Nowledge Management Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Nowledge Management - Case Study Example This new concept of knowledge management has enhanced the progress of most institutions it turns personal knowledge to be the institutions asset and therefore it is widely used within the institution. Ones knowledge can be mixed with other values and insights to be applied in the organizations practices and routines this is according to Eardley and Uden (2011). Within a school setup, this can also be attained through enabling better processing methods for knowledge and through this better communication can be achieved and shared to others . Schools that practice knowledge management only focus on not repeating same mistakes and diversifying their thinking to avoid duplicate works. Wisdom high school is an average sized school with a population of six hundred students and forty teachers and twenty-five non-staff members. They all work together to provide quality service to its students and community. All workers exchange information among themselves on how to co-operate in work for be st outputs. This can be done through formal and informal ties and training among themselves. Networking system can also be encouraged to enhance access to information and exchanges between workers. Knowledge management faces several challenges in its implementation, but with the developments in computer networking, cooperation and consultations have been enhanced. It is enhances the support of decisions by more people within the organization and rejection if it is not appropriate. Therefore, this supports. Working within the school setup involves educating scholars and decision making on issue that affects the whole school society. Schools should know about current trends in the learning systems and therefore, try to embrace them to promote current discourse on academic issues. This creates advancements in performance and creates more interest from both scholars and staff to learn new ideas. Many learning institutions have been undergoing many weaknesses units management, therefore, to improve on its knowledge management it can focus on giving training to its personnel about current affairs in the economy and within the school institution (Pauleen, 2007). Some of the problems are because of lack of knowledge on what the institution is engaging in. There is need for understanding the concepts of knowledge management. This will help the institution determine on whether it is ready to engage in knowledge management. There is also the problem of social relations. The installation of technology should not stop direct confrontations and consultations. The institution should also not expect to acquire new knowledge but should instead focus on improving the existing one. This institution with both formal and informal personnel needs to have knowledge bases from where they can get their knowledge. According to their roles, there is need for diversified fields at the base. There is need for planning knowledge that helps guide the institution to its goals and objectives. It also helps in classifying needs giving priority to the most urgent and primary. Descriptive knowledge is also necessary to help the personnel understand the type of individuals they handle. Other kinds of knowledge are the predictive knowledge and assessment knowledge too. They apply in relating to customers, in sales and in management of finances. Therefore, to ensure proper relations between employees and workers, proper

Investment and Japan Essay Example for Free

Investment and Japan Essay 1. Why, historically, has the level of FDI in Japan been so low? 2. What are the potential benefits to the Japanese economy of greater FDI? 3. How did the entry if Walmart into the Japanese retail sector benefit that sector? Who lost as a result of Walmart’s entry? 4. Why has it been so hard for Walmart to make a profit in Japan? What might the company have done differently? Japan, an island nation on the Pacific ocean, has none of the natural advantages that have facilitated cross-border trade and investment in other parts of the world. Also, Japan was badly defeated in World War II and occupied by Allied forces at the end of the war. Japan was totally closed to foreign investment during that period. The Japanese government sets up important barriers to reduce the foreign direct investment into Japan to develop the country by avoiding other countries’ financial shocks. Additional, the high rental and labor cost impact the Foreign Direct Investment level too. Japan as a host country, a greater FDI can result from the resource-transfer effect, employment effects, balance-of-payments effects on competition and economic growth. Walmart entered the Japanese market by purchasing large stakes in similar retailer Seiyu. Walmart helped Seiyu reorganized the structure, implemented point-of -sale and SMART inventory tracking systems, supply-chain and distribution management systems,etc. Walmart gave a free American strategy lesson to the Japanese retail industry. Walmart also increased the the level of competition in Japan, it resulted in stimulating the developing retail industry and lowering the price of products to improve economic growth in Japan. But Walmart as a foreign investor in Japan did not make profits from 2000-2010. During the years of losses in Japan, Walmart still believed the American style retail store can grow anywhere in the world. They have made similar mistakes just like in Germany. Walmart failed to grasp the fact that the consumer and retail environment in Japan has a different culture. In Japan, people puts loyalty on a highest value. It’s difficult to pursue the consumers from local â€Å"7-eleven† to foreign â€Å"Walmart†. â€Å"Every day lower price† strategy is not enough power to change Japanese consumers buying  behavior. Japanese consumers tendency to buy smaller quantities and good packaging or appearance of goods. The quality of product also play a huge role in their purchasing decisions. For Walmart, better understanding of Japan’s culture and improving relationship with supplier may help them move forward to success in Japan.

