Marin Women's Hall of Fame

  DR. NAHID ANGHA
Religion
2005

     Nahid Angha, Ph.D., is an international Muslim Sufi leader, a renowned scholar, and a resident of Marin County. Her long CV demonstrates tireless dedication to the transformation of individuals, communities, and institutions; an ongoing commitment to human rights; and interfaith cooperation. She has worked tirelessly for more than 25 years to empower others - especially women - through education and leadership training. Her peers and many admirers consider her a visionary transformer.

     Sufism, the mysticism of Islam, has many forms and is practiced in many cultures. Traditionally, Sufi communities have been isolated from each other (often by choice) and guided solely by men. Dr. Angha changed all that. In 1983, she and her husband Dr. Ali Kianfar co-founded the Marin-based International Association of Sufism (IAS), to open a line of communication among Sufis from around the world.  IAS was the first Sufi organization admitted as an NGO/DPI to the United Nations. Dr. Angha is IAS' main representative the UN. IAS earned UNESCO's "Messenger of Peace" award in 2000.

     Through her steadfast leadership, Dr. Angha has paved the way for Muslim women to assume leadership roles within the Sufi community, the greater Islamic community, and the international interfaith religious community. She established a Sufi network uniting individual Muslim and non-Muslim communities under one umbrella organization. She was the first woman ever to sit in the inner circle council of the annual Sufi Symposium - a truly revolutionary accomplishment. To recognize and acknowledge the contribution of Sufi women to the advancement of our civilizations, and to empower women, Dr. Angha formed the Sufi Women's Organization, an international humanitarian, nonsectarian organization working for human rights with focus on women's rights. SWO now has chapters in the US and 14 other countries.

     Locally, Dr. Angha has held numerous positions on interfaith councils and was an active member of the Marin Interfaith Council. She established a partnership with Dominican University that resulted in an annual series of "Building Bridges of Peace" lectures. The first lecture brought together members from all the religious communities in the County, as well as the general public, to establish networks for joint community action and social justice. In San Jose, where people of many cultures reside, Dr. Angha formed a domestic violence awareness and prevention program for women in the Middle Eastern community.

     Marin County is indeed fortunate to claim Dr. Nahid Angha as one of our own.

  ANGELES ARRIEN
  Spirituality
2010

     Angeles Arrien is a cultural anthropologist, award-winning author, educator, and consultant to many organizations and businesses. Raised bi-culturally and first generation of a Basque immigrant family from the Pyrenees mountains of Spain, Angeles discovered as a young girl, her deep interest in teaching and in learning about other cultures, because of her own bi-cultural experience. With family in both the Basque communities of Idaho and Spain, she eventually pursued her interests in diverse cultures and international work through an advanced degree in Anthropology and Folklore at UC Berkeley. This allowed her to learn about cross-cultural and indigenous traditions, and explore the commonalities of Perrenial Wisdoms encompassing spiritual and religious traditions, societal mores, and universal values.

     As a young woman travelling around the world as part of her studies, teaching and research, Angeles developed a lifelong commitment to finding the common ground between people and communities. She feels it is important to bridge differences and optimize the creative opportunities and points of unity found in diversity, by revealing the “universal wisdoms” that transcend culture, history, or family conditioning. Angeles has remained committed for over 45 years to the pursuit of these universal and perennial wisdoms, and in disseminating them through her national and international work, in a sustainable manner so they will be preserved for generations of the future. Her lectures, courses, and writings, bridge cultural anthropology, psychology, comparative religions, conflict resolution and mediation skills.

     She has written seven books, which have been translated into thirteen languages. Her award-winning books include: The Signs of Life (Winner of the 1993 Benjamin Franklin Award), and The Second Half of Life: Opening the Eight Gates of Wisdom (Winner of the 2007 Nautilus Award for Best book on Ageing). Angeles is most known for her book, The Four-Fold Way: Walking the Paths of the Warrior, Healer, Teacher and Visionary, from which her programs, keynotes and workshops draw most extensively, to enhance the personal and professional development of others. Through her Fold-Fold Way programs, and lifelong love of nature, she has provided 3-day 3-night solo wilderness experiences for over 6000 people of all ages.

