National Security Minister Wayne Perinchief said yesterday he and international business were “kissing and making up” after he called on the corporate community to provide more money to tackle gun crime.Mr Perinchief claimed IB had an “obligation, not just a civic responsibility” to stump up funds, suggesting it ought to have offered to do so rather than wait to be asked.Yesterday, after his comments were reported in The Royal Gazette, he told this newspaper the Association of Bermuda International Companies (ABIC) had contributed some $16 million to charitable projects on the Island since 2009.Progressive Labour Party MP Mr Perinchief said: “I got a response from somebody in the international business community today saying, and I agree, that ABIC has taken the lead to assist the Family Centre in raising $320,000 for the youth development zone in North Hamilton.“I think they have contributed since 2009 about $16 million to charitable projects in Bermuda.“I responded by thanking them very much and saying I hope that they would continue to contribute moving forwards.”He said he would be approaching companies for contributions to the Operation Ceasefire anti-gang initiative, which is due to be rolled out in the spring.“We have started some dialogue,” said Mr Perinchief. “We are kissing and making up. It’s not a fight, it’s a discussion amongst friends. They have the same goals for a peaceful community that we have.“I thank the whole international business community for their contributions so far and hope we can continue with the partnership we have forged.”Richard Winchell, from ABIC, said: “We have communicated directly with Minister Perinchief so [have] no comment at this time.”Opposition Senate Leader Michael Dunkley said he was shocked by Mr Perinchief’s initial remarks, adding: “I don’t think it’s a responsible comment for the Minister to make, certainly not when our economy is really struggling.”The One Bermuda Alliance politician said: ‘It’s clear that international business is the foundation of our economy at the present time.“I believe that IB has played a tremendous part, not only in the strength of our economy, but also in the strength of our society.“If this Government wants to see the contribution of IB be expanded in a different way, I don’t think the way to do it is to take a snipe at them in the paper. It doesn’t make any sense to take a potshot in the paper about it.”Senator Dunkley said if business leaders were approached in the right way, they would likely be more than willing to assist where they could.Sen Dunkley also responded to a claim by Mr Perinchief, reported in yesterday’s newspaper, that the British Government would step in to help tackle gang violence in Bermuda if white men were being murdered.Mr Perinchief had been asked by this newspaper if more would have been done to stem gun violence if the 16 men shot dead here since May 2009 were white.The Minister replied: “If there were 16 white males shot in a similar fashion, I dare say that the British Government would have stepped in and provided the resources. I won’t go any deeper than that.”Sen Dunkley said: “There is no information to justify that claim. I think really the Minister is trying to twist and turn and spin and put the blame somewhere else.”Mr Perinchief said black males were most at risk of being shot dead and that was due to a “very vicious cycle that has been going on in this country for 400 years”.Sen Dunkley said: “I agree with the Minister that black males are at a larger risk [of being shot dead] than others in the population. But this tragic trend we have seen in gang murders has come under the PLP’s watch.“This society has prospered for a long period of time. We have grown into a large middle class. Many people are making progress. The PLP has clearly set this progress back 400 years by the way they have governed in the last 13 years.”Cordell Riley, president of Citizens Uprooting Racism in Bermuda (CURB), said he supported the Minister’s comments on race.“We find that he has spoken out very courageously in the last couple of weeks and he’s really speaking to the heart of the matter.”Mr Riley said historically blacks had been devalued in Bermuda and treated as less than humans. He said the vestiges of that extended to today, when there was still disparity in the salaries of blacks and whites.‘It’s something that’s systemic,” he said. “It is young black men out there killing each other. They have bought into that same stereotype that their life is worth less.”Useful website: www.curb.bm.