FROM THE ASSESSOR, Vivet Alevi

It is with great pleasure that I recommend Nadia to become a Certified Trainer. I am deeply moved by Nadya's ability to remain NVC conscious to navigate difficult situations without judgment or blame, rather her honest reflection and processing of her inner world, her reliability and commitment, showing up to build trust inspires me.

Nadya experiences NVC in one of the most challenging situations. She shows up as a leader who lives nonviolence and peacemaking fully by dealing with being a Muslim and a Palestinian in Israeli society. She chose social change, and I got the impression that she enjoys the freedom of choice she had gained.

She grew up with Values of Islam, as a way of peace and sayings from her mother such as “religion belongs to God and the homeland to everybody”, "Violence bring only violence", "If you want to receive love, give love", "Share resources with love", "If you want wheat, do not plant tomatoes.“ Her mother’s legacy inspired her to sow the seeds of nonviolence. Through her multicultural experience she sees herself building bridges between cultures. Due to the geographical distance, she took full responsibility for her certification process, which I appreciated very much.

From Nadya:

My journey began in Israel/Palestine in 2014 during a challenging time in my life as a mother who cares for her children safety during a war time, and as woman with complex identity in country of continuous conflict. In 2016, I started as a NVC candidate in Turkey with the Assessor, Vivet Alevi.

She accompanied me with gentleness, a lot of patience, inclusion, understanding, despite the poor communication due to the geographical distance. 2024 I did the final assessment with the Turkish community, that embraced me again and again with warmth and love. It a personal & social transformation process, aspiration for the presence of tools recast the world to be more pleasant, empathetic and solider from a place of desire.

FROM THE ASSESSOR, Vivet Alevi

Gizem lives in Istanbul and got to know Nonviolent Communication in 2015. Since then, she has participated in more than 80 trainings with more than 20 trainers. She has been sharing Nonviolent Communication and leading Groups since 2017. She is passionate about languages in general and especially about the Nonviolent Communication language in Turkish. So, she is translating the Nonviolent Communication books and supporting trainers when they offered workshops in Turkey.

She also takes an active role in the Turkish Nonviolent Communication Association with the intention of spreading awareness of Nonviolence. I am moved by Gizem’s commitment to the purpose of NVC as a passionate reminder of something fundamental to humanity. Gizem’s desire is to protect and accompany children's authentic and vibrant love of life. 

For this reason, she is excited to share the richness that the Nonviolent Communication journey has brought to her life with diverse communities in society, especially adults who care for children. She offers workshops for parents and teachers under the "Compassionate Families" formation she created. I celebrate her clear focus as a gift to learn and grow in the community.

From gizem:

I started to learn Nonviolent Communication in 2015, after my colleague in my workplace, Deniz Spatar, loaned me "Speak Peace in a World of Conflict." When I participated in the introductory workshop of Vivet Alevi, I heard a clear calling in myself to learn this "way of living" and share it with people caring for children. I quit my job, dedicated myself to learning NVC, and attended the yearlong program with Vivet. Having the same passion, Judy Bleil Saruhan held my hand, and we started to offer workshops to parents and teachers; we still work joyfully together.

Throughout the years, I stated a clear purpose which I defined as “parenting for social change" -- “I want to support adults who take care of children with NVC skills so that they can remember their essence, free themselves from the patterns that disconnect them from their compassionate nature, connect with children and themselves from the heart, thus transform the language of violence that is passed down from generation to generation into a peaceful language and way of life."

During the IIT in Turkey in 2016, I was fascinated by the diversity of trainers from different cultures and teaching styles. Wanting to broaden my horizon in working with teachers, I contacted Gabriele Grunt, a Certified Trainer from Austria. Since I had studied in Austria, I enjoyed connecting with her and getting her mentoring support. In 2018, fueled by my desire to be in the international NVC network, I entered the certification process with Gabriele's co-trainer, Deborah Bellamy. Due to the pandemic and the effects of the economic crisis, my relationship with the international network continued online. With Deborah's decision to retire at the end of 2021 I "transferred" to Vivet as my assessor.

I celebrate having continued and completed the certification process with Vivet and the Turkish-speaking community. I remember Gabriele and Deborah telling me that they wanted to live the certification process as a "community process" and that they considered it important to be connected to my community. I walked my certification path with 4 other Turkish colleagues together and experienced the beauty of being committed to living with NVC consciousness through ups and downs, conflicts and resolutions, mournings and celebrations in our weave.

