Reading, writing and playing The Sims
What video games can teach educators about improving our schools Marco Visscher| September 2006 issue The door closes with a squeak and a creak. Oh no! Is it locked? Let’s check… No, thank God, you can open it… So now, another go at getting to the ladder. Maybe through this narrow hallway? Read More...
Watch out for that cancer cell!
A shooting game that makes young cancer patients healthier | September 2006 issue During his career, David Warhol has created numerous video and computer games for children. He specialized in non-violent games—Casper the Friendly Ghost, Sesame Street, Ren %amp% Stimpy—but was asked in 2004 to Read More...
Fertile soil, not ground-breaking
The efforts by Wes Jackson Jay Walljasper | November 2004 issue Wes Jackson is a visionary researcher who wants to rethink 10,000 years of agriculture from the roots up. You can call him a dreamer, you can call him radical, you can call him boldly original, but please don’t call him Read More...
We can save the world!
Humanity faces a choice between collapsing into chaos and evolving into a sustainable, ethical global community. There's never been a more powerful moment in all history to make a difference in the world. Ervin Laszlo | September 2006 issue A Chinese proverb warns, “If we do not change direction, Read More...
Rain forest management
The efforts by Tachi Kiuchi and Bill ShiremanTijn Touber | November 2004 issue In 1994 the chairmen of Mitsubishi and Global Futures, Tachi Kiuchi and Bill Shireman, visited the rainforest in Borneo. Their aim: to research the economy of nature. They found the rain forest fascinating not only Read More...
Making the most of this historic moment
The green movement is ready to come back home Jay Walljasper| July/Aug 2006 issue A new surge of environmental concern sweeps the world every 18 years, almost like a natural cycle. The whole idea of ecology took root in 1970 with the first Earth Day, which sparked a burst of successful projects to Read More...
The happiest man on earth
The Pope hung his own necklace around United Nations diplomat Robert Muller's neck. A North American Indian chief did the same. Muller still wears them both. Ode spoke with this unusual emissary of hope who has had considerable influence in the world. Tijn Touber | Jan/Feb 2006 issue When Read More...
What the world needs now are better stories
We think the world is in trouble. But the reality is that every day all over the world at every moment, people are solving problems. That's why all of us should try to spread those stories that make the world a more beautiful place. Jurriaan Kamp | April 2006 issue Before Ode was founded in 1995, I Read More...
Learning to fight for peace
At the School for Peace Young Israelis and Palestinians talk to, quarrel with and scream at each other. They learn more about the people they label their enemies. Not to mention themselves. Tilman Wörtz | June 2004 issue They meet in a small room with 20-odd chairs placed in a circle and thick Read More...
The most hopeful courtroom in the world
The European Court of Human Rights shows how justice can cross borders. Is it a model for the whole planet? Jay Walljasper | April 2006 issue The plight of 5-year-old Tabitha Kaniki Mitunga sparked international controversy in 2002 when Belgian officials detained her alone at an immigration centre Read More...