History of Rabies :: Biology Medical Biomedical Disease

History of Rabies Abstract: Rabies, literally meaning â€Å"furious† in Latin, is commonly known throughout the ages for its terrifying effects on both humans and animals alike. Because the disease is fatal, people throughout the world have put greatest effort to find ways of controlling and preventing the disease. Natural remedies and protection amulets were used until Pasteur’s discovery of the vaccine. Based on those findings, people have altered techniques to make the vaccine. However, recently, there have been two particular cases concerning rabies. One woman survived the disease by an induced coma without receiving the vaccine. Another case a common organ donor infected with rabies killed all the recipients. These medical mysterious surprised many scientist even today. Long before humans established their existence on Earth, microorganisms have always existed. Such is the case for a specific virus named rabies. People in the past could easily identify the presence of this tiny killer. Extending way back to about 2300 BC, people in ancient Babylon have acknowledged the presence of this terrifying disease. Furthermore, they even set up written laws, requiring owners to quarantine their rabid animals or risk being fined a certain amount of money if the animals attacked anyone (West 12-13). In the fifth century BC, a few famous Greek and Roman writers, such as Democritus, Aristotle, Hippocrates, Plutarch, Xenophon, Epimarcus, and Virgil, also mentioned rabies in their writings. However, during times where culture played a bigger influence than science, people typically documented the disease in an ambiguous and vague fashion. In Greek mythology, the god Aristaeus cancelled out the effects, while the goddess Artemis spread the disease to humans a nd animals alike, cursing them to a state of madness (Baer 1). Only until the first century AD that a Roman celebrated physician called Aulus Cornelius Celsus accurately described the disease (Rabies.com). He also stated â€Å"saliva was ‘venomous’ and the means of transmitting the disease† (West 13). In American culture, this disease has also made its mark on humanity because of the way one dies but also the way the person’s death affects everyone around them. In the two famous novels Their Eyes Were Watching God by Nora Hurston and Old Yeller by Frederick Gipson, the great emotional pain deeply scars the heroes of the stories. In Gipson’s novel, Old Yeller, a young boy’s beloved dog, is injured while saving his human family.

Prevalence of One Party Rule in African States Essay

Africa, often known as the ‘Dark Continent’ rightfully occupies its place as the ‘Cradle of Civilization’ as the first humans have been known to originate from this continent of diverse ethnicities, tribes and clans. Since ancient times, the very nature of African society predicated formation of kingdoms and states centered on ethnicities and clans. Later, the advent of colonialism brought to Africa new forms of governance, which included democratization, socialism, communism and dictatorships. One enduring feature of African style of governance has been the prevalence of one party rule in most African countries. This paper examines why there is such a preference for such single party model of governance in Africa. To fully examine the subject, this paper shall first provide a historical overview of the progression of styles of governance in Africa and then examine the trends in major countries that make up the African continent. The paper will argue that the intrinsic nature of the African society and the effects of colonialism predispose them to following a one party rule. Historical Overview Africa is the world’s second largest continent both in terms of size and population and has 54 countries many of which are struggling democracies, a few communist regimes, and a number of authoritarian regimes bordering on dictatorship. Since ancient times, Africa had its indigenous systems of governance based on tribes and ethnic affinities. Africa also had great civilizations like the Egyptian civilization in 3300 B. C (Martin & O’Meara, 1995, p. 79). The earliest foreign influence came in 814 B. C. with the founding of Carthage in present day Tunisia under the Roman Empire which was followed by Persian domination of Egypt. In 332 B. C. , Alexander the Great replaced the Persian domination of Egypt and Roman rule continued in much of North Africa till the advent of Islam in the early 7th century (Martin & O’Meara, p. 99). In all these cases, the style of governance was centralized, as exercised by the emperor based in Rome or Persia through an appointed sovereign. The influence was limited mostly to North Africa, while the rest of Africa was considered too difficult to traverse due to thick jungles. Thus even in North Africa, from ancient times, the focus was on one –man rule and that more or less ‘conditioned’ the North African people to accept models of ‘uni-power’ in those