A president from Venus
America, the nation dedicated to the pioneer spirit, has turned out to be a stronghold for men. But if an 11-inch-tall doll with long blonde hair and permanently arched feet has her way, things are about to change.
Jurriaan Kamp and Tijn Touber
A different World Social Forum Forum is possible
Criticism invites a new content
Marco Visscher
Clean green
Going back to the birthplace of an organic fair-trade shirt.
Marco Visscher
Coop: uniform prices
Marco Visscher
Dyed dirty
I never thought that I would get involved in the area of ecologically and socially acceptable clothing. Finding the choice between attractive and responsible too unpleasant, I had refused to condemn myself to ponchos from third world shops, hemp trousers from an organic store or worn-out dress shirts from a second-hand shop.
Marco Visscher
Fair wares
The Fair Wear Foundation wants to stimulate companies to create humane working conditions in the clothing industry. This Dutch alliance of action groups, unions and representatives from the business community has come up with a social code of conduct that is independently monitored, and in March it will reveal the first ten companies to sign up. With support from social groups in Europe, the foundation hopes to become a continent-wide organization. Below is an interview with chairman Frans Papma.
Marco Visscher
Gossypium: even for yoga
Marco Visscher
How Jerome learned to read
Children are more than the deficits and disorders on which we put more and more emphasis. Children have a unique talent and a natural born desire to learn. There are ways to stimulate those. This is how Jerome learned to read.
Dawna Markova
Kuyichi: Max Havelaar in jeans
Marco Visscher
Label etiquette
Marco Visscher
Maggie's Organics: all women
How dozens of women in Nicaragua built their own factory for stitching T-shirts and socks of organic cotton.
Marco Visscher
No sweat
Marco Visscher
Patagonia: either pull the line or go organic
Marco Visscher
The panacea: hemp
Marco Visscher
A fleeting glimpse of wisdom
Paulo Coelho
From the heart
What does it feel like to make music? Is composition a structured process, or is it always instinctive and irrational? Here the Greek composer Vangelis, most famous for writing the scores for the films Blade Runner and Chariots of Fire (for which he won an Oscar), explains how he does it
Vangelis (with Michael Bond)
'If you don't believe in yourself, you can't believe in God'
He looks like the stereotypical image of a hermit, but Raimon Panikkar is not that easy to pigeonhole. He is both Hindu and Christian, philosopher and mystic, scientist and priest, Indian and Spaniard. Hardly surprising, Panikkar firmly believes in the importance of cultural and religious differences -- but also in peace and acceptance. Tijn Touber visited him far away from the civilized world, hidden in the mountains.
Tijn Touber
Party enlightenment
Tijn Touber
Arne Naess is in equilibrium
Pioneer of 'deep ecology' follows his heart
A Rolls Royce on two wheels
Andrew Ritchie's ideal folding bicycle
Care of the soul
'We have to live in the free-fall of infinity'
Thomas Moore
Click and buy
Because most clothing stores carry few, if any, clothes produced in socially and ecologically responsible ways, the internet offers the best range of choice. No, you cannot digitally try on the clothes, and yes, the pictures are often less than optimal. But it's the best starting point for exploring the world of organic cotton clothing. Below is a small selection from the digital offering.
Marco Visscher
Gandhi lives
Non-violent movements are sprouting up all over the world
India is doing well
Former pessimist writes about inspiring success stories
Polaroids of the Sahara
For 25 years French photographer Jean-Luc Manaud took pictures of the Sahara, using a Polaroid 690 rather than an ultra-modern camera. The effect is beautiful, like watercolor paintings or pastel drawings.
Return of the mammoth?
Scientists at work at an amazing cloning experiment
