Saturday, November 30, 2019

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

Introduction The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is a refugee agency (under the umbrella of the United Nations) that has a mandate of protecting and supporting refugees from a third country as requested by a government that is a member state of the UN.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The agency focuses on providing voluntary assistance, resettlement and integration of displaced persons from a third country. It does this through funds obtained from donors and other arms of the United Nations. It is therefore imperative to note that the agency deploys its operatives to areas depending on the need and priority given to the places. Failure Despite the fact that UNHCR has in the recent past executed its duty in the best interest of all the refugees across the globe, the agency faces some setbacks and failures that need to be addressed with immediate effect. This should be done in order to restore the faith the globe has had on it. Additionally, the agency should assure governments of its effectiveness in its mandate in order to secure its operations within their territories (Burger, and Rahm, 1996).  The UNHCR has been doing a commendable job for refugees since it was founded in December 1949 but has, however, failed to provide services to areas according to priorities and need. A November 2010 research carried out by the Policy Development and Evaluation Department, which is a UNHCR’s branch, revealed that the agency’s global strategic priorities are not in a position to give concrete information concerning resource allocation processes as well as the level of prioritization of a subject. This came about despite the strategic priorities being a useful element in the agency’s checklist of involvements. This is an implication that the agency only provides services accor ding to operatives’ own instincts without evaluating and assessing the levels of prioritization. As a result of this, quite a number of nations that need genuine and urgent assistance from UNHCR end up receiving delayed services or no services at all. A good example is the case of Iraqi refugees who needed urgent and genuine help during a war that lasted for almost a decade. The political situation was unstable at that time in Iraq.Advertising Looking for case study on government? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More That was understandable but not a reason enough for UNHCR not to provide immediate shelter, clothing and other necessities to the refugees who were victims of the war. It is therefore important that the agency formulates measures to curb such an occurrence in future (Burger, and Rahm, 1996). How the organization’s culture has led to the failure The Executive Committee of the UNHCR holds an annual meeting in Geneva in Switzerland where member states review and approve reports and recommendations brought forward for implementation. Additionally, the panel also evaluates operational plans and policies as well as discusses finances during this annual meeting. This is the most outstanding culture that derails the process of service provision to refugees across the globe according to priority.   It is championed by the slow provision and review of reports that ultimately lead to delayed execution of recommendations that need urgent attention (Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, and United Nations, 2010). Concerns have been raised in the agency over the slow pace at which reports are reviewed. This is because it gives member states inadequate time to go through the documents and make conclusive recommendations. It is probably the reason why it takes the agency quite some time to act upon being summoned by a member state to intervene in an issue that concerns refu gees. Laws that describe the situation The 1951 Refugee Convention contained a law in its Article 33 that stated that no refugee should be returned to his or her country of territory where they would be perceptible to prosecution. This is an indication that no government is expected to expel refugees from its territories back to their motherland where their freedom would be jeopardized on account of either race, nationality, political ideology, religion or membership of a social group. As a result, governments are obliged by law to house refugees within their territories for as long as they want to stay. That notwithstanding, governments are also required to communicate the presence of refugees to UNHCR (Zimmermann, 2010). Existing elements of the organization that are most likely to cause a similar failure again in future Even though UNHCR works well with other related agencies to effectuate service delivery to refugees, a lot still needs to be done in relation to partnerships. Par tnership behavior in this agency is an existing element that is most likely to derail the process of providing immediate services to refugees and consequently taint the agency’s reputation as far as its mandate is concerned.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Concerns have since been raised in relation to the promptness of the partnerships between UNHCR and other agencies that seek to provide voluntary services to refugees. This must therefore be addressed if the agency wants to assure member states of its commitment to executing its mandate. Recommendations to avert future failures As a way of hastening the process through which reports are reviewed and recommendations implemented, UNHCR’s Executive Committee should consider rescheduling its meetings to at least two per annum. It is through this that the committee wil l be in a position to give immediate responses to matters concerning refugees across the globe. References Burger, L., Rahm, D. L. (1996). United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees: Making a difference in our world. Minneapolis: Lerner Publications Co. Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees., United Nations. (2010). Report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. New York: United Nations. Zimmermann, A. (2010). The 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees and its 1967 Protocol: A commentary. Oxford: Oxford University Press. This case study on United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees was written and submitted by user Brenna Rosario to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Free Essays on If The Deaf Could Hear…

If the Deaf could hear†¦ If the ability to hear were granted to the deaf, would it make a difference? With new medical discoveries every day, it is entirely possible that we could have a cure for deafness within the next century; what would the impact on the deaf portion of society be if a cure were discovered? There are four major categories of deafness; people born completely deaf, people born hearing impaired, people that become deaf, and people that become hearing impaired. Whether they are born with their hearing problem or not is an important distinction because those born with limited hearing or without hearing are speech impaired as well. I differentiate between complete deafness and hearing impairment because hearing aids sometimes make the â€Å"deaf† hear nearly as well as the hearing. The people of these categories would be affected differently. Generally, those born completely deaf would be affected the more by a cure than those who become hearing impaired during the course of their lives. Perhaps, as a whole, a cure for deafness would not make much difference. After all, most deaf people are not actually completely without hearing. In addition, deaf people are fully capable of holding most jobs, playing sports, and almost everything that those who can hear can do. This is especially true of those who were born with full hearing, but lost it during their lives. I have a friend who was born partially deaf. Other than his difficulty with speech, he appears to be the same as everyone else. He can even dance to a beat. He is in so many ways the same as anyone else that if he were to become able to hear, I doubt life would change much for him. On the other hand, there are many deaf or partially deaf people whose lives would be dramatically changed by a deafness cure. There is a popular belief that a deaf subculture has developed that is distinctly different from society in more than just their ability to h... Free Essays on If The Deaf Could Hear†¦ Free Essays on If The Deaf Could Hear†¦ If the Deaf could hear†¦ If the ability to hear were granted to the deaf, would it make a difference? With new medical discoveries every day, it is entirely possible that we could have a cure for deafness within the next century; what would the impact on the deaf portion of society be if a cure were discovered? There are four major categories of deafness; people born completely deaf, people born hearing impaired, people that become deaf, and people that become hearing impaired. Whether they are born with their hearing problem or not is an important distinction because those born with limited hearing or without hearing are speech impaired as well. I differentiate between complete deafness and hearing impairment because hearing aids sometimes make the â€Å"deaf† hear nearly as well as the hearing. The people of these categories would be affected differently. Generally, those born completely deaf would be affected the more by a cure than those who become hearing impaired during the course of their lives. Perhaps, as a whole, a cure for deafness would not make much difference. After all, most deaf people are not actually completely without hearing. In addition, deaf people are fully capable of holding most jobs, playing sports, and almost everything that those who can hear can do. This is especially true of those who were born with full hearing, but lost it during their lives. I have a friend who was born partially deaf. Other than his difficulty with speech, he appears to be the same as everyone else. He can even dance to a beat. He is in so many ways the same as anyone else that if he were to become able to hear, I doubt life would change much for him. On the other hand, there are many deaf or partially deaf people whose lives would be dramatically changed by a deafness cure. There is a popular belief that a deaf subculture has developed that is distinctly different from society in more than just their ability to h...

