Amal Hadweh is a Palestinian educator, consultant, and community leader with over three decades of experience working at the intersection of psychosocial support, gender equity, education, and peacebuilding. A Certified Trainer with the Center for Nonviolent Communication (CNVC), Amal is a leading voice for Nonviolent Communication in Palestine and across the Middle East. She brings a grounded, deeply compassionate presence to her work with individuals, communities, and institutions navigating trauma, conflict, and systemic injustice.

Based in Beit Jala–Bethlehem, Amal has served in a wide range of leadership roles across humanitarian, educational, and governmental sectors. She is President of Amjaad for Community Development, sits on the Board of Trustees at Bethlehem University, and acts as a psychosocial consultant for Global Communities and Combatants for Peace. As a former municipal council member and UN program manager, Amal has led strategic planning for her hometown, supervised thousands of employees, and shaped regional initiatives around mental health, gender equality, and inclusive education.

Amal’s work is rooted in community empowerment and collective healing. She is the founder of the Palestinian Women in Dialogue group and leads an ongoing NVC-based empowerment initiative for women leaders in Palestine. She has co-facilitated bilingual Arabic-English trainings on Nonviolent Communication and Elicitive Facilitation in Iraq, and developed psychosocial and compassionate communication manuals now used in Palestinian schools and colleges. Her contributions span the Middle East, Europe, Africa, and the Americas.

Amal brings together rich academic grounding and lived experience. She holds a doctorate in Human Resource Management, an honorary doctorate from the University of Barcelona, and numerous diplomas in educational leadership, psychosocial support, and communicative approaches. A long-time advocate for underserved communities, she continues to mentor teachers, youth, and women leaders with wisdom, grace, and fierce dedication. She works in Arabic and English, with some grasp of Spanish, German, and Greek.

• Certified Trainer, Center for Nonviolent Communication
• Doctorate in Human Resource Management, Columbus University
• Honorary Doctorate, University of Barcelona
• Master’s in Education, Al Quds University
• Diplomas in Guidance & Counseling, Educational Supervision, and Teaching Methodology (UNESCO, UNRWA, Cambridge International)
• Negotiator, Inclusive Security Institute
• Cure Violence Educator

“We have so few voices from the vast majority of the world. Amal’s gifts, her breathtaking depth of commitment, and the trust she cultivates are moving beyond words. I had the honour of following her lead in a project with Palestinian women leaders, and it transformed me. Her presence is a gift to all who encounter her.”

Coming soon…

Coming soon…

John Kinyon is a global trainer, mediator, and conflict coach who has dedicated over 25 years to transforming conflict into connection. He is the founder of Mediate Your Life, a body of work that integrates Nonviolent Communication (NVC), mediation, mindfulness, and trauma-informed practice into a coherent framework for navigating inner and outer conflict. A Certified Trainer with the Center for Nonviolent Communication since 2000, John has supported individuals, communities, and organisations across the United States, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East to move from reactivity and division toward understanding, healing, and sustainable collaboration.

John worked closely with NVC founder Marshall Rosenberg for more than a decade and has since developed an internationally recognised methodology that brings together NVC, Internal Family Systems (IFS), and contemplative neuroscience. Through his Mediate Your Life trainings, he offers practical tools and consciousness maps that help people meet the full spectrum of conflict—personal, interpersonal, organisational, and societal—with presence and compassion.

He facilitates certification and professional development programs, community healing circles, and one-on-one coaching, and has served as a lead trainer at CNVC’s International Intensive Trainings. In recent years, John has focused particularly on guiding dialogues across deep social and political divides, supporting reconciliation processes, and developing empathic cultures in organisations. His ongoing work includes weekly Community Healing Spaces and conflict support for individuals, activist groups, and cross-sector initiatives.

John’s background includes five years of doctoral study in clinical psychology at Penn State University, with research and therapeutic work focused on stress, anxiety, and trauma. He holds a BA in psychology and philosophy from the University of San Francisco, where he also played on the nationally ranked soccer team. In addition to his work in conflict resolution, John is a published author, podcast host, and the creator of the Mediate Your Life mobile app.

He lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with his wife and children and continues to draw on more than three decades of deep practice in meditation, mindfulness, and spiritual inquiry.

• Certified Trainer, Center for Nonviolent Communication (since 2000)
• Founder, Mediate Your Life Training Program
• Advanced training in Internal Family Systems (IFS), trauma healing, and mindfulness
• 5 years PhD study in Clinical Psychology, Penn State University
• BA in Psychology and Philosophy, University of San Francisco
• Extensive study with Marshall Rosenberg and Thomas Hübl

“John’s work has changed my life. His clarity, depth, and ability to create space for healing have helped me transform long-standing conflicts, both within myself and with others.

