BTI's ZENVC program offers trainings and resources to support ordinary people in practicing and experiencing the power of nonviolence in everyday life. In the process, we create thriving, dynamic organizations; compassionate communities; strong, loving relationships; and lives of great meaning. ZENVC represents wisdom and experience derived from both Nonviolent Communication (NVC), as developed by Marshall B. Rosenberg, Ph.D., and Zen Buddhism.
ZENVC events offer a combination of training, practice, and inspiration. Our trainers provide beautiful, creative, and safe environments for personal and interpersonal discovery; direct and encouraging guidance; real-life stories, photos, and video from our work around the world; and resource materials for continued practice and learning.
A central understanding in our work is that skills like Nonviolent Communication and Mindfulness meditation require ongoing practice to realize their full potential. In 2010, the ZENVC Ongo program was created to offer ongoing online support for participants from our trainings. The Ongo program uses a structure loosely based on the model of Zen Buddhism's traditional three-month ango training, which we found to be extremely effective for developing a daily practice. Based on the success of the Ongo program, in 2017, our trainers published a guidebook for ongoing practice, called The Ongo Book: Everyday Nonviolence, now in its second edition.
For more information about ZENVC trainings and Ongo, please visit the ZENVC website.
"I was sitting in a Congressman's office up in Washington D.C. ... and one of the aides was saying something that ... wasn't what we wanted to hear, and I was feeling fairly calm due to the work we'd done in Ongo... When he got done, I said "Now, what I'm hearing is you want..." and it worked ... [i]t gave us some ideas to help meet those needs that was also consistent with what we wanted. "
– Jeff Joslin, Congressional lobbyist and Ongo group organizer
Train in ZENVC
Get the book
Our trainers have written a complete handbook with twelve weeks of guidance for practicing nonviolence in everyday life. Inside its pages are practices for individuals, couples, and groups. We recommend it as an easy, accessible, and minimal-cost way to begin.
Organize a training
Our ZENVC trainers speak authentically and from personal experience. They have offered consultations, workshops, and retreats internationally to a wide variety of clients. If you'd like to organize a training for your group or organization either online or locally, we would be happy to work with you.