About Us
The Buddhist Coalition for Democracy is a non-denominational Buddhist non-profit organization organized in March 2025 to serve as a vehicle for Buddhists to support democratic norms, institutions, and processes in their moment of peril. Our over 750 members come from a variety of Buddhist traditions including Theravada, Insight Meditation, Zen, Vajrayana, Pure Land, Soka Gakkai, and Secular Buddhism. We believe democratic governance is the best method yet devised for: 1) ensuring the dignity and fundamental rights of all persons, 2) enabling all members of society to lead meaningful and fulfilling lives, 3) and settling passionately held differences of opinion through peaceful means. We commit to supporting democracy with methods that are consistent with the Buddhist principles of wisdom, compassion, right speech, and nonviolence.
Coordinating Committee Members
Brenda Collins
Brenda Collins is a facilitator for the Atlanta Shambhala BIPOC Community, a Dharma Leader/Teacher for the Bhumisparsha Community, Chair of the Community Relations Committee of the Shambhala Community, a member of Practice and Education Office of the Atlanta Shambhala Community, and a meditation instructor/discussion leader for the Atlanta Shambhala Center. She founded and owned Quantum Technical Information Services and is the founder and owner of Helen’s Vintage Closet.
Jean Currie
Jean Currie is a retired feline veterinarian who lives in the greater Toronto area and practices with the Shambhala Online Community.
John Murphy
John Murphy is a member of the Philadelphia Shambhala Center and the Secular Buddhist Network. His career has included senior management roles in both the corporate and non-profit sectors.
Rev. Seth Zuiho Segall
Rev. Seth Zuiho Segall is a Zen Buddhist priest and clinical psychologist. He is a contributing editor to Tricycle: The Buddhist Review and the author of The House We Live In: Virtue, Wisdom, and Pluralism (Equinox, 2023) and Buddhism and Human Flourishing: A Modern Western Perspective (Palgrave, 2020). He leads Pamsula Zen of Westchester.
Mike Slott
Mike Slott is a long-time political and labor movement activist, the manager of the Secular Buddhist Network, the editor of its monthly newsletter, Rethinking the Dharma/Reimagining Community, and the author of Mindful Solidarity: A Secular Buddhist Democratic Socialist Dialogue (Tuwhiri, 2024).
Karsten Struhl
Karsten Struhl is a member of the Secular Buddhist Network who teaches political philosophy and cross-cultural philosophy at the New School for Public Engagement. He previously taught at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice and Adelphi University.
Rachel Faro
Rachel Faro is a senior meditation teacher and practitioner within the Shambhala and Tibetan Buddhist traditions who has taught and led meditation retreats, classes and workshops in Europe, Latin America, South Africa and throughout the United States. A personal student of Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche, she has been training, practicing and teaching since the early 1970’s and was the founder and director of the Miami Shambhala Meditation Group from 2007 to 2017. She is an accomplished singer/songwriter and Sony recording artist, Grammy-nominated record producer and president of global music record label Ashé Records, releasing recordings of Cuban, Puerto Rican, Venezuelan, African, jazz, blues and folk music. She is the proud mother of Anandi, an outstanding jazz singer, songwriter and Shambhala meditation teacher and practitioner based in Portland Oregon.
Vicky McKay
Vicky McKay is a retired Dietitian/Nutritionist. She is an outdoor nature enthusiast, and a Vajrayana student practicing Kagyu Tibetan Buddhism and a follower of the teachings of Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche.