Bar and Bat Mitzvahs

Rites of passage are a common element of various populations. These rites indicate a change in the lives of those involved. This change usually includes more responsibilities of one kind or another and the rite takes the participant into that next phase of life. One such rite for those of the Jewish faith is the passage into adulthood in a religious, and to an extent, a social sense. The b’nai mitzvah, bar mitzvah for boys and bat mitzvah for girls, are the ceremonies established for this purpose.The ceremony takes place when a boy turns thirteen, or a girl twelve or thirteen, and afterwards, the child is then considered an adult within the religion, expected to take on the responsibilities thereof so that they may help to teach others the ways of the Jewish faith. These responsibilities include praying, observance of the Sabbath, fasting when it is required, and other such things.While such things were considered mainly the responsibilities of those who were becoming adult ma les, it has evolved over the centuries to include females to one extent or the other as well, although Orthodox churches still tend to exclude women from performing many of the tasks that have traditionally been the roles of the male. The word â€Å"mitzvah† is defined as a commandment, while â€Å"bar† and â€Å"bat,† respectively, mean son and daughter.These terms indicate that those going through the ritual are now at a point where they can fulfill the commandments, becoming responsible members of the faith and be welcomed into the adult population. From that point on, the child is considered an adult â€Å"for purposes of participating in synagogue ritual† (Fox and Zimbler 18-19). According to Cohen and Weinrott, â€Å"The goal of the bar and bat mitzvah is to enter the larger community, while at the same time recognizing one’s own unique individual spiritual and social circumstances† (5). Bar and Bat Mitzvahs Page 2 of 9The first indica tion of the practice of the bar mitzvah seems to be in the Talmud several centuries ago during the Second Temple, when it is recorded that the sages would â€Å"bless a child who had reached the age of thirteen and who had fasted on Yom Kippur† (Lewit and Epstein 5). At that time there was no ceremony involved, only the declaring of the boy as bar mitzvah on his thirteenth birthday. He was considered an adult then, expected to follow the laws and take responsibility for himself instead of being considered the responsibility of his father.It was in the thirteenth or fourteenth century that this transition became formalized in such a way that resembles the ritual practiced today. The ceremony then led into a meal to celebrate the boy’s transition, and by 1595, this feast became â€Å"so sumptuous that a communal tax was placed on the celebration to stop such excesses† (Cohen and Weinrott 11). The bat mitzvah was not such an illustrious occasion as early as the bar mitzvah. The Talmud records that, around the second or third century, girls came of age at twelve to fulfill the commandments.Women were not obligated like men to engage in most religious exercises, their responsibilities instead revolving around home and family. While this age was considered important, it was not until the seventeenth century that it was considered important to celebrate the occasion. France and Italy celebrated with a ceremony in the middle of the nineteenth century at the latest, but it was not until 1922 that girls were accorded the same ceremony as boys with their bat mitzvah, when Mordecai Kaplan of the Society for the Advancement of Judaism, who founded Reconstructive Judaism, held the ceremony for his daughter.In some congregations, a girl becomes bat mitzvah at twelve, while in others the ceremony is performed at thirteen, Bar and Bat Mitzvahs Page 3 of 9 like it is for boys. Different congregations of Judaism treat the coming of age of boys and girls in d ifferent ways. While some give equal credence to the two genders during this time in belief that both should be on equal footing, there are others who believe that the religious obligations of boys and girls are different and therefore they should follow different rules.This leads to even more differences in the observance of this special time for girls than it does before, as some congregations have the identical ceremony for both genders while others give the girls less religious responsibility during the occasion. It is not that they consider the duties of a female to be less important, only separate and distinct from those expected from males. The celebration of these ceremonies took on different aspects in different countries starting late in the Middle Ages.The differences included such things as on which days the ceremony took place and how much of the service was conducted by the boy himself. The Marranos in Spain and Portugal were forced to practice their religion in secret , and the day of the bat mitzvah was when a boy was introduced to the religion. This secrecy helped to preserve the religion for more than 300 years in those countries. The traditional day for the bar or bat mitzvah to take place is on Saturday, which is known as Shabbat, or Sabbath.Bat mitzvahs are often held on Fridays, different congregations either giving the choice as to whether to hold it on Shabbat or requiring that it be done on Friday night. It is also possible for either ceremony to be held on Mondays or Thursdays, which were days in the days of the Temple when the Torah was read. Bar and Bat Mitzvahs Page 4 of 9 While some may choose to enhance the event by combining it to some extent with existing Jewish holidays, there are certain days which are usually avoided.The traditions of these holidays can help to make the day even more special and memorable. However, there are certain days that involve the remembrance of tragic times for the Jewish people, and these days, such as Yom Ha-Shoah, when the lives of those lost in the Holocaust are remembered, are considered inappropriate for the occasion due to the solemnity and focus on those who have been lost. Many children who are approaching their time of bar or bat mitzvah take part in a course of study to help prepare them for the occasion.Children are often taught in groups, and during this time they learn the blessings which are said at the ceremony as well as the basic skills that are needed for the synagogue, which include â€Å"the use of the tallit, tefillin; the blowing of a shofar; how to lift and dress the Torah, and other Jewish practices† (Lewit and Epstein 35). In addition to this training of the children in groups comes more individualized training with the cantor. Each child will usually spend four to six months training in this way.Other tutors may be utilized as well, giving the children a well-rounded and intensive study of what is to come and what is expected of them. Study aids such as the Tikkun are also helpful for this purpose. The Tikkun is a book that is used to help practice reading the Torah, giving help not only with pronunciation, but also with melody, which is a large part of the ceremonies in many congregations. The duties of the bar or bat mitzvah vary from congregation to congregation. At the simplest, it is simply the responsibility of the newly proclaimed adult to recite a blessing at the Torah.This is the most sacred of books in the Jewish faith, and is Bar and Bat Mitzvahs Page 5 of 9 handwritten on a scroll made of parchment. It is considered an honor to recite a blessing at the Torah, and is the most important part of the bar or bat mitzvah. Depending upon the congregation, he or she will read part or all of the passage, and then the Torah is taken around the synagogue before being returned to its place in the ark which is either at the front or the center of every synagogue.Another common duty of the bar or bat mitzvah is to read the H aftarah, which is a reading from the Prophets. It, as the Torah, has its own melodies that are usually followed and which take much practice to get right. In some Reform congregations it and the Torah are merely recited. Some congregations can require even more responsibility from the bar or bat mitzvah. He or she can be expected not just to recite the entire Torah portion of the service, but also to lead some of the service or to take over with certain prayers.A speech can also be required, and the father usually recites a blessing as well, officially relinquishing responsibility for the child who has now become an adult. Some congregations also require the child to spend time writing what is known as a dvar Torah for the ceremony. This is a commentary on a portion or portions of the Torah that the child is expected to study and interpret in his or her own way. He or she usually relates it somehow to his or her life and the significance of the Jewish faith to the individual writing it. The length of the document does not matter so long as it expresses something meaningful.In addition to the duties expected from the bar or bat mitzvah, others can play a significant role in the ceremony. The number of these can vary in different congregations, but it is considered an honor to the participants who perform those duties. Those who Bar and Bat Mitzvahs Page 6 of 9 take part in this are usually close to the child, and it is a duty that those asked to participate take very seriously. However, Orthodox churches tend to disallow the participation of women in most, if not all, of these. The most important role for one of these honorees is that of the aliyah.This is when one is allowed to go to the pulpit and both before and after one section is read from the Torah, to recite a blessing. The number of people who can be an aliyah can be as high as eight, with the last one being that of the child, who is to the final blessing, which is known as the Maftir. This demonstrate s the first real responsibility that a child is accorded in the congregation to illustrate his or her adult status. Other honors can include family members who are allowed to read a section of the Torah as well as tasks that can be taken on in some cases by younger children.There are also tasks that can be taken on by those who are not allowed to participate in the Torah service. They can help to hand things out, serve as ushers, or even decorate the synagogue for the ceremony and bake refreshments. There is also a tradition for many of those in the congregation to throw nuts and candies at the newly proclaimed adult after the ceremony, and passing out such things is a job often taken on by younger family members. After the service, many Jewish families throw a celebration.This has been a big change from earlier days, when there was no pomp but simply a declaration of the child becoming an adult. But these celebrations have become an important part of some congregations, particularl y those of American Jews. Many more traditional Jews frown upon the seeming need of many families to try and outdo each other in the extravagance of this celebration. Bar and Bat Mitzvahs Page 7 of 9 One of the traditions that is often followed at Jewish celebrations, including the b’nai mitzvah, is called the Kiddush.This is a prayer over wine that is defined as sanctification. Red wine is the most commonly used for this purpose and it is decided by the family who will chant the Kiddush. This can be one or more people, depending on their preference. The only one who is required to drink from the goblet of wine is the chanter of the blessing, but some prefer to pass it around so that all may have a taste, or with larger groups, cups may be provided for all. Another blessing that is given is the Motzi, which is the blessing over bread.Bread is a very important part of the Jewish meal, and a braided bread known as challah is used for such a purpose as important ceremonies. They are symbolic, and â€Å"represent not just the staff of life, but unity and peace as well† (Cohen and Weinrott 151). The bread is blessed after the wine, giving thanks for the feast that is to be shared. During the Kiddush, the challah is covered with a cloth, some traditions stating that this is to protect the bread from being embarrassed because the wine is blessed first.After the blessing of the bread, there is no need for blessings to be said over any of the following courses. It is usually tradition for a grandparent, or eldest member of the family, to say the blessing over the bread as well as cut it after the blessing. It may then be sliced and then passed around to all present, although some prefer to tear the bread with hands instead of cutting it with a knife. It is then usually salted before being eaten, and then the rest of the meal follows. A more recent tradition among the American Jews is that of the candle lighting ceremony.Thirteen or fourteen people are com monly chosen to light candles that are often placed on a cake, and sometimes make a blessing over the candles for the child. A Bar and Bat Mitzvahs Page 8 of 9 cake is not always used, however, with some people preferring a candelabra or other setting. When the candles are lit is also optional, some preferring it before the meal while others wait until after. Music is often used to announce the tradition, and special words are often said by those lighting them and occasionally by the child as well.During the celebration is also a time when many choose to make toasts to the child and his or her future and to wish that child well. The parents might choose to give speeches, and usually anyone is invited to say something if they wish, although brevity is often appreciated. The ceremony of Havdalah, which means separation, is often incorporated into Saturday night celebrations, and regarding bar and bat mitzvahs, â€Å"it is a special reminder of the bittersweet separation of youth and adulthood† (Cohen and Weinrott 159).After the celebratory meal, it is a tradition to say the Birkat Ha-Mazon, which means â€Å"grace after the meal. † Four prayers make this up, and then there are also psalms and blessing said as well. There are many choices as to who can lead this service, from the rabbi to the bar or bat mitzvah. However, there are also those who prefer less formal graces, and they might even include a poem or other prayers. The conclusion of this grace is a prayer for peace. Music has always been a large part of the Jewish culture; therefore it is often included as an important part of the celebration.The offerings of this can range anywhere from the simple to the more elaborate, depending upon the tastes of those involved. It is preferable to involve the guests with this, and that can be done in a variety of ways, from singing to dancing, which usually includes the hora. Bar and Bat Mitzvahs Page 9 of 9 The hora is a traditional dance used during J ewish celebrations. It was developed early in the twentieth century in Israel, and is a group dance, where the dancers are linked to each other in a circle, arms linked and hands on the shoulders of those next to them.This represents the closeness of the community and the equality of value of all of the people involved†¦ After the hora often comes the chair dance, in which the child sits in a chair and then that chair is lifted above their shoulders by those present. They are then danced that way, and often parents and other family members are allowed to share in the feelings of exultation by having their own turn in the chair. This dance emphasizes not only the individual who is put in the spotlight, but the community around that person who supports the chair and the individual during that time.The sense of community is very important to those of the Jewish faith, and this dance is a demonstration of this. Ceremony is a very crucial part of Judaism. This can be seen in many of their holidays and ceremonies, and the importance of the b’nai mitzvah can be considered to be the fact that it is this that pulls yet another into the community of Jewish adults. The new adult is allowed then to participate in ways that only adults can, and this strengthens the religion as a whole, passing the traditions and beliefs on to another generation so that it may again be passed on to that person’s children.Perhaps the fact that the Jewish people have been through much pain and difficulty throughout their history has helped to make these ceremonies even more important than they once were, transitioning them from a simple announcement of adulthood and breaking off of responsibility by the father to the elaborate celebrations that many have today. Bibliography Cohen, Jayne and Lori Weinrott. 2004. The Ultimate Bar/Bat Mitzvah Celebration Book. New York: Clarkson Potter/Publishers. Fox, Karen L. and Phylliz Zimbler Miller.1992. Seasons for Celebratoin: A Contem porary Guide to the Joys, Practices, and Traditions of the Jewish Holidays. New York: The Putnam Publishing Group. Himelstein, Dr. Shmuel. 1990. The Jewish Prayer: Questions and Answers on Jewish Faith and Cuture. New York: Facts on File, Inc. Lewit, Jane and Ellen Epstein. 1996. The Bar/Bat Mitzvah Planbook. Lanham, MD: Scarborough House. Oppenheimer, Mark. 2005. Thirteen and a Day: The Bar and Bat Mitzvah Across America. New York: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux.