times. Since the jungles were impassable and large number of tribes and ethnicities abounded, it was natural that rest of Africa had thousands of small kingdoms, states and at times independent nomadic tribes who dominated a particular territory. Each tribe had its own set of rules, customs, traditions and styles of governance, which again was predicated on the rule of one man or a tribal elder. The concept of Greek ‘city-state’ like democracy complete with a senate and an executive was non-existence. Over time, some of the tribes became more powerful and evolved into larger settled kingdoms that coalesced around similar ethnicities and language such as the Ghanaian empire that existed in 790-1076 A. D. followed by the Mali Empire from 1230 to 1600 A. D. (Martin & O’Meara, p. 70) The significant changes in style of governance came with the advent of colonialism. From the 18th century and by the late 19th century, most of Africa was divided up between the colonial powers; France, Britain, Portugal, Germany, Belgium, Spain, Italy and Netherlands. Under colonial rule, the African people had to undergo centralized rule of the colonial powers and the brutal suppression of any African revolt reinforced this submissiveness to a one-man rule. During the colonial period, the colonial powers brought with them their systems of governance, jurisprudence and legislation (Martin & O’Meara, p. 8). Colonialism lost its vigor in the early 20th century and by 1980, most ex-colonies in Africa gained independence. The former colonial powers before exiting from the continent tried to put into place systems of governance in ‘their own image’. Thus across Africa, a variety of ‘democratic’ systems took hold. Most of these ‘democratic systems were basically presidential forms of government, being the closest approximation to what they were used to both as per their pre-colonial experience and their colonial experience. The end of the Second World War gave rise to the Cold War and the Soviet Union tried to expand its influence in Africa also. This gave rise to numerous socialist-communist regimes in Africa that were opposed by the U. S. leading to proxy wars. Having examined the broad trends of the historical period of Africa till the advent of independence, the paper will now examine specific examples of how prevalence of one party rule exists in Africa. It is not intended to cover all 54 countries, but few sample countries that typify the various regions of Africa. For the ease of comprehension and brevity, Africa will be discussed under the heads North Africa, West Africa, East Africa, Central Africa and Southern Africa. North Africa North Africa because of its proximity to Asia had significant influence of Asian and Islamic traditions superimposed on ethnic African traditions and cultures. It is because of the spread of Islam in the 7th century, most of North Africa is Islamic. Islam, an egalitarian religion is considered as a complete body of work wherein all aspects of human life including politics and governance can be practiced through the Quran, the Holy book and the Hadith, the Islamic interpretation of Jurisprudence. Under Islamic law and Islamic political systems, an Islamic state is governed by a Caliph and where a Caliph no longer exists, then by a monarch or a ruler. Ideas such as secularism and democracy have very little congruence with the practice of political Islam. When such a system is overlaid over ancient tribal culture of a village head, it becomes natural that a state be ruled by a monarch or an authoritarian head and if not, the nearest approximation, a single grouping or party. Take for example, Egypt. Egypt, since ancient times was a land ruled by the Pharaohs, then the Persians, Greeks, Romans, Ottomans and the Arabs. In the colonial era, Egypt was ruled by Britain but the largely Islamic populace got independence from Britain in 1922 (Pateman & El-Hamamsy, 2003, p. 28). Egypt was initially a constitutional monarchy and had adopted the British parliamentary system of government but constant political interference from Britain led to internal turmoil that finally resulted in a military coup in 1952 (Pateman & El-Hamamsy, p. 28) in which the monarchy was overthrown and Egypt declared itself to be a Republic under General Muhammed Naquib. Colonel Gamal Abdel Nasser overthrew Naguib in 1954 to become the Egyptian President. Nasser, on assuming power banned all political parties and created a one party named the Liberation Rally to run the government. This move helped him consolidate his power and rule Egypt till his death in 1970 after which he was succeeded by Anwar El-Sadat, the vice President (Pateman & El-Hamamsy, p. 29). Sadat carried out political reforms and reverted to a multi-party system (Pateman & El-Hamamsy, p. 31); creating one of the parties called the National Democratic Party and remained the President till he was assassinated in 1981 by a group of Egyptian army officers during an army parade (Pateman & El-Hamamsy, p. 29). Sadat’s