Friday, November 22, 2019

Example Sentences of the Verb Have for ESL

Example Sentences of the Verb Have for ESL This page provides example sentences of the verb Have in all tenses including active and passive forms, as well as conditional and modal forms. Base Form: havePast Simple: hadPast Participle: hadGerund: having Present Simple We often have guests over for dinner. Present Simple Passive Showers are often had in the morning. Present Continuous Peter is having breakfast at the moment. Present Continuous Passive Breakfast is being had in the dining room this morning. Present Perfect He has had a lot of luck! Present Perfect Passive Meals have been had in the dining room this month. Present Perfect Continuous We have been having problems for a while. Past Simple Alice had a shower before she left for work. Past Simple Passive Lunch was had on the balcony last Saturday. Past Continuous We were having lunch when she telephoned. Past Continuous Passive Lunch was being had when she telephoned. Past Perfect Oliver had already had lunch when I arrived. Past Perfect Passive Lunch had already been had when the guests arrived. Past Perfect Continuous Susan had been having a hard time when Peter decided to give her a helping hand. Future (will) You will have a good time! Future (will) passive A good time will be had by all! Future (going to) We are going to have a great time at the park. Future (going to) passive A great time is going to be had by all the guests. Future Continuous This time tomorrow we will be having lunch on the beach. Future Perfect She will have had her meeting by the time he arrives. Future Possibility She might have an appointment later today. Real Conditional If she has any problems, she will ask Jack for help. Unreal Conditional If she had any problems, she would ask Jack for help. Past Unreal Conditional If she had had any problems, she would have asked Jack for help. Present Modal You can ask the doctor for advice. Past Modal You must have had a wonderful time! Quiz: Conjugate With Have Use the verb to have to conjugate the following sentences. Quiz answers are below. In some cases, more than one answer may be correct. Meals _____in the dining room this month.We often _____ guests over for dinner.We _____ problems for a while.Oliver _____ already _____ lunch when I arrived.You _____ a good time!This time tomorrow we _____ lunch on the beach.If she _____ any problems, she would have asked Jack for help.Lunch _____ when she telephoned.Alice _____ a shower before she left for work.He _____ a lot of luck in his life. Quiz Answers have been hadhavehave been havinghad hadwill havewill be havinghad hadwas being hadhadhas had

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Journal 1 Information Structures Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Journal 1 Information Structures - Essay Example There are, however, challenges which needs to be addressed so that the government can fully benefit from the IT, particularly pertaining to policy, strategy, data and information control, costs, workforce and changes. These rests on the shoulders of the CIO and the proficiency of agency leaders to match the rapid influx of technology with the corresponding policy decisions (Fountain, 2007, 63-93). Readings: Fountain, Jane, E. 2007. â€Å"Challenges to organizational change†: Multi-Level integrated information structures (MIIS). In Governance and information technology: From electronic government to information government, ed. Viktor Mayer – Schonberger and David Lazer, 63-93. Cambridge: Massachusetts Institute of Technology Main argument Governments are big users of information and appropriate resources to create, share and disseminate information to enhance delivery of public services. Design of information flow, however, revealed several challenges which need to be ad dressed in terms of complexity of a tri-level nature of change at the micro-level, organizational and inter-organizational levels, and institutional level.

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Ey world islamic banking competitiveness Term Paper

Ey world islamic banking competitiveness - Term Paper Example This will translate to a total of approximately $6.1 trillion by 2018. The major driver for this growth is internationalization of the banking system. This will bring in new challenges to the Islamic financial system. The major challenge posed by this growth is the adjustment of operating models, propositions, systems and tools in order to comprehend and fully capitalize on international financial opportunities. The future growth of the Islamic banks will be characterized by quality services and more access to the customer in the global markets. Many Islamic banks are already in the process of improving or replacing their core banking activities in order to adopt improved operations for a globalized banking sector. This will make them able to serve the global markets not just being constrained to the Islamic countries. The transformation program that will see the Islamic banks expand beyond the jurisdictions of Islamic countries will be enhanced by revenue growth, cost improvement, and dedicated leadership. Currently, several Islamic banks have been doubling in size every four years. However, the banks have faced capability constraints with shareholder returns dropping by up to 19 percent. Nonetheless, there are efforts being made to introduce Islamic banking to other non-Arab countries, especially in Africa; notably Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Malawi and Zimbabwe. The growth has also been facilitated by the ongoing rebalancing of the global economy and increased tendencies to shift global markets eastwards for economic growth. There have been regime and reform changes in different developing markets as well as internet and mobile banking technologies. The latter has made Islamic banking more efficient because customers have an improved access to banking services. The article under review also summarizes the global distribution of banking assets under the Islamic banking system. Qatar, Indonesia and Saudi

