Hunger in Haiti Essay

Abstract Haiti is a small Caribbean country with serious hunger problem for many years. Even in 1980s, Haiti had advanced agriculture and hunger problem was far from this country. However, the local wars and conflicts happened in 1990s changed this. Agriculture was disturbed and hunger problem became more and more serious. It has been the key problem of Haitian development so Haitian government and international society have taken lots of measures to improve this situation. The major international supports were from the US and some EU countries. Plenty of data and reports show that hunger population in Haiti has been reduced a lot. Haiti will be most likely to achieve the Millennium Development Goal pronounced in 2000 by 2015. Hunger: the key problem in Haitian development â€Å" Civilization as it is known today could not have evolved, nor can it survive, without an adequate food supply† (Borlaug, 1970). However, the hunger problem troubles a quarter of the world’s population even in these years. The problem of world hunger is serious and has affected economic development in many countries. It is common knowledge that food is the first necessity of people, but to solve the problem of feeding a population of about 6.5 billion is a big challenge to the world. Lindsay (2008) reports that food is in short supply every year because there is not enough to satisfy people’s demand in the impoverished countries. However, food security is the basis of the social development in the world. It is quite clear that a hungry country cannot make great efforts to develop the economy and improve the living standards of its people. For example, during the 3 years from 1959 to 1961, because of the food shortage, China was hesitating, virtually at a standstill , and there was little economic growth and not much of a rise in the standard of living. Therefore, solving hunger problem is vital for world but there are still many problems demanding prompt solution in food supplies in the world, especially in some less-developed nations like Haiti. The Millennium Development Goal (MDG) pronounced by the United Nations in 2000 called for the proportion of people who suffer from hunger to be halved by 2015. This paper will discuss Haiti’s struggle to reduce hunger and explain why this country can probably meet the MDG by 2015. Although many developing countries experience hunger problems, Haiti’s food crisis shows the relationship between food and social stability. This country has suffered from an extremely serious food crisis these years. Plunkett (2000) reports that agriculture accounted for 30% of Haiti’s GDP, employing two thirds of Haitian people before 1980s. However, after the armed conflicts between Haitian opposing political factions happened in 1990s, agriculture was disrupted and hunger problem became both a rural and an urban phenomenon in Haiti. More than half of total population suffered from hunger and the percentage of rural population was higher, about 65% of people living in countryside didn’t have adequate food. Children were the population most hurt by this long-term and intractable problem. One in three Haitian children suffered malnutrition and one in eight died before the age of five as a result (Plunkett, 2000). It was a shock that so serious the Haitian hunger problem was before the new century. Because of its food crisis, Haiti’s social stability has been severely affected. According to Gauthier (2008), riots have happened all over Haiti in past years and many people died in hunger-related riots. Another report shows that a peaceful demonstration turned into a violent incident in Port-au-Prince, the capital city of Haiti (Chatterjee, 2008). Clearly, Haitian people have stored up discontent against their government due to the food insecurity. At the same time, unstable social order and anarchy gravely undermined Haiti’s economy, which came to a standstill. According to Plunkett (2000), the hunger problem caused depression in the market and the closure of industrial and commercial enterprises prevalent in 1990s in Haiti. The factors which caused this crisis are multiple. It is necessary to analyze the complicated factors before taking any measures to solve this problem and help Haiti achieve the MDG by 2015. The long-term local wars at the end of last century had unfavorable impacts on grain production in Haiti so that the domestic supply of food fell short of demand. The decrease of rice production after wars also caused Haitian people’s lower income directly so more than three quarters of the rural population lived below the poverty line by 2000. There was a dramatic increase in price of stable food and this caused devaluation in Haiti. To a certain extent, Haitian people’s purchase ability decreases because of their remarkably small income and the high food price, so they cannot buy enough food (Gauthier, 2008). Chatterjee (2008) points out that the cheap rice imported from the USA caused Haitian national rice production to plummet. Because of advanced agricultural technology, American rice has many advantages such as lower price and higher nutrition. Large quantities food imports from the US in 1990s after Haitian civil wars helped people have more food but also limited the national agriculture growth in Haiti. Besides these, according to Gauthier (2008), the increasing demand of food by local people and reductions in rice imports because of funds burden these years are also the factors that cannot be ignored. In response to the challenges of the food crisis, the Haitian government has spared no effort to help hungry people have enough to eat since 2000. According to Gauthier (2008), Haiti’s new government supports the modernization of agricultural techniques and the restoration of agricultural production. The government decides to open up more wasteland and the newly reclaimed land is now bringing forth bountiful crops. In country areas, government offers relief grain to the people who cannot afford enough food (Chatterjee, 2008). The Haitian government’s efforts are effective and have accomplished a lot but the government is short of funds to give hungry people support continually, so Haiti also takes vigorous action to promote international cooperation in food security. Chatterjee (2008) reports Haiti has recently qualified for debt relief under the World Bank and International Monetary Fund’s Heavily Indebted Poor Country Initiative, and in the meantime, many of Haiti’s creditor countries, especially some developed countries, consider a compassionate discharge because of Haitian domestic food difficulties. Apparently, international aid programs from developed countries and NGOs are of extreme importance to help Haiti’s government. According to Plunkett (2000) and Gauthier (2008), Haitian food crisis has improved significantly these years, the hunger population has been reduced 32% by 2007 and the good momentum is being maintained. To meet the MDG by 2015, efforts should be continued to win aid programs from international organizations and developed countries to help Haitian people get adequate food in following years. Some international organizations such as the UN Food and Agriculture Organization can coordinate the world’s food aid to Haiti. But Haiti cannot rely on foreign assistance and they need to become self-reliant in the future, so the UN peacekeepers should play a bigger role in the social stabilization of Haiti so that a stable political can help Haiti restore its native agricultural production. Self-sufficiency and self-reliance are the fundamental ways to eliminate the hunger problem in Haiti. In conclusion, with the implementation of different measures, an optimistic estimate suggests that the MDG will be achieved by 2015 in Haiti. Ample food is the basic human right in this world. The nations all over the world should join hands to safeguard the food security. Reference Borlaug, N. (1970). The green revolution, peace and humanity. Nobel Lectures. The Nobel Peace Prize Institute. Retrieved on November 12, 2008 from http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/1970/borlaug-lecture.html/ Chatterjee, P. (2008). Haiti’s forgotten emergency. The Lancet, 372 (9639), pp. 615 – 618. Retrieved on November 12, 2008, from http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(08)61259-3/ Gauthier, A. (2008). Food crisis in Haiti: exposing key problems in the process of stabilization. FRIDE Comment, 782 (45), pp. 34-38. Retrieved on November 12, 2008, from PAIS International database. Lindsay, R. (2008). Haiti on the ‘Death Plan’: Protesters decry high food prices and the savage cost of neoliberalism. The Nation, 286 (21), pp. 22-24. Retrieved on November 12, 2008 from PAIS International database. Plunkett, D. (2000). Food security in Haiti: A case study comparing the food security frameworks of the Haitian government , the European Commission and the U.S. Agency for International Development. Retrieved on November 12, 2008 from http://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PNACH663.pdf/

Google Case Study

Katherine Carter Strategies and Policies Case Study 8 Internet Search and the Growth of Google In 1997 the domain name google. com was registered by two Stanford students name Sergey Bring and Larry Page. In 1998, it became a privately owned, incorporated company known as Google Inc. Within 6 years of its inception, Google acquired 75% of US web search market. Even the word â€Å"google†, became a verb in our society as one would say, â€Å"let’s google him! †. Google revolutionized the internet search industry by charging its advertisers differently that ever done before.First, they auctioned off certain â€Å"key words† and when such key words were typed in a query, web users were directed to those advertisers web page. In addition, advertisers were charged on a â€Å"per click† based upon how many users actually clicked on their page. By 2010, 70% of all internet advertising was being spent at Google. That same year, Google had $29. 8 Billion in revenues with $8. 5 billion in net profit. Google’s mission is to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.The Google we know organizes the world’s internet information and makes it accessible to us via its search engines using algorithms and state of the art technology. Even though Google currently at the top of their field currently, they still have competitors. Their business model must be changed continually to stay abreast of new ideas, new technology, and new competitors. Strengths Most efficient search engine on internet Brand equity – most recognized brand name Needs very little end user marketing Very strong R and D skillsProvides an interface to approximately 88 languages State of art technology Not biased towards advertisers Ability to manage strategic change Executive Management Large cash flow Default search engine for many Innovative culture Comprehensive product mix Weaknesses Business model is complex Eccentric practices confuse/anger investors Poor product marketing Inappropriate organization Growth without direction Cumbersome hiring practices Opportunities Increase demand for information International market Computer literacy on the rise Expands profits with diversificationExploits new market segments Applies R and D skills in new areas Enters into new related businesses Applies brand name capital in new areas Seeks fast market growth Threats Legal challenges Multi industry competition Specialized search engines Click fraud Advertising space becoming more competitive RECOMENDATIONS Internet advertising is expected to continue to grow with search based advertising to account for 41. 2% of all U. S. Online advertising. Google will need to maintain its market dominance in order to stay on top of this game.As evidenced by Microsoft, who spent and lost billions attempting to build a search engine to complete with Google, it is most likely that competition will ultimately come from cooperation amoungs competitors. Recently, Microsoft and Yahoo have teamed up. Facebook also presents a threat to Google as it currently has in excess of 750 million users. Microsoft has invested over $210 million in Facebook. In order to continue to dominate, Google must continue to increase its offering of services such as e-mail (g-mail), a calendar, and photo sharing.This will lead to further loyalty with users. They must also continue to search for new areas of income thus diversifying. As example of this is â€Å"google apps† and the word processing program â€Å"Writely†, both developed to compete with Microsoft. Another example is the Google’s operating system for smart phones known as Android. Android let the market with a 31. 5% share of all smart phones sold in 2011. Analysts contend that Google’s new product offerings have a mixed success record. Google must refine their R and D to pick more winners to be developed and offered to end users.Thi s mixed review of new products no doubt stems from the current corporate structure. It is reported that there is no current efficient allocation of corporate personnel resources and massive duplication amongst those resources. This and other employment strategies must be addressed. Google must also search for future partners to team with to further broaden income and user loyalty. An example of a partnership is the one between Google and U Tube. Should Google not find and further these potential partnerships, it competitors surely will. Google Case Study Katherine Carter Strategies and Policies Case Study 8 Internet Search and the Growth of Google In 1997 the domain name google. com was registered by two Stanford students name Sergey Bring and Larry Page. In 1998, it became a privately owned, incorporated company known as Google Inc. Within 6 years of its inception, Google acquired 75% of US web search market. Even the word â€Å"google†, became a verb in our society as one would say, â€Å"let’s google him! †. Google revolutionized the internet search industry by charging its advertisers differently that ever done before.First, they auctioned off certain â€Å"key words† and when such key words were typed in a query, web users were directed to those advertisers web page. In addition, advertisers were charged on a â€Å"per click† based upon how many users actually clicked on their page. By 2010, 70% of all internet advertising was being spent at Google. That same year, Google had $29. 8 Billion in revenues with $8. 5 billion in net profit. Google’s mission is to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.The Google we know organizes the world’s internet information and makes it accessible to us via its search engines using algorithms and state of the art technology. Even though Google currently at the top of their field currently, they still have competitors. Their business model must be changed continually to stay abreast of new ideas, new technology, and new competitors. Strengths Most efficient search engine on internet Brand equity – most recognized brand name Needs very little end user marketing Very strong R and D skillsProvides an interface to approximately 88 languages State of art technology Not biased towards advertisers Ability to manage strategic change Executive Management Large cash flow Default search engine for many Innovative culture Comprehensive product mix Weaknesses Business model is complex Eccentric practices confuse/anger investors Poor product marketing Inappropriate organization Growth without direction Cumbersome hiring practices Opportunities Increase demand for information International market Computer literacy on the rise Expands profits with diversificationExploits new market segments Applies R and D skills in new areas Enters into new related businesses Applies brand name capital in new areas Seeks fast market growth Threats Legal challenges Multi industry competition Specialized search engines Click fraud Advertising space becoming more competitive RECOMENDATIONS Internet advertising is expected to continue to grow with search based advertising to account for 41. 2% of all U. S. Online advertising. Google will need to maintain its market dominance in order to stay on top of this game.As evidenced by Microsoft, who spent and lost billions attempting to build a search engine to complete with Google, it is most likely that competition will ultimately come from cooperation amoungs competitors. Recently, Microsoft and Yahoo have teamed up. Facebook also presents a threat to Google as it currently has in excess of 750 million users. Microsoft has invested over $210 million in Facebook. In order to continue to dominate, Google must continue to increase its offering of services such as e-mail (g-mail), a calendar, and photo sharing.This will lead to further loyalty with users. They must also continue to search for new areas of income thus diversifying. As example of this is â€Å"google apps† and the word processing program â€Å"Writely†, both developed to compete with Microsoft. Another example is the Google’s operating system for smart phones known as Android. Android let the market with a 31. 5% share of all smart phones sold in 2011. Analysts contend that Google’s new product offerings have a mixed success record. Google must refine their R and D to pick more winners to be developed and offered to end users.Thi s mixed review of new products no doubt stems from the current corporate structure. It is reported that there is no current efficient allocation of corporate personnel resources and massive duplication amongst those resources. This and other employment strategies must be addressed. Google must also search for future partners to team with to further broaden income and user loyalty. An example of a partnership is the one between Google and U Tube. Should Google not find and further these potential partnerships, it competitors surely will.

