Civil Rights Movement in the United States: The Effects of the Civil Rights Movement on Race Relations within the United States

The Jim Crow System is a system in and through which the central idea is â€Å"differentiation†. This differentiation is done on the basis of ethnicity or race. Differentiation entails the recognition that races are different and as such, it creates a political setting that â€Å"separates† races such as the Whites from the Blacks. In addition to this, it also separates and ultimately, limits or confines races such as the Blacks to a social sphere with corresponding social functions that are imposed on them. The Civil Rights Movement may be seen as a result of such a differentiation and segregation within the social sphere that it reflects the recognition of the unjust and inhumane aspect of such methods of social differentiation and social segregation. After the said movement, it has been argued that racial differentiation and segregation no longer exists within the United States, and due to this [in a sense] the Civil Rights Movement has been successful. However, there are several contentions to such a perspective. First, the effects of the expedited implementation of civil rights on all facets and areas of society, especially in the North, combined with the break from the traditional means of social integration helped spark the violent white backlash of the 1970’s. The White Backlash is a â€Å"reactionary populism† involving the middle, working class moved by a sense of â€Å"threat† regarding the policies implemented during the time. Thus, race and racism are not to be seen as the main factors involved for they cannot account for the White Backlash in a manner that is altogether acceptable. It is of equal importance that we take into consideration the fact that the White’s resistance to the policies implemented during the time was also brought about by a general feeling of threat and the idea of being displaced in their communities. The discussions regarding racial segregation in schools and communities and forced busing further strengthens this point. Another issue of vital importance that may be related to the idea of â€Å"gentrification†. This refers to the Whites reactionary stance on the implemented policies generated feelings of â€Å"threat†; regarding both their sense of security and sense of community. It is important to note that the very idea and experience of homelessness, being evicted from one’s immediate environment and his or her social and political milieu is degrading for the evicted families and individuals. The aforementioned experience generates feelings of powerlessness, anxiety, and oppression. In American history, gentrification is considered as a mechanism for the revitalization or rehabilitation of the casualties brought about by wars and conflicts both from external and internal threats. Examples of such destructive courses in history are World War I and World War II. Gentrification, as viewed by Smith, results in the â€Å"displacement† of lower income people such as laborers by the well-to-do or the middle class in the process of rehabilitating, revitalizing, and upgrading of deteriorated urban property. â€Å"In so far as gentrification obliterates working class communities, displaces poor households and converts whole neighborhoods into bourgeois enclaves, the frontier ideology rationalizes social differentiation and exclusion as natural and inevitable† (Smith, 1992, p. 2). These ideas strengthen the general view that the White Backlash is largely the reaction of the social classes in the middle and lowest strata, the working class White Bostonians since the elites are in his words â€Å"exempted from the start†. The feeling of threat and the fear of displacement in their communities, these are important factors to consider as to why the Whit e Backlash occurred. The problem with the frontier ideology and the process of gentrification, as I reckon, is that they pose serious threats on the very notion of a â€Å"shared history†. As the materially-driven real estate industries and markets continue to flourish and the advent of deindustrialization, the easier it displaces low-income people from their immediate social environment, social and political milieu; thus, endangering the very notion of a shared history. In contrast to such claims Weisbrot (1990) claims that although certain forms of injustice still exists what is important to consider are the facets of social change resulting from the aforementioned movement. He claims, â€Å"Like other reform movements the crusade for racial justice inevitably fell short of the utopian goals that sustained it. Still, if†¦ (it) is judged by the distance it traveled†¦a record of substantial achievement unfolds† (1990, p. 339). Such achievement involve school desegregation and the securing of representation and voting rights. In addition to this, Weisbrot argued that such developments may be seen as the result of the development of tolerance and hence pluralism within the American community. He claims that as a result of the aforementioned movement, pluralism is â€Å"more firmly rooted in American values than ever before† (1990, p. 342). However, the fast-paced implementation [that is, of the recognition of civil rights be regarded as fundamental rights that ought to be granted to every citizen of the state and not only to a selected few, the Whites] unraveled structures and ideologies of society too fast [most importantly the historically embedded ideas of race and class] without providing or setting up new structures for what was unraveled. This presents the second critique to the assumed success of the Civil Rights Movement. Third, educational equality and racial equality were never achieved in the expedited implementation of the civil rights through desegregation, forced busing and affirmative action policies. The federal government was forcing busing, economics, and housing all at the same time. This leads to Wicker’s point that the problem with the integration plan was how extensive it was and how difficult it was to implement. This is precisely because of the aforementioned reasons, which serve as warrants to my second argument. The question regarding the expedited implementation of such policies fails to consider that such radical changes will result to devastating consequences. The problem is, so to speak, much more complex. As Wicker suggests, â€Å"economic as well as political empowerment if African-American disadvantages†¦are to be overcome† (1996, p. 347). The problem with the Civil Rights Movement is that it was not universal. It was not universal in the sense that the Blacks themselves are not unified in their struggles for racial justice and liberation. It was not able to gain an inter-subjective consensus not only from human rights advocates but also most especially from the Blacks themselves. The movement lacks what may be called a unity of purpose which entails unified and collective actions. This is in accordance with Wicker’s argument regarding the failure of the aforementioned movement. Wicker (1996) contends that the Civil Rights Movement failed to enable racial integration due to the â€Å"continuing separation of whites and blacks into hostile and unequal classes† which leads to â€Å"political deadlock, economic inequity, and social rancor that mark American life† (p. 345). In summary, although the implementation of civil rights on all facets and areas of society created â€Å"changes† on the realms of the social, political, and economic but there remains a question whether such huge and radical changes are â€Å"effective† since the phenomenon in itself is deeply embedded in the culture of the American society. True, the American society and its political culture do have problems. In the case of racial and educational equality and the expedited implementation of the civil rights, however, the issues are more intricate. In order for racial inequalities to end, American society must be prepared for huge and radical changes

Philosophy Questions Essay

Who is recognized as the first as the first speculative philosopher? The first man that reflected was regarded as the first speculative philosopher. What is the death date of Socrates? Socrates Died in the year 399 B. C Who were relativists and the paid teachers of rhetoric? The Sophists were the first paid teachers of rhetoric. The relativists are those who believed that the criteria of judgment are not absolute but relative to those who believe in them. What is the rule according to which all things are accomplished and the law which is found in all things? Good, being the highest unity. What word describes how particular (sensible) things relate to their Forms? Symbolism What is the Greek word meaning `having its end within itself`? ‘entelecheia’ What is the general term for any philosophy that says pleasure is good and pain is evil? Hedonism What is the name for this argument for the existence of God that first occurs in Anselms (of Canterbury? Proslogion? What is the cause of suffering (dissatisfaction) to the Buddha? (Ignorance) ‘All suffering is caused by ignorance of the nature of reality and the craving, attachment, and grasping that result from such ignorance.’ Who began as Benedictine and ended as a Dominican? St. Catherine of Siena DEFINE/IDENTIFY THESE TERMS: 1) Critical thinking. A system of thought characterised by careful evaluation and judgment. Critical thinking tends to find the hidden meanings, and the implications of a particular concept or subject. It is a deep state of reasoning that tends to bring out sound judgment. Critical thinking is not just about finding flaws and fault, although this is what critical thinking tends to achieve at the end of the day.   The process of utilising the power of the mind to make influences, make decisions or arrive at a solution or judgments. 2) Wisdom: wisdom is acclaimed as the ability to utilize knowledge, experience, understanding, or even common sense with insight. It is also the ability to apply knowledge or experience it can also be defined as accumulated knowledge.   Prudence in the management and application of any information or knowledge can also be described as wisdom. It is the feature of being far-sighted and sagacious. The state of being wise. It is the ability of making a sound judgment based on the array of information available at one’s disposal. 3) Belief any cognitive content held as true.   It can also be described as an idea into which a level of trust and confidence is placed. It can also mean a set of information held as true and into which a lot of reverence and respect is invested. 4) Ethnocentrism:   is the generalised belief that one’s own ethnic group belief in the superiority of one’s own ethnic group. This concept lends credence to people’s shared belief and values in the face of other beliefs shared by people of other cultural backgrounds. Ethnocentrism contributes to the integrity of culture because it affirms people’s shared beliefs and values in the face of other, often contradictory, beliefs and values held by people of other cultural backgrounds 5) Moral relativism: – the concept that moral values depend on specific situations. This concept is of the view that ethical moral relativism is the position that moral or ethical acts do not necessarily reflect the universally accepted moral truths. Rather, it makes claims that depend on different circumstances e.g. cultural, historical or personal situations.   These moralists claim that there is no universally acceptable standard for accessing ethical proposition’s truth. 6) The Divided Line – The concept of the divided line was explained by Socrates. Socrates attempted to explain the nature of philosophy through the image of the Divided line. He used two realms, the intelligible and the visible. He used a line to divide the two realms, so that the two realms were separated from each other. he divided the two realms into two parts. The four divisions represent ascending causality, clarity, unity and eternality. The idea was to try to explain the intelligibility of the things of the visible world. The philosopher ruthlessly pursues Good. He seeks to understand it as the highest unity operating in, and behind all things. 7)   Sophrosyne – Is a Greek word. Its literary meaning is ‘moral sanity’ .This ideal was upheld by the Greeks. It means prudence and moderation. However, it possesses a more complex meaning its meaning cannot be completely comprehended in English. However, the concept can be substituted with two other phrases. ‘Nothing in Excess’ and ‘knowing thyself’. In modern Christian theology, the word means ‘purity’, ‘integrity’ and ‘virginity’. 8) Stoicism: Stoicism is a school of philosophy. It was founded in the ancient Greece. The stoic philosophy was developed from the Cynics. Stoicism was the most influential philosophy in the Roman Empire during the period preceding Christianity. The school is opposed to Epicureanism in its views of life. The stoics emphasised ethics as the main field of knowledge. Also, the stoics contributed to the development of logic and natural sciences to support their ethical doctrines. The principle proclaimed by earlier cynics was the foundation of the stoic ethics. Stoicism is broad-based. Stoics were at the forefront of advocating for the brotherhood of humanity and the natural equality of all human beings. 9) Values: values can be described as qualities that can be considered worthy of emulation and that are desirable.   It can also be described as the beliefs of a person or a group of people which have a sort of emotional bond. They have a common goal, either in favour of, or against something. 10) Scholasticism: scholasticism is a theological and philosophic movement. This school of thought was dominant in medieval Europe. It was based on Aristotle and the Fathers of the Church.   The movement attempted to understand the supernatural capacity of the Christian revelation using natural human reason.   The movement attempted to incorporate both the natural wisdom of Greece and Rome and the religious wisdom of Christianity. These scholastics believed that revelation was a direct teaching from God and it possessed a high degree of truth and has a higher superiority than natural reason. Among notable scholastic philosophers were Anselm – the French philosopher, Peter Abelard and St. Bonaventure.

