The 80:20 organisation's sub-title is Educating and Acting for a Better World. Among the many projects pioneered by the organisation - made up of young people, teachers, development educationalists and community workers - is a young people's project about peace and reconciliation issues in the Republic, Northern Ireland and Britain, entitled Let's Talk.

Since the Let's Talk project started last Autumn, hundreds of young people, from about 15 years upwards and of different religions and, possibly, none, have attended weekend workshops where they have discussed, analysed, acted out and projected their ideas about a peace process, just as senior political figures were engaged on a parallel, if not necessarily, similar process. Before Let's Talk has completed its work in some 18 months time, over 5,000 young people from schools and youth groups around these islands will have taken part in the consultative process and will have formulated their own unqiue views about how the peace process can be advanced and cemented.

Let's Talk is based on three core assumptions. The first argues that the issue of peace and reconciliation in Northern Ireland is not just a matter for the various communities there but also involves and has a direct impact on communities throughout these islands and further afield - and that these communities have a right and responsibility to contribute to the peace process in its broadest sense.

The second premise highlights the importance of a comparative approach to discussion and debate and stresses the value of approaching the issue together within these islands as well as placing it in an international context. A feature of the workshops - the last was held in Sligo in March - is the introduction to participants of people involved in conflict situations in other parts of the world.

The final assumption is that young people have not been provided with adequate opportunity to address the issues involved in a creative way. Hence the breadth and variety of mechanisms used to allow these young people to express their feeling and hopes in the weekend workshops.

From the Middle East to the Aboriginal situation in Australia, from Southeast Asia to Africa, from Eastern Europe to South and Central America, Let's Talk aims to explore causes of conflict and raise awareness of the different kinds of conflict through interaction between people from various trouble spots and young people in Britain and Ireland.

In order the provide a resource pack on the subject of peace and reconciliation, approached The Irish Times and asked us to produce a supplement which would introduce and address key issues and challenges, to act as a stimulus not only for the young people directly involved in the project but also for use by a wider group of organisations and individuals who would thus be encouraged to feed into the project and the youth referendum being organised by the project.

The result is a special eight-page pull-out supplement with Education and Living today, which The Irish Times publishes as a contribution to the new optimism and hope about the future of Northern Ireland and peace and reconciliation on these islands as a whole.

Education & Living

Editor: Ella Shanahan Production: Hugh Lambert and Harry Browne Main cover illustration: Kevin McSherry Small cover illustrations: Cathy Dineen Email: education@irish-times.ie