Smile Keepers – Guardians of Smiles

Smile Keepers, known in German as Hüter des Lächelns, is a programme for children aged 5 to 10. It was developed by Nada Ignjatovic-Savic, who spent more than 30 years conducting research and teaching as a developmental psychologist at the University of Belgrade and served as co-founder and director of the Smile Keepers Centre for Non-Violent Communication. Her stated aim was to raise people's awareness of acting with confidence towards themselves and others.

The name may sound like a superficial call to ‘Keep Smiling’, but that is not what the programme is about. At its heart is the idea that every feeling can be a valuable gift that helps us understand ourselves and others better. Through playful relationship work, children develop emotional stability, practise dealing with their own states and conflicts, and strengthen their communication skills and self-awareness, along with empathy and trust in themselves and others.

Nada Ignjatovic-Savic died in Belgrade on 19 July 2011. Through her commitment to Non-Violent Communication, she lives on in the hearts of the many children and adults who work with the learning workshops she created. In an article for Empathische Zeit, Annie Blaise paid tribute to her and described her as a charismatic trainer.

Published by Synergia Verlag. Softcover, 168 pages.