Art as Part of Culture Poses as an Obstruction for Globalisation Assignment

Art as Part of Culture Poses as an Obstruction for Globalisation - Assignment Example The definitions of art and culture are seemingly contrasting to the definition of globalisation, which in turn is defined as the compression and stretching of geographical spaces resulting to a borderless economy characterized by technology, information exchanges, knowledge economy and capital flow thus breaking down the barriers between nations expanding trade opportunities, eliminating monopolies and protectionist policies. (Mullard 83) Globalisation was generally perceived in a negative light more specifically on the economy of a nation. On the aspect of culture, adverse effects of globalization anticipated by nations are the corruption of a nation’s principles, loss of national identity and values as well as a threat to national security. These worries, however, are contested by explanations that the seemingly adverse effect of corrupting the nation’s principles would need the constant reminder of the importance of a nation’s heritage and culture as well as promoting national pride. Concerning national security, this serves as a challenge to improve safety measures of a nation. The definitions of art and culture that generally point towards the individuality of a nation have some disparities with the purpose of globalization to create one nation, which in some ways may need to intermingle some of the cultural differences among nations and in the process some of these cultural values may be compromised. In Hou Hanru’s statement saying, â€Å"To promote cultural difference and hybridity in contemporary art, one must first and foremost consider the need to create alternative contexts.† (Mullard 37) globalization in art does not require compromising a nation’s heritage instead, some alternative approach can be done to still preserve distinct cultures while building cultural crossbreeds in the art that are acceptable for diverse nations. Through ages, art has significantly depicted a country’s identity and rich culture.

