The Housing Financial Crisis Speech or Presentation

The Housing Financial Crisis - Speech or Presentation Example The housing crisis or the sub prime crisis is getting worse rather than cooling off, this means that the US economy is only going to get adversely affected and this in turn is going to affect all the major economies of the world. The labor market is also getting affected and this means that there will be less job opportunities in the future for the people seeking jobs. The sale of new homes has fallen by almost 50% in the US and people have stopped purchasing new homes in the US because of the housing crisis in the country. Body: I. What triggered the crisis? A. The crisis began in the middle of 2007 and into 2008 1. Affected all the major economies 2. The US economy was perhaps the most badly hit B. Almost the whole world started living on a shoestring, deep pockets were reduced to mere pockets and lucre had certainly fallen short. 1. Countless people got their pink slip while some other got their walking papers. 2. AIG, Lehmann Brothers, Northern Rock, Goldman Sachs are some elite names that suffered the most because of the economic crisis also known as recession. 3. Lehmann brothers filed for bankruptcy while AIG and a few other elites just hanged in there with the skin of their teeth. II. This economic crisis is still having repercussions on countries like Greece and Spain; there are a few other countries that have been not so severely affected by the same. A. The crisis triggered off because of unchecked debt, banks kept issuing loans to people who invested heavily in buying assets. 1. Several things were taken for granted but when proved otherwise there was hardly a place in the world to hide. 2. The subprime crisis triggered off because of excessive borrowing, there was no money to pay back and this is why so many financial institutes went flat broke. B. The Great economic depression triggered off in the year 1930 in the US, it was triggered off by the collapse of the US stock market which is now known as Nasdaq. 1. The economy of the US recovered from t his setback only to suffer from a similar setback of a lesser magnitude which is called recession. 2. Overvaluation in real estate is perhaps the biggest cause of the current economic crisis, it is better known as the subprime crisis in the US. 3. Factors like bad income tax practices have added insult to injury, bad mortgage lending also contributed heavily to this current economic crisis. III. Prevention is better than cure. A. The situation could have been prevented 1. The FED should have taken responsibility 2. Lending should have been checked B. The Bailout package worked to a certain extent 1. The current situation remains precarious. 2. Good things to come in the future for the US economy. Conclusion: The stock market slaughter has weakened almost all the major economies of the world and this is because of the housing crisis in the US. High oil prices have affected all the people across the globe and especially the importers, inflation has been constantly on the rise because of the high oil prices and the same has affected the global economy. The confidence of the investors has taken a real beating because of the financial crisis; people have stopped investing the way they used to before the financial crisis.  

Persevere of a Young Lady Essay Example for Free

Persevere of a Young Lady Essay The start of the Holocaust began under the leadership Hitler. The Nazis blindsided by ideology started a war of hate against the Jewish People. The Germans at the beginning restricted human rights and bans transportation. Later in their rampage they began the onslaught of the Jewish people. Jews that managed not to escape the German stronghold were hunted down. People of Jewish decent had to abandon their lives and go in hiding. Hidden Jews had to live in the moment because they never know what is the future is ahead. In Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl, Anne Frank shows the reader that the Holocaust did exist. The diary shows how a young girl was able to persevere in the cold settings. Frank described how important to lean on family but also believe in yourself. â€Å"Anne Frank’s ability to always improve herself enables her to resist oppression, determine for growth and a mind of direction†. Anne Frank’s was in a terrible situation where she had to remain hidden and stay with people who did not respect her. Under oppression, Frank felt the need to define herself. She longed for knowledge and enthusiasm to accompany her behind the walls. She was an able to reason the best approaches to address the situation. Frank shows her dedication in improving her condition: â€Å"Alone I had to face the difficult task of changing myself, to stop the everlasting reproaches, which were so oppressive and which reduced me to such terrible despondency† (170). At the time Anne was not strong to prevail against the compression of emotions in the house. Anne realized that she was becoming narcissistic; she started to enhance her view of situation differently. As the reader I felt that Anne at moments only felt that she was only individual going through these chaotic times. The way how Anne disrespected her mother was a developmental process. Anne comments were detrimental to her mother relationship. The sadness of her mother affected different parts of the family. I felt metaphorically Anne felt that group was like a wind chime, when you affect one part the other chimes respond. The need to improve herself is important for happiness in the Secret Annexe. Anne wanted to become something bigger then she. She was determined to become an Independent Woman. Being backed in the corner, Anne belief in improvement off sprang into knowledge of optimism. â€Å"The war goes on just the same, whether or not we choose to quarrel, or long for freedom and fresh air, and so we should try to make the best of our stay here. Now I’m preaching, but I also believe that if I stay here for very long I shall grow in to a dried up beanstalk. And I did so want to grow in to a real young woman†(138-139). Anne optimism in conflicts of her family and war was best kept to herself. Frank felt that the person who is able to control a situation is the one who can master oneself. This level of maturation was achieved by a bright girl. Anne intrigue in optimism of the moment was like the saying â€Å"the longest rope in the world has an end†. She had a good idea of how days were passing in the Secret Annexe. Anne remembered the days of having the freedom to go to school. Unlike girls her age going to school, Anne wanted become a woman. Anne not only wants to be a woman but to have a vision. Anne looked to the future for motivation. Despite all the troubles she was focused on improving her status. The motivation of this girl to pursue her goal shows no matter the situation it can always be manipulated. She did not worry of the past but focused on the future. Anne hard skin started to show: â€Å"Then I began trying to talk some courage into myself. I could only say: â€Å"I must, I must, I must†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. Completely stiff from the unnatural position, I fell against the side of the bed and fought on, until I climbed into bed again just before half past ten. It was over! And now it’s all over. I must work, so as not to be a fool, to get on, to be a journalist, because that’s what I want! I know that I can write, a couple of my stories good, my descriptions of the â€Å"Secret Annexe† are humorous, there’s a lot in my diary that speaks, but – whether I have real talent remains to be seen. †(197). Anne showed a commitment to achieve her max potential. She will work hard to be remembered on this earth. Anne becomes very aware of her talent to write with beautiful description with clarity. I think that this moment indicated that Anne was showing Independence. She was not going to let hunger get in her way of success. Anne’s spirit of growth has enabled her to direct what in life she wanted to pursue. During the time of the Holocaust put a big strain on the individuals who were persecuted. Many lifeless acts by Germans had destroying many Jewish Famines but not their hearts. The Frank family never successfully managed to hide in Amsterdam. The Frank Family was transported to a Holocaust Camp where the Dad only managed to survive. The father of Ann Frank, Otto Frank took the need to publish Anne’s Diary. Anne’s Diary shows that the holocaust did exist and the life she has lived. This is important time in history where the most persecuted people in modern history was able to persevere.

The American Olympic Association Essay -- Sports, Training, Olympic Ga

The United States Olympic Committee (USOC), initially named the American Olympic Association, was formed in 1896. Members of the committee sought to provide assistance to United States Olympic athletes with training and other needs. As the USOC is not government funded the committee has relied heavily on corporate funding and private donations (â€Å"Team USA,† 2011). However, over the years while the continued appeal of the Olympic Games remained, the increased cost of housing, clothing, and caring for U.S. athletes along with other professional sports vying for corporate sponsorship, made obtaining funding difficult. Thus, the USOC was challenged with persuading corporate benefactors that investing in the Olympic Games was a lucrative and cost effective venture (O’Rourke, 2010). Therefore, the methods used by the USOC to persuade companies to invest as well as motivating factors underlying corporate sponsorship are explored. Case Analysis Persuasion Message The ability to communicate effectively is essential in business (O’Rourke, 2010). In order to provide information, convey a message, and explain an idea, communication tools must be applied daily (N, 2005). The most important communication tool is the persuasive (N, 2005). This is due to the fact that whatever is being conveyed at the workplace requires a degree of persuasion (N, 2005). Hence, persuasion is the ability to move an individual or group into action. Boyer and Stoddard (2011), describe persuasion as â€Å"the act of getting a sentient being other than yourself to adopt a particular belief or pursue a particular action (p. 1). Therefore, in order for persuasion to be effective a level of trust between the parties must exist (O’Rourke, 2010). Thus, the challen... ... their association with the Olympic movement and develop interventions including updated marketing and promotional strategies to correct the problem. Moreover, an exclusivity right for some corporate sponsors has caused corporations without this type of contract to feel second rate which creates the possibility for ambush marketing to surface (Palomba, 2010). Ambush marketing is a company’s attempt to associate itself directly or indirectly with an event, team, or celebrity without being granted proper permission or pay the necessary licensing fees. As a result, official sponsors may not receive the full benefit or commercial value of paying to be legitimate sponsors (Palomba, 2010). Therefore, the USOC needs to protect legitimate sponsors by enacting or enforcing protective legislation to curtail or eradicate ambush marketing tactics (Palomba, 2010).

