Tuesday, December 24, 2019

Guantanamo Bay, Cuba Army Pfc Essay - 730 Words

GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba – Army Pfc. Alec Manning received the honor of being promoted to private first class by the Sgt. Maj. of the Army Daniel A. Dailey during his recent visit to Joint Task Force U.S. Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba at the Seaside Galley June 11. Manning, a Benton Harbor, Michigan native and assigned to the Joint Task Force’s 525th Military Police Battalion, said, â€Å"My team leader came to me and he asked who I would like to be pinned by. I knew he [sergeant major of the Army] was coming to the island pretty soon.† He did not think much about what he had said until Sgt. 1st Class Kale Webster, a platoon sergeant for the 525th MP Bn., asked him a similar question while talking about his promotion, said Manning. Manning said, â€Å"I was talking to my platoon sergeant [Webster] and told him that the sergeant major of the Army was coming and I said, ‘I heard the sergeant major of the Army is coming; how about that?’† â€Å"Initially, I was kidding, I wasn’t serious.† Webster told Manning that we can make it happen if that is what he wanted, said Manning â€Å"Manning made an inquiry to me about his promotion because he knew that the sergeant major of the Army was coming and if it was a possibility that the he could promote him,† said Webster. â€Å"I fired off an email to the first sergeant and sergeant major and it snowballed from there.† The Sgt. Maj. of the Army was finishing lunch with 28 service members just inside the doors and Manning’s anticipation was rising. His

Monday, December 16, 2019

Change Yourself to Change Your World Free Essays

CHANGE YOURSELF, TO CHANGE YOUR WORLD Often times I hear people say â€Å"if I am in his position or status, I will do better and change things for good†. This statement is made when people feel that their boss (es), employers, leaders and government officials are not performing or living up to expectation. They expect so much from these people and get less than they thought or envisaged. We will write a custom essay sample on Change Yourself to Change Your World or any similar topic only for you Order Now There is this axiom that says â€Å"you cannot give or offer something that you don’t have†. The gross indiscipline, misconduct, under-development or deficiency of any Nation or sphere of human endeavour is a sum total or directly proportional to the gross indiscipline, misconduct, under-development and deficiency of respective individuals in the Nation or sphere of human endeavour. People want to change things for good even when they are not changed themselves. How can you change, influence, or make impact in your world when you are not changed, influenced and impacted on your inside? Everybody is crying for change, transformation and development when they are not changed, transformed and developed. How do you expect your leaders and bosses to help you and solve your problems when they themselves cannot help themselves and even solve their personal problems? A good reason is that majority of them have not developed the full mind potential to function effectively in that capacity. If you truly, sincerely, intentionally and passionately want to change and influence your world, you must truly, sincerely, intentionally and passionately desire to change your complete state (i. e. body, spirit and soul). How can you bring about growth and development to your world or the Nation, when you have not/ are not bringing about growth and development to yourself? The attitude and character you display or portray now will be synonymous with your character and attitude when you finally become a leader in any capacity or field (i. . , in Academics, Politics, Business, Ministry, Sports, Entertainment, Tourism, Security, Arts and Culture). The truth is, and still remains that, if you don’t change yourself positively, you cannot change your world positively. In actual sense, you may even end up becoming worst than your Predecessors or perform badly than they did in their time. Leadership is all about changing and influencing people positively! I’m very much enlightened and aware that you have great future career aspirations and ambitions; but you’ve got to tell yourself the truth and ask yourself these simple but all important questions â€Å"are the things I am doing presently in consonance with my dreams, visions and aspirations in life? â€Å"Will I be able to make positive change in my world in 10 to 20 years from now, in cross examination with the things I am doing now? † â€Å"What skills, abilities and potentials do I have that will give me an added advantage over my predecessors and leaders†? Everybody is complaining about bad roads; uncompleted or abandoned capital projects; poor regulation and maintenance of electricity; fraudsters invading our financial and economic sectors amassing wealth for themselves, detrimental to the growth of the people; fallen standard of our educational systems; insecurity in the Nation; poor sanitary conditions; poor response to capital projects from leaders; poor conditions of service for both public and private workers; moral decadence, gross indiscipline, misconduct and indecent dressing amongst the youth; projects completed with sub-standard and inferior materials and equipment; high rate of unemployment; poor remunerative service and fringe benefit for workers; poor standard of living of citizens, and others too numerous to mention: but only very few individuals are willing and ready to pay the prize; and really able to bring about positive change when they are elected or appointed into the different offices. If you are a Student or pup il, your level of success in future will be a product or a reflection of your level of seriousness in your studies now. Why not suffer or bear the pain now to enjoy tomorrow, instead of playing prank and â€Å"enjoying† now to suffer or bear the pain tomorrow? Always have it in your conscious mind that, Success and Excellence come with a prize; you either pay now and play later or play now and pay later: either way, you must pay! Always endeavour to change yourself in order to change your world when the time comes. Ask yourself â€Å"will I do better than my Councilor; Local Government Chairman; Ministers and Commissioners in different capacities; Senators; Governors and even the President, if I am elected or appointed into their position(s)? † â€Å"Not until you are able to change yourself, you will not/may not be able to change your world† This is a clarion call for every individual irrespective of age, status, colour, family background and disposition to take responsibility in changing themselves before they think or talk about changing their world. Let’s all stop the pretence! Let’s all start building and developing our character from where we are. Let’s stop complaining of poor sanitation or environmental hazard when we are the ones throwing dirt on the streets and our environment. Let’s stop disobeying traffic lights and signals in order to avoid accident. Let’s stop crying because of high rate of unemployment, and acquire relevant human capital skills and abilities which will enable us to become self-employed, and become assets to our society/world. Let’s stop criticizing our leaders and bosses unconstructively. Let’s all join hands with the government and other bodies to make our Nation a better, comfortable and convenient place to live in. Let’s all look out for possible means, and harness the resources available in changing ourselves positively, in order to change our world. Let’s all develop positive mental attitude about our religious, political, academic, media and entertainment sectors; and take the bull by its horn in bringing about lasting peace, progress, harmony, growth, development and advancement in our world (spheres of endeavour). Remember, you cannot confidently talk about changing your world when you’ve not changed yourself. â€Å"Change yourself to change your world†! How to cite Change Yourself to Change Your World, Essay examples

Sunday, December 8, 2019

Geography of Dallas free essay sample

To appreciate the large and intricate city, it is valuable to know the climate, vegetation, soils, landforms, and the environmental issues that are present in Dallas, and see how they affect one another. The temperature during the summer months may be â€Å"bigger† or higher than your typical state, but exploring deeper into Dallas’s physical geography, will help conjure present what makes up it’s physical attributes, and most importantly, why. After living in Dallas all of my life, I have come to recognize the range of temperature from month to month, as well as the precipitation that is typically received. The majority of Texas is a warm-temperature climate zone (Physical Features Influencing Vegetation in Texas); however, the Dallas-Fort Worth area can more specifically be described as having a humid subtropical climate, with hot summers (Dallas/Fort Worth Climatology). It can also be characterized as continental because of the wide range of annual temperature, and the scorching summers is caused by the westerlies and the low humidity (Dallas/Fort Worth Climatology). Observing the Dallas climograph, it can be inferred that the average precipitation and temperature have a direct relationship. Based on the annual temperature data, it can also be concieved that the summer highs reach way into the high 90’s, with cooler nights around the mid 70’s (NWS). Rainfall typically occurs during nighttime in Dallas, and during the summer the maximum highs normally last three to five days, and are interrupted by thunderstorms (Dallas/Fort Worth Climatology). The rainfall that occurs during the winter however is â€Å"associated with large storm systems moving from west to east under the influence of the westerly winds† (Climate Zones). So, it can be assumed that the westerlies cause the average annual precipication, which is generally higher during summer months so as to cool down and break up the heat spells. These blazing summers may be fun for swimming and getting a tan, but how does it affect the vegetation? The average precipitation that Dallas, Texas receives yearly is about 33. inches (Weather Base). This amount of annual rainfall can be directly correlated to â€Å"the natural vegetation prior to settlement [which] was a mosaic of tall grass prairie on clay soils (the Blackland and Coastal Prairies), oak woodlands on sandy soils, and juniper-oak woodlands on caliche (the Post Oak Savanna and Cross Timbers)† (Physical Features Influencing Vegetation in Texas). Texas’s vegetation, in general, gradually becomes more arid as you move east to west (Escape to Texas). Dallas, located in about central Texas, is mainly composed of grassland, however as you move westward the vegetation changes to desert (Escape to Texas). â€Å"The diversity of Texas is evident in vegetation types, which range from temperate and subtropical forests to grasslands, shrublands and deserts† (Physical Features Influencing Vegetation in Texas). Farming and ranching is a big part of Texas, although it is not apart of the actual city area of Dallas, it is still an essential part of Texas. â€Å"Agriculture has profoundly influence[d] the landscapes of Texas in many ways† (Physical Features Influencing Vegetation in Texas). Cattle ranching is typically seen in the areas surrounding the big cities, and the livestock encourages the spreading of â€Å"brush species such as mesquite, prickly pear, and junipers in rangelands† (Physical Features Influencing Vegetation in Texas). Since a good portion of Texas is a desert climate, the soil that is found there, is also an important aspect. Dallas, located in the northeastern part of the state, has a variety of different types of soil. The Gulf Coastal Plain is composed of red and yellow soils, which can be beneficial for the vegetation if proper fertilizer is used (Escape to Texas). Moving more towards central Texas, it has â€Å"soils based on weathered decayed limestone† (Escape to Texas). Much of the Dallas area has grassland vegetation, which comes from Mollisol soils, which are rich in calcium and other nutrients (Ritter). The intensely hot summers cause the soil to possess high moisture retention so as not to dry up easily, but when they do become dry, they have a â€Å"granular structure and soft consistency† (Ritter). A typical soil profile of this soil type would include â€Å"dark brown to black organic rich surface layers† (Ritter). The soil in this area has been used to alter the landscapes, and recently have been used for â€Å"cropland and pasture to grow cotton, corn, sorghum, wheat, hay, and other crops† (Physical Features Influencing Vegetation in Texas). The soil of Dallas is the base for the landforms that are present in this certain area. Texas as a whole encompasses several landforms, ranging from the highest point on the Guadeloupe Peak, all the way to lowest sea level point. Many lakes are scattered out through the hills of the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Dallas is considered to be in the Great Plains subdivision, which entails many different types of landforms. The Edwards Plateau is located in Central Texas, and â€Å"is marked by the long ridge known as the Balcones Escarpment† (Escape to Texas). The Pecos Valley is also located in the same general area as Dallas, and consists of mainly flat rocky land. Regarding the map below (Cole), it can be interpreted that the Dallas metroplex has heights elevated anywhere from 600 to 1800 ft. of average elevation. It is also evident that the northwestern part of the state has an average higher elevation than the southeastern. Texas is made up of several natural resources. Since farming and ranching are a big part of Texas, cotton seems to be an important resource that is widely used (Albert). The primary concern of Texas is the conservation of soil, and the protection of wildlife (Escape to Texas). Ninety nine percent of the total land area is covered by 212 soil conservation districts (Escape to Texas). Because the soil and crops is so critical for Texan’s, the state carries out many soil conservation projects to reseed the grasses and to control wind and water erosion (Escape to Texas). However, â€Å"Texass most serious environmental problem is the establishment of an adequate supply of water. More than 200 reservoirs are maintained for water supply, recreation, flood control, and irrigation. Underground water supplies are also widely used for irrigation† (Escape to Texas). â€Å"Texas ranks among the most important states in biological diversity, and ranks first among the states in the number of vascular plants species† (Physical Features Influencing Vegetation in Texas). So, it can be concluded that the physical geography of this state, in particularly Dallas, is important. The humid subtropical climate comes from the direct relationship between the annual temperature and the annual precipitation. The soils that are able to grow and produce crops, which is an essential part of livelihood, are very moisture retainable, so they are able to endure the hot and humid summers without drying out and killing the crops. The vegetation in Dallas is determined on the month that it is, however it typically includes cotton, corn, and wheat. Cotton is able to abundantly grow in this area because it is able to withstand the heat. The landforms that are dispersed through the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex area include Edwards Plateau, and Pecos Valley, both crucial to understanding the large city. Although, Dallas is doing very well of for itself, there are a few environmental issues that they are keeping track of and trying to get under wraps. This includes the protection of the wildlife, as well as the conservation of the soils. Texas is providing several conservation projects to save the state’s crucial soils, necessary for farming and ranching. All in all, exploring more in depthly to the Dallas, Texas climate, vegetation, soils, landforms, and even taking a look at the environmental issues, can help to evaluate the city more clearly.