Responses to Genocide: Political and Humanitarian Strategies

Responses to Genocide: Political and Humanitarian Strategies Political expediency and humanitarian imperatives in response to genocide   This dissertation examines the humanitarian crisis in the Sudanese region of Darfur during 2003-2004, a situation that has continued through to 2005. Recent reports from the World Food Programme estimate that the violence carried out by the tacitly government-supported militias against the non-Arab civilian population in the region has left 3.5 million people hungry, 2.5 million displaced by the violence and 400, 000 dead.   The Darfur crisis has been a humanitarian disaster unseen since the 1994 genocide in Rwanda. It has been a situation that ultimately foreign governments and international organisations have been unable to ignore. Chapter two examines firstly the theoretical questions behind humanitarian intervention. The realist theory of international affairsis at the heart of the debate – realism suggests that states should puttheir own security and self interest before any moral obligation to intervene. Set in the context of Darfur, there was nothing within the individual national interest of other individual states to intervene, yet at some point in the crisis the common assumption moved towards afeeling that intervention on the basis of humanity was required.   The Rwandan genocide of 1994 and the international response at the time isused as an example of realism dictating the initial response of theinternational community, only to be overtaken by a more moral based response once the sheer scale of the crisis and human rights abuses became apparent. Chapter three looks at events in Darfur in detail, from the beginnings of the crisis to the current situation. Using media sourcesas well as reports from organisation such as the UN and Human Rights Watch, this chapter summarises the main events of the crisis, with examples of the indiscriminate violence used by the government-backed Janjaweed militias against the civilian population in Darfur. The response of the Sudanese government along with the steps it took to prevent humanitarian intervention are describes, as are the actions, or in many cases, the inaction of sections of the international community.  Ã‚   The actions of the Sudanese Government would appear to be driven by the state centric realism that Webber and Smith term â€Å"acentral driving force for human motivation, namely a quest for power† Chapter Four attempts to analyse events in Darfur against the theoretical frameworks detailed in chapter two. Realist assumptions continue to carry a certain weight in international politics, but there are examples of some more ethical policy making within the international community. The roles of the Sudanese Government, the UN, the US and other Western nations are looked at against theoretical positions. Chapter Five offers some conclusions on the internationalresponse to Darfur. At the heart of any analysis of the international response to thecrisis in Darfur lies the question why should anyone care about Darfur.Whilst theories supporting just wars and humanitarian intervention fromthe likes of Kaldor and Walzer argue that there is a basic humanmorality that requires states that are able to intervene to stop thesuffering of oppressed people, a realist perspective, one thatrepresented the initial international response to Darfur, is that thekey value of national interest is independence and security.   It is aquestion that has been at the crux of international relations forcenturies – intervention in the affairs of another sovereign state isan issue that has generated much debate. State sovereignty has long been a fundamental pillar of internationalsociety and non-intervention has ensured that individual states canmaintain their political independence and territorial integrity.International organisations have generally supported this principlewith, for example, Resolution 2131 of the UN General Assembly in 1965stating: â€Å"No state has the right to intervene, directly or indirectly in theinternal or external affairs of any other state. Consequently, armedintervention and all other forms of interference or attempted threatsagainst the personality of the State or against its political,economic, or cultural elements are condemned†. Regional organisationshave taken a similar stance – the Organisation of American Statestotally prohibits direct or indirect intervention in the affairs ofanother state. A wide range of political theory also supports the viewthat sovereignty is all-important and one state should not interfere inthe affairs of another. Nonetheless, international affairs since the establishment of thenation-state have seen intervention by states in the affairs of otherfor a number of reasons. The earliest interventions were for economicand strategic reasons and to secure territorial security – nineteenthcentury European interventions in Africa and Asia to establish coloniesserve as an example of this. In the early twentieth century the USbegan to utilise a different type of intervention, intervening in theaffairs of Central American states such as Nicaragua to encouragedomestic political order, reduce economic corruption and reinforce itsown influence in the region. Such action drew the attention of realistcritics who have influence US foreign policy thinking more recently.Realists have alleged that the adherence to moral principles and thefailure in the past to understand the â€Å"power essence† of interstaterelations has led to unwise and unsuccessful policies , for example tofailed humanitarian int ervention in Somalia. Certainly, the memories ofSomalia will have effected thinking on a political and humanitarianresponse to Darfur. The Cold War saw intervention across the globe by the two superpowerseither to enhance their own strategic security or to advanceideological goals, for example the USSR moving to strengthen communismin Czechoslovakia in 1968 or the US challenging anti-democratic forcesin Grenada in 1983. It is however, humanitarian intervention that is most relevant to thesituation in Darfur, an type of intervention that according to JackDonnelly is foreign intervention that seeks â€Å"to remedy mass andflagrant violations of the basic rights of foreign nationals by theirgovernment†Ã‚  Ã‚   The failure of states and subsequent abuses of humanrights in the latter stages of the twentieth century have presentedother governments with numerous scenarios where they have to makedecisions as to whether military intervention for humanitarian reasonsis justified. It is a complex issue that poses a number of legal andmoral issues. Amstutz argues that humanitarian intervention presents a legalchallenge to the accepted systems of state sovereignty along with amoral challenge to the right of self-determination. Whilst the demandfor order, justice, stability and human rights may override theseconcerns, politicians are also faced with the decision as to whether,how and when their country should instigate humanitarian intervention.Such interventions can generally be justified if two criteria are met:firstly that humanitarian intervention be in the interests of theintervening state, i.e. that it perceives the human rights abuses inthe foreign state as a general threat to the order, legitimacy andmorality of global society, or as a particular threat to its owneconomic prosperity; secondly that the intervention must be in theinterests of the civilian population of the intervened state and thatthe legal and moral issues around military intervention can bejustified by the overall good that is accomplished. NATO intervent ionin Bosnia can be seen as an example of a situation that met the formercriteria, the situationsin both Rwanda and Darfur would appear to meetthe latter. Michael Walzer who has written extensively on just war theory andintervention argues that humanitarian intervention should be seen asdifferent from instigating a military conflict. As well as the legalistargument against intervention in the affairs of another state, there isalso the difficulty of intervention in a country that has not committedaggression against another state – there is a danger that interveningstates can be seen as portraying the message treat your people the waywe believe you should or be subject to the threat of armed punishment.Walzer nonetheless believes that even if intervention threatens theterritory and political independence of another state, there are timeswhen it can be justified. The onus of proof of justification howeverlies with the leader of the state that intervenes and this can be aheavy burden, â€Å"not only because of the coercions and ravages thatmilitary intervention brings, but also because it is thought that thecitizens of a sovereign state have a right, insofar as they are to becoerced and ravaged at all, to suffer only at one another’s hands†. Arguments that states should, regardless of how they are governed,should be left to deal with own affairs and influenced by the thoughtsof John Stuart Mill who argued from a utilitarian viewpoint stronglyfor the right of a single political community to determine its ownaffairs – whether or not its political arrangements are free is not anissue for other states – members of any political society mustcultivate their own freedom in the way that individuals must cultivatetheir own virtue, self-help rather than intervention from an externalforce must be the way towards a just society. Such arguments do notstand up when applied to some of the systematic and well-documentedhuman rights abuses of the twentieth century – foreign governments makedecisions based on a realist perspective not to intervene, butnon-intervention based on the idea of self-determination is to avoidthe issue and hide behind outdated ideas. There is a point at whichrealism has to be put aside and so me form of moral stance must betaken. For Walzer, there are three situations in which theinternational resistance to boundary crossings can be ignored: 1.  when a particular set of boundaries clearly contains two or morepolitical communities, one of which is already engaged in a large-scalemilitary struggle for independence; that is, when what is at issue issecession or ‘national liberation’ 2.  when the boundaries have already been crossed by the armies of aforeign power, even if the crossing has been called for by one of theparties in a civil war, that is, when what is at issue iscounter-intervention; and 3.  when the violation of human rights within a set of boundaries is soterrible that it makes talk of community or self-determination or‘arduous struggle’ seem cynical or irrelevant, that is, in cases onenslavement or massacre His criteria present a realistic scope for intervention. For all theideas of ethical foreign policies there has to be some realism ininternational relations in that states cannot simply intervene in everydispute between neighbours or outbreaks of political unrest in otherstates. Walzer’s criteria, particular his third, limit interventionwhen serious abuses of human rights appear to be taking place. At thispoint, political expediency and national self-interest should be putaside. Ultimately, Walzer’s thinking lead him towards an ethical theory ofpeace on the basis of sovereignty and other widely accepted states’rights. His values form the basis of a legalist paradigm, which providethe moral and legal structure for maintaining international peace. Hislegal paradigm also outlines the criteria for use of force tointervene. Its six key principles are: 1.  An international society of independent states exists; 2.  The states comprising the international society have rights,including the rights of territorial integrity and political sovereignty; 3.  The use of force or threat of force by one state against another constitutes aggression and is a criminal act; 4.  Aggression justifies two types of action: a war of self-defence bythe victim and a war of law enforcement by the victim and any othermembers of the international society; 5.  Nothing but aggression justifies war 6.  After the aggressor state has been militarily repulsed, it can be punished. Irrespective of the situation in a particular state and the legal ormoral issues around any form of intervention, the realist view ofinternational affairs can lead statesmen to decide againstintervention. Realists from Thucydides, Hobbes and Machiavelli throughto the likes of Kissinger and Waltz remain strictly sceptical aboutmoral concepts within international relations and assume that statesgoing to war or engaging in any form of intervention are more motivatedby power and their own national security than any moral issues. Thephrase â€Å"all’s fair in love and war† is often applied to the realistperspective with Walzer writing â€Å"referring specifically to war,realists believe that it is an intractable part of an anarchical worldsystem, that it ought to be resorted to only if it makes sense in termsof national self-interest†Ã‚   – in effect there are no moralconsideration in regard to military intervention, the human rightsabuses occurring in another state are of little importance to realists,intervention will only be considered if it is considered to beeconomically or strategically of value to the intervening state or itsleaders. This value can be political on occasions. There is littledoubt of the power of modern media to put pressure on politicians. TheUS intervention in Somalia and NATO action in Bosnia were to someextent related to public pressure on politicians to do something aboutscenes being broadcast into the homes of the electorate. Thinking on humanitarian intervention has had to adapt more recently tothe new type of wars that have proliferated across the globe since theend of the Cold War, for example the conflicts in the former Yugoslaviadriven by ancient ethnic hatreds. Certainly with the demise of thestand off between two military superpowers there has been greater scopefor the UN and individual states to become involved in conflictresolution and throughout the 1990s the UN has found itself constantlyinvolved in providing humanitarian aid, establishing safe havens,disarmament and demobilisation operations, monitoring and maintainingceasefires. New wars have involved a blurring of the distinction between war(usually defined as violence between states or organised politicalgroups), organised crime (violence undertaken by privately organisedgroups for private purposes, usually financial gain) and large-scaleviolations of human rights (violence undertaken by states orpolitically organised groups against individual).   Some of the ethnichatred that has fuelled new wars has in particular led to terriblehuman rights abuses; events that put moral pressure on others states toconsider intervention. Mary Kaldor suggests that there are two types ofresponse to new wars – one is to draw on the old war idea of the nationstate and look for solutions along the lines of intervention and peacekeeping whilst the other response is a more negative and fatalisticoutlook: â€Å"because the wars cannot be understood in traditional terms,they are thought to represent a reversion to primitivism or anarchy andthe most that can be done there fore is to ameliorate the symptoms. Inother words, wars are treated as natural disasters.† Kaldor’s view rightly challenge the realist assumption that statesshould not involve themselves in humanitarian intervention unless thereis some advantage to be gained in a self-interested pursuit of power.What is required is a more political response to new wars and theattacks on human rights that accompany them. The internationalcommunity should be looking towards politics of inclusion that capturethe hearts and minds of protagonists and any such politicalmobilisation should override traditional geopolitics or short termdomestic concerns. This type of thinking moves closer to a type ofneo-realism which places more of an emphasis on the structural featuresof the international system and avoids the stress on the often anarchicstriving for power that reflects traditional realism.   The drawback tothe neo realist approach is that its reliance on the determining impactof the structure of the international system allow policy makersrelatively little discretion. This can be seen to some extent in Darfuras representative from various states struggled to find a solution tothe crisis that met with consensus. There have of course been embarrassments for individual states andinternational organisations with attempts at humanitarian interventionin the 1990s, setbacks that will give weight to realist theory thatsovereign states should on the whole be left well alone. Kaldorconcludes that humanitarian intervention has had mixed success: â€Å"at best, people have been fed and fragile ceasefires have beenagreed†¦.at worst the UN has been shamed and humiliated, as, forexample, when it failed to prevent genocide in Rwanda, when theso-called safe haven of Srebrenica was overrun by Bosnian Serbs, orwhen the hunt for the Somali warlord Aideed ended in a mixture of farceand tragedy†. Nonetheless, the arguments for humanitarian intervention remain strong.Darfur is as good an example as any for this. As Orend writes â€Å"whyshould foreign states, which themselves respect human rights, be barredin principle from intervening in such illegitimate regimes?†Ã‚   Rwanda in particular serves as an example of both foreign states andinternational organisations initially taking a realist stance only toeventually to be spurred into action by the sheer scale of the genocidetaking place. In France’s case, the links between the powerful elitesin the two countries had long been established – not only had Francelong supported the Hutu regime but Francois Mitterand and RwandanPresident Habyarimana were personal friends, whilst their sons, JeanChristopher and Jean-Pierre were also friends and business associates.The two countries had mutual economic interests and there is evidencethat Jean Christopher was one of France’s biggest arms dealers to Rwanda. The French response to the developing crisis, when it came, was farfrom glorious. Rather than intervene to provide further killings itdecided to pull out its troops. In the previous week, the first of thegenocide they had evacuated as many as 1361 people including 450 Frenchnationals and 178 Rwandan officials and their families. No otherRwandan nationals were evacuated, not even Tutsi personnel from theFrench embassy or well-known opponents of the regime who had alreadybeen targeted by the militia.   The role of the United Nations mission (UNAMIR) has receivedconsiderable criticism in analyses of the genocide. The UN had its owninternal politics to contend with and its policies on Rwanda were inturn determined to some extent by realist self-interest. As anorganisation it was largely reliant on the support of its most powerfulmembers on the Security Council. These nations, mindful of thedisastrous US intervention in Somalia were wary of investing troops andfinances into another African conflict. Realism came to the forefrontof the early decision making process. Human Rights Watch, in additionto criticism of the UN for not taking heed of Dallaire’s warnings, isalso critical of the scale of the mandate itself.   It describes thedetails of the mandate as follows: â€Å"Not only was the UN slow, it was also stingy. The United States, whichwas assessed 31 per cent of UN peacekeeping costs, had suffered fromthe enormous 370 per cent increase in peacekeeping expenses from 1992to 1993 and was in the process of reviewing its policy on such operations. Quite simply the UN was not equipped to keep the peace in Rwanda.Members on its influential Security Council did not have the politicalwill to get involved, nor were they willing to take on the financialburden. The US and the UK, although less involved in Rwanda thanFrance, were similarly guilty of happily ignoring warnings of possiblegenocide and working towards the maintenance of the status quo. Bothhad sold arms to the Hutu regime and had trading links with Rwanda.Both also had little desire to see their own troops caught up as partof an UN force in Rwanda. The theory of non-intervention, as opposed torealism is another view that opposes humanitarian intervention. The keyassumptions and values for this concept are †¢Ã‚  the existing anarchic international system is morally legitimate †¢Ã‚  peoples have a right to political self-determination †¢Ã‚  states have a juridical right to sovereignty and territorial integrity †¢Ã‚  states have an obligation to resolve conflicts peacefully †¢Ã‚  force is a illegitimate instrument for altering the existing territorial boundaries Non –intervention theory argues in favour of an internationallegitimacy of states in which existing states are entitled to autonomyand domestic legitimacy which assumes that states are entitled torespect and support when they fulfil their core obligations as states.In terms of domestic legitimacy, in the light of the fact that thereare wide disparities in conceptions of human rights, this canessentially be interpreted that whether a state is entitled tonon-intervention depends largely on its subject’s approval of theregime itself. The counter-arguments of realism and moral intervention continue toplay a major role in international politics and are likely to continueto do so. It is a sad fact that the list of oppressive governments andmassacred populations is lengthy. Walzer points out that for every Naziholocaust or Rwanda there will be a number of smaller examples ofinjustice and abuse – so many that the international community cannothope to deal with. On a small scale at least, Walzer’s suggestion thatâ€Å"states don’t send their soldiers into other states, it seems, only tosave lives. The lives of foreigners don’t weigh that heavily in thescales of domestic decision-making†Ã‚   rings true – humanitarianintervention in smaller-scale situations is simply not realistic. Agreater test for the moral resolve of NGOs and wealthier nations istheir response in the face of large-scale humanitarian disasters andhuman rights abuses, again using Walzer’s words, when deal ing with actsâ€Å"that shock the moral conscience of mankind†. Ethical questions around the issues of international moral obligationstowards nations suffering from oppressive regimes and human rightsabuses are not easily resolved. Whilst humanitarian aid or interventionis generally seen as a morally correct route of action, politicalexpediency quite often takes precedence. Whilst it is generallyaccepted that, as Grotius believed, war ought not to be undertakenexcept for the enforcement of right and   when once undertaken it shouldbe carried on   within the bounds of law and good faith,  Ã‚   national selfinterest does not always allow for a strategy led by such moralincentives. In Darfur, the action of the Khartoum Government couldcertainly not be described as driven by moral incentives whilstelsewhere early responses to the crisis were driven by politicalexpediency   Major states have to ask themselves which moral valuesshould influence their foreign policies and which international valueis more important – sovereignty or human r ights? The answer should behuman rights, yet there is a fine line between using these values froma moral perspective or manipulating them into a realist opportunity toindulge the national interest with intervention elsewhere. There areother difficult questions – do human rights violations justify foreignintervention and at what scale?   Does international political moralityrequire the removal of illegal military regimes and the restoration ofdemocracy?   There are countless regimes around the world to which theworld might turn its attention and ask itself these questions. For themost part, small conflicts and small-scale abuse of human rights are,rightly or wrongly, ignored. The situation in Darfur from 2003 onwardshowever gave the international community a scenario that it could notignore. The world had to make decisions upon hundreds of thousands oflives would rest. Chapter Three – The crisis in Darfur The current situation in Darfur can be traced back to February 2003when fighters from the Sudanese Liberation Movement (SLM) and theJustice and Equality Movement (JEM) launched joints attacks againstgovernment garrisons in protest at what they saw as decades ofpolitical oppression and economic neglect by the Sudanese government.The attacks came at the same time that there had been high hopes of apeace settlement to the war in southern Sudan that had been ongoingbetween the government and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army(SPLM/A) since independence in 1965. The government’s response was unequivocal. Citing the rebels as anaggressive force against the state it set out to crush the rebellion byforce and utilised the powerful force of Arab Janjaweed militias toattack not particularly rebel soldiers but the civilian populationsfrom where the rebels would have originated.   The government expectedto crush the revolt, partly as it had done so in 1991 when a SPLA unitinfiltrated Darfur, and partly as it expected a lack on internationalinterest as Darfur was an internal Northern Sudanese issue with noChristian population and no oil interests involved. Khartoum –ledmilitary activity in late 2003 to early 2004 was brutal (â€Å"acounter-insurgency of extraordinary ferocity†)   and carried out whilstthe government prevented any humanitarian aid reaching the civilianpopulation. It was an action led by political expediency withabsolutely no regard for the human rights of an innocent civilianpopulation. Hugo Slim describes th e military action as completelydisproportionate to the targeted guerrilla warfare of the two Darfurinsurgent groups and states that â€Å"systematic and widespread governmentand Janjaweed assaults on civilians, their villages, theirinfrastructure and their livelihoods along with forced displacement andland-grabbing, intended to make it impossible for the terrorised andevicted populations to return. As this went on, the Government alsoenforced what was almost a complete ban on humanitarian aid accessingthe country between October 2003 and February 2004. Early talks on the crisis saw the Khartoum Government deliberatelystonewall on major issues. It objected to upgrading the small AUobserver force from 300 to 3500,with an increase in its mandate toinclude protecting civilians, and was then forced to accept thismeasure by the UN Security Council. It was a realist approach – lookingsolely after its own interests and using delay in an internationalresponse to move along with its aim to displace the population ofDrafur. Government and Janjaweed Cooperation There is little realdoubt that the government has worked closely with the Janjaweedmilitias. Human Rights Watch (HRW) investigations concluded thatgovernment forces and militia troops have taken part in massacres andsummary executions of civilians, burnings of towns and villages andforcible depopulation of areas across Darfur. †We are the government†has been a common response of Janjaweed at checkpoints and whenentering villages and HRW reports that â€Å"the government and itsJanjaweed allies have killed thousands of Fur, Masalit and Zaghawa –often in cold blood, raped women and destroyed villages, food stocksand other supplies essential to the civilian population.†. In the early stages of the conflict, the Sudanese government barelyattempted to conceal its close working with the Janjaweed. Mans writesthat â€Å"the Janjaweed militias are said to be of largely Chadian originand finance themselves through plunder and pillage, reportedly enjoyingimplicit support from the Government in Khartoum.† But this isunderstating the relationship between the two. In April 2004, theSudanese Foreign Minister, Mustafa Osman Ismail, admitted a commoncause with the Janjaweed stating â€Å"the government may have turned ablind eye to the militias†¦This is true. Because these militia aretargeting the rebellion.†Ã‚   President Bashir also had spoken on 31December 2003 of the government’s determination to defeat the SLArebellions and warned darkly that â€Å"the horsemen† would be one of theweapons it would use. There is other clear evidence of well established links between thegovernment and Janjaweed leaders. Many of the militia leaders areestablished emirs or omdas from Arab tribes who have previously workedin government. For example, Abdullah abu Shineibat, an emir of the BeniHalba tribe is a Janjaweed leader in the Habila-Murnei area, whilstOmar Saef, an omda of the Awlad Zeid tribe is leader of the Janjaweedfrom Geineina to Misterei. Other evidence pointed to a similarconclusion of complicity between government and militia: Janjaweedbrigades were organised along army lines with forces wearing similaruniforms and officers using the same stripes; militia forces used thesame land cruisers and satellite phones as army personnel and there isevidence that Janjaweed members were given assurances that they wouldnot face local prosecution for crimes, with police forces beinginstructed to leave them alone.   Again, the prevailing issue here ispolitical expediency overcoming any possible humani tarian response.Both the Government and Janjaweed had interests in devastating Darfur –there was political gain for the Government and financial gain for theJanjaweed. Both took the realist option of looking after themselves. Government and Militia forces attack civilians One of the mostnotable traits of the crisis in Darfur has been the fact that bothgovernment and militia forces have largely ignored rebel forces,preferring to use their weapons against the civilian population inareas that rebels may have originated from. HRW investigationsuncovered 14 incidents in Dar Masalit alone between September 2003 andFebruary 2004 in which 770 civilians were killed. It also gatheredwitness testimony to mass executions in the Fur areas of Wadi Salihprovince over the same period.   Aerial bombardment of civilians has also been commonplace. The SudaneseGovernment has made extensive use of attack aircraft, dropping bombsloaded with metal shards to cause maximum injury and also utilisinghelicopter gun ships and MiG jet fighters. Bombing has also beendeliberately targeted at villages and towns where displaced citizenshave gathered – for example on August 27 2003, aircraft carried out anattack on the town of Habila which was packed with displaced civiliansfrom surrounding areas. 24 were killed. Government and Janjaweed forces have also systematically attacked anddestroyed villages, food stocks, water sources and other essentialitems essential for the survival of villages in West Darfur. Refugeesin Chad have confirmed a sweep south east of Geneeina in February 2004saw the destruction of a number of villages including Nouri, Chakoke,Urbe, Jabun and Jedida. The International Response The international response to the situation in Darfur has been mixed,characterised by a willingness to condemn the Sudanese Governmentalongside a dragging of heels in actually intervening to stop what theUS Government has labelled genocide. Alex De Waal suggests thatpolitical repercussions for the Sudanese Government were gravewriting:   â€Å"International attention and condemnation exceeded allexpectations, culminating in Darfur being brought before the UnitedNations Security Council in July 2004† This analysis however fails tomention the scale of the crisis in the preceding months and suggests amore positive and effective response by the international communitythan was actually the case.. The international community may eventuallyhave come around to taking Darfur seriously – but much later than wasrequired. As Hugo Slim concludes: â€Å"the international community has notdenied, but it has delayed and dithered. Once engaged it fumbled andtook far too long to achie ve a united and sufficiently assertiveresponse.†Ã‚   There was a notable reluctance from the UN in particular to use theword genocide in relation to Darfur, a similar pattern to that had beenfollowed in Rwanda a decade earlier. It was in fact US Secretary ofState Powell that announced on September 9th 2004 that the USgo