Owen’s war poetry Essay

It is a widely acknowledged truth that war is contemptible and cruel, but it takes the poetic opulence and the lively experience of the war to effectively convey one’s strong attitude against the reality of war. With his frequent use of contrast, para-rhyme and vivid imagery especially of blood and light in his collection of war poems, Wilfred Owen successfully portrays the brutal reality in battle thus stirs the readers’ sympathy for the soldiers, expresses his anger at the futility of war, demonstrates the disdain for ignorant people back at home and voices his anguish at the condemnation that these soldiers have to endure. The horrendous experience Owen has gone through as a soldier in the British Army in World War I explains why the tremendous sufferings by the soldiers stands as the most predominant idea in almost all his poems in the anthology. From the passive suffering of cold winds that â€Å"knife us† (Exposure) to the disturbing death of an unlucky fellow comrade in gas warfare (Dulce et Decorum est) â€Å"flound’ring like a man in fire or lime†, Owen presents a wide range of pains that blurs the boundary between life and death. Although the type of destruction portrayed in each poem is not the same as any other, they all highlight the frightening cruelty of the war, most obvious of all the deterioration of a man’s physical appearance and strength. They are all â€Å"knock-kneed, coughing like hags† before someone was caught in the toxic gas â€Å"guttering, choking, drowning† (Dulce et Decorum est), having â€Å"old wounds save with cold that can not more ache† (Insensibility) that escalate into â€Å"a thousand pains† (Strange Meeting), or even losing their sight â€Å"eyeballs, huge-bulged like squids† that brings them to such a total breakdown that â€Å"he sobbed† (The Sentry). â€Å"All went lame, all blind† because the merciless war gives no exception whatsoever, and that they had lost their boots makes no difference, they still â€Å"limped on, bloodshod†. Using factual vocabulary and vivid imagery which might at some point become grotesque, Wilfred Owen exposes the ugly truth of the war. Blood is an effective image conveying the sense of suffering in the battle, all of which is disturbing and brutal. It bears the connotation both of the death of soldiers and their guilt of shedding the lives of other human beings. The blood either â€Å"come gargling from the froth-corrupted lung† (Dulce et Decorum est) or even gets â€Å"clogged their chariot wheels† (Strange Meeting). Also, if one notices he would see that the word â€Å"blood-shod† in Dulce et Decorum est which echoes â€Å"blood-shed† fully conveys the hellish nature of the war. So much blood has poured that â€Å"the veins ran dry† (Disabled). Owen also successfully utilizes the effect of sounds and pace. By breaking lines into short fragments, he depicts the exhaustion and the limping of these men through the night. Also, whenever he talks about sufferings, Owen uses harsh sounds such as â€Å"k† (knock-kneed), â€Å"d† (drunk with fatigue, deaf to the hoots)†, â€Å"b† and â€Å"p† (what we spoiled/ Or, discontent, boil bloody, and be spilled†) which are either naturally unpleasant sounds or are even reminiscent of the sounds that rifles make. Death is prevailing in these poems and we see most clearly in â€Å"Strange Meeting† that the para-rhyme with the second rhyme lower in pitch than the first demonstrates the dying that these soldiers are going through. They start of as enthusiastic youth only to see themselves slowly rotten away to death. That is the brutal reality of war that Owen brings to readers. Through this we can see clearly that he is strongly anti-war. Together with depicting the physical pain, Owen also highlights the trauma that war leaves on any single soldier and the disparaging effect on their mentality. The idea of seeing their wretched comrade in their dreams is so haunting that it either gets so real-â€Å"guttering, choking, drowning†(Dulce et Decorum est) or keeps coming back like the â€Å"eyeballs† that â€Å"watch my dream still†(The Sentry). The use of continuous verb tense conveys the actuality of a nightmare and also emphasizes on the on-going nature of such horrendous suffering that will definitely traumatize the on-lookers that survive. Also, the idea of being â€Å"watched† adds the survivor guilt that disturbs them. It is so callous an experience, seeing human beings â€Å"die as cattle† that at one point a veteran â€Å"try not to remember these things†. However, â€Å"whenever crumps pummeled the roof and slogged the air beneath†, the hurtful sight in which his comrade â€Å"moans and jumps† and make â€Å"wild chattering of his broken teeth† reappears (The Sentry); there is purely no way out because even the sounds of nature brings back such distressing memory. The description of hostility in nature is also used to further accentuate the enormous psychological suffering of the soldiers. The â€Å"shrieking air† that chases the soldiers running from post to post and the constant rain which â€Å"kept slush waist high, that rising hour by hour, choked up the step† (The Sentry) induces the sense of threat, that any moment the soldiers would all be swallowed up. The soldiers are too discouraged that they slowly give up fighting for their lives in the harshness of nature where â€Å"the merciless iced east winds† â€Å"knife us† (Exposure) or when they are about to be â€Å"jabbed and killed†, all they would do is â€Å"parry† (Strange Meeting). The personification of nature makes it obvious as well how all these soldiers have ceased to consciously distinguish the unloving nature from the human army that they have to fight against in the battle. The sense of pervasive pessimism in the battle is also demonstrated by the pejorative image of â€Å"dawn massing in the east her melancholy army† (Exposure). Dawn, the traditional imagery of hope and new beginning, has been distorted to become a signal of â€Å"melancholy† despair that â€Å"attacks† on â€Å"shivering ranks of gray†. The gloomy dawn blends in with the color of the enemies’ uniform, which further stresses the disheartened spirit of the soldiers in war. Even in their dreams in which they catch a vision of their beloved hometown, they remain skeptic, wondering whether it is just a precursor to death, asking â€Å"Is it that we are dying?† The pararhyme â€Å"snow-dazed faces† and â€Å"sun-dozed† establishes the wispy link between their suffering and their home but also brings out their discouragement at the incomplete and unreal vision of their dreams. Although Owen intends to draw sympathy from the readers for the soldiers thus the anger at the war, he does acknowledge all these sufferings as the condemnation that the soldiers are inclined to suffer once they have gone to war. His frequent reference to Hell is an allusion to The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri which details his visionary progress through Hell and Purgatory. With the description of fire in battlefield, Owen induces a sense of the â€Å"haunting flares† in Hades’ world (Dulce et Decorum est). In Strange Meeting, the soldier â€Å"stood in Hell† after he â€Å"escaped† from the vicious battle. The image of â€Å"purgatorial shadows† (Mental Case) is typically Dantean that emphasizes the tortuous experience of the veterans. By doing this, Owen is both trying to convey the hellish experience of being in the war as if they were punished for their guilt and expressing his certainty of arrival in Hell even after the soldiers have escaped from the battlefield. This implicitly disapproves the participation of these soldiers in the war, saying that their sufferings is the condemnation for their crime, because by the time a soldier is killed, he is already a â€Å"devil’s sick of sin† (Dulce et Decorum est). Born into an Evangelical family, Owen unsurprisingly echoes some religious reference in his poems. The â€Å"devil’s sick of sin† above is a good example. Besides that Owen also acknowledges that the soldiers are going through adversity because â€Å"love of God seems dying† (Exposure). To him, war is a sin against the will of his God which angers Him so much that he ceases to be benevolent to the small creatures of his Creation. In The Sentry, the exclamation â€Å"I see your lights!† and the reply â€Å"But ours had long died out† opens itself to some interpretations. The lights that the ill-luck soldier has seen bear the connotation of the light at the end of the tunnel, an escape from the despicable life into death. But the others’ lights, their hope and faith, have ceased to exist. Thus we can see in Owen’s eyes, war is a crime that defies the will of God and is worth condemning as it brings all the soldiers under the curse as well. Such pains are so enormous that the only way to stay alive is to suppress all emotions and become insensitive. The ironic use of the word â€Å"happy† which recurs in the poem â€Å"Insensibility† conveys the bitter resignation to the fact that soldiers can only live in war if they â€Å"let their veins run cold† before they die and from whom no â€Å"compassion† â€Å"makes their feet sore on the alley cobbed with their brothers†: they are allowed no more space for emotions once their comrades fall in the battle and they have to step on the corpses to make their way out. â€Å"Wading sloughs of flesh† and â€Å"treading blood† (Mental Cases) have become a usual occurrence that if the soldiers do not grow empathetic towards, he would be robbed off his sanity. War takes away so many lives-the soldiers â€Å"dies as cattle† that they â€Å"keep no check on Armies’ decimation† as it is ultimately pointless. However ha unting and hurtful it is to witness a comrade’s death, the soldier â€Å"forgot him there† (The Sentry). War dehumanizes people to such an extent that a little bit of care for anyone else would be a luxury. They have to adapt by turning their eyes â€Å"rid of the hurt of color of blood† and keep â€Å"their hearts remain small drawn†, otherwise it would be too painful to keep moving on. This is a development on the depiction of blood, which now adopts implication of heart-feelings of pity. It has to be constricted to resist all feelings just as their senses become dulled in the way a military surgeon might burn flesh to stop the loss of blood from a wound by â€Å"cautery†. The advantage-that they can â€Å"laugh among the dying† is, in its cruelty, an outright criticism of the effect of war on human decency (Insensibility). Gradually, they lose the feeling for themselves as well. Also, Owen brings the response of the people back home into some of these poems to further highlight the destruction of war in the sense that it brings out the insensitivity of those who do not go to war. Surely, the death of young soldiers would dwell on the forehead of girls who love them for the rest of their lives as â€Å"The pallor of girls’ brows shall be their pall†¦and each slow duck a drawing-down of blinds† (Anthem for Doomed Youth), but most of the time, all that the soldiers perceive, as Owen depicts, is indifference and ignorance. There is a strong echo between â€Å"But nothing happens† (Exposure) and â€Å"but no one bothers† (Insensibility). War has made such a difference in the lives of those who went to the front and those who did not that it actually divides and weaken the link between human beings and Owen voices his rage in damning words â€Å"By choice they made themselves immune to pity†. Characterizing the insensitivity that is slowly engendered in human beings, Owen has successfully brought out the insensitive and merciless nature of the war. The suffering does not end once the last gun ceased to fire. Instead it drags on and becomes an incurable wound in the veterans’ mind after they return home. The sharp contrast between the life before and after the war of the young soldier in â€Å"Disabled† exemplifies the destruction that war makes on the lives of these soldiers. Once a football player that got â€Å"carried shoulder-high† for his excellent performance, the young man is now â€Å"legless, sewn short at elbow†, helpless and dependent. The juxtaposition of â€Å"crowds cheer goal† against â€Å"some cheer him home† shows the marked difference between the life of an admired footballer with that of a veteran who receives only spared sympathy from â€Å"some† people back home. There is a decrease in the degree of respect and recognition that the soldier gets before and after the war, and Owen severely despises war for that truth. The soldier’s social life is also worsened where he notices the â€Å"lovelier† glances that girls gave him as a young handsome guy have â€Å"passed from him to† others â€Å"that were whole†. The girls that have allowed him to â€Å"feel† their waists and hands now merely â€Å"touch him like some queer disease†. Again sharp contrast between â€Å"touch† and â€Å"feel† demonstrates the disappearance of emotions that were once present. Lack of emotions is accompanied by a sense of disgust for a â€Å"queer disease †. If in â€Å"Disabled†, Owen depicts the contrast between the life of a soldier before and after the war, in â€Å"Mental Cases† he focuses on the trauma that robs these soldiers off their sanity once they step out of the war. Not only physically destroyed, â€Å"chasms round their fretted sockets†, â€Å"stroke on stroke of pain†, they also suffer from insanity which resulted from witnessing â€Å"multitudinous murders†, â€Å"wading sloughs of flesh† and â€Å"treading blood† of their own comrades. To link this with a point previously made, war makes the soldiers either bitterly insensitive or makes them lose their minds. These men did not withstand and grow that insensibility; instead they have given in to the inhumanity of the war and thus become traumatized-â€Å"their hands are plucking at each other†. This is a strong allusion to Lady Macbeth who is overwhelmed with a sense of guilt in Act 5 Scene 1, thus it is reasonable to deduce that the haunting experience of killing massive number of people has rooted in these soldier’s minds causing them to lose their minds. Owen unceasingly points out the damaging influence of the war and finally comes to his firm conclusion that war is futile and contemptible. All these pains and suffering do not bring anyone anywhere. It only turns a â€Å"brother† into an enemy which gets â€Å"jabbed and killed† (Strange Meeting). It involves lengthy days of waiting although it is clear that â€Å"nothing happens†. The question â€Å"What are we doing here?† (Exposure) can be taken as both the query for the purpose of their night duties or the questioning of the point of the war itself. The suffering in the middle of the war, the post-war sense of loss for such futile dispute makes a complete picture of the â€Å"pity of war† that Owen tries to depict in his collection of poems. He forthrightly dismisses the sentimental description of the soldiers as â€Å"flowers for poets’ tearful fooling† or merely â€Å"gaps for filling† (Insensibility). Neither does he approve of such false promises as â€Å"jeweled hilts, daggers in plait socks, smart salutes† (Disabled) or â€Å"the old Lie: Dulce et Decorum est pro patria mori†. It is ultimately deception which lures â€Å"innocent† civilians into the horrendous battle. He is convinced that the propaganda can only fool â€Å"children ardent for some desperate glory† and the deception is too thin a mask for the callous reality of war. All in all, Owen is a strongly anti-war poet who has clearly establishes his stance on the distressing and repugnant reality of war. With a combination of various devices, notably para-rhyme, contrast and vivid imagery, Owen has both offered a factual account of war and voiced his anger towards war-the crisis, the crime of humankind.

