Federation of Jain Associations in North America

Federation of Jain Associations in North America
Name	Federation of Jain Associations in North America
Abbr	FJAA (commonly used)
Formation	1981
Headquarters	New York City
Region served	North America

Federation of Jain Associations in North America is a transnational nonprofit umbrella organization established in 1981 to coordinate Jain religious, cultural, and educational activities across North America, engaging with communities in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The federation serves as a clearinghouse for temples, youth groups, scholars, and advocacy networks, connecting institutions such as the Jain Center of America, Jain Society of Metropolitan Chicago, Jain Society of Greater Houston, Jain Sangh of New York, and academic programs at Rutgers University, University of California, Berkeley, Columbia University, Harvard University, and McGill University. It interacts with diasporic organizations including Federation of Indian Associations, Hindu American Foundation, Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund, Ismaili Council for Canada, and interfaith coalitions like American Jewish Committee, Interfaith Alliance, Religious Freedom Institute, and United Religions Initiative.

History

The federation emerged from early diasporic organizing in the late 1970s and early 1980s among congregations such as the Jain Temple of Minnesota, Jain Center of Southern California, Jain Center of New England, Jain Center of Southern California, and student groups at University of Michigan, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and University of Pennsylvania. Founding leaders drew on precedents set by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad of America, BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha, and Ramakrishna Mission to create a North American coordinating body, collaborating with scholars like Padmanabh Jaini and Christopher Fuller and institutions such as the American Academy of Religion and Association for Asian Studies. Throughout the 1990s and 2000s the federation expanded programming in response to demographic shifts traced by censuses administered by the United States Census Bureau and by immigration policy changes under the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, participating in consultations with agencies such as the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom and cultural initiatives tied to the Smithsonian Institution.

Organization and Governance

The federation’s governance model parallels nonprofit associations like Council on American-Islamic Relations, American Civil Liberties Union, and National Council of Churches with an elected board, executive committee, and committees for finance, education, youth, and humanitarian aid. Its bylaws reflect incorporation practices similar to New York State Department of State filings and nonprofit guidelines from the Internal Revenue Service for 501(c)(3) organizations. Leadership rotations have included figures who also served on boards of the Jain Center of Southern California, Jain Society of Metropolitan Chicago, Shree Jain Sabha (Houston), and advisory roles to academic centers like the South Asia Institute (Harvard). The federation has collaborated administratively with professional organizations including American Bar Association and Council on Foundations for governance training and compliance with regulations from the Securities and Exchange Commission when applicable to endowment management.

Activities and Programs

Programmatically, the federation sponsors educational curricula modeled on resources used by Harvard Divinity School, Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies, and Centre for Study of Religion and Society (University of Saskatchewan) for teaching Jain philosophy, history, and ethics. It organizes youth leadership initiatives akin to programs at Girl Scouts of the USA, Boy Scouts of America, and student development initiatives at Student Affairs (NACUBO), and runs adult education that references scholars from University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, School of Oriental and African Studies, and Banaras Hindu University. Humanitarian relief and environmental stewardship efforts have coordinated with NGOs such as Doctors Without Borders, World Wildlife Fund, Oxfam America, UNICEF USA, and Mercy Corps, while heritage preservation projects have engaged museum partners like the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Asian Art Museum (San Francisco), and Field Museum.

Membership and Affiliates

Membership comprises regional and city-based organizations including Jain Center of America, Jain Vishwa Bharati, Jain Center of Southern California, Jain Society of Toronto, Jain Study Circle (Atlanta), and temple trusts like Shri Mahavir Jain Temple (Washington, D.C.) and Shri Digambar Jain Temple (Toronto). Affiliated student groups at University of Toronto, University of British Columbia, Yale University, Princeton University, University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign, and Carnegie Mellon University form a network with professional affiliates such as Jain Professionals Network and cultural organizations like India Association of Greater Boston. The federation liaises with international bodies including the World Jain Federation, All India Digambar Jain Mahasabha, Akhil Bharatiya Digambar Jain Mahasabha, and scholarly societies such as the International Association for the History of Religions.

Events and Conferences

Annual conventions mirror models used by organizations like the American Academy of Religion, Association for Asian Studies, and South Asian Studies Association, hosting plenaries, workshops, and panels with academics from University of Chicago, SOAS University of London, University of Toronto, McMaster University, and practitioners from temples such as Shree Adinath Jain Temple (US). The federation organizes thematic conferences on topics linked to celebrations observed at Paryushan, Mahavir Jayanti, Samvatsari, and interfaith dialogues in partnership with the Parliament of the World's Religions, Interfaith Youth Core, and civic institutions like City of New York cultural programs. Specialized symposia have featured contributions coordinated with publishers like Oxford University Press and Routledge.

Community Impact and Outreach

The federation’s outreach includes public education campaigns in collaboration with media outlets such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, BBC, and CBC/Radio-Canada to raise awareness about Jain principles and animal welfare initiatives aligned with organizations like People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, Humane Society of the United States, and The Nature Conservancy. It has influenced charitable giving patterns similar to campaigns run by India HIV/AIDS Alliance and developed curricular materials for schools and museums alongside partners such as American Museum of Natural History and Brooklyn Museum. Civic engagement programs have worked with legal advocacy groups including Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund and partnered on disaster relief with American Red Cross.

Category:Jain organizations Category:Religious organizations established in 1981 Category:Indian diaspora organizations in North America