Chief Confidence Officer
In war-ravaged Macedonia, conflict mediator Elena Gulmadova makes a career of building trust between Muslims and Christians. | September 2006 Read More...
You don't have to be Muslim...
With Ramadan approaching on 15th October, this can be an invitation to anybody who feels the need for "profound soul searching". A woman describes her initiation into the annual fasts. Cyntha Gonzalez-Kabil | October 2004 issue With Ramadan approaching on 15th October, this can be an invitation to Read More...
Miracle on Elm Street
A happy reminder that hope still reigns in the worldJay Walljasper | November 2004 issue I am sitting right now in what I jokingly refer to as Ode’s Western Hemisphere Editorial Headquarters, a/k/a the back bedroom of my house in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. At least that’s what I called it Read More...
The world according to ubuntu
'I am because you are.' This widespread African teaching reminds us that you cannot be human alone. Tijn Touber | September 2004 issue The African equivalent to Rene Descartes’s famous dictum, “I think, therefore I am,” which is the foundation of much modern Western culture, is called ubuntu Read More...
The masters fall silent
The current generation of healers is only an "instrument"Tijn Touber | November 2004 issue It’s not all that much fun anymore to interview gurus, coaches, therapists or masters. When you ask them what they actually do, they say: “Nothing, I’m only an instrument.” And if you then ask how Read More...
Don't be overwhelmed by thoughts
Let your experiences make you happyTijn Touber | Jan/Feb 2006 issue The other day I was walking along the beach with a friend. The sun was setting and the water took on an orange hue as a fishing boat slowly glided by with a whole flock of seagulls in its wake. I breathed the cool sea air Read More...
Our families, our selves
Psychology and personal-growth movements are making a huge mistaek, says German therapist Bert Hellinger, in focusing on the individual over the family. Tijn Touber | December 2006 issue Spiritual growth and consciousness-raising have become nearly synonymous with individualism. Our isolated Read More...
Be The Beatles
It's time to remake the world the way they did Tijn Touber| July/Aug 2006 issue I recently spent 10 hours watching The Beatles Anthology, a five-DVD portrayal of the “Fab Four.” I saw them as innocent boys performing in a nightclub called The Cavern. I saw them playing for the queen of England 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...