Nonviolent Communication (NVC) involves expressing ourselves with values such as compassion, clarity, empathy, self-responsibility, and the common good in mind. Utilising NVC allows us to reframe both how we hear others and how we express ourselves by focusing our consciousness on what we are feeling, observing, needing, and requesting. We believe that nonviolent communication is a key way towards helping young people to understand and embrace the complexity of conflicts, and empowering them towards seeking solutions.

Here’s 5 reasons why Nonviolent communication should be taught in schools:

1. When we focus on clarifying what is being felt, observed, and needed, rather than on diagnosing and judging, we discover the depth of our own compassion.
2. It will allow students to convey their emotions in a constructive way, and allow them to decide how to respond to different stimuli and their needs and expectations at that time in respect to these feelings.
3. Using NVC promotes useful skills like active and deep listening which is necessary in and and out of the classroom.
4. NVC can help students communicate and voice their needs more effectively with both teachers and classmates. This can promote effective conflict resolution and relationship building.
5. NVC helps students to practise non-judgmental observation and to separate personal value judgments on that observation. Identifying and reserving these judgments helps prevent the triggering of defenses, thus creating the opportunity for an exchange that leads to understanding.

NVC is a key skill we teach during our annual Bridge Builders Programme (BBP)! This is a five-day programme for 20 students who want deeper learning on the Israel-Palestine conflict, receive training in conflict resolution and affect positive change within their societies or communities. Applications are open now for the 2023 BBP - you can encourage your students to apply now over on our website: https://solutionsnotsides.co.uk/sns-bridge-builders-programme