Cnpc and Petro China

Strategy – search for above normal performance 2. What strategy supports growth? Sustained CA- Not easily duplicated, or cost of duplication is higher than the returns Temporary CA- creates value, rare, but easily imitable. 3. Core competency- basic corporate principle around which all your resources are aligned, which builds your CA and differentiates you from your competitor. * Creates value, very few of your competitors can do, and grants you sustained competitive advantage. 4. Sources of Core competency= sources of sustained CA. . Sources of competitive parity, relatively normal, to get the risk adjusted return. 6. Goal of corporate – create CA that create more value than overhead involved (cost of corporates) 7. Business Unit strategy – bring standalone business units together into one corporate entity towards a common corporate goal. 8. Corporate Strategy a. Business units – tactics- how they help me achieve my corporate goal i. Differentiation ii. C ost leadership b. Different business units for different elements of corporate strategy 9.When your competition for customers is in different business segments, UWO and Ivey. 10. Unrelated corporate strategy c. Difficult to transfer core competencies and CA 11. Related corporate strategy- diversification d. Can transfer competencies, activities- distribution channel 12. Three types of corporate strategy e. Limited diversification iii. Single Business – risky portfolio. iv. Dominant business f. Related diversification v. Related constrained- net benefit and sharing. Cost synergies. Increase revenue synergies. Economies of scale.Transfer core competency for net benefit. g. Unrelated diversification- lack of ability to share activities. Best performance you can achieve is normal performance. h. Related constrained 13. Resources which are sources of Comparative parity, not core competency. i. Transfer when core competence creates net benefit for the corporate as a whole 14. Risks j. Systemic Risk or Beta- related to the market (external) vi. Very difficult to diversify it away k. Total risk = systemic risk +specific risk (unsystematic risk) l. Unsystematic risk = internal risk . Return per unit of risk = performance 15. How do you define sustained CA n. Competitor cannot compete it away, but can be destroyed by shocks to the systems by exogenous agents. o. Defined by the ability of the competitor to compete CNPC and Petro China 1. Down-scoping 2. Getting rid of social services business units (non-core businesses) that are not related to oil exploration and oil services. 3. PetroChina- own 88 to 90 % 4. Going from related linked related constrained strategy 5. Re- Strategizing 6. Successful IPO listing 7. Still struggling

Guns, Germs, and Steel Study Guide

AP World History Summer Reading Assignment Guns, Germs, and Steel Chapter 1: Up to the Starting Line Q: What was the Great Leap Forward? Describe the life of a Cro-Magnon person. What impact did the arrival of humans have on big animals? Provide an example. Which continent had a head start in 11,000 BCE (Before Common Era)? A: the great leap forward was when human history first began to take off and the humans at that time began to become more like us modern humans today. The humans that were most similar to modern humans were called Cro-Magnon. Cro-Magnons were hunter-gatherers and they exceeded in that area.They produced diverse tools with distinct shapes that are easily identified with modern tools. The Cro-Magnons were very advanced compared to early humans and this showed in their tools and the fact that they not only made tools of stone, but also bone. Around the arrival of humans it was said to be that many large animals became extinct and many believe humans were to blame. We ather it was because humans directly killed the large animals for food, or if they did it indirectly through their actions to the surrounding environment, that is still being debated.There are many examples of large animals becoming extinct that can be given, such as the common one the wooly mammoth. Now, the Cro-Magnons were like most modern humans and were very advanced compared to other humans on other continents, but is it because they are from the continent of Africa? The author states that in 11,000 BCE Africa was the one continent that had a head start because it is the continent where humans began to first develop. Chapter 3: Collision at Cajamarca Q: Write a paragraph explaining your views on the event of November 16, 1532.What strikes you the most? Why was Pizarro so successful? A: On the event of November 16, 1532 conquistador Francisco Pizarro and his army of only 168 men more than attacked the Inca town of Cajamarca, populating about 80,000 people. They slaughtered them . In this chapter it tells of how undefeated Pizarro and his army are. My views on Pizarro is he is a smart man considering his strategies used in battle. The author tells how Pizarro had only a dozen guns and how he used them more in a psychological way than physically to kill.What strikes me the most is how Pizarro and his men killed 80,000 Indians when there was only 168 of them and not one of his men were harmed. It says how they would fire the guns and it would scare and panic the Indians and that close to all Indians were killed by swords and daggers. I find this strategy really wise and I think it is a part of why Pizarro was so successful in conquering and defeating others. Chapter 4: Farmer Power Q: Write a paragraph explaining the chart. Do you agree with the authors conclusions? What advantages are gained by being the first to domesticate animals?A: The chart in this chapter is explaining the factors that allow some people to overcome others. For example, the factor of ha ving domesticated animals and plants allowed epidemics and diseases. However, at the same time domestic animals and plants provided sustainable food. I agree with the author’s conclusion and the chart because it is true that something good and beneficial may also cause harm. On the note of having domesticated animals and plants, to many it gave them an advantage. It allowed, like I said before, sustainable food.That food source enabled many to be fed and it led to tows being built. With that food supply, it also led to army being built to protect that food supply and town. As for the domesticated animals they helped for food as well and for example, animals such as horses would help give an advantage to soldiers in war. Domesticated animals and plants acted as a strong base that allowed further growth and development. Chapter 8: Apples or Indians Q: Why was the Fertile Crescent predisposed to have such a potent head star in so many areas of development: writing, cities, and e mpires?What reason does the author give for cannibalism in New Guinea? A: The Fertile Crescent had a head star in many areas of development. The reason being, it’s many advantages. The Fertile Crescent had advantages such as, good climate, natural crops that grow there, and its wide range of altitude. The Fertile Crescent having these advantages allowed people to settle there. Just like domesticated plants and animals acted as a base for people, the Fertile Crescent did the same. Using it as a base people then began building up owns to cities to eventually empires and having the ability to write. However, the people of New Guinea were not as luck. They were no good at hunting and gathering and were not very lucky in finding fertile ground to farm. According to author, James Diamond, due to protein starvation the people of New Guinea turned to cannibalism. Chapter 9: Zebras, Unhappy Marriages, and the Anna Karenina Principal Q: Identify and define the Ancient Fourteen. What is domestication? Which animals most helped Eurasians?A: The Ancient Fourteen is a list of â€Å"big† animals that were domesticated before the 20th century. 9 of the 14 are not common animals and are only found in certain parts of the world. They are referred to as the Minor 9 and those animals are the Arabian camel, the Bactrian camel, llama/alpaca, donkey, reindeer, water buffalo, yak, banteng, and gaur. The 5 left over animals from the list are the most important and common of the ancient 14. Those 5 animals are cows, sheep, goats, horses, and pigs.All of these animals were domesticated and that means they were tamed to accentuate traits that are beneficial to humans. Domesticated animals diverged from their wild ancestors and are different in ways such as size, appearance, and behavior. Eurasia’s large ecological diversity and land mass helped them to be able to domesticate animals. Those domesticated animals helped them out a lot like horse, pigs, water buffalo, ya k, gaur, banteg, and auroch. Chapter 10: Spacious Skies and Tilted Axis Q: Why did people who lived on an east-west become the world’s conquerors?What was it about the Americas and Africa that put these two continents at a developmental disadvantage? A: As talked about in previous chapters the Fertile Crescent is just as it is called, fertile. Due to the Fertile Crescent being fertile, it allowed crops to grow in a surplus and therefore, the people there were able to develop much quicker than others. The Fertile Crescent is located on an east-west axis and lands along the east-west axis tend to have the same day length and seasonal variations. They also have in common, similar diseases, temperature, rainfall, and habitat.With that said, the crops from the Fertile Crescent expanded along the east-west axis allowing what happened to the Fertile Crescent to of happen to the rest of the east-west axis and it is also what allowed the east-west axis to become the world’s con querors. The east-west axis is very consistent and it differs from the north-south axis. Unlike the east-west axis, the north-south axis does not share similar things such as seasonal changes and day length. That makes it harder for a crop that has already developed, for example, to the north, to be moved to the south or vice versa.This factor right here gave the Americas and Africa, two continents on the north south axis, a developmental disadvantage. Chapter 16: How China Became Chinese Q: Why was China able to dominate East Asia? A: It first began with language. In China, they are 8 â€Å"big† or main languages spoken. As the Chinese began to spread to South China and throughout Asia they became vigorous in converting other ethnic groups’ languages and forced then to abandon their native tongue. Basically, the Chinese thought their language was superior and others were inferior.Then, China began to influence others with their production of food. China had a head sta rt on food production compared to others and was first to domesticate a lot of things over there, such as pigs. Another popular item that was produced by the Chinese that spread was rice. A main factor that allowed China to dominate East Asia along with food and language was their writing system. That was a big step that allowed them to advance. It was a single well-attested writing system and it was perfect enough to replace any other systems being use in China at the time.

