Monday, September 30, 2019

Space and Plant Landscape Architecture

Creation of space Created by modifying ground plane, vertical plane, overhead lane both individually and collectively Ground plane- ground cover or low shrubs may imply spatial definition through variations in height and material Vertical plane- can influence the perception of space in several ways : Tree trunks act as vertical columns The degree of enclosure will vary with the size of the trunks, their density of massing, and their pattern of arrangement The foliage mass of plants, the density and height of the foliage mass affects the quality of the space The taller the plant and the larger and more closely its leaves or needles are spaced, he stronger the feeling of enclosure Enclosure is to occur with seasonal variation The overhead planet foliage mass and branches in the canopy of trees Create ceilings over an outdoor space, Limiting the view to the sky Affecting the vertical scale of the space Trees are placed so strong; canopy overlaps shutting out exposure to the sky Collecti vely, as outdoors room The degree of perceived enclosure varies with The relative height of the surrounding vegetation Its spacing, density, and The position of the viewer relative to the surrounding vegetation A space feels very enclosed when he encircling plant materials areBasic spatial types created with plants Creation of numerous types of spatial character using only plant materials Modify the spaces created by buildings Modify the spaces created by buildings To subdivide larger spaces delineated by buildings into smaller spaces Modify the spaces created by buildings Complete the spatial definition and organization Closure The completion of a spatial enclosure, articulated by a building or enclosing wall Modify the spaces created by buildings Linkage Visually connecting separate elements Architectural uses of plant material 2. Screening To conceal unattractive objects or scenes in the environment A vertical barrier can control views 3. Privacy control The techniques of encircl ing a well-defined area with plants To isolate the space from its surrounding Eliminate freedom of movement through enclosed space LANDSCAPE VISUAL CHARACTERISTICS Visual Plant Characteristics Visual Plant Characteristics Plant size, form, color and texture 1 . Plant size Directly affects the scale of a space, compositional interest, overall framework of a design Visual Plant Characteristics – plant size Large and intermediate trees, oft tallVisual Plant Characteristics – plant size Tall shrubs, loft to oft Lack of canopy Visual Plant Characteristics – plant size Tall shrubs, loft to oft Visual Plant Characteristics – plant size Intermediate shrubs, oft to oft tall Serve as visual transition in a composition between tall shrubs and small trees and low shrubs Low shrubs, oft Define space or separate spaces without in habiting views Used along a walk or path to contain pedestrians on the walk without affecting the line of visions Used to connect other unrel ated elements visually Subordinate element Give a composition a spotty appearance LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE Visual Plant Characteristics – plant size Ground cover, 6 in to 12 inches Floor material of an outdoor space To imply spatial edges Outlining a desired shape on the ground To define non walking surface, lawn and pavement To provide visual interest based on distinct color or texture As background To link visually separate elements or group of element To stabilize the soil, prevent erosion LANDSCAPE 2.Plant form Visual Plant Characteristics – plant form Fascinated / Columnar Upright, narrow, papers to a point at its top Emphasize the vertical by leading the eye skyward Give a sense of vertically and height to both a plant mass and to a space they enclose Acts as accents and exclamation pointillist's not be placed throughout a composition Visual Plant Characteristics – plant form Spreading/horizontal Horizontal habit To give a feeling of breadth and extent Used in a composition Used for contrast with vertical fascinate Harmony with flat landforms, long lines extending across the horizon, low horizontal buildingsVisual Plant Characteristics – plant form Round, globular Design composition, design unity No directional, neutral Harmony with other curvilinear forms Visual Plant Characteristics – plant form Pyramidal/conical Very sharp and distinct in their outline Visual accents Echo pyramidal building forms Visual level region where mountain are lacking Harmony with design of stiff, geometric shapes Visual Plant Characteristics – plant form Weeping Predominantly pendulous, downward-arching, branches Found in and associated with low points of ground, like he weeping willow along edges of water bodies Lead the eye toward the ground Used over water to reflect the undulating form.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Global Tourism and the Causes and Effects on the Aboriginal Hospitality Sector Essay

Abstract Of all the industries in contemporary global times, it is apt to say that tourism plays an important role in the economy of a certain country. According to some studies made about tourism, it contributes around 3.6 Trillion US Dollars in the economic activity of different countries worldwide. Nowadays, global tourism is considered as one of the most enormous forces that move people from one place to another and it is also considered as the best way to introduce people to different cultures and social exchanges. With this thought, it can be said that tourism has a very special capability of touching each and every one around the world. Since the emergence of global tourism in the 19th and 20th century, localities and cultural interactions and changes have always been major catalysts in promoting each and every area in different countries. Country governments have seen the effect of culture thus a call to develop aboriginal sectors to be developed. Different indigenous communities now recognize the importance of tourism and its role in bridging the nations thereby cooperation between societies and communities that include aborigines and aboriginal sectors have been established recently. It can also be seen that different cultural places were developed and renovated to attract more tourists and visitors that could be interested in the cultural exchange that tourism brings and this also starts their career in tourism most especially that the main goal for visiting these cultural and aboriginal places is the culture itself. However, are the effects mainly good or beneficial? Do the aborigines like the way their places are being used for tourism or can they not just find a way to protest against these all? This paper aims to answer these questions at the same time present the relationship that lies between the global tourism and aboriginal sectors and the causes and effects global tourism brings to these aboriginal hospitality sectors. The Aborigines Aborigines are the original inhabitants of a certain country. In the past, there were reports of aborigines’ survival most especially in Australia, Taiwan, Canada and other places. There are different types of aboriginal people all over the world and for them; the most important thing is their land. Before invasions and colonization occurred in many different places of the world, aborigines used to live in not so permanent communities. They do agriculture, fishing, hunting and animal-raising. Since the advent of industrialization, most to these aborigines were forced to transfer and move and some of them are now in towns living a very bad condition of life. In some countries, they work as low-class laborers and in some countries, they live as pan-handlers and beggars in order to keep up with their lives. Country 2005 2006 2007 Australia 400,000 517,200 450,000 Canada 938,800 1.1M 1.2 M Taiwan 398,000 379,000 484,00 Looking at the above table, it may be noted that though aborigines have not been treated equally as the rest, the population has been high however in the past two years, there was a gradual decrease in their population because of certain diseases that were not given much attention to. These people are said to be the original land-owners but most of their lands were stolen to them. Fortunately, there are laws now protecting the aborigines. In Australia, British people claimed that when the invasion happened, the land was vast and empty. Fortunately, there are laws now that aims to protect the rights of the aborigines and there were bills saying that their lands should be returned to them. There were some who are still against this bill saying that the lands will end up useless if given to them and that these lands should never be returned to these people. Some were even massacred and others because they are being deprived of the basic rights either commit suicide or died because of the disease such as cholera and other epidemic. Compared to others, these people have high rate of birth and suicide as well (Aborigines 2008). Some people see the need to give them back their lands and recently, the problem and the call of these people has been addressed through tourism. Some of them now have already secured ownership of their lands and were given the signal to go back under certain conditions and terms as stipulated under the ruling of global tourism. The question is if they are going to cooperate with these terms and conditions. Global Tourism and the Aborigines Culture and tourism can never be separated. Since the advent of technology and industrial revolution, culture seemed to be drifting away or is becoming independent of tourism. Now, there are many amusement centers such as Disneyland, man-made tourist attractions and sightseeing but what most people are looking for now and are wishing to see is something that would connect them and link them to the past. This is the start of aboriginal lands being converted into cultural attractions. In Canada and in Australia, many cultural attractions have been built and these places are continuously drawing the attention of mass tourists. To some aborigines, it is good and government started talking with them and the start of global tourism also implied the beginning of renewed hope for these people. Some lands were converted to attractions and people go there everyday to see how aborigine’s cultural heritage. Aboriginal sectors and organizations have been established and the commendable development is that most of these sectors encourage cooperation with government and society. Now the government recognizes the opportunity for travel and the importance of culture as part of travel. Educational tourism also recognizes the importance of these people and most institutes and schools se them to educate students who were long been taught of history and culture. Because of these, aborigines were also given the chance for education unlike before when they were all illiterate and uneducated. If in the past, these people were fearful of others and vice versa and cooperation and coordination is now seen. Most of them have now decent forms of survival. They are not only in their lands; they were also slowly and gradually being exposed to others which is a good thing for them. Nowadays, aborigines have been gradually rising and they are now playing a very important role in the society. Looking at the graph above, the property of aborigines is now becoming greater. The properties of aborigines now range from corporations down to private enterprises. The Causes of Global Tourism to Aboriginal Sectors In 1999, a conference was held and presented to the WTO or World Tourism Office. This conference was about the Global Code of Ethics for tourism (The Global 2007). Accordingly, there is a continuing desire and goal in tourism to play a very essential role in understanding the cross culture. It was said in this conference that through the direct and straight spontaneous contacts engendered by different lifestyle and cultures, the only way to make these people meet is through tourism. Nowadays, many indigenous communities now participate in tourism-related activities to further support the revival of culture as well as to sustain the economy and to further understand the cross-cultural needs and differences. Indeed there is an underlying relationship between culture, indigenous heritage, and the themes for interpretation, authenticity, traditional lands protection, IPO or Intellectual Property Rights and the evidence of traditional knowledge. Aboriginal cultural tourism around the world is relatively young and it is believed that they are still new in the industry. Some may have liked the idea of becoming a subject for studies and tourism and some do not. The causes of global tourism may be considered two-faced: good and bad. To some aborigines, the idea of meeting people of these times is good. They learn to mingle and be appreciated as well. However, this is something new for them and some sociologists and psychologists assert that this may cause these people to be over-shocked and consequently be mentally affected. They are still considered to be different and they are still indigenous in any way we look at it. Their breeding, education, lifestyle, and culture are totally different from the norm. They know this for sure, and like any other minor ethnicities being joined with the many, they also feel different and this is bad for them. This is one reason why some still feel deprived and used inequitably. The mental effect for these people is considered to be a psychological outcome of environment. Their worlds were suddenly opened to the universe; thus, to comprehend and address the psychological needs of these people is imperative. They should undergo counseling, psychological treatment and psychotherapy to be able to reach closure with regards to issues about their cultural heritage that haunt them in contemporary times. The Effects of Global Tourism to Aboriginal Organizations and Sectors Accordingly, it of utmost importance to understand the host and tourist relationship; and there are some pertinent issues to be considered in this regard. Primarily, the nature of cultural exchange needs to be understood. In some studies made in tourism, it is asserted that activities should be understood between non-indigenous and indigenous people. To tourists and visitors, the effect is good because their awareness, appreciation and understanding of the aborigines are improved. The used to be harsh and fear-filled relationship is changed because tourists become aware of the underlying needs of these people. However, to aboriginal sectors and organizations, there is a critical perspective to create cross-cultural understanding and education among various cultures. The questions that need to be answered are the following: What is the nature of the activities that are to be done? To what extent will these people (aborigines) be used for global tourism and to what extent will global tourism be used by these people (aborigines)? What are the mechanisms and processes that need to be utilized to make sure that interpretation are laid in a sensitive manner? How important is education in recognizing the connection between various cultures? As many analyze this situation continuously, the very important factors that could give good effect to these aboriginal sectors and organizations are the following (Aboriginal 2007): cultural tourism industry cross-cultural understanding cultural revival policy, legislation and committees consent and the recognition of deeds operating agreements and shared revenues management training, skills and authenticity indigenous status and identity consultation process, protocols and status How to Sustain Cultural Tourism Aboriginal sectors and cultural tourism are always connected. There is an authentic and real depiction of the cultures of the aborigines in such a way that the effect on culture and community will not have a negative long-term effect. Accordingly, in order to support and sustain the cultural tourism, there should be a focus in owning, sustaining, as well as accepting the desire in which the aboriginal sectors and organizations are affected. This is also extremely important in sustaining the economic activities. However, though these needs are named, there are still elements that need to be addressed and that is to fill the gap between the barriers to support the economic and infrastructure operations. The Type of Cultural Exchange between Aborigines and Global Tourism There are different ways in which the cultural tourism is managed and the most important part of it is the cultural exchange between global tourism and aborigines. First and foremost, it is very important to understand the types of the cultural exchange that occurs and how to support or work on them. The reason for this is that there are many types of aborigine and that the way they are treated and educated should also be different. Accordingly, the most important thing to overcome is the traditional knowledge. The traditional knowledge includes storytelling, oral history, teachings of the elders and contemporary exhibits and displays. There are also traditional cultural presentations, traditional teachings, historical reenactments and food preparation. The information about these is treated separately. These things can be addressed by many formats, guidelines, guided tours, audio visual presentation and interactive workshops. Significant emphasis should also be given and to avoid problems and conflicts. This is to provide boundaries between the cultural practice and sacredness; thus best practices should be ensured. What are the Best Practices to be Observed? In order to develop and deliver the cultural heritages and programs, it is necessary that certain tools and mechanisms be used. The very first mechanism should be predominant in ensuring the cultural products authenticity and the community based processes should be recognized. Because the aborigines follow a community based relationship, decisions should always be approved by the elders before going ahead with the operations. In souvenirs and cultural products description, there should also be recognition in the participation of these people. Moreover, the history by which the cultural tourism in a certain place that includes the aborigines should also be recognized, introduced and emphasized. This way, these aboriginal sectors and organizations will not be bypassed. Conclusion The relationship between global tourism and aboriginal sector cannot be separated much more on the basis of the evaluation of the long-term implications of global tourism on aboriginal sectors and organizations and vice versa. While it is true that there are many things that are mutually beneficial in such a relationship, it is still very much essential to take hold of the bad effects and find ways on how these will be overcome. Aboriginal sectors and organizations are composed of human beings that are not different from us. The only difference that lies between the aborigines and common people is the fact that they are born with a different culture and that in the past; they were shattered and deprived of their own lands by colonizers and invaders. Understanding these things will help us address their needs and will greatly help in the empowerment of the global tourism industry. The only key is understanding and give and take relationship. With this, both sides will benefit; the aborigines who will benefit from getting back their lands at the same time being given jobs and means for living, the business entities who also get profit from their business and from tourism, the visitors and tourists being greatly aware of the culture and cross-cultural diversity and lastly the nature that is given much care by the people who lived in these places originally and at the same time being taken care of by people who are starting to be aware of their needs. It is rather simple to do all these things. Proper knowledge, education, increased awareness and respect are the key factors that will create a good case which will be positive and sustainable for all parties involved. References Reference Canada Government. (2007). Resources for Aboriginal Entrepreneurs. Retrieved March 09, 2008. from http://www.wd.gc.ca/289_ENG_ASP.asp Aboriginal Business Canada is a program that endorses commerce for a self-sufficient economy for all aborigines in Canada. Different kinds of services are available for viewing. These are all designed to help aborigines in commerce and in business. Survival. (2008). Aborigines. Retrieved March 09, 2008. from http://www.survival-international.org/tribes/aborigines Survival was founded in 1969. Survival (The Movement for tribal people) is the site designed for all Australian aborigines especially for the people of Torres Island. Services and campaigns can be seen here. The services range from education to shopping and any concerns that can help these aborigines. World Tourism Organization. Retrieved March 09, 2008. from http://www.world-tourism.org/code_ethics/eng.html Worldtoursim.org is the official website of World Tourism Organization. This website is designed to show and provide information about global and world tourism. The basic ethics for tourism can be found in this site. The Global Ethics for Tourism was designed in 2001.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

The Grand Chessboard Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The Grand Chessboard - Assignment Example In the Introduction of â€Å"The Grand Chessboard† by Zbignew Brzezinski, he shows how Eurasia, a combination of Europe and Asia, basically held the world power through politics, based on geographical and economic values. This was true even as the Americas began colonization and ultimately, the industrial revolution that brought the United States in line with other world powers. In the twentieth century, and through several world wars, the development of technology, economy and trade, has rapidly pushed the United States forward as a world political arbitrator in the complex relationships between the countries that make up the Eurasian conglomerate. In World War II, when essentially the United States was invaded on its own shores for the first time by a foreign power, the United States stepped away from its previously held stance of isolationism and idealism, and joined the global conflict to protect its own interests. In doing so, the United States became a global power to be contended with on a serious level. It can be safely said that without the introduction of the United States to the Allied powers group in the war, the outcome would have been very different. Europe and Britain would be under the dominance of Hitler’s Germany, and Asia, under the influence of Japan, albeit a rather limited one (Brzezinski,5). From the end of World War II, war was fought on an ideological level between Communist Russia, China and the Western powers of Europe and the United States as part of the â€Å"Cold War.† ... For 300 years, the Roman Empire ruled the region on its highest level, maintaining internal vitality and unity as part of its successful dominance. What finally broke the Roman Empire was the division of governing different areas in the Empire rather than keeping control centralized in one spot, the disintegration of morals and ideology, and a sustained inflation which required sacrifices the people no longer wanted to make. At the time of writing this book, Brzezinski viewed America as ‘standing supreme in the four decisive domains of global power,’ those being economic, militarily, technologically, and finally, culturally. Today, there is less supremacy, mainly because of the economic situation, even though the effects are worldwide, not just in the United States. The economic situation today almost forces America to show military might in areas of the world where changes in a foreign country could severely affect the American economics. Many wars in our present time a re more about economics rather than a political ideology, although they are somewhat tied hand in hand. What is unique about America is its influence in creating dialogue with other nations in an effort to promote a universe of international communication and peaceful interaction to avoid unnecessary potential conflicts (Brzezinski, 28). That’s not to say that other countries are not doing this too, but it seems the United States is in the middle of everything major concerning world events and their potential resulting effects. As Brzezinski notes, to support this claim, America’s supremacy has helped institute NATO, a collective international security group with an integrated command that represents the world at large;

Friday, September 27, 2019

Invisible Man 3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Invisible Man 3 - Essay Example Although it seems that in the modern society equality among races has been achieved, there remains to be a huge number of people who are represented by the main character in Invisible Man. Not only the African-American society struggles to find their own identity and value in a diverse community such as the United States, but also those from other continents of the world. Students as well as professionals from different ethnicities and culture do everything in order to make themselves fit in the American society. Social groups in different forms have started to exist in the society offering a sanctuary to those who feel neglected by other members of the community. Just like the main character in the novel, he found refuge in social groups such as the Brotherhood where he eventually though he has found his worth. However, as people become too attached to these groups, they eventually find out that this does not necessarily make them heard of their voices. In fact, the identity that they thought they had found in being a one among the members is not theirs but what the leaders of the group wanted them to be. In this reading, Ellison made it clear that embracing one’s individuality is the key to achieving peace to oneself. The desire of being accepted in the society is not achieved by seeking acceptance from other people and various social groups. The world itself is already filled with people who have prejudices among each other. Finding peace in oneself is the only key to being accepted in the society that is in itself already a

