Jain Digest 2002 12 Vol 21 No 4

Author(s): Federation of JAINA
Publisher: USA Federation of JAINA

Page 23

PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
Dear Fellow Jains,
Jai Jinendra! Thanks to all for giving me the opportunity to serve as President of JAINA. I consider it to be a great honor, and I will do my best to further the JAINA cause. First, I would like to congratulate all of the past presidents for making JAINA a truly world-renowned organization. They have done a great job in promoting JAINA, such that it is now recognized by world-leading organizations such as the United Nations, World Religion Council, and the US and Indian governments.
Your JAINA is working very hard to facilitate your Jain living needs. It is indeed a pleasure and a privilege to watch so many JAINA volunteers selflessly promoting various JAINA activities. Let me mention just a few:
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Pathshala teacher's conference was held in Los Angeles with the support of the Jain Center of Southern California, Los Angeles. 26 North American Jain Centers' teachers attended the conference. Celebration of Ahimsa Varsh: Started with Bhartiya Vidya Bhavan's ahimsa conference in Edison, N.J. on March 13-14 2002. United Nations Celebration of Mahavir's Message meeting. 165 members participated of which at least 40 Non-Jain members were present and shared their views on Ahimsa. Thanks to Arvind Vora and the Jain Center of America, New York for organizing this program successfully. The first nationwide video JAINA broadcast presentation on TV Asia was on March 28, 2002. The theme was Mahavir's message and the broadcast was graced by the messages from Gurudev Shri Chitrabhanuji and Dr N.P. Jain. Beginning the JAINA Day Program at the Jain Center of Chicago in the form of a town hall meeting was on March 31$ 2002. Mr. Dilip V. Shah is planning more meetings nationwide. Mr. Ramesh Shah's "efforts for hospital supplies to India" was very much appreciated by members of local center. The Pratishtha mahotsav at Boston was a great success. Also the Pratishtha mahotsav in Detroit temple for 24 tirthankars in Bhoomti went very well as planned. World Community Service of JAINA has joined hands with World Medical Relief, Inc of Detroit and SloanKettering cancer research center of NY and obtained medical equipments and supplies worth one million dollars for the Ujjain Charitable Trust Hospital. The container full of life saving materials for the poor and the needy is already on its way to India. A Jain school built in Lachhwad (Bihar) from the donations collected jointly by the Tirthodhdhar Committee and the Pilgrimage Committee is fully functional - Thanks largely due to efforts and guidance of Acharya Shri Chandanaji of Veerayatan. I call upon all of you to sponsor a child's education cost of $250 for five years in the land where our Lord Mahavir was born and where today Jainism is almost extinct. Please contact Kirit Daftary or Dilip V Shah if you would like to sponsor a child. YJA Convention 2002 was a grand success. Every participant was happy that they could attend the convention in Mahwah NJ. Soon after that, the YJA members selected the new executive board. The Co-chairs are: Ronak Shah and Suchita Shah. They have many new activities planned around the Internet and many regional conferences. Let us applaud a great job done by previous exec. Committee led by Chintan, Birud and Ronak. Congratulations to Pravin Shah of JAINA Education Committee for releasing JAIN Education CD containing 2,000 files, which contain 10,000 pages of, printed material covering variety information on Jainism in English. The cost of each CD is only $5.00 including postage. Dr. Pradip and Darshana Shah are coordinating the distribution of the CD. Email - Pradoks1@aol.com if you wish to get one. Our World Community Services projects are progressing at designed pace. "Varthaman Nagar" near Bhuj has already started construction of houses and school plans are completed. The medical assistance program has shipped many containers full of hospital supplies to designated hospitals in India. JAINA started the “World Trade Center Victim's Relief Fund" and stand ready to help in anyway it can. JAINA has already contributed $13,000 to the victims to Fireman's Fund.
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Jain Education Intemational