Italian tenor Bocelli joins with UNESCO to aid children affected by war

Italian opera singer Andrea Bocelli launched a "Voices of the World" musical education program jointly with UNESCO on Wednesday to provide a boost to children affected by armed conflicts. The multi-year program will expand on the renowned blind tenor's 2016 "Voices of Haiti" project that provided musical therapy and training, lessons, rehearsals, playtime and meals to 12,000 children in one of the world's poorest countries.

"Music is a universal language that can influence the human soul in a positive way," Bocelli, 61, told Reuters in Paris after signing a memorandum of understanding with UNESCO to set up similar music education programs in countries such as Mali. The Andrea Bocelli Foundation's new "Voices of the World" program will kick off in 2020 focusing on regions including Syria, Iraq and the Palestinian territories.

"Through the creation of regional choruses and other educational activities, ABF seeks to empower participants and their communities through the tool of music by reinforcing skills, stimulating creativity, fostering collaboration and offering more opportunities to succeed in life," a foundation statement said.