The Summer School of Nonviolence and Nonviolent Communication Begins in Rovinj

The International Summer School of Nonviolence and Nonviolent Communication, organized by the Department of Communication Studies, began on Sunday, 7 September, at the Monastery of St. Francis in Rovinj. The official opening took place at the Monastery with an introductory session for participants. Alongside students from the Catholic University of Croatia, the Summer School also brings together students from LUMSA University in Rome (Italy), the Catholic University of Murcia (Spain), and the John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin (Poland).

On the first day of the Summer School, Monday, 8 September, a workshop on “Nonviolent Communication and Marshall B. Rosenberg” was held by Assoc. Prof. Irena Sever Globan and Senior Assistant Leali Osmančević from the Department of Communication Studies. Throughout the week, additional workshops will be led by nonviolent communication trainers Dmitriy Kopina, Gordana Stanković, and Ingrid Halbritter. The Summer School runs until Friday, 12 September, during which participants will engage with Rosenberg’s concept of nonviolent communication, reflecting on empathy and empathic listening, authentic expression of feelings and needs in communication, and nonviolent conflict resolution and mediation. In their free time, participants also enjoyed a guided tour of Rovinj organized in cooperation with the Rovinj Tourist Board, exploring the city’s historical, religious, and cultural heritage.

The Rovinj gathering was preceded by three online preparatory sessions. On Tuesday, 2 September, Dr. Ellen W. Gorsevski, Associate Professor at the School of Media and Communication at Bowling Green State University (USA), delivered a lecture titled “Nonviolence and Peacebuilding as Modes of Communication To Resist Intolerance and Build Engaged Activism.” On Wednesday, 3 September, Anna Blackman, Ph.D. candidate and lecturer at the University of Glasgow (Scotland), gave a lecture on “‘Blessed are the Peacemakers’: Theologies of Nonviolence within the Catholic Social Tradition.” On Thursday, 4 September, Dr. Lilian Ehidiamhen, Senior Assistant at the Faculty of Theology and Religious Studies at KU Leuven (Belgium) and certified nonviolent communication trainer, presented “Introduction to Nonviolent Communication and its Relationship to Catholic Social Teaching on Peace.”

The Summer School of Nonviolence and Nonviolent Communication was designed as a response to the growing needs of modern society, deeply affected by discord, social divisions, injustice, armed conflicts, and ideological polarization at both interpersonal and global levels. It is grounded in the belief that change is both possible and necessary, occurring when individuals recognize the power of their words and actions in relation to others. Understanding that aggressive communication and violence often stem from unmet needs, the Summer School aims to open the door to deeper understanding, reconciliation, and the building of lasting peace.