INTRODUCTION

There is no light so brilliant as the light which shines from the darkness.
Anonymous

If we are fortunate, if we keep our eyes open, we can get a glimpse of what the world can be: one in which people from opposing sides of conflict come together to listen, understand, and help one another transform painful histories into hopeful futures.

Many individuals who have been close to war and genocide carry the burden of unresolved trauma. Often, they pass on their fears, stereotypes, and prejudices to the next generation. We created One-by-One because we, who had suffered from the fallout of the Holocaust and the Nazi regime, had experienced the profound power of deep and authentic dialogue to interrupt this cycle. We saw in the Dialogue Group model a path that might lead others toward similar transformation.

Participants joined Dialogue Groups (some reluctantly) because one of the most evil chapters of human history resonated in different ways through all of their lives. Groups included individuals who had been impacted by the Shoah (Holocaust), who themselves or their parents or grandparents had suffered, witnessed, or resisted Nazi atrocities, along with individuals whose parents or grandparents were bystanders, participants or perpetrators in the Nazi regime.

Although participants could not forgive or forget what had happened during World War II, they found that together they could begin to transform its impact. Through intense, authentic dialogues, group members were willing to meet one another, to bridge a chasm that separated their opposing sides, and recognize the humanity in each other. Many participants experienced life-changing journeys of transformation, from fear to courage, depression to creativity, from living with lies to discovering the truth, from struggling with shame and guilt to developing integrity, from pain and loss to support and love, and from silence to dialogue.

In the pages that follow, we share with you the origins of One-by-One, the model we developed for the One-by-One Dialogue Group, and group participants’ stories, poems, art, music, and films. We also share descriptions of our related activities promoting education and social action, in hopes of preventing the recurrence of the horrors that had impacted our lives.

As Dialogue Group participants listen with compassion to others’ stories of pain, guilt, shame, anguish, loss, and fear, burdens lighten, and the harmful impacts of these legacies can transform into the seeds of hope and positive action. We aim to plant these seeds in your hearts and minds, to share with you our hope that the dream of achieving a humane and compassionate world may grow and someday finally flower. Indeed, as Margaret Mead once wrote, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”[1] We invite you to join with us in spirit and action as we seek to bring the power of healing and transformation to a world that is desperately in need of both.

-One By One

[1] M. Mead, Speech given in acceptance of the Planetary Citizen of the Year Award, 1978.