Our Vision
We envision a world in which
enough people have the power to connect
through understanding and articulating needs
that we are able to tap our collective intelligence,
respond to the challenges we face,
and thrive.
NVC Mediation: A Community Work in Progress
The work of John Kinyon and Ike Lasater is based on Nonviolent Communication (NVC), created by Marshall Rosenberg. Grounded in historical principles of nonviolence, NVC is both a spiritual practice and a set of communication skills for resolving differences and forging connections between disparate people. To support the learning and sharing of NVC around the world, Marshall founded the Center for Nonviolent Communication (CNVC).
Ike and John have studied with Marshall individually for many years, becoming leaders in the NVC community in their own right. In 2003, they began collaborating on their own innovative approach to teaching and learning the aspect of NVC known as NVC Mediation.
Taking a holistic view, Ike and John teach how to “mediate your life.” While they are concerned with pressing global conflicts and believe that NVC Mediation can help humankind shape a better future, they are equally focused on the opposite end of the continuum: the conflicts inside our own heads. We cannot hope to understand others until we understand ourselves.
Ike and John’s goal is to equip each of us—as quickly as possible—with the skills to use every conflict as an opportunity for connection. They have developed a dynamic, flexible learning environment built around 1) extensive role-play that mimics real-world situations 2) self-paced, step-by-step learning, and 3) structured communities of practice that support their students’ growth long after a workshop or intensive is over.
At the core of their approach is a spirit of ongoing collaboration. During their trainings, Ike and John may be at the front of the room, but the learning comes from everyone. NVC Mediation therefore is the ever-changing, ever-richer sum of the contributions of a diverse and growing community.
“John is someone in whom I have a great deal of trust and confidence. John in my experience has a special gift for facilitating empathic understanding and communication between people. I highly endorse his skills and abilities with NVC.”
– Marshall Rosenberg, PhD, founder of NVC