Thursday, September 26, 2019

The Hawaiian revolution ( History of the United States ) Essay

The Hawaiian revolution ( History of the United States ) - Essay Example This paper will look at some of the events that led to the Hawaiian Revolution, and what the revolution meant to the people of Hawaii during that period. Being a monarchial state, Hawaii was ruled by a royal family, which ensured the safety and protection of the land. The king, David Kalakaua, got his authority from the people of Hawaii after successfully managing to reduce the power of the missionaries in the region. He ruled but was unsuccessful in completely eliminating the foreign powers in Hawaii, who would later turn against him. This led to the drafting of a new constitution that would limit his authority (Lightner 67). After the death of the king, Liliuokalani, his sister, succeeded him in 1891 and she refused to recognize the constitution in place opting to bring forth another that would give the native Hawaiians the right to vote and restore power to the monarch. It was at this point that the wealthy American class in Hawaii chose to establish the 13-member committee, which would ensure that the queen was overthrown for her treachery against the constitution. The coup took place on January 17, 1893 after the shooting and wounding of a police officer who tried to cease armament meant for the committee. In order to avert violence in the region, the queen opted to surrender peacefully after her palace was surrounded by the committee’s militia. It was at this point that the committee put in place a government that would rule the region and had a president who was given the authority to rule over the dominion. In 1895, however, a group of Hawaiian loyalists who believed in the old ways and traditions started their own coup, but failed in securing the region back to its rightful owners (Fritz 59). In some history books, this has been identified as the counter-revolution, which was brief and the lack of casualties makes it largely forgotten by most people. After its failure, the

Dollar General Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Dollar General - Essay Example Dollar General can actually be classified as a convenience store that makes shopping easier to consumers. Most people think that working in a convenience store is likewise ‘convenient’ and easy for employees, as well; but my own experience would attest otherwise. A regular day for an employee, particularly for a category supervisor, starts way ahead of other stakeholders. Responsibilities continue to ensue until past closing time. Most of the time is spent on one’s feet, determining inventory levels and the need for re-order points. Interaction with personnel, suppliers and customers needs to be reinforced and established with effective rapport and a sense of cordiality and respect to gain satisfaction and loyalty. Regular and accurate reports are expected by senior management in terms of performance of product categories and the need for changes when significant factors in the environment impinge on either the demand or supply of a particular product. Thus, vigil ance and discernment is expected in one’s role and the ability to scan both the internal and external environment. One need to regularly monitor the movement of products and the way personnel handles them. Depending on the saleability and buying behavior of consumers, products are re-ordered, modified in terms of order levels, or ultimately deleted.

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Chinese international expansion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Chinese international expansion - Essay Example h the solid backing from the parent organisation, ICT, Lenovo attained huge success through add-on cards market that became the utmost chief source of returns in this phase (Ronghui, 2005 p. 19). From 1991, Lenovo Group Ltd. started to vend its own PCs brand. Because of its suitable business approaches, it put up a renowned PC brand within Chinese market within a very brief time. By 1994, Lenovo Group converted to a public firm, listed at the Hong Kong Stock-Exchange. By 1997, it beat IBM, HP and Compaq turning into the leading computer vendor in China and has remained in the first place up to now with an incessantly expanding market-share of virtually 30 per cent of the total market-share. Its product groupings have been differentiated to encompass PC modules, servers, printers, digital cameras, network machines and mobile phones (Ronghui, 2005 p. 25). Though Lenovo attained the excellent success within national market, its global business still remained in a premature stage. Afore the IBM PCD’s acquisition was announced, its foreign ventures have been established only within a few overseas countries largely focusing upon East-South Asia (Ronghui, 2005 p. 22). Lenovo sales from foreign market accounted for roughly only 10 percent of Lenovo’s overall revenue. Before the IBM PCD’s acquisition, Lenovo was, nonetheless, continuing with a premature phase of internationalisation procedure of employing stages approaches, for instance, Dunning’s eclectic model or Uppsala model. For example, through employing Dunning’s IDP methodology, Lenovo’s was in the phase two up to time of acquisition. Rendering to these stages concepts, Lenovo should have followed an incremental procedure for its transnational expansion procedure. Nonetheless, Lenovo assimilated IBM PCD and... Overseas investment holding firms play a crucial role within the outward investment stratagems of Chinese private and state-owned businesses via onward journey outward foreign direct investment. A good example is the IBM PC’s acquisition by Lenovo. Seeking strategic assets is absolutely not the most crucial driver of outward foreign direct investment within these private corporations, majority of which can suffer more grim financial constrictions than big state-owned firms. A crucial reason for international expansion in these companies is to expand affairs with other prosperous TNCs, often operating as suppliers to engineering OEMs, and/or as providers of services. In the case for Lenovo, it is evident that the companies in the early instance, they develop their own fundamental resources as well as capabilities. There exists a genuine function for tax harbours as well as offshore financial hubs, as they allow economic endeavour to transpire that otherwise might never have occ urred. The establishment of partners in tax sanctuaries is not essentially harmful. Undeniably, an unplanned tax laws consequence supporting foreign investment within China is that it has generated inducements for firms to move overseas. Offshore holding firms in renowned tax harbours, in effect, may as well build a good basis for more international expansion.

Monday, September 23, 2019

U09d2 Project Peer Review Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

U09d2 Project Peer Review - Assignment Example eresting to learn that much of these problems can be attributed to the web-based trainings that are not always as efficient or educational as necessary for all of the trainees. These errors represent interpersonal and well as organizational flaws in the communication process and lead to poor sales performance for the entire company. Although the problems are clearly stated, the effectiveness of the proposed solutions is not as high as it could be. The writer suggests that the management take time to realize the problems and devise other viable solutions to alleviate these issues and increase sales productivity. However, this paper would be more powerful if the writer will propose her own detailed solution to the problem and defend her stance on the solution. The problem is clearly stated, but the solution lacks effectiveness. The paper excels in describing the personal communication competencies specifically in regards to how it impacts performance. The communication and training errors must be resolved in order for productivity and product knowledge to be improved for the sales representatives. The overall format of the paper is excellent. It effectively follows APA formatting for the most part. The final summary paragraph has been accidently centered and should remain left-aligned with the rest of the paper. Also, the citations in the reference page should have all of the lines but the first line in the citation indented. It may also help to support arguments and claims with a few more in-text citations than what is current present in the paper. Other than these few minor issues, the paper looks to be very strong. The author does an excellent job of describing the specific events that occurred between the claims representative and the supervisor. The reader can easily understand the problems that occurred and where the breakdowns in communication were – not only between the two employees but also between the claims representative and the

Sunday, September 22, 2019

UAE Fashion History Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

UAE Fashion History - Research Paper Example This essay analyzes the fashion industry of the United Arabs Emirates, that is a country reach with several resources and is located on the Arabian Peninsula. The country is made up of seven states that combined to form UAE. Its history is rich in trade dating back when the Islam was involved in trade with people from other nations. Its location between Europe, India and China makes it a good market for international trade. In the 19th century, the British signed several treaties with individuals from UAE that made it get the name â€Å"The Trucial States.† The agreement was that the UAE was not to dispose of to any other country other than the UAE and in return, the UK would protect their coasts from any invading danger. In the 19th century, the pearling industry was the main source of employment for the people of the UAE. However, the Japanese invention and economic depression of 1920 led to the closure of the pearl industry. The country relies greatly on oil that was first drilled in 1930. Economic growth in the country has also been attributed to the fact that the fashion industry has tremendously grown over the years. People in the UAE appreciate fashion, and this has led different designs cropping in the market. The fashion industry in the UAE aims at being the best today. In so doing, it aims at broadening its market to other countries far from the Middle East. The industry has experienced a lot of growth over the years and will experience more growth if it continues delivering such impressive and artistic designs.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Road Map to Peace Essay Example for Free

