About Nonviolent Communication (NVC)

"I use the term Nonviolent Communication™ as Gandhi used it - to refer to our natural state of compassion when violence has subsided from our heart.  While we may not believe we are 'violent', our words and thoughts often lead to pain for others and ourselves." (Dr Marshall Rosenberg)

Many of us are culturally habituated to focus our attention on judgement, blame and diagnosis of self and others, especially when we are in conflict situations. Focusing our attention in this way often results in increased tension, conflict and even violence.

Nonviolent Communication (NVC) is a simple, profound and learnable process that trains us to focus our attention on a different place - the powerful human needs, such as respect, understanding and safety, that are the motivation for everything we do and say. When we focus our awareness on our own and others' needs, it facilitates deep understanding of self and others. Communicating from this place opens up possibilities for flexible and creative solutions to even the most entrenched conflicts.

The Intention of Nonviolent Communication (NVC)

When using Nonviolent Communication we focus our intention on creating an empathic connection through which everyone's needs can be met by mutual giving from the heart.  Whilst we may not always achieve this, if we can maintain our awareness on this intention when interacting with others, we are more likely to reach mutually satisfying outcomes. The four ingredients of NVC can help us to ground this intention in reality.


The Four Main Ingredients of the NVC process:

When using NVC we focus our attention on four ingredients of communication:

1. Observations free of evaluations and judgements

2. Feelings straight from the heart

3. Needs, values and longings that are causing our feelings

4. Requests expressed clearly in positive action language

We can focus on these four ingredients in three different ways:

  1. To connect with and understand what is going on inside
    ourselves (self-empathy);
  2. To express what is going on inside ourselves to others;
  3. To connect with what is alive in others (empathy).

The Nonviolent Communication process is a continual dance between these three modes.

The Uses of Nonviolent Communication:

* Self empowerment
* Understanding others
* Conflict resolution
* Stress reduction
* Bridging cultural differences
* Harmonious relationships

Power over vs Power with:

Many of us are uncomfortable with the word 'power'. This may be because power is often used in our world to dominate and control - to have 'power over' others. When using Nonviolent Communication (NVC), we seek 'power with' - in other words, to use our abilities and resources to get our needs met, whilst at the same time respecting the needs of the other people we are engaged with. In the long run, power with respect is the only way that we can truly meet all our needs. Culturally and globally we are currently at a crossroads. We need to make the transition from a domination style of interaction with others (and also our environment) to a partnership style of interaction. Nonviolent Communication provides a language and methodology to help make this transition.

"Every judgement and criticism is the tragic expression of an unmet need." Dr Marshall Rosenberg

About the Center for Nonviolent Communication (CNVC):

The Center for Nonviolent Communication was established by Marshall Rosenberg in 1984 to share the skills of Nonviolent Communication worldwide.

Currently more than 200 trainers from the CNVC are providing training in 65 countries. Reports from the last two suggest suggest approximately 250,000 people are receiving training in NVC annually.

To find out more about NVC visit the website www.cnvc.org


What others say about NVC

"We should all be grateful to Marshall Rosenberg. He provides us with the most effective tools to foster health and relationships." - Deepak Chopra


"The principles of Nonviolent Communication taught by Dr. Rosenberg are instrumental in creating an extraordinary and fulfilling quality of life. His compassionate and inspiring message cuts right to the heart of successful communication." - Anthony Robbins

The Global Community Circle (GCC)

The GCC is a planning team of volunteers who serve the worldwide NVC community, partnering with local teams and the CNVC Leadership (LT) and CNVC Board. Together we are exchanging ideas with these groups to determine and facilitate the support and connections that will sustain existing teams, and help to cultivate new teams throughout the world. Our intention is that the GCC and these teams will live the consciousness of NVC as fully as possible and contribute to a world of compassionate giving and receiving.

Vision of the Global Community Circle (GCC)

Anyone can be part of a welcoming global community of NVC practitioners who support and inspire one another. These learning communities are working together to realize CNVC's vision of a world where people are meeting needs mutually and reliably and resolving conflicts nonviolently. People in these communities support one another to interact with empathy and honesty.
(Consented 22 Aug 2007)

Mission of the Global Community Circle (GCC)

The GCC serves to contribute to the realization of the GCC's vision by nurturing, sustaining and making visible a global community to which people want to belong.
The GCC supports the Center for Nonviolent Communication in achieving its vision and mission by:

                              1. Facilitating an effective flow of communication throughout our
                                NVC network, and between our network and other networks, to link existing and emerging teams of change agents committed to contributing to life-enriching systems.
                                 
                              2. Cultivating teams for the public to contact locally, regionally and globally.
                                 
                              3. Demonstrating, as a "radiant core", what is possible when an organization commits to living the values of NVC consciousness, thus providing a flow of mutual inspiration and appreciation.
                                (Consented 22 Aug 2007)

Click here for the full text of Vision/Mission/Aims of GCC
http://cnvc.org/en/community/global-community/global-community-gcc

 


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