successor, Hosni Mubarak is still in office since 1981 and is the present leader of the National Democratic Party. Though by the Egyptian constitution, multi-party system is allowed, due to sustained state patronage, the National Democratic Party is the only party which has the necessary financial and political clout to win elections. There are other smaller parties that have virtually no chance of winning a single election and till to date Egypt is essentially ruled by a single party. Libya, a British colony was declared as a monarchy under King Idris in 1951 but was overthrown by a revolution led by Colonel Muammer al-Gaddafi in 1969 (Wright, 1981, p. 130) who has ruled the country ever since. Political parties were banned by Gaddafi in 1972 and the country is ruled by the ‘revolutionary leader’, Gaddafi aided by a Revolutionary Committee also called as the People’s Congress. Tunisia was a French protectorate that became independent in 1956 and adopted a Presidential form of government, copying the French model, except that it rapidly turned into an authoritarian police state where most ‘Presidents’ have been military personnel. The present incumbent, President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali is a former military officer (Perkins, 2004, p. 7). On paper, political parties are allowed but in reality, it is only the President’s party, the Constitutional Democratic Rally that gets almost all the seats. The rest of the political parties are usually browbeaten into submission by the state’s security system and there is virtually no free press. The farcical nature of Tunisian ‘democracy’ can be gauged by the fact that in the 2009 presidential election, Ben Ali received 89. 62% votes to continue as the President (Lowe & Amara, 2009, p. 1). The ancient kingdom of Morocco, a French and Spanish Protectorate gained independence in 1956 as a constitutional monarchy, a system that continues till to date. Though the King of Morocco has a prime minister, a parliament and a multi-party system, the style of governance continues to be – rule by one man, the King (Forum, 2008, p. 49). West Africa In West Africa, the situation is slightly different. Here more than Islamic influence, it was the effect of local dynamics, ethnic rivalries, Christian missionaries and communist influence that has determined the preference for single party rule. Take for example Liberia, the only other country other than Ethiopia which has an American connection rather than a European past. Liberia was created through a private American enterprise to house freed African American slaves and became independent in 1847. Since, the project was American led; Liberia adopted a presidential form of system. However, the American backed Liberian elite who ruled the country came in conflict with 16 other indigenous ethnicities living in Liberia. Since the regime was thrust ‘top down’ from the Americans, tensions quickly developed and a coup by a group of ethnic military soldiers led by Samuel Doe took place in 1980. Doe replaced the presidential republic with his authoritarian regime. Political parties were allowed to exist but their freedom remained curtailed by the regime which furthered the hold of its own party, the National Democratic Party of Liberia. The 1985 election results in which the opposition Liberal Action Party won were declared invalid by Doe, which led to the Liberian Civil War in 1989. Doe was killed and the power passed into the hands of Charles Taylor (Moran, 2008, p. 106), who continued his dictatorial regime which again led to another civil war in 1999 that continued up to 2003 and only came to halt with Charles Taylor being forced into exile in Nigeria. From 1847 till 2003, Liberia was ruled by the Americo-Liberian elite and their single party. Since 2003, a transitional government was put into place with international intervention, which because of corruption was dissolved and fresh presidential elections were again held in 2005 and was won by Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, the head of Unity Party who became the first woman President of an African country (Polgreen, 2005, p. 1). Nigeria got its independence from Britain in 1960 and had numerous political parties. These political parties were sharply defined along ethnic lines comprising of three main ethnicities; the Hausa, the Igbo and the Yoruba (Rotberg, 2007, p. 19). The Yoruba dominated Nigerian National Democratic Party won the elections in 1965, which led to political dissensions and instability resulting in two military coups in 1966. This did not resolve the problem as the Igbo, dominating the Eastern region of the country declared independence from Nigeria leading to the Nigerian civil war 1967-1970 that led to over a million deaths. The civil war ended but not the ethnic strife and the military continued to rule Nigeria with coups and assassination of the presidents being a regular feature. For thirty years, Nigeria continued under military rule till 1999 when it finally