Analyzing Timo

In the poor urban area of Richmond, California, the only thing more common than the violence is that deliquesce within the high school system – especially on the Richmond basketball team. With inflated rates of murder, violence and local crime students have affiliated themselves with negative forces that will have detrimental results. Many youth end dropping out of school and of that, majority will wind up in prison. However, Ken Carter makes it his objective to be the catalyst for a massive social shift. Taking the position of the Richmond basketball team coach, Coach Carter plans on inspiring the youth to continue their education and create safe, happy and successful lives for themselves. But, this of course is easier said than done. Many have tried to halt Carter’s process for social change and Timo Cruz, A player on the Richmond basketball team was the first. Cruz was the initial impediment against Coach Carter’s attempt shift the dynamic of the Richmond basketball team. When the team was first introduced to Carter and the new regulations he brought Cruz revolted against Carter’s authority. Doing this by roaring vulgar threats towards Carter and claimed he wasn’t aware of the struggles that accompanied living in Richmond. Cruz’s actions can be justified based on his living conditions. Residing in a low-income, hostile, violent neighborhood, Cruz has not been socialized to deal with issues with sophistication and maturity. Rather, in Cruz living conditions, it is far more beneficial to create a guise of strength and solve issues through force. Carter did not tolerate this hindrance to his objective nor was he fazed by Cruz’s foul behavior. This resulted in Cruz leaving the team and deserts his team members. At this point, Cruz has become alienated. Which has resulted in his drug affiliation with his emotionally absent uncle, Renny. No longer sharing the commonalty of playing on the basketball team Cruz feels a sense of division from their players – especially when they win. As an academic delinquent who had was only familiar with failure Cruz greatly desires to taste success and return to the team. However, Carter’s rules were firm and he wouldn’t allow any lack of consistency in his team. He assigned Cruz with the nearly impossible task of completing 10,000 pushups and suicides. When Cruz inevitable fails this task and his dreams of rejoining the team are crushed, the team members he had deserted early now help him complete the task based on the virtue of teamwork Carter invested in them. Cruz dependency on the basketball team can be seen in the most extreme case in the string of events that followed the shooting of his uncle, Renny. Cruz finds himself blood splattered at Coach Carter’s house, pleading for a spot of the Richmond basketball team. This is because through the basketball team, Carter had created a safe haven, shielding the members from the horror of their violet urban community. For Cruz, the being a member of the team was for more than playing the game, it was being accepted into a safe family. Now accepted, polarizing where Cruz was at the beginning of the movie, he is now a condition to Carter’s movement. It is also thanks to Carter’s social change that Cruz is now excelling in many aspects of his life where he had previously given up on. Member to an undefeated team, thriving academically, the prospect of attending college is now conceivable. Now, more than ever, Cruz has felt a sense of belonging and true friendship with his fellow players. From a sociological standpoint, Cruz can be defined as the extremist in the movie. His character is used to display the extremities in emotions and changes that occur within the story. In the beginning, Cruz passionately revolts against Carter’s administrative roles and represents an extreme social impediment that Carter must hurdle over. Then, ostracized for his actions, Cruz desires to feel acceptance and success of the Richmond basketball team. This desire only increases when his Uncle had been shot in front of him. At this point Cruz is contrasting his beliefs and is a strong condition to change. Timo Cruz was a youth in revolt, possessing a strong hatred towards Coach Carter and the change he was bringing to Richmond. However, over the duration of the film Cruz recognizes that the social alterations Carter has brought have only enforced positive virtues of; respect, teamwork and effect upon the basketball team. Ultimately, Cruz is the unsung role model of Coach Carter, if he has the capacity to change – anyone can.

Africa Essay

Between 600-1450, Africa went from governments with increased wealth from trade with varying religious traditions, also with some beliefs of polytheism; to governments with extensive powerful bureaucracies with many people converting to Islam. the more advanced forms of government ,trade and local traditions however, remained constant. Prior to the introduction of Islam as a religion, there were various belief systems with animistic beliefs. There was also some polytheism as well as monotheism. all the traditional religions remained, although Islam became the more prominent religion. Islam became an important religion because of trade and umayyad conquest out of the middle East into North Africa . Islam also became the more important religion because of the Kings of Ghana and later Mali, who had converted because it benefited them in that they got more money. The conversion of authority figures influenced people to convert, as well as they were convinced by an authority figure . The introduction of Islam and the connection to trade routes in the Dar-Al-Islam marked a turning point for Africa. During this time, after the fall of Rome, the power vacuum then led to the Umayyad conquest out of the middle East into North Africa.Also West Africa’s connection to Northern Africa via Trans-Saharan trade by Berber nomads allowed for the spread o9f islam to sub-saharan Africa. Trade and conquest brought Islam to North Africa, making it a slow ,but widely growing religion in Africa at the time. After the introduction of islam and the connection of trade routes in the Dar-al-Islam, political changes were prominent within africa. The Qur’an also promotes trade as a blessing to humanity, so trade had increased steadily. Because of the increasing trade, organized governments increased considerably. Increased Trans-Saharan trade of gold for salt led to the need to regulate trade. it also led to increased wealth. the increased wealth in turn led to a more powerful government with an extensive bureaucracy and also led to the government controlling and taxing their trade routes. the kingdom of ghana fell and became the Empire of Mali which had control over the greater region. The kingdom of Ghana went from governments to stateless societies. Although africa went through many changes, there were still some continuities. for example, although people converted to Islam, it was a very slow process and initially it was only the kings and merchants were converting because it benefited them; local traditions were still prominent because of thousands of years of the local animistic beliefs being passed down. Most people still practiced animistic worship and rituals. Another continuity would be the advances in government. There were still many advancements in government because of the steady increases in population and the need for regulation. Another continuity would be how trade is constant throughout the area. This is because it is needed to increase wealth and grow the economy to increase the population.

Illegal Imigrants Should Be Allowed Essay

This spring, approximately 2. 8 million high school seniors will graduate from various schools around the country. Many will continue their education at college; others will join the armed forces or take another path in life. However, a group of about 65,000 students will be unable to continue on their paths due to their status as illegal immigrants (Dream). Because of their status of illegal immigrants, it is extremely difficult for them to better their way of life. Therefore, illegal immigrants should be allowed to attend public universities. Illegal immigrants are already allowed to attend our public schools from the lementary level all the way through high school. The 1982 Supreme Court decision in Plyler v. Doe ruled that public schools are prohibited from denying immigrant students access to public schools (Plyler). The court found that undocumented children have the same right to a free public education and are obligated to attend school until they reach the age mandated by state law. Since then, many undocumented immigrants have passed through the public education system. Currently, it is believed that as many as 4. 9 million undocumented students are attending public schools (Immigration). However, it is difficult to know the exact umber because of their status as undocumented immigrants. One thing that is known for sure is the number will continue to rise, leaving more and more students with undecided futures after graduation. However, the ability for illegal immigrants to attend public universities has largely been left up to the states. Currently, South Carolina is the only state that prohibits illegal immigrants from attending public universities and colleges that receive state funding; although North Carolina and Alabama both prohibit undocumented people from attending community colleges (Coley). On the other end of the spectrum, nine tates including California, Nebraska, and Texas all offer in-state tuition to illegal immigrants (College). New Jersey is also in the process of deciding whether or not to offer in-state tuition to illegal immigrants. Although the states are the only ones to have passed legislation regarding undocumented immigrants attending public universities, there is legislation currently making its way through Congress. The Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act, also known as the DREAM Act, could bring about major changes. It was first introduced in 2007, but failed to make it past the Senate floor. Then this past spring, Senator Durbin from Illinois reintroduced the piece of legislation. Under the currently proposed DREAM Act, undocumented immigrant students would be given the opportunity to attend institutions of higher education and be able to obtain legal, permanent residency. According to the 2009 version of the Senate bill, DREAM Act beneficiaries must have proof of arriving in the United States before age 16 and live in the United States for five consecutive years since their date of arrival. They would also have to be between the ages of 12 and 35 at the time of bill enactment, btain a high school diploma, and have good moral character (Dream). Any opportunity to attend public universities and possibly achieve legal residency. This piece of legislation is expected to bring some heavy debate in the spring and could bring on some important changes if passed. One very important supporter for illegal immigrants attending institutions of higher education is the College Board. The College Board is made up of 5,000 schools and is best known for its SAT college admissions test. This past July, the board released a report citing a need for federal legislation that would provide in-state ollege tuition, financial aid, and legal status to many illegal immigrants in the United States (College). The report is the first time the College Board has spoken publicly about the issue. Undocumented immigrants should be given the right to attend public universities and colleges because we have a moral obligation to give them an equal opportunity to better their situation. Many of the undocumented immigrants that currently live in the United States were brought here by their parents. The children did not make the decision to enter the country illegally, their parents did. By not allowing illegal mmigrants to attend public universities, we are essentially punishing them for decisions they did not make. Also, undocumented immigrants are going to remain and live in the United States regardless of their ability to attend public universities. So if these undocumented immigrants are going to stay here, it makes sense economically to have them be productive as possible. The College Board report shows that with the ability for illegal immigrants to obtain a higher education and move into better paying Jobs, the economy would increase from increased tax revenue and consumer spending College). Additionally, if these undocumented immigrant students are paying for their college education, why not allow them the opportunity to further their knowledge. Under our current system, illegal immigrants are allowed to attend our public schools at no cost. But when these same illegal immigrants want to pay for a higher education, many of them are turned away because of their legal status. Plus, universities and colleges from all over the country already allow foreign exchange students to attend their universities. Here at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, pproximately 6 percent of the student body is from a foreign country (International). There is no controversy on whether or not to allow these students, who are not United States citizens, to attend our public universities. So if someone is willing to pay their way through college, they should be allowed to attend regardless of residency status. All of these reasons support the passage of the DREAM Act. As of today, it remains one of the last hopes for undocumented immigrants to obtain the right to attend public universities indefinitely. Although nine states have passed legislation allowing or in-state tuition for undocumented immigrants, states are increasingly moving towards not allowing them to attend public universities. Missouri and Virginia are currently considering a ban similar to South Carolina’s that would bar all illegal immigrants from attending public universities and colleges (College). So it is time now more than ever to stand up for undocumented immigrants’ rights. We have a public universities. One rebuttal often brought up in the discussion why illegal immigrants should not be allowed to attend public universities is they are breaking the law by being here in the United States. Although undocumented immigrants are breaking the law, it should not hold them back from furthering their education. Many illegal immigrants were brought here by their parents and did not make the decision to come here illegally. Illegal immigrants often spend close to their whole lives in the United States. Although they are still considered illegal in the eyes of the law, many are basically Americans because they have lived here for as long as they can remember. It is Just unfair to continue to punish someone for a decision they did not make. Another rebuttal often made against undocumented immigrants is the overnment is subsidizing an education for non-citizens because they do not pay taxes. The government already subsidizes an education from the high school level on down for everybody regardless of residency status. Also, many undocumented immigrants are unable to obtain residency status in the United States. The long, difficult process of obtaining American citizenship keeps many of these illegal immigrants from paying taxes. The current system we use for obtaining citizenship creates a continual cycle that does not allow for illegal immigrants to pay taxes. If it as easier for undocumented immigrants to obtain citizenship, more tax revenue would be brought in to subsidize their education. In conclusion, there are many factors to consider why illegal immigrants should be allowed to attend public universities. If they are paying their way through college like every other student, then they should be allowed to attend public universities. Plus, many of these undocumented immigrants are going to remain in the United States regardless of their ability to attend universities, so it makes sense to have them be productive as possible. It also does not make sense to punish someone because heir parents came into the United States illegally.

