Women of Spirit and Faith

Global Call to Prayer - February 26 - On the Eve of UN-CSW

2012-02-06T11:54:00.000-08:00

Women of Spirit and Faith joins with numerous other women's organizations to broadcast this invitation.

Sunday, February 26

Global Call to Participate in 5 Minutes of Prayerful Silence

On the eve of the opening of the 56th Session of the UN-Commission on the Status of Women, women of all spiritual traditions - wherever they are and at any time that day - are invited to join in prayer and silence for the good of the world's women and girls . Women of all spiritual traditions are invited to join in prayer and silence, to hold in their hearts the hopes of those who come to the CSW: for homes and a world without violence and fear, where there will be good food, air and water, education and medical care, for women’s empowerment and gender equality, for consciousness, voice and choice, for circles with a sacred center to support the wisdom and courage of women in them, and for there to be a UN 5th World Conference on Women.

Launch of WSF Canada

2012-01-16T13:37:00.000-08:00

We are excited to announce the launch of WSF Canada.

Visit their new website

here.

Those of you in the Vancouver area are invited

to join us for an exciting launch event

January 25, 2012
7 – 9 pm
Co-Hosted by InterSpiritual Centre of Vancouver Society
Unitarian Church
949 West 49th Avenue
Vancouver BC Canada V5Z 2T1

The event is FREE and no RSVP is required.

For more information about the event or WSF Canada, contact

Louise Mangan
mangan.louise@gmail.com

Women of Spirit and Faith Gathering at UN Commission on the Status of Women

2012-01-06T13:51:00.000-08:00

Women of Spirit and Faith will be gathering to participate in the 56th Session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women in New York from February 27 - March 9, 2012. WSF women will attend UN-CSW as delegates and offer several events which are open to the public:

Women, Spirituality and Transformative Leadership
CSW Parallel Event/ Workshop
Tuesday, February 28
8:30 am - 10 a.m.
Drew Room/ Lower Level
Church Center of the United Nations
777 First Avenue at 44th Street

“Women, Spirituality and Transformative Leadership” - Book Event
Featuring readings by authors from the book and circle dialogue
Tuesday, February 28
6: 30 pm
Quest Bookshop
240 E. 53rd Street

Sacred Women's Circle
Co-Hosted with Millionth Circle, Circle Connections, International Public Policy Institute, 5WCW and others
Wednesday. February 29
7-9 pm
Chapel/ 1st floor - Episcopal Church Center
815 Second Avenue

In addition to the official session taking place within the UN, there are hundreds of workshops and events that are free and open to the public without UN or NGO credentials -- which makes this a wonderful opportunity to meet and learn from women who are doing important grassroots work on women's issues around the world. Many of these workshop take place in the Church Center across the street from the UN and a schedule of these "Parallel Events" will be posted online on the CSW website in January. http://www.ngocsw.org/ngo-csw-forum/ngo-parallel-events

Exciting Bay Area Book Event - Jan 13

2011-12-24T15:39:00.000-08:00

Mark your calendar and plan to join us at an exciting Bay-Area Book Event!

Featuring three of our beloved authors

from Women, Spirituality and Transformative Leadership

Jean Shinoda Bolen

Carol Lee Flinders

China Galland

January 13, 2012

7-9 pm

Book Passages

51 Tamal Vista Blvd.

Corte Madera, CA 94925

This event is FREE!

Bring your friends and join us

for an evening of deep connection and authentic conversation

at the intersection of faith and feminism,

women's spirituality and transformative leadership.

Book launched at Seattle events October 26 and 27!

2011-10-06T06:54:00.000-07:00

Women of Spirit and Faith

will launch our new book

Women, Spirituality and Transformative Leadership: Where Grace Meets Power

in Seattle!