Saturday, November 16, 2019

United States Declaration of Independence Essay Example for Free

United States Declaration of Independence Essay John Locke is among the most influential political philosophers of the modern period. One can easily see his tremendous influence on democracies throughout the world, especially the United States, today. Locke was born during 1632 in Somerset, England. He was the son of a Puritan lawyer who fought with the Parliamentarians against the King in the English Civil War. At the age of 14, Locke attended Westminster School; and later went on to study at Oxford University. At the age of 43, Locke had traveled to France, where he would stay for four years to study Descartes and other great minds of the age. Locke then moved to Holland in 1683 amongst political unrest in England, which made living there dangerous for him. There he joined other English political exiles in a plot to overthrow King James II, which succeeded, resulting in the Glorious Revolution of 1688 and the flee of the King. By this time in the late 1680s-mid 1690s, Locke’s most influential philosophical works were published. From these works, Locke has been considered the Father of Classical Liberalism. Classic liberalism advocates civil liberties and political freedom with representative government. During the time of Locke, most people believed that fundamental rights came from government. People thought that they only had rights based upon what government chose to give them. John Locke’s most famous political work, The Second Treatise of Government, argued the opposite though. Some of the main themes outlined in the book include the State of Nature, Property, and Representative Government. Lock describes the State of Nature as: To properly understand political power and trace its origins, we must consider the state that all people are in naturally. That is a state of perfect freedom of acting and disposing of their own possessions and persons as they think fit within the bounds of the law of nature. People in this state do not have to ask permission to act or depend on the will of others to arrange matters on their behalf. The natural state is also one of equality in which all power and jurisdiction is reciprocal and no one has more than another. It is evident that all human beings – as creatures belonging to the same species and rank and born indiscriminately with all the same natural advantages and faculties – are equal amongst themselves. They have no relationship of subordination or subjection unless God (the lord and master of them all) had clearly set one person above another and conferred on him an undoubted right to dominion and sovereignty. The State of Nature both explains and declares that all people are born/created equally by God. One can see this statement’s influence with the use of it in the Declaration of Independence: â€Å"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator†¦Ã¢â‚¬  According to Locke, every person has three natural rights: Life, Liberty, and Estate. Locke declares, â€Å"Reason, which is that Law, teaches all Mankind, who would but consult it, that being all equal and independent, no one ought to harm another in his Life, Health, Liberty, or Possessions. † This means that everyone has the right to live once they are created, to do anything they want to so long as it doesn’t conflict with the first right to Life, and to own anything they create or gain through trade or gift so long as it doesn’t conflict with the first two rights. One may also continuously see this influenced in the Declaration of Independence: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. † Locke also believed that people, not rulers, were sovereign. Locke wrote, â€Å"Government can never have a Power to take to themselves the whole or any part of the Subjects Property, without their own consent. For this would be in effect to leave them no Property at all. † Lock’s use of the term, â€Å"Property,† refers to everyone’s natural rights to Life, Liberty, and Estate. He believed that people chose to live under government, forming a social contract, in order to protect their natural rights, that otherwise may be in constant danger living in a State of Nature. If a government, or ruler, violated this commitment, the people living under it would have a right to revolt and overthrow the ruling subject. One can easily see how this pertains to not just the United States, but to the rest of the world. One can reference the American Revolution against Britain; and one can reference the recent revolutions in the Middle East, such as Egypt. In Locke’s â€Å"A Letter Concerning Toleration,† he advocates the toleration and respect for others’ religions. He argues that there must be a separation of church and state because government’s sole purpose is to protect individual rights, nothing else. Locke writes: â€Å"Now that the whole jurisdiction of the magistrate reaches only to these civil concernments, and that all civil power, right and dominion, is bounded and confined to the only care of promoting these things; and that it neither can nor ought in any manner to be extended to the salvation of souls, these following considerations seem unto me abundantly to demonstrate†¦ because the care of souls is not committed to the civil magistrate, any more than to other men. It is not committed unto him, I say, by God; because it appears not that God has ever given any such authority to one man over another as to compel anyone to his religion. Nor can any such power be vested in the magistrate by the consent of the people, because no man can so far abandon the care of his own salvation as blindly to leave to the choice of any other†¦ the care of souls cannot belong to the civil magistrate, because his power consists only in outward force; but true and saving religion consists in the inward persuasion of the mind, without which nothing can be acceptable to God. † Locke’s vision of separation of church and state can be seen all throughout the world. One can specifically see it in the United States, incorporated into the Constitution. Though this is not a complete list of John Locke’s many influences over modern democratic governments, one can see from the few examples provided above just how important a figure he is. Specifically to the United States, his influence can be seen through his ideas of individual rights, sovereignty of the people, and the separation of church and state. According to Thomas Jefferson, one of the founding father’s of the United States, â€Å"Locke is among the most important people to ever live. †

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Wetlands Essay -- Nature Wildlife Essays

Wetlands A clear and widely accepted definition of a wetland has yet to be established. Wetlands are of various types and function, and occur in diverse locations, and climates which in part make them difficult to define. Many definitions of a wetland have been posed by different groups and individuals, some of the definitions include: â€Å"An area of land that has hydric soil and hydrophytic vegetation, typically flooded for part of the year, and forming a transition zone between aquatic and terrestrial systems (Brady and Weil, 1999).† A wetland is an ecosystem that depends on constant or recurrent, shallow inundation or saturation at or near the surface of the substrate (soil). The minimum essential characteristics of a wetland are recurrent, sustained inundation or saturation at or near the surface and the presence of physical, chemical, and biological features reflective of recurrent, sustained inundation or saturation. (National Research Council, 1995).† In g eneral Mitsh and Gosselink (1993) define wetlands as areas that have characteristics of both aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, but are neither. Wetland classification systems are not used consistently by all groups of people, consequently wetland classification differences occur regionally. Wetlands classifications include; bogs, fens, swamps and flood plain forests, marshes, and wet meadows. In North Carolina Wetlands are classified by the source of moisture and include; wetlands sustained by rainfall, wetlands sustained by ground water discharge, wetlands sustained by ground water and surface water, wetlands on rivers and lakes, and wetlands on the ocean. This classification system has subcategories under each type of wetland (Vepra... ...npoint pollution. J. Soil & Water Conserv. 40:87-97. Mitsch, W.J. 1993. Landscape design and the role of created, restored, and natural riparian wetlands in controlling nonpoint source pollution. Pages 43-70. In: Created and Natural Wetlands for Controlling Nonpoint Source Pollution, R.K. Olson (ed.), CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL. Richards,C.J. (Ed.) 1981. Pocosin Wetlands, Hutchinson Ross Publishing Company. Van der Valk, A. and R. Jolly. 1993. Recommendations for research to develop guidelines for the use of wetlands to control rural nonpoint source pollution. Pages 167- 190. In: Created and Natural Wetlands for Controlling Nonpoint Source Pollution, R.K. Olson (ed.), CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL. P.E. Greeson, J.R. Clark, and J.E. Clark (Eds.) 1978 Wetland Functions and values: The state of our understanding. Am. Water Resources Assoc., Minneapolis.