A Beautiful Mind a film by Ron Howard (2001) Essay

A Beautiful Mind a film by Ron Howard (2001) - Essay Example He soon outgrows the enthusiasm for his MIT position and accepts a more challenging role by Parcher William, on behalf of the US. D.o.D. HIS attempts to discover patterns hidden by the Soviet make him rather obsessive. Nash marriage to Alicia is rocked with problems since Nash experiences bouts of hallucination that make it hard for him to separate reality. For instance, he realizes that three characters, Marcee, Charles, and Parcher are only his imaginations figment. After treatment, Nash is able to deal more effectively with his hallucination, and is eventually offered a teaching position by his former rival Hansen, now heading the mathematics department at Hansen. Nash goes on to win a Nobel Prize in the field of economics. In terms of happiness, I would rather be a happy average person than an unhappy genius. Being a genius is meant to be a way by which to achieve a more fulfilling life. If it does not fulfill this fundamental requirement, then leading an average life proves more fulfilling than having accolades that bring no joy. The human nature is such that his well-being is tied to their happiness. A happy individual, average or not, is definitely leading a better life, the life I

Marketing Mix of Louis Vuitton Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Marketing Mix of Louis Vuitton - Assignment Example The service period which he spent with the emperor introduced him to the styles of elite and the royal clientele who enjoyed his services even after his death. The Louis Vuitton Malletier (LVM) was established in 1854 in Paris, which is now considered the world-renowned lifestyle brand dealing in luxury leather (Louis Vuitton, 2013). The success story of the brand clearly reflects that it was not a coincidence rather Louis Vuitton achieved this peak position in the business world through the use of perfect marketing strategies (Peter Finocchiaro, 2010). LVM has always been very creative in introducing new products, since the start it has been catering to the needs the customers with the supreme quality services. LVM has been successfully using the marketing mix which led the company to acquire the second place in the Luxury Marketer Awards of 2010. The brand has utilized the multichannel strategies which have bridged the gap between history and status of French Fashion (Peter Finocch iaro, 2010) as per the BBC News LVM has increased its sales in the first three months of 2011 by 17%. Researchers have given the credit of successful operations of LVM to its Marketing Mix (Catarina Duque, 2012). After the selection of the target market the prime concern of the management is to set the principles for marketing mix which is a combination of product strategies, pricing strategies, placing strategies and promotion strategies. These all are formulated on the basis of the preferences of target market.

Urbanisation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Urbanisation - Essay Example For instance, introduction of or change of EU migration policies with the aim of restricting free movement of its members within registered states would significantly reduce mass migration effects (Kern, 2014, p. 1). Besides migration policies, enactment of protective environmental policies including social protection strategies would help in reducing related effects such as poverty and inadequate social amenities (UK Government, 2011, p. 135). In addition, structured social protection policies would enhance livelihood of Britons and migrants as they adapt to effects of mass migration. It is imperative for UK government to possess the responsibility of urban regeneration through paying of urban facilities improvements. The government collects enormous taxes from citizens that should be applicable in implementation of urban development policies including improvement of facilities such as schools, transport systems, and hospitals. Such responsibility would be domineering in ensuring government’s standard service to its citizens. Moreover, since the government has foremost responsibility of subduing migration and its effects, they should ensure maintenance and regeneration of urban facilities to meet citizens’ needs. Consequently, UK government have the foremost and legal responsibility of improving and ensuring subsequent maintenance of urban facilities. Kern, Soeren., March 7, 2014. Britain: Mass Immigration Leaves Towns and Cities Unrecognizable. Gatestone Institute. Web. April 27, 2015 Retrieved from http://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/4205/britain-immigration UK Government., 2011. Foresight: Migration and Global Environmental Change (2011): Migration and Global Environmental Change Future Challenges and Opportunities. Final Project Report. Web. April 27, 2015. Retrieved from

The various nursing intervention approaches to descrease pain among Research Paper

The various nursing intervention approaches to descrease pain among patients with sickle cell disease - Research Paper Example globin chain and is usually found from people of African-American, Middle Eastern, African, Afro-Caribbean, Indian or Mediterranean descent (McMahon, Callaghan, O'Brien, and Smith, 2002, 183) This condition usually results in haemoglobin with increased blood viscosity, dehydration, acidosis, or infection polymerise with less deformable red cells (McMahon et al, 2002). The symptoms of SCD which results to vascular occlusion are painful hand-foot syndromes, cerebrovascular occlusions, chest syndromes, and splenic sequestration resulting to splenic atrophy. It is characterized by the failure of the spleen to function optimally even in the first months of birth that usually leads to overwhelming pneumococcal infection, usually at 20% mortality rate for patients under 5 years old (Overturf, 1999). Since access to health care is seen as one of the main problems for SCD patients (Routhieaux, Sarcone, Stegenga, 2005), it becomes important to identify ways to mitigate its most immediate or im portant effect on patient which is pain described as chronic, acute or both. Pain management is an important element of care for SCD patients and related to pain management are to identify pain treatment, control or reduction. Quality of life is an overarching goal for sick patients even those with genetic disorders such as SCD. Pain reduction is usually related to increased patient satisfaction and improved quality of life even in conditions of disease and chronic pain (Adegbola, 2009). Chronic pain has been reported by people with SCD even when they now have chances of living a longer life (Adegbola, 2009). Use of pain relieving, controlling and treatment method for patients with SCD is then important for the determination of quality delivery of health care services. Various methods are employed in Hospitals settings to treat SCD patients in reducing, controlling, and treating pain. These are influenced by the pain assessor, patient access, affordability, availability, knowledge a nd orientation of administrator, and other factors that may be present during prescription or administration. This research will identify these methods and their frequency of use among patients 18 years old and below. -Purpose of the study The purpose of this study is to identify the pain reduction methods used during in nursing intervention and care for patients with SCD. Through identification of these methods and their result on quality of care, nursing professionals may be provided with a guide which method or methods best suit patients with ages below 18 years old. Sickle cell disease is characterized by painful experiences of patients of all ages. In the United States alone, there are about 75,000 people with SCD and that 1 out of 12 African Americans have the sickle cell trait. While it has been suggested that chronic pain is more prevalent and severe during the earlier years of study about the disease, there still are reported daily experiences of pain by SCD patients in mor e recent cases (Adegbola, 2009). The study will identify and chronicle the methods used in reducing or removing pain among SCD patients below eighteen (18) years old during the period January 2009 to January 2010 at Kendall Regional Hospital in-patient section. The findings will aid nurses whose and care providers to determine which best will fit their requirement or need of their patients aged 18 years old and below as well as inform them of available options and best practices in SCD pain management. -Specific aims The specific aim of this study is

