"Transforming
the Legacies of Conflict, War and Genocide through Dialogue"
November
13-17, 2006
Conference
Vision Statement
One by One, Inc. was created
ten years ago in response to the profound experience of healing and
personal transformation shared by its members during a week of dialogue
between descendants of the Holocaust and descendants of the Nazi Era.
Over the years we have
shared our personal journeys through educational programs, publications,
concerts, art exhibits and numerous speaking engagements in the U.S.,
Germany and Italy and have formed some deep and meaningful relationships.
The foundation of our work is dialogue; it is what gives depth and meaning
to our personal journeys and to all of our activities. Dialogue is the
best tool we have for the prevention of future violence and for helping
the increasing numbers of people worldwide, who are suffering from the
aftermath of war, genocide and displacement. It is a path that can lead
away from passing the legacy of trauma, hatred and prejudice on to future
generations and toward personal liberation and social justice.
We
envision a conference that will:
- Address
the need for dialogue and reconciliation in the world today.
- Explore
the potential for sharing the in-depth dialogue process we have
developed with other groups and organizations that are working with
the aftermath of the Armenian genocide, and more recently with the
conflicts and genocides in the Balkans, Peru, Sri Lanka, Rwanda,
and possibly the Sudan.
- Provide
an opportunity to continue the examination of our own collective
history, which is rooted in the Holocaust.
- Offer
a forum for individuals and organizations currently working in post-war
countries with an eye toward exploring the usefulness and limitations
of dialogue in different settings.
- Enable
us to share our work, compare techniques and strategies, encourage
networking and answer the question, "How can we be of help
to one another?"
- Offer
sharing/storytelling groups over two mornings to provide an experiential
component and the opportunity for deeper and more personal connections
that will enrich the entire conference experience.
The conference will consist
of five days of presentations, workshops, experiential sharing groups
and time together in a beautiful retreat on the Hudson River in New
York City.
The scope of our organization is small, but we are uniquely qualified
for this work. Many of us have been raised by parents who were victims
or perpetrators of Nazi atrocities. Many of us have experienced war
and genocide first hand and all of us have wrestled with the problems
of identity, belonging, guilt and shame, forgiveness, grief and the
on-going psychological effects that are handed down to children of war
and genocide.
There is a depth of acceptance and understanding of what we and our
families have experienced that is most powerful when it is acknowledged
in the eyes of the "other." Likewise, there can be an honored
space in dialogue work for those people Barry Hart calls, Trauma Wise;
for those "wounded healers" who have gained wisdom and compassion
through their personal tragedy that can then be a source of inspiration
and courage for others going through similar experiences.
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