     Angeles has taught in the University of California system at Berkeley, Los Angeles, Irvine, Davis, Santa Cruz, and San Francisco. She has been an associate professor at three Bay Area graduate schools, the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS), John F. Kennedy University and the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology. While at CIIS, she co-designed and implemented the Social and Cultural Anthropology Doctoral program, and received their Distinguished Teaching Award. Since 1988, she has received three honorary doctorate degrees in: Philosophy; Transpersonal Education; and a Doctorate of Divinity. For many years, she has been an international advisor and past Fellow at the Institute of Noetic Sciences. She is currently a core faculty with the End-of-Life Counselor Training (EOL) program sponsored by the Metta Institute, which trains and supports professionals who wish to work in the field of hospice and palliative care in a compassionate way.  

     Angeles is the also the Founder and President of the Foundation for Cross-Cultural Education and Research. The Foundation supports the preservation of cultural heritage of Indigenous Traditions worldwide; sponsors multi-cultural bridging and collaborative projects between countries, professions, generations and faiths. Additionally, it honors international elders as invaluable mentors and wisdom-keepers; fosters the development of emerging youth leaders worldwide; and supports environmental sustainability through the conservation of heritage seeds, reforestation, and has sponsored the development and dissemination of over 200 water wells in countries in need. The Foundation’s outreach has positively impacted people and communities in 27 countries, and has provided over 400 scholarships worldwide to youth and elders.

     Angeles Arrien’s work has been featured on CNN, and is currently used in medical, academic, and corporate environments. Within the medical community, she has consulted with: the Institute for Health and Healing at the California Pacific Medical Center; the Kaiser Permanente Group; Sutter Community Hospitals; and the American Association of Critical Care Nurses. 
    

     Keynote addresses, workshops and presentations to name a few, have included:  The State of the World Forum; Wharton Business School; International Women’s Forum; American Leadership Forum of Silicon Valley; Hewlett-Packard Labs; and the National Organizational Development Network Conference. Her expertise to work with diverse multi-cultural issues, mediation, and conflict resolution, has been used by the International Rights Commission and the World Indigenous Council. Requests for her organizational and international skills have taken her expertise to: Bali, China, Indonesia, New Zealand, Switzerland, Spain, Denmark, Hawaii, the Czech Republic, Germany, Ireland, South Africa, Mexico and Canada.

     Angeles enjoys living with her sister in a hundred year old house, in nature-full Sonoma County. As vast as the depth and breadth of her expansive and far-reaching lifelong work, Angeles is best known for her personhood, depth of character, compassionate engagement, skillful and astute communication abilities. She is a wonderful storyteller, with a delightful sense of humor, creative outlook on life, and is beloved by her students, colleagues, friends and family. She remains committed to walking the spiritual path with practical feet, and to making the world a better place by leaving a legacy of increased cultural and spiritual tolerance and understanding for generations of the future.

SYLVIA BOORSTEIN
Religion 
2006

     Sylvia is Marin's best-known voice for peace, mindfulness, and practical spirituality. She has published four best-sellers that demystify spirituality and Buddhism (It's Easier Than You Think; Pay Attention, For Goodness' Sake; Don't Just Do Something, Sit There; and That's Funny You Don't Look Buddhist). She writes a column for Shambhala Sun Magazine and is known internationally for her work at Spirit Rock Meditation Center.

     A native of New York City, Sylvia married her husband, Seymour, in 1955 and graduated from Barnard College in 1956. After moving to Marin in 1961, Sylvia earned a Master's in Social Work from U. C. Berkeley and a PhD. in Psychology from Saybrook Institute while raising her four children.

     Sylvia has always been an activist. As president of Marin Women for Peace in the 1960s she, often accompanied by her children, led marches down Miller Avenue to protest the Vietnam War. She was a member of the Marin Chapter of the Women's International League of Peace and Freedom, and once represented Marin at a League Conference in Amsterdam.

     In 1967, Sylvia worked for the Marin County Community Mental Health department as a psychology consultant to local police and sheriff's departments. She began private practice of Psychotherapy in 1984, was on the board at Center for the Family in Transition and served as Board Chair for one year.

     Sylvia began teaching at the College of Marin (COM), Child and Adolescent Psychology, in 1970. She also designed and taught Parapsychology and Psychology of Meditation. She is pleased to have created the College's first course in Women's Studies. She also introduced Hatha Yoga at COM and taught in until 1984.

