It might seem that "globalization" didn't exist before the widely publicized protests in Seattle during the November 1999 WTO meetings. But economist Richard Parker asserts that it was around a little bit earlier than that-say, several thousand years ago, when our prehistoric ancestors began wandering out of Africa. The current round of globalization, of course, is much younger than that-only about 500 years old, by Parker's reckoning. Looking back, we can see how others have worked to mitigate the destructive forces of global change and even steer it toward a positive good-important tools as we confront a global future.
Speaking of making positive global connections, we established a "partnership" last year with the Pura Vida Coffee company in Seattle because of our common values and goals, and together we produce "SojoBlend" coffee. Maybe the jolt of caffeine helped us think more clearly, because we soon realized that their innovative business model would make for an interesting and hopeful magazine profile. Pura Vida co-founder John Sage now puts his previous business experience with Microsoft and Starbucks to a very different use. Holly Lebowitz Rossi explains how Sage and partner Chris Dearnley turn profits into computer centers for Costa Rican children, good news for those who seek justice with their java.
And, as always, there's plenty more in these pages: efforts to make the church green, Martha Stewart-induced musings, sacred sexuality, as well as news, views, and reviews, from near and far. -The Editors
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