Join us at these exciting events

as we celebrate the publication of this remarkable anthology of diverse women’s voices

and explore the transformative power of women’s spiritual leadership

with circle dialogues and deep listening.

~~~~~

Wednesday - October 26, 2011

7:00 – 8:30 pm

Book Event and Signing

East West Bookshop

6500 Roosevelt Way NE

Seattle, WA 98115

Thursday - October 27, 2011

7:00 pm (Doors open at 6:30 pm)

Where Grace Meets Power: A Women’s Gathering

Interfaith Community Church

1763 NW 62nd Street

Seattle, Washington 98107

From the book:

We invite you to come with curiosity into this living community of spiritual women, listening deeply as they share their personal stories of how their spiritual journeys have shaped and honed them as leaders, stories about breakdowns that were actually breakthroughs, stories of relationships with other women that were both affirming and challenging, and stories about local and global challenges that were faced with integrity and collaboration, candor and compassion. We do not offer answers to all of the complex questions facing us as a human family, but we invite you to join us as we surrender to the mystery of being open, present, and engaged together in these uncertain times.

All four editors of this book will be available at these events

to sign your books and to engage with you in a rich conversation.

No cost to attend.

No RSVP necessary for either event.

Bring your friends!

Pass this invitation along to your Seattle area colleagues and contacts.

Contribute to our new Divine Feminine Blog

2011-09-21T20:22:00.000-07:00

On October 1, Women of Spirit and Faith will launch an exciting new project -- a collaborative blog called The Divine Feminine: Voices of Women of Spirit and Faith. Located on the Patheos media platform(which attracts more than 1 million unique visitor each month!), the blog will collect and broadcast the voices of many diverse women.

We want your voice to be part of this dynamic blog!

During the month of October, we will be exploring the question "What is the Divine Feminine?" We welcome your prose and poems, video and audio, images and prayers.

Send your post (between 300-700 words) to divine.feminine.wsf@gmail.com .

Join us as we gather in NYC - Sunday, Sept. 25

2011-09-18T09:51:00.000-07:00

Please join us as Women of Spirit and Faith gather in New York City.

Sunday - September 25, 2011

1:00 - 4:30 p.m.

Auburn Seminary

The Stewart Room

3041 Broadway @121st

New York, NY 10027

Here is the link for exact directions: http://www.auburnseminary.org/contact-us

You can hear about the exciting new initiatives at Women of Spirit and Faith and engage in circle conversation exploring the exciting intersection of women's spirituality and transformative leadership.

No RSVP necessary. Just come ... and expect miracles.

Invitation to Gather for Reflection on 10th Anniversary of 9/11

2011-08-16T19:13:00.000-07:00

Women of Spirit and Faith

invites you to gather with other women

for reflection, connection and prayer

on the

10th Anniversary of September 11.

September 11, 2001 was a powerful moment in our human history,

one that continues to reverberate and echo in our hearts and minds.

The 10th Anniversary is the perfect time to gather with others to reflect upon the events of that day,

to honor those who died, and to affirm a hopeful future for our human family.

Women of Spirit and Faith invites you to join a local gathering

or to host your own circle gathering during the anniversary weekend September 10-12, 2011.

Your gathering can be large or small … a community event or an intimate circle experience …

indoors or out in nature …. in conversation or in silence…. joyful or prayerful.

Follow your heart.

Invite a circle of women to join you.

Gather.

Invite Spirit into the center of your circle.

Speak from your heart.

Listen.

Breathe in and out together.

Join you energy with the many thousands who will gather around the world.

We offer these questions to focus your circle sharing:

What has changed in the world as a result of 9/11?

What is your vision for a world of peace and compassion post 9/11?

How have you changed since that day?

What was born in you on 9/11?

We offer Circle guidelines and resources on our website

WSF Circle Guidelines

We also encourage you to join a new national movement

Groundswell

September 11, 2011: Empowering people to look within and reach out on the ten-year anniversary of 9/11.

In honor of those lost on 9/11 and in its decade-long aftermath, congregations and communities will commemorate the past, listen to one another’s stories,

and create a shared moral vision of a world that is better than the one we have today.

On the Groundswell site, you can post your event or search for 9/11 events in your area at

Groundswell 9/11 Calendar of Events

Listen to Keynote Speakers from Alchemy

2011-06-22T13:11:00.000-07:00

Now all of you can listen to the amazing wisdom shared at our Alchemy gathering by Valarie Kaur and Naomi Tutu.

Naomi Tutu
Patterns and Possibilities: Reflections on the Power of our Collaborative Leadership
http://www.archive.org/details/WhereDoWeGoFromHereWomenMakingTraditions

Valarie Kaur
