recipients of a local anti-racism award.

The National Association for Reconciliation, at its first annual Reconciliation Awards banquet on Saturday night, acknowledged the work of both Telco and Rev. Nisbett in trying to stamp out race discrimination.

Cable and Wireless, the Bermuda Electric Light Company, the Bermuda Hospitals' Board, and Gorham's also came up for nomination by NAR.

And NAR co-founder Dr. Eva Hodgson said any one of those companies deserved the award.

But she said Telco was chosen because it "is seen as a company that has provided meaningful career opportunity for Bermudians. "The expats that they have are training Bermudians to take their place.'' Rev. Nisbett, who was nominated with Canon James Francis, former MP Mr. Stuart Hayward, and Mr. Richard Gorham, won the individual award for his active role with the local Anti-Apartheid movement.

"He took leadership in the Anti-Apartheid movement when it was extremely unpopular to do so,'' Dr. Hodgson said. "He exhibited the quiet and gentle nature which is a very positive factor in attempting to address controversial issues like racism.'' Rev. Nisbett also chairs Amnesty International's and the World's Council of Churches' "Beyond the Barriers'' programme which is intended to be a community-wide effort addressing all forms of discrimination.

Dr. Hodgson said NAR felt it was important to give such an award because it had received plenty of feedback "about the frustration, pain and trauma that so many blacks are experiencing''.

"These are not only the alienated black male,'' she said, "but also young university students who have such difficulty finding jobs, especially with two years of recession wiping out virtually all independent black businesses.'' After dealing with so many frustrations, Dr. Hodgson said NAR welcomed the opportunity to highlight some of the positive things happening in the community.

Some 160 people who attended the banquet heard that Bermuda could be a link in the chain of change towards harmony.

Visiting assistant ombudsman of Lincoln, Nebraska, Mr. Oscar Harriott, who is also an investigator on the state's Commission of Human Rights, said with the Island's size and economy it could be a "beacon'' to the rest of the world in terms of race relations.

He stressed that if people could lay aside their differences and use their similarities to sit down with each other and understand their differences, the problem of racism would be able to be addressed.