Alternative Energy Sources Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Alternative Energy Sources - Essay Example 74-75). In the result, there has been significant increment in researches related to the advancements of alternative energy sources and their impact on different aspects of human life (Simon, pp. 19-22). In specific, it is observation that until now, researchers (EIA, pp. 11-15) have focused primarily on the impact of alternative sources on business environment or global economies. However, the proposed research will go into a micro perspective while emphasizing on the impact of one of the alternative sources on the lives of average American people, and the effectiveness of such source in terms of its prices as compared to existing available sources. From this aspect, the proposed research will focus on the following research statement: Studies have shown that fossil fuels are playing a leading role in fulfilling majority of the energy’s requirements on global level. In specific, it fulfills more than seventy percent of the world’s energy demand (Ahmed & Anderson, pp. 240). However, analysis (Solarbuzz, 2009) has indicated that alternative energy sources are now heading toward competing with the fossil fuels in the form of solar, hydropower, nuclear, hydrogen fuel, ethanol, etc (World Bank, pp. 1-5). One of the major factors of increment in the demand of alternative energy sources is rapid reduction in fossil fuels. For instance, countries are now putting efforts to use solar energy sources to reduce the expensive costs related to the usage of fossil fuels, especially, oil that is an expensive energy source, as compared to the solar energy sources. In the United States, the government is currently depending on fossil fuels to fulfill more than eighty-five percent of its demand of energy; however, alternative energy sources are contributing to only ten percent of the requirement, and solar energy only five percent (SEA, 2007). Thus, it has now become very imperative to

Elon Musk Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Elon Musk - Essay Example Musk sold his Paypal shares for 165 million US dollars in 2002 and founded Space Exploration Technologies or SpaceX, which manufactures and develops space launch vehicles with the aim of advancing rocket technology. The company has a string of astounding successes including winning a 1.6 billion US dollars NASA contract. Musk views space exploration as part of the expansion of human life Tesla Motors on the other hand manufacture electronic cars and electric power train systems. His efforts to produce electric cars have seen him compared with Henry Ford. He is also associated with SolarCity the largest solar power systems manufacturer in the United States. Both Tesla and SolarCity aim to reduce global warming. His philanthropic nature goes further. His Musk Foundation focuses on clean energy. With this string of enviable achievements, there are many things we can learn from Musk including lessons in leadership. Musk says leaders must lead by example, and no task is too menial for a leader. He believes in working like hell and is known for a tenacious work ethic. His second lesson is that leaders should have a purpose. He believes leaders must develop a vision and work towards achieving it. His vision is to go to Mars. Next he believes in creativity and says without creativity innovation and progress are impossible. Collaboration and teamwork are important too, and leadership is about doing rather than telling. Musk encourages innovation and urges employees to come up with new ideas. He is a modern example of young and extremely successful innovators and entrepreneurs like Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerberg. He believes in being decisive as a leader and says this promotes efficiency. Strategy and action lead to results. He also advocates for adaptability and belief in change. Change will always present challenges and leaders need to be able to adapt. Musk believes in using scientific methods to assess the right people during

Toyota recall is not safe Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Toyota recall is not safe - Essay Example One of these companies is Toyota Motor Corporation, commonly known as Toyota. This is a multinational corporation with its headquarters in Japan. Toyota has factories in most parts of the world which makes it one of the world’s largest automaker (Toyota, 2010). The cars manufactured by Toyota were considered the best until the series of accidents that were caused by the cars’ design. Some say that the issue was not very serious and it was unnecessarily amplified by its competitors over the media. Very recently, several vehicles faced the problem of the accelerator pedal getting stuck which caused unintended acceleration and hence many accidents. As a corrective measure, Toyota has decided to recall its sold cars and fix them (Reed, P., 2010). According to a source, by January 28, 2010, Toyota had announced recalls of about 5.2 million cars for the pedal entrapment/floor mat problem, and an additional 2.3 million cars for the accelerator pedal problem. Out of these, almost 1.7 million cars have both these problems (Toyota Press Release, 2010). In addition to this, it cut down on its production to a great extent as well. Other companies that have faced the same problems include Honda, Ford, etc. However, the problem faced by these org anizations did not affect their image and financial condition at the same scale as Toyota. Now when we talk about this incident and Toyota’s reaction of recalling the cars that were potentially damaged, people often take two different sides. Some say that the Toyota recall was a good idea while some disagree. It is very important that all aspects of this issue are discussed so that we can understand the strategy better from all angles. Therefore, in this paper, we will discuss both sides of the argument in the coming paragraphs, firstly discussing the arguments for the Toyota recall. The Toyota recall is believed to be the best thing for everyone. We noted in the

Students with mental illness and depression Essay

Students with mental illness and depression - Essay Example Anxiety and depression disorders are common mental illnesses known to exist. Mental illnesses occur mostly in the times of uncertainty or stress which can be resulting from people’s daily life activities. It is worth to understand that mental illnesses and disorders are real illnesses. Just like other illnesses, such as asthma or diabetes, most mental disorders or illnesses are episodic. (U.S. Department of Education). That means there are periods when people will be well and productive, as well as other times being unwell and their overall production and functioning, becomes low. Depression is just a mental disorder, but not a disease. Psychiatrists have tried to help people who seek medication for conditions of mental disorders such as depression, but they have failed to explain the meaning of disorder or depression. These conditions are called disorders but not diseases with a reason. Disorder means something out of ordinary, where depression and other known mental illnesse s belong. According to a report in 2001, the US Department of Education reported that the rate of school dropouts among the students with mental illness is approximately fifty percent (U.S. Department of Education). The above disorder is characterized by the lack of ability to remain focused on a task, excessive activity, and impulsive behavior or inability to remain for a some moments. That means there are periods when people will be well and productive, as well as other times being unwell and their overall.

Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation - Essay Example The decision of â€Å"do not resuscitate† is made by the patient if he is functionally able to convey it. If otherwise, the family members may have to make the decision when it is called surrogate decision (Torke, 2011). The subject has been the topic of discussion along with other end-of-life decisions due to the ethical and legal bearings (Sham et al, 2007). The decisions on the withholding of the treatment for the sustenance of life would be relaying the message that the patient accepts the progression of the disease and that he trusts the healing physician. There will be an underlying desire to reduce the burden on others. The wish to live and die naturally could also be influencing his decision (Sham et al, 2007). Research has elicited various factors influencing the doctors when the DNR (do not resuscitate) orders are made. These are based on the themes of a probability of survival, the desire of the patient, the quality of life prior to present illness and the quality e xpected after it (Sham et al, 2007). Federal and State policies in the US advice advance care planning where the patient may be encouraged to make his decision for other end-of-life decisions but DNR has been excluded (Sham et al, 2007). The BBC News has reported that the British Medical Association and the Royal College of Nursing in the UK have issued guidelines which indicated that the DNR orders could be issued only in consultation with the patients and families (BBC Ethics Guide, 2011). In Australia, the not-for-resuscitation (NFR) orders formed part of the medical practice but policies have still not yet provided a fool-proof method of implementation (Sidhu et al, 2007). Researchers indicate that current policies showroom for improvement: there are no standardised forms or patient information leaflets (Sidhu et al, 2007). A clinical audit had been conducted by Salins and Jansen as a retrospective study to determine the accuracy of documentation of NFR orders in patients who had died at the Lyell McEwin Hospital (2011).   This hospital was part of a teaching hospital in South Australia in 2007.   Eighty-eight files could be accessed for information.  

David Abram Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

David Abram - Essay Example Abraham goes ahead to state that once human beings accept their bodies, they perforce recognize that they are also animals. Despite the uniqueness in mankind, its place is not above the animated world but instead in its midst. He also disagrees with the view that perception is the act of hearing, being aware or seeing something as perceived remains static, but instead its an interaction between one body and others or things, where there is a sympathetic or symbiosis relationship. He then discusses language which is rooted in the experience of senses. In a nutshell, Abram’s work presents a complex, detailed and good work that defines the existence of humanity. It throws a spanner on the complacency of the perceived truths and replaces them with thoughts that if they are not understood, they will remain open questions. He refers to it as a turning inside out resulting to loosening of the psyche from the confinement of human sphere. Simone de Beauvoir In her study, Ethics of Ambi guity, Simone de Beauvoir begins by presenting the characteristics of oppression, which includes; it removes the oppressed from community members believed to be in authority and can influence decisions and also aims towards the reduction of the oppressed to the status of an object. In his work, he believes that manipulation desire is one of the main ways through which oppression is exercised. Just like Sartre, she holds that the destruction of passion or desire will have a negative consequence for the creation of life and have a purpose in it.

