JAINA

Federation of Jain Associations in North America

Motto	"Live and Help Live"
Formation	1981
Type	Jain religious organization
Purpose	Religious, Charitable, Non Profit
Headquarters	New York City,  United States
Region served	United States,  Canada
Official language	English
President	Ashok Domadia
Key people	Various Jains
Main organ	Board of directors
Affiliations	Jain organizations in USA and Canada
Website	www.jaina.org

JAINA is an acronym for the Federation of Jain Associations in North America, an umbrella organizations to preserve, practice, and promote Jainism in USA and Canada. It was founded in 1981 and formalized in 1983. Among Jain organization it is unique in that it represents Jains of all sects, and thus effectively represents the entire Jain community in USA and Canada.

The Jain Center of Southern California was founded in 1979. Lalit Shah, its Vice President in 1980, suggested establishment of an umbrella organization of all the Jain organizations in North America. At that time about 15 Jain organizations were in existence, including the Jain Center of America, New York, Jain Meditation International Center founded by Chitrabhanu, International Mahavir Jain Mission founded by Sushil Kumar and Jain centers in Boston and Chicago. The JAINA concept was initiated at the first Jain Convention held in Los Angeles in 1981 and formalized at the second Jain Convention in New York in 1983, with the advice and approval of Chitrabhanu and Sushil Kumar.

The conventions are now termed JAINA Conventions, and have been held biennially in Los Angeles, New York, Detroit, Chicago, Toronto, San Francisco, Pittsburgh, Chicago, Toronto, Philadelphia, Chicago, Cincinnati, Houston, and Atlanta. It also publishes textbooks on Jainism, a calendar and a monthly magazine, and operates an online Jain library.

There are over 70 organizations that are part of JAINA. JAINA represents over 160,000 Jains in USA and Canada. It also has 32 subcommittees involved in different activities.