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NEWS FEATURE
Additionally, due to the success of our efforts last year, YJA is once again sponsoring the second annual YJA H4H initiative: this involves teaming up with Habitat for Humanity and sending proactive youth to build homes for the underprivileged. The common sentiment shared by all volunteers in last year's event is best summed up by Neha Shah, age 17: "Altogether it was a wonderful experience. We came together for a great cause, to help better a community and we had a great time doing it. Most importantly, we brought home with us a sense of community and accomplishment."
The YJA Convention is the cornerstone of our organisation and as such it takes a year of solid work, a core group of volunteers and a supportive community to make it happen. YJA Convention 2004 is
To strengthen its communication capacity, we have also begun the renovation of our website, www.yja.org. In addition to posting regional events, community activities, the discussion board and other interactive features, we have added a comprehensive educational resource and reference page that includes directions on how to initiate college and university youth groups, we have a current events page, vegan and Jain recipes, a featured guest scholar column, and letters from young people who have questions, concerns or simply want to share stories. The advent of the "My YJA" section is intended to facilitate networking amongst the young Jain community from all around North America, the idea being that it will allow people to share their ideas, to support and get involved in YJA. Our objective is to make the website a place where interested and enthusiastic young Jains can come and learn more about their religion and who they are, as well as a place to find out what they can do to become an active member of their society.
Our work for the first half of the year has truly given us a sense of accomplishment; but we are not done yet. In the upcoming months, as we prepare for the JAINA convention this July, we are facilitating the infrastructure to start local YJA chapters. These chapters will be run by the youth of the given area and will be encouraged to organise and stimulate activities within their own localities. We firmly believe that young people learn well in an intimate setting where they are comfortable with the people they are working with and the induction of the chapter system will thus facilitate this learning process.
upcoming convention.
In recent months, YJA has been making progress in fulfilling many of its goals and in bringing the teachings of Jainism - in thought, in word and in action - to hundreds of motivated young people across North America, This is largely due to the selfless devotion of time, money and resources provided by passionate and active members of the Jain community: without their help we would not have been able to come this far. As long as we have enthusiastic and talented people to drive us forward, this trend is set to continue. YJA is always looking for the next generation of young people to get involved and we are now accepting applications for YJAACC, which is an executive board comprised of five members that will supervise, assist and provide creative input to
the host city convention committee for YJA Convention 2004. The end of this term is rapidly approaching; therefore, this coming May we will begin our new elections process for the 2003-2004 YJA Executive Board. For those who are interested, please visit www.yja.org/elections for more information. And of course, you can always e-mail board@yja.org to see how you can volunteer
Deriving from the will of enterprising young people, YJA has been able to build a
foundation for the first generation of Indian-Americans. We have started to build the bridge from the native spiritual heritage of our Indian homeland to the modern culture of our new American home. This bridge will reinforce who we are and who we are to become. As we cross this bridge, we draw upon the guidance and inspiration of our grandparents, parents and each other in attaining the peaks of spiritual fulfilment.
rapidly approaching and we are now accepting bid packets from potential host cities for the next convention. Last year YJA held its fifth biennial convention in Mahwah, New Jersey. Nearly one thousand inquisitive young Jains attended this event which proved to be one of the most successful in YJA history. The newly formed Young Jains of America Advisory Convention Committee (YJAACC) will allow for our executive board to continue facilitating regular YJA activities, while this secondary group helps us to plan the
Chirag K. Shah, YJA Committee
June - August 2003. Jain Spirit
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Jain Education International 2010_03
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