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Young Jains of America Young Jains: Agents of Change
The 12th Biennial Convention In Partnership with the Jain Center of Southern California
www.vja.org
2016
AGENTS OF CHANGE
YOUNG JANs or Avika
Jai Jinendra,
As we gather together in Los Angeles for our 12th Biennial Convention, we shall reflect upon how far YJA has come. In July of 1991, a group of young Jains established a vision to raise awareness about their religion and connect youth who ascribe towards living nonviolently. The platform they created developed over the years, and today, exactly 25 years later, we proudly celebrate how much our network has grown at a national level.
Some of our many initiatives have included publishing our magazine Young Minds in 1993, holding our first convention in 1994, sending volunteers to needy places in 2002, organizing the first "YJA National Service Day" in 2010, supporting JAINA's "World Compassion and Vegan Day" in 2014, and much more. During the 2015-2016 term, we have continued to give the Jain youth community opportunities to network, learn, and reflect through our College Chapters Project, YJA Forums webpage, and several local/regional events.
Our biennial conventions have served as a way to share insight into what it takes to achieve spiritual success in today's modernized world. With the 2016 YJA Convention theme, Young Jains: Agents of Change, our attendees will come to understand that in addition to being catalysts for change within their own lives, they have the power to create positive change in the world around them via Jain principles.
Through initiatives never done before, our team has organized unique activities for all attendees. Whether or not this is your first YJA convention, you will find new ways to implement Jainism in your everyday life. After this weekend, you will have the tools needed to promote social justice and a desire to become an agent of change!
We would like to thank our Board of Trustees, the JAINA Executive Committee, the Jain Center of Southern California, our donors, and the many volunteers who have helped us with our efforts. Planning for this convention could not have been possible without our mentors. Thank you for the support!
Sincerely, Your 2016 Young Jains of America Convention Committee
Chairpersons Akash Shah Amit Shah
Puja Savla Sunny Dharod chairs.la@yja.org
Adult Volunteer Committee Leads Diyaanka Jhaveri
Tina Lapsia
Urvashi Jain volunteer.layia.org
Daytime Programming Committee Leads
Chintav Shah Kayuri Shah Mahima Shah daytime.la@viar
Fundraising Committee Leads
Paras Savla Poojan Mehta
Ravi Doshi fundraisinslaaviary
Hospitality Committee Leads
Simmi Nandu Vashali Jain
Umang Lathia hospitality.layia.org
Jain Networking Forum Committee
Leads Neelam Savla Shrenik Shah infla@vja.org
Public Relations Registration
Security
Site Committee Social Committee Souvenirs Committee Leads Committee Leads Committee Leads
Leads
Leads
Committee Leads Juhi Hegde
Avish Jain Dharmi Shah
Adit Shah
Mitesh Bhalani Hetali Lodaya Manan Jobalia Nilesh Dagli
Paras Savia Mihir Shah Monica Vora
Kinari Shah Virag Vora Pujen Solanki Saejal Chatter
Mishi Jain Rea Savia
Pankti Gala la via.org registration.laya.org Segitlaaviar site.lawia.org socialdaia.org Souvenirs.lavia.org Young Jains of America (VJA) is an umbrella youth organization of the Federation of Jain Associations in North America (JAINA) a Non-Profit Tax Exempt
Religious Organization. IRS Code Section 501(c)(3) El #54-1280028.
AGENTS OF CHANGE
