THE SDLP leader, Mr John Hume, was a politician and a friend who had travelled more miles on the road to peace than anyone else he had ever met, the former editor of The Irish Times, Mr Douglas Gageby, said last night.
He was speaking in the Great Hall of Queen's University where he launched a new book by Mr Hume, Personal Views Politics and Reconciliation in Ireland published by Town House, Dublin.
Mr Gageby described Mr Hume as a "realistic optimist" who understood that if a solution was ever to come it would not conform to any predictable package. Looking forward to Monday's talks, he added. "There is enough brains and goodwill and heart in all of these Northern counties to get this place back on the path to peace, peace among the people."
He believed there would be an eventual "loosening" of the British Irish link but the social, cultural and intellectual connections would never be entirely disentangled.
Mr Hume said any eventual solution would derive from a healing process. How to provide that was one of the challenges facing the talks process.
ON the eve of the Northern talks, more than 250 companies, organisations and people have signed an appeal to all politicians and parties in Ireland and Britain to "listen with openness".
The appeal applauds "the visionary progress made by you on this historic journey towards lasting peace".
It also asks politicians to "listen with openness to the views of other parties who have a stake in the peace process rather than assume old positions".
Semi state bodies such as An Post, Telecom Eireann, the ESB and the National Lottery are signatories. They are joined by educational institutions including Dublin City University, the University of Ulster Magee College and Waterford Regional Technical College.
The appeal is entitled "A Unique Moment and a Historic Opportunity for Leadership". It will appear as an advertisement in some national newspapers.
Some 100 major companies, including the Bank of Ireland, Eagle Star, Royal Liver and Irish Life assurance companies, the Glen Dimplex Group, Power supermarkets and the employers organisation IBEC are signatories.
They are joined by the trade union SIPTU and a number of voluntary and peace organisations, such as the Irish Peace Institute, the Justice Commission of CORI, Cherish, Peace 93, Pax Christ and Peace People.
The appeal was co-ordinated by the Glencree Centre for Reconciliation.
Individuals who signed the statement included Prof Tom Garvin, Neil Jordan, Sean Mac Reamoinn, Rabbi Julia Neuberger and Dr Tony O'Reilly.
They are joined by three South African politicians who were in Ireland as a peace delegation, Mr Leon Wessels, of the National Party, Gen Constand Viljoen, of the Freedom Front, and Mr Sr Mac Maharaj, of the ANC.