Leading from the Whirlwind: Faith and Courage in a Swiftly Changing World
http://www.archive.org/details/AlchemyOfOurSpiritualLeadershipKeynoteValarieKaur

Recording of Post-Alchemy Conference Call - May 24

2011-06-07T11:20:00.000-07:00

Enjoy this recording of our first Post-Alchemy Conference Call which took place May 24.

http://www.archive.org/details/WomenOfSpiritAndFaithPost-alchemyConversationI

Alchemy was wonderful

2011-05-02T17:38:00.000-07:00

We are basking in the afterglow of 'The Alchemy of Our Spiritual Leadership: Women Redefining Power' which unfolded this past weekend in San Francisco. More than 145 women representing many diverse spiritual traditions came together from across the U.S. and Canada ... and created a loving and nurturing community where we celebrated the shared passions that unite us ... and the challenges that face us ... as women spiritual leaders.

Action groups came together to:

co-create a mentoring initiative
brainstorm about supporting local and regional circles of Women of Spirit and Faith
plan for the involvement of women in the Parliament of the World's Religions in Brussels, Belgium in 2014
create a stronger on-line presence for the voices of spiritual women
begin planning the structure and future activities of the Young Women Leaders Council.

You will be able to 'hear' the voices of many of the women at this gathering with the release of Women, Spirituality and Transformative Leadership: Where Grace Meets Power to be published by SkyLight Paths in October 2011.

Deepest gratitude to all the women who stepped into leadership to make this collaborative gathering so rich. Each of you brought your gifts so generously ... and created an experience that touched us all deeply.

Invitation to join Alchemy through Local Circles

2011-04-04T18:18:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,

How do we catalyze our collective transformational power as women of spirit and faith?

From April 28th through May 1st, Women of Spirit and Faith will bring together women of diverse spiritual backgrounds in San Francisco, California, to reflect on and explore this and other questions about women’s spiritual leadership.

The Alchemy of Our Spiritual Leadership: Women Redefining Power will be a profound and dynamic gathering created through collaborative leadership by numerous organizations and networks. Voices of strong women leaders will be heard to start our conversations – Sister Joan Chittister, Naomi Tutu, Valarie Kaur, China Galland, The Very Reverend Dr. Jane Shaw and more. A core element of the gathering will be circle conversations so that the voice of every woman is heard as we explore questions together. If this event calls to you, it is NOT too late to register at http://www.womenofspiritandfaith.org/ .

Call for local circles.

If you cannot come to San Francisco to join this powerful conversation, we invite you to host or attend a local circle of support in your community – ideally, on or near one of the four days (April 28-May 1) - and explore together, this and other questions regarding women’s spiritual leadership.

Guidelines for facilitating the circles will be provided, along with the opportunity to share feedback about your circle experience with the women gathered in San Francisco for the four days. It is exciting to consider where the synergies of connection between the local circles and the larger gathering may lead us! We hope you sense the potential too, and will say yes to this call.

Circles scheduled so far:

Yellow Springs, Ohio, April 28th;
New Cumberland, Pa., April 30th;
Gainesville, Fla., date TBD.
Laguna Hills, CA May 1

To learn more about these scheduled local circles or to volunteer to host a circle in your community, please contact WSF local circle coordinator, Lynda Terry, via email at lyndaht@sbcglobal.net or via phone at 707-322-9687.

And do feel free to share this invitation with other women in your networks.

Check out WSF on Circle Connections Radio shows

2011-03-28T13:43:00.000-07:00

You are invited to listen in as two co-founders of Women of Spirit and Faith are interviewed on Circle Connections Blogtalk Radio. Ann Smith and Rhonda Hull anchor a great radio program and we encourage you to listen to their archived programs for a wonderful exploration of women's potential and the power of circle.

Here are links to both shows:

Kay Lindahl
Show: The Power and Importance of Deep Listening
Date: March 7, 2011
Listen: Click Here

Kathe Schaaf
Show: Exploring the Alchemy of Our Spiritual Leadership: Women Redefining Power
Date: March 28, 2011
Listen: Click to listen.

Check out our interview in Planetshifters.com Magazine

2011-02-21T15:24:00.000-08:00

The Alchemy of Our Spiritual Leadership: Women Redefining Power.
Interview with Co-Leader Kathe Schaaf by Willi Paul.
Co-Presented by PlanetShifter.com Magazine & openmythsource.com

http://www.planetshifter.com/node/1812

"Many women are feeling restless and knowing in their bones that ‘Now is the time’. It feels like a collective preparation for an impending birth. As women, we know something important about birthing and I think we are relieved that the world seems to be asking for our wisdom and experience after so many centuries of being shut out of leadership, marginalized and unheard."

