As a project partner, we had the pleasure of participating in the international training Empathic Way: Journey of Nonviolent Communication, which aimed to develop youth workers’ skills in empathetic communication and conflict resolution. The program, organized by Miera skola – KALM International Trainings, brought together participants from eight European countries, creating an inspiring space for learning, experience exchange, and collaboration.
During the training, participants explored the principles of Nonviolent Communication (NVC), developed by Marshall Rosenberg, whose key components include:
- observing without evaluating,
- recognizing and naming feelings,
- identifying the needs behind feelings,
- making requests instead of demands.
The project focused on how NVC can be applied to prevent and resolve conflicts. Through workshops, pair and group exercises, role-playing, and reflection, participants practiced empathetic and conscious responses instead of automatic reactions, turning potential disputes into constructive dialogue.
As Marshall Rosenberg reminds us:
“The most important need of all human beings is to be understood.”
The Empathic Way project was implemented with the support of the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union, which promotes international cooperation and the development of key competences in youth work. One of the most significant outcomes of the project was a manual on using Nonviolent Communication in youth work, developed collaboratively during the project.
NVC Manual: NVC manual
