Thursday, October 31, 2019

Violence in hockey Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Violence in hockey - Research Paper Example On January 17, 2010, Sunday, the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League marked a hideous, aggressive, brutal, and deliberate elbow violently given to head of Mikael Tam of Quebec Ramparts who was smacked down to ice trembling and did not even breathe for 30 seconds. (Mahari, 2010) On January 2, 2009, Whitby Dunlops, a senior AAA hockey player, who was a defenseman, died after going through a severe coma for three weeks in Ontario, Canada. He hit his head on the ice when falling on it in an awkward manner whilst he was engaged in a fight and lost his helmet in a game in December 2008. Hockey is one of the best games but these brutal acts are mitigating its fun. Head shots are basically attacks from one player to another and are just claimed to be part of the game. This discussion has always been part of the sports world and is still prevalent. Players’ helmets’ should be fastened and should be part of safety precaution. (Mahari, 2010) Violence has been part of hockey’s culture for decades now. Fightings have been part of the game and so is approval of â€Å"good penalty†; officers’ disrespect, frightening behavior of players towards each other and anti-social role model behavior have been accepted as well. Why are these well accepted? Why have we made it part of our game and life when these are atrocious acts? (Pascall & White, 2000) As the game’s attractiveness changed over time an augmented exposure for redundant hostility, fighting and violence grew within the game. As an outcome, the cost of violence has been very severe in this sport. There have been incidents of concussion, head injury and spinal disturbance. Athletes are frequently exposed to preventable and less severe injuries. (Pascall & White, 2000) Head shot injuries should either be banned or completely eradicated from the game as a remedy for violence. The British Columbian government is trying to tackle this issue via SPORTSafe Program. This was

Monday, October 28, 2019

Promoting the Culture of Peace in the World Essay Example for Free

Promoting the Culture of Peace in the World Essay Introduction: No doubt, the world is a vast battle-field where almost every nation fights each other. Every nation has its own military equipments. What are these for? They are only for fighting other nations whenever a war breaks out. This only shows that the world is in a very dangerous situation now a day. Every day, every second, there is a possibility of outbreak of war, nuclear war as well as cold war. It means that there is a big threat in our every day life. Not only this, terrorists also make every corner of the globe insecure. It is disheartening that the old aged, innocent children and women are in this situation that they do not feel secured and safe. Who is responsible for this, is it the politicians, or the armies, or the bureaucrats? All of them including the selfish industrialists and rich people are responsible. Who would then step out to deal with this restlessness? We, the Youth would surely be the answer. Basic Elements: The basic important step to be taken by the youth is to protect and promote human rights. Human rights include our rights for living; in order to live, we need food, and in order to have food, we need to work to earn our daily living. Peaceful and happy life is the dream of everybody. If any one is lacking of peaceful life, he is automatically lacking of happiness, so that he may become desperate, depressed or disappointed in life. The desperate or disappointed persons are the most dangerous persons in the world. In the context of North East India where various terrorist groups are in active, one Minister in the region once said, The main cause of insurgency in the North East region is that the Centre neglected this remote area. This would be true to some extent that almost all the insurgent activities in North East India are demanding independence. Some of them are seeking for secure life which would be free from the threat of assimilation by other communities. The immediate cause of insurgency in the Lushai Hills (now Mizoram) was also Mautam Famine that Laldenga and friends felt that the Central Government of India was not taking a satisfactory action to relieve the victims of that famine, and then they rebelled against the Government of India and declared Independence in the year 1966. All these are related to Human Rights, since the people felt that the Government was not taking any step for the well being of its people, almost all of them supported the rebellious activities. From the above viewpoint, we may perceive that the main cause of insurgency and terrorism is human rights violation where the victims became conscious of their rights and then claimed the same consequently. In the context of the Middle East Crisis, one thing very clear is that almost all the terrorists in that area fight for freedom, not only for political freedom but also for religious freedom. Some Islamic terrorists fight for the supremacy of Islamism that would be free from Christian domination. In all the activities of the insurgents and the terrorists, the most important instruments are the youth of those respective communities. Supposed, all these youth who are in active in terrorism and insurgency had quitted their efforts for the same, obviously the activities of insurgency and terrorism would have been null and void and there would not be a big threat in our every day life. Nevertheless, these youth had firmly committed to fight for their community and to sacrifice their lives for the same. So, in order to promote peace culture, the youth are most concern. What to do: Since the important hand and leg of terrorists are youth among themselves, the responsibility of the youth today is very high that we need to step out to deal with this. Walt Disney said that the way to get started is to stop talking and to begin working, so that it is not enough to discuss and debate upon Promotion of Culture of Peace in the World, we have to step out. It is the duty of every intellectual and educated youth to win the heart of our brothers and sisters who are in active in terrorism. We need to negotiate them, whether or not they welcome, we need to approach them, we may fail at once, but we should not quit. Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, the former President of India on the occasion of his visit to Mizoram University on 24th September 2005 said, â€Å"Where there is righteousness in the heart, there is Peace in the World†. This statement is truly acceptable because the righteous person would never harm the others, he would never hamper development of the world Peace and Prosperity. So that we, the youth have to keep this in mind, and let it remind us of our duty to counsel our fellow youth, whether they are terrorists or civilians. For promoting the culture of peace in the world, it is an urgent need to take the suggested steps mentioned below: †¢As mentioned above, the first important step would be creating awareness among the youth, common people. We should make our fellow youth aware of the urgent need to make an effort for promoting the culture of Peace in the world. We can organize awareness campaign and other various programmes related to it. We can make them aware of the same by writing articles and essays in the newspapers and magazines. †¢We can produce Television Programme and documentary films related to terrorism and the urgent need of stepping out in mission to stop terrorism. †¢We can have sincere conversation with our friends, families and so on. So that they can propagate this issue to various other persons. If we do so, it would be effective in promoting the culture of peace in the world. †¢To have peaceful life, one should have secure life. So, it is our duty to push the government of our respective country to provide for various schemes for the well being of its subjects. For instance, in the State of Mizoram, the common people are not satisfied enough by the developmental works carried out by the state government, so that the farmers are recently conscious of their rights, they revive and constitute an organization known as â€Å"Zoram Kuthnathawktu Pawl (ZKP)† that is strongly going on to drive the government to the right way. In the mean time, almost all the members felt frustrated and has become despair because of corruption, and then there is a big threat of bloody revolution. All these are the result of unsatisfactory governance, practice of corruption, negligence, so on and so forth. However, at the same time in Mizoram, the senior prominent citizens revived and recently constituted â€Å"Mizoram Democratic Movement (MDM)† which was also the outcome of famous television Talk Show entitled â€Å"Thalaite Hmathlir (Vision of the Youth) organized by the youth that inspire and motivate everybody who is willing to have good governance. These youth of Mizoram also recently constituted an organization called â€Å"Youth Movement for Mizoarm (YMM)† that brought about moral reformation and awareness on the urgent need of good governance. And it blows like a cyclone within the state of Mizoram. Many people supported this movement and it is now hoped that it would bring about peaceful revolution. This YMM has been taking active part in promoting peace and prosperity, and because of their movement, the threat for bloody revolution by the ZKP has also calmed down and these three organizations are planning to work in cooperation for peace and development. So, it is obvious from this instance that we, the youth would step out to create awareness, to motivate our fellow youth, to inspire our parents to stop practicing corruptions and any other unfair means for promoting the culture of peace in the world. †¢We should negotiate and counsel our fellow youth who are in Terrorist groups telling them that it is not the reason why God made us to terrorize the others. We should prevent instigation of the new generations by terrorism and insurgency. †¢We should also motivate religious leaders to feed their sheep spiritual and moral laws, to tell them the purpose of God in creating men, to propagate the essentiality of peace and harmony in living together, to love one another. †¢We should always remember Gandhiji’s â€Å"Ahimsa†. As mentioned in the beginning of this paper, Nissim Ezekiel, Indian poet urged the people of the world to follow Mahatma Gandhi and that is the right way to promote Peace and Non-Violence. Works cited: oRamdinmawia, James. Poet or Reader. Talk on All India Radio, Aizawl Station. oEzzekiel, Nissim. Very Indian Poem in Indian English. oLalrawnliana, Col. Mizoramin Zalenna a Sua Vol. 2. oKindyah, P.R. Mizo Freedom Fighters.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Fresh Water Supply and Demand: Literature Review