Depersonalization as a method of representation and protection of Research Paper

Depersonalization as a method of representation and protection of personal data - Research Paper Example Computers and the Internet paved the way for more efficient and fast methods to gather, store and organize personal information. Since the 1970s the number of computer data banks or databases became staggering. There are the databases from Social Security Administration, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Medical Information Bureau, state criminal justice systems, municipal data systems, credit card companies, telephone companies, Medicaid, and, recently, Google, Facebook and so much more. The huge amount of information that governments and businesses collect from individuals have become a cause of concern. Personal data collection encroaches on the individual’s right, particularly as it invades privacy or the right to control information about ourselves; there is a disclosure of private personal facts; and, the information can be used in such a way that a person is cast in a bad light or in a case of identity theft. The method of personal data collection, its use and security, hence, necessitate citizen protection. Through the years, laws have enacted that aim to protect personal privacy but they appear to be insufficient. This paper will explore depersonalization as an effective method of personal data collection, where privacy is still protected. ... 3. Access or the level of access provided to individuals on the gathered data about them. 4. Security or the responsibility of data gatherers to provide adequate protection for the information collected (Bidgoli 2004, 98). Based from these principles, a number of laws were enacted covering individual privacy across different sectors. For instance, the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act protects personal banking information; the Fair Credit Reporting Act provides the framework for handling personal credit data. There are also laws that cover the collection and use of medical and health data, government records, children’s privacy, and so forth. Laws are also enacted in other countries such as the European Union Data Protection Directive, the OECD privacy guidelines adopted by countries such as Mexico, Australia, Japan and Czech Republic (Conrad, Misenar and Feldman 2012, 401). But these laws and even some ethical guidelines (see Kluge 2000), no matter how specific and comprehensive, still fail to address privacy issues. Neubauer and Kolb (2009), for example, noted that approaches and methods for protecting privacy often do not comply with legal requirements or basic security requirements without suffering any penalty, (7). Szeto and Miri (2007) revealed the same findings when they studied the Canadian experience. According to Hildebrandt and Gutwirth (2008), this is because most statutes builds on traditional ways of thinking data, personal data and their abuse, without understanding or recognizing the new type of knowledge that result from modern data processing (321). It was further argued that even when recent or updated laws were effective regarding personal data, they are still not equipped to deal with correlated data, which is persistent today

A study of why Norway did so much better than UK and Greece in the Dissertation

A study of why Norway did so much better than UK and Greece in the financial crisis - Dissertation Example It is obvious though that government economic policy does shape the quantitative results as can be determined from the GNP and GDP. Because of this, the global financial crisis also highlighted the different approaches that governments employ in managing the economies of their respective countries. The experiences of Norway and Greece expose the fundamental differences in government’s type of leadership in the economic sphere, particularly in finance. While many countries, including the economic powers reeled in the midst of recession, Norway’s economy grew stronger by almost 3 percent while its government enjoyed an 11 percent surplus budget (Thomas 2009). Greece’s economy, on the other hand, started to plummet at the onset of global financial crisis. While Norway, despite its relatively robust economic policies, managed to institute reforms to cushion the impact of the recession, Greece continues to experience worsening social turmoil brought about by the crisi s. The Greek government gets a huge part of the blame as it failed in the area of financial management. According to the Global Financial Integrity analyst Dev Kar, â€Å"over the past decade ending 2009, Greece lost an estimated US$160 billion in unrecorded transfers through its balance of payments† (2010). This extremely blatant example of economic mismanagement is just one of the major factors that have caused the current financial crisis in the Mediterranean country. Further explications of the reasons why Norway fared much better than Greece during the global financial crisis would be presented in this literature review. The development of Norway’s economy took a long and tedious process before it achieved its current healthy conditions. While the uncertainties plagued the country in the decades and centuries before, it has been able to sustain its growth since the 1970s. There were times since the mid-1970s when the growth rate slowed but, compared to the respect ive economies of its European neighbours, Norway’s steady development has been considered as unprecedented. Ola Honningdal Grytten of the Norwegian School of Economics and Business Administration points out that there are three major factors that contributed to the economic growth of the country, particularly in the 19th and 20th centuries. Grytten identifies these as the country’s richness when it comes to natural resources, its skilled labour force, and its willingness to make use of the latest technology for productive endeavours (2010). In his article, Grytten acknowledges that government policies play a very important role in the maximisation of the said assets. For a long time, since the years of the economy’s rapid development, Norway was led by the Labour party. The Labour-dominated government initiated countercyclical policies which resulted in deindustrialization in the 1970s, a process which many economists, was regressive in essence. Countercyclical policies include the imposition of heavy taxes on business to generate funds for the government, particularly for its welfare programmes. During those times, the country was on the path of becoming one of the most advanced welfare states in Europe. Grytten’

Strategic Planning For Digital Marketing Communications Research Paper

Strategic Planning For Digital Marketing Communications - Research Paper Example Based on the outcome of this analysis, the management of the organization gets a clear perspective of the possible ways in which it might utilize the opportunities and deal with the threats successfully. Although this analysis is similar to the analysis made for any other for-profit organization, there are certain key differences. Oxfam NGO also faces some of these problems. Managers in a non-governmental organization (NGO) need to consider the impact of factors such as volunteer staff, fundraising, volunteer staff and long-term goodwill. Since these organizations do not depend on profit for their survival, the above-mentioned factors play a major role in achieving success in the long run (Turkishweekly, 2013). From the analysis (see SWOT table in appendix), it has been found that in the NGO industry, organizations face several challenges in conducting marketing communication activities. Some of the noteworthy challenges are briefly discussed below. General issues Challenge Absence o f strategic planning Many organizations in the NGO sector do not run as proper business enterprises, they face the lack of strategic planning. However, this lack of planning often creates indecisiveness or barriers in the path of marketing. Oxfam faces this problem of strategic planning at the marketing level (Ngoconnect, 2009). ...NGO industry issues Challenge Lack of funds Fundraising remains one of the major concerns for non-profit organizations. 80% of Oxfam’s activities depend on the financial assistance provided by its members, associates, and private partners while the government provides 20% of assistance (Oxfam, 2013a). Finding private donors is a challenging task. Depending on the status of the economy, the financial conditions of the donors fluctuate. Poor networking Some NGOs are not very successful in establishing strong networks with clients and other NGOs.

The science of Emotions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The science of Emotions - Essay Example When it comes to scientific research emotions are divided into multiple dimensions such as behavioral, physiological, subjective and cognitive. According experts deeds, ideas, emotions and physiological states are the four components of human behavior. Idea and deed can be chosen independently but emotions and physiological states cannot be chosen independently. Limbic system is a part of the brain that controls the behavior of human beings that are essential in our lives, like smelling, laughter, hunger, anger, finding food, etc. Limbic system is located beneath the cerebral cortex and is constituted of network of structures. Some scientific research has provided proof that some of the evolutionary structures found in the limbic systems can be traced some ancient animals such as the alligator. It has been found that the limbic system in alligator plays an important role in smelling, defending territory, hunting and eating prey. A- Corpus callosum, B- Olfactory tract, C- Mammillary bodies, D- Fornix, E- Anterior thalamic nuclei, F- Amygdala, G- Hippocampus, H- Parahippocampal gyrus, I- Cingulate gyrus and J- Hypothalamic nuclei constitute the parts of the limbic system. Based on discoveries made through neural mapping of the limbic system, the neurobiological explanation of human emotion is that emotion is a pleasant or unpleasant mental state organized in the limbic system of the mammalian brain (Wikipedia). Modules of the cingulated gyrus are main reason behind human emotion of love that had evolved from paleocircuits of the mammalian brain. These help in expressing emotions like care, feeding and grooming of offspring. Cortical circuits help in speech, which were evolved millions of years after paleocircuits for bodily expressions was configured. Amygdala is of small almond shaped structure that is located deep inside the brain and hippocampus which is tiny, sea horse shaped structure are found to be the main areas that are involved with emotional actions and reactions. The medial dorsal nucleus of the thalamus is connected to amygdala, which in turn is connected to hippocampus. These connections are very important for expressing emotional feelings and have an important role to play to in mediating and controlling the major activities like friendship, love, affection, caring and expressions on different moods. The median of hypothalamus plays an important role and has been a major contributor in producing a loud and uncontrollable laughter. 2. The present world is full of energy and moving ahead with an incredible pace. Due to the developments in every sector for example in communications, marketing, construction, etc., human standards of living have reached a new high. Due to emotional development and having a balanced control over our feelings we are able to fight against all the odds and are succeeding in most of the departments. Human expression plays an important role in dealing with business activities and public relations. A candidate attending an interview will be analyzed more