Dystopia Transcript

Transcript Dystopias are a futuristic, imagined universe which enforce oppressive societal control and the illusion of a perfect society are maintained through corporate, bureaucratic, technological and moral control, such as in the text ‘We' by Yevgeny Zamyatin and ‘2081' by Chandler Tuttle. Often we see in these societies the ways that humanity can be repressed, losing one's individuality and also the ways a hero rises to challenge the Dystopia's laws, only to fail and become a victim to the dystopia, all being common conventions of dystopic texts from which we can learn about our own societies' flaws.After the long campaigns of One State, the world and all its citizens are under the control of this totalitarian society. Through D-503's journal we see that all humans suffer from a loss of individuality and emotion most particularly from the conformist nature of the society where regimentation and oppressive control has rid of the population of freedom and imagination, k ey factors in a human's individuality.The starting statement of â€Å"What I think-or, to be more exact what we think,† immediately when the novel begins, showcases the conformist nature of One State, tying in with the suppression of humane aspects, extrapolated by the motif, the table of hours which is One State's main instrument in controlling the population. This subjugation of citizens and further oppression is also seen in ‘2081,' where the more extraordinary of the population being handicapped to allow fair living.The constant display of the effects of added weights and shock devices linked to those who think too much show to us just how repressed everyone is in the society. Multiple close shots of Harrison Bergeron while he produced his speech about the flaws in their society illuminate to us the oppression and the dark nature of the society while he was dressed in many handicaps. â€Å"They had hoped to destroy in me, any trace of the extraordinary. Harrison's parents also demonstrate this oppression by the quick cuts to fragmented memories which are consequentially destroyed by handicaps and how the only ones without handicaps are the unintelligent, evident by Harrison's mother and the stuttering news reporter, revealing how degraded the dystopia has caused the human population. As in most dystopic fiction, there is a protagonist which rises against the society's laws and then becomes a victim. This is seen in the changes that occur to D-503 in ‘We. ‘ Throughout the beginning f the novel, D-503 constantly praises the â€Å"mathematically perfect† system of One State, evident in the constant inclusion of mathematics in his speech. â€Å"Irrational numbers†¦ I don't want root – 1. † he says as he displays the effect of this conformist society and how the propaganda around has affected him. This comes to change after being introduced to emotion and imagination by I 330, developing a ‘soul'. Howeve r, this causes his downfall as he is then subjected to the great operation, which had permanently taken away his free will and imagination, evident by his sudden indifferent attitude to I-330.From this we can see how the convention of the hero becoming a victim to his/her dystopic society. Similarly, Harrison in ‘2081’ undergoes similar events as the film progresses. He creates a performance revealing what the un-handicapped extraordinary can achieve, revealing what the dystopic society was hiding all while diegetic sound is played, highlighting the importance of his actions which continue onward to past his death at the hands of various security officers, becoming a victim to the regime despite fighting against it.Both dystopic texts follow the various conventions and ideas seen in dystopian societies, outlining to us multiple flaws in the human society and flaws we can create. As futuristic settings, these texts offer to us an understanding from which we can summarize that these dystopic texts are cautionary tales which we should learn from to create a brighter future. By Kevin Dai

Antebellum Reforms essays

Antebellum Reforms essays Webster defines the word antebellum as existing before a war (especially the Civil War). The Civil War was a means for reform, but there were many reforms that took place before the Civil War; some of which became issues in the war. Some of these reforms dealt with Christianity in the government and public schools, slavery and womens rights and the morality of war. President-elect Andrew Jackson wanted the people of America to become elevated so that they would become endowed with divinity. He felt by this endowment they could perfect the institutions of America and God would lead and speak through the people in their democracy. On the other hand Horace Mann felt that the most important thing to do in order to insure the survival of the American government was to guarantee that public schools were properly educating their students since one day those students would run the government. He felt that if the students were not given the proper guidance the government would self-destruct. These to men have different opinions of the best way to do the same thing, guarantee the prosperity of America. A very important reform that took place was equality. William Lloyd Garrison was the most prominent and uncompromising abolitionist in America. He felt that all slaves should be freed and that slave owners should receive no compensation because they were committing a sin by keeping slaves. Garrison felt that the Declaration of Independence applied to all people, including slaves. The Declaration of Sentiments, issued by the womens rights conventions at Seneca Falls, New York in July 1848 fought for equal rights for women. Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Lucretia Mott, and Frederick Douglass were some of the abolitionist that fought in the womens rights movement. They also felt that the Declaration of Independence applied to all people, including women. The Declaration of Sentiments actually adds the word women into the Decla...

Genetically Modified Foods essays

Genetically Modified Foods essays The world population has reached an alarming 6 billion people, and it is predicted that it will continue to even double in the next 50 years. Will there be enough food to feed billions of billions of people by that time? Or will Malthuss theory be proven true? Biotechnology says no. At least not with Genetically Modified Products . Many issues have arised, that Gm products harm the environment, and are not tested enough for human beings. But one cannot deny the fact Genetically modified foods have the potential to solve many of the worlds problems, like reducing the reliance of pesticide and chemical use in food, give increased yield in crops , and relieve food problems such as starvation and diseases. Who does like to eat food with tons of pesticides? Most people would agree that nobody does. Farmers however endure crop losses due to pests which have a great financial effect. To avoid it, farmers spend a lot of money on chemicals and pesticides which are sprayed all over the food we will later consume. With GM foods scientists have taken a single gene from DNA, whether it be from daffodils, or the protein in the Bt bacteria, and transferred onto a food such as rice or potato. In this case, the Bt toxin for example, can be put into potatoes or corn, and when an insect tries to eat it, the toxin goes directly to the stomach of this insect, and it dies. So as a result, the Bt results as a pesticide/insecticide. Doesnt this have a lesser effect on the environment than spraying pesticides? The environment benefits, the costs of pesticide use for farmers is reduced, and consumers do not have to eat foods with such heavy amounts of pesticides. Because crops have a higher resistance to pests, the yields will now be higher than they were before. This means that there will be a higher income for farmers, and it may decrease the need of migration from rural areas to urbanized ones. As a result, the competition...

