The Indian students will be speaking from their classroom in Delhi, the Palestinian pupils from Hope Flowers School in Bethlehem, and the British group from London’s Grosvenor Square. The entire conversation will be conducted via video-link. Oh, and there is the small matter of a special guest appearance from Tony Blair.

The launch of the Tony Blair Faith Foundation “Face to Faith” programme, bringing young people from across the world together via video-conference to discuss global issues, faith and belief, is an exciting step for youth interfaith. Although organisations like Global Nomads have long demonstrated the effectiveness of long-distance learning, this is new territory for 3ff.

Having been asked to facilitate links between schools in Pakistan, Singapore, USA, Canada, Lebanon and Jordan, I was struck by how profound and how strange it is to facilitate from my laptop. When a classroom is full, I’m on my toes, reacting instinctively to body-language and facial expressions and – best of all –witnessing those “aha” moments. The feeling of adrenaline is intense. Will I get that same adrenaline from sitting in the comfort of my office chair, glancing between four split-screens with a cup of tea in reach?

Facilitating Video-conferencing (known as “V/C”) has its challenges. Even with the widest of camera-angles, reduced body language signals make it difficult to judge the mood among each group of participants. Facilitation veteran Christine Hogan advocates learning to read “e-body  language”.

Another challenge will be getting the attention of students taking too much talk-time, or breaking the all-important “Rules 4 Dialogue.” Thankfully, our V/C co-ordinator Linda informs me that we will be able to mute individual classes so we can challenge rule-breaking or unacceptable behaviour. What a stroke of genius. I just hope I don’t accidentally mute Tony Blair when he starts asking the students questions.

These worries cannot quash my excitement. V/C can take place more frequently than a face to face meeting, and has an added novelty factor which I think the Skype generation will love. It can also create a new kind of safe space, removing the physical presence of social cliques and hierarchies in the classroom, which may encourage more participation. I can’t wait to hear what the students have to say. Will the ideas they raise be similar or different to those voiced in UK classrooms? Will cultural differences be a strong theme, or will common experience of being young override difference? And how will individuals represent the diversity within their classrooms when stepping up to the mic?

Already I have big dreams of how to use this technology at 3ff – linking classes from faith schools for encounters before they meet face-to-face; involving schools outside London that we can’t currently reach; even facilitator and teacher training via V/C. As I catch myself dreaming of a real-life mute button to use in our more boisterous schools’ workshops, I feel sure that the adrenaline rush will come just as soon as I see those faces on my screen. As in real-life encounters, nothing can beat the moment of connection.