The Treaty of Waitangi Essay Example for Free

The Treaty of Waitangi Essay The historical and contemporary interpretation of the treaty of Waitangi and the Doctrine of aboriginal title in New Zealand case law and statute, reflects the pattern of what Moana Jackson refers to as the â€Å"colonizing context† the treaty itself came into being on 6th February 1840. It was signed between the British crown representatives and different Maori chiefs who were from the Northern North Island. With the signing of the treaty, a British governor post was established in this region and Maori people became the British subjects. In this research paper I’ll analyze the circumstances surrounding the signing of the treaty, effects of the treaty and various tribunals and cases involving the treaty. I’ll also discuss how clear understanding of the colonizing context can lead to adjustment of the constitution. The basis of Moana Jackson’s argument is as a result of the difference between the British’s and Maori language with reference to the treaty of Waitangi. The interpretation between the two languages differed and so there is no agreement as to what the original treaty was because it was differently interpreted. To the British, the treaty mandated them to rule New Zealand and created the post of a governor who was bestowed with full powers to run all affairs affecting this territory but on the other hand, the Maori had a different understanding. Both parties disagreed on various issues even after the treaty was signed. The treaty also gave these people the right to maintain their properties and land. Since the treaty was signed in 1840, the treaty was never valued and existed in ‘darkness’ up to 1970s. All this time the courts never recognized it. It did not address their ownership rights plus they were not fairly treated by the British government. Form the 1960s up to date, the Waitangi treaty has been reviewed a number of times and so many problems have been brought to the light. A commission to inquire on the treaty was formed in 1975 to address the affected areas and this is what came to be referred to as the Waitangi Tribunal. It was supposed to establish and solve the breaches that were committed by the crown or by its agents. To many, the treaty is referred to as the founding document of the state of New Zealand though there are various reasons that made Moana Jackson to refer to it as a â€Å"Colonizing Context† and one of this reason was that, though the treaty was as a result of mutual understanding between British and Maori, the treaty was not recognized until recently when it received limited acknowledgement. In the past, the New Zealand governors and the colonial office clearly supported the treaty for it gave to rule over Maori people as well as to be the leader of New Zealand. After the 19th century case, the treaty was declared null and void and this meant that the treaty was not to be honored both by the government and courts. This declaration was entrenched by the claim that was being advanced by the British’s that New Zealand became a colony after the January’s proclamation of 1840 was passed. The treaty only worked in favor of British and Hobson used the treaty as a pretext to claim leadership of North Island. They breached the terms of agreement to the treaty and denied Maori people the ownership right of the island. They claimed that it was uninhabited when they first arrived in that region arguing that maori’s population was small and sparsely distributed and this did not give them any right to do that and arguing that they Maori of that time were not organized is racism and Euro centrism. According to the doctoring of aboriginal title these people had a right to maintain their soveignity as it was something that had persisted as customary and native rights. The aboriginal title was analogous to â€Å"freehold ownership† also meant not complete ownership. To make a valid constitution, both parties must sit down argue and reason together. The question over whether the treaty was binding or not was decided over a number of court cases such as WI parata versus Bishop Wellington in 1877. In this case the judge dismissed the treaty as neither binding nor valid. In the case of Te Heuhen Tukino Vaotea district Maori land board, the treaty was ruled to be valid in 1938 especially where it talked about the transfer of power and sovereignty but was he was quick to add that it was not what that was agreed â€Å"All dealings with the aborigines for their land must be conducted on the same principles of sincerity, justice and good faith as must govern your transactions with them for the recognition of†¦ they must not be permitted to enter in to any contracts in which they might be the ignorant and unintentional authors of injuries to them serves.† The treaty according to the crown led to the establishment of fair relationship between the two groups. Cooperation determined the relationship between the community and distinctive development but it should be known that there could be no cooperation without mutual understanding. The Waitangi tribunal was created under the 1975’s Act of the Treaty. Its main aim was to investigate complains that were made by the Maori people on the violation of the treaty by the crown. Also in 1988, through the amendments that were made, the tribunal was supposed to investigate whether the treaty was feasible and whether some activities that were being done by the crown were consistent with the treaty. The treaty according to Moana Jackson was a ‘colonial context’ as it led the Maori not to lose land to other people except to the crown. This made British to buy more and more land due to the competitive amount that they paid for a piece of land. This attracted many settlers from England for they were sure that from then the land was theirs. Thus it is evident that the treaty was a vehicle to colonization. The signing of this treaty paved way for colonization of New Zealand by Britain. They spread their culture to every facet until it became the culture of the 19th and 20th centuries. Many colonialists migrated to New Zealand after being enticed by their counterparts with pieces of land in this region. The colonialisation process followed the views of the British governor Gibbon Wakefield who wanted the colonial settlement to emulate those in their mother country. When a large number of colonialists arrived, land started to become a scarce commodity and as a result disputes emerged over land between the local people and the British’s. Maori became angry and started making complains over lack of adherence to the Waitangi treaty and in 1860s, the colonialists with the help of troops from Britain steadied themselves in the region by suppressing these rebellions. As wars persisted many Maori died in the process and this worked to the advantage of the colonialists who took these pieces of land. Loosing sovereignty was a big blow to the liberty of Maori. The signing of the treaty led chiefs to pass their mandate to the European authority. They were forced to do that so that they would be offered protection and citizenship as well as duties and privileges given to the British. The Maori’s were allowed to sell their land only to the British something that made other European nations to keep off. By knowing the colonizing context of this treaty, it is possible to make adjustments to the constitutional framework. Before any amendment is made or before a new law could be made, the impact of the same must be weighed. Because it is clear now that the treaty of Waitangi led to the alienation of land for the Maori people. Safe in this knowledge, some provisions could be passed so that this problem can be addressed so as to prevent further alienation. The findings of this research paper are that the treaty was signed on understanding that the British personnel would rule over Maori people but their rights to own properties. The British violated the contract and used it a tool for advancing their politics. All complains that were made by the Maori people should be addressed in the constitution as it is the governing body that protects the interest of all citizens. A policy like selling land only to the British should be abolished as everybody has a right to do whatever they want. Bibliography. Adams P. 1977. Fatal Necessity: British Intervention in New Zealand 1830- 1847.Auckland University Press. Christchurch library. Treaty of Waitangi: The Waitangi Tribunal. Accessed at http://library.christchurch.org.nz/reference/treatyofWaitangi/tribunal/ on March 28, 2008. Claudia O. 1990. An Illustrated History of the Treaty of Waitangi. Welling Allen and Union Manutukutuku T.E. 1989. Newsletter of the Waitangi Tribunal Macmillan Brown Library HD 1120.5 AL- M294 Mc Neil K.1989. Common Law Aboriginal Title. L4NZULR 97. Ministry for Culture and Heritage, 2007. Waitangi Tribunal claim Maori Language Week Retrieved at http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/culture/maori-language- week/waitangi-tribunal-claim on Monday, March 31, 2008. Wakalahama T. 1993.A Guide to the Waitangi Tribunal. 2nd Edition. Km 78 Z7- N5328 Macmillan Brown Library.

Media Comparison: Egypt and Hong Kong

Media Comparison: Egypt and Hong Kong Wenting 1 Questions 3 Select any specific aspect(s) of mass media in one of the following four countries – Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan and South Korea –, and compare it/them with another country of your choice. Discuss the similarities and/or differences between the two countries. Specific aspect(s) can be: media system, media history, media control/ regulation, media content, media policy, new media etc. Introduction The media plays an important role in informing the population about the current activities within and outside the country. The media also points out the evils of the current government. This is the reason why most government tries to restrict all forms of media such as print and press. In order to fully appreciate the significance of the role of the media in a nation, a cast study of Egypt and Hong Kong have been selected for analysis. Two aspects of the media have been selected, the media control/regulation and the media history of these two nations. These two countries have been selected because they both have similar and different aspects in relation to their media. These two nations have also experienced unprecedented changes in the past decade and hence forming a fundamental basis for analysis on the past and current challenges affecting the media. Similarities between Egypt and Hong Kong media Egypt and Hong Kong have experienced a number of similarities regarding their media histories. They have both experienced pervasive government regulation. Egyptian media has been controlled by government agencies with majority of the media house being state owned. On the other hand, after the 1997 handover, Hong Kong media has experienced increasing control by the Chinese government which took over from the British colonial power. Majority of the Hong Kong media senior personnel have been absorbed by the Communist government. With the unfolding of these events, in 2011, Hong Kong Press Freedom Index dropped significantly to 54th place from 34th (Weisenhaus, D 2014, p.273).This was a significant drop and a demonstration of the unfolding events regarding media control in Hong Kong under the watchful eye of the Communist government. As such, both Egypt and Hong Kong have experienced a considerable media control from various governmental agencies (Hackler 2006, p.331). Both Egypt and Hong Kong have laws that protect the freedom of press, in Egypt, Article 48 of the constitution states that the freedom of press, publication and information is protected. The law further states that any censorship of the newspaper is also prohibited; this includes suspending and warning of newspapers by the administration. This law only permits limited censorship of any material being disseminated in the media in times of crisis that has a direct effect on the country’s security. Similarly, in Hong Kong, the Basic Law, Article 27 protects the freedom of publication and press in the country (Chan So 2002, p.324). There are other provisions under Article 39 which further protect the media (Chan So 2002, p.324). Both of these countries thus have provisions that protect the freedom of the media despite the challenges experienced in both cases. According to Sakr (2013, p. 45) Egyptian journalism has been struggling to gain freedom from the executive control. In the wake of 2005 multi-candidate elections, embolden journalist were inspired to go beyond the norm and report massive corruption, and other evils of the government. Major changes in the media structure materialized in 2011 as journalist found loopholes in the internet to circumvent government initiatives of restricting the media. Evading proxies and other internet restrictions were used to gain access to social media such as Facebook and Twitter. Journalist used this informal online space to challenge misinformation from the mainstream media about the declining popularity of dictatorial leadership under the former president Hosni Mubarak. This media control struggle continued after the Mubarak and Mosri regime to the current regime under President Sisi. The government under these three presidents has always struggled to control the media in order to advance their in terest and hide the shortcomings of their leadership. Similarly, in Hong Kong, during the British administration, the media was given freedom but there were restrictions especially regarding the British administration. The government encouraged criticism of the communist nations including China but restricted dissemination of information criticizing the British government. After the handover of control in 1997, the Chinese government has further tightened the grip on public media control by absorbing major players in the industry and firing those who reject their ideals. This is clearly evidenced by the sacking and murder of Kevin Lau, a renowned journalist early this year. The struggle to free the media from restrictive government control is bound to continue in these two nations. Differences between Egypt and Hong Kong media The media histories of these two nations are different in many ways. These differences are mainly because of the governments that have been in control over time. Hong Kong was under British control for 150 years until 1997. Over this period, Hong Kong enjoyed press freedom as there was no censorship as compared to the mainland China. Citizens were allowed to criticize Chinese regimes. As a result, Hong Kong became the home to major Asian media such as Asian Wall Street Journal, and Epoch Times, and the anti-communist group. On the contrary, Egypt media has been heavily controlled by the state in all sectors including news agencies, broadcast and print media. In fact, the leading Egyptian news houses such as Al-Akhbar(The News), Dar Al-Tahrir (The Liberation House) and Al-Ahram (The Pyramids) are all controlled and owned by the government. The Shura Council manages appointments of editors and other key decision making people in the media (Kouddous 2011). According to Kouddous (2011) 8 4 % of the population in Egypt depends on the public media such as the TV as the main source of information. The internet is however increasing in popularity as the main source of information to the population; this was particularly evident during its recent revolution that led to the ousting of the Mubarak regime. The other major difference between Hong Kong and Egypt is the fact that Hong Kong has not experienced any major media struggle as it was recently experienced in Egypt. Despite the fears experienced after 1997 when China resumed control of Hong Kong, the fears against free press did not materialize. Hong Kong media protection is deeply rooted in the constitution; Article 27 of Hong Kong basic law as well as Article 16 of the Bill of Rights. On the contrary, Egypt has experienced an intense struggle for a free media especially under the Mubarak regime. According to Kouddous (2011) during the uprising, most bloggers and journalist were arrested, harassed and executed by the regime for reporting contentious issues in the media. Despite the long historical state control of the public media in Egypt, the trend has taken another turn especially after the ousting of the Mubarak regime. The dominantly state owned satellite TV before 2011 are now being owned by individuals who are not pro-government. According to Iskander (2012, p.123) privately owned newspapers has increased since 2011.Majority of the Egyptian population is now online; about 29.8 million by 2012 (Sakr 2013, p.47). Notably, during the 2011 uprising, the social media, mainly Facebook and Twitter were used to organize massive riots that saw the end of the Mubarak regime. This is a positive indicator to the trend in the control of the media in Egypt. Alternative media such as online social media which is hard to control is continually forcing the government and other regulatory bodies to relax their grip on the media. Conversely, the less regulated media in Hong Kong is facing threats from the government. Recently, on the 26th February 2014, Kevin L au, a renowned journalist known for his firm reporting against the Chinese government was murdered by an assailant suspected to be a government agent (Weisenhaus, D 2014, p.277). Massive demonstrations were witnessed as a result of Lau’s brutal murder. Conclusion As critically discussed, there are a number of similarities and differenced between the histories and regulations of Egypt and Hong Kong media. Egypt has been under government control for decades despite the provisions allowing for free press. Similarly, Hong Kong freedom of press has been restricted by the Chinese administration, despite the freedom experienced under the British colony, some restriction against publications that dented the British government existed. With the current Chinese regime, Hong Kong’s media has suffered a major blow that has seen it drop in ranks according to the Press Freedom Index. Both nations have experienced violence and incarcerations of renowned journalist. The recent murder of Kevin Lau in Hong Kong is an example of this unfolding. In Egypt, all the three regimes, the Mubarak, Morsi and Sisi have imprisoned and incarcerated journalist who report information which gouges the image of the current regime. On the other hand, Egypt has had a long history of press restriction until 2005-2011 which marked the start of a free press through alternative information dissemination such as the internet. Conversely, Hong Kong has enjoyed a significant press freedom over the past 145 years under the British colony. This has seen Hong Kong provide a safe home for major international media such as the Asian Wall Street Journal. This foundation has however been shaken by the Chinese regime which took over from the British control in 1997. As such, these countries have experienced both similar and different media challenges. References Chan, MK So, AY 2002, Crisis and Transformation in Chinas Hong Kong, M.E. Sharpe,Sydney. Pp.324-329. Hackler, DL 2006, Crisis and Transformation in Chinas Hong Kong, M.E. Sharpe, Beijing. Pp. 331-343. Iskander, E 2012, Sectarian Conflict in Egypt: Coptic Media, Identity and Representation, Routledge, New York. P.123-127. Kouddous, SA 2011, After Mubarak, Fighting For Press Freedom in Egypt, The Nation, Retrieved from http://www.thenation.com/article/161555/after-mubarak-fighting-press-freedom-egypt# Sakr, N 2013, Transformations in Egyptian Journalism, I.B.Tauris, Cairo. Pp. 45-56. Weisenhaus, D 2014, Hong Kong Media Law: A Guide for Journalists and Media Professionals, Expanded Second Edition, Hong Kong University Press, Hong Kong. Pp. 273-286.

