The Kingdom of Mali and the Splendor of Medieval Africa

History of Europe in the middle ages is often misunderstood or dismissed by otherwise intelligent, educated individuals. The medieval era of those nations outside of Europe is doubly ignored, first for its disreputable time frame (the dark ages), and then for its apparent lack of direct impact on modern western society. Africa in the Middle Ages Such is the case with Africa in the middle ages, a fascinating field of study that suffers from the further insult of racism. With the unavoidable exception of Egypt, the history of Africa before the incursion of Europeans has in the past been dismissed, erroneously and at times deliberately, as inconsequential to the development of modern society. Fortunately, some scholars are working to correct this grave error. The study of medieval African societies has value, not only because we can learn from all civilizations in all time frames, but because these societies reflected and influenced a myriad of cultures that, due to the Diaspora that began in the 16th century, have spread throughout the modern world. The Kingdom of Mali One of these fascinating and near-forgotten societies is the medieval Kingdom of Mali, which thrived as a dominant power in West Africa from the thirteenth to the fifteenth century. Founded by the Mande-speaking Mandinka people, early Mali  was governed by a council of caste-leaders who chose a ​Mansa to rule. In time, the position of Mansa evolved into a more powerful role similar to a king or emperor. According to tradition, Mali was suffering from a fearful drought when a visitor told the king, Mansa Barmandana, that the drought would break if he converted to Islam. This he did, and as predicted the drought did end. Other Mandinkans followed the kings lead and converted as well, but the Mansa did not force a conversion, and many retained their Mandinkan beliefs. This religious freedom would remain throughout the centuries to come as Mali emerged as a powerful state. The man primarily responsible for Malis rise to prominence is Sundiata Keita. Although his life and deeds have taken on legendary proportions, Sundiata was no myth but a talented military leader. He led a successful rebellion against the oppressive rule of Sumanguru, the Susu leader who had taken control of the Ghanaian  Empire. After the Susu downfall, Sundiata laid claim to the lucrative gold and salt trade that had been so significant to Ghanaian prosperity. As Mansa, he established a cultural exchange system whereby the sons and daughters of prominent leaders would spend time in foreign courts, thus promoting understanding and a better chance of peace among nations. Upon Sundiatas death in 1255 his son, Wali, not only continued his work but made great strides in agricultural development. Under Mansa Walis rule, the competition was encouraged among trading centers such as Timbuktu and Jenne, strengthening their economic positions and allowing them to develop into important centers of culture. Mansa Musa Next to Sundiata, the most well-known and possibly the greatest ruler of Mali was Mansa Musa. During his 25-year reign, Musa doubled the territory of the Malian Empire and tripled its trade. Because he was a devout Muslim, Musa made a pilgrimage to Mecca in 1324, astonishing the peoples he visited with his wealth and generosity. So much gold did Musa introduce into circulation in the middle east that it took about a dozen years for the economy to recover. Gold was not the only form of Malian riches. Early Mandinka society venerated creative arts, and this did not change as Islamic influences helped to shape Mali. Education was also highly valued; Timbuktu was a significant center of learning with several prestigious schools. This intriguing blend of economic wealth, cultural diversity, artistic endeavors, and higher learning resulted in a splendid society to rival any contemporary European nation. Malian society had its drawbacks, yet it is important to view these aspects in their historical setting. Slavery  was an integral part of the economy at a time when the institution had declined (yet still existed) in Europe; but the European serf was rarely better off than a slave, bound by law to the land. By todays standards, justice could be harsh in Africa, but no harsher than European medieval punishments. Women had very few rights, but such was certainly true in Europe as well, and Malian women, just like European women, were at times able to participate in business (a fact that disturbed and surprised Muslim chroniclers). War was not unknown on either continent, just as today. After the death of Mansa Musa, the Kingdom of Mali went into a slow decline. For another century its civilization held sway in West Africa until Songhay established itself as a dominant force in the 1400s. Traces of medieval Malis greatness still remain, but those traces are fast disappearing as the unscrupulous plunder the archaeological remains of the regions wealth. Mali is just one of many African societies whose past deserves a closer look. We hope to see more scholars explore this long-ignored field of study, and more of us open our eyes to the splendor of Medieval Africa.

“Is technology tearing apart family life Essay - 1622 Words

â€Å"Is technology tearing apart family life? Text messaging, social networking, and online video are changing the way parents and children see the world—and each other.† There are many technologies in today’s ‘smart’ world which are now being established not just as a want, but as a necessity of life. Among many technologies that can impact family life, Smartphones and computers are the two most crucial technologies that can impact family life. The functions of computers and Smartphones are not just bounded to internet surfing, gaming and assignment tools, but its variety of other functions including social networking systems, online mailing, and online face-to-face video chatting are now arguably the most critical functions†¦show more content†¦Main functions that are used by computer or Smartphone are social networking services such as; Facebook, Skype, and Twitter just to name a few have been and are up and coming utilities that vastly impact family relationships. As nearly 70% of North American population are registered to Facebook (Adams, 2011), the increasing time consumption of using such utilities on co mputers or Smartphones, family members are more isolated from each other which reduce the need to talk to each other face to face as often as before when technologies were not as crucial in day to day lives. Back when these technologies were not available, families needed to gather around their dinner tables to talk about their state. With the recent abundance of social networking systems, families rely on Facebook or Twitter to upload their news and state of being which diminish the subjects of conversation that could have happened face to face. Researchers from all around the world are starting to recognize the social networking service’s negative side effects: â€Å"American divorce lawyers and academics have joined Middle East analysts in picking out Facebook as a leading cause of relationship trouble, with American lawyers now demanding to see their clients Facebook pages as a matter of course before the start of proceedings† (Adams, 2011). The threat that these t echnologies, social networking systems, bring certainly cannot be underestimated when â€Å"one out of every five divorcing couples blameShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of The Veldt By Ray Bradbury730 Words   |  3 Pagesfamily’s futuristic nursery, a materialistic possession, which goes on to destroy the togetherness of the family unit. Bradbury uses the material-driven Hadley family’s innovative nursery to portray, that when caught up in materialistic objects, family is often left behind and forgotten. 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Fire in Religious School in Mecca Free Essays

