These are times of tumultuous change. The twentieth century order is history; and the forces of globalization are pushing all of the economies of the world – and all of the citizens of the world, with their great diversity of religious faiths – more closely together.

Global interdependence is a reality. And faith is inextricably linked to that interdependence.

As we have seen, faith can be a source of division and destruction. But faith can also be a source of reconciliation, not conflict.

The Tony Blair Faith Foundation, which we announced in the spring of 2008, aims to promote the positive role of the world's faiths in the global realities of the twenty-first century, and to demonstrate the positive results that people of diverse faiths, working together, can accomplish.

One key way in which the foundation hopes to accomplish these aims is through education.

And so we are delighted to be partnering with Yale University, and with the Yale Divinity School and the Yale School of Management, to create the Faith and Globalization seminar, which I will co-teach with members of the Yale faculty.

The seminar itself is but one aspect of our cooperative efforts: in addition to becoming an ongoing course at Yale, we expect that the curricula and ideas originated in the Yale seminar will serve as the foundation for courses at other universities around the world.

We also intend for the Yale Faith and Globalization seminar to stimulate important academic research in this critically important area, and we hope the outlines and articles and other materials found on this website will serve as a global resource for scholars and citizens alike – for anyone who is interested in learning about the world's diverse religions and their potential roles for the greater public good in the global economy.

Indeed, for everyone who believes, as I fundamentally do, that values must unify, not divide, us. And that faith can serve as a means for peace, progress, and prosperity for all of the peoples of the world.

Thank you.