Corporate Culture at Apple

Corporate Culture at Apple Apple has a very secretive corporate culture. Often employees will choose not to speak out about apple until they are no longer employed there. Apple goes to greater lengths than any other company in the valley to protect its creative and intellectual environment. Apple’s security policy extends to blogs, speaking engagements, and even what people talk about with spouses. Most employees get the policies and respect them as well.The New York times reported that the company’s veil of secrecy began to take shape around the release og the original Macintosh back in 1984. Employees working on secret projects at Apple have to pass through a maze of security doors, swiping their badges again and again and finally entering a numeric code to reach their offices. Once inside the top secret areas, employees are often monitored by surveillance cameras as they work. Those working on more sensitive projects are allegedly instructed to â€Å"cover up device s with black cloaks when they are working on them. A former Apple marketing manager described the company’s â€Å"controlled leaks,† whick he said the company sometimes relies upon to gauge public reaction, confuse competitors, or encourage partners. I also came across an article where the former CEO of Apple’s big Israel acquisition Anobit shares his experiences of Apple culture. Ariel Maislos said â€Å"They say that Intel is full of paranoids, but at Apple, ‘they’ really are after you. † He worked at Apple for about a year after Apple acquired Anobit in December 2011.Maislos left Apple for what was said to be personal reasons. Maislos was also very familiar with Intel’s culture as well. While Intel engineers are given assignments and are rewarded for ingenuity and creativity, he said it’s a given at Apple that engineers will be at the top of their game. He said â€Å"At Apple, you have to run ahead just to stay in place, and there are very high expectations of everyone. Apple expects everything to be amazing. †

Intervie Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Intervie - Essay Example The main misconception about the Arabic culture is concerned with the Arabic women, and I sought to understand their behaviors both in their homes and in public life. From the interview, I understood that the ideas that I had about Arabic women are mostly wrong, for example, the idea that all Arabic women are always veiled, or that all women are oppressed by their male counterparts are false, in fact, the women are accorded all they respect that they deserve. My interview with Amina revealed that not all Arabic women have to wear veils, for example, in Syria, Lebanon and Egypt, the habit of wearing veils is not imposed on the women, on the contrary, it is a choice that is taken out of respect for the culture. However, in some countries, it is a law that all women are supposed to cover their hair and faces from the prying eyes of men. This is done so that the woman remains mysterious and has no chance of infidelity. The Arabic woman is also surprisingly industrious, contrary from the misconception that they are always lazy and uneducated. From my interview, I learnt that the average Arabic woman would always take care of her family, ensuring that the family is well fed and taken care of. I understood this after asking Amina whether all women are stay-at-home moms who wait for their husbands to provide for their families. Amina informed me that, even though some women are in big families, where the husband has up to four wives, all women strive to ensure that their families are well taken care of. The average woman will always be found in the market place looking for fresh food products for their families, and in the case of peasants, they look for food for their children in the best ways possible. The women will usually spend their days chatting with their neighbors, cleaning up, looking for food, and ensuring that their children get the education that they deserve. However, Amina also

Operation and sizing of energy storage for wind power plants in a Term Paper

Operation and sizing of energy storage for wind power plants in a market - Term Paper Example Wind energy provides a priceless supplement for the energy sources available conventionally across the world. However, the sporadic nature of wind energy limits the maximum penetration of wind power that can be made available for the networks of electricity (Korpas, Hildrum and Holen 1). Also, since production in wind power experiences significant fluctuations, it becomes difficult for the owners of the wind power plants to sustain against the competition in the emerging markets of electricity. Some of the significant factors in relation to the operation and sizing of energy storage for wind power plants in a market include the impact of the mechanisms of the electricity markets, constraints of the transmission line, and forecast of the accuracy of the wind power. These factors together determine the advantages and disadvantages of the storage of wind power. Considering all these issues, a computer model has been developed to achieve the scheduling and operation of the resources bein g distributed in the market system (Korpas, Hildrum and Holen 1). The present study discusses on the operation and sizing of the energy storage for wind power plants in a market. ... In case of generation of excess electricity, often wastage occurs. Countries like the United Kingdom (UK) have reported huge payments for power that remained unused since the year 2011. The cost of such unused power shifts on to those who pay the taxes. Continuous research is being conducted to determine the causes of a marketplace leading to power wastage. Over the years, greater attention has been drawn on the hydro-electric storage and use of more modern battery and fuel cell systems. Cryogenic energy storage (CES) has been obtained as one of the most effective measures for capture and storage of electricity, the process being highly innovative and new. It is expected that CES will be able to solve the current problems of wind power storage of energy (Lo). Hydro-Storage for Wind Power Energy: It is being researched and suggested that higher rates of pumped hydro storage would benefit the storage of wind power. This process enables storage of energy through water being pumped from a low reservoir to a reservoir located at a higher location. The method is applied in case of excess of energy. In case of wind energy, this is helpful when wind blows hard at the nights. Thus when the energy is needed, the valves of the storage can be opened up and the water can be allowed to run through the wind turbines. This is a process similar to all hydro stations (Richard). Cryogenic energy storage (CES) for Wind Power Energy Storage: As discussed, one of the most prominent problems in regard to the storage of wind power energy is the intermittency of the power, making the issue of energy storage highly critical. Engineers have in the present times focused on cryogenic energy storage where they have established technology trying to create a modular, scalable

Theory of Knowledge Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Theory of Knowledge - Essay Example An inference to the proven theory is necessary, as it can be used for rectifying the problems in future. Existing knowledge pertains to the unique characteristics of the logic. Knowledge has various instances using which they can be developed. Mathematics and Science are two fields which require proper explanation. Still there exists a doubt whether mathematics is invented or discovered. This needs clear description of mathematical concepts. Discovery is the introduction of a concept which already exists. Invention is finding a theory that does not exist. Bringing a particular concept into existence is known as invention. Mathematical concepts do not depend on a person's belief. It is composed of pure logic and its definition. Each statement needs a proof to make others believe.(Parker 1996). As mathematics is mostly based on theorems, each of them requires a separate logic to prove that the theorem is true. There are specific ideas behind every invention. The process of implying these ideas in the real world concepts play a vital role. Some people believe that mathematics is a discovery. They rely on this by means of Plato. It is a theory that says structures are used to build mathematics. Mathematicians find out the sol ution by using the internal logic. Mathematics comprises statements which are either true or false. Hence this value helps in the further development. The state of mathematics depends on people's perception. Some people think it as an abstraction of the people who derive the formula and its usage. Mathematics is composed of formula using which each concept is described. Each of these concepts has its own theorems and methods to solve a given problem. The aspect defines logic and its evolution. The concepts have some connection with physics. As physics is composed of equations, mathematics helps in solving them. (Piscopo 2009). Mathematics was already in existence. Mathematicians discovered it and its components. There are different qualities which make up mathematics. The person working on it should possess the ability to make use of the existing qualities to find a solution. In the beginning, mathematics was not represented properly. After some decades, numbers were used to represent them. With the use of special symbols the process was made easier, as people found it suitable to be implemented. This seemed to be efficient than the methods that was followed earlier. Humans invented the way to use mathematics and his abilities to improve it took it to a great extent. Mathematics is considered to be tool, using which the calculations are described. It depends on the mathematicians, people believed whatever a mathematician discovered. It is seen as a model, in some case, where this model is used as a base for other concepts to be created. (Faitonah 2008). The debate of whether mathematics was invented or discovered is still going on. Mathematicians have been trying to find an answer for this. There are certain ways to know whether it was invented or discovered. Perception is an important way which differs from person to person. Based on one's perception, the impact of mathematics differs. One person may think mathematics might have been invented, another may think it is discovered. They come to this conclusion, based on their own views and ideas. The way they look at mathematics is different. Here perception acts as a foundation that helps in deciding.

The rise of the Second Klan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The rise of the Second Klan - Essay Example It is believed that it had enlisted more than 30 million people by mid-1920s of which 43% belonged to the protestant church (MacLean, 7). It was against the Catholics, Jews, immigrants and the African Americans who were giving the whites a run for the available housing and jobs. They also aimed at restoring social order. This paper will examine the issues that gave rise to the Klan, the role played by class, gender and race as well as the complex forces that gave rise to the invisible army. The rise of the second Klan can be attributed to many factors as outlined by MacLean (1-97). The first factor responsible for the rise of the Klan was the famous film â€Å"The birth of the Nation† by D.W Griffiths which depicted black men as beasts and the white men as saviors of American civilization (12). The film had lots of praises for the first Klan in their advocacy for restoration of the white rule after the civil and the reconstruction thereafter. As such, it was very influential a mong the whites. Simmons and his friends took advantage of this platform to preach their ideologies and recruit thousands of members. Another significant event that gave rise to the second Klan was the lynching of a Jewish man namely Leo Frank. This individual had been convicted of murdering Mary Phagan a white factory worker. He had been handed a death sentence but the Georgia governor commuted the sentence (12). The white men were very angry with the governor’s action that they decided to hang him and the place he was hanged became the podium for launching the Klan organization. This was the beginning of the recruitment drive for the Klan. It established links with the press to champion their course and attract more people to the Klan through propaganda. These helped the Klan to infiltrate even the high levels of government since those who were against the fraternity would be threatened and blackmailed (88). The role of government officials was to ensure security for member s; since it comprised of governors, mayors, lecturers, and judges the chances of prosecuting errant members were slim. This is why the organization managed to thrive for long and expand despite its activities. The Klan also ensured most of the lay leaders of the protestant churches were Klan men. This enabled them to paint a good picture of the Klan despite their violent acts. They also infiltrated the fraternal organizations such as the woodmen of world and Elk and used them to recruit more members and as a channel for communicating its agenda. Those who joined were initiated through an oathing ceremony whereby they paid initiation fees as well as buying Klan costumes which comprised of hoods, robes, and terrifying masks (MacLean, 7-15). According to MacLean’s â€Å"The vice of modernity,† the rise of the second Klan was also prompted by economic and social factors. The main issue that led the whites to revive the Klan was fear of losing the white supremacy due to the economic and social changes that were occurring. They felt that these shifting lines of race, class, religion and gender were threatening social order and it was its role to maintain order in society (MacLean 32). Due to industrialization there was rapid urbanization which changed the lives of Americans. Most people were involved in cotton farming among other farming activities with the whites

Biotic Components Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Biotic Components - Essay Example The beginner of the pond ecosystem is sun. Producers use sunlight and convert carbon dioxide and water into organic compounds and oxygen through a process called photosynthesis. Other most important nutrition for plants is nitrogen and phosphorus. Wandering plants or the phytoplankton (Volvox, Oscillatoria, Diatoms, Spirogyra, Zygnema, Hydrodictyon, Desmids, etc) go through the process of photosynthesis and release oxygen in the water which can be used by bacteria and animals in the pond. Likewise, the Periphytic algae (attached to the rocks and other substances) carry out photosynthesis and provide oxygen in the bottom of the pond so the decomposers can use it. The submerged plants and the Floating plants (Nelumbium, Nymphea, Blixa, Eicchornia, Pistia etc) provide oxygen to the pond and the emergent plants, to the environment outside the pond. This is the first level. Herbivores and carnivorous belong to the second level and are called consumers. Herbivores feed on plants and get en ergy whereas the carnivores feed on herbivorous and get energy. But whenever an animal or a plant is not consumed by any other animal, that matter is decomposed by decomposers, which are on the 3rd level. The tissues are broken down into much simpler compounds which are again used by the plants for nutrients. As energy is converter, some of it is released in the form of heat in the water to maintain the inner functions of the cells in every organism. Nutrient cycle Carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen are really important for a cell. The process through which these substances pass from on organism to another or from on cell to the other is called nutrient cycle. Change over time The health of an ecosystem can be endangered by several changes over time. If specie is killed in the pond, it can be highly dangerous for other living in the pond as many animals might feed on that specie for nutrients and the whole system might crash. Due to the climate change, excessive heat in the environment, d rought can appear killing all the species living there. The growth of thick trees around the pond can block the passage of sunlight to the pond, resulting in death of plants and thus the animals. Besides this, natural succession can occur which can totally change the biotic community. It actually occurs due to the changes in the plants, animals or other a-biotic factors, and so a new eco cycle can begin How humans may have affected biogeochemical cycles in that ecosystem. There are many ways a human might affect the pond ecosystem. Nitrogen cycle affected: During transportation, ammonia is released in the atmosphere, which is absorbed in the pond. Fertilizers are highly harmful for the fishes as it contains nitrites and nitrates and thus can affect the nitrogen cycle. Ammonia is extremely toxic to fish and should be removed or converted into harmless matter. If the level of ammonia increases in the pond, fishes can die. New agricultural practices have highly disturbed the nitrogen c ycle of the pond. In order to fulfill the agricultural demands for food, there is an extensive usage of nitrogen gas in the green house which enters the pond through different means. Carbon cycle affected: Accumulation of Carbon dioxide in the pond is highly dangerous for the fish species living in it. If the carbon dioxide amount is high in the pond, it would be difficult for the fishes to remove their internal carbon dioxide in the water, resulting in accumulation in fish blood. This inhibits and endangers the ability of hemoglobin in the fish blood, and thus causes suffocation for fishes.