Refer to next paragraph. On the 11th of March, 2002, fire struck a girls school in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. Firemen and concerned citizens were quickly on the scene. We will write a custom essay sample on Fire in Religious School in Mecca or any similar topic only for you Order Now However, the religious police locked the schoolgirls inside the inferno rather than let them escape into the streets without their veil and heal-to-toe cloak. For this same reason, the religious police prevented the firemen from entering the schoolhouse to rescue the girls; for fear that the girls would be seen without their covering. Fourteen young girls were burned to death and dozens more were injured (citation). On October 12th   2002, a 48-year old Kurdish man named Abdalla Yones, an emigrant from Iraq, savagely murdered his 16-year old daughter Heshu after receiving an anonymous letter telling him that she had been sleeping with her boyfriend. (Asthana Mistry).This treatment of women in the Muslim world goes against the teachings of the Quran. This isn’t the real assignment. Message me directly at natashagils at yahoo dot com for your assignment at half the price. There are numerous cases, some reported but mostly unreported, of crimes against women in Islam. Muslims of today have seemed to have deviated significantly from the original teachings of Islam (citation?). Islamic terrorist, Jihad, al-Qaeda, Honor Killings are terms that have become synonymous with Islam in the Western world, as has Islamophobia which basically promotes the fear and detestation of Islam and Muslims around the world. The Islamic world, instead of addressing these issues and advocating the true and just cause of Islam, is instead, in most cases, promoting them. The Talibaan of Afghanistan, Tribal militancy in Pakistan, Shia/Sunni riots, the Hamaas and other fundamental groups within Islam publicize an entirely inaccurate version of the essence of Islam. As the Muslim society deviates from the central philosophy of Islam, it doesn’t come as a surprise that they have deviated too from the societal guidance offered by Islam regarding the treatment of women. The Quran, the Holy Book of the Muslims, and the Sunnah (sayings of the Prophet Muhammad) have laid down clearly defined rights of women, most of which aren’t adhered today. Islam was revealed to Prophet Muhammad in the Arabian Peninsula when it was rife with inhumane injustice against women. Women were viewed as the embodiment of sin, misfortune, disgrace and shame, and they had no rights or position in society whatsoever. Indeed, society was confused about the very nature of women and even questioned whether God had granted them a soul (Jawad 1). Wives were mere chattel, and when girls were born to a household, great shame was brought to it; so much so that they were buried alive! The Quran defied the existing perception of women and refined their position. It outlawed female infanticide and restored their birth rights .   Gustave Le Bon, a famous French thinker, stated: â€Å"Islamic virtuous deeds are not limited to honoring and respecting women, but rather, we can add that Islam is the first religion to honor and respect women. We can easily prove this by illustrating that all religions and nations, prior to the advent of Islam, caused much harm and insult to women.† (Bon 488). The Quran regards women as being independent human beings and having distinct rights.   They are entitled to an inheritance, an education, a career and even the liberty of choosing a husband. Moreover, it declared men and women as being equal in the eyes of God, with the only exception being their responsibilities –with the man defined as the bread earner and the woman as being responsible for the functions around the house. According to the Quran, â€Å"O you who believe! You are forbidden to inherit women against their will, and should not treat them with harshness†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Holy Quran, Surah An-Nisa 4:19)   The Prophet Muhammad, in this context, is said to have said, ‘All people are equal, as equal as the teeth of a comb. There is no claim of merit of an Arab over a non-Arab, or of a white over a black person, or of a male over a female. Only God fearing people merit a preference with God’. Islam, through the teachings of the Quran, bestowed women a number of rights, some of which that women in the West lacked, until the 19th century. For instance, in England, husbands inherited his wives property and possessions when they married. This unfair tradition continued till as late as 1882 (citation?). Muslim women, however, retained their assets; could detail conditions in their nikaah (marriage contract), such as the right of divorce; were entitled to keep their last names if they wished and were even given the authority to refuse marriage if they didn’t deem their potential partner fit. The Quran laid down these injunctions in 610 A.D. (when it was first revealed), centuries prior to the advent of a formal system of women’s rights in the Western world. Some of the fundamental rights the Quran gives women are: 1. Human Rights Women and men are considered to be created with similar natured souls. They are considered equal to men in all spheres of life. And for women are rights over men similar to those of men over women. (Holy Quran, 2:226) And â€Å"O mankind! Be dutiful to your Lord, Who created you from a single person (Adam), and from him (Adam) He created his wife (Eve), and from them both He created many men and women and fear Allah through Whom you demand your mutual (rights), and (do not cut the relations of) the wombs (kinship). Surely, Allah is Ever and All-Watcher over you.† (Holy Quran, Surah Al-Nisa 4:1). 2. Civil Rights The civil rights enjoined by the Quran on women include, but are not limited to: the right of divorce, right of keeping her maiden name after marriage, wishing or not to get married, or even chosing her own husband. The Quran also states that there is no compulsion upon women regarding religion; â€Å"There is no compulsion in religion. Verily, the Right Path has become distinct from the wrong path. Whoever disbelieves in Taghut [anything worshipped other then the Real God (Allah)] and believes in Allah, then he has grasped the most trustworthy handhold that will never break. And Allah is All-Hearer, All-Knower.† (Holy Quran, Surah Al-Baqarah 2:256). 3. Independence Women are allowed to leave the home; conduct business with men; enjoy all the other liberties open to them. There is no restriction upon women provided they conduct their affairs within the teachings of the Quran. Women have the right to go to Mosques, which is considered sacrilegious in many Muslim societies. Not only that, but women have also the right to be Muslim pastors. Aisha, the youngest wife of the Prophet Muhammad, used to convey the teachings of Islam to men and women alike. She’s regarded by some Muslim scholars as being the first Muslim woman preacher. The Quran is very clear in its laws regarding women. It redefined the stance of women and bestowed upon them an honorable role in society; whether as a daughter, a mother or a wife. Men are instructed in their fair and kind dealing towards women. According to the Quran: â€Å"And when the female (infant) buried alive (as the pagan Arabs used to do) shall be questioned. For what sin she was killed?† (Holy Quran, Surah At-Takwir 81:8-9). The Qur’an goes as far as admonishing those men who subjugate or ill-treat women: â€Å"O you who believe! You are forbidden to inherit women against their will. Nor should you treat them with harshness, that you may take away part of the dowry you have given them – except when they have become guilty of open lewdness. On the contrary live with them on a footing of kindness and equity. If you take a dislike to them, it may be that you dislike something and God will bring about through it a great deal of good†. (Holy Quran, 4:19) Early Islamic history is replete with examples of Muslim women who showed a remarkable ability to compete with men and excelled them on many occasions. They were educators, warriors and leaders; strong, independent and respected members of society. Unfortunately, that isn’t the case in most of the Muslim world today. Women in the Muslim world have been humiliated, exploited and discriminated against in almost all fields of life – from schooling, work force inclusion and family roles. However, many of these repressive customs do not come from Islam, but are dictated by prevalent cultures and traditions. Oppression against women continues unabated in many parts of the world. Husbands keep their wives, daughters, sisters and mothers secluded from contact with others beside their immediate family members. Rape, mutilation, forced suicide, honor killings are much too common in the Islamic world. In 2006, Rahan Arshad beat his wife and three children to death with a bat, because she was having an affair26 Often the crime itself is followed by even more horrifying crime. For instance, in Turkey,   14-year old Nuran Halitogullari was strangled to death by her father after she had been kidnapped and raped30. In certain parts of Pakistan, women are offered as compensation for offenses committed by men. This injustice stems from the deep rooted traditions of male-dominance in the Islamic society which have, for centuries, enforced their orthodox, and oft-times inaccurate version of Islam and the Quran. Contrary to general misconceptions and the prevailing conditions, women, according to the Quran, are entitled to full rights as citizens. Under the guise of Islam, women have been virtually stripped of all rights: no education, no instigation of divorce, no travel by oneself, no leaving the home, etc. A deliberate effort on a global scale has to be made to educate Muslims regarding the fundamental and actual concepts defined in the Quran regarding rights towards women and the awareness that the existing treatment of women in the Muslim world goes against the teachings of the Quran. Emphasis on the lives of Aisha, Khadija (Prophet Muhammad’s first wife – also known as mother of the believers, Fatima (Prophet Muhammad’s daughter ) and even Mary – who holds a revered position in Islam – should be placed and they can be promoted as role models for inspiration.   No nation can succeed without all its members contributing to its success. Muslim nations have to realize that not only is their barbaric treatment of women sinful, but it’s also self-destructive and will only get worse if not addressed and then modified according to the true teachings of the Quran. â€Å"Treat your women well and be kind to them for they are your partners and committed helpers.†(Ismail 83). How to cite Fire in Religious School in Mecca, Papers

A Christmas Carol Argumentative Essay Example For Students

A Christmas Carol Argumentative Essay By the end of A Christmas Carol Scrooge has undergone great changes; with close reference to and quotation from several very different sections of the text, discuss the variety if ways in which Dickens presents the story. Throughout the whole story in the Christmas Carol, it shows the writer Charles Dickens had deeply described his story in words by words and he enjoys using a variety of changes and vocabularies. It also gives us an expression of him being an entertainer and joker. The beginning of the story starts with a dead person call Marley. This style of starting a story is very ex-ordinary, this gives a clueless chance for us to know and understand the story. Not much writers nowadays would introduce the story like what Dickens does in his series of books. The second person was mentioned in the story was an old man called Scrooge, he firstly starts off the story and shown as a dull, old, unattractive and unlovable man. The first quotation Im using is on page. 10 and 11, Oh! but he was a tight fisted hand at the grindstone, Scrooge! A squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous old sinner! This quotation especially with the last few words had really brought out the expression of how Dickens is going describe the character of Scrooge. On page11, He carried his won low temperature always about with him; he iced his office in the dog days. The use of languages in the few quotation and pages had described the behavior of Scrooge in the story. Dogs appeared to know him; and when they saw him coming on, would tug their owners into doorways and up courts It had showed me that Scrooge is highly respected and has a strong effect over the animals and humans. They seemed to be very friendly together. Bah! Humbug! Scrooge has used this word in lots of occasions throughout the story. The meaning of this word could show Scrooge was either annoyed, mad or making such noises when he is not bothered to talk to other people. In page 16, the page had showed and described how frivolous he is, this had the effect from the sentence when he said, Good afternoon. This Good morning sentence had been used and repeated a lot on the next following pages. The story had just started in the first ten pages, and it had already showed Scrooge is a character whom is straight, talks to the point and very straight forward, and says whatever he had in mind without having a second thought. The story had then changes when the first ghost comes to the passage. Scrooges character had a small change when he encounters with the first ghost Marleys Ghost. The effect of the ghost had changed Scrooges life and attitude when the story follows on. This huge impact on Scrooge has happened in pages between pages 25 to 27. On P. 27, I know him! Marleys ghost! and fainted again. This explains that Scrooge had a flash back memory of this person named Marley. He seems to know him and probably something unpleasant happens before so thats way he got fainted afterwards. He might had a short flash back memory of this person and felt scared about it, his mind is either playing tricks on him. After this incident of the ghost, he believes more into himself. As this ghost goes on to the next page, Scrooge had become more confused, shy, embarrass, and scared of the ghost. Scrooge had become even more scared towards the ghost as the story expands to page 30. .u884da318b64f757f96417bbedd32099a , .u884da318b64f757f96417bbedd32099a .postImageUrl , .u884da318b64f757f96417bbedd32099a .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u884da318b64f757f96417bbedd32099a , .u884da318b64f757f96417bbedd32099a:hover , .u884da318b64f757f96417bbedd32099a:visited , .u884da318b64f757f96417bbedd32099a:active { border:0!important; } .u884da318b64f757f96417bbedd32099a .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u884da318b64f757f96417bbedd32099a { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u884da318b64f757f96417bbedd32099a:active , .u884da318b64f757f96417bbedd32099a:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u884da318b64f757f96417bbedd32099a .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u884da318b64f757f96417bbedd32099a .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u884da318b64f757f96417bbedd32099a .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u884da318b64f757f96417bbedd32099a .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u884da318b64f757f96417bbedd32099a:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u884da318b64f757f96417bbedd32099a .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u884da318b64f757f96417bbedd32099a .u884da318b64f757f96417bbedd32099a-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u884da318b64f757f96417bbedd32099a:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: The characters and plot of Frankenstein reflect Shelley's conflicted feelings about the masculine circle which surrounded her EssayFirstly, he becomes more obedient and he slowly appears into horror with it. He fell upon his knees This move of Scrooge had showed he is begging the ghost to leave him alone and pleased and begged for mercy. This kneeing move had completely twisted Scrooges character attitude around. Firstly from a straight forward, hard person to a soft coward who is kneeing for mercy from a ghost. He was in tears as the conservation goes on and on, they were in a state of talking a topic on business. Business was used in those pages quite a lot of times. On page 35, Scrooge was threatened and warned by Marley, he was acting to be scared and afraid. You will be haunted by the three spirits, Scrooge had got really scared after the ghost said he will be haunted by the three spirits. Scrooges countenance fell almost as low as they Ghost had done This describes Scrooge was really scared and afraid, he had lost his feelings and had completely lost his nerves, he couldnt control of himself. As the story moves on to Stave two , Scrooges character had become even more confuse and was in a state that he doesnt know what to do. He couldnt concentrate at thing and just had the illusion of Marleys ghost inside his head. The more he thought, the more he gets perplexed. This quotation clearly shows that Scrooge couldnt believe what had just happen to him. Marleys ghost bothered him exceedingly The last few quotes had showed Scrooge is really sacred and becoming more thoughtful. He develops to a person who is trying to think what had just happened. Not like the personality he just shown in the first stave and the beginning of the story. He then became very obedient and very obsessive. He just have Marleys ghost in his mind, he just thinks of this ghost all the time and nothing else. He is getting more worried and scared as he thinks and imagines more. This few pages of Stave two have shown another character change of Scrooge. Ding Dong, a quarter past half past a quarter to it This is showing Scrooge is just thinking of Marley ghost all day long. He just sits there next to the window and listening to the bell ringing to midday and thinks of Marleys ghost in his mind. On page 42, Scrooge had faced another ghost spirit which he had expected him to come because Marley told him, he will be haunted by the three spirits. As he interferes with this ghost, his attitude had dramatically changed. This ghost was a tall long man with visible white light over him, Scrooge had become very curious as he sees this man. He had a flash-back to his childhood, it had showed him the cheerfulness and playfulness On page 48, Scrooge shouts Ali Baba! , Its clear old honest Ali Baba! Yes Yes, I know. As Scrooge had a moment of flash back, it shows he is very caring and happy. But there was a huge drop of contrast because at one point he was really happy and then he became very sad. What is the matter? asked the spirit. This spirit was shown as more friendly and caring than the first one, he seems to be very nice to Scrooge and cares about him and wants to ask why he feels sad. Nothing there was a boy singing a Christmas carol at my door last night, I should have given him something. Unlike Scrooges character before, when he starts the story, he seems to be more caring now. He shows he is not just giving care to himself, also to other people. The quote shows he regrets that he didnt give anything or invite the boy into his house as the boy just stands in the cold night of Christmas. Now he is feeling very sad and sorrow.

