A BERMUDA WHERE SKIN COLOR FAVORS NO ONE
Working to identify and dismantle racism in all its forms and to address its effects on our community.
Advocating Change
About Our Organization
On June 30th, 1998 nearly six hundred Bermudians and residents met the Bermuda College to brainstorm and recommend solutions for uprooting racism in Bermuda. These persons were divided into three racial categories: Blacks, Whites, and “Others”. After an intensive brainstorming session, all participants convened in the college gymnasium to hear extensive reports from splinter groups.
Under the general direction of a Steering Committee, those reports had been reduced to strategies by a volunteer Implementation Committee. Seven sub-committees were formed from this Implementation Committee: Economics, Spirituality/Religious Beliefs, Education, Legislation, Political, Social and Personal Responsibility. In addition to these, ‘Media’ and ‘General’ categories for action were created to accommodate other strategies and comments.
Members of the Implementation and Steering Committees met on a regular basis to review the “raw data”. They later produced the sentiments of those original participants as ‘strategies’ and ‘recommendations’.
“We believe that together we can finally make a real difference in the ongoing challenge of uprooting racism in Bermuda”
Citizens Uprooting Racism Bermuda, 1998
Mission
“We are a non-governmental organization of volunteers working to identify and dismantle racism in all its forms and to address its effects on our community.”
Vision
“A Bermuda where skin colour favours no one.”
"It is always the right time to do the right thing."
Martin Luther King Jr.
A Vision for the Future
It was hoped that other agencies (Government and non-governmental) would liaise with CURB so that available resources could be combined to achieve a common goal. CURB organisers thanked the public for their support and encouraged the community to join CURB. They also asked community members to study the strategies document and to bring it with them at the next Forum to finalise it.
At Our Core
CURB is an antiracist, interethnic movement that is beyond party politics. We have a sense of urgency and commitment to being a proactive group, dedicated to making a difference, and willing to speak out against racism at every opportunity.
Within our organisation, there is a role for every single individual in Bermuda.
The New CURB
In the November 2005 Throne Speech, the Government acknowledged that racism continued to be a divisive element in our community and pledged to assist organizations devoted to the elimination of racism in Bermuda.
Using the original contact lists from the 1998 meeting, Government's Commission for Unity and Racial Equality (CURE, now defunct and often confused with CURB) began to contact the original members from the 1998 meeting to see if they were willing to be involved in the re-launch of CURB.
People who were interested in the concept began to meet, and the new CURB met regularly, approving a Constitution and Bye-Laws and later becoming a Registered Charity. More importantly, CURB continues the fight toward the elimination of racism in Bermuda.
​
CURB is Bermuda’s leading organization seeking Racial Equality, Equity and Justice. We are a non-governmental organization working to identify and dismantle racism in all its forms and to address the effects of Racism on our community.
CURB has been in existence for 19 years having committed itself to the Struggle Against Racism, and to Bermudians and Residents by holding seminars and public meetings, participating in international and local collaborations; sponsoring educational and awareness projects; and by facilitating restorative practices, a practice that aims to heal wounds caused by acts that can be fuelled by racism.
​
CURB has prepared the path for other social justice organisations and businesses that are now focused on racial equity in Bermuda. We have set the foundation by preparing the Social Justice Platform, a Call to Action for Societal, Legislative, Economic and Educational Reparations including Reparatory Justice and what Racial Equity should look like in our community. There is a huge push by CURB to tackle areas where racism persist in Bermuda both proactively and reactively. We have formed working groups to address Advocacy, Awareness and Pride, Fundraising, Workshops/ Training and Restorative Practice.
Through Advocacy
CURB’s proven legacy and pioneering work, places us as the preeminent organization advocating for racial equality.
Awareness & Pride
CURB has developed a communications plan that aims to build community awareness around anti-racism and build relationship and pride through our messaging.
Since its inception, CURB has offered Training and Workshops to members of the community. Since 2020, the demand for CURB training has been unparalleled. This demand has also led to the increase in individuals wishing to join our Truth & Reconciliation Community Conversations that CURB implemented in 2017 as part of the Call to Action for societal change. The aim of the TRCC has been to set the people of Bermuda on a path towards greater understanding and unity, and to help society fully understand the damage done to one group and its continuing legacies, and need to repair that damage.
With repairing harm and building community in mind, CURB chose Restorative Practice as the platform to support the facilitation of the TRCC process in Bermuda. Restorative Practice supports healing, reintegration, the prevention of future harm, and reparation. This platform matched CURB’s push for reparatory justice. CURB then made the decision to become a training organization of Restorative Practice. We joined forces with the International Institute of Restorative Practice (IIRP), and financially supported CURB members to become trained facilitators and trainers of trainers and set out to introduce RP to as many residents as we could. Since 2017, we have managed to train close to 800 individuals comprised of educators, police officers, prison officers, social workers and everyday citizens on how to facilitate circles and conferences, basically we trained individuals to hold difficult conversations and to start to heal the wounds of the past.
We are the only organization in Bermuda to have around 12 fully trained RP practitioners. It is our goal to see Restorative Justice effectively introduced and fully implemented throughout Bermuda, taking an integrative, robust approach to influence larger systems – schools, the police department, social agencies, corrections, the juvenile justice system and charities – to adopt the Restorative Practices culture, with the vision of Bermuda becoming the first Restorative Justice country in the world. We understand this to be a tall order, but we are already seeing a positive shift within those organizations we have had the opportunity to engage.
One may ask, how does RP tie into CURB’s our overall mission of anti-racism? We see RP as leading to a community more in tune with its historical legacy of oppression/ marginalization, focused on the need to repair the harm; and a culture with high moral and cultural expectations of its citizens, publicly expressed, allowing restorative justice to guide its principals, compared with a culture which sees more punitive action as a way to deal with the social ills we see happening in Bermuda.
Too many people in Bermuda know little or nothing about the deep, historical roots of today’s inequities or the history of the fight for freedom and equality. This lack of historical knowledge is detrimental to the people of Bermuda of all races. In the wider community it reinforces racist attitudes, discrimination and stereotyping. It fuels civic distrust. History plays a critical role in reconciliation; in order for Bermudians to build a stronger more equitable future, we must learn from the past.
CURB believes that healing the wound and restoring the relationship is genuine and the most effective remedy available.
As the RP process requires a sincere desire to heal, involves honest dialogue, has teachable moments, and uses solutions offered by the Parties, the offending Party is unlikely to reoffend; it produces ‘reconciliation’ rather than ‘retribution.
Reconciliation is about establishing and maintaining a mutually respectful relationship between people previously separated by oppression and violence. In order for that to happen there has to be a raised awareness about that oppressive past; a process of telling one’s story of harm; acknowledgement of the harm that has been inflicted; a willingness to atone for the causes; and action to repair the harm and change behavior moving forward.
​
This definition of Reconciliation is what Restorative Justice is.
By championing Restoration, CURB is moving Society beyond proving someone ‘right’ and someone ‘wrong’. Instead, Restoration acknowledges harm, produces an authentic apology, and creates an understanding that ultimately, both the ‘victim; and the perpetrator’ are pawns of an unequal Society.
​
With this said, there is a need to expand the public dialogue and action beyond the Truth & Reconciliation Community Conversations. Restorative conversations need to become a part of every group’s mandate, from charities, organization, businesses to faith groups, sports clubs, and the arts.
​
We hope that you will join CURB’s push for a Restorative Bermuda.
Give us a call, send us an email, visit our website, visit our office.
​
We welcome the conversation. We push for restoration. We envision a Bermuda where Skin Colour Favors No-One.
