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.