Criminology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 10

Criminology - Essay Example How is it possible, for example, to justify the actions of a criminal, who killed a little child? It is absolutely impossible to let this person exist further, moreover to give him a chance to appear among other members of the society again one day. Such people should be eliminated, they should not exist, because their behavior can’t be corrected anyhow. So, death penalty is very helpful here and should be used. On the other hand modern world is trying to follow democratic principles. Notwithstanding that the majority of European countries and many states of the US cancelled death penalty, in some countries death penalty is still widely used. For example, in China it is applied every day to any kinds of crimes (Evans, 2012). Is it right? No, it is absolutely wrong because it contradicts humanistic and democratic principles. The best way is to use death penalty only sometimes for the most severe crimes. However, cases are rarely considered separately, the law is the same for everybody, and many innocent people are still in risk. Thus, the issue remains

The Matthew Effect Essay Example for Free

The Matthew Effect Essay The Matthew Effect chapter of Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell states that a person’s success s attributed to the timing of their birth date as it relates to the cut-off dates of sports and education. He believes that this one random date is the start of a series of advantages that can ultimately lead to success. Although timing of a birth date and opportunities can play a significant factor in one’s success, they are not the sole determination of success. Gladwell fails to acknowledge the vital role an individual’s ambition and natural born talent play in creating success or the crucial impact family influences can have on one’s success. Over-Simplified Since Biblical times, groups of people were separated by the haves and the have not’s. Matthew 25:29 states â€Å"For unto everyone that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance. But from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath. † (Gladwell, 2008, p. 15) In chapter 1, of the Outliers (2008), Malcolm Gladwell has a similar argument in â€Å"The Matthew Effect†. He argues that personal success is attributed to hidden advantages, such as someone’s birth date, which in turn, creates opportunity through accumulative advantages. (pg. 19) Gladwell calls these successful people â€Å"outliers† which he defines as â€Å"men and women who do things that are out of the ordinary† (pg. 17). Although timing of a birth date and opportunities play a significant factor in one’s success, Gladwell’s theory that those are the sole determination of success is over simplified because it does not take into consideration the impact of one’s individual ambition, talent, and family influences. Ambition In Outliers, Gladwell states that â€Å"people don’t rise from nothing† (pg. 19) and completely discounts the role an individual’s ambition plays in achieving success. When a student, or an athlete, possesses a strong desire for success, regardless of their age or birth date, it drives them to excel beyond the normal range. A perfect example of this would be a young girl named Stephanie Bradley. She wanted to be a doctor. Stephanie grew up in a small blue collar community in rural Texas. Her parents were not college educated and lived just slightly above the poverty line. She attended a small, public, 2A high school, with average teachers. In addition, she was the youngest in her class, in cases, by more than a year because of a mid-July birthday. What set her apart from the other students was her desire for success and her passion for medicine. This ambition drove her to work hard and smart, stay focused, and never take her eye off her ultimate goal. Along the way, she made sacrifices, but never veered off course. She didn’t have any opportunities above and beyond ones she created on her own. Born With It Sheer talent is another key factor responsible for success and lies with the group of athletes that achieve success without the benefit accumulative advantages. These are the athletes who are born with a talent that supersedes the skill of other athletes. There is a difference between skill and talent. Skill is something that requires training and experience to do well, whereas, talent is a natural ability to compete with exceptional ability. (Bing dictionary, 2014) While this talent is rare to find, when it exist, these athletes can find success regardless of where their birthday falls on a calendar. One such athlete exists right now on a local high school swim team. Taylor is a high school freshman who didn’t compete in little league sports, since his parents were more artsy than athletic and they never had the financial resources to pay for extracurricular activities. In his freshman year, a friend asked him to join the swim team. Having never competed athletically, Taylor was hesitant but agreed. To everyone’s amazement, he medaled at his first swim meet. Not just in one event, but two. The next week, more success, more wins. His very first year swimming, he won at district, regional’s and is ranked 4th in the state. There is now talk of Olympic trials. He has competed and won against athletes who have been swimming since the age of four, have logged thousands of hours in the pool, and whose parents have spend enormous amounts of money on private coaches. However, Taylor wins having never received those types of opportunities. He wins because of his natural born talent. Family An individual’s family influences can also have a crucial impact on one’s success. While Gladwell acknowledges that heritage and culture plan a role in success or failure as illustrated in the Harlan, Kentucky and The Ethic Theory of Plane Crashes chapters, he doesn’t credit directly, the parents, grandparents, as well as, siblings that can provide a fundamental element in creating success. For example, if a parent has a strong desire to pass along their knowledge or skills in a particular sport, they are likely to start that process at a very early age which results in increased practice time developing the child’s skill. This parent might also supply additional training above and beyond what a typical coach would provide. The family could also have connections with coaches or teachers that allow for added instruction. Siblings can also push individuals to a higher level of performance. For example, having an older brother who plays baseball with a younger sibling will be providing further exposure that can develop their skills. All this additional training and experience can develop a child ahead of the curve, regardless of their birth date. The Other 32% Gladwell’s example of the roster of hockey players on the Medicine Hat team showed that â€Å"seventeen of the twenty-five players on the team† (pg. 23) had the perfect birth month for the sport. He credited their January, February, March and April birthdays for their success. However, that means that eight out of the twenty-five players (32%) on the team were successful, without the benefit of the perfect birth month. This group isn’t the largest percentage of players on the team but it does show that success isn’t based on just one factor. Gladwell’s argument that success stems from hidden advantages and opportunities created by those advantages is true in some cases; successful people are not created from one formula, such as what month their birthday falls. That is just one piece of the picture of success. There are a multitude of factors i. e. ambition, talent and family that play a role in determining why someone is successful and they all need to be encouraged and promoted.

Modernism as an Impact in Society Essay Example for Free

Modernism as an Impact in Society Essay Modernism is a modernist movements in the art, its set of cultural tendencies and associated cultural movements, originally arising from wide-scale and far-reaching changes to Western society in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Modernism also reject the idea of enlightenment thinking as a well the idea of god as a powerful person. Modernism movement is focus on traditional activities such as; art, architecture, the religious faith, social organization and daily life, those things were become obsolete in the economic system, social and political implication that were presented the fully industrialized world. An example of modernism was â€Å"Sophistication† by Sherwood Anderson in (1876-1941). â€Å"Sophistication† has several controversial ideas that suggest negative consequences on society; insolation, and individuality of people. Tendencies about modernism presented in â€Å"sophistication† could be cause impact in depression. Depression is a mental state or chronic mental disorder characterized by feelings of sadness, loneliness, despair, low self-esteem, and self-reproach (Leonard). Modernism considers that exist a barrier that divides past from the present. It is an impassible barrier in the imagination of modernity. It? s cause the experience of disillusion which make it possible to capture the innocence of early days. Modernism suggest that all people have disillusion for any reason, this disillusion helps people to overcome the problem and also sees the world as an option to improve their live. Besides an idea of modernism is the disillusion of people. Sherwood Anderson in his story â€Å"Sophistication† suggest that: The mood that had taken possession of him was a thing known to men and unknown to boys. He felt old and a little tired. Memories awoke in him. To his mind his new sense of maturity set him apart, made of him a half-tragic figure. He wanted someone to understand the feeling that had taken possession of him after his mother’s death. (422) It means that George Willard is growing up into manhood but, he wants to have a person that can comprehend some feelings that had taken possession of him because he felt totally different in his new stage. On the other hand, James Leonard makes contrast about believes that Sherwood Anderson has with regard to puritanism. He suggest that disillusion cause spiritual depression: â€Å"Almost any disappointment, disillusionment, failure, or collapse-of-hopes might cause us to tumble into an emotional slump† In this perspective, disillusion cause a spiritual depression in which people that are facing problems like adaptation into society. When Elizabeth, his mother, finally dies, George Willard is oddly unaffected at first. He decides that now he will definitely leave Winesburg. â€Å"Sitting with his mothers corpse, he begins to think of kissing Helen White. Having this thought while sitting next to his dead mother makes him feel guilty, and he begins to weep again. He leaves the room, still crying, overcome by a combination of fright and uncertainty. † (Anderson) However George remember things such when his mother death for that reason he felt loneliness and maybe in some moments he was depressed for both reason; his mother and Helen White. Sherwood in his story â€Å"Sophistication† arguments: â€Å"The sadness of sophistication has come to the boy. With a little gaps he sees himself as a merely a leaf blown by the wind through the streets of his villages†( p 423). That means that he has fair to confront the new world. He felt alone and his thoughts are that he is going to die uncertainly. Moreover, when people in society are facing situations that can affect their life like remembering of past, thing like this was difficult to overcome for them or accomplish some rules that society is show them such; aptitude related with sex, being part of fully industrialized world. Those thing can affect themselves. Also, if they do not accomplish those rules, they are discriminate or they cannot be part of the world. In some moment they are called stranger person or rare. The ideologies Modernism presents in Sophistication cause several impact on society. Modernism has its own relation with individualism. Subsequently, they belief are not shared by the religion. Modernism belief that individualism has association with liberty. On the other hand, â€Å"Sophistication† presents a corrupt interest on money as a form of refuse to obtain materials things. The point of view epitomized by Sherwood Anderson in his story â€Å"Sophistication† with an insignificant quotation: Helen arose and went into the house. At the door leading to a garden at the back she stopped and stood listening. Her mother began to talk. â€Å"There is no one here fit to associate with a girl of Helen’s breeding,† she said. Helen ran down a flight of stairs at the back of the house and into the garden. In the darkness she stopped and stood trembling. It seemed to her that the world was full of meaningless people saying words. With this example Anderson in his history try to demonstrate what important are the material things for Helens mother, saying to instructor that do not exist a man that can be compere with the status of Helen White. However, Helen felt sad because she thinks that in the word there are people who say stupid things. But, the mother does not take into account Helen’s feelings because people who are materialist do not care about people who are around them. Moreover Helen was thinking in George when she went to fair with the instructor. Besides, Anderson affirm that Helen’s thought was regard to George: Helen White was thinking of George Willard even as he wandered gloomily through the crowds thinking of her. She remembered the summer evening when they had walked together and wanted to walk with him again. She thought that the months she had spent in the city, the going to theaters and the seeing of great crowds wandering in lighted thoroughfares, had changed her profoundly. She wanted him to feel and be conscious of the change in her nature. That means that Helen is thinking in her love and also. And she also was remembering things when they were in the city, those things she cannot forget because they were like phantasy for her. Also, Helen White wants that George about some changes in her nature, those changes have to be with her growing up into womanhood. However, religion disagree with this point of view that modernist present in â€Å"Sophistication†. Religion has some fundaments related with love as important pillar in humans being. On the other hand, the religion criticizes the ambition for materials thing because God teach them in his bible that material things do not have anything to do with happiness. Reina Valera makes a contrast about belief of modernism: Make no store of wealth for yourselves on earth, where it may be turned to dust by worms and weather, and where thieves may come in by force and take it away, But make a store for yourselves in heaven, where it will not be turned to dust and where thieves do not come in to take it away: For where our wealth is, there will your heart be. (Matthew 6:19, 20, 21) God counsels to make our best things the joys and glories of the other world, those things not seen which are eternal, and to place our happiness in them. Furthermore, God tries to teach that if we die all materials things we are going to stay in this earth, for that reason materials things are not related with happiness. To sum up, the vision of Sherwood Anderson as a modernism believer has about the connection that exist between past and present when children are suffering some changes when they are growing up how is present in â€Å"sophistication† Helen White was change her childhood into womanhood at the same time of George was change his childhood into manhood. But, it is also important to take into account that those changes could affect their life because some children want not to be part of adult and some moments those changes could be the first cause of depression. After all, it is necessary to respect the perception that the religion has, it is in contrast of the ambition of material things or to get money. However, it is necessary to respect those beliefs that every person has about religion. Moreover Reina Valera teach us that material things do not have anything to do with happiness because God teach us that it is more important love because materials thing is going to stay in the earth when we die.