Genetically Modified/Engineered Foods Essay

Genetically modified food products first emerged in the commercial markets some time around the mid 1990s and were a hot topic among producers and potential buyers alike. A decade has passed ever since and the debate around genetically engineered foods shows no signs of retreat. Initially, there was much enthusiasm to these foods due to the many advantages expected from these modified food crops, such as resistance to pests and the use of herbicides for the control of weed production in addition to the high nutritional value. Proponents of this new technology of food production were confident that its employment would yield extremely positive results including improved crop yield, agrochemical use and the production of highly nutritious food crops even in nutritionally drained soils. However, as time elapsed, research and study began to be conducted on these foods and it was soon brought to light that these foods are not safe for consumption, resulting in a backlash against the use of these foods. Opponents argue that the dangers associated with genetically engineered foods far outweigh the few benefits. The methods of production of foods due to gene slicing biotechnological are new and hence, the products obtained from them cannot be appropriately tested by the old methods. There is also a growing concern that genetically modified foods would create a monopoly of food supply in the hands of a few large companies which would cause tremendous harm to smaller farmers and agriculture businesses. The matter has become a political issue in many countries due to this fast, which has the power to influence the lives of millions of farmers across developed countries. The paper attempts to analyze both sides of the argument by highlighting some of the advantages and disadvantages of genetically modified foods. The primary worry is of course the danger and risk to the original composition of crops which would be substantially modified by the new techniques. The debate regarding genetically modified or engineered foods is getting more serious as there are numerous concerns regarding the environmental and health risks of food produced from this new technology. The primary causes of problems are believed to rise due to the antibiotic resistant genes used in the crops which are altered and modified. The production process also includes increased use of pesticides while planting the many varieties of modified plants (CFS 2000, 2004). Some authors have stated that genetic modification of foods is the new technology in agriculture which is â€Å"here to stay† (Schmidt 2005) ignoring the possibility of allergens which have the potential of triggering allergies in people due to the consumption of genetically engineered species of crops and agricultural products is a cause of concern. The growing episodes of food contamination prove that genetically modified foods are not absolutely safe to consume. The contamination of food due to the altered species of corn termed as ‘Starlink’ was the cause of contamination in numerous food products and due to which the company Aventis had to suffer huge losses to pay one hundred and ten million dollars in order to compensate the losses of farmers, food processors and grain handlers (Harl 2003; Jacobs 2003). There have been other contamination incidents which have resulted in severe health and financial problems to the biotech industry. Gillis (2002), Nichols (2002), and Greenpeace (2005). Besides, researchers are apprehensive of the testing methods of the FDA due to the alterations in the composition of these modified foods which subsequently results in changes of â€Å"toxicological, immunological, or nutritional concern† (Schenkelaars, 2002). The testing techniques of genetically modified foods by the FDA has attracted severe criticism for by top level scientists who are opposed to the process of gene alteration in food production and agriculture (Alliance for Biointegrity 2004). The general public too is apprehensive over the techniques used in the manufacture and production of genetically engineered foods (Schmidt, 2005). Schmidt (2005) explains that biotechnology enables scientists to employ methods for combination of genes from unrelated species of plants, animals and microorganisms for which many methods are used. The genes can be artificially combined using natural techniques to allow bacterial and viruses to â€Å"penetrate cells† or electric shocks â€Å"to destabilize the cell membranes† which would help in making the cell membranes â€Å"permeable†. All these artificial techniques facilitate the permeability of the cell membrane which otherwise evades the entry of any foreign genes or DNA from entering the original structure of the cell (Schmidt, 2005). Genetic engineering would mean going against nature for the creation of new substances, the validity of which remains an unanswered question. What is worse is the fact that the natural boundaries of the entire animal and plant kingdom will be at potential risk, since genetic engineering provides scientists with the ability to combine the genes of any existence on the face of the earth. The gene of a potato can be combined with the gene of a fish by introducing the former into the latter or vice versa. This scientific manipulation of foods is a growing concern among many scientists who feel that genetic alteration by humans can increase the levels of natural toxins in plants or allergens in foods. Genetic modification also increases the potential to enable plants and natural foods of â€Å"switching on genes that produce poison† (Shan, 2006). Other dangers of engineered foods include â€Å"antibiotic resistance† among foods, â€Å"increased pesticide residues†, â€Å"genetic pollution† and damage to soil fertility and the beneficial insects which would all subsequently cause â€Å"socio-economic hazards and ethical hazards to the entire human community† (Cummins 1999). Additionally, injection of chemical hormones like the IGF-1 in animals such as the cow increases the risk of serious diseases like cancers of the breast, colon and the prostate among consumers (Cummins 1999). Proponents of genetically engineered foods argue that these foods grown without the use of chemical additives are â€Å"superior†. The addition of food colors such as Para Red and Sudan III to naturally grown foods have resulted in several hazardous incidents as reported by the BBC News (2005) and since genetically produced foods are grown and stored without the use pesticides or fertilizers and any kind of artificial additives, supporters advocate its use. Reports regarding the growing cases of diseases such as asthma (Salam et al 2004), cancers (Muir 2005) and other harmful diseases caused due to farming techniques and pollution is a prime concern to the proponents of genetically modified foods. Heaton (2001) affirms the many health problems which occur due to the growing use of pesticides in natural foods including hormone disturbances, repression of the human immune system and other neurological damages. The chemicals used as pesticides in naturally produced foods include the likes of DDT which has been banned by most of the developed nations, and others such as lindane and astrazine (Shan, 2006). The pesticide residues such as organophosphates found in foods have been associated with hazardous effects such as reduced male fertility, cancer, abnormalities of the fetus, and even Parkinson’s disease (BMA 1992 and Robbins 1991). Additionally, high exposures of the farmers to pesticides have also enormously increased the risks of these farmers to cancers and other harmful diseases associated with them. (Schreinemachers, 2000; Alavanja et al. ,2003). Nutritionally too, genetically modified foods are believed to fare better than their natural counterparts. Research confirms that the nutritional value of genetically modified and grown foods is more than naturally grown foods. Worthington (2001) affirms that organic crops contain far more vitamins, minerals and other nutrients which are beneficial for the functioning of a healthy body. Besides, organic foods are believed to contain much less percentages of nitrates than naturally produced foods (Williams, 2002). The report by the Soil Association compares the nutritional value of genetically modified foods and naturally produced foods (Heaton 2001). Since many food products contain less water, which is why they shrink on storage, genetic engineering of foods tends to alter the structure of the plants so that the ability to retain more water in increased. This would also prevent the food from shrinking on being cooked. Genetic farming and modification of foods also restrict the use of drugs, especially in animals which reduces the risk of infections to humans. Besides, genetically engineered foods and products have higher levels of flavonoids, which act as a natural defense mechanism against the pests feeding on them (Shan, 2006). Flavonoids also play a crucial role in the prevention of cardiac problems and fatal diseases such as cancer. These foods also tend to have greater ant oxidation properties, due to the antioxidants like lycopene and phyto-nutrients like tannins present in them (Shan, 2006). Genetically modified foods have been an issue of debate over the possible advantages and disadvantages they may have on the health of humans. Thus, while it is important to adopt new technologies and procedures to better human life, the health and quality should not be compromised. It is the responsibility of regulatory authorities to adopt means and measures for appropriate testing of foods so that the general public gets maximum benefits from advancing technological processes without having to compromise health and wellbeing.