elected Lusegun Obasanjo, a former military dictator as its President. Obasanjo was re-elected in 2003 (Rotberg, p. 13) as the President amidst allegations of rigging. Obasanjo was replaced by Umaru YarAdua of the People’s Democratic Party in 2007 and on his demise now been replaced by Goodluck Jonathan (Nossiter, 2010, p. 1). So while the American model was adopted, the actual functioning of a presidential type of government has been a recent development in Nigeria’s history. At present there are two main parties in Nigeria, the ruling People’s Democratic Party and the opposition All Nigeria People’s Party with numerous smaller parties. What must be noted is that a democratic political system in Nigeria is still nascent and fragile and should ethnic differences arise again it will not be long that another military coup will take place in the interests of ‘national security’. Angola became independent in 1975 after having been a Portuguese colony from the 16th century. Angolan independence came right in middle of the Cold War where Soviet influence in Africa was rising. The independent country was immediately plunged into a civil war between the Soviet backed Communist MPLA faction and the American backed anti-communist UNITA rebels (Sheehan, Yong, & Lin, 2010, p. 38). The Angolan civil war continued for 27 years (Sheehan, Yong, & Lin, p. 43) till declaration of ceasefire in 2002 by which time over 500,000 people were killed. The ideological factions had an ethnic base too wherein the MPLA comprised basically Angolans of the Kimbundu clan and the UNITA, the Ovimbundu tribe. Presently, the Communist MPLA holds power in Angola. As can be deduced, this being a communist regime with no legitimacy, the concept of political parties in a democratic system does not apply. East Africa East Africa including the Horn of Africa portrays a region of extreme instability with a few deceptively stable nations. Sudan, the first country being analyzed, after gaining independence from Egypt and Britain in 1956, was gripped by a civil war till 1973 (Barker, 2008, p. 16). This civil war was basically because of ethnic differences between the people of Northern Sudan (Islamic of Arabic lineage) and Southern Sudan (non-Islamic of non-Arab lineage). While the civil war raged, Khartoum was ruled by the Sudanese military. A ceasefire in 1973 negotiated through granting autonomy to Southern Sudan kept the peace till 1983 when the military general, and the de-facto President, Nimeiry unilaterally decided to incorporate Southern Sudan into a federation. The civil war continued (Barker, p. 18), Nimeiry was ousted in 1983 and replaced by a democratic government under Prime Minister Al Sadig Al Mahdi which was not recognized by the Sudan’s People Liberation Army (SPLA) of Southern Sudan. Civil war continued anew. In 1989, Colonel Omar al-Bashir over threw Prime Minister Al Mahdi, abolished political parties and established an Islamic code on entire Sudan. Al-Bashir formed the Revolutionary Command Council for National Salvation and allied his group with National Islamic Front to consolidate Islamization of firstly, Northern Sudan and then the rest of the country. In the subsequent military action by the Sudanese army, the SPLA were defeated in Southern Sudan by 1994. Having achieved consolidation, Bashir dissolved the revolutionary council in 1993. In the 1996 election Bashir declared himself to be the only candidate eligible to run for President. All other political parties were disbanded and Bashir converted Sudan into an Islamic state with single party at its helm – the newly created National Congress Party (NCP). Meanwhile, Bashir unleashed a brutal war of suppression on the non-Arab ethnic minorities in the Darfur region using proxy militia known as the Janjaweed that has resulted in deaths of over 400,000 Darfuris (Kessler, 2005, p. 1) leading to an indictment of Al-Bashir by the International Criminal Court for war crimes and genocide. At the tip of the Horn of Africa lies the failed state of Somalia where no functional government exists. Somalia was never formally colonized by any power and had come under a variety of influences ranging from Islamic influence during the Ottoman Empire, Fascist influence under Mussolini’s Italy and then British military administration from 1941 that was replaced by the formation of a republic of Somalia in 1961 with a parliamentary form of government (Lewis, 2008, p. 33). This brief democratic interlude was shattered in 1969 when President Shermake was assassinated and replaced by a military government. The military created the Somali Revolutionary Socialist Party in 1976 and ruled the nation till 1990. Meanwhile, various Islamic factions and clans grew in size and potency that overthrew the military government leading to a series of skirmishes through the period, 1990-1991. The long standing military dictator, Siad Barre was ousted in 1991 and President Ali Muhammed was installed, yet the civil war continued. The UN Security Council