Financial Performance of BRALIRWA

Financial Performance of BRALIRWA This chapter presents the theoretical framework used to evaluate the financial performance of BRALIRWA and the influence of corporate governance on the firm performance; and the research methodology followed throughout the research basing on the different aspects discussed in literature review. 3.1 INTRODUCTION As discussed in chapter one, the main focus for many companies is to create the best possible value for their owners and to secure excellent financial performance. The sound financial health of a company is one of its major goals and to maintain it, companies at one point of time have to look at the past and current performance to plan for future prospect. The most objective way to evaluate the financial performance of a company is through financial statement analysis. Financial analysis involves the assessment of a firms liquidity, its operating performance, its risk profile and its growth potential using financial ratios. Ratio analysis is an important and powerful analytical tool used for measuring the performance of a business entity (Van et Al., 2003). It helps stakeholders (shareholders, investors, creditors, managers, government etc) to make an evaluation about the profitability and financial soundness of the business entity (Bardia, 2008). Different types of investors expect different types of returns, if you are a stockholder, you expect an increase in the value of the stock you hold; if you have invested in a company with a history of paying dividends, you also expect a dividend; if you have loaned the firm money, you expect to receive interest and the return of loan principal. Although the types of returns they expect are different, equity investors and creditors both risk not receiving those returns. Therefore, both stockholders and creditors use financial statement analysis to predict their expected returns and assess the risks associated with those returns (Hongren, Sundem, Elliot and Phil brick, 2003). Analysis of financial performance allows comparison of practice performance from one year to the next, benchmarking of a practice against industry standards, and preparation of financial information for lending institutions or directors (Stallwood, 1996). The financial performance of a company can be influenced by many different aspects or factors and for the purpose of this study, corporate governance was taken into consideration and specifically the aspect of board characteristics. The board of directors is an important entity in a company creating a link between shareholders and managers and therefore playing an important role in the governance of the firm (Dehaene et al., 2007). Therefore, boards of directors are charged with the task of monitoring the performance and activities of top management to ensure that the latter acts in the best interests of the owners (Jensen and Meckling, 1976; quoted by OConnell and Cramer, 2010) 3.2 PROBLEM DEFINITION After the 1994 genocide many companies in Rwanda were destroyed and some of them have not recovered up to today. Among the companies affected by the genocide include manufacturing companies out of which some tried to recover and restart their activities progressively and the country is providing a good environment for business but this does not guarantee good performance on behalf of companies. Standard financial reports provide basic information on the current profit level of investment in assets but do not give information on whether profit is adequate, how efficiently the assets are being used to generate sales, how efficient the overall operation is, and whether there are short-term financial problems facing the business. Ratio analysis provides some answers to these questions by calculating the relationships between various figures on the balance sheet and the income statement and comparing the movements in these ratios over time and against industry averages can provide additional information about whether the organization is performing well or whether remedial action is needed (Stallwood, 1996). Ratio analysis is an important and powerful analytical tool for measuring the performance of a business entity. It helps stakeholders to make an evaluation about the profitability and financial soundness of the business entity (Van et al., 2003). Some key companies in the manufacturing sector do not have thorough financial analysis which makes it difficult for stakeholders to know how these companies are performing; BRALIRWA will be used as representative case study to exemplify the financial performance of companies in the sector and the way this performance is influenced by corporate governance. The way companies are directed and controlled can influence their performance (Berle Means, 1932), in some companies there is lack of consistency in reporting operating and financial activities as well as governance activities to shareholders in a fair, accurate, timely, reliable, relevant, complete and verifiable manner. Manufacturing companies in Rwanda contribute to the economic development of the country and hence a need to evaluate their performance in other to detect their likely future and take appropriate measures accordingly, as well as the influence of corporate governance on their performance. 3.3 RESEARCH OBJECTIVES This study has one general objective and five specific objectives. 3.3.1 General objective The general objective of this study is to assess the financial performance of BRALIRWA s.a (2005-2008) and the influence of its corporate governance on the performance 3.3.2 Specific objectives To analyze the operating efficiency and profitability of BRALIRWA to know its level of operating performance. To analyze the sales and earnings variability in order to measure the risk that BRALIRWA may be exposed to. To analyze the internal liquidity of BRALIRWA in order to measure its ability to meet financial obligations in the short-term. To assess the impact if any of BRALIRWA governance on its performance. To analyze the sustainable growth potential of BRALIRWA. 3.4 THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK The theoretical framework adopted in this study was developed based on different literature on the analysis and evaluation of financial performance and literature on corporate governance and firm performance. 3.4.1 Dependent variable According to Jones, Wahba and Heijden (2007), the dependent variable is the one main research issue you are studying, on which other variables in theoretical framework are assumed to have an impact. Creswell (2002), defines dependent variables as the outcomes or results of the influence of the independent variables. For this study, financial performance stands for the dependent variable. Financial performance is usually measured by ROE and ROA, for this study financial analysis is used to analyze the financial performance of BRALIRWA and the analysis is conducted in three categories; the analysis of internal liquidity, operating performance and risk. When analyzing internal liquidity, the intention is to indicate the firms ability to meet its future short-term financial obligations, this may be an indication over a certain period of the likely performance of a company because if a firm is not able to meet its short-term financial obligations for a long period, definitely this will affect its performance but the analysis of this may help the organization take necessary actions. The analysis here is based on current ratio, quick ratio, cash ratio, receivables turnover and inventory turnover. The analysis of operating performance, examines how management uses its assets and capital by measuring the sales generated by various categories of assets or capital and analyzes the profits as a percentage of sales and as a percentage of the assets and capital employed (Brown and Reilly, 2009). The ratios used are the asset turnover, equity turnover, profit margins, return on equity and return on assets. Concerning the risk analysis, both business and financial risks are measured and analyzed, here the emphasis is on the sales variability, operating leverage which consists of the variability of a firms operating earnings and then the debt-equity ratio to measure the financial risk. 3.4.2 Independent variables Independent variables are the variables impacting on your main research problem. They are called independent in a sense that those variables are affecting the amount of dependent variables and do not affect each other, so they are independent of each other (Jones, Wahba and Heijden, 2007). Corporate governance stands for the independent variable for this study. Corporate governance is the mechanism by which a corporation is managed and monitored. It determines a power-sharing relationship between corporation executives and investors by providing structure through which the objectives are defined; policies and procedures are established to ensure achievement of these objectives; and activities, affairs, and performance are monitored (Rezaee, 2004). Based on this definition and other definitions of corporate governance, it can positively or negatively influence the performance of a company and for the purpose of this study, the influence will be analyzed based on board characteristics which are treated as the moderating variables in this study and considered as one of the aspects of corporate governance. 3.4.3 Moderating variables Moderating variables are included in the theoretical model to modify the way that the independent variables will affect the dependent variable. They might act as a catalyst of these relationships and strengthen them or perhaps they just inhibit the relationship and weaken it (Jones, Wahba and Heijden, 2007). For this study the moderating variables are the board characteristics, and the following characteristics were taken into consideration the board size, board composition, CEO duality, board diversity and frequency of board meetings. The board size is the number of members on the board and as boards are considered to be large decision-making groups, size can affect the decision-making process and effectiveness of the board (Dwivedi and Jain, 2005). Talking about the board composition, the board may be composed of directors who may be executive meaning that they are employees of the firm, or non-executive meaning they are not employees of the company; and this may have an effect on firm performance. CEO duality consists of having the same person holding both the board chairman and CEO positions or having the CEO and board chair positions separate, this also may have an impact on firm performance. When it comes to board diversity, the consideration is that there may be some diversification in the board members which may or may not have an influence on firm performance; diversity for this study is seen as gender diversity, racial diversity and experience/background diversity. Board meeting frequency consists of how frequently the board meetings are scheduled and the board activity is measured by the frequency of board meeting, this frequency may impact on the performance of the firm. Figure 3.1: Theoretical Framework Source: Research, 2010 3.4.4 Research assumptions Based on the various corporate scandals due to the manipulation of financial statements, the researcher made an assumption that the information provided in the audited financial statements of BRALIRWA for the period 2005-2008 are true and accurate. It was assumed that the respondents would be willing to fill the questionnaires and that the staff in the finance department of BRALIRWA would cooperate in providing any necessary information regarding the financial statements. 3.4.5 Research limitations The study uses BRALIRWA as a case study, which may provide little basis for generalization on the performance of other manufacturing companies The study only use a time-series analysis because there are no competitors in the industry to compare with The financial statements analyzed were the balance sheet and income statement because the company does not prepare cash flow statement The study only used board characteristics as the aspects of corporate governance due to time and logistics constraints the researcher could not use other aspects. The study was limited to a period of four years from 2005 to 2008 3.5 RESEARCH QUESTIONs To achieve the research objectives of this study; the study has to answer the following major and minor research questions. 