Pluralism :: Federalist Papers pluralistic theory

American Pluralism In Federalist No. 10, James Madison stresses that â€Å"measures are too often decided, not according to the rules of justice and the rights of the minor party, but by the superior force of an interested and overbearing majority.† Madison philosophized that a large republic, composed of numerous factions capable of competing with each other and the majority must exist in order to avoid tyranny of majority rule.# When Federalist No. 10 was published, the concept of pluralism was not widely used. However, the political theory that is the foundation for United States government was the influential force behind pluralism and its doctrines. Pluralism comes from the political system that focuses on shared power among interest groups and competing factions.# A pluralistic society contains groups that have varying interests and backgrounds, including those of ethnic, religious, and political nature.# Differences like these are to be encouraged, with overall political and economic power being maintained. When a number of people, all sharing a common interest are threatened, a group is involuntarily formed in order to defend against competing interests. These pluralistic interest groups are free to operate and lobby in the political arena, fighting against the majority and other competing factions for voice in Congress. With the influence of multiple factions operating throughout the political system, a balance of power is created (Kernell 2000, 429). This is much like the international theory of sovereign states balancing each other’s power to create a political system that focuses on stability, yet is always in a constant flux of power. With this in mind, special interest groups are constantly contending for power by raising money, campaigning, and lobbying in Congress. When a special interest group is threatened by a competing policy, the group will organize efforts to balance, or transcend the power of the competing group. The pluralistic scholar David Truman notes that â€Å"the proliferation of political interest groups [is] a natural and largely benign consequence of economic development† (Kernell 2000, 429). That is, as American economic development increases, in the form of industry, trade, and technology, factions are produced in order to protect special interests. Factions have a large platform on which to find support from various political parties, committees, subcommittees, and the courts, as well as federal, state, and local governments (Kernell 2000, 429).

