Bermuda must not only move beyond the racial division on the Island but also put behind it the tensions between local and foreign workers, according to the head of Bermuda International Business Association.

Speaking to Rotarians yesterday, Deborah Middleton, the new chief executive of BIBA, said that she is fed up with one sector being pitted against another and that the island had to unite in order to survive.

Ms Middleton said Bermuda is too small for these divisions, which include tourism fighting against international business.

"You constantly hear the word `versus'," she said. "I hate that word. It means `against'. I'm tired of hearing black versus white, expat versus Bermudian, international business versus tourism.

"We need to think one thing - Bermuda. Everybody working on this island is contributing, in their own unique way, to moving Bermuda forward."

And she called for a united Island, working together to build a better Bermuda for the benefit of all - a place where everyone feels a part of what is happening in their own country.

"We need to use the word `with' - black with white, Bermudian with expat, tourism with international business," she said.

In a speech headed "From Sunshine to Share Certificates - The Rise of International Business", Ms Middleton said that there is a sector of the Bermuda public that feels disenfranchised from international business.

And, that when organisations went through change and repositioned themselves, they could help their workers adjust - or the workers would have the option to leave.

But as Bermuda has made the slow and steady transition from tourism to international business over the past 40 years, its people have had no option but to accept this change as fact - and to learn to live with it.

"It may have been better had we managed the transition," she said, but added that it happened so gradually, the Island was left ill prepared.

"BIBA is actively addressing the problems of disenfranchisement," said Ms Middleton. "We have an advertising campaign to promote the fact that there are opportunities for everybody."

She added they are working with Bermuda College in a bid to help produce the right kind of graduate that will be able find a job in the new Bermuda.

"We are developing our workforce to take its place in the international business," she said. "However, this has not come without a price. There are some parts of our island, and frankly some people, who have been left behind - a result of the gradual change and our unwavering reach for prosperity."

And she told an anecdote about three businessmen in suits travelling on a bus out of Hamilton when a young man launched a tirade about them taking jobs from Bermudians.

"The selfish business person might think that this is damaging to their future business because who would want to come to an island where they are not welcome.

"The thoughtful business person might think this is damaging to their business because they have failed in creating an environment where all feel like they prosper and benefit from success."

Had Bermuda seen these sentiments brewing, she said, "we might have prepared for it better, but it was so gradual.."

Ms Middleton added that BIBA was today working at addressing these issues through its Local Awareness Committee which deals with the Bermuda College and Bermuda Foundation for Insurance Studies.

She also pointed to International Business Week and activities planned for its September 14 to 20 run.

"We need to promote a better understanding of international business within our community and the opportunities out there for everybody," she said. "I want you there for everybody," she said. I want you to picture where we want to be in five, 10, 20 years. how do we get there? We need to create an environment where everybody understands their contribution is of value. I want to live in a Bermuda that is more hospitable, more at ease with its prosperity."

She added that Bermuda needed to reach back to learn the lessons from the Island's success, to plan for the future and to pull others along so that everyone can enjoy the benefits of Bermuda's success.

Ms Middleton told Rotarians: "We cannot do this alone. I challenge each of you here today to decide what the international business community can do to make Bermuda a better place to do business... a better place to live in, and, specifically, to decide what you and your company are willing to do to make this happen.

"I leave you with BIBA's local advertising slogan. International Business: It IS your business."