3.5.1 Major research questions How is BRALIRWA financially performing for the period under study and what is the implication for future performance? How is BRALIRWA governance influencing its performance? 3.5.2 Minor research questions How well is the management of BRALIRWA doing to generate operating profits on companys assets? How well is BRALIRWA management using the capital invested? How is BRALIRWA financing its assets and how variable its earnings are? How well is BRALIRWA doing to meet its maturing financial obligations? The above mentioned research questions will help in analyzing the financial performance of BRALIRWA and the influence of its corporate governance on performance. 3.6 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 3.6.1 Research type This study is basically quantitative with a small portion of qualitative and descriptive in nature and is using a case study method. The study is using the computation of different ratios to analyze the financial performance of BRALIRWA and statistical measure like mean, standard deviation and correlation are also used; and it is also qualitative in the sense that it is looking at the perceptions of staff on the influence of corporate governance on the performance. The purpose of quantitative research is to determine the quantity or extent of some phenomenon in the form of numbers (Zikmund, 1994). 3.6.1.1 Case study methodology This study is using BRALIRWA as a case study representing other manufacturing companies in Rwanda. BRALIRWA was chosen as a case study because of its long stay in the business and as being one of the manufacturing companies that were operating before the 1994 Rwandan genocide and which has continued operating and the major motivation for the researcher to take it as a representative case study is that the manufacturing sector in Rwanda is mostly made of food and beverages companies where BRALIRWA is dominating. According to Robson (2002:178) cited by Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill (2007), a case study is a strategy for doing research which involves an empirical investigation of a particular contemporary phenomenon within its real life context using multiple sources of evidence. Yin (2009) defines a case study as an empirical inquiry that investigates a contemporary phenomenon in depth and within its real life context, especially when the boundaries between phenomenon and context are not clearly evident. According to Yin (2009), the case study inquiry copes with the technically distinctive situation in which there will be many more variables of interest than data points, and one result; relies on multiple source of evidence, with data needing to converge in a triangulating fashion, and as another result; and benefits from the prior development of theoretical propositions to guide data collection and analysis. 3.6.1.2 Descriptive research This study is descriptive as it is describing and evaluating systematically how BRALIRWA has been performing for the period under study. According to Kumar (2005), a descriptive research attempts to describe systematically a situation, problem, phenomenon, service or program, or provides information about something or describes attitudes towards an issue. 3.6.1.3 Quantitative and qualitative research As discussed early, this study is a mix of quantitative and qualitative, it is evaluating the performance of BRALIRWA by quantifying it through different ratios to analyze the internal liquidity, operating performance and risk and most of the information is gathered using quantitative variables (through financial statements). On the other hand, the study is qualitative in the way that it has some variables which were analyzed without being quantified. The study is qualified as quantitative if one wants to quantify the variation in a phenomenon, situation, problem, or issue; if information gathered using predominantly quantitative variables; and if the analysis is geared to ascertain the magnitude of the variation. On the other hand, a study is qualified as qualitative if the purpose of the study is primary to describe a situation, phenomenon, problem or event; the information is gathered through the use of variables measured on nominal or ordinal scales; and if analysis is done to establish the variation in the situation, phenomenon or problem without quantifying it (Kumar, 2005). 3.6.2 Data collection instrument and source For the purpose of this study, both primary and secondary data were collected. To collect primary data questionnaires were distributed to the staff of BRALIRWA to know and analyze their perceptions on the influence of board characteristics on firm performance, the questionnaires were given to different staff but the most targeted were the managers and directors (management team) and heads of department and then some of the officers in different departments; interviews were also used with the staff in the finance department to get some clarifications on the content of the financial statements. And to collect secondary data, different literature on the evaluation of financial performance and those on the relationship between corporate governance (board characteristics) were reviewed through books, journals, articles and websites; and the financial statements of BRALIRWA for a period of 2005-2008 were consulted and analyzed through financial ratios. 3.6.3 Sampling methods Sampling is the process of selecting a few (a sample) from a bigger group (the sampling population) to become the basis for estimating or predicting the prevalence of an unknown piece of information, situation or outcome regarding the bigger group; a sample is a subgroup of the population one is interested in (Kumar, 2005). For the purpose of this study, judgmental sampling technique has been used to select the sample in order to collect primary data. Purposive or judgmental sampling enables you to use your judgment to select cases that will best enable you to answer your research question(s) and to meet your objectives. This form of sample is often used when working with very small samples such as in case study research and when you wish to select cases that are particularly informative (Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, 2007 quoting Neuman, 2000). According to Kumar (2005), the primary consideration in purposive sampling is the judgment of the researcher as to who can provide the best information to achieve the objectives of the study; the researcher only goes to those people who in his/her opinion are likely to have the required information and be willing to share it. For the respondents to fill the questionnaire it required a certain degree of information about the board of directors and the judgmental sampling is the appropriate technique to this study. 3.6.4 Sample size A sample of 25 respondents was selected from the staff of BRALIRWA which is the population of the study; as stated early the sample was selected using judgmental sampling. The respondents were selected from different departments of the company and from top management to senior officers and the sample is the representative of the population. 3.6.4 Data analysis methods The study is based more on the secondary data as the evaluation of financial performance is based on the financial statements of the case company (BRALIRWA) and on primary data which were collected using a questionnaire to analyze the influence of the board characteristics on the financial performance of the company as perceived by the company employees. In the process of data analysis, the information from the financial statement were first presented according to the research objectives and research questions and based on the theoretical framework and literature review; then they were analyzed using appropriate ratios and the analysis was based on time series analysis, some statistics were used such as mean and standard deviation for the researcher to analyze the data and come up with conclusions and recommendations. To analyze the data collected from questionnaires, the following process was followed; first the data were edited, then coded and frequency distribution were used. To analyze, the open-ended questions, content analysis was used whereby different themes were identified from the answers given by the respondents and then verbatim responses were examined and discussed with reference to literature to come up with research findings, conclusion and recommendations. 3.7 CHAPTER SUMMARY This chapter discussed the research problem by highlighting that in Rwanda some key companies do not have thorough financial analysis and that the performance of companies may be influenced by the way they are managed and monitored where this may depend on the characteristics of the board. The chapter also discussed the theoretical framework that was used for this study and the dependent, independent and moderating variables were identified; financial performance is the dependent variable which is determined through the analysis of internal liquidity, operating performance and risk and the summarizing indicators of financial performance for the purpose of this study were identified as ROE and ROA. The chapter goes on discussing the research objectives, research questions, the assumptions and limitations of study. Then the chapter concludes with the discussion of the research methodology that was used to conduct the research and to achieve the research objectives and to answer the research questions that were put forward; the study is a mix of quantitative and qualitative, both secondary and primary were used and financial statements and other sources were used to collect secondary data and the questionnaire was used to collect primary and the questionnaires were sent to a sample of 25 respondents, the sample was selected using judgmental sampling.

We Must Ban MTBE Gasoline Use in Cold Climate Areas :: Argumentative Persuasive Argument Essays

We Must Ban MTBE Gasoline Use in Cold Climate Areas Several years ago doctors told us that because butter contained a lot of cholesterol it would be healthier to use margarine instead. Yet just recently it was discovered and told us by doctors that although butter has more cholesterol, overall it is healthier than margarine (Kamen 1). Margarine had some unseen negative effect on the human body, and human health. A similar yet distinct situation is happening today in the gasoline industry. In order to reduce the pollution that vehicles emit oxygenates are added to gasoline. Oxygenates reduce the amount of toxins released. The most common used oxygenate is methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE). MTBE like margarine has had some unexpected and previously unseen harmful effects on the human health when used in cold climate areas. It has caused respiratory problems, nausea, headaches, and tissue inflammation and irritation (Cong 2). In an effort to protect all aspects of human health I propose that the use of MTBE as a gasoline oxygenate be banned in cold climate areas of the United States of America. When the United States was founded, Congress, the legislative branch of government was established to pass laws and legislation for the betterment of the people. Due to an increase in the number of vehicles, pollution from their emissions has become an increasingly large problem. Vehicle exhaust emissions contain volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) that when combined with sunlight create ozone. Ground level ozone is harmful to plants and to the human respiratory system. It causes chest pain, headaches, nasal congestion, sore throats, and reduced breathing capacity. Cars also emit carbon monoxide (CO) which is toxic to the human body (ADEQ 1). In order to better ensure and maintain clean air Congress passed the Clean Air Act of 1990. As part of this Act the cities in the United States where the set limit of carbon monoxide (CO) had been exceeded were required to sell oxygenated gasoline at the gas pumps to help reduce the CO level (Cong 2). In all there are over thirty areas in eighteen states that use oxygenated gasoline (EPA other 1). There are several different oxygenates, but in the U.S. 84% of the oxygenated gasoline uses MTBE as the oxygenate (EPA other1). MTBE must make up 15% of the gasoline mixture in order to meet federal standards (EPA 19).

