N30, WTO Showdown, by Paul Hawken. A very interesting article about Hawken's experiences during the November, 1999 WTO meeting in Seattle. An important vantage point for the WEF meeting.

(click here for a pdf file of this document)

Whose Rules? , by David Morris

The World Trade Organization summit in Seattle could be a turning point in the politics of globalization. The summit was called to reduce barriers to the free, global flows of money and products. Opponents say these moves lower global labor and environmental standards and compromise local and national sovereignty.What might those who are concerned about sustainability, living standards, and community propose instead?

Money versus Wealth, by David C. Korten

Instead of creating wealth, our money system is depleting our real wealth: our communities, ecosystems, and productive infrastructure

Cause and Effect, by Martha Visser

Patrice Tanaka has created a thriving public relations firm by building marketing campaigns around social issues. Use her techniques to spread the word about your business.

Wake up Europe! Europe 2050 Initiative: A Call by European GLTs for Visionary Leadership

A document discussing the work of European Global Leaders for Tomorrow (GLTs) since they began meeting regularly to forge a common agenda after the 1997 WEF Annual Meeting.

(Click here for a pdf file of this document)

Designing Better Governance, An Issue in Dialogue, World Business Council for Sustainable Development

"We believe that there is a strong need for a process that brings the different stakeholders, governments, business and civil society together in further defining the options to improve our global governance. But this must be a process that creates "a safe space" to explore different options as a joint learning."

"We believe that a Governance Scenario project is such a process. We also believe that the WBCSD is uniquely positioned to gather the right group of stakeholders for this."

(Click here for a pdf file of this document)

Commitment 2000 for a Culture of Peace and Non Violence

Appeal of the Nobel Laureates for the Children of the World

(Click here for a pdf file of this document)

International Decade for a Culture of Peace and Noviolence for the Children of the World

A brief narrative on how the appeal started.

(Click here for a pdf file of this document.)

Why Haven't We Found an AIDS Vaccine? Review by Nancy Padian, Scientific American, Feburary 2001

Jon Cohen argues that the obstacles may be more human than viral

Ashoka Homepage - Ashoka's mission is to develop the profession of social entrepreneurship around the world. Ashoka searches the world for the best new ideas, championed by the most capable, innovative social entrepreneurs. We select them as Ashoka Fellows through a rigorous process, and invest in them financially and professionally.

This website is a great resource.

Worldwatch Institute, State of the World 2001: Part 1 of 2, Chapters 1-5

(Click here for the pdf document)

Worldwatch Institute, State of the World 2001: Part 2 of 2, Chapters 6-10

(Click here for the pdf document)

Worldwatch Institute, Vital Signs 2000: Part 1 of 3 (food, agriculture and population topics included)

(Click here for the pdf document)

Worldwatch Institute, Vital Signs 2000: Part 2 of 3 (energy, atmosphere, and economic topics included)

(Click here for the pdf document)

Worldwatch Institute, Vital Signs 2000: Part 3 of 3 (transportation, communication, health, social and security topics included)

(Click here for the pdf document)

During the First Season For Nonviolence, more than 400 organizations partnered to create events and activities in more than 115 cities to highlight and honor the organizations, programs and individuals that are making our communities more peaceful. Our purpose is to create an awareness of nonviolent principles and practice as a powerful way to heal, transform and empower our lives and communities.

The Process of Myth-Making, Finding a Voice, by Rachel Pruitt

In my work as a storyteller, I've seen children and adolescents gather strength from myths by putting the tools and images from traditional mythology into a format that reflects the social and individual issues we face as a society. Thus, problems such as hunger, pollution, violence, racism, sexism, lack of self-esteem, anorexia, fear, or depression can be 'safely' placed in a fantasy context and worked through in search of possible solutions in a process I call 'New Myths for Our Time.'

Internet Computing and the Emerging Grid, by Ian Foster, Nature Web Matters

Internet computing and Grid technologies promise to change the way we tackle complex problems. They will enable large-scale aggregation and sharing of computational, data and other resources across institutional boundaries. And harnessing these new technologies effectively will transform scientific disciplines ranging from high-energy physics to the life sciences.

Positive Deviant, by David Dorsey, Fast Company, December 2000

Jerry Sternin's job was to help save starving children in Vietnam. Faced with an impossible time frame, he adopted a radical approach to making change. His idea: Real change begins from the inside.

Curitiba, Brazil - The city of Curitiba, Brazil, has integrated sustainable transport considerations into all of its plans for business development, road infrastructure development, and local community development.

Scientific American published a great article on Curitiba in March, 1996. Unfortunately, the article isn't on the web.

Save the Children

We are the UK's leading international children's charity, working to create a better future for children. We are active in the UK, as well as more than 70 countries worldwide. We involve children in what we do - we believe in listening and learning from them.

Jubilee 2000 Coalition, A Debt Free Start for a Billion People

7 Million children die each year as a result of the debt crisis, 7,271,153 children have died since the start of the year 2000.

