Certified Trainers at the Center for Nonviolent Communication

Fazal has been working in the international development sector for over ten years. He has a strong passion for Nonviolent Communication (NVC) and has promoted its principles to build peace and reconciliation in Sri Lanka through his peacebuilding efforts. He was a member of the organizing team for the 2017 International Intensive Training (IIT) in Sri Lanka and has also participated in several international NVC training programs.   

Khuyen graduated with a Master's degree in International Development and completed a certificate in Mediation and Reconciliation in Ireland. Khuyen has more than 18 years of experience in the fields of Human Resources Management, training, career coaching and operations, and has participated in several NVC International Intensive Trainings. Khuyen strongly believes that deep inside people & organizations are beautiful and legitimate needs. Realizing these needs is the foundation of social growth and development. Khuyen strives to increase the understanding of needs, collaboration and effectiveness at the organizational and societal scale through various training and coaching projects to build a happier and more compassionate society.

Manager of educational department of the Korean Center for Nonviolent Communication for the last 12 years and has experience of organizing 3 International Intensive Trainings.

A Passionate NVC Practitioner and CNVC Certification Candidate 

Joshua Patroba is a dedicated Certification Candidate in Nonviolent Communication (NVC) from Kenya with a wealth of experience spanning over a decade. Since delving into the world of NVC in 2008, Joshua has honed his skills through close collaboration with esteemed trainers and facilitators. His journey has led him to create and lead transformative retreats, workshops, summer camps, and events that integrate NVC principles for life-changing experiences. 

A standout achievement in Joshua's NVC journey was his pivotal role in organizing the Nairobi IITs in the 2014, 2017, 2022, and 2023 ten-day retreat in Nairobi, organizer of the 2024 Nigerian IIT and 2025 Kenyan IIT. Joshua's passion for spreading NVC extends to the educational, corporate, family, and church settings, where he has effectively applied NVC principles. Joshua is now part of the team of NVC practitioners who are implementing NVC and Sociocracy for Social Change projects in Kenya and Uganda. Beyond his NVC endeavors, Joshua is an accomplished environmental expert, specializing in electronic waste recycling, environmental policy, and curriculum development. His diverse skill set also encompasses team-building, counseling, and business consultancy in change management and leadership, mediation, and litigation. As a mentor and community member of NVC Kenya and Founder of NVC African, Joshua is committed to nurturing NVC beginners and fostering a supportive environment for skill development. 

With a focus on intuition, empathic presence, and creating safe spaces for growth, Joshua's approach to NVC transcends conventional boundaries, emphasizing body language and non-verbal communication.

Tosha has been a massage therapist since 1990.  He had practices in Los Angeles, California and, beginning in 1993, Sedona, Arizona.   In 1995, Tosha was trained as a Mediator by the Arizona Attorney General’s office and provided mediation services for Coconino County Superior Courts, Yavapai County Juvenile Courts and the US Postal Service.  In 1996 he was introduced to NVC (NonViolent Communication) and began incorporating NVC consciousness into his mediation work, his healing work and his personal life. ​

Tosha has offered Intros, Workshops and Practice Groups in NonViolent Communication.  In 2003 he began organizing the Sedona, Arizona NVC Community, bringing in trainers, working with fellow volunteers, offering monthly Coffee and Connections, seeking and obtaining donations and loans to establish a local NVC bookstore and lending library and making book and video donations to local public libraries.  He has worked as volunteer staff at the Flagstaff Center for Compassionate Communication, assisted and presented at International Intensive Trainings (IIT's offered by the International Center for Nonviolent Communication [CNVC]),  been active in a number of advanced trainings  and was a presenter at the Conference on Nonviolence held in Eugene Oregon during the Summer of 2008.

In 2009, Tosha began participating in Gina Cenciose’s programs in Canada and stayed around to support and assist her in her work.  As her partner and husband since 2010, he is active in all the work she does and has learned immensely from her.

Tosha has provided mediation services in local Arizona communities and for the US Postal Service and is a trained supporter for the local Restorative Justice Program in the Verde Valley of Arizona (SORJ). 

Tosha has been a massage therapist for the past 30 years and has worked with myofascial release, core belief systems, Course in Miracles, Applied Kinesiology and other integrative principles and practices.

Siddharth Singh is a facilitator and coach and has worked in the field of leadership development since 2001. He has found inspiration in many bodies of work, including Nonviolent Communication (NVC). He is a Certification Candidate. 

Siddharth serves as a full-time volunteer and is on the Board of Trustees of Friends of Mor al ReArmament (India), a charitable trust also known as Initiatives of Change (IofC). This is a non-political, non-religious, volunteer-led movement committed to social change through personal transformation. He is the Director of Asia Plateau, the education and conference centre of IofC. Asia Plateau (Panchgani, India) is where the International Intensive Training (IIT) 2025 is going to be held. 

