Jain Spirit 2003 06 No 15

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

Page 19

SIGN UP TO INDICORPS
USA
A new organisation has come forward to offer opportunities for NRIs (Non-Resident Indians) and PIOs (Persons of Indian Origin) to volunteer their skills and time to participate in the development of India. INDICORPS, a new US-based non-profit organisation, offers programmes designed to leverage the enormous skills, success and fondness for India of the global Indian family in a drive for social and economic development. INDICORPS is a completely voluntary organisation that believes in a strong philosophy of participatory development and individual empowerment, and aims to encourage Indians around the world to provide their human capital for India's future. INDICORPS offers multiple ways to give to India from a year-long fellowship programme targeted to young NRIs/PIOs around the world to a new Senior Corps programme designed to bring older applicants with significant experience back to India to utilize their skills for India's development. INDICORPS currently engages nine full-year fellows who have given up their time and are in India offering knowledge in fields ranging from watershed management to product marketing. To learn more about INDICORPS programmes and to follow its current progress through images and video, please look at the website www.indicorps.org. For further details, contact: Anand Shah, Indicorps anand@indicorps.org
CELEBRATING FAITH AND
EXPERIENCE
GRAND TEMPLE COMPLEX PROPOSED Delhi, India
With the blessings of Shri Arihant Parmatma Simandhar Swamiji, inauguration ceremonies were performed at Mahavideh Kshetram near Ghevramod Nangloi, New Delhi, lasting from 13-17 February 2003. A grand temple complex is proposed for the site, comprising of a temple of Shri Simandhar Swamiji, together with a centre for meditation and quarters for older saints. This project has been undertaken by Mumukshu Dhyandeep Parivar, under the spiritual guidance of Smt. Parnaben Jayantibhai Shah, a disciple of reverend Acharya Shrutbhaskar Vijay Dharmdhurandhar Suriswarji Maharaj Saheb. For the past six years, this group has been scaling the path of spiritualism with the goal of self-realisation. Having great compassion for humanity, they are engaged in philanthropic activities such as supporting financially weak families and giving medical help to those in need. Now, it has taken up the task of building a new temple complex entitled Mahavideha Kshetram. The Hon. Labour Minister Shri Saheb Singh Verma, Councilor Shri Raj Kumarji Jain, Co-editor of Punjab Kesari daily Shri Prem Sharma and other prominent personalities attended the inauguration ceremonies.
London, UK
Two new booklets celebrating the concept of helping others or Seva have been published by The Experience Corps in celebration of work done within Indian faith communities in the UK. The booklets were launched at a special recognition ceremony hosted by MP John Battle, who works with Prime Minister Tony Blair on faith matters, at the House of Commons on 5 March 2003. The Experience Corps, an organisation dedicated to encourage people aged 50 and over to share their time and skills for the goods of their local community, is very aware of the unofficial giving that occurs across faith communities and has been working hard with those communities to recognise these efforts. The booklets, published in English, Gujarati, Punjabi and Hindi, aim to acknowledge the efforts of those who already help others as well as inspiring more people to donate their time.
nog over
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NEWS IN BRIEF
APPEAL FOR EDUCATION
Philadelphia, USA
For the past two years, JAINA has been supporting the construction and maintenance of a school in Bihar, one of the poorest states in India. The school, in the town of Lachhwad, is run under the auspices of the Jain charitable organisation Veerayatan, and welcomes children from disadvantaged backgrounds. The school is now operational with a hundred and ten classrooms and fifty students, with three hundred more children to join this year. The families of most of these school children cannot afford school fees, uniforms or other school supplies. JAINA pilgrims, who visited the up-and-coming school in January 2003, have pledged computers and sewing machines, plus forty 3year scholarships, worth US$250 each. Half of the $250 from each scholarship will go towards supporting the child and the other half to the school. The JAINA Pilgrimage Committee and the Tirthodhhar Committee are now appealing for further scholarship donations, with the aim of raising at least a hundred US$250 scholarships for the children of Lachhwad. For less than twenty five cents per day, a child will be educated and someday will break out of the cycle of poverty. If you would like to help, please contact: Dilip V Shah at (+1 215) 561 0581 or Kirit Daftary at (+1 254) 776-4209.
DO YOU KNOW OF ANY HIGH-FLIERS IN YOUR JAIN COMMUNITY? People of talent, people who have made outstanding contributions to society? If so, contact us at Jain Spirit and we will write about their achievements in future issues of the magazine. E-mail: news@jainspirit.com
WHAT'S HAPPENING IN YOUR CORNER OF THE WORLD?
Have you had any exciting, inspiring, Jainism-related events in your community? Then share them with us. and spread the Jain Spirit! Contact us at the Jain Spirit office with your news and photographs.
June August 2003 Jain Spirit 17