Today, at the end of the process, I am experiencing how nourishing, empowering, and supportive of connection and solidarity it is to act together with the community I live in while being in a tight feedback-loop with my companions and my assessor. I consider the certification process as an inner retreat within daily life with huge support and the IMAD as an initiation ceremony and celebration of life.

FROM THE ASSESSORS, Vivet Alevi

Bilge met Nonviolent Communication in 2014. After being introduced to Nonviolent Communication, that is, reconnecting with feelings and needs, she quit the antidepressant she had been using for 16 years and delved into her emotions, including pain.

She worked for many years with disadvantaged groups in the civil field. She thinks that social change and peace in the world are only possible with one's inner peace; therefore, she finds it valuable to share NVC, which transforms herself with others. In June 2023, she left her position in the Foundation CEREBRAL PALSY Türkiye to begin her new life in the countryside of Canakkale.

With her formation “a'Dose of Empathy,” she offers awareness workshops to groups and holds individual empathy sessions. Bilge has the formation of Waldorf Pedagogy Teacher. And she is also a family constellation facilitator. Her passion is also to work with small communities that come together for a shared purpose. As she cares for these intentions, she is supporting these kinds of communities in becoming more skillful in their communication…

From Bilge:

[EN] My acquaintance with Nonviolent Communication began in 2014 when I received a 2-day training from my assessor, Vivet. Since then, Nonviolent Communication has been at the center of my life. I remember being so influenced by what I heard that I asked Vivet what I needed to do to continue for a year without even looking at the conditions and simply said, "Please sign me up."

At first, I worked entirely on myself, dedicating a year solely to feeling my emotions. During that year, the only question I asked myself about what was happening was, "What are you feeling right now?" Due to my family history of caregiving and looking out for others, developing awareness of emotions and needs took time. As I worked on myself internally and my awareness of needs increased, I also felt a strong desire to share, and since 2016, I have started sharing in various circles, sometimes alone and sometimes with companions. While receiving training from my trainer friends in my country and foreign trainers, I was also sharing.

I have mainly practiced Nonviolent Communication with my family and close circle, but I have also used it in my professional life. While working in a civil society organization, I continued to receive and provide training in the evenings and weekends. I started my certification process in 2019. However, I could only allocate time to my certification process in 2023 due to the intensity of work and city life. With the decision to move away from the city and settle in a village, Nonviolent Communication became my main job along with my family constellation.

During my certification process, besides my dear assessor, I had the opportunity to prepare with the five people I felt most nourished by. Embarking on the journey with people I didn't choose, establishing a trust relationship among us while trying to live by the principles of Nonviolent Communication took a lot of effort and time for me. Alongside the support of my mentors among my peers in the certification process, the support of my Nonviolent Communication companion has been an integral support for me.

[TR] Şiddetsiz İletişim'le tanışmam 2014 yılında, asesörüm Vivet'ten 2 günlük eğitim almamla başladı. O günden sonra Şiddetsiz İletişim hayatımın merkezinde oldu. Hatırlıyorum, duyduklarımdan o kadar etkilenmiştim ki Vivet'e yıllık devam etmek için ne yapmalıyım diye sormuş ve şartlarına bakmadan "beni kaydet lütfen" demiştim…

Başlarda tamamen kendi üzerimde çalıştım, bir yılımı sadece duygularımı hissetmek üzere ayırdım, o bir yıl boyunca olan bitene karşı kendime sorduğum tek soru "şu an ne hissediyorsun?" oldu. Aile hikayemden dolayı bakım vermeyi, başkalarını gözetmeyi bilen bir kişi olarak duygu ve ihtiyaç farkındalığı geliştirmem zaman aldı. Kendimle içsel olarak çalışırken, ihtiyaç farkındalığım artarken öte yandan da paylaşmaya dair büyük bir istek duydum ve 2016'dan itibaren de çeşitli çemberlerde bazen tek başıma bazen de yol arkadaşlarımla paylaşmaya başladım. Bir yandan ülkemdeki eğitmen arkadaşlarımdan ve yabancı eğitmenlerden eğitimler alıyor, bir yandan da paylaşıyordum.

