I got tired of traveling around the world and meeting people who could speak 2,3,4 or more languages when most Americans only speak 1. So I decided to do something about it - started a company called Jabber

Today is BlogDay, after an idea from Nir Ofir. He began with this celebration in 2005, and it consists in the recommendation of 5 blogs by every blogger who wants to be part of it. The goal is to discover new blogs and expose them to the world. Currently I publish a blog in Spanish (eloyerista.blogspot.com) from my country Colombia. I have recommended Ode's blog to my readers. The other part of BlogDay is to tell the authors of the blogs we recommend that we're doing it. I just love Ode, it has a lot of excellent information and it inspires me at any time. Thanks for the work you do. ~ Mauricio D.   Read more...

Being out in the sun is good for your health and may protect you against a range of diseases. That's the insight offered by a spate of new studies (www.odemagazine.com/doc/46/are_you_getting_enough_sun). But is that really so surprising? A much greater shock to me was the idea, circulating for the past 15 years or so, that the sun could threaten your health. I regularly see people in abundantly sunny California hiding from the solar rays as if sunshine were the messenger of death. Of course sunburn is not a good thing, but it doesn't make sense to me to hide from the source of our very existence. It is a simple as that: no sun, no Earth, no life.

I have a friend, Joel, who--in his own special way--worships the sun. He has a telescope on a rooftop deck with a range of special filters that enable him to look directly at the sun. It's an amazing experience to see the burning fireball sending flares into the universe. These flares, Joel mentions, are often several times bigger than the diameter of the Earth. Looking through the telescope with Joel--whom we've nicknamed "Lord of the Sun"--makes me realize and appreciate the importance of this ultimate source of our lives.   Read more...

All living beings, by their very existence as living beings, have inherent needs for healthy growth and development, and the more successful we are in helping each being meet it's needs, the more successful we will be as individuals, as a species, as a planet, and as a universe. I want to create a business/organization that helps identify and clarify these needs while also creating a network where resources are allocated to those who need them the most, while compensating those who contribute needed resources to the world.   Read more...

This is a free professional networking site to encourage interaction between individuals and organizations worldwide involved in development, human rights, civil society development, conflict resolution, democratization, and related fields. Members are encouraged to discuss and share resources. You can find local partners and practitioners around the world as well as exchange best practices. In addition members can create their own blogs.

Visit the website at internationalpeaceandconflict.ning.com   Read more...

Calling all bloggers! On October 15, 2007, bloggers from across the world will be writing about one issue: the environment. This movement, called Blog Action Day, was started by three affluent bloggers who's aim is to get people talking towards a better future.   Read more...

"Imagine, a trusted marketplace filled with products from around the world, each positively impacting the producer's community, environment and their unique sense of self. Introducing Project Good, a global initiative to build the largest and most trusted people positive marketplace."   Read more...

When Suprabha Beckjord crossed the finish line, there were no medals, no multi-million dollar athletic contracts to sign. There were only her fellow runners and a handful of race volunteers cheering her on. Suprabha completed the Self-Transcendence 3100 Mile Race. Her time: 58 days, 7 hours, 54 minutes and 27 seconds.   Read more...

The power of a good story was well spelt out in a recent Ode magazine. In my opinion, the ability to tell the right story would be well assisted by the adoption of an improved English vocabulary. Many of us struggle under a weight of awkward words like ''environmentally sustainable'', ''pc'' , ''new age sensitive'', ''anticapitalist'' etc.....   Read more...

A great initiative from a young and talented group of people from Antwerp, Belgium. This team of people organize several events a year to raise money for charities. Their vision is based on the principle that every human being has the right to have a dignified, balanced and healthy way of life.

By improving the quality of life for every individual we can achieve an overall improvement in our society. The team spirit and positivity is not just in their thought's and idea's but actually it exists in their actions.   Read more...

I'd like to share an idea I've been working on. I am not satisfied with our current notions of the nature of the human species. As someone used to viewing problems from a "large" systems approach, it doesn't make sense to think we know how to resolve global climate change and other impending ecological crises without focusing on what it is about our species that allows us to ignore the damage we may be doing to our life support system.   Read more...

2007: It was a mid-January morning when my friend Gloriel informed me she was contemplating a return trip to Egypt wondering if I'd be interested in joining her and as she revealed the itinerary, my interest was piqued. I contemplated the idea and allowed myself to "listen" to my inner guide who seemed to be ever so sweetly nudging me to let go of worry and to feel free to make this excursion. I sensed a great "pull" I cannot explain nor could I ignore.   Read more...

We think women can change the world through shopping!

We buy things daily like food, household products and clothes, but we also love to surround ourselves with beauty products, things for our interior, presents for our children or even for our pets.   Read more...

I just got the latest issue of Ode in the mail today! Your article titled "Designing a better world" by Andi McDaniel reminded me of a story I saw on fuel-efficient stoves designed for refugees in Darfur.