Causes of Unrest in Middle East and North Africa

Causes of Unrest in Middle East and North Africa Historians and philosophers, political scientists, economists, and sociologists are trying to identify the root causes of social unrest and their implications in the Arab countries of the Middle East and North Africa in the end of the first and the beginning of the second decade of the 21st century. There are quite a lot of factors serving as the foundation for social unrest in the ME and NA. They are both objective and subjective. The bases of social revolutions are mainly domestic factors, though not without external assumptions. The root causes of the revolutionary upheavals in the Arab world and the Middle East and North African crisis lie in the limited model of modernization, which has led to a disproportionate, extensive and slow development of the region. [1] In January 2014, the Arab world has noted the fourth anniversary of the event, which journalists dubbed as the Arab Spring . Indeed, at first, the world started to witness iconic events occurring in the region, where the resignation of Tunisian President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, who ruled the country since 1987, on January 14 2011, launched the cascade known as the domino effect. Later, on the 11th of February 2011 the fall of Tunisian president was followed by the most sensational resignation of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, who ruled the country since 1981. In combination with the removal of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi (who ruled from 1969) on the 20th of October 2011, events of the Arab Spring began to be perceived and interpreted as signs of radical changes in the entire Arab region, and more broadly within the whole Islamic World[1]. The nomination of main slogans demanding the democratisation of public institutions of government had a dual effect on the countries of the region. Firstly, the spring tide having swept away a number of Middle Eastern regimes, still failed to overthrow the most powerful outposts of authoritarianism within the region[2]. These authoritarian outposts are personified by Arab Monarchies of the Persian Gulf[3], who happen to be traditional allies of the USA. Reluctance to initiate the reforms for the liberalisation of the regime led to them being discredited in the eyes of the global community as well as the indigenous peoples of the region. And secondly, the events of the last decade, beginning with the US invasion of Afghanistan and Iraq[4] have led, in combination with crisis of power in Egypt and Syria, to the elimination of the political culture and institutions of the Middle East, by knocking out the traditional heavyweights† of the Middle East: Iraq, Egypt and Syria. All of t hese events together resulted in the emergence of activity of those labelled as outsiders by the Arab world. These non-Arab outsiders are primarily Iran and Turkey. The failure of the revolutions to lay foundation for new Political, Economic and Social institutions has been replaced by simple â€Å"reshuffling of spheres of power and influence. And in Iran, a â€Å"green movement† has been chosen as an alternative path[5]. Throughout the course of the revolution, there were strong expectations that the Middle East was entering a period of democratic development[6], which was said to achieve all of the attributes of a free civil society, which had for so many years existed in Western countries. However, further advancement of the situation in the region has led to an increase in the influence of supporters of critical perception of the nature and probable consequences of this rebellious movement not only for countries of that region, but also for the whole system of modern international relations. Western experts have increasingly highlighted the ambiguity of this phenomenon for the fate of the entire region, by agreeing on the fundamental reshaping of the entire system of balance of forces†. This choir is particularly dominated by the notable work of Efraim Inbar, an Israeli expert and his work The Arab uprisings and national safety of Israel.According to Inbar, all what is happening in the regio n, will not deliver any positive outcomes in terms of stability and regional security[7]. Despite the secular influence of Western culture, none of the Arab States managed to build a stable, democratic society, based on the ideas of civil liberties, political rights, a system of universal education, gender equality and economic development. The democratic elections in Lebanon in 2005 and Palestine in 2009 brought to power of the Islamists, indicating that the imperfection of the civil society in the Arab world. The most dangerous version of the situation under the influence of the Arab Spring and according to Inbar, there will be an emergence of nuclear Iran, who may ultimately win some time to complete work on its nuclear program and put the global community fait accompli. This may result in a chain reaction when other countries region will aim to commence the development of their own nuclear programs, seriously complicating the national security of Israel, which as of now is the o nly nuclear Power in the conflict-laden region. Activation of Iran on the foreign policy arena after the uprisings is not accidental. Behind its activation lies the influx of huge amounts of Petrodollars, rising anti-American sentiment in the region caused by frankly failed policies of the United States, the rise to power of an ambitious and eccentric leader Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Irans implementation of its own nuclear program, which turned into a personification of Iran’s power revival[8]. Hence the interest of specialists and politicians on foreign policy doctrine of modern Iran, where it states that it is based not on the principles of national interest but rather the principle of Islamic solidarity, rooted in the teachings of Imam Khomeini, in relation to the Islamic revolution. Thus, consideration of ideological concepts of Imam Khomeini in interpreting the current leader of the Islamic Revolution (Rahbar) Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, should help understanding and explain ing the steps taken by Iran during the reign of the current President of Iran Mahmoud Ahmadinejad[9]. The analysis of these concepts will help to forecast future foreign policy initiatives of Iran with its aim to resolve the intra-regional problems. Analysing the statements of Khamenei on reasons which caused the revolutionary events in the Arab world, it is crucial to highlight the fact that such uprising were labelled in Iran as Islamic awakening, emphasizing the specificity of a theoretical framework, where Islam is seen as the foundation. Whereas the term Arab spring has not found support among the Iranian ruling elite, as it was associated with a distinct national colour and the secular character of the movement. Thus, Khamenei, addressing a speech to the delegates of the 1st International Conference of Islamic awakening on the 17th of September 2011, said: This awakening has led to more movement among the peoples of our region and caused several uprisings and revolutions which could not be foreseen by the dominating regional and international satanic powers. It overthrew authoritarian and imperialist tyrannical regimes[10] and under such he meant the Ben Ali regime in Tunisia, Hosni Mubarak in Egypt[11], Muammar Gaddafi in Libya. Analysing the reasons for their failure, he thus highlights the background of the beginning of the Islamic awakening. Khamenei calls the fallen aforementioned regimes as American puppets, and this, in his opinion, is one of the main reasons for the anti-government protests in these countries[12]. The Social explosion occurred precisely in those Arab countries where government accountability measure and respect for human rights was below average in the Arab world. In Yemen, Egypt, Tunisia, Syria, Libya. And in Libya, this ratio was almost zero.[13] However the Political Arab spring, to which so many hopes were pinned in the beginning of 2011, resulted in a bloody drama, destroying many of revolutionary conquests of Arabs in the 20th century. Libya became crushed and practically ceased to exist as an independent state. Islamists seized power and are now trying to impose their rule and solve all of the problems in Egypt, Yemen and Tunisia. They threw an open challenge to the Government of Syria, unleashing in the country a bloody and destructive civil war in order to transform this ancient Arab state in something they have already transformed Libya to. In Syria, there are as of now about 200 thousand militants fighting[14]. There are more than 8 thousand men leaving the country monthly, and their total number, according to According to the UN reached 1 million. Events in Syria, no doubt, influenced what is happening in neighbouring countries Iraq, Lebanon and Jordan. And it is not surprising that from these countries there has b een an influx of Islamic militants to Syria. Syrian issue becomes equally important part of the Middle East crisis, on par with the Palestinian problem. Since the end of social upheaval in the Arab countries of North Africa, there have been some major changes. The time limit for deep historical and philosophical generalizations about events in these countries is yet insufficient. However, economists, political scientists and politicians who are guided by intelligence and analytics for the time period of 3-4 years believe it is more than enough to draw some conclusions on the effects of social unrest in the North African region. It is safe to say that the social unrest in countries North Africa had a dramatically negative impact on the development of their economies, although not equally. So, if in a more modernized Tunisia GDP growth in 2011 in comparison with 2010 decreased by 4%, from + 3 to 1, then in Egypt fall in GDP in the same period was more pronounced from +5 to -3%. GDP of Libyan economy, as of February 2012, decreased by more than twice. Adverse economic consequences of social upheaval in the three North African countries has witnessed rising inflation. According to the IMF in Libya, it reached 40% in Egypt, 12 and in Tunisia, 6% per year. Depreciation of money, in turn, has led to the fact that, for example, Egyptians began to put less money on deposits. Banks are also deprived of the flow of money and fearing the increased risk, they began to give loans at higher interest rates. As a result high interest rates on loans have become unaffordable for the majority of Egyptian businessmen. Social instability in North African countries significantly reduced foreign direct investment. For example, in Tunisia, they decreased by 25%. In 2011, Tunisia had gone 120 foreign companies, and this has led to the disappearance of 40 thousand. Jobs. The sharpest drop recorded in Egypt from 2010 to 2011 .: with 6.4 billion. Dollars. 0.5 billion. Dollars. In Libya, the results even more impressive with 3.8 billion. Dollars. to almost zero [10]. Social upheavals in North Africa led to a significant reduction in thei r foreign exchange reserves. For example, Egypts foreign exchange reserves at the beginning of 2011. accounted for 36 bln. dollars. However, after the overthrow of President Hosni Mubarak in Egypt, they began to decline at an increasing rate in the first half of $ 1 billion dollars per month, and by the end of 2011. Monthly expenses of foreign currency reserves have doubled. By January 2012. Egypts foreign exchange reserves fell to $ 15 billion dollars. Social unrest in the North African countries and had a negative impact on the stock markets. Thus, the index of the Egyptian stock market since the beginning of 2011. fell nearly 48%, losing 32 billion. dollars. The Egyptian stock market was the most impaired in the world after Greece. It grows in North Africa and the budget deficit. In the same Egypt in fiscal year 2012 it was 9% against 8.1% a year earlier. According to the Tunisian and Egyptian entrepreneurs business climate has worsened in all three North African countries after the social upheaval in them. Recurrent strikes in Tunisia and especially in Egypt, paralyzed the normal course of production activities. Workers everywhere are demanding higher wages. The result of social unrest in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya became an active redistribution of property, which was previously in the hands of clans. Tunisia sees intensive redistribution of retail chains. In Libya, exists a struggle between the companies and mobile operators in Egypt are divided into trade and transport companies, and service enterprises. In all three countries there is a process of redistribution of real estate. Social upheavals in the states of North Africa had a very negative impact on the development of tourism industry. Indeed, in Egypt overthrowing Mubarak’s regime affected the share of tourism whichrevenues accounted for 12% of GDP. Already in 2011. Egypts tourism sector has missed 3 billion. US., and in fact it involved about 10% of the 85 million inhabitants of the country . Social unrest in Egypt in early 2011. and the removal of Mubarak from power in general weakened the rule of law in the country. This is particularly evident in the unprecedented growth in Egypt of crimes and violence against foreign tourists. This kind of excesses led to a sharp reduction in the influx of tourists to Egypt from Germany, Austria, Italy, Switzerland and the Scandinavian countries. Social upheavals in Tunisia and Libya of 2010-2011violated the close and mutually beneficial economic and social contacts between the two countries. Like This, trade between Tunisia and Libya was until 2011. 2 billion. USD. Per year. About 800 thousand. Libyans were treated annually in Tunisia, in turn, about 200 thousand. Tunisians working in Libya. Arab revolutions in North Africa largely paralyzed the state apparatus. For example, civil servants need not only higher wages, but also the dismissal appointed under previous regimes managers whose place they do not take themselves off. Same old heads in fear of the possibility of dismissal try not to take responsible decisions, in order to avoid accusations of fraud and corruption. One of the important political consequences of social unrest in countries of North Africa is coming to power, particularly in Egypt and Tunisia, of Islamist forces. After the victory in the parliamentary elections Tunisian and Egyptian Islamists have committed to domestic policy principles of democracy. However, the alarming fact that in addition to the moderate Islamists in Tunisia in the face of the party Ennahda[15], and in Egypt MB[16], seats in parliament were also obtained by pretty active Salafis. United States of America and Israel are concerned especially with the statements of some representatives of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood calling for the need to review some articles Camp David agreements concluded in 1979 between Egypt and the Jewish state. However, in an official statement of the organization of Muslim Brotherhood emphasized that Egypt still respects the signed treaties and agreements. Thus, the causes of social unrest in the Arab countries of North Africa and the Middle East at the beginning of the twenty-first century are rooted in many factors, both internal and external order. On top of acute internal socio-economic and political problems that could not be solved in the post-colonial period, further externalities were imposed in the form of the global economic crisis of 2008- 2013 and contradictory processes of globalization. In my view, the role of external factors in the formation of the objective prerequisites of social upheaval in the Arab States was minimal, but subjective quite significant. The consequences of the Arab revolutions now appear to be more as a negative, not only in economic, but also political and social spheres. As the events of July 2013 in Egypt show[17], the post-revolutionary consensus among the main political forces in this country did not come to a consensus. There are, however, hopes that authoritarian leaders who remained in power for long and not only in Middle East, but also in other countries of the third world, will learn from the Arab revolutions and will conduct periodic rotation of political elites from above, without waiting for the process to be executed by its citizens from below. Bibliography [1] Anderson, Lisa. Demystifying the Arab Spring: parsing the differences between Tunisia, Egypt, and Libya.Foreign Aff.90 (2011): 2. [2] Stepan, Alfred, and Juan J. Linz. Democratization Theory and the Arab Spring.Journal of Democracy24.2 (2013): 15-30. [3] Gause III, F. Gregory. Why Middle East Studies missed the Arab spring: The myth of authoritarian stability.Foreign Aff.90 (2011): 81. [4] Dodge, Toby. The causes of US failure in Iraq.Survival49, no. 1 (2007): 85-106. [5] Khosrokhavar, Farhad.The new Arab revolutions that shook the world. Boulder, CO: Paradigm Publishers, 2012. [6] Sakbani, Michael. The revolutions of the Arab Spring: are democracy, development and modernity at the gates?.Contemporary Arab Affairs4, no. 2 (2011): 127-147. [7] The 2011Arab uprisings and Israel’s national security // Mideast Security and Policy Studies. 2012. à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾- 95. February http://www.biu.ac.il/Besa/MSPS95.pdf [8] http://iranprimer.usip.org/resource/politics-irans-nuclear-program [9] Morady Farhang (2011), Who rules Iran? ‘The June 2009 election and Political turmoil’ in Capital and Class, Vol. 35. No 1, pp39 [10] http://www.brandeis.edu/crown/publications/meb/MEB71.pdf [11] Tadros, Mariz. 2012.Backstage Governance.IDS Bulletin43(1):62–70 [12] http://www.rferl.org/content/iran-khamenei-attacks-us-israel-worldview/25174663.html [13]http://www.currenteconomics.net/Economic_Research/Two_Years_of_Arab_Spring312.htm [14] http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/war-with-isis-islamic-militants-have-army-of-200000-claims-kurdish-leader-9863418.html [15] http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-15442859 [16] http://edition.cnn.com/2011/OPINION/02/14/gerges.muslim.brotherhood/ [17]http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/egypt/10158922/Egypt-in-crisis-July-4-as-it-happened.html