Causes and Consequences of World War I

Belief in inevitability of war and advocacy of war to become supreme major cause for WW1. 5. Anglo-german naval rivalry Britain was supreme at sea and was challenged by germany. Britain couldnt accept this. The rivalry culminated in WW1. 6. Absence of international organisation Concert of europe was informal group of nations aftr napoleans defeat but couldnt control its member and didnt represent the entire free world. The system of pacific settlement of international disputes set up by the hague conference was unsatisfactory. And couldnt contain imperial rivalries. 7. Negative role of the press in creating war psychology despite attempts of governments to normalise their relations. 8. Autrian and serbian rivalry Austria-hungary wanted access to sea at the cost of slav territories and serbia represented slav nationalism. The two had contradictory aims. This led to a conflict of interest and was encouraged by the russian czar as well building grounds for war. 9. Personal ambitions of leader. Kaiser william II of germany, austra-hungary, russian leaders(czar and his wife). 10. The Sarajevo incident Annexation of bosnia-herzegovina by austria in 1908, 2 balkan wars, italian annexation of tripolo ,moroccan crisis along with the japanese threat to peace in the background, the assassination of the crown price of austria-hungary, archduke franze ferdinand with his wife in sarajevo june,1914 was a direct cause for WW1. Consequences The results of the great war were almost as numerous as its causes. By the end of the world war in 1918, american president woodrow wilson proposed peace and made a statement of war aims in his famous 14 points 1. Open covenant of peace,openly arrived at and Abolition of secret diplomacy 2. Absolute freedom of navigation at sea, outside territorial waters in peace and war except by international action. 3. Removal of eco barriers and establishment of equal trade conditions 4. Reduction in national armaments to the point only needed for domestic security 5. Free,open minded and impartial adjustment of all colonial claims 6. Evacuation of all russia territory and allowing its to politically develop in acc with her own national policy 7. Evacuation and restoration of Belgium 8. Same for france and return of alsace and Lorraine to it. 9. Readjustment of italian frontiers along clear line of nationality 10. Freest opportunity of autonomous devt for people of austria-hungary 11. Evacuation and restoration of romania,serbia and montenegro and free access to sea for serbia 12. Autonomous devt of the non turkish possessions of the sultan 13. Resurrection of independent polan with access to sea. 14. Formation of a general association of nations for the purpose of affording mutual guarantees of pol independence and territorial integrity to small n great alike. These were accepted but not followed by the european nations of the peace conference and were later rejected by the american senate after woodrow wilson lost his popularity and presented them befre the senate. Paris peace conference Fightin in WW1 ended with complete surrender of germany in nov,1918. Representatives of allied and associated powers assembled at paris on 18 jan 1919 to draw a new map of europe and the world. Selection of paris as venue unfortunate decision. It was done to take revenge from germany for the french humiliation at the hall of mirrors in versailles aftr the french defeat in the franco-prussian war. The conference was a victors club as none of the leaders of the defeated countries attended it as they were allowed no say in the conference. The conference was dominated by 4 leaders- woodrow wilson, PM lloyd george of britain, PM of france george celemnceau, italian PM vittorio orlando. It was at this conference that the treaty of Versailles was signed, officially ending WW1 on 28th july 1919. Provisions of treaty of versailles 1. Territorial provisions territorial changes in respect of germany. †¢alsace and lorraine returned to france †¢eupene,malmady and mernet given to belgium east germany given to posen †¢ Parts of west prussia and silesia to poland. Poland given access to to sea at the cost of german by way of corridor in west prussia. †¢port memel and hinterland taken away but fate undecided. Later given to lithuania. †¢coal mining area of saar demanded by france by nt given to france. Only under temporary control of france. Aftr 15 years- plebiscite conducted whether saar wants to go to germany, france or remain with league of nations †¢ Ausrtia-hungary broken up into small states. New austria small ger speaking landlocked state. Due to fears of france, germany and austria prevented from uniting without permission of league of nations of which france was permanent member. †¢small german territory also given to czechoslovakia. †¢germany also lost all colonies which were taken up by other powers of league of nations. 2. Economic provisions of reparation. †¢War indemnity cudnt be imposed on germany because a)cost of war borne by allies impossible to return for germany b)woodrow wilson against war indemnity since war cost werent only borne by allies but also by defeated powers. so allies demanded compensation for indiscriminate bombing and loss of lives at the hands of germany †¢no payable amount was fixed. A reparation commission set up to determine the extent of civilian losses keeping in mind germanys capacity to pay back. †¢germany was to gives horses and cattle to france n belgium and coal to france,belgium n italy. It was to surrender it submarine telegraph cables to allies and surr ender all merchant ships more than 1600 tonnes. †¢default on part of germany was punishable by allies †¢customs union between Luxembourg and germany abolished to end german control over luxembourg economy. repartion commission submitted its report in april 1921 and total amount payable by germany was 6,600,000,000 pounds. †¢germany ws to giv trade facilities of certain commodities to allies. Acces to sea to Czechoslovakia and Switzerland. †¢german rivers and canal internationalised. 3. Disarmament †¢principle of reduction of arms incorporated in covenant of league. But it was not followed by allied powers. There were severe disarmament provisions for germany that made her a military cripple †¢army limited to 100,000 troops and 4000 officers. Recruitment only voluntarily. †¢navy limited to 6 battle ships,6 light cruisers,12 destroyers and 12 torpedo boats. No submarines. Strength of navy only 15000 men and 1500 officers. War ships in excess were to be dismantled. †¢debarred from having an air force and naval aircrafts. †¢german general staff abolished. Allied control commission set up to supervise enforce of these clauses. Set up ws to be funded by germany again. 4. War and guilt crimes †¢germany declared solely responsible for war by article 231 of treaty. german emporer kaiser william II was found guilty of violation of treaties and international law. He sought asylum in netherlands who refused to hand him over to allies for a trial. †¢german people could never accept that their country alone was responsible for the war. 5. Provisions regarding international organisation †¢1st part of treaty provided for the establishment of a world organisation to be known as league of nations. †¢ Its constitution,called covenant, was adopted at the paris conference and included all peace treaties. It was to consist of an assembly,council and secretariat. †¢ A permanent court of international justice and international labour organisation was to be set up. †¢ These bodies were meant to maintain peace,settle international disputes peacefully,punish countries who may break the covenant and improve social and economic life all over the world. The guarantees of the enforcement of the treat were written in part XIV according to which until successful execution of the treaty the entire Rhineland(west of rhine with bridgeheads) would be occupied by allied powers. Germany was ultimately reduced from a world power to an insignificant small power. She was forced to give up monarchy and accept democracy which was something the country wasnt prepared for. The treaty was so humiliating that the german had sworn revenge for it. The seeds for WW2 had been sown. Hitler later exploited this situation and imposed dictatorship in 1933 and began rearmament under the excuse that the allies had not reduced their armaments. This led to another arms race,violation of the treaty and eventually culminated in the second world war. Other treaties †¢treaty of st. ermain with austria on the model of treaty of versailles with excpetion of the reparation clause. †¢treaty of neuilly with bulgaria †¢treaty of tianon with hungary †¢treaties of sevres and luasanne with defeated turkey to separate its constituents and reduce military capacity and pay reparation Fall of Ottoman empire Its fall during the war created many newly independent middle eastern nation states which were quickly taken over by britain france etc. Economic depression The end of the war also caused a temporary economic bubble which soon popped and led to the great depression.

Globalisation, power and the global order Essay

Globalisation, power and the global order - Essay Example In return, this is creating a change in opportunities and challenges among different national orders, specifically because of the shift in power that is occurring in the 21st century. The definition of power is one that has been debated because of changes in political involvement and social alterations. However, the definition is known to directly relate to human social life and structure as well as natural components that are able to assist in the building of leadership and power systems. According to the standard theory, the concept of power is defined as an influence that a person, society or system has over others. The influence that is created is based on the number of resources that are a part of society as well as how these are valued or desired by others. More important, power creates a sense of group identity, social organization and dependencies that are a result of an individual who has this power. For one to hold power through organizations that create dependencies is also the need to influence and motivate others to create a belief that the resources are needed by others. In turn, this creates a sense of power over a component of society while making the resource a standard for others (Turner, 1, 2005). The concept of power in the contemporary period expands on the process of gaining power through resources and the structures which are associated with this. In the past, this concept of power was based on isolation, exclusiveness to other societies and boundaries which were associated with other identities. However, the global and domestic politics are now changing into new dynamics that are creating a power struggle and sense of dynamics between national and international spheres. The new source of power is one which is reliant on a meta – power, which provides an international space and an open realm that is based on economy, politics and resource sharing between

Geography Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 11

Geography - Essay Example If only we were living in an ideal world, we could solve all our problems. But given that we don’t, we cannot solve all of them due to the fact that resources are scarce, limited and competitive among the various priority choices of which problem to solve first (Bradshaw, Dymond and George). There are several challenges in the world that make us vulnerable to these problems. Some of these are; climate change, communicable diseases, conflicts, education, financial instability, corruption and governance, malnutrition and hunger, population and migration, sanitation and water, subsidies and trade barriers among others. Solutions are also so many and we cannot be able to spend on all of them, that is why we again need to list some of the top priorities which we can work with. This is what I can do better as a UN economist since economists make priorities. Solutions to mitigate big problems like global warming, migration, communicable diseases are rated very expensive yet what we need to do is very little therefore such solutions will come at the bottom of my list. We can instead spend half of this money to solve some basic problems in the world which include giving clean drinking water, good sanitation, basic health care and education to every being on the globe which cost so little. Coming to the top of the list, the problem I can prioritize fourth is the issue of malaria control where mosquito nets and effective medication can reduce the incidence of malaria by half and about $13 billion can be used to do this which will bring four times the benefits more than this cost. This will enable save billions of lives that will be able to deal with other problems and in the long run, deal even with global warming. Third best is free trade by cutting subsidies in the US and Europe where the aggregate benefit of this would be $2,400 billion a year to the global economy. The second best thing is to focus on malnutrition. This is by dealing with

Assess the extent to which governments shape the global oil economy Essay

Assess the extent to which governments shape the global oil economy. In your analysis, consider the respective roles of nature, industrial structure and war - Essay Example y by oil prices, since it is the major economic activities in such countries factors such as political corruption, foreign debt, militarization, and power intervention are problems that this countries experience. Energy is a key driver of growth and industrialization in this century. The current global economy relies heavily on oil as a form of energy, manufacturing, transport and other key industry depend on oil either directly or indirectly. Some of the household goods as well as cooking gas is as a result of oil, hence, the global population depends heavily on oil. Due to this reasons oil prices have been reported to be very volatile, and this has affected both developed and developing nations. Fluctuations of oil prices shift political balances around the globe. When the oil prices are high the exporters tend to gain power, but face severe challenges when the prices drops (Bridge and Le billion, 2012). The need to control sources of oil has historically made many countries to go to war. For instance, the US paced an oil embargo over Japan, which obstructed 80 percent of its oil supply. This then prompted Japan to join World War II with the embargo being one of their key motivator. Oil industry is a continuous process that involves extraction of oil from the earth. There are two levels in this industry structure, upstream and downstream. Upstream comprises activities such as explorations, looking for oil bearing lands, construction of gas separators and oil well infrastructure. Downstream comprises of activities such as transportation that is sometimes done through pipelines, railroads and tankers; refining, which is the process of converting crude oil to usable products such as gasoline and fuel oil; and finally marketing that is done by setting up petrol stations. This industry is capital intensive despite using sophisticated technology in present times (Bridge and Le billion, 2012). Everything from production requires large amount of capitals and this has