Saturday, November 30, 2019

Robert Browning Essays (2215 words) - Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Robert Browning Robert Browning, one of the most talented poets of the Victorian period, is famous especially for his dramatic monologues. Often these long poems deal with such issues as love, death, and faith. Much of his work is directly reflective of his life and of those issues that were of direct concern to him. One conflict seen throughout Browning's poetry is one of spirituality. His poetry forms a spiritual timeline; it reveals his spiritual influences and opinions. It formed his own Bible of beliefs which he possessed. Because Browning's views on spirituality changed, his poetry also gives insight on the internal conflicts within his life. The paper will explore Robert Browning's spiritual journey as is reflective in his poetry. Robert Browning was born in Camberwell, near London, England on May 7, 1812. He was raised by his father, also Robert Browning, and by his deeply religious mother, Sarah Anna Weideman-Browning. His often indulgent parents gave him the freedom to explore new literary and philosophical ideas of the time period, yet he was also instructed to believe the unexplained mysteries of the Christian faith(Miller, 1953). His mother, who had strong ties to the congregational church, took great time to instruct Robert in his religious studies. With this open atmosphere, however, Browning exhibited signs of disinterest in religion during his early childhood. The town preacher, in fact , found it necessary to publicly scold for restlessness and inattention Master Robert Browning(as cited in,Miller, 1953, p.9). Robert Browning's tendency toward skepticism was recorded early on. Robert Browning's first deviation from his faith was at the age of fifteen or sixteen. His primary influences were the Flower family and the writing of P.B Shelley. Browning often traveled to the Flower's house to discuss music, poetry, and aethism (Irvine & Honan, 1974). Eliza Flower , with whom Browning was infatuated was an influence in Browning's aethism. She was one of the primary influences that turned Browning away from the Christianity of his mother. His other influence, the writing of Shelley, a known aethist, taught Browning to be an independent free thinker. After reading Shelley's book, Queen Mab , Browning became an aethist and a vegetarian(DeVane & Smalley, 1984). He rejected his mother's world to gain a sense of liberty and independence(Irvine & Honan, 1974). This faith change at such an early age seemed to lead to a continual spiritual inconsistency throughout his life. Browning had trouble accepting any faith or religion he chose to follow and often questioned his judgment in faith related decisions. Robert Browning considered Shelley to be moral because he was true, simple hearted and brave(cited in Payne, 1967, p.198). He found him to also be a man of religious mind because Shelley was everywhere taking for granted some of the capital dogmas of Christianity, while most vehemently denying their historical basement (cited in Payne, 1967, p.199). Browning clearly possessed a great respect for Shelley which followed him through much of his early poetry. Browning's life was fundamentally affected(Miller, 1953, p.9) by the Shelley's writing. During his adolescence, Browning may have recognized Shelley's, fearless spiritual independence(Miller, 1953, p.9). He noticed a principal of conduct whereby to measure in the years to come not only the sum of his own poetic achievement but the very nature of human integrity itself(Miller, 1953, p.9). Although there is no available poetry written before his first published work, Pauline, his early aethism is still reflected in his early poetry. Robert Browning eloped to Italy with Elizabeth Barret. Upon meeting his extremely religious wife and with her persuasion, Browning began to realize that Shelley's poetry had led him to a life of self- absorption. Yet, Robert took a skeptical attitude on the spiritual rappings, spurred on perhaps by his wife's immediate will to believe(Markus,1995, p.219). Eventually, though, Robert Browning made the decision to return to his Christian faith, perhaps due to his respect for his deeply religious mother or to the persuasion by his spiritually inclined wife. It is said that Elizabeth, Browning's wife, believed that spiritualism offered an alternative to melancholy: an assurance reinforcing faith(Miller, 1953, p.192). Browning, however was often skeptical of his wife's spiritualism. Despite this, Pauline reveals a return to God, but also displays an undying reverence to Shelley.

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Should artists censor themselves for kids essays

Should artists censor themselves for kids essays "I don't ever want everybody to know everything that I'm joking about and serious about. That's the fun with creating and doing music. Eminem has probably been one of the most controversial artists of his time. He is the first white rapper to make it mainstream, (besides the one hit- wonder Vanilla Ice) is a five time Grammy award winner, and has sold millions of records. Ironically enough, Eminem could be considered both the most hated and the most loved rapper of the last 5 years. The controversy surrounding him stems from the lyrical content of his albums containing songs about killing his wife and his mother, insulting other pop stars, and homophobic rants to name a few. Chris Kirkpatrick, you can get your ass kicked Worse than them little Limp Bizkit bastards, And Moby, you can get stomped by Obie, You 36 year old bald headed fag blow me Let go, it's over, nobody listens to techno Eminems justifications for using these hate lyrics boil down to the fact that he is expressing himself as an artist and that there is a parental advisory sticker on his CDs, as he realizes that young kids shouldnt be listening to them. Parents argue that these stickers, which dont allow children under the age of thirteen to purchase the cds, are not enforced properly by retailers, if enforced at all. Why is that Eminems or any other artists responsibility? Technically speaking, the artist is not responsible for the enforcement of these stickers, but maybe they should be. I believe that artists do have a right to their freedom of speech, but if their music is something that is as controversial as Eminems is, they should definitely use their platform as an icon to support the initial purpose behind the parental advisory stickers. In an interview with Rolling Stone Magazine, Eminem responds to the questioning ...

Friday, November 22, 2019

Self-Respect

Self-Respect The dismal fact is that self-respect has nothing to do with the approval of others - who are, after all, deceived easily enough; has nothing to do with reputation, which, as Rhett Butler told Scarlett O’Hara, is something people with courage can do without. ~Joan Didion, author of a Star is Born, winner of the National Book Award.   Self-respect is not easily achieved, because all around us we are barraged with stimuli telling us how great or worthless we are. The fact is, without self-respect, what others think consumes us. When we understand, love, and care for ourselves, and in turn our storytelling, we then have the mental maturity to sift through the judgment of others . . . picking and choosing which judgment is worth listening to. In this business, we get kicked around enough without doing it to ourselves. When I read on Facebook the comments in writers groups, where writers are depressed, wondering if they ought to keep writing because they cant make money, make sales, or receive glowing reviews, I feel sorry for them. Not for the reasons they express, but for their lack of self-respect. They are screaming it. When someone is self-assured, they are a magnet for others. After all, most people dont feel good about themselves, and they gravitate to those who do. When we are not shackled That doesnt mean we dont make mistakes. Frankly, the main reason writers self-publish is to own all the responsibility. That means they accept the responsibility for all that goes well and all that fails, both of which are good. Both of which make us stronger. We did it. We own it. We do what we want and accept the fallout or glory. To accept without placing blame on others is the epitome of self-respect. So write. Publish whichever way you like. If a choice fails you, avoid pointing the finger at anyone other than ones self. Analyze what happened and launch into another direction, wiser and stronger. To blame others means you struggle to look at yourself in the mirror. Once you get past that obstacle, you can do damn near anything you want because nobody is in your way. You do, adjust, do, adjust, until you are the grandest being, in love with who you are and what you do. Doors open to people like that, because people want to be you.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Lab report paraphrasing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Lab report paraphrasing - Essay Example The term, total squared error, is used in defining the accuracy of the original signal in the Fourier series. The accuracy of the Fourier series can only escalate if the value of â€Å"m† increases. The accuracy, for example, deteriorates or is very low when the value of â€Å"m† is 1. Consequently, the accuracy of the experiment is very high when the â€Å"m† value stands at 6. The poor accuracy results from the failure to take into consideration the original signal. The original signal serves as a crucial first step towards solving the Fourier series. It is, therefore, important to have a high value as â€Å"m† in order to increase the accuracy of the series. H. Wilbraham was the first scholar to identify the Gibbs phenomenon. Josiah Gibbs then later studied the phenomenon in detail. The phenomenon has a direct relationship with the Fourier series. It appears as a small sinusoidal wave in square waves. The phenomenon forms part of the troughs and peaks in the series. The sinusoidal waves cannot be eliminated unless the â€Å"m† rises to infinity. In other words, the small peaks forming parts of the square waves are always present. There are several uses of Fourier series in Electrical engineering. There are, for example, very useful in studies involving harmonic analysis. Harmonic analysis refers to the assessment of periodic functions that constitute simple sinusoidal elements. The methods are of immense importance in noise analysis, filter designing, and signal analysis. These are just a few areas of the wide harmonic analysis that calls for thorough understanding before undertaking computations of the

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

The Recession And Its Impact On The Economic Essay

The Recession And Its Impact On The Economic - Essay Example The securities later lost value following the US house bubble and mortgages began to default in payment in 2007. The subprime losses that emerged began the crisis, which exposed other risky loans and overpriced assets. An increase in loan losses and the collapse of the Lehman Brothers in September 2008 brought a big panic in the inter-bank loan market. The shadow banking system caused major banks and financial institutions in Europe and US to go bankrupt and suffer huge losses. The crisis was majorly caused by the emergence of shadow banking system that included investment banks and non-depository financial institutions. The systems rivaled the depository system yet they weren’t subjected to regulatory safeguards (Tett & Gillian 2008). The housing bubble burst leading t major losses and default in the mortgage payment. The accumulation of household debt prior to the crisis resulted in balance sheet recession. Consumers started to pay down debts which reduced their disposable income, thus slowing down the economy further. US government policies encouraged home ownership even to people who couldn’t afford it, resulting in lax lending standards, unsustainable increases in house prices an d debts. I support the approach which proposes for a simpler and smaller financial sector in which the size, power, and complexity of the financial system are limited in important ways. A smaller financial sector has the strengths of providing more benefits to the economy. These benefits include a more effective monetary and fiscal policy, increased corporate financing, reduction in market risks and greater integration. A smaller financial sector has the strength and the advantage of influencing the government to develop sound and efficient monetary and fiscal policies.