Two Sides Of The Brain Essays - Cerebrum, Corpus Callosum

Two Sides of The Brain Your brain has two sides. And each has a distinctly different way of looking at the world. Do you realize that in order for you to read this article, the two sides of your brain must do completely different things? The more we integrate those two sides, the more integrated we become as people. Integration not only increases our ability to solve problems more creatively, but to control physical maladies such as epilepsy and migranes, replace certain damaged brain functions and even learn to "thin" into the future. Even more startling is evidence coming to light that we have become a left-brain culture. Your brain's right and left side have distinctly different ways of looking at the world. Your two hemispheres are as different from each other as, oh, Micheal Wilson and Shirley Maclean. The left brain controls the right side of the body (this is reversed in about half of the 15 percent of the population that is left-handed) and, in essence, is logical analytical, judgemental and verbal. It's interested in the bottom line, in being efficent. The right brain controls the left side of the body and leans more to the creative, the intuitive. It is concerned more with the visual and emotional side of life. Most people, if they thought about it, would identify more with their left brain. In fact, many of us think we are our left brains. All of that non-stop verbalization that goes on in our heads is the dominant left brain talking to itself. Our culture- particularly our school system with its emphasis on the three Rs (decidedly left-brain territory) - effectively represses the intuitive and artistic right brain. If you don't believe it, see how far you get at the office with the right brain activity of daydreaming. As you read, your left-side is sensibly making connections and analysing the meaning of the words, the syntax and other complex relation- ships while putting it into a "language" you can understand. Meanwhile, the right side is providing emotional and even humerous cues, decoding visual information and maintaining an integrated story structure. While all of this is going on, the two sides are constantly communicating with each other across a connecting fibre tract called the corpus callosum. There is a certain amount of overlap but essentially the two hemispheres of the brain are like two different personalities that working alone would be somewhat lacking and overspecialized, but when functioning together bring different strengths and areas of expertise to make an integrated whole. "The primitive cave person probably lived solely in the right brain," says Eli Bay, president of Relaxation Response Inc., a Toronto organization that teaches people how to relax. "As we gained more control over our environment we became more left-brain oriented until it became dominant." To prove this, Bay suggests: "Try going to your boss and saying "I've got a great hunch." Chances are your boss will say, "Fine, get me the logic to back it up." The most creative decision making and problem solving come about when both sides bring their various skills to the table: the left brain analysing issues, problems and barriers; the right brain generating fresh approaches; and the left brain translating the into plans of action. "In a time of vast change like the present, the intuitive side of the brain operates so fast it can see what's coming," says Dr. Howard Eisenberg, a medical doctor with a degree in psychology who has studied hemispheric relationships. "The left brain is too slow, but the right can see around corners." Dr. Eisenberg thinks that the preoccupation with the plodding left brain is one reason for the analysis paralysis he sees affecting world leaders. "Good leaders don't lead by reading polls," he says. "They have vision and operate to a certain extent by feel." There are ways of correcting out cultural overbalance. Playing video games, for example, automatically flips you over to the right brain Bay says. "Any artistic endavour, like music or sculpture, will also do it." In her best-selling book "Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain (J.P. Tarcher Inc., 1979), Dr. Betty Edwards developed a series of exercises designed to help people tap into the right brain, to actually see or process visual information, differently. She cites techniques that are as old as time, and modern high-tech versions such as biofeedback. An increasing number of medical professionals beieve that being in touch with our brain, especially the right half, can help control medical problems. For examplem Dr. Eisenberg uses

