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Follow on Google News | Institute of Jainology celebrates 13th Annual Ahimsa Day at the House of CommonsBy: Institute of Jainology Many parliamentarians, including the Rt. Hon. Eric Pickles, Secretary of State for Communities & Local Government, were in attendance. Many other Lords and MPs grace the occasion with speeches. The evening was inaugurated in the traditional Jain fashion with the recitation of the Navkar Mantra by two Saminijis (nuns) from Jain Vishwa Bharti. Ahimsa Day is held annually in October to mark the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, who personified this main Jain tenant of non-violence and compassion. The three co-hosts for the evening were the Chairman of the Friends of India of the three main political parties; Lord Dholakia, Barry Gardiner MP and Alok Sharma MP. They welcomed the audience and expressed their pleasure at being able to support the Jain community in its activities. The Chairman of the Institute, Nemu Chandaria OBE, then welcomed guests and spoke about the recent historic meeting of all UK Jain organisations that passed a unanimous motion directing the Institute to represent Jain interests in Government and inter-faith interests. The highlight of the evening was the announcement of the 2014 Ahimsa Award winner by Jaysukh Mehta, a Director of the Institute. Every year the Institute gives the prestigious IOJ Ahimsa Award to a recipient that personifies Ahimsa through compassion towards animal life, alleviation of poverty or suffering, or protection of the environment. The recipient of the 2014 award was Ms Ingrid Newkirk, founder Director of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). Mr Mehta said that the Institute had selected Ms Newkirk for her tireless work and conviction in preaching her message animals are not ours to eat, wear, experiment on or use for entertainment but are to be cared for and protected. He added that his resonated well with Jain tenet that all life is interdependent. Ms Mimi Bekhechi, PETA Foundation Director, represented Ingrid Newkirk and collected the award from the Rt. Hon. Keith Vaz MP. In her acceptance speech talked about Ingrid’s childhood in India, and her desire to adopt a Jain way of life from a young age. She noted that her actions in taking a challenging stance to those that abused or caused suffering to animals was the true meaning of Ahimsa. Juliet Gellatley, Founder Director of Viva was the evening’s keynote speaker. She described Viva as an organisation that campaigns energetically to end the abuse of animals exploited and killed for food. Its passionate motivation, backed by science, nudges and helps people towards a vegetarian or vegan diet. Juliet originated ‘National Vegetarian Week’ with the support of Linda McCartney, wife of the former Beatle Paul McCartney. She took the truth about the animal abuse in factory farming into the nation's schools for the first time. The result was a network of youth campaigners across Britain, which dramatically increased vegetarianism amongst young people. Her keynote reflected her passion for the subject and brought many to tears, including herself. Finally Mr Nemu Chandaria presented a certificate of Honorary Patronship to Mr Sudhir Lodha, Member of the State Minorities Commission, Tamil Nadu, India for his services to the Jain community in India. As is the custom in the House, speakers from the floor were invited to add their reflections on the evening. Kumar Mehta, a Director of the Institute, ended the evening with a vote of thanks. About the Institute of Jainology Institute of Jainology (IoJ) was established following the first International Jain Conference held in London in 1983, when the need for an organisation to coordinate Jain affairs internationally was recognised. The Institute has offices in London and Ahmedabad, India. Its aims are to promote the Jain philosophy through art, culture and education. For more details see www.jainology.org About Ahimsa Day and the Ahimsa Award Ahimsa Day was invented by the British Jain diaspora and has been celebrated annually in London since 2002. Created to underline the universality of Jainism and to publicly identify it with the concept of non-violence Ahiṃsā Day is marked by all Jains in the United Kingdom. It is added to traditional Jain religious festivals and is a new sign of the Jain presence in the UK. Each year the Ahimsa Award is given to someone who has spread knowledge of Jainism or promoted Jain principles such as non-violence. For more details see: http://www.jainpedia.org/ Past recipients of the award are listed below: 2006 - Nelson Mandela 2007 - Dalai Lama 2008 - Acharya Mahapragyaji 2009 - Padmanabh Jaini 2010 - Nalini Balbir 2011 - Nitin Mehta 2012 - Scott Neeson 2013 - Melanie Joy Glossary Ahimsa The principle of non-violence that is one of the five chief vows of Jainism. Festival A public commemoration of a religious ritual. Often a celebration that involves holding a religious ceremony to mark an important event in a religion's history. Jain Follower of the 24 Jinas or an adjective describing Jain teachings or practices. The term 'Jaina' is also used although 'Jain' is more common. Namaskara Mantra Sanskrit for 'homage formula', the Namaskāra-mantra is the fundamental religious formula of the Jains. A daily prayer always recited in the original Prākrit, it pays homage to the supreme beings or five types of holy being: 1.arhat - enlightened teacher 2.siddha - liberated soul 3.ācārya - mendicant leader 4.upādhyāya - preceptor or teacher 5.sādhu - mendicant Rite A sequence of actions that must be followed to perform a religious ceremony. The set of actions is largely symbolic, for example offering food to statues symbolises sacrificing to a deity. The ritual actions are often accompanied by set phrases. End
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