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Bees Affected by Cell Phones Radiation Essay Example for Free

Bees Affected by Cell Phones Radiation Essay Bees are vanishing and cell phones are everywhere†¦there definitely could be a link. The Institute of Science in Society delivered a press release in April 2007 saying â€Å"one likely culprit of [CCD] is a new class of systemic pesticides, which are not only sprayed on crops, but also used universally to dress seeds in conventional agriculture, and can confuse and disorientate bees at very low concentrations† although â€Å"another candidate is a radiation from mobile phone base stations that has become nearly ubiquitous in Europe and North America where the bees are vanishing; this possibility is considerably strengthened by preliminary findings that bees fail to return to the hives if cordless phone base stations are placed in them. † The following experiment may prove that it is all about the wireless phones: Researchers at Landau University in Germany designed a simple experiment for students on the Environmental Science course. Eight mini-hives, each with approximately 8 000 bees were set up for the experiment. Four of them were equipped with a DECT (Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunication)-station at the bottom of the hive, and the other four without the DECT-station served as controls. At the entrance of each hive, a transparent plastic tube enabled the experimenters to watch the marked bees entering and leaving the hive, so they can be counted and their time of return after release recorded for a period of 45 minutes. The experimenters also studied building behavior by measuring the area of the honeycomb and its weight. In the course of the experiment, three colonies exposed to mobile phone radiation and one non-exposed control colony broke down. The total weights of the honeycombs in all colonies, including those at the time of breakdown were compared. The controls weighed 1 326g, while those exposed to the DECT-stations weighed only 1 045g, a difference of 21 percent. The total area of the honeycomb in the controls was 2 500, compared to just 2050 in the exposed hives. But it was the number of returning bees and their returning times that were vastly different. For two control hives, 16 out of 25 bees returned in 45 minutes. For the two microwave-exposed hives, however, no bees at all returned to one hive, and only six returned to the other. The article continues, saying: Clearly the present findings need to be taken much further, but their significance should not be downplayed for a number of reasons. The findings are compatible with evidence accumulating from investigations on many other species including humans, showing that mobile phone radiation is associated with a range of health hazards including cancers. Furthermore, bees are known to be extremely sensitive to magnetic and electromagnetic fields, and there have been many suggestions that they could be used as an indicator species for electromagnetic pollution.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

The Failure of Crace’s Quarantine :: Quarantine Essays

The Failure of Crace’s Quarantine Quarantine is the latest installment in a sub-genre of literature where the central conceit is to tell a story from the point of view of the minor characters in a famous tale, with the more renowned stars of the originals taking in subordinate roles. Quarantine he tells the story of Christ's forty days in the wilderness, but with Jesus shunted to the periphery, in favor of several other pilgrims. In particular, the novel focuses on a trader, Musa--dishonest, loutish, and brutal--whom Jesus almost incidentally brings back to life from an apparently fatal illness. In turn it is only Musa, despicable as he is, who realizes that there is something extraordinary about this young man from Galillee. The novel is only partially successful, in large measure because this structural technique falls flat. While Crace succeeds brilliantly in evoking the harsh atmosphere in which the quarantine takes place, the narrative comes to a screeching halt whenever Jesus is absent. Musa is simply too unpleasant a character for us to care what happens to him and none of the others really grab our attention. Nor can their stories hope to compete with the action we know to be taking place away from center stage. Crace's demystification of Jesus is not very effective either. On the one hand he portrays Jesus as merely an overly pious youth, estranged from his family because of his bizarre behavior, and says of those who undertake this desert ordeal : This was the season of the lunatics: the first new moon of spring was summoning those men--for lunatics are mostly men. They have the time and opportunity--to exorcize that part of them which sent them mad. Mad with grief, that is. Or shame. Or love. Or illness and visions. Mad enough to think that everything they did, no matter how vain or trivial, was of interest to their god. Mad enough to think that forty days of discomfort could put their world in order. The fact that Musa turns out to be such an unsuitable candidate for resurrection, defrauding his fellow travelers and finally even raping one young woman, is probably intended to be an ironic comment on the nature of "miracles." And the torments sent by Satan to test Jesus are revealed to be nothing but petty annoyances foisted upon him by Musa.

Monday, November 11, 2019

Planet of Life: Apes to Man

ROSE ANN A. ORATE No. 5026 Purok 5, Brgy. Kias Baguio City Contact nos. : 09174233048/ (074) 442-00-03 CAREER OBJECTIVES * To obtain a position as an online ESL teacher and help students learn English in an informative and interesting manner. * To improve a student’s standards of English so that he/ she will be able to socialize easily in a foreign country. SEMINARS/TRAININGS ATTENDED 2006 Peace Tech conference: Overcoming prejudice towards young Muslims, indigenous peoples and Christians Saint Louis University Bonifacio Street, Baguio CityTraining on Basic Life Support: Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Foreign Airway Obstruction Management NC-CLEX. INC (American Safety and Health Institute Accredited) CAP Building, Upper Session Road, Baguio City Training on Advanced Cardiac Life Support NC-CLEX. INC (American Safety and Health Institute Accredited) CAP Building, Upper Session Road, Baguio City Training on Basic Electrocardiography: Introduction to Arrhythmia Recognition NC- CLEX. INC (American Safety and Health Institute Accredited) CAP Building, Upper Session Road, Baguio CitySeminar on the Clinical Updates on: Acute Coronary Syndromes NC-CLEX. INC (American Safety and Health Institute Accredited) CAP Building, Upper Session Road, Baguio City Seminar on the 6th Regional Nursing Research Congress with the theme: â€Å"Exploring Professional Nursing Career: Opportunities and Directions† Saint Louis University Bonifacio Street, Baguio City Seminar on the 12th Regional Nursing Research Congress Saint Louis UniversityBonifacio Street, Baguio City Seminar on â€Å"Understanding Specialization in Nursing† Saint Louis University Bonifacio Street, Baguio CitySeminar on â€Å"Conquering the Master Controller: Neurology Basics† Cooledge Review Center Romulo Hall, Teacher’s Camp, Baguio City Seminar on â€Å"The Art of Psychiatry: The Beautiful Mind† Cooledge Review Center Romulo Hall, Teacher’s Camp, Baguio City SKILLS I nterpersonal Skills: * Personable worker whose strengths include cultural sensitivity and an ability to build rapport with a diverse workforce in multicultural settings. * Empathetic to student’s situation * Caring to student's needs * A good student’s advocate * Good interfacing skills * Attentive to details Patient, committed, responsible and dependable Other Relevant Skills: * Ability to work under pressure without affecting performance * Adaptable to any kind of environment * Computer- literate: having a knowledge on variety of applications * Highly motivated self-starter who takes initiative with minimal supervision. * Resourceful team player who excels at building trusting relationships * Productive worker with solid work ethic who exerts optimal effort in successfully completing tasks. * Competent and works efficiently * Honest and dedicated to work PERSONAL DATADate of Birth: April 5, 1991 Place of Birth: Baguio City Civil Status: Single Height: 5’1† Weight: 45 kg Citizenship: Filipino Religion: Roman Catholic Father: Reenan R. Orate Mother: Rosemarie A. Orate EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND Elementary: Mary Immaculate School Baguio City Inc. and High School Department (MISBCI) General Luna Road, Baguio City Year Graduated: 2004 Achievements: Grade 3: 2nd place-Declamation Contest Honor pupil Grade6: 1st place- Tula Competition held at YMCA 3rd place- Gantimpala ng Sabayang Pag-awit President of the Dramatic Club GSP Troop LeaderHigh School: Saint Louis University Laboratory High School (SLU-LHS) Navy Base Road, Baguio City Year Graduated: 2007 Achievements: 1st year: 2nd place- Declamation Contest 2nd year: 1st honorable mention 3rd year: 5th honorable mention 4th year: Graduated with honors College: Saint Louis University (SLU) Bonifacio Road, Baguio City Course/ Degree: Bachelor of Science in Nursing Year Graduated: 2011 Achievements: Dean’s list from 1st year (1st semester and 2nd semester), 2nd year (1st semester and 2nd s emester) and 3rd year (2nd semester) CHARACTER REFERENCES Mrs. Ria Joy PadillaClinical Instructor Saint Louis University Contact no. : 09287872862 Mr. Mark Kimo Jr. Clinical Instructor Saint Louis University Contact no. : 09275082744 Mr. KB de Ocampo Clinical Instructor Saint Louis University Contact no. : 09228150211 Mr. Red Capuyan Clinical Instructor Saint Louis University Contact no. : 09159153012 I would be willing to work for your institution and I will do my best to support and give my service to people. I shall be available for a personal interview at your most convenient time. I hope for your kind consideration. Thank you. ___________________ ROSE ANN A. ORATE

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Jewish History Nazi Policy Against Jews 1933 Essay