Article Review about White Collar Crime Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Article Review about White Collar Crime - Essay Example I also learned that the old cliche â€Å"honesty is the best policy† always works. I learned that the time has come for the accounting profession to adopt a zero telerance policy against wrongful and dishonest behavior. This assignment also made me realize that not all good intentions are laudable. Doing a good job does not necessarily mean that it is laudable act. There are orders from our superiors that are illegals such as â€Å"coooking the books† that should not be followed. Being a good soldier will not absolve an employee from such criminal act. I learned from the article that our employers cannot pushed or forced us to do it and we cannot be bullied into submission because we are protected by law against the commission of such illegal acts. Corollary to this, whistleblowing and stopping the act right there and then could be detrimental to the employee. It is better that to stay in the organization and just quietly collect evidences and approach a lawyer who has an experience in litigating such cases. Obtaining evidences that we do not have access to, even if our intention is good, will not hold in court because because one’s hands are also dirty. Above all, the motivation of those who whistleblowed was not necessarily out of monetary reward, but out of their conscience to stop the illegal act. 2. How the article relates to our class discussions. This relates to our class discussion in a way that the practice of ethical behavior prevents wrongful and dishonest behavior in the accounting profession and other similar profession. It also relates to the discussion that following orders of a superior is not always morally right especially if the order is unlawful. Being a good soldier will not and cannot absolve an employee from doing a wrongful and criminal act. It also relates to the discussion that the accounting profession demands a high standard of ethical behavior and that the time has come that such criminal act is no longer tolera ted. 3. Your analysis and thoughts, and whether you agree or disagree with the authors.    The article made me realized that the recent financial crisis and corporate scandals that recently rocked the news was caused by this unethical and criminal behavior as perpetrated by those in the white collar industry especially those belonging in the financial sector. I need not elaborate the consequence, but it is already enough to tell that such collective unlawful acts precipitated and slid this country and the whole global economy into recession that caused a lot of people to lose their jobs and their homes and made life difficult for all of us. This consequence stresses the need why there is a need for strong a ethical behavior enforced by the zero tolerance against a criminal behavior in the accounting profession and financial industry. It is an eye opener to realize how the author illustrated the point that good intention is not necessarily laudable. I agree with the author fully wh en it was discussed that it is not wise to stop an illegal act right there and then especially if we are still in the organization. It will be prudent to quietly collect evidences and seek the help of an experience lawyer. Considering the consequence of this dishonest behavior to the economy in general, I agree with the author that the penalty should far exceed the benefit derived from those wrong doing. It made the lives of a lot of people

Summary and Critical Analysis Project Compensation and Agreements Essay

Summary and Critical Analysis Project Compensation and Agreements - Essay Example fee method of billing does not put so much into the experience of the employee which is a downside into motivating employees to have experience to work. It simply focuses on the kind of service provided before pay is issued. A fixed fee account provides a fixed fee for the services being offered and which requires an in depth knowledge of the service being provided. This is only effective for experienced designers who are aware of their services (Piotrowski 100). In a cost plus percentage markup method, the customer is the one who benefits more as they are passed all the discounts from the suppliers leading to low cost of purchase. This however works only on the residential clients whose purchases are relatively smaller. Square foot method is payment by the number of square foots meaning the more the square foots the more the pay. It is effective in commercial industries as it boosts productivity and motivates employees to work even harder. The best method from all the methods above and others is the combination method that combines several of the methods taking into account experience and market among other factors (Piotrowski 105). Any service provided in the field of design demands a contract with a list of specifications necessary to provide guidance. The contract requires several basic requirements which have to be followed if it is to be considered valid. These elements include an offer, counteroffer and acceptance where the terms of the design are discussed and the price is provided. It is concluded by mutual agreement and a letter to seal the deal and provide physical evidence of the deal (Piotrowski 112). The contract is a perfect way to not only protect the interests of the client but they protect the work of the designer as well from frauds. A statute of frauds is provided which provides guidance on the frauds that can be prosecuted. If the contract document lacks names such as that of the client and address as well as a clear description of the

Police Culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Police Culture - Essay Example The activities are aimed for making arrangements for making sure that all the laws and rules are being followed. Policing is a part of almost every civilized country as it is important to enforce the rules and laws with in the countries for establishing peace and living with harmony. In short, it can be said that policing includes all the activities that are being performed by the government body established for enforcement of law and prevention of crime. Policing can be said as a strong and powerful profession. The profession of policing does not only include the organization of police but it also includes other organizations like community police, security guards, custom officers and bouncers and so on. Hence any institute that is aimed to control the social activities for maintaining the peaceful environment come under the category of policing. 1 Policing can be known as the set of activities that are being performed for some objectives. ... Detecting the crime is also the responsibility of policing. After detecting the crime, punishing the criminal or offender is also the role of policing. Protecting the assets and life of the people is also the role of policing. Preserving the public tranquility. Enforcement flaws, rules and policies are one of the major responsibilities of policing. Development of sound relationships between the police and the public. Improving the quality of life. Dealing with every kind of anti social behavior. Protecting the human rights. Promoting the ethical values. The above stated are the few responsibilities of the policing. Although, there are many other objectives but these were the basic aims and objectives of policing. It can be observed that it is not easy to perform the duties of police and achieving all the objectives of policing. It is not easy to enforce the laws over the society and also to deal with criminals and offenders. The policing activities sometimes do involve a lot of risk in it. It is a profession that can give a lot of respect if the responsibilities are being performed sincerely with full dedication. The same profession can lead to disrespect, if wrong means are taken and the duties are not performed with sincerity. The policing activities require that the professional should be strong person who can face every kind of risk and danger. Apart of risk sometimes disrespect and anger for the people has also to be faced y the policing professionals. So, policing is something that can not be taken as a simple job to do instea d it requires strong people for performing the powerful duties. 2 Police Culture There are different aspects, in which the term police culture stands for, in

Business Systems Analysis and Design Coursework - 1

Business Systems Analysis and Design - Coursework Example Performance appraisals build effective habits among members such as employees are able to clearly understand the organisational goals and identifying the best way forward to meeting these goals. Managers ensure that they evaluate the best process that will be able to improve the performance of their employees (Jones, 1997). In this process managers should be capable of ensuring that the team members achieve their goals and objectives. Team members should also be improving constantly and developing in their skills to become in order to become a great asset to the organisation. Managers should ensure that the hindrances to improvement are addresses by having a personal conversation with team members and listening to every issue. The issues and concerns raised should be solved immediately and in the most effective manner in order to avoid major issues in the future. Managers should also be in a position of asking themselves whether their employees are achieving the desired expectations of the business and whether they have the potential to achieve these goals. Finally managers should be able to gauge how much the employees have improved since the previous appraisal or the value they have added to their development since the manager started supervising. Once the above goals are well focused, then managing people will become an easy process. Kate (2011) describes that effective management include assessing the current situation of a team member, setting effective goals and working together to ensure that member achieves those goals. The first step in managing people is to have a clear vision. The managers should be able to be precise on the expected performance by analysing the role of every team member. These expectations should then be communicated to the team members informing them to be accountable of their activities. The second step of effective people management is to make the expectations clear to the team members. The objectives should be discussed in a pos itive way to the members and the manager should communicate the ongoing basis for the team member to know exactly what they have achieved and what is remaining to attain their target. The third step involves letting the team members be aware that their work is of value to the entire organisation. Richard et al. (2009, p. 50) shows this involves a short brief to everyone reminding them of the purpose of the organisation, the purpose of the team and the benefits to other departments. Managers should make sure that the team members are aware that they play a major part in achieving the entire output of the organisation. This should be a continuous assessment that the supervisor has to show to their members. This makes the employees feel valued therefore making them motivated to performing better. The forth step involves getting to know each team member basing on their abilities, skills and personal behaviour. This will make you understand them well and it also improved mutual respect. 2. Rich picture Rich pictures represent processes, structures and issues within an organization that are relevant to the problem definition. These also provide a thinking model about the system, how to think about the system and also how to group pertinent issues. Rich pictures also enable an

Task Identification Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Task Identification - Essay Example (Embrey, 2000)† Of the several known methods in task identification, the process or steps may include critical incident technique and linear sequencing. In the critical incident technique, the key factor is the gathering of any and all available facts or incidents and analyzing what actually occurred as a result. Based on the analysis and interpretation of the data into information, assessments and inferences are made on how to use the findings to improve on future performance or output. Thus the basic step in critical incident technique can be summarized as: â€Å"Step 1: Gathering facts; Step 2: Content analysis; and Step 3: Creating feedback. (EMMUS, 1999)† In information technology (IT), the critical incident technique (CIT) is one of the methodologies in software and applications development. â€Å"The CIT is an open-ended retrospective method of finding out what are the critical features of the software being evaluated. It is a method for getting a subjective report while minimizing interference from stereotypical reactions or received opinions. A critical incident is defined as one which had an important effect on the final outcome. Critical incidents can only be recognized retrospectively. CIT analysis uses a method known as Content Analysis in order to summarize the experiences of many users or many experiences of the same user. (UsabilityNet, 2006)† When linear sequencing is used in task identification, the method describes putting in lined or straight order a sequence or series of events. It follows at times a hierarchical or incremental level of presentation or reasoning. â€Å"Reasoning about events commonly requires assembling the events into a sequence or order of events such that a temporal pattern of events becomes distinguishable and more understandable. For many reasoning tasks involving events, users

Neighborhood Planning Annotated Bibliography Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Neighborhood Planning - Annotated Bibliography Example iii. The City of Surrey has an OCP defined by goals and policies, which lead to the city’s planning operations. Surrey’s OCP offers direction for Surrey’s physical organization, management of land, transportation priorities, community growth, use of farmland, and ecological awareness.3 iv. Fraser Basic Council developed an OCP for taking action against climate change and raising awareness about the phenomenon. Local authorities approved the development of the OCP as a form of bylaw under which activities assumed by Fraser Basic Council would be consistent with the OCP.4 v. The Ministry of Community, Sport, and Cultural Development under the Government of British Columbia undertook an OCP in 2014 that its cities and regional constituencies developed.5 This OCP is a long-term reflection of the community that determines locations, sums, types, and concentration of suburban developments required by the Local Government Act  section 875. vi. The City of North Vancouver first undertook an OCP in 1980, revised it in 1992, and continued it to date. The OCP aims to balance the social, ecological, and economic requirements of the community of North Vancouver.6 Gansmo, Helen Jà ¸sok. "Municipal planning of a sustainable neighborhood: action research and stakeholder dialogue."  Building Research & Information  40, no. 4 (July 2012): 493-503.  Business Source Complete, EBSCOhost (accessed January 23, 2015). Researcher Gansmo attempts to find the most appropriate way to foster the change to greener neighborhoods. Determining whether planners can start an improved dialogue to facilitate stakeholder participation in planning, construction, and residing in greener neighborhoods.7 The article describes and implements methodical procedures that find the core contributors to greener neighborhoods and implementing the dialogue approaches in the early stages of planning for the project. Aditya, Trias.