Şiddetsiz İletişim'i en çok ailemle, yakın çevremle yaşamaya çalışmakla birlikte profesyonel iş hayatımda kullandım. Bir yandan sivil toplum kuruluşunda çalışırken öte yandan akşamları ve hafta sonları eğitimler almaya ve sunmaya devam ettim. 2019 yılında sertifika sürecimi başlattım. İş ve şehir hayatı yoğunluğu ile sertifika sürecime ayırmak istediğim zamanı ancak 2023 yılında ayırabildim. Şehirden uzaklaşıp bir köye yerleşme kararı ile birlikte Şiddetsiz İletişim benim için aile dizimi ile birlikte ana işim haline geldi.

Sertifika sürecimde sevgili asesörümün yanı sıra en beslendiğim 5 kişi olarak birlikte hazırlanmamız oldu. Seçmediğim insanlarla yola çıkmak, Şiddetsiz İletişim prensiplerini yaşamaya çalışırken aramızdaki güven ilişkisini kurmak benim için hayli emek ve zaman aldı. Sertifika peteğindeki arkadaşlarımın yanında mentörlük desteği ile Şiddetsiz İletişim yol arkadaşımın desteği benim için tüm hepsini bütünleyen bir destek oldu.

FROM THE ASSESSORS, Vivet Alevi

Alper graduated from the Technical University Aeronautical Engineering Department in 2006. As he became a father, he very much wanted his children to have their own true selves and power. He encountered the “Another School is Possible (BBOM)” association, and he was one of the founders of “Meraklı Kedi Primary School”, a partner of BBOM Ankara Education Cooperative. It was through BBOM that he was introduced to Nonviolent Communication, which offered him the wisdom and tools of a vision of another possible world.

With this inspiration he joined in 2018, the "Nonviolent Global Liberation" community created by Miki Kashtan, and he works on "sharing power" and "living together". It organizes connection circles, leadership trainings and workshops in Ankara so that Nonviolent Communication can inspire more families, schools, organizations and lives. I have a huge trust in Alper's commitment to grow in his capacity for nonviolence and freedom of choice.

From Alper:

[EN] I believe in the power of Nonviolent Communication to transform the systems we live in, as well as its effectiveness in the individual and interpersonal fields. In 2016, a group of us at BBOM, a democratic school project, had become unable to hear each other and see our humanity. The vision of "another" school that brought us together could not create enough pull to build unity. Here, Vivet Alevi applied the tools in her bag on us and made us hug each other and move towards a common vision again.

The pattern I saw here was very interesting to my mind, which is also trained as an engineer. Following the question, "If we can do this here, why can't we do it everywhere?" I started my journey as a trainer. My path crossed with Miki Kashtan. Together with her and our companions, we started working on building a community where the needs of all living beings are taken into consideration in 2019. I am currently designing and implementing the experiment of distributing resources according to needs at NGL. These kinds of applications, which have a direct impact on our material reality and carry a drop of the world we dream of, are the areas that excite me the most.

My CNVC certification process gave me the courage to look at the parts of myself that were acting out of fear while working for social transformation. Our certification group, consisting of Bediz, Bilge, Büke, and Gizem, became a mirror for me to look at my privileges of male training, the awareness of the impacts of my actions, and planted the seeds of surrounding the patriarchy within me with love. As a fresh CNVC certified trainer, I am excited to use the experiences I have gained from my journey and community to serve organizations and communities seeking to move towards nonviolence and liberation and to accompany my four children on their path.

[TR] Şiddetsiz İletişim'in bireyler ve kişiler arası alanlardaki etkinliğinin yanında içinde yaşadığımız sistemleri dönüştürmek üzere taşıdığı gücüne inanıyorum. Ben Şİ ile bu şekilde tanıştım.

2016 yılında bir demokratik okul projesi olan BBOM'da bir grup birbirimizi duyamaz, insanlığımızı göremez hale gelmiştik. Bizi yan yana getiren "başka" bir okul vizyonu birlikteliği tesis etmek için yeterli çekim gücünü oluşturamıyordu. Burada Vivet Alevi çantasındaki aletleri üzerimizde uygulayıp birbirimize sarılmamızı, ortak vizyona doğru tekrar yol almamızı sağladı. Burada gördüğüm örüntü mühendis eğitimi de almış olan zihnimin çok ilgisini çekti. "Bunu burada yapabildiysek, neden her yerde yapamayalım?" sorusunun peşinden eğitmenlik yolculuğuma başladım.