Monday, November 11, 2019

Reading Among Youth

CABRAL, ALYANNA ANGELINA M. Argumentative Essay Communication I (TFD2) October 16, 2012 Technology and Movies Help in Promoting Reading among the Youth of Today â€Å"I find television very educating. Every time somebody turns on the set, I go into t he other room and read a book. † (Groucho Marx). Upon reading this quotation from Marx, I felt that he is trying to make technology sound as the mortal nemesis of reading. If I were to choose between watching T. V. and reading a book, I would choose to watch T. V. right away.But if I put more thought into choosing, I would prefer reading a book. I just came to this realization that when I read a book, a novel for example, my mind is free to imagine. If I want to make myself the leading lady in the novel I am reading, and the leading man to be Zac Efron, I could do that. When we read novels, everything in the story is in our favor, but when it comes to the story itself, we cannot change anything. This capability of us to freely ima gine is not present when watching T. V. It is because when watching T. V. , images that we see directly sinks in into our minds.In a soap opera, if you see that the leading man is Jericho Rosales, can you easily replace the leading man with Zac Efron by just using your imagination ? You cannot since the image of Jericho Rosales is stuck in your mind. In a fight between television and reading, obviously, I am now in the side of reading. But it does not mean that I am against technology. People always say that technology took away reading from the youth. But is technology that of a big hindrance to reading? Has technology done nothing to somehow influence the youth into reading?If I compared the youth today from the youth before, I can say that the youth before is more into reading than the youth today. Before, when radio was the only device as the source of entertainment in every household, when only rich people had televisions in their homes, and when average children only peek from the windows of other houses to watch television, reading Filipino comics was the favourite past time of young people. The Pinoy superheroes and famous characters that we know today such as Panday, Darna, Zuma, Dyesebel, and Captain Barbel l came from these comics.These comics were very affordable that even a kid who only has a few coins in his/her pocket as allowance can buy it. When youngsters had finished their comics they rented it to other comic readers. They did not only enjoy reading but they also made profit from it. But those are not the only advantages that comics have on the youth be fore. The common story in Filipino comics before was about losers who became superheroes. These types of comics give young readers that shining hope that someday they will be as admirable as these superheroes.In the modern times, I can say that reading among the youth is indeed lessened but I do think that reading is not dead among us. Youngsters may be very attached with the technology but m any are still interested with reading novels, especially the teenagers. Novels like â€Å"A Walk to Remember†, â€Å"Harry Potter†, â€Å"Percy Jackson and the Olympians† , â€Å"The Hunger Games† and â€Å"The Vampire Diaries† are famous among teenagers. Reading these English novels is beneficial for young readers in terms of vocabulary. They learn new English words through context. Some modern novels also have disadvantages in terms of content.Some novels have contents that may be inappropriate for young readers. The erotic novel â€Å"50 Shades of Grey† and the epistolary novel â€Å"The Perks of Being a Wallflower† have parts that may be too sensual for teenagers. Some novels can also have contents expressing Cabral 2 brutality. The young adult novels like â€Å"The Hunger Games† and â€Å"The Vampire Diaries† have parts in it wherein the piercing of flesh and splashing of blood are explained in clear detail. But it is not only the English novels that are loved by teenagers. They also read books by Filipino writers. One great example of a famous Filipino writer among teenagers is Bob Ong.His works are famous for being humorous. I think that is why teenagers like his books. I have also read one of his books. The one I read was titled â€Å"Lumayo Ka Nga Sa Akin†. Indeed, the book was humorous—you can tell just by the title and cover of it , but behind that, it has content that criticizes the arts in the Philippines. It suggests that the quality of arts in the Philippines is poor in terms of the movies, songs, and artists that we produce. There were also parts of the book implying that Filipinos are dumb for being too shallow to buy these low-quality movies as suggested in the book.For me, having teenagers read these kinds of books is good for them. It is good for them in a way that at such young age, their eyes are opened to the real problems of our country. I think Bob Ong’ s main purpose is not to make a fool out of Filipinos. I think his purpose was to wake Filipinos up. He wants Filipinos to know their mistakes and the things around them that need correction. That is why I recommend these kinds of books to teenagers since we are the people of tomorrow and as people of tomorrow, it is good that we already know the things that we should fix in ourselves and in our surroundings for a better country.Comics have images in them while novels only have texts. Considering this, I would prefer reading novels than comics. It is because reading without seeing any graphical representation of what you are reading will let you freely imagine and form in your mind your own picture of what you are reading. Contrasting Filipino comics from novels, I would say that Cabral 3 one difference between them is the age group of their readers.Unlike reading today, teenagers before were not the only ones who enjoyed reading comics but children of very young ages were able to e njoy them also since Filipino comics before covered a wide variety of stories and were written in Filipino. Today, kids are not able to enjoy reading as much as teenagers do. It is because kids prefer seeing pictures rather than texts. That is why kids before were able to enjoy comics because it has images in it. Also, most of the children today watch cartoons as their past time. Because of technology, some of the youth of today lost their interest in reading.Aside from technology, another factor why some of the youth today are taken away from reading is that the prices of books today are not very appropriate for young people. Before, Filipino comics were more or less 5 pesos each if you will buy it firsthand. If you will rent it from somebody, it costs about 2 pesos each. Nowadays, teenagers have to save money for months in order to buy a novel. One novel today costs more or less 300 pesos. Because of this, not all young people have access to these kinds of books. Despite that fact , many teenagers, who are avid readers, still find means to gain access to the novels they like to read.They may try to borrow books from their friends. They may also download e -books from the internet —and this is where the advantage of technology in reading comes in. Technology may have lessened reading in the modern times, but we cannot deny that it also helped young people to access any novel they like to read. Nowadays, teenagers have e book readers in their phones wherein they can read the ir downloaded e-books. If you do not have an e-book reader, you could just search for the pdf forms of the novels you like on the internet and then download it through different file sharing sites.These methods make reading more convenient and affordable for teenagers. Through downloading e -books and pdf files, they do not Cabral 4 have to spend money to be able to read novels. With just one click in their phones, t hey could read novels whenever and wherever since novels are stored in their phones. Aside from technology, another thing that made teenagers closer to reading is moviebased novels. Before, stories in Filipino comics that became very famous were made into movies. This trend before can also be observed today. As far as I know, this trend started with â€Å"Harry Potter† which is a series of fantasy novels.Every novel in this series was made into a movie and every movie turned into a success. The same goes for â€Å"Twilight† which is a series of vampire-themed fantasy romance novels. These kinds of movies are famous among teenagers nowadays. As to what I have observed, fans of a typical novel-based movie are divided into two: those who have read the novel before watching the movie and those who became fans upon watching the movie. Because of these kinds of movies, teenagers who are non-readers of novels suddenly become interested in reading.The fact that novel-based movies are often in series also helped in promoting reading among non- readers. Let us take the Twilight series as an example. When non-readers watch the movie â€Å"Twilight†, which is based from the first novel in the series, and they liked it, they w ill be enticed to read the book itself. They will continue to read up to the fourth book which is â€Å"Breaking Dawn† because they will be eager to know about the happenings in the succeeding novels in the series. So, it turns out that technology is not a nemesis of reading after all.Actually, it helps to promote reading by rendering the youth free access to their favourite novels via e-book. Despite that fact, we cannot deny that reading from a book is still better than reading from an e -book. Scrolling an e-book from your phone or tablet is nothing compared with flipping the crisp pages Cabral 5 of a book. What is important is that there are still many youth today who appreciate the greatness of reading a book. They do not only give importance to the knowledge they can get from reading , but they also appreciate the beauty of it and the fulfilment of reading wonderful stories. Cabral 6

