________________
ROLE OF ORGANIZING COMMITTEES
A recommended approach each society should take during coming years.
The main role of the organizing committee is to create a third group above, Group C, and bring people from Groups A and B to reside in the Group C. Group C must be on the neutral ground. When Group C prevails in making most of the decisions in these organizing committees, the dilemma presented is resolved automatically.
. There should be a minimum of a 50%
participation of young (of age less than 40) in each of the organizing committees. At least one third must be women.
2. Each one in the organizing committee
should develop a good understanding of an issue as it affects the whole community, rather than a certain segment of the population of the society.
3. Certain knowledge of Jain religion must be
for every organizing committee member.
4. Each one in the organizing committee
should avoid making strong statements in favor or against any issue remembering that it is the whole society that one represents.
When the constituencies have significant differences, the organizing committee needs to take a middle ground. It needs to figure out on continuous basis the best way to handle situations at all times. Keeping in mind that any division of people along the group lines like the Group A and B above can be devastating, the committees should harness the good from all and understand the differences before it can claim any reasonable success in their charters. A moderate approach, an in-between solution, and modesty in action is always helpful. Strong preferences in one direction will not contribute but divide the community even further. It should remain to be the ultimate goal of the organizing committees to resolve the differences from within. On any point of controversy, only moderate solutions must emerge to accommodate the young and the old ones of our society. Young should remember well that the fruits of the trees they are ripping off today would not have been reaped without the old, and the old should remember it well that there is no continuity if the young do not accept the tree and the fruits they helped raise. Committee is thus a force that has to balance each time and prevail in every occasion, in every scenario, and in every manner.
5. Each one in the organizing committee
should have some functional representation into the making and working of the organization at a noticeable level.
Concluding, an attempt has been made here to organize efforts to keep the systems once established alive for many years to come.
Dilip Kapasi
FEDERATION OF JAIN ASSOCIATIONS IN NORTH AMERICA APPEAL I want to help retaining Jain identity and culture by supporting JAINA and I want to be a proud Jain!
Please fill out this form and support JAINA.
Mail this completed form and your financial contribution to: JAINA Headquarters PO Box 700 Getzville, NY 14068
Please send your $151.00 Jain Digest life membership dues to Keerti Shah, 842 Lakeside Drive, Bartlett Illinois 60103, Phone: 630-837-8716 email: sknshah@worldnet.att.net
O I want to be a Trustee of JAINA Charitable Trust Name
and will donate $500 every year O I want to be a JAINA Patron and will donate $251 Address
every year I want to be a Life Member of JAIN DIGEST and will donate $151
Phone ( ) other amount: $10 $25 $500
Email: Please make checks payable to JAINA. Your donation is tax-deductible. Please advise if you wish to remain anonymous. 950 Jain families
have already done so, would you not do so? If not for you, do it for your children and grandchildren.
30 · JAIN DIGEST
FALL 2004
Jain Education Interational 2010_03
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
