Scandinavian Business Awards 2026 International Empathy Trainer of the Year 2026 – Norway Developed by clinical psychologist Marshall Rosenberg in the 1960s and 1970s, Nonviolent Communication (NVC) is a communication process based on principles of nonviolence and humanistic psychology. The process aims to reduce conflict, enhance empathy, and improve interpersonal relationships by encouraging people to express themselves honestly while listening compassionately to others, a practice also referred to as Giraffe Language. This is a style of communication wholeheartedly championed by leading Giraffe School, Empathy Norway, led by authorised NVC coach Gert Skoczowsky-Danielsen. We heard more from Gert below, as Empathy Norway is named in the Scandinavian Business Awards 2026. Empathy Norway was founded in 2009 as Empathos Partners, originally established as a consultancy offering assessment and capacity development efforts, as well as advisory services in sustainable development policies and conflict transformation. The consultancy was formed with a loose structure, consisting of several assessors and consultants across the world hailing from a United Nations background. Over the years, conflict management and Nonviolent Communication, also called compassionate communication or empathetic communication, became the organisation’s core focus. The organisation has engaged with numerous individuals as it has grown although, while many remain involved with the work, Empathy Norway is operated as a home-run organisation under the direction of Gert Skoczowsky-Danielsen. One of Norway’s only seven authorised NVC coaches, Gert first became acquainted with NVC in 2002 through his work at the Center for Peacebuilding and Conflict Management (CCM). In 2005, Gert met NVC Founder Marshall Rosenberg in Brazil, and had the pleasure of training with the expert for 23 days. Following a 70-day period of training, and many more years of practice, Gert became Norway’s second authorised NVC trainer in 2018. He has leveraged this invaluable education to host training courses and practice groups around the world, his endeavours spanning Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Yemen, Lithuania, Nepal, South Africa, Thailand, and Germany. Gert’s time with Dr. Rosenberg was incredibly influential, shaping his mission through Empathy Norway. “Dr. Rosenberg used to say that many people who attend workshops and training do it for their own self-improvement only,” he reflected. “While self-reflection and selfdevelopment are essential, and also an important step to potential systemic work, he always emphasised that self-development was not the goal in itself. Inspired by Ghandi’s nonviolent concept, ahimsa, he repeatedly encouraged us to engage with unjust and ‘violent’ structures. ‘Nobody can be full when others in the world are hungry. When one person suffers, we all suffer,’ he would say.” He continued: “This ethos is extremely powerful to me, and since I have lived almost half my life abroad – mostly in so-called developing countries – I truly believe I have a strong foundation to engage with communities and cultures very different from my own. Through empathy and understanding, seeing our own and others’ intentions, there is no stopping us.” Under Gert’s expert leadership, Empathy Norway has trained thousands of people since 2009, in four languages: Norwegian, English, Spanish, and Portuguese. Its services have spanned five continents, training both in person and online. The organisation has received investment from the EEA through larger educational projects in Lithuania and Poland, and has recently established a strong collaboration with the Sierra Leonean NGO, Movement for Youth and Children’s Rights Organisation (MYCRO). Now, the organisation is embarking on a large and long-term project that will result in the creation of the West African Centre for Nonviolent Communication. This will provide the ability to train local communities so that they themselves can begin training others across the country, depending less on Empathy Norway and other external actors. The ultimate goal for the project is to reach out to other countries in the region, both Anglophone and Lusophone and, potentially in the longer term, Francophone countries. For its unrelenting dedication to empowering communities around the world with the power of Nonviolent Communication, Empathy Norway has been recognised as Norway’s International Empathy Trainer of the Year 2026. Of this next journey, Gert concluded: “The mission is to share NVC with as many people as possible, especially in less-represented nations. While I am one of approximately 900 Certified Trainers in the world – under the umbrella of the US-based Center for Nonviolent Communication – the huge majority of us are from US and European regions. There have been some recent developments in Latin America and Asia, though Africa is still unfortunately lagging behind. “I am very optimistic about 2026; as with MYCRO Sierra Leone, our dreams of building a West African Centre and hub for NVC will come true. I am filled with hope, joy, determination, and gratitude.” Contact Details Contact: Gert Skoczowsky-Danielsen Company: Empathy Norway Web Address: www.empathos.org
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