YJA Convention 2010 07 New Brunswick NJ Ninth

Author(s): Young Jains of America (YJA)
Publisher: Young Jains of America YJA USA

Page 19

High School/College Sessions
Mudhles Rahman - Mudhles Rahman was born in Bangladesh, and has been in North America since 1975 starting as a graduate student, with a career spanning nearly three decades. His personal hobbies are Sky-Diving, Toastmasters, Marathons, and the Hong Kong Dragon Boat Race. Mudhles has run 7 marathons including NY City, Disney-World, Detroit, Toledo, and Yonkers. He has been at PepsiCo since 2008 working on packaging development for reducing cost, enhancing functionality and improving performances for protection while applying environmentally sustainable goals of recycle, reuse and reduce resource use and waste. Mudhles also worked for Owens-Illinois and Hewlett Packard for 10 years. Additonally, he worked on Trigger Sprayers, Dispensers & Lotion Pumps for design, development & manufacturing for consumer products such as Windex for SC Johnson, Unilever, and P & G. At Kodak worked on high speed copiers, printers, consumer cameras, business microfilming and medical imaging equipment.
Change the World: Youth, Jainism, and Grassroots Movements in the 21st Century
Since Gandhi, Jainism has had a tremendous impact on political and social movements throughout the world. Jain principles of nonviolence and speaking the truth have inspired grassroots leaders from Martin Luther King, Jr. to Cesar Chavez to President Barack Obama. With the resurgent influence of grassroots movements, young people today have a rare opportunity to shape their community and government through organizing. This session will focus on both well-established organizing practices and principles and new strategies made possible by changing technology, including social media and modern communication networks. Attendees will learn about and discuss how the tenets and lessons of Jainism can have a very real impact when people take action to effect change.
Ramey Ko - Ramey Ko is a municipal court judge and attorney in Austin, Texas. Ramey previously practiced housing and domestic violence law with Texas RioGrande Legal Aid and the Texas Advocacy Project. In 2006, Ramey founded Asian Americans for Obama, a national grassroots organization that organized Asian Americans in support of Obama's campaign. Ramey also served as a board member for Asian Pacific Americans for Progress, a national network of Asian Pacific Americans and allies for progressive change. In April 2009, Ramey testified against a bill requiring certain forms of photo ID to vote. In response to testimony about name matching problems encountered by Asian Americans in other states, State Representative Betty Brown suggested that Asian Americans should change their names to make them "easier to deal with." Brown apologized after widespread public outcry, and the bill was later defeated. Ramey graduated from Yale University and the University of Chicago Law School.
Inspire. Connect. Do The Jain Thing.
19
Speaker Biographies Session Descriptions &