The troubles in Darfur have driven millions of African Sudanese into refugee camps that are in short supply of firewood. Women are forced to walk up to seven hours a day to gather enough firewood to fuel a meal. During this journey, these woman face threats of rape and mutilation.   Read more...

Long before 9/11 and the subsequent drum beat of a war on terror and talk of a clash of civilizations between Islam and the West, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Pakistan's greatest musical export, sang ecstatically about the Oneness of God and love for humanity. Muslim, Jew, Christian, Hindu, all people, with or without faith, who tuned into the power and emotion of his voice were transported to another place, beyond the self created ghettos of the mind and into a spiritual wonderland of joy and transcendence.   Read more...

This is what I find to be really inspiring, an example of true leadership: Edi Rama, Mayor of Tirana (Albania) had to deal with poverty, criminality and a big lack of maintenance of cities buildings. There was really no money available. Being a former artist, he differs both in style and in ideas from grey politics we are used to seeing. By simply painting the buildings in the city, he did not only change the look of buildings, he managed to make people feel conscious and responsible for the streets they live. This simple and cheap but well performed plan significantly lowered criminality and raised people's well being.

I attended Rama's presentation at the International Architecture Biennale Rotterdam in May 2007 and was not only impressed by his story but also by his inspiring enthusiasm and flair.   Read more...

Amid grooving on his mini-synthesizer, Israeli-Arab Mahboub has been attempting to lead a generation of children in the Middle East to abandon hate and embrace acceptance. Despite the odds, he may just have a chance. How so? Mahboub is a Sesame Street Muppet. The furry blue monster premiered on Rechov Sumsum, Israel's Sesame Street adaptation, in December as the world's first Arab-Israeli Muppet.

"We wanted to make the Israeli kids admire him and his abilities," said Motti Aviram, Rechov Sumsum's producer. "Arabs in Israel are like Israelis

It's very easy to say that you support a cleaner environment, yet putting it into action is a bit harder than it seems. As for myself, I would love to ride my bike to work or take public transportation to cut carbon emissions, however, I always find myself making excuses. Either it's too cold out, it would take too long to get there, or I'm just too tired after a long day at work to hop on a bike to ride back home.

For people like me, I need to be reminded that there is a bigger issue out there and I can find ways in my life to help slow down the effect we are having on our environment. Just a couple months ago, I came across the website c3.newdream.org. Carbon Conscious Consumer (C3) is a national climate campaign sponsored by the Center for a New American Dream that challenges people to establish climate-friendly daily habits and inspire their friends to do the same. Each month they post a challenge that is very manageable such as pledging to bike to work one day out of the month, to bring your own bag to buy groceries or to buy one pound of local food a week.   Read more...

The other day I was having coffee in the park with my good friend Alex. One of the things I like about Alex is that he is a man. Now I know that may sound a bit queer, but in these times, when so many men (and women) are struggling with their gender identities, it is nice to meet a guy every now and then who is still a

There is no need to wait for fuel-cell powered cars and other sustainable technical innovations, some solutions for the energy-crisis are already available today.

I'm convinced that if we want to become sustainable we need to limit our resource and energy consumption by more than 70%. To achieve such ambitious goals we need to rethink and redesign our transportation and residential concepts and find alternatives for some of our daily routines, which only require a fraction of the actual energy and resource consumption. The good news is that some residential innovations, like LED-lights and storing rainwater for flushing toilets are already available today, but sustainability also requires complete different thinking about transportation.   Read more...

So often, when something "bad" happens to us, it appears to be purposeless suffering. But what if our most difficult experiences are actually rich with hidden purpose

How does a fifty four year old naive woman get up the nerve to travel to Kenya to volunteer at an orphanage? I have been asked this question alot and the answer is always the same. I had dreamed of visiting Africa and I have always believed that one person can make a difference--one person touching the life of one other person can rewrite the future for so many more. Romantic idea right? Well I am here to tell you, that it can happen. I discovered this at ByGrace Centre Orphanage in Kenya. After visiting ByGrace I am now active in supporting this orphanage through a nonprofit organization in the USA www.brightfuturechildren.org and the future is very bright.

I visited Kenya in August of 2005. I thought I was well prepared for my adventure but found out that you can never be fully prepared for this experience. Not in my wildest dreams did I think that it would teach me so much about myself and change my life forever.   Read more...

I love to create and co-create, connect and synergize people, projects and organizations, and inspire others to help make a positive impact in the world with passion and a sense of adventure. I am president and co-founder of Shaking the Tree Foundation (www.shakingthetree.org). In short, we utilize storytelling (mostly theater) to inspire people to think about how they might utilize their resources in the service of others. Not only do we tackle issues around philanthropy, but also address issues of wealth and money.   Read more...