Saturday, November 9, 2019

History: Questions Essay

5. Compare and contrast policies, factors influencing success and outcomes achieved by the following â€Å"Asian Miracle† countries: Taiwan, Korea, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam and Laos. After the end of World War 2, East Asia experienced a rapid economic growth which lasted till 1990; before the Asian Financial Crisis. The countries that achieved substantial growth were Taiwan, South Korea, Hong Kong,  Singapore and Japan. These countries were referred to as the Asian Tigers and they were known for achieving and maintaining incomparably high growth rates and rapid industrialization between 1960 and 1990 (Lall, 1996). By the 21st century, the Asian Tigers had grown into high-income and advanced economies (Page, 1994). Initially, these countries were not expected to achieve such rapid growth as compared to Western countries (Amsden,1993). The other countries which were not far behind from the five miracle economies were Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia. These countries were known as the Second-Generation Tigers. However, less fortunate countries such as the former French Indochina (Focusing on Vietnam and Laos) remained lagged in terms of development. Source: Summers and Heston (1991). Barro (1989). World Bank data. Figure 1 shows the eight HPAEs; all have a positive outlier in the income-growth distribution. While Malaysia, Thailand, and Indonesia are closer to the predicted values, the other five economies, Taiwan, Korea, Japan, Singapore and Hong Kong, are significantly above the predicted Gross Domestic Product growth rates on the basis of relative income level. From this chart, it is concluded that all of the HPAEs were catching up to the more developed countries. This essay analyses the causes that led to the difference in development between the Asian Tigers (5 miracle countries), Second-Generation Tigers (Second-tier countries) and the least developed ones. This essay will also state the multiple factors which led to the countries’ divergent paths and compare and analyse the impacts of each factor. The factors that will be expounded on are: (1) Economic Policies, (3) Factors influencing success and lastly, (4) Domestic and Regional Political outcomes. In 1960, the companies that achieved high growth rates and rapid industrialization were addressed as High Performing Asian Economies of Northeast Asia (HPEAs) of Northeast Asia and the Second-tier were referred to as Newly Industrialising Economies (NIEs) of Southeast Asia (Fisher & Rotemberg, 1994). Key events such as colonialism, decolonisation and the  cold war played a part in this phenomenon as it contributed to the building of HPEAs and NIEs economies. Colonialism Majority of HPEAs and NIEs countries used to be under colonial rule except for Thailand and Japan. Both Thailand and Japan used various methods to run their country; two of their main methods where their geographical location and resources available (Andressen, 2002). During the colonial era, majority of Southeast Asian countries used to have higher GDPs than Northeast Asian miracles; in the early 19th century, countries like Burma and Vietnam were wealthier than Taiwan, which GDP was $499 in 1820. During that period, both Malaysia and Indonesia’s GDP topped Taiwan and Korea until the 1940s, during the fall of colonisation. Burma and Vietnam owed most of its achievements to colonial institutions and natural resources. Unfortunately, colonialism did everything but good for both countries’ welfare (Easterly, 1994). The aim of colonialism was to acquiring full or partial political control over both countries, occupy it with settlers and exploit it economically. The Dutch, for example, introduced social classification and applied a divide-and-rule method to attain superiority over the indigenous people while exploiting them to work in plantations. The Dutch did not teach the colonies any form of manufacturing as they had no intention to invest in human resources. Similarly, British Malaya had its resources drained by colonists and when the colonist left, the countries that made up British Malaya declared independence. These independent countries continued to carry out the colonial style of administration; as this once produced significant profits, and system without the knowledge of manufacturing. The Asian Tigers: Korea & Taiwan In contrast, Korea, Taiwan, Singapore and Hong Kong, which were colonised by Japan and Britain, did not own many natural resources. Little was to be exploited from those colonies as the colonist only found their geographical  location and labourers of use. Unlike Korea and Taiwan, which were the main hub of food production and labour-intensive industries, Singapore and Hong Kong were used as import harbours. This put Singapore and Hong Kong at an advantage as basic education was provided and allowed them to gain the upper hand in industrialization when they gained independence. In 1960, during the Cold War, when political and military tension grew between both Western Bloc and Eastern Bloc, the economies of Taiwan, Korea, Japan, Hong Kong and Singapore were not affected. These Asian countries were not affected as they had leaders who put communal interests over personal benefits. Both private companies and governments of HPEAs worked together and collaborated. This act is attributed to the Confucian culture which majority of Asian countries practice. The Confucian culture emphasises on prioritising of community over individual (Johnson, 1982). Their economic strategies constituted of advanced industries supported by exceptional human resources, export-oriented, market-adjusting state interventions, efficient bureaucrats and institutional cooperation consisting of both government and certain companies. Korea and Taiwan, both former Japanese colonies, promoted their local companies and invested in improving their human resources skill and technological capability by following the Japanese model with their own adaptation (Beasley, 1987). They also used protectionist policies; such as tariffs, to ensure that their immature domestic market would not be forced to compete with foreign products. For the Koreans, their post-war economic strategy was to obtain knowledge from developed countries to adopt foreign technology. This was done to provide a foundation for its domestic industries (Woronoff, 1992). Korea’s oligopolistic development model was founded in 1960, under authoritative administration of Park Chung Hee. This development model was made up of collaboration between conglomerates called chaebols. Chaebols consisted of successful exporting companies that were chosen and given privileges (Wad, 2002). Korea’s development was also supported by its human resources. Its human resource were organised in military-like discipline. Gradually, after gaining independence from Japan, Taiwan entered into industrialisation stage by allowing government bodies to  supervise its development. In 1950, the Economic Planning Institution was started. The Economic Stabilisation Board executed the first four-years of economic plans, continued by Council for Economic Planning and Development (CEPD) who was tasked with national and regional planning (Kuznets, 1959). CEPD coordinated with ministries to ensure that development would be done according to plan but they had no authority to supervise. Government involvement could also be seen through the Ministry of Economic Affairs’ role in outlining which subdivision should be supported and this included industries of which Taiwan is reputable for: machinery, electronics, and