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