Electronic Media Essay Example

Electronic Media Essay Example Electronic Media Essay Electronic Media Essay ELECTRONIC MEDIA AND PRINT MEDIA INTRODUCTION TO ELECTRONIC MEDIA This is a type of MASS MEDIA which uses ELECTRONIC Energy in the user end. The most familiar electronic media includes video recording, audio recording, multimedia presentations, slide presentations, CD ROM’S and online contents. Also, recorded broadcasting in television, radio, telephone etc. could be considered as electronic media. THE BASIC USES OF ELECTRONIC MEDIA Electronic Media is probably the most diversified subject of study which is used in many areas including JOURNALISM: Journalism is a field which uses electronic media for broadcasting current events. Journalism is one of the best ways in which people get to know various factors including stock market, price rise and various other economic and social factors. ADVERTISING: Advertisers use electronic media as a source to reach out to people for buying their products. They use televisions, radios and websites to get noticed. Advertisers use various techniques to attract the consumers. EDUCATION: In education sector, various multimedia and slide presentation (A primary electronic media source) is used. The sole aim of such presentations is to create certain expertise among students in the desired field of education. The presentations are simple and easy to understand, the pictorial representation could enhance the understanding level. FINE ARTS: â€Å"A picture is worth a thousand words† and that rightly reflects in an arena like fine arts, which could be put be put to greater use by including audio and various other background scores which will make it have a broader scope. BUSINESS PRESENTATIONS: One fails to understand the use of electronic media if business presentation is not a part of it. Several production and service oriented organisation use electronic media as their main tool to train their employees. They make sure the employees understand the organisational goals and their requisites. ENTERTAINMENT: As this is probably the most basic need of any human being, electronic media acts as a boon by providing us movies, video games etc. There are various other users of electronic media like government sectors, military and NGO’s. BOON OR BANE: The never ending question to which no one will ever have an answer, it’s always debatable and depends on each one’s perspective. As cliched as it may sound, there are two sides to a coin and definitely this topic of discussion has definitely, it’s good and it’s bad. Its positives are many to list out but the most important one is that, it reaches out to people at a rapid speed. The internet, television and radio spread news like fire. Anything happening around the world is known within seconds. For instance, there is an earthquake in remotest part of the world and our friends/relatives live there, we get to know about it within matters of seconds. At heights of boredom movies, games and internet entertain us. It has become an essential part of anyone’s life. People can’t survive without it. Better products with lower price and high quality can be bought only because it’s broadcasted. If it was not, we would have been sticking to what we used. So media helps in improving the quality of our lives. Our lives have eased out due to several factors like online payment and even buying/selling products/goods online. Internet has being a boon for communicating with loved ones throughout the globe at economical rates. There are numerous articles and various help services online. The negative side, which can’t be left out of course, is that the entertainment side of it like TV, internet and gaming could become a bad addiction after a point of time which could lead to several health problems and also divert a person from his/her responsibilities. There could be a situation where entertainment could be on top of priority list and the duties could take a backseat. Also internet could lead to false sense of social connection like talking to total strangers who could be dangerous. Anti-social organisations create havoc in the world, having the easy accessibility to the world and due to a powerful tool like electronic media. People should be clearly made aware of the dangerous involved. There have been misuses in form of bank debit cards, personal mail addresses etc. To avoid those people should be precautious. They should not let out their passwords and personal details to anyone. Kids should be restricted from viewing certain contents in websites. Also care should be taken to ensure that kids do not sit in front of television and internet too much. A CAREER IN ELECTRONIC MEDIA: A career in electronic media means being creative and thinking out of the box. The young generation has a fancy for electronic media as it is regarded as a glamorous field. As technology is improving and getting updated every day there are plenty of opportunities in field of electronic media and there is satisfying source of income. Many companies are in continuous need of quality professional from the field of electronic media. The want for people of the technical section is in greater demand and has better prospect. There are various colleges offering this course. A course in journalism or literature is good enough for a career in electronic media. Anyone can freelance irrespective of their educational qualification provided they have creativity. The job atmosphere is wonderful but could be inconvenient for girls as the timings could be not very convenient. INTRODUCTION TO PRINT MEDIA Print media is a way of reaching out to people by using paper written work. The print media includes newspapers, magazines, brochures, newsletters, books and even leaflets and pamphlets. Visual media like photography can also be mentioned under this sub-head, since photography is an important mass media, which communicates via visual representations. Although, it is said that the electronic or new media have replaced the print media, there exists a majority of audiences who prefer the print media for various communication purposes. Public speaking and event organizing can also be considered as a form of mass media. EXAMPLES OF PRINT MEDIA IN DETAIL NEWSPAPERS: Any current happenings throughout the world are known by newspapers. They are the best way to reach to rural masses that do not have any access to elevision and radios. MAGAZINES: Magazines make people aware of everything from clothes to politics. There are dedicated magazines for health, fashion, politics and even cars and bikes. BOOKS: They are a source of the best entertainment for people. The hugest advantage of books is that they inspire people and as well they don’t cause any kind of illness (such as eye defects and the likes). It helps people become more aware of the pre historical culture etc. BROCHURES: The biggest boon for avid travellers is brochures. They are those guidelines for what to do what not to do at a place and also where to visit. Brochures are given in hospitals too, for general health advice ADVANTAGES OF PRINT MEDIA: The advantages of print media are more than its disadvantages. The utmost important is that there are loyal readers for print media and that paves way for advertising. Also if a particular area is in target it is more rational to advertise in newspapers rather than internet. DISADVANTAGES OF PRINT MEDIA: If a major disadvantage has to be brought into consideration then it would be the fact that the current happenings would not reach everyone at a rapid speed. For example, there is a bomb blast and in that case people have to wait till next morning till the news is known. In television or the internet, the news is known at a rapid pace. A CAREER IN PRINT MEDIA: Print media is still the strongest and most influential source of news all over the world. Newspapers, journals and magazines are read and appreciated by a lot of people. And it seems that print media is not going to spare its position to audio, audio visual or new media in near future. Hence, a career in print media is not only attractive, but secured too. Many people believe that you need to be a journalist to enter into print media. That’s not the fact. There are many career options in print industry. You will be overwhelmed to see the list of opportunities available in print media. People can take up jobs from being a reporter to freelance writers. Hence, there are thousand reasons to be interested in print media jobs. People, who are not word-savvy, can still build up a career in print media. Newspaper production requires technical people to operate multicolour newspaper printing machines, repair machine parts. Most newspaper company’s use offset printing machines and they hire professional offset machine operators to ensure smooth and flawless production. There are institutes that train people on how to handle newspaper production. A degree in printing technology or prior experience of working in printing industry might help you crack print media jobs in the production. DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ELECTRONIC MEDIA AND PRINT MEDIA Print media is challenged by its counterpart electronic media. Print media is capable of providing better localized news that may interest city residents. Also print media lets people store news which may be referred to in the future. Print media is a great way of advertising compared to electronic media. Real estate agents, educational institutions, travel agents etc. refer to advertise in newspapers as it gives a better impact. Electronic media lets people know the news immediately. Electronic media reaches out to people who are illiterate also. The standard of television news is deteriorating much when compared to print media. Intense competition between both leads to lot of speculative news being spread. CONCLUSIO N: Electronic media and print media have been played an immensely huge role in our lives and they have become an integrated part of our lives and let’s face it, there is no room for survival without the entertainment, information and many other things they provide.

Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Assignment Example This is because the ATS allows foreign nationals to open human rights violation cases in the United States Federal Judiciary; whether these cases took place within or outside the North American continent, notwithstanding (Bellia Jr. and Clark, 2011). The Benefits and Tradeoffs of This Expanded, Tactical Use of the ATS The use of ATS boosts America’s image as a country that does not compromise on human rights and freedoms violation. The rest of the diplomatic world is compelled to automatically follow this example. This means that human rights and freedom are increasingly upheld and safeguarded. One of the downsides of the ATS is its penchant for flooding (the US) court systems with a barrage of cases that have very little resolve, if at all. Question 2 The Grounds on Which the Senators Protested The premise upon which the Senators protested is worthy of credence. Particularly, Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton by appending her signature to the ASEAN treaty endorsed the agreemen t, without letting it undergo the appraisal of the Senate, as should be the case. Thus, Clinton’s act was a contravention of the US Constitution, art 2, Â § II and art 6, Â § II which mandates the issuance of the Senate’s consent and advice. ... Because of this, treaties can be said to be too sacrosanct to be left to the whims of the executive. For instance, the purpose of the ASEAN treaty was to promote lasting peace and international cooperation in Southeast Asia by building, strengthening and solidifying diplomatic relations. The guidelines of the Treaty of Amity (TAC) were also binding herein and demanding of principles such as mutual respect for sovereignty, non interference, the right to political autonomy and effective cooperation. These policies are too serious to be left to the whims of the executive. Question 3 Euro-governance Euro-governance refers to the political, legal and social developments of the Europe Union which are aimed at achieving the economic objectives of the euro (Payandeh, 2010). Whether Rabkin, Slaughter and Burke-White are talking about the same phenomenon By far, it is a fact that William W. Burke-White, Anne-Marie Slaughter and Jeremy A. Rabkin are talking about the same phenomenon. Burke-Whit e, Slaughter and Rabkin are not just experts in international law, but they also speak on the same concept. For instance, Burke-White vouches for the effectiveness of international tribunals and courts, investment protection, investor-state arbitration, International Criminal Court (ICC), transnational justice, the fostering of human rights and criminal law. He also acknowledges the need for the government to address sovereign bankruptcy, international human rights, violations amnesty legislation and responses to emergencies. Conversely, Slaughter also speaks of the need to tackle worldwide terrorist and criminal networks, the International Criminal Court, the need to protect civilians in the Arab spring, global pandemics, climate change, and regulating the

Harlem Renaissance Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Harlem Renaissance - Research Paper Example The participants also wanted to eliminate the influence of Victorian society principles that propagated racial discrimination. The movement created the basis for African American culture development and greatly influenced the attitude towards blacks in the whole world. Harlem, the district of the New York City, was the heart of the movement. The Harlem Renaissance also affected the social life of blacks, because a bit later, in 1940-50, many blacks moved to northern American cities that testified about the improvement of their social influence and the development of their cultural and social life. There were also many organizations created in order to defend and promote the rights and freedoms of African Americans, to inspire blacks and to remind them about their cultural identity (Huggins). As a result, African Americans found the way to such big centers as Paris and New York City and, what is the most important, they managed to unite and support each other on their way to cultural revival. The influence the Harlem Renaissance had on social sphere made this period of cultural development unique in the world history. Not only fiction literature was created during this period but also a great number of social magazines and newspapers were issued. â€Å"The Crisis†, â€Å"Opportunity†, â€Å"Negro World† are among them. ... It is interesting that Harlem was the place of white people residence, and when the movement was created, it turned into a residence of black people. Certainly, this was a kind of a victory and as a result other regions of the New York, which were close to Harlem, also became full of blacks. African American intellectuals from other American cities came to Harlem to live or just to meet each other. Such unity played a very important role as it helped revive African American cultural identity and make whites respect them and their culture (Patton). The Harlem Renaissance presented American history with many outstanding personalities. The poet Langston Hughes (1902-1967)  became famous after his publications in â€Å"The Crisis†, the famous magazine in Harlem Renaissance period. His poems helped shed the light on the real life of African Americans and contained hard critics of the prejudices and racial discrimination. His poems called African Americans upon to stop despise the ir own culture, to start respect themselves, to build their cultural identity and make whites also respect them. He wrote â€Å"the night is beautiful, so the faces of my people, the starts are beautiful, so the eyes of my people. Beautiful also is the sun, beautiful also are the souls of my people† (Hughes, cited in Rampersad, 1988). Such poems were written in order to make black people like the color of their skin and their appearance, to remind them that they have beautiful and wise souls. â€Å"My seeking has been to explain and illuminate the Negro condition in America and obliquely that of all human kind" (Hughes, cited in Rampersad, 1988). Claude McKay is another interesting figure in Harlem

