Warren bearing witness to Auschwitz
Greetings amazing people…
This page is my call for your support. I need your help to make a journey to the Auschwitz Concentration Camp happen. That journey will contribute to my Masters Research about the transformation of stories and bearing witness.
Most people’s first reaction at this point is: ‘huh? That’s intense!’
And it is, but not in the way you might first think...
When David Bowie died I re-read the lyrics of 'Changes' and found this:
Ch-ch-ch-ch Changes
(turn and face the strange)
Ch-ch-ch-ch Changes
Time may change me
But I can't trace time
I found myself dancing and wondering:
What might it mean to face the strange in a world where there is so much pressure to make sense and to avoid discomfort? What might it mean to face to our shared strangeness together?
In my own life this journey seemed like a strange idea. Afterall, my immediate family does not have obvious connections to Auschwitz. Slowly though, the strangeness has continued to grow. I find myself exploring big questions about my own place in the world and my ability to be with both the joy and the suffering of the world. Speaking with people about this, they have begun to share their stories with me and my neat story of separateness is crumbling. 
Bearing witness retreats
Many traditions explore what lies beyond ‘knowing’ - and the wisdom that can emerge when we spend time with our discomfort.
For the past 20 years the Zen Peacemakers have gathered groups of people together at the site of the Auschwitz Concentration Camp in Poland. These unique events have brought together people from all over the world to explore the relationships between self and other.
Together they move into the unknown. A place where fixed ideas begin to shift and stories open up to new possibilities. In other words: they practice bearing witness. 
My research and Me
Stories & Emptiness is part of my Masters in Psychotherapy. I am studying what happens to stories when we practice bearing witness. I hope to experience first hand how this amazing group of Zen Peacemakers can bring people together, to bear witness, even in a place where the story of violence, genocide, and suffering sings so loudly.
How do these practices touch the stories that people tell about their lives, their communities, and the world? What possibilities are there for bearing witness practices to transform suffering in ourselves and the world?
A circle of support: My gift to you
In exchange for your support I am offering ensos (zen circles). These traditional zen circles have been a part of my meditation practice for a long time. They would make ideal presents for a loved one or even for yourself. Each circle is unique and created with a single brush stroke. The unknown is made visible.
Stories about money
Asking for community support has a long long long history in Zen buddhism. Traditionally monks would beg for their clothing and food - living on the generosity of their communities. As I create this page, I bear witness to the vulnerability of asking others for their support and I become part of that tradition. I will be incredibly grateful for any contribution you feel it is possible to make and I will honour that contribution with my sincere efforts to conduct research that will benefit our communities.
In practical terms: The money raised by this page will go towards the costs of travel and attendance at the bearing witness retreat in Poland.
Any remaining money will be incredibly helpful in supporting me to explore this research while taking the necessary time off of from paid work.
About me
My name is Warren and I am a narrative psychotherapist and zen practitioner living in Sydney, Australia. I am passionate about social justice, nonviolence, and the infinite possibilities of stories. 
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Warren