English sparkling wine - branding Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

English sparkling wine - branding - Essay Example This is a product whose value is augmented by the long periods of standing and fermentation. At the same time, the price is apt enough to stand along the Champagnes using the price advantage. This is creating a brand value for the product. These wines are thus, more affordable and the increased rate of consumption is thus, justified. This growth is also reflected in the returns, which have seen more than 50 percent hike in the last 5 years (Skelton, 2008). The products from English Sparkling wine have won appreciation and awards from many Wine luminaries. These have been on the wine reward and recognition radar from even the ‘90s. The brands received awards such as International Wine and Spirits Awards, Decanter World Wine Awards, Del Mondo World Sparkling Wine Championships and so on (Skelton, 2009). The rewards have thus acknowledged the brand and dealt with the promotion aspect. The health implications of alcoholic drinks such as Champagne, are making the customers switch to safer options. This has also contributed to the promotion of the English Sparkling Wine. This has also influenced the wine choices of the 25-34 year age groups, who form the largest segment of wine patrons (Bainbridge, 2012). The English Sparkling Wine brewers are trying to create a label for themselves (‘Britagne’ is one such suggestion), so that they can be differentiated from the other popular sparkling wine brands. Export promotion is also on their anvil to ensure the viability of the brand (Brown,

Kasanayan Sa Filipino Essay Example for Free

Kasanayan Sa Filipino Essay Romblon /rÉ’mˈbloÊŠn/rom-blohn, (Tagalog: Lalawigan ng Romblon), is an island province of the Philippines located in the MIMAROPA region. It lies south of Marinduque and Quezon, east of Mindoro, north of Aklan and Capiz, and west of Masbate. Its capital is also named Romblon. According the May 2010 Philippine census, it has a total population of 283,930 people.[2] The province of Romblon is composed of three larger islands; Romblon Island at the center where the provincial capital is located, Tablas Island to the west, and Sibuyan Island to the east. It also includes the smaller islands of Banton, Maestro de Campo, Simara, Carabao, Carlota and Isabel. Approximately 187 nautical miles (346 km) south of Manila, the islands of Romblon lie on Sibuyan Sea, south of Marinduque Island and north of Panay Island. To the east is the island of Masbate and in the west, the island of Mindoro. The province is composed of three major islands: Romblon, where the capital city of Romblon is located, Tablas, the largest island in the province, and Sibuyan, the easternmost island. There are also four smaller island municipalities: Banton Island, Simara Island, Maestro de Campo Island, and Carabao Island. Most of Romblons islands have a mountainous and rugged topography, and are of volcanic origin. The highest elevation in the province is Mount Guiting-Guiting in Sibuyan, which stands at 2,058 m. The peak boasts one of the most challenging climbs in the country due to its jagged summit.[3] Due to its geography, the province is endowed with lush vegetation and mineral resources. The fertile soil nurtures various agricultural activities. Being an archipelago, its coasts are dotted with numerous fine, white sand beaches such as in Carabao Island and Cresta del Gallo. Offshore, Romblon is a rich fishing ground. The islands lie on the migratory path of fishes from the Sulu and Visayan Seas, passing the Tablas Strait, Sibuyan Sea and Romblon Pass.[4] Romblon does not have a truly pronounced wet or dry season though the heaviest rainfall occurs from September to January. The driest months are March and April which are the best months to visit the province. 27Â ° Celsius is the annual mean temperature, with February being the coldest month with temperatures dropping to 20Â °C, and May being the warmest month wherein temperatures could reach 35Â °C. Southwest monsoon winds or Habagat pass through the province from June to October while northeasterly winds or Amihan blows through the islands from December to February. This Turtle Sanctuary Project is Sponsored by Chris Bech and his wife Theresa – Beach Land Estate Inc. Tablas Island. We are proud to pass on our latest pictures of the new baby Turtles that were hatched yesterday at our Turtle Sanctuary in Ferrol, Tablas Island, Romblon. 64 new baby turtles all hatched and are healthy and eating well, there are another 120 eggs in another batch, and 80 in another batch of eggs, they should hatch within the next week or so, we will update you. We have made a turtle egg protective area, to protect the eggs from predators, and we have a nipa hut where we assist visitors and have viewing area, we are in the process of making a new web site Romblon Marine Life which will be published early January 2012.

Health And Illness Across The Lifespan Health And Social Care Essay

Health And Illness Across The Lifespan Health And Social Care Essay The Royal College of Nursing defines nursing as the use of clinical judgement in the provision of care to enable people to improve, maintain, or recover health, to cope with health problems, and to achieve the best possible quality of life, whatever their disease or disability, until death (RCN, 2003). This essay will look at the role as a nurse, in supporting an individual, the family or carer living with a person suffering from Alzheimers disease. Walkers, (2002) definition of Alzheimers is that of a degenerative brain disease, manifesting itself in premature ageing, with speech disorder and was first discovered by a German neurologist, Dr Alois Alzheimer who, in 1906, examined the brain of a patient he cared for who subsequently died of an unusual mental illness (dementia) at age 51. Her symptoms included memory loss, language difficulties, and unpredictable behavioural manner. After her death, Dr Alois Alzheimer examined her brain and found a plague like structure and tangled fil ament in the nerve (neurons) of the patient brain (Stanton, 2001). The plaques represent a naturally occurring sticky protein and the tangled filament represents collapsed tau proteins. Though Krebs, et al (2012) theory agrees with this that plaque clumps (now called amyloid plaques) and tangled bundles of fibres (now called neurofibrillary tangles) accumulating in the brain triggers this disease, it has been called into question. Of today, Alzheimers is classified an unquantifiable science condition; which holds within its own right a large area of mental health. The definition of Walkers, (2002) degenerative refers to gradual deterioration; this means that this disease may be broken into gradual stages of early, middle and late. The early (onset) stage appears with symptoms such as memory loss, confusion, personality and behavioral changes, these normally occur between 2-4 years prior to and during diagnosis. The middle (progressive) stage has similar symptoms as the onset but with more obvious signs such as an increase of confusion, an increase of memory loss, difficulty in completing simple tasks, showing a decrease in communication skills and occasionally can at times appear to be delusional; this stage may be more distinct with language ability being decreased. This stage has a time frame of 2-10 years following diagnosis. The late (end) stage show symptoms that are more prominent than earlier stages, wi th the inability to care for oneself; with little or no communication ability, continence and inability to recognize loved ones, followed by death usually caused by infections. These symptoms may appear between 1-3 years after the disease has passed through its progressive stage as Gwythers (1985) cited by Gogia and Rastogi (2009). Though the cause of this disease is a common subject amongst scientist and physicians, it is believed that excessive intake of aluminium may be a key factor in acquiring this disease. In the 1960s and 1970s, research showed high aluminium levels in the brain tissues of some people who died with Alzheimers disease; this discovery spurred public concern that exposure to aluminium in our diet could be the cause of the disease (Rao and Rao 1995). Since then several scientific studies have examined the link between aluminium and Alzheimers, and none have found a clear association between them, Dean (2009). This contradicts Crapper et al (1976) that Aluminium h as been shown to be associated both, with plaques and tangles, in the brain of people with Alzheimers disease. There have been numerous studies among experts to resolve the issue in question, whether aluminium is in fact the cause of Alzheimers disease. This has been extremely difficult as this common disease is believed to have multiple causes, but while aluminium is widespread in our environment, there is no method that allows researchers to measure this individual burden or lifetime exposure to this element. Lliffe and Rusted, (2012) states that although no one single factor has been identified to be the cause of Alzheimers disease, it is likely that a combination of factors, including age, genetic inheritance, lifestyle and overall general health, are responsible. Even so, Alzheimers disease has a high impact on the aged population affecting around 496,000 people in the UK, with one in every fourteen people over the age of 65 and one in six over the age of 80, this shows that the greatest risk factor of Alzheimers is indeed old age. However, this disease is not restricted to the older generation; in the UK alone, there are over 17,000 people under the age of 65 living with the disease. (Ref) The Wife of United States former president Regan quoted: Alzheimer disease is a cruel disease that steals lives. Its hard to know what to expect. The years of exchanging memories of old age are gone. Its a long, long good-bye (Reagan, N. Cited in Brill, 2005). Burfoot, (2008) believes there are a minority that do not worry about getting Alzheimers disease; these include athletes which are at half the risk compared to that of the sedentary individual, studies have shown that they are showing lower risk for senile dementia and diseases like Alzheimers. Indeed, the chances of Alzheimers disease increases with each successive year of life after age 65. However, Alexander, (2009) believes that the disease is inevitable and is associated with the ageing population, particularly from the baby boom generation that came after the second world war and also due to the difference in medical care given by the National Health service (NHS) compared to health services that were available at this era, because of this people are living longer, and an increase in population means more people are making it to old age, but the reward for making it to old age is a gift of Alzheimers for 6 from every 100 people who gets past the age of 65, (Brody 2011). Though scientists have estimated that 496,000 people have Alzheimers disease in the United Kingdom alone and 22 million worldwide, the disease only affects about five percent of people ages 65 to 80 and nearly half the population of those 80 and older. Disturbingly, the disease is becoming even more common; statistics now show that the number of people with the disease doubles every five years among older people and failing to find a preventative or curative measure will be costly to society. Alzheimers disease not only affects the patient, but the society and family around them. Alzheimers disease slowly attacks the cognitive function, which is the higher thought processes. These individuals degenerate in such a way that they return to the stages of infantile dependents (Ref). While the lives of family members, especially those directly involved in the individuals care, are significantly impacted in many ways, caring for adults with a degenerative disease can be an extremely physically demanding task, Clark, (2001). For the primary caregiver involved in the day-to-day care, the disease can take its toll emotionally, physically, mentally and financially. The carer responsibility may even be extended for many years; of course this depends on what stage of Alzheimers the sufferer has been progressed to. The diagnosis of a parent or spouse with Alzheimers disease may also conjure up a number of mixed emotions; such as frustration, helplessness, or even guilt. The fact that it is a progressive and ultimately terminal illness can be difficult to grasp, Lu and Bludau (2011). To have a family member suffering from Alzheimers disease alters your life unavoidably, as the reversal of roles from being the child to the nurturing care provider can be unsettling and even overwhelming. The impact on the family can be quite difficult to witness, of watching a previously vibrant and independent parent decline over time to a former shadow of themselves and having to adjust to the increasing responsibilities as a caregiver can be psychologically demanding, as this role reversal usually occurs for spouses. For example a husband whose wife who has always managed the household may find himself having to take over this role, or vice versa. Children and grandchildren, nieces and nephew may find themselve s in this role. Whatever the make-up of the family, there is usually a role reversal, where someone to steps into the shoes of the caregiver, Lu and Bludau (2011). This is where a therapeutic relationship between the nurse, the family and patient has to be formed; this is a key component in the nursing profession that enables the best care possible is provided to an Alzheimers sufferer. However, before any treatment is given consent must be obtained (NMC, 2008) whether it may be from family members or clinicians caring for the patient on a day-to-day basis if the patient is unable. Making decisions for such person as long as its within their best interest and lacking the mental capacity to do so for themselves is acceptable, as the Mental Capacity Act (the Act) 2005 states any act done or decision made on behalf of an adult lacking capacity must be in their best interests. In the case of an Alzheimers sufferer, as their cognitive memory deteriorates, neglection and decision making for themselves becomes apparent, these patients becomes highly vulnerable, helpless and in a dependent position and looks to the nurse to uphold their dignity and res pect for their confidentiality, as stated by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), a person must be treated with respect, dignity and has the right to confidentiality, NMC (2008). As quality of care not only depends on good healthcare but also on respect for the person as an individual DH, (2001). Teamwork in this sense also has a vital role, without this, communication between different agencies such as social services, and the multidisciplinary team which may involve psysiotherapy, psychologist and nutritionist. These skills together will identify the support needed to make sure treatment is patient-centered and also promotes a collaborative partnership between the patient and health professionals (Silverman et al, 2005), only then effective treatment can be achieved that is needed for an Alzheimers sufferer. As a nurse, one should have excellent communication skills, whether through speaking, writing, observing or listening (Egan, 2002), this will enable them to be the ultimate patients advocate. To expand on this, nurses form the primary system of support; this could range from logistical issues, such as treatment in the accident and emergency department through to being admitted to the ward within the hospital. In the case of an Alzheimers patient where the patient may be within his or her own home for some time, regularly visiting the patient to assess the patients health condition, to provide emotional support to both frightened patient and family member. The nurse must be able to facilitate and identify any health promotions needed for his or her patient so that they are able to implement any strategy to best support the patient, family and carer neccessary. In an Alzheimers patient, onset of many chronic diseases, infection or illnesses will become inevitable and a reduction in a once bubbly individual will be a thing of the past, as their brain deteriorates. Alzheimers sufferer may forget simple task such as washing of themselves or eating the required amount of meals necessary for intake of nutritions needed, thus health promotions has to be tailored specifically for an Alzheimers patient unigue lifespan (Hubley and Copeman, 2008). Addressing issues such as smoking or cooking as well as living alone will enable any health concerns will allow you to make any changes before they become a danger to themselves or others. Alzheimer sufferer also needs to be protected from abuse; this is one of many important aspects of being a nurse. Abuse may come in many forms, being physical, psychological, financial, sexual, neglect or discriminated upon because of their culture or ethnicity and as the United Kingdom becomes a multicultural society, there are implications on how healthcare is delivered by nurses. Furthermore, a nurses action is guided by principles of moral and legal rights, this compliments excellent nursing care. Awareness of the legal codes helps them to control complicated situation that they may encounter and helps to direct the nurse as well as their multidisciplinary team in the best possible action answerable by law (Dimond, 2011). It is important that nurses are aware of this and that they are sensitive when treatment is being administered. Nurses need to familiarise themselves with what is acceptable behaviour and respond accordingly (Timby, 2005). An example being that in some cultures it may be unacceptable to make eye contact while in others it is not or it may also be unacceptable to touch certain parts of one body. In conclusion, whether or not aluminium or old age is infact the cause of Alzheimers disease, the nurse has to be the the patients representative in order to address underlying issues that exist between, the family, carer and society. Also, to amalgamate the multidisciplinary team and relevant agencies so that health promotions may be implemented by means of controling infections, which is the predisposing factor of an Alzheimers patient death. This relationship is complex and the nurses job has to be the forefront of it all, whether it may be to educate family and carer on how best to include hygiene and infection control as the disease worsen or to inform the multidisciplinary team about the patients health and wellbeing.

