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JAINA COMMITTEES
17. We brought in a young and energetic leader to lead the Long Range Planning right after I assumed the Presidency. His work has convinced many JAINA leaders to start discussing long-term problems faced by our community. It is gratifying to note the Dr. Deepak Jain of Kellogg Business School has taken interest in this topic and was kind enough to hold a conference in Chicago recently and will continue to advise us in the future. 18. We ran into a tricky problem at Niagara Falls when we discovered that the local Jain community was about to create a sectarian temple unintentionally. We convinced the people about the advisability of having a non-sectarian temple and they graciously agreed. Some individuals were a bit uncomfortable with JAINA's involvement. However in the final analysis, facts prevailed and most of the people including the local leadership were very satisfied with the outcome.
19. There was an old dispute among NJ representatives, YJA and NJ Jain Sangh about the use of surplus funds from the 2002 YJA convention held in NJ. I got involved personally, talked to the parties concerned and was able to settle the dispute to the satisfaction of every one concerned.
20. I spent 8 days in Ladnu in Jan. 2005, met with Acharya Mahapragyaji and his disciples as well as the leaders of Viswa Bharati Institute and established long-term relationship. I expect this relationship to blossom-going forward and prove beneficial to both.
ACADEMIC LIASION
JAINA COMMITTEES
This new committee was formed in March 2004 to create liaison with academic institutions in North America (museums, libraries, schools and colleges) to expand the scope of Jain studies.
As a first project we supported formation of Ahimsa Center at California State Polytechnic University at Pomona, California under the leadership of Prof. Tara Sethia. The center's objective is to establish classes in Ahimsa philosophy in daily lives at the University. It also plans to create workshops and develop curriculum for K1-K12 schools working with teachers so that Ahimsa is promoted in daily life.
Several other programs being looked at are programs at Stanford University and Univ. of Pennsylvania. We are in the process of cataloging Jain studies in North America.
Girish P. Shah, Chairman
Jain Education International
21. I have laid the groundwork for the Senior Housing Project. I believe that it is going to pick up momentum within a very near future. We established contacts with several interested parties and a solid project is going to emerge before too long.
22. With the help of several individuals, I initiated the Unity Declaration and Pledge drive and took it to the 2005 Convention floor. I expect it to find worldwide support as the message reaches to the main stream Jain community.
23. JAINA is better off financially now because of many changes I made in the areas of accounting and finance over the last few years. Being a financial professional myself, I was able to contribute a lot to the JAINA Accounting and Convention Budgeting processes. I generated a sizeable surplus from 2003 convention (first time in the history of JAINA) and then, more importantly, used the money prudently during my presidency.
Running a large and complex organization like JAINA is not a one person's job. To run it successfully for any length of time requires help and co-operation from many people. I was blessed with high quality volunteers i.e. members of Executive Committee, members of over 40 committees, and many others. I am very grateful to them all because I honestly feel that I would not have achieved much without their dedication and hard work. I hope we have made a lasting imprint on JAINA that will keep it moving and growing for years for the benefit our community.
CALENDAR & MINI-LIBRARY
This was envisioned as a way of preserving the past and bringing our rich heritage to Jains in North America. The annual JAINA Calendar has been freely distributed to over 11,000 Jain families across North America and other parts of the world for the last six years. Since the year 2000, we have received over 1/4 Million Dollars in donations and mailed over 50,000 Calendars and 4,000 Mini-Library Book sets. This has enabled the JAINA Calendar and the JAINA Mini-Library to grow in size, detail and scope of coverage due to the generous response and valuable suggestions received from thousands of families. The JAINA Calendars has helped to take its readers over thousands of years and miles back to the rich history of Jain Arts and Architecture. Monthly pages includes pictures of architecturally and historically important Jain Temples, Tirths, Cave Temples, Mountain Carvings, Mana-Stambhas (Towers), depict the richness and vastness of Jain culture across the Indian SubContinent, as well as establishing the Jain religion as one of the most ancient. The monthly dates shows us the American, Indian, Jain and Hindu Holidays. We can see at a glance the Jain Tithi's and our Tirthankaras Janm and Moksha days. It also includes images of authentic Jain scriptures, mantras, shlokas, and sayings. The JAINA Calendars also keeps our community informed about JAINA, its Objectives, and its many
6. JAIN DIGEST
SUMMER 2005 For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