This is a brief introduction to my topic, how it started. In January 1933, Hitler became Chancellor of Germany, He was the idol for the people .Hitler as its Fà ¼hrer (â€Å"leader†), centralizing all power in his hands. Hitler now had the power to start manipulating people and started introducing the first nazi policies against Jews. Between 1933 and 1934, Nazi policy were fairly moderate, because Hitler was paying attention to not scare off voters or moderately minded politicians by these harsh policies so he started introducing this policies step by step†¦ which were more stronger and more harsh. The Gestapo (secret state police) and SS underHeinrich Himmler destroyed the liberal, socialist, and communist opposition, and persecuted and murdered It was believed that the Germanic peoples—who were also referred to as the Nordic race—were the purest representation of the Aryan race, and were therefore the master race. In 1933, persecution of the Jews became active Nazi policy. Nazi leaders began to persecute German Jews soon after they had the „ POWER! . During the first six years of Hitler’s dictatorship, from 1933 until the outbreak of war in 1939, There were 400 decrees and regulations that restricted all jews from their public and private lives. These were national laws that had been issued by the German administration and affected all jews. The first legislation from 1933 to 1934 was focused on limiting the participation of jews basicly everywhere. The first major law was Law for the Restoration of the Professional Civil Service† of April 7, 1933 according to that law jewish and politically unreliable civil servants and employees were tob e excluded from state service.- this ws the first formulation oft he so- called Aryan Paragraph, – this regulation used to exclude jews from organizations, professions and basicly banned from the public. By 1935 The Nazis gained power and strength in many parts of Germany. Restaurants, and shops had signs forbidding jews from entering. In some areas in Germany there were even banned from public transports and certain parks. Thousands of Jewish teachers and civil servants had been sacked, the security forces regularly boycotted Jewish businesses preventing people from using them, and people were not allowed to visit jewish doctors and lawyers as kristina allready mentioned. these measures were intended to cause mass migration, many who could afford it did leave Germany, but still many remained. Immernoch Slide nr 3. NAZI POLICY In march 1933 Nazis attacked jews on the streets, beating them up and sometimes killing them Across Germany many hundreds of Jews were rounded up by local SAgroups and sent to concentration camps. I will breifly talk about the concentration camps, and about Josej Mengele.) The attacks on Jews soon increased and become more organised. However, Hitler saw that the attacks and arrests were random and not controlled by the state. He believed that everything should be controlled by the state, especially the campaign against the Jews. During April 1933 the Nazi’s began to develop antisemitic laws that would severely affect the lives of those Jews living with the German boarders. Slide 4. NUREMBERG LAW During the annual Nazi Party Rally in Nuremberg in September 1935, new laws were introduced which again limited the civil rights of Jewish people. The Citizenship Law stripped Jews of their German citizenship and made them state subjects, marriage and sexual relations between Jews and Germans were strickly forbidden. Jews were also not allowed to employ female household staff under the age of 45; another article of this law made it illegal for Jews to display the national flag. Classification of Jews Initially the laws did not clearly define who could be classed as Jewish, as there were a number of people who had one Jewish parent. This needed to be clarified who the laws would apply to. In November 1935 a decree declared that people with three or four Jewish grandparents were regarded as fully Jewish. Those with two Jewish grandparents and two German grandparents were declared as being half-Jewish. However Germans who had married a Jewish person were classed as fully Jewish, as were their children in most cases. . The press and propaganda became much more anti-Semitic after the introduction of the laws and Jews found themselves extremly isolated. even by friends. At the time of the laws approximately 10% of Jews were married to a German, the state could do nothing about this except to persuade the couple to divorce; this was not very effective. JOSEF MENGELE Josef Mengele: in 1943 , Mengele became medical officer of Auschwitz-Birkenau’sZigeunerfamilienlager (â€Å"Gypsy Family Camp† He used Auschwitz as an opportunity to continue his research on jews. He used the people for human experiments.. He was particularly interested in identical twins; they would be selected and placed in special barracks. He recruited Berthold Epstein, a Jewish pediatrician, and Miklà ³s Nyiszli, a Hungarian Jewish pathologist, to assist with his experiments. Final test FINAL JAN 29TH 12:30—14:00 50 % Statement ask for our opinion. Explain why or why not and example. Should come from the lesson. Not only my opinion. Mosis mendelson.. at least one person as an example. And also french revolution . LOGICAL! 1 page. 50% Multiple choice there will be 1 answer right. Maybe there q where more then one answer is right. * Biblical judaism. Jewish life after exile distructions first temple. From temple tot he synagoge. Mishna and talmud. ( book) structure . rabi who write around text of mischna * Jews in christian europe. ( briefly, jews under islam ) compare IMPORTANT. Had easier under islam * Spanish expulsion (richards presentation) * Jews in the ghetto . merchant of venice. (movie†¦ gives a picture. 15th century how jewish lifes where ) * Ghetto in venice. Councel over four lands. Hmelnizki pogrom. The vickit bogdan. 1648/49 * Fals masahja. Hasidik movement. * Merchantalism in western europe. Aproved the standing of jews in society. It made it better. * Hofjuden ( max messerschmid) courtjews. / privilege jews. Aristocrats. * Enlightment and impact of situation oft he jews * French revolution.briefly . the impact ist he important !!! begining of imancipation in europe * Debate over imancipation oft he jews. Orthodox. Liberal. How they saw it. They saw it as a dangour tot he jewish ppl. Jews were assimilated somwhow those who were against imancipation not tob e ill treated but becuase they understood this was the key . the end for jewish ppl.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

The Lincoln Assassination Essays - United States, Free Essays

The Lincoln Assassination Essays - United States, Free Essays The Lincoln Assassination On April, 14 1865 President Abraham Lincoln was shot while watching a performance of An American Cousin at Ford?s Theater. President Lincoln died the next morning. The person who had killed Lincoln was John Wilkes Booth. A few days before he was killed, Lincoln had told his spouse about a dream he had, he saw a president shrouded on a catafalque in the east room of the White House. Even after this dream he attended An American Cousin at Ford?s Theater. John Wilkes Booth thought the president was determined to destroy the constitution, set aside the rights reserved to the states, crush civil liberties, and restore monarchy. He saw the confederacy was the only means to of upholding the values of the founding fathers. He devoted much of late 1864 and early 1865 to a series of plots to abduct Lincoln and use his capture to nullify the Union?s war aims. Every scheme ending in frustration. After Lee had surrendered to the Army of the Potomac, in the second week of April, he saw that only the most desperate measures offered any hope of salvaging the Southern Cause. Shortly before he went into the theater, he stopped at tavern for a drink. While in the bar an acquaintance jokingly remarked that "he would never be as great as his father," Booth replied by saying "When I leave the stage, I will be the most talked about man in America." The Atlanta Campaign of 1864 In the spring of 1864, Gen. W. T. Sherman concentrated the Union armies of G. H. Thomas, J. B. McPherson, and J. M. Schofield around Chattanooga. On May 6 he began to move along the railroad from Chattanooga to Atlanta. Sherman had two objectives, one was to destroy the army of General J. E. Johnston and the other was to capture Atlanta. Johnston realizing that he was outnumbered started to retreat south. Sherman tried a direct assault on Johnston?s forces and was repulsed. Johnston had retreated back to the south bank of the Chattahoochee river. On July 17, John Bell Hood replaced Johnston as General. He tried to continue with Johnston?s plan, but failed to stop the advance of Union troops. He retired to Atlanta, which Sherman soon had under bombardment. On September 1 Hood abandoned Atlanta, the next day Sherman moved in and burned it. The Maryland Invasion A year after the confederate defeat at Gettysburg. Robert E. Lee planned to invade the North again like he did in the campaigns of Antietam and Gettysburg. He hoped that this would be enough to get Grant to detach part of his army to protect Maryland, Pennsylvania and Washington City, or to have Grant attach fortifications and risk heavy lose. Miscellaneous Fort Pillow Massacre: An incident that took place in Fort Pillow, Tennessee, April 12, 1864. Confederate troops commanded by General N. B. Forrest, stormed and captured Fort Pillow on the Mississippi River. The garrison of black soldiers and Tennessee Unionist held out beyond all possible hope. The joint committee on the Conduct of War investigated and charged that the Confederates indiscriminately slaughtered more than 300 black soldiers. General Sherman was ordered to investigate, but his report was never published. Battle of Franklin: November 30, 1864, a Civil War engagement in which the Confederate forces were defeated. After abandoning Atlanta, General Hood reorganized the Confederate army at Lovejoy?s Station. His hope was too cut off Sherman?s lines of communication.

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Biography of Alexander II, Russias Reformist Tsar

Biography of Alexander II, Russia's Reformist Tsar Alexander II (born Alexander Nikolaevich Romanov; April 29, 1818 – March 13, 1881) was a nineteenth-century Russian emperor. Under his rule, Russia moved towards reform, most notably in the abolition of serfdom. However, his assassination cut these efforts short. Fast Facts: Alexander II Full Name:  Alexander Nikolaevich Romanov Occupation: Emperor of RussiaBorn: April 29, 1818 in Moscow, RussiaDied: March 13, 1881 in Saint Petersburg, RussiaKey Accomplishments: Alexander II earned a reputation for reform and a willingness to bring Russia into the modern world. His greatest legacy was the freeing of Russian serfs in 1861.Quote: The vote, in the hands of an ignorant man, without either property or self respect, will be used to the damage of the people at large; for the rich man, without honor or any kind of patriotism, will purchase it, and with it swamp the rights of a free people.† Early Life Alexander was born in Moscow in 1818 as the first son and heir of Tsar Nicholas I and his wife Charlotte, a Prussian princess. His parents’ marriage was, luckily (and somewhat unusually) for a purely political union, a happy one, and Alexander had six siblings who survived childhood. From birth, Alexander was given the title of Tsesarevich, which was traditionally given to the heir to the Russian throne. (The similar-sounding title tsarevich applied to any sons of a tsar, including non-Russians, and ceased being used by Romanov rulers in 1797). The upbringing and early education of Alexander was not one that seemed conducive to create a great reformer. Indeed, the opposite, if anything, was true. At the time, the court and political atmosphere was intensely conservative under his father’s authoritarian rule. Dissent from any corner, regardless of rank, was severely punishable. Even Alexander, who was the darling of his family and of all Russia, would have had to be careful. Nicholas, however, was nothing if not practical in the upbringing of his successor. He had suffered from a dull, frustrating education as a â€Å"spare† to the throne (his immediate predecessor was not his father, but rather his brother Alexander I) that had left him without any desire to take up the title. He was determined to not let his son suffer the same fate and provided him with tutors that included reformer Mikhail Speransky and romantic poet Vasily Zhukovsky, plus a military instructor, General Karl Merder. This combination led to Alexander being well-prepared and more liberal than his father. At the age of sixteen, Nicholas created a ceremony in which Alexander formally swore allegiance to the autocracy as the successor. Marriage and Early Reign While on tour in Western Europe in 1839, Alexander was in search of a royal wife. His parents preferred Princess Alexandrine of Baden and arranged for the twenty-one-year-old tsesarevich to meet her. The meeting was unimpressive, and Alexander declined to pursue the match. He and his entourage made an unplanned stop at the court of the Grand Duke of Hesse, Ludwig II, where he met and became smitten with the duke’s daughter, Marie. Despite some early objections from his mother and a long engagement because of Marie’s youth (she was only fourteen when they met), Alexander and Marie married on April 28, 1841. Although the protocols of court life did not appeal to Marie, the marriage was a happy one, and Alexander leaned on Marie for support and advice. Their first child, the Grand Duchess Alexandra, was born in August 1842, but died of meningitis at the age of six. In September 1843, the couple had their son and Alexander’s heir, Nicholas, followed in 1845 by Alexander (the future Tsar Alexander III), Vladimir in 1847, and Alexei in 1850. Even after Alexander took mistresses, their relationship remained close. Nicholas I died of pneumonia in 1855, and Alexander II succeeded to the throne at the age of 37. His early reign was dominated by the fallout from the Crimean War and cleaning up overwhelming corruption at home. Thanks to his education and personal leanings, he began pushing forward a more reformist, liberal set of policies than the iron-fisted authoritarianism of his predecessors. Reformer and Liberator Alexander’s signature reform was the liberation of the serfs, which he began working towards almost immediately after coming to the throne. In 1858, he toured the country to encourage the nobility – who were reluctant to give up their reliance on serfs – to back the reform. The Emancipation Reform of 1861 formally abolished serfdom throughout the Russian Empire, giving 22 million serfs the rights of full citizens. His reforms were not limited to this by any means. Alexander ordered the reform of the Russian military, from enforcing conscription for all social classes (not just the peasantry) to improving officer education to creating districts for more efficient administration. An elaborate and detailed bureaucracy worked to reform the judicial system and make the system simpler and more transparent. At the same time, his government created local districts that took on many duties of self-governance. Despite his zeal for reform, Alexander was no democratic ruler. The Moscow Assembly proposed a constitution, and in response, the tsar dissolved the assembly. He fervently believed that diluting the power of the autocracy with representatives of the people would destroy the populace’s quasi-religious view of the tsar as a divinely-ordained, unquestioned ruler. When separatist movements, particularly in Poland and Lithuania, threatened to erupt, he suppressed them harshly, and later in his reign, he began to crack down on liberal teachings at universities. However, he supported efforts in Finland to increase its autonomy. An assassination attempt in April 1866 may have contributed to Alexander’s shift away from his earlier liberal reforms. Assassination and Legacy Alexander was the target of several assassination attempts, including the one in 1866. In April 1879, a would-be assassin named Alexander Soloviev shot at the tsar as he walked; the shooter missed and was sentenced to death. Later that year, other revolutionaries attempted a more elaborate plot, orchestrating a railway explosion – but their information was incorrect and they missed the tsar’s train. In February 1880, the tsar’s enemies came closer than they ever had before to achieving their goal when Stephan Khalturin, from the same radical group that bombed the train, managed to detonate a device in the Winter Palace itself, killing and wounding dozens and causing damage to the palace, but the imperial family was awaiting a late arrival and was not in the dining room. On March 13, 1881, Alexander went, as was his custom, to a military roll call. He rode in a bulletproof carriage gifted to him by Napoleon III, which saved his life during the first attempt: a bomb thrown under the carriage as it passed by. Guards attempted to evacuate Alexander quickly. Another conspirator, a radical revolutionary named Ignacy Hryniewiecki, got close enough to throw a bomb directly at the fleeing emperor’s feet. The bomb horrifically wounded Alexander, as well as others in the vicinity. The dying tsar was brought to the Winter Palace, where he was given his last rites and died minutes later. Alexander left behind a legacy of slow but steady reform and began the modernization of Russia – but his death stopped what would have been one of the biggest reforms: a set of planned changes that Alexander had approved and spoke of as a step towards a true constitution – something Romanov rulers had always resisted. The announcement was set to be made around March 15, 1881. But Alexander’s successor chose instead to retaliate for the assassination with severe setbacks to civil liberties, including arrests of dissenters and anti-Semitic pogroms that would last for the rest of the Romanov era. Sources Montefiore, Simon Sebag. The Romanovs: 1613 – 1918. London, Weidenfeld Nicolson, 2017.Mosse, W.E. â€Å"Alexander II: Emperor of Russia.† Encyclopaedia Britannica, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Alexander-II-emperor-of-RussiaRadzinsky, Edvard. Alexander II: The Last Great Tsar. Simon Schuster, 2005.