Mail Delivery Could be Even Slower Than USPS Admits

Mail Delivery Could be Even Slower Than USPS Admits Due to its unreliable tracking system, the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) may be delivering your mail even more slowly than it has claimed, according to the Government Accountability Office (GAO). Background After increasing its own long-time 2-day delivery standard for First-Class mail to 3-days in January, 2015, the cash-starved USPS proceeded to close or consolidate 82 mail processing plants nationwide over the objections of all 50 U.S. Senators. [ See: Why for Mail Delivery ‘Slow’ is the New ‘Normal’ ] The effects of those actions revealed themselves in August 2015, when a federal inspector general notified the USPS that the number of First-Class letters being delivered at least a day late had increased by 48% in the first 6 months of 2015 alone. Mail May be Even Slower, GAO Finds But lowered standards or not, the GAO’s investigators reported that the Postal Service’s system for tracking and reporting delivery time is too incomplete and unreliable to determine how late the mail really is being delivered. According to GAO auditors, the reports created by the USPS’s mail delivery tracking system â€Å"do not include sufficient analysis to hold USPS accountable for meeting its statutory mission to provide service in all areas of the nation.† In fact, the GAO found that the USPS’ system tracks the delivery times of only 55% of First-Class mail, Standard-Class mail, periodicals, and packages. Delivery times of mail without tracking barcodes are not reported. â€Å"Incomplete measurement poses the risk that measures of on-time performance are not representative, since performance may differ for mail included in the measurement, from mail that is not,† stated the GAO. â€Å"Complete performance information enables effective management, oversight, and accountability.† In other words, the USPS doesn’t know exactly how slow its mail delivery service has become. Spreading the Blame The GAO also placed some blame on the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC), the presidentially appointed body responsible for overseeing Postal Service operations. Specifically the GAO criticized the PRC for failing to determine why the USPS’s delivery time tracking data are not complete and dependable. â€Å"While PRCs annual reports have provided data on the amount of mail included in measurement, they have not fully assessed why this measurement was incomplete or whether USPS actions will make it so,† GAO investigators wrote. While the PRC has the power to direct the USPS to improve its delivery time tracking system, it has so far failed to do so, noted the GAO. Meanwhile, in Rural America The GAO also pointed out that the USPS is not required to – and so does not – track or report delivery time data for mail sent to rural addresses. While several members of Congress have pressured the USPS to study and report on its rural delivery performance, postal officials have stated that doing so would be too costly. However, as the GAO pointed out, the USPS has never provided Congress with cost estimates to prove it. â€Å"Such cost information would be useful for Congress to assess whether developing this information would be appropriate,† wrote the GAO. In 2011, the PRC criticized the USPS for failing to adequately consider the impact of its still on-hold plan to end Saturday mail delivery on rural America. â€Å"As my colleagues and I have heard †¦ [mail] service across the country, particularly in rural communities, is suffering,† said U.S. Senator Tom Carper (D-Delaware) chairman of the Senate committee that oversees the USPS in a statement on the GAO report. â€Å"To fix these service problems, we need to figure out their root causes,† Carper continued. â€Å"Unfortunately, the [GAO] found the delivery performance results that the Postal Service and Postal Regulatory Commission provide do not give Congress or postal customers an accurate assessment of service.† What the GAO Recommended The GAO suggested that Congress â€Å"direct† the USPS to provide reliable estimates of its costs to report on mail delivery performance in rural areas. The GAO also called on the USPS and PRC to improve the â€Å"completeness, analysis, and transparency† of its mail delivery performance reports. While the USPS generally agreed with the GAO’s recommendations, it also noted that it â€Å"strongly disagrees with the conclusion that our current service performance measurement is not accurate.† So, like your mail, don’t expect the results to be delivered anytime soon.

The decline of manufacturing sector in U.S.A. has been compensated by Essay

The decline of manufacturing sector in U.S.A. has been compensated by a growing service sector - Essay Example United States has for more than three decades witnessed growth in its service sector and a converse trend in manufacturing. This has been the trend for many high income countries as they have been shifting reliance from manufacturing to service. This is a post-industrialization trend where people’s income continues to rise with less interest in investment in material processing The current trend has been more investment or shift to health care, education, insurance and others. It is important to mention that employees’ productivity grows slowly in the service sector than in the manufacturing the reason being low mechanization in service processes. Services therefore become more expensive which results in them contributing a higher portion of US GDP (Gallaher 49). This trend has also resulted to having higher employment in service sector than in the mechanized manufacturing sector. The service sector is now leading while manufacturing is declining with former compensatin g for the decline. The service sector capitalizes in production of intangible commodities in health, information and communication, education and others (Triplett and Bosworth 64). Globalization has been one of the key factors towards the shift from manufacturing to service. Manufacturing firms have been relocating to other countries mostly in the developing economies which either have more people in the low-income or middle-income bracket. Countries like China and India have for the last two decades been encouraging foreign investments through various incentives like tax holidays and low wages for workers. American government in turn is trying to develop policies that will see most of its citizens above the minimum wage bracket; a move that is driving industries to foreign countries. The service sector is labor intensive and it requires highly skilled personnel therefore raising the need to have quality and sustainable education. Also due to globalization many skilled immigrants ha ve come to the United States to seek jobs in the service sector resulting to high brain drain especially in the developing nations (Gallaher 130). Global trends also dictate firms to engage in more environmentally friendly activities and the service sector has come to solve this problem. The service sector engages in more human capital than natural. This has made United States to have heated debates regarding quality of education so as to have more skilled human capital (Gallaher 89). The general lack of undue intervention in the natural resources reduces environmental degradation which is more prone with manufacturing firms. Environmental consciousness has therefore caused investors to shift their investments to more environmentally friendly businesses. Statistics show that in the turn of the 20th century America’s manufacturing and agricultural sectors had taken more than 75 percent of the GDP while in the turn of the 21st century the service sector had more than 60 percent contribution (Triplett and Bosworth 106). This is a huge turn of events considering that it is a gap of just a century. It is within this century that America’s economy grew tremendously into the current post-industrialization era. The above statistics show that to a large extent the service sector is surely filling the gap left with the decline in the manufacturing sector. The world economy has in the last four decades experienced turbulence of booms and decline which have affected the two sectors differently. The manufacturing sector over this period has been heavily affected and shrunk as a result (AIER 2006). The recent economic crisis of 2008 heavily affected industries like motor vehicle manufacturers leading to closure of many plants, takeovers, bailout programs and many other negative occurrences. In the recovery trend the service sector has been seen to recover quickly than the manufacturing

Discussion Board 4-1 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 6

Discussion Board 4-1 - Assignment Example Suppression and denial of emotions leads to withdrawal and even development of antisocial behaviors that may spill to affect the nature of relationship with a family. The approach can be effective in treating a family with a depressed and withdrawn adolescent daughter who is experiencing first menstrual circle but fears to tell parents who discourage discussions about sex and sexual developments. In this case, the depression and withdrawal of the adolescent daughter may be the only causes of the presenting family problem. Parents may feel uncomfortable with emotional shifts in their daughter and opt to invite a therapist. Applying Experiential Therapy will enable a therapist directly and spontaneously interrogate the daughter about her concerns and reasons for emotional shift. Structural Therapy will not be effective because it can be possible that parents only prohibit discussions about sex with their children but encourage other topics. Interpersonal boundaries can be comforting to every member, and it may be difficult noting any inefficient boundary within the existing family

Theories relevant to my study Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Theories relevant to my study - Assignment Example This mode of teaching advocates for acknowledgement of cultural heritages. Thus, it provides the students with a wide range of instructional strategies which support their different learning habits (Lynch, 2011). There are various theories that are associated with culturally responsive pedagogy. These include Maslow’s hierarchy of need theory, McClellan Acquired Needs Theory and the Self-Determination theory by Richard Ryan. Maslow’s hierarchy of need theory bases its arguments on self-actualization, esteem, belongingness, safety and psychological needs of a person. Acquired needs theory focus on the need for achievement, affiliation and power (Analytitech, n.d). On the other hand, the self-determination theory focuses on human motivation and personality (Intime, 2002). Therefore, it is evident that these theories illustrate that students should be provided with conducive condition for them to learn. They provide a basis whereby teachers can understand the diverse learning needs of the students so that they can improve their performance in class (Analytitech, n.d). In this perspective therefore, it is important for the administration of schools to re-evaluate and re-shape the school curriculum so that the diverse academic needs of the students can be addressed in an appropriate

The Legacy of Felix Houphouet-Boigny - Cote d'Ivoire Essay

The Legacy of Felix Houphouet-Boigny - Cote d'Ivoire - Essay Example This effect was so strong, that during Houphouet-Boigny’s reign, Cote d’Ivoire was perceived as a model state and one to be aspired to. Consequently, on Houphouet-Boigny’s death, he left a significant legacy in his country. Since Houphouet-Boigny died, the sovereign state has been subject to significant inner conflict which cumulated in a civil war and high tensions across the country. Currently, with a democratically elected president of Cote d’Ivoire, there is a chance that the legacy of Houphouet-Boigny will be realized and the country may return to stability and economic prosperity. Houphouet-Boigny Cote d’Ivoire is a highly diverse state, containing more than 60 different ethnic groups. The varied nature of this population makes peace difficult, and the effectiveness of political power has varied depending on the political leader (Cocodia, 2008). This diversity is prevalent throughout the African nations and is thought to be one of the key fact ors. Currently, there are approximately 20.2 million people living in Cote d’Ivoire (BBC News, 2011). The main ethnic groups in the region are Akan, which comprise 42.1% of the population, Voltaiques or Gur (17.6%), Northen Mandes (16.5%) and Krous (11.5%). A number of small ethnic groups also exist. Religion is also highly varied, with 38.6% of the population being Muslim, 32.8% Christian, 11.9% Indigenous and 16.7% none. This distribution is confounded by the fact that approximately 70% of migratory workers are Muslim and 30% are Christian (Central Intelligence Agency, 2012). These factors show the significant challenges that Houphouet-Boigny faced in the creation of a unified country. Additionally, they show the ease in which the country could fall back into tension and conflict. Each ethnic or religious group has different perceptions about many things, such as politics and rights. Consequently, if a president aligns himself with a particular group, he may anger two or th ree others. This makes the creation of a representative and unifying government difficult. Felix Houphouet-Boigny achieved peace and unity in his country through two means. The first of these was the redistribution of wealth away from ethnic groups that were traditionally rich to those that were poor. This was a crucial move as it not only helped to stabilize the state’s economy, but it also assisted Houphouet-Boigny to become recognized as a fair leader as his own ethnic group was one that he shifted funds away from. Furthermore, this aided to provide strong ethnic stabilization as no group was treated as superior to another. Secondly, Houphouet-Boigny worked to maintain peace through sharing and redistributing power (Tangeras & Lagerlof, 2009). While he was in power, Houphouet-Boigny maintained a strong conscious focus over politics and the distribution of power among ethnic groups. In doing this, he was able to avoid the buildup of tensions within the nation (Cocodia, 2008 ). Through these actions, Houphouet-Boigny was able to create a government that most people supported. As president, Houphouet-Boigny maintained strong authority, significantly grew the economy of Cote d’Ivoire and gained respect from his people by running a highly representative government (Cocodia, 2008). Despite the fact that both Houphouet-Boigny and his

