The world is experiencing the highest number of violent conflicts since World War II. 110 million displaced people - the highest number ever recorded: a devastating consequence of natural disasters, violent conflicts, and source of high tensions on the borders of neighboring countries and the far away safe havens of Europe and North America. Civil society and non-governmental organizations can play a key role in providing humanitarian assistance and emergency services, as illustrated in the Transatlantic, a fictional television series. The plot revolves around Varian Fry and Mary Jane Gold, who founded the “Emergency Rescue Committee” (later International Rescue Committee) in 1940 and helped thousands of refugees – among them intellectuals and artists, such as Max Ernst, Marc Chagall or Hannah Arendt – to escape nazi persecution in Europe on the other side of the Atlantic. This discussion will provide an overview of displacements and their drivers today, along with what we can learn from history and what are the challenges faced by refugees and NGOs today.