Bermuda's community and political leaders are being invited to three days of dialogue and discussion on the issue of race next month.

And the Commission for Racial Equality, organisers of the event, hopes that each participant will return to their respective organisations with an increased awareness and sensitivity.

Karla Lacey Minors, CURE deputy chairperson, said its aim is to attract the heads of organisations and more than 100 invitations will be sent out.

"Beginning in the fall we have put in place a number of events to facilitate dialogue in the community and to address some of the concerns that have been aired throughout the community,'' she said.

Mrs. Lacey Minors explained that only those who are leaders in the community such as politicians and heads of the Island's broadcast and print media would be invited to these workshops.

The first will be held on October 11 at Hamilton Princess and the second on October 18 and 19 at the Marriott Castle Harbour hotel.

"Our objectives are to sensitise participants to the issues of race in order to discourage the use of racially inflammatory remarks,'' she said.

"And to heighten understanding of the pain in the community around issues of race and to examine and challenge stereotypes regarding racial groups.'' Other objectives, she added, would be to encourage open dialogue on racial matters and to help participants to understand resistance whether it took the form of denial, collusion or fear.

Moreover, she said the workshops would also look at the effect of this resistance on the whole issue of race relations generally.

Participants would also be urged to value differences and learn to recognise the benefits of doing so.

On October 11, Dr. Chuck Stone, a professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Journalism, will deliver the keynote address at a breakfast meeting at 8.30 a.m.

"He will speak on issues of race and the media and their responsibility for certain dialogue that gets promoted and its effect on race relations in the community,'' she continued.

"He will speak of a need for change and he will analyse the destructive social forces of discrimination.

"Not only will he talk about it he will suggest solutions that we think will benefit the community.'' The breakfast meeting will be followed a week later with workshops which will put Bermuda's racial problems in an historical context.

"After that we will attempt to analyse contemporary problems facing our community. We will endeavour to heighten awareness on issues of race.

"The same people who are invited to the breakfast meeting are invited to these workshops.

"The audience we are targeting for this particular programme are the people who don't have to come because they are people who would normally send their assistants or people who are below them in the organisational structure.'' But Mrs. Lacey Minors said it was vital that these prominent individuals recognise that change requires their visible support.

"This issue is such that it cannot be left to others in the organisation to address. People in an organisation whether it is a political organisation or a community or business organisation take their cues from the top.'' Phase two of the plan will involve a three-part discussion series which begins today starting at noon at City Hall. The public will be invited to watch the panel discussions on the topic of race which will then be televised at a later date.

"A good showing at the workshops are what is needed to send a message to this country that those in a position to make a difference are serious about doing something,'' Mrs. Lacey Minors said.

"Without that we are going to have a problem. And I don't mean we as in the Commission, I mean we as in the country.'' KARLA LACEY MINORS -- Heightening awareness.