Visual Analysis Assessment Form of Figurative Work Assignment

Visual Analysis Assessment Form of Figurative Work - Assignment Example In this painting, Hockney uses a collection of watercolors to create a deep impression of the skies at night. In addition, David uses five watercolors to paint a picture of the seas and atmosphere at night. The blue colors in the foreground give a feel of cool seawater at night. Cool colors and the foreground give an illusion of calmness in the sea at night. David also manages to paint brown watercolors to describe the rocky mature of the seabed (Castillo 77). A collection of brown rocks beneath the sea gives a different texture from the calm, smooth waters of the blue sea. David Hockney manages to paint the reflection of the sun on the blue sea. A mixture of orange and yellow colors is used to create a perfect reflection of the sun on the waters. The artist uses yellow colors towards the inside of the sun to indicate high intensities of heat. Orange reflections toward the periphery of the reflection indicate that the sun is less hot on the outside part. In this painting, there is a great aspect of tonal range. Bright colors including orange and red have been used in the sky. Orange color shows the intensity f brightness of the sun. The clouds n the sky are painted red to show that they are closely associated with the sun (Fichner-Rathus 71). The reflection of clouds in the blue sea has a brown color showing a reduction in tone. In this painting light seems to be coming from the sky. There is total darkness at the vanishing point between the sky and the sea. There are certain striking features about this picture. What has caught my attention most is the yellow and orange reflection of the sun I the foreground. David Hockney gives an impression of a brighter sun in the sea than at the sky level. The intensity of brightness of the sun is greater at the water level than at the sea. This piece of artwork manages to create movement. David Hockney uses waves and water reflections to create movement in the picture. Brown

The strategic position of Thorntons PLC in 2003 Essay

The strategic position of Thorntons PLC in 2003 - Essay Example The internal performance of Thorntons Plc is multi-faceted, consisting of various aspects which are inherent in its operations. An internal analysis considers the company's culture, image, organizational culture, key staff, access to natural resources, position on the experience curve, operational efficiency, operational capacity, brand awareness, market share, financial resources, exclusive contracts, and patents and trade secrets. Simplifying all these generates three main considerations-resources, capabilities, and core competencies. Thus, for decision makers inside a firm, the main challenge is the identification, development, deployment, and protection of resources, capabilities, and core competencies (What Tools Are Useful in Assessing the Internal Environment n.d.). In business terms, resources refers to the inputs that goes into the firms production process such as capital equipment, skill, individual employees, patents, finance and talented managers (Dess, Taylor & Lumpkin 2005). Resource can be classified as tangible, intangible, or organization capabilities. The resource-based view of a firm emphasizes that a "firm can earn sustainable supra-normal returns if and only if they have superior resources and those resources are protected by some form of isolating mechanisms preventing their diffusion in the whole industry" (Resource-Based View of a Firm 2007). Furthermore, these supra-normal returns are possible only if resources are valuable, rare, imperfectly imitable, and non-substitutable (Dess, Lumpkin, and Taylor 2005). Tangible resources are relatively easy to identify. This category typically includes the physical and financial assets used to create value for the customer. In order to fully identify the tangible resources of Thorntons Plc, this report will divide them into financial, physical, technological, and organizational resources. 1. Physical Maintaining its reputation as one of the classic makers of indulgent confectionery, Thorntons Plc continues to use a larger proportion of manual processes in its production system. In the industry where almost all the manufacturing processes are mechanized, Thorntons take charge of the quality of its products by being fully different from its competitors. In terms of physical resource, the company becomes remarkable because of its minimal automated processes (Jennings 2003). Thorntons business is also highly dependent on its distribution channels specially its own stores. It should be noted that the company is recognized because of the number of its outlets in the whole United Kingdom (Jennings 2003). These stores have become instrumental in consistency of the services received by each customer. 2. Financial During 2003, Thorntons Plc reports total assets of 114.108 million, 27% of which is in liquid assets. Cash comprises a meager 14% of the current assets or 4.5% of the total resources. In terms of capital structure, debt finances 62.30% of its total resources while equity financing accounts for the remaining 37.7% (Thorntons Plc Annual Report 2003). It should

Visual Analysis Assessment Form of Figurative Work Assignment

Visual Analysis Assessment Form of Figurative Work - Assignment Example In this painting, Hockney uses a collection of watercolors to create a deep impression of the skies at night. In addition, David uses five watercolors to paint a picture of the seas and atmosphere at night. The blue colors in the foreground give a feel of cool seawater at night. Cool colors and the foreground give an illusion of calmness in the sea at night. David also manages to paint brown watercolors to describe the rocky mature of the seabed (Castillo 77). A collection of brown rocks beneath the sea gives a different texture from the calm, smooth waters of the blue sea. David Hockney manages to paint the reflection of the sun on the blue sea. A mixture of orange and yellow colors is used to create a perfect reflection of the sun on the waters. The artist uses yellow colors towards the inside of the sun to indicate high intensities of heat. Orange reflections toward the periphery of the reflection indicate that the sun is less hot on the outside part. In this painting, there is a great aspect of tonal range. Bright colors including orange and red have been used in the sky. Orange color shows the intensity f brightness of the sun. The clouds n the sky are painted red to show that they are closely associated with the sun (Fichner-Rathus 71). The reflection of clouds in the blue sea has a brown color showing a reduction in tone. In this painting light seems to be coming from the sky. There is total darkness at the vanishing point between the sky and the sea. There are certain striking features about this picture. What has caught my attention most is the yellow and orange reflection of the sun I the foreground. David Hockney gives an impression of a brighter sun in the sea than at the sky level. The intensity of brightness of the sun is greater at the water level than at the sea. This piece of artwork manages to create movement. David Hockney uses waves and water reflections to create movement in the picture. Brown

International Protection of Human Rights Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

International Protection of Human Rights - Essay Example Throughout history human rights violations have been rampant, often compromising the welfare of citizens. This paper shall discuss the fact that human rights are interdependent and indivisible. It will also discuss the international protection of human rights. This paper is being undertaken in order to provide an academic discussion on human rights including its varied manifestations and safeguards. The idea of interdependence, as well as the indivisibility of human rights, does not include the concept of rights having a hierarchical presentation or enjoyment (Quane, 2009). The re-emergence of the concept of interdependence and indivisibility rose at a time when much focus was attributed by the international community on civil and political rights, mostly as a means of securing and supporting economic as well as socio-cultural rights (Quane, 2009). Essentially, the interdependence and indivisibility of human rights indicated the importance of establishing an equally reinforcing dynamism between the categories of rights. Human rights activists observe that it is not possible to enjoy civil and political rights and not also enjoy economic, as well as socio-cultural rights (Koch, 2003). Under these conditions, the poor would not have much freedom of choice. Moreover, even where rich citizens do not have freedom of choice, they may also not be able to avoid hunger and poverty (Koch, 2003). Such conceptualization supports the essence of interdependence and indivisibility of human rights, mostly based on the fact that human rights mutually support and reinforce each other and have equal weight and importance (Koch, 2003). Outside the above conceptualizations, there seems to be no other acceptable understanding of human rights. At present, the focus of international practice has mostly been on the interdependence and indivisibility of human rights.

Hazardous Waste and Clean-up Costs Essay Example for Free

Hazardous Waste and Clean-up Costs Essay CERCLA was enacted, along with its sister law RCRA which came before it, to deal with the environmental damage that was being caused by improper waste disposal. CERCLA’s goals are to clean up old dump sites and discourage future illegal dumping. CERCLA imposes few direct regulatory obligations and is designed to force cleanups and allocate the cost of cleaning up via its liability and cleanup provisions. The basic principle is that the potentially responsible parties such as waste generators, transporters, and/or owners operators of facilities that are responsible for hazardous waste pollution should pay for its cleanup. Through CERCLA’s strict liability scheme any company that illegally spills or dumps hazardous substances is liable for the clean-up whether or not the action was negligent. Also, through joint and several liability, each party that contributed waste to a site is responsible for its cleanup. So if Joe Blow is found liable for the clean-up of a site and happens to find any evidence that another company may have contributed as well, Joe Blow can legally pursue them to pay their â€Å"fair share† of the clean-up costs. A perfect example of this was the Girl Scout story told in our environmental law class where a Girl Scout cookie box was found in a site by a company that was fingered for clean-up. The company then tried to accuse the Girl Scouts organization of having to pay the cost of clean-up as well. Furthermore, through retroactive liability, all responsible parties have to clean-up the site even if the damage was done before the law was enacted. CERCLA has criteria for its two types of clean-up procedures which are removal and remedial. Removal actions are generally short term actions such as fencing off an area, studying the soil and removing the hazardous substances to remove the immediate threat from the site. Remedial actions are generally long term actions necessary to clean-up sites to meet final clean-up standards which may include removal or incineration of the contaminated soil to reduce the threat from the site. Through these liability clean-up provisions CERCLA strives to achieve its purpose. CERCLA was later amended in 1980 by SARA (Superfund Amendment Reauthorization Act), enacted to strengthen CERCLA by requiring that site cleanups be permanent and that they use treatments that significantly reduce the volume, toxicity, or mobility of hazardous pollutants. SARA not only increased the size of the Superfund but imposed more stringent requirements when it established more detailed clean-up standards, added new settlement procedures, established mandatory schedules for federal facility compliance, and added provisions to expand the involvement of states and citizen groups in the decision making process. Some major criticisms of CERCLA are that it has been ineffective in cleaning up the nation’s hazardous waste sites, that it has wasted more money on transaction and litigation costs than on clean-up, and that it is unfair to parties that contribute minimally but are liable for the total cost of the clean-up of a site. As for it being ineffective, my opinion is that it is effective because it could be much worse. Craig Collins, a professor of environmental law and the author of â€Å"Toxic Loopholes: Failures and Future Prospects for Environmental Law† points out that â€Å"the dramatic decline in ‘midnight dumping’ since CERCLA became law reveals how effective this liability threat can be† (p. 88). He also has shared within his classroom that mismanaged hazardous waste spills and dumps which used to be commonplace before CERCLA are rare these days. Has the Superfund been wasteful? Clearly you would think this if you’re looking at the percentage of money that has gone into legal fees and litigation costs alone but according to Collins, Superfund has also funded aid for â€Å"toxic terrorism and natural disasters such as the World Trade Center collapse and the devastating Midwest floods of 1993† (p. 99). When looking at it from that lens I can see that it has been just as helpful in many areas as it may have been considered wasteful in others. Regarding unfairness to those who minimally contribute but face the total cost of clean-up, a provision of CERCLA, as addressed by SARA, swiftly settles the liability of those parties through de minimis settlements. Don’t think I don’t understand that just as CERCLA could be worse it could also be better. First of all, it could work a lot better if the people creating laws, such as CERCLA, were actually more concerned about the environment than their powerful colleagues and certain incentives. More specifically, if we continued to allow corporate taxes which supplied money for Superfund clean-ups (which Bush allowed to expire in 1995) we would have money to clean-up many of the orphaned sites that now go uncleaned. Furthermore, if CERCLA forced all companies to use and help promote the â€Å"zero waste† approach, we could then prove that experiences such as the Love Canals, Times Beach Missouri, and Grand Bois actually did mean enough to all of us to do something more unified and serious about it.

