If Bermuda is going to go Independent the entire country must pull together, members of the Bermuda Independence Commission declared last night.

At the third BIC public meeting, held last night at the Somerset Cricket Club along with members of the UN Decolonisation Committee, the BIC agreed: all Bermudians, black or white, must buy in to the process.

The sentiment was sparked after well-known farmer Tom Wadson declared that if it ain?t broke, don?t fix it no quotes.

?We?re not broken,? he said. ?So what do we need Independence for? We?re already there.?

His comments were not well-received by audience member Barbara Johnston, who retorted: ?All you have to do in Bermuda is be white and you?re there.?

When Mr. Wadson replied, ?I?m there because I work, ma?am,? she repeated her statement before Rev. Lambe stepped in as mediator.

The exchange, one of several where the ever-present issue of race reared its head, led audience member George Spurling ? a young, white Bermudian ? to express his concern that, even though he is Bermudian, as a white person with links to the UK he may be alienated from the process.

?If we go Independent I think we need to do this as an entire country,? he said. ?I would like to feel like the entire country is going forward, not that even though I may support Independence I?ll be pulled away.?

?You are here participating tonight,? Rev. Lambe told him. ?That?s what we want . We are about inclusion, not exclusion.?

While there is ?no way? that an independent country will not also face problems, UN Decolonisation Committee chairman Julian Hunte added the proof is in ?your ability to deal with your problems?.

?We need to find out more about why not, and about why, and then the sides may come together. Have faith,? the St. Lucian said. ?Let?s work together to see this process through.?

Later, Rev. Lambe added: ?If at the end of the day we do not wish for Independence, we will yet be a better people for the process.?

Stating again that Independence is not a ?panacea? to solving the racial divide, Commissioners Rolfe Commissiong, Mike Winfield and Diane Kempe all however appeared to agree that, in Mr. Commissiong?s words: ?Independence can, by providing a common citizenship and nationality, allow for a process whereby racial divisions are mitigated.?

Before the BIC, Mr. Winfield added, ?I did not understand the fundamental differences between the way we were looking at things as different Bermudians. There?s fear on one side, the other side is pushing for that final step.

?If we can understand that we have come a long way to dealing with our racial issues . This debate can empower us to a point where we can being solving these issues right now.?

Taking issue with an article in the Bermuda Sun which declared the United Nations Decolonisation Committee are ?pro-Independence?, chairman Julian Hunte said last night his committee is for three options, not just one.

Those three options are: Independence, association with another independent nation (the path chosen by countries such as the Netherlands and Puerto Rico), and integration with another nation (such as Hawaii into the United States).

However, the BIC observed, Britain has ruled out the options of Bermuda associating herself with the UK or integrating herself with the UK ? seemingly leaving the Island with only the options of full Independence, or maintaining the status quo.

When audience member Khalid Wasi asked if that meant Britain has ?boxed us in? regarding the Island?s next step, BIC chairman Bishop Vernon Lambe replied: ?Yes sir?.

However when another audience member pointed out that seemed to negate the entire concept of Independence ? that Bermuda should be able to lobby the European Union regarding the Island?s status with England, or seek association with other countries if she chose to ? Sir Julian, who was awarded an OBE (Order of the British Empire) after his country St. Lucia went independent, said that while the idea appeared ?impractical? from his view, ?it is interesting?.

He suggested it would be more advisable to speak with the US regarding an association.

As for concerns about the amount of taxpayers? money being given to the BIC, Rev. Lambe said: ?If you want quality, you will pay for it. Quality costs. But in no way are we exploiting the public purse.?

Women?s Resource Centre director Penny Dill voiced concerns about international business pulling out, saying: ?We have no other resources. We have to address this because people are going to suffer.?

However, the BIC noted, they are continuing to seek information from the international business community regarding whether they or not companies will leave the Island after Independence. ?It?s really a question of how well we manage ourselves,? Mr. Winfield added.

After Ms Dill also voiced concerns about getting young people involved in the debate and Mr. Winfield outlined the BIC?s mission in the school system, 27-year old Kenneth Caesar said that despite their lack of attendance at the public meetings: ?The young people are out there and they are listening.?

However he remained concerned that Bermudians were failing to think outside the box. The social issues affecting the Island are the same issues affecting the rest of the world, he said, adding: ?So why can?t we run our own country??

Government technical advisor and Pan African Movement representative to the UN, Dr. Pauulu Kamarakafego called for a General Election to decide the issue.

With a General Election, he said, parties are forced to bring forward information regarding exactly how the country?s infrastructure will evolve.

?A referendum can?t do that,? he added. ?That?s only yes or no.?

He also demanded the BIC give Bermudians the unedited information they have discovered, as several people throughout the night ? including members of the BIC ? voiced concerns about coverage of the meetings.

Dr. Kamarakafego, who also sent a written submission in to the BIC, said Independence could lead to Bermuda becoming the regional headquarters for three UN agencies which were a perfect fit for the Island: the International Monetary Authority (IMF), the World Trade Organisation (WTO), and the World Bank.

?Exempt companies would eat it up,? Dr. Kamarakafego added. However the Commissioners only said they had received his submission and were considering it.

The audience at Somerset Cricket Club also heard from several members of the Decolonisation Committee last night.

Sharing their own stories of their roads to Independence, all agreed that Bermuda is in a unique position.

While adding the UN is here to help, ?It is your decision,? Bolivian ambassador to the UN Erwin Ortiz Gandarillas told the audience. ?That is important.?

The BIC promised that every document available to them is being posted on the website: www.bermudaindependencecommission.bm.

Due to an editorial error, it was incorrectly reported yesterday that St. Lucia?s Ministry of External Affairs had a budget of $300 million.

That figure is the entire national budget of St. Lucia in 2004/05. The budget for the Ministry was just under $5.9 million or around three percent of the budget.