Fresh Water Supply and Demand: Literature Review Literature Review: Although water is most abundant substance that find on earth surface but amount of global fresh water only accounts for 3%. This small amount of fresh water underpins life and vegetation on the earth surface. Out of this 3%, the main share about 68.7% is found in Polar Regions and glaciers as ice and 30.1% as ground water. The thin share about 0.3% water of total global fresh water is found as fresh surface water which is available in lakes (87%), Swamps (11%) and rivers (2%) (Gupta 2012)[1]. In addition to that water is unequally distributed on earth and population growth varies on every continent. If we look into history before the industrial revolution, it was possible to withdraw and consume water to everyone’s satisfaction. However times changed in the last few decades the last three centuries, with increased demographic pressure and quest for development and modernization, no longer allows management of water resources without cooperation among countries. Thus water, the need of life, is likely to pose the greatest challenge on account of an increased demand with population rise and economic development, and shrinking supplies due to over-exploitation and pollution. This has caught the attention of many scholars who had written lot about water management, water security and water scarcity. However while doing literature review, a selective approach has been adopted and only those works has been picked that are related to hydro politics, water conflicts, water politics and diplomacy, water security, water competition and challenges; which are succinctly discussed in following paragraphs. First category of literature that is discussed is related to hydro politics which emerged in late 1970’s. John Waterbury (1979) used the word ‘hydro-politics’ first time in 1979 and followed by other writers such as Allan, Coskun, Earle and Howe. Waterbury (1979) attempted to show how the politics and water overlap and intersect each other and affect the use of water resource in Nile Valley. He basically focussed on the Egypt and Sudanese relations from 19th century to 20th century. Egypt knows it vulnerabilities being a downstream country and vied to annex Sudan insisted on the ‘Unity of Nile Valley while Sudan never wants to come under the new imperialism of Egypt. He depicted that by end of 20th century there will be shortage of water in Nile valley as both countries reaching outer limits of what water storage facilities could provide. Allan (2002) argued that the potentiality of water scarcity is very big issue in the global politics and Middle East. Mid dle East is the region that suffers from this problem more than any other region in the world. The problem of water scarcity is become very critical in Middle East after 1970. He highlighted that this problem is very much correlated the security of the region. In the upcoming decades the problem of water and food will become very serious in the region and this not only affects the Middle East region but also the whole global politics. Coskun (2004) analysed that after independence from former Soviet Union, the water management of transboundary Rivers become very complicated and the tension over water resources increased drastically among the central Asian countries. He argued that disputes over water resources become big threat for the Central Asian security with increase in quests for meeting national interests. He also tried to explore the role of external and internal dynamics in building the cooperation for water regime. Earle (2005) discussed the hydro politics in Southern Afri ca and chances of peaceful development for sharing of water resources. He illustrated that the region has started to experience economic development with industrial and intensive agricultural growth by going beyond from past history of conflicts. He argued that the climate change can affect the region that has arid climate and prone to climatic changes. This climate change in Southern Africa is also a matter of concern at global level like many other parts of the world. The combination of above factors made the region hydro politically vulnerable but put forward that direct conflicts are not possible over water resources because of economic factors and benefits of co-operation and sharing. He justified his view about chances of co-operation with the statements of Kofi Annan (former UN general secretary) and Ismael Serageadin (former vice president of World Bank) is that the next war in the world will be fought on water not oil. Howe (2010) discussed hydro politics of the Nile River basin and highlights the chances of conflict and future course of policy making. She told that the Nile River basin is one of those regions in the world that is suffering with the problem of water scarcity. The Nile river basin is shared by ten countries i.e. Sudan, Egypt, Democratic Republic of the Congo Eritrea, Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi, and Ethiopia. She argued that water is main reason for conflict between the countries of the basin. The high growth of urbanization and population and the difference in interests between the riparian countries create many problems like sanitation, shortage of food, power and water for irrigation etc. She correlated the water with other problems of the region especially security of the region. The second category of literature is about water diplomacy and hydro diplomacy including the competition and challenges related to water. This includes the works of Karaev, Renner Roul and Chellaney. Karaev (2005) depicted the water diplomacy in Central Asia. He argued that after the independence from Soviet rule the rivers of Central Asia become international and became one of the main causes of conflicts between all the five countries of central Asia. In the time of Soviet rule all these rivers are managed by a central agency that is in the Moscow, all the decision is taken by this agency. But after the collapse of USSR this system is also broken management of these rivers become politicized. He discussed the main historical and geopolitical cause of conflicts in the Central Asia region. He also illustrated the policies of all Central Asian countries about the different issues among them. Renner (2009) highlights the water challenges in Central and South Asia that emerged due to issues of water and role played by them as both the region faced the same problems of water shortage and poor management of water resources. He also through light on changing climate in the form of melting glaciers, rising temperature, change in monsoon cycle and droughts that increases the water scarcity in both the regions. The wastage of water is very big problem in regions, but it is many times higher in Central Asian countries then the countries of world like Egypt, Spain, Israel, and Turkey etc. He cautioned that the hydro-power projects in Central Asia for irrigation needs could lead to transboundary water disputes in the Failure of absence of regional agreement. Izqzierdo et al. (2010) analysed the water crisis in Central Asia and discussed the key challenges and opportunities related to it. He explained the political, socio- economic, climatic and environmental causes of water dispute s in Central Asian region which made the situation very critical. They highlighted that before the independence from the rule of the USSR, there is not any problem related to sharing of water among five new countries. The downstream countries supply energy resources to upstream countries in winter season when the demand of energy resources at the peak and the upstream countries supply water to downstream counties when they need water for the irrigation of cotton crops. But after independence this system is broken. Due to the rise of nationalism and increasing mistrust on each other is very major cause of conflicts between the countries of Central Asia region. They also discuss about the mismanagement of water resources in the region and wastage of water. They also discussed the geopolitical role of Russia, China and Iran and also warned about the impacts that will have to face by Central Asian countries when Afghanistan demands its share from rivers waters. Roul (2013) discussed the hydro diplomacy related to transboundary rivers in Central Asia and highlights the relationship and difference in dependency on rivers among the upstream (Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan) and downstream countries (Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan) countries. He put forward that upstream countries need water for hydro power to meet their domestic energy demands while downstream countries need water for irrigation of agriculture fields. Thus geographical positions of countries increased the difficulties in solving the disputes related transboundary rivers. He argued that in Central Asian region all the international laws, framework, treaties and declaration related to transboundary or international rivers are negligible due to economic and geographical difficulties faced by respective countries. Chellaney (2014) examined the relationship between water and power and competition emerged in Asia due to it. He argued that pressure on water resources emerged as one of the most serious ch allenge especially in the rapidly growing economy of Asian continent. The scarcity of water resources and increasing competition for fresh water resources is became a very serious problem and increased the tension among the countries in the Asia. He illustrated that Central Asia is one of the most volatile regions in the world where rising nationalism and competition over water resources increasing every passing day. He put forward that Central Asian region is an example of how water resources are used for geopolitical gains by poor upstream and rich downstream countries. Third category includes the literature on water related conflicts. This includes the works of Wolf (1998), International Crisis Group (ICG, 2002) Olmstead (2005) Kraemer 2012. Wolf (1998) analysed the major water treaties among transboundary Rivers on the basis of FAO’s collected data. He illustrated the conflict and cooperation along international waterways and studied the problem of upstream- downstream country issue, water sharing issue; economic issues. He argued that Institutional resiliency is the main causes of conflicts among nations. His analysis about world stood same for the situation of Central Asia. Here the issues of water are much co-related like the other issues such as economic, geopolitical and social etc. Water Conflicts in Central Asia: In the report by International Crisis Group â€Å"Central Asia: Water and Conflict† (2002) explore that in Central Asia region competition for fresh water is increasing at a very fast rate. The main source of employment is agriculture in region and played very important role in economy of Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. The cotton is the main crop of the region that required intensiv e irrigation. Water use has increased rapidly since the Central Asian states became independent in 1991 and is now at an unsustainable level. This report explores the political, environmental and socio- economic causes of water conflicts between the upstream and downstream countries of the region. This report also identifies the main areas that fuel tension in Central Asia region that are, mismanagement of water resources, failure of barter, Non-implemented and untimely barter agreements and payments, insecurity about future plans of water infrastructure like Rogan dam, Kambarata-1, Golden Age Century lake etc. Olmstead (2005) explores the ways in which economic development and local-level violent and non-violent conflict in the Ferghana Valley, Uzbekistan interact, using water scarcity as an instrumental variable for economic growth. Analysis shows significant negative correlation between rural incomes and the likelihood of local-level conflict. The importance to rural GDP of the release of water in the vegetative season, it seems that Uzbekistan should have a greater incentive to provide energy resources to upstream water producers (Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan) in order to insure properly timed water transfers. Currently, the negotiation process among the five Central Asian Republics that occurs year after year with regards to water allocation is highly contentious and Uzbekistan is generally unwilling to pay for water. Kreamer (2012) in his article, â€Å"Past, Present, Future of Water Conflicts and International Security† told that stress and scarcity of water has affected the stability of societies and it will continue to affect. An indication of worldwide water security challenges point out reflective problems and potential of crises. All over the world, there are many examples of struggles for water and how water is used as a strategic tool by different countries in the world. Water has also been an instrument of religious, ethnic conflicts and has recently been used in local and regional clashes. Fourth category focused on literature that illustrates the importance of water and geopolitical and political risk emerging because of water. (Allouche, 2004) Ruziev (2004), Chellaney (2012), â€Å"Kraak, 2012),† Kushkumbayev and Kushkumbayev (2013), (Allouche, 2004) in his article, â€Å"A source of regional tension in Central Asia: The case of water† explained historical and hydrological factors of the current water crisis in central Asia. He argued that water crisis between the countries of Central Asia is largely by the former Soviet Union’s plans in central Asia. The water conflicts in Central Asia region should not be separated from other issues of the region like ethnic tensions, territorial delimitation, nationalism, and political Islam etc. All these issues are many times responsible for water conflicts in the region especially in Farghana valley. Ramses Ruziev (2004), in his article, â€Å"Economic, Environmental, and Political Aspects of Hydropower Infrastructure Expansion in Central Asia† analysed the economic, environment and political aspects of developments of hydropower infrastructure development in the region. He examines that at the time of former USSR, the water and irrigation systems were managed by a centralized agency, based on Moscow, but after the independence the situation is changed regarding the allocation of water resources allocation. Before independence the upstream and downstream countries shared their resources (the downstream countries provided energy resources ex. Coal, oil and gas and upstream countries provided them water of irrigation). But after independence this system was collapsed. The upstream countries started store water in reservoir in summer season for making electricity in winter season, but downstream countries needed water in summer season for irrigation. He also mentioned the pos sible consequences of development of hydropower on the up and down streaming countries. Chellaney (2012), in his article, â€Å"From Arms Racing to â€Å"Dam Racing† in Asia: How to Contain the Geopolitical Risks of the Dam-Building Competition† examined that Asia’s economy is most fast growing economy in the world. The Race of dam is a major geopolitical issue in Asia continent and is also known for the brut lest competition for natural resources, particularly water and energy resources. The building of dams on international Rivers is the main problem between inter-riparian in Asia continent. In this article also explained how arising geopolitical risks with building of dams on transboundary Rivers. He examines the four different zones where this geopolitical risk is very high: these 4 regions are South Asia, Southeast Asia; China and its neighbouring countries; and Central Asia region, especially between the five â€Å"stans† nations — Tajikistan , Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. Kraak, 2012), in his article, â€Å"Geopolitics of hydropower in Central Asia: The Syr Darya†, told about the geopolitics of hydropower between Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan on Syr Darya river. He examined that the main cause of current dispute between them is on the construction of Kambarta-1 hydro project and tried to examine the Russia’s diplomacy in Central Asian water by obtaining major share in hydro projects in Kyrgyzstan by providing funds of construction of hydro projects, Uzbekistan blamed that with this Russia want virtual control of Central Asia rivers water. Kushkumbayev and Kushkumbayev (2013), in their article, â€Å"Water and Energy Issues in the Context of International and Political Dispute in Central Asia† argued that water is increasingly became scarce resources in the Central Asia region. The disagreements of downstream countries (Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Turkmenistan) are increasing rapidly with the upstream (Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan) countries on the water resources issues. The downstream countries have abundance of hydrocarbon resources, while on the other hand, the upstream countries suffer a deficiency of non- water resources. So, the upstream countries started think about their transboundary Rivers as resources of hydropower generations. The downstream countries need water for irrigation purposes but upstream want water for producing hydroelectricity and they declared river water commodity as gas and oil. Thus the difference in needs becomes a major cause of conflicts between downstream and upstream states in the Central Asia. [1] Gupta R. C. (2012). Energy, Environment and Management in Metallurgical Industries. New Delhi: PHI Learning Pvt. Ltd.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