Prayer request from URI Noon every Friday

2011-02-04T06:18:00.000-08:00

The URI Women's Coalition MCC is comprised of CC's around the world who are concerned about women's welfare. The Four Coordinators have been very moved and concerned by the recent demonstrations and violence in different parts of the MENA region especially in Egypt. We're aware that other countries in other regions are also currently threatened by violence and instability.

As we pray for an end to violence in Egypt, we're moved to connect with the women and mothers who are concerned about the safety and well-being of their husbands and children. We ask for the protection of the Divine Mother to safeguard everyone and to restore harmony among people struggling for a better future for their families.

We're asking women all over the world to join us in a garland of prayers every Friday at 12 noon wherever they are -- currently focusing on supporting Egyptian mothers and wives in praying for the safety and protection of their husbands and children, and for peace to prevail in Egypt and in the world.

We invite men and children to support us with this prayer.

Please inform us about current situations of violence in other countries that also need our focus for prayer and healing.

Please forward to others to join us in encircling the world with this prayer supporting women and mothers.

Please consider becoming a member of the URI Women's Coalition MCC by sending us a message stating that the members of your CC or group wish to join the URI Women's Coalition MCC.

Thank you for participating with us in this global plea for peace.

Much love,
Ardey Turner - U.S.
Despina Namwembe - Uganda
Elana Rozenman - Israel
Yoland Trevino - U.S.
Coordinators - URI Women's Coalition MCC

Join us at UN-CSW in New York

2011-01-29T15:52:00.000-08:00

Women's Spiritual Leadership:

A Resource for Global Change

A Circle Dialogue at NGO-CSW 2011

February 28, 2011

6:00 pm - 7:30 pm

Drew Room -1st floor

Church Center

(across the street from the U.N. - corner 44th St. and First Ave.)

777 U.N. Plaza

New York, NY

This gathering is open to the public. No fee and no UN credentials required.

Join us for this lively dialogue exploring important questions about women, spirituality and global leadership.

What is the special contribution of women to spiritual leadership?
How can we nurture the leadership and power that is emerging from women now?
How do we redefine power?
How do we speak our truth?
How do we stand for the greatness of each other?
What is waiting to be birthed in the community of women of spirit and faith?
How can the feminine voices of compassion, unity and hope become more real and compelling than the voices of fear and separation?
What can we do together that none of us could do separately?

An Invitation to Prayer

2010-11-02T18:20:00.000-07:00

November 14-17, 2010

Thirty women spiritual leaders

from the United States and Canada
representing many spiritual traditions

will gather at the Mary and Joseph Retreat Center

in Rancho Palos Verdes, California

in retreat and deep dialogue.

We will explore together how women of spirit and faith
are being called to contribute
at this important moment in time.
What is it that wants to be birthed now?
What are the possibilities that can flow from our shared wisdom?

Women, Spirituality and Leadership:

A Collaborative Exploration

You are invited to hold us in prayer as we come together.

We welcome your individual prayers

and we also invite circles of women to connect in collective prayer.

We will open our retreat
at 5 p.m. Pacific Time on Sunday, November 14
and close at 11 a.m. Wednesday, November 17.

We will pause in a moment of silence
to connect with all of you

who are supporting our work in this important way.

We are grateful for your prayers and intentions.

Announcing a Special Gathering

2010-08-07T22:15:00.000-07:00

Calling all women of spirit and faith!

~ Save the date ~

The Alchemy of Our Spiritual Leadership:

Women Redefining Power

April 28 – May 1, 2011

Hotel Sofitel San Francisco Bay

Opening Keynote Speaker: Sister Joan Chittister.

Voted “the most inspirational woman alive” in a recent survey!

This is NOT your typical women’s conference!

Imagine the energy of more than 300 women ready for inspiration, deep wisdom and potent co-creation.

Registration opens September 15, 2010

http://www.womenofspiritandfaith.org/

Please share this with your networks too!

Making Visible the Invisible

2010-07-26T18:05:00.001-07:00

Struggles with Articulation

2010-07-26T18:04:00.001-07:00

Trust in Community

2010-07-26T18:03:00.000-07:00

Willingness

2010-07-26T18:01:00.000-07:00

Reflections of the Exploratory Conversations

2010-07-16T16:46:00.000-07:00

Our final Exploratory Conversation unfolded last night exploring the question "What is waiting to be birthed in the community of women and spirit?" Our mailbox has been full of loving messages today from women who connected with this series of conversations.

Here are some of the reflections:

It was a great call last night. I am loving the powerful -- invisible (morphic field) leadership style of women as their innate wisdom and gifts emerge into form and become the new culture.