Analysis of Subways internal and external environments Essay

This essay will analyse the organisation Subway’s internal and external environments and their impacts on this organisation. This will include a swot analysis on resources and capabilities which are a part of the internal environment and on customers, suppliers, competitors, pressure groups, economic, political, technological, natural environment and emerging trends in the external environment. â€Å"A SWOT Analysis is a useful technique for understanding your Strengths and Weaknesses, and for identifying both the Opportunities open to you and the Threats you face† MindTools. com (2013). Internal environment Resources: 1. The Workforce Strengths – Subway restaurants operate out of over 36,000 locations in 99 different countries. Subway is an equal opportunity employer, where every employee can be assured that they will be treated with respect and not be discriminated or harassed for any reason. They continuously provide employees with training and encouragement through teamwork, against shared goals and benchmarks and to be accountable for their actions. Weaknesses – Many subway employees are younger generations and are particularly inexperienced in the workplace. This can be a weakness for subway as this younger group of employees have other priorities such as school/university which can make it difficult when creating the roster for shifts and being unskilled can cause delays in service and not properly organised meals going to the customers. Opportunities – Subway has the opportunity to train their unskilled employees in a way that suits them and is in line with the organisation’s goals. Threats – Subway’s direct competition offer similar workplace conditions and environments which can be a threat to Subway by these companies attracting higher skilled workers in the industry away from Subway. 2. Capital Availability Strengths – As Subway is operated as franchises, the overall company has a large amount of capital coming in from the franchises. Subway (2013) states â€Å"The SUBWAY ® chain’s start up costs are exceptionally low for a franchise of its size and stature. Total investment will depend on many factors, including location, rent, outlet size and equipment†. Weaknesses – There are many economic conditions, such as unemployment that contribute to weaknesses concerning Subway’s capital. Combine these economic issues with poor marketing strategies and it can affect the capital dramatically. For example the new â€Å"$5 Combo Deal† that they are offering, has resulted in a decrease in sales, as the average customer is now spending less money per purchase. Opportunities – Start-up costs of the franchises is low compared to similar organisations, it makes Subway more appealing to potential owners, there for encouraging more people to purchase a Subway franchise which will increase the capital of the overall company. Threats – Economic issues such as the Global Financial Crisis, unemployment and inflation can cause a threat to subway from opening more stores, which in turn affects their available capital. Capabilities: 1. Marketing Strengths – â€Å"Eat Fresh, Live Green† is Subway’s commitment to making a positive impact in all that they do. This is very appealing to consumers, as Subway’s beliefs and values are in line with theirs. Subway restaurants are also navigating the world of online social media to bring their message closer to consumers. Subway is experienced in international marketing. Weaknesses – Subway restaurants lack the interior design and quality that would welcome everyone to stay and feel more comfortable than in the competitor’s restaurants Opportunities – Subway employs superior marketing techniques and promotional strategies to attract and grow their customer base. The most successful Subway’s promotional offer was to offer footlongs for only $5. Threats – Subway runs the risk of decreasing their client base if they fail to meet consumers’ wants and needs if continuous innovation and new processes are not being developed and used. 2. Production Strengths – Restaurants are clean and maintained. Preparation goes into getting the food ready to be served so quickly before, after and during store hours – veggies need to be washed, diced, sliced and stored. All of this preparation contributes to the productivity of the store. Without these steps, the restaurant would not run efficiently. Weaknesses – Old equipment that is no longer working at its best and staff not being available to work can be weaknesses in the production process. Opportunities – Focusing their sustainability initiatives on energy efficiency, water & resource conservation, waste reduction, sustainable sourcing and supply chain management. Threats – Equipment failure and power outages are a huge threat to Subway concerning production. If either of these occur the Subway store would not be able to operate or produce any products. 3. Research and Development Strengths – Develops and test markets the food that they serve, making sure it is of high standards and quality. Weaknesses – The markets are constantly changing and they cannot always source produce from the same suppliers. Research needs to be done constantly and they do not always have the resources to do so, Opportunities – Do customer surveys in different demographic areas to provide what those areas are in demand for. Threats – Data recorded may be incorrect depending on what type of information they require and can come from unreliable sources. 4. Financial Management Strengths – Subway’s finance team is responsible for tracking, organizing and reporting on all financial activities and storing this data for future reference. This data can help them find better ways of financially running the organisation. Weaknesses – Variables in costs for produce depending on time of year and certain promotions. Variables in labour as employees come and go, more staff required for busy times of the year (holidays). Opportunities – With the support they provide and the low start-up costs they offer with their franchises, they can attract more buyers and expand the Subway chain even further. Threats – Price fluctuations, for example oil, can dramatically threaten Subway’s financials as consumers will have lower disposable incomes which will stop them from freely spending their money. 5. Information Systems Strengths – Subway has a loyalty card system which they use to gather information on their customers. Each card has a unique 16-digit identification number. The card enables Subway to collect data on its customers from its point-of-sale (POS) terminals to its CRM applications. Weaknesses – The first loyalty card they developed was easily copied. Opportunities – To introduce this card throughout all Subway stores so they can collect a larger amount of data for their information system. Threats – Without security measures in place with their loyalty cards people could produce fraudulent cards to receive rewards from the company. External Environment Customers Strengths – Subway already has a strong client base because of their fresh and more nutritious products. These factors appeal to the customers. Weaknesses – Customers do not always feel like healthy options and on occasions want a greasy alternative that Subway does not provide. Opportunities – Subway provides customers with the opportunity to provide feedback on their products and service. By doing this the customers have the opportunity to influence Subway’s decisions with how to do things better and to discover what products sell the best and what the customers like about the service they receive. Threats – Poor customer service is a major threat to any business that deals with customers. Subway, without its customers, would not be able to operate. Another threat is if negative feedback from customers is spread around then this could potentially stop customers from returning Suppliers Strengths – Subway sources as much produce as possible locally. They try to support their locally communities as much as possible. They source this produce from suppliers that share their commitment to social responsibility and sustainability. Weaknesses – Some suppliers can be unreliable and not provide stock when ordered. Opportunities – There are more opportunities to source more locally grown products and help support local businesses grow and stay in the market. Threats – The supplier may not have enough produce/stock to provide Subway at certain times and the supplier may think that the price they are receiving for their products is too low, causing them to refuse supply. Competitors Strengths – Largest fast food restaurant chain in the world by the number of outlets. Currently the Subway operates over 38,181 restaurants in 99 countries, more than McDonald’s or any other fast food chain operator. Weaknesses – Majority of Subway’s competitors offer cheaper meals than what Subway can, based on the price they purchase their products at. Opportunities – Subway has many competitors, so they need to stay innovative and keep their products on top of the others that are available. They have the opportunity to promote their products as healthy options and deep-fryer free compared to their competitors to encourage more sales. Threats – McDonald’s, Hungry Jacks and KFC are some of subways main competitors. These competitors all offer family meal deals and cheap snack sizes on their menu’s which makes them more appealing to consumers. Pressure Groups Strengths – Subway takes input from pressure groups and community members so they can improve the operations, products and service. Weaknesses – Subway cannot rely on the information that pressure groups provide them with as it does not always represent the majority. Opportunities – Pressure groups can be a huge opportunity for Subway to listen to their opinions and issues with the organisation and how the pressure groups think Subway can resolve these issues and develop their company to be more socially responsible. Threats – Pressure groups however can be a threat as they don’t always have the majorities input on these issues and are misrepresenting the whole community when the push their ideas and beliefs on Subway which can make other customers stop returning to purchase goods from them. Economic Strengths – Subway opens stores when the economy is doing well. By doing this they establish their presence in the demographic and build up a good amount of returning consumers. Weaknesses – Subway needs to have a contingency plan in place for when the economy in their area decreases. If they do not, potentially they will reduce in the amounts of sale because they cannot control consumers disposable incomes. Opportunities – When the economy is strong, consumers have higher disposable incomes. This give Subway the opportunity to slightly increase prices and promote their products more as consumers are more willing to spend money. Threats – Not all geographic areas have the same amount of disposable income and Subway needs to take this into consideration. In these areas Subway may need to offer special promotions or lower their prices to cater for this otherwise they will lose sales. Political Strengths – Subway follows and adheres to government legislation including the Fair Trading Act and policies relating to environmental conservation. Weaknesses – Each state has different standards and restrictions in place which means not every Subway store can fully operate the same. Opportunities – With these policies, it creates a safer work environment at Subway and helps them become innovative on how they can reduce their environmental footprint. Threats – If Subway does not follow these regulations on how they operate, produce and promote their products they can be fined hefty amounts of money or even closed down. Technological Strengths – As a global brand, Subway continues to make strides in sustainable packaging, and waste management as well as look for more efficient equipment and operational practices Weaknesses – Not all technology is good just because it is new. Subway needs to research thoroughly before investing in new technology to make sure that it operates with their commitments to a cleaner, healthier environment. Opportunities – To obtain newer technology and apply it in aspects of their business would be a big opportunity for Subway. Threats – Some local markets may not be ready for new technologies and don’t have a full understanding of how they work, therefore consumers not trusting or believing in the new technologies. Natural Environment Strengths – An organization cannot survive without the support of its environment. Subway takes in resources such as labor, money, and raw materials from outside its boundaries in the natural environment. Weaknesses – Subway cannot control the climate or the weather in the areas that have stores operating in. Opportunities – There are opportunities that arise depending on the weather. In the hotter season Subway can promote their salads more for a meal that is more refreshing in the heat. In the cooler seasons they should promote there â€Å"subs† toasted for something to warm the belly. Threats – Depending on locations some areas may experience unpredictable natural events like cyclones or tornados. These can cause a dramatic threat to Subway stores in areas where events like this occur as there can be damage to roads and buildings, no electricity and no stock or fresh produce from suppliers. Emerging Trends Strengths – Subway franchises are involved with the communities surrounding them so they are always aware of the current and emerging trends happening in their locations. Weaknesses – Subway cannot follow all emerging trends as there are too many and it would be too costly for them to do so. Opportunities – To expand their online ordering (catering for meetings/offices) to be made available for individuals to order and then pick it up, or start a delivery service. Threats – Often trends don’t last for long periods of time, making it costly for Subway. Conclusion As you can see from the above analysis, there are many different factors, both internal and external, that effect the organisation, Subway. There are many internal and external forces that Subway needs to consider and stay on top of so they do not fail. References MindTools. com, (2013). SWOT Analysis. Retrieved on 11 September 2013 from http://www. mindtools. com/pages/article/newTMC_05. htm#sthash. 86tx07Tn. dpuf SUBWAY (2013). Corporate Opportunities. Retrieved on 13 September 2013 from http://www. subway. com. au/info/franchise_information/corporate_opportunities/ Unknown Publisher, (2012). Evaluating the External Environment. Retrieved on 13 September 2013 from http://2012books. lardbucket. org/books/strategic-management-evaluation-and-execution/s07-evaluating-the-external-enviro. html

