About Prescott NVC

The Prescott Center for Nonviolent Communication is an organization whose vision is a world where everyone's needs are met peacefully. Our mission is to contribute to this vision by facilitating the creation of life-serving systems. We do this by living and teaching the process of Nonviolent Communication, which strengthens the ability of people to compassionately connect with themselves and one another, share resources, and resolve conflicts.

The purpose of Nonviolent Communication is to strengthen our ability to inspire compassion from others and to respond compassionately to others and ourselves in order to create a quality of connection with others in which everyone's needs are equally valued and met through natural giving.

This approach to communication emphasizes compassion rather than fear, guilt, shame or coercion as the motivation for action. It is about getting what you want for reasons you will not regret later. With these processes, you can empower yourself to make conscious, responsible choices, so others will hear the way you want to be heard.

What is Nonviolence?

It is more than "not being physically violent.” Nonviolence represents a way of being in the world. The two related terms that Ghandi wrote about are the Sanskrit, “ahimsa”, which means “harmlessness” and “satyagraha” which translates as “the force of truth.” So the spirit of nonviolence (ahimsa) means thatwhen I am in contact with any life form my message to that life, in thought, word and deed is, “I will not harm you. I will not violate the integrity of your being.” I am guided by my awareness of the force of truth (satyagraha) because I sense in the depth of my being that all human beings are only trying to fulfill life- giving, universal values and needs. With this awareness, I know that any form of communication, no matter how hostile, critical or judgmental it seems, is an attempt to express unmet needs, values anddesires. When I tune into these needs and values I see only life trying to fulfill itself. I do not see or hearthe life alienating images or thoughts, I see and hear only feelings and needs.

"All attacks and criticisms are tragic expressions of unmet needs."

- Marshall Rosenberg, founder of Nonviolent Communication