~~~

I loved being with you and all those wonderful women last night! Thank you … Looking forward to the time when we meet again! Whenever it might be!

~~~

I so much loved being a part of the first call.... I just wish to thank each of you for putting this together. I also want to be kept informed of any other works you all decide to create. Possibly one day our paths will meet again.

An Opportunity to Support Women Spiritual Leaders

2010-07-09T13:16:00.000-07:00

Women, Spirituality and Leadership: A Collaborative Exploration will bring together 25 women who embody spiritual leadership from diverse organizations and networks in North America November 14-17, 2010 for a retreat to map the current and emerging patterns of feminine spiritual leadership.

Several of the retreat participants need our help with scholarships to pay the cost of their travel expenses. Contributions would be deeply appreciated.

If you feel called to support this gathering, you can contribute by:

1) Sending a tax-deductible donation by check made out to GLOBAL FAMILY to:

Kathe Schaaf
27711 Deputy Circle
Laguna Hills, CA 92653

OR

2) Consider donating airline miles from your frequent flyer program. 25,000 miles is all it takes to provide a round-trip ticket. Contact katheschaaf@cox.net if you are able to offer this kind of support.

Thank you so much.

Listening In to the Conversation

2010-06-29T18:05:00.000-07:00

Exploratory Conversations on You Tube

2010-06-29T18:02:00.001-07:00

Hear Recordings of Our Exploratory Conversations

2010-06-20T22:25:00.000-07:00

We have hosted a series of conversations about
women, spirituality and leadership.

The recording of the July 15
Exploratory conversation
focused on the question
"What is waiting to be birthed in the community of women and spirit?"
is available at
http://www.archive.org/details/WsfExploratoryConversationIv

The recording of the June 17

Exploratory Conversation

focused on the question

“How might we animate women to claim their voices/roles as spiritual leaders?”

is available at

http://www.archive.org/details/WomenOfSpiritAndFaithExploratoryConversation3

~~~

The recording of the May 20
conversation focused on the question
"What are the special contributions of women to spiritual leadership?"
is available at
http://www.archive.org/details/WomenOfFaithAndSpiritExploratoryConversation2

~~~

The recording of the April 15 conversation
focused on the question
"What does it mean to be a woman of faith and spirit?"
is available at
http://www.archive.org/details/WomenOfFaithAndSpiritExploratoryConversationI

Fundraiser in Southern California July 8

2010-06-20T07:41:00.000-07:00

Women, Spirituality and Leadership

~~~~~~~

A Fundraiser for

Women of Spirit and Faith

Thursday, July 8

7 – 9 p.m.

