The Jain Vegan Initiative: who, what and why...
I found out about The Jain Vegan Initiative recently and was intrigued. So I reached out to the founder and asked if he’d agree to be interviewed. I wanted to know more and also share what I found with you guys. So here goes…everything you need to know about The Jain Vegan Initiative.
Can you explain what The Jain Vegan Initiative is?
The Jain Vegan Initiative is a global collective of like-minded Jains. We all share the same mission: to push the needle towards veganism in the global Jain community.
With an increasing awareness of how our food systems tie to the mass exploitation of animals, our planet, and our health, we believe that the collective shift towards veganism is the single biggest and most important moment in contemporary Jain culture.
When was The Jain Vegan Initiative created?
The Jain Vegan Initiative was formed on September 1, 2021, a few days before Paryushan, which is the most sacred annual Jain festival.
With the sudden shift to a virtual world due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we realised that there was a unique opportunity to leverage new technologies and platforms such as Zoom and Clubhouse to mobilise and energise the vegan movement in the global Jain community.
Why was The Jain Vegan Initiative formed?
In the 21st century, we believe there is a severe disconnect between Jain principles and modern-day practice. As observed by Professor Gary Francione, a renowned Animal Rights activist
“Most Jains are vegetarians; relatively few are vegans. They consume dairy products, such as milk, ghee, and butter. They use dairy, wool, and silk in pooja events. They wear leather products, or use items that contain animal products.”
This social acceptance of the use and exploitation of five-sensed animals in the Jain community is in complete contrast to Jain principles due to the violence inflicted on the animals involved. Jainism prescribes that we should minimise the suffering we cause to all beings. Jainism insists that the truth must always be used, based on the transforming elements of Dravya (matter), Kshetra (location), Kaal (time), and Bhav (inclination), and we believe it is our imperative as Jains that our community reacts and adjusts as new information becomes available.
What's the aim of The Jain Vegan Initiative?
Our vision is to create spaces and content to facilitate social discussions related to all facets of veganism through a Jain lens. There are many facets of veganism that should be explored, including animal rights, sustainability, Jain dharma, cooking, fitness, and the lifestyle transition.
Our long-term goal is to initiate systematic change to the existing social structure through a diversified top-down (organisational) and bottom-up (grassroots) approach.
Our ultimate mission is total animal liberation, which is in alignment with fundamental Jain values.
Where is The Jain Vegan Initiative and its team located?
The Jain Vegan Initiative has a significant presence and operations in various countries around the world, with members in India, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia. We pride ourselves on our global reach and the diversity of our team.
How were the members of the core team selected? Why were they chosen?
Our Advisory Board consists of 12 board members, comprising some of our earliest advocates who helped us build the foundation of what we have today.
Our team includes:
Sunny Jain (Founder & Chair)
Nisha Ivey (Advisory Chair)
Pratik Bhansali (Outreach Advisor)
Dr. Jina Shah (Sustainability)
Dr. Christopher Jain Miller (Jain Dharma Advisor)
Megha Shah (Culinary Advisor)
Bhavik Shah (Social Impact Advisor)
Ruchika Chitrabhanu (Global Strategy Advisor)
Dr. Varun Gandhi (Mindfulness Advisor)
Kevali Bhakta (Projects Advisor)
Nidhi Kothari (Creative Advisor)
Ruhi Kumbhani (Brand Advisor)
Dr. Pritesh Mutha (Healthcare Advisor)
Can you tell me about the core members?
We are so proud of the diversity of our team, which includes Jains from different backgrounds, ages, and professions, all with an equal passion and dedication towards helping animals.
Our team includes doctors such as Dr. Jina Shah and Dr. Pritesh Mutha, who use their professional backgrounds to share awareness about plant-based nutrition.
Megha Shah, Ruchika Chitrabhanu, and Kevali Bhakta are passionate about cooking and helped spearhead impactful projects such as the Vegan Paryushan Cookbook, a crowdsourced public resource for Jains observing veganism during Paryushan.
Dr. Varun Gandhi, Nidhi Kothari, and Ruhi Kumbhani are content creators who represent a demographic of Jains interested in social justice and its intersectionality with veganism.
Dr. Christopher Jain Miller is the Bhagwan Mallinath Assistant Professor of Jain Studies at Loyola Marymount University who regularly speaks in Jain spaces about Jain Dharma and how it ties to veganism.
Nisha Ivey, Pratik Bhansali, and Sunny Jain have a passion for community outreach and are actively involved in their respective communities.
What is The Jain Vegan Initiative working on at the moment?
We are actively coordinating and spearheading multiple projects and initiatives, including a Jiv Daya (compassion for living beings) community fundraiser for Thanksgiving, a Vegan Paryushan Cookbook for 2022, a new website, and joint events with other organisations such as the Global Jain Network, JAINA, and Planet Earthlings.
How is The Jain Vegan Initiative funded?
The Jain Vegan Initiative is self-funded, with all operational and marketing efforts being expensed out-of-pocket by our members. As we continue to grow, we have plans to develop sustainable funding measures and focus our efforts on scaling our operations, growing our community, and expanding our vegan outreach.
What does The Jain Vegan Initiative need in order to achieve its mission?
We welcome all the help we can get! To achieve our mission, we need volunteers of all levels of knowledge and expertise. Areas of opportunity include graphic design, social media strategy, becoming a community ambassador, managing online discussions, creating literature, and developing communication channels with administration, Jain organisations, and those who have left worldly life i.e. sadhus/sadhvis.
What projects have The Jain Vegan Initiative been involved in already?
Paryushan is the most sacred annual festival for the Jain community, a time for spiritual upliftment, self-purification, and minimizing the harm we cause to Jiv around us. The Jain Vegan Initiative launched an online activist campaign "Give Up Dairy For Paryushan", which encouraged Jains to give up dairy for Paryushan due to the violence inflicted on cows in the Dairy Industry.
On October 3, 2021, Dr. Christopher Jain Miller, Global Jain Network speaker and Bhagwan Mallinath Assistant Professor of Jain Studies at Loyola Marymount University, shares his views on classic Jain stories and how it relates to animal rights activism. This joint event, co-hosted by the Global Jain Network and JAINA, welcomed renowned animal rights activists and scholars to help us rethink what shows up on our plates.
The Jain Vegan Initiative, in collaboration with JAINA and the Global Jain Network, welcomes the global Jain community to join us in a collective fast to honor 50 million turkeys and other animals that are slaughtered annually for the Thanksgiving meal. On November 25, 2021, on the 400th Thanksgiving Day in history, our goal is to reach 1,000 pledges to commit to a full fast, partial fast, or a fully vegan (no meat or dairy) Thanksgiving meal.
Every month, The Jain Vegan Initiative Movie Club selects a movie of social value and hosts an insightful open-format movie discussion on Clubhouse. On October 10, 2021, The Jain Vegan Initiative hosted an event to discuss the groundbreaking Amazon Prime/Vimeo documentary “A Prayer For Compassion”, where they shared their initial thoughts, memorable moments, and how they can expand our circle for compassion to include all sentient beings in the world.
The Jain Vegan Initiative developed an original post recounting historical stories and records that show that Jains have been partaking in animal activism for 600 to 900 years.
How to join The Jain Vegan Initiative
Website: bit.ly/thejainveganinitiative
Email: thejainveganinitiative@gmail.com
WhatsApp: +1 (713) 489-3120
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“It’s upsetting to me that so many people think of themselves as environmentalists and still eat meat and dairy products. I think it’s something people should be considering given the emergency situation we’re in regarding water supplies, global warming, and the destruction of ecosystems. There’s a lot of overlap between animal rights and the environment.”