Self-Interest on the International Stage Essay -- International Relati

Self-Interest on the International Stage A nation’s actions on the world stage can be played in many ways. Whether the role being played is unwanted meddler in other nations’ affairs, supplier of money and aid to countries in despair, or just an ordinary nation trying to keep all of its proverbial ducks in a row, the motivation that drives the plot of international relations is self-interest. Whether the setting is these United States or across the world in the People’s Republic of China, in the theocratic republic of Iran or the military controlled Central African Republic, is doesn’t pay to give something for nothing. Self-interest should not be confused with selfishness, as the two terms are neither interchangeable nor synonymous. Self-interest is â€Å"concern for one’s own advantage and well-being,† and selfishness is extreme self-interest coupled with a disregard for others (Merriam-Webster). It comes in several forms, like economic and political, and is specialized according to each nation and its individual wants and needs. In fact, it is not only possible but actually c...

Excellence in Education :: essays research papers

The concept of excellence in education is one that, on the surface, seems to be unquestionable. After all, who would not accede that students within our schools should, in fact, excel? Certainly teachers, parents, and administrators can agree on excellence as an aim to shoot for. The interpretation of the term "excellence" is, however, less obvious. How do we regard excellence? Is it the college bound student with a broad liberal arts education? Is it the student who graduates high school trained in a specific trade? Many in the field of education cannot come to an agreement on how our schools can best achieve excellence for and from our students. One of the many authorities who have contributed a model for what schools should be is Robert L. Ebel. According to Ebel, knowledge is the single most significant and most important goal in the education of children. In his article "What are schools for?" Ebel answers "that schools are for learning, and that what ought to be learned mostly is useful knowledge" (3). He builds this declaration in answer to trends in education that focus upon other aspects of learning in schools. Ebel states in the beginning of his article, that he does not assume schools should be social research agencies, recreational facilities, adjustment centers, or custodial institutions. (3). While he does not deny that our nation is currently wrestling with a dreary array of social ailments, he does argue that the answer to such problems can or should lie within the jurisdiction of our schools. In discussing education’s mission to provide useful knowledge, Ebel defines what he means by the word knowledge: "It is an integrated structure of relationships among concepts and propositions" (5). Knowledge, the way Ebel describes it is not the same as information. Ebel states that "knowledge is built out of information by thinking". Knowledge, according to Ebel, must be constructed from information by each individual learner; it cannot be looked up, or given to students by a parent or teacher. " A student must earn the right to say ‘I know’ by his own thoughtful efforts to understand" (Ebel, 5). The intellectual proficiencies many educators hope to teach are, like information, essentially useless to Ebel without a knowledge base on which to draw from. Ebel feels that a good teacher can "motivate, direct, and assist the learning process to great advantage". Although Ebel feels that good teachers are essential to providing a "favorable learning environment," he puts much of the accountability for learning on the students themselves. Ebel feels that teachers are there to facilitate students in their learning, not to coerce those who are indifferent and unmotivated and do not wish to learn, against their will.

Feminism in Tom Robbins’ Even Cowgirls Get the Blues :: Even Cowgirls Get Blues

Feminism in Tom Robbins’ Even Cowgirls Get the Blues In the novel, Even Cowgirls Get the Blues by Tom Robbins, Sissy Hankshaw is a young woman who gets introduced to the world via hitchhiking. From the beginning of the novel, Sissy’s sexuality is foreshadowed. She goes with her mother to see a psychic, Madame Zoe. When asked if Sissy will ever get married, Madame Zoe replies, "There is most clearly a marriage. A husband, no doubt about it, though he is years away†¦There are children, too. Five, maybe six. But the husband is not the father. They will inherit your characteristics" (Robbins 33). There is also a lot of defying of traditional gender roles in this novel. Sissy hitchhikes all over the eastern United States by herself. Her self-reliance and determination was previously thought to be more of a male characteristic. Along these lines it is also relevant to use Feminist Literary Criticism to assess this novel. Even Cowgirls Get the Blues and its main character, Sissy Hankshaw epitomize the change in women and sex roles in the late 1960s and 1970s. First of all, this novel can be looked at as representative of the sexual revolution in the 1970s. According to Linda Grant, author of Sexing the Millenium, up until the mid-1960s, single women had a difficult time obtaining birth control and were given the responsibility of remaining virgins until they consummated a marriage. Abortion and homosexuality were not only illegal, but were taboo topics of discussion. Furthermore, a number of women were trapped in loveless marriages due to strict divorce laws (2). Lillian B. Rubin, author of Erotic Wars, describes the beginnings of the Sexual Revolution: Then came the sixties and the sexual revolution. The restraints against sexual intercourse for unmarried women gave way as the Pill [oral contraceptive] finally freed them from the fear of unwanted pregnancy. Seduction became abbreviated and compressed, oftentimes bypassed altogether, as women, reveling in their newfound liberation, sought the sexual freedom that had for so long been ‘for men only.’ The assumption of the era was that she wanted sex as much as he did, the only question being whether or not they wanted to do it with each other. Young people lived together openly, parading their sexuality before their parents’ outraged and bewildered gaze (13). She goes on to report about an interview with a 15-year-old boy who says, "I guess sex was originally to produce another body; then I guess it was for love; nowadays it’s just for feeling good" (13).