Yolum sevgili Miki Kashtan'la kesişti. Onunla ve bu uğurda yan yana geldiğimiz yol arkadaşlarımız ile birlikte 2019 yılında tüm canlıların ihtiyaçlarının gözetildiği o topluluğun inşası üzerine çalışmalara başladık. Halen NGL’de kaynakların ihtiyaçlar doğrultusunda dağılması deneyinin tasarım ve yürütücülüğünü yapıyorum. Maddi gerçekliğimize doğrudan etkisi olan ve hayalini kurduğumuz dünyanın bir damlasını taşıyan bu tür uygulamalar beni en çok heyecanlandıran alanlar.

CNVC sertifika sürecim bana toplumsal dönüşüm için çalışırken içimde korkudan hareket eden parçalara bakabilme cesareti verdi. Bediz, Bilge, Büke ve Gizem’den oluşan sertifika peteğimiz erkeklik imtiyazlarıma, yarattığım etkilerin farkındalığına bakmama birer ayna oldu ve içimdeki ataerkiyi sevgiyle kuşatmanın tohumlarını ekmemi sağladı.  Taze bir CNVC sertifikalı eğitmen olarak yolculuğumdan ve topluluğumdan kazandığım deneyimleri şiddetsizlik ve özgürleşme yolunda ilerlemek isteyen organizasyon ve topluluklara hizmet etmek ve dört çocuğumun yollarına eşlik etmek için kullanmanın heyecanını hissediyorum.

FROM THE ASSESSORS, Vivet Alevi

Bediz was introduced to Nonviolent Communication in 2015 within the scope of the BBOM Association “Other Teachers Are Possible” Project. With this, she got answers for many deep concerns she had, both personally and as a teacher and school administrator, about education. She describes her childhood as carrying the desire, liveliness, and joy of learning as humankind.

Bediz loves teaching, especially living and learning with children. She is enthusiastic about working and being part of learning communities. She describes her experience of sharing NVC with teachers and parents, translating books about Nonviolent Communication and Education as a joyful growth and development.

As her Nonviolent Communication journey deepens, the educational vision “living Nonviolent Communication in the school community” becomes clearer and comes to life day-by-day more. I am thrilled to imagine the impact of her work in educational fields.

From Bediz:

My first encounter with NVC was in a teacher's training project, a 3-day seminar given by Vivet Alevi. I had just completed a master's degree where I studied the theory of change in organizations and power dynamics, and the NVC seminar was like a miracle for me, offering a wonderful approach and practice to start to experiment with social change. Since 2015, I've attended so many seminars and training, and I've also created NVC-inspired workshops for teachers and other adults who work with children.

I equipped myself with educational resources on NVC, translated them into my mother tongue, and helped to build a bridge between NVC and Turkish-speaking educators. I have also started a weave on education where we have the chance to read and reflect on the educational resources of NVC, to reflect on our daily practices in school through the lens of NVC, and to open dialogue circles for teachers and parents.

Throughout my journey, I was able to learn, share, and embody NVC in real-life situations and in crises that we go through as a country or the whole world. I have collected so many experiences and have the chance to master my skills in different communities and situations with people between the age 5 and 80 from diverse backgrounds.

I especially want to mention the transformational power of mourning, which I started to embody during my certification process. This was a precious milestone for my growth in my journey, for it helped me to soften my heart and grow in self-compassion and acceptance. Another milestone was the group certification process, especially the generous feedback sessions we had together with other certification candidates and my assessor. I am so thankful for their time, care, and compassion.

FROM THE ASSESSOR, Vivet Alevi

Büke describes her engagement in social sciences as an urge to "be useful to society" for as long as she can remember. That's why she chose to study Political Science and turned to academics at Mimar Sinan University, Department of Sociology, where she still works. She was introduced to various awareness practices, especially yoga. Through her personal development journey, she began to see the limitations of academic criticism as part of our separation. She found the missing piece of the puzzle when she was introduced in 2016 to Nonviolent Communication.

