Irish teacher Darran Irvine is taking a new perspective to - and from - the Middle East, he tells Joe Humphreys

When Darran Irvine walks into a classroom of Palestinian schoolchildren they "howl with delight", he says. "They feel so cut off from the world that it's a real novelty for them to be able to express themselves freely - and be listened to."

For three months late last year, that's exactly what he did - listened to the stories of children living in the war-torn city of Hebron in the West Bank.

He asked them to write about their culture and experiences. He helped them to make a film about their lives under Israeli rule. It was all part of a unique schools initiative aimed at furthering understanding between two sides in a bitter and intractable conflict.

"There is literally no interaction between Palestinian and Israeli children. Logistically, it's impossible. So that's where I come in. I'm the messenger," says the 35-year-old English teacher.

Armed with piles of creative material from four Palestinian schools, Irvine has returned to his native Dublin for the second part of the project - to get Irish schoolchildren involved.

He is looking for teachers and pupils who would be interested in developing cultural links with their Palestinian and Israeli counterparts. That means anything from sending a postcard to a student in Hebron, to making a video about multiculturalism in Ireland, which Irvine could broadcast in West Bank classrooms.

"The fact that Irish school kids can participate, and contribute, and articulate some message can revitalise what is going on between these (Israeli and Palestinian) schoolchildren. You can begin to move away from polar opposites when you introduce a third party, and begin talking about universal values like tolerance, equality and respect," he says.

He stresses the project is not just about "showcasing" cultures. "With each pupil, I question their individual values and beliefs to get them to express themselves, each in their own way."

Sometimes that proved to be a traumatic experience. "I asked one of the girls what her hopes for the future were and she just sighed and started sobbing."

Part three of the project will begin next month when Irvine returns to Hebron to gather materials from Israeli schoolchildren, with whom he has had limited contact to date. "When I told them some of the Palestinian children's stories - about soldiers throwing tear gas and taking their pocket money, and so on - they were very surprised and disbelieving."

As well as urging Irish schools to get involved, Irvine is seeking to recruit teachers who would be willing to take some time off to teach English in the West Bank, and advance the project.

"It's a very politicised situation. But we shouldn't allow politics to obstruct education or communication between different people," he says. "The essential point is that there are two sides to every story and differences can be overcome if each side is allowed to express themselves."

More information on the Hebron Schoolchildren Project can be obtained from Darran Irvine at (01) 284 3541 or email: darran.irvine@ireland.com