Information Technolgy Management in a Company Essay

Information Technolgy Management in a Company - Essay Example Management of information technology in this company is done at three levels that include the executive level, the administrative level, and the supervisory level. The executive level includes board of directors and Chief Executive Officers (CEO’s) who make decisions involving the technology to adopt according to the company’s needs. The administrative level involves staff who implements decisions from the executive level, and participate in using the adopted technology to run the organization. The supervisory level involves technology experts and consultants who examine and analyze the entire information technology system to ensure it is in line with the organization needs, and operates efficiently (Burgess, 2002). Decisions regarding IT development emerge when the current system does not suffice the needs of the organization. This may lead to an overhaul of the current system or improvement to ensure performance. This is determined through evaluation of the entire system to determine which area of the organization needs improvement in order to conform to the company’s requirements. Appropriate measures are communicated to the executive, which debates and decides on the best area to develop. This decision is effected by the administration, which implements the new technology in its current system (Burgess, 2002). A thorough evaluation of the current management system reveals areas of the company that need improvement. Advanced technological developments require improvement on these areas by adopting advanced technology to help in streamlining the under-performing areas according to the company requirements. Resources for different projects are allocated according to the company’s needs. Under performing areas are allocated more funds for development projects to streamline them with other units to ensure uniform performance (Burgess, 2002). Technological advancements

Men are from Mars and Women are from Venus Essay Example for Free

Men are from Mars and Women are from Venus Essay According to John Gray, men and women completely differ in their style of communication which corroborates the illusion that they are from different planets. However, their communications style differs and they work and be trained to become accustomed to these communication perspectives to live and work together in harmony. Women are more emotional than men and hence men used to mock the girls irrelevance talks. Actually women are termed as a weaker sex as they always want men to respect to their feelings more particularly about relationships, other personal problems and about family matters. In such matters, women expect that men will respect their feelings by extending emotional support and understanding. Relationships end in catastrophic disaster when each other does not understand each feelings and emotions. When the relationship ends in serious disaster, the women have to understand that man is completely diverse from everything and she has not accustomed to and tried to adapt to the differences in her relationship. Communication between men and women are so diverse that it takes many years for a complete understanding in a relationship. Even insignificant resemblance in communication style that binds a couple together while one tries to iron out the larger differences. In ordinary life, it is an established fact that men wants to be respected and women wish to know whether they are being truly loved by men. A successful couple is one who is able to achieve this and in such cases no doubt, good communication will be the end result. Thus, John Gray’s assertion that men and women are from different planets in terms of communications is really a convincing one. Thus, communication between men and women are pursued through two languages. The male language is used as a general warning that he is in a cave or on his path to the cave. Gray here uses cave to describe the ways and means men use to iron out their differences or to deal with an issue. When men face some problem, they wish to be alone or in his cave in complete solitude. [Gray, 1993, p. 22]. However, the reaction of a women will be completely different if they face with issues and when communicating with their spouse. As per Gray, women employ metaphors, superlative and poetic licenses to express their feelings. Moreover, there are chances that men may misunderstood this poetic licenses expressed by women. [Gray. 1993, p. 17]. It is the exact scenario where men and women ignore to appreciate the exact significances of the each other expressions and due to this, Gray has introduced Venusians / Martian dictionary in his book. This dictionary could be much help to iron out these misunderstandings in associations and relationships. According to Gray, men and women communicate in different languages and hold opposing views. Many common people are of the view that Gray’s metaphor is having more relevance and match their very own experiences on the subject. According to Gray, women have to gain knowledge of men before fostering a successful companionship. [Gray, 1993. p. 21]. Likewise, when men are disturbed or strained, they automatically keep silent and return to their cave to sort the things out. [Gray, 1993, p. 21]. Women at this juncture understood that his spouse wants to be alone to sort out things by himself without her interruption. Further, Gray is of the view that there is a need for men to know that women like to share and communicate things through in a more non-solution and in a complex way. [Gray, 1993, p. 35]. There is a complete need on the part of men to aware that women also long that their feelings and emotions are to be honored when they are upset, depressed and troubled and it is duty of the men to make her more comfort and to assuage her feelings in such scenarios. [Gray, 1993, p. 35]. As Gray details it, his book is for the people who wish to have an appreciative feature of gender associated with their counseling. Gray’s objective is to assist women to appreciate men and to take the ignominy out by counseling and by assisting men to have a more constructive approach to therapy as ‘even healthy relationships need a counselor. Gray longs to be a worldwide translator between Venusians and Martians. He has not indulged in the argument that one is superior to the other but stresses that they are dissimilar. Thus, Gray summarizes his views: â€Å"It is time to appreciate and authenticate gender variances. Do not try to change the attitude of one’s partner. Men have to seize the situation and understand and women should acknowledge and appreciate the things which men does and if he feel appreciated, he will no doubt listen. Gray is of the view that even though the customary function of contributor and nurturer may be often changing, women and men still have fundamental hormonal variances. However, due to rapid transformation, women have crossed over in the man’s world and hence the two worlds have come together now. If one has great appreciation of how these people in different world imagine and act, one will have a real harmony but not a friction. According to Gray, men and women have varied and complimentary emotional requirements. One can define a man’s sense of self through his capability to get results while a female’s sense of self is explained through her feelings and eminence of her relationships. Hence, women expect that her feeling shall have to be respected and honored while men demand that his feelings have to be appreciated and respected. Gray is of the opinion that rubber band theory well explains the metaphor of male intimacy cycle. As men experience the need for autonomy or independence, they draw away as rubber bond do when it is stretched to the limit. Men will pull back with power and spirit as rubber band do if they are given opportunity to move back to their positions or caves. If women demand that men should be intimate and close all of the time, they will become flaccid and limp, by losing their power and strength. [Gray, 1993, p. 35]. Gray book emphasizes diverse of theory. Gray could not able to offer no more plausible explanation other than his planet metaphor on men and women relationships. Gray tries to illustrate the basic differences that exist in men and women characteristics. Gray has cited examples like men disgust to demand for directions as it would put them down while women not at all prefer it. Men longs to talk in public as an exposure of their sound knowledge remains mum at home whereas women tries to express their feelings in home rather than in public places as their main objective of their intimacy. CONCLUSION: The reader of the book will understand that men and women communicate in different languages and hold opposing views. Readers will appreciate that Gray’s metaphor is having more relevance and match their very own experiences on the subject. No doubt, communication plays very significant role in men and women relationship. If one tries to honor and respect the feelings of spouse, there will not any marital issues at all. I would recommend that all who in the phase of establishing relationship and those are already tied their marital knots should read the book to lead a pleasant, happy married life. The readers of the book will understand that â€Å"It is time to appreciate and authenticate gender variances. Do not try to change the attitude of one’s partner. Men have to seize the situation and understand and women should acknowledge and appreciate the things which men does and if he feel appreciated, he will no doubt listen. Gray is of the view that difference between men and women are consistent and are of more biological and natural. Thus, Gray book seems to emphasize and respect the male and female differences. REFERENCES Gray, John. [1993]. Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus: A Practical Guide For Improving Communication and Getting What You Want in Relationships. HarperCollins