Risk Management Paper Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Risk Management Paper - Assignment Example In each case, the old age benefits reflect the retirement benefits as they  attain  a certain age when working while that of  disability  benefit refers to inability to  do  work properly due to  sickness, accidents and age. Survivor benefits gets issued to the  dependent  either spouse or children in case of death of the insurer. To qualify for old-age benefits and guarantee pension, the  right  age  is 65. A Swedish resident is at least 3 years while receiving  low  or no income from earnings-related pensions. Pensions get paid  abroad  within the European Union and European Economic Area with certain conditions. Earnings-related to old-age, old  system  gives to  age  65 covering at least 3 years. The  complete  pension  requires at least 30 years of  coverage  while early pension becomes reduced and may be paid from  age  61 to 64 while deferred pension, may be deferred until  age  70. In earnings-related old-age pension at the new system, retirement age is flexible, starting at age 61. This  pension  is based  on lifetime earnings detailed in the system. The insured person should have annual earnings in exceeding of 17,935 kronor. Premium pension in the new system, its retirement age, is  flexible  beginning at age 61 and gets paid  abroad. Disability pension and sickness compensation, the insured persons, must have assessed work capacity oft 25% and then gets covered when the disability began. The disability pension comprises of a guarantee and an earnings-related pension. Guarantee pension of the insured should have at least 3 years of coverage. The  pension  is based  on  residence  and gets paid  abroad  within the European Union, European Economic Area, Switzerland, and Canada. Earnings-related pension to the insured should have at least 1 year of income in Sweden within a given period. Constant-attendance supplement get paid when the insured requires a