“John embodies the essence of empathic presence. He brings remarkable skill and heart to every interaction and makes even the most difficult conversations feel possible.

Karl Steyaert is a facilitator, trainer, and cultural bridge-builder with over two decades of experience supporting individuals, communities, and organisations to navigate conflict, heal trauma, and foster connection. A Certified Trainer and Assessor with the Center for Nonviolent Communication (CNVC), Karl works at the intersection of restorative justice, inner work, and collective transformation.

He is the founder of the Cultural Catalyst Network, a global community of practice dedicated to relational healing and systems change, and works independently as a consultant, trainer, and Internal Family Systems (IFS) practitioner. Grounded in a deeply embodied approach, Karl supports groups across Europe, North America, and Asia through his unique integration of Nonviolent Communication, Internal Family Systems therapy, process work, and restorative dialogue.

Karl brings extensive experience in designing and facilitating long-term interventions that address both personal and systemic harm. He has supported communities in Northern California to build capacity for nonviolence and domestic violence prevention, contributed to restorative systems within the Japanese NVC community, and served as a mediator for climate justice movements such as Extinction Rebellion. His work with the Fierce Vulnerability Network supports frontline activists to sustain their work through resilience-based training and deep community care.

Karl’s presence is marked by emotional attunement, depth, and a quiet power. Whether holding space for collective grief, coaching leaders through difficult transitions, or guiding community dialogue, he creates containers where transformation feels both possible and safe. His work is informed by extensive training in IFS (Levels 1–3), restorative circles, process-oriented psychology, and collective trauma facilitation.

Karl holds two master’s degrees from the University of Michigan—in Cultural Anthropology and Environmental Policy—and speaks English, Dutch, and conversational German and French.

• Certified Trainer & Assessor, Center for Nonviolent Communication
• Internal Family Systems Therapy (Levels 1–3)
• Collective Trauma Facilitator Training
• Process Work Intensive Training
• Extensive training in Restorative Circles
• Aletheia Advanced Coaching Training (Levels 1–2)

“Karl’s breadth and depth of knowledge and experience is nothing short of remarkable. He has been, is, and will be a huge asset to any group or organization with whom he works.

“His embodied knowledge spans every facet of the human experience. His presence, passion, and integrity are palpable in every session he leads.

Matthew Rich-Tolsma is a South African-born facilitator, counsellor, and organisational consultant specialising in conflict transformation, critical pedagogy, and systemic change. Currently President of the Board at the Center for Nonviolent Communication (CNVC), he supports global efforts to embed Nonviolent Communication in peacebuilding, leadership, and institutional development. With over two decades of experience across Africa, the Middle East, Europe, China, and the Indian sub-continent, Matthew brings a rare blend of strategic insight, creative depth, and emotional intelligence to his work.

He lectures in Business Innovation at Tilburg School of Economics and Management, is adjunct faculty at ArtEZ University of the Arts, and serves as a Non-Executive Director at Pedagogy and Theatre of the Oppressed, Inc. He also maintains a small private practice as a psychoanalytic counsellor in Amsterdam.

Matthew’s practice spans corporate, educational, and humanitarian sectors, with a focus on designing and leading complex, trauma-informed interventions. His work has included national conflict transformation programs in South Sudan, bilingual leadership trainings in Iraq, and equity-based policy development for conservatoires in the Netherlands. At the heart of his approach is a commitment to dialogue, embodied presence, and the creative integration of theory and practice.

He is co-founder, with Dutch theatre-maker Lotte van den Berg, of Workspace for Social Sculpture, an interdisciplinary platform for transformative inquiry at the intersection of art, education, and institutional change. A certified NVC trainer and group worker, Matthew also holds qualifications in trauma therapy, theatre of the oppressed, security risk management, and contemplative practice. His research on Decolonising Psychoanalysis received the Dennis Brown Dissertation Prize from the Institute of Group Analysis.

Matthew is a Fellow of both the Institute of Coaching and the Institute of Educational and Social Equity, and a member of the African Academy of Management. He speaks English, Afrikaans, and Dutch, with basic Chinese.

• MPhil in Complexity & Management
• Certified Trainer, Center for Nonviolent Communication
• Certificate in Traumatic Stress Studies
• Certified Somatic EMDR Practitioner
• Qualified Theatre of the Oppressed Facilitator
• Unified Mindfulness Coach
• Diploma in Group Work Practice
• Fellow, Institute of Coaching
• Fellow, Institute of Educational and Social Equity
• Trained in Micro-expressions & Facial Action Coding System (FACS)

“Matthew never fails to help me find greater clarity by asking powerful questions and supporting me to confront hard truths, all while holding a safe space for exploration.

“He brings something quite unique—an exceptional breadth of research, reflection, and practical experience. Matthew’s is an important voice for our generation.