Is American dream dead If so should we do anything about it Essay

Is American dream dead If so should we do anything about it - Essay Example However, there are those people who believe that the American dream is dead, while others argue that the American dream is very much alive. Although none is said to be true or false, certain issues happening in the American society contradicts each other. This is the main reason for the divergent views in this motion. Initially, the American dream was concerned about creating opportunities for all Americans, opportunities that did not take into accounts either the race or nationality of people. According to the virtues of the American dream, all Americans deserve equal opportunities before the law. The idea criminalized any form of discrimination against any person due to his colour, race, religion, language, social class or nationality. Every person is entitled to equal opportunities such as job opportunities, enjoyment of rights and enjoyment of people’s freedom. The rate of unemployment in America stands at 7.60 per cent as at June of 2013 while the underemployed rate is at 14.3%. This shows that some of the Americans miss job opportunities due to different reasons. Additionally, people should have an opportunity to share in the national resources and enjoy their privileges. However, this is not the reality on the ground. Most people miss out opportunities due to their colour, race, ethnicity, language and physical looks. Since many people do not have equal opportunities, this has killed the American dream. A number of factors contributing to inequality among the American people are the main reason why the American dream is dead. Inequality, cited as the main pillar of the American dream is highly disregarded. While all Americans are supposed to pay taxes, some enjoy the rare privilege of not paying taxes. Others receive tax deductions that exempt them from paying heavy taxes. Bending of the law through various amendments now allows some people to enjoy more tax reliefs than others. Some even device crooked means of avoiding taxes. Approximately, 46.6 % of Americans do not pay income tax. Moreover, there is a huge wage gap between the rich and the poor people in the society. Approximately16 per cent of the Americans live in poverty, while 20% of the children live in abject poverty. While the rich are entitled to high salaries, the poor are poorly paid. This results in a class difference between the Americans, the rich get richer and the poor remains poorer. Payment of wages need be equal, holding all other factors constant such as level of education, experience, the type of job and the hardships encountered in the work place. Sex should not determine the amount of income that a person should receive. However, in many instances men when compared to women earn higher wages despite the fact that they hold similar positions at work. On the other hand, the American dream is still alive. Despite the cited cases of inequality, the dream is still alive among the Americans. With the high hopes and faith that we have in this dream, various people point out on the need to amend the law to make all people equal. Human rights groups and welfare organizations point out on the need to subject all Americans to a similar tax level. Other humanitarian groups such as the feminists point out that man and women require a similar pay package for similar kinds of tasks handled. Little can however be done about this problem. Despite these cases however, the dream is

Four Important Business Concepts that are Shaping Today and 20 Years Essay

Four Important Business Concepts that are Shaping Today and 20 Years from Now - Essay Example It also enables to develop the transportation system, to lower the trading costs and a reliable medium for exchange can be created for increasing the gains from trade. So, it can be stated that the early growth of government is associated with increase in the levels of income and increase in positive growths. (Saxton, 1998) It is very important to understand that failure can be observed in a free market at different time periods and it should have the ability to correct itself. The method of correction should be eliminating the less performing investments and businesses which dragged the market down. But the US lost their belief in the natural correction mechanism of free market at the time of financial crisis and started to correct the market by artificial measures. The existence of SEC or Securities and Exchange Commission alone gives an indication that the US economy is not a free market. Following the market crash of 1929 the Federal government took steps for preventing the fraud corporations from performing audits of these companies. The federal government of US also regulated the market at the end of the 19th century. FDA (Food and Drug Administration) was created to control and regulate the companies those who were not maintaining the purity law. A minimum wage for the nation was also established by forming the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938. All these show that the Federal government of America has a great influence on the market by regulating it, which in turn makes the American market limited in nature and it does not exhibit a pure capitalist system (Clark, n.d.). The above mentioned government regulations are also invariable during the phase of calm and prosperity. But, they tend to crop up during the times of crisis; year 2008 is a good example of a managed economy. In addition, the federal government also intervened during ‘takeover of Mae and Mac’ and the ‘buy in of AIG’. The federal government also formed the CAFE reg ulation as mandate about the fuel consumption issue (Richman, 1988). These things show corporations cannot exercise or regulate the market but government with its authority can regulate market according to their will. So, if government wants to regulate the market there is no scope of rejection about the issue. These clearly indicate the regulatory power of the federal government and also shows American market is still not a purely capitalist market (Clark, n.d.). 2. Labor movement in America played a significant role in history. People came to America as laborers as servants or slaves. Although during the period of revolution the unions were merely a temporary band of people, this helped to set the stage for the modern day unionization of the workers. For these unions laborers enjoy many benefits today. These unions mainly advocated hikes in labor wages and shorter working hours. But the most concerning issue was after achieving the goals, these unions used to disintegrate. America was growing and so was the demand of labor. At that time many inventions and innovations occurred and a transition was also evident in America i.e. change of American society from an agricultural society to an industrial society. This transition was termed as the Industrial Revolution

Pay For Play Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Pay For Play - Essay Example Moreover, the athletes or sportsmen are not given much consideration when it comes to upholding their rights within this situation of labor exchanged virtually for free. When it came to my college, I saw that our college athletes were not given due respect with regard to the reward structure. I have chosen to write about this topic as I have seen college athletes undergo much sacrifice and bring money but not be paid in return. Second reason I chose this topic is because I have been a football player in college and I understand what it means to be able to have spending money to survive during the university experience; a luxury that those not playing sports can readily achieve merely by picking up a part time job while in school. Thus, it is the belief of this author that those college athletes who participate in major money making sports, such as football in the SEC, should be paid. College athletes have developed into un-remunerated and undefined athletic heroes who strive and stru ggle to bring a prestigious fame and earn an overly demarcated reputation for the institute. This has been counted as their performing duty that calls for no justification to be paid financially. However, I strongly believe that the regulations regarding payment of college athletes should be changed because these players bring in too much money and put in too much work for them not to be earning a paycheck. Major sports played at college - Sports have been an integral part of college education and it has always encouraged and inspired students to be more active and contribute to the college heritage. The colleges hold sport events on a regular basis and it has been a way to explore the talent and skill of students from a different dimension. Sports have united and inspired young men to be able and fit to become professional sportsmen. The major sports played at college and university level are football, basketball, baseball and softball. The history of sports at college and universi ty can be traced back a couple of centuries. History of college sports - The history of college sports is thought to originate around 1850s and since then it has evolved to become a major mission in educational campuses across America. It has been regarded as the perfect physical activity and the desire of the young men. The competitive spirit and vigor which are part of college sports hiked the mental and physical pleasure of the students. The college authorities elaborately planned sports activities which motivated the students immensely and sports event on college and national level became a prestigious venture and money making phenomena for college authorities. On the other hand, the students athletes remained thrilled about being college’s selected people and representatives of college on state level. Moreover, the media kept the young athletes in the lime light and the scholarship provided by colleges to them stood as a bonus. Recruiting is a significant phase in colleg e sports. The recruitment process is headed by college coach and large amount of power is vested in him in selecting the college athletes. It has been experienced that the selection procedure of athletes many times is subjected to bias and discriminations. For the recruitment procedure, the athletes are required to do rigorous practice and this takes a lot of energy and time from the

Current business issue reflective paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Current business issue reflective paper - Essay Example Uncertainty is a subjective phenomenon unlike risk whose probabilities are known (Phillip & Patrick, 2013). Bronwynne, et al., 2005 pointed out that uncertainty involves events in which risk cannot be predicted. When one is anticipating some kind of risk, they tend to be cautious. Thus, risk is complicated and rational, but uncertainty is complex and extra rational. In risk, there are knowable options, steps and opportunities, but uncertainty involves a multiple interactive unknowns (Bronwynne, et al., 2005). Uncertainty may relate to profitability, government policies and regulations, investment, demand, cost, pricing and production. Uncertainty in business tends to be an obstacle in decision making. In order to effectively deal with the issue of uncertainty in business, leaders must possess good leadership characteristics. In relation to dealing with uncertainties leaders are classified into three categories; head only- these leaders rely only on analytical tools to make quick deci sions and thus are not able to balance paradoxes in today’s ambiguous world. Heart only- these leaders are able to establish a strategy through being open to a wide range of opinions. This may hinder them from identifying future trends. Guts only- these leaders believe in their instincts. ... It is advisable to prepare for multiple outcomes other than predicting only one outcome. This is of great help to a business because the planned for outcome may fail to happen and instead another one occurs which had been predicted and planned for, this helps the business leader to be always on their toes and ready for any eventualities (McLoughlin & Aaker, 2010). It also saves the business owner the loss of resources in terms of finances and time. Business leaders should have the knowledge to identify and rely on the predictable elements of the situation. Some situations can be predicted, and this could be of great help to the businesses because one is almost sure that a certain eventuality will occurs and hence proper strategies are put in place to deal with such eventualities (Bronwynne, et al., 2005). Therefore in order to be able to identify the predictable element, one should be very alert and understand their business trends fully. If for example the problem is a natural calam ity like flood, one can predict at what time of the year the floods are experienced. In order to effectively deal with uncertainties in business, it is vital to be agile and to respond quickly to any occurrences. Once an undesirable occurrence befalls the business, leaders should be aware, listen and detect occurrences as they happen. They should adopt the ‘detect and respond’ mechanism in order to effectively tackle the problem. They should also empower and mobilize their people to act fast and decisively. However, this requires managerial and leadership skills. For example, if the uncertainty befalls an organization, the manager should be in a position to