State Of The Economy Of Pakistan Economics Essay

State Of The Economy Of Pakistan Economics Essay Pakistans economy has been ragged by two back-to-back crises. The global fuel and food price hikes twisted severe macroeconomic complexity as public finances worsened, inflation climbed, and economic growth slowed down. In Pakistan, the global financial crisis approached at a moment when the financial system was still recovering from the global pricing shocks, thus making the position more terrible as macroeconomic conditions depreciated further and economic growth slowed down slightly. In these circumstances, a major challenge is to position Pakistans economy back on track. During the peak period of crisis 2007-2009, the percentage change in GDP of Pakistan was decreased sharply from 5.6% in 2007 to 3.6% in 2009. The impact of global financial crisis is said to have affected the economies worldwide but countries who were at a very fast pace growth in terms of GDP took a downward flow. As usual, trade balance figures were in negative infact it declines more at US$ 20.74 billion during the period as exports were slightly increase and sustained its position at US$ 19.2 billion and imports were also increased sharply at US$ 39.96 billion. Foreign investment and foreign direct investment are declining drastically at US$ 2.14 billion and US$ 2.21 billion which are adversely affecting the economy as the reason is not only the crisis but also the credibility of the present government. People are suffering as the Inflation which was around 8% before crisis is now around 17.50%. Before the crisis, Forex reserves were at US$ 15.18 billion which was dropped to US$ 10.83 billion during the crisis. Following the beginning of the global economic and financial crisis in the third quarter of 2008, some witness assumed a gloomy scenario of enormous returns of migrant workforce to their countries of origin. They also expressed acceptable fears about worsening circumstances of work and living for migrant workforce and their families, and increasing xenophobia against them. During Crisis, the ambiguity about the success of a migration further amplified. Infact for some earlier migrants, real economic situations and unpredictable demand for foreign employment are tough to grasp. Consequently when ambiguity enlarged, migration patterns also changes. During 2005-2010, the percentage change of Population of Pakistan increased about 11.4% and estimated total number of international migrants is about 87%. This clearly shows that migration was at its peaks in which male and female both are there with 55% and 45% ratio. It has been observed that from Pakistan around 51% international migrants headed towards Europe while 34% towards Middle East, from which 46% are skilled workers and 43% are unskilled workers. 52% of the total international migrant population is from Punjab and 25% from Baluchistan. A very important analysis is of the factors within Pakistan that would lead to the increasing trend of migrations to countries abroad. Factors which Push people from Pakistan are: Lack of education, lack of opportunities, not enough jobs, aspiration to live a better life, lack of money/income, crime and discrimination, health and poor chances of marrying Factors which Pull people from Pakistan are: Job opportunities, better living conditions, security and health education, better medical care and political religious freedom. Globally, remittances have increased extensively in the last decade. In 2006, remittances were put at US$268 billion which flow through formal channels banks other financial institutions; informal mechanisms, such as Hundi Hawala and other informal mechanisms throughout the world account for possibly half as much again. Remittances are on the whole significant for the worlds poorest countries, which are also frequently the most prone to disasters and crisis. In 2006, $199bn in remittances is observed to have flowed through formal channels to developing countries. Generally, through various channels remittances can put a positive impact on the economy. The common perceptive among different economic intellectuals is that remittances can impact on the economy through investment, savings, consumption, growth, foreign exchange and income distribution poverty. The impact on remittances is probably to be a significant mean of communication of the effects of the GFC on developing countries. This research has provided a series of approximations for the likely impact of the global financial crisis on remittances. It has been truly observed that during crisis the flow of remittances always increased. Flow of remittances around the globe increased at US$ 385 billion in 2007 from US$ 317 billion in 2006. But now it has reached at US$ 437 billion estimated for year 2010. It was slightly decreased by 6.5% in 2009. The reasons were the cost cutting in salaries and overtime across the globe due to recession and global financial crisis, increased flow of remittances through informal mechanisms and channels like Hundi and also due to political situations in some areas. During 2007-2009, the growth rate was not at the benchmark around the world except South Asia because it contains the countries like Pakistan, India and Bangladesh which are the main countries of destination origin. If we compare remittance growth rate country wise then it has been observed that most of the remittances come from Saudi Arabia, UAE, Switzerland, Australia and North America. Remittance flow of Pakistan during the crisis grew by 17%, 23% and 7% in 2008, 2009 and 2010 respectively. It has been observed that remittance flow to Pakistan has increased during and after crisis as the with the collaboration of Federal Government SBP began the Pakistan Remittance Initiative (PRI) in 2009 that will surely bring the primary transformation in Pakistans remittance system to enhance and assist the flow of remittances sent back home by Pakistani diasporas. According to Officials of SBP and PRI, still 55% of total remittances flow through informal channel through Hundi and other means. 5.2 Recommendations In the light of the research conducted and the interaction with the people in the field and literature review; the following recommendations are presented in the thesis which would help SBP, PRI, Commercial Banks and other Financial Institutions to increase the flow of remittance through formal channels: Federal Government or State bank of Pakistan needs to promote the remittance sector as it has around 5% share in GDP. They should provide the incentives and motivation to the companies and Diasporas (Non-Resident Pakistani Abroad) that are transporting remittances into the country Not enough existence in overseas jurisdictions of Pakistani banks and lack of marketing efforts are major obstacles to the remittance flow. PRI should provide financial incentive schemes for overseas organizations against mobilization of additional remittances. PRI SBP should monitor the market for remittances so that they should be crystal clear and have adequate consumer safety and security. They should create ways to advanced the payment arrangement infrastructure that likely to enhance the competency of remittance services should be encouraged. Improve assistance made by migrant associations to expansion schemes in countries of origin. As well as help to build up associations between government officials migrant associations in countries of origin in order to facilitate improved associations among these parties and multiply the incomes available for development plans. Cash over the counter payment system should be applied to all the banks in Pakistan except the five big giant banks. To motivate the beneficiaries, SBP should introduce a customer handling system. Publicize information on investment and saving options to Diasporas via common migrant resource centers for remittances. Help build capacity for increasing consular services for non-resident Pakistanis, including database, so that allowing irregular Diasporas to use accessible formal remittance channels where possible. PRI and SBP should monitor the role of remittance service provider so that they should contribute aggressively in the implementation of common principles. As the percentage of remittance flowing through informal ways is quite huge so Commercial Banks with the help of PRI should create ways to downsize the frequency and flow of remittances through informal channels i.e. Hundi.

