Through the past year, the Big Conversation has taken centre stage on several occasions as whites and blacks seek to find ways to improve their understanding of themselves and each other.

To expand on that, the Social Justice and Peace Committee of the Roman Catholic Church in Bermuda has coordinated a three-day long conference, Racism and the Church, to be held February 29 through March 2, says committee chair Joanne Wohlmuth.

"The biggest time of segregation on the Island is when we go to church on Sunday morning," she said.

While many churches have been moving beyond this with increasingly integrated congregations, many other churches are still very segregated, in part due to tradition.

"Sometimes, people don't get that we all have been affected by it," Ms. Wohlmuth explained.

While some may believe that the discussion over race relations is more negative than positive, Ms. Wohlmuth believes that it is both.

"It's positive in that its something that needs to be talked about," she shared, but it can become a negative thing when defences are raised.

"We need to learn not to get passed the clashing that gets on and get to the healing and move forward."

Guest speaker for the conference, which will be held at the Yoga Centre on Victoria Street, is Keith Regehr, a conflict resolution worker and part-time teacher in the Peace and Conflict Studies Department of Conrad Grebel University College and the University of Waterloo.

"I think what Keith will bring to this whole dialogue is in looking at the past and understanding why this is," Ms. Wohlmuth shared.

Often times, she added, our churches' pasts impact how we relate, who is accepted on what committees and who we decide is important enough to listen to. It is all culturally and racially influenced.

It is also important to realise that work is needed on both sides.

"As people of colour, we have our own issues. All of us have issues," Ms. Wohlmuth continued.

The sides need to work through what they have been taught and what they have learned through cultural norms.

"We need to be open. It's a constant thing for each of us." The entire workshop costs $125.

"There are individual courses, but I am encouraging people to come to the whole event."

To register or for more information, you can call 295-3355 or jewohlmuth@logic.bm