Pedro's background is from Physics, having worked with several universities and research centers in Europe and former Eastern Bloc countries. The need to reach others in a more effective way led him to choose to become a primary and secondary school teacher, with the dream of changing the world through families and young people.

He grew up in a family where conflicts were avoided and communication was very poor or absent. He needed to deconstruct his rigidity and fear of conflict and rebuild the adult he had become. Immersed himself in different areas, such as Theater, Philosophy for Children, Yoga, Buddhist Meditation, Creative Writing, Systemic Constellations, Nonviolent Communication and Conflict Mediation.

His experience of almost 30 years as a teacher and 10 years as a Conflict Mediator with families and young people in regions of great conflict and violence, has given him a very accurate understanding of the dynamics and nuances of the conflict and proof of the effectiveness of Nonviolent Communication.

In 2021 he wrote his book “From Conflict to Love – Nonviolent Communication in School and Life”, published by Astrolábio Editions, in Portugal and Brazil.

He loves meaningful human relationships. Meaning, Contribution and Purpose are three human needs that are very present in everything he does. That's why he’s here!

Lars Veraart, veterinarian by trade, is now giving his life energy to creating pathways towards a living planet for all.

Lars is living with his wife Robyn (trainer at this IIT) and their son Carsten in the community where our village IIT will be held. Lars and Robyn founded Provision Transylvania, an ecological farm and learning center with the mission of creating living and learning opportunities that contribute to health and well-being for the planet and people. Regeneration and Nonviolence are key themes in their work and NVC camps, teachings and counseling are core elements of Provision Transylvania.

Lars also co-founded and runs ALPA, a local land trust which focuses on common stewardship for agricultural lands and biodiversity protection within the broader concept of bioregional regeneration. Lars is the local logistics coordinator for our IIT.

Hey, welcome, I’m Sebastian,

Married, two adult kids and a cat.

Since 2018 my ever growing passion is to live and promote NVC wherever I am!

As a former airline pilot I am retired since 2016, and through NVC have gained a much deeper meaning and a real purpose in my life since then!

I do a lot of volunteer work, in a hospice, in a high school and with elderly people.

I am a certified Mediator on NVC basis, host practice groups in NVC-Mediation, Restorative Circles and NVC.

I give NVC workshops in schools, hospice and communities.

I answer the conflict-hotline of the federal association of German mediators.

I host an NVC practice group with inmates of a prison.

I am a board member of the ‚Network NVC Darmstadt-Südhessen e.V.‘ and co-founder of the ‚Network NVC Mainz-Wiesbaden‘.

I  feel a humble gratitude for this opportunity to contribute to the IIT in Sayda and look forward to this profound experience!

Shawn Specht, a compassionate and dedicated holistic practitioner and coach, weaves her diverse expertise in health and wellness to empower individuals towards holistic well-being and emotional freedom. Shawn Specht radiates warmth and openness, curating workshops, retreats, and courses that inspire genuine personal growth. By integrating her knowledge of SVA Ayurveda and Nonviolent Communication, she empowers individuals to navigate conflicts and challenges across all spheres of life with grace and authenticity.

Learning and Growth: Influenced by her father's holistic chiropractic practice from an early age, Shawn embarked on a transformative journey, earning a B.S. in Health and Human Performance. Her comprehensive education encompassed a spectrum of disciplines, including psychology, anatomy, physiology, nutrition, chemistry, and biology. Balancing her deep understanding of modern Western medicine with hands-on experience in holistic alternative therapies, Shawn embarked on a personal quest to foster deep healing and transformation in others. Her consistent meditation practice, augmented by immersive experiences such as the 10-Day Vipassana courses, has further enriched her spiritual and emotional learning. Her passion for growth and making the future generations more socially-emotionally resilient brought her to work as a teacher in a Waldorf-inspired school, in Northern California for ages 7-14.

She loves to read and some of her favorite books are:

• “Women Who Run With the Wolves” by Clarissa Pinkola Estés
• “Braiding Sweetgrass” by Robin Wall Kimmerer
• “Coyote’s Guide to Connecting With Nature” by Jon Young, Evan McGown, Ellen Haas
• “The Heart of Nonviolent Communication” by Stephanie Bachmann Mattei & Kristin K. Collier
• “A Heart Blown Open: The Life and Practice of Zen Master Jun Po Dennis Kelly Roshi” by Keith Martin-Smith

Robin is an educator and author living in Silver City, NM. She spends her time teaching at the local Montessori school, offering support in a self-empowerment retreat space and serving as a leader in her community’s NVC practice group. Robin is dedicated to strengthening her community through honest, loving communication and authentic connection. She will be releasing her first book - a collection of poems and prayers - in May.