Road Map to Peace Essay Abstract The main aim of this paper is to focus on the current developments on the peace process in the Israel-Palestinian Conflicts.   This paper also provides some critical insights on the initiatives done by international organizations like the United Nations in dealing with the conflict. Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Peace and security is one common measurement of political stability in any country.   This is because developments through economic and international relationship always start with peace and security.   For any country these days security is indeed one of the most important factors in the government.    Actually, there are many ways and means on how to achieve it, first the government should established a strong military forces, secondly, the country must have a strong relationship with international agencies and they must respect it.   One very powerful organization is the United Nations.   Organization like the UN does not only assist the country in providing some clear guidelines but also they are also there to impose military support if needed. And for them, it is always for the good of many and the entire world is what they are always aiming for in every policies or treaties they amend or newly create like in this paper, the Israel-Palestinian conflict has been there more than the Iraq takeover has started, and as based on studies it has been there for more than a century now.   But this conflict continues to provide some security issues in the world and most specially the region around it, particularly Europe and the Middle East.   If this continues, more and more lives will continue to perish and these would create imbalance in our global economy which will lead to issues like isolations, lack of opportunities, poverty and a lot more.   In this paper it will focus mainly of the current status of the conflict between Israel and Palestine.   Knowing what are the latest initiatives and actions that the UN and other allied forces and the US is doing to help at least reduce the tension and move to economic development s and peace for the countries. Israel-Palestinian Conflict – How does it Originated?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Israel-Palestinian conflict has all started in the 19th century, when the Zionist Jews planned to establish a new and modern state in the ancient land of Israel, which for them it is rightfully won by them.   Then the Zionist empire has started to encourage many of its followers to starts to encourage its people to migrate in this land even though they were not still given the full rights of the land.   Then after the first World War, the United Kingdom gas given the rights to own the land and with the Union of Nation which now popularly known as the United Nation, they have approved to divide the land into two, one for the Jews and the other for the Arabs.   But the Arab league and communities would not agree with the agreement and has fought war, which eventually has invaded Israel.   Then by 1948, the Arab-Israel war had exploded as the Israel re-claims its own territory but leaving Jerusalem as a divided city.   But this revolt has become the final measuring stick for the Arab Region of not recognizing Israel instead they have pursued on supporting the Palestinian government. That was some of the main key historical situation in that time that triggers the lack of respect and finding for peace between the Arab adopted Palestinian and Israel government.   With the very deep meaning from each of this country that goes on for more than a century now, it has been a very difficult for both developed countries and international organizations to make both of these countries look for peace and pursue on economic development.   As one of the latest story that were reported in the UN news center, with its current UN Security Council head Ban Ki-Moon, that he calls for end in the Palestinian and Israeli war, as it already killed many lives and will continue to grown on numbers if they will not look into preserving the lives of its own people most specially the young generations who are hopeless.   The Security Council head has also stated that there are still on-going peace treaties that needs to be followed and that will still be applied. This Humanitarian treaty has been there but the problem is that both governments are not respecting it.   This is just a clear showing that even a well respected international organization like the United Nations has already imposed this sanction for the respect and preservation of the lives of the affected families that caught by cross fire between these countries are not enough to prevent them from pursuing their ideology.   With this the council will be expected to visit both countries to further re-iterate and re-establish its global power over these countries and have them respect the Humanitarian Policy of the United nation.   Religious organizations will also be involved in addressing the conflict in order to have one common vision and that is all for peace in both countries.   With the clear guidelines that will be set to re-instated for both governments, the council is very confident that it will at least reduce the conflict.   (Ban Ki-moon calls for end to Palesti nian attacks, restraint by Israeli forces, 2008). The UN Humanitarian Policy   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The main objective of the United Nations, Humanitarian Policy is mainly protecting the victim of war and law governing the conduct of hostilities, which started from 1856 up to the present.   The following are the State parties or countries expected to strictly apply the following International Humanitarian Law and Other related Treaties as of June 2008.   (1) Treaty relating to the Protection of Victims of Armed Conflicts, which is well applied to Israel and Palestinian government, (2) Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict, (3) Weapons treaties and last is (4) Environment.   For treaties relating to the protection of victims of armed conflicts, the following treaties are applied: Convention (I) for the Amelioration of the Condition of the Wounded and Sick in Armed Forces in the Field Geneva, 12 August 1949 Convention (II) for the Amelioration of the Condition of the Wounded, Sick in and Shipwrecked members of Armed Forces at Sea Geneva, 12 August 1949 Convention (I) Relative to the Treatment of prisoners of War Geneva, 12 August 1949 Convention (I) Relative to the Treatment of Civilian Person in the Time of War   Geneva, 12 August 1949 These are just some of the most relevant treaties in the International Humanitarian law that the United Nations is applying to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.   These treaties may be so powerful indeed for almost any countries that need to follow, most specially those that are afflicted by war like Israel and Palentine.   But, the only problem is that, just like in local or some international policies, it is not well implemented and even the military forces not also following it.   Some of the main reasons are lack of information being disseminated to the countries and their government.   Second, lack of formal launching and imposing of the law that should have to be formally deal into by affected countries in order for them to know their limitations as well as main obligations.   The organization must have the desire of making it happen by not only imposing by only writing or just amending the law, policies or treaties. There should be constant follow-ups and negotiation in between these times of conflicts which is the main cause of the problem.   This will not also be a big help for the organization in easing up the load since it just keeps on adding and unloading this issues may also give the council and the entire organization more focus to other issues which are actually same as important as this one, like the global economy and health.   This also need to give a more focus by the organization and these should also be given relevant theories as well.   So for the Security Council, it needs to be aggressive and work its own way within the situation and always find better ways as to how these conflicting government arrived to a common goal of peace and prosperity to its respective countries.   (The ICRC, n.d.). Lost Prospective on the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It is very important that more and more international involvement and strengthening of position by the United Nation and all its members to help one another in resolving the conflict.   Many countries considers that it is better not to be involved as political issues may only start to affect their local government or sometimes countries would consider that they might only be seen as a follower or supporter for the conflict on hand.   But, in fact there are many ways that countries with the United nation can do in order to settle this conflict.   By only encouraging the Arab Region of reconciliation with Israel and making a promise to support its economy will end the problem.   Or maybe involving the countries of giving both countries the chance by allowing them to enter into business in to the other countries will be the answer as well.   But, it is not that easy, like for the Europeans they have the European Union that even befo re where its main objective is to protect its economic status and be able to work in isolation.   Or in the US, which even though they are one of the most well considered a free country, strictness in security policy automatically rejects bilateral agreement to some but making it all available to those that are from them would not only give them good economic growth but also security for its people.   This is the main issue that is needed to be address by the UN. A commitment that any member must look into more of a long-term peace and security that will not improved the economy but can give more and more opportunity for many people, most specially these afflicted countries that is being studied in this paper.   For countries, that opportunity runs only within their state is a clear as isolating them and making them work in their own.   Same as dishonoring a brother which has been a good one before but due to challenges it turns to be not the ideal one, but time goes by and the brother goes back at home and asking for acceptance.   Acceptance that will change his lives and not anymore go into the dark side and preventing everything he can not to go back from that dark part of his life.   But in the case of the conflict between Israel and Palestinian, recognizing them or telling them that it is ok and not actually performing it in true sense is mush harder to take.   This is the situation that is happening all over the world. There are many leaders that assume that everything is running well, due to the fact that they would understand that their organization is powerful and these countries will follow.   But, it is not, the lives that is wasted and the more and more generations that are not anymore preserved in the future, just add more killings and hatred and this should be the focus on how not only to call for peace but also a true acceptance for its by acting on it the real way is needed.   The United Nations and the Developed countries should be in the forefront of this plan to be able to show how true leadership and finding of true peace must be done.   Like for instance for Israel government preventing mobility by the Palestinian is one seen to be one of the causes that triggers conflicts.   As long as a country like Israel outs on roadblocks instead of giving them liberty in doing what they want is enough to help peace to go on.   Trusting is something that needs to give and should not ha ve any limitations. And these roadblocks also leaves Palestinian government but to retaliate and do what the government finds it necessary and the result bloodshed everywhere and at the end the final loser are the people and not the ideology that either of the country is pursuing.   There are also other conflicting ideas, like the expansion of settlement but certain preventive measures were implemented like putting some fences within the land that were not yet settled as to whom it may be owned is something that the UN and the local government continues to see and observed but no concrete humanitarian settlement are happening.   This will not end the conflict and the promise for peace will just be a dream and will never be realized unless there will be an aggressive act for the parties in achieving it. This is considered a lost perspective for the Israel-Palestinian Peace and prosperity initiative, thinking of the lives of the children, like their education, their social well being and the chance to live the life that they deserve more than all of us here in this world is something that affects the heart deep into our veins.   This is something that the United nations and its member nations should look at, as children may only be sleeping at night but at the next day, not even having given the chance to breath even a fresh air to lived as these children were merciful not to perished but still succumb to the wild and very selfish mind of its leaders that does not think of getting more in to loving to let peace reign over them.   (Ben-Meir, Alon, 2006). Israel-Palestinian Conflict’s Current Situation and Initiatives   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As to look at the current situation on this conflict, there are still many talks and initiatives in addressing this issue into the next level.   But even the government and the international group would also find it hard as support and collaborations among them are needed in order to effectively address the issue well.   It was in Jerusalem were supposed to be settlement of the conflict must be conducted, as the Israeli legislators withdrew and leaves the coalition with 67 parliament hundred twenty seats.   This was initiated as it was reported that Israeli forces killed 3 new Palestinian people and what was very devastating for the Palestinian is that one that was killed is a young boy.   Then later it was retaliation for Palestinian forces as it also killed 2 military armed men.   With this settlement it was supposed to work on for the present new year to at least set the issue straight again and form a more detailed plan on ho w the countries can resolved the issue.    But, since Israel has withdrawn its support for this undertaking, it only shows that with their option of doing that, it creates some news that it was the Israel government that are more not focus on the peace treaty and instead it continues to follows its own government direction.   This was also a sign that the country is also finding more reason to operate its military forces and in order not to be out in the hit seat as that meeting will also send some United Nation’s Security Council member to facilitate the talks. Leaving the talks is really hindrance in achieving peace.   This continuously becoming a trend for most peace signing agreement in the world now, as countries should not be attending the said meeting and then follow its own directives on how they can work their way and do not want to be dictated.   Another consideration for most countries is that, they can easily pinpoint that most developed countries are just that opportunist to be involved, because with that they can easily work their business within the country.   This is not the way it goes; it is just a starting point to control tragic results of continued conflicts and not letting other countries to sort of involve because of its own personal intentions.   (Kershner, Isabel, 2008). On-Going Financial Aid for the Conflict on Hand   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As the Palestinian government is the one that is much affected and not Israel, President Abbas is continuously asking for financial aid for some international organization.   This time, he seeks for a double than the same amount that was usually asked for.   This aid will be used from 2008 to 2010 and the amount is 5.8 billion dollars.   This aid will be expected as usual to rich and well developed countries in Europe and in the US.   This will be used for infrastructure projects, but much of the amount will be used for payment for public employees and improving the government system of Palestine.   This is very important in the sense that the government is trying to let conflict go behind them and pursue on developing the economy of the country. These are one of the main agenda of Abbas as he let this conflict behind and call fro change.   This is welcomed by many of his supporters as they are facing a tremendous economic downturn and they need bug support in this situation.   He also considers that the government must look on international trade and enhancing the agricultural business and improving its industrial sector.   But this cannot be sustained or not possible without the support of its local people. That is why the biggest part of the aid, will be allocated to wages of the public employees who will be working in achieving his goal of economic reform.   This was a nice moved for the president since it was almost many times in the past that the government has been focusing on hoe to strengthen its military forces but in fact what is important is the food in the tables of its people and bullets will definitely cannot give that for them.   This time the focus is more on the future and long-term plan for development and progress and it will start after the aid will come into their hands and they count mostly European countries to provide them that needed money.   (The Associated Press, 2007). Future Direction and Goal for Israel and Palestinian Government   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   With the United States, both the Palestinian and Israel government has committed to pursue on the peace treaty by the end of 2008.   It was attended by country representatives, most specially the Security Council that is very appreciative about these developments.   Both countries have committed that for the present they have committed themselves to continue developing its economy and would try their best to leave their arms for the sake of its people.   This was also a good moved as the United States also promised that they will always behind in all the development and needed support just in case.   This was one of the best days for the conflict to little bit moved for progress.   Most specially for the Palestinian government where it needs to improved its economic status. This was also a good time for both of the countries since they were given itself an open opportunity to open up its economy with other countries who are also as excited to work with them in improving its own economy as well, like most if its are the developing countries of the world.   This has given both the Israel and Palestinian government a time to look for the much better attention of protecting its lives not by bullets or war but by providing them what their people truly deserve and that is food in their table and opportunity that they have longed for a number of years now.   This is the main key for this agreement signing of having to re-visit the peace agreement.   If this works continues, again there is no question that this will create big impact not only to the global economy but also political sector.   (Myers, S. Lee Cooper, Helene, 2007). Conclusion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In this paper it was very clear that the current Israel-Palestinian conflict continues to move for greater peace.   With their focus on economic progress and improved bilateral relationship,, it will be no doubt that if this continues, the longest day of conflict may come to an end.   In this paper it also showed that there are also some problems that were instigated by both parties that affects the International Humanitarian Law of the United Nation which was the main policy used by the Security Council in order for this conflict be settled.   This paper also provides an importance to political stability to succeed not only in business or economy but also for peace and security.   Also this cannot materialize by just performing local policies and initiatives, the involvement of an international organization and the support of other countries is still needed just trust and respect is needed for it to happen. References â€Å"Ban Ki-moon calls for end to Palestinian attacks, restraint by Israeli forces.† UN News Center. 17 January 2008 http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=25325Cr=gazaCr1=israel Ben-Meir, Alon. â€Å"Lost Perspective in the Israel-Palestinian Conflict.† The Humanist, Vol. 66 January-February 2006. Goodwin, Jason. â€Å"The Pragmatic Caliphs.† The New York Times 06 January 2008 Kershner, Isabel. â€Å"Hard Line Legislator Quits Israel Coalition Over Talks.† The New York Times 17 January 2008 Myers, S. Lee Cooper, Helene. â€Å"Israel and Palestinians Set Goal of a Treaty in 2008.† The New York Times 28 November 2007 â€Å"SPECIAL SESSION OF HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL ON ISRAELI MILITARY INCURSIONS IN NORTHERN GAZA OPENS.† United Nations Office At Geneva. 15 November 2006 http://www.unog.ch/80256EDD006B9C2E/(httpNewsByYear_en)/9EE551C649734B07C1257227004AD541?OpenDocument The Associated Press. â€Å"Abbas to Seek Almost Twice as Much Aid From Abroad.† The New York Times 06 December 2007 â€Å"The ICRC: promoter and guardian of International Humanitarian Law (IHL).† ICRC. N.d. http://www.icrc.org/ihl Worth, Robert. â€Å"Al Jazeera No Longer Nips at Saudis.† The New York Times 04 January 2008