telecommunications. In mid 1960, the government built export-allocated zones which were easy to access from harbours and airports. To stimulate export, customs and taxes were reduced and low interest loans were promoted. In 1980, labour skills gradually improved and this also resulted in the improvement of the education sector. Meanwhile, the NIEs and other less fortunate countries such as Vietnam and Laos; although predicted to be the next tigers following the success of their Northeast Asian counterparts, could not catch up with HPEAs. Some of the NIEs formed a ‘neo-patrimonial’ state. Neo-patrimonial is classified by having inefficient bureaucracy, nepotistic leaders and unstable authority. These nepotistic leaders show favouritism and public interest becomes second priority. This leads to poor economic growth along with disorganised policies. Furthermore, unlike the HPEAs that benefited from having a relatively homogenous ethnicity, Southeast Asian countries were diverse. This diversity in ethnic groups made it difficult for the ethnic groups to understand each other. In addition, due to the Cold War, the former French Indochina suffered severe political instability and economic collapse. The Second Generation Tigers: Thailand & Malaysia Similarly, Thailand and Malaysia both failed to achieve HPEAs success. In 1980, Malaysia tried to adapt HPEAs intervention model, but failed implement their policies. Thailand, on the other hand, was hindered by political  instability (Unger, 1995). In Malaysia’s case, participation of local companies was low and foreign companies played a greater role in Malaysia’s economy (Lubeck, 1992). Also, local companies depended on foreign technology and the country’s demand for advanced technical skills was not fulfilled. Furthermore, there was an ethnic divide between the indigenous people and Chinese. This prevented cohesive cooperation in both Thailand and Malaysia As for Thailand, the government, shareholders and military were unable to cooperate. The military would occasionally launch coup attempts and such attempts disrupted both political stability and economic activities. Vietnam & Laos Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia were the main Southeast Asian countries with poor economies. These countries’ economic problems were the result of internal conflicts (Tran Van Tho, 2003). The conflicts in Vietnam and Laos resulted in the victory of the communist party and as for Cambodia, the democratic government ruled. In 1970s, Vietnam was exhausted and isolated due to its involvement with the conflict between Cambodia and USA. Due to the conflict, Vietnam became one of the poorest countries in the region. Realising the need to fix their economic condition, Vietnam adapted a reformist pace by allowing private ownership in small to medium enterprises and opened itself to investments (Brown, 1995). This move led to Vietnam’s economic prospers, though lagging behind its capitalist neighbours. Vietnam currently relies on raw and secondary products (Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, 2014). Cambodia and Laos were both alienated from being one of the Asian Miracle. Laos, being in between Thailand and Vietnam became a heated political theatre during the Cold War. Although Laos reformed it’s economic sector simultaneously with Vietnam, its economic growth pace was slow as the country relied on natural resources, agriculture and low skilled labourers. Only in early 1990 did Laos manage to expand its industry and attract foreign investors. To summarise, this essay has argued that the Asian miracle was an uneven phenomenon that only happened to some countries. It also states how rapid economic growth occurred in the eight East Asian countries; mainly focussing on Hong Kong, Korea, Taiwan, Malaysia, and Thailand. Furthermore, the common denominators of success: (1) maintaining macroeconomic stability, (2) broad-based educational strategies, (3) export growth, and (4) insignificance of industrial policy have been discussed upon. This essay argues that export push was a successful strategy, while industrial policy was â€Å"insignificant.† In conclusion, the substantial achievements of the HPEAs were owed to the collaboration of both companies and the government whose goal was to build a sustainable economy for the country. Majority of the Asian Tigers (First- tiers) were not blessed with plenty of natural resources but they managed to improve by investing in human resources and value-added goods. In addition, these countries also showed a strong unity among the society, government, and businessmen. The government’s authoritative nature created stability and helped to bring about positive impacts on the economy. The second-tier managed to get closer to the first-tiers due to the resources available. However, the second-tiers did not manage to draw alongside or surpass the first-tiers as they relied on low value-added goods, raw materials and low wage labourers. Also, their governments personal interests and corruption hindered the countries development. Citation Amsden, A. H. (1993). Why isn’t the whole world experimenting with the East Asian model to develop? Review of the World Bank’s East Asian Miracle Report, to appear in Symposium on the World Bank’s East Asian Miracle Report, in World Development. Andressen, C. A. (2002). Short History of Japan: from Samurai to Sony, Allen & Unwin. St. Leonards. Beasley, W. G.(1987). Japanese Imperialism 1894-1945, Oxford University Press, New York. Brown, FZ ‘The Economic Development of Vietnam Laos, and Cambodia’ in Young C Kim (ed.), The Southeast Asian Economic Miracle, Transaction Publishers, London, 1995 pp. 85-104 Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, The New ASEANS: Vietnam, Burma, Cambodia, & Laos, Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. 2014. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.dfat.gov.au/publications/catalogue/new_asia.pdf. [Accessed 03 September 2014]. Easterly, W. (1994). Explaining miracles: Growth regressions meet the gang of four. In NBER, East Asian seminar on economics 1993, T. Ito and A. O. Krueger (eds.). Johnson, C. (1982). MITI and The Japanese Miracle: The Growth of Industrial Policy, 1925-1975, Stanford University Press, Stanford. Kuznets, S. (1959). Six lectures on economic growth. Glencoe, IL: Free Press. Lall, S.(1996). Learning from the Asian Tigers, Macmillan Press Ltd., London. Lubeck, PM ‘Malaysian Industrialization, Ethnic Division, and the NIC Model’, in RP Appelbaum & J Henderson (eds.), States and Development in Asia Pacific Rim, Sage Publications, London, 1992, p.177-181 Page, J. ‘The East Asian Miracle: Four Lessons for Development Policy’, in S Fisher & J J Rotemberg (eds.), NBER Macroeconomics Annual, MIT Press 1994, pp. 219-282 Tran Van Tho. (2003). ‘Economic development in Vietnam during the second half of the 20th century: How to avoid the danger of lagging behind’ in Binh Tran Nam and Chi Do Pham (eds) The Vietnamese Economy: Awakening the dorming dragon. RoutledCurzon. Unger, D. (1995). ‘Government and Business in Thailand’, in Young C Kim (ed.), The Southeast Asian Economic Miracle, Transaction Publishers, London, 1995 pp.137-158 Wad, P ‘The Political Business of Development in South Korea’, in Edmund Terrence Gomez (ed.) Political Business in East Asia, Routledge, London & New York, 2002 pp. 182-215 World Bank, The East Asian Miracle: Economic Growth and Public Policy, Oxford University Press, New York, 1993, pp. 90-92 Woronoff, J.(1992). Asia’s Miracle Economies, 2nd ed., M. E. Sharpe Publisher. New York.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