Mills :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In this paper I shall explore the reasons behind why utility should be considered the â€Å"ultimate appeal on ethical questions,† as stated by Mill, and in ethical situations. In life, we should look to attain the greatest overall quality of life, which is done through obtaining happiness within ourselves. However, at the same time it is important to consider the pleasure of others as they, theoretically, would be doing the same for us. If people started to try and take advantage of others living this way and decided to become ‘free-riders,’ eventually the utilitarian system would break down and we would be left with a selfish world. This is why its maintenance is so important.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Before continuing, I should give a definition of what I am referring to when speaking of utilitarianism. Taking the term literally, maximum utility results when the following process is undertaken: 1) look at the state of the world after each action made. Look in particular at the level of happiness experienced by people in each of their situations. 2) Add up, somehow, those levels of happiness experienced in each case. 3) And lastly, compare the results. The one that leads to the most amount of total happiness is the â€Å"right† one.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When discussing utility in his book titled Utilitarianism written in 1863, Mill states: â€Å"Right and wrong, as well as truth and falsehood, are questions of observation and experience†¦morality must be deduced from principles...there ought to be some one fundamental principle or law, at the root of all morality, or if there be several, there should be a determinate order of precedence among them; and the one principle, or the rule for deciding between the various principles when they conflict, ought to be self-evident.† I find much importance in this statement because it seems so true. What we determine to be right or wrong comes from how we were brought up. Mill also states, â€Å"moral feelings are not innate, but acquired.† For example, I was raised in a family that believed that to go to church as many Sundays as possible was very important. However, to another person this could be less crucial if their parents raised them as, say, atheists. It seems like the beliefs of those who had the most impact on us as we grew up are the ones imbedded in us. Though this is fine for many, problems may arise when dealing in a situation where two people are dealing with one another in an ethical situation and the two individuals were raised in families of totally separated beliefs.

The Emotion, Imagination and Complexity of Wordsworth and Coleridge :: Biography Biographies Essays

The Emotion, Imagination and Complexity of Wordsworth and Coleridge      Ã‚  Ã‚   The 19th century was heralded by a major shift in the conception and emphasis of literary art and, specifically, poetry. During the 18th century the catchphrase of literature and art was reason. Logic and rationality took precedence in any form of written expression. Ideas of validity and aesthetic beauty were centered around concepts such as the collective "we" and the eradication of passion in human behavior. In 1798 all of those ideas about literature were challenged by the publication of Lyrical Ballads, which featured the poetry of William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge. Wordsworth and Coleridge both had strong, and sometimes conflicting, opinions about what constituted well-written poetry. Their ideas were centered around the origins of poetry in the poet and the role of poetry in the world, and these theoretical concepts led to the creation of poetry that is sufficiently complex to support a wide variety of critical readings in a modern context.    Wordsworth wrote a preface to Lyrical Ballads in which he puts forth his ideas about poetry. His conception of poetry hinges on three major premises. Wordsworth asserts that poetry is the language of the common man:    To this knowledge which all men carry about with them, and to these sympathies in which without any other discipline than that of our daily life we are fitted to take delight, the poet principally directs his attention. (149)    Poetry should be understandable to anybody living in the world. Wordsworth eschews the use of lofty, poetic diction, which in his mind is not related to the language of real life. He sees poetry as acting like Nature, which touches all living things and inspires and delights them. Wordsworth calls for poetry to be written in the language of the "common man," and the subjects of the poems should also be accessible to all individuals regardless of class or position. Wordsworth also makes the points that "poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings: it takes its origin from emotion recollected in tranquility" (151). These two points form the basis for Wordsworth's explanation of the process of writing poetry. First, some experience triggers a transcendent moment, an instance of the sublime. The senses are overwhelmed by this experience; the "spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings" leaves an individual incapable of articulating the true nature and beauty of the event.