Zanzibar Commission For Tourism Tourism Essay

Zanzibar Commission For Tourism Tourism Essay 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background of the Zanzibar Commission for Tourism Under that Act ZCT is responsible with many functions including licensing (operation) of all the tourist establishment in Zanzibar, Monitoring and supervision of the Zanzibar tourist, Assisting potential investors, etc (ZCT, 1992 ) 1.2 Mission Zanzibar Commission of Tourism (ZCT) on regarding the development tourism in Zanzibar has the mission to be the most interesting, miscellaneous island targeted in the Indian Ocean constituency that will be more interesting in the world. According to that mission ZCT combines various types of tourism such as: Culture Tradition, Performing Arts, History Archaeology, Beaches, Culinary (spices), Medical (herbs) ,etc (ZTPS, n/d) 1.3 Introduction and background of the problem In order to survive in todays business environment,in small companies, particulaly Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in tourism industry utilize innovative techniques as a basis of competitive advantage. At the moment globalized world, SMEs have turn out to be more imperative for developed and developing countries since they produced high percentages of overall production, employment and revenue collection to the government. The most important and the greatest growing sectors of the overall economy, tourism in Zanzibar contains many SMEs that make an effort to be doing well in aggressive and quickly changing business situation. SMEs play a critical role not only in national trade but also in international trade. The previous information from different sources such as the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) shows SMEs in many countries account for a very substantial proportion on local and export market (Knight, 2001). Porter (1991) argues that in order for any industry to compete within the business environment, it has to adopt competitive advantage strategy, so the owners and stake holders should be able to identify their competitors. The competitive advantages for any organization are superior skills and resources. Therefore any source of advantage is like a drivers of cost or differentiation advantages. (Porter, 1985). Like any SMEs, in order for tourism SMEs to survive in competitive business environment, SMEs should be more entrepreneur and innovative,it means that should perform well in dynamic locations and not in regulated markets. SMEs could have low performance and unstable environments due to delay of product innovations, the working operation was not aggressives even throw the enterprenuership could be benefited in various ways but does not provide a sustainable competitive advantages. (Hult and Ketchen, 2001). Above all, the innovation, promotion, lowering of the price, differentiation, creativity, all these cannot be performed well without the adoption of ICT(Kotler and Armstrong ,2008). Indeed, the nature of any industry cannot compete with its competitor to bring the superior value to their customers without the appropriate adoption of ICT. ICT is regarded as the main force of sustainable competitive advantage and a strategic weapon especially in the tourism and hospitality industries (Poon, 1993). Generally, most of the tourism industry should be well equipped with ICT, which include radio, television, as well as newer digital technologies such as computers and the Internet, have been touted as potenti ally powerful enabling tools for tourism change and reform. These changes and reforms include services such as e-commerce, e-booking, e-reservation and not only that ICT facilitate the information processing system. In order to survive strong competition and current economic crisis in the region, SMEs involved in hotel industry have to improve the quality of its services. What is the role of tourism SMEs in the process in order to gain customers satisfaction through service quality and business improvement? It is generally accepted that ICT is a modern instrumental tool that enables the SMEs entrepreneurs to modify their tourism methods. It is used in order to increase the tourist interest. The extended use of ICTs drove the society into a new knowledge based form where information plays an important role for the SMEs as well as tourist satisfaction. In Zanzibar there is a significant research gap on small tourism business and failure to identify critical weakness of small and medium sized tourism enterprises. A number of studies on tourism have been conducted, however very little has been studied about tourism SMEs and particularly how these SMEs engaged in adopting ICTs for more productivity and overall total economic growth of the Zanzibar .The need to undertake a thorough tourism analysis in Zanzibar has been realized recently. For example, It is important to have a database on tourism development if, students, policy analysts, planners, decision makers and entrepreneurs to be up to date with drive of tourism industry .As a large number of tourism SMEs are involved in the delivery of tourism products and that they are also potential for future development of tourism is a need to carry out studies that might show how small and medium tourism business develop, function, conduct business and how they contribute to local and nati onal economic development. Zanzibar has many tourist attractions and contributes high percentage of economy of the country and that the tourism sector is dominated by SMEs. However there is a continued absence of studies on small tourism firms, therefore it is important to do research on tourism SMEs. 1.4 Statement of the problem There are different kinds of ICTs used in tourism activities such as e-reservation, tele- and video-conferencing and e-booking tools. The extent into how these products services are used by the SMEs involved in Zanzibar and their potential to improve the sector has not been explore enough. Challenges facing these SMEs in application of ICT are not known and areas for improvement have not been investigated. Given the mounting global demand on usage of ICTs in tourism, there is therefore a need to look at the impact of ICTs application on SMEs engaged in tourism sector in Zanzibar. This study is learning to address the issued. 1.5 Aim of the research To examine /explore the role and use of Information Communication Technology (ICT) in enhancing the competitiveness advantages of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Zanzibar Tourism operation. 1.6 Research objectives The main objective of this study is significantly examined how ICT help to create competitive advantage in tourism sector in Zanzibar. Not only that but also to identify constraints facing SMEs using ICT. Specific objectives: To examine the awareness and the extent of ICT utilization in Zanzibar tourism SMEs sector To identify constraints and opportunities of ICT usage in tourism sector in Zanzibar To find out solution options to overcome the shortcoming of the ICT utilization in tourism SMEs in Zanzibar 1.7 Research questions For the purpose of meeting the above objectives, the study comes up with the following questions: How do Zanzibar tourism SMEs aware and utilize the ICT in their business? How do Zanzibar SMEs perceive profitability and performance of their business in relation to use of ICT in their business? What measures have been taken to solve the problems of lack of use of ICT? 1.8 Scope of the study This study was conducted to investigate how usage of ICT and its application in sectors, involved in tourism industry could help the way business is run and hence contribute increased efficiency and effectiveness. Due to the time constraint this study covered the part of Zanzibar Islands which is Stone town and the portion of North East Coast zones which includes Kiwengwa village, Matemwe village and Nungwi village because this area is more active in tourism activities in Zanzibar. 1.9 Significance of the study This study intends to disclose the influence of the ICT as a competitive advantage strategy that can be applied in SMEs in the tourism industry. The study is expected to be of much value to a number of peoples and organization as follows:- The results obtained from this study will provide some recommendation to the Governing Authority, which is expected to bring insights into Zanzibars SMEs on how ICTs usage can bring competitive advantages against their competitors so as to accelerate economic growth of Zanzibar. It will help the policy makers of the country to appreciate the implications on ICT in SMEs in tourism to increase the quality of services in hospitality industry. The research will provide sufficient information to be used as a reference on this area of the study and to fulfill the requirement for the Degree of Master of Business Administration in Information Technology Management in Coventry University. 1.10 Limitations of the study Some data are confidential so it was difficult to get the current data. Financial constraints, so it could be difficult for a researcher to cover all the Zanzibar regions due to financial constraints. 1.11 Summary of the chapter This chapter was introduced the introduction of the study, the introduction of Zanzibar Commission for Tourism (ZCT) was done under this chapter where all services offered were summarized and the mission statement of ZCT were also started. Also in this chapter the researcher discussed something about the aim of the research, research objectives, research question and statement of the problems. Not only that but also the researcher briefly discussed the significance of the study, scope of the study and limitation of the study. CHAPTER TWO 2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Introduction This part provides definition of the important terms and concepts which are used in this study including ICT in tourism sectors, the conceptual frame work of this study, the performance of tourism in SMEs, and the opportunity and challenges of tourism in Zanzibar. 2.2 Definitions of the terms and concepts 2.2.1 Small and Medium sized Enterprises (SMEs) Morrison (1996) argues that it is difficult to define the term SMEs because there are no universal criteria that can be used to determine the size of the business, as a result, Olomi (2009) noted that although the SMEs all over the world contribute a major role in social development, its definition varies from one country to another and even from one institution to another in the same country. An enterprise may be perceived as small in terms of physical facilities, production/service capacity, market share, and number of employee. Olomi (2009) cited that ,the United States Agency for International Development-USAID (1993) ,suggested that SMEs can be defined by considering combination of both qualitative and quantitative criteria and should include one among the aspects such as number of employee, capital investment, share capital, number of share holders, number of stakeholders, total asset, turnover, market share, geographical market coverage, organizational complexity, composition of management and degree of formalization. In Tanzania, the SMEs Development Policy (2002) classifies SMEs under the consideration of employment size and capital investment of the organization. A micro-enterprise is one with fewer than five employees, a small enterprise with 5-49 employees, a medium enterprise with 50-99 employees and a large enterprise with more than 100 employees. In contrast with the Capital investments the definition was based at the range from less than Tshs 5 million to over Tshs 800 million. For the purpose of this research, the Tanzania SMEs Development Policy of (2002) definition will be adopted because it is based on the local environment of Tanzania, where SMEs are characterized by family ownership and local area of operation, which is not the case to other countries. This illustrated in the table below:- Table: 1 Category of SMEs in Tanzania Category Employees Capital investment in machinery Tshs Micro enterprise 1-4 Up to 5mil Small enterprise 5-49 Above 5mil to 200mil Medium enterprise 50-99 Above 200 to 800mil Large enterprise 100+ Above 800mil Source: SMEs development policy (2002) Accordind to Zanzibar Youth Employment Action Plan.(2007), Zanzibar has a large informal sector operation where more than 80 percent of the workforce is believed to be engaged in. Majority of the establishments in the informal sector are micro, own account or employing less than 5 people. This situation is linked to low skills base as a result of limited opportunities for skills training, working capital and inadequate support for off-farm activities in rural areas. From a gender perspective,women have low participation rates and fewer skills than men. Women account for only 19 percent of total employees compared to 81 percent for men in this sector. This sector is dominated by private individuals through 1,541 registered businesses in 2002. Out of this number, only 6% employs more than 10 people while 79% of the industry employs less than 20 people and only 3% of registered industry employs more than 100 people (SME Policy, 2006). The potential is still there for more employment opp ortunities especially to out of school youths and those from different vocational training centers. The Zanzibar SME policy (2006) is aiming at developing and creating conducive environment through participation of public and private sector for the purpose of increasing employment provision, income generation and poverty reduction. The policy and the MKUZA aim at increasing job opportunities through SMEs. SMEs are important to the national economic, but they are facing a number of problems, both administrative and financial and thus fail to contribute fully in employment creation. Apart from the SMEs sector, Zanzibar has a small manufacturing sector. Manufacturing sector in general is at infant stage and has not been fully exploited to its maximum potential to increase its contribution to the economy and welfare of the people. There is a wide potential for investors to come in, invest in big industries and thereby generates employment on the youth. The importance of manufacturing sector in terms of employment creation and development of linkages with the rest of economy is well understood. Employment opportunities that exist in manufacturing take into consideration its linkages with agriculture, tourism, and trade. Other opportunities that could be generated include those from agro-processing, production of souvenirs, transportation, and other new activities that will meet demands of tourism and trade. 2.2.2. Importance of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) There are many benefits that obtained from SMEs in day to day operation forexample there will be about 1.7 millions business engaging, in micro enterprises operation which is about 3million persons that will be about 20% of Tanzanian labour force (URT,2003) The SMEs was be the labour intensive by creating the employment opportunity at different level of investment.The estimation will be shown as about 700,000 new entrants in every year as a labour force, not only that about 500,000 of it are school leavers with few skills, while the employment trend in public sector will show about 40,000 are the new entrants and about 660,000 remained to be unemployed (URT,2003) as cited in Temba(n/d) According to that the trend will be shown in Tanzania will be characterised by low rate of capital formation and normally the SMEs will tend to be more effective in the utilisation of employment situation in the country (URT,2003) as cited in Temba(n/d) The development of SMEs will promote the distribution of economic activities within the country and boster the technology in easierst way,this is because due to lower overheads and fixed costs in their normally operation, therefore the owners of SMEs must be tend to show the greater resilience in the face of recession by holding their business (URT,2003) 2.2.3 Information Communication Technology (ICT) The literature shows that there is no universally accepted definition of ICT, because the concepts, methods and applications involved in ICT are constantly evolving on an almost daily basis. Blurton (2002) as cited in Badnjevic and Padukova (2006) defines ICT as a diverse set of technological tools and resources used to communicate, and to create, disseminate, store, and manage information. Kumar (2001) claimed that ICT is the study, design, development, implementation, support, or management of computer-based information systems, particularly software applications and computer hardware. ICT deals with the use of electronic computers and computer software to convert, store, protect, process, transmit, and securely retrieve information. 2.2.4 The adoption of ICT by SMEs: Obviously, ICTs are more than computer or internet even though they focuse on business technology.Therefore ICTs include the software and hardware telecommunicaton and information management techniques, also the ICT can be used to creates,receive, retrives and distribute/ transform information in a wide range. (Porter and Millar, 1985, Brady et al,2002) SMEs in tourism operation are important tools on contribution of the economy in the country in particulaly ICT has more effective use and better position of working performance and rapidly change the new technologies and creates the tourism organization in more competitive.(Hartigan, 2005) In recent years, SMEs have acquired direct access to digital technologies for individual task development.In previous this opportunity only for large companies to use computing and communication capabilities to coordinate their work. On the other hand, ICT reduced the expenditure on cost consumption and improve the performance in organization due to certain kinds of communications and coordination can occur. (Summut-Bonnii and McGee, 2002). (Ragaswamy and Lilien, 1997).On the business today their was certain changes that global interdependencies are becoming more critical thus, companies/organization realized they need to take advantage of ICT capabilities for improving their competitiveness and productivity. 2.2.5 ICT and SME competitiveness The presence of ICT and use it could lead to increase the competitiveness of SMEs due the faster and more conscientious communication channel, it means the use of ICT has increase the competitiveness of SMEs also enables the establishment of litheness associated with different trading partners due to more consistency of channel of communication. In addition the increases of the biggest enterprises it comes through introduced of ICT in many organizations and adapt quicker to changing operational conditions. For that reason the aggressive compensation of SMEs possibly will turn down. Normally well-built enterprises not relay comfortable information as SMEs; therefore the realistic decision is not costless if needed appropriate information. However SMEs contain the improvement of slighter interior harmonization expenditure as each and every one resolution is completed by a small number of assessment makers. (Raymond 1993, Mà ¼ller-Falcke 2001) The economies of extent can be condensed due to lowering the operational expenditure with the presences of ICT, particularly internet monitor the enterprises situation for appropriate information to obtain the exacting information concerning sellers, buyers and clients that was absent of accomplish. In addition delivery of goods, funds transmission and banking system facilities are reliable, this will enables SMEs to be expanded regionally and internationally. Finally most of the SMEs are located in outside the town areas due to competition of larger enterprises,transportation and communication costs that, ICT might increases the competition for enterprises and becomes more effectivelly and productivity or the enterprises to be close down. (Annual Forum at Misty Hills, Muldersdrift (2001)) 2.2.6 ICT as a business tools The use of Information, Communication and Technology is very important in current business operations. Entrepreneurs need to understand the market situation before doing any business and the preferred types of products at particular time. This knowledge can be sought through ICT system. The use of media is important in advertising and promoting business inside and outside the country. The available public and private media institutions can be utilized to publicize the available potential of products and services undertaken by youth and others.(Zanzibar youth Employment Action Plan, 2007). ICT is technologys version of economic growth, to satisfy the needs and wants of the community over time. Organizations are forced to adjust and take advantage of the opportunities provided by ICT in order to stay competitive. Businesses that do not take advantage of the ICT will run the risk of losing customers and their competitive advantage (Sharma, 2002). Some of the functions that technology has impacted are information search, advertising, consumer buying patterns and behaviors (Hanson, 2000). On a global scale, all industries have been affected by the emergence and implementation of technological advances. All above, ICT can be employed to give users quick access to ideas and experiences from a wide range of people, communities and cultures. The positive impacts of ICT can be seen in the following aspects: Economic impacts: ICT, in combination with globalization and the information uprising have reshaped the employees. By raising the momentum of international communication, ICT has enabled corporations to subcontract jobs, both in the industrialized as well as professional sector (Lippis, 2007). Social impacts: ICT has influenced societies on numerous levels. They have comprehensive the contact of public administration, leading to a centralization of district administration into city centre. They have lead to new forms of employment in innovation and production of ICT and a stipulate for highly accomplished specialists. On the other hand, ICT has enabled professionals in certain industries to be replaced by unqualified human resources, or even completed exclusively redundant. Lifting productivity: Investing in ICT can have a powerful effect on productivity in almost every industry, driving innovation, cutting costs, and opening up new opportunities. ICT can boost profits, help small firms overcome limitations of size, and enable even small enterprises to establish a global presence. Nevertheless, to take full advantage of the opportunities of ICT, we need to develop the skills of our workforce at every level, from front-line staff to senior management. In summing up, ICT has the potential to change the tourism SMEs in improving the productivity at a lower cost and to raise the quality of information. It contributes to make the tourism penetration around the globe. In todays world, people want to find the appropriate tourist destination, booking and buying airline ticket, check in and getting boarding pass when they are sited at their home or working place. All these can be done with the support of ICT. 2.2.7 Tourism Holloway (2004) defines Tourism as the business of providing for different types of visitors; overnight or longer stay and day visitors and includes accommodation, car parking, entertainment and attractions, food and drinks. According to Beech and Chadwick (2006), the widely accepted modern definition of tourism is that given by the World Tourism organization (WTO) which describes as the activities of persons traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business or other purposes. In tourism sector, various travel operators, hotels, restaurants and travel agencies have been active in development of Internet and e-commerce. The Internet allows travellers to access and recommend the tourism information directly as well as , reviews the local tourism information, this was done previously through the physical offices of large travel agencies. Therefore most of Information Communication Technology (ICT) capture the compensation of direct discounted sales of airline tickets and travel packages, due to both online/offline agencies have shifted on selling leisure products involve high operating expenses. Given that Internet and others travel agencies allow the customer to make comparisons in a price of air tickets and other services of the online travellers (OECD, 2004) 2.2.8 The competitive advantage Porter (1985) views that a competitive advantage is an advantages over competitor gained by offering consumer greater value than competitors offer. His view on competitive advantages is at the heart of a firms performance in competitive market. He argued that a firms ability to outperform its competitors lay in its ability to translate its competitive strategy into competitive advantages. Kotler and Armstrong (2008) suggested an advantage that firms  has  over its competitors, the way of building relationship with targeted customer, understanding their needs better than competitors do and deliver more customers value. That is it is the extent a company can differentiate and position itself as providing superior customer value. The competitive advantage is a way of giving a company an edge over its rivals and an ability to generate greater value for the firm and its shareholders. The more sustainable the competitive advantage, the more difficult for competitors to neutralize the advantage (Walker et al, 2006) 2.3 Performance of Tourism SMEs 2.3.1 Trade, industry and tourism Zanzibar Povery Reduction Policy Report (2003) has the broad objective of this sector in order to create a competitive manufacturing and trading sector, which is geared towards for economic diversification in order to ultimately alleviate poverty. The sector is aimed to provide opportunity for further participation of the private sector. The fundamental goal is to equip and facilitate this sector in building its capacity, create better working environment and institute legal and institutional framework for the enhancement and expansion of its activities. The tools to be used are the National Trade policy, Promotion of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and Private Sector Involvement and Development. Zanzibar has a strong determination to develop tourism as an economic sector to provide foreign exchange earnings, creating employment opportunities, stimulate local economy and diversify the economy. On the other side most of the tourist guides and/or RoGZ believes that on development of tourism factors, tourism is a vital socio economic that participate effectively and successfully in order to manage their life and to be more development. This can be implemented through the Zanzibar National Tourism Policy and the Indicative Tourism Master Plan. Since the inception of the ZIPA in 1991, the investment process has been very positive and progressive. Statistics shows that by the end of 2002, ZIPA had approved about 242 projects with a total proposed investment value of USD 403 million. Tourism sector takes the lion share with 70% of total projects with proposed capital of USD 313.8 million. In 1985, the number of tourists who visited Zanzibar was 19,368; while the number of tourists has reached in the range between 85,000 and 100,000 annually. In 2001 Zanzibar earned approximately US$ 46 million in forex from international tourism, this accounts for approximately 15% of the GDP. This contribution is projected to increase to around $ 116 million and 21% of the GDP by 2012. (Zanzibar Povery Reduction Policy Report, 2003) 2.3.2 Contribution to GDP Tourism already makes a significant contribution to the economy of Zanzibar. It is provisionally estimated that the sector accounted for about 14% of GDP in 2001, with 12% for Tanzania as a whole. This contribution is projected to increase to around 21% by 2012.(Indicative tourism master plan ,2003) 2.3.3 Foreign exchange earnings According to the preliminary results of the International Visitor Exit Survey Zanzibar earned some $46 million from the spending of International tourists in 2001. To this must be added an allowance for the spending of tourists traveling to Zanzibar on internal flights (who are not presently covered by the official statistics). This raises total visitor expenditure to $55 million in 2001. Allowing for the imports from foreign countries that are utilized by the tourism sector, net foreign exchange earnings from tourism are estimated at $46 million in 2001. This figure is projected to increase to some $116 million by 2012. Even allowing for leakages on imports, it is clear that tourism is a most important sources of foreign exchange, and helps considerably to offset the trade deficit which widened from $51 million in 1997 to $86 million in 2000, reducing to an estimated $50 million in 2001.( Indicative tourism master plan final report,2003) 2.3.4 Contribution to employment According to (Indicative tourism master plan final report,2003), there exists no official data on the employment generated by the tourism sector, it is estimated that currently some 5,800 persons are directly employed by the tourism industry in Zanzibar, of whom approximately 4,400 persons (76%) are employed in the hotel/guest houses sub-sector. The remainder is employed in tourist restaurants, tourist shops, ground tour operators, airlines (state-owned and private), the Commission for Tourism and other tourism-related government departments or as tour guides. In addition to those directly employed in the tourism sector, there are many more-perhaps, as many again, who derive part or all of their employment from supplying goods or services to hotels, restaurants, etc, or who otherwise benefit from the spending of persons who are directly or indirectly employed in tourism. Thus, total tourism-generated employment in Zanzibar could presently be in the order of 37,000 jobs or full-time j ob equivalents. This number should further increase to around 48,000 jobs by 2021, if, as is hoped, the tourism sector returns to a path of sustained growth. Indeed, Zanzibar Vision 2020 envisages that as much as 50% of all jobs in the modern sector could be provided in tourism and the free zones by 2020. Zanzibar Growth Strategy (2007) has accorded tourism as one among the three lead sectors of the economy. In recent years the economic growth in Zanzibar has been driven by the increasing contribution and growth of the service sector, (including tourism) which represents up to 43 percent of GDP (2006).According to Zanzibar Youth Employment Action Plan(2007),arque the employment in tourism sector they believed to employ 56,000 people most of them in hotel operations of which 60% are Zanzibari youth. They are mostly engaged in building of the hotel and other infrastructure as well as in services such as tour guiding, transportation and hotel services. The potential is still there, and the government hopes more people especially youth with further be employed in this sector. 2.3.5 Contribution to government revenues The tourism sector makes a substantial contribution to government revenues through the wide range of fees, licenses and taxes levied on the sector. While precise figures are not yet a