Friday, September 20, 2019

The Relationship Between Society And The Individual

The Relationship Between Society And The Individual New ValuesIn Brave New World Everyone else is belongs to everyone else is whispered to humans ears during their sleep in Brave New World; from the very beginning of their lives until their last day human creatures are designed to think and live as society wants them to do so, they do not have individual choices and freedom. In order to make society run smoothly, human beings are conditioned to think, make choices and live according to superior orders, which alter the real nature of humankind and abolish uniqueness. In the first chapter, Bokanovkys Process is described in details, how human beings are made, how Gammas, Epsilons, Deltas brain are stopped by chemicals not to develop as cleverly as in Alfas. One egg, one embryo, one adult-normality. But a bokanovskified egg will bud, will proliferate, will divide. From eight to ninety-six buds, and every bud will grow into a perfectly formed embryo, and every embryo into a full-sized adult. Making ninety-six human beings grow where only one grew before. Progress. ( 1st chapter) People do not have choices over their mental capability, they are created by other people when they are only embryos. Human beings act like the Creator, God. These sub-human people, namely Gammas, Deltas, Epsilons, are only capable of working and not capable of thinking, therefore, these people are the controllers of the society, who are contributing to maintenance and materialization of the social system. We also predestine and condition. We decant our babies as socialized human beings, as Alphas or Epsilons, as future sewage workers or future He was going to say future World controllers, but correcting himself, said future Directors of Hatcheries, instead. Making them sub-human is a necessary way to maintain society, because clever people may question the necessity of the system, which could be a danger for civiliation. As I mentioned before, people act like God in the novel, create people and make decisions over them, thus God as a word and phenomenon is unknown for the citizens of the new world, God is replaced by Ford. They celebrate Fords day and people say Oh, Ford! and His fordship will be down in a moment. However it is questioned by John, the savage: The Savage interrupted him. But isnt it natural to feel theres a God? Even reading plays, books, dramas is forbidden for the residents, because they are full with emotions which cannot be understood by others: Call it the fault of civilization. God isnt compatible with machinery and scientific medicine and universal happiness. You must make your choice. Our civilization has chosen machinery and medicine and happiness. Thats why I have to keep these books locked up in the safe. Theyre smut. People would be shocked it It also could be a threat to social civilization, if people started to discover how their ancestors live, their soul would be changed if they started to read poetry, for instance. When the individual feels, society reels. Lenina warned Bernard. In a uniformed world like in Brave New World, even love is a danger to social stability, because loving a particular man or woman is a unique identity, which is a threat to the social system. Instead of loving one particular man or woman, everybody loves everybody, which is in a way means loving no one. However, there are some characters in the novel, for instance Bernard, who fails to follow the rules, perhaps loving someone is a capability which is so deep in us, that is hard to abolish. Instead, there is a an alternative way which replace love which is the pure physical relationship between the two opposite sex, which is practiced by children from an early age. Go away, little girl, shouted the D.H.C. angrily. Go away, little boy! Cant you see that his fordships busy? Go and do your erotic play somewhere else. These organised sexual games undercut passion and do not allow the individual to love one particular man or woman. Individuals even subordinate their own sexual pleasure to the supposed joy of the society. Most of the people in the novel are even not aware of the real meaning of friendship, love, marriage and parenting, because they have never experienced it. These values, which are so familiar to us, are dead in Brave New World. These values were sacrificed long time ago, because they surely make people unique. Instead, people grow up in communities, which is very similar to the way orphans grow up without a family. Being old and looking different is also dangerous for the civilisation. Old people are different from younger ones, their skin is wrinkled and some of their teeth are missing. So hard for me to realize, Bernard was saying, to reconstruct. As though we were living on different planets, in different centuries. A mother, and all this dirt, and gods, and old age, and disease He shook his head. Its almost inconceivable. I shall never understand, unless you explain. In Fords world, people are drugged to look like young forever, however they have to pay a big price for that, they die earlier. When Bernard went to a holiday, he met Linda and John, who live outside of the community. They are mother and son, Linda look old and some of her teeth are missing, her only dream is to go back to the perfect world from where she was expelled because of her pregnancy. However, when she and her son returned, Linda was deliberately overdosed, because she does not fit into the society, she is different. In the novel, people are capable of killing for order without even realising it. When Johns mother, Linda is dying, John goes to the hospital to see, where he is told that she is only left a few hours to live. When she dies, John outbursts in his pain which is not understood by other people. For them, people are only replaceable, interchangable units of the society, being loved and loosing that particular person are so out of their rich, they cannot imagine. In Huxleys Brave New World, people take somma which is a drug subscribed for everyone. By swallowing a few tablets, people feel themselves better; disappointment, shame, bad feelings disappear in a minute. People take a few of it after work, or go to somma holidays for recitation. Sommatized people are half conscious they are industrialised to feel happy about themselves, however this is not true happiness, the reality blurs with the imaginations. There are only two people in the novel, who completely fail to fulfil what is expected from them, namely John and Bernard. Both of them are Alfa+, thus they are very cleve, but John was raised up by his mother, while Bernard was conditioned. Bernard only questions the systems inhumanity, while John reject the system altogether. Probably, John who was raised up by his mother is more human! than his fellow, Bernard. There is one solution to escape where one can live as he or she desire, to go to an island. Around the modern World there are islands, where people are deported, if it is necessary for the sake of civilization. They live there as people lived before, having children, getting old. For instance, Bernard has to go, although, he is not satisfied with the decision. Bernard started and looked horrified. What would the Controller think? To be labelled as the friend of a man who said that he didnt like civilization-said it openly and, of all people, to the Controller-it was terrible. But, John, he began. A look from Mustapha Mond reduced him to an abject silence. The decision itself is good for Bernard, although he does not know it yet, he is disappointed. The controller he himself question the system and almost escaped but finally he decided to stay. Perhaps, he was afraid to start a new life completely own his own. To conclude, every human value, which makes us individual is dead in Brave New World by Huxley. Individualism is defeated in the dystopia and only society lives. Who does not fit into the society is either killed or deported. A society where people do not have choices and ruled by others is called dictatorship. The only way to resist the power of tyranny is keeping ones mind active and free. Peoples freedom is always limited, but should be constantly exercised to avoid tyranny.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Vegetarianism :: Healthy Lifestyle Essay