The Eden Project - The Living Theater of Plants and People

EdenÕs Mission is to: ÒPromote the understanding and responsible management of the vital relationship between plants, people and resources, leading towards a sustainable future for all.Ó

DNA Sciences, Ordinary People Doing Extraordinary Things

By joining the Gene Trust, you have a chance to do something extraordinary. The Gene Trust will study the links between genetics and disease. But, first, we need volunteers. The information you give us could help make the difference in the fight against cancer and other deadly diseases. It's nothing less than a chance to be part of history.

Making Every Drop Count, by Peter H. Gleick , Scientific American, February 2001

We drink it, we generate electricity with it, we soak our crops with it. And we're stretching our supplies to the breaking point. Will we have enough clean water to satisfy all the world's needs?

Growing More Food With Less Water, by Sandra Postel, Scientific American, February 2001

If the world hopes to feed its burgeoning population, irrigation must become less wasteful and more widespread

Resolutions for a More Livable Planet, by Thomas E. Graedel, The Scientist, 15[2]:6, Jan. 22, 2001

If the nation could make New Year's resolutions, what would they be? Many possibilities come to mind, but one of the most pressing challenges the United States--and indeed, the world--will face in the next few decades is how to alleviate the growing stress that human activities are placing on the environment. The consequences are just too great to ignore. Wildlife habitats are being degraded or are disappearing altogether as new developments take up more land. Plant and animal species are becoming extinct at a greater rate now than at any time in the Earth's history. As much as 30 percent of the world's fish stocks are overexploited. And the list goes on.

Seeking Response Able Solutions, Rick Dove, Paradigm Shift International

Our objective is to define a problem as a comprehensive set of change issues which must be addressed by any solution. An issue is a question for which an answer is needed. It is a sub-problem in need of a solution, an open item which must be dealt with. In a product or project specification it is a requirement which must be met.

Your Next Body, by Jessica Shattuck, WIRED, February 1999

The anatomy of medicine's newest inventions.

Becoming Your Own Hospital, by Mark K. Anderson, WIRED News, Nov. 11, 2000

When scientists gather to talk about the latest advances in medical technology, the new-fangled gadgetry they unveil almost always finds its home within the traditional doctor-hospital-HMO structure now central to the healthcare industry.

Kurzweil: Rooting for the Machine, by Declan McCullagh, WIRED News, Nov. 3, 2000

Raymond Kurzweil doesn't merely predict that machine intelligence will surpass human brains by the end of the century. He's eagerly anticipating it.

Hey Computer, Read My Mind, by Nicholas Morehead, WIRED News, Nov. 15, 2000

Any serious Star Trek buff remembers the famous "Spock's Brain" episode, in which the apparently primitive denizens of Sigma Draconis put the Vulcan's prodigious mind to work as an environmental control computer.

Carbon Copy, by Richard Kadrey, WIRED, March 1998

Meet the first human clone, in this WIRED scenario.

(You)2, by Brian Alexander, WIRED, February 2001

Human cloning has always been frightening, seductive - and completely out of reach. Not anymore.

Rants & Raves "Why the Future Doesn't Need Us", WIRED, July 2000

Bill Joy's cover story on the dangers posed by developments in genetics, nanotechnology, and robotics ("Why the Future Doesn't Need Us," Wired 8.04) struck a deep cultural nerve. Instantly.

How Women Make Science Work, by Kristen Philipkoski, WIRED News, Dec. 27, 2000

Carol Kovac is neither an ice queen, a bitch, nor any of the other pejorative stereotypes sometimes assigned to women in powerful positions.

Kovac, director of IBM Life Sciences -- a brand-new, $100 million business -- will chat about her most embarrassing moments, or her kid's birthday party. Minutes later she seamlessly shift gears, explaining why genomics and bioinformatics will hasten the next technological revolution.

An Interview with the President: "I'd like to see America used as a global lab", Science, 22 December 2000

As one of only three 20th-century presidents to walk away after serving two full terms, William Jefferson Clinton could understandably be expected to dwell on his achievements over the past 8 years. But when he met with Science magazine on 6 December for a broad-ranging interview, the nation's 42nd president was more than happy to look ahead--at how science and technology were likely to change our world, and how he might continue to interact with the scientific community after he leaves office in January.

Wild Cards - Report from the Futurist, by Katharine Mieszkowski, Fast Company, February 1998

In the coming years, wild cards will only get wilder and come faster, and people who recognize and learn to make sense of them will have a real advantage. I call this "surprise management." Surprise management is about identifying the events that could fundamentally change our environment and our identity.

The Big Picture, by Danny Hillis, WIRED, January 1998

Let's put all this hype about change and transformation in perspective. It's underhyped.

How We Went Digital Without a Strategy, by Ricardo Semler, Harvard Business Review, September-October 2000

How do you get a sizable organization to change without telling it to? It's easy - but only if you're willing to give up control.

(Click here for the pdf document)