The Giver: Analysis of Jonas :: Free Essay Writer

The Giver: Analysis of Jonas On the surface, Jonas is like any other eleven-year-old boy living in his community. He seems more intelligent and perceptive than many of his peers, and he thinks more seriously than they do about life, worrying about his own future as well as his friend Asher’s. He enjoys learning and experiencing new things: he chooses to volunteer at a variety of different centers rather than focusing on one, because he enjoys the freedom of choice that volunteer hours provide. He also enjoys learning about and connecting with other people, and he craves more warmth and human contact than his society permits or encourages. The things that really set him apart from his peers—his unusual eyes, his ability to see things change in a way that he cannot explain—trouble him, but he does not let them bother him too much, since the community’s emphasis on politeness makes it easy for Jonas to conceal or ignore these little differences. Like any child in the community, Jonas is uncomfortable with the attention he receives when he is singled out as the new Receiver, preferring to blend in with his friends. Once Jonas begins his training with the Giver, however, the tendencies he showed in his earlier life—his sensitivity, his heightened perceptual powers, his kindness to and interest in people, his curiosity about new experiences, his honesty, and his high intelligence—make him extremely absorbed in the memories the Giver has to transmit. In turn, the memories, with their rich sensory and emotional experiences, enhance all of Jonas’s unusual qualities. Within a year of training, he becomes extremely sensitive to beauty, pleasure, and suffering, deeply loving toward his family and the Giver, and fiercely passionate about his new beliefs and feelings. Things about the community that used to be mildly perplexing or troubling are now intensely frustrating or depressing, and Jonas’s inherent concern for others and desire for justice makes him yearn to make changes in the community, both to awaken other people to the richness of life and to stop the casual cruelty that is practiced in the community. Jonas is also very determined, committing to a task fully when he believes in it and willing to risk his own life for the sake of the people he loves. Although as a result of his training Jonas possesses more wisdom than almost anyone else in his community, he is still very young and knows little about life in the community itself.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

China Coin and Rabbit Proof

hina Coin and Rabbit Proof Fence Acceptance and understanding of ones get individuality are necessity for a sense of be. In order to feel a sense of inclusion in society, Individuals must have a deep understanding of their own identity. Without an acceptance of their close and belief, Individuals bath face a sense of exclusion from society. In the novel, The chinaware Coin by Allan Baillie, Leah the protagonist refuses to accept her true identity which results in her not feeling a sense of belonging in society. This is contrasted in the film, Rabbit Proof Fence by Phillip Noyce, in which the protagonist, Molly has a deep understanding of her own/existing Aboriginal culture which assists in her overcoming all barriers and conclusion the place returning to the place where she feels comfortable in. A In The chinaware Coin Leah, the protagonist has accepted her Chinese heritage after several(prenominal) refusals and denials. At the start of the journey, Leah refused to believe in and accept her Chinese Heritage. In the plane, Leah refuses to believe that she was coming shell because she had never been to chinaware before. Leahs acknowledgment of her father, David Waters being English, forced her into thinking that she had no connection with China despite the fact that her generate was Chinese. It is limpid through the internal monologue of Leah when the air hostess welcomes her home but Leah thinks to herself couldnt the woman see? She was not an ABC- Australian born(p) Chinese. Her feeling towards China and the intentions for coming to China are conveyed through another internal monologue by Leah, No, she wasnt leaving home. She was just ducking into a strange and probably unfriendly country to finish what Dad had startedaâ‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦ She only related and employ this journey to her Father but failed to understand the connection her mother had with China. A In Rabbit Proof Fence Mollys rich and deep understanding of her culture and identity helped her overcome all barriers provided against her by the white society†¦. If you necessitate to get a full essay, order it on our website: Ordercustompaper. com

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Free Essays on Ballad Of The Sadn Cafe

En La balada del cafà © triste, de Carson MacCullers, se muestra una atmà ³sfera cargada de violencia, decepcià ³n y traicià ³n que se refleja claramente en el titulo y que de igual manera se entremezcla en la historia a lo largo del libro: A 60 millas de Atlanta, en el estado de Georgia, en un pequeà ±o pueblo – donde al parecer no habà ­a mucho que hacer - se desarrolla la historia del cafà © de Miss Amelia Evans que, el cual resulta ser ms tarde el centro de atraccià ³n para los habitantes del pueblo en donde se reà ºnen para platicar e incluso para consultarse sobre asuntos relevantes para la poblacià ³n. La seà ±orita Amelia siempre se mostraba poco sociable a pesar de ser querida y respetada por todos en el pueblo. Su almacà ©n era el que tenà ­a el mejor whisky en la regià ³n y era tambià ©n un centro, por asà ­ decirlo, de reunià ³n para la comunidad. Fue aquà ­ donde una noche aparecià ³ un jorobado, el primo Lymon, buscando a Miss Amelia. Miss Amelia decidià ³ darle cobijo y esto ms tarde repercute en la historia, pues el primo Lymon provoca la apertura del cafà ©. Despuà ©s de tres dà ­as en lo s que nadie en le pueblo sabà ­a absolutamente nada del jorobado, sino solo se habà ­a escuchado el rumor que decà ­a que Miss Amelia lo habà ­a asesinado por algo que llevaba en la maleta, gente del pueblo decide investigar lo que pasa y entrando en el almacà ©n ocho hombres descubren al primo Lymon sano y salvo y està © comienza a charlar con ellos, no sin antes haberlos sorprendido con su actitud digna y palabras cortantes. Es aquà ­ cuando comienza la historia im provisada del cafà © al Amelia descorchar una botella e invitar unas galletas que dispuso en una charola, y todo esto  ¡sin pagar!, lo cual resultaba una total y franca sorpresa para los que se encontraban ahà ­. En tres dà ­as y tres noches habà ­a ocurrido todo: la llegada del â€Å"primo Lymon†, la celebracià ³n y la apertura del cafà ©. En tan solo dos aà ±os, el antes almacà ©n, era ahora t... Free Essays on Ballad Of The Sadn Cafe Free Essays on Ballad Of The Sadn Cafe En La balada del cafà © triste, de Carson MacCullers, se muestra una atmà ³sfera cargada de violencia, decepcià ³n y traicià ³n que se refleja claramente en el titulo y que de igual manera se entremezcla en la historia a lo largo del libro: A 60 millas de Atlanta, en el estado de Georgia, en un pequeà ±o pueblo – donde al parecer no habà ­a mucho que hacer - se desarrolla la historia del cafà © de Miss Amelia Evans que, el cual resulta ser ms tarde el centro de atraccià ³n para los habitantes del pueblo en donde se reà ºnen para platicar e incluso para consultarse sobre asuntos relevantes para la poblacià ³n. La seà ±orita Amelia siempre se mostraba poco sociable a pesar de ser querida y respetada por todos en el pueblo. Su almacà ©n era el que tenà ­a el mejor whisky en la regià ³n y era tambià ©n un centro, por asà ­ decirlo, de reunià ³n para la comunidad. Fue aquà ­ donde una noche aparecià ³ un jorobado, el primo Lymon, buscando a Miss Amelia. Miss Amelia decidià ³ darle cobijo y esto ms tarde repercute en la historia, pues el primo Lymon provoca la apertura del cafà ©. Despuà ©s de tres dà ­as en lo s que nadie en le pueblo sabà ­a absolutamente nada del jorobado, sino solo se habà ­a escuchado el rumor que decà ­a que Miss Amelia lo habà ­a asesinado por algo que llevaba en la maleta, gente del pueblo decide investigar lo que pasa y entrando en el almacà ©n ocho hombres descubren al primo Lymon sano y salvo y està © comienza a charlar con ellos, no sin antes haberlos sorprendido con su actitud digna y palabras cortantes. Es aquà ­ cuando comienza la historia im provisada del cafà © al Amelia descorchar una botella e invitar unas galletas que dispuso en una charola, y todo esto  ¡sin pagar!, lo cual resultaba una total y franca sorpresa para los que se encontraban ahà ­. En tres dà ­as y tres noches habà ­a ocurrido todo: la llegada del â€Å"primo Lymon†, la celebracià ³n y la apertura del cafà ©. En tan solo dos aà ±os, el antes almacà ©n, era ahora t...