by Jello Biafra From I Blow Minds for a Living, recorded at Slim's, San Francisco, Nov 21, 1990 Does anybody out there know that for the first time in American history the U.S. Army was used in a war operation against the American people? Right near here, up in Humboldt County about 200 miles north of San Francisco right near a town called Shelter Cove, get this: three- to four-hundred American G.I.s dressed with automatic rifles and fully armed for battle, fanned out on maneuvers through the woods, backed up by a dozen Blackhawk attack helicopters. The mountain people up there were frightened out of their wits! They thought there was a war going on, especially the ones that had soldiers kicking in the doors to their cabins and putting guns to their heads in front of their children. Why!? Who was the enemy in this war? Not the communists! Not Saddam Hussein! Not Earth First! or even the spotted owl. No! The enemy they called out the army to put down, secretly, so few people outside of Humboldt would get alarmed as possible, it wasn't even a person or an army or a terrorist group! It was a plant, the marijuana plant. And they actually did manage to find a few for the G.I.s to pull up, and then they had to fly in more from the government stash so the pile would look big enough when they lit the bonfire for the network TV news cameras, so that they could say "Yes! Another triumph in the Drug War!" Drug War. War. The American army sent to war against the American people. And we're supposed to feel relieved and secure and protected. Protected from what?! A lot of people with more guts than I'll ever have risked their life and limb all last summer at the Earth First! Redwood Summer Action up in Humboldt County. They were chaining themselves to redwoods that were three times wider than they were, 800 years old, they were spread-eagled, as the saws buzzed right over their heads. They stood in the dirt as the bulldozers charged them and stopped right at their toes. Or people waved clubs at them, charged them with logging trucks, shotguns, you name it. All to try to save some of the last unspoiled virgin forest we have left anywhere in this country from being chopped down and turned into toilet paper, TV Guides and the Weekly World News. Vegetarianism :: Healthy Lifestyle Essay by Jello Biafra From I Blow Minds for a Living, recorded at Slim's, San Francisco, Nov 21, 1990 Does anybody out there know that for the first time in American history the U.S. Army was used in a war operation against the American people? Right near here, up in Humboldt County about 200 miles north of San Francisco right near a town called Shelter Cove, get this: three- to four-hundred American G.I.s dressed with automatic rifles and fully armed for battle, fanned out on maneuvers through the woods, backed up by a dozen Blackhawk attack helicopters. The mountain people up there were frightened out of their wits! They thought there was a war going on, especially the ones that had soldiers kicking in the doors to their cabins and putting guns to their heads in front of their children. Why!? Who was the enemy in this war? Not the communists! Not Saddam Hussein! Not Earth First! or even the spotted owl. No! The enemy they called out the army to put down, secretly, so few people outside of Humboldt would get alarmed as possible, it wasn't even a person or an army or a terrorist group! It was a plant, the marijuana plant. And they actually did manage to find a few for the G.I.s to pull up, and then they had to fly in more from the government stash so the pile would look big enough when they lit the bonfire for the network TV news cameras, so that they could say "Yes! Another triumph in the Drug War!" Drug War. War. The American army sent to war against the American people. And we're supposed to feel relieved and secure and protected. Protected from what?! A lot of people with more guts than I'll ever have risked their life and limb all last summer at the Earth First! Redwood Summer Action up in Humboldt County. They were chaining themselves to redwoods that were three times wider than they were, 800 years old, they were spread-eagled, as the saws buzzed right over their heads. They stood in the dirt as the bulldozers charged them and stopped right at their toes. Or people waved clubs at them, charged them with logging trucks, shotguns, you name it. All to try to save some of the last unspoiled virgin forest we have left anywhere in this country from being chopped down and turned into toilet paper, TV Guides and the Weekly World News.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Accounting Essay -- Business Management Studies

Accounting Accounting is the practice of â€Å"†¦maintaining, auditing and processing financial information†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accounting) for the purpose of a company, persons or organisation. There are some fundamental parts of accounting which are; â€Å"Identifying, measuring and communicating† (Black, 2000). You need to identify the important financial sections of a company, person or organisation which will include the companies assets, liabilities, capital, income and of course expenditure. You will also need to measure â€Å"†¦ monetary values of the key financial components in a way which represents a true and fair view of the organisation† (Black, 2000). Finally there is the communication side of accounting, it is vital that a company, person or organisation can communicate all of the financial information gathered so in turn users, whether they are internal or external, will be able to receive the correct financial information and be able follow it. There are two forms of accounting they are Financial Accounting and Management Accounting. Financial Accounting is concerned with the preparation of financial accounts for the benefit of people outside a company or organisation. Management Accounting is financial information used by managers within a company or organisation to make financial decisions based on the information that the accounts provide. There are many people who would be interested in company’s accounts, they are divided up into two groups; External Users and Internal Users. Within the External Users group are; Investors, lenders, Suppliers, Customers, prospective buyers, other businesses and the Government. Included in the Internal Users group are the Owners, Shareholders, the Board of Directors and Employ... ...ounts Payable which are debts owed BY a company, person or organisations which, at present have not been paid, Capital, Income and finally Revenue and as before if there was a increase in any of the above it would be a Debit entry. For example if a company, person or organisation was to purchase a fixed asset such as a building or piece of machinery this would be an increase in that company, person or organisations assets and would therefore be a Debit entry, the other side of the entry would be a Credit entry as there would be a decrease in the bank account of the company, person or organisation. The Double Entry Bookkeeping is essential in order for a company, person or organisation to keep track of all financial transaction as Double Entry is a very detailed financial account and everything that comes in or out of the business is written in a Double Entry Account.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

The Death Penalty: In The Name Of Justice? :: essays research papers

The state murdering people because of their crimes simply does not equate to justice. It is real easy to hear about how the government is doing this wrong or that, but the death penalty is abounded with so many injustices and faults that it’s an embarrassment to our entire due process of law. Supporters of capital punishment subscribe to religious and ethical points of view rather than facts, and when they do offer facts it’s always the same argument: â€Å"It’s a deterrent.† The death penalty is extreamly flawed, most notably it comes with a very high price tag to an already under-funded correctional institution in America; no stable argument has been installed to warrant it as a deterrent; and the moral decay it establishes creates among other things a feeling of revenge and spite within society. Many people for and against the death penalty are under the proposed belief that capital punishment is a deterrent for crime. No study can offer a clear explanation of this theory. Almost a dozen states don’t offer a death penalty, and a dozen more haven’t executed in over fifty years that have one. Are their first and second-degree murder rates head and shoulders above the other states? Of course not. Some of these states include large metropolis’ such as Minnesota’s twin cites. Detroit has a high crime rate (in actual number not on a per capita basis) in Michigan, which doesn’t offer a death penalty, but Birmingham has one of the highest crime rates per capita in the nation. What has Alabama’s electric chair not done in Birmingham that life in prison has done in St. Paul? Deter crime, particularly murder. Studies have shown that, all evidence in view, long prison terms punish just as effectively as capital sentences. The flaws of capital punishment become too many shortly after they total one. This is because of the focus of the death penalty that being human life. Innocent people being sent to death or being released within weeks of execution are becoming frequent stories on the nightly news. The legal system is disturbingly unable to correctly administer the death penalty. Every day individuals who can’t afford a lawyer have to have one appointed to them under the constitution. Almost thirty percent of Americans can’t afford health care, how are they supposed to afford a lawyer? These lawyers, who are on average paid 5 dollars an hour, have little to no incentive to gather all the precious materials to adequately support the accused.

Student Resources Worksheet

Student resources include a variety of helpful sites and tools that can be of assistance when completing assignments, connecting to other students, and searching for careers. Complete this table regarding student resources provided by the university. In the first column, identify where the resource can be found. In the second column, summarize each resource in at least one sentence. When you are finished with the matrix, answer the follow-up question in part B.Part A: Resources Scavenger HuntStudent resource Where found Summary of the resource Syllabus Course materials Your guide that tells you all you assignments and reading material, as well when they are due. Class Policies On the classroom page on the left hand side undercourse outline Tells you about all the academic polices and procedures University Library Library tab Helps you do research or look up information on different subjects University Academic Catalog My program tab A guide of all programs that are offered as well as everything that has to do will the university University Learning GoalsLife Resource Center Home page under quick links A support center for students Phoenix Career Services Under library tab Resume building, career planning, job market research, job opportanties Student Workshops Programs under services Different workshops that they have going on PhoenixConnect Phoenix Connect tab Social gathering site just for students Technical Support phone number 1-877-832-4867 Help when you are have technical issues with the website. They are aviable twenty-four hours a day seven days a week.Part B: Follow-Up QuestionBased on the resources in the table, what are the attendance, posting, and participation requirements for the university? Attendence is two days a week. You are required to post a total of six messages per week. Your participation is to post two messages on three different days a week.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Product Selection Paper

Some of the pros of adding additional departments to the NACA organization would be exposing the company on a national level and empowering lower income clients in the mortgage and business processes. The pros of having an advertising department will enable us to bring in customers that may not be aware of the extensive services our company provides. By making our website more appealing it will draw people in to want to know more about what we have to offer the consumer. We can also concentrate on commercials and billboards that will further echo our message of hope and prosperity to those who have been overlooked by mainstream mortgage companies. By implementing a department that will focus on helping minorities start their own businesses will also help rehabilitate impoverished neighborhoods. Building up low income neighborhoods not only helps the owner’s of the businesses, but it changes the perception of the area and the people in that area. The cons that come along with adding these two departments will be the cost involved. Anytime a company wants to expand its client base there is a good chance that it means spending more money. Advertising can be very expensive, but the money is worth it if your clientele increases. An increase in clientele means an increase in revenue for the company. As far as the loans for businesses are concerned that too will eventually be a profit for the company. The more loans that are acquired for future business ventures will be a positive for the company. A company that is involved in acquiring real estate is in a good position financially. As with any new venture it takes time to reap the rewards of new ideas and departments. If we continue to provide the services we have to our customers and make dreams of homeownership and entrepreneurship come true we will be innovative leaders in the mortgage industry.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Analyse the effects of domestic and global free trade Essay