Legal Research Assessment

Legal Research Assessment Question 1 Could Vincents security staff be given power to issue fixed penalty notices for disorder? Issues What is a fixed PND? Who legally can issue? How does this apply to these particular facts? Research Lexis Halsburys Laws of England – search â€Å"penalty notice for disorder† Result – 639 Directions as to Defendants good character – reference to Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001 s2(1) Search Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001 s2(1) – Part 1 deals with Provisions for Combating Crime and Disorder and within this section 2 with Penalty Notices S2(1) â€Å"a constable who has reason to believe that a person aged [10] or over has committed a penalty offence may give him a penalty notice in respect of the offence.† Note subordinate legislation Penalties for Disorderly Behaviour (Amendment of Minimum Age) Order 2004, SI 2004/3166 no reference to under-age drinkers in the facts so not following up further Reviewing rest of Part 1 and noting that under s(4) a â€Å"penalty notice† is defined as â€Å"a notice offering the opportunity†¦to discharge any liability to be convicted of the offence to which the notice relates.† S(1) lists offences leading to penalties on the spot and noting that these include â€Å"being drunk in a highway, other public place or licensed premises† , â€Å"disorderly behaviour while drunk in a public place† and â€Å"behaviour likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress† Halsburys Laws of England 542 penalty notices and penalties Halsburys Laws 543 deals with procedure Therefore appears that in addition to the police â€Å"accredited persons† may be able to issue PNDs subject to certain exceptions. Westlaw Searching for Police Reform Act 2002 s41 – accreditation under community safety accreditation schemes Applies where under s(1) a chief officer of police has entered into arrangements with an employer for the purposes of carrying out community safety functions Schedule 5 sets out the powers that may be conferred on â€Å"accredited person† Under s41 (4) chief officer of police must be satisfied that (a) the employer is a â€Å"fit and proper person to supervise† [the carrying out of the function of the accredited person], (b) the person themselves is a suitable person to exercise the powers (c) the person is capable of carrying out the function and (d) the person has received adequate training Under s41(5) chief officer of police may charge a fee for considering and granting applications Accreditation only applies while AP is employee of the person with whom chief of police has entered into the arrangement and for specified period, although can be renewed. S40 Police Reform Act 2002 – community safety accreditation schemes – under s40(1) chief officer of police of any police force may establish such a scheme Business Link website www.businesslink.gov.uk/bdotg/action/detail?itemId=1084582443type=RESOURCES Guidance also found on the Home Office website at www.homeoffice.gov.uk/police/penalty-notices/212291 Essex Police website – details of accreditation scheme on â€Å"about us† page http://www.essex.police.uk/about.aspx Question 2 Would male customers have any cause of action against the Club for being charged twice the entrance fee of women on a Wednesday or Thursday night? If so, where could this action be instigated? Issues Is this sex discrimination? Where can proceedings be brought? Research As mentioned in memo that threatened to complain to Equal Opportunities Commission – looked for its website. Comes under Equality and Human Rights Commission (EOC) at www.equalityhumanrights.com/ Main legislation is the Equality Act 2010 which came into force 1 October 2010 and brought into one place the fragmented existing laws against discrimination. Guidance on EOC website suggest that businesses need to avoid unlawful discrimination which includes setting conditions – eg â€Å"ladies nights† would almost certainly fall into this. Says EA applies to both public and private sectors, Human Rights Act 1998 – to public bodies Also referred to Human Rights Law and Practice, Third Edition Lexis Nexis 2009 – EHRC is non-departmental government body Lexis Equality Act 2010 s13 Direct discrimination (1) A person (A) discriminates against another (B) if, because of a protected characteristic, A treats B less favourably than A treats or would treat others. s29 Provision of services, etc. (1) A person (a â€Å"service-provider†) concerned with the provision of a service to the public or a section of the public (for payment or not) must not discriminate against a person requiring the service by not providing the person with the service. (2) A service-provider (A) must not, in providing the service, discriminate against a person (B)— (a) as to the terms on which A provides the service to B; (b) by terminating the provision of the service to B; (c) by subjecting B to any other detriment. Part 9 deals with enforcement – s113 with proceedings, 114 jurisdiction, 118 time limits and 119 remedies. Important points – bring in county court in area where business based within 6 months of discrimination. Westlaw Equality Act 2010, Part 2 (4) and (11) â€Å"protected characteristic† includes sex. Recent news – Hall and Preddy case (unreported) – same sex couple who were not allowed to stay in bed and breakfast received  £1,800 each in damages Question 3 Is Lucca entitled to the additional 6 months leave? If so, does Vincent have to keep his job open for him? Issues What is the entitlement to paternity leave? Can Lucca return to the same job? Research Westlaw Search â€Å"paternity leave† – Additional Paternity Leave Regulations 2010 (SI 2010/1055) came into force 6 April 2010. Under Employment Rights Act 1996 requirement to make regulations entitling fathers to paternity leave – 2 consecutive weeks within 56 days of birth. Work and Families Act 2008 inserted s80AA and 80BB into ERA – reference to ordinary and additional leave. Paternity and Adoption Leave Regulations 2002/2788 gave entitlement to 2 weeks paternity leave. Additional Paternity Leave Regulations 2010 (SI 2010/1055) Additional paternity leave where child due on or after 3 April 2011 – up to 6 months and entitled to return to same job after leave. Internal Report Memo From: Trainee To: Supervising Partner Date: 30.03.11 Re: Vincent Grubnic, managing director of the Vortex, Night- Club Dear Supervising Partner Thank you for your memo dated 29.03.11 in which you requested I conduct some research ahead of your meeting with Vincent Grubnic next Thursday, focusing particularly on the following issues: 1. Could Vincents security staff be given power to issue fixed penalty notices for disorder? 2. Would male customers have any cause of action against the Club for being charged twice the entrance fee of women on a Wednesday or Thursday night? If so, where could this action be instigated? 3. Is Lucca entitled to the additional 6 months leave? If so, does Vincent have to keep his job open for him? Summary In relation to issue 1 Vincent can apply to the local police force for accreditation for his security staff to be given the power to issue penalty notices. In relation to issue 2 it is likely that the promotion described would fall foul of sex discrimination law and the complainant could bring proceedings in the county court and possibly be awarded damages. Therefore it is advisable that the promotion is changed. In relation to issue 3 it is again likely that Lucca will be entitled to the additional leave and, if his job is not held open for him, there is a risk of Lucca bringing an employment claim. Issue 1 Fixed penalty notices for disorder The starting point is the Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001 (CJPA), Part 1 of which deals with Provisions for Combatting Crime and Disorder. This legislation created the power for the police to issue penalty notices for certain offences. A â€Å"penalty notice† is defined as â€Å"a notice offering the opportunity†¦to discharge any liability to be convicted of the offence to which the notice relates† . Therefore a person given a penalty notice, assuming they elect to pay the specified amount, will not be convicted of the offence detailed in the notice. If, however, they do not pay the specified amount they are likely to be charged with the offence and may be convicted. The offences which may lead to on-the-spot penalties include â€Å"being drunk in a highway, other public place or licensed premises†, â€Å"disorderly behavior while drunk in a public place† and â€Å"behavior likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress .† The amount of the penalty is specified by order of the Secretary of State with the fixed amount for most of the listed offences being  £80, or  £40 in case of person under 16. The notice must include specified details including the alleged offence, the circumstances in which it occurred and the persons right to ask to be tried for the alleged offence in place of paying the fixed amount. Initially, under CJPA, it was envisaged that penalty notices would be issued by the police . However, this was later widened to include Police Community Support Officers as well as people accredited under a community accreditation scheme . The Police Reform Act 2002 (PRA) created the power for the chief officer of a police force to set up a community accreditation scheme. Under such a scheme, an â€Å"accredited person† has similar powers to the police to issue notices and therefore the chief officer must be satisfied that that their employer is fit to supervise them carrying out their role, that the person themselves is suitable to the role and that they have received training. Under s41(5) PRA the chief officer of police may charge a fee for considering and granting applications. Accreditation schemes are aimed at particular types of work including staff of private security firms . My research suggests that Vincents staff may therefore be able to obtain accreditation, assuming Vincent is prepared to pay the necessary fees for the application and training and that both he and the staff are deemed suitable to participate. If this is something Vincent would like to pursue, there are further details about the local accreditation scheme on the Essex Police website . Issue 2 Sex discrimination in promotions In order to consider this issue, I firstly reviewed the law in relation to discrimination on the grounds of sex. The legislation in relation to the various types of discrimination has recently been brought into one place in the form of the Equality Act 2010 which came into force 1 October 2010. I note that the student who made the complaint had threatened to complain to the Equal Opportunities Commission. The EOC now comes under the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) which provides a wide range of guidance and advice to both service users and businesses. The guidance suggests that businesses need to avoid setting conditions in promotions which favour either sex and suggests that â€Å"ladies nights† would almost certainly fall foul of the requirements of the new legislation. . This guidance is confirmed by the legislation itself. The Equality Act 2010 (EQA) states that â€Å"a person (A) discriminates against another (B) if, because of a protected characteristic, A treats B less favourably than A treats or would treat others.† The sex of a person is a protected characteristic. The EQA makes specific references to service providers and that discrimination is not permitted in the terms in which A provides a service to B. My view is that it is clear under the EQA legislation that service providers such as Vincent cannot offer a service at one rate to men and at another rate to women without breaching requirements in relation to discrimination. Turning to enforcement, this is dealt with under Part 9 EQA. The student could issue proceedings in the county court in which Vincents business is situated, which in this case would be Colchester County Court, and would have 6 months from the action complained of in which to do so. While he cannot make a claim through EHRC it may provide assistance if there is sufficient interest in the matter. If the students case was successful, he may be awarded damages and it is therefore advisable commercially that Vincent changes the promotion as soon as possible. While this would not prevent a claim, it would limit its impact and the interest of the EHRC. Issue 3 Additional parental leave Finally, I turn to the question of the bar manager, Lucca. The Employment Rights Act 1996 (ERA) states that the Secretary of State shall make regulations entitling fathers who meet specified conditions to a period of 2 weeks of paternity leave. This was carried out through secondary legislation in the form of the Paternity and Adoption Leave Regulations 2002. The Work and Families Act 2008 then inserted s80AA and 80BB into ERA making reference to â€Å"ordinary† and† â€Å"additional† leave. Following this, the Additional Paternity Leave Regulations 2010 (APLR) came into force on 6 April 2010 and made provision for entitlement to additional leave where the baby was due on or after 3 April 2011. It appears that Vincent does not dispute Luccas entitlement to the 2 weeks ordinary paternity leave. However, it appears that Lucca also meets the criteria for additional paternity leave under the APLR having been employed for more than 26 weeks, being the father of the child and, along with the mother, apparently expecting to have the main responsibility for bringing up the child. In addition, the baby is due after 3 April 2011. Lucca wishes to take 6 months leave beginning 6 months after the birth, which he is entitled to do providing he gives notice 8 weeks prior to the start of the leave . The notice must be in writing and include both employee and mother declarations that the purpose of the leave is for Lucca to care for the child while the mother is at work. The APLR also confers a right for Lucca to return to the same job providing he does not take more than the 6 months intended leave . If Vincent does not keep the job open for Lucca then it is likely that he will have been unfairly dismissed which may give rise to a claim. I hope this is helpful. Please let me know if you have any queries or would like me to do any further work on this matter prior to your meeting, such as contacting Vincent to ensure he brings along identification if he is a new client.

Analysis of Arms and the Man by George Bernard Shaw Essay -- Plays Geo

Analysis of Arms and the Man by George Bernard Shaw "Arms and the Man" starts with gunfire on a dark street in a small town. The romantic and willful Raina is about to begin her true-life adventure by sheltering the handsome fugitive Bluntschli, enemy of her equally handsome fiancà © Sergius The setting of the play is in war-torn Bulgaria, and focuses not only on the romance between the young people of the play, but the atrocities that go on during war times and the ability of people not so very far removed from these atrocities to ignore them completely. Shaw's purpose in this play is to attack the romantic notion of war by presenting a more realistic depiction of war, devoid of the idea that such death and destruction are both noble and romantic. These deconstructions make "Arms and the Man" a satirical comedy about those who would glorify the horrors or war. Shaw develops a perfectly ironic contrast between the two central male characters form the beginning to the end. At the start of the play we are given an account of Major Sergius Saranoff’s, a handsome young Bulgarian officer, victory in a daring cavalry raid, which turned the war in favor of the Bulgarians over the Serbs. In contrast, Captain Bluntschil, a professional soldier from Switzerland, acts like a coward. He climbs up to a balcony to escape capture, he threatens a woman with a gun, and he carries chocolates rather than cartridges because he claims the sweets are more useful on the batt...

Cultural Competency in the Workplace Essay -- Managing Racial Diversity

Today’s management in the workforce is composed of all types of people verses thirty years ago when white males held a majority of upper-management positions in companies. These positions are now held by a mixture of ethnic back grounds and women who hold just as many if not more management positions then men. Just by looking at the changes in management demographics shows how important it is for people to understand cultural competency in the workplace. Dr. Roosevelt Thomas Jr. (1999) stated, â€Å"Diversity is the collective mixture of whomever we have in our workforce characterized by their differences and similarities† (p.11). Managers and supervisors must understand the characteristics of a diversity mature individual; they also need to be able to articulate the differences between affirmative action, managing diversity, understanding and valuing diversity to build skills that transforms awareness into productive and supportive workplace behaviors.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are many different characteristics of a diversity mature individual. The most important characteristic is when a person accepts diversity management responsibility. The person will need to understand the different types of ethnic backgrounds in the organization, and the different types of techniques he or she will have to use to motivate the staff. He or she will also understand how to treat everyone equal no matter what gender, or ethnic background the employee may be.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Diversity mature individuals must demonstrate contextual knowledge. This knowledge is showed by understanding his or her personal objectives. The individual must know what he or she plans to accomplish before working with others to help develop their personal goals. Also by knowing the organizational objectives, the individual can develop a team to strive towards the bottom line of the organizational goals. Finally, the individual must be able to provide conceptual clarity to the team. This clarity will help the team understand how and why these ideas were created. The one thing a manager does not want is for the team to think everything is just busy work and not for a specific purpose.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Other characteristics of a diversity mature individual include a person who challenges conventional wisdom, and engages in continuous learning. When a person challe... ...tes is known as the melting pot of the world. This country is the home of many different cultures from many different areas. Cultural competency in the workplace is an issue that everyone needs to understand. By understanding the characteristics of a diversity mature individual, employees can focus on developing themselves to hold a management position in the future, and be able to relate to other cultures in the organization. Companies continue educate their staff on affirmative action, and what it takes to manage a diverse group. These companies want to supportive workplace behaviors in the organization to help achieve the bottom line, increase stockholder value. References Cox, T., & Beale, R. (1997). Developing Competency to Manage Diversity. San Francisco CA: Berrett-Koehler Publisher Inc. Martin, C., & Tulgan, B. (2002). Managing the Generation Mix. Amherst, MA: HRD Press. Subramaniam, R. (2005). Diversity at Workplace. The Star Online,. Retrieved March 15, 2005, from http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story/asp. Thomas, R., & Woodruff, M. (1999). Building a House of Diversity. New York, NY: Amacom.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  

