The Commission for Unity and Racial Equality has thrown its support behind recent calls for equality by a business leader and a politician.

Cure chairman Kenneth Spurling said he fully supported the efforts being made by the Bermuda International Business Association (BIBA) to ensure that equal opportunity for job placement and advancement was available to all Bermudians.

The BIBA stance was put forth by their chairman Glenn Titterton last week during a speech to the Hamilton Rotary Club.

Mr. Titterton had said that a BIBA survey had uncovered that many black males still could not picture themselves with a career related to international business.

"It will come as no surprise that the majority of white male Bermudians continue to believe that there is equal opportunity, but this view is not always shared by other groups,'' Mr. Titterton added.

Mr. Spurling said CURE agreed with Mr. Titterton that it was "more worrying that there is a polarisation of perceptions regarding job opportunities on the basis of racial background''.

"CURE supports Mr. Titterton's conclusion that BIBA must partner with international companies to determine if these are real issues or merely based on perception,'' he added.

Mr. Spurling also threw his support behind calls made by Paula Cox during her address to the Hamilton Lions Club last week. Ms Cox said a national crusade for racial reconciliation, social reconstruction and an economic rebirth was needed as Bermuda headed towards a new century.

Mr. Spurling said that CURE wanted to be associated with her call for Bermudians to "engage together in a national crusade for excellence in education,'' to make sure that children could deal with the information age and seize employment opportunities.

He added that CURE was pleased to see that their efforts, to draw attention and create dialogue about inequalities, had an impact on community and business leaders.

"We are encouraged by the fact that they are standing up to be heard as supporting all efforts to eliminate all forms of racism from our community and to create equal opportunity for all Bermudians.'' Kenneth Spurling DISCRIMINATION DIS