Rodger Sorrow

Language of Report: 
English
Year of Report: 
2011
Share My Report With: 
General Public
A. Approximately how many training days did you have this year?: 
72
B. Briefly list the groups and organizations you worked with this year as a trainer.: 

Compassionate Leadership
Choose Connection
Child Development Resources of Ventura Co.
Santa Barbara City College Continuing Education
SoCal NVC
Cal Arts
Los Angeles Zen Center
Alcohol and Drug Mental Health Services, Santa Barbara County
Occupy Lompoc, CA
Mountain Drive Assoc, Santa Barbara, CA

C. Approximately how many people did you offer NVC training to this year?: 
1110
D. What are you celebrating about your training experiences this year? What was significant for you? What touched your heart?: 

Private sessions with individuals and couples

Nature, Hiking and Self-Healing course I offer

I co-founded Compassionate Leadership with Jim and Jori Manske and Faye Landley. The work the graduates of Compassionate Leadership 2011 are doing to take NVC forward in the world inspires me. A core group of about 10 have launched SoCalNVC (Southern California NVC). They have organized two trainings so far. The second was attended by 75 people. I'm thrilled to contribute to others sharing NVC.

The NVC Conference in Oxnard, CA was attended by over 300 people. This conference completed its fourth year and has even more people registered for 2012. I organized and moderated this event. We brought together 15 trainers from around the country combined with local trainers. I loved the collaboration. The Conference if offered in English and Spanish.

I'm also celebrating the laughter, humor and play that my partner Anne Walton and I bring to our trainings.

E. Would you share some difficult experiences you had while training this year and how you handled them?: 

I continue to struggle with marketing and long for it to be easier for all us who share NVC. I continue to collaborate with others and keep expanding the circle of trainers I work with.

F. How do you teach the spiritual basis of Nonviolent Communication in your workshops and training programs? : 

I teach ‘needs’ as being Source Energy or Life Force and share that Marshall refers to needs as Beloved Divine Energy. I also share that Jackal or judgments support the illusion that there is separation between us and Source Energy in ourselves and in others. NVC is a process that allows us to get from Jackal back to Source Energy quickly. It helps to remember the Jackal is an expression of Source/need. I believe this Energy is alive, conscious, present, eternal, only wants us to thrive, at times knows what’s best for us even more so than we do, has wisdom and the power to do anything. When we connect with this Energy and trust in It’s wisdom, miracles happen – solutions and strategies emerge that hadn’t been considered before.

G. Please describe your social change goals...: 

PEACE ON THE PLANET IN MY LIFETIME Live the process each year. Expand this
year’s Compassionate Leadership program. Co-create and offer Compassionate
Leadership 2012 training. This is happening and the program is described on
the website http://www.compassionateleadership.squarespace.com Participants
continue to to be drawn from around the planet. This program supports
participants in creating their vision for social change and the steps they
will take to get there. We have accepted an applicant from Pakistan and look forward to raising the funds to have him join us in 2012!

H. Please describe your efforts to create, or join, an NVC circle or organization.: 

I'm a founding member and treaurer of the Santa Barbara NVC Team.

Vision:
The Santa Barbara Regional NVC (SBRNVC) community envisions a world
where everyone is meeting their needs compassionately and resolving their conflicts peacefully.

Mission:
To live, promote, support and teach the use of NVC personally,
inter-personally, and in organizations.

To strengthen our NVC community through connection, communication and
growth.

Aims:
Provide to our region:
NVC trainings and materials.
Collaborate with SBCC Adult Ed and other educational organizations on
classes and workshops.
Scholarships for NVC training.
Support for NVC training in schools, prisons and other organizations.
Meetings to facilitate connection and collaboration among NVC trainers and supporters.
Provide to CNVC and the global NVC community:
Scholarships for IITs and other training events.

Measurements:
Annual review and feedback indicates this group has served its purpose and is going dormant for now. Energy is shifting to the creation of SoCalNVC.

I. Summarize participants’ evaluations, and how their feedback resulted in new learning or growth for you this past year.: 

Not a lot of learning for me from evaluations anymore. The feedback is consistently very positive. I learn more from the live interactions with participants and my own self evaluations of trainings with my partner Anne Walton.

One growing edge I identified is around the need for balance between participants needs for intellectual understanding and experiential learning. At times I find that balance and celebrate and then there are other times when I don't and mourn.

J. What are your current growing edges or challenges as a trainer that you will be working on in the future?: 

I still avoid conflict more times than I enjoy. Some times I see the opportunity for connection that conflict offers and move towards it. Other times I will move away quietly out of choice and other times in reaction to protect myself.

K. If you found opportunities to work with other trainers this year, please share the most meaningful experiences for you.: 

Yes I have found several opportunities between the NVC Conference and Compassionate Leadership to work with a lot of trainers. The most meaningful experience for me is working with Jim and Jori Manske in co-creating Compassionate Leadership along with other trainers, our organizer, interns and 30 participants. We have created a community that reflects the world I want to live in, heaven on earth. We support each other is living NVC.

The NVC Conference completed its fourth year with about 300 people attending. We brought together 10 trainers from around the country and the connections were beautiful to watch emerge as the community thrived.

L. Is there anything else you would enjoy sharing with the CNVC network?: 

I was pleased to see Marshall Rosenberg retire from the CNVC Board because I would like to see him work less and take care of himself. I hope we create a huge celebration of his life work soon!

Posted Sun, 2012-05-13 18:44 by Rodger Sorrow

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