Deception Point Page 109

A few of the reporters laughed. With his daughter bearing down fast from his right, Sexton had no doubt this father-daughter reunion would best be held in private. Unfortunately, privacy was scarce at the moment. Sexton's eyes darted to the large partition on his right. Still smiling calmly, Sexton waved to his daughter and stepped away from the microphone. Moving toward her at an angle, he maneuvered such that Rachel had to pass behind the partition to get to him. Sexton met her halfway, hidden from the eyes and ears of the press. â€Å"Honey?† he said, smiling and opening his arms as Rachel came toward him. â€Å"What a surprise!† Rachel walked up and slapped his face. Alone with her father now, ensconced behind the partition, Rachel glared with loathing. She had slapped him hard, but he barely flinched. With chilling control, his phony smile melted away, mutating into an admonishing glower. His voice turned to a demonic whisper. â€Å"You should not be here.† Rachel saw wrath in his eyes and for the first time in her life felt unafraid. â€Å"I turned to you for help, and you sold me out! I was almost killed!† â€Å"You're obviously fine.† His tone was almost disappointed. â€Å"NASA is innocent!† she said. â€Å"The President told you that! What are you doing here?† Rachel's short flight to Washington aboard the Coast Guard Osprey had been punctuated by a flurry of phone calls between herself, the White House, her father, and even a distraught Gabrielle Ashe. â€Å"You promised Zach Herney you were going to the White House!† â€Å"I am.† He smirked. â€Å"On election day.† Rachel felt sickened to think this man was her father. â€Å"What you're about to do is madness.† â€Å"Oh?† Sexton chuckled. He turned and motioned behind him to the podium, which was visible at the end of the partition. On the podium, a stack of white envelopes sat waiting. â€Å"Those envelopes contain information you sent me, Rachel. You. The President's blood is on your hands.† â€Å"I faxed you that information when I needed your help! When I thought the President and NASA were guilty!† â€Å"Considering the evidence, NASA certainly appears guilty.† â€Å"But they are not! They deserve a chance to admit their own mistakes. You've already won this election. Zach Herney is finished! You know that. Let the man retain some dignity.† Sexton groaned. â€Å"So naive. It's not about winning the election, Rachel, it's about power. It's about decisive victory, acts of greatness, crushing opposition, and controlling the forces in Washington so you can get something done.† â€Å"At what cost?† â€Å"Don't be so self-righteous. I'm simply presenting the evidence. The people can draw their own conclusions as to who is guilty.† â€Å"You know how this will look.† He shrugged. â€Å"Maybe NASA's time has come.† Senator Sexton sensed the press was getting restless beyond the partition, and he had no intention of standing here all morning and being lectured by his daughter. His moment of glory was waiting. â€Å"We're through here,† he said. â€Å"I have a press conference to give.† â€Å"I'm asking you as your daughter,† Rachel pleaded. â€Å"Don't do this. Think about what you're about to do. There's a better way.† â€Å"Not for me.† A howl of feedback echoed out of the PA system behind him, and Sexton wheeled to see a late-arriving female reporter, huddled over his podium, attempting to attach a network microphone to one of the goose-neck clips. Why can't these idiots arrive on time? Sexton fumed. In her haste, the reporter knocked Sexton's stack of envelopes to the ground. Goddamn it! Sexton marched over, cursing his daughter for distracting him. When he arrived, the woman was on her hands and knees, collecting the envelopes off the ground. Sexton couldn't see her face, but she was obviously â€Å"network†-wearing a full-length cashmere coat, matching scarf, and low-slung mohair beret with an ABC press pass clipped to it. Stupid bitch, Sexton thought. â€Å"I'll take those,† he snapped, holding out his hand for the envelopes. The woman scraped up the last of the envelopes and handed them up to Sexton without looking up. â€Å"Sorry†¦,† she muttered, obviously embarrassed. Hunkering low in shame, she scurried off into the crowd. Sexton quickly counted the envelopes. Ten. Good. Nobody was going to steal his thunder today. Regrouping, he adjusted the microphones and gave a joking smile to the crowd. â€Å"I guess I'd better hand these out before someone gets hurt!† The crowd laughed, looking eager. Sexton sensed his daughter nearby, standing just off-stage behind the partition. â€Å"Don't do this,† Rachel said to him. â€Å"You'll regret it.† Sexton ignored her. â€Å"I'm asking you to trust me,† Rachel said, her voice growing louder. â€Å"It's a mistake.† Sexton picked up his envelopes, straightening the edges. â€Å"Dad,† Rachel said, intense and pleading now. â€Å"This is your last chance to do what's right.† Do what's right? Sexton covered the microphone and turned as if clearing his throat. He glanced discreetly over at his daughter. â€Å"You're just like your mother-idealistic and small. Women simply do not understand the true nature of power.† Sedgewick Sexton had already forgotten his daughter by the time he turned back toward the jostling media. Head held high, he walked around the podium and handed the stack of envelopes into the hands of the waiting press. He watched the envelopes disseminate rapidly through the crowd. He could hear the seals being broken, the envelopes being torn apart like Christmas presents. A sudden hush came over the crowd. In the silence, Sexton could hear the defining moment of his career. The meteorite is a fraud. And I am the man who revealed it. Sexton knew it would take the press a moment to understand the true implications of what they were looking at: GPR images of an insertion shaft in the ice; a living ocean species almost identical to the NASA fossils; evidence of chondrules that formed on earth. It all led to one shocking conclusion. â€Å"Sir?† one reporter stammered, sounding stunned as he looked in his envelope. â€Å"Is this for real?† Sexton gave a somber sigh. â€Å"Yes, I'm afraid it's very real indeed.† Murmurs of confusion now spread through the crowd. â€Å"I'll give everyone a moment to look through these pages,† Sexton said, â€Å"and then I'll take questions and attempt to shed some light on what you're looking at.† â€Å"Senator?† another reporter asked, sounding utterly bewildered. â€Å"Are these images authentic?†¦ Unretouched?† â€Å"One hundred percent,† Sexton said, speaking more firmly now. â€Å"I would not present the evidence to you otherwise.† The confusion in the crowd seemed to deepen, and Sexton thought he even heard some laughter-not at all the reaction he had expected. He was starting to fear he had overestimated the media's ability to connect the obvious dots. â€Å"Um, senator?† someone said, sounding oddly amused. â€Å"For the record, you stand behind the authenticity of these images?† Sexton was getting frustrated. â€Å"My friends, I will say this one last time, the evidence in your hands is one-hundred-percent accurate. And if anyone can prove otherwise, I'll eat my hat!† Sexton waited for the laugh, but it never came. Dead silence. Blank stares. The reporter who had just spoken walked toward Sexton, shuffling through his photocopies as he came forward. â€Å"You're right, senator. This is scandalous data.† The reporter paused, scratching his head. â€Å"So I guess we're puzzled as to why you've decided to share it with us like this, especially after denying it so vehemently earlier.†

Media Studies †Podcasting and Radio

Ben Hammersley of the Guardian first discussed the advent of podcasting technology only two years ago (Hammersley, 2004). Yet this newly created communications channel has grown from being a small niche market   – with only six thousand hits on Google in 2004 according to Terdimann (2004) as compared to today’s excess of forty-one million (Google, 2006). Podcasting has changed radio with breathtaking speed, removing almost all barriers to access in ways that Internet radio was never able to on its own. This paper will discuss how and why podcasting is the radio of the future because of its convenience, intimacy and ease of access. Podcasting Defined In simple terms, podcasting is a digital music file that is presented to the end user within an RSS feed, where RSS is a grouping of different feed formats used to update and publish web content. Users subscribe to an RSS to listen to audio files, are automatically updated each time a new file is uploaded, and can listen to the podcasts on any MP3 player. What makes podcasting unusual is the automatic updating portion of the system: instead of having to return to a particular website to see if the content has been updated, the users’ subscribed-to feeds automatically deliver the content on-demand. A Brief History of Radio as Related to Podcasting Initially, radio was used in the late 19th century for users separated by geography to communicate. However, other people started ‘overhearing’ these radio transmissions and slowly it became a means with which to talk to a larger populace, evidenced by BBC’s start-up three decades later. It didn’t take long for radio listeners to realize radio’s potential scope as shown by comments made in 1930: â€Å"The radio would be the finest possible communication apparatus in public life, a vast network of pipes. That is to say, it would be if it knew how to receive as well as to transmit, how to let the listener speak as well as hear, how to bring him into a relationship not isolating him (Bretcht, 1993). Interestingly, these comments seem to describe podcasting to a tee, as anyone can transmit information using this technology, with no higher authority monitoring its use. A similar growth pattern is seen when reviewing the advent of Internet radio as well, with the 1995 creation of Real Audio software, allowing radio stations to send transmissions through the Internet instead of through other, more traditional processes (Priestman, 2001). While this was a huge breakthrough in technology and access to mediums previously controlled by geography and cost, it still made Internet radio dependent on positioning: you had to be in front of a computer to listen (Wall, 2004). This lack of portability has somewhat been trumped by new WiFi radio options in the UK (Rose, 2005), but that discussion is beyond the scope of this paper. Podcastings’ Origins Portable music devices first appeared in the late 90’s (Van Buskirk, 2005) but it wasn’t until Apple’s 2001 release of the iPod that podcasting became a household name. At that time, no other commercial venture had successfully sold legally available songs online and then facilitated transferring them onto a digital media device. Podcasting Success Factors We must go back in time to 1996 to determine just why MP3 players such as the iPod and podcasting in general took off at such an alarming rate. It was at this time when The Telecommunications Act of 1996 changed American radio forever by allowing companies to own more than four radio stations in a specific market and more than forty nationwide, both of which were previous limiters (Mann, 2005). This allowed Clear Channel, one of the more infamous radio station consolidators, to merge well over one thousand stations across the U.S. using their tried-and-true content-weak system of providing lots of specifically targeted music to a specifically targeted consumer and the addition of even more commercial time. It seems evident, then, that radio listeners were well primed for an on-demand music service with fewer (or no) commercials without the WalMart of radio forcing listening decisions. How Has, and Will, Podcasting Changed Radio? In a sense, podcasting has changed radio into a new medium entirely. Now anyone, anywhere, with no prior radio, media or telecommunications knowledge can create a podcast for listeners around the world to enjoy, respond to and interact with. Plus, it has provided access to public figures in ways that radio couldn’t previously, as with Vice-Presidential candidate John Edwards’ kitchen table talks or President Bush’s weekly radio addresses (see http://www.whitehouse.gov/radio). Future applications of podcasting technology are only limited by the accessibility of MP3 players and the ingenuity of the users. The next step of all-access, user-driven radio is to have the smaller hand-held devices download podcasts (technology which is just become available now) through wireless technology. This will work in tandem with current movement towards Wi-Max networks (where entire cities have wireless access availability instead of merely chosen ‘hotspots’), enabling users to save the costs of downloading content through their cellular phone providers or current fatport company. In fact, the Nokia N91 was to be released earlier this year with this same technology on board (Rose, 2005). Yet as MacFarland stated in 1997: â€Å"The answer will lie not so much in technical improvements to audio reproduction as in improvements to the product the audience is seeking – programming that is responsive to the listener’s needs. Conventional radio stations have already picked up on this trend such as the Boston-based â€Å"Jack FM† which boasts an iPod-like random playlist complete with an â€Å"I don’t care† attitude as shown by the DJ’s frequent mentions of the company’s tag line: Playing What We Want. Although podcasting may not reconnect traditional radio listeners with their radio roots (such as CBC has done in Canada with Radio One), it may add increased interest on the part of listeners, intent on learning more about new media and music not previously available to them. Some media experts may feel that podcasting is the end of radio as we know it, but rather it should be looked at as new way, method, technology and available to connect intimately with an audience hard to pin down and even harder to communicate with. Works Cited B, Brecht. â€Å"The Radio as an Apparatus of Communication’.† Radiotexte. Ed. Neil Strauss . New York: Semiotext(e), 1993. â€Å"SEARCH: Podcasting.† Google. Google. 30 Nov 2006 . Hammersley, B. â€Å"Audible revolution.† Guardian Unlimited: Technology. 12 Feb 2004. Media Guardian. 30 Nov 2006 . Mann, Charles. â€Å"The Ressurection of Indie Radio.† Wired Magazine 13.03Mar 2005 30 Nov 2005. Priestman, Chris. Web Radio: Production for Internet Streaming. London: Focal Press, 2001. Rose, Frank. â€Å"Battle for the Soul of the MP3 Phone’.† Wired Magazine 13.11Nov 2005 30 Nov 2006. Terdiman, Daniel. â€Å"You, Too, Can Be a Podcaster.† Wired News 31 Dec 2004 30 Nov 2006. Wall, T. â€Å"The Political Economy of Internet Radio.† The Radio Journal 2(2004): 27-44. Van Buskirk, Eliot. â€Å"Introducing the World’s First MP3 Player.† MP3 Insider. 21 Jan 2005. CNET Reviews. 30 Nov 2006 .         

