The expression "political activist" may conjure up many different images, but in the context of Bermuda, a 60-year-old white lady from California is unlikely to spring to mind.

But Diane Miller tends to defy convention.

In 1998 XL resolved to make an extraordinary contribution to the Bermuda education system; Diane Miller and her friend, congresswoman Diane Watson were enlisted to launch what was formerly known as the XL Education Initiative, now the Bermuda Technology Education Collaborative, B.TEC.

Since then, Ms Miller has spearheaded the education programme which has introduced Information Technology into Bermuda's public senior schools.

It has proved so successful that she has gone on to establish a new non-profit organisation, the International Education Collaborative Foundation, to take the B.TEC model created in Bermuda to developing jurisdictions world wide.

B.TEC now has 35 business partners. According to Ralph Richardson of the ACE Foundation, it has had unprecedented success in motivating and reaching children who had discipline issues in other classes. In their computing class, they can't wait to get down to work.

With the help of University partners, Stanford University and University of Virginia Curry School, who are responsible for the curriculum and the training, B.TEC is helping to train a new generation to be competitive in a global market place

Not only is it a success story in a public education system rarely held up as a model, it is also a phenomenal example of a public/private collaboration, and most certainly required skilful "political" action.

Ms Miller is a lady who inspires for a living. She is not exactly a lobbyist, but she is someone would want on your side to promote a cause.

She is rather glamorous with a certain resemblance to Joan Collins and absolutely exudes confidence.

Prior to 1998, she didn't have any connection in Bermuda, but through her work on B.TEC she has formed a lot of friends here.

Now she is a familiar figure with heads of the exempt company foundations and has more contact with students at Berkeley Institute and CedarBridge Academy than many Bermudians.

I met her while she was making a few notes fifteen minutes before she was due to give a presentation to a hundred women at last week's `Wealth, Health and Happiness - Having It All' conference.

It's a mark of Ms Miller's "larger than life" personality that she likes to write speeches for public engagements at the last minute.

Her divorce rate is reaching Hollywood proportions (she says that she has "raised five husbands") and she revels in her new title of "village elder".

She has a wicked sense of humour and had delegates at last week's women's conference in hysterics during her keynote address with phrases such as: "I love men, I think every woman should own one."

During that speech she had the audience eating out of her hands. It was like the best sermon you ever heard and left you with the sense that this was a woman who really did have the answers.

It quickly became obvious how she overcame obstacles and won support from all quarters for the B.TEC initiative.

Diane Miller's role at the conference was to speak to women about self belief.

"Personal sovereignty is the issue affecting every woman here. You are already sovereign - you just have to claim it." she said.

If you can get to that stage of believing in yourself, you can have untold influence over those around you, whether at work, home or in a greater sphere of politics or social activism. "Where I am today, I bust systems all over the world," said Ms. Miller.

She recalled a defining moment when she was chairing an LA organisation committed to assisting victims of domestic violence. A journalist had asked her: "Can you remember one phrase that your mother used to describe you that has had an influence on who you are?"

Ms Miller remembered that her mother used to say: "Our Diane, jack of all trades, master of none."

In that instant during the interview, it suddenly dawned on her: "I am a divine generalist."

At the conference she told the women present: "You are all divine beings" and shared the epiphany that being a generalist, is the ideal characteristic for an entrepreneur.

At this stage in her life, Ms Miller said, she has come to understand the big issues: "Who we are, what it is all about." And now that she knows the answers, she finds it impossible not to translate that vision into action and to share it.

"I am compelled to impart whatever wisdom I have, to make someone else's journey a little easier."

It was a light-hearted speech full of laughter, but it was not entirely frivolous. She spoke with great gravity about the fact that there may be a war and her belief that a war in Iraq would be likely to incubate a new generation of terrorists.

She challenged delegates to look for alternatives: "Look in your own heart and see where you were a terrorist. Ask yourself where am I not at peace due to something you have done."

Quoting Martin Luther King she said: "Peace is not merely a distant goal but a means by which we arrive at that goal."

Of the future she said: "We may have to go through a darkness to get through to the dawn."

In summary, she said "There are two laws, the law of love and the law of fear." and she urged delegates to let go of self doubt.

A key to her own success, she said, was the principle: "There are no failures, just unexpected results."

"I am here to invite you, get out of the shackles that you put on yourselves. You are divine beings, get over yourselves."

She said that lack of self belief is the only thing that holds women back and she shared some profound thoughts from Marianne Williams:

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.

"It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be?

"You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you . We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.

"It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others. "

Concluding, she told us to follow her example: "I enjoy my life. Lighten up!" she urged.

"All those negative things that you are trying to change about yourself, thought energises those things."

"You already have all the power - use it. And remember, Ginger Rogers did everything Fred Astaire did, but she did it backwards and in high heels."

@EDITRULE:

Women: Wealth, Health and Happiness "Having it all!" The conference sponsored by Bank of Bermuda, XL and AS&K among others was the source of some inspiring presentations. For the full text of some of the presentations see the conference website http://www.bankofbermuda.com/event/index.html Any queries may be addressed to "Conference Princess" Nicola Jones at the Bank of Bermuda.