What US Census Takers Do

What US Census Takers Do Americans who, for whatever reason, do not complete and return a Census Bureau questionnaire can expect a personal visit from a census taker or enumerator.What do the enumerators census takers have to do? According to Census Bureau Director Kenneth W. Prewitts April 5, 2000 testimony to the House Subcommittee on the Census, Each enumerator is given a binder of addresses in that area that includes all those addresses for which we have not received a completed questionnaire. Because houses without numbers and street name addresses can be difficult to find, enumerators in rural areas also receive maps that have the housing unit locations spotted on them. The enumerator must go to each address in the assignment area to complete the appropriate questionnaire (either short form or long form) for the housing unit and its occupants. Census Taker Key Takeaways Census Takers, or â€Å"Enumerators,† are employees of the U.S. Census Bureau who visit the homes of individuals who do not complete and return a census questionnaire. The Census Taker will interview any available adult member of the household in order to complete the census questionnaire.The Census Taker will make at least six attempts to visit the home, contact a resident, and complete the questionnaire.Like all Census Bureau employees, Census Takers are strictly prohibited by law from divulging any information gathered and may be fined and imprisoned for doing so. For each address, the enumerator must: Interview a household member at least 15 years of age and completes the assigned questionnaire. If the unit was occupied by a different household on Census Day, the enumerator completes a questionnaire for the occupants who lived there on Census Day by interviewing a knowledgeable person, such as a neighbor.If the current occupants were not enumerated elsewhere, the enumerator will also complete a census questionnaire for them for their Census Day address.If the housing unit was vacant on Census Day, the enumerator completes appropriate housing questions on the questionnaire by interviewing a knowledgeable person, such as a neighbor or apartment house manager.If the housing unit was demolished or otherwise nonexistent under census definitions, the enumerator completes a questionnaire that provides the reason why the unit should be deleted from the census address list, by interviewing a knowledgeable respondent such as a neighbor or apartment house manager. What if nobody's home? Will the census taker just go away? Yes, but he or she will most certainly be back. The enumerator must make up to six attempts to contact the resident and complete a questionnaire.If no one is home at an occupied housing unit, the enumerator obtains as much information as possible about how to contact the occupants from a neighbor, building manager, or another source.The enumerator also leaves a notice at the address that they have visited and provides a telephone number so the occupant can call back.The enumerator then makes up to two additional personal visits (3 in all) and three telephone attempts at contacting the household before obtaining as much information as possible to complete the questionnaire from a knowledgeable source. Enumerators are instructed to make their callbacks on different days of the week and at different times of day.The enumerator must maintain a record of callbacks that lists each type of callback made (telephone or personal visit) and the exact date and time it occurred. Enumerators are expected to obtain complete interviews but must o btain at least the status (occupied or vacant) and the number of people living in the unit. If the enumerator submits a questionnaire that contains this minimal level of data, the crew leader must check the enumerators record of callbacks for the housing unit to determine that procedures were properly followed. The crew leader also holds these cases for possible further follow-up to obtain more complete data. Crew leaders meet daily with each enumerator to pick up and check completed work.Crew leaders are expected to make sure that the enumerators produce quality work at a rate of 1 to 1.5 completed questionnaires per hour depending on the type of area covered. Crew leaders check each completed questionnaire for completeness and accuracy.In order to prevent falsification of the data by enumerators, a percentage of each enumerators work is verified for accuracy by a re-interview staff. This staff verifies a sample of each enumerators work and may also verify additional questionnaires from enumerators whose work differs significantly from that of other enumerators working for the same crew leader. An enumerator who is discovered falsifying data is dismissed immediately and all the work must be redone by another enumerator. And so it goes until a completed census questionnaire has been completed and turned into the local census office for every housing unit address in America.Like all other employees of the Census Bureau, enumerators are subject by law to severe penalties including imprisonment for divulging information outside of the required scope of their job. And remember, answering all census  questionnaires is required by law.   Census Taker Jobs for the 2020 Census With the 2020 Census fast approaching, the U.S. Census Bureau is now recruiting, hiring, and training thousands of people nationwide for temporary jobs.To be eligible for all 2020 Census job, you must:Be at least 18 years old.Have a valid Social Security number.Be a U.S. citizen.Have a valid email address.Complete an application and answer assessment questions. (Some assessment questions are available in Spanish. However, an English proficiency test may also be required.)Be registered as required by law with the Selective Service System or have a qualifying exemption, if you are a male born after Dec. 31, 1959.Pass a Census-performed criminal background check and a review of criminal records, including fingerprinting.Commit to completing training.Be available to work flexible hours, which can include days, evenings, and/or weekends.For most jobs- especially Census Taker- applicants must:Have a valid driver’s license and access to a vehicle, unless public transportation is read ily available; andHave access to a computer with internet and an email account (to complete training).Persons interested in part or full-time census jobs may apply online at the Census Bureau’s very secure Census Careers Site. The application process takes about 30 minutes. You will need to provide your Social Security number, home address, email address, phone number, and your date and place of birth.

