80 years ago, on the 22nd of October 1940, more than 6500 Jews from Baden and the so-called Saarpfalz were deported to the concentration camp Gurs in the Pyrenees, Southern France. Most of them died there or were killed in Auschwitz and other camps later.
They left their homes with little luggage, endured a long and excruciating train ride, often without water and food, to arrive in one of the worst camps in Southern France. There they were met by barbed wire, cold and draughty barracks, outdoor kitchens, dirty toilets and no real facilities to wash and clean themselves, muddy conditions and guards who treated them badly and without respect. 20 to 30 people per day died on average, because they didn’t have enough to eat.

“If I could speak every language of the people in the world, I would make a film and tell people not to come. Better to die at home than to face a 'slow death' in the streets of Athens or in one of the camps.”
(Yesim, Syrian refugee, from a personal conversation)
 
“I couldn’t bare the sight of drowned bodies on the shore anymore. That’s why I joined resqship, to make a difference. It is hard, though, having to decide who is allowed to come aboard – and who has to stay in sometimes completely unsuitable vessels. It breaks my heart – but we cannot rescue everyone.”
(Tania from resqship, from a personal conversation)
 
“Too many to deal with” – “we lack financial and other means to cater for refugees in an appropriate way” – “we can’t allow more people into the country, we are already struggling” – “we might be able to take another 153 unaccompanied children” - "politicians working towards a unified solution in the Mediterranean"
(political statements from newspapers – in no particular order)
 
“Everyone from the village stood around and watched while we were led to the trains. One woman, our neighbour, came up to my mum and hugged her. If every villager had done this, what followed wouldn’t have been possible. But only one in 3000 had the courage to cross the road and come to us.”
(Manfred Wildmann, survivor of the 6500 Jews, deported in 1940, from an interview in Menlo Park, California)
 
And they looked everywhere for a place where Maria could give birth to her child. But no one had space for them. Until they finally got offered a place in a stable where ox and donkey warmed the space with their breath…
(rephrased excerpt from a famous story, said to have happened over 2000 years ago)
 
Different scenarios, different situations – and yet, so many similarities...

What do we do, when fellow humans are in distress, in danger, in an emergency situation?

While we look the other way, discuss what "could be done" (rationalise), belittle or dismiss the issue to calm ourselves, wait/hope for others to act etc, people (and not only people, of course) suffer and/or die. 
Many seem to be frozen in their own trauma, unable to take action, their response-ability (the ability to respond) is restricted or non-existent. It is time to address the collective traumatisation of wars and colonisation - NOW -, to integrate the atrocities of the past and to release and defrost the emotional and spiritual trauma that has been caused by those experiences, so that they are not repeated over and over again in various forms. To start this process NOW is essential to be able to respond and to act, instead of holding on to and repeating traumatised and traumatising reactions.

Dismissing the perspective and worldview of others, not respecting and acknowledging differences has and always will lead to division, conflict, domination, exploitation, abuse. Only when we embrace the reality that we have different stories and experiences and are willing to respect and honour each other nevertheless, we will stop recreating trauma and abusing each “other”. In order to do this, we need to make a conscious effort to develop empathy and the ability to feel.

As a first step, observe yourself while deeply listening and taking in “opposing” or triggering views: are there any emotions (e.g. frustration, anger or fear) coming up within you? Take note of them, but don’t allow yourself to slip into your own emotional flow, as its current will carry you away from the other person/group/topic – and you will miss the chance of deep understanding, learning and togetherness.
Try and stay focused on the emotions expressed by the other person/group/topic. Try to feel them.
Don’t reply or react instantly! Stay with the other person/group/topic, until you feel where they are coming from. You don’t have to agree or disagree. This is not about wrong and right, good and bad. It is about developing and growing your empathetic capacity.

If you are reading something, take the great opportunity for a “buffered” and safe learning process, as you don't have a direct "other" near you. Allow yourself to pause when you feel triggered. Observe what comes up for you – usually anger, frustration, fear – and take a moment to look deeper into these emotions. What makes you angry? What are you afraid of?
If you can, write things down – wildly and uncensored! You can also speak it aloud and record it. Just get things off your chest. However, refrain from writing it directly to the “other” person/group! Just write it down for yourself – until you feel you have “unloaded” it all. The outcome and insights you can gain through this process might  surprise you – try it!
In a second step, read the triggering words again. This time, your only goal and focus is to tune in and feel and understand the “other” perspective. Catch yourself whenever you start to slip into your own emotional flow, and bring your attention and awareness back to the “other” person/group/topic – until you can “walk in their shoes” or at least see where they are coming from.
 
Labels such as racism, sexism and many other –isms are consequences of deep intergenerational and personal trauma. May humans develop the ability of all-true-ism, embracing and feeling the essential truth and value of all life expressions.