The performance of The Galley restaurant

The performance of The Galley restaurant The Galley is a restaurant which is a part of the large international shipping company which used to cater food to the company employees. The restaurant was in a cafeteria style with 150 seats and was located on the top floor. Due to a rise in the international market the Galley reduced in size. In the year 2003 the restaurant merged with the Lunchbox Ltd. The area around the building went under a huge change, new technology, new restaurants with new concepts, quite a large number of offices and a pub which gave a tough competition to the Galley to survive in that area.( Galley case study). The report contains a SWOT analysis and some theory on managing change successful in an organization. Since the area has gone under rapid change so it was necessary to conduct a SWOT analysis to find out the organizations factors that match to the surrounding area. It also provides information which is helpful in matching the resources and capabilities in the competitive environment to know where it stands. SWOT analysis is done to make some strategies for the business. Strength and weakness are internal to a company. Each and every organization should find out its strengths and weakness to become successful in achieving the goals of the organizations. Resources can be tangible and non-tangible, human and non-human. Threat and opportunity are external to any organization. Any organization to become successful and to survive in the market should know its surrounding area. Strengths are its employees, brand name of the company, any unique selling proportion etc. weakness include outdated resources, human resource gets older etc. Opportunities inc- lude any growth in the business and threats include competitors and active participation of trade union. The aim of SWOT analysis is to make a clear picture about where the organization stands. (Bhat and kumar, 2009). Kirkpatrick has suggested that element like Empathy, communication and participation are successful in managing a cha nge in any organization. After the market condition is known then specific steps should be taken to manage change in an organization. The organization should prepare itself to adapt the change in the surrounding. If a change is planned it shows that the organization is trying to improve its operation ways so as to survive in the competition. (Mullins, 2005).The report contains detailed information about the SWOT analysis and change management. SWOT ANALYSIS: A SWOT analysis is an analytical tool which is used in the business to assist in assessing a business in relation to other competitive business. It is a quick way to look at the current environment as well as what the future may hold. (Hall, 2003, pg-92) 2.1.1 STRENGTH(S) The galley has the following strengths. 2.1.2 INFRASTRUCTURE: The Galley Cafeteria is a 150 seat cafeteria and is located on the top floor of an eight storey office block. The view from the top can be very useful for attracting customers and can also act as a unique selling proportion. 2.1.3 EXPERIENCED STAFF: In this cafeteria 20 employees have been working since 1970s and are experienced and have emotion attached to the organization. The employees know the type of customers come and also know about the area. 2.1.4 EXPERIENCED MANAGER: Jean Porter was an experienced caterer who had previously worked and managed other outlets of lunchbox. Jean had a proper knowledge about the companys objectives and hence use the experience to maximize profits and minimize the loss. 2.1.5 BRANDNAME/GOODWILL OF LUNCHBOX: A brand is a term, name, sign, symbol, design or a combination that identifies a companys product from its competitors. The brand of Lunchbox can be used to make the Galley unique and attract customers as the area had gone under rapid change. 2.1.6 LOYALTY OF STAFF: The Galley had merged with the Lunchbox in the year 2003. The employees accepted the change and still were working with the organization. 2.1.7 STILL GAINING PROFITS: The area around the building had gone under a vast change with new restaurants, new technologies but the Galley had a few old customers who used to come. WEAKNESS (s) The Galley has the following weakness. 3.1.1 SCARCITY OF NATURAL RESOURCES: The area had a gone under rapid change and the Galley has been operating since 1970s so there are chances of outdated resources and no proper training given to the employees to cope up with the change. 3.1.2 LACK OF LEADERSHIP QUALITY: Jean was not able to motivate the employees to adopt the change. Jean tried to force orders rather than planning some strategies to make them a feel a sense of ownership for the company. Team work and co-ordination was missing which lead to conflict between the employees and the manager. 3.1.3 SUBSIDISED MEAL IN THE GALLEY: The area had gone under rapid change with new restaurants, new technologies and new cuisines. The galley had a very few range of dishes which lead to decrease in customers. 3.1.4 RESISTANCE TO CHANGE: When Jean joined the company she introduced a wider range of dishes. The staff did not accept the changes and did not listen to Jean as she was 10 years younger. 3.1.5 PRESSURE FROM NEW OWNERS: The owner and the manager tried to force their ideas on the employees. Jean abolished the half an hour morning coffee, smoking break which annoyed the staff. 4. OPPORTUNITY: The galley has the following opportunities: 4.1.1 DEVELOPMENT IN THE LOCAL AREA: The area around the building has gone under rapid change with offices, restaurants, cinema and a pub. There are chances of increased marketing condition. Proper strategies and advertisements are done then more customers can be attracted. 4.1.2 DIVERSIFICATION: Galley can make plans to increase its outlets. New products can be introduced with new varieties and modify its service operations. 4.1.3 TIE-UP WITH MULTIPLEX: Galley can take contracts from the multiplex and can open up a food court where they can sell their products and at the same time they can promote their restaurants and thus can increase their customers. 5. THREAT (s): 5.1.1 GLOBALISATION AND FIERCE WORLD COMPETITION: The area around the building has gone under rapid change. New restaurants have opened up with new strategies and varieties in dishes. 5.1.2 INVOLVEMENT OF TRADE UNION: Trade union plays an important role in any organization. The trade Union has legal powers to shut down the company if the employees are not happy. 5.1.3 CUT-OFF IN WAGES: The employees did not respond to the managers orders so the management decided to cut down the wages by 5% as a result there are chances of high turnover of employees. Thus a SWOT is a systematic identification to find out the companys position in the market. Strengths are matched with opportunity to convert the weakness into strengths and threats into opportunity.( Stapleton and Thomas,1998).Change management is done to retain this position and still gain profits and minimize the loss incurred. 6. Change Management has been defined as the process of continually renewing an organizations direction, structure and capabilities to serve the ever changing needs of external and internal customers. (Moran and Brightman, 2001: 111 as cited in Todnem{2005} ). Change may originate from outside or inside the organization. In order to promote or adopt the change the organization should define the origin of change and the need to change to its employees. (Mullins, 2005). Change is a pervasive influence. We are all subject to continual change of one form or another. Change is an inescapable part of both social and organisational life (Mullins, 2005, pg-909). Kirkpatrick has suggested that Empathy is the first key to anticipate the feelings and reactions of the employees towards a change. Communication is the second key to communicate clearly with all the employees affected by the change. Participation is the third key to make the employees involved and generate ideas for the change. (Kirkpatrick, 2001) 7. EMPATHY: Empathy is about putting oneself in the conditions of other person and looking into things from their point of view. Manager should try to find out the reason for their resistance. The author mentions that may be the employees feel threatened and disoriented by the challenge of change. (Kirkpatrick, 2008).Managers should have the skill to anticipate the point of view and emotions behind the resistance. It is the ability to understand others perspective in a neutral way and understand their emotions and give weight to their concern and ideas. (Cook, Macaulay and Coldicott, 2004).Managers should take initiative to make a change effective. Usually employees are emotionally attached to the organization and hence feel afraid to accept the change and hence adopt a negative attitude. (Mullins, 2005).Supervisors should think beyond their positions and analyse the change from an employees perspective. An empathetic manager can encourage and increase the sense of ownership among them and it ca n also act as a tool for motivation and leadership. (Pugh, 2007). Managers should analyse from employees view point and this can be done by anticipating the advantages and disadvantages according to them. (Kavanaugh and Ninemeier, 1995). Jean Porter in the Galley Cafeteria tried to force decisions on the employees she did not try to look at the things from the employees point of view and hence could not create a sense of ownership towards the organization. The employees did not respond to her decisions as she was ten years younger and hence their was ego problem. Jean should have tried to bridge the age gap between them. Employees also became hostile towards her as she forced some rules on them. As mentioned above Kirkpatrick and some other authors mentioned that Jean should come down her position and think from the staffs view. The employees working did not adopt the change as Jean did not discuss about the cause of change in the organization and did not show concern to their views. 7.1.1 COMMUNICATION: Communication is a skill or ability to negotiate for mutual benefits of the parties involved. Good communication helps to share thoughts and ideas and helps in social negotiation. (Kirkpatrick, Duck and Foley, 2006). Communication is a two way process in which one listens and the other gives feedback. To implement a change proper communication should be there between the employees and the management. (Daft, 1988).Formal and informal communication helps to convey 80% of the information to the employees. Grapevine is a network of informal communication and helps to translate the managements formal messages to employees language. (Bhatt and Kumar, 2009). Management should clearly discuss about the change with the employees. One to one communication, group discussion and debates are the mediums through which information from the owner to the employees are passed. (Robbins and Sanghi, 2006). Supervisor should delegate their work to the subordinates through proper communication. It is very essential that supervisor should communicate properly to implement a change. (Miller, Walker and Drummond, 2007). Poor communication act as a key driver of negative feelings and conflict among the employees. (Tony and Doukakis, 2003). Communication is an important factor in the process of implementing a change because it is used as a tool for discussing and making people understand about the positive and negative aspects of change. (Spike and Lesser, 1995 as cited in Kitchen and Daly {2002}). Jean should act as a medium of communication between the owner and the employees. She did not explain the companys aims and objectives to the employees. Employees did not understand about the change and hence were not flexible as a result it led to conflict between the employees and organization. Organizations that effectively communicate their purpose, information about products and their services to the employees are more successful. 7.1.2 PARTICIPATION: Employees input and ideas should be used to develop and select alternatives as the work of implementation will be easier. Employees who are involved in the decision making process will accept the change. (Kavanaugh, and Ninemeier, 1995). Participation is basically creating opportunities under suitable conditions for the employees to take part in the decision process where the subordinates get control over freedom of choice with respect to his own duties. (McGregor as cited in Banerjee, 1994). Prior to implement a change staff should take part in the decision process as it is very difficult for the staffs to resist a change decision which they have participated. It will also increase commitment towards the organization. (Robbins and Sanghi, 2006).Manager should ask the employees to cooperate and take part in the decision process. Staff would take initiatives and generate ideas and concern to accept the change. (Mullins, 2005). Participation benefits both the organization and the staff . Specific programs like discussions or training can be done to involve the staff to generate their views. Participation contributes to the quality of change and increases the acceptance for those who implement the change. (Kirkpatrick, 2001). Encourage employees to introduce ideas without any fear. Encourage the participation of employees in the use of quality management process of the company. (Tony and Doukakis, 2003). Worker responds positively to change if their responsibilities are increased. Encourage active participation and ask the employees to contribute express their ideas freely. (Walton, 1985 as cited in Obrien {2002}). Manager should be honest and open minded and should be able to build trust among the employees for the organization. (Judson, 1991 as cited in OBrien {2002}). Records show that direct employee participation within the company leads to motivation and trust. In direct participation employees are concerned about the working environment, employee turnover, recruitment and wages but in current scenario records show employees are more interested in the development of the business and achieving goals. (Geary and Sisson, 1994 as cited in Shapiro{2000}) Jean did not involve the employees in the decision making process which lead to lack of co-operation and co-ordination. She did not discuss about the aims and objectives with the employees and hence they resisted the change. Jean should recognize the importance of motivation and encourage the staff to contribute in the improvement process 8. CONCLUSION: The SWOT analysis gave a clear picture about the Galley where it stands in the market. The analysis showed that what the company is good at or bad at and also shows steps how to maximize the profits and minimize the loss. SWOT analysis and change management are done to help every organization to adapt to new circumstances, to take part in the competition in the surrounding area and also to improve product and services. Employees are known as the internal customers or internal market of an organization. Employees should be informed about the organizations mission and vision. Manager should keep a notice that the channels of communication work properly in order to keep the internal market up-to-date about the external market. Special motivation programs should be introduced to meet competition. Managers should understand employees capabilities and use some communication techniques like newspaper and videos to provide latest trends in market. Manager should take initiatives to teach emp loyees the necessity in doing things than only asking them to complete. Employees can be motivated through rewards and incentives to provide excellent service. (Tony and Doukakis, 2003).Empathy, communication and participation are the important skills for the successful management of change. Jean should have understood the staffs mentality towards the change and then discussed with them or inform them about the change and finally asked them to generate ideas during decision making process and give weight to their concern. Kirkpatrick as well as some well known authors have mentioned above the idea or concept to be followed to overcome the change. When Jean the company she should have done through reading about the Galley. Jean did not try to change the weakness and threats to strength and opportunities. If the internal customers (staff) are happy then the external customers will be happy.

