Dear all, We are delighted to announce that Pravin K Shah, Chair of the JAINA Education Committee, is the latest recipient of the Jain Vegan Working Group's "Ahimsa in Action" award.
We are also pleased to note that Young Jains UK has continued its commitment to raising awareness about cruelty to animals and promoting a vegan lifestyle, by publishing an excellent magazine on the theme of animals and holding a residential retreat where over 20 members were involved in the preparation of vegan meals without root vegetables.
Please see below for further news updates, information about vegan health and nutrition during pregnancy and for infants, information about how you can get involved, and a listing of upcoming events. | Contents- Pravin K Shah wins "Ahimsa in Action" awar
- Jain Vegans News
- Guides on a vegan diets for infants and during pregnancy
- Would you like to be the new Jain Vegans social coordinator?
- Would you like to join the Jain Vegans Cooking Club
- Animal protection and UK political parties
- Upcoming UK based events
- Abuse and the killing of cows in milk production
- Alternatives to dairy to help you give up
- NHS website supportive of a vegan diet
- About Jain Vegans
| | | 1. Pravin K Shah wins "Ahimsa in Action" award 
The UK based Jain Vegans Working Group is delighted to announce that Pravin K Shah as the latest recipient of its “Ahimsa in Action” award. This reflects his commitment to both raising awareness in the Jain community about the immense himsa in dairy production, and his efforts to promote understanding of dharma to Jain youth in North America through his role as Chair of the JAINA Education Committee.
Pravinbhai started to follow a vegan diet in 1995, following a visit to a dairy from in the USA. He has since documented his observations in a number of print and online publications, including the “Book of Compassion” which he co-authored with Pramodaben Chitrabhanu in 2000.
Many UK Jains will have had the fortune of meeting Pravinbhai in September 2013, when he visited the UK and delivered a programme of enlightening lectures and workshops hosted by Young Jains and Jain Network during Paryushana.
You can see videos where Pravinbhai explains why he follows a vegan diet by clicking on the pictures below:
| | | 2. Jain Vegans News 1. Young Jains magazine on the theme of animals - in March, Young Jains UK published an excellent magazine on the theme of animals. The issue features articles on topics such as animal sanctuaries, Jain perspectives on pets, zoos, and ethical living without silk, leather or wool. Authors include Pramodaben Chitrabhanu, members of the Jain Vegans Working Group and several alumni of the International Summer School for Jain Studies. 
2. Vegan menu at the Young Jains Retreat - Young Jains UK held a members retreat in March, with a fully vegan menu featuring no root vegetables. As with previous retreats, all attendees were encouraged to help in preparing meals. So in addition to organising a space for members to learn about Jainism, relax and enjoy England's beautiful countryside, Young Jains gave over 20 members the opportunity to learn how to cook delicious Jain vegan meals! 
Vegan biryani and vegan raita at the YJ retreat (photo credit: Vishal Shah)
3. Ian McDonald completes field research in India - Ian McDonald, founder of the Vegan Option radio show, successfully raised funds for his planned radio series documenting the history of vegetarianism. He set off to India in mid February, and interviewed a number of experts on the role of Jainism and Buddhism in spreading vegetarianism in ancient India. Thank you to everyone that supported his campaign. While it will be several months before the documentary series is complete, you can download existing Vegan Option podcasts via Itunes here and read updates on his project here. 4. Egroup discussions - The Jain Vegans international e-group has featured discussions on whether it is true that broccoli has more protein than beef; whether antibiotics are over-used in livestock farming; whether onions are root vegetables or bulbs; and whether vegans can get enough protein. To join in on the discussions, sign up via this link.
| | | 3. Guides on a vegan diets for infants and during pregnancy Over the past few years, members of the Jain Vegans Working Group have been asked whether a vegan diet is suitable for pregnant women and/or infants.
We have now reviewed some of the guides offering information on this subject, and would recommend reading the following books/chapters if you are considering a vegan diet during pregnancy or raising a vegan infant:
1) Feeding your vegan infant with confidence by Sandra Hood (ISBN 0-907337-29-5) - Sandra Hood holds a degree in dietetics from Leeds Metropolitan University and is a specialist dietician for the NHS as well as an advisor on nutrition to the Vegan Society. The book is a practical guide from pre-conception through to pre-school. It is currently selling for only £1 on the Vegan Society website. 
