________________
NEWS
"KEEP
CUBS FROM MEDITATION THE LION CITY TO START THE
SCHOOL DAYS
DES
ARTISTS UNITE TO CELEBRATE BRITISH ASIAN MUSIC
SINGAPORE'S YOUNG JAINS ARE MAKING THEIR MARK
ROC
orget Attention Deficit Disorder, forget after school detentions: maybe Brahma Kumaris have found the
answer to teachers' prayers - five minutes of mediation before lessons start.
The Young Jains of Singapore (YJS) made their official debut at the bi-annual Shibir organised by the Singapore
Jain Religious Society in February 2005. The event that attracted more than 300 international delegates was held at The Pulai Desaru Beach resort in Malaysia
photo supplied by www.theukama.com
Hosting a segment of the evening's programme in both English and Gujarati, the 15 members of YJS introduced their organisation through a spectacular audiovisual presentation. Shibir leader Param Pujya Gurudev Rakeshbhai Jhaveri did the honours by officially launching YJS and unveiling its logo - inscribed in a diva-shaped, starburst crystal. A tremendous amount of time and effort had clearly gone into preparing the show.
60 children from Marsh Baldon Church of England Primary School thought the world had ended when their Victorian village school burned down at the beginning of March. However, this was the event which led to their relocation to the Brahma Kumaris Global Retreat Centre just outside Oxford. Brahma Kumaris is a World Spiritual University based in India, with no fixed religious base, although their roots are in the Hindu and Jain faiths. The children spent over two weeks here before returning to their temporary classrooms at the end of March.
photo The DK Global Retreat Centre
ome of the biggest stars of the British Asian Music industry from genres as diverse as Bhangra, R&B
and Asian underground, congregated at London's Hammersmith Palais to celebrate the annual UK Asian Music Awards on Thursday, 3 March 2005.
An exhibition entitled "Jainism In A Changing World" was one of the major highlights. YJS also paid tribute to the victims of the Tsunami disaster by constructing a pictorial tower of the tragedy, using photos and other materials like sand, shells, and twigs.
Celebrated artists at the sold out show included Malkit Singh, Taz from Stereo Nation, Apache Indian, DCS, Sanj J Sanj, Sahara, Sef, Punjabi Hit Squad and Swami. Underground favourites and antiracist rockers, Asian Dub Foundation, opened the show with a spectacular performance. The crowd were also treated to live performances by R&B sensation Sef, Apache Indian, Trick Baby, Punjabi Hit Squad, Mehsopuria and 2 Play. Jay Sean stole the show by winning three awards. The R&B star won the RAF AMA for Best Album, Choice FM AMA for Best Urban Act and a special AMA for Best Video.
A game of Scavenger Hunt was also held, where winners won a collectible YJS mug. YJS also ventured into selling souvenirs, such as fridge magnets and key-chains based on the theme of the Shibir, "Jainism-The Art of Living." The "It's Cool To be A Jain" pins were a total sell-out.
The programme ultimately demonstrated the dedication of the Young Jains of Singapore, who recruited 7 new members during the Shibir. Since its inception in April 2004, YJS has evolved and grown tremendously..
The children started each day with a short burst of meditation, organised by a retreat centre member of staff. This would involve focusing on a subject like love or peace. Every hour, the centre played a minute and a half of meditation music through the building to encourage the children and adults to take a few moments to reflect calmly on their day. It was an experience that benefitted all parties. Gopi Patel, Events Coordinator at the centre said, "It has been a pleasure to be able to serve the community at such a time of need. The children have all enjoyed the meditation so much! Many of them have said that they would never forget this experience in their whole lives! To have watched them meditate and pause for reflective moments was wonderful. In our busy and frantic world today, sowing the seeds for reflection and quiet time helps to create a foundation for lasting self-esteem." .
MISIR 2005
MTV's Tim Kash and R&B star Keisha White presented Swami with the award for Best Producer. He said: "A very big thank you to all those who voted for Swami as Best Producer... Bring on the next generation of British Asian music...Keep DesiRockin'!!!" •
W.TAINSPIRITGOM
www.theukama.com
Left to right - Front row: Rina Shah, Avni Shah, Ronak Doshi, Trishal Ghetani, Urvi Shah. Middle row. Hiral Desai, Nikita Kamdar, Eesha Shah Hemal Ghelani, Avnish Desal, Dhaval Desai, Ajay Sheth Top row Dhanu Shah (VP of SJRS), Abhishek, Jai Shah
To find out more about the Brahma Kumaris you can visit Brahma Kumaris Global Retreat Centre www.globalretreatcentre.org.uk or email info@globalretreatcentre.org
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