approved the United Nations Operation in Somalia (UNOSOM) in 1992 that has since been replaced by UNOSOM II with no success. Presently, a Transitional Federal Government (Lewis, p. x)is the internationally recognized government of Somalia whose writ does not even run through the entire city of Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia. In the dismal narrative so far, Kenya appears to be a bright democratic spark in the African continent. After achieving independence from Britain in 1963, Kenya adopted a semi-presidential form of government albeit, with the peculiar African preference for single party rule. The Kenyan constitution mandated formation of only a single party in Kenya. Governments continued to be formed under the single party system until 1992 when electoral reforms were introduced to allow a multiparty system. The elections since then have been held in generally free and fair manner. The 2007 elections were marred by allegations of rigging in which the main opposition party, the Orange Democratic Freedom accused the ruling Party of National Unity for stealing the election. In the ensuing rioting, over 1000 Kenyans lost their lives (Raghavan, 2010, p. 1) and hundreds of thousands were displaced. Peace was restored through international mediation in 2008 and the country is presently being run by a grand coalition of members of both the parties under a new constitution (Raghavan, p. 1). Kenya’s relative stability is attributed to the British colonial era, where unlike the rest of Africa, the colonists set up educational institutions and government infrastructure. Also, unlike the other African countries, 78% of Kenyans are Christians while 10% are Muslims, 10% indigenous and the rest 2% are Asian immigrants (CIA World Factbook, 2010, p. 1). Central Africa In Central Africa, the Republic of Congo has been in the news for decades for all the wrong reasons. Congo received independence from France in 1960 and adopted the French presidential model of governance. However, the first President, Fulbert Youlou was ousted in 1963 by a military coup, which then installed a puppet civilian government (Rorison, 2008, p. 225) and also adopted communist ideology. In 1965, the Congo republic formally joined hands with the Soviet Union, firmly coming into the soviet bloc (Rorison, p. 226). This alignment did not bring about political stability as the original French democratic influence clashed with the ‘uni-power’ Soviet ideology leading to a series of coups and dictatorship under Denis Sassou. During his first spell of rule from 1979 to 1992, Sassou ruled Congo under a single party rule of the Congolese Labor Party (PCT) (Rorison, p. 227). When external pressures grew strong, he introduced multiparty system in 1990 and was defeated in the 1992 Presidential election. Sassou’s ouster led to a civil war between the supporters of Sassou and his competitor Pascal Lissouba. Sassou, a former colonel won the civil war and proclaimed himself as the President in 1997. In 2009, Sassou was sworn in for another seven-year period (Amnesty International, 2010, p. 1). In Congo’s case too, for most of its independent history, the country has been ruled by a single party and now despite a multi-party ‘democracy’ in place, the original political party, the PCT continues to rule the country. Southern Africa In Southern Africa, any discussion regarding Africa would remain incomplete without illustrating the case of Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe, originally Rhodesia became independent after a violent struggle with the British in 1980. Throughout the period, 1965-1979, the country was engulfed in a civil war between British government forces and the Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU) led by Robert Mugabe and the Zimbabwe African People’s Union (ZAPU) led by Joshua Nkomo as also a number of smaller splinter groups (Raftopoulos & Mlambo, 2009, pp. 141-165). In the 1980 elections, Robert Mugabe won by a wide margin but fighting with opposing parties and groups continued. The two main parties the ZANU and ZAPU fought bitterly until 1988 when ceasefire was declared and the two parties merged into ZANU-PF thus starting Zimbabwe’s slide into single party dominated system (Raftopoulos & Mlambo, p. 179). Till to date the ZANU-PF has won every single election by force. Mugabe’s policies of throwing out the white farmers and forcibly occupying lands and giving it to the poor black resulted in economic sanctions by the West and a meltdown of the economy. Owing to his bad economic policies, hyperinflation struck the country and created political space for Morgan Tsvangirai of the Movement for Democratic Change to challenge him in the 2008 elections. The results were rigged but could not conclusively establish Tsvangirai’s claim of having won the elections. In September 2008, Mugabe maintained his power as the President by agreeing to share power with Tsvangirai who became the Prime Minister (Raftopoulos & Mlambo, p. xxxii). Yet