     In the 1980's Sylvia began teaching meditation and is a founding teacher at Spirit Rock. Her Wednesday class draws nearly 80 students a week who consider the class their spiritual community. In 1996, Sylvia was among a group of Western teachers of Buddhism who dialogued with the Dalai Lama in India. In 2000 she and the Spirit Rock faculty and staff hosted an International Conference of Buddhist Teachers that brought the Dalai Lama to Marin.

     Sylvia is a practicing Jew as well as a Buddhist meditation teacher. In 1994 she helped develop and teach the first Mindfulness training series for rabbis. In April 2006, Sylvia will teach at Spirit Rock's first Interfaith Mindfulness retreat. She represents Spirit Rock on the Marin Interfaith Council. We are honored to have Sylvia Boorstein in the Marin Women's Hall of Fame.

Peggy Harrell
Religion
2003

     Peggy Harrell, Director of Marin County's Prisoner Services, was ordained a minister in the United Church of Christ 22 years ago.  Prisoners in jail and at San Quentin Prison have come to depend on her after more than two decades she has spent working among them.

     When Peggy started working in the jail, there were very few rehabilitation services.  As she says, "In the beginning I carried a cardboard box with pencils, paper, and magazines up and down the tiers." Today seventeen outside agencies provide programs for prisoners.  Many of these are considered models.  In fact personnel from other sheriff's departments, seeking to begin rehabilitation programs of their own, often visit to see how Marin's successful programs work.

     The jail's drug and alcohol recovery programs have transformed the lives of countless inmates.  These programs, administered by Bay Area Community Resources, stress that the person is responsible for his own recovery.

     Other programs Peggy supervised emphasize the practical skills required for successful rehabilitation.  These programs include English as a Second Language, GED preparation and exam, job search techniques, AIDS education, breast cancer detection workshops, parenting skills, and spiritual direction by various faiths.

     The Mothers and Fathers program directed by Marin Literacy emphasizes positive parenting by teaching prisoners and importance of reading to their children.  After completing an eight-week class, prisoners pick two books to be sent home to their child.  They read one of the books onto tape, so the child can hear the absent parent's voice over and over again.

     San Quentin inmates also receive Peggy's care and attention.  She visits Death Row weekly and has served as a Spiritual Advisor at the executions of three men.  Peggy considers it a great privilege to work among the incarcerated in Marin County.

REV. FU NANCY SCHROEDER
Religion
2008

     Fu Schroeder is a Buddhist priest, a teacher, an activist, an innovator, an organizer, and a visionary. She is a mother, a mentor, a friend. Ordained in 1986, Fu has been part of the San Francisco Zen Center for 30 years. She serves as Director at Green Gulch Farm, and as president of the Marin Interfaith Council. But these words don’t reveal the person, or show why Fu has been nominated to the Marin Women’s Hall of Fame.

    At Green Gulch Fu has worked towards positive change, for ways to bring Buddhism to the greater community. She developed a Work Practice Apprenticeship program that enables people on limited income to participate in life at Green Gulch. She initiated a Three Week Intensive Medication Period that enables staff to use quieter times at the center to renew their personal spiritual practice. She established a Coming of Age program that offers teens a year in which they examine issues of maturity, responsibility, and service while exploring meditation and self expression.

    Fu has helped make Green Gulch a place that welcomes diversity. She has helped make the center more accessible to people with disabilities. She has led retreats designed to present Buddhist teachings in a safe environment for the LGTBQQ community. She has served on the Diversity and Multiculturalism committee at the center and Marin Horizon School, which her daughter attends.

    Fu also initiated a unique cultural exchange program with members of the Little Singer Community School on Navajo land. One summer several Navajos visited Green Gulch, and the next Fu led a group to the Navajo lands in the Four Corners. Among the contingent was Fu’s African American daughter who has physical challenges. This trip gave Fu the chance to practice plenty of patience, compassion, leadership, and love, day to day. The impact of this cultural exchange on all the participants cannot be measured.

    As a Buddhist priest, Rev. Fu bears witness to the importance of women as leaders in religion. Through her work, she creates a peaceful space for people to come together in the spirit of harmony and understanding. When she was ordained, candidate Nancy Schroeder received a “dharma” name meant to express some of her unique qualities. The name she was given, “Furyu Doshin,” translates from the Japanese as “Wind and Stream, Way Seeking Heart.” This name clearly captures the qualities Fu manifests.