Analyse the effects of domestic and global free trade and protection policies on the Australian economy Free trade is the unrestricted purchase and sale of goods and services between countries without the imposition of protection such as tariffs and quotas. This enables economies to focus on their core competitive advantage(s), thereby maximizing economic output and fostering income growth for their citizens. Australian exports rose from $66.6 billion in 1990-91 to $300.4 billion in 2012-13, with an average growth in export volumes of 4.6 per cent per annum since 1990-91. This is reflective of Australia’s proactive actions to phase out protection since the 1970s. The major effects of domestic and global free trade and protection policies on the Australian economy are structural change, competitiveness and efficiency, unemployment, living standards and economic growth. A move to trade liberalisation since the 1970s in Australia has drastically changed the structure of the economy. Structural change involves changes in the patterns of production that reflect changes in technology, consumer demand, global competitiveness and other factors. Protection polices affect the natural change in the structure of an economy, often leading to a decline in globally competitive industries. In 2011-12 Australia’s net tariff assistance was $1.1 billion, a very small percentage of GDP (less than 0.1%). Tariff levels in Australia have fallen from a massive 36% in 1968-9 to 1.8% in 2011, thus illustrating why Australia is one of the most open economies in the world. However, this has caused both positive and negative effects; the positive being that Australian industries have become more competitive and efficient as they are forced to focus on their comparative advantage; the negative is that heavily protected industries have suffered decline and job losses. Australia’s rural and manufacturing industries have suffered sustained negative growth over the past decade due to a reduction in domestic protection policies. On the contrary, the minerals and metals industry has grown significantly over this period. The removal of protectionism can jeopardise employment, especially in import competing industries and low-skilled labour industries. For example, Toyota and Holden will close their manufacturing operations partly due to tariffs on imported cars being reduced from a previous 50% to 5% in 2010, ending Australia’s car manufacturing sector by 2017. However, removing protectionism should lead to new employment opportunities and up-skilling of  the workforce into new and emerging growth sectors such as Biotech and Green Engineering industries etc. Australia’s composition of exports was relatively equal in 1989-90 with 33% being minerals and metals, rural 23%, services 20% and manufacturing 13%. As of 2012-13, minerals and metals dominated Australia’s composition of exports at 57%, whilst rural exports dropped to 12%, with a general decline in others. This not only shows the large impact of the mining boom on the Australia’s composition of exports, but also how a move to free trade has influenced the structure of the economy, especially agriculture and manufacturing. Globalisation has been both a benefit and a hindrance as regional trade blocs and other agreements work on a ‘most favoured nation’ principle, making export-competing industries suffer all around the world in small economies, and limiting the advancement of global free trade. Because Australia has a high level of agricultural trade (12% of total exports), and is a relatively small economy, they suffer disadvantages as a result of protectionist policies of other nations and trading blocs. One of the most infamous trading blocs in relation to agriculture is the European Union. The EU for several decades has subsidised agricultural production through the Common Agricultural Policy. Additionally, farmers receive significant subsidies in other areas of the world, such as the US, Japan, Korea and Switzerland. In 2012, the Australian Bureau of Agricultural Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES) estimated that the removal of China and Korea’s wine tariffs would increase the export revenue of the Australian wine industry by $47 million. Unfortunately, there has been poor progress in reducing agricultural protection in recent years. In fact, if global trade liberalisation was achieved by the WTO’s Doha Round, it could have boosted Australia’s agricultural exports by US$9 billion by 2020; thus displaying how highly protectionist economies and trade blocs adversely affect the Australian economy. Since Australia’s first free trade agreement (FTA) with New Zealand in 1983, Bilateral and Multilateral FTA’s have been a great advantage and focus in securing economic prosperity for Australia. Australia’s two-way trade in goods and services was A$616 bn in 2012. Australia has seven FTAs currently in force with New Zealand, Singapore, Thailand, US, Chile, ASEAN (with New  Zealand) and Malaysia. Together, these countries account for 28% of Australia’s total trade, which displays the great benefit of bilateral FTAs to the Australian economy. Additionally, there are four bilateral FTA negotiations currently in place, two of which are substantial trading partners; China, being Australia’s largest export market (A$78.7 bn) and Japan, being Australia’s second largest export market (A$49.8 bn). The Japanese Free Trade Agreement has been negotiated, and will be a great benefit to the Australian economy, especially the agricultural sector, for example tariffs on beef and dairy exports will be reduced from 38% to 23.5% over 20 years. Australia’s main multilateral agreement is the AANZFTA which came into effect in 2010, and covers 20% of Australia’s trade in goods and services and effectively creates a free trade area of over 600 million people. This agreement is forecast to boost the Australian economy by US$19 bn during the decade following its implementation in 2010. These examples of Australia’s FTAs show the positive effects of global free trade on the Australian economy. As Australia continually lowers protection levels and trade barriers, there will be both positive and negative effects, leading to a long term decrease in the current account deficit. When protection is lowered, there will be a short term increase in the CAD, as tariffs and quotas wil l be waived leading to higher export volumes. However, since less protection leads to a more competitive economy, the CAD will decrease in the longer term as exports will generally increase. The government’s reluctance to lower trade barriers up until the 1970-80s is arguably the reason for Australia’s lower competiveness and higher CAD, being a deficit of $23 bn in 2012, and $10 bn in the fourth quarter of 2013. Australia’s growth in exports reached 6% in 2012, double the average rate over the last 10 years. However, this has not contributed to any decrease in the CAD, as export prices declined by 10.2%, and Australia’s terms of trade decreased by 10.7% mainly due to the slowing of the mining boom. As protection levels reduce, hopefully the competitiveness of the Australian economy picks up during this period of structural change, leading to a long term decrease in the CAD. The effects of domestic and global free trade, although mostly negative in the short term, will increase Australia’s competitiveness and benefit the Australian economy in the long term. Unfortunately, many regional and unilateral protection polices still remain in p lace, disadvantaging the  economy in many ways, and limiting the advancement of global free trade.

