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12th BIENNIAL JAINA CONVENTION
Presidential Acceptance Speech
JAINA 2003 AWARDS
Delivered by Anop Vora at 12th JAINA Convention in Cincinnati, OH
The following awards were presented at the 12th JAINA Convention
JAINA RATNA
Mr. Arvind Vora, Kings Park, NY
JAINA PRESIDENTIAL AWARDS
Mr. & Dr. Ramesh & Jaya Shah Mr. & Mrs. Pradeep & Darshana Shah
JAINA YOUTH RECOGNITION AWARDS
Jai Jinendra and Good morning, ladies, and gentlemen:
I am very grateful to you all for giving me this great opportunity to provide the organization leadership over the next two years. I accept your call with a deep sense of humility. Let me assure you I will do my very best to fulfill your expectations. You have given me a great responsibility to stay close to you, to be worthy of your TRUST, and to make JAINA an instrument of a positive change.
22 years ago, a momentous decision was taken by a few visionary Jain leaders under the guidance of Shri Chitrabhanuji and late Acharya Sushil muniji to create a unique organization called JAINA. I used the word unique because this was the first time that an association of associations was formed to unite all Jains irrespective of their sect or region. The Jain population was very small then but to day there are pretty close to 100,000 jains residing in North America and still growing. Over these years, JAINA has grown, come a long way,and matured but I feel this is just the beginning. The best is yet to come.
It is a common knowledge that our community is doing very well financially. Thanks to our hard work, ingenuity, discipline, and thrifty habits. But bear in mind we can not be in a lonely island of material prosperity in the midst of ocean of people who are not as fortunate as we are. There is much to be done, there is much that can be done. Remember our lives no longer belong to us alone, they belong to all those who need us desperately. We need to reach out and share our good fortune wherever there is a need for our talents or money at any place in the world. Why? Lord Mahavir has taught us that human compassion has no national boundaries.
What is my vision for JAINA? My first job is to make JAINA relevant to the needs of the community. If JAINA does not cater to your needs, it has no place to exist. On the flip side, every time, you come up with an assignment for JAINA leaders, please tell us how you can help, how you can contribute your talent and/or money. The point I am making is very simple. Your relationship with JAINA has to be a two way street; otherwise I will have either all gray hair or no hair at all two years from now.
Chintan K. Shah, Mequon, WI
Nisha Jain, Burke, VA Arpan Shah, Sugar Land, TX Santeen Seth, Diamond Bar, CA
Jyoti Shah, Carry, NC
JAINA ADULT RECOGNITION AWARDS
Mr. Nirmal Dosi, East Brunswick, NJ Mr. Shashikant Jogani, Glendale, CA
Mrs. Neha Jain, Columbus, OH Mrs. Rasila Shah, La Mirada, CA Mrs. Veena Dand, Silver Spring, MD
Mrs. Rashmi Lalan, Plano, TX Mr. Sanat Jhaveri, Caldwell, NJ Dr. Vastupal Parikh, Brampton, On Mr. Dhiraj Shah, Ellicott City, MD Dr. Indu Varia, Chappel Hill, NC
My immediate priority is to open up the communication with you to define your needs. We would like you to tell us the kind of projects JAINA should be working on. Please participate in this process through your directors. Your feedback will enable us to sharpen our focus on the activities that are meaningful to you. While this process goes on, I intend to keep the successful programs going and possibly add a housing project to help the seniors. I know many of them are concerned with the potential problems of old age. I intend to be very active in this area. Please stay tuned for further details.
Friends: The convention will be over tomorrow and I hope you will go back home with pleasant memories. I hope you will decide to become proactive, come forward, and make JAINA a truly dynamic organization. Please remember we are truly a blessed generation, having imbibed the best values from the East and the West. Let us work together, explore the vast potential of our community by using the JAINA infrastructure, and make a difference in the lives of our fellow human beings. This is what the Jainism is all about: Jainism: the art of living.
Jain Education International
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JAIN DIGEST. Fall 2003 / 7
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