The Ethnography of Anthropology Essay Example for Free

The Ethnography of Anthropology Essay As with the study of any anthropological culture, with ethnography there are no set methods for documenting that culture or human societies, but much can be said about the methods of attempting to understand a culture by investigating how, exactly, that culture is unique. This tact can take the form of looking into a society’s housing conditions, how they raise their children, how they are educated, what types of religions they may follow, and even how they might bury their dead. In this, ethnographic studies have virtually taken the form of historical case studies—placing a culture down on paper as if the writer were there and intimately understood the culture. With that said, a look will now be taken into a few of the major ethnographies and the methods of the anthropologists that conduct the research within them. It has been said that a degree in anthropology would not be complete without an understanding of ethnographic research and the art of defining a culture down to its smallest and most fundamental aspects. From that ideal, the study of ethnography branched into an understanding of cultural mores (more than studying how and why people bury their dead), and a look was taken into how a society might communicate (both verbally and nonverbally). For example, if an ethnographer were to study high school students of the twenty-first century, they might notice that the cell phone forms the lifeline of communication among the young in society, and from it, an entirely new language of the â€Å"instant message† was formed—a language that most modern day â€Å"elders† do not comprehend or understand. In this, an ethnographer might note the disconnect between the young and the old in America today. And that, in its most basic form, is the basis for ethnographic research and just one method for employing ethnography to study a culture. Now, a look will now be taken into a few of the anthropologists that were essential for the major ethnographies along with a comparison of their research methods, successes, and failures. To begin with, Annette B. Weiner wrote â€Å"The Trobrianders of Papua New Guinea† as an ethnographic study of the relationships between man and woman and their differing perspectives (and courting rituals) including a somewhat feminist approach on the value of a woman and her work within their society. In 1990, Weiner’s ethnographic work was made into a documentary which focused â€Å"on [unexpected] Trobriand social practices – female exchange, mourning practices, cricket, magic, competition between male chiefs, marriage, Christianity on the island – to provide a picture of modern Trobriand society† (Alexy, 2002, par. 1). When Weiner began her research of the Trobriand culture, she â€Å"had planned to research tourism and local crafts† (par. 2), while instead she found herself drawn into â€Å"explicit and overwhelming female exchange†¦ a ritual mourning ceremony directed by women† (par. 2). In Weiner’s studies, her research also reveals â€Å"other dimensions of Trobriand society beyond these ritual exchanges† (par. 4 ). In this, Weiner’s ethnography goes beyond the traditional mode of one aspect of the culture and instead encompasses a vast amount of the societal mores of the Trobriand. Her failings, if there are any, can be defined by the purely feminine approach to her studies, as even the documentary is filmed from the female perspective, which, ultimately, excludes a great deal of the male perspective and culture from her ethnography. Sharon Graham Davies wrote â€Å"Challenging Gender Norms: Five Genders among the Bugis in Indonesia† as a case study in cultural anthropology to demonstrate the larger value of multiple genders within the society of Sulawesi, on the Indonesian Island versus the two genders that most societies recognize. Essentially, there is the traditional male and female, and then the Bugis also encompass and recognize the androgynous Shaman, and the male and female transgendered (including gay and lesbian) within their society. For their part, the Bugis can be seen as a liberal New York City melting pot of genders, without judgment, and without shame for their chosen paths in life. Davies, in her ethnology, represents a new theory on the ideal of gender and the social mores founded within each, enlightening the subject of challenging traditional gender mores. Further, Davies refers to their gender choices as just that, â€Å"gender negotiations† (Davies, 2001, par. 3) in which both male and female â€Å"to conform to [the] ideals† (par. 3). of most modern societies. More, Davies explained of her work that she refers to â€Å"hir and s/he to challenge readers to [imagine] a subjectivity beyond the dichotomous her/his, she/he. The use of hir further signifies the possibility of a third gender not contingent on crossing from one normative gender to the other. Moreover, neither the Indonesian nor Bugis languages discriminate between gender† (Davies, 2001, endnotes). In this effort, Davies is attempting to define, categorically, the gender difference and non-discrimination that the Indonesian people show. As a gender/sexuality ethnologist, Davies’ research methods seem to comprise the study of the hierarchy within the society and the impact and effect of a chosen gender. Her fundamental stance included the major roles and duties of women, especially, and she defines how â€Å"the hierarchical order of a woman’s duties shows that only after a woman has married and produced children is it her duty to be a member of society. Indeed women may not be considered adults until they have married heterosexually† (Davies, 2001, par. 13). In this, perhaps, the failings of Davies, like Annette Weiner, can be blamed upon her feminist approach to her ethnology of the Bugis and their gender relationships. While her research does encompass the duties and roles of men as well, her main focus is upon the objectification of women and the shocking hierarchal implications (indeed there is some judgment, even in within the Bugis) of their chosen gender identities. Colin M. Turnbull wrote â€Å"The Mbuti Pygmies: Change and Adaptation† as a case study in cultural anthropology of the Mbuti pygmy hunter/gatherers of Zaire. His ethnology focuses on the social organization and environmental tasks and objectives of the pygmies in correlation to their relationship with their non-hunter/gatherer neighboring villages. Turnbull’s work is purely a historical outline of the location and social structure of the Mbuti pygmies in which he notes their settlement location, languages, hunting party structures, and hunting party jobs, like archer, spearman, etc (Martin, n. d. , par. 2). Turnbull discovered that â€Å"only political identity they have is in opposition to the village cultivators† (Martin, n. d. , par. 4) and the â€Å"relationship between the Mbuti and the villagers is maintained on several different levels, centering around trade† (par. 9). In this, Turnbull’s ethnography is highly focused upon one essential aspect of the Mbuti tribes. He does not go any deeper into their culture than trade and hunting, and little is mentioned about social relationships of women within the tribe itself. Indeed, like other ethnographers, Turnbull’s focused approach could be seen as a failing in that there is obviously much more to the Mbuti tribe than their hunting techniques and trade relationships. However, while there must be much more required to understand the Mbuti culture and people, Turnbull’s anthropological research shows, as a case study, and important and driving aspect of the culture. Evon Z. Vogt wrote â€Å"The Zinacantecos of Mexico: A Modern Maya Way of Life† as an ethnographic case study on the life, rituals, economics, and reproduction in Zinacantan. The main focus of his ethnography, however, is the Zinacanteco belief system and how their beliefs serve as the philosophy for their lives and rituals. Of the ethnographers, Vogt is one of the few to spend time in his documentary to relate his various field work methods and explanations. More, Vogt goes deeper into the Zinacantan society, remarking on the food that they eat and the clothing that they wear explaining that â€Å"virtually all women know how to weave the full range of clothing in the normal Zinacanteco costume; but a few items, like ceremonial clothing and the intricate blouses presented to godchildren, are often produced by specialists within the community† (Cancian, 1972, 14). Indeed, Vogt provides an incredibly detailed account of the Zinacanteco way of life, surveying it as closely and as in-depth as if he had lived within the culture since birth. In this, Vogt’s account seems personal and literally every aspect of the society and culture seems accounted for. While he spends a great deal of his ethnographic survey on the belief system, it can be seen from his studies that the religious ways and methods are the driving force for the Zinacanteco and that the most important aspect has been thoroughly covered. Finally, William F. Wormsley wrote â€Å"The White Man will Eat You! An Anthropologist among the Imbonggu of New Guinea† as a case study into the cultural and social structure of the Imbonggu’s, which includes such aspects as leadership, marital obligations, and even magic and religion. Wormsley is the most unique of the major ethnographers because he spends time focusing on the truth of documenting a tribe, and the reactions, emotions, and ideals of the anthropologist himself while attempting such an ethnographic study. Mostly, Wormsley’s work stands out among the rest because of his personal immersion in the culture and society. While the other ethnographers, especially Annette Weiner, documented their studies with a point of view, their attempts were to show the cultures and societies without much interaction, to show the society in its cultural bubble without outside influences and distractions. While Wormsley doesn’t impede the culture he is studying by inserting himself into the historical commentary, his immersion impacts a reader into understanding the trials and tribulations from the ethnographer’s point of view, and that makes for a unique and interesting read. Overall, William F. Wormsley, Evon Z. Vogt, Colin M. Turnbull, Sharon Graham Davies, and Annette B. Weiner are among the foremost ethnographers in the study of cultural and sexual anthropology. While their research has proven to be limited in the nature of what they encompass, all highlight the fields within their chosen cultures that they intended. And of them, Wormsley stands out as the ethnographer most immersed in his ethnographic study as he detailed the life and means of his own documentary. References. Alexy, A. (2002). Viewing notes for â€Å"The Trobriand Islanders of Papua New Guinea. † Accessed July 17, 2009 http://classes. yale. edu/03-04/anth500b/viewing_notes/VN_Trobriand-Islanders. htm Cancian, F. (1972). Change and Uncertainty in a Peasant Economy: The Maya Corn Farmers of Zinacantan. Stanford, CA: Stanford UP. Davies, S. G. (2001). Negotiating gender: Calalai’ in Bugis society. Intersections: Gender, History, and Culture in Asian Context 6, Accessed 17 July 2009 http://intersections. anu. edu. au/issue6/graham. html Davies, S. G. (2006). Challenging gender norms: five genders among Bugis in Indonesia. Florence, KY: Wadsworth Publishing. Martin, M. M. (n. d. ). Society: Pygmies, Mbuti. Accessed July 14 2009 http://lucy. ukc. ac. uk/EthnoAtlas/Hmar/Cult_dir/Culture. 7865 Turnbull, C. M. (1983). The Mbuti Pygmies: Change and Adaptation. Orlando, FL: Harcourt Brace College Publishers. Vogt, E. Z. (1990). The Zinacantecos of Mexico: A Modern Maya Way of Life. Orlando, FL: Harcourt Brace College Publishers. Weiner, A. B. (1988). The Trobrianders of Papua New Guinea. New York: New York UP. Wormsley, W. E. (2002). The White Man will Eat You! An Anthropologist among the Imbonggu of New Guinea. Florence, KY: Wadsworth Publishing Co.

Public Relations Essay Example for Free

Public Relations Essay Public relations (known often as just PR) can be and is defined in a multitude of ways. A commonly heard statement in terms of public relations is ‘there is no such thing as bad press. ’ And while that statement may be true, in some cases to much PR can create a situation where a person/company becomes overexposed (and to be quite honest, seen as annoying because the public no longer cares to know about the person/company/situation but the media still is following. ) Media around the world reports the news but not just political, sports, and the like but things they feel will keep the population interested in their programming, magazines, and newspapers. In order for the media to succeed they will follow stories (the good and the bad) as long as the public is interested, when disaster strikes (a person, company, or government) they will be there and so will the public. In order for the person, company, or government to stay on the positive side of the public (of which they may need their support), the affected person/group must use the unwanted media coverage (in some cases, not in others) to their advantage. Edward Bernays (1961) felt public relations was, â€Å"†¦ information given to the public, persuasion directed at the public to modify attitudes and actions, and efforts to integrate attitudes and actions of an institution with its publics and publics with those of that institution. The Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) (a group on individuals whose daily work focuses on the success of public relations) does not have an exact definition of public relations but instead a statement, â€Å"Public relations helps an organization and its publics adapt mutually to each other. (2007). One final definition of public relations is, â€Å"The art or science of establishing and promoting a favorable relationship with the public. †(Free dictionary, 2007). Comparison and Contrast Each person/group’s view of public relations’ definition have similarities as well as differences. In all instances both the groups affected by the publicity and the public are affected. The public in general can and will affect any business or person and the affect can be completely based on the information the public receives from the media outlets. The advantage seems to be in the hands of the public but some can say the advantage also lies in the hands of the person/company because no matter how bad a situation may first present itself their relationship with the public (whether pre-existing, on-going (in most cases), or new) can turn the possible problem around (i. e. turning a negative into a positive). The Public Relations Society of America seems to have the most well balanced definition (while no one can find a right or wrong answer in the area of public relations) because the PRSA defines PR as a give and take situation so that they remain balanced with one another. Mr. Bernays definition comes across as how companies/people must spin (turn around) the news in order to make any information seen as a positive in the public eye. Why so many definitions? In an area the business world that is held to so many different interpretations it is not a wonder as to why there are so many definitions to public relations. Marketing ties in advertising and the media which creates the public relations but that is only a fraction of what establishes public relations. The most important thing to remember in public relations is that most of the media attention (in fact, almost all of it) is not wanted attention (ie solicited) but awareness that was brought to light for no gain for the person or company. The person/company must then decide how to proceed in the eye of the public (ie public relations) and keep themselves in a positive light. References: Bernays E. L. , Crystallizing Public Opinions, Liveright, New York 1961 Free Dictionary. Retrieved on May 12, 2007 from http://www. thefreedictionary. com/public+relations Public Relations Society of America. Retrieved on May 12, 2007 from www. prsa. org