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Leadership and Ethics in Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Leadership and Ethics in Business - Essay Example For example, Coca Cola forced to stop its operations in the southernmost state of India; Kerala because of strong public protests against underwater exploitation by Coke. In 1999, the Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages Private Limited, a subsidiary of the Atlanta based Coca-Cola company, established a plant in Plachimada, in the Palakkad district of Kerala, southern India. The Perumatty Village Council gave a licence to the company to commence production in 2000. Coca Cola drew around 510,000 litres of water each day from boreholes and open wells. For every 3.75 litres of water used by the plant, it produced one litre of product and a large amount of waste water. In April 2003, the Perumatty Grama Panchayat (Village Council) refused renewal of Coca-Cola’s licence to operate on the grounds that it was not in the public interest to renew the licence stating: â€Å"†¦the excessive exploitation of ground water by the Coca-Cola Company in Plachimada is causing acute drinking water scarcity in Perumatty Panchayat and nearby places†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Case against Coca-Cola Kerala State: India, n.d.) . Coke forced to stop its operations in Kerala because of the agitations by the public against underwater exploitation. It should be noted that Kerala public is the most educated people in India. They know the consequences of unsustainable business practices. CEO’s who are reluctant in implementing sustainable business practices should learn from the coke’s experience in Kerala. Even uneducated people are aware of their rights nowadays. Another example from India shows the awareness of uneducated people with respect to unsustainable development. â€Å"Villagers around the Kudankulam nuclear plant in Tamil Nadu are intensifying their...In other words, business ethics is not a term which contains contradictory terms. The ethics followed in the business of one part of the world is applicable in other parts of the world as well. In fact business and ethics s hould go in parallel directions so that sustainable development becomes possible. Since all the decision making are done by the managers, they have the responsibility of taking ethical decisions. Managers should realize that â€Å"The economics should not be paramount to ethics in business; if anything, ethics should be paramount to economics† (Elm & Radin, 2012, p.314). Most of the newly appointed managers do not recognize the needs of ethics in business. One of the traditional beliefs about business is that profit making is the only objective of business. Managers should realize that such traditional beliefs and thoughts have no relevance in the modern business world. According to the modern business principles, ethics and sustainable business practices are the much needed qualities for a business to enjoy success in the current heavily competitive and globalized business world. Modern customers are more interested in rating the company’s image in terms of sustainable business practices before taking any purchasing decisions. Organizations with bad reputation in keeping ethical business habits may struggle to survive in the market. The Enron example is relevan t here.

Thursday, October 31, 2019

Enhancing the Competitive Strategy Bank Muscat SAOG Assignment

Enhancing the Competitive Strategy Bank Muscat SAOG - Assignment Example This service should come hand in hand with liaising with other companies such as the utility companies to ensure that their bills can be paid through the bank for the customers in the bank. This will consequently increase the number of customers and also increase the revenues collected since the customers will be transacting at a fee. The bank is looking at going global in order to have the muscle and the ability to fight off any economic downturns that may face the country in the long-run. The markets in the country are volatile meaning that the bank is located in an economy that may change making it unstable. Backing the bank’s capital base and ensuring that the country cannot be worst hit by the economic or political downturns in the country can only be changed by increasing the number of branches outside the country (Bank Muscat, 2014). The bank therefore needs to assess the markets and spot the growing markets in order to establish branches in countries that have the best returns. The branches can be located in the neighboring countries such as Pakistan and India that are not too far away and in the process control the banking sector in the region through increasing their branches in the region further (Jeffreys, 2012). Targeting premier customer in the developed and developing countries such as Malay sia, China and Brazil where there is available markets for the service is also critical. The Bank should ensure that it does not back its assets in only a single area but back the assets through a stream of countries from all over the world and as a result gain the required capital base from abroad that cannot be affected by the Oman economy (Claessens and Van, 2007). The country may also consider merging with banks in the different countries that they wish to invest and ensure that the banks have a good reputation in order to ensure that the citizens of the countries believe in the bank. This is

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Sociology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 12

Sociology - Essay Example ution, or a new release of iProduct, sociology looks at things through sociological imagination or sociological consciousness in an attempt to decode how these events or social forces influence the society. Berger offers sociological consciousness as one of the best descriptions of sociological imagination (author, p. 4). He explains that the sociological consciousness engages us in the meanings and patterns to make sense of what is really going on in our society. Sociology has three broad perspectives: functionalist, conflict and symbolic interaction. Each of these perspectives looks at different aspects when it comes to understanding the society. Each of them focuses on certain social dynamics. While the functionalist and conflict perspective view things in a broader angle, the symbolic interaction view things in a more intimate level. The functionalist perspective views society as a system of interrelated and interdependent parts (author, p.30). It likens the society to our body, wherein one part is interrelated and interdependent with another part. One part of the body cannot be separated from another, or else the entire body will cease functioning properly. The society is made of such that allow it to function properly. Examples of these are its members, the school, culture, the government, and other institutions. Although the conflict perspective does not reject the functionalist perspective that the society is a system of interrelated parts, it focuses more on the separation of these parts, or organizations that make up the society. The symbolic interaction perspective, on the other hand, aims to understand the interrelationships of these parts, and how each one is be ing interpreted differently by each system, or organization. With these focuses alone, we can see that the three perspectives are focused on the different aspects of the society, therefore interpreting each social issue or event in a unique ways. Based on how the three perspectives view the