Inflation and Unemployment

Macroeconomics help Name: Institution: Inflation is the rise in general prices of goods and services over a specific period of time. Unemployment is a state where people are able and willing to work at the ongoing market prices of labor but they are unable to secure a Job. According to the Phillips curve, there is a consistent relationship between inflation and unemployment (Nevi, J. W. 1981, peg 3). When the rate of unemployment is low, the level of inflation is high and when the level of employment is high, inflation level is low.Since majority of the Americans regard inflation to be a bigger threat than unemployment, they will ether stay unemployed but to let the value of a dollar stabilize. Therefore they will rather be employed during stable prices than rising prices. The Americans favor unemployment to inflation. When 10% of the workers are laid off, it will imply that unemployment will increase and an Increase in unemployment Implies a decrease In inflation. If the wages are r educed by 5%, it will mean that even more worker can be employed due to the reduction of labor cost.This will lead to an Increase In employment thus the level of unemployment will go down. A decrease In unemployment leads to an increase In level of inflation. Therefore they will rather go for 10% of workers being laid off than a 5% cut In their wages. They will vote for 10% workers being laid off. Their knowledge of who will be laid off won't affect their decision in voting because they are all against Inflation. They will rather not work than work for a wage with low purchasing power. Therefore they are after their purchasing power than Just a Job.Fiscal policy Is an attempt to manipulate government expenditure and taxation so as to affect aggregate demand and aggregate supply to achieve full employment and price stability. Monetary policy Is a policy that affects money growth (Landing, F. K. 2009, peg 34). Therefore when the government uses monetary policy, the money supply will I ncrease. The government will cut taxes to treat the deficit. When the Fed will prevent growth In reserves, It Implies that the borrowing will be constant thus no preventions on borrowing from commercial banks.This will result to an Increase In money supply as the government too Is borrowing. According to the ELM curve, when the two polices are used, at the point where the Interest rate Is low, monetary policy has no power. When fiscal policy Is used, Increase In supply of money has no effect on the Interest rate. Therefore when the IS-ELM equilibrium Is low, fiscal policy Is the suitable policy to use. When the Fed Increase the supply of alienable funds through and expansion of commercial banks, the supply of money will Increase at the same ongoing Interest rate.The Fed will not succeed to prevent the Interest rates from rising. Interest rate Is assumed to be flexible according to the classical economists. This Implies that the Interest rate will rise In order to attain the previous equilibrium. Therefore a lower Interest rate trap as advocated by the Keynesian economist is where inflation will be set. When he economic resources are idle, the output is always low. The reason the government will borrow will be to stimulate the economy. Inflation and Unemployment INTRODUCTIONInflation seems to be a chronic problem in many parts of the world today and unemployment, a phenomenon, true for Pakistan, and valid for United States and other western economies. Even the fastest growing Chinese economy is not totally immune to it. Thus this research project deals with the analysis of unemployment and inflation in Pakistan. The purpose of this research is to analyze the relationship that exists between these two macroeconomic variables, which affect every nation as well as an individual.The Phillips curve shows a historical inverse relation between the rate of unemployment and the rate of inflation in an economy. It is the trade-off between inflation and unemployment (Mankiw, 2002). The lower the unemployment in an economy, the higher the rate of change in wages paid to labor in that economy.LITERATURE REVIEWThe relationship between unemployment and inflation the two macroeconomic variables is usually summarized by the Phillips curve. Different studies have been conducted related to these variables in order to see whether any relationship between these two macroeconomic variables exists or not. While analyzing the trade-off between inflation and unemployment in Asia, (Dua 1996), takes inflation as the function of expected inflation, unemployment gap/ output gap, exchange rate, import inflation and oil price inflation. In India and Philippines the tradeoff between inflation and unemployment does not exist, whereas, in Japan, Korea, Singapore, and Hong Kong it does. (Rafael, MacCulloch, & Oswald 2000), on the other hand, suggest that welfare  and life satisfaction level is a function of inflation and unemployment and people are happier when rates of both are low.However unemployment in comparison with inflation depresses people more than inflation. Thus while controlling country fixed-effects, year effects, and time trends, it is estimated that people will trade 1% increase in unemployment for 1.7% increase in inflation. A strong positive relation between unemployment rate and inflation rate lagged one or two years is also shown, which is inconsistent with both Philips curve and NAIRU. In other words the trade-off between inflation and unemployment rate does not exist, except in the same year, and in the long run unemployment is a positive function with inflation (Niskanen 2002). Namibia, using the time series data from 1991-2005, exhibits the presence of stagflation in its economy.In other words he found increase in both inflation and unemployment at the same time, which contradicts the traditional short-run Philips curve (Ogbokor 2005). (Furuoka 2007) using the data of Malaysia from 1975-2004 shows and existence of co-integrated as well as casual relationship between inflation and unemployment. That is the study provides an empirical evidence to support the Philips curve.Likewise, Philips curve also exists in Japan, with negative coefficients of linear link between inflation and unemployment. Also there is a generalized linear and lagged relationship between labor force, unemployment and inflation in Japan, which is confirmed by the fact that the driving force behind unemployment and inflation is the change rate of labor force level (Kitov 2007). In this paper, a Philips curve with linear link will be calculated for Pakistan to see if the negative relationship between the variables exists or not.Problem Statement: What is the likely relationship between inflation and unemployment in Pakistan? Hypothesis: If unemployment increases, then inflation decreases.Data Source: Secondary data for the purpose of this research has been obtained from the year 2000-2011. The data on unemployment rate (percentage of total labor force) and inflation rate (general not adjusted for food and energy) for Pakistan, has been taken from the Economic Survey of Pakistan.ObjectiveThe objective of this research is to determine the relationship between inflation and unemployment for the economy of Pakistan. Phi lips curve is based on the equation where unemployment is the function of inflation.METHODOLOGYHere, a regression is run for inflation rate and unemployment rate for Pakistan. The functional form of the model which is as follows: Y = ÃŽ ²ÃŽ ¿ + ÃŽ ²1X1 + ЄSubstituting the above inflation function in the equation INFt = ÃŽ ²ÃŽ ¿ + ÃŽ ²1Ut + Єt Where U is the unemployment rate and INF is inflation rate for a given time â€Å"t†. The Equation obtained after running the OLS model is: INFt = 30.96981 – 3.306067 UtDependent Variable: INFMethod: Least SquaresDate: 08/01/13 Time: 21:49Sample: 1 12Included observations: 12Variable Coefficient Std. Error t-Statistic Prob.C 30.96981 6.078158 5.095263 0.0005 U -3.306067 0.882942 -3.744377 0.0038R-squared 0.583686 Mean dependent var 8.549167 Adjusted R-squared 0.542055 S.D. dependent var 5.344512 S.E. of regression 3.616718 Akaike info criterion 5.560023 Sum squared resid 130.8065 Schwarz criterion 5.640841 Log likelihood - 31.36014 Hannan-Quinn criter. 5.530101 F-statistic 14.02036 Durbin-Watson stat 2.038825 Prob(F-statistic) 0.003819While interpreting the regression line, the negative sign with the coefficient of unemployment shows that in Pakistan Inflation and unemployment are inversely related at â€Å"t† period. One percent increase in unemployment in one year will bring a decrease in inflation of 3.306067 percent. Unemployment in this simple regression model is statistically significant as the probability of t-stats is less than 0.05 and so we reject H0. The intercepted value 30.96981 of B0 shows the inflation rate when unemployment is zero. The R2 for this model, which lies between 0 and 1, comes out to be 0.583686 which shows that 58.36 percent of the variation in inflation is explained by unemployment.The adjusted R2 statistics comes out to be 0.542055. The Durbin-Watson d statistics test, which is done for autocorrelation, is 2.038825 for Pakistan, showing that there is no auto or se rial correlation. As this is simple regression model multicollinearity is not present. As the probability of F-stat is less than 0.05 we will reject H0 which means that the model is overall statistically significant. The Scatter Plot for Inflation and Unemployment somehow depicts the same relationship as above.CONCLUSION & RECOMMENDATIONThis study is conducted in order to make an analysis of inflation and unemployment in Pakistan from year 2000-2010. It has employed a simple regression analysis technique. The main conclusion derived from this study is that the tradeoff between these two variables, the Philips Curve, is observed in Pakistan. When unemployment is high, the cost of goods will increase during an inflationary period, but firms will be able to hire cheap labor, as labor will be in surplus.Wages will not rise while unemployment remains high. Workers will have to borrow money or reduce the amount of goods they purchase. If workers cannot get loans, firms will have to lower prices to continue to sell products, thus reducing inflation. This study makes the following recommendation in the light of its analysis. Easy fiscal policy can be used to decrease unemployment at the expense of inflation, as mild inflation is desirable in every economy. However in Pakistan the inflation rate is much higher than the unemployment rate. Thus Pakistan has to focus more on policies which lead to reduction in inflation but the  Government should also control unemployment at the same time.