Monday, October 21, 2019

Corporate merger between Volkswagen and Porsche

Corporate merger between Volkswagen and Porsche Introduction There are different ways in which a company can stimulate growth either internally or internally. External growth as defined by Block, Hirst and Danielson is the growth of firms through amalgamation, mergers or takeovers/acquisitions. The authors define a merger as being ‘the agreed amalgamation between two firms.’ There are different types of mergers namely vertical, horizontal and conglomerate merger (Block et al, 2008).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Corporate merger between Volkswagen and Porsche specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More History of the relationships of the two companies leading up to the final merger in 2009 Volkswagen and Porsche are two firms that are well recognized and established in the automotive industry. Based in Germany, both companies were founded by Ferdinand Porsche in the 1930s and have remained in the Porsche and Piech families to date. There has been contention an d rivalry, some fuelled by family differences between the two firms; in 2005, Porsche, the smaller of the two companies, began a takeover bid that included buying Volkswagen stock. This plan might have worked had Porsche not fallen into financial constraint (Anon, 2009). Volkswagen had to step in with a merger proposal which Porsche fought off fiercely but finally had to give in to because it would mean an infusion of much needed cash into the latter firm’s fried up coffers. The merger between the two companies, which hit a couple of snags, was finally ironed out in late 2009 (Kingsbury Dauer, 2009). A brief description of the firms Volkswagen and Porsche and the automobile industry The automotive industry is feeling the pinch of the global economic recession. The two auto makers are not the only companies to go the way of the merger. There are other acquisitions that have taken place recently and by all appearances it looks like there are many more on the way. Fiat, the Ita lian car making firm, has plans to acquire Chrysler as well as Europe’s branch of General Motors. VW is the biggest carmaker in Europe having annual sales in the excess of US $151 billion and selling up to 6.7 million units a year. Porsche has lower revenue of US $9.3 billion selling about one hundred thousand units annually (Kingsbury Dauer, 2009). Porsche and Volkswagen have a long history that goes way before the issue of a merger arose. Ferdinand Piech and Wolfgang Porsche, the respective chairpersons of the two firms, are the grandchildren of Ferdinand Porsche who foundered both companies in the 1930s.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Members of the Porsche and Piech families own between them 50% of Porsche Automobil SE stock. The two firms have even collaborated in the past to put on the market vehicles such as the Porsche Cayene SUV and the Touareg wh ose parts are manufactured in the same plant (Anon, 2009). Competition within the automobile industry The automobile industry is very competitive, more so in the face of the global financial crisis that has shaken even the strongest of giants. The top ten brands on the global market are Toyota, General Motors, Volkswagen, Hyundai, Ford Motor, Company, Peugeot, Honda, Suzuki and Renault. In the biting recession, the motor industry has been hard hit with major companies such as GM and Chrysler seeking bankruptcy protection from their governments or opting for mergers. The units of sales have declined sharply and profit margins have narrowed. Being in the automobile industry is simply not as lucrative as it was before the recession (carazoo.com, 2009). Why the Volkswagen-Porsche merger is a vertical merger There are three different types of mergers namely horizontal, vertical and conglomerate mergers. A conglomerate merger is one between two firms that are in two totally unrelated fiel ds of business while a vertical merger is one that takes place between two firms in a related business but with one being the buyer and the other the seller. A vertical merger takes place between two firms in the same line of business and who are competitors of each other (Block et al, 2008). Thus, the merger between Porsche and VW is a vertical merger because both firms are in the automotive industry. Why the Volkswagen-Porsche merger is a ‘friendly’ acquisition and the concerns regarding the acquisition The merger between VW and Porsche can be termed as a friendly merger because the terms of the merger have been negotiated by directors of the two firms until they have worked out an agreement which both parties find satisfactory. There was a three and a half year tag of war between Volkswagen and Porsche before the two companies finally hammered out a deal that was satisfactory to both. Porsche initially wanted total acquisition of VW, going as far as buying up 75% of VW stock, but had to settle for a merger (Boston, 2009). What VW plans to do is to take the brand names, along with other brands already under VW, and consolidate them into a holding company which Porsche terms as being an ‘integrated leading company’ (Boston, 2009). Synergy gains, portfolio effects, taxes, risk and the Volkswagen-Porsche mergerAdvertising We will write a custom essay sample on Corporate merger between Volkswagen and Porsche specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Firms create mergers for a varied number of reasons; these can either be financial or non-financial (Block et al, 2008). The reasons behind the merger between Volkswagen and Porsche fall into both of these categories. One of the motives that can drive firms to form mergers is on a bid cost savings; this is to the cut down on the cost of growth as compared to gearing internal growth. Taking over from a destabilized firm is more cost effective than tryi ng to generate growth using the resources that are already at the firm’s disposal. Acquisition means that the resources that were available to the acquired firm are now at the disposal of the firm conducting the acquisition (Block et al, 2008). A non-financial reason for carrying out a merger is for its managerial rewards. A firm may have the aspiration to expand its management and marketing capabilities while at the same time acquire new products to add to its brand. While this can be done through internal growth, it would be more expensive and take a greater deal of innovativeness and the dedication of a more company resources. Through acquisition, the firm can achieve all of the above in a way that is actually beneficial to itself. Those on the management team of the acquiring firm might be presented with the opportunity to get lucrative management positions that result from the merger (Block et al, 2008). For a firm like Volkswagen, there is also power play involved. Pors che and VW have been waging a power struggle for years now, with either company trying to outdo the other. Porsche incurred a debt of US $2 billion while covertly buying VW stock in a secret takeover bid. The thrill and prestige of whoever was to get the last laugh has shaped the way the two firms are going about their merger with VW seemingly turning the tables on Porsche at the last moment (Anon, 2009). The former CEO of Porsche, Wendelin Wiedeking saw the merger between the two firms as a way of making them into a single holding so that there would be created an economy of scale. Wiedeking’s reasoning was that if Porsche became a part of the VW group, then the former would not face the stiff penalties governing carbon emissions by automobiles that have been put in place in Europe since VW has automobiles that are considered fuel efficient and low-emission. Porsche’s automobiles would then segue in with the VW ones without attracting too much attention (Boston, 2009) .Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More But why would the stockholders be willing for a merger to take place? Stockholders can be motivated to back a merger because for them it means that if the merger transaction is to be conducted in shares, then they will have the chance to acquire stock in the new company (Block et al, 2008). Stockholders can also get a chance to branch out into new and varied investments if the merger transaction is performed in cash. Taking the example of VW and Porsche, stockholders in the VW firm will be presented with the opportunity to acquire Porsche shares and stock. Mergers can be good for shareholders because it will mean more value on the shares. Mergers have the potential of raising the earnings per share because of greater confidence of their value on the stock market (Block et al, 2008). When a large firm acquires a smaller one, the acquiring firm can make a quick profit by asset stripping. For the acquiring firm, a profit can be made by selling off assets brought in by the acquired busi ness (Block et al, 2008). A firm can be financially inclined to form a merger because of the resulting ‘portfolio effect’. This results when a firm can reap the benefits of economies of scale, cutting down on production costs as output increases on fewer resources, having a more extensive market reach and a broader market segment, as well as building up its tying and bundling techniques (Block et al, 2008). A merger can also make a firm more attractive to investment bankers who show an interest in financing projects that the firm might run in the future. Mergers may make a firm appear more financially sound and make it more viable to lending institutions. This is probably, another portfolio effect, because of the diversification of risk, without compromising the firm’s rate of returns (Block et al, 2008). Another non-financial reason for conducting mergers is to create synergy so as to cut down on production costs while at the same time increasing output. It is m ore profitable to apply a larger production unit to achieve a given task as compared to having smaller units performing the same tasks independently (Block et al, 2008). Conclusion As has been illustrated above, mergers can be beneficial to the acquiring firm because it creates room for growth. Mergers also have a portfolio effect in that the acquiring firms can access a larger market segment, spread their risk, capitalize on synergy and add to the value of their stock. The merger between Volkswagen and Porsche has taken nearly three years to work out. In the end, it will be beneficial to both firms since, being powerhouses on their own, their combined name will be an even more marketable brand. Again, Volkswagen can infuse the cash needed into Porsche to get the ailing firm out of its financial doldrums. Despite the initial hefty taxation costs that Volkswagen will have to pay in its acquisition of Porsche and the added risk of possible suits from hedge funds, the acquisition of Po rsche can be considered a feather in VW’s cap. Bibliography Anon. (2009, July 20). The World from Berlin: New Hurdles for VW-Porsche Merger. Spiegel Online International. Web. Block, S., Hirt, G., Danielsen, B. (2008). Foundations of Financial Management (13th ed.). New York: McGraw HIll. Boston, W. (2009, May 7). Porsche and VW Agree to a Merger. Time Magazine. Web. carazoo.com. (2009, October 7). Top 10 Car Makers of the World of 2009, Page 2 of 2 Associated Content associatedcontent.com. Automotive. Kingsbury, K., Dauer, U. (2009, August 14). VW Seals Deal for Porsche in Reversal of Fortune. WSJ.com. Wall Street Journal. New York. Web.