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Economy of the Netherlands

Economy of the Netherlands Introduction The Netherlands is the main country of the Kingdom of Netherlands. It comprises of 3 main large and important cities, Amsterdam, Rotterdam and The Hague. Amsterdam is the country’s capital. The economy of Netherlands is market based and ranks 16th of 177 countries and was also ranked the 4th happiest country in the world. The Dutch economy is afree-market economy. They have the world’s 16th best economy due to its early industrialization, specialized exports and agricultural growth. They focus mainly on exporting ideas, technology and maintaining good relations with other countries. The Dutch from a long time are known as traders and almost 2/3rd of the economy is based on foreign trade. Along with the United States, the country has been an important part of international free trade. The have a total market share of 3.9%, ranking it 6th in the international exportation of goods. They have a history of trade, as they (1600-1700) carried spices and other raw materials from India and other Asian countries to Europe and manufactured products back. They were the ones to open trade (seaborne) with China and Japan. The design of their having large cargo holds and small crew was the reason of their success. This reduced the cost of transportation of good. The tradition continues even today as the nation remains dependent on trade. The Dutch today are the distribution center of Europe. Rotterdam having the Port of Rotterdam (one of the largest single ports) handles annually 400 million tons of cargo has the most advanced facilities in the world. The 4th largest port in Western Europe i.e. The Port of Amsterdam and holds 7.4% of the market shares. It plays a vital role in the economy of both city and the country, contributing 45 million Euros in 2007, also adding 5.2 billion Euros to the city’s value. The shipping industry hugely impacts the economy. In 2007, D utch exports were 318 billion Euros comparing to imports of 285 billion Euros. The country is the second largest (after US) exporter of food in the world. Over 1/2 of the shipping industry comprises of re-exportation which equals to 140 billion Euros (2007). The reason why this small country is capable of carrying transportation on such large basis and shipping is due to its exploration of new ides of transportation. World War II and After The German armies in May 1940 overran The Netherlands and the bombing destroyed the center of the city of Rotterdam. Queen Wilhelmina (1840-1948) and the Dutch government exiled (UK). The Dutch government (which exiled) declared war on Japan after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. In 1942 The Dutch East Indies fell. The government (after World War II) returned and then began the process of rebuilding. The Dutch under the European Recovery Program received more than $100,000,000 in aid. The Netherlands joined with Belgium and Luxembourg to form Benelux (customs union that went into effect in 1948) becoming charter member of the UN. In 1949, Dutch joined North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), and in 1958 became a member of the European Union. A military conflict over West New Guinea, came up with Indonesia when independence was granted in 1949.The Netherlands reclaimed it in 1962. The postwar rebuilding phase was followed by an economic boom, highly developed social-welfare system was established under socialist governments. Dutch exports and imports grew about 7.5% annually in the last four decades, while in the last two decades re-exports experienced a boom. Trade policy, reducing in import taxes and other trade barriers and the creating a European internal market, significantly impacts on the growth of trade. The major reason in an increase in trade is income developments. Without any liberalization of trade policy since 1970 the ratio of trade (excluding re-exports) to GDP would have been about 8% points lower. The trade policy has contributed 6% 8% to the growth of national income in Netherlands since the 1970s. Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) experienced a massive but erratic growth, mostly in the last two decades. Dutch trade has increased by about 7.5 % a year on average between 1971 and 2005. Exports grew slightly faster than imports. Trade and FDI grew thus much faster than GDP. Dutch firms are becoming more and more internationalized. The goods exports of the Dutch firms doubled from 88% in 1969 to 175% in 2007. The re-exports of goods rose even more, i.e. from 16% 1969 to 154% in 2007. Services exports remained stable as a share in value added. This observation does not alter the fact that services exports has increased over time as did the value added of services. Services became much more important in the economy over that period. The composition of GDP changes in favor of services. Because services sectors are less open to trade than manufacturing sectors total exports increased less than good exports alone. Exports for goods and services and re-exports increased gradually from 51% of the value added of all Dutch firms in 1969 to 93% in 2007. The increase in trade is mainly caused by increased trade with existing trading partners. FDI (Foreign Direct Investments) has grown particularly fast, at a much higher rate than trade transactions since the 1980s. FDI flows have increased by about 25% per year on average and trade flows by about 10%. International capital control restrictions and strict national capital market regulation prevented the international unification of capital markets. After the abolishment of these controls FDI started to rise, first slowly but after 1985 it has accelerated with several peaks. The peaks in Dutch inward and outward flows in 2001 was due to a large extent by investments of banks and holding companies. The country supports investments and innovation by setting aside â‚ ¬ 500 million for a Research and Development Allowance for businesses. For innovative projects more capital is made available via the Innovation Fund for SMBs. The Ministry has created a business web portal to improve services for the business sector. Tourism and recreation are vital to the Dutch economy. A record number of almost 12 million tourists visited this country in 2012, spending a total of â‚ ¬5 billion. As in previous years, the majority were from Germany. The tourism industry has an annual turnover of â‚ ¬37 billion. It also accounts for 400,000 jobs – 4.5% of the national total. The government wants to boost tourism by attracting more visitors from abroad. The manufacturing industry (second largest sector of the economy), comprises 17% of the total economy. Oil and natural gas deposits forms 3% of this sector.The manufacturing sector is mainly developing and designing of high-tech products to be produced at a less cost for exportation. The twelfth largest portion is the public sector. Efforts have been made by the government of tax breaks and privatization. The Agriculture Sector accounts for two percent of the economy and is important because the industry provides over 600,000 jobs, and accounts for 1/5th of Dutch exports. As of 1 January 2012 antibiotic use in agriculture is to be cut by 20%. The local authorities, citizens, companies and civil society will conclude green deals. Sustainable energy production will increase with the help of an incentive scheme for SMBs. The Ministry of Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation will release more than â‚ ¬ 288 million in government cuts from the merger of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality. The first savings of â‚ ¬ 49.1 million will be released in 2012. Statistics: Trade: % of Dutch companies are exporters. 33% of income generated from abroad. 44% of employees work for exporting companies. 87% of RD expenditure is provided by exporting industries. Foreign Investments: 1% of companies in Netherlands have foreign ownerships. 15% of Dutch people work for foreign owned companies. 25% of GDP comes from foreign owned companies. 33% of RD expenditure is provided foreign investors. Rankings of Netherlands: 5th largest global exporter. 7th largest global importer. 7th largest global investor. 8th largest receiver of foreign investments. 16th largest global economy. Exports per Sector: 41% re-exports from imports. 34% from industries. 6% from trade and transport. 4% industry and energy. 4% financial services. 3% business services. 3% agriculture, forest and fisheries. According to Statistics Netherlands the economy decreased by 0.2% in this year’s second quarter, while the first quarter showed double this figure. Both consumer spending and business investments decreased in this year’s second quarter. During the same period exports grew by 0.4%. The number of jobs decreased by 147,000. Future Prospects: Energy Agreement for Sustainable Growth: More wind turbines A thousand new wind turbines are to be built. By 2020, 14% of all energy will be generated from renewable sources, rising to 16% by 2023. Resources for home insulation The government is investing â‚ ¬400 million in insulating rented homes. As well as reducing heating costs and emissions of the greenhouse gas CO2, this measure will generate new jobs. More jobs Taken together, the investments in energy from renewable sources and energy conservation will create 15,000 jobs. An energy label for every home All privately owned and rented homes that have not already been assigned one, will be allocated energy label starting in 2015, indicating the home’s energy efficiency and raising awareness of energy consumption. Tighter agreements on emissions trading Tighter European agreements are needed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The government wants the EU to take steps to improve the CO2 emissions trading system, to reduce emissions by at least 80% by 2050. National Energy Saving Fund Homeowners can take out low-interest loans to fund energy-saving measures, financed by the National Energy Saving Fund, which has a budget of â‚ ¬600 million. Tax breaks for local clean energy initiatives Local initiatives in which people club together to generate electricity from sustainable resources will be rewarded withlower energy tax ratesfor those involved. This may for example include residents who club together to invest in a large solar panel system, placed on the roof of a school or warehouse. Relations with India Since 1947, Indo-Dutch relations have been excellent, marked by strong economic and commercial ties, based on foundation of shared democratic ideals, pluralism, multiculturalism and rule of law. Indo-Dutch relations have been multi-faceted and encompass close cooperation in various areas including political, economy, academics and culture. Since the early 1980s, the Dutch Government has identified India as an important economic partner. The relations underwent further intensification after India’s economic liberalization in the 1990s with growing recognition of India as an attractive trade and investment partner. For many decades, India was a major recipient of Dutch development aid. Today contacts between the two countries focus mainly on economic, technical and scientific cooperation. Economic relations India has developed into a rapidly expanding economy, focused on technological development and technical and scientific cooperation. The Netherlands is a major investor in India, through Dutch companies involved in sectors like technology, energy, logistics, financial services and transport. Central government seeks out opportunities for Dutch companies and tries to attract Indian investment to the Netherlands. There are particularly lucrative opportunities for Dutch companies in the following sectors of India’s economy: agri food, logistics (ports, shipping and inland waterways), technology (the automotive and defence industries), infrastructure and water management, energy, health, chemicals and creative industry. Dutch interest in India as a trading partner has increased sharply, and although trade remains limited, it is growing rapidly. Exports from the Netherlands to India include machinery, optical equipment, cast iron and steel. The main Dutch imports from India are mineral fuels, including oil. The enormous trade and investment potential of the Indian market offers plenty of scope for expanding Dutch exports to and investments in India. Help can be provided by the Dutch Trade Board (DTB), a public-private partnership that works to strengthen the position of Dutch companies abroad. The Netherlands has an extensive trade promotion network comprised of the embassy in New Delhi, the consulate-general in Mumbai and two Netherlands Business Support Offices in Chennai and Ahmedabad. Dutch entrepreneurs can contact them for information about market opportunities and for assistance with government contacts. Trade missions and networking meetings are also organized. The Dutch embassy in New Delhi promotes the interests of entrepreneurs in the agri-food sector. There are also technical and scientifically attached in both Delhi and Mumbai, who focus on matters such as establishing contacts between Dutch and Indian universities. The Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency (NFIA) also has an office which provides advice, information and practical support to entrepreneurs wishing to do business in India. In recent months the Ministry of Economic Affairs, together with several Indian states, the Netherlands Agro, Food and Technology Centre (NAFTC) and Greenport Holland International (GHI) have worked on proposals for the establishment of Dutch-Indo Centers of Excellence. India’s central Government has now agreed to the establishment of 10 Dutch–Indo Centers of Excellence across India and has given the green light for the steps necessary for further development. The Centers of Excellence will provide training and give businesses the opportunity to demonstrate their production methods and techniques. Dutch businesses will contribute to increasing food production in India through improved production methods, logistics and food safety measures. The ten Centers of Excellence will concentrate on the horticulture, dairy cattle, potato, meat and pork chains and will provide opportunities for collaboration between Dutch and Indian businesses. Trade and investment cooperation a key component of India-Netherlands relationship has shown satisfactory growth over the years. Two-way trade has continued to grow steadily, reaching Euro 5.287 billion in 2011. Netherlands remains among the top ten partners of India in terms of trade volume with positive balance of trade in favor of India. It is also one of the largest investor in terms of foreign direct investment into India with FDI inflows during period 2000 to 2011 amounting to US $ 5.62 billion (accounting for 4.3% of total inflows into India). Indian investments into Netherlands during period 1996 to 2010 amounted to $11.46 billion. The current ongoing Eurozone crisis has not seriously impacted trade and investment flows between India and Netherlands. India’s exports to and imports from Netherlands have significantly increased during past 3-4 years and the same is true for trade in services. Many Dutch multinationals and major companies like Phillips, Shell, Unilever (Hindustan Lever in India), KLM, the three big banks – ABN AMRO, ING, Rabobank and others have a growing and successful presence in India. Dutch SMEs with niche technologies and world-class expertise are also actively looking at the Indian market. Similarly, several Indian companies including major IT companies have established their presence in Netherlands. There have been major acquisitions and mergers by Indian companies including that of Tata Corus (now Tata Steel), Apollo – Vredestein, acquisition of Theodoor Gilissen Bankiers by Hindujas and many Indian companies are exploring the possibilities for further tie-ups. The proposal for opening a branch of State Bank of India in Amsterdam is also under process. There is potential for further bilateral collaboration in areas like water management, infrastructure, logistics, ports, highways; inland water transportation; ICT; biotech; agriculture, agro-processing, floriculture, creative design industry. Main Indian expor ts to Netherlands are textiles garments; electric machinery equipment, agricultural products and processed foods including marine products; leather goods; cars and other vehicles, organic chemicals, rubber, plastics works thereof; mineral and metal products. Main products imported from Netherlands to India are machinery/equipment; medical/optical instruments, chemicals; plastics, metal products. Since the beginning of the year there have been several trade missions and business relations established between The Netherlands and India. A number of high-level official visits have taken place including visits by Dutch Minister of Infrastructure Environment as well as by Mayors of Rotterdam and Amsterdam and Vice Mayor of The Hague with delegations. Foreign Minister Prof. Dr. Uri Rosenthal made an official visit to India at the invitation of Honble External Affairs Minister Shri S.M. Krishna where opportunities for Dutch investments in logistics, water management and communications were discussed. The trade mission of 40 Dutch businesses to India led by the Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation, Lilianne Ploumen, met with an enthusiastic response from Indian entrepreneurs and investors.During the mission a number of agreements were signed in both New Delhi and Mumbai, worth tens of millions of euros. The Dutch SME Schouten Food Products, which specializes in manufacturing protein-rich meat substitutes, for instance signed a â‚ ¬10 million contract with a local Indian partner. Talks were also held with Indian companies interested in investing in the Netherlands. These included United Phosphorus Ltd, which decided to earmark â‚ ¬15 million for the expansion of its factory in Rotterdam. Ms Ploumen expressed satisfaction at the mission’s outcome. ‘Trade with India generates jobs and income in the Netherlands,’ she said. In talks with the Indian authorities, the Minister urged that the trade and investment climate between the Netherlands and India be improved, along with market access. During the mission it was decided to establish a joint committee on investment and trade, so as to eliminate existing trade barriers between the two countries and strengthen economic ties. Ms Ploumen also spoke with Indian ministers, organizations and companies about corporate social responsibility. It was agreed that both countries would meet again soon to pursue this discussion, and invite companies like Tata and Unilever to join it. Signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on technical cooperation between their two countries in the fields of spatial planning and architecture, water and transport management, and sustainable building took place this year. The aim is to learn from one another and to open doors for the business community. There is potential for further bilateral collaboration in areas like water management, infrastructure, logistics, ports, highways, inland water transportation, ICT, biotech, agriculture, agro-processing, floriculture, creative design industry. Main Indian exports to Netherlands are textiles garments, electric machinery equipment, agricultural products and processed foods including marine products, leather goods, cars and other vehicles, organic chemicals rubber, plastics works thereof, mineral and metal products. Main products imported from Netherlands to India are machinery/equipment; medical/optical instruments; chemicals; plastics, metal products.