2) Vegan for life by Jack Norris and Virginia Messina (ISBN 978-0738214931) - Jack Norris and Virgina Messina are both registered dieticians. Jack Norris is a founder of veganoutreach.org and maintains two excellent websites on vegan health and nutrition (veganhealth.org and jacknorrisrd.com). The book is an excellent guide for vegan health and nutrition. Chapter 9 provides recommendations for pregnant vegans and nursing mothers, and chapter 10 provides recommendations on infants, children and teenagers. 
3) The Everything Vegan Pregnancy Book by Reed Mangels (ISBN 9781440525513) - Reed Mangels is a registered dietician and lecturer in nutition at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. This book is more US focussed and discusses how to find a suitable healthcare provider, how to find support/manage skeptcial friends/colleagues/family members. The book features lots of useful recipes, but is more limited on information on raising vegan infants and children. | | | 4. Would you like to be the new Jain Vegans social coordinator? The Jain Vegans Working Group is a grass roots, volunteer run group, dedicated to raising awareness about the cruel treatment of animals (cows, buffaloes, goats etc) in milk production and the relevance of a vegan lifestyle to the Jain community.
Over the past 5 years, the number of vegan Jains in the UK has grown considerably, and we are now looking to run a regular stream of social events to help support this vibrant community. We hope to be able to host regular trips to vegan friendly restaurants, pot-luck meals, film showings and walks.
In order to help achieve this, we are looking for a volunteer to join our team and take the lead on organising vegan social events. This is a great opportunity to develop new skills, meet new people and have fun whilst helping a worthwhile cause. No previous experience is needed as we'll be on hand to assist. In fact, all that's required is passion and enthusiasm!
To register your interest or ask any questions, please email .
| | | 5. Would you like to join the Jain Vegans Cooking Club The Jain Vegans Working Group is planning to organise a 'cooking club' where volunteers who enjoy cooking (and eating) can get together, try new vegan recipes and get together to taste them.
In addition to helping to bring the Jain Vegan community together, a key aim of the project would be to test and bring consistency to the recipes the Jain Vegans Working Group has compiled as part of its crowd-sourced recipe collection project.
This is a great opportunity to meet new people with similar interests, share cooking tips and enjoy fantastic food.
To register your interest or ask any questions, please email  | | | 6. Animal protection and UK political parties When considering which party to vote for in an election, the stance towards animals might be something that Jains might have a particular interest in. Unfortunately, animal protection measures did not feature prominently in any of the manifestos of the three large UK political parties in 2010. Historically, the Green Party has had the strongest focus on animal protection in the UK. But the UK now also has a dedicated Animal Welfare Party (AWP). Founded in 2006, the AWP has a vision of a world in which animals are seen and treated as sentient beings and not exploited or harmed. The party is modelled on the highly successful Dutch 'Party for the Animals', which now has 23 elected representatives at various levels of Government, including two MPs and a senator. Both the Green and Animal Welfare parties propose to phase out factory farming, ban experimentation which causes pain or suffering to animals, and introduce nutritional balanced vegetarian and vegan options at all public sector institutions. They also plan to ensure that vegan diets are included on all food preparation and food technology courses. Smaller political parties have traditionally been more successful in gaining seats in the European Parliament than in Westminster. The Green Party gained 2 seats in the European elections in 1999 and has retained them since, and gained its first seat in Westminster in 2010. Both the Animal Welfare Party and the Green Party are fielding candidates for the EU Parliamentary elections on Thursday 22 May 2014. If you feel strongly that politicians should do more to protect animals, why not consider finding out more about the policies of political parties and voting for a candidate that will give a voice to voiceless animals?
Useful resources:
Animal Aid pre-2010 Election Special Briefing
Animal Aid analysis of 2010 UK party manifestos
The Vegan Option podcasts on vegan politicians in the Netherlands, Australia and UK
| | | 7. Upcoming UK based events Upcoming vegan-focused in London
Vegan Bookclub, Tue 8 Apr (Mayfair, London)
Further information: http://www.meetup.com/londonvegan/events/135054852/
Vegan Cooking Demonstrations at the Natural Products Show, Mon 14 Apr (Olympia, London)
Further information: www.naturalproducts.co.uk
London Vegans Monthly Drinks, Thu 17 Apr (Kensington, London)
Further information: http://www.meetup.com/londonvegan/events/165334352/
Cakefest, to celebrate the worldwide vegan bake sale, Sun 27 Apr (Archway, London)
Further information: http://www.meetup.com/vegetarian-419/events/165199982/
London Vegans Monthly Meeting, Wed 30 Apr (Bloomsbury, London)
Laura Gough will be talking on Animal Equality.
