Jain Digest 2009 03 Vol 28 No 1

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

Page 28

Jaipur Pre-Parliament Report
World Leaders, Jains and Interreligious Dialogue
Two sisters Drs. Hema and Manda Pokharna recently returned from India after attending the 7th Annual International Conference on Peace and Nonviolent Action (ICPNA) in two parts at Jaipur (India) from 10th November to 14th November, 2008. It was held under the auspices of His Holiness Acharya Mahapragya, one of the most revered national saints and a celebrated Jain Acharya known for his historic Ahimsa Yatra (a journey on foot to enhance people's awareness of nonviolence) and Yuvacharya Mahashraman, successor to Acharya Mahapragya. The first part of the conference was focused on a highly significant three-day international dialogue (10th Nov. to 12th Nov., 2008) on Evolving a New Model of Nonviolent Lifestyle for Universal Peace and Sustainability. The second part of the conference was the well regarded Second International Nonviolence Leadership Training Camp (13th Nov. & 14th Nov., 2008).
The conference was co-sponsored by the Council for a Parliament of the World's Religions (CWPR) of which Dr. Hema Pokharna is a member of the board of trustees. The sisters were accompanied by Ms. Zabrina Santiago, the deputy director of the CPWR. The mission of the Council is to cultivate harmony among the world's religious and spiritual communities and foster their engagement with the
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world and its guiding institutions in order to achieve a just, peaceful and sustainable world. Ms. Santiago and Dr. Hema Pokharna were among the featured speakers and lifted up how Jains, Muslims, Hindus, Christians, Jews, Bahais and many other spiritual traditions must come together around issues of peacekeeping and nonviolent action.
Hema and Manda also presented Nonviolent Communication training in they shared tools to communicate with greater compassion and clarity by focusing on two things: honest self-expression - exposing what matters to oneself in a way that's likely to inspire compassion in others, and empathy -- listening with deep compassion. Formal NVC self-expression includes four elements: observations (distinguished from interpretations/evaluations), feelings (emotions separate from thoughts), needs (deep motives) and requests (clear, present, doable and without demand).
At the conference, Acharya Mahapragyaji, and Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, former President of India, launched their book, The Family and The Nation, which is published by Harper and Collins. It was an historical session and exciting occasion to be a witness to the coming together of Spirituality and Science. Drs. Hema and Manda Pokharna had a rare opportunity to have a private audience with Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam as well as His Holiness Acharya Mahapragyaji who is known for his transcendental wisdom. Dr, Hema Pokharna shared her interreligious work with CPWR with Dr. Kalam, and presented him with a Nonviolent Communication book. You will be very happy to know that a few weeks later, Dr. Hema Pokharna put Acharya Shree and Dr. Kalam's book, The Family and the Nation, in the hands of US President-Elect Barack Obama when he was exercising besides ber in the gymnasium back in Chicago. President-Elect Obama received it joyfully and expressed his appreciation. He also received a book on Jainism published by JAINA education committee with the hope that he finds support and creativity in making Nonviolent and Compassionate choices while he leads the nation and the world.
CLEVELANIC FOUNDATION
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Jain Digest Winter 2009