Friday, October 25, 2019

Ross Assessment of Activities in the Middle East :: Politics Political Regimes Essays Papers

Ross' Assessment of Activities in the Middle East Winds of change continue to sweep through lands traditionally ruled by cruel regimes, as the people of these nation-states set aside their fears and vote with their feet. Participation in nations such as Georgia, Ukraine, and Lebanon has increased, and the question lingers as to whether these changes will be merely a breeze, or have more far-reaching and lasting effects. As former U.S. envoy to the Middle East, Dennis Ross, comments on the situations in the Middle East, he analyzes possible outcomes and makes policy suggestions on how to catalyze and encourage further movement away from corrupt authoritarian regimes. In his assessment of activities in the Middle East, Ross recognizes the doubtfulness of any kind of swift and complete transition away from the corruption that so often characterizes the governments of the region. The nuclear situation in Iran, and one of the proposals on how to deal with it, provide a small scale representation of the problems that result from cooperative dealings. Just as the carrots-and-sticks approach to the situation in Iran presents the problem of Iran?s compliance with the terms, so does the general climate of the Middle East. The way in which a nation chooses to present itself and its actions does not always reflect what is actually occurring; gestures and actions are not necessarily supported by genuine sentiment. Despite the fact that his calls for collective action by the United States, Europe, and Japan provide a hypothetically effective solution, the fear may arise that no action will be taken, regardless of the presence of an agreement. Though multilateralism seems to be a good way of handling these issues of corruption, transition, and hopefully, liberalization, it is by no means foolproof. As long as self-interest is prioritized above collective interest on the international agendas of nations like the United States, multilateralism cannot be a sure-fire solution. There exist no guarantees that the continued oppressiveness of various Middle Eastern regimes will prove the greatest threat to national and international security; therefore, there lies the possibility that other issues prove to be more urgent and take precedence. As a result, nations involved in this agreement may have more pressing concerns to address, and choose to withdraw or not participate fully if a response is needed . Ross acknowledges the capability of liberal activity in the region as a force with a possible spillover effect.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

1984 Expository Essay Essay

The Book 1984 was written by George Orwell shortly after W.W.II. The book really shows us what would happen if the government gets too powerful. The world of 1984 is so organize that it has many high technologies to keep people on line or more importantly is to control. However, our world is much more different, we have our own individualism, freedom, and power. First of all, our world is much more different than the world of 1984, because we have our own individualism. In the world of 1984 is much more different than that. You have no individualism, everything you do is been monitor by the telescreen, which is everywhere in the world of 1984. It picks up every movement and sound where it is placed. So when Winston, the main character in the story, writing the diary, he have to hide from the telescreen, because in the world of 1984 writing a diary is a crime. On the other hand, our world is much more different. We can do almost whatever we want, like written diary or go to sleep, without scare to get caught or being monitor. Moreover, our world is much more different than the world of 1984, because we have our own freedom. This world you can have freedom of almost anything. You can speak or learn whatever language you want, practice your religion, and write whatever you want. But in the world of 1984, the country had developed its own language called Newspeak. See more: Recruitment and selection process essay It was unique in the sense that, while other languages helped increase communication, it was formed to decrease it. The language lost words pretty regularly to reduce the amount of brain activity, making communication more limited. When you can worship anything or anyone you want, exercise in your own time or you don’t have to, and love anyone you want. But, in the world of 1984, everything is much more different. You cannot love or worship anything you want; all you need is Big Brother, who is the leader of the Party and also the one that control you.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Community Based Participatory Planning As Renovation Policy Environmental Sciences Essay

