaria; "It is right at this time that humanity should stop and embrace the spirit of Easter, the vulnerability of pain and yet the sense of resurrection and hope in what we can achieve if we work together under the spirit of Easter"

Rev Joel Edwards, Internatonal Director of Micah Challenge, shares a reflection on Easter. He finishes by saying that is appropriate that the world should be focusing on the 3/4 million people dying each year of malaria; "It is right at this time that humanity should stop and embrace the spirit of Easter, the vulnerability of pain and yet the sense of resurrection and hope in what we can achieve if we work together under the spirit of Easter"

Last April, the Tony Blair Faith Foundation set a challenge to people of different faith to come together to help end deaths from malaria. People from around the world organised concerts, bake-a-thons, sleep outs, movie screenings and even jumped out of planes to raise awareness and funds. Working together with governments and NGOs, faith communities helped reduce deaths from malaria from one every 30 seconds to one every 45 seconds. But even a single death from malaria is one too many.

By Tony Blair Published on 21st April 2011 The latest household survey in Sierra Leone found that more than 24 per cent of children under five had been suffering from fever in the past two weeks. It also reported that in 2008 only 26 per cent of under-fives and 27 per cent of pregnant women slept under impregnated bed-nets. Only 15 per cent of children with fever received an antimalarial drug within 24 hours of the onset of their symptoms. I have visited Sierra Leone several times in the past three years.

Greetings of peace, light and blessings from URI Africa. As you know, peace is not only the absence of war, it is also the existence of health, the practice of the Golden Rule, safety in matters of social or economic welfare, the acknowledgment of equality, and fairness in all relationships. I want to appeal to all URI CCs to bring our voice together on the issue of Malaria and do whatever we can to solve this global problem. I am brining this issue to your kind attention because approximately half of the world's population is at risk of malaria, particularly those living in lower-income count

Rabbi Wolpe shares a reflection on the Jewish festival of Passover. The Tony Blair Faith Foundation would like to extend our warmest wishes to everyone celebrating this evening.