An anti-racism initiative has been publicly revived, eight years after it launched with the aim of ridding Bermuda of racism.

About 30 people attended Hamilton Cathedral Hall yesterday for talks on the future of CURB ? Citizens Uprooting Racism in Bermuda.

The scattering of people was a far cry from 1998 when CURB was born amid great optimism, after a bumper crowd of nearly 600 flocked to Bermuda College for a brainstorming session on fighting racism.

A detailed blueprint was drawn up plotting the way forward and a steering committee formed, however yesterday's meeting heard the grassroot group faded away and lacked Government support.

Attempts to re-launch CURB in 2000 hit similar problems and were scuppered by red tape.

But Premier Alex Scott thrust CURB back onto the political agenda in last year's Throne Speech when it emerged that Government planned to re-activate the community-driven group, tasking the organisation with drawing up tangible and achievable strategies on race.

Government provisionally set aside nearly $95,000 for the project in last week's Budget, through the Commission for Unity and Racial Equality (CURE).

Myra Virgil, executive officer for CURE, told yesterday's meeting that now was the time to bring people together and let the community decide the way forward.

She said CURE and CURB could help each other on race issues. She added: "CURB could really help us in terms of things that we can't always do.

"As a quasi-Government organisation there are certain things we can't do because we are serving the Government of the day. The community might want to speak on its own."

She compared CURB to an "uncut stone" and said its future work and format was still to be shaped by the public, who were asked in a questionnaire whether it should be run as a charity or quango, as a group set up under CURE or be completely free from Government control.

"What it will look like is not clear," Mrs. Virgil added. "What it will be is not clear. But it will be something decided by the community."

When the meeting was opened up to the public, one woman said that 25 people ? divided half black, half white ? in the hall could not speak for the entire Island.

Another man said he hoped last year's visit of anti-racism campaigner Tim Wise to Bermuda would trigger an interest in improving race relations.

Government MP George Scott said education was the key. "The education system here prepares people to work," he said. "It does not prepare people to work together."

Opposition MP Jamahl Simmons said people had to learn to respect differences, and said the anger felt by the previous generation would be curbed by workplace reform.

After the 90-minute meeting, LeYoni Junos, a former member of the CURB steering committee, said she was not disappointed with yesterday's turnout, despite the fact nearly 200 people were named on an invitation list.

Promising a series of further "information gathering" meetings in the next five weeks, she added: "We are trying to get to people in manageable groups.

"This is more than we expected."

*The next discussion meeting will be held on Tuesday at The Leopard's Club, Brunswick Street, Hamilton, between noon and 1.30 p.m.