Nonviolent Communication

Nonviolent Communication teaches that the words we use shape the world we live in. When we move from judgment to understanding, from demands to requests, and from punishment to empathy, we create conditions for peace. NVC reminds us that every human action—no matter how harmful—is an attempt to meet a need. By listening for those needs, we transform anger into understanding and separation into connection.

Rosenberg’s method is both deeply practical and profoundly spiritual. It can improve marriages, heal families, resolve workplace conflicts, and even mediate wars. Ultimately, it shows that peace begins not in governments or institutions but in the way we speak—and more importantly, in the way we listen.

Marshall B. Rosenberg (1934–2015) was an American psychologist, mediator, and educator. Trained under humanistic psychologist Carl Rogers, he developed Nonviolent Communication to help people connect through empathy rather than authority or fear. He founded the Center for Nonviolent Communication, which has since trained practitioners in over 60 countries.

Rosenberg applied NVC in settings as varied as schools, prisons, and war zones—helping Rwandan genocide survivors reconcile, and mediating between Israelis and Palestinians. He also worked extensively with families, businesses, and educators, showing that the same principles that heal relationships can heal societies. His books, workshops, and videos continue to inspire millions to live by what he called the “language of life”—a language that brings out the best in human nature through compassion, honesty, and understanding.