Foucaults Analysis Of Power

Foucaults Analysis Of Power For Foucault, knowledge ceases to be about liberation and becomes a mode of surveillance, regulation and discipline. Examine this statement in relation to Foucaults analysis of power. The issue of power is a topic which has perplexed not only many Sociologists, but certainly many scholars within the field of Philosophy, Psychology and indeed many others. The Sociologist most noted with this theory is Michel Foucault. Foucault gave a comprehensive and in depth analysis of power, which we will discuss later. However, before we do, we must look at the life of Foucault, as to gain a better understanding of his works. Paul-Michel Foucault, a French Philosopher, Historian and Sociologist lived from October 1926- June 1984. He held the title History of Systems of thought at the notably prestigious College de France, as well as lecturing at the University of Buffalo and the University of Berkley, one of Americas most famous institutions. He refused time and time again to call himself a post-modernist, although he was highly influenced by post-modernist thought. He is most publically recognised for his critical studies of Social Institutions, with particular emphasis on medicine, psychiatry and the human sciences. His work on Power, Knowledge and Discourse has become the topic of much discussion, and has been taken up by many other key thinkers. During the 1960s, Foucault was associated with the structural movement, however he tried to distance himself from this. He preferred to think of himself as a pupil forwarding the Enlightenment views of Kant, trying to show that a side about individual liberty could be applied to improve the Enlightenment theory. According to Giddens, The study of power- how individuals and groups achieve their ends as against those of others- is of fundamental importance in Sociology. Classical thinkers, such as Karl Marx and Max Weber, placed importance on this theory, with Foucault building upon their foundations of theory. Unlike many before him, Foucault saw power as not being concentrated in the hands of the few in one place. Foucault showed in his complex writings that power could be found in all social relationships and not just in the hands of States. However, much of his work is spent showing the ways in which the States exercise their power over the populations. For Foucault, power is ultimately linked with knowledge; they exist because of one another. Therefore, the States power then extends from the development of new types of Knowledge. With the emergence of these, society is able to collect more information about the population and thus control it better. Power, however, whilst restricting people, can also enable them to do things. Power can also only operate if society has a certain amount of freedom, as society tries to restrict, people often try, and succeed, in slipping from its grasp. Foucaults early work on Madness and Civilisation (1967) described how, by the Eighteenth Century, unemployment, poverty and madness started to be seen as social problems by the States. Before this, the mad were free from state intervention, and were allowed to wander as they liked in rural areas; or they were put to sea in ships of fools. However, these became replaced with areas of confinement, such as madhouses, where they became isolated and separated from the rest of civilisation. According to Foucault, this was due to the European culture with a sense of responsibility for these social problems. A duty of responsibility was formed for the mad. However, by the 19th Century, these methods of separating groups was seen as being a mistake. New methods were developed to separate the different groups. Psychiatry began to take off, and became a new means by which to categorise people, for example, as being mad or suffering from some form of illness. As this happened, the discourse of the social sciences came to be involved in power relationships. Maden Sarup (1988) argued that the term discourse as used by Foucault, meant practices that systematically form the object of which they speak. According to this then, the development of psychiatric theories created mental illness. It was a discourse used to control certain groups within the population. This technique became crucial in the States gradual development of administration. The term administration allowed monitoring and possible control over people and their behaviour. However, according to Foucault, it was not just a straight forward power held by the state. Rather, it allowe d power relationships on an individual level, for example, between a psychiatrist and a patient. In Foucaults later work, Discipline and Punish (1975), he explored these themes in much more depth. Foucault begins with a very gruesome account of the public execution of Damiens in Paris, 1757. He was, in todays terms, tortured. However, Foucault makes the point that by the late 18th Century the use of public punishment began to dwindle. Punishment became private, rather than public, with the use of better, more efficient methods, for example, hanging. This also saw the implementation of more prison sentences. They obey a strict regime of work, sleep and education. According to Foucault, these changes involved a shift in the practices of punishment. Before the use of prisons, the main focus of punishment was on the pain inflicted to the body. However, the use of prisons focused on punishing the soul. It was to do with a loss of rights now, for example the right to freedom. The almost guarantee of being caught was meant to deter people, rather than the fear of public humiliation whi ch thus had failed. This new method was intended to offer reformation rather than to make the offender suffer. There was, as Foucault made clear no absolute shift in punishment methods, as capital punishment was, as is, still practiced. However, there was a definite shift to the latter method from the former. A change in what exactly was being judged also occurred. Before, it was the act being judged, whereas now it was the type of person they were. Extenuating circumstances were now taken into account. The level of punishment now focused on the motivation behind the crime. As Foucault stated, The question is no longer has the act been established and is it punishable? But also: What is this act, what is this act of violence or this murder? To what level or what field of reality does it belong? These questions could only be answered by a range of specialists, for example, psychiatrists and psychologists. Control became fragmented in this specialist knowledge. Foucault claims A corpus of knowledge, techn iques, and scientific discourses is formed and becomes entangled with the practice of the power to punish. Even as the state developed methods to control people, it gave power to the experts who had the knowledge, thus again proving the link between knowledge and power. However, with the exercise of power and knowledge relationships, Foucault makes the important point that they are not entirely negative. There also exist positive responses to them. It can allow certain things to be achieved. The example Foucault uses is the motivation of workers to become better and improve the labour power that societies may require. Moreover, power is not something possessed by individuals, power is exercised rather than possessed. Also, power can only be used when people have a choice about what to do; and Foucault makes the point that there are extremely few occasions when people will have no choice. Someone would be able to resist by possibly committing suicide, or killing the other, (Foucault 1988). Therefore, it is always possible to resist those exercising power, the result, however, produces an element of uncertainty. Power has the ability to be reversed. He argues à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦the fact that I am older and that at first you were intimidated can, in the co urse of the conversation, turn about and it is I who can become intimidated before someone, precisely because he is younger, (Hindess, 1996). In his work on discipline, Foucault again states that power and knowledge are inseparable, We should admit that power produces knowledgeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ that power and knowledge directly imply one another; that there is now power relation without correlative constitutions of a field of knowledge, now any knowledge that does not presuppose and constitute at the same time power relations. Thus, it becomes possible to resist the exertion of power by challenging the knowledge on which it was based. For example, a patient may question a doctors diagnosis, thus challenging the knowledge and overcoming the power of the doctors expertise. Because each implies the other, power relationships can be seen in all aspects of society. They are not just seen between State and citizen relations, or between classes. Therefore, for Foucault, Marxism is too limited as it only focuses on the power relationships between classes. As the same, Pluralism only focuses on state exerted power. They are inadequat e as they are too narrow, and fail to look at the everyday interactions of people and the commonly used discourses involved therein. Foucault does not believe that power and knowledge is not exercised by the state alone; however that does not imply that he feels they are absent from the state either. Attempts are continually made by Governments and other bodies to control and manipulate behaviours. Sophisticated techniques can be developed to do this, although they are never entirely successful. In his text, Foucault enters into extreme detail about the ways in which states oversee activities involving power and knowledge. He discussed the English philosopher Jeremy Benthams prison design, the Panopticon. It was never fully used, although pieces of the design were incorporated into prison construction. The main feature of this design was a central tower. It allowed the guards to see into any cell at any given time. Back lighting would mean they could observe without the prisoners knowledge; thus forcing them to never misbehave, as they would never know if a guard was looking at them. They would have discipline enforced upon them. For Foucault, discipline was an important feature for modern societies. Surveillance techniques, such as Closed Circuit Television, or CCTV, were used to observe peoples behaviour in public places, thus encouraging a strong regime of self-discipline. People then began to grow accustomed to control their actions, whether being observed or not, the fear was enough. Discipline therefore gives people the power to regulate their own behaviour. This is based on Foucaults notion that we all have a soul, and this can be manipulated. However, what Foucault calls a soul being manipulated, some may argue that it is, in fact, a psychological technique, thus taking the power away from the state and back to the expert psychologist. This notion is more effective, however, than simply inflicting pain. You do not punish the body; rather you produce docile bodies which pose no threat as they are self-disciplined. Discipline plays an important in Governance, however it is also found in many other organisations, and is never truly successful. According to Hindess (1996), the suggestion is, then, that we live in a world of disciplinary projects, all of which suffer from more or less successful attempts at resistance and evasion. The result is a disciplinary, but hardly disciplined society. For Foucault, government goes beyond the activities of state. The pupil who misbehaves or the patient who denies the diagnosis are as much a feature of modern societies as the docile body of a disciplined citizen. In conclusion, Foucaults work provides significant insight into the nature of power. He succeeds in showing how power and knowledge are connected closely. He also shows how power is found in other social relationships other than what involves the government, and demonstrates how power is never likely to be absolute. Furthermore, he successfully shows how people will try to evade any exertion of power onto them. His work is much more subtly done than the theory of some Marxists and Pluralists. However, it can be said that he fails to take into account the importance of some of these theories in relation to power. He neglects the view that power can be exercised in the field of economics, and also neglects the power that the military can exercise. Moreover, Foucault at times seems to contradict himself. He claims that the Governments have an increased ability to surveil and regulate the citizens. However, he then says that power can be exercised when we have some freedom, and that resistance is impossible. These statements would seem to be at opposite ends of the pole. Furthermore, Foucaults definition is much different than that of, for example, the sociologist Max Weber, who asserts that power is exercised because we do not have freedom to act as we chose to do rather than as we are told to do. However, Foucault does certainly offer an alternative idea which is provocative in the field of research. He uses a very intriguing analysis of how States develop techniques of social control.