GOA Essay -- Ecoturism, Konkan

GOA Goa is also known internationally in various names like: "Rome of the East", "Tourist Paradise" and "Pearl of the Orient" the state of Goa is located on the western coast of India in the coastal belt known as Konkan. Goa has a unique history, natural beauty and rich culture that have attracted tourists from around the world, over the past. Churches, museums, old streets and homes, beaches, and wildlife are the main tourist attractions of this place. (Goa tourism, 2011) Goa is the smallest state in India by area and population. Most of Goa is a part of the coastal country known as the Konkan, which is an escarpment rising up to the Western Ghats range of mountains, which separate it from the Deccan Plateau, and has 103 kilometres of coastline. The nearness to Arabian Sea and being a tropical zone, Goa has a hot and humid climate for most of the year. The vast green expanse of the Sahyadri mountain range ensures that Goa has an abundance of water. The sea and rivers abound in seafood - prawns, mackerels, sardines, crabs and lobsters are the most popular with the locals and the visitors. Along with English which is widely spoken all over Goa, Konkani and Marathi are the other recognized languages. Goan cuisine is a blend of different influences the Goans had to endure during the centuries. The staple food in Goa is fish and rice, both among the Hindus and the Catholics. The long period of Portuguese rule has strongly influenced the Goan cuisine. (Goa tourism, 2008) Traces of former Portuguese domination can be seen throughout when travelling through Goa; this creates an exotic ambience. Beaches, which are Goa’s greatest assets are illuminated with high mast lights allowing the tourist to roam around, even in the nights, safel... ...h wood furnishing and tiled floors inside. Guests get the chance to enjoy nature walks, bonfires, folk dances, and village excursions. This resort also rated as one of the beast eco resort of India by MSN Green (MSN, 2010). The Nature Conservation Facility has established at Chorla Ghats to help researchers and ecologist who monitoring and studying about the Western Ghats. They organize range of programs like making aware to the others about the importance of conservation and also support activities related to conservation of natural and cultural heritage, the Nature Conservation Facility is also being recognized as a hub of activity for volunteers and students who train here under researchers of international repute and carry forward the torch of nature conservation. Now the nature conservation facility is in the process of documenting about the local community.

Graduation Speech: May You Have Enough -- Graduation Speech, Commencem

Martin Luther King Jr. 1929-1968. Mother Theresa 1910-1997. Albert Einstein 1879-1955. All of these people are not remembered for their birth or death dates, but rather what they did with their dash. The dash that goes between their birth and death dates on their headstones. The dash that says what a person has accomplished in their life. The dash that takes up so little space, but holds so much meaning. What will you do with your dash? Will your dash be one of accomplishment, of success, of compassion, of love, of happiness? I wish you more than enough of all of these things to make up your dash. I heard a short story recently that I think seems appropriate to share. At an airport a father and daughter were saying good-bye to one another. "I love you, I wish you enough." The father said. She said, "Daddy, our life together has been more than enough. I wish you enough, too." They kissed good-bye and she left. Walking over toward the window where another young lady was seated, he asked her, "Did you ever say good-bye to someone knowing it would be forever?" ..

Political Identity

Political Identity can be referred to the collective aspect of the set of characteristics by which a political party of your choice is recognizable or known. Politics exists all around the world whether it involves the government, religion, debates, events, or individuals in general. It can be quite difficult to determine one’s Political Identity as this consists of various concepts. I am a follower of the Liberal Party of Ontario which is aligned with the Canadian Liberal Party. The following essay will be discussing the influences that have impacted me in order to create my own Political Identity.Politics consists of three distinctive categories such as, the Conservative Party, the Liberal Party and the New Democratic Party. The Liberal Party generally stands between the view points of both the Conservative Party and the New Democratic Party. This party has formed the Government of Ontario since the year 2003. The Liberal Party is extremely open to embracing changes and crea ting opportunities for individuals in our modern world. As in individual, I tend to follow a middle path in which I consider both sides of the decisions I make.I am also quite open to learning newer concepts and I have the ability to adapt to any changes that my arise. Thus I believe that my Political Identity lies with the Liberal Party as my actions can relate to the ones made by this party. As a child, I was unable to understand the concept of politics, though I was taught to support the Liberals. However now that I have matured, I have discovered why many individuals choose to support the Liberals, as opposed to the other political parties. Due to the positive attitude towards change, the Liberal Party is the reason why Canada is seen as such a multicultural country.The Liberal Party has helped changed the lives of many individuals that had been living an unfortunate life. If it were not for the Liberals, I would not be in such a well developed country. My parents had not been b lessed with such a pleasant life. They had came across many hardships in life and hoped that their children would not experience such a life. Throughout the 1970s, the Liberal Party granted permission for the Ismaili Muslims from Africa to enter Canada, in order to have a better lifestyle. This is when my parents fled from East Africa and entered Canada.Migrating to Canada has had a great positive impact on their lives, along with the lives of many others. Hence my family and friends have been voting for the Liberal Party for many years. This has impacted my Political Identity by a whole lot. There are many factors which contributed to the choice of my Political Identity Living in a society in which immigrants from all around the world are present, has assisted in shaping my Political Identity. While attending school, I am exposed to a variety of races. Therefore schools tend to enforce Liberalism as well.Due to this, many students choose to follow the Liberal Party. Not only do I f ollow the Liberals because I such a society, but also because the Liberals have given individuals the freedom of their choice. During the past, the women of Ontario were not granted the permission to abort their children. If one chose to give up her baby, she was to cross the border to fulfill her desire. However the Liberals brought a change in which a woman is free to act upon her choice. Also, same-sex marriages were not permitted at any costs.Yet recently, by law, individuals are allowed to wed any sex of their choice without being ridiculed. Although these acts may have seemed immoral in the past, they have come to be accepted by our society. I too feel that individuals should have the right of freedom when it comes to choosing what is best for their lifestyle. Thus I support the decisions the Liberals have chose to create based on our modern society. Overall, I believe that the Liberal Party is an exceptional party that has performed many changes that have been beneficially fo r many individuals.Although I felt compelled to support the Liberals because my family supported them, as a matured person, I now feel that the Liberal Party is worth supporting because not only has it assisted my the members of community, it has also assisted people from around the world. This party has also given individuals the right of freedom in order act upon their desire. Though it has limitations, the Liberal Party strives to strengthen its economy and create opportunities for its people. As a person, I believe it is important to accept change and keep oneself open to new opportunities. Therefore my Political Identity can be recognized as a Liberal.

Alma Mater

Living Through the Alma Mater Throughout the history of universities there has always been a figure that exemplifies school pride. At the University of Illinois, the Alma Mater is that defining figure. From the creation of the Alma Mater, she has established history and pride between the students and staff at the University of Illinois. To this day, the Alma Mater’s presence is everywhere from storefronts to postcards. No matter where you go on the University of Illinois campus, there is always something that shows the Alma Mater’s face with her arms stretching out. A simple motto made this all possible.Through the University of Illinois’s motto, â€Å"Learning and Labor,† it has helped develop a system of value that continues to this day through a visual piece of art. We all know the Illinois Loyalty song by heart, or at least we should, but from that song our school motto, â€Å"Learning and Labor†, has stood out for one artist, Lorado Taft. His à ¢â‚¬Å"gift†, the Alma Mater, was dedicated to the University of Illinois in honor of his fiftieth anniversary of his graduation in 1929, on Alumni day. A motto and a symbol that would haven unnoticed if the Alma Mater was never created.From his ideas, Lorado Taft depicted the Alma Mater â€Å"as a majestic woman in scholastic robes, who arises from her throne and advances a step with outstretching arms,† Gesturing greeting â€Å"her† children; the Alma Mater shows pride to her students of the past, present, and future. While standing behind her two twin looking figures that are acting as â€Å"Learning and Labor,† shaking hands in creating a visual image of our motto. From this depiction, it has been imbedded in the mind of the past, present, and future generations as a defining factor in school pride and loyalty.Ever since the Alma Mater has been built, it has brought the students of the University of Illinois great pride. From looking at a photo from 194 8, students who are still eloquently dressed in graduation robes gather around the Alma Mater. Their eyes as they gaze at the Alma Mater, freeze time almost. They are happy. What are they happy for? Graduating or the fact that the Alma Mater has helped brings a class together. The look in their eyes looking like there is a much deeper meaning to about what the Alma Mater means to them that brings the student, around the Alma Mater together.They saw a connection that brought them altogether through a journey of â€Å"Learning and Labor. † From this welcoming, students knew that wherever their life took them, their Alma Mater would always be there for them. From this statue it not only created a welcoming to her students but â€Å"reaching out† to them when they came back into her arms. Even today, the Alma Mater shows pride when every year, graduates wait in long lines just to get one last and final picture of the Alma Mater as a student of the University before they se t alumni status. Just like they did in 1948.The students of present are still representing the Alma Mater to this day. Even from the start of this school year, the 2013 seniors are still proud of their Alma Mater. In an interview with Cara Mueller, a 2013 senior attending the University of Illinois took great pride in her Alma Mater. â€Å"To me the Alma Mater is a cool piece of history. I love being a part of something so much bigger than my time here at the University of Illinois. † When asked if she had any prior knowledge to the Alma Matter she shared, â€Å"That my older brother went to the University of Illinois.So every time we came to see him we would always walk past the Alma Mater. † It’s a University landmark that cannot be missed while either touring or walking around campus. Continuing on with Cara’s interview she also stated that she often â€Å"took pictures in front of it, especially when it was dressed up for special events, like when th e Illinois basketball team made it to the March Madness tournament, they dressed her in an oversized basketball outfit. † But from Cara’s interview it also turned her upside down with the leaving of her Alma Mater.Even the pride that students have shown to the Alma Mater goes way beyond a statue. In late August of 2012, the Alma Mater packed her bags for the year to get primed and prospered for the fallowing spring. Many students do not understand how someone could take the schools pride and joy away. However, it makes visitors of the university question why there is only a platform with nothing on top of it! With the Alma Mater gone it doesn’t mean it’s the end. To Cara Mueller, she â€Å"thinks it’s upsetting to see that she is gone. It's like a part of the University of Illinois has been missing all year. From this Cara reflected on her being a senior, â€Å" As a senior I felt like I got the shafted. † Every year, like previously stated, many seniors wait in lines to take a final picture of them with the Alma Mater. As the year dwindles down to a close, Cara anxiously awaits the arrival of the Alma Mater; â€Å"It would be nice to get the traditional graduation pictures with my family next to the Alma Mater like many graduates do each year. † Throughout the years of students coming and going, the Alma Mater is always going to be ne steady symbol of school pride. Even to this day students are always being welcomed by this well-know figure. From one motto, a statue can shape the ideas of how a university shapes its values. Imagine if the Alma Mater was never created? What would have taken her place, a dog or maybe a different statue? As the years go on, however, it could be possible that a bigger and better figure might emerge, but even when we may leave her sight we will always be reminded that she will always be waiting for us to return.

