Asian and black community groups are being united under one banner in an attempt to bring cultures together and bridge divides. Membership of the Consortia of Ethnic Minority Organisations (COEMO) has swollen from 40 to 63 groups in the last week. COEMO was officially launched yesterday with leaders saying it was not an attempt to revive the Race Equality Council (REC) under a different name.
Secretary Yusuf Karolia said: “We want to form partnerships, particularly with other umbrella groups. But we are not a threat to other organisations. We have to work with all partners and make a difference to the quality of life of the citizens of Bradford.”
Chairman Mohammed Salam said he hoped that bringing groups together would enable people to share expertise in applying for funding. He said: “It is true that ethnic minority communities have missed out on funding opportunities due to a lack of information, timely advice and development support which is why we felt a need for an organisation such as the Consortia.”
The Lord Mayor of Bradford, Councillor Ghazanfer Khaliq, warned delegates at the launch not to focus purely on ethnic minorities to the detriment of the white population. Kanchan Jadeja, Assistant Director of the National Association of the Council for Voluntary Services, said Bradford’s problems meant it could be a target for Government funding.
Kanchan Jadeja said: “People might be scared of Bradford at the moment and might not want to come here but clearly this seems to be an opportune time for this organisation and there are opportunities for groups to put their ideas forward in a very clear and rational way. The response of the Prime Minister initially to what happened in Bradford was because of a level of thuggery. Now the Home Office seems to be saying it wants to look at the deeper problems which caused what happened and there seems to be a level of willingness to find out what communities need and what can be done.”
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