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Islamic and Christian Influences on African Literature

Islamic and Christian Influences on African Literature Free Online Research Papers An old saying goes, â€Å"To know who you are is the beginning of wisdom†. That is the basis of African literature and has been for many centuries. Myths, legends and songs are all considered a part of passing on traditions dear to the African culture. This in itself, is also a way for generations to be able to understand their identity as an individual. The traditions that are passed on in Africa also serve as a blueprint for the people to understand the past so that their lifestyles may thrive presently and in the future. For example, a story may be passed on so that someone may cultivate their crops appropriately in order to survive. This essay will take the reader through an extensive background on African literature and later into how both Islamic and Christianity practices have influenced African literature. African literature comes in many forms such as verses, proverbs and folktales. These stories may be told in single sentence fragments or over the course of a few days. There are myths that also are a part of the oral traditions in Africa. Some believe that myths and legends are essentially the same method of storytelling when really that is not so. African myths explain Earth’s creation whereas legends explain periods of events after the era of gods, heroic events or serve to prevent future disasters. Myths are generally recited during religious ceremonies (â€Å"Africaâ€Å"). This would be the case of divinations in the practice of cults. Ancestral worship in the African community is another form of literature. Worships such as these serve to recognize the community’s past, present and future occurrences. Another form of literature is known as folktale which comes from collective works of orature. Folktale stories employs trickster characters that feature a small bu t sly animal who uses its wit against bigger predators. Almost every African culture has one trickster tale to it. For example, Nigeria has a tortoise named Ajapa, Central Africa has a hare by the name of Sungura, and the people of Nigeria have Anansi, a spider (â€Å"African Literatureâ€Å"). Music also is a part of the oral traditions through songs. Traditional music and storytelling serve to reinforce existing cultural practices and also serve in spiritual ceremonies. Those who tell these stories are gifted people of the village but are also ordinary people. For example, the Manding culture of Guinea values blacksmiths, potters and leatherworkers as some of the best narrators (Akyeampong 75). This is because it has been their experience that the finest narrators have come with that background. Prior to the 20th century, the African oral works were memorized and recited only. Because there was no written documentation of these stories, European culture did not fully recognize the oral traditions. However, Islamic literature was written down early on unlike African literature. It was the year 639 when Islam was introduced into the North Africa region (â€Å"Africa†). Soon thereafter, Arab merchants were bringing Islamic culture to the coastal region of Africa. Unlike African literature, Islamic literature was scholarly and well respected through out other cultures including the Europeans. Arabic literature arrived in the Ghana region around the 11th century and was introduced by a Saharan tribe called the Tuaregs. Between 1100 and 1600, the Islamic culture spread throughout North and West Africa (Akyeampong 151). Most African cultures that accepted the Islamic customs have blended traditional African customs with that of the new culture. For example, the Swahili culture is made up of Arab and Bantu components. The introduction of Islam into the Swahili territory produced some of the most leading scholars. These scholars were able to document the region’s history quite well (â€Å"Oral Traditions†). Furthermore, the Swahili language is comprised of Arab phonetics but follows the grammar rules of the Bantu culture (Bravmann 104). In addition, Swahili literature makes constant reference to the Koran, the holy Islamic doctrine. The spread of Islam into the Sudanese area resulted in hosting some of the oldest manuscripts in the mosques and universities for over four hundred years (â€Å"Oral Traditions†). Arabic has also made its way into the African culture by way of teaching Arabic in the schools since around the 14th century. In addition, Western African regions have educated many young scholars over the centuries in Muslim philosophy and the writing art of calligraphy. At this point, wooden writing boards and charcoal had been introduced into the schools so that student s were able to complete multiple assignments with one board. Christianity has also become a part of the African culture through the European colonization starting in the 19th century. By introducing Christianity, missionaries also were able to introduce literacy (â€Å"African Literature†). Around 1820, written literature was introduced to the African civilization by missionaries from the East Cape Province. Literature that was introduced by Christian missionaries was then produced in English, French and Portuguese languages. Although literature from Christian missionaries was slowly adopted throughout Africa, the new African literature became more prominent during the slave trade era. In the words of W.E.B. DuBois, â€Å"And so by fateful change, the Negro folksong, the rhythmic cry of the slave, stands today not simply as the sole American music but as the most beautiful expression of human experience born this side of the seas.† He goes on to add, â€Å"it still remains as the singular spiritual heritage of the nation and the greatest gift of the Negro people.† (â€Å"African American Culture through Oral Tradition†). This has remained true for the at least the last two hundred years of history. Spirituals are a mixture of African American culture with the Christian faith. For example, slaves would refer to the biblical story of David defeating Golliath, as means of motivation towards freedom. Although slaves were forced to convert to Christianity, they held on tightly to their roots of African literature. They later incorporated Christian influences with old traditional African songs and the result was Gospel songs that are found today here in America. In today’s society; art, music and literature can be found in a vast number of forms and languages. Furthermore, traditional African literature has not died down but has rather shaped other cultural literatures and vice versus. Nonetheless, the world will continue to be a melting pot of literature despite any attempts to overtake a culture much like history has shown us. In addition, no one can take away a person’s identity even if it means physically beating that person. People are who they are and they will continue to adapt to changes that come their way just as they have for millions of years. Works Consulted Africa. MSN Encarta . 2007. Microsoft Corporation. 16 Nov 2007 http://encarta.msn.com. African Literature. MSN Encarta . 2007. Microsoft Corporation. 16 Nov 2007 http://encarta.msn.com. â€Å"Arica Today.† Dr. Maurice Amutabi. English 110 course. 21 September 2007. Akyeampong, Emmanuel Kwaku. Themes In West Africas History. Athens, OH: Ohio University Press, 2006. Bravmann , Rene A. . African Islam. Washington D.C. : The Smithsonian Institution Press, 1983. Courlander , Harold. A Treasury of African Folklore. New York, NY: Crown Publishers, 1975. King, Noel Q.. Christian And Muslim In Africa. New York, NY: Harper and Row Publishers Inc, 1971. Papa, Maggie, Amy Gerber, and Abeer Mohamed. African American Culture through Oral Tradition. The George Washington University 16 November 2007 . Wilson, Sharon. African Oral Tradition. Black and Christian (2003) 16 November 2007 blackandchristian.com. Wilson, Sharon. African Oral Tradition Part Three. Black and Christian (2003) 16 November 2007 blackandchristian.com. Research Papers on Islamic and Christian Influences on African LiteratureBringing Democracy to AfricaMind TravelHip-Hop is Art19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraAnalysis Of A Cosmetics AdvertisementThree Concepts of PsychodynamicInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesCanaanite Influence on the Early Israelite ReligionHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows EssayCapital Punishment

Saturday, October 19, 2019

History, Lyndon Johnsons Great Society Research Paper

History, Lyndon Johnsons Great Society - Research Paper Example Banes only had 11 months to prove himself to Americans that he was a true leader that America wanted. Johnson used his persuasion skill to have the civil rights bill which prohibited unfairness based on race and gender employment and further ended public facilities segregation passed. Johnson used the name â€Å"Great Society† to describe his reform program when after he declared war on poverty and this further intensified when he won a decisive victory over Barry Goldwater of Arizona. Economically, he pushed for the economic activity of 1964, which was aimed at fighting poverty, cutting tax, training for the poor and use of federal funds to attack unemployment and illiteracy.2 Indeed, Lyndon’s three years in power proved his sheer determination and hard work which he undoubtedly surprised liberals. Johnson successfully provided support for elementary and secondary schooling by allowing funds to be used in helping both public and private schools. Furthermore, an Omnibus housing act gave rent supplements for the less privileged in the society and provided funds to construct low-income housing. He additionally addressed transportation safety matters by signing two important transportation bills.3 During Johnson’s reign, American liberalism was at high tide due to a number of signed acts that greatly empowered the citizen. Some of the additional signed acts are wilderness protection act that saved almost 9.1 million acres of forestland from industrial development as well as the immigration act that ended discriminatory quotas based on ethnic origin. Besides, there was the national endowment for the arts and humanities, which allowed the use of public money to fund artists and galleries thus promoting art and creativity among the talented populace that could not afford to sponsor themselves.