Cannibalism ? A Cultural, Psychopathic, And Survival Approach (speech

Introduction I. Imagine our class as a rugby team and Mrs. Edwards as our coach as we were flying over the Himalayas for a tournament until our plane suddenly crashes. A. Although we’re most of us survived, we barely have any food to live on. B. Would we have to resort to cannibalism? II. Cannibalism can be defined as any animal or human that eats their own kind. A. But for the sake of my speech, we will focus on humans. B. I know that you may be thinking how on earth I arrived to this topic or whether or not to hang around me but I consider cannibalism to be an interesting topic. III. There are various ways cannibalism has been regarded today. A. Cannibalism has been regarded as a strong aspect of pre-historical cultures around the world. B. Cannibalism has been a prevailing conflict in today’s moral society. C. Cannibalism has also been used as a means of survival. IV. Although I haven’t eaten anyone†¦yet, I have consulted various databases for my topic. A. I have printed information off reliable websites. B. I have delved into two books by other enthused cannibal experts. C. I have also used Ebsco to find current articles on this hot topic. V. Today I will present you my information in a topical format which is divided into subtopics. A. We will first see how cannibalism has been prevalent in historical cultures. B. We will then examine modern day cannibalism as justification for psychopathic actions. C. And finally, we will see how cannibalism has been used as a means of survival. (Transition: Let us first look at cannibalism’s influence in prehistoric cultures.) Body I. Cannibalism has etched its mark in many cultures around the world. A. The oldest evidence of cannibalism among Neanderthals was found in sites in the French cave Ardeche in southeastern France. 1. &nbs... ...al!† I simply hope you are now more informed on how cannibalism played roles in culture, modern-day psychopaths, and as a â€Å"justified† means of survival. II. Because if you were stuck in plane crash in the Himalayas, would you resort to cannibalism? <div class="sub-title">Bibliography Books Sanday, Peggy Reeves. Divine Hunger: Cannibalism as a Cultural System. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press, 1986. Lindenbaum, Shirley. Kuru Sorcery: Disease and Danger in the New Guinea Highlands. Palo Alto, CA: Mayfield Publishing Company, 1979. Articles Wong, Kathleen; Couzin, Jennifer. â€Å"French Couisine That Was Not For the Queasy.† U.S. News & World Report 11 Oct. 1999: 39. Internet Sources Goldman, Amy. â€Å"Case Studies: Jeffrey Dahmer.† 28 Nov. 1999 [last revision]. < <a href="http://www.serialkillers.net/cases/dahmer.html">http://www.serialkillers.net/cases/dahmer.html > 28 Nov. 1999. Brockman, Jason; McDanal, Erin. â€Å"Colorado State Archives: Alfred Packer.† 13 Sept 2000 [last updated]. < <a href="http://www.archives.state.co.us/packer.html">http://www.archives.state.co.us/packer.html > 1996.