Modern Management 5_EX

The leadership behavior adopted by Toyoda was a more participative leadership, as suggestions were taken from the employees regarding business operations.   These employees were involved in making organizational decisions.   Toyoda gave more importance to each and every department in its China division.   The managers of each and every deprtmetn have to report to an executive vice-president who made decisions.   It was not necessary to wait for corporate approval from the Toyota headquarters. This was a more of a kind of bottom-up management strategy.   It was a very positive leadership style as the lower level management are making important decisions about the department.   Hence, the performance and the effectiveness would be higher.   Considering the power-based leadership style, as the lower level management makes important decisions about the department, it could be considered as a democratic leadership style.   There is a fee flow of communication and flow of ideas from the lower level management.   The lower level management also participates in making important decisions. Inaba realized that the Toyota’s US unit was not making enough profit.   He felt that a bottom-up kind of decision making was required.   He then released profit and expense information to the sales personnel so that they could understand their financial performance better.   In order to make greater profits, the manager gave price cuts to the rental companies. This improved the sales of the company.   According to the Tannenbaum and Schmidt Leadership Continuum, the decision-making process was given greater freedom by the company and hence was subordinate-centered leadership.   The manager was gave the subordinates the problem asked them ways of solving the problem and providing certain boundaries within which the decision could be made. Gravis changed his organizational structure to suit the leadership style.   He began to shift the mangers and other staff to more appropriate situations.   He adopted a more task structure kind of leadership style, in which the objectives, the work to be performed and certain situational factors, are marked. Starbuck give a lot of importance to the employee values and beliefs which in turn give rise to attitudes.   Attitudes in turn give rise to behavior.   Starbuck is known for its employee who provides a comfortable atmosphere at their coffee shops.   The company adopts a very aggressive business policy of combining with local firms that do understand the local environment or market, and trains their manager in the company headquarters for about three months.   If he suspects that the managers do not posses the right values and beliefs, he would not collaborate with them. Herman Uscategui overheard one of the managers of a local firm make an uncomfortable racial remark.   He soon decided against working with that firm as he felt that the managers did not have an appropriate belief or values that could create a suitable attitude.   In turn the behavior of the managers would not be suitable for Starbuck to achieve its objectives. The Starbuck administration is trying to create a positive attitude and behavior of its employees by generating appropriate values and beliefs in its employees.   The company gives a lot of importance to values and beliefs.   It adopts good measures to protect the environment, conserve energy and recycle material.   It supports an internal fund to help the employees that are in need.   The employees can also provide feedback about certain management decisions.   They can also provide more information of any employee action that would be in conflict with values of the company. Reference: Cresto, S. C. and Cresto, S. T. (2006). Chapter 5: Influencing, Modern Management, (10th ed), New Jersey: Upper Saddle River, pp. 299-322.         

Exim Policy India Analysis Essay

EXIM policy should be more transparent which should favour export environment The EXIM policy (Foreign trade policy) was announced on 27th August 2009 for the period 2009-2014. It was announced at a juncture when the world was recuperating from the economic downturn. The downturn had caused a sharp contraction in international trade and adversely impacted global investments. The world trade suffered a drastic reduction of 12%. In this context, the EXIM policy focussed on arresting declining exports. Market diversification strategy was adopted in order to reach out to non traditional destinations in Africa ,Latin America and Asia since there was a sharp decline in demand in the traditional market. Technological up gradation of exports was encouraged and transaction procedures were simplified to reduce costs. Other steps planned wee to concentrate on Labour intensive sectors and the draft policy parameters to enhance the competitiveness of our exports by promoting technology upgrades. A Committee of Experts was constituted to revamp the procedures of transactions and administer the value chain of exports. Amidst the current global economic turmoil, the Indian government should take prudent steps to avoid the recurrence of another recession. In light of the recent developments, the EXIM policy should encourage exports and stimulate international trade. While, the current EXIM policy mentions a considerable emphasis on exports, a detailed check is required if the trade is actually adhering to the policies framed and if the transparency is being maintained in the transactions. a) Currency printing should be done by private top 3 financial institutions in the country. The Reserve Bank of India manages the currency in the country with the help of the advice from the government of India. RBI distributes notes and rupee coins to other bank branches through certain selected currency chest branches. Printing additional currency should be done in a controlled manner since it can have a great impact on the economy. India can’t merely print additional currency to meet public expenditure unless it is a time of extreme financial crisis. This method of increasing liquidity in the market is called Quantitative Easing and happens when the Central bank fails to inject liquidity in the system by lowering interest rates. This is mainly done to prevent deflation. However, uncontrolled printing of money causes inflation and can lead to hyper inflation in extreme cases. RBI uses three main factors are used to estimate the demand for bank notes – current growth rate of economy, replacement demand and reserve requirements. During the time of recession, it is all the more important to be prudent on printing money since the economy is on a decline and it becomes imperative to control inflation. Hence, monitoring the currency printing is of utmost importance and this can be achieved by allowing only the top 3 private financial institutions in the country. a) FDI should be allowed in multi brand so as to eliminate intermediaries and benefit farmers and industries directly. It will help in curbing inflation. FDI in multi brand retail should be encouraged since it would contribute extensively in the growth of the economy. It would improve the availability of high quality goods and create an environment of competitiveness in Indian entrepreneurs by giving exposure to global management practices. It would also encourage better technology and enhance efficiencies. However, the policy should be implemented within the purview of the state laws and regulations. This would ensure that there is no anti- competitive practices including predatory pricing. Investments in terms of FDI in retail would in turn help in developing the infrastructure of the country in terms of supply chain and logistics. This would also eliminate intermediaries and benefit farmers and industries directly. This strategy would greatly help in controlling recession since this help in generating demand at the low income level and eventually would eliminate the income divide. It would also curb inflation in an efficient manner. a) More emphasis should be given on R& D of capital goods which are prima facie being produced by developed economies. The profits of the capital goods sector is directly linked with the profits of the entire Indian industry. This is further corroborated by the high elasticity behavior of Capital goods industry to the fluctuations in the industry growth. One of the key stimulators for demand in the capital goods sector is the manufacturing sector which forms the end user of these goods. Another stimulator for the demand is the gross investment made in this sector by the country. It is important to have a good demand for the Capital goods since its consumption constitutes 17-21 percent of the GDP of the country. However, the investments in this sector have declined when compared to other sectors. Hence, more emphasis on the investment and R&D of capital goods will provide considerable boost to the GDP of the country and in turn help in curbing recession. This is one of the most effective ways to control recession. a) Government should spend in agro based economies like Africa to have favourable terms for import of agriculture products. Although imports of agricultural products form a very small percentage of the total imports, the import duties and countries of trade pose significant hurdles. The current import statistics of various agricultural products are as follows. The total agri imports are in the range of 4-7 percent of the total imports. Edible oil accounts for more than 50% of the agri imports. Raw cashew nut accounts for about 10 percent of the agri imports. Other agricultural products imported are – cereals,pulses,spices,sugar chicken meat etc .However, these form a very low percentage of the agri imports and are imported in climatically abnormal years. Government should put extensive effort to build ties with agro based economies like Africa which would help reducing the expenditure on agricultural imports. This in-turn would help in maintaining the balance even in adverse years when domestic production fails to fulfill the demand. This gap between demand and supply in a bad year is one of the root causes of creating a recession. Hence, this is a cost effective alternative to fulfill this supply and curb the occurrence of a recession.