Health and safety Essay

1Understand own responsibilities, and the responsibilities of others, relating to health and safety in the work setting 1.1 identify legislation relating to general health and safety in a health or social care work setting Health and Safety at work act of 1974, it ensures that the employer, the employee have responsibilities to ensure that a good level of safety is attained in the workplace. The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1992, which supports the health and safety act. The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations (COSHH) which ensures safe storage and usage of any substances that could harm other workers or service users. The Manual Handling Regulations of 1992, which sets out methods and requirements to be met when manually handling objects, as well as people. The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1985 (RIDDOR) outlines what is required to be recorded and reported. Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulat ions (PPE) 1992 Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations (LOLER) 1998 see more:explain why it is important to have secure systems for recording and storing information 1.2 describe the main points of the health and safety policies and procedures agreed with the employer The main points of health and safety policies and procedures largely centre on standards that must be upheld in order to create a safe place of work, and also to ensure that somewhere meets all legislation requirements when it comes to things like COSHH, where all harmful substances must be locked away while not in use, and not left around when being used if the worker leaves the room, even for a moment. When handling harmful substances or when administering medication or giving personal care the correct PPE equipment must be worn that is supplied by the employer, such as disposable gloves and aprons. When moving and handling a service user that requires specialised equipment two workers must be present and fully trained to move the service user, manual handling regulations 1992. 1.3 outline the main health and safety responsibilities of: – self – the employer or manager – others in the work setting Self- Health and safety responsibilities that pertain me as the support worker are to maintain any important care procedures, which refer to the policies and procedures once again, but most things do as they outline the ways in which things must be done, this includes attending any training. Health and safety responsibilities include other things such as making sure any activities are done safely, as well as the use of any equipment or materials to be handled with care, minimizing the risk of injury or harm to myself and others, including other staff and service users. If on occasion someone is harmed/hurt then I am to record and report it appropriately, even if it is just a concern. Employer/Manager- Their responsibility is to ensure that every member of staff understands their obligations towards health and safety, and that there are methods in place to allow the employee’s to operate under it. Including keeping enough stock of necessary equipment required to avoid injury, damage or wastage, and not charge for any PPE or first aid facilities. It is also the manager’s role to assess any existing risks and create ways to minimise them, and to provide training on health and safety. Others- All other company support workers, agency, maintenance, nurses, GPs, visitors must adhere to all policies and procedures set out by the management and follow all health and safety protocol. 1.4 identify tasks relating to health and safety that should not be carried out without special training Handling and administering medication/drugs/substances, especially harmful. Manual Handling Using hoists and slings Clinical waste disposal Cooking, food preparation Handling cleaning products, chemical substances 1.5 explain how to access additional support and  information relating to health and safety Speaking to the team leader/manager or by going on the internet and searching for the question you seek the answer for. You could read a book that covers that part of health and safety such as course workbooks. It can be attained by attending any training relating to health and safety, and as always information can be found in the companies policies and procedures. 2 Understand the use of risk-assessments in relation to health and safety 2.1 explain why it is important to assess health and safety hazards posed by the work setting or by particular activities It is important to assess health and safety hazards posed by the work setting or by a particular activity in order to prevent risk of injury to oneself, fellow colleagues and services users. 2.2 explain how and when to report potential health and safety risks that have been identified I would report any potential health and safety risks that have been identified immediately to my line manager both verbally and by written report if necessary. If there is an health and safety risk putting myself or anyone else in immediate danger then I would call 999 and ask for the appropriate emergency service, such as a fire. 2.3 explain how risk-assessment can help address dilemmas between rights and health and safety concerns Risk assessments can help address dilemmas between rights and health safety largely by making the individual, whether that be a service user or a member of staff aware of the risks that exist. For example if someone in a wheelchair who has a partial ability to walk is  feeling discriminated against by not being allowed to walk somewhere unassisted, (it might be wet floor inside or perhaps it could be icy outside) then explaining the reasons behind persuading the use of a wheelchair is for their own safety, and that it is not a decision that even rests in your hands, helps break the dilemma he/she had concerning his/her rights as an individual, and also serve his own health and safety needs. Because it makes the service user aware of the carers responsibilities, and the behind the risk assessments is to keep people safe and not to discriminate for any reason. 3 Understand procedures for responding to accidents and sudden illness 3.1 describe different types of accidents and sudden illness that may occur in own work setting Both service users within my work setting do not have the capability to recognise illness at its earliest occurrence or describe any ill feelings and therefore when the illness comes to show itself on skin, oral areas or eyes the illness can be at a serious stage. As well as everyday accidents such as tripping, falling, cutting oneself with a kitchen knife etc. there are specialised equipment such as hoists that could malfunction during the moving of a service user with possible harm to the service user and staff. 3.2 outline the procedures to be followed if an accident or sudden illness should occur Firstly I must deal with the accident or illness with an appropriate response level. If there has been a loss of limb, head wound, loss of consciousness or loss of breath I will call 999. If there is no immediate risk to life I will call the GP or district nurse and describe the situation clearly allowing them to give guidance on the situation. If the accident is minor and can be resolved by myself immediately such as applying a plaster I must do so. In the occurrence of any serious illness or accident I must record it in the appropriate file clearly stating what occurred and what actions I took and then sign and date it. 5 Be able to move and handle equipment and other objects safely 5.1 identify legislation that relates to moving and handling Manual Handling Operations Regulations, which governs how people manually handle objects and large items as well as people, and tries its best to ensure a safe method for every type of foreseeable movable object. Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, which makes injuries and accidents far less likely by making the workplace safe, and that when any injuries are incurred by staff or service users then it is reported and reasonable action is taken. 5.2 explain principles for moving and handling equipment and other objects safely Make sure the area in which the objects are being moved is clear of any trip hazards. Avoid any hazardous manual handling. Adhering to the requirements of any risk assessments in place. Check any equipment to be used is in good working order before using it. Use the equipment properly and safely, while adhering to the agreed ways of working. Using the proper techniques and methods of work, taught in manual handling course. 5.3 move and handle equipment or other objects safely I will demonstrate my competence of moving and handling equipment within the work setting. In my work setting I use both tracking and mobile hoists to move the service users between their beds, commodes, bath, wheelchairs and comfortable living-room chairs. Each service user also has a specialised bed which can be altered in height and resting positions. I confirm that the evidence listed above is my own work and was carried out under the conditions and context specified in the standards.

Both Charlotte Perkins Gilman and Kate Chopin

Both Charlotte Perkins Gilman and Kate Chopin give the reader a taste of what marriage must have been like and is still like for some. Both the narrator in Gilman’s â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† and Mrs. Mallard in â€Å"Story of an Hour† are repressed wives. The society they live in and gender roles contribute to their repressed states. Both Chopin and Gilman write of women’s’ issues in many of their works and explore the roles and lives of women but in very different ways. Both authors show us women who feel very trapped and do not have control of even the most obvious aspects of their lives.Freedom is achieved in very unconventional ways in both these stories, but the kind of freedom these narrators achieve is not available to most women of the time. In Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper,† the narrator, who significantly is never named, is significantly repressed by her husband. Her husband is a doctor who is at bes t patronizing and at worst demeaning to her For example, â€Å"John laughs at me, of course, but one expects that in marriage† (Gilman). This quote is included to make the reader question this relationship.Were women supposed to be laughed at in marriage? Another example of this would be â€Å"Then he took me in his arms and called me a blessed little goose† (Gilman). Again, her husband is patronizing her. It is not that she doesn’t love her husband or even that he doesn’t love her. It is simply that this is the way marriage is expected to be. She must bend to his every whim and do exactly what he tells her. She doesn’t even have control of her own body or her own medical treatment in this story. Her husband is a man and a doctor, both of which make him â€Å"right.† The reader infers that the narrator has recently had a baby and is suffering from post-partum depression, which is undiagnosed at the time Gilman writes. Her husband John has ta ken her to a vacation home/mental health facility for the summer. She has no say in this decision but is only told to rest and recover. When she wants to go visit her cousins Henry and Julia, she is again turned down. Her husband really plays more of a parental role with her. Eventually she begins to peel the wallpaper to give her something to do, and she sees a woman trapped behind the wallpaper. This woman represents her.She is trapped in this house, in this life—only she has no one to help her escape. She sets about freeing this woman; only when she does, she suddenly becomes the woman. The narrator says, â€Å"I've got out at last,† said I, â€Å"in spite of you and Jane! And I've pulled off most of the paper, so you can't put me back! † (Gilman) Significantly, she has escaped although she has lost her sanity as well. Charlotte Perkins-Gilman herself tells us why she wrote this story, and that is to stop women from going crazy. Women need to free themselves from the bonds of men. In â€Å"Story of an Hour,† Kate Chopin’s narrator seems like a typical wife.Her husband has gone on a hunting trip, and when she gets news of his death, she is at first very sad. Then she begins to understand the ramifications of him being gone, the idea that she can now live for herself, and she celebrates. â€Å"She said it over and over under her breath: â€Å"free, free, free! † (Chopin) The narrator realizes exactly what her husband’s death means. â€Å"There would be no one to live for during those coming years; she would live for herself. There would be no powerful will bending hers in that blind persistence with which men and women believe they have a right to impose a private will upon a fellow-creature.† (Chopin) However, this celebration is brief because she then gets news that in fact, her husband is still alive. She dies of heart failure. Everyone believes that she has died from â€Å"the joy that kills,† (Chopin), but the reader knows that she has died over the unpleasant shock that her husband is still alive. Kate Chopin, of course, is implying for us that â€Å"real happiness cannot exist without the necessary conditions of freedom and equality. † While Mrs. Mallard has not been miserable in her marriage, nor did she spend her time thinking about whether her marriage was happy, she has now had a glimpse of what her life would be like alone.She loved the thought and was excited about facing life alone. The reader understands that while the narrator did not necessarily know it at the time, she was still repressed by her marriage and that constant bending of her will to another human being. Both of these authors provide us with a realistic picture of what marriage could and can be like. They are repressed and trapped in their relationships, but each author shows us a different way out. In Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper,† ironically the na rrator escapes through insanity.She frees the woman in the wallpaper, thereby freeing herself of societal expectations. In Kate Chopin’s â€Å"Story of an Hour,† the narrator first escapes through the death of her husband and then through her own death. It isn’t that she doesn’t love her husband. She does experience momentary grief, but through her grief and fear, she gets a glimpse of what her future could look like. She understands that she will finally be able to live for herself. So, when she finds out her husband is alive, she dies of a heart attack. How sad it is that these women can escape in no other ways.Both Gilman and Chopin were masters at allowing the reader to see the way that women were repressed in their society. We don’t hate the men; we just wish women did not have to be so subservient. Works Cited Chopin, Kate. â€Å"The Story of an Hour,† http://classiclit. about. com/library/bl- etexts/kchopin/bl-kchop-story. htm Esch, S tacy Tartar. http://brainstorm-services. com/wcu-2005/poe-story-hour. html 2001-2005. Accessed March 18, 2007. Gilman, Charlotte Perkins. â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper,† http://classiclit. about. com/library/bl-etexts/cpgilman/bl-cpgilman-yellowwall. htm

