relations.

Chairman Sen. Jerome Dill said yesterday he expects concrete results -- a series of initiatives that can be translated into real action. "I would not have agreed to chair the thing if I was not sure that our recommendations will be acted on,'' he said.

"...It's a tough issue and I think it has the potential -- if mishandled -- to become explosive. We are dealing with an emotional issue on which everybody has opinions.

"But that's no reason to stay away from it. People are looking for leadership, and arising out of this report will be a whole range of initiatives.'' Premier the Hon. Sir John Swan was referring to this committee earlier this week when he told a California audience that plans were being made "to embrace society in a national examination'' of race relations problems and to "develop meaningful plans to foster a new level of understanding and participation.'' In the speech to the Bohemian Club, Sir John said Bermudians had made great strides in the 1970s "and superficially we integrated well.'' Now, he said, "we have now reached a maturity in our society where the real task of total integration can be addressed. We have come a long way, but elements of prejudice and discrimination still exist.'' Sources said the nine-member caucus committee consisted entirely of younger caucus members to whom the issue was particularly important.

Race issues are frequently debated in the UBP caucus they said. But the recession has made the problem particularly pressing, they said, because it has tended to further alienate the poorest people from the economic mainstream of the Island -- and more often than not those people were black.

Sen. Dill said he is convinced the committee can come up with concrete proposals for improvements. He said he could not discuss its deliberations so far, but he said talks were "fairly advanced.'' He said the committee expects to come up with "a plan of action'' in the same way that the National Drug Strategy is attempting to deal with a widespread problem with a series of specific actions.

Sen Dill added: "There's so much talk about race relations in Bermuda, and when you talk to two or three different people you usually get two or three different opinions. And at the end of the day, we find we aren't always talking about the same thing.

"For the longest while certain elements didn't recognise that it was a problem. This is a huge step in the right direction, because the issues are being laid on the table.'' Sen. Jerome Dill.