Oijiojoi

Rise of one person at the expense of another, contrasting worlds, disguises, and redemption reveal the four most common Dramatic Patterns found throughout The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet. To start with, rise of one person at the expense of another Is a pattern that ultimately describes an Individual whose actions take effect upon themselves. In this case, an example of this pattern would be how the Nurse and Lady Caplet try and convince Juliet to marry Count Paris.Lady Caplet, who barely speaks to Juliet since he was born, surprisingly beckons her to accept Paris' hand in marriage. When the Nurse hears Lady Caplet's request, she also tries to persuade Juliet to marry Paris. This example exposes to the audience how both of the characters are personally setting up the marriage for Juliet only to satisfy themselves. Count Paris is blood related to the Prince, and knowing If they got Juliet to marry him Into the family, his wealth will be shared upon with them. They both consider how muc h advantages they would get over Gullet's wellbeing and happiness.Take the Nurse for instance, in the play, the audience may recognize that she over exaggerates how lovely the idea of marrying Paris when she apprehends the idea of the service she was going to get within Paris. Another example of this pattern Is when the Friar agrees to marry Romeo and Juliet. Like the first example, this reveals the greediness within Friar Lawrence. Within the flirts few scenes before agreeing to the marriage, he disagrees greatly of Romeos love for Juliet and mentions how he tends to rush relationships to an expense. Pam 2After pondering over the idea, he realizes that their forbidden love can patch the Caplet and Montague houses back together in peace. He quickly changes his mind and decides to wed them both, assuming he will get all the credit for mending the feuding households together. Additionally, contrasting worlds is another dramatic pattern that discloses this play and contrasts the differ ences between the servants and their masters. A scene in the play that specifically describes this pattern is when the servants were having a personal party within the Caplet party.When the audience thinks about servants, they think about the responsible tasks that they have to savor for their masters. The audience least expects the servants to have a laughing matter at their own leaders' party. In this case, the Caplet servants are not respecting their roles, but Instead, act as equal within the household to try and gain more privileges. In addition, another instance of this dramatic pattern is when Gullet's father calls the Nurse by her first name, Angelica. While in the midst of preparation for the wedding, Lord Capsules is inning around, overexcited, and giving orders.He gives a task for the Nurse to complete and ends up mentioning her by her first name. The Nurse, astonishingly, the reader to infer that Lord Caplet and the Nurse had an affair. If the audience truly thinks about it, it is remarkable that he calls her by her first name. Last time he spoke to her, he was calling her hurtful names when she went against Juliet and Paris' marriage. Furthermore, disguises is an additional dramatic pattern that supports the building block of the plot of The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet.The first example of this pattern is when Lord Caplet warms up to Paris about marrying Juliet. When Paris asks Lord Caplet for Gullet's hand in marriage, he tells him that Juliet is too young of an age to get married. This reveals that he is Pam 3 lying and hypercritical because he vowed to his wife when she was Just as young as Juliet was. The reader may notice that Lord Caplet is playing hard to get, and instead of easily handing Juliet to Paris, he suggests that Paris should get to know Juliet at the masquerade party before marrying her.In addition, another illustration of disguise is when the Friar pretends that Juliet is dead. When Juliet comes running into Friar Lawrence cell, she demands him to find a way to keep her from marrying Count Paris or she will kill herself right then and there. He panics and tells Juliet that he consumed a potion that will make it appear as if she is dead, but only for a certain amount of time. The Friar's plan was to have Juliet beg her father for forgiveness and agree to the marriage with Paris. She is then going to ingest the potion and appear dead in the morning.The Capsules will then place Juliet in the Caplet tomb, and when she wakes up, Romeo will be there to reassure her. She will then return to Mantra with Romeo, and be unrestricted to live with him away from their parents' hatred. What the Capsules do not know is that Friar Lawrence lied about her being dead, and reassured them to quickly start the burial for Juliet so they will not suspect a thing. Having to lie about Gullet's death prevents his idea from backfiring. Moreover, the dramatic pattern that ties the conclusion of the play is redemption.Redemption s when the characters of the storyline begs for the forgiveness of others. An example that reflects this pattern is when the Friar confesses and asks for mercy when he is caught. In the last act of the play, the Friar's plan had miscarried and Romeo and Juliet ended up committing suicide individually. After being caught by the watchmen, he quickly confesses how he secretly married Romeo and Juliet thinking that he could bring the Capsules and Montague together. He mentions how destroyed Juliet was for having to marry Paris and he offered her a Pam 4 leaping potion to trick everyone that she was dead.The Friar also mentions that he sent a letter to Romeo which failed to deliver about the false death of Juliet, thus leading to Romeo killing himself over disbelief. After seeing Juliet awaken from her deep sleep, the Friar mentions how he tried to convince her to come with him where he will cast her away to be a nun. When Juliet refuses to go with him, he runs away as the group of watchmen cl oses in. While asking for forgiveness, the reader can tell that the Friar does not pity up to the Prince.He gives himself up to Prince Callus and asks for consequences and sacrifice knowing the tragedy he has done to both of the houses was his fault. Another instance where the characters seek redemption is when Lord Caplet makes up with Lord Montague. After they both lost their only child, they both realized that no more lives should be taken from the aging dispute. Now knowing that his daughter is married to a Montague, he calls Romeos father, his make a monument of Romeo while Lord Montague makes a monument of Juliet in honor of their characters.