$25 at the door

~~~~

27711 Deputy Circle

Laguna Hills, California 92653

Join us for a lovely summer evening at a beautiful estate home in Laguna Hills.

~Wine and cheese ~

~Sunset, Roses and Hummingbirds~

~Great conversation~

Featuring the art of local women artists Robin Wethe Altman and Charlotte Backman.

Proceeds from this event will provide scholarships for low-income women to attend the Women as Spiritual Leaders Retreat to be held in November 2010.

RSVP to your hosts:
Kay Lindahl 562-987-5496
Kathe Schaaf katheschaaf@cox.net

Directions can be sent by email upon request.
Make checks payable to ‘Global Family’, a 501.c.3 charitable organization.
Feel free to bring friends and pass this invitation along!

Women Spiritual Leaders Retreat Announced

2010-06-01T09:14:00.000-07:00

We are delighted to announce that we are convening a retreat for women spiritual leaders November 14-17, 2010 at the Mary and Joseph Retreat Center in Palos Verdes California. This gathering will bring together 25-30 invited women leaders representing diverse spiritual organizations and perspectives from North America to build relationships, explore the current realities of women’s spiritual leadership and define future collaborative projects.

This retreat has been made possible with support from Kalliopeia Foundation and Mary and Joseph Retreat Center.

Join us for an Exploratory Conversation about Women, Spirituality and Leadership

2010-03-26T16:37:00.000-07:00

As a woman of faith and spirit, you know something important about this moment in human history. You know it from your rich experiences in the world and you know it from a place of deep wisdom within. Your unique pattern of knowing is part of a larger pattern of feminine wisdom which may have the potential to powerfully animate the spiritual leadership of North American women in service of humanity.

We are excited about the possibilities that lie before us as women and deeply curious to learn more about the current pattern of women’s spiritual leadership in North America at this moment in time. As we attended the Parliament of the World’s Religions in December 2009 and in our explorations to date:
• We observed that while there are currently many initiatives focusing on women’s leadership, most do not put an emphasis on the spiritual needs and issues that are unique to women and that may indeed represent some of the most significant barriers to activating their authentic leadership.
• We observed that while there are currently many diverse initiatives and networks for spiritual women leaders, there exists in this moment a powerful opportunity to build a larger field of collaboration, passion and action by building bridges of understanding to connect these diverse networks in a web of spiritual presence.

You are invited to join us for a series of four ‘Exploratory Conversations’ hosted as conference calls from April through July 2010. Focusing on a series of questions, this inquiry will allow us to explore together the pattern of women’s spiritual leadership in North America.

April 15 ~ Thursday        5 - 6 p.m. Pacific/ 8 - 9 p.m. Eastern
What does it mean to be a woman of faith and spirit?

May 20 ~ Thursday       5 - 6 p.m. Pacific/ 8 -9 p.m. Eastern
What is the special contribution of women to spiritual leadership?

June 17 ~ Thursday       5 - 6 p.m. Pacific/ 8 – 9 p.m. Eastern
How might we animate women to claim their voices/roles as spiritual leaders?

July 15 ~ Thursday       5 - 6 p.m. Pacific/ 8 – 9 p.m. Eastern
What is waiting to be birthed in the community of women and spirit?

Simply RSVP to womenoffaithandspirit@gmail.com by email and indicate your interest in any or all upcoming conversations. We will send you the conference call information once we hear from you.

We would be happy to answer any questions you might have and look forward to an exciting year of listening to the wisdom of the women of faith and spirit.

In gratitude,

Kathe Schaaf - Women’s Spirit Council
Kay Lindahl - The Listening Center
Guo Cheen -Compassionate Action Network
Kathleen Hurty - Consultant for Communities of Faith, Service and Learning

Project Details

2010-03-26T12:47:00.000-07:00

Action Objectives 2010 - 2011:
~We will convene a series of gatherings to build relationships among women of diverse faith traditions and women who define themselves as 'spiritual' rather than religious; women from a feminist perspective and women who practice subtle spiritual activism; women who represent diverse cultural and ethnic perspectives; and women who represent a wide variety of spiritual and interfaith organizations.

Fall 2010 ~ A retreat by invitation only for 20-30 women spiritual leaders representing a variety of organizations from North America to build relationships, explore the current realities of women’s spiritual leadership and define future collaborative projects

2011~ A convocation of 200-300 women to activate personal and collective spiritual leadership on a larger scale

~We will practice and model a feminine way of doing things, creating a structure based upon shared leadership, collaborative practices, circle process, deep listening and holding the space for the emergence of divine guidance and collective vision.

