Some 300 people, representing just about every sector of the Island, yesterday called for Bermuda to put an anti-violence plan into action.

Educators, social workers, medical professionals, Police officers, parents, students and others, fed up with the rise in violence, brought their own solutions to how to end the problem to the final day of the "Blow the Whistle on Violence'' conference.

After splitting up into six groups and brainstorming for more than an hour at the conference held at Number One Shed, participants returned with hundreds of specific solutions to the Island's youth, domestic, and community violence.

Among the groups' suggestions for stopping community violence were: Getting a clear definition of violence by a "roundtable'' discussion or a survey; Placing a five percent tax on cigarettes and alcohol, with the revenue specifically for funding violence education programmes; Decentralising Social Services and having social services agencies in each parish; Implementing mandatory treatment for offenders; Creating residential rehabilitation centres; Setting up community centres in each parish; Re-establishing trade schools; and Putting "multicultural'' education in schools.

While many of the groups' ideas overlapped, one group studying community violence called for a national lottery with all the proceeds going to a "specific purpose''.

The two groups faced with the task of coming up with solutions to domestic violence suggested: Adopting the Massachusetts Quincy model to suit Bermuda which would include changing legislation to make reporting abuse cases mandatory; Educating the community and re-training Police to help deal with domestic violence; Edness pledges action on violence Setting up a media campaign against domestic violence; Creating counselling programmes for batterers and their victims; and Setting up a task force on families in crises and the "black experience'' in Bermuda.

The two groups studying youth violence produced more than 50 recommendations, they included: Expanding Teen Services to include "the door'' concept which would enable troubled youngsters to have a place of refuge; Introducing legislation for "drug-free zones''; Hiring more psychiatrists and truant officers; Abolishing corporal punishment; Putting metal detectors in schools; Setting a curfew for youngsters under 16; Creating a youth corps; and Setting up of a task force on youth violence.

Social Services Minister the Hon. Quinton Edness, who opened the last day of the conference and thanked its organisers, said Government was committed to "doing something about this problem immediately''.

He assured participants that Government would be implementing a task force on youth violence.

He also promised to take the draft of their recommendations, which will be mailed to each participant, to his Government colleagues.

"This conference has been an admission on the community's part that it recognises the severity of the problem. We have asked for help, we have gotten help and that has helped us understand the nature of the problem. We're not all the way there. But now it is up to us to understand that it is time to act,'' he said.

"My colleagues have assured me of their support. They recognise that the price and cost to this community of doing nothing is too great so we have no alternative but to deal with this problem.

"We're going to make mistakes, but rather than pointing fingers, let's do this together for our children.'' Mr. Edness noted that it was said earlier in the conference that one child having a gun should have kept the community awake all night and one child being abused or witnessing abuse should have kept the community awake.

"But it didn't,'' he said, "so now we have been kept awake all night, week, and year.

"And if we are not, this problem will continue to affect everyone one of us and what will ultimately happen is, as was pointed out, no one will want to come to this country.

"So we have no alternative but to rid this community of this problem for our own survival.'' Mr. Edness stressed that "to do nothing is far too costly''.

He said Government's role was to act as the coordinator and facilitator in the implementation of "things we have learned''.

The community's role was to ensure that every individual, group and organisation was a part of reducing violence in the community.

He also suggested businesses help with the financial support of shelters.

"We have the Physical Abuse Centre in the East End, we need a shelter for the central area and even for the west end parishes,'' he said.

"We're all part of the problem and we all have to be part of the solution.''