Business Monopolies :: essays research papers

Business Monopolies This world is made up of many businesses and businessman. Some have prospered and some have lost everything. The term â€Å"monopoly† was the cause for the rise and fall. Very select few have managed to dominate a product or company to form a monopoly. Unfortunately, the government prohibits these types of businesses, yet people still continue to strive to achieve such stature. Two of the truest powerhouses of the past 300 years in the business world would most definitely be William Henry Gates 3rd and John Davison Rockefeller. Both of these business geniuses have unique stories about their rise to the top. They also share there experiences on how quickly they can fall and lose everything. William Gates was born on October 28, 1955. His family had a history of being great in business and politics. His father was a prominent lawyer and his grandfather a president of a bank. Bill was a naturally gifted child who excelled in every course. His parents decided to send him to a private school, which had an enormous effect on him. It was here where he was introduced to the computers. While attending this private school, he met Paul Allen. Allen, Gates, and a few other kids, started using computers to write programs but decided that they needed some way to practically use the machine in the real world. They got their first chance when Paul happened to see a magazine with a picture of a personal computer. He told Gates, who at the time was attending at Harvard. They both decided to call the company and tell them that they had written an operating system for the computer. This, however, was a lie because they did not even own one of these machines. They had one chance to test the program and it worked perfectly. Gates then dropped out of Harvard and he and Allen started a new company called Microsoft. In 1980, the two were approached about programming a program for a personal PC. This was the start of Ms-Dos. In 1987, he started pushing CD-ROMs, which turned out to be a good idea. The 1990s were crazy years for Microsoft. The company became a big time player and got bigger and bigger. As Microsoft became a larger and more powerful company, they became able to use Predatory pricing to their advantage. That meant that they were able to cut their price so low no one could compete.

the frog princess :: essays research papers

â€Å"The Frog Princess†Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  2/6/05 This book is about a princess named Emma who is clumsy always trips over herself and when she laughs she sounds like a donkey. She has an aunt Grassina who’s a witch. She goes to a near by swamp and meets a talking frog. The frog claims to be a prince and he wants her to kiss him. But the princess just goes home and tells nobody, what she found. Feeling bad she goes back to the swamp and decides to kiss the frog to see if he really is a prince. And he said that if she would kiss him that he would turn back into a prince. When she sees the frog again she kisses him. To her surprise it does the opposite of what the frog told her it would and it turns her into a frog. After she realizes that something was wrong Eadric the prince frog teaches her how to live. He teaches her how to eat flies and other important things that frogs must do to stay alive. After a few days they go to find the witch that turned the prince into a frog in the first place. On their scary journey through the swamp they find a witch not however the one they were looking for. The witch brought them home and locked them up. Again having to find the way out and free themselves. They found a way out and let out the other creatures that the witch had caged up. Then they went back on their journey. They go to Emma’s aunts castle and find her aunt and tell her the story of what happened.Then they all make a plan to find a charmed braclet that Emma had lost by the swamp the day she had turned into a frog. Hoping it would help them turn back into human, they find the otter that took it and make up a scam telling him that Emma was a swamp fairy wanting her bracelet back. She gets it back and before they start to leave they run into the real swamp fairy who is mad at them for imitating her.

Failure of the Legal System in Atonement, Wonder Boys and The Round Hou

The code of Hammurabi, dating back to 1772 BC, is one of the oldest recorded legal codes and reflects the early Babylonians’ views of justice. The code is best known for â€Å"an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.† By enumerating punishments for certain crimes the code removes ambiguity and combined with its relatively harsh penalties, especially on lower class citizens, served as an effective deterrent. More profoundly however, Hammurabi’s code formally shifted justice-seeking responsibilities from the individual to the state. Today, most modern legal systems are structured similarly to Hammurabi’s code with their own codified laws and listed punishments. Capital punishment and the idea that â€Å"the punishment should fit he crime† are derivatives from the ancient text that are widespread in the world today. Hammurabi’s code however was not without fault. Pervasive throughout the archetype of modern law are inequitable punishments determined by one’s social standing. For example, the 8th law of Hammurabi’s code states, â€Å"If any one steel cattle or sheep, or an ass, or a pig or a goat, if it belong to a god or to the court, the thief shall pay thirtyfold therefore; if they belonged to a freed man of the king he shall pay tenfold; if the thief has nothing with which to pay he shall be put to death† (King). Both the social standing of the violator and the victim of the crime played a large role in determining what the penalty would be. Today, our view of justice has ostensibly metamorphosed, to the extent that most people today would recognize that the 8th law from Hammurabi’s code was prejudiced and wrong. Although some may wish to remove themselves from such an unjust system, the reality is that we are not far from it. The mode... ...sity, n.d. Web. 10 Dec. 2013. . Lee, Jaeah, and Brett Bownell. "Charts: Why You're in Deep Trouble If You Can't Afford a Lawyer." Mother Jones. Mother Jones, 1 July 2013. Web. 10 Dec. 2013. . McEwan, Ian. Atonement: A Novel. New York: N.A. Talese/Doubleday, 2002. Print. Stevenson, Bryan. "We Need to Talk about an Injustice." TED: Ideas worth Spreading. TED Talks, Mar. 2012. Web. 10 Dec. 2013. Wright, Paul. "Prison Legal News - Legal Articles, Cases and Court Decisions." Prison Legal News. Prison Legal News, n.d. Web. 10 Dec. 2013. .

Bangladesh Automated Cheque Processing System (Bacps)

Bangladesh Bank Head Office, Dhaka Payment Systems Division PSD Circular No. 02/2009 Managing Director/Chief Executive Officers All scheduled banks in Bangladesh Date : 4 Falgun 1415 February 16, 2009 Dear Sir, Bangladesh Automated Cheque Processing System (BACPS) at the expanded Dhaka Clearing Region. You are aware that Bangladesh Bank has been working to modernize the country’s payment system. The most visible step towards modernizing payment system is the establishment of the Bangladesh Automated Clearing House (BACH). Bangladesh Automated Cheque Processing System (BACPS) is one of two components of BACH. The other component of BACH is the Bangladesh Electronic Funds Transfer Network (BEFTN), which will be implemented immediately after implementing first phase of BACPS. Selected vendor has already started procuring necessary hardware and software for the BACPS solution. Detailed system specifications and operational configurations are being defined and calculated with a target of going live operation at expanded Dhaka Clearing Region with more than 1050 bank branches of 49 banks in and around the capital city during the second half of 2009. 2. The basic features of BACPS are the adoption of new cheque design standard with a Magnetic Ink Character Recognition (MICR) code line and the exchange of cheque-image and data instead of paper cheques for clearing and settlement purpose. Retention of the original paper cheque will become the responsibility of the presenting bank rather than the paying bank. Banks are required to make arrangement and develop infrastructures to meet the requirements of the new system. Bangladesh Bank will adopt necessary Regulation(s) and issue Operating Rules and Procedures in this regard. Standards of cheques for BACPS have already been circulated and banks have meanwhile been advised to take steps to print uniform standardized cheques with MICR line. Appropriate information to the banks about requirements they must meet to participate in and interface with BACPS are provided below: (i) Point of Truncation: All scheduled banks who are members of the Dhaka Clearing House will be required to submit their list of selected branches and to finalize their â€Å"point of truncation† for submission of their outward cheque images and data to BACPS and be prepared to handle cheque image and data as part of their inward clearing operations. Banks can choose to truncate and process their cheques at individual branch level or at a consolidation point in line with their business needs. However, it must be noted that each bank will have only one Point of Truncation for BACPS. (ii) Scanning Standard: Images must be captured for both the sides (front and back) of each instrument in the format prescribed below: Image Type 01. 02. Front : Black and White Back : Black and White DPI range 200-300 DPI 200-300 DPI Format TIFF TIFF Compression CCITT G4 CCITT G4 3. iii) Software/Integration: All banks will receive images and data, not paper cheques, from the BACPS for all of the items for which they are the paying bank. Therefore, all banks must acquire the capability to accept as well as to send the image files and data from and to the BACPS. However, those banks who will not be able to equip themselves for processing out clearing items electronically within the stipulated time, will be allowed to process their ‘out-clearingsà ¢â‚¬â„¢ by using the Bangladesh Bank’s own facility at Motijheel for a limited time. However, banks availing of ‘out-clearing’ facilities will have to acquire the capability to receive their ‘In-clearing’ items electronically. Once in-clearing data and images are delivered to a bank by BACPS, the subsequent verification and Contd†¦ P/2 -2- processing of that information becomes the responsibility of the respective paying bank. Bangladesh Bank will supply a gateway software module, known as the Participating Bank Module (PBM) which will act as a gateway, amongst other functions, enabling the receipt or transmission of images and transaction data from and to the BACPS. iv) Communication Links: All scheduled banks are required to put in place two secure communication links, one with BACH Headquarter at Motijheel and another with the BACH Disaster Recovery Site (DRS) at Mirpur. The size and scalability of these links will depend on each bank’s mode of operation and daily volumes. It is preferred that banks acquire fibre optic link an d another redundant communication link with BACH at Motijheel and DRS at Mirpur, Dhaka. 4. Participating banks are required to accomplish the following tasks within the time stipulated below : Activity Issuing MICR standard cheques and phasing out non-standard cheques used by customers b. Selection of vendor(s) and submission of plan for installing necessary hardware and software for cheque processing and connectivity with BACH c. Communication links installed between banks and the BACH d. Users’ Acceptance Test (UAT) for each individual bank with BACPS e. BACPS LIVE a. Dead-line 01-03-2009 to 30-05-2009 30-04-2009 31-05-2009 01-06-2009 to 30-07-2009 03-08-2009 5. The purpose of this circular and distribution of functional specifications is to provide an initial understanding about the requirements that must be met by the participating banks. Detailed specifications attached to this circular are: (i) Active Image Clearing System (AICS) Specification containing the format of the files to be exchanged between BACPS and participating banks (Annexure-I) (ii) PBM Specification regarding functionality for gateway software module (Annexure-II) (iii) Network Specification describing standards for the communication links and security devices required for interfacing with the BACH (Annexure-III) All of these Annexures may be provided in soft versions on a CD and also be available at our website. 6. It is, therefore, advised that member banks update their preparations to be in step with the progress of the implementation of the BACH. The BACPS rules and procedures will be forwarded to you in due course. Please acknowledge receipt. ( Chowdhury Mohidul Haque ) Executive Director, Bangladesh Bank and Project Director, RPP Project Tel: 7167988, Fax: 7164233 Email: chowdhury. [email  protected] org. bd