How Does the Public Sector Work? Essay -- Public Management

If you don't understand how the public sector is supposed to work, how can you ensure that it is working? An easy definition of public administration is, â€Å"the implementation of government policies† (Encyclopedia Britannica, 2010), or, â€Å"the implementation of public policy† (Infoplease.com, 1997). While policies and procedures seem to be continuously up for debate, it should be noted that, an informed public are the only sure-fire way to ensure that the public sector stays on track with meeting the needs of its constituents. People, as a whole, tend to appreciate good leaders. â€Å"It is the task of a leader to connect people with purpose† (Blunt, 2007). Why does this help us in the public sector? To paraphrase J.D. Straussman, leaders must have a vision, â€Å"establish direction† with regards to that vision, â€Å"align people by creating an environment of cooperation†, and â€Å"motivate and inspire members of the organization† (Straussman, pg. 4). Generally, public sector's have not yet embraced the positive aspects of what leadership skills can bring to their organizations. One wonders, what is so wrong with vision or inspiring and motivating people? Motivating employees should be one of most important aspects of leadership in the public sector. Motivated employees often show higher productivity levels than others. Often confused with leadership is the role of management in an organization. First tier management skills are highly coveted within the public sector. These skills are planning, organizing, directing and controlling (Reh, 2009) and are mostly built in to any and all management models in the public sector itself. Second tier management skills build on the leadership skills mentioned above, such as, motivation, training ... ...illsPyramid.htm Becketts, K. (2010). Four major functions of public administration: an overview. Retrieved from https://elearning.riosalado.edu/content/pad/pad101/pad101_INTER_0000_v5/PDFs/L2_Content.pdf American Society of Public Administration, . (2006). Code of ethics. Retrieved from http://www.aspanet.org/scriptcontent/index_codeofethics.cfm Bai, M. (2010, December 16). Is ‘triangulation’ just another word for the politics of the possible?. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/17/us/politics/17bai.html?partner=rss&emc=rss Goble, K. (2010, December 17). Top state issues for 2011 revealed. Retrieved from http://www.landlinemag.com/todays_news/Daily/2010/Dec10/121310/121710-05.shtml Americans for Fair Taxation, . (2010). Frequently asked questions - answers. Retrieved from http://www.fairtax.org/site/PageServer?pagename=about_faq_answers How Does the Public Sector Work? Essay -- Public Management If you don't understand how the public sector is supposed to work, how can you ensure that it is working? An easy definition of public administration is, â€Å"the implementation of government policies† (Encyclopedia Britannica, 2010), or, â€Å"the implementation of public policy† (Infoplease.com, 1997). While policies and procedures seem to be continuously up for debate, it should be noted that, an informed public are the only sure-fire way to ensure that the public sector stays on track with meeting the needs of its constituents. People, as a whole, tend to appreciate good leaders. â€Å"It is the task of a leader to connect people with purpose† (Blunt, 2007). Why does this help us in the public sector? To paraphrase J.D. Straussman, leaders must have a vision, â€Å"establish direction† with regards to that vision, â€Å"align people by creating an environment of cooperation†, and â€Å"motivate and inspire members of the organization† (Straussman, pg. 4). Generally, public sector's have not yet embraced the positive aspects of what leadership skills can bring to their organizations. One wonders, what is so wrong with vision or inspiring and motivating people? Motivating employees should be one of most important aspects of leadership in the public sector. Motivated employees often show higher productivity levels than others. Often confused with leadership is the role of management in an organization. First tier management skills are highly coveted within the public sector. These skills are planning, organizing, directing and controlling (Reh, 2009) and are mostly built in to any and all management models in the public sector itself. Second tier management skills build on the leadership skills mentioned above, such as, motivation, training ... ...illsPyramid.htm Becketts, K. (2010). Four major functions of public administration: an overview. Retrieved from https://elearning.riosalado.edu/content/pad/pad101/pad101_INTER_0000_v5/PDFs/L2_Content.pdf American Society of Public Administration, . (2006). Code of ethics. Retrieved from http://www.aspanet.org/scriptcontent/index_codeofethics.cfm Bai, M. (2010, December 16). Is ‘triangulation’ just another word for the politics of the possible?. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/17/us/politics/17bai.html?partner=rss&emc=rss Goble, K. (2010, December 17). Top state issues for 2011 revealed. Retrieved from http://www.landlinemag.com/todays_news/Daily/2010/Dec10/121310/121710-05.shtml Americans for Fair Taxation, . (2010). Frequently asked questions - answers. Retrieved from http://www.fairtax.org/site/PageServer?pagename=about_faq_answers

Veneration Without Understanding: Analysis

Dr. Jose Protacio Rizal Mercado y Alonzo Realonda, our national hero who is known for his nationalism and patriotism usually come side by side with these words; the doctor, the writer, the philosopher, the clairvoyant, and most of all the hero who died for the country. More than a hundred and fifty years ago, that hero was born and history says that he was the one who revolutionized a new uprising. Not through the literal bloody and violent revolutionary way but by unravelling the skeletons in the colonizers closet through his works and writings.Though he died in the hands of the colonizers, he fought the bloodless way and sparked the spirit of nationalism of the Filipino as an individual. Renato Constantino’s essay, â€Å"Veneration without Understanding† is not one those articles about Dr. Rizal which we typically see in our grade school history books. It is a much more intricate analysis behind the life of Rizal and his being a hero, the factors that made him condemn the idea of the revolution, his recognition and all the angles we don’t usually see and read around history books which turned to be neglected over time.He also discussed how Rizal viewed the words †liberty† and â€Å"independence† differently, the concept of Filipino nationhood and how Rizal influenced the recognition of the Filipino race and elevated the term â€Å"Indios†. Shrouded with the mantel of sainthood and perfection, we all see Rizal as one of the best role models that we have. We look up to him and see him as the praiseworthy hero who died for the country’s freedom. It’s alarming how the previous generations including ours are blinded with all the information necessary to judge whether he is fit of all these acknowledgement that is being showered upon him.After all, he is still a human being vulnerable to selfish mistakes and wrong decisions. I agree with what the author said that our vision has been narrowed or worse, bli nded by the adoration of the greatness of the said hero and how he became a martyr and died for our country in the hands of the enemy. But in my opinion, contrary to what most has to say, Constantino is not against Rizal. He is trying to show us how important it is to search deeper and investigate the defining characteristics of Rizal’ heroism and make us see the important details which we tend to overlook most of the time.Reading his essay made me think about what really makes a hero. Is it his martyrdom and how he died for the country? Or is it the way he stood up against the colonizers? Another angle that the author tries to tackle is the question whether Rizal was really sponsored by the Americans to become our national hero. Quoting an article from the essay, Constantino stated, †History cannot deny his patriotism. He was a martyr to oppression, obscurantism and bigotry. His dramatic death captured the imagination of our people.Still, we must accept the fact that h is formal designation as our national hero, his elevation to his present eminence so far above all our other heroes was abetted and encouraged by the Americans. † It seems plausible that Rizal was really favored by the Americans and gave him the status but this does not change the fact that he was the most important movement in Philippines’ journey towards freedom. We can never deny that he was the one who sparked the revolution and gave the Filipinos a sense of unity and identity.Also, as the part of today’s youth, I can say that he is a great role model even though he condemned the idea of the revolution. I still give him the credit on innovating revolution. Seeing Rizal as a model does not mean that we should follow every step he has made in the past. This simply means that there are many paths in arriving towards the goal we seek just like Rizal who found a bloodless way in informing our brothers and sisters about the hell they been forced to live in. Now, so ciety has come to an era where oppression is not as evident as it used to be.This calls for an evolution of heroism within us. In order for this evolution to take place, we should rediscover the heroes from then and now and see them as human who stood up in the moment of desolation and gave their people the hope that they need. We should examine not only their strengths but also their weaknesses in order to learn their way correctly. Just like how the author Renato Constantino approached his study with our great and famous national hero, Dr. Jose P. Rizal.

