Bush Launches Friendship Through Education Program

U.S. President Bush on Thursday joined leaders of non-governmental, private organizations at Marshall Elementary School in Washington to announce the formation of "Friendship Through Education," says the White House.

The initiative is a consortium of groups facilitating expanded links between U.S. students and students in countries with Muslim populations.

It is very important for us to combat evil with understanding," President Bush told the schoolchildren. "It's very important for us to re-enforce our message in all ways possible to the people in the Islamic world that we don't hold you accountable for what took place (September 11)."

As the first stage in this initiative, three schools in the U.S. communities most directly affected by the terrorist attacks will be linked for student and teacher interchanges with schools in Islamic nations, including Egypt, Indonesia, Qatar, Pakistan, Turkey, Bahrain and Afghan refugee camps.

Initially, the Friendship Through Education consortium will encourage two types of projects: E-Mail PenPals and another project that encourages students to write essays describing the rules, ideals and principles by which they live and explain the sources of their laws of life.

."today I'm here to announce a new initiative, called, Friendship Through Education. And we're going to ask schools all across the country to join with schools in other countries to spread the message that we care for each other, that we want to understand each other better," Bush was quoted as saying.