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The Jain Journalists Association: More than 100 Jain periodicals, including one daily newspaper are published in India with publications ranging from weeklies to quarterlies, serving the community with news of the Jain world.
Jain Organisations Abroad: About 100,000 Jains live outside India; the majority in the United Kingdom, the United States and East Africa. According to a report published there were 131 Jain organisations outside India: 74 in America, 31 in Europe, 10 in Africa, 5 in Asia and 1 in Australia. (1988: Jain Digest of North America).
Women's organisations: Mahavira instituted the orders for laywomen and for female ascetics (saadhvis), as part of the fourfold sangha. Women play an active role in preserving Jain traditions and Jain values, and the majority of Jain organisations have women's 'sections', which engage in a wide range of religious, cultural and social activities.
Youth organisations: The Jain community has motivated youth organisations at the local, regional and national levels for wide range of activities, including religious, cultural and social: An example of their organisation was the Young Jains International Convention, held in London in July 1994, and attended by over 300 delegates.
Community Welfare Organisations: These help economically disadvantaged Jains by providing work at home, free medical and educational facilities, subsidised accommodation in some cities, and help on important social occasions such as weddings. In India, Jains have established co-operative movements, including a co-operative bank in Bombay.
Inter-faith organisations: Jains are active in interfaith work in accordance with their principle of relative pluralism (anekaantavaada), they seek to understand the teachings of other faiths and live peacefully with other communities. In addition to general interfaith co-operation, Jains have established a Jain-Christian Association and a Jain-Jewish association in the United Kingdom.
Plate 6.8
Archbishop of York Dr Habgood, High Commissioner of India Dr L. M. Singhvi, the Bishop of Leicester and the author at the seminar organised by Jain-Christian Association at Jain Centre, Leicester in 1992.
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