--- title: "Marshall Rosenberg - Center for Nonviolent Communication" description: "Marshall Rosenberg" url: "https://www.cnvc.org/trainers/deceased/marshall-rosenberg" date: "2026-09-18T08:16:51+00:00" language: "en-US" --- ![Marshall Rosenberg portrait](https://www.cnvc.org/images/portraits/legacy/marshall-rosenberg.jpeg) # We honor the memory of: # Marshall Rosenberg Year of death: 2015 United States English Certified Trainer from 1985 to 2011 Assessor ### Message from CNVC We are eternally grateful to Marshall for dedicating his life to creating and sharing this model of Nonviolent Communication; for founding our organization in 1984; and for circling the globe countless times to share this work with as many people, in as many cultures, as possible. See more about Marshall [here](https://www.cnvc.org/about/founder). # Trainer's profile **Marshall B. Rosenberg**, Ph.D. (1934-2015) was the founder of the [Center for Nonviolent Communication](http://www.cnvc.org/), an international peacemaking organization. He is the author of [Speak Peace in a World of Conflict](http://nonviolentcommunication.com/store/speak-peace-world-conflict-p-28.html) and the bestselling [Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life](http://nonviolentcommunication.com/store/nonviolent-communication-language-life-p-37.html) that has been translated into more than thirty languages. Growing up in a turbulent neighborhood in [Detroit, Michigan](https://maps.app.goo.gl/nBfCgZhrxQmD5Dqr9) (U.S.), Dr. Rosenberg developed a keen interest in new forms of communication that would provide peaceful alternatives to the violence he encountered. His interest led to a doctorate in clinical psychology from the University of Wisconsin in 1961, where he studied under [Carl Rogers](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Rogers). His subsequent life experience and study of [comparative religion](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparative_religion) motivated him to develop the Nonviolent Communication process. Marshall began developing what would eventually become known as Nonviolent Communication in federally funded school integration projects to provide mediation and communication skills training during the 1960s. He founded the Center for Nonviolent Communication in 1984 to contribute to the sharing of his work throughout the world. One of things that made Marshall unique was his exceptional capacity to role-play interactions with the audience. Whether it was an argument between warring spouses, or warring villages, a dialogue between a victim and perpetrator, or modeling an interaction between a counselor and her patient, these role-plays offered a unique, moving and powerful experience to all who hear them. Dr. Rosenberg was the 2006 recipient of the Global Village Foundation’s Bridge of Peace Award, and the Association of Unity Churches International 2006 Light of God Expressing Award. With guitar and puppets in hand, a history of traveling to some of the most violent corners of the world, and a spiritual energy that fills a room, Rosenberg was a revolutionary leader whose legacy will carry on far beyond his death. Learn more about Marshall including his many publications [on this page](https://www.cnvc.org/about/marshall). > “I would like to suggest that when our heads are filled with judgments and analyses that others are bad, greedy, irresponsible, lying, cheating, polluting the environment, valuing profit more than life, or behaving in other ways they shouldn’t, very few of them will be interested in our needs. If we want to protect the environment, and we go to a corporate executive with the attitude, “You know, you are really a killer of the planet, you have no right to abuse the land in this way,” we have severely impaired our chances of getting our needs met. It is a rare human being who can maintain focus on our needs when we are expressing them through images of their wrongness.” ### Related - [ **The NVC Basics: 2-Day Workshop in San Francisco (2000)** (Video) ](https://www.cnvc.org/video-library/the-nvc-basics-2-day-workshop-in-san-francisco-2000) - [ **Personal Stories About Marshall** (Video) ](https://www.cnvc.org/video-library/personal-stories-about-marshall) - [ **Founder of our organization, Dr. Marshall Rosenberg** ](https://www.cnvc.org/about/founder) - [ **Contributes to A Global NVC Community** (Video) ](https://www.cnvc.org/video-library/contributes-to-a-global-nvc-community) - [ **NVC 5. Marshall's Way of Teaching** (Video) ](https://www.cnvc.org/video-library/nvc-5-marshalls-way-of-teaching) - [ **NVC 6. Development of Teaching Approach and Lingo** (Video) ](https://www.cnvc.org/video-library/nvc-6-development-of-teaching-approach-and-lingo) - [ **NVC 8. Marshall the