Since that day, she has been trying to bring together her academic studies with the practices of Nonviolent Communication, with the belief that personal transformation and social transformation can only go hand in hand. She ensured that NVC was included in the curriculum of this well-known state university as an elective course starting from this semester on. I am delighted to imagine her reaching many young students with NVC.

From Büke:

As a member of a sociology department who dreams of using her academic knowledge for a more peaceful world and as an explorer of various personal awareness techniques devoted to self-transformation towards a more peaceful self, I remember the excitement I felt when I came across NVC in a yoga studio in 2016.

It was like finding the key I had been searching for a very long time, a tool, a path that would integrate my two worlds. My NVC journey, from that point on, can be summarized as a journey towards self-integration rooted in nonviolence. With deep self-work through the support of many trainings, I came across steep hills to climb over, stormy seas to surpass, and verdant grass to lay down and enjoy the clear blue sky. Looking back, I’m grateful for all.

The certification journey itself was a tremendous opportunity to learn and grow as it was enriched with processes of comprehensive feedback. Throughout this journey, sharing NVC has always given me joy and meaning. The assessment period was also a period for me during which I finally accomplished bringing together my NVC work with my academic work.

With the finalization of the certification process I am at the same time celebrating a dream coming true, offering an NVC course at the university I work. My journey from now on will continue, learning, growing, sharing, and embracing what life brings on the way. I have gotten to know many new parts of myself and started to understand my own actions and ways of behaving. It has been step by step easier for me listen myself emphatically and try less to fix myself in certain shape.

from the Assessor, Gina Lawrie

Raluca has undertaken a huge amount of personal development work in order to have the confidence to come to the final assessment for certification. Raluca is an active member of the Romanian NVC community and has been part of 2 Erasmus projects that have guided her NVC learning. Raluca will continue sharing NVC with teachers and parents primarily and much of her sharing is by being, especially in the organisation where she works as well as with her family.

I am so happy to see her shine, touched by the way she handles her vulnerability and I have trust that she will build more and more confidence as she goes forward as a certified trainer. 

from Raluca:

My initial encounter with NVC was serendipitous, during a time in 2013 when I participated in developing a board game based on NVC principles. Unaware of NVC at the time, I cherish the memory for the acceptance and warmth I felt, despite being an outsider. This experience left a lasting impression, nurturing my intention to welcome and connect with others as I was welcomed, embodying the spirit of NVC in every interaction.

My curiosity about NVC blossomed into a profound interest, leading me to attend various trainings. Initially, I was captivated by the possibility of understanding others through their feelings and needs, unlocking a pathway to their hearts with empathy, and seeing beyond mere behavior. However, my focus gradually shifted towards cultivating a compassionate inner voice and relating to others from this grounded place within myself.

The journey intensified with my involvement in the first Erasmus+ project in 2019, presenting a challenge that pushed me to embrace the facilitator role, confront my inner beliefs, and persist despite my doubts. This experience, supported by the community and my mentors, was instrumental in realizing my joy in connecting with others and fostering an environment of mutual growth and impact.

The subsequent challenges, including a second Erasmus+ project and transitioning to online courses in 2020, further developed my resilience and adaptability in pandemic times. These experiences enabled me to reach a more diverse audience, deepen my self-reflection, and continue my personal and professional development at NVC. Throughout my journey, I've encountered old patterns, faced them, and sought ways to navigate through them with compassion—a new and empowering capability. These experiences have reinforced my belief in the value of NVC, teaching me that understanding oneself enhances our capacity to support others in their own journeys.

My decision to pursue NVC certification is twofold: it represents a commitment to my personal growth and learning, challenging me to explore and transform my inner landscape, and it signifies my dedication to authentic, impactful work aligned with the core values and intentions of NVC. While the path forward may not be fully outlined, my purpose is anchored in a deep-seated desire to enrich my close ones' and my life and support the lives of parents, teachers, and colleagues. From a place of humble insight, I am committed to making an impact—not merely through the dissemination of knowledge but through the essence of my presence and being.

My approach, integrating Nonviolent Communication into my psychotherapy and somatic experiencing sessions, represents a personal and professional journey towards fostering connections, empathy, and authentic living. By sharing this experience with those I encounter in my work, I hope to cultivate an environment where learning, growth and compassion flourish, thereby extending their influence well beyond our immediate circles and truly embodying the principles of NVC in every interaction.

