Cohousing-L Mailing List: RE: Nonviolent Communication (NVC) in Cohousing Communities

[Juva DuBoise (juva]

" If you have any experience with TVC in your community, I'd like to know:
-in what ways, if any, has learning how to use NVC changed personal
interactions in your community and interactions during meetings,
-what training format was used
-costs involved, 
-and any other information that would be helpful to us in setting up our
training program and in practicing NVC."

Here in CoHo (Corvallis Oregon)every potential member agrees to learn NVC as
part of being a member of CoHo.  It is a very basic agreement between us all
that NVC is learned and used.  Not just the communication tools, but the
belief that we have the ability to contribute to the joy of each other and
the community by being available to explore the needs behind our
communication and behavior. This changes our interactions dramatically.
When tension arise, as they will, we know we can drop into the formal NVC to
help us sort out the feelings and needs.  When I, as an individual can't
sort it out, I can call on any other community member to help. We all take a
13 week training based on Lucy Lui's workbook.  I lead these.  I am NOT a
certified trainer but have used and worked with NVC for 10+ years now.

No cost other than time and some books.  You might want to ask the trainers
in your area for what they think is needed.  I suspect a 2 day training then
you all do the workbook together will support from the trainer would work.
The difficulty I see is that no everyone is wanting to learn this.  We have
a definite advantage in that the founders got 100% behind this and so all
new folks accept as part of our process.

We use NVC in every part of CoHo,  meeting, conflicts, celebrations..on and
on.  I hope others in CoHo (Corvallis) will share how they have found it
helpful.

Juva
Ah, Community - check it out!
cohousing-corvallis.com