Man** (Video) ](https://www.cnvc.org/video-library/nvc-8-marshall-the-man) - [ **NVC 9. Principles of NVC** (Video) ](https://www.cnvc.org/video-library/nvc-9-principles-of-nvc) - [ **Intimate Relationships** (Store Item) ](https://www.cnvc.org/store/intimate-relationships) - [ **Live Compassionately** (Store Item) ](https://www.cnvc.org/store/live-compassionately) - [ **Needs and Empathy** (Store Item) ](https://www.cnvc.org/store/needs-and-empathy) - [ **Giraffe Fuel for Life** (Store Item) ](https://www.cnvc.org/store/giraffe-fuel-for-life) - [ **Expressing and Receiving Anger Compassionately** (Store Item) ](https://www.cnvc.org/store/expressing-and-receiving-anger-compassionately) - [ **Making Life Wonderful** (Store Item) ](https://www.cnvc.org/store/making-life-wonderful) - [ **The Basics of NVC** (Store Item) ](https://www.cnvc.org/store/the-basics-of-nvc) - [ **Gewaltfreie Kommunikation** (Store Item) ](https://www.cnvc.org/store/nonviolent-communication-a-language-of-life-german) - [ **Nonviolent Communication - Giraffe Language** (Store Item) ](https://www.cnvc.org/store/giraffe-language) - [ **Raising Children Compassionately** (Store Item) ](https://www.cnvc.org/store/raising-children-compassionately-danish) - [ **The surprising purpose of ANGER** (Store Item) ](https://www.cnvc.org/store/the-surprising-purpose-of-anger-danish) - [ **Practical Spirituality** (Store Item) ](https://www.cnvc.org/store/practical-spirituality-danish) - [ **Life Enriching Education** (Store Item) ](https://www.cnvc.org/store/life-enriching-education-danish) - [ **Life Enriching Communication - Audiobook** (Store Item) ](https://www.cnvc.org/store/life-enriching-communication-audiobook) - [ **Life Enriching Communication** (Store Item) ](https://www.cnvc.org/store/life-enriching-communication) - [ **Nonviolent Communication** (Store Item) ](https://www.cnvc.org/store/nonviolent-communication-a-language-of-life-arabic) - [ **The Nonviolent Communication Book of Quotes** (Store Item) ](https://www.cnvc.org/store/nvc-book-of-quotes) - [ **Nonviolent Communication** (Store Item) ](https://www.cnvc.org/store/nonviolent-communication-a-language-of-life) - [ **Feelings and Needs Inventory** (Store Item) ](https://www.cnvc.org/store/feelings-and-needs-inventory) - [ **Speaking Peace** (Store Item) ](https://www.cnvc.org/store/speaking-peace) - [ **Nonviolent Communication Online Training Course** (Store Item) ](https://www.cnvc.org/store/nonviolent-communication-online-training-course) - [ **What’s Making You Angry?** (Store Item) ](https://www.cnvc.org/store/what-s-making-you-angry) - [ **We Can Work It Out** (Store Item) ](https://www.cnvc.org/store/we-can-work-it-out) - [ **Teaching Children Compassionately** (Store Item) ](https://www.cnvc.org/store/teaching-children-compassionately) - [ **The Surprising Purpose of Anger** (Store Item) ](https://www.cnvc.org/store/the-surprising-purpose-of-anger) - [ **Speak Peace in a World of Conflict** (Store Item) ](https://www.cnvc.org/store/speak-peace-in-a-world-of-conflict) - [ **Raising Children Compassionately** (Store Item) ](https://www.cnvc.org/store/raising-children-compassionately) - [ **Practical Spirituality** (Store Item) ](https://www.cnvc.org/store/practical-spirituality) - [ **Life Enriching Education** (Store Item) ](https://www.cnvc.org/store/life-enriching-education) - [ **Getting Past the Pain Between Us** (Store Item) ](https://www.cnvc.org/store/getting-past-the-pain-between-us) - [ **Being Me, Loving You** (Store Item) ](https://www.cnvc.org/store/being-me-loving-you) - [ **Comunicación no Violenta** (Store Item) ](https://www.cnvc.org/store/comunicacion-no-violenta) Share this page: - [](mailto:?body=Hi%20check%20out%20this%20trainer%21&subject=Check%20out%20this%20Certified%20Trainer%20with%20the%20Center%20for%20Nonviolent%20Communication%21) - [](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnvc.org%2Ftrainers%2Fdeceased%2Fmarshall-rosenberg "Share on Facebook") - [](https://api.whatsapp.com/send?text=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnvc.org%2Ftrainers%2Fdeceased%2Fmarshall-rosenberg "Share on Whatsapp") - [](https://x.com/intent/post?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnvc.org%2Ftrainers%2Fdeceased%2Fmarshall-rosenberg&text= "Share on Twitter") - [](https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnvc.org%2Ftrainers%2Fdeceased%2Fmarshall-rosenberg "Share on Linkedin") - [](http://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnvc.org%2Ftrainers%2Fdeceased%2Fmarshall-rosenberg "share on Pinterest") ### TRAINING FOCUS: - Conflict Resolution - Counseling & Coaching - Diversity - General - Intimate Relationships - Mind-Body-Spirit - Parenting & Family - Social Change When we hear the other person’s feelings and needs, we recognize our common humanity.