Amid the bias and the editorialising that suffused the final report of the much-maligned Bermuda Independence Commission (BIC) there was one recommendation that, of itself, justified that body's existence.

The report explicitly acknowledged the need to heal the divisions between the races in Bermuda, regardless of whether the Island pursues Independence, and it urged the Government to lead such a process.

"Given the impact of race relations on attitudes towards independence, the Commission strongly recommends that Government lead a process to where the diversity of Bermuda is celebrated, where opportunity is equal and where there is genuine social unity," it said. "The Commission believes that this could be achieved through a process of truth and reconciliation."

It's unfortunate that the caveat ? "given the impact of race relations on attitudes towards independence" ? makes it sound like the only reason for seeking to improve race relations is to make it easier for the Government to seek sovereignty. Still, if that's what it's going to take to prod the PLP into action on this, that's fine by me. As the Premier appointed the BIC, it will be hard for him to ignore their call.

The Commission's suggestion of "a process of truth and reconciliation" brings to mind South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), which was established to deal with what happened in that country under apartheid.

South Africa's TRC, which has now ceased operation, was comprised of three committees. The Human Rights Violations Committee investigated human rights abuses that occurred between 1960 and 1994. Once victims were identified they were referred to the Reparation and Rehabilitation Committee, which was tasked with providing victim support and ensuring "non repetition, healing and healthy co-existence". The Amnesty Committee considered applications for amnesty for any "act, omission or offence associated with a political objective".

South Africa is not the only country to have launched a truth and reconciliation process, however. Peru, Ghana, East Timor, Sierra Leone, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Liberia, Morocco and Paraguay have done the same. In 2003, the city of Greensboro, North Carolina established a truth and community reconciliation project to clarify the events of the 1979 Greensboro massacre. It was the first such project to be established in the United States.

The International Center for Transitional Justice (ICTJ), a group established in 2001 by one of the architects of South Africa's TRC, is aiding many of these initiatives. Its mission is to assist countries pursuing accountability for past mass atrocity or human rights abuses. Typically, that means countries that are dealing with state-sponsored terrorism, civil war, or violent transitions to democratic rule. Extra-judicial killings, torture and police brutality are often the subject of the hearings.

As far as I am aware, the human rights violations in Bermuda's past were not of the same magnitude. Nonetheless, perhaps it would be helpful for those blacks who were denied entry to local restaurants during the days of segregation, or who claim to have had their mortgages called in for criticising the establishment, to publicly recount their experiences. I

n an atmosphere of reconciliation, not retribution, some of the perpetrators of the discrimination might volunteer an apology.

Moreover, it would be sobering for those without first-hand experience to hear these stories of Bermuda's not-so-distant past.

As a first step in implementing the BIC's recommendation for a process of truth and reconciliation, the Government should establish a Bermuda Race Commission (BRC) to determine the state of race relations in Bermuda today.

It would identify what one white BIC commissioner referred to as the "remaining vestiges" of segregation in Bermuda and might incorporate the Government's initiative on black males.

The BRC might operate in much the same way as the BIC (though hopefully they would be more even-handed), taking submissions from the public, and liaising with external organisations such as the ICTJ. Their final report would identify the remaining barriers to racial harmony, including the specific institutions afflicted by institutional racism, and outline measures to tackle it. It would say whether a TRC should be established and if so, what its terms of reference should be.

Bermuda has seen something similar before. In the wake of the riots in the 1970s, the Pitt Commission held two months of hearings during which they heard evidence from all members of the community, from the Premier to some of the rioters.

"As promises to listen and make amends were made, the Island's deep social wounds slowly began to heal," says Rosemary Jones in her book "Bermuda: Five Centuries".

The value of the BIC report lies not in what it urges the Government to do about independence but what it urges them to do about race. Most Bermudians do not want to sever ties with the UK. However, I suspect that most would like race not to be the all-pervasive issue that it is today.

The BIC has recognised that and called for action. I look forward to the Government's response.