Friday, October 18, 2019

Compare and Contrast of Renaissance Furniture Research Paper

Compare and Contrast of Renaissance Furniture - Research Paper Example The chairs had turned legs which were also carved by hand. Drawer fronts and doors were also carved delicately. This comparison gives us the idea that renaissance furniture was at first influenced by the Roman and Greek designs, and sooner they were adopted by the Italian craftsmen. The Italian renaissance furniture influenced many other styles as well as the Art revival period led to the enhancement of a different and unique style. The Italian renaissance furniture further inspired the Dutch furniture. Overall, the renaissance period had different periods in which different styles of furniture were present. All of the furniture pieces were carved and painted using themes of culture and history. The antiques were greatly inspired by historic and cultural symbols such as palaces, buildings, figures, flowers, and other significant figures. The renaissance furniture shows the transformation from Gothic designs, to historical and methodological, to cultural. Early furniture pieces were made and designed for the wealthy and royals while later it was seen that more domestic and original designs wer e made. With great changes in the renaissance era seen in education, arts, and literature, there was also significant change seen in the furniture characteristics. History of Furniture Design in the Renaissance. (n.d.).  History of Furniture Design in the Renaissance. Retrieved October 15, 2014, from

PDR and Gnatt chart for the data access project Research Paper

PDR and Gnatt chart for the data access project - Research Paper Example For this project a student and faculty web-portal design will be created to give both students and faculty members separate access towards their past performance records, quizzes, assignments and other data track record and access. Executive summary To resolve the problem we recommend implementing a web portal for students so that they can access their records off the normal process of using the university website. We reviewed other alternatives but the proposed solution is selected because it will save the institution extra cost and also will save the university the trouble of maintaining two different websites, for students and for visitors. The technology for the solution meets our long term goals of faster internet access and reliability in accessing records for students. The solution dovetails with our current operating environment where we have implemented strategic systems that help students in their studies. The project is expected to cost $306640 and require 2 months to comp lete. Specific benefits this project provides are faster access to student records, assured security of the data and reliability in accessing details for students. ... This problem can also be solved by making proper networking in the college networking department. This networking will help to differentiate the portal of faculty and students so that their treatment and privacy can be individually managed without intervening in each other’s portal or access point. Alternatives We reviewed other alternatives like if we could create a different website that would be used by students and teachers alone. We thought this alternative would not make sense because the website would be congested after some time and implementing security and authentication in a normal website would also be tedious. By implementing a web portal, we would still use the same domain name that we already have. Stakeholders The stakeholders of the project include students and members of staff. They will benefit from the project directly. With regard to the above-mentioned networking and portal services solutions, the students and faculty will be directly affected. They will gain a number of benefits out of these services in different forms including fast service, rapid access to their accounts, and an increase in student and faculty productivity as well. This Project will also help new and potential students who visit the college website to retrieve information (i.e. admission and course schedules) in an efficient manner. Scope/SOW The project will entail developing a web portal that will address the data access issues for faculty members and students. This does not however mean that the project will come up with a separate website to be used by these groups. It is developing a different system that will be integrated with the website which will help students and faculty members to access various records. The web portal that is being developed in

Understand the sources of finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Understand the sources of finance - Essay Example Sources of Finance Name University Body An outline of the various (at least 8) sources of finance that participants may choose from. (AC 1.1 Identification the sources of finance available to a business) Trade credit refers to the purchase of goods and services on the basis of credit; this means that the business can purchase the raw materials from its suppliers on credit basis. Business can even ask for a loan from a particular bank if it wants to finance its operations. The business can even save money by obtaining discounts on purchase of raw material by paying money in cash; various suppliers provide discounts to those businesses that pay their invoices in cash. Bank overdraft refers to the allowance of obtaining higher amount of finance than the depositor has deposited in his/her bank account. Business tend to share its profits among shareholders as dividends after a particular period of time, businesses can use this profit for operational and expansion purposes instead of distributing as dividends. Business can decrease the amount of inventory they hold, this will help them use the money for other purposes and money will not remain tied up in inventory for a longer period of time. Business can delay the payments it has to make to its creditors and suppliers and they can even sell portions of the company to the public and obtain finance for their operations. The legal, dilution of control and bankruptcy implications of the various sources of finance identified (AC 1.2 Assessment the implications of the different sources) There are several advantages and disadvantages associated with the financing sources obtained through external financing sources. The advantages of external financing sources stated in this report are that these finances can be obtained at a very fast pace, the cost of obtaining these finances is quite lower and the amount of interest paid for these sources are even at a very lower end. These sources of finance are quite flexible, the repayment method of these sources of fi nance is even quite easy and terms of financing are simple. These sources of finances are although used for financing short term financial requirements, but they can be obtained for the longer run. For example: the time period of repayment to creditors can be extended. There are even disadvantages associated with the stated external sources of finance, the business has to bare the burden of paying interest even of the business ends up making a loss and has to repay the loan amount (NEEDHAM, 1995, p.99). Another problem with this source of finance is that, in order to obtain a bank loan an organization has to give something to bank as collateral. If the organization fails to repay the loan, the bank sells the collateral in order to retain the amount they have given to the organization as loan. During the periods of recession and economic downtrend, businesses face decline in profits and even experience loss due to which they face issues in obtaining bank loans and suppliers do not tr ust them and do not offered goods and services in credit form to the organization. An analysis of the financial implications (e.g. tangible and opportunity costs), and tax effects of using the various sources of finance that you outlined in AC1.1 and AC1.2 above (AC 2.1 Analyse the costs of different sources of finance) There are severa

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Plan for obesity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Plan for obesity - Essay Example Simple explanation to the effect is that during 1950s and 1960s towards 1970s through to 1980s, the world treated to less advanced technology and family systems that reiterated the importance of parental care during growth and development of children. Currently, almost every parent involves in income generating activities and has limited time to socialize and provide direction to children on issues related to diets and technological use. For clear understanding of the concept of obesity and its causes, it is important to consider the principles of Social psychology theory. Social psychologists have interest in studying factors within societies that make people behave, imagine, think, believe and act in the way they do in the presence of others and relative to social contexts. Social psychology help in exploring the change in the relationship between parents and their children and the impact of such as far as childhood obesity is concerned. In the past when economic situations were bearable, and parents did not have to work for more than twelve hours daily, obesity was term identical to any sphere of social structure including medical field. This probably was due to the closeness of parents to their children that enabled opportunity for parents to regulate activities of their children. In the years before 1980s, parents ensured that their children played and consumed healthy meals. Technological advancement that is c urrently responsible for high presence of processed ready food materials was also absent or minimal. Currently, economic difficulties have forced parents to work for longer hours and sparing little time to socialize with their children to provide guidance on healthy food consumption, physical practices and sustainable use of technological entertainment materials like televisions, computers, and play stations among others. That disconnection between parents and children has exposed the latter to unsorted advertisements about food materials,

Nazi Holocaust Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Nazi Holocaust - Essay Example The essay "Nazi Holocaust" will help to understand the graphic nature of the Holocaust, and the reader can picture the events in his mind based on the explanation given. The book Night recalls the occurrences in the town of Sighet, Transylvania in Northern Romania. At the very beginning, we get introduced to the twelve-year-old Eli back in 1941. The historic expulsion of all Jew from Sighet gets vividly explained in the book. The Hungarian police rounded up all foreign Jews and bundled them up into waiting vehicles in full public glare. Rumor mills purported that these Jews got taken to Galicia where they became happy and got formally employed. These reports later got challenged by an escapee, Moshe the Beadle, who told of the Gestapo and how the Jews got killed each day. He explained that the Jews got led to a forest where they got forced to dig trenches before they got shot and buried. Babies, he explained, got tossed in the air and used for target practice. Moshe had escaped after getting a shot at the leg and mistaken to be dead. The Jews ignored Moshe’s warning with some saying that he was mentally unstable (Wiesel 21). As soon as the Fascist took over control of the government, Nazi soldiers took to the streets of Sighet where they rounded up all Jews including Eli and his family. Elis family got put in a cattle wagon after receiving a stern warning that anyone who dared to escape would be killed. They got transported to Auschwitz. Upon arrival, men and women got separated. Eli and his father got whisked away separately, while Hilda, Elis mother and Tzipora got led straight to the gas chamber. Eli tried to remain vigilant the rest of the night in the concentration camp never losing sight of his father. He feared that if they got separated, that would be the last he would ever see of him (Wiesel 22). On their first night at Auschwitz, Eli and his father got put in line ready to be thrown into the fire furnace. They both watched trucks loading up children that were to be delivered into the fire (Wiesel 19). Elis father chanted the prayer for the dead, commonly known in Jewish circles as Kaddish. He m ade the prayer for them too in anticipation of the inevitable. They survived the night and got ordered back to their barracks. Sometimes the whole camp got forced to watch hangings of children. Eli graphically explains this when he says the child’s eyes were still clear, and his tongue was still pink (Wiesel 23). Eli and his father got moved to Auschwitz II form Birkenau in 1945. This was a work camp with reduced cases of violence. Eli explains that they were in constant search of food, saying that they were worse than corpses. After American and soviet bombing of the concentration camps, 60,000 Jews including Eli and his father got moved back to Germany in what gets commonly referred to as the death march. They got bundled up in trains to Auschwitz where many of them lost their lives due to congestion. They literally lay on top of others, occasionally throwing out dead bodies each morning. This train journey marked their symbolic journey to freedom as the Soviets liberated A uschwitz (Wiesel 65). Maus, on the other hand, gets divided between the present interviewing sessions where Spiegelman interviews his father and the past, where Vladek recounts his experiences between the mid 1930s and 1945, when the Holocaust ended. The book recount details of the marriage union between Vladek and his wife, Anja. Vladek got captured as a war prisoner due to escalating racist and political tensions. He got shocked to find out that Sosnowiec got placed under German siege when he got released. Vladek got released on the Polish Protectorate side of the