FROM THE ASSESSOR, Johannes Henn

[EN] There are mainly two things that come to my mind when I think of Gabriele and our shared process:

1. Naturally, Gabriele encountered conflicts or difficult situations in and during his certification process. They were things related to community life during our mentoring days, situations that involved collaboration with other trainers when he shared NVC and also relational situations, and how he acted – what he said on those occasions or during our reflections about what had happened – gradually, and more and more, satisfied a strong need in me for integrity and perseverance and more and more it seemed to me that he truly saw conflict as a chance for growth and connection.

2. Our process for me has always been in a flow where I have found eye level, power, and a great desire to grow. The moments when Gabriele received feedback – even difficult ones to listen to – were moments in which, for me, giving and receiving became one: he reflected back what he had heard, he seemed to really want to understand the feedback and welcome it, so that in fact, I had the impression of being together with him on a shared journey of growth and connection.

So, it is truly with great joy that I welcome Gabriele into our trainer community!

[IT] Sono principalmente due cose che mi vengono in mente quando penso a Gabriele e il nostro processo condiviso:

1. Naturalmente Gabriele nel e durante il suo processo di certificazione ha incontrato conflitti o comunque situazioni difficili. Erano cose legate alla vita comunitaria durante le nostre giornate di mentoring, situazioni che riguardavano la collaborazione con altri trainer quando condivideva la CNV e anche situazioni relazionali, e come ha agito – cosa ha detto in quelle occasioni o dopo riflettendoci sopra – man mano, e sempre di più, ha soddisfatto in me un forte bisogno di integrità e perseveranza e sempre di più mi sembrava che veramente stesse vedendo conflitti come chance alla crescita e alla connessione.

2. Il nostro processo per me è sempre stato in un flusso in cui ho trovato livello d’occhio, potere con e una grandissima voglia di crescere. I momenti quando Gabriele ha ricevuto dei feedback – anche difficile da ascoltare – erano momenti in cui per me il dare e il ricevere diventavano tutt’uno: lui rimandava quello che aveva sentito, sembrava di veramente volere capire il feedback ed accoglierlo, in modo che per l’appunto a me sembrava di essere con lui in un viaggio condiviso di crescita e connessione.

Così è veramente con grande gioia che accolgo Gabriele nella nostra comunità dei trainer!

From Shadır Gabriele:

[EN] The encounter with Nonviolent Communication literally changed the course of my life. Since discovering it, nothing has been the same, not even those things that remained unchanged in reality, because what changed was my way of seeing them, being with them, experiencing them, and facing them. Because I changed.

When I first read "Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life," my first taste of NVC, in the summer of 2017, I experienced a sort of enlightenment. I was astonished: I couldn't believe that this man who came seemingly out of nowhere, Marshall, had truly found something that I had desired so much, always, and that unfortunately, I had stopped seeking for some time: a different way of communicating, expressing myself, and being with others that could help me connect with them without having to distance myself from who I am.

Over these years of journeying toward Certification, that initial enlightenment, that spark, has transformed, gradually, into solid conviction: now I am convinced that we can truly express and listen to what happens inside and outside of us, moment by moment, in a new way, a way that has the power to generate deep connections, harmony, trust, cooperation, and peace among us and others in our society, even when we disagree with each other or when we want evidently different things. A way that can truly help us feel mutually connected rather than separated, without anyone having to give up their needs, and that can truly make each of our lives more beautiful, meaningful, and fulfilling.

NVC, for me, has this power and represents, at the same time, a path of healing for the wounds that have accompanied me for a long time, for those that sometimes form in the present, and, I am sure, for those that could form in the future. As I walk this path, I see the wounds upon which I tread, step by step, gently healing beneath my feet. For this, I feel profound gratitude toward Marshall Rosenberg and the entire movement of men and women on this journey that has formed from his experience and vision, and that has allowed NVC to reach me.

For this, I have chosen to be part of this global movement and to undertake the Certification Path that I have just completed. I want to be a conduit, a channel, so that NVC, which has changed my life and which helps me daily to care for all my relationships, including the one with myself, can reach, even through me, people who do not yet know it, who want to deepen their understanding of it, or who want to experience its transformative and healing potential in their lives. This is what I want to be, a conduit, a channel. I want NVC to flow through me and spread wherever there are human relationships to support, preserve, or nurture in the world.

