Dr. Marshall B. Rosenberg

Marshall B. Rosenberg, Ph.D., 1934 -2015, was the founder and director of educational services for the Center for Nonviolent Communication (CNVC), an international peacemaking organization. He authored Speak Peace in a World of Conflict and the best seller Nonviolent Communication; A Language of Life.

Growing up in a turbulent Detroit neighborhood, Marshall developed a keen interest in new forms of communication that would provide peaceful alternatives to the violence he had encountered. His interest led to a doctorate in clinical psychology from the University of Wisconsin in 1961, where he studied under Carl Rogers among several others who influenced his work.

Marshall was interested in what caused some people to be violent while others remained compassionate regardless of the situation. From this personal investigation he discovered that certain thought forms underlie violence and yet others radically different underlie compassion. From this he developed language which aided people to access compassion and called this language of the heart - Nonviolent Communication.

Marshall first used the NVC process in federally funded school integration projects during the 1960s to provide mediation and communication skills training. In 1984 he founded CNVC, and there are now more than 500 CNVC certified trainers in more than 65 countries around the globe.

Marshall traveled to some of the most violent corners of the world. He carried with him his guitar and puppets and brought a spiritual energy that filled every room. And with his humor and grace, he showed us how to create a more peaceful and satisfying world.