Website Analysis, Williams Principles :: essays research papers

The design of a website, as a whole, still involves many of the same principles as a linear document. That is, contrast, alignment, repetition and proximity should be consistent throughout the site. Choosing logical flexibility within these design elements can enhance a website to a desired level. On the flip side, overemphasizing differences between pages can lead to a poor design. The following analysis strays from applying the design principles in a traditional sense as we take a look how they are applied to the document as a whole. The Centre for Sustainable Design maintains a simple, yet professional appealing website. Style decisions using contrast on a black background for the homepage give the site a preliminary degree of credibility because it has been made known that the majority believes that white and black contrast is the easiest to read. Of course there is a san-serif font, like most other websites because serifs seem to be more difficult to read on a computer screen. Repetition in the focal graphics on the homepage begins to lead the audience to a comfort level within the site. The general template remains the same, with the navigation being on the left and the top, maintaining its black color and when you click one of the main focal points on the homepage, one of the four pictures, it takes you to another page that still have that same picture/focal point to a degree. Specifically, the repetition of size (170x142pixels), color (greyscale), and angle variance in the graphics create a complimenting montage. Each of the repetitious graphics also lead way into the article they represent. A repetitious feature is also utilized in the navigation bar above the graphics. A mouse rollover displays a description of each topic area. The text appears on a white-on-black contrast in the upper right corner, again leading the audience to what lies within the page. However, once the site is entered, the navigation bar loses the rollover feature. They could have simply copied the code from the homepage and changed the color of the text to allow for the repetition of the rollover feature. This would allow the audience to read the descriptions from pages within the site to determine their interest. The authors of this homepage may have guessed that the user would have looked at all the rollover information before deciding on which part to click on, therefore, making the rollover unnecessary in the following pages. However, making assumptions like that usually are not what really happens, the design should be the same throughout, with the same rollover text as the homepage to help the

Arguments For ‘Invitation To Treat And An Offer

The English Law on the formation of contracts generally requires there to be an offer and a matching acceptance. The offer must set out and refer to the object for sale and all the important terms of the contract. The acceptance must indicate agreement to all the terms of contract. If it does not do so, the acceptance will be regarded as a counter-offer which is capable of rejecting the original offer, thereby making it incapable of acceptance later (Hyde v Wrench (1840) CC 49 ER 132).There are two offers, the one made by Susan through the advertisement on the 1st of March and that of Alice in response to the initial offer on the 27th of March that amounted to a counter-offer. There is also the issue of the application of the postal rule and its limitations in the case of Tahir, the issue of instantaneous communications and when the revocation of an offer becomes effective in the case of Emma and its rules.In Tahir’s case, the letter and enclosed Cheque he sent on the 27th of March would have been the most preferable choice of acceptance because the general postal rule would have applied easily which allows the effectiveness of a posted acceptance to start right from when it was posted, so as to enhance the effectiveness of businesses, if they can start working farther on the assumption that there is a binding contract between both parties as in Adams v Lindsell (1818).But, the fact that Susan defined the terms of the contract by stating the modes of acceptance and payment that was acceptable, which does not include a letter or a cheque makes the postal rule ineffective on Tahir’s letter, as it is unacceptable. Although, sending a letter as a form of acceptance was reasonable; there is no binding contract between Susan and Tahir because of the definition of terms and conditions of the offer. Alice’s letter on the 27th of March is a counter-offer which is capable of rejecting the original offer.If Alice had not altered the terms of the offer , which resulted in an offer of her own, The letter would have been an acceptance, and the usual rule when a letter of acceptance is sent in reply to an offer is that the acceptance takes effect on posting, ensuring there is a binding contract. However, this postal rule has no application here, since; the case of Holwell securities v Hughes (1974) makes it clear that the rule can be avoided by a specific request in the terms of the offer according to LAWTON L. J â€Å"Now in this case, the â€Å"notice in writing† was to be one â€Å"to the intending vendor.†It was to be an intimation to him that the grantee had exercised the option: he was the one who was to be fixed with the information contained in the writing. He never was, because the letter carrying the information went astray. The plaintiffs were unable to do what the agreement said they were to do, namely, fix the defendant with knowledge that they had decided to buy his property. If this construction of the o ption clause is correct, there is no room for the application of any rule of law relating to the acceptance of offers by posting letters since the option agreement stipulated what had to be done to exercise the option.On this ground alone I would dismiss the appeal†. Considering, the email Alice sent on the 28th of March, which would have been the most suitable form of acceptance as at that time, although it was sent on Friday, it was out of office hours and so Susan is unable to read it, therefore the acceptance was not communicated as the instantaneous communications rules requires as in Entores v Miles East Corp. It is generally agreed that the instantaneous communications will cover the email, and so the time of communication, rather than the time of sending, is the relevant time.Applying this rule to Alice’s email, the email has no effect because as at the time it was communicated the offer was no longer capable of acceptance. Alice has no binding contract with Sus an because her letter was a counter-offer and the email was communicated when the offer was already withdrawn. The case law on revocation of offers establishes that offers can be withdrawn at any time prior to acceptance (Payne v Cave (1789)), provided that the withdrawal is communicated to the offeree.The latter point is reinforced by the decision in Byrne v Van Tienhoven (1880), which concerns the revocation of an offer by telegram. Applying this to the dealings of Emma and Susan, If Susan received Emma’s email before the revocation was published in the papers, the revocation will be ineffective, and there will be a binding contract. This assumes, however, that the advert is deemed to be  communicated to Emma as soon as it was published and available to read on the 29th of March, because the information in the advert is sufficient notification to Emma that Susan has withdrawn the offer.Although, Emma may want to argue that the offer was open until the 31st of March, there fore they have a binding contract. This is not so, using the case of Routledge v Grant (1828), in which it was held that a promise of this kind will not generally be binding. The reason is that the promise will generally not have provided any consideration for the promise.If Susan had been given any amount of money or valuable in return for keeping the offer open until the 31st of march, then consideration would have been provided, and she would be bounded to her promise but in the absence of such she is free to withdraw the offer anytime. Therefore, Emma’s email has no effect because, she bears the responsibility of reading the revocation in the paper as Susan has taken the most reasonable form of communicating the revocation in this case. In conclusion, there is no binding contract between Susan and the other parties.

