Young Jains of America Information

Young Jains of America (YJA) is an entity of Federation of the Jain Associations in North America (JAINA), a non-profit religious organization. YJA serves Jain youth from ages 14-29. YJA was first established in 1991, and held its first biennial youth convention in 1994. Today, YJA serves over 10,000 members, creating opportunities for Jain youth to connect through social events, service and education. Our Executive Board works with a network of Local Representatives, as well as local Jain youth groups, College Chapters, and other interfaith organizations across our six regions to host events, develop and share resources, and build communities. Our members are the next generation of Jain leaders in North America, and we strive to constantly bring together the knowledge and wisdom of our global community with the technology and opportunity of the 21st century to make Jainism relevant to their daily lives! Our mission is to be recognized nationally and internationally as an umbrella Jain youth organization for establishing a network for and among youth to share Jain heritage and religion. As an organization, our objectives are as follows: 1. To raise awareness about Jain ideals and principles in North America and the world; 2. To create a forum for sharing Jain religion; 3. To instill a sense of pride among youth about Jain heritage; 4. To address the problems, difficulties, and concerns facing Jain youth; 5. To assist and to promote charitable community activities; 6. To prepare youth, who ascribe to Jain values, to become successful leaders of tomorrow; 7. To develop friendships among the youth, who ascribe to Jain values; and 8. To foster and strengthen local Jain youth groups.