SCoJeC Director Ephraim Borowski has been elected Convener of BEMIS, the ethnic minority infrastructure body, of which he has been Vice-Convener for the past 5 years. It was established by a number of members of the Race Equality Advisory Forum set up by the Scottish Executive immediately after Devolution, of which Ephraim was also a member, and SCoJeC and BEMIS have worked closely together throughout that time. Joint projects have included the immensely successful interfaith Pilgrimage in 2008, and MEMO, our weekly digest of information relevant to minority communities in Scotland.

Rami Ousta, Chief Executive of BEMIS, said "The cooperation between BEMIS and SCoJeC has, for a long time, been instrumental in promoting and supporting the ethnic and cultural minorities in Scotland and promoting community cohesion and the race equality agenda as a whole. Ephraim commitment has been key to this process, and we look forward to him continuing this role as the Chair of BEMIS."

Welcoming his new role Ephraim said, "SCoJeC has always seen its role as engaging with and supporting other minorities, and it is a great honour to have the support of my colleagues from such a widely diverse range of communities. I have often spoken of the tartan as a model for Scottish society, where each element is identifiable, where the pattern of the whole depends on these distinct elements, and where it is in fact their intersection that holds the whole together. That is BEMIS's vision, and why I am committed to it. I look forward to the challenges this new role will bring, and to continuing to work with Government and others to achieve one Scotland of many diverse but equal cultures."