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

5 Study Secrets to Ace Your Exams

5 Study Secrets to Ace Your Exams Most students hate tests. They hate the feeling of trying to remember the answer to a question, worrying that they focused on the wrong material, and waiting to receive their results. Whether you learn at a traditional school or study from the comfort of your own home, chances are you’ll have to sit through many test-taking experiences. But there are a few tricks you can learn now to avoid the worry before you’re in the heat of the moment. Give these five proven study tips a try and see how much better you feel during your next exam. 1. Survey your textbook or workbook before you read. Take a couple of minutes to find the glossary, index, study questions and other important information. Then, when you sit down to study, you’ll know where to find the answers you are looking for. Make sure you read any study questions before you read the chapter. These questions let you know what you can probably expect in any upcoming tests, papers or projects. 2. Attack your textbook with sticky notes. As you read, summarize (write down the main points in just a few sentences) each section of the chapter on a post-it note. After you have read the entire chapter and summarized each section, go back and review the post-it notes. Reading the post-it notes is an easy and efficient way to review information and, because each note is already in the section it summarizes, you can easily find the information you need. 3. Use a graphic organizer to take notes when you read. A graphic organizer is a form you can use to organize information. As you read, fill out the form with important information. Then, use your graphic organizer to help you study for the test. Try using the Cornell notes worksheet. Not only does this organizer let you record important terms, ideas, notes and summaries, it also lets you quiz yourself on that information by folding the answers upside down. 4. Make your own practice test. After you finish reading, pretend you are a professor who is writing a test for the chapter. Review the material you just read and make up your own practice test. Include all vocabulary words, study questions (they’re usually at the beginning or end of the chapter), and highlighted words you can find, as well as any other information you think is important. Take the test you’ve created to see if you remember the information. If not, go back and study some more. 5. Create visual flashcards. Flashcards aren’t just for primary students. Many college students find them useful as well. Before you take a test, make flashcards that will help you remember important terms, people, places and dates. Use one 3-by-5-inch index for each term. On the front of the card, write down the term or question you need to answer and draw a picture that will help you remember it. This will help ensure that you grasp the study material as you’ll find that it’s almost impossible to sketch something you don’t really understand. On the back of the card write down the definition of the term or the answer to the question. Review these cards and quiz yourself before the actual test.

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Issue of gender inequality from a global perspective Essay

Issue of gender inequality from a global perspective - Essay Example Again, the focus of how the media covers the improvement of women will be aimed at presenting those 'general' variables that apply across all cultures, and education will be presented as one of the most important ways toward female emancipation. Finally, and in keeping with the economic focus, the solution driven approach will be examined from the US perspective over and against that of the rest of the world. Given that both health care and education are institutions that have had a very measurable positive impact, the question emerges as to whether these should be state or private? In terms of economics, the problems and the solutions will be examined with a particular central focus on fiscally driven themes. However much there is a lot of legislation and many institutions that function to challenge discrimination in the US, discrimination is nonetheless a problem. From the beginning's of US history, and to the present time, there has been a marked progress toward creating the insti tutions and legislation that promotes equality across social classes, race or visible minority barriers, barriers created by disabilities, and finally, the issue which will be the focus of the following analysis, namely, discrimination on the basis of gender. This said, progress toward gender inequality has been a long struggle. In the twentieth century, for example, the right to vote for women was established in 1919 or well after the right to vote was given to men. Further, the most significant acts or legislation for promoting equality, were really only passed in the 1960's. Among these, it has to be maintained that the Equal Pay or Equality Act rank as the most significant. While, the legislative or formal area of breaking down discrimination has taken some time, the effects of greater equality are arguably only a fairly recent phenomenon. For instance, in the US at the moment, in over two-thirds of all households women are in the workforce [Bennett and Ellison, 2010]. Further, women are outranking men in education at significant levels, and represent 71% of all valedictorians [Bennett and Ellison, 2010]. However, while there is progress by so many social indicators, they remain largely outsiders at the top of the work chain, so to speak. Moreover, they are still earning less than men for equivalent which means that there is a persisting wage gap in spite of a lot of the progress that has been noted in brief: â€Å"Women in the U.S. may be working more, and in greater numbers, but women are still just 3 percent of Fortune 500 CEOs, and make 77 cents on the dollar† [Bennett and Ellison, 2010]. It cannot be stressed enough that the wage gap for present purposes, has to be understood within some of the perimeters of economics. As a gap measurable or quantifiable, it follows that a tax revenue base is effected as just a single instance where impacts are made well beyond the immediate or surface layer. It cannot be said enough that both the wage gap and the impact of fewer women earning the top salaried jobs in the Fortune 500 boardrooms are economic at least as much as moral issues. In terms of the legal problems involved with systemic discrimination,