Mohammed Morsi Essay

The Muslim Brotherhood’s Mohammed Morsi has become Egypt’s first freely elected president after a delayed announcement of the results of last weekend’s runoff. He beat former Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq by more than almost 900,000 votes. Morsi secured 51.7% of the vote, compared to 48% for Shafiq. Mohammed Morsi heads the Freedom and Justice Party (FJP), the Muslim Brotherhood’s political arm. Mubarak appointed Shafik as prime minister in response to the protests against his regime. Shafik resigned a little more than a month later amid protests decrying him as a holdover from a discredited, ousted regime. Supports the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF): â€Å"SCAF is serious about power handover and is seeking to achieve the goals of the revolution. SCAF stands at an equal distance from all political and religious powers.† Parliamentary elections: the Muslim Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice party seems set to emerge as the biggest winner, with some analysts estimating it will capture about 40% of seats in the new legislature. Al-Nour, a more conservative Salafist party, looks likely to secure second place. The Muslim Brotherhood (known in Arabic as al-Ikhwan al-Muslimeen) is Egypt’s oldest and largest Islamist organization. As the most organized opposition group following the ouster of former President Hosni Mubarak in 2011, the Brotherhood became the country’s dominant political force, winning a near majority of seats in the post-revolution parliament, and its candidate, Mohammed Morsi, winning the presidency. Some Egyptians are concerned over the group’s aim to establish a state ruled by sharia, or Islamic law, and ambiguity over its respect for human rights. Such concerns intensified after Morsi announced new sweeping powers for the presidency in late 2012 and a draft of theproposed constitution was published. The domestic political challenges also provide a difficult road for U.S.-Egypt relations, especially with regards to foreign aid. The Freedom and Justice Party (FJP), the political party of the Muslim Brotherhood, could not have come into being without the 25 January revolution. Up to that time, the Muslim Brotherhood (MB), Egypt’s most powerful Islamist organization, was not only denied the right to form parties, but also barred – at least legally – from political life. As a result, the group had to pay a heavy price in detentions and repression to practice politics under the rule of former President Hosni Mubarak. The group had been trying to get a foothold in the country’s political arena for decades but was met with entrenched opposition by the Mubarak regime, which tended to accommodate the Brotherhood, but only within strict limits. Now, after the 25 January uprising, the group’s political ambitions have resurged on an unprecedented scale. Officially founded in May 2011, the FJP says that it is committed to a modern state, democracy, women’s rights, and national unity. The FJP’s initial membership of nearly nine thousand included one thousand women and one hundred Copts. New members are subject to a probationary period of six months after which, and based on their performance record, they become eligible for permanent membership. The FJP—along with the Salafist Al-Nour—is among a very few Egyptian political parties that issue probationary membership Formed alliance with name of Democratic Alliance (Freedom and Justice) Al-Nour Party Established in the wake of the 25 January uprising, Al-Nour (â€Å"The Light†) Party is the largest of Egypt’s three licensed Salafist parties (the other two being Al-Asala and Al-Fadila Parties). It was established by Al-Da‘wa Al-Salafiyya (â€Å"The Salafist Call†), Egypt’s largest Salafist group, commonly known as Al-Daawa Movement. Al-Daawa started in Alexandria where it now enjoys a considerable following. Al-Nour Party was officially licensed in June 2011. Official registration is of paramount importance in Egypt at the present time, as the current election law limits the right to contest two-thirds of the seats of the upcoming parliament to a limited number of officially registered parties, including Al-Nour. Under the rule of former President Hosni Mubarak, the state generally did not allow for the formation of Islamist parties, but after the revolution many Islamist groups managed  to obtain official political party license. The Islamist Bloc is an electoral coalition formed by three Islamist political parties with the aim to integrate their efforts in the upcoming parliamentary elections. The Islamist Bloc is comprised of the Salafist Al-Nour and Al-Asala Parties, as well as the Building and Development Party, the latter of which was founded by the Islamic Group (Al-Gamaa Al-Islamiya). Wafad party: Wafd Party is one of Egypt’s oldest liberal parties and is expected to play a significant role in the upcoming elections. With deposed President Hosni Mubarak’s ruling party officially disbanded, Wafd has emerged as an influential player in the political arena. The party commands the largest network that any political party in Egypt possesses today, covering major cities in twenty-four out of twenty-six Egyptian governorates. With a distinguished group of top Egyptian businessmen on its membership list, Al-Wafd stands out as one of the few established parties that do not face the same financial constraints that have historically challenged many of the country’s political parties. The party also enjoys a very strong presence in the media, thanks to its famous daily newspaper, its Internet portal, and a professional, well-equipped media department. Additionally, Wafd’s current leader Al-Sayed Al-Badawi is owner of Al-Hayat, one of Egypt’s top five television channels. Such are luxuries that very few Egyptian parties possess. Wafd’s history dates back to the beginning of party life under the monarchy, making it the oldest among existing Egyptian political parties. The name of the party is Arabic for â€Å"The Delegation,† and it references Saad Zaghloul’s attempt in 1919 to lead a popular delegation to the post-World War I Paris Peace Conference to demand independence for Egypt against the will of British occupation authorities. Threatened by the immense popular support that Zaghloul was able to garner for his mission, British authorities exiled the Egyptian nationalist leader along with members of the prospective delegation to Malta. This move instigated a mass uprising, which led to the 1919 Revolution. The Egyptian Bloc: The Egyptian Bloc consists of the Free Egyptians Party, the Egyptian Social Democratic Party and Al-Tagammu Party. The Bloc is often portrayed as a â€Å"secular-leaning† alliance that seeks to counterbalance the influence of the Muslim Brotherhoodin the upcoming elections, specifically the Brotherhood led Democratic Alliance’s electoral coalition. Members of the Bloc announced in early November that their partnership is not simply a short-term electoral coalition, but encompasses a long-term political alliance aimed at turning Egypt into a civil democratic state. Magdi Abdelhad:iMiddle East analyst The Islamists’ rise to power in Egypt will send shockwaves through the courts and palaces of conservative Arab kings and presidents who have tried for decades to put the lid on political Islam. But foremost among Egypt’s neighbours who watched the brotherhood’s success with increasing alarm is Israel. Cairo was the first Arab state to sign a peace treaty with Israel and the brotherhood has traditionally been vehemently opposed to that. But its opposition has softened over the years – at least publicly. It is widely believed that the Muslim Brotherhood have reassured Washington that an Islamist government in Egypt would respect the peace deal with Israel. Given also that the ruling military council will continue to have the final say on matters of war and peace, it is unlikely that the brotherhood can put that peace at risk. It is also more likely that Mr Mursi’s immediate priority will be to concentrate on Egypt’s many daunting domestic problems including rampant poverty and unemployment. Debating leaders: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/21/opinion/21iht-edzewail21.html?pagewanted=all From the time of Ramses II, the strong pharaoh who ruled Egypt thousands of years ago, until last year when Hosni Mubarak’s reign ended, Egyptians were never able to witness a debate over who should take over the democratic reins in the highest office of the land. Our new culture of debate, together with the election of the Parliament last December, are milestones in the history of the nation, paving a new, but rocky, path toward democracy. The open debate between the secular and religious orientations of politics was  unthinkable over the past 60 years. This new openness means the Egyptian body politic is maturing. In the end, Egyptians know that, for the first time, they can choose their future. It won’t be dictated or imposed by anyone. Army protected revo: Unlike in nearby Syria or earlier in Libya, the Egyptian Army has taken the high road and protected the revolution in its infancy. And it has been the guardian of these unprecedented transparent elections. Problems: Among the most serious problems are economic hardship, the uncertainty of the political climate and the deterioration of security — a feature that Egyptian society faces anew. These problems have been compounded over the past 15 months as each of the three main constituencies involved in the revolution — the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF), which is in charge of the transition period; the politically liberal as well as Islamic-oriented parties; and the youth who triggered the uprising — have stumbled in one way or another. Little bloodshed: It is a hopeful sign indeed that we Egyptians are still marching forward toward democracy with relatively little bloodshed. All signs indicate that a counterrevolution is not in store for Egypt. We will not turn back to a totalitarian governing system. Perhaps the most encouraging of all is the confidence of Egyptians in their future. In Egypt, a Victory for Democracy but Fear for the Future: http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2012-06-25/in-egypt-a-victory-for-democracy-but-fear-for-the-future â€Å"So many questions remain unanswered that what can best be said is that either SCAF and the Brotherhood have worked out a deal of some sort or the political jousting has only just begun,† wrote Issandr El Amrani, a popular blogger on Egyptian politics. â€Å"Both the Brothers and  SCAF have positioned themselves in a manner in which backing down from their respective positions on the question of parliament and the Supplemental Constitutional Declaration would be a loss of face.† Tensions ran high for two weeks, when the SCAF assumed legislative responsibilities after shutting down the Islamist-controlled Parliament, announced a Supplemental Constitutional Declaration that drastically reduced presidential powers, and gave themselves the ability to veto articles of drafts of Egypt’s new constitution. They also reintroduced martial law, allowing soldiers to arrest civilians. Critics called their actions a soft coup. The Muslim Brotherhood, the most powerful political player in Egypt, has on the surface refused to accept any of these decisions, staging a sit-in in Tahrir Square and issuing aggressive statements to the media, all the while vowing to pressure the military government to rescind their declarations. It was a rare move, as the pragmatic group is more generally known for cutting deals with the regime rather than going toe-to-toe. Last week, with the possibility of a victory by Ahmed Shafiq, the other candidate in the run-off election who is widely viewed as aligned with the military, the Brotherhood showed a willingness to work with the revolutionary groups it had mostly ignored since the uprising against Mubarak. Morsi pledged to form a national salvation government to include secular politicians, Christians, and women. â€Å"The big question is: Can they build a broader, more inclusive front that can effectively challenge SCAF’s grip on power?† asks Shadi Hamid, director of research at the Brookings Doha Center. â€Å"Now that fear [of Shafiq’s victory] has passed, is there still enough that binds [the opposition groups] together? I do think the Brotherhood has at least implicitly acknowledged the mistakes of recent months and they have tried to strike a more conciliatory tone, and the recognition that they can’t do this alone because they are fighting a very challenging adversary: SCAF and the old regime.† To add to the challenges of running a country with a crumbling economy, President Morsi won with a narrow margin, garnering 51.7 percent of the vote. He had promised to be the president of all Egyptians during his first address to the nation Sunday night . â€Å"The game was being played almost like a game of poker on both sides,† says Hani Shukrallah, managing editor of the English-language online version of the Al Ahramnewspaper. â€Å"If we have reached a compromise, that’s a bit helpful for healing the deep schisms  [within] society. We have a society that’s been split down the middle, with enormous polarization. Most of the people who voted for Morsi did so out of dread [of] Shafiq.† On a side street leading to Tahrir Square on Sunday night, Ehab El Shawi led his three children to the epicenter of the celebration in the birthplace of Egypt’s uprising. Like many, he was caught between rejoicing at the idea of a new president and the reality of the office’s lack of power. â€Å"This is the first time all Egyptian people made a choice in 7,000 years to elect a normal Egyptian citizen. This is the first time we have freedom in more than 60 years,† El Shawi said happily of the first non-military president in Egypt’s history. â€Å"But we have to change all the decisions taken during the presidential elections and force the powers to ensure Dr.Morsi will have all the power to make Egypt a modern country,† he added. â€Å"We still need to take Egypt back from the old regime. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. Timeline: Anti-Mubarak protests 2010 February – Former UN nuclear chief Mohammed ElBaradei returns to Egypt and, together with opposition figures and activists, forms a coalition for political change. ElBaradei says he might run in presidential election scheduled for 2011. 