more radical recommendations put forward at a public forum to quash racism will never be put into practice.

Describing some of the ideas listed by Citizens Uprooting Racism in Bermuda as "quite radical'', Mr. Dill said hard vetting procedures would now take place before any ideas are adopted, although public input on racism was essential.

The Minister made his remarks after The Royal Gazette revealed some of the more startling solutions put forward at the meeting, which included the banning of private schools and a registry of all jobs being held by expatriates.

"That raw data now has to be refined and vetted,'' Mr. Dill said.

"In a brainstorming session all ideas have equal merit and so if someone comes forward with something that's pretty radical that is going to have equal merit as a less radical suggestion. But what you have seen is only phase one of the process.'' He went on to explain that some of the several hundred suggestions had already been adopted by the department while others are currently being examined. Even more will be dropped if they prove unpracticable, following further public consultation.

"Finally we are going to be left with new ideas that have merit and can be worked on. When we get to that stage we are then going to have something which is manageable.

"Underlying this approach is the ground up approach and when use that approach you get a situation where people make radical suggestions that are perhaps a little shocking.

"Public input is essential but you also need those who are in the business of trying to improve race relations, both professionals and volunteers from groups such as the Human Rights Commission and CURE, who can work with that public input.'' DISCRIMINATION DIS GOVERNMENT GVT