City of Tehran is enduring from huge dilapidated countries which involve both societal every bit good as physical diminution. This job has been reflected in urban development policies that have been established by authorities governments every bit good as the metropolis counsellors and private stakeholders. To face with this job, Tehran municipality has established a chief redevelopment organisation. During the last decennaries assorted policies has been adapted and implemented by this organisation. The paper would reexamine and analyse these policies and the result of their executions. The policies vary from strictly physical redevelopment of the dilapidated countries which does non requires the engagement of the local occupant in the planning and design procedure and have relied wholly on cardinal determination devising and support. On the manus, participatory planning procedure was promoted and new attacks have been adopted to profit from the bing societal capital and to construct upon the strengths of the occupants and their societal webs to suggest programs and to implement them. Khazaneh is located in southern Tehran, and is the focal point of an existent redevelopment undertaking reported in this paper. Here a participatory planning attack is adapted and new local councils are established to seek occupants ‘ penetrations into the local program and to inform them of the thoughts of contrivers. This has provided a bipartisan planning system, which is embracing both the ends of the cardinal planning system every bit good as the purposes of the local community. Keywords-Tehran, Dilapidated vicinities, Renovation, Participation.IntroductionCities are unrecorded entities that are dynamic and active and are invariably restituting themselves cell by cell. Cities grow bit by bit, during which vicinities are shaped. As dynamic entities, their physical quality and societal position alteration over clip. This dynamic being normally self-repairs itself in both physical and societal sense. However sometimes this natural procedure of determining and reshaping is interrupted or malfunctioned. At such times/places, the natural growing procedures are non equal to keep the quality of life and environment. This malfunction may be due to absolute poorness as in slum status, or due to comparative poorness and inequality which itself causes a barbarous circle. In this state of affairs normally deprived countries take form and as a consequence, dilapidated vicinities go a world of metropoliss. To interrupt this barbarous circle it is required to step in and mend the malfunction of these metropoliss, to be able to make the ego fix and eliminate the bedraggled vicinities. Normally any intercessions to cover with rundown countries of metropoliss in order to heighten quality of life are conducted from top-down, as it is normally conducted by governments with small engagement of occupants. Any intercession without citizen engagement has societal, economical, cultural and political effects that should be considered. One the most of import negative responses is opposition of citizen to any betterment of the vicinity as they do non swear governments.techniques of redevelopmentsIn order to restitute dilapidated vicinities assorted methods can be adopted. Habibi and Maghsoudi ( 2005 ) acknowledge four types of intercessions in the deprived vicinities. Preservation and healthful method: that enhances environmental qualities Preservation and adorning method: that enhance and continue the picturesque and architectural quality of the metropolis, such as continuing ocular corridors and old edifices and making a feasible construction for the vicinities Rebuilding of metropoliss: as it happens after any catastrophes. Man made or natural catastrophes. This method of redevelopment is aimed to retrace national pride. Renovation of bedraggled vicinities can done with any of this methodsDilapidated vicinity in metropolis of TehranTehran, the capital and largest metropolis of Iran is located in southern inclines of Alborz Mountains and is stretched over 40 kilometers to the south towards desert. Teheran is merely 200 old ages old, and merely during the past half century had a rapid population growing and physical enlargement. The metropolis had a really fast growing during both the 2nd Pahlavi rein and particularly the past one-fourth century after the Islamic Revolution. Rundown vicinities are the sad world of metropolis of Tehran. Dilapidated or rundown vicinities are the most of import job of metropolis of Tehran, as: The country of the bedraggled vicinity in Tehran is 3268 hectare which is 15 % of the metropolis country About of half of the lodging units of the metropolis are located in this vicinities Approximately 40 % of Tehran ‘s population is populating in these vicinities. They are among the poorest people of the metropolis. Physical, functional, substructure, transit services, environmental factors, societal and economical status are really hapless in these countries. Unhealthy life conditions and risky locations Most of these countries are located in the southern portion of the metropolis Table I compares the services degrees of these countries with norm of these indexs in the metropolis degree. As can be considered lodging countries is twice as it is the remainder of the metropolis which a mark of instability. Table I Comparing per centum and per capita of land utilizations in bedraggled vicinity and metropolis of Tehran Land usage Dilapidated Vicinities Average in City of Tehran Proposed criterion for Tehran Percentage Per capita Percentage Per capita Residential 29.04 18.76 23.54 22.77 20.93 Green countries 3.63 1.39 8.46 8.18 9.12 Urban services 5.35 2.05 6.03 5.84 10.9 Retails and offices 5.30 2.03 3.47 3.36 1.94 Transportation system and storage 1.79 .69 4.49 4.34 5.19 Roadss 27.32 10.45 18.73 18.11 24.81 Some of the physical indexs of decrepitude of vicinities as defined by ministry of lodging and urban planning in 1999 are ; A- Poor quality of the constructions of the edifices that can non defy even low magnitude temblor forces, B- unequal permeableness of vicinities specially unequal auto entree to such countries. C- Small grain in the morphology of these countries ( less than 200 square metres ) . In add-on to the above standards of acknowledging dilapidated vicinities harmonizing to different definitions the common standards for acknowledgment of these types of vicinities are: Lack of societal, economic every bit good as physical quality Lack of proper entree, substructure and services in the vicinities Vulnerability of constructions to natural catastrophes due to old and unstable constructions Inability to restitute edifices due to poorness and deficiency of capital for investing Out migration of occupants and societal instability due to replacement of new occupants with weaker economical base Legal jobs due to inheritance Torahs and endowment ordinances Some of the jobs that rose in Tehran due to the dilapidated countries are: Economic and societal inequality as a consequence of polarisation in the metropolis ( Abbaszadegan, Rezazadeh 2006 ) . Domination of physical orientated urban planning that does non concern with societal and economical conditions Lack of handiness due to narrow and unequal roads which causes hapless permeableness of vicinities Low value of belongingss in the disadvantaged countries of the metropolis, therefore the redevelopment of the private land and belongingss is non economically plausible Lack of adequate and appropriate services Low building quality which causes edifices to rundown quicklyPrecedence TO RENOVATION OF TEHRANHowever urban redevelopment was an issue in Tehran, after entry and blessing of Tehran ‘s maestro program in 1969, the issue gained a new impulse. This program proposed 2000 hectares of the lowest quality residential vicinities to be renovated within a 25 old ages period, in which 600,000 people would be replaced from their topographic points of abode. Tehran ‘s Renovation Corporation was established in 1972 and in 1977, the South Tehran Renovation and Reconstruction Corporation was established where extended dilapidated countries of the metropolis were located. In 1995 a new mission statement for the redevelopment corporation was developed harmonizing on which this corporation could advance development in these countries through funding. This funding is through Bankss and other fiscal institutes and could besides be through portions every bit good as credits. Since 2004 authorization programs for bedraggled countries were proposed ; this was conducted in three stages. After execution of each stage the programs were evaluated and the range of the work was revised. This alterations and alterations were chiefly off from the up-bottom type attack towards a stronger citizen participatory attack. Renovation Corporation of Tehran assigned the undermentioned ends for redevelopment of bedraggled vicinities: Safety: increasing safety of edifice in facing Earth temblors. Equity: to do equal chance for development of the metropolis and non to hold polarized metropolis by regenerating dilapidated vicinities and eradicate poorness, heightening quality of life in the disadvantaged countries and doing equal chances for all citizens of the metropolis. Revival: heightening sense of citizenship and sense of belonging to districts and giving significance to topographic points through utilizing individuality component and maximising engagement of occupants in redevelopment procedure in the disadvantaged countries Capacity edifice: utilizing chances that have been offered for the redevelopment of bedraggled vicinities in order to increase the capacity of the metropolis in conformity with its national, regional and international functions.THE CONTEMPORARY RENOVATION PROCESSThe Reconstruction of Tehran shows a transition from the autocratic Reconstruction towards participatory Reconstruction. One of the major Reconstruction undertakings of Tehran is related to Navaab vicinity. This old and dilapidated vicinity was located in southern parts of Tehran, which is now dissected with a north-south main road into two parts. The Reconstruction of the next vicinity has been conducted without seeking any engagement from the people. These intercessions were chiefly technocratic, autocratic and top-bottom. The occupants of these three vicinities were chiefly hapless and vulnerable and in all instances they were displaced. Merely in the last two instances, the Moft Abad and Khoob Bakht neighborhoods the supplanting was into the nearest possible topographic point to their old vicinity. Jabbari and Hasanzadeh ( 2008 ) have shown that these vicinities which are revitalized through a top-down and autocratic attack have confronted many jobs. These jobs are summarized in table II. TABLE II THE EXPERIENCE OF RENOVATION IN THREE DIFFERENT NEIGHBORHOODS IN TEHRAN Standards Salsabil Moft Abad Khoob Bakht Intervension attack Technocratic, autocratic and top-down Technocratic, autocratic and top-down Technocratic, autocratic and top-down Socio-economic group Poor and vulnerable Poor and vulnerable Poor and vulnerable Placelessness much Not known Not known supplanting Compulsory ( completed ) Compulsory in next countries Voluntary in outlying countries ( In advancement ) Compulsory in next and outlying countries ( In advancement )Engagement IN URBAN RENOVATIONContrasting to the autocratic attack is the participatory attack which is a bottom-up attack and seeks citizen engagement. Participatory planning is an urban planning paradigm which emphasizes affecting the full community in the strategic and direction procedures of urban planning or community-level planning procedures. In urban redevelopment procedure, engagement is a new attack which could be applied in both planning and design procedure. Cowan ( 2005 ) believes that engagement is a procedure in which involved the populace with the alterations in the metropolis, therefore its application would supply a key to development in all facets of urban life. Harmonizing to Oxford dictionary engagement is people ‘s mental and emotional engagement in societal activities and encourages them to assist each other in order to accomplish group ends. Here the three chief issues of importance in engagement are involvement, helping and undertaking duty. Sherry Arnstein ( 1971 ) introduced this construct as a contrasting and alternate to autocratic attack of planning. Smith ( 1973 ) argued that citizen engagement is an indispensable component in doing the planning procedure a acquisition system. This leads to a strengthening of the definition and function of communities in the urban system, and to an unexpected demand of contrivers who would follow a participatory planning procedure. Shirvani ( 1985 ) identifies two types of attacks in the overall strategy ; these are facilitator attack and political militant attack. Harmonizing to Shirvani ( 1985 ) , facilitator attack uses participatory methods for both job definition and coevals of design solution. Sanoff ( 2000 ) defines facilitation as ‘a agencies of conveying people together to find what they wish to make and assisting them find ways to work together in make up one's minding how to make it ‘ . Sherry Arnstein ( 1971 ) equates citizen engagement with citizen authorization which explains it through the participatory ladder. It starts from the lowest degrees of engagement which are use and therapy to middle scope of engagement which includes ratting, confer withing and conciliation, and eventually at the highest degree of engagement are partnership, deputing power and eventually citizen control. As is seen in lower degrees of the engagement ladder, the act is merely formal and there are non any true power handed into the citizens. However at the in-between scope there are non much to lose, so informing and confer withing are practiced. However the highest degrees involve passing in power to citizens. In Tehran, there was an enthusiasm toward application of participatory planning in redevelopment procedure. However, this attack has non been really successful at first, since in this procedure supplying fiscal resources and societal support were hard. During the first two old ages of its beginning merely 400 residential units were renovated and occupants were non take parting in the procedure as was expected, which disappointed Members of Tehran City Council. However, for a successful participatory planning attack, the procedure must be turned into a procedure of increasing enthusiasm and passion for redevelopment. This includes: Increasing degree of services Enhancing the quality of life Bettering the societal position Promoting sense of topographic point fond regard Following this alteration of attitude and attack, go forthing the autocratic Reconstruction and using participatory attack, the Renovation Corporation of Tehran, had to alter the range of the work in three stages. Table III compares these three stages. There are considerable alterations in favour of increasing citizenship power. One of these alterations which were proposed in the 3rd stage was constitution of Local Renovation Offices. Table III PHASES OF RENOVATION SCOPE OF WORK AND APPROACH Phases and undertakings Scope of work Approachs and Actions Phase I 2006-2007 Imam Ali Classifying societal groups Appraisal of safety and security issues Survey of societal issues through questionnaire Designation of stakeholder groups Maximum intercession Provision of 4 secret plan agglomeration programs without societal study Procurement of land and devastation of edifices to make unfastened infinites Stress on appropriate physical design Phase II 2007-2008 Saboonpaz-khaneh Analyzing population denseness and socio-economic diverseness Interview with stakeholders and helpers Sing development and effectual treating societal institutes for execution procedure Establishing Local Office was discussed, but non realized Presence in mosques to inform people and do usage of their thoughts Investigating societal capital Regular intercession Participating in public meetings and listening to occupants Discontinuing informing people and public engagement procedure Reducing figure of agglomerative packages, normally restricting to two packages Continuing the bing local construction and forestalling high degrees of intercession Leaving redevelopment of residential packages to occupants Proposing stimulating undertakings Phase III 2008-2010 Khazaneh Differentiation between demographic and societal surveies Sing the quality of occupant ‘s leisure clip Investigating occupants ‘ demands Investigating positive and negative societal features Stressing the function of civil establishments and vicinity councils Measuring societal capital and its function in redevelopment Acknowledging of formal and informal webs of power in vicinity Establishing Local Renovation Office for audience 1- constitution of the office 2- advancing engagement of stakeholder groups 3- developing the local redevelopment commission 4- participatory planning Minimizing intercession Supplying necessary public services Supplying appropriate residential types Developing incorporate programs with advisers in next countries Developing proposal in 3 types of upper limit, lower limit and regular intercession Stress on redevelopment promoting undertakings Establishing the vicinity Renovation Office for informing, showing and polishing program based on occupants ‘ demands Stressing structural support Supplying awards for agglomeration of packages Increasing FAR for larger agglomerative packages Developing specific guidelines for the countryLocal redevelopment officeIn 2008 Renovation Corporation of Tehran decided to establish local redevelopment offices in bedraggled vicinities. The chief committee of these offices was to ease the occupants ‘ engagement in the redevelopment procedure. The Scopess of work of these offices are: Facilitation: to acknowledge stakeholders and doing regular meeting with occupants Publicizing and publicity: to heighten economic and societal position Commiting: to advance forming societal every bit good as economical groups that advocate redevelopment and rehabilitation of the deprived vicinities. Members of these offices are from local territory boroughs, local counsellors, local clergy, members of local stakeholders such as adult females ‘s leaders, local retail representatives. One of these offices has been established in Khazaneh vicinity that is one of the bedraggled vicinities in southern Tehran. Writer of this article was involved in activities of this office during 2008-2010. One of the challenges that this office was faced with was happening common land to discourse jobs, as different stakeholders preferred to raise their ain issues. Therefore it was critical to hold their assurance that all the issues will be dealt with harmonizing to the precedences of the vicinity as it was put frontward by the local council.DecisionThe redevelopment experience in metropolis of Tehran shows that in any urban intercession in order to restitute the bedraggled vicinities, it is critical to hold clear schemes that maximize citizen engagement and continue the spirit of topographic point. Sing the above scheme the undermentioned recommendations are advised: In the planning scheme human cost and benefit should be considered as the chief indexs of redevelopment policy Residents should actively take part in be aftering their hereafter, as they should be good informed and portion of planning procedure Residents ‘ function in all the programs should be crystalline The governments and local counsellors should move transparent so that occupant can swear their activities and programs All kinds of engagement techniques and proper methods of communicating should be employed in order to understand the local jobs and issue and reassigning thoughts and programs in order to acquire equal responses Any kind of gentrification is non recommended If replacing of occupants is necessary, it should be clearly explained, as of how it affects different groups and stakeholders. Different planning and design options should be presented in order to supply assorted picks for occupants Assorted local capacity and invention should be recognized Non-governmental organisations should be mobilized for the redevelopment of deprived countries and they should take part in different phases of planning and design procedure Encouraging policies should be considered in order to carry occupants to restitute their summation houses and edifices