Aging U.S. Infrastructure

This paper talks about the United States of America and the state of its infrastructure which is aging now these days. Its infrastructure has been in a deplorable state, however much has not being done about it, except when for instance a road accident takes place or some citizen goes through the tragic experience caused by the suffering of the infrastructure, that the relevant Governmental units and committees decide to take action by formulating a plan.The paper has been divided into the various different segments the U.S. Infrastructure has and functions as.U.S. is a country which is far ahead in terms of economic and political prosperity. However a basis fact still remains that despite the vast differences that exist within it, it works as one single unit working towards prosperity and the American Dream.The Government spends and has always been spending a lot on its public expenditures and infrastructure. Today, when we see the state of this physical infrastructure we see gaps a nd loopholes in terms of physical state of these things.The naked eye however still cannot pin point towards a particular infrastructure unit and comment on its ‘deplorable state’, however research and the technician’s/ engineer’s eye can.The only area where the ASCE team saw improvement in the last four years from the Report dated 2005 was energy. The report said this area got a grade of D plus after a consistent D. Another area getting an improvement card was the flood protection system which received a D minus from an Un-graded grade.Much of the state that U.S. levees are in was and is unknown to the Committee. The new president also announced this week that an $825 billion package needs to be and will be spent on improvements in U.S. highways, bridges and rail projects along with expansion projects at airports. (BBC News)The different segments or divisions in its infrastructure are as follows: ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Roads ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Bridgeso  Ã‚   Traffic Congestion ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Broadband ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Aviation ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Brown-fields ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Dams and Levees ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Drinking Water and Waste Water ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Inland Waterways ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Energy ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Rails ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Schools ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Security ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   WastewaterRoads and BridgesThe state of America’s infrastructure has not improved in the last four years. This has been a report by the country’s top civil engineers. According to them US has received a Grade D in terms of its roads, public transports and basic transits.It, in the report called ‘Report Card’, from the American Society of Civil Engineers also claimed that around $2.2 trillio n need to be spent for proper repairs to this section of infrastructure. A news item also claimed of a bridge getting destroyed by collapsed in Minnesota in 2007 leading to loss of lives, injuries, property, reputation as well as money. (BBC News)When the bridge at Minnesota collapsed due to poor infrastructure state, it became evident back then in 2007 how appalling the condition of U.S. infrastructure is getting year after year. Poor roads have caused many people driving in cars and motorbikes their lives and injury traumas, and the Government $54 billion each year, especially in the year 2005.Annually, around $59.4 billion is spent on infrastructure pertaining to roads, bridges, airfields, brown fields, drinking water and wastewater; and waterways also.A lot many NHS or the National Highway system is an appalling state of affair as insufficient funds have been dedicated to this and more needs to be done without any further delay.Currently, around $ 32.1 billion needs to be spent on this NHS which consists of only 4.1 percent of all highways roads in America (however around a little less than half of all motorists are carried to and fro by the NHS, despite its minute percentage of the total. It is being said that congestion is the cause that ages these bridges, highways and roads even more fast since a lot is being in use by the motorists.US $ 70 billion of funds that are attributed to highways and bridges has to get doubled, so that this doubled figure can be put to appropriate use as said by the Federal Highway Administration.It also says that till 2015, or six years from now total investments needs to rise to double of what it is only to ‘maintain’ the current state all these things pertaining to transit and transport they are in. So, without a doubt, much more than the doubled figure needs to be spent so that improvements only if by a slight ratio are and can be seen. Logistics management and NAM have announced their dedication to this area. (White, F.)On the other hand, another report by the US Texas Transportation Institute has proclaimed that the major issue is congestion that when coupled with aging infrastructure leads to a faster decline towards collapse, or voluntary destruction. (Berman, J.)US bridges’ condition is also being said by US DOT, has decreased in conditions by a double figure. This is how fast things have been deteriorating. (Let’s Re-build America)Every year around a lot of time amounting to 4.2 billion hours is wasted in traffic congestion, costing the US economy $78.2 billion. It also costs $67 billion to these motorists for repairing and operating costs. Also, around 15000 lives of American citizens are lost due to traffic and road related incidents.A little less than half of all urban highways and bridges are congested and it is said that for a substantial improvement, $186 billion will need to be allocated and spent. (Report Card for America’s Infrastructure)One-fourth of the total US bridges in America face either of the two problems; one, their structure is lacking and deficient or second, that they cannot function at all. This huge 26% is proof enough to say that bridges especially in urban areas are declining rapidly.$17 billion according to the ASCE needs to be spent on this area every year to induce betterment in this infrastructure division of US. As of now $10.5 billion only is spent on the construction of new and repair of old bridges in USA, which is a figure too low. (Report Card for America’s Infrastructure)

Challenges of Boko Haram Insurgence on Nigeria’s Educational Sector Essay

The activities of the Islamic radical sect, Boko Haram has adversely affected Nigeria’s educational sector. This fact is not hidden as the name of the sect alone signifies a total outcry against education (western education) and schooling. Boko means â€Å"book or western learning in Hausa language and Haram means forbidden or sinful in Arabic language, thus the group’s name alone is a campaign against western education and schooling. Nigeria’s education sector at all level is suffering as a result of the current prevailing security situation in the north, a region where school enrolment has been the lowest in Nigeria. The sect’s activities have affected Nigeria’s educational sector in the following ways; †¢The sect’s activity has led to destruction of school buildings and other academic facilities †¢It has led to death of academic experts †¢It has led to exodus of academic experts and shortage of qualified teaching manpower in northern Nigeria †¢It has led to distraction and diversion of government’s attention from the educational sector †¢It has led to complete disruption of academic calendar in the region. So far this year, 15 schools have been burnt down in Maiduguri, the capital of Nigeria’s Borno State, forcing over 700 children out of formal education and pushing down enrolment rates in an already ill – educated region. The Islamic Boko Haram group is widely blamed for the attacks but the reality seems to be more complex. Both public and private schools in Maiduguri have been doused with gasoline at night and set on fire. Crude homemade bombs and soda bottles filled with gasoline have been hurled at the bare bones concrete classrooms Nigeria offers its children. The simple yellow facades have been blackened and the plain desks method to twisted pipes, leaving thousands of children without a place to learn, stranded at home and underfoot, while anxious parents plead with Nigerians authorities to come up with a contingency plan for their education. In a video posted on You Tube in February 2012, Boko Haram called on its follows to destroy schools providing western education in retaliation for the alleged targeting of Korani schools by the military. The spokes man of the sect, Abul Quqa, said the attacks were in response to what he called a targeting of the city’s (ie Maiduguri) abundant open – air Islamic schools by authorities. Since February when this call was made, many schools including private schools have been destroyed. However officials of the state have denied any of such attacks or campaign as young boys can be seen receiving lesson untroubled allover Maiduguri (the New York Times, 2012). This new dimensional shift of the sects attack has numerous adverse effects on educational development of the region and the country at large. According to Nigeria Education Data Survey 2010, school enrolment in Borno state is already low by 28 per cent than any other state in Nigeria. No doubt, the recent attack have made parents and guardians’ to withdraw their children from schools and has made it difficult for teachers and aid groups to persuade parents to let their children stay on at schools. Eric Gultscluss (a researcher in Nigeria for the Watching Human Right Organization) noted that it is not just the students at the targeted schools that end up being affected as targeting of schools can make children in neighboring schools to stay home or drop out completely for fear of further attacks. The targeting of children indirectly and destruction of schools in Maiduguri has bewildered and demoralized students, parents and teachers in a way that the daily attacks have not. Furthermore, the attacks have led to death of academic experts teaching in all levels of Nigeria’s educational system ranging from primary to secondary and beyond. On sun,29 April, 2012, members of the sect attacked Christian workshops in Bayero University Campus, Kano resulting to death of 20 students and 2 professor of the university. According to an eye witness, the attackers arrived in a car and two motorcycles and throw small homemade bombs to draw out worshippers before shooting at them as they attempt to flee. The attack led to the death of Professor Jerome Ayodele, a professor of chemistry and Professor Andrew Leo Ogbonyomi, a professor of library science with about 20 others dead and scores of others injured. (Ikhilae, 2012). Undoubtedly, this is a setback for educational development in the country. Also the persistence of insecurity in the north which has led to lose of about 700 lives so far this year (2012), has led to exodus of academic experts and shortage of qualified teaching man power in the region. It has also led to refusal of NYSC members who constitute about 50 per cent of teaching man power in the region to serve in the region. Maijawa Dawayo, Chairman, Yobe State Teaching Service Board, in an interview with Nations News Paper on 9 Feb. , 2012 has this to say, â€Å"the recent circular by the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) that corps members who constitute 50 per cent of the board’s man power should no longer be posted to senior secondary schools in the state would have an adverse effect on the educational sector of the State. Most of the corps members are not interested in coming here again because of insecurity in the north. We are in a difficult situation and something needs to be done urgently to solve the problem. The corps members constitute 50 per cent of the manpower in our schools and the head of the scheme had issued a circular that corps members would no longer be posted to senior secondary schools (The Nation, 9 Feb, 2012). Dawoye’s fear and lamentation was later made public and a reality in July 2012 when NYSC members posted to Borno, Yobe, Kano, Kaduna, Niger, Plateau and Bauchi state refused to serve in the states and protested against their deployment to the violent prone states. Corps members and their parents took to the street to protest their deployment to the Northern States when the 2012 NYSC Bach B list came out arguing that it is senseless to post young graduate to these states. Most of the parents vowed not to allow their children to go and be killed by Boko Haram (National Mirror, 2 July, 2012). Awosuru Lola, a graduate of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso in Oyo state, who was posted to plateau state said his father hard ordered him not to report at the camp â€Å"for whatever reason. † Also Badiru Tajiudeen, a graduate of quantity surveying of Obafemi Awolowo University (O. A. U), Ile – Ife, posted to Zamfara state vowed that nothing could keep him beyond the mandatory three weeks of orientation programme in the camp. He also said that his parents are even reluctant in releasing him to participate in the three weeks orientation and warned him to abort the programme if he is not transferred back to the west (National Mirror, 2 July, 2012). This development will make a devastating mark on the educational sector of the affected northern states. It will be recalled that ten young corps members lost their lives during the post – presidential election protest/violence in some northern states in April 2011, while others lost their lives in other violent clashes in the region. The case of other Southerners who are teachers in the region is not different from that of NYSC members as most of them have found the exit door from the region. Dawayo confirmed this when he said that 80 per cent of Yobe State contract teachers who are from other states have left Yobe because of the same problem of insecurity (The Nation Feb 9, 2012) In addition, insecurity in the region caused by Boko Haram has also led to complete disruption of academic calendar in the region. Most of the attacks never go without imposition of curfew by the government. The attacks have in some cases led to imposition of 24 hours curfew and when such curfew is imposed, both students and teachers are affected and this on the long run adversely affects the academic calendar which stipulates when school starts and when it ends as well as what should be done in the school and when thus drawing students in the region behind their counterparts in other peaceful states. It is important that I state it clearly at this juncture that the North is a region where education enrolment and development is the least in the country and the current security situation is bound to compound the educational woes of the North and further widen the gap between it and the South. While private higher institution are rapidly springing up in the South to complement the over – stretched public institutions, only a handful has been established in the North and the few ones have come under Boko Haram attacks. According to National University commission (NUC), 50 private universities have been licensed to operate in the country. Out of this 50, fewer than 15 are established in the north. What this implies is a bleak future for educational development of the region and a bleak future for young children in the region and this by implication is dangerous to Nigeria’s peace, unity and development. No matter how one looks at it, the attacks by the sect on schools have left many destructive marks on the future of affected children in the region and the country at large. The affected children are at home which means a bleak future for them and the country at large because the future of a country depends on the kind and quality of education it offers its children. Finally, the insurrection of Boko Haram has led to distraction and diversion of both Federal and affected State government’s attention from the educational sector. This is evident in the 2012 annual budgetary allocation of the Federal Government in which the mind – bugling chunk of 921. 91 billion was allocated to security alone, while education on which the future of the country depends got the little chunk of 400. 48 billion naira which is not up to half of what is given to security. There is no argument on the fact that both security and education are critical for the survival of a nation, but had it been there is peace in the country, the chunk given to security would have been considerately lower than what it has now. What the lean resources allocated to the educational sector means is a gloomy and difficult future for the sector. This is because there will be no resources to introduce new educational developmental program and the ones already introduced will certainly suffer of poor funding.