2010 March – President Mubarak undergoes gall-bladder surgery in Germany, returning to Egypt three weeks later. 2010 June – Muslim Brotherhood fails to win any seats in elections to the Shura consultative upper house of parliament; alleges vote was rigged. 2010 November – Coptic Christians clash with police in Giza over construction of church. Parliamentary polls, followed by protests against alleged vote rigging. Muslim Brotherhood fails to win a single seat, though it held a fifth of the places in the last parliament. 2011 January – 21 killed in bomb at church in Alexandria where Christians had gathered to mark the New Year. Anti-government demonstrations, apparently encouraged by Tunisian street protests whic h prompted sudden departure of President Ben Ali. President Mubarak reshuffles his cabinet but fails to placate demonstrators, whose calls for his resignation grow louder. Days later he promises to step down in September. 2011 February – President Mubarak steps down and hands power  to the army council. 2011 March – Egyptians approve package of constitutional reforms aimed at paving the way for new elections. 2011 April – Former President Mubarak and his sons, Ala and Gamal, are arrested on suspicion of corruption. 2011 April-August – Protests continue in Cairo’s Tahrir Square over slow pace of political change. Islamist groups come to the fore. Army finally disperses protestors in August. 2011 August – Former President Mubarak goes on trial in Cairo, charged with ordering the killing of demonstrators earlier in the year. 2011 October – Clashes between Coptic Christians and security forces kill 24 people. Egypt and Israel swap 25 Egyptians in Israeli custody for a US-Israeli citizen accused of spying. 2011 November – Violence in Cairo’s Tahrir square as security forces clash with protesters accusing the military of trying to keep their grip on power. Prime Minister EssamSharaf resigns in response to the unrest. Start of parliamentary elections. 2011 December – National unity government headed by new Prime Minister Kamal al-Ganzouri takes office. 2012 January – Islamist parties emerge as victors of drawn-out parliamentary elections. 2012 March – Pope Shenouda III, the veteran head of the Coptic Church, dies. 2012 April – Crisis in relations with Saudi Arabia over the Saudi detention of an Egyptian lawyer briefly threatens the substantial aid that the Saudis provide Egypt. First free presidential poll 2012 May – Muslim Brotherhood candidate Mohammed Mursi tops the first round of voting in first free presidential elections, narrowly ahead of Mubarak-era prime minister Ahmed Shafiq. Official media put turnout at a low 43%. Military leaders announce the end of the state of emergency in place since Anwar al-Sadat’s assassination in 1981, as its last renewal expires. 2012 June – Muslim Brotherhood candidate Mohammed Mursi narrowly wins presidential election.Armyvs civilian rule Court sentences ex-President Mubarak to life in prison for complicity in the killing of protesters during the 2011 uprising. 2012 July – President Mursi submits to a Supreme Court ruling that the parliamentary elections were invalid, after initially ordering parliament to meet in defiance of a military decree dissolving it in June. 2012 August – New prime ministerHishamQandil appoints a cabinet dominated by figures from the outgoing government, technocrats and Islamists, to the exclusion of secular parties. Islamist fighters attack an  army outpost in Sinai, killing 16 soldiers, and mount a brief incursion into Israel, highlighting the tenuousness of government control over the largely-lawless area. President Mursi dismisses Defence Minister Tantawi and Chief of Staff Sami Annan and strips military of say in legislation and drafting the new constitution. 2012 September – Egypt kills 32 militants and destroys 31 smuggling tunnels to Gaza in an offensive against militants who attacked troops in Sinai in August. 2012 November – Bishop Tawadros is chosen as the new pope of Egypt’s Coptic Christians. President Mursi issues a decree giving himself extensive new powers. The decree sparks angry demonstrations and is condemned by Egypt’s top judges, who accuse him of undermining the independence of the judiciary. The Islamist-dominated constituent assembly tasked with writing a new constitution approves all 234 articles of the draft constitution, which boosts the role of Islam in Egypt’s system of government. The assembly session is boycotted by liberal, left-wing and Christian members. The vote is held earlier than originally scheduled, after Egypt’s constitutional court threatened to dissolve the constituent assembly. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-13315719 †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ http://www.brookings.edu/research/reports/2012/01/23-egypt-indyk Prospects for Democracy in Egypt: There’s a conventional wisdom in the United States that Arabs are incapable of sustaining a true Western-style, liberal democracy. It will take them hundreds of years to acquire a â€Å"democratic culture,† the argument goes. And in the meantime new authoritarian regimes — either Islamist or military — will replace the ones that have been overthrown in the past year and give us all a lesson in â€Å"Arab democracy.† Advocates of this view were the first to announce, with all-knowing smiles, that the Arab Spring had become an Arab Winter. When Islamist parties won free and mostly fair elections in Tunisia, Egypt and Morocco in recent months, the proponents of this view had an â€Å"I told you so† moment and they were quick to denounce anybody who said otherwise as hopelessly naive. After a prolonged hibernation, politics has broken out in Cairo, the capital of the Arab Awakenings. For the first time in six decades people are acquiring a taste for freedom and, yes, Western-style democratic politics. The issues they debate so vigorously are critical to the shape of Egypt’s democratic future: What will be the residual powers of the Egyptian military? What’s the best model for dividing powers between the Presidency and the Parliament? What revisions should be made to the Constitution to ensure democratic rule? At the same time, the newly-elected parties are busy engaging in the horse-trading necessary to coalition politics, since no one party gained a majority (the Muslim Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice Party won around 47 percent of the vote; the Salafi Al-Nour Party won 25 percent, and a variety of liberal parties won the rest.). We were treated to an amazing sight: Salafi religious purists attempting to negotiate an alliance with liberal secularists. How did they justify such a pragmatic deal? The enemy of my enemy is my friend, one of them explained to us. They can both agree on a short-term political agenda: countering the influence of the Muslim Brotherhood and getting the army out of politics. And what about the imposition of Sharia law? The leader of the Salafi Al-Nour Party noted that his party is comfortable with the conservative nature of Egyptian society so a campaign to impose sharia law is unnecessary. They can be satisfied (at least for the time being) with the existing language of Article 2 of the Constitution which states that the â€Å"principles† of Islamic shariah will guide the state. This kind of pragmatic politics is deeply disturbing to the â€Å"Costa Salafis† — a young generation of Salafis whose makeshift headquarters is in a Costa cafe. They denounce their elders not so much for being willing to compromise, which they readily accept as part of the new politics, but of failing to articulate through â€Å"fatwas† the religious basis for those compromises. It’s as if the Salafi leadership, propelled onto the political stage for the first time, has become unplugged and feels able to do whatever is necessary in the political realm to protect its community of social  conservatives. They reminded me of the religious parties in Israel! Meanwhile, the Muslim Brotherhood is busy making its own compromises with the military and with other liberal parties that would enable its Freedom and Justice Party to build a governing and empowered coalition (at the moment, they can control the parliament but until its powers are defined in the constitution and the military hands over power, they cannot control the government). Whereas the Salafis are looking to constrain the Muslim Brotherhood, the MB is focused on how to ease fears of its intentions. After operating for eighty years in the political wilderness, the MB has learned just how fragile this moment could turn out to be. That’s why its leadership is more willing to compromise with the military than the other parties to its left and right. Consequently, the other parties fear that the MB will sell them out to the military in some sweetheart deal that compromises the revolution and their abilities to use democratic rules of the game to constrain the MB and hold the military accountable. This tension will likely manifest itself in the massive demonstrations that are expected on January 25 in Tahrir Square to commemorate the first anniversary of the Revolution. The military and the MB have called for a celebration, complete with party balloons and patriotic songs. Youth activists and some liberal parties, particularly exercised by the eighty some demonstrators who were killed by the police and the army in crackdowns in November and December last year, are calling for a demonstration against military rule. Some of the far-left revolutionary youth are calling for a campaign of violence. The way the January 25 demonstrations play out will be only one of the ways in which â€Å"square politics† and â€Å"party politics† interact in Egypt’s newly dynamic democracy. All the parties feel that they can claim legitimacy from the people’s mandates that they have received in the elections. This empowers them to stand up to the military in demanding that it leave the political arena promptly and allow Egyptian democracy to have its day. If the military focuses only on protecting its narrow interests (e.g., retaining its business interests, claiming immunity from prosecution for  past actions, demanding only responsibility for protecting the state’s borders), then a reasonable compromise can be fashioned. However, if the military insists on specifying reserve powers in the constitution and protecting its budget from civilian oversight, then the people know the way back to Tahrir Square. As one newly-elected parliamentarian put it: â€Å"We are legitimate now; the army is not.† And what about the Israel-Egypt Peace Treaty? We didn’t raise the issue — they did. It came up in most conversations in the following way: â€Å"We have been elected by the people. We’re responsible to them. The people want stability, above all. They want the police back in the streets and calm and predictability restored to their daily lives. We don’t like the way Israel treats the Palestinians. We don’t like the price that Israel pays for Egyptian gas. But we’re not going to mess with the peace treaty.† That sentiment is so widely shared that one of the heads of the Muslim Brotherhood could declare to the New York Times last week that the peace treaty is a â€Å"commitment of the state,† and therefore will be respected. The sense of responsibility that rests on the shoulders of those who would govern 87 million people is palpable. They know the severe economic straits that they will have to confront. They know that neither tourists nor foreign investment will return to Egypt unless there is a clear commitment to stability. And they know the people will not forgive them if they fail to address their basic needs for order, jobs and housing. In short, newly-elected Egyptian politicians — the Muslim Brotherhood first and foremost — understand that they have to make a choice between feeding the people and fighting Israel, and for the time being they have made a conscious choice of bread over bombs. The fact that Palestine is not a priority for the Egyptian people has been manifest since the early days of the revolution. It was underscored for me during a lecture I gave at the American University in Cairo, just off Tahrir Square. A Palestinian student, draped in a Palestinian flag, stood with a makeshift banner in silent protest at the front of the hall. Despite this prominent reminder, during the ensuing ninety-minute Q&A session with  students and journalists no-one asked a question about Palestine. To be sure, there’s always the risk that populist politicians will outbid each other in their demagoguery on the Palestinian issue, especially if Israeli-Palestinian violence flares. But Israel is particularly sensitive to this possibility and the Muslim Brotherhood is apparently signaling its Hamas branch to keep things quiet too. (With 350 trucks a day passing from Israel into Gaza, and smuggling of weapons through the tunnels continuing apace, Hamas has its own reasons for maintaining the current de facto ceasefire with Israel.) What was perhaps most striking to me, however, was the attitude of the new political class to the United States. I had expected to encounter hostility — after all the United States had been Mubarak’s staunch ally through the three decades of his Pharaohnic rule. I had assumed that the Islamist politicians in particular would be antagonistic towards American influence in post-revolutionary Egypt, just as the Iranian clerics have manifested intense antagonism towards the United States since their revolution. Yet Egypt’s Islamists all seemed keen to engage with the United States government. The Muslim Brotherhood was trying to understand President Obama’s intentions in demanding that the military hand over power to civilian (i.e. Muslim Brotherhood) rule, â€Å"expeditiously.† They weren’t sure how to deal with the fact that Bill Burns, the Deputy Secretary of State, had just met with their leadership. But one thing they were very certain about — they need U.S. economic assistance and U.S. help in mobilizing international assistance. They were therefore quite anxious to know how Congress would treat them. Because of this new U.S. Government engagement with their arch-rivals, the Salafis too are seeking American recognition. Their leaders are keen to come to Washington to explain their intentions. They even appear willing to engage with Israel to establish their bona fides — one of their leaders recently gave an interview to Israeli Army Radio.