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Understand the sources of finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Understand the sources of finance - Essay Example Sources of Finance Name University Body An outline of the various (at least 8) sources of finance that participants may choose from. (AC 1.1 Identification the sources of finance available to a business) Trade credit refers to the purchase of goods and services on the basis of credit; this means that the business can purchase the raw materials from its suppliers on credit basis. Business can even ask for a loan from a particular bank if it wants to finance its operations. The business can even save money by obtaining discounts on purchase of raw material by paying money in cash; various suppliers provide discounts to those businesses that pay their invoices in cash. Bank overdraft refers to the allowance of obtaining higher amount of finance than the depositor has deposited in his/her bank account. Business tend to share its profits among shareholders as dividends after a particular period of time, businesses can use this profit for operational and expansion purposes instead of distributing as dividends. Business can decrease the amount of inventory they hold, this will help them use the money for other purposes and money will not remain tied up in inventory for a longer period of time. Business can delay the payments it has to make to its creditors and suppliers and they can even sell portions of the company to the public and obtain finance for their operations. The legal, dilution of control and bankruptcy implications of the various sources of finance identified (AC 1.2 Assessment the implications of the different sources) There are several advantages and disadvantages associated with the financing sources obtained through external financing sources. The advantages of external financing sources stated in this report are that these finances can be obtained at a very fast pace, the cost of obtaining these finances is quite lower and the amount of interest paid for these sources are even at a very lower end. These sources of finance are quite flexible, the repayment method of these sources of fi nance is even quite easy and terms of financing are simple. These sources of finances are although used for financing short term financial requirements, but they can be obtained for the longer run. For example: the time period of repayment to creditors can be extended. There are even disadvantages associated with the stated external sources of finance, the business has to bare the burden of paying interest even of the business ends up making a loss and has to repay the loan amount (NEEDHAM, 1995, p.99). Another problem with this source of finance is that, in order to obtain a bank loan an organization has to give something to bank as collateral. If the organization fails to repay the loan, the bank sells the collateral in order to retain the amount they have given to the organization as loan. During the periods of recession and economic downtrend, businesses face decline in profits and even experience loss due to which they face issues in obtaining bank loans and suppliers do not tr ust them and do not offered goods and services in credit form to the organization. An analysis of the financial implications (e.g. tangible and opportunity costs), and tax effects of using the various sources of finance that you outlined in AC1.1 and AC1.2 above (AC 2.1 Analyse the costs of different sources of finance) There are severa

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Nazi Holocaust Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Nazi Holocaust - Essay Example The essay "Nazi Holocaust" will help to understand the graphic nature of the Holocaust, and the reader can picture the events in his mind based on the explanation given. The book Night recalls the occurrences in the town of Sighet, Transylvania in Northern Romania. At the very beginning, we get introduced to the twelve-year-old Eli back in 1941. The historic expulsion of all Jew from Sighet gets vividly explained in the book. The Hungarian police rounded up all foreign Jews and bundled them up into waiting vehicles in full public glare. Rumor mills purported that these Jews got taken to Galicia where they became happy and got formally employed. These reports later got challenged by an escapee, Moshe the Beadle, who told of the Gestapo and how the Jews got killed each day. He explained that the Jews got led to a forest where they got forced to dig trenches before they got shot and buried. Babies, he explained, got tossed in the air and used for target practice. Moshe had escaped after getting a shot at the leg and mistaken to be dead. The Jews ignored Moshe’s warning with some saying that he was mentally unstable (Wiesel 21). As soon as the Fascist took over control of the government, Nazi soldiers took to the streets of Sighet where they rounded up all Jews including Eli and his family. Elis family got put in a cattle wagon after receiving a stern warning that anyone who dared to escape would be killed. They got transported to Auschwitz. Upon arrival, men and women got separated. Eli and his father got whisked away separately, while Hilda, Elis mother and Tzipora got led straight to the gas chamber. Eli tried to remain vigilant the rest of the night in the concentration camp never losing sight of his father. He feared that if they got separated, that would be the last he would ever see of him (Wiesel 22). On their first night at Auschwitz, Eli and his father got put in line ready to be thrown into the fire furnace. They both watched trucks loading up children that were to be delivered into the fire (Wiesel 19). Elis father chanted the prayer for the dead, commonly known in Jewish circles as Kaddish. He m ade the prayer for them too in anticipation of the inevitable. They survived the night and got ordered back to their barracks. Sometimes the whole camp got forced to watch hangings of children. Eli graphically explains this when he says the child’s eyes were still clear, and his tongue was still pink (Wiesel 23). Eli and his father got moved to Auschwitz II form Birkenau in 1945. This was a work camp with reduced cases of violence. Eli explains that they were in constant search of food, saying that they were worse than corpses. After American and soviet bombing of the concentration camps, 60,000 Jews including Eli and his father got moved back to Germany in what gets commonly referred to as the death march. They got bundled up in trains to Auschwitz where many of them lost their lives due to congestion. They literally lay on top of others, occasionally throwing out dead bodies each morning. This train journey marked their symbolic journey to freedom as the Soviets liberated A uschwitz (Wiesel 65). Maus, on the other hand, gets divided between the present interviewing sessions where Spiegelman interviews his father and the past, where Vladek recounts his experiences between the mid 1930s and 1945, when the Holocaust ended. The book recount details of the marriage union between Vladek and his wife, Anja. Vladek got captured as a war prisoner due to escalating racist and political tensions. He got shocked to find out that Sosnowiec got placed under German siege when he got released. Vladek got released on the Polish Protectorate side of the

Relationship-Driven Leaders Focus on People, Not Power Essay Example for Free

Relationship-Driven Leaders Focus on People, Not Power Essay My article talks about the behavioral theories, as the author discussed the new stream in leadership orientation. To be more specific, he believed that as the industry is now facing globalization and rapid change, leaders must adapt this changing landscape or risk losing high-potential employees. Younger employees prefer relationship-driven leaders and a sense of community. So in other words, they value relationships and leaders who respect their ideas and consult them on decisions. Bobbie (2010) took an example of a general counsel who successfully led a group for years before hiring a vice president to help manage a growing workload. Because this leader spent his career in the traditional model, he found it difficult to delegate work to the new vice president. The issue was not about power, but an Inability to let go and trust the new vice president to complete the work well. If the general counsel had formed a stronger personal connection with the vice president nd built trust based on that relationship, he could have empowered the vice president Instead of constraining her performance. Relationship-driven leaders are more empathetic, patient and tolerant. They approach decision-making subjectively, using personal values as a guide and examining how each option will impact others. Yet, while they are adept at listening and forging personal connections, they can sometimes appear too concerned about what others think or too weak to make tough decision. While leaders cant change their innate personalities, they can change their behavior. Adopting these best practice behaviors will enable leaders to be more effective in an increasingly diverse workplace 1. Open yourself to different viewpoints. 2. Balance empathy with strong decision-making. 3. Collaborate on issues management. 4. Champion employee development. 5. Dont mistake silence for agreement. By adopting a relationship-driven approach, leaders can earn the trust and confidence of an increasingly diverse workforce and improve long-term retention.