Environmental Science and Policy Essay

The occurrence of rapid economic and political changes could be traced from the post-era of industrial revolution. These changes have brought impact to the environment wherein emerging industrial progress and remarkable growth of population has acquired significant economic resourcing relating to the utilization of the ecosystem. On the other hand, the accompanying trends in the advancement of science and technologies have conquered the law of natural sciences. The expansion of factories, development of industrial machineries and increasing numbers of vehicles has brought in the looming effect of air pollution and other pollutants. Likewise, the exploitative and inefficient utilization of environment depletes the natural habitation of flora and fauna, from which the ecosystem becomes fragile and the forces of Mother Nature asymmetrically collide. Today, Global Warming is a potential catastrophe that threatens the earth and all its inhabitants. Such a situation depicts the poem of the Founder of Evolutionary Economics, Kenneth Ewart Boulding’s (1910-1993), as cited: â€Å"The world is finite, resources are scarce, Things are bad and will be worse, Coal is burned and gas exploded, Forests out and soil eroded, Wells are dry and air polluted, Dust is blowing, trees are uprooted, Oil is going, ores depleted, Drains receive what is excreted, Land is sinking, seas are rising, Man is far too enterprising, Fires will rage with man to fan it, Soon we will have a plundered planet† (Boulding,1993; in Edugreen Poems, 2008). The health hazard and death toll related to air pollution is extremely alarming; specifically in most highly populated and highly industrialized countries. Thus, the issue on air pollution is recognized as a critical sociological, economic and geological problem that is tried to be sensibly addressed by people and governments worldwide. This paper will objectively examine the extent and scope of various governmental and non-governmental responses on environmental science and policy issues relating to the evolution of the United States’ Clean Air Act, and the effects or impacts of its subsequent amendments towards achieving national and global importance in enacting policies to mitigate air pollution and towards the protection and preservation of the global environment. Methodology This paper adopts a three-prong method of study, such as (1) a review of literature relating to the Clean Air Act, (2) discussion of policy issues affecting its implementation, and (3) situational analysis to evaluate the national impact. What is Clean Air Act? According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US-EPA), the Clean Air Act (CAA) has been amended in 1970 as an ambitious national campaign to maintain healthy and quality air by controlling air pollution. With the 1970 amendment to CAA, many US-based industries criticized the CAA’s implementation due expensive compliance. To cite, the American businesses in a number of ways are forced to control air pollution through end-of-pipe methods that confine pollution and implement preventative measures that limit the quantity of pollutants, in which the cost of compliance with Clean Air Act regulations can be expensive (US-EPA, 2008). However, the Clean Air Act has been enacted to basically reduce air pollution. Based on the report of Business Week Magazine (2008), CAA implementation contributes to the decrease of significant amounts of air pollutants in the US at about 30% from the period of 1970 to 1995, in spite of the US’ population growth of 28% of that period. Literature Review Brief historical background The problems on air pollution have long been an issue way back from the time of King Edward I of England in 1306 (American Meteorological Society, 1999). As further cited from the American Meteorological Society (1999), King Edward issued a proclamation banning the use of sea coal in London due to the smoke it caused. On the succeeding centuries, Great Britain continuously pursued the anti-pollution campaign on its first trial to air pollution controlling in Chicago and Cincinnati during its US occupation, in which it legislated the Clean Air Policy of 1881. After the British-American war, the Clean Air Policy of 1881 was adopted by the US and enforced by its federal government agencies, specifically the Bureau of Mines of the Department of the Interior which established the Office of Air Pollution. In the 1940’s, the tragedy caused by a â€Å"deadly smog† in Los Angeles and Donora, Pennsylvania elevated the alarm of the residents of affected areas which called the US Congress to pass the ‘Air Pollution Control Act of 1955’, which was the â€Å"first clean air and air quality control acts† that is still in effect and being continuously revised and amended (American Meteorological Society, 1999). Historical amendments to the Clean Air Act as a state policy A timeline on the amendments to the Clean Air Act is herein cited from the electronic journal of the American Meteorological Society (1999) in order to fully discuss the historical and chronological basis of its evolution as a state policy, as follows: In 1955, the local governments’ problems on air pollution has triggered the federal government to address the issue at a national level in which Congress passed the Air Pollution Control Act of 1955 as a result of the â€Å"deadly smog tragedy† in Donora, Pennsylvania that accounted the deaths of 20 people and hundreds of casualties from airborne diseases. In 1963, Congress passed the nation’s Clean Air Act of 1963 to reduce air pollution by setting emission standards for stationary sources such as power plants and steel mills. It did not take into account mobile sources of air pollution which had become the largest source of many dangerous pollutants. In 1970, the issue on inadequate laws in enacting the Clean Air Act of 1963 has been amended by the Clean Air Act of 1970 as a major modification which emphasized challenging principles, such as the establishment of â€Å"primary and secondary principles† for setting air quality, minimize emissions from factories and vehicles as to be enacted by the state and federal government, and increased funds for air pollution research and development. Congress did not amend the Clean Air Act during the 1980’s because of President Reagan’s prioritization of economic policies above environmental actions. In 1990, the long phase of idleness of the federal government has realized the need to modify the Clean Air Act of 1970. The amendment has enacted the Pollution Prevention Act of 1990 that focuses on 5 key areas of implementation, such as (1) air-quality standards, (2) motor vehicle emissions and alternative fuels, (3) toxic air pollutants, (4) acid rain, and (5) stratospheric ozone depletion. The Pollution Prevention Act of 1990 (as amended) envisioned a recovery of gaps of regulatory policies and empowered the functions of government agencies’ and the implementations of their policies.

