In 1961 Dr. Rosenberg received his Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the University of Wisconsin and in 1966 was awarded diplomate status in clinical psychology from the American Board of Examiners in Professional Psychology.

Nonviolent Communicationsm training evolved from Dr. Rosenbergs quest to find a way of rapidly disseminating much needed peacemaking skills. The Center for Nonviolent Communicationsm emerged out of work he was doing with civil rights activists in the early 1960s. During this period he provided mediation and communication skills training to communities working to peacefully desegregate schools and other public institutions.

Since the inception of the Center, the response to Nonviolent Communication training has been extremely positive. It is seen as a powerful tool for peacefully resolving differences at personal, professional, and political levels. Dr. Rosenberg provides Nonviolent Communication training in Sweden, Switzerland, Italy, Germany, Denmark, Belgium, Austria, Malaysia, India, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Austria, France, and Canada, as well as in the United States. He works with such groups as educators, managers, mental health and health care providers, lawyers, military officers, prisoners, police and prison officials, clergy, government officials, and individual families. He is also active in war-torn areas and economically disadvantaged countries, offering Nonviolent Communication training to promote reconciliation and peaceful resolution of differences. Israel, Palestine, Ireland, Russia, Rwanda, Burundi, Nigeria, Serbia, and Croatia are examples of countries where Nonviolent Communication is being utilized by teams of peace activists.

Worldwide reactions have been inspiring. Evaluations indicate that this training vastly strengthens the ability to connect compassionately with oneself and others, as well as to resolve differences peacefully. Reports also indicate that the benefit of the training is not only stable over time, but actually increases.

Dr. Rosenberg has been able to teach individuals to give the training in their own community, work, educational, and political environments, and in their own languages, with the same positive effects.

For Marshall Rosenberg that would just be the start. He sees NVC as the basis for a far more radical approach to schooling, going beyond the teaching of new communication skills to challenge the structures of education itself. What he terms "life-serving education", or "mutual education", is based on his belief that, "You can't teach anybody anything; you can merely provide opportunities for them to learn things that have been valuable to you."

That radically shifts the relationship between teachers and students, he says, so they work as equals. "The teachers don't tell the students what to learn, they offer suggestions, and define what they think is worth learning to them, but it is a mutual decision. The structures are set up to maintain an independent, co-operative relationship between the students, rather than a competitive one." Excerpt from Life-enriching Education, author M. Rosenberg: Life-Enriching Education focuses on how teachers can provide learning opportunities that will empower students to be an active force in solving human problems. They can learn how to enrich their own lives and help others enrich theirs.

The students coming out of the kind of educational program that I envision would learn to value their autonomy and interdependence, and would have learned the organizational skills necessary to create Life-Enriching systems in which to live their lives.

what you would observe in such schools: Teachers and students working together as partners, setting objectives mutually and consensually. Teachers and students speak a process language. The one I teach is called Nonviolent Communication, which focuses attention on; 1) the feelings and needs motivating each person and 2) what actions might best meet their needsat no one elses expense. Students motivated by their eagerness to learn and not by fear of punishment or promise of reward. Tests given at the beginning of the course of study to determine need, not at the end to determine reward or punishment. Grades replaced with evaluations of student learning that describe what they had learnedwhat skills and knowledge they had mastered. An interdependent learning community designed to encourage students to care about one another and help one another learn, rather than competing for a limited umber of rewardsa community where the common goal is to support all students in reaching their objectives. All rules and regulations being created consensually by the people who are affected by the rulesstudents, teachers, parents, and administrators. Force only being used to protect needs such as health and safety, but never the intent to punish.

Nominating Speech:
Nonviolent Communication training and practice in school communities helps teachers, administrators, students, and parents to make school a place where students love to learn, teachers love to teach, and where parents feel confident that their children's needs'for safety, respect, and learning'can be met.

We know of hundreds of schools around the world that have been introduced to NVC. In many of these schools, teachers, administrators, parents, and students have put it to practice with many of the following reported results:

fewer conflicts increased skill in mediating conflicts that arise more listening to one another mutual respect among all school members students take responsibility for their learning more engaged learning less resistance & more cooperation more fun for everyone students and teachers feel safe at school For further informatioin see http://www.cnvc.org/pedproj.htm

Nominated by: Terry Andre

Support true academic standards and reject punitive standardized testing that deprives schools of funding solely because of low test scores;

Support not penalize school districts that need extra help because they have many poor, minority or immigrant students;

Work to restore public education as an effective vehicle for social mobility, as it has been for so much of our country's history;

Open up many routes to higher education;

Improve teacher pay, dignity and respect;

Reject voucher systems and other privatization schemes;

Protect our students from commercial influences and marketing in their schools;

Understand that in addition to training for good jobs, the public education system must educate responsible, engaged citizens.