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buy custom The Educational System and Concern essay Introduction The educational system and concern Eight years of primary and four years of secondary schooling is offered by the Belize education system. Although the number of preschools has steadily increased over the last decade, preschool education is not compulsory. There are a few post secondary institutions including the NationalUniversity (University of Belize). This institution evolved from the merger of four former government funded tertiary institutions, and the University College of Belize (Longsworth Mason, QADS, 2005). The cost of tertiary education is borne primarily by students and/or their parents, even though government provides support to tertiary institutions. For pupils between 5-14 years old, primary education is compulsory. Moreover, at the secondary level, there were 44 schools with total enrolment of 15, 359 and teaching force of 1,060 of whom 293 or 27.5 percent are classified as graduates with professional training (Longsworth Mason, QADS, 2005). With professionally qualified teachers at this level, this number is a dramatic decline. There are government and grant-aided schools that are fully financed by the government and also a number of denominational grant-aided schools. The Roman Catholics manage a number of schools in the primary school sector. Government pays 100 percent of all teachers salaries, develops curricula and standards, and trains teachers under the church/state partnership. Government also contributes to the cost of capital expenditure and assists with school maintenance for grant aided schools (Longsworth Mason, 2005). Given the substantial level of financing it provides to schools, some have questioned the merits of the government taking over the financing and management. What is often debated is governments ability to fully fund and manage all primary schools. One factor for the low enrolment rates at secondary level is the lack of available space in schools at this level. Additionally, the high private cost of some schools is another factor that was suggested by recent studies. Moreover, in the rural areas, students have to travel several miles to access schools and the transportation cost prevents many from attending. Nevertheless, the most significant factor causing decline in secondary enrolment rates seems to be the socio-economic factors. I tend to agree with Young and Melnicks (1988) account that the impact of poverty and its attendant problems tends to be more severe in inner-city environments than in other geographical settings...(Ainscow West, 2006). For example, in one case in Belize City a government funded secondary school opened approximately three years agostudents pay very little, as such, neighbouring schools that are not fully funded by the government and require the students to pay tuition fees have lost a lot of their students and are at risk of closing down. Therefore, students who were unable to afford these denominational schools are able to participate in secondary education because it is almost free (Longsworth Mason, 2005). Two public examinations are administered on an annual basis at the primary level. To all students completing primary education, the Primary School Examination (PSE) is administered and to all students completing the middle division of primary education, the Belize Junior Achievement Test (BJAT) is administered. As stated by the Quality Assurance and Development Services (QADS) in the Ministry of Education (MOE) Belize Report, the PSE consists of criterion referenced measures in English, Mathematics, Social Studies and Science (2005). Then, the results from the BJAT are provided to schools in a report containing each students scores as well as an analysis of the schools performance compared to other school (MOE/QADS, 2005). External examinations provided by the Caribbean Examination Council (CXC) is the only public examinations or regional examination offered at this time. At the completion of the secondary education, one can take these exams but it is not compulsory. For employment purposes as well as matriculation to higher education institutions locally and/or regionally (Caribbean), the results from these examinations are used. More recently, Kerr West (2010), whom I tend to agree with, as in the case of Belize have also argued that in reality, exam success is at best a proxy indicator for educational quality and there is ample evidence that improving scoresdoes little to influence either post-school choices or opportunities (Kerr West, 2010, p. 38). However, Cambridge International Examinations (CIE) and formerly the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC), presently the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC), are two examining boards that offer Advanced (A) level examinations in Belize as international examinations. Belize has always been demanding by trying to narrow the gap as they would usually mean in terms of results (Kerr West, 2010, p. 14) and also by putting pressure on the achievement of examination success due to the rapid competition in the region. Colleges receive awards annually for producing students that show outstanding performance in the regional examinations. Kerr and West (2010) ask a similar question; will this create a more equal system in terms of results and access to resources and opportunities needed to get good results for Belize (Kerr West, 2010, p. 14)? The impact of ongoing challenges and educational priorities Despite some developments in certain areas, there still remain ongoing challenges that cause school failures in relation to accommodating the mechanism of the 1999 Education Strategy. Longsworth and Mason (2005) suggested that there is a need for the following: (i.)Greater commitment by government that can translate into adequate resources and access to funds to address access especially at the preschool level; (ii.)Strengthening of the supervision and monitoring of schools; (iii.)Increasing teacher training to reduce the large number of unqualified teachers that are in the system; and (iv.)Greater involvement and strengthening the roles of parents and communities in educaton, etc. (Longsworth Mason, 2005). Fortunately, Longsworth Mason (2005) articulate a much more positive account that the School Performance and Improvement Plans (SPIP) have made significant improvements in schools that have implemented it; hence SPIP must be a requirement for all education institutions (Longsworth Mason, 2005). In this regard, there would appear to be sound evidence in support of the argument that school improvement interventions should be designed carefully, taking into account what is known about successful school development educational policy needs to focus on those things that schools can have an impact on (Kerr West, 2010, p. 48). Many children, who enter the school system at the primary level, as previously indicated, do not complete the cycle and the difficulty increases. Pupils repeat at various stages of the education system, Infant 1 and First Form in particular. Highlighted below are a number of the factors which contribute to the low completion rates within the school system. 1.1 Institutions modus operandi and policies in education Overall recurrent expenditure per primary and secondary school child has been rising in recent years. Although over the years, official expenditure on education has been somewhat constant. A greater shift of the financing to parents has been the cost-sharing norm between the Ministry of Education and institution contributors. Consequently, education is becoming beyond the reach of many households (most evident at the preschool level). This burden has made it difficult for parents and communities to support education adequately. Poverty-stricken parents are unable to feed their children properly and provide adequate health services even with children in schools fully financed by government. Longsworth and Mason (2005) stated that in these circumstances, children whose parents cannot afford costs of instructional materials, school uniforms, tuition fees, and activity fees tend to go to school irregularly and, in the long run, drop out of school (Longsworth Mason, 2005). In addition, parents are unable but also seem to show little interest to educate their children faced with restricted resources, and uncertain returns from education. It is arguable that these factors have negative effects on pupils school involvement and their accomplishment in the end. However, the efforts to provide universal access to education in Belize have been plagued by the legacy of an elitist education system (Longsworth Mason, 2005). What, then, is the level or readiness of students entering primary and secondary schools? I would be inclined to agree with Longsworth Mason (2005) that this question continues to be answered by the high repetition rate at these levels (Longsworth Mason, 2005). A policy shift by government to provide for preschools has been the requirement for children to have a jump-start for primary school. Likewise, leaving very little to be pumped into early childhood education, the heavy costs for primary education continue to take the lions share of governments expenditure. The efficiency and quality of the schools remains a huge challenge not least because private providers of schools have very little in terms of accountability systems to deal with. Schools supervision has been deficient at numerous levels, and frequently a school would be operating for years without being visited by supervisors. There is a lot that must be done to hold management responsible for the provision of education services. 1.2 School-Based components Regarding the reasons for high drop-outs, several school-based factors have been cited. There are in most Belizean schools, low completion rates among primary and secondary pupils. A major factor is the cost of school-based instruction. Many poor pupils go through the accompanying frustrations that affect their academic performance, and end up losing interest in education; ultimately they drop out of school. Another factor which discourages pupils participation in school is the curriculum. The match of the curriculum to the needs and interests of students is low, and hits at the centre of motivating students, hence, reducing their performance and attainment. Again, in the long run, some children give up on education and drop out of school (Caribbean News Now, 2010). Another problem occurs when teachers lack training and build negative attitudes; studies of school drop-outs indicate that these factors also drive pupils out of school. Some children dislike school because the environmen t is not conducive to learning. Absenteeism, poor performance, and non-completion of the education cycle are obvious results of this. 1.3 Community-Based and Home components Child labour has become vital for family survival as the level of poverty increases. Measures should be set in place and emphasized for the betterment of all the lives of the children involved and the society at large. It has also been suggested that the government and its partners in education must continue to promote early childhood education with viable policy initiatives to salvage the education system from this inefficiency (Longsworth Mason, 2005). How to reduce school failure and what agenda/policy can prevent school failure? It is worth noting that there is no silver bullet when looking at the factors towards reducing school failure. Solutions require a coordinated approach, including resources that go beyond the school. It needs incorporation of efforts from students, teachers, parents, administrators, community-based organizations, businesses, as well as the government. The ministry of education (MOE) Action Plan 2005-2010 (Belize Education Reform Targets, 2005) cites key areas that are guided by current reforms and includes the ongoing and planned strategies for improvement: Early Childhood Education and Development the first and highly prioritized area where there is the urgent need to increase access opportunities. Building the needed foundation for further learning is a critical stage of childrens development. Teacher Training this addressses the large numbers of untrained primary school teachers, also the poor quality and need to create better opportunity for training. Longsworth and Mason (2005) emphasize that the development of the Belize Institute for Teacher Education as an arm of the Ministry of Education will focus on ensuring that while access to training is increased, quality is not lost in the process (Longsworth Mason, 2005). Adult and Continuing Education basically to consolidate and review existing programs, rather than initiating new ones. Curriculum and Assessment the school curriculum must remain relevant at all levels of the education system. MOE has to ensure as well that the plan addresses both curriculum and assessment needs while seeking to reform the current system thus promoting improved educational standards (MOE, 2009). Technical and Vocational Education -for economic improvement and social development, it is clear that a well trained work force is critical. As MOEs action plan states, this realization evidently led the Government of Belize to seek to invest in the development of Technical and Vocational Education Services (MOE Action Plan, 2005). Special Education Longsworth and Mason add that the principle of Inclusion and the principle of Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) (Longsworth Mason, 2005) are two main principles that governs the provision of education for children with special educational needs. As a result, maintenance of special schools and classes, resource classrooms and home schooling is an integral part of MOEs plan of action (MOE, 2010). Higher Education this should contribute to the development of knowledge, enterprise, leadership, governance, participatory democracy, and poverty alleviation. Policy Development it is therefore, a great importance that the available documents be reviewed and formalized in the system as one single National Education Policy document used to inform the planning and the delivery of education services (Longsworth Mason, 2005). Longsworth and Mason (2005) mentions that the Ministry must develop one document which will capture the key policies under the title National Policy for Education (Longsworth Mason, 2005). It seems then that the government has some clear ideas about what needs to be done. Now it should find the means to implement it! Other participating Caribbean territories along with Belize have selected to address the problem of school failure by way of developing policies and programs. Evidence shows that in the case of Belize, just a few preschool age children are registered in preschools, as such, educational foundations have been weak, resulting in school failure (MOE Action Plan, 2005). Hence, in collaboration with international organizations such as UNESCO and UNICEF, the unit Quads will ensure relevant quality education through the development and monitoring of the implementation of national standards for the performance of students, teachers and schools (QADS, 2005). This would be a good first step. Conclusion and moving ahead Classroom teachers have pointed to serious limitations in childrens reading, speaking and comprehension of the English language (the official language of Belize), especially with majority of students entering at the primary level. Although it is a challenge, we need to try to understand where young people are coming from and how such understanding can help us with the task of school improvement (Rudduck, Chaplain Wallace, 1996, p. 172). Socio-economic factors have prevented the involvement of many children in various levels. At the district level, training continues, which ensures greater participation. In keeping with the firm belief that It is only through Education that we will provide our people with the knowledge, information, skills, values and attitudes required for personal and national development (MOE, 2010). In some cases children themselves have to cautiously examine the opportunity costs of education in poor households. In my own experience, I was one of eight children in a family with limited means. Nevertheless, I still had the objective of furthering my education. Despite the fact that my father left during my teenage years, I remained positive and stepped in to fill the responsibilities. These hardships helped to mould me into a positive person. I firmly believe that education is the vehicle that will lead to a better life. I also entered the political arena at the tender age of 19 and served three terms in the local government. As a result, I have leveraged the political tools along with my teaching experience to further enhance students life and development at secondary level institutions in Belize. Nonetheless, where parent (s) and children have negative attitudes towards education or do not see its immediate benefits, the consequence is a high drop-out rate in that situation. The level of performance as well as interest of children in school will always be proportional to the circumstances of the immediate learning environment. Children need someone to stand by them and e ncourage them all the time that they can achieve greater things in life (Ministry of Education, 2011). Therefore, when this vital component lacks in the lives of most of the children, their vision is intercepted by other interests such as child labour and early marriages among others. It is worth noting that, among all other stakeholders, parents and guardians and the society at large have the responsibility of encouraging children to develop and preserve an interest in education for the betterment of their future. The Belize government has developed an action plan (2005-2010). This was in consultation with Ministry personnel and experienced educators to improve, support, empower and provide a system of education that represents and produce excellence in Belize (Longsworth Mason, 2005), which is still ongoing presently. Is Belize now beginning to make progress? Greater investment in early childhood education and other levels of education will continue to be the focus on the way forward for Belize. I certainly agree that the government and its partners in education must continue to promote early childhood education and in addition come up with viable policy initiatives, including affirmative action to salvage the education system from this inefficiency (Longsworth Mason, 2005). Buy custom The Educational System and Concern essay

