Hundreds of Bradford schoolchildren and their teachers are taking part in an exhibition aimed at building cross-community understanding and tolerance.

Organised by the cross-cultural educational group Heartstone the week-long Descendants of All Worlds exhibition at Saltaire's Victoria Hall is helping youngsters explore and tackle issues of prejudice, intolerance and citizenship.

Heartstone uses real-life stories and photographs from around the world to build cross-cultural understanding.

The event - which was launched with a conference for teachers and others working in education - is featuring a series of multi-media workshops, including a visit from some of the Dragoon Guards who served as United Nations peacekeepers in Kosovo and a dance and drama performance.

Speaking at the opening of the exhibition Heartstone director Sitakumari said: "The way Heartstone works directly addresses the issues raised by the Cantle report on community cohesion and Sir Herman Ouseley's report on community relations in Bradford.

"Heartstone stresses the importance of open and honest dialogue to confront issues, find solutions and encourage a concept of citizenship that places a higher value on cultural difference.

"The aim is to provide a practical mechanism which will bring people together.

"The message is that we need to work together and that there are more important things to do in the world than fight. We need to build cooperation, understanding and respect instead and there's never been a more better time to do that than now.''

Bradford Council leader Councillor Margaret Eaton said she hoped the exhibition would help young people address and challenge prejudice. "We're bidding to become a European Capital of Culture in 2008 and need to foster a greater understanding between our communities and celebrate the wealth and diversity of our different cultures," she said.

"Heartstone provides a great opportunity for young people to engage in this and address one of the most serious issues facing our district. Hopefully they will go away feeling more positive about themselves in the context of their lives here in Bradford and its future.''

Naina Patel, the UK's deputy representative on the European Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia, said she hoped the event would help change people's perceptions and encourage people to feel comfortable with racial, cultural and religious differences.

"The Ouseley report recognised the tremendous spirit and enthusiasm among young people in Bradford and if we don't capitalise on that we'll have lost a valuable opportunity,'' she said.

The Lord Mayor of Bradford, Councillor Ghazanfer Khaliq, hoped the exhibition would help foster a ''greater tolerance and understanding between cultures in Bradford'' by enabling young people to explore themes of citizenship.