Commonwealth.

An independent Bermuda would still reap the benefits of being one of 50 member countries.

Chairman of the Royal Commonwealth Society Sir Oliver Forster spoke of Bermuda's role during his lecture on the future of the Commonwealth to Hamilton Rotary.

Sir Oliver said: "Independence is not a Commonwealth issue at all. It will continue to be helped with debts and continue to be a member of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association.'' He opened his speech pointing out the strength of the Commonwealth membership which has remained the same for years.

Only Burma has left the Commonwealth recently and Norway, the Cameroon and Mozambique have asked to join.

Sir Oliver said: "A third of the countries in the world belong to the Commonwealth and a quarter of the world's population. It includes all the major religions, cultures and ethnic groups.

"Yet there is no superpower, no dominant country over all the rest of the members.'' He said most of the countries involved are democracies, with only one military dictatorship.

Sir Oliver stressed the Commonwealth differed from the United Nations by being more friendly and using little pressure to make decisions.

Decisions, he added, were normally made by consensus or by larger nations helping out some of the tiny island states involved.

That friendliness, according to members, is helped by a common language making communication much easier.

Sir Oliver said: "Some of the countries are very small indeed but they have a voice and they are listened to by the bigger countries.'' One of the main areas of recent Commonwealth involvement in world politics is the oversight of the South African elections by 60 Commonwealth representatives.

Sir Oliver said: "The Commonwealth is easy to mock as an exercise in nostalgia or an old boys' club. Some see it as a more sinister threat by the British to regain some of its lost interests in the world.

"It is low key and there is no posturing on the world stage, but it gives 50 nations a chance to come together and discuss problems. There is still a role for the Commonwealth.'' Sir Oliver Forster.