[IT] L’incontro con la CNV ha letteralmente cambiato il corso della mia vita. Da quando l’ho scoperta niente è più stato come prima, neanche quelle cose che, effettivamente, sono rimaste uguali: perché a cambiare è stato il mio modo di guardarle, di starci insieme, di viverle e affrontarle. Perché a cambiare sono stato io.

Quando ho letto per la prima volta “Le Parole sono finestre (oppure muri)”, il mio primo assaggio di CNV, nell’estate del 2017, ho vissuto una specie di folgorazione, ero sbalordito: non riuscivo a credere che quell’uomo venuto dal nulla e di cui mai avevo sentito parlare prima di allora, Marshall, fosse davvero riuscito a trovare quel qualcosa che io desideravo così tanto, da sempre, e che, purtroppo, avevo smesso di cercare da tempo: un modo diverso di comunicare, di esprimermi e di stare con gli altri che potesse aiutarmi ad andare loro incontro senza, per questo, dovermi allontanare da me.

In questi anni di cammino verso la Certificazione quella folgorazione iniziale, quella scintilla, si è trasformata, via via, in solida certezza: ora sono convinto che possiamo davvero arrivare ad esprimere ed ascoltare le cose che avvengono dentro e fuori di noi, momento per momento, in un modo nuovo, un modo che ha il potere di generare connessioni profonde, armonia, fiducia, cooperazione e pace tra noi e gli altri e in questa nostra società, anche quando non siamo d’accordo tra noi o quando vogliamo cosa evidentemente diverse. Un modo che può davvero aiutarci a sentirci reciprocamente connessi anziché separati, senza che nessuno debba rinunciare alle proprie necessità e che può davvero rendere la vita di ciascuno di noi più bella, significativa e appagante.

La CNV, per me, ha questo potere e rappresenta, al tempo stesso, una via di guarigione per le ferite che mi accompagnano da tempo, per quelle che a volte si formano nel presente e, sono sicuro, anche per quelle che potrebbero formarsi in futuro. Mentre cammino su questa via io vedo, infatti, le ferite sulle quali procedo, passo dopo passo, rimarginarsi, dolcemente, sotto i miei piedi.

Per questo provo una profonda gratitudine nei confronti di Marshall Rosenberg e di tutto il movimento di uomini e donne in cammino che si è formato a partire dalla sua esperienza e visione e che ha permesso alla CNV di giungere fino a a me. Per questo ho scelto di entrare a far parte di questo movimento globale e di intraprendere il Percorso di Certificazione che ho appena concluso.

Io voglio essere un tramite, un canale, perché la CNV, che mi ha cambiato la vita e che mi aiuta, quotidianamente, a prendermi cura di tutte le mie relazioni, compresa quella con me stesso, possa raggiungere, anche attraverso di me, le persone che ancora non la conoscono, che vogliono approfondirne la conoscenza o che vogliono sperimentarne il potenziale trasformativo e di cura nella loro vita. Questo è quello che voglio essere, un tramite, un canale, voglio che la CNV mi attraversi e che si diffonda ovunque ci siano relazioni umane da sostenere, preservare o nutrire nel Mondo.

from the assessor, Rodger Sorrow

I’m excited to announce and celebrate the certification of Cheryle Gail as a CNVC Certified Trainer. She has successfully completed her assessment in a hybrid event with me, plus over 25 others, including certified trainers, candidates, and community members. We have come to a shared agreement that she is ready to step into the role of Certified Trainer as part of her NVC journey of integration, learning, and contribution.

It has been an honor and privilege to accompany Cheryle on this path of NVC integration of 13 years. We have learned greatly from each other, especially from giving and receiving feedback. I am inspired by her as a presenter and her commitment to her own on-going growth and learning. She is a regular participant in both the SoCal Certification Pod and NVCDay1. Her presence and NVC skills are a gift to any group she participates in. Her vision, “To End Childhood Sexual Abuse of Children” with her work in Brave Voices inspires us all!