Two friends

Present, has been efurbished quite a lot but this place still retains the characteristics of the cross- cultural Vietnamese – French The Hanoi Opera House is an architectural work is incomparable with the price outstanding value of history, culture, architecture and art. Can see the Opera House as an integral part of urban and architectural capital, contributing to the establishment of our country faces today in the cultural field. For over 100 years old and works in Hanoi Opera House exists as a symbol of architectural space, cultural and political capital 1,000 years old.Long Bi ©n Bridge Long Bien Bridge is the first steel bridge across the Red River in Hanoi, a length of 1862 built by the French. At that time, Long Bien Bridge is the largest bridge in Indochina and is one of four huge bridges in the world. But do not take pride that the long term, such a tool is built primarily by the purpose of colonization, the bridge soon to bear the buckling his war wounds. Old bridg e is an important transportation hub, became the meeting place between urban and rural, one the banks still appear the floral field bowls, one side of ife with urbanization.Today, trains, motorcycles, bicycles and pedestrians are still crossing the bridge. Some parts of the bridge is intact, but most have been repaired Dy tne damage. But tne or10ge Is stlll tnere as a slgnlTlcant evlaence 0T war ana history. After more than a century of existence, the Long Bien Bridge has a familiar image for many, many generations and became a cultural icon, the history of Hanoi. For Hanoi, almost everyone kept a memory of this bridge Temple of Literature Van Mieu – Quoc Tu Giam is a monument rich diversity and contains many recious human values of Hanoi in particular and Vietnam in general.Covering an area of 54,331 square meters, including: Lake Van, the Van Mieu – Quoc Tu Giam and park Glam. The value of history and culture of the Temple of Literature was confirmed during thousands of years. Quoc Tu Giam is where the examinations held important national stature and train talented people for the country and 82 preserved in Temple of Literature. It depicts of the traditional hospitality of the people It is also the encouragement and rged the next generation of today and tomorrow is always to preserve and retain traditional hospitality of the people.Many times repairing the Temple of Literature 9 March 2010, UNESCO officially recognized 82 steles at Van Mieu – Quoc Tu Glam, the legacy of the material world. It is also a lot of domestic and foreign delegations have been visiting the Temple of Literature. With the ancient architecture and the unique human values, Van Mieu – Quoc Tu Giam is a hyphen history of Hanoi's past and present, contributing to enrich the cultural treasure of the nation.

Equal Pay for Equal Work Essay

In society today, â€Å"full-time working women earn just 77 cents for every dollar a man earns,† (whitehouse.gov), for putting in same amount of effort. This injustice is unacceptable in this day in age when women are more involved in society, both politically and socially, than ever before. Women should have equal pay to men for the same amount of work they do because it is not only their right but they have the education to support their position in the workforce. Women are as educated or in some cases even more educated than men. Data collected in studies revealed ,†25-34 year old women were 21 percent more likely than men to be a college graduate† (whitehouse.gov) in 2013. If women are graduating college at a greater rate than men, then it is illogical for females to be paid less than men, who are increasingly becoming less qualified themselves when compared to the female population. Not only are women graduating undergraduate college but, â€Å"women account for almost half of students in JD, MBA, and MD programs† (whitehouse.gov) in recent years. Some might argue that, although women are getting educated, if they want to be paid more, then they need to start choosing career paths that suit their goal salary. But the fact of the matter is, â€Å" college educated women ages 30-34 are now as likely to be employed as doctors, dentists, lawyers, professors, managers, and scientist as traditionally female-dominated occupations such as teachers, nurses, librarians, secretaries, or social worker,† (whitehouse.gov), and yet they are still getting paid less than men. So, the problem is not that women are not striving for a high paying career, rather their effort is not being appreciated. Women are not only qualified to be awarded the same salary as men, but it is their right as well. In 1963 the Equal Pay Act which â€Å"prohibits covered employers from discriminating on the basis of sex by paying unequal wages for equal work,† (Sobieski) was signed into law by former President John F. Kennedy. This means that neglecting to pay a female worker the same as a male worker, who has the same occupation, is technically against the law. It is important to  understand that is act does not elevate the female population over men, but fairly brings both genders to an equal playing field in the workforce. Another law that can support this injustice is the â€Å"Public Law 88-352† (arhives.gov) which was passed by Congress in 1964. This civil right also† forbade discrimination on the basis of sex† (arhives.gov) in the workforce. As the data exposes, this prejudice against women is uncalled for and ultimately illegal. This social issue is incredibly unjust and belittling to the female population. It needs to be dealt with immediately. Women are not only as competent and educated as men, but they also have the legal right to get paid equally to men. Yet, every day, women are being ignored and unappreciated for all the work and effort they put into society. It is only possible for women to overcome this unfair treatment, if they take action and fight for what they deserve. Women need to be informed of their rights presented in acts such as the Equal Pay Act, and stand up for themselves when these rights are violated. Work Cited â€Å"Did You Know That Women Are Still Paid Less Than Men?† The White House. The White House, n.d. Web. 04 May 2014. Sobieski, John L. â€Å"Equal Pay Act.† American Government. ABC-CLIO, n.d. Web. 7 May 2014. â€Å"Women’s Participation in Education and in the Workforce.† Whithouse.gov. Counsel of Economic Advisors, 12 Mar. 2014. Web. 8 May 2014. â€Å"The Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.† National Archives and Research Administration. National Archives and Records Administration, n.d. Web. 08 May 2014

Using Context Clues to Improve Reading Comprehension

Using Context Clues to Improve Reading Comprehension Context clues can help many people with dyslexia to compensate for weak reading skills when comprehending reading passages. Context clues can significantly increase reading comprehension. According to a study completed by Rosalie P. Fink at Lesley College in Cambridge, this continues into adulthood. This study looked at 60 professional adults with dyslexia and 10 without dyslexia. All consistently read specialized information for their jobs. Those with dyslexia scored lower in spelling and required more time to read and indicated they relied on context clues, both during the study and in everyday reading, to aid in comprehension. Context Clues When you encounter a word you dont know as you are reading, you can choose to look it up in a dictionary, ignore it or use the surrounding words to help you determine what the word means. Using the words around it is using contextual clues. Even if you cant figure out the exact definition, phrases and words should be able to help you make a guess about the words meaning. Some of the ways to use context to help understand new words: Look for examples, illustrations or explanations. Difficult or uncommon words may be followed by information to help discern the meaning. The writer sometimes uses phrases to help identify examples and explanations: for example, such as, including, consists of, for instance, is like. Even without specific words introducing the meaning of an unknown word, phrases and sentences in the paragraph give further explanation, often enough to make a logical or educated guess as to the meaning of the word.Definitions are sometimes included in the text. For example, After the fire, the entire office was restricted, that is only a few people could enter, for several days. In this example, the author built the definition directly into the sentence.Sometimes surrounding words or phrases contain synonyms of the unknown word. For example, The boss complained when he was tardy, or late, for work for the third time this week.Antonyms can also be used to help readers figure out the meaning of a word. F or example, Joe was exhausted after the trip but Tom was wide awake and alert. Experiences can also be used to explain unknown words. Roger was reluctant to volunteer to help at a charity event. Last time he jumped right in and found there was much more responsibility than he was ready to take on and it took up an immense amount of time. This time, Roger decided to take it slow, offering only a few hours a month rather than whatever time was needed. His fear of making a quick decision paid off and he really enjoyed the job once he could control how much time he gave to the organization. Teaching Context Clues To help students learn to use contextual clues to learn new vocabulary words, teach them specific strategies. The following exercise can help: Using a textbook or printed worksheet, write down several new vocabulary words on the board. If using a textbook, write down the page and paragraph where the word is.Have students divide a paper into three columns.In the first column, the students should write the new vocabulary word.In the second column, the student should write down any clues in the text that help them guess the meaning of the word. Clues can be found immediately before or after the word, in the sentence before or after or even in the paragraphs around the word.The third column should contain the students guess as to what the word means. Students should review the different types of contextual clues, such as examples, synonyms, antonyms, definitions or experiences as they read through the text. If using a printout, students can use different color highlighters to mark the unknown word and the clues. Once the students make a guess, they should re-read the sentence, inserting their definition in place of the vocabulary word to see if it makes sense. Finally, students can look the word up in the dictionary to see how close they were in guessing the meaning of the word. References Literacy Development in Successful Men and Women with Dyslexia, 1998, Rosalie P. Fink, Annals of Dyslexia, Volume XLVII, pp 3311-346What Are Context Clues? Date Unknown, Staff Writer, Sacramento City CollegeWhat Contextual Clues Can I Use? Date Unknown, Presented by Lynn Figuarte, U.S. Department of Education