Further information: http://www.londonvegans.org.uk
The Brixton Vegan Walkabout, Sat 3 May (Brixton, London)
Further information: http://www.meetup.com/londonvegan/events/156997972/
Vegan walkabout in Soho, Sat 3 May (Soho, London)
Further information: http://www.meetup.com/londonvegan/events/156997992/
London Vegan Potluck, Wed 7 May (Holborn, London)
Further information: http://www.meetup.com/londonvegan/events/175093192/
Upcoming vegan festivals around the UK (including London)
Colchester Vegan Fair, Sat 10 May
Further information: http://colchesterveganfair.com/
The Great Yorkshire Vegan Festival (Leeds), Sat 10 May
Further information: http://www.yorkshireveganfestival.com/
Vegfest UK Bristol, Fri 23 to Sun 25 May
Further information: http://bristol.vegfest.co.uk/
London Vegan Festival, Sun 17 Aug (Kensington Town Hall, London)
Further information: www.vegancampaigns.org.uk/festival
Vegfest UK London, Sat 27 - Sun 28 Sep Sep (Olympia, London)
Further information: http://london.vegfest.co.uk
Animal Aid Christmas Fayre, Sun 7 December (Kensington, London)
Further information: http://www.animalaid.org.uk/h/n/ACTIVE/demo_organiser//2260//
Upcoming international vegan festivals
The 14th International Vegan Festival, Bulgaria 1 to 8 Jun
Further information: http://ivf14.wordpress.com/ | | | 8. Abuse and the killing of cows in milk production 
The abuse and killing of cows on dairy farms is the main reason why many members of the Jain community have decided to make a switch to a vegan lifestyle:
- The cow is forcefully impregnated by means of artificial insemination. If a cow isn’t made pregnant, she won’t produce milk.
- The newborn calf is normally taken away from its mother within 24-48 hours. This is traumatic for cows, who, like human mothers, are very motherly and develop strong bonds with their babies.
- Male calves are killed shortly after birth or sold on for meat/leather production. They have no other use to dairy farmers.
- Female calves are kept on to replace their mothers as milk-producing cows.
- The mother cow will be killed when 5-7 years old, even though she could live for 20 to 30 years if given the chance. This is because after bearing a calf and giving milk each year, her milk yield drops such that it is no more profitable for a dairy farmer to keep her alive.
Even though cows on organic farms might experience slightly better conditions, they are still artificially inseminated and killed long before they would leave their bodies. For further information about the way in which cows and other animals are exploited in the milk production process, please visit the Vegan Society website: http://www.vegansociety.com/ | | | 9. Alternatives to dairy to help you give up It is possible to get a range of dairy free alternatives to traditionally animal based products. Normally available from free-from sections of supermarkets and also from healthfood stores. You can replace:
-
Cow milk with Soya/Rice/Almond/Coconut Milk (Supermarket ownbrands, Alpro, Provamel, Bonsoy, So Good, Ecomil, Koko) -
Yoghurt / Dahi with plant based curds (Provamel, Alpro, Sojade) -
Butter with vegetable spreads ( Pure and Vitalite are commonly available from supermarkets. Note many margarines contain butter milk and thus are not suitable for vegans) -
-
-
Chocolate with dark chocolate ( Plamil and Organica do specialist dairy free ‘milk chocolate’ and many brands do vegan dark chocolate) -
Eggs with egg replacement powder (baking) or tofu (scrambled) -
Honey with fruit syrup or golden syrup For further listings of animal free products, please see the Vegan Society Animal Free Shopper online database: http://www.vegansociety.com/afssearch.aspx | | | 10. NHS website supportive of a vegan diet | | | 11. About Jain Vegans Jain Vegans supports members of the Jain community in the transition towards a plant-based low-himsa lifestyle, and helps raise awareness about the abuse, violation and killing of cows in milk production. You can find out more about Jain Vegans online (www.jainvegans.org) or interact with us through the following online channels: 
..a friendly online forum where you can exchange and ideas about veganism and Jainism with other members from around the world....
...follow us on Twitter (@JainVegans) for instant news and information...
.
..'like' us on facebook for updates on our activities and invitations to events...
In the UK, the Jain Vegans Working Group actively works with UK Jain organisations to deliver informative and empowering events on a plant-based lifestyle. Please us if you'd like us to help your Jain organisation/community in this way. Please also if you are interested in supporting our activities, for example by volunteering.
| | | If anything we have written has caused offence, we humbly seek forgiveness. Michhami Dukkadam.
With best wishes,
The Jain Vegans Team
(www.jainvegans.org) | | | |
