Confessions of a foreign correspondent
Despite being African, I still reinforced all the Western media's stereotypes about the 'Dark Continent.' Regina Jere-Malanda | September 2004 issue Looking back on many years I worked as a ‘foreign correspondent’ for Western media in South Africa, I now realise that I was not only paid for Read More...
The power of (every)one
Philanthropist Dick Grace shows why everyone can do good things Jurriaan Kamp| November 2006 issue Dick Grace wants to do good. The 68-year-old retired stockbroker and owner of a small and successful vinery in Napa Valley, California, lives by a simple motto. In his own words: “I look for Read More...
What you don't know about Muslims
We define our faith in our own ways, no matter what Western media and Middle Eastern mullahs tell us. Tasneem Jamal| November 2006 issue By Recent articles throughout the media, including Canada’s Globe and Mail newspaper, imply that Islam is an inherently violent religion. It must be true, they Read More...
Get slow in 8 days!
The ultimate toolkit to get slow. Effective and fast! Marco Visscher and Jay Walljasper | July 2004 issue Leave your watch on the bedside table. Check your e-mail only two or three times a day. Take the scenic route. Light candles before you start cooking dinner. Make up rituals. Say a silent word Read More...
Free school
For 85 years, England's Summerhill community has shown children learn more when they are in charge of their own educations Matthew Appleton | October 2006 issue A few days ago I dropped off my 13-year-old daughter Eva for a new term at Summerhill—theEnglish school famed for its emphasis on Read More...
Let's go home
It may sound oxymoronic, taking a vacation at home, but it can be genuine fun. Ode's executive editor, Jay Walljasper, discovered the joy of staying home and offers you some great ideas for a cheap holiday.Jay Walljasper | July 2004 issue It may sound oxymoronic, taking a vacation at home, but it Read More...
Saving the world one-on-one
By connecting people across the planet, mentoring programs can break down the barriers between rich and poor, North and South. Jay Walljasper | Jan/Feb 2006 issue Once there was a kid who seemed to have everything going against him. He was poor, blind and black, living in the backwoods of the Read More...
One last thing...
"boredom is an important stage in the creative process" Marco Visscher | November 2004 issue How can boredom contribute to anything? “Boredom is a mechanism that can clear your mind and help you refocus. If I’m bored, I am doing nothing, I am being mindless. Or I go walking, do the dishes, Read More...
Relaxed revelation
Fast knowledge is about solving problems, slow knowledge is about preventing them. Marco Visscher | July 2004 issue Knowledge is being applied faster and on a larger scale than ever before – with consequences that are sometimes disastrous. Farmers can use the latest chemical pesticides to protect Read More...
Pioneer of Urdu rock
Pakistan's leading rock star writes songs about love and reconciliation. His embrace of social causes has invited comparisons with Bono. But many mullahs want to ban his music. Marco Visscher meets up with Salman Ahmad, the first rock legend in the Muslim world. Will he show that music can be more Read More...