Please join me in welcoming and celebrating Cheryle Gail and the difference she is making in the lives of many.

from Cheryle:

Growing up, I learned how to either stuff or rage. After my first month-long NVC intensive at Esalen with Jean Morrison's love and attention, I became a baby giraffe. Choosing certification put NVC at the forefront of my life. With the support of Rodger Sorrow and my pod mates, After 13 years of study and practice, I have grown into a young adult giraffe.

I'm grateful for the transformation it has brought. I am now progressively less stupid, and when I do drop back into habitual patterns, I have the skills to ask for a re-do and/ or share my regrets.  I'm committed to lifelong learning within the NVC community.

from the assessor, Marianne Sikor

[EN] I got to know Inés in 2019 at the Spanish NVC summer festival. Since then, I have experienced her certification journey on two mentoring and assessment days and a preassessment event in Spain. I celebrate the clear, tender, and empathic way I experience her being with a group in training. I saw her in online training and in three short workshops she offered in preassessment and assessment events.

Seeing her accompanying empathic journey leaves me with trust in her empathic presence and her capacity to offer an empathic space. I also value the way she cares for clarity and structure while facilitating a group. Contributing to social change is a dear topic for her which has been and is still reflected in her work. Seeing her with her husband and her 3-month baby fills me with tenderness and hope as I experienced so much love and mutual care in their relationship. It also gives me a lot of trust in her integration of NVC and her capacity to stay in the NVC consciousness even in challenging situations.

I am very happy to welcome her as a certified trainer and I'm looking forward to her contributions! Welcome, Inés!

[ES] Conocí a Inés en 2019 en el festival de verano de la CNV española. Desde entonces la experimenté en su viaje de certificación en dos días de tutoría y evaluación y un evento de preevaluación en España. Celebro la forma clara, tierna y empática en que experimento su estar con un grupo en una formación. La vi en una formación en línea y en tres talleres breves que ofreció en eventos de preevaluación y evaluación.

Verla acompañar en un viaje empático me hace confiar en su presencia empática y en su capacidad para ofrecer un espacio empático. También valoro la forma en que cuida la claridad y la estructura al facilitar un grupo. Contribuir al cambio social es un tema muy querido para ella que se ha reflejado y se sigue reflejando en su trabajo. Verla con su marido y su bebé de 3 meses me llena de ternura y esperanza, ya que experimenté mucho amor y cuidado mutuo en su relación. Y me da mucha confianza sobre su integración de la CNV y su capacidad de permanecer en la conciencia de la CNV incluso en situaciones desafiantes.

Estoy muy contenta de darle la bienvenida como formadora certificada y ¡espero con impaciencia sus contribuciones! ¡Bienvenida, Inés!

from Inés:

I met NVC in 2017 in Colombia after seven years of living and working in the field of human rights and peace building. I participated in an NVC practice group in Bogotá facilitated by Camila Reyes, with whom I collaborated afterward in the creation of the NVC organization Resuena Colombia. In October 2017, I attended my first official training at NVC, an IIT in Chile. From there, I have continuously deepened my integration into NVC with different training opportunities (NVC Academy festival, Bay NVC Workshops, the NVC Annual Programme in Barcelona, and the Compassion course by New York NVC Centre, among others).

Since 2019, I have been a member of the Spanish NVC Association -ACNV- and since that year, I have participated every summer in the NVC summer festivals that the Association organizes. Additionally, during 2020 and 2021, I was part of the Association's Community circle, and as part of that group, I participated in a specific commission to address an internal conflict in the Association.

As part of my certification process, I have attended as an assessment candidate two Assessment and mentoring events (these are 4-day meetings, attended by 15 or 20 people between certification candidates and the assessor team) and one pre-assessment online event (3-day event). Also, from 2020 to the present, I have participated in the online meetings established by the certification team in Spain, where the people who are in the process of certification meet every two months to share their workshops and presentations and receive feedback from their colleagues and the assessment team.

When I was still living in Colombia and working with Camila Reyes in the creation of the organization Resuena, I accompanied her in all the training she gave, giving her support with the materials, logistics, time management and other support issues in handling the groups. As part of that journey, I also carried myself some of the workshops that we started to give as Resuena.

When I came back to Spain in 2019, I started to facilitate my own training in NVC, in collaboration with a Catalan NGO that is called Reds and works for social transformation in the field of respect for diversity and social justice. I have also carried out other workshops, as personal requests I have received, and in the free activities I offer to the community in the village where I live.