PRIME Minister Tony Blair and Northern Ireland Secretary Mo Mowlam have helped a Skipton man do his bit for peace.

Stuart Wroe is the project leader of an international scheme aimed at bringing together troubled communities in Northern Ireland by working through Catholic and Protestant youngsters living there.

For the past two years Stuart, of Roughaw Road, has travelled to the the site of World War One battlefields at Poperinge in Belgium, working on "reconciliation" workshops with people from all over Europe.

The Belgian town is the home of Talbot House (known as TOC H to the military), a respite centre set up during the war to provide refuge for battle-weary soldiers from the trenches.

As Skipton branch co-ordinator of TOC H - a movement aimed at promoting worldwide reconciliation and denouncing prejudice - he has enlisted the help of Tony Blair and Mo Mowlam to help him introduce youngsters from Northern Ireland to the Poperinge experience.

Stuart said: "Having had experience of international projects, I got in touch with Tony Blair to suggest ideas. I later got a phone call from the director of the Northern Ireland Education Board. He said Mo Mowlam told him to give me a ring.

"It proves that if you want anything to happen you have got to go to the top. Tony Blair and Mo Mowlam have helped a great deal in facilitating this to happen.

"We will be working through a group in Belfast called the Peace People. It was set up five years ago by two ordinary women, one Catholic and one Protestant, who wanted to make a determined effort at reconciliation.

"Their idea was that women could bring peace and they won the Nobel Peace Prize for their efforts.

"With the help of the Peace People we will be taking two groups of six Catholic and Protestant youngsters over to Poperinge. Rather than being a touristy trip to the sites, the two groups will live and work and socialise together.

"It's a time where they can step back and hopefully learn to understand each others point of view."

The Prime Minister has written to Tony wishing him well with the project, saying: "The people of Northern Ireland are uppermost in my thoughts at present.

"They have lived in the shadow of fear and terrorism for too long and deserve all our prayers for a peaceful future.

"I should be very grateful if you could remember them for me."

Stuart's project, known as B99, will take place at Talbot House between July 17 and 24 next year.

The Irish youngsters will make sensitive visits to cemeteries and battle sites, make presentations on peace and explore the causes of conflict and effects of reconciliation.

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