Handling Groups: Booking, Check in, Checkout

HANDLING GROUPS Groups can bring in huge revenue for a hotel but they make a lot of work. This statement is very much true as groups take up a number of rooms in a hotel all at once bringing in a huge amount of income at one particular point in time. In order for this to go smoothly,all hotel departments need to be given details of group arrivals well in advance so each department can make their own necessary arrangements to be able to handle groups.Various departments would have to work closely together, front office would need to send out copies of group arrival list to all departments atleast one week in advance so that other departments can make appropriate adjustments to number of staff that would be required during those times. The flow pattern for a succession of individual guests is quite different from the flow of group arrivals so housekeeping has to pay close attention ensuring rooms are ready for group arrivals.Head porters also have to arrange necessary number of staff t o be ready to move a large quantity of luggage as quickly as possible so as to not have the group transport around for long periods while unloading. All departments need to have good communication during these times, listen, ask and prepare. When best would hotels accept groups and why? Groups to a hotel can include conference delegates, unexpected group of passengers forced to stay overnight because of bad weather or maybe technical problems.Hotels sometimes are not given the opportunity to plan/prepare further ahead so they must always have a set procedure and guideline in place for un-for-seen times. Hotels would best accept groups during their slack periods, this will help to fill up the rooms and also by charging the highest possible rates for the rooms. This would also bring about the use of yield management where the hotel would be able to fill up all the empty rooms at that point, instead of having so many vacant roomsFive factors to consider when booking groups: 1. Negotiat ion- particular attention when negotiating with group leader over price, as the leader will be in a more powerful bargaining position than individual guests as they are providing the hotel with large amount of business at once so group leaders tend to bargain extremely for low rates and discounted use of facilities etc. 2.Group reservation request form- hotels needs to ensure group leader fills in and submit this form which is usually listed on hotels websites or calling direct to the hotel giving the information and also through group reservation specialist collecting all necessary information about the number in group, number of rooms, type of rooms, special requests, arrival and departure dates and times etc. 3.Payment arrangement- the arranged package prices are transfer to the group leader ledger account, it is safe for the hotel to open a separate extras account for group members individually for them to get drinks, laundry, room service on credit if this credit was not extend ed and this should be clearly noted and understood by both the group and hotel departments so as to prevent any uncomfortable situations. . Additional administrative arrangements- document a summerization of details and outline the arranged dividing of hotels responsibilities to group members and that of the group leader to it’s members, this document would include if a separate check in area is provided for the group check in which would help in avoiding long queues at reception and also to foster the feeling of group collision. 5.Couriers arrangement- when groups travel they usually have a courier/tour organiser and sometimes a driver which are free/at a reduced rate, these things should be made note of especially if the courier took care of administrative tasks as well, which would have then had to be done by the hotel own staff. Five factors to consider when checking in groups: 1. Pre registration- hotel can print off individual registration forms along with a prepared we lcome package, prepare two keys for double occupancy rooms and arrange special envelopes with group keys in ascending order. . Special code reference for each group- on check in enter group code and guest automatically transfers the agreed accommodation and meal charges to a master bill, and all extras are charged on a individual account for group members if so desired. 3. Pre arrival registration form- hotel gets the individual registration forms to groups for them to fill out on their way to the hotel, so this part is dealt with even before guests arrive at the hotel, so information is only rechecked at point of contact with reception. 4.Rooming list- hotel should obtain a copy of rooming list from the group leader in order to update individual guest profiles proving names, addresses and passport numbers into the pms system. 5. In house report/groups- immediately after check in hotel should update the system to enable all guest names, room number, special request etc, and print a copy of group in house room reports and circulate to all departments such as front desk, housekeeping, concierge, room service. Five factors to consider when checking out groups: . Ensure all group billing are prepared and billed carefully, as in some instances some group members may stay on longer after the rest of the group have left the hotel, so to ensure those individual guest are billed separately for the group rates and their individual rates. 2. Extras- making sure all other charges incurred by all individual group members are billed separately and not added to the agreed contract between hotel and group leader of accommodation and specific meal option. 3.Collecting of all key passes to rooms from individual group members, where provision was made to provide two keys for a number of single/double rooms. 4. To enquire about actual check out times of individual group members to have various departments on standby eg. Housekeeping to start cleaning and preparing rooms again for new expected guests/walk-ins, and for porters to help remove belongings from individual guest rooms in a timely manner. 5. Hotel should at check out of groups try selling single packages to individual group members, or even family and other group packages as well.

The Importance of Promoting Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in Schools

Written Assessment #2 in Unit 204 (2. 3, 2. 4, 2. 5, 3. 1) The follow assessment will have a brief description of the importance of inclusion and inclusive practices in work with children and young people. And it also contains an exploration of how our own attitudes, values and behaviour may lead to that inclusive practice, how to challenge discrimination and how to promote some important anti-discriminatory and inclusive practices. First of all is important to define what is meant by inclusion and inclusive practice. Inclusive practice is a process of identifying, understanding and breaking down barriers that compromise the children participation in their educational process, in their feeling of belonging and in their wellbeing in the school. Inclusion is about ensuring that all children, with or without disability and no matter their background, are able to participate in all education aspects in school. As teaching assistants, we have the duty to ensure that, at all the time, we promote inclusion in all school settings. Therefore, we should encourage good practices that will help to achieve this main principle of inclusion. Our own attitudes, values and behaviour could be fundamental to achieve this goal. The policies and procedures are in schools to be taken and we should show them, not only on some notice boards, displays and posters or in casual activities such cultural annual events, but also, through the every day contact with groups of children and young people. Our day basis conduct is important to show and teach the children how to promote equality and inclusion, how to avoid prejudice, racist behaviour and discrimination and, how to be better person, respectful and tolerant with others. As role models we are, at all time, an example for them, so we should keep up a good conduct and a positive practice, demonstrating with our own attitudes, values and behaviour that we prize kindness, justice, equality and mutual respect. If we show the children a disrespectful example towards the others that are considered different or if we don’t have convenient practices, they will assimilate that, and that is not what is expected in a school and in a human being, in the first steps of their growing up stage and construction of personality. So is important that we, critically, self-assess our attitudes and values, to find out what is necessary to improve or to change, towards a better understanding of the school diversity, a better awareness of possible barriers and how to face them, in a way to promote inclusion on school environment. Not making suppositions about children and young people and have a wider knowledge about their backgrounds, interests, abilities, individual needs and positive attributes, will help us to provide more efficient, suitable and personalised support for them. Is also important, to take in to account, at all the time, the importance of that diversity and the ways to avoid discrimination. Schools (in their policies) and we, as component part of the school, have the duty to guarantee that, anti-discriminatory practice (and not discrimination), is promoted. We can promote anti-discriminatory practice by: being a good role model in everything we do; promoting children diversity and individuality; given equal opportunities to all; promoting children participation in the learning process; being aware that â€Å"every child matters† as an individual; having good expectations (and not prejudice or discrimination) of all children; supporting a positive ethos within the school; giving pupils the confidence and skills to challenge discrimination and, finally, evaluating the very same anti-discriminatory practices, so we keep up-dating the good practices. One of the good practices is to identify and challenge discrimination. Our duty is to support and protect children from discrimination. We should be aware when it happens and not ignore or excuse it. We should protect their rights. And by rights, we mean the right to be supported, comprehended and educated, towards what is expected, towards a good and fair conduct and towards a solid confidence, self-esteem and sense of mutual belonging. We should avoid situations where the child feels that is not supported, that is putted aside, that their needs are being ignored, that is inferior to others or is disappointed with our attitude. To be able to challenge discrimination we need to know well the school policy, procedures and practice. So, if we are confident about what is good practice, we’ll be able to deal better with discriminatory situations. Discrimination can be intentional or due to lack of understanding and knowledge. Therefore, we should challenge discrimination by, addressing a person, explaining what has been said that is discriminatory and that this is not an acceptable behaviour, explaining what the causes of it are, and suggesting some ways to ensure anti-discriminatory practice, keeping, as far as possible, an assertiveness approach. In most cases, we should report to the authorities, such: a manager, supervisor or college tutor or even to the Local Authority (LA), when racist incidents occur. In conclusion, is important that we build up and practice good attitudes, values and behaviour in the school, because this will impact in the work with children and in the achievement of the school aims, values and policies. By promoting anti-discriminatory practice and doing an inclusive practice, we are promoting that every child: is not excluded, is valued, has a sense of belonging and have access to participation in the full educational program within a good school environment. As TA’s, is our responsibility to challenge discrimination and to avoid it. The school is the place where all students must have the same opportunities, but with different learning strategies, and by this we mean inclusive approach. An inclusive education encourages the children to be more tolerant, respectful (for our differences and equalities), more skilled, joyful and more independent, in school as pupils and in the society as citizens. I used the information in the follow PDF: http://www. google. co. uk/url? sa=t&rct=j&q=pdf%20how%20to%20challenge%20discrimination%20&source=web&cd=6&ved=0CEYQFjAF&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww. pearsonschoolsandfecolleges. co. uk%2FFEAndVocational%2FChildcare%2FNVQSVQ%2FNVQSVQSupportingTeachingandLearning%2FSamples%2FLevel2STaLISsamplematerial%2FLevel2SupportingTeachingandLearninginSchoolsUnitTDA24sampl ematerial. pdf&ei=tUoFT9HPEomc8gP4yfCzAQ&usg=AFQjCNH7vnb_IgU2o_CZKzu5Ut2QubpREA