Corruption: Essay and Students

GEORGIA | 45 Youth Against Corruption: An National Essay Contest (Georgia) Summary The project Youth Versus Corruption consisted of a series of discussions culminating in a school essay contest for 14-15 year olds. Students were encouraged to develop and express their attitudes towards corruption and lawfulness, whilst raising their awareness on the issue through discussions with guest speakers and by writing creative essays. This empowering project captivated the interest of students by providing an opportunity for their opinions to be heard at national level, and by inviting famous people to attend discussions at schools.The project was carried out by Transparency International Georgia between September 2003 and February 2004 in 19 schools in six regions of Georgia1. TI-Georgia worked closely with the Georgian Ministry of Education’s Culture of Lawfulness Project. 2 Background â€Å"During this period of injustice in the country ordinary citizens were hurt most. They longed for money to buy bread, and this is the reason why people started mass protests against the government. The government was unable to use force against its people.High officials had committed so many crimes that they could no longer redeem themselves. Each one of them was involved in corruption and everyone was aware of this fact. After the change of government all the corrupt people became very scared, some of them fled the country, others were arrested†¦ â€Å" Zaza Datukshvili (15) Recent research leaves little doubt that the difficult economic and political situation in Georgia can be attributed largely to high levels of corruption. The attitude of citizens to corruption has also been problematic.Although the negative impact of corruption on a larger scale is widely accepted, its effect on everyday life often remains obscured. Where it is recognised, people are generally pessimistic about the prospects of fighting corruption successfully. Consequently, there is an urgent n eed for awareness-raising campaigns that draw attention to the everyday effects of corruption and the effective means to curb 1 2 The regions included Tbilisi, Senaki, Telavi, Tianeti, Batumi, Gori Funded by the Open Society Georgia Foundation, OSGF, and the US Department of Justice 46 | GEORGIAThe project in numbers 19 schools and 589 students took part in this project; 758 questions were asked on the issues of corruption and legality at the meetings with guest-speakers; 411 essays were written during the contest. corruption. This increased awareness is vital for Georgia’s success and the mobilisation of young people is especially crucial in this regard. A course entitled ‘Culture of Legality’, focusing on law and corruption issues, was introduced and piloted in 19 schools by the Ministry of Education in 2002. It was financed by the American National Strategic Information Center.The ministry dubbed the project a success and integrated the course into the curricu lum of grade 9 (14-15 year olds) for the following academic year (20032004). The course became obligatory for all 147 Tbilisi (Georgia’s capital city) schools as well as in those regional schools where the course was piloted. The ministry intends to bring this course to all Georgian schools over the next two years. The project In conjunction with this new course, TI-Georgia carried out a youth awareness-raising campaign, which included a series of discussions, culminating in an essay contest.The project sought to sensitise young people to issues of corruption and legitimacy and to lend greater impact to the anti-corruption programmes already carried out in schools. The essay component in particular gave students the opportunity to express their ideas and to use knowledge gained from the discussions. The contest also sent a signal that society was interested in youth voices. After a selection process, the nine best essays were published in Georgia’s premiere newspaper, 24 Hours, and posted on TI-Georgia’s website.In introducing this campaign to Georgian schools, TI-Georgia worked closely with the Culture of Legality Programme, the Ministry of Education, the Georgian Institute of Public Affairs, and the Anti-Corruption Council of Georgia. TI-Georgia, along with these organisations, offered special prizes for winners, using funds provided by the Soros Foundation. Additionally, prominent panellists in the discussion sessions distributed their books to the students for free. The project also coincided with the pre-revolutionary demonstrations in Georgia, which influenced its implementation. The project commenced in Septem- GEORGIA | 47Carola Huebner-Kruzinna (13), Nicaragua ber and October, just preceding the November 2003 elections followed by the Rose Revolution of 23rd November. People were very preoccupied with the upcoming elections, and, as a result, students and teachers were often absent from school. Planning and organisation The campai gn, Youth Versus Corruption, took place over 6 months. The first month focused on preparation and logistics, during which a project booklet was published with a complete description of the project. The project working group held a meeting with the participant schools’ teachers and Ministry of Education representatives.The working group consisted of a TI coordinator, a professional linguist, a representative of Ministry of Education, a poet, a writer, a lawyer and a journalist. At the first meeting the group discussed the following topics: which issues and questions would best engage the students; the best guest speakers for 14-15 year olds; and how to structure the discussions and essay contest to the age and knowledge level of the students. 48 | GEORGIA Four working meetings were held over two months to establish the form of the contest and a mechanism for evaluating essays.A list of potential guest speakers was established, the format for their discussions was developed, to pics were selected for the essay contest, and project follow-up measures were determined. Students were asked to select the guests they wanted to meet. Their selections included many media representatives. With its extensive network of connections TI-Georgia was able to arrange for these prominent personalities to come speak to the students. Teachers who had taught the Culture of Legality course were contracted as local coordinators for each school.They assisted in organising project events and participated in the preliminary grading of essays. Information booklets and posters were distributed to schools where the discussion sessions were arranged. The following topics for the essay contest were selected: Is injustice the source of corruption, or is corruption the source of injustice? Describe a corrupt person (appearance, life-style) and how they differ from other people; Imagine that you work in an organisation that condones corruption. What would you do? Discussion forums Discuss ion forums were held as a preparatory stage for the essay contest.For each discussion forum, one guest speaker was assigned to each school. In some cases this would be a poet, in other cases, a journalist or famous lawyer. The atmosphere at the events was charged with excitement. The students, especially those from the regions, were thrilled at the chance to meet well-known Georgians they knew from print or television. The parents of the students were also very eager to cooperate and gave useful feedback. The dialogue centred on the students’ personal experiences with corruption, and what they had done to solve or work within the situation.The discussion forums were structured to be interactive. At the beginning of the session, guests would speak about themselves, offer a topic for discussion or invite students to ask questions. TI-Georgia recorded all questions, and used these results to devise essay topics that would be of real interest for the students. Students in the reg ions were more active during the discussions than their counterparts in the big cities and later also took a more independent position in their essays. The urban youth was less optimistic but better informed. In particular, students from schools in the capital were not as active in discus-GEORGIA | 49 sions and were often quite cynical in response to the issues raised. In the more isolated regions, these discussion sessions with famous guest speakers became important events. Although conceptualised as a preparatory stage in the essay contest, it became apparent that the discussion forums were no less important than the contest itself. Student essays were solicited from those schools that participated in the forums. The forums took place during the first few months of the project and the essay contest in the last few months. In sum, there were 19 meetings at 19 separate schools.Each meeting featured one guest speaker and 30-35 students, meaning that, overall, around 600 students part icipated. Essay contest As Georgian school curriculum does not offer specific courses on essay writing, TI-Georgia coordinated a workshop on writing instruction in all participant schools prior to the contest event. The contest then took place on 15th and 16th December 2003. The students were given the three topics outlined above to choose from and two hours to write their essays. They were encouraged to use various written styles to express their opinions on corruption. The evaluation of the essays was conducted in two stages.In order to ensure impartiality, the essays were first evaluated by teachers from other participat- 50 | GEORGIA ing schools. The top ten per cent of essays were selected during this initial evaluation and sent to an independent jury established by TI-Georgia. The jury was composed of a writer, an education official, lawyers, a linguist, and a TI representative. The essays were evaluated on a ten-point system based on four criteria: analytical skill, creativit y, personal expression and command of the Georgian language. Of the over 500 submissions, three winners and eight runners-up were announced.The winning essays, as previously mentioned, were published in the newspaper 24 Hours and on the TI-Georgia website. An awards ceremony was held on 24th December 2003 at the Open Society Foundation Georgia conference hall. TI-Georgia awarded the winners special certificates and prizes. All teachers, jury members, nominated students, partner organisation representatives, guest speakers and donors were invited to the event. Results â€Å"How would corruption be created if there was no injustice? In a just state everything and everyone must serve justice, but does not corruption create injustice?I believe that it is no news for anyone that the truth in Georgia does not have a very big value. Many people ignore the truth and act in an illegal and unjust way. † Tamar Mebonia (15) An evaluation questionnaire was designed to identify changes in students’ views on corruption before and after the programme, and they were disseminated after the contest. The questionnaires also solicited student opinions on which features the programme might add or change, and the students generated a list of potential guest speakers for the next implementation of the project.Empowering students The most important achievements of the campaign were the large number of participants involved and the apparent change in students’ attitudes. Youths that participated in the project learned that their opinions and ideas were valuable and relevant to society. In particular, the interviews revealed that students do have strong views on corruption, but feel that no one is interested in their opinions on the subject. The project was valuable to them as it gave them the opportunity to express their views, which were taken seriously.Furthermore, teachers realised the benefits of discussing the subject of corruption with their students, and of adding such a discussion to the curriculum. GEORGIA | 51 Challenges â€Å"First of all, civil education must become part of the school curriculum, so that the new generation has a different ideology, so that she does not look at injustice as if it were none of her business and so that she takes action in the fight against injustice. She can do this by not offering bribes to the teacher; this will go a long way towards eradicating corruption and injustice. Tamuna Papavadze (15) Although the project was an overall success, TI-Georgia encountered a number of difficulties along its way. For example, the Ministry of Education attempted to control the process and wanted to interfere with the selection of guest speakers and discussion topics. TI-Georgia dealt successfully with this problem by seeking support from other NGOs and putting pressure on the ministry as a collective force. The ministry asked TI not to bring revolutionary activists into schools as guest speakers, at one point goi ng so far as to ask that the project be called off.In addition, they requested that they be informed of the essay topics before staging the contest. Fortunately, TI-Georgia did not make any concessions in these cases, as it had the support of most school officials. The change in administration after the revolution allowed it to continue the second phase of our project without interference. Winning the interest of young people for this project was a central challenge. To this end, TI-Georgia used a few key incentives, including contests and awards, the chance to have an essay published and reach the greater public, and the opportunity to meet major Georgian celebrities.Competitions are not typical in Georgian schools, and the prospect of a contest with awards and public exposure was exciting and motivating for the students. The most difficult and time-consuming part of the project was negotiating with guest speakers and organising their visits. As mentioned before, the project coinci ded with Georgia’s Rose Revolution. This caused a great deal of scheduling difficulty, as most of the planned speakers were active participants in the revolution. In the end, though, TI Georgia successfully held 19 discussions with students in six Georgian regions.Recommendations Most of the participants said that the contest was interesting for them as a way of sharing their opinions, but some still doubted that their ideas would be taken seriously by adults. Therefore, it would be good to expand the distribution of the winning essays, not just to newspapers and websites, but to television stations, radio and other schools. The essays could also be publicly 52 | GEORGIA presented to high-level officials who would then respond directly to the students.There are plans for follow-up projects, specifically to expand the programme to other schools and to first-year university students. Project description by: Lana Ghvinjilia For additional information, please contact: Transparenc y International Georgia at [email  protected] ge The best essays can be read on the website of Transparency International Georgia in English and Georgian language. Address: Transparency International Georgia 18, Rustaveli Ave 0108, Tbilisi Georgia Tel: +995-32-996 615 Fax: +995-32-997 292 Email: [email  protected] ge Website: www. transparency. ge