~We will offer multiple opportunities to explore important questions about the current state of women’s spiritual leadership:
What is going on now?
Where are the natural partnerships and opportunities for collaboration?
How can we support each other?
What are the ways we can get and stay connected?

~We will share the proceedings and outcomes of these gatherings in publications and multimedia ensembles through a network of women's organizations. This will include:

• publication of a book of collected wisdom from diverse women leaders reflecting upon the current pattern of feminine spiritual leadership in North America.
• an online archive of video and audio interviews with diverse women leaders discussing the Sacred Feminine, feminine principles and women’s spiritual leadership
• an interactive website to serve as a hub for disseminating information and resources

~We will support the existing and emerging spiritual and interfaith women’s networks in the U.S. and Canada including:
North American Women of Faith Network
Women’s Interfaith Initiative
Women’s Spirit Council
United Religions Initiative
Parliament of the World’s Religions
and more
and we will seek to weave these various networks together into a more unified and cohesive community.

~We will build upon the momentum and relationships from the 2009 Parliament of the World's Religions and utilize the various leadership structures of the Council for a Parliament of the World’s Religions (CPWR).

~We will utilize the venues and capabilities of the Internet interactive community (such as the Parliament of World Religions social network PeaceNext) as hubs for exchanging information, resources and ideas.

Leadership and Staffing
This project will be co-convened by four women bringing diverse organizational histories and affiliations. All four are Ambassadors to the Parliament of the World’s Religions.

Kathe Schaaf is one of the original co-founders of Gather the Women Global Matrix and served as President and administrator of that collaborative global community for five years. She currently anchors numerous ‘collaborative conversations’ connecting women and women’s organizations internationally. Her collaborations have included several international Gather the Women Congresses, a series of trans-partisan dialogues for women in 2008 and Constellations of Hope in November 2008, which brought together representatives of 40 North American women's organizations. Kathe is also a founding member Women’s Spirit Council, an emerging network of women and women’s organizations supporting women’s spiritual leadership.

Reverend Guo Cheen is an ordained Buddhist nun in the Mahayana Chan tradition. She has taught meditation, Buddhist scriptures and teachings of the Buddha to a wide range of audiences and venues. She is active in interfaith dialogues and interspiritual movements, partnership with the Charter for Compassion, and the Compassionate Action Network in Seattle, Washington. She is also founding a multimedia network that shares and distributes inspiration, such as talks of and interviews with spiritual luminaries and compassionate beings. Reverend Guo Cheen has a Masters in Public Administration. Prior to becoming a nun, she worked as a civil rights policy analyst on a presidential task force in Washington DC.

Kay Lindahl is a Certified Listening Professional, designated by the International Listening Association. She is the founder of The Listening Center and is recognized as an inspiring teacher and spiritual guide to people of all religious backgrounds. An ordained interfaith minister, she conducts workshops and retreats around the world on the sacred art of listening for religious, spiritual, educational, health services, community and business groups. Kay is also the founder of The Alliance for Spiritual Community, which focuses on the dialogue process. She is a dedicated spokesperson for the interfaith movement and serves on the Board of Directors for the North American Interfaith Network and The Immortal Chaplains Foundation. She is a past trustee for the Global Council of the United Religions Initiative and a member in Forge Guild for Spiritual Leaders.

Kathleen S. Hurty, Ph.D., is a Teaching Fellow in leadership studies at Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary (a partner in the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, CA). In addition, she is a consultant for the Council for the Parliament of World Religions. She does grant writing and research for non-profit faith-based organizations interested in collaborative approaches to justice and social change. Her previous experience includes public school teaching and administration, ecumenical administration (National Council of Churches and Church Women United) as well community leadership and service on a number of boards. A member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), Dr. Hurty is a committed educator, a creative writer and a public speaker, having served as keynoter for numerous events. She is actively involved in Interreligious dialogue and advocacy. Her doctoral research on women school principals at the University of California, Berkeley, gave her insight into the basic elements of collaborative leadership.