yesterday.

Around 100 people -- handpicked for their "strengths and insights'' -- took part in the three-day Future Search Conference.

Earlier this week, organiser Ernestine DeGraff said: "Everyone is keen about the process. Everything is working well. There seems to be a good mix of people.

"It's the first time that something like this has been held with such a diverse cross-section of the community.'' She added the participants had been encouraged to look at the past and the present as a guide to the future.

Ms DeGraff said: "We are looking for ideas on what Bermuda can do to change the future and what we will do in the future.'' Participants were chosen from about 300 diversity skill programme graduates.

They discussed race, age, and gender in the workplace.

Ms DeGraff said organisers hoped that those involved in the Bermuda College conference, called Discovering Common Ground: The Future of Diversity in Bermuda, would form their own groups to achieve aims set over the three days.

The conference was organised with the assistance of three experts from the US-based National Training Laboratories.

Participants were encouraged to use a process which focused on common ground and ignore issues that divided them.

Once they completed the common ground aspects, they then moved on to talk about their differences.

Ms DeGraff added that a report of the conference's work will be made available to all the participants to help guide their future decision-making and planning.

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