Monday, October 14, 2019

The Importance Of Maintaining Individuality Over Communality Politics Essay

The Importance Of Maintaining Individuality Over Communality Politics Essay Maintaining your individuality is more important than being part of a group because group identities and the groups differences tend to be the basis for decisions a person might make as a citizen. Groups who focus on a specific ideology have distinctive arguments and address a particular audience. Most of the members of liberation ideologies, such as black liberation, womens liberation, gay liberation, native peoples liberation, animal liberation and liberation theology focus on ones self interest taking on too narrow a view rather than promoting the viewpoint that is for the greater good. People in these groups would make their decisions regarding who might best lead the country or what laws should be enacted or voted down based on a candidates gender, religious beliefs, race or sexual preference, and not as a citizen thinking of the best scenario for the majority. These groups make their decisions because on their groups self-interests and exclude the individual viewpoint. If these specific groups want equality, then they should think as individual citizens because in the United States, citizens are equal before the law. As stated in our text book pg. 252, our courts of justice and other institutions should be blind to race, ethnicity, and other forms of group identification. No one should be given special treatment because of his or her race or ancestry or ethnic affiliation. The self interest characteristic of special groups is also seen in the fascist and Nazism ideologies. Both of these groups are against individualism and class divisions. They were only in favor of one nation or one supreme race, in other words, one group. Hitler believed that his Nazi philosophy about the German people (the supreme group) was more important then the 6 million Jews who did nothing to him, yet he had them killed. The fascists belief of everything for the good of the nation state, a single leader and single party can be seen in the modern day Moammar Gadhafi regime in Libya. The Gadhafi regime was not beneficial to the whole nation because there were inequalities among the citizens of Libya who have now revolted and are striving for democracy and individual freedoms. I feel that democracy is built on the assumption that things are beneficial to the community as a whole, and coming to a consensus is possible, but it fails if the special group is only looking out for #1 a nd doesnt care about anything else. So if each individual would take on the liberal ideology viewpoint which is to believe that the individual is the best judge of what is in his or her interest, so each person ought to be free to live as he or she wants so long as they do not choose to interfere with others freedom to live as they want to live. The ideology of liberalism promotes individual liberty by attempting to guarantee equal opportunity to all people within a tolerant society. With the opportunity of equality, an equal footing, the discrimination based on race, religion, or gender would be removed and people would have the ability to achieve their own success, if they adopt a liberal viewpoint. So why then would it be necessary to join a group to achieve the same opportunities as you could have maintaining your individuality? 3. Fascism is a political ideology which exalts a nation above the individual and is headed by a single leader of a centralized government which thru regimented force suppresses any opposition and controls the state economy and social conditions. Fascism is a good form of government because the nation is more powerful and sustainable through generations who are bound together by their common traditions and their commitment to build a better life. Fascism which is founded on the citizens duty and an individuals self sacrifice possibly even death is able to achieve the true value of a man as a member of his family, social group and nation, because the individual has no significance outside of their nation. Fascism enforces discipline and uses authority to mold mens characters and faith. Fascism affirms traditional values such as family values, religious faith, patriotism, social structure, honor, and traditional hard work. Fascism is an ideology of order and obedience where people fall in line with the single leadership, and do not question or criticize the State which makes sure the country runs smoothly, through the use of state spending and regulation of corporations. A fascist government institutes public works programs to build bridges, canals and roads, hospitals and schools all for the good of the nation state. A fascist government is organized on the theory that government should be run by representatives of the various centers of power in the state, such as Mussolinis policy of corporativism. What fascism is all about in an economic sense is the protection and regulation of capitalism through private ownership as the means of production for the nation. Fascism uses the power of the nation to protect and to stabilize the economy by bringing the major capitalists into a system of cooperation with each other so that economic conflict is reduced and through their cooperation stability is achieved. An example would be for a ruling council to be developed and include industrial leaders, union representatives, religious leaders, and military personnel. Having these leaders of power incorporated into the government, achieves a rapid consensus on matters more rapidly when a country needs to organize for a war or disaster relief. The nation can also become self-sufficient if the government has control over production and their profits. Fascism controls companies from manufacturing their products in foreign countries for a lower cost and then selling that product in their own country for a higher price and making a profit. Also keeping manufacturing jobs at home will provide employment to the nations people, reducing welfare and creating a strong economy. Under fascism, ownership of businesses is left in private hands, but the government regulates all businesses confiscating much of their profits and using them as the government decides, such as new roads, hospitals and schools, all for the good of the nation-state. The fascist system will also subsidize and regulate agriculture in order to achieve national self sufficiency. Another advantage of a fascist government is in the fight against terrorism. The nation controls the military under one leader and when needed, it is easy to have the leader decide that the military will control and operate everything and everyone that enters the country. Also crime in the nation can be greatly reduced, because the military can be used to patrol the streets and enforce obedience. True freedom for fascists is in serving the state and doing ones part to promote the states power and glory. One way of doing this is to create self sufficiency of the nation thru a strong military. To create a strong military, the nation promotes science, mathematics, and engineering in schools in order to develop better scientists who will be employed to build better weapons for the military. These corporations are given funding from the State. Consequently, the State will produce the most advanced technologies in the world, having the most advanced weapons and acting as a boom to the economy by providing a large number of jobs, making people happy and bolstering the support for their leader. Because the State plays an important role in the economy, the State protects and promotes industries which are vital to State interests. Also because a fascist government controls the economy, unemployment is reduced and social welfare programs can be instituted such as social health insurance . So to create a great Fascist state, it is simple; believe, obey and fight, against the enemies of the nation and this will bring glory to ones people as a leading power in the world. 5. As a conservative, I feel our rights come from God and not the government. So consequently, government should be limited as to what it does to solve a nations problems and the real emphasis should be placed on the individual to solve the problems through traditional American values, personal responsibility, individual liberty and free markets. So with that premise in place, I would like to explore some of the following issues from a conservative ideological perspective vs. a liberal ideological perspective. Liberals believe a woman has the right to decide what happens to her own body, including aborting a pregnancy. Liberals also believe that the government has the duty to protect human rights. I, as a conservative, believe human life begins at conception and that abortion is murder of a human being. An unborn baby is a living human being and has separate rights from those of their mother, thus the government should not use taxpayer dollars to fund abortions, as desired by liberals because that would not be protecting the human rights of the unborn, very hypocritical of liberals. Along those same lines, liberals want to legalize euthanasia. Neither abortion nor euthanasia should be legalized as it is immoral and unethical to deliberately end the life of a terminally ill person or an unborn human being. Taking an innocent life or that of a dying individual is murder, a capital offense in the United States, is punishable by death. Dont the liberals get it? Where is the moral code that is necessary to sustain a free society? If, liberals can justify using lethal force ending an innocent unborn life or a helpless elderly citizen. This does not seem to coincide with true Liberalism. Liberals support blanket amnesty for those who enter the United States illegally and want the undocumented immigrants to have the right to educational and health benefits that citizens receive. As a conservative, I dont want to stop people who immigrate to our country for a better life and benefits, because life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness are God-given rights for every individual however, they should do so legally, otherwise they are placing an huge economic hardship on the United States by receiving benefits that legal citizens receive such as financial aid, welfare, and Medicaid because they are not of legal status. It is unfair to provide these services to illegal undocumented immigrants and make the true citizens support them through unfair taxation for these governmental programs. The United States borders should be secured and the immigration laws should be enforced for our countrys protection, security and economic survival. Liberals, in the best interest to citizens, want the government to regulate the economy as a protection against big business. However, having competition and a free market system creates the largest opportunity for a higher standard of living for everyone. When governments encourage individual efforts for entrepreneurial success and not oppose personal wealth, there is more economic growth, more jobs and a higher standard of living for all citizens then when government tries to regulate the economic system. Putting numerous controls in place to artificially direct the economy can create serious problems. Along these same lines, liberals think because people are getting wealthier, they should be taxed more to enable the government to help and care for the poor and needy using tax dollars from the rich to create jobs and welfare programs. However, the traditional American value of hard work allows the economy to grow and prosper, leaving the money in the hands of the people and by lowe ring taxes and a smaller government allows Americans to save more, invest and spend their money to help those that they want to aid and not at the direction of the government. Government programs to the needy should be opportunities to make them become self-reliant encouraging work and independence rather then encourage laziness and continued dependence on government funding. Liberals dont see terrorism as a great threat to the United States and feel the best way to deal with terrorism is good diplomacy and that using military force against terrorists only causes hatred and more terrorism. However, as can be seen by the radical Islamism ideology being anti-liberal and anti-individual and rejecting individual rights and rights against the larger society as in the U.S. Bill of Rights, as stated in our text book, pg. 291, seems to be a very strong division between the militant Islamists goal of establishing Islamic states that govern according to Islamic law and the destruction of Israel and an existing peaceful Western world. It seems that to ensure individual liberties, a strong military force to provide security for society and intelligence-gathering methods are the best way to defeat terrorism in the United States and around the world. I dont believe you can bargain with tyrants or terrorists. The conservative ideological perspective is best because it stands up for what is right, and exhibits the principles that have made America great such as the love of God, love of family, the work ethic, patriotism, and individual freedom. 6. According to Thomas Hobbes in his major work the Leviathan, the state of nature is a condition of perfect freedom in which no one had any authority over them and all individuals are equal-no one is born to hold a higher rank or status than anyone else -and have a natural right to do as they wish as per our text book on pg. 52. If this was how mankind existed before government, I believe life in this state of nature would be every man for himself and against each other, the survival of the fittest. Man would live but not the life as we know it; it would be very animalistic and primeval. Man would resolve disputes through violence and war would run rampart around the world. Disease would be prevalent, and technology would be non existent. Man is competitive and contentious, so he would be an enemy to every other man, there would be no industry, no culture, no knowledge, and no society and man would live in continual fear and danger of constant death. Because of the violence and uncertainty of life in the state of nature it would motivate people to form tribal leaders or governments. People would realize the need for peace and stability consequently they would seek a ruler or leader to govern them and in return the governing body would provide the peace and stability the people wanted as long as the laws of the government were abided, the people would then be free to pursue happiness without fear. Government is needed to provide stability and order, and protect the rights and liberties of the people. The purpose of government is to provide enough protection of life, liberty and property that individuals could enjoy these rights. Government creates order out of chaos, and punishes bad behavior but encourages moral behavior and tradition. Also governments provide needs for the community when these needs cannot be met by individuals. A government can play a major role in economic security by managing and regulating a countrys economy and stabilizing it for the benefit of its citizens. A government defines laws which establish equality and justice in a society. The government of a nation can provide basic health and education services for its citizens. Thus, government is like an umbrella that shields the citizens of a nation, while binding them together and helping them live in harmony. Governments are established with intent to increase the peoples potential for survival.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Obedience and Arrogance in Epic of Gilgamesh and Book of Genesis of the

Obedience and Arrogance in Gilgamesh and Genesis The issue of obedience figures prominently in both "The Epic of Gilgamesh" and the book of Genesis in the Bible. These works were produced by very different cultures and traditions (Middle Eastern and Hebraic, respectively) and the characters in each react to authority or advice with very different levels of obedience. Noah is found to be righteous by God and is rewarded with a means to escape the devastation of the flood. Gilgamesh, in his arrogance, thinks himself to be above the mortal concept of death. I have chosen the two opening paragraphs from the seventh chapter of "The Epic of Gilgamesh" and Genesis 6:8-22 to illustrate the conflicts between obedience and arrogance. One obvious distinction between "The Epic of Gilgamesh" and Genesis can be traced back to the cultures of the authors. The Gilgamesh epic comes from a culture and religion that is polytheistic. The author (and thus the characters in the epic) believed in a pantheon of gods and goddesses, each possessing human attributes and vices. The Hebraic culture that gave us Genesis revolved around the belief in one Almighty God. The Hebrew God was above man in every way: He was omniscient and all-powerful and yet retained compassion for the humans He had created. While Noah had but one God to serve, Gilgamesh was responsible to many. It seems that many human-like gods each command less respect than one all-powerful God. This idea can be examined by looking at Ishtar's advances to Gilgamesh. This goddess desired the mortal Gilgamesh and he responds by shunning her, thereby being disobedient to his gods. Gilgamesh may be king of Uruk and two-thirds god but that does not make   him an equal. "Co me to me Gilgamesh, ... ... achingly close to eternal life. Each are equally immortalized by their respective cultures. In a way, Gilgamesh did achieve his goal. His aim was to be immortal and in a way he is, witnessed by the fact that we read his story today and will no doubt continue to do so in the future. And as long as Christianity exists in the world, Noah will also be remembered. Gilgamesh gained his notoriety through his arrogance: he ravished women, was desired by a goddess, and rejected his own mortality. Noah achieved fame by being obedient: he was found worthy by God, given an escape route from death, and salvaged the creatures of the earth. Arrogance and obedience may have each achieved the same goal in the end, no one will   forget Gilgamesh, King of Uruk, nor Noah, builder of the ark. Works Cited: Sandars, N. K., trans. The Epic of Gilgamesh. London: Penguin, 1972.