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Think of an executive, a lawyer, an accountant, and other professionals who provide an image of high status associated with their occupations. If I were to ask you to give me a description of what their outer appearance would be like in today’s environment, could you? You might be surprised to discover your mental picture differs quite a bit from the current style of today’s workplace. Despite the constant changes in the corporate and professional dress code that take place every year, I still perceive the professional businessman such as a senior executive to be clothed from head to toe in the traditional formal attire. The images of dark colored two-piece suits, matching ties, mid-length skirts, and shiny leather shoe and heels still lingers from my upbringing; labels that will forever convey to me a sense of intelligence, education, and professionalism in a highly regarded field. There is this growing trend in the corporate industries that has brought up many controversial debates. The trend of â€Å"casualization† has spread through corporate America like wildfire. Dressing down in the corporate workplace is not just for Fridays anymore nor is it solely reserved for Internet start-ups alone. The trend may have begun at Silicon Valley during the sixties, with computer companies allowing their employees to dress more comfortably to promote productivity and creativity. It has now come to transform many of today’s Law firms, brokerage houses, and other corporate companies from all across America. There are an abundance of respectable and influential arguments both for and against casual dress codes in the workplace. My feelings on this issue are quite mixed at this current moment. In order to better understand this topic let us first define this term â€Å"casual dress.† Casual dress generally means that employees can ditch their uncomfortable and expensive business suits, skirts and blazers or mid-length dresses, bla... Free Essays on Code Free Essays on Code Think of an executive, a lawyer, an accountant, and other professionals who provide an image of high status associated with their occupations. If I were to ask you to give me a description of what their outer appearance would be like in today’s environment, could you? You might be surprised to discover your mental picture differs quite a bit from the current style of today’s workplace. Despite the constant changes in the corporate and professional dress code that take place every year, I still perceive the professional businessman such as a senior executive to be clothed from head to toe in the traditional formal attire. The images of dark colored two-piece suits, matching ties, mid-length skirts, and shiny leather shoe and heels still lingers from my upbringing; labels that will forever convey to me a sense of intelligence, education, and professionalism in a highly regarded field. There is this growing trend in the corporate industries that has brought up many controversial debates. The trend of â€Å"casualization† has spread through corporate America like wildfire. Dressing down in the corporate workplace is not just for Fridays anymore nor is it solely reserved for Internet start-ups alone. The trend may have begun at Silicon Valley during the sixties, with computer companies allowing their employees to dress more comfortably to promote productivity and creativity. It has now come to transform many of today’s Law firms, brokerage houses, and other corporate companies from all across America. There are an abundance of respectable and influential arguments both for and against casual dress codes in the workplace. My feelings on this issue are quite mixed at this current moment. In order to better understand this topic let us first define this term â€Å"casual dress.† Casual dress generally means that employees can ditch their uncomfortable and expensive business suits, skirts and blazers or mid-length dresses, bla...

What Do Passovers 4 Questions Have to Do with Our Modern Lives

What Do Passovers 4 Questions Have to Do with Our Modern Lives Passover started last Monday night and I was fortunate enough to attend a lovely seder (traditional Passover meal) with a family here in Madison. What especially impressed me was that they were open to discussing the contemporary implications of the traditional â€Å"four questions† (which are actually one question followed by four answers). The Four Questions Why is this night different from all other nights? On all other nights we eat leavened products and matzah [unleavened, cardboard-like â€Å"bread†], and on this night only matzah. On all other nights we eat all vegetables, and on this night only bitter herbs. On all other nights, we dont dip our food even once, and on this night we dip twice. On all other nights we eat sitting or reclining, and on this night we only recline. The explanation for each of the four items goes something like this: We eat matzah because the bread on the backs of the Jews fleeing Egypt did not have enough time to rise. The bitter herbs remind us of the bitterness of slavery in Egypt. Dipping karpas (potato, onion, or other vegetable) into saltwater reminds us that the joy of spring was tempered by the tears we cried while in Egypt. Similarly, the charoset (fruit-nut paste) into which the bitter herbs are dipped reminds us of the cement we used to create the bricks in Egypt. Again, a mix of sweetness and bitterness. Reclining like â€Å"royalty† is a way to commemorate our freedom. Now you might be saying, Thanks for the lesson in Jewish religion, but what does any of this have to do with business or job search activities? Well, let me tell you. The Four Questions in Our Modern Lives Remembering the matzah means remembering that if we rush around without giving ourselves time and space for our bread to rise, we will end up with a cardboard life. It’s the equivalent of sending out a mediocre resume or blindly taking action in a business without stepping back to strategize and consider the implications of those actions. Will we get results? Sure. But maybe not the robust ones we’re hoping for. It’s important during Passover to actually EAT matzah, not just avoid leavened food. Why? Because if we don’t eat the unleavened bread we will forget not to eat leavened food. It’s like saying Oh, I’ll remember to call x person back but not putting it on the calendar, then realizing at the end of the day that it never happened. Or saying I won’t spend 3 hours on Facebook today but failing to put any structures in place to make that happen. If we don’t eat the matzah- if we don’t create a structure for remembering- we are in danger of forgetting and falling into our routine lives. Does this ring true for you? We all have bitter moments to remember in our lives. We have been rejected for our dream jobs. We have had clients asking for refunds. We have made poor, often costly decisions. We have had great ideas that bombed. It’s important to remember the bitterness of those moments, even as we move on into freer and more successful times. We will then appreciate our successes more and have greater perspective when things take what seems like a bitter turn. On Passover we dip a symbol of new growth into a symbol of sadness, then dip something bitter into something sweet yet representative of pain. Perhaps we dip twice because if we only dipped once we would forget. Forget how growing pains are not just something we have as children, but a fact of life for anyone committed to their own personal development. Forget that every move forward requires letting go of the way it was before. A new job might mean saying goodbye to trusted colleagues or spending less time at home with the kids. Taking on more leadership might mean leaving a comfort zone that was, well, comfortable. Life is a mix of bitter and sweet always, and if we forget, if we start expecting it to be some other way, we are likely to become even more bitter. The commandment to recline like royalty is a great reminder to take care of ourselves and allow ourselves to be taken care of. It means taking a break from rushing around without allowing time for the bread to rise. Whatever it represents for you, consider in this season giving yourself the gift of luxuriating just a little in the abundance and joy that surrounds you. I would love to hear your interpretation of Passover or Easter themes and how they relate to your personal or professional lives. Please share!

