Jain Spirit 2000 03 No 03

Author(s): Jain Spirit UK
Publisher: UK Young Jains

Page 39

YOUTH
TEENAGE REVOLUTION
of Jains that are in the first year of Alevels. Even though our schedules are already busy doing A-levels it is a great challenge preparing for each week's assembly. On the committee we have a co-ordinator, secretary, public relations officer, notice board officer and two cultural events organisers. To make sure the committee is run democratically, a system of rotation has been implemented so that all members have a chance at each role. We have discovered that in giving our time and energy to this, we have learnt a lot and enhanced our personal skills at the same time. The committee members include Bhavin Shah, Kunal Shah, Mayur Shah, Nikhil Jain, Saggar Malde and myself. Our Headmaster, Chaplain and Mrs. K. Shah have all supported us to start our own assembly.
The content of our assemblies varies from musical plays emphasising the essence of the
Navkar Mantra to upbeat ethical A famous English public high school starts a regular Jain
debates on euthanasia and abortion. Assembly. Bhavin Shah and Avinash Doshi report on the events. These debates arouse heart-felt
comments and interesting listening. Tt was a typical Thursday morning at Haberdasher's Aske's Everyone really becomes deeply involved in assemblies and
Boys School for 16 year old Bhavin Shah. There was one has time to have their input in each session. Each person's L difference. This time, the Jains were going to have their view is taken with respect and may be followed up by a own school assembly. There was excitement all around, and contrary argument. This enables everyone to decide for some nervousness too! How can we make the assembly themselves what they believe. There are one hundred regular interesting for teenagers? From where can we get relevant attendees of whom eighty are Jain and twenty non-Jain. Each information on Jainism in English? What different methods person no matter what faith is given the same respect that should we use to make it varied and fun too? A group of us they deserve, this is a quality that our assembly is proud to decided that we wanted to have an assembly, and were going possess. The fact that we have so many non-Jains coming to to do our best to get there. We would like to share our each assembly means to us that we are reaching out to our experience with you.
fellow pupils. The age ranges from newcomers of age 11 to For many of us, our discussions and interest in Jainism those who are 18 years old. This is a broad and challenging ended the moment we entered the school grounds: it was a audience. world of fierce academic competition, not an easy place for any Our information comes from a wide range of places, from teenager. Our school is lucky enough to have great cultural our teachers at Chandana Vidyapeeth to the Jain books we diversity with an already well established Christian, Hindu, have. It is sometimes a challenge finding the relevant material. Islam and Jewish assembly. However even though there was a Our research helps us to discover so many interesting facts large Jain population of some 100 students, there had yet to about Jainism. We hope that schools where there are large be an assembly for Jains. For many years Jains had the pleasure concentrations of Jains are also encouraged from our example of attending the Hindu assembly, but we felt ready to embark to start on their own. We would be happy to advise. on our own.
The assembly is organised by a committee, which consists Bhavin or Avinash can be contacted at bhasac@dircon.co.uk
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Jain Spirit . March - May 2000
Jain Education Interational 2010_03