Saturday, September 14, 2019

What Is the Importance of Public Administration in Ghana

gStructure of the new local government system The new local government system is made up of a regional coordinating council (RCC) and a four-tier metropolitan and three-tier municipal/DAs structure. Composition of structure The RCC consists of the regional minister as chairman and his deputies, the presiding member of each DA and the district chief executive of each district in the region, two chiefs from the regional house of chiefs and the decentralized ministries without voting rights.A DA consists of the district chief executive,   two thirds of the members directly elected by universal adult suffrage, the members of parliament (MPs) representing constituencies within the district, and not less than 30% of the members appointed by the president in consultation with chiefs and interest groups in the district. The district chief executive is nominated by the president, approved by two-thirds of the members of the DA present and voting, and appointed by the president. The assembly has a presiding member who is elected from among its members by two-thirds of all the members of the assembly.The sub-district structures include: †¢ The sub-metropolitan DCs which consist of not less than 25 and not more than 30 members, made up of all elected members of the assembly in that   sub-metropolitan district and such other persons resident in the sub-metropolitan district appointed by the president. †¢ The urban council consists of not less than 25 and not more than 30 members made up of not more than eight persons elected from among the members of the relevant DA, not more than 12 representatives from the unit committees in the area of authority of the urban council and not more than 10 persons ordinarily resident in the urban area. The zonal council consists of not less than 15 and not more than 20 members made up of not more than five persons elected from among the members of the relevant municipal assembly, not more than 10 representatives from the unit committees and not more than five persons ordinarily resident in the zone. †¢ The town/area councils consist of not less than 15 and not more than 20 members made up of not more than five persons elected from among the members of the relevant assembly, not more than 10 representatives from the unit committees and not more than five persons ordinarily resident in the town or area. The unit committee consists of not more than 15 persons made up of 10 elected persons ordinarily resident in the unit and not more than five other persons resident in the unit and nominated by the district chief executive, acting   on behalf of the president. Elections to all local government bodies are on a non-partisan basis; the elections are state-sponsored and conducted by the electoral commission. Regional coordinating councils (RCCs) RCCs are established for each of the 10 regions of Ghana. An RCC is an administrative and coordinating rather than a political and policy-making body. Its functio ns are to: monitor, coordinate and evaluate the performance of the DAs in the region; †¢ monitor the use of all monies allocated to the DAs by any agency of the central government; †¢ review and coordinate public services generally in the region †¢ perform such other functions as may be assigned to it by or under any enactment. Metropolitan/municipal/district assemblies DAs in Ghana are either metropolitan (population over 250 000), municipal (one town assemblies with populations over 95 000) or district (population 75 000 and over. ) There are three metropolitan assemblies, four municipal assemblies and 103 DAs.A metropolitan/municipal/DA is: †¢ created as the pivot of administrative and developmental decision-making in the district and is the basic unit of government administration †¢ assigned with deliberative, legislative as well as executive functions †¢ established as a monolithic structure to which is assigned the responsibility of the totality o f government to bring about integration of political, administrative and development support needed to achieve a more equitable allocation of power, wealth and geographically dispersed development in Ghana constituted as the planning authority for the district. Functions of the assemblies These are deliberative, legislative and executive. Section 10(3) of Act 462 lists them as follows: a) be responsible for the overall development of the district and shall ensure the preparation and submission through the regional coordinating council for approval of the development plan to the commission and budget to minister of finance for the district b) formulate and execute plans, programmes and strategies for the effective mobilization of the resources necessary for the overall development of the district ) promote and support productive activity and social development in the district and remove any obstacles to initiative and developmentd) initiate programmes for the development of basic inf rastructure and provide municipal works and services in the district e) be responsible for the development, improvement and management of human settlements and the environment in the district f) in cooperation with appropriate national and local security agencies, be responsible for the maintenance of security and public safety in the district ) ensure ready access to the courts and public tribunals in the district for the promotion of justice h) initiate, sponsor or carry out such studies as may be necessary for the discharge of any of the functions conferred by this Law or any other enactment perform such other functions as may be provided under any other enactment. Sub-district political/administrative structures These being subordinate bodies of the DAs, they perform functions assigned to them by the instruments setting up by the assemblies or delegated to them by the assemblies.They are constituted by the sub-metropolitan DCs, urban/town/ zonal/area councils, and unit committee s. Sub-metropolitan DCs These structures are immediately below the metropolitan assemblies. There are 13 of these structures established by law. These are shown below: This arrangement has been dictated by the complex and peculiar socio-economic, urbanisation and management problems which confront these three metropolis. Urban councils Urban councils are peculiar to settlements of â€Å"ordinary† DAs.They are created for settlements with populations above 15 000 and which are cosmopolitan in character, with urbanisation and management problems, though not of the scale associated with the metropolis. Thirty-four of these councils are established by law. Zonal councils The zonal councils are in the â€Å"one-town† municipal assemblies of Cape Coast, New Juaben, Tamale and Tema, for which the establishment of town/area councils will raise problems of parallel administrative structures. There are 108 of such zonal councils for the four municipal assemblies.They are based o n the electoral commission’s criteria of: commonality of interest, population of 3000 and identifiable streets, land marks, etc. as boundaries. Sub-Metropolitan District Council under Respective Metropolitan Assemblies Assembly Accra Metropolitan Assembly Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly Shama Ahanta East Metropolitan Assembly Ablekuma Asokwa Sekondi Ashiedu Keteke Bantama Takoradi Okaikwei Manhyia Shama Ayawaso Kpeshie Osu Klottey Subin Town/area councils These are found in the metropolitan assemblies and DAs. In the DAs, town councils are established for settlements with populations between 5000 and 1500.Area councils exist for a number of settlements/villages which are grouped together but whose individual settlements have populations of less than 5000. They cover areas with predominantly rural populations and in some cases can be identified with spheres of influence of a particular traditional authority. They are essentially rallying points of local enthusiasm in support of a new local government system. A unit is normally a settlement or a group of settlements with a population of between 500–1000 in the rural areas, and a higher population (1500) for the urban areas.Unit committees being in close touch with the people play the important roles of education, organization of communal labour, revenue-raising and ensuring environmental cleanliness, registration of births and deaths, implementation and monitoring of self-help projects, among others. Committees of District Assemblies In the performance of its functions, the DA works through the executive committee and its subsidiary committees of development planning, social services, works, finance and administration, and justice and security. Executive committeesThe functions of the assembly are performed by the executive committee, which is presided over by the district chief executive and consists of not more than onethird of the total number of members of the assembly excluding the presiding memb er. Heads of departments of the assembly attend the meetings of the relevant sub-committees and advise them on the execution of their functions, but may not vote. A sub-committee can also coopt persons to attend its meetings but also without a vote. The functions performed by the executive committee are to: coordinate plans and programmes of the sub-committees and submit these as comprehensive plans of action to the DA †¢ implement resolutions of the district in collaboration with the office of the DA †¢ oversee the administration of the district in collaboration with the office of the district chief executive †¢ recommend where it considers necessary – in the case of departments outside 364 the supervision of the assembly which are in the district – to the appropriate government ministry/department/agency the appointment and replacement on stated grounds of officers within the area of authority of the assembly adopt measures to develop and execute appro ved plans of the units, areas and towns and sub-metropolitan districts within the area of authority of the assembly †¢ recommend to the DA the coordination, integration and harmonisation of district development plans and policies. Sub-committees of the executive committeeThe sub-committees of the executive committee and the functions they perform are shown below: Development planning sub-committee †¢ takes a comprehensive look at the district †¢ identifies the economic resources/potentials of the district †¢ develops an information base on the resources identifies opportunities and constraints for the exploitation of these resources †¢ prepares exploitation and phasing plans and strategies †¢ consults with other sub-committees and the private sector for the implications that the proposed district plan may have on other sub-committees’ plans †¢ submits the plan to the executive committee for harmonisation with other sub-committee plans. Socia l services sub-committee †¢ takes a comprehensive and long-term look at areas of social development in the district, in particular education, health, social welfare, sports, culture, etc. develops the information base on these areas of social development†¢ prepares a social development plan (long-, medium- and short-term) for the district Sub-Committees of the Executive Committees of the Assembly District Assembly, Executive Committee Development Planning Sub- Committee, Social Services Sub- Committee, Works Sub-committee, Finance Administration, Justice/ Security †¢ identifies the strengths and weaknesses in the social services areas †¢ examines the implications of the social development plan on other sub-sectors of the district economy submits the plans to the executive committee for harmonisation. Works sub-committee The functional areas of the works sub-committee includes roads, electricity, sanitation, water, etc. Within the general framework of Act 462 and the specific functions in the legislative instruments that establish the various assemblies, this sub-committee: †¢ takes a comprehensive look at the infrastructure needs and problems of the district †¢ develops an information base on each of these programme/functional areas †¢ maps out, initiates and phases out programmes for their development and/or provision examines the implications of such actions for the other sub-committee proposals †¢ submits the programmes to the executive committee for harmonisation and action.Finance and administration sub-committee This sub-committee †¢ examines the general financial position of the assembly †¢ examines the revenue mobilisation and expenditure trends of the assembly †¢ maps out strategies to improve revenue mobilisation in the present and sets targets for the future †¢ submits financial plans to the executive committee for harmonisation with other sub-committee plans identifies strategies to ensure judicious utilisation of available resources. Justice and security sub-committee This sub-committee is set up to resolve intra-district and inter-district conflicts and to consider issues that pertain to the enforcement of by-laws of the assembly. To achieve these purposes, the sub-committee: †¢ examines these and other related conflict areas †¢ recommends to the executive committee ways and means to resolve disputes †¢ ensures ready access to the courts and tribunals for the promotion of justice in the district, e. . making sure that premises are available for use by community tribunals and that police logistics are adequate. A DA can form any other sub-committee, depending on the peculiarities of its environment or its area. The committee’s discussed above are, however, mandatory. They can be dissolved and reconstituted but cannot be replaced, for example by a task force. Sub-committees of metropolitan assemblies These and their subject areas are shown in Ap pendix 2. Boards of metropolitan assembliesFor the efficient performance of its functions, a metropolitan assembly has three metropolitan boards: †¢ Metropolitan Planning Board †¢ Board of Metropolitan Works †¢ Board of Administration. The Sub-districts – New Decision-Making points for Poverty Reduction using the Sub-district Development Fund Saboba Introduction At the design stage of DSDA II, an Economic Development Component (Sub-district Development Fund) was suggested as a means to support economic development at the district and sub district levels. An amount of 14. 87 million DKK (US $ 2. 25 million) was earmarked over four years, to support activities of this component. This was designed to reduce poverty through the provision of social infrastructure and improved incomes, while strengthening the institutional and human capacity of the districts and economic stakeholders to manage these resources in an efficient and accountable manner. During the impleme ntation stage a great number of lessons and experiences with regards to the Sub-district Development Fund (SDDF) herein after referred to as the Fund were accumulated and documented.The processes undertaken to reach these are highlighted in this chapter. The Best Practices and Lessons at the Design Stage dentifying and Establishing the Guiding Principles and Objectives Lesson One:Prior to the implementation of the Fund, an exercise was undertaken to establish guiding principles and objectives. The Fund, over the four-year period, operated around a number of principles which comply with the overall framework of Ghana’s decentralisation and poverty reduction programmes and these were: * Broad stakeholder participation in decision making; * Demand-driven;   Need and commitment; *   Viability and ownership; * Equity in resource allocation and targeting; * Decentralised development; and * Local capacity building and sustainability. The objectives which guided the support activ ities and the developed systems were: * To support social and economic development investments that will serve as catalyst for further economic opportunities in ruru mmunities. * To strengthen the existing local government structures and institutions to provide services for decentralised development (financial, training, business development, project management, etc).   To enhance local decision making in project selection and implementation involving relevant stakeholders; * To deepen the sense of community ownership and responsibility for projects, especially post delivery operation and maintenance; and * To promote effective monitoring and evaluation of project implementation, utilisation and management for sustainability. Developing Effective Core Strategies and Approaches Lesson Two: For the SDDF, several strategies were developed through broad stakeholder consultation and validation.These consultations culminated in the formulation of specific strategies for implementation. A model strategy for poverty reduction, focusing on economic and social development was developed to guide implementation. In principle, three-tier strategy model proposed the targeting of economic funds towards projects with the highest potential to serve as catalysts for economic growth. Option 1: Regional economic promotion facility located at the regional level to cater for activities that seek to integrate economic development.Option 2: A district economic development policy and promotion facility, to support D As to establish district-based strategies and policy for economic development; and, Option 3: Community economic development facility categorised into: (a)  Ã‚  Ã‚   Economic Associations targeting those engaged in common economic vocations requiring common facilities and services to enhance their production activities; and (b)  Ã‚  Ã‚   Entire communities: where they require a common asset to broaden economic opportunities for all its residents.Each option was alloc ated a certain percentage of the total funds on the basis of major principles. Stakeholder Consultation and Decisions Lesson Three: Following the formulation of an entry strategy, stakeholders reached agreement on the feasibility of the strategy and made inputs towards owning it. Participating stakeholders included personnel of the Regional Coordinating Council and other regional institutions, personnel of the District Assembly and other district institutions, community level opinion eaders, representatives of women groups and credit/business advisory bodies. These consultations were organised first at the regional level and later at the district level. Involving stakeholders in project conception and inception was found to be critical for purposes of ownership and sustainability. The Best Practices and Lessons at the Implementation Stage At the implementation phase a number of lessons were learnt and some best practices emerged as follows: A Well Defined Implementation Plan and Pro cess Lesson One:The project cycle of the SDDF, was perceived as something beyond a mere list of activities. The processes were defined and shared to ensure their feasibility in relation to anticipated outputs. The instruments to facilitate effective implementation were pre-designed, discussed and modified appropriately. (i) Orientation of beneficiaries on SDDF as an Entry-Strategy: Following stakeholder validation of the economic development model and strategy, detailed orientation sessions in the two regions were organised.