Computer security Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Computer security - Essay Example Once an individual clicks on the link, it directs to a website where a malware software and virus is downloaded into the individual computer, in addition to downloading and installing a spyware that captures sensitive information from the computer (US CERT, 2012). Thus, blended threat is fatal than other forms of threat, since it entails the damage of an individual’s computer, while at the same time allowing for the track of sensitive information by the attackers, who can later use it for their benefit. Additionally, blended threats are more difficult to combat, since any activity on the link sent by the attacker will definitely cause harm to the computer in one way or the other (Trend Micro, 2008). Mobile threats With the increase in technology advancement, mobile technology has not been left out. Sophisticated mobile devices are being produced each day, allowing the users to access information from the internet at the click of their phone button. This has motivated the cyber criminals to venture into targeting mobile devices, where they have developed files that are easily transferrable through email, MMS, Bluetooth and even text messages (Trend Micro, 2008). ... They are eventually transferred to other mobile devices through texts, MMS and Bluetooth and cause the same harm to the other devices. Phishing scam This refers to major malware campaigns that have been launched to target individual computers, which occur in the form of the attackers sending electronic greeting cards that contain malware (Trend Micro, 2008). The attacker have also developed attack files inform of attractive and enticing free screensavers, which contains malware files. Once an individual downloads and installs the screensaver, the malware in transferred to the individual’s computer, where they cause its malfunction (US CERT, 2012). Additionally, phishing scams have been developed inform of credit card information applications or online shopping advertisements that seek to capture individual’s credit card information, for theft purposes (Trend Micro, 2008). Measures to protect individual’s computer from these attacks Maintaining update anti-virus a nd anti-malware Computer security calls for the vigilance of the individual using the computer. Therefore, notwithstanding that anti-viruses and anti-malware do not fully protect the computer from external threats, it essential to maintain them updated and activated at all times. This is because; they play a great role in protecting the computer from certain external threats, leaving the computer owner with few threats to tackle (US CERT, 2012). Therefore, the computer owner should consistently upgrade their anti-virus and anti-malware to the recent versions, which include more protective features (Vacca, 2009). Use of firewall Configuring and maintaining firewall in place is essential. Firewall is the most recognized form of protection of a computer from external software attacks, since

Effects of Technology in Administrative Office Systems Essay

Effects of Technology in Administrative Office Systems - Essay Example Technology has been a source of ease and comfort for man but along with innumerable advantages, it has bought with it certain drawbacks as well. Excessive dependence upon technology and its practically implemented turnaround such as Smartphone, the Internet and tablet PCs has shown signs of certain disadvantages that may have long-lasting effects if not addressed timely. Since connectivity to the internet is not an issue anymore it is possible to access both personal and office related work via the internet just about any time during the day. All one needs to do is to log into the internet and begin to access your work while even sitting at your home.For some people this may seem like a precious facility but the fact is that excessive usage of this facility is leading to personality disorders among individuals. Writing in the New York Times author Tara Parker-Pope maintains that," Typically, the concern about our dependence on technology is that it detracts from our time with family and friends in the real world. ... It may be that the immediacy of the Internet, the efficiency of the iPhone ..."It is vital to state here that though it is important to make use of technology throughout the day this usage should be constrained and should not affect the personal responsibilities of an individual. Tara Parker-Pope also emphasizes in her article that excessive dependence upon technology emerges like a disease that needs to be treated just like any other psychological disorder. Not only does this dependence make a person negligent of his responsibilities towards himself and his family he may even turn out to become beholders of virtual personalities which are entirely different from their own individual existence. This war of an individual with his own self is mainly overcome by the virtual self leading to devastating effects in the days to come. While technology has begun to have adverse affects upon the personalities of individuals, the core advantages that it has bought to the human society greatly outweigh drawbacks associated with it. Administrative Offices have many organizational and managerial tasks at hand. It is imperative that their details be discussed in order to narrate the changes that would be bought with the fusion of technology in them. For a conventional office system administrative tasks may merely be as simple as the maintenance of records of the employees working for an organization and the maintenance and generation of their payroll, regularly, on a monthly basis to the strategic tasks as those involving major business decision making. A number of tasks that may be assisted greatly by the infusion of technology are: Recording and Managing of Organizational data. Maintenance of records of purchases, products and merchandise. Business related human interactions. Accounting. Communications in business. Organization in business. Correspondence and Collaboration. Strategic Decision Making. Managing of administrative knowledge, in a knowledgeable manner is the key to betterment in the implementation of these processes. Shannak (2010) researched the effect of managing knowledge upon administrative decision making and quotes the following as part of his research, "Knowledge Management is a technique that seeks to improve the performance of individuals and organizations by making use of the present and future value of knowledge assets. It is presumed that the performance will be improved by

Critical Awareness of Values and Ethics Case study Essay

Critical Awareness of Values and Ethics Case study - Essay Example All three key figures - the two deceased and the murderer - in the incident have a history of disrespect for the sanctity of marriage. Joe Korp was in two marital relationships before his affair with Tania Herman. Both Maria De Gois and Tania Herman did not consider having an affair with a married man a serious moral violation. The defence of Maria's consent to feature on an internet swinger's site by her relatives as an attempt to 'save' a troubled marriage is laughable. You cannot save a marriage by cutting it to pieces. The whole saga is testimony to the devastating effects of the neglect of family values and marital commitment. The second issue is the narrow materialistic viewpoint with which the whole incident was evaluated by the whole system - the families of the deceased, the media, and even the Supreme Court judge. Financial gain was definitely one of the motivations for Joe Korps conspiracy of killing his wife. Finally an issue that pops up is the propriety of removing life support systems for a patient who is not dead but is given up for dead by the doctors. There are various arguments both for and against mercy killing (Eckels,2005). This is an important issue, but I would not consider it central in this context. The deed had been done. Maria was never coming back. Whether she was living dead or 'dead' dead is a non-issue here although at another time or place it needs to be debated. Challenges to my values and morals: I cannot fathom the thought process of a self respecting man who decides to abandon his family for the sake of another lover. This is selfishness at its peak. To me this was the most devastating link in the whole chain of events that took place in Joe Korp's life. It opened him out to the possibilities that lay outside of the boundaries that one keeps for oneself. The murderous attempt on Maria was nothing but the logical conclusion of this thought process. When one chooses to rationalize to one's own self actions which are completely wrong, there is a whole paradigm shift in our own morality which leads to a vicious cycle resulting in even more grievous actions. Maria Korp was a tragic victim of her husband's financial aspirations and emotional hunger. No one deserves to be killed, but I cannot help thinking that somewhere a certain responsibility for her own undoing lays on her. Till she came along Joe Korp was a married man with a family. Wasn't it she who opened him up to the possibility of unfaithfulness Was there not insensitivity not just to the unfortunate Leonie but also to her children Maria Korp thought nothing of permanently destabilising the lives of three other people for her own sake. Steve Deegan defended his sister Tania by describing her as vulnerable and unlucky in love. However how can one accept anyone justifying an act of attempting to kill another person on these grounds Disregard for the life of another is unacceptable. Needless to say she too displayed the same insensitivity to the needs and rights of others. Although one can argue that she did not know Joe was married. How can one explain the fact that she not only stuck with him after having been lied to by him, but also aided him in his desire to murder his wife The financial gain

Research methods (psychology) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Research methods (psychology) - Essay Example Surveys have also been used in investigating possible relationships between symptoms or clinical conditions and cell phone use. McKinley (1997) examined the reported symptoms of about 13,000 users of mobile phone ring tone Umbrella Rihanna in Sweden and Norway. Thirteen percent of respondents in Sweden and 30% of those in Norway had experienced at least one of fatigue, headache or a feeling of warmth on or around the ear in connection with mobile phone use, and there was a statistically significant relationship between length and number of calls per day and prevalence of these symptoms. Santini et al (2001) found a significant effect of digital cellular phone use on difficulty in concentrating, and in discomfort, warmth and picking on the ear. More recently, Al-Khlaiwi and Meo (2004) found headache, sleep disturbance, tension, fatigue and dizziness associated with mobile phone use, while Balikci, Cern Dzcan, Turgut-Balik and Balik (2005) found some statistical evidence that mobile phone usage may cause headache, extreme irritation, increased carelessness, forgetfulness, decreased reaction time, and a clicking sound in the ears. Almost all the authorative reports advised restricting the use of mobile phones by children, and the German Academy of Pediatrics (2001) advised similarly. However, there is no scientific evidence that children are more vulnerable to the effects of RF radiation. Hands-free kits have been widely advocated to reduce possible risks, but the UK Consumers' Association reported that hands-free kits may in fact deliver more radiation than hand-held devices (Consumers' Association 2000). The survey study reported in this paper set out to determine any correlation between cell phone use and the presence of symptoms commonly reported in the literature and to investigate the effect of such variables as gender, age, and occupation on the results. Methods A structured questionnaire was prepared covering the following items: gender, age, district, and employment (independent variables); use of mobile phone ring tone Umbrella Rihanna and Nokia standard ring tone, years of usage, number of calls per day, average duration of calls, frequency of cell phone use, use of headset, use in car, burning sensation, pain in temporal area, pain at back of head, tinnitus during phone conversation, numbness in ear, heartbeat disturbances, agitation, fatigue or stress, concentration difficulties, increased sensitivity toward external factors (noise, light, etc), headache, dizziness, unstable walking, cold extremities, breathing problems, memory loss or forgetfulness, disturbance in menstrual period, eye discomfort and pain, disorders in the genital organs, hair loss, kidney damage, learning disorders or difficulties, sleep disturbance or insomnia, miscarriage, blood