The Role of Climate Change on Our Nation’s Infrastructure System

The Role of clime multifariousness on Our Nations theme SystemIntroduction root plays a critical map in everybodys day-to-day life, plainly close people dont recognize exclusively how extended that help truly is. Whether its going from oneness topographic point to another, utilizing military unit, drink tip attain weewee, or blushing a arse prat helps us populate our lives to the step that we afford become purpose to and throw our economic trunk travel. There atomic number 18 many cyphers that consume to be considered when beat the stream and future res normala of rear wellness. One factor is the resolution of a altering clime, except it is hard to tidal bore plainly how it pull up stakes impact our send away establishment of rules since its hereafter impacts can only when be loosely anticipated. In this composition I empower look into the bit nates plays in the aiding and deterring of clime conversion, the current and future province of ou r rump and how temper modification can impact it, and mathematical solutions by invention in form _or_ corpse of g everyplacenment and swan to serve well minimise the effects. memorial of SupportEver since President Woodrow Wilson gestural the federal official-Aid Road spell in 1916, the reputation and extent of the federal authorities in the edifice, maintaining, and condense of the corporate states surface radical administration has been b pass ranging. The 1916 act launched the Federal-Aid lane Program, every bit good as presenting the States with grants to give ear in the building of roadstead that would be used in beam bringing. The mandate of the National System of interstate highway and Defense thoroughfares and the yeasty activity of the Federal Highway Trust Fund in 1956 marked a dramatic rise of the Federal governments impact in the creative activity of the nations roadways by making the model for a subject r egresse system and a sustain system for roads to be created 1 . The basic construction for federal carry of stern was set up so that federal financess could be al scurvy to the States by under(a)takings submitted for blessing, and so if the programs were approved for the financess they would carry a part of cost, and the remainder of the support is c altogether(prenominal) for by the State and local authoritiess that need the travail completed 2 . Since so most federal support has been granted though extensions of old Acts of the Apostless and the procedure of how attention is given has remained largely unchanged over this clip. A cardinal ground for the years of many cornerstone systems is due to the truculent disbursement on hindquarters that was initialized in the late 1930s through the archaeozoic on 1940s by President Roosevelt, unremarkably referred to as the in the buff Deal Programs, which used braggart(a) sums of federal financess to make the priming coat of many of our roadway and electr ical systems. a lot of the substructure built during this clip has non been endless since it was origin eithery built.The sum of support for substructure has varied over clip but it has been at a gradation under what it needed to be at to release a strong and efficient system. through and through history there has been a deal between what was needed for substructure and what was sincerely spent. On mean merely active 2.4 % of our GDP is spent on substructure in America. To compargon, Europe spends ab let out 5 % and China spends about 9 % of their GPD on their substructure. This deficiency of disbursement and organic evolution in substructure has led to our current be of 15Thursday, out of the 32 OECD states, in footings of our general satisfaction of our roads and main roads 2 .Current province of InfrastructureThe systems of substructure in America be right away in one of the poorest provinces in the countrys history. The American nightclub of Civil Engineers ( ASC E ) release a field of battle card rating at least 12 of the countrys substructure systems every four old ages traveling back to 1998, in that clip they have released 5 study cards with the most recent being in 2013. The overall GPA of our countrys substructure has been given a class of D three measures and a D+ two times, with the 2013 study card natural endowment a D+ . A miserable and inefficient substructure system is non merely insecure, but it as well as exacerbates fuel and aptitude ingestion, creates extra injury to the environment through pollution and taint, and besides wastes peoples clip and money. ASCE estimates that the sum of support needed to amplification each class to a class of a B, considered to be in a good province, by 2020 is $ 3.6 trillion. However, the estimated support by 2020 for all the classs is estimated to be merely about $ 2 trillion, go forthing a $ 1.6 trillion support spread which go forth surly take to an substructure province that is at a comparable degree that we see now 3 . With an pass judgment substructure province to stay in hapless conditions, an added challenge in the assessment of future impacts by clime alteration on substructure arise when conclusion how pieces and split that are already stressed and aged forget react to humor alteration. We can analyze how impertinently move will respond by preforming running play in labs to imitate clime alteration effects on them to see how the evaluate of impairment could perchance play out over clip, but seeking to regain how fast the altering rates of parts that have been used over the preceding(a) decennaries is difficult to precisely quantify.Infrastructure and mode ChangeInfrastructure plays a monumental function in our nursery gas pedal emanations and depending on the conditions of the system it can any take to heart us in the come after of diminishing emanations or it can be an added releaser of emanations. Many of the solutions to the jobs in our substructure system besides have the potency to assist out other jobs in the system every bit good as to assist diminish our usage of dodo fuels. An efficient passage substructure system is critical to assist swerve our crude oil use, co2 emanations, and increase productiveness. Traffic congestion on roads consequences in 1.9 gazillion gallons of gasolene to be burned per twelvemonth, and the be to consumers is over $ 100 billion in wasted fuel and lost clip. A new and efficient air calling ascertain systems we would salvage around 3 billion gallons of jet fuel a twelvemonth from being wasted 1 . On the other manus if we increase peoples king to use public pilgrimage and mass transit services the positive effects could browbeat through many countries of transit and public wellness. Increased usage of public and collect transit would assist to maintain autos off the route, particularly during peak transposing times. This would hold the consequence of non merely cut downing duty conditions, which would assist to relieve some of the cadaverous gasolene thats burned composition waiting in dealing, but to besides halt the combustion of gasolene by all the people who normally drive a auto. With less people in truth on the roads, the conditions of the roadways will be maintained for a longer clip, which once to a greater extent has the consequence of cut downing traffic and wasted gas burned plot waiting in traffic. Plus, taking to a greater extent autos off the route during the early hours should assist to cut down the sum of smogginess formation in some high-dense metropoliss. more or less of the effects of clime alteration will hold some impacts on several(predicate) countries of the substructure system. A extended factor to the substructure system is the gain in colossal downfall events, an addition in planetary sea degrees, and the addition in utmost conditions events 4 . With increasing events of sizable precipitation our dikes, imbibing and waste weewee systems, and levees will all be subjected to new stressors that can worsen the procedure of early weakness and pre-mature impairment 5 . tattle the mean age of all the states dams to be 52 old ages old, and that approximately 17 % of them are considered high risky, the emphasis from the addition of flows approaching in from affiliated piss ways added to the addition of heavy deposits that big precipitation events bring into the H2O system which hurt the overall wellness of a dike, their length of service is expected to diminish. The imbibing and waste H2O systems is expected to subscribe from many of the same emphasis as dike will, except the excess H2O will besides be coming from our sewerage system so that big urban countries will see big impacts from the high sum of paving that helps funnel excess sums of H2O into the system. Large sums of precipitation and the addition of the sea degree will stretch our levee system with added stressors t hat can give a possible harmful disappointment that could be every bit withering as a dam failure. two dikes and levees hold back H2O that could potentially deluge most of the coastal and low lying countries. Extreme conditions events are the foreland causes for many of the energy grid power breaks. Breaks can be caused from knocked over tree diagram limbs on power lines, implosion therapy of transmittal Stationss, to the bleakness of grapevine subdivisions 3 .In America, our substructure is presently in an abysmal province, and with support for the hereafter projected to hardly secrete half of what it will take to take up it into a good province it is full to state that it will go on to let down.Decision and How to ContinueThe chief stressors associated with substructure development are from the unvarying lacking of support and an overall absence seizure of a big scale leading(p) function in footings of establishing when and what undertakings are taken on so to most e xpeditiously finish staying undertakings so that their benefits will assist other unfinished undertakings or wont be negated because of unfinished undertakings. wholly of the systems of substructure are connected the property of H2O downstream of a river is set up by the quality that has been put out upstream and if a main road outside a metropolis has appalling route conditions people and concern are less probably to go and put through in that metropolis even if the citys roads have all merely been repaved. With this in head, the manner we withdraw the following set of undertakings to undergo take to be picked with careful consideration to how its betterments will impact other undertakings s bank necessitating completed. The ability to implement this sort of planning is presently really hard though, because support is more and more being moved from big lapse bodys to smaller and smaller 1s. Federal support for substructure investings have been continuously shriveling o ver the past pas de deux decennaries which has led to the States, and progressively even more so the local and municipality authoritiess that are squeeze to come up with the support spread. With a lessening in centralisation of undertaking planning, along with an addition of undertakings that have to be delayed due to miss of financess that need to come from the fighting provinces budgets or till adequate financess can be elevated by a local or municipality authorities, the ability now to integrate a program for phasing in different undertakings is acquiring progressively harder.When be aftering the range and particulars of a given undertaking factors such as sustainability, resilience, and the continual care and up-keep demand to be primary for any planning of substructure. The transit systems, H2O intervention systems, and flood control systems being built today moldiness be able to account for twain current and future challenges that are likely to be confronting them. Infrastr ucture needfully to be built with future population exploit in head as good, so when new systems are built or betterments are make to the bing substructure it needs to be able to manage tonss overmuch greater than what it presently needed or a design for a system needs to be scaled so its merely responsible for a smaller population denseness. In add-on, patronage for research and development at all degrees need to be implemented so the development of new and of all time more efficient methods and stuffs for the edifice and maintaining of substructure can go on.Future development besides needs to let for easier and cheaper betterments and ascents over the clip of its usage. Future care can be done more casual if they are built to let substitute over different clip intervals so that when it comes clip for the necessary betterments to be made it doesnt demand to be all at the same clip. While backing demands to be increased from both one-on-one and public sectors, the users of the substructure demand to pick up and besides pay the appropriate monetary value for them to utilize it.Mentions 1 ( 2012 ) Highway Funding. Congressional Digest. great deal 91, Issue 7, pp. 194, 195, 224. 2 ( 2012 ) Surface Transportation Policy. Congressional Digest. Volume 91, Issue 7, pp. 196-199. 3 ( 2013 ) 2013 Report taunt for Americas Infrastructure. 4 IPCC, 2007 drumhead for Policymakers. In mood Change 2007 Impacts, version and Vulnerability. constituent of Working. grouping II to the one-quarter Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental empanel on Climate Change, M.L. Parry, O.F. Canziani, J.P. Palutikof, P.J. new wave der lime hydrate and C.E. Hanson, Eds. , Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK, 7-22. 5 Hall, David. Corps of Engineers Studies Will depose Response to Climate Change. Civil EngineeringJuly-Aug. 2013 20-23. instill 6 IPCC, 2007 Summary for Policymakers. In Climate Change 2007 Extenuation. Contribution of Working Group III to the F ourth Assessment. Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change B. Metz, O.R. Davidson, P.R. Bosch, R. Dave, L.A. Meyer ( fickle detection systems ) , Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United acres and New York, NY, USA. 7 IPCC, 2013 Summary for Policymakers. In Climate Change 2013 The Physical Science Basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the twenty percent Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Stocker, T.F. , D. Qin, G.-K. Plattner, M. Tignor, S. K. Allen, J. Boschung, A. Nauels, Y. Xia, V. Bex and P.M. Midgley ( eds. ) . Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, NY, USA. 8 ( 2011 ) Failure to Act The Impact of Current Infrastructure investing On Americas economical Future.