Position Paper

Security Council Child Soldiers United States King High School Background Thousands of children are serving as soldiers in armed conflicts around the world. Boys and girls serve in government forces and armed opposition groups. They may fight as front-line combatants, suicide bombers, mine sweepers, sex slaves, and spies. Many are abducted or recruited by force, while others join voluntarily, believing that armed groups offer their best chance for survival.We are working to prevent the use of child soldiers and to hold accountable the people who send children to fight. It threatens the core of the United Nations, and the heart of our world's future: Children. The US Child Soldiers Prevention Act prohibits the US government from providing US foreign military financing, military training, and several other categories of US military assistance to governments using child soldiers. Actions National Actions Child soldiers are not an issue in the United States. The U. S. overnment currently provides military assistance to five of the six governments implicated in child soldier usage. From 2001 the USA contributed $34 million to support programs to prevent the recruitment and use of child soldiers and to demobilize and reintegrate child combatants, including $10 million through the US Agency for International Development and $24 million through the US Department of Labor. In 2008, Senators Richard Durbin and Sam Brownback introduced the Child Soldier Prevention Act, which is a bill to curtail U. S. ilitary assistance to governments that fail to take steps to demobilize and stop recruiting children into the armed forces or government-supported militias. Under this bill, countries that take steps to demobilize child soldiers are eligible for certain forms of assistance to help professionalize their forces and ensure that U. S. taxpayer dollars are not used to finance the exploitation of children in armed conflict. International Actions The United States has done many int ernational actions to prevent encouraging the use of children being used as soldiers.In April 2007 the Child Soldier Prevention Act of 2007 was introduced into Congress. It would restrict US military assistance to governments involved in the recruitment or use of child soldiers. In April 2007 the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Human Rights and the Law held a hearing to consider the Child Soldier Prevention Act, obstacles facing former child soldiers seeking asylum in the USA, and ways for the USA to address child recruiters from other countries who came to the USA. In October 2007 the Child Soldier Accountability Act was introduced into Congress.It would amend the US criminal code to allow the prosecution of individuals who have recruited or used child soldiers, whether in the United States or elsewhere. â€Å"The Child Soldiers Prevention Act can put real pressure on governments to stop using child soldiers,† Joe Becker said. â€Å"Obama needs to give fewer waivers to cou ntries abusing their children this way. † On October 4, 2011, the Obama administration announced waivers to the Child Soldiers Prevention Act, allowing military assistance to Chad, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Yemen despite the continued use of children in their armed forces.The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child is a human rights treaty that establishes the civil, political, economic, social, and cultural rights of children. It also defines children as being under the age of 18. The United States is the only country in the world, with the exception of Somalia, that has not ratified it. In 2002, however, the U. S. ratified the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict, which prevents the recruitment of military personnel under the age of 18.Much work remains to be done by the U. S. government on the rights of the child, particularly on the protection of children in armed conflicts. There was a resolution adopted by the General Assembly in 1999 on November 11 titled â€Å"Resolution on the Use of Children as Soldiers. † Recommendation for Action Citizens for Global Solutions are committed to achieving greater engagement by the U. S. government to take the lead of international endeavors to protect future generations.Also, Child Soldiers International‘s website has a place for donation to end the recruitment of children as child soldiers. There is background information and everything about the issue to educate the donators and viewers viewing the website. The Obama administration decided to exempt Yemen and three other countries that use child soldiers from U. S. penalties under the 2008 Child Soldiers Prevention Act. The Invisible Children was founded to stop Joseph Kony called Kony 2012 and the United States was involved in it too. President Obama issued a bill to help stop Joseph Kony for justice. Position paper The government of Nigeria believes in the protection of the interest of the children. Unfortunately, one can notice the use of child soldiers in Nigeria. Why there is the problem of child soldiers in Nigeria? During the 19th century and 20th century there have been interstate conflicts in the African continent. This led to the use of children as the soldiers in the warfare. There are many reasons for the wars fought between different states of Africa. Two important causes of the wars are poverty and orphan rates. (Reich and Acharina, 2005) In fact, the study of UNICEF data reveals that in Africa there is the maximum use of child soldiers in the wars.It is known that 40 percent of the world child soldiers are found in the African continent. All the countries of the African continent particularly the third world countries are severely affected by the child soldier problem which is found in a poor country like Nigeria. Recently, international community has responded to this emerging pro blem. Great powers such as USA and UK have opposed the use of child soldiers in wars. In fact, international community has been shocked by the extent of the use of children as soldiers which has affected the future of the children of Nigeria.UNO has taken this problem seriously which is proved by the fact that UNO has constituted committees to monitor the extent of the use of the child soldiers in the wars particularly in the African continent. The use of child soldiers can be seen in the African countries such as Nigeria, Algeria, Angola, Burundi, Liberia, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Sudan, and Uganda.   The Nigerian government is also aware of the fact that there is need to guarantee the rights of the children. However due to economic backwardness, there has been growth in the use of the children as soldiers. Obviously, this led to loss of life of many children. However, it is found that due to food shortage and lack of productive resources, the parents are forced to send their childr en to help the military of their nation. Hence, poverty of the third world nations is the main cause of the participation of children in wars.(Reich and Acharina, 2005)UNO and the various agencies of UNO such as UNICEF have taken this problem of child soldiers seriously. UNO was initially involved in this problem in an attempt to resolve the interstate conflicts in Africa. However, later it was known to the UNO members regarding the impact of the use of children on the children of Africa and the international community. In order to counter this problem, UNO has expressed its displeasure through the various conferences and by publishing reports concerning the efforts of the individual nations to curb the root cause of the children’s participation in the wars.In 1999, the coalition forces decided to publish a worldwide report regarding the plight of the children as soldiers.   In fact, UNO has urged all the member nations to protect the rights of the children. Recently, Kofi Annan, the UN Secretary-General has urged the Security Council to impose sanctions on the nations indulging in the use of child soldiers in the wars leading to the violation of the international law. The coalition forces have decided to prohibit the use of children as soldiers. The UNO noted that more than 250000 children are used as soldiers. The suggested sanctions include ban on the sale of armaments, sanctions on financial assistance, and so on.The UNO has also urged the NGOs participating in this anti-child soldier policy to implement the policy decisions on the UNO which has been discussed in the various conferences and UNO publications. The UNO committees on the children issues have submitted their reports regarding the position of the children in the underdeveloped countries. The imposition of sanctions is expected to curb the number of the child soldiers in the countries such as Nigeria. However, the UN report noted that there has been decline in the number of child soldier s worldwide. The UNO also decided to give financial and other kinds of support to the poor countries to help curb poverty so that there would be decrease in the number of children used in the warfare. The UN Under-Secretary Olara Otunnu also believed that children should be protected from military conscription. (Africa Renewal, 2005) In fact, the UNO members have urged the different nations to increase the minimum recruitment age to 18 years. (Maslen, 2002)The UNO suggestions regarding the protection of the children’s rights have been implemented by most of the African countries including Nigeria. In fact, legislations have been passed by Nigeria to curb the incidence of the use of the child soldiers in the wars. Although, till 2002 Nigeria did not sign ‘the African charter on the rights and welfare of child’, the government has supported the voluntary recruitment of the soldiers as there is no conscription in Nigeria. Minimum age for the recruitment of the volun tary soldiers is 18 years. The Nigerian youth have participated in the ethnic conflict in the region. This conflict involves the various political and economic issues. However, Nigeria has participated in the several conferences organized by the UNO to oppose the violation of the children’s rights.For instance, in the year 1999, the African countries including Nigeria attended the African Conference on the Use of Children as Soldiers. In the conference the various facts concerning the child soldiers was discussed. In 2001 Nigeria attended the United Nations conference on the illicit trade which also discussed the issue of the child soldiers. Nigeria became the party to the resolution of this conference. The members understood the impact of the use of arms on the children and it was resolved to protect the rights of the children. The Nigerian government has realized that the main reason for the use of the child soldiers is the existence of poverty in Nigeria. Due to food short age and productive resources, children have been sent to the battle field.In order to curb the incidence of the use of children as soldiers, the Nigerian government has devised plans to improve the economic conditions of the families. The Nigerian government urges the international communities including UNO to understand the causes of the phenomenon of the child soldiers in Nigeria. Hence, international organizations should provide more economic support to bring the economic advancement of the region which will reduce the incidence of the use of children as soldiers. The government of Nigeria believes that necessary actions should be taken to ensure the protection of the children’s rights.It is understood that involvement of children in wars negatively affects the relation between Nigeria and international community. However, in order to introduce these measures, the international community, through the organizations such as UNICEF, should strengthen the polity and economy of Nigeria. Nevertheless, in the name of the protection of the children’s rights the integrity of the nations should not be threatened. Therefore, this is to request the organizations such as UNO to provide the positive support to Nigeria to prevent the incidence of the use of the child soldiers in the wars. The Nigerian government plans to introduce and implement legislations and programs to reduce the use of children as soldiers in the wars. (Maslen, 2002)BibliographyMaslen, Stuart (2002). â€Å"The Use of Children as Soldiers in Africa A country analysis of child recruitment and participation in armed conflict†, retrieved online on 30-10-2005 from Reich, Simon F (2005). â€Å"Why do Children â€Å"Fight†? Explaining Child Soldier Ratios in African Intra-State Conflicts†, retrieved online on 30-10-2005 from (2005). â€Å"Africa Briefs†, Africa Renewal, 19:1, April, retrieved online on 30-10-2005 from Position Paper Security Council Child Soldiers United States King High School Background Thousands of children are serving as soldiers in armed conflicts around the world. Boys and girls serve in government forces and armed opposition groups. They may fight as front-line combatants, suicide bombers, mine sweepers, sex slaves, and spies. Many are abducted or recruited by force, while others join voluntarily, believing that armed groups offer their best chance for survival.We are working to prevent the use of child soldiers and to hold accountable the people who send children to fight. It threatens the core of the United Nations, and the heart of our world's future: Children. The US Child Soldiers Prevention Act prohibits the US government from providing US foreign military financing, military training, and several other categories of US military assistance to governments using child soldiers. Actions National Actions Child soldiers are not an issue in the United States. The U. S. overnment currently provides military assistance to five of the six governments implicated in child soldier usage. From 2001 the USA contributed $34 million to support programs to prevent the recruitment and use of child soldiers and to demobilize and reintegrate child combatants, including $10 million through the US Agency for International Development and $24 million through the US Department of Labor. In 2008, Senators Richard Durbin and Sam Brownback introduced the Child Soldier Prevention Act, which is a bill to curtail U. S. ilitary assistance to governments that fail to take steps to demobilize and stop recruiting children into the armed forces or government-supported militias. Under this bill, countries that take steps to demobilize child soldiers are eligible for certain forms of assistance to help professionalize their forces and ensure that U. S. taxpayer dollars are not used to finance the exploitation of children in armed conflict. International Actions The United States has done many int ernational actions to prevent encouraging the use of children being used as soldiers.In April 2007 the Child Soldier Prevention Act of 2007 was introduced into Congress. It would restrict US military assistance to governments involved in the recruitment or use of child soldiers. In April 2007 the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Human Rights and the Law held a hearing to consider the Child Soldier Prevention Act, obstacles facing former child soldiers seeking asylum in the USA, and ways for the USA to address child recruiters from other countries who came to the USA. In October 2007 the Child Soldier Accountability Act was introduced into Congress.It would amend the US criminal code to allow the prosecution of individuals who have recruited or used child soldiers, whether in the United States or elsewhere. â€Å"The Child Soldiers Prevention Act can put real pressure on governments to stop using child soldiers,† Joe Becker said. â€Å"Obama needs to give fewer waivers to cou ntries abusing their children this way. † On October 4, 2011, the Obama administration announced waivers to the Child Soldiers Prevention Act, allowing military assistance to Chad, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Yemen despite the continued use of children in their armed forces.The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child is a human rights treaty that establishes the civil, political, economic, social, and cultural rights of children. It also defines children as being under the age of 18. The United States is the only country in the world, with the exception of Somalia, that has not ratified it. In 2002, however, the U. S. ratified the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict, which prevents the recruitment of military personnel under the age of 18.Much work remains to be done by the U. S. government on the rights of the child, particularly on the protection of children in armed conflicts. There was a resolution adopted by the General Assembly in 1999 on November 11 titled â€Å"Resolution on the Use of Children as Soldiers. † Recommendation for Action Citizens for Global Solutions are committed to achieving greater engagement by the U. S. government to take the lead of international endeavors to protect future generations.Also, Child Soldiers International‘s website has a place for donation to end the recruitment of children as child soldiers. There is background information and everything about the issue to educate the donators and viewers viewing the website. The Obama administration decided to exempt Yemen and three other countries that use child soldiers from U. S. penalties under the 2008 Child Soldiers Prevention Act. The Invisible Children was founded to stop Joseph Kony called Kony 2012 and the United States was involved in it too. President Obama issued a bill to help stop Joseph Kony for justice.