again, the single party rule dominates Zimbabwe. Finally, a discussion of Africa would be incomplete without examining its most prosperous and advanced state – South Africa. In South Africa, the colonial power, the Dutch did not relinquish their hold over the country and continued in the form of Apartheid, which was once again predicated on the dominance of a single party – the White minority party thereby conditioning the people of South Africa to rule by a single party. However, the violent suppression of the minorities could not continue indefinitely and ever since 1961, when South Africa left the British Commonwealth (Berger, 2009, p. 166) the white minority National Party faced constant protest from the black majority for equality. Till 1993, the National Party had banned other political parties (Berger, p. 166) and it was only in the face of sustained international pressure and internal struggle by the black and colored populations that the ban was lifted in 1993 and the African National Congress (ANC) led by Nelson Mandela was allowed to participate in elections. In Mandela, the South Africans found a charismatic leader who exuded the moral authority and statesmanship, which promised to build a future for the suppressed races. Mandela delivered on his promises but also led to consolidation of the ANC as the only party of choice for the people of Africa. The National Party chose to merge with the ANC and this yet again showed the propensity of Africans to prefer single party rule. Conclusion In conclusion, it can be reiterated that analysis of all the regions of Africa shows a remarkable similarity of circumstances that seemed to have shaped their preference for single party rule. The ethnic make up into tribes and clans were at the most basic level, the building blocks for adhering to the instructions of the clan leader or village headman. This obedience in turn was further conditioned by brutal colonial rule, where the colonial masters used every suppressive means to keep the Africans submissive. Suppression and exploitation itself became the rallying point for the African clans to unite and fight for their independence. Since most of the colonial powers only exploited Africa and did not build institutions, the succeeding indigenous governments had no infrastructural back up to employ their people or give immediate succor; naturally, the people fell back to tribal and clan loyalties as rallying forces. Since these points of opposition had to be formed clandestinely, they became sort of secret societies that formed oligarchic groups to fight for independence. On attaining independence the basic dynamics of the groups did not change and they continued as a closed ‘in-group’, which only heightened social inequalities and strife broke out in most cases. As democratic institutions had not been allowed to mature under the colonial period, people tended to cluster around the ‘village headman’, in other words, any leader with some charisma and since one institution that always has a clearly defined leader is the army, most governments became victims of military takeovers. The populace conditioned by colonial repression now became victims of military repression. Military forces needed a ‘democratic fig leaf’ to govern nations and so they set up political parties which were then headed by serving or former military officers to perpetrate the rule of a single party in the states. Parts of Africa that had predominantly Islamic influence adopted Islamic laws, which ideologically are not compatible with democratic secularism. Therefore, these countries by default became ruled by a king or a dictator or by a single party. Where the Cold War intruded the African political space, communist regimes under laid by African tribalism became the dominant feature. In these cases, the political ideology required the rule of the state by a single party. Later, when communist regimes fell, the old habit of single party rule lingered on. Thus the assertion that there is prevalence of one party rule in African states is emphatically proved. However, as can be seen from the examples of African states discussed, the hold of one party system is slowly changing. Multiple parties are emerging as the African people are becoming more aware of the wider world through the process of globalization. They are also realizing the need for multiple choices for governance as a panacea against corruption and despotism. So while the one-party prevalence in Africa may seem predominant at the present, political evolution of the African polity is taking place that will, in time transform into a more inclusive political process across the continent. References Amnesty International. (2010). Congo (Republic of). Retrieved August 11, 2010, from http://www. unhcr. org/refworld/country,,,,COG,,4c03a835c,0. html Barker, G. (2008). Sudan. NY: Marshall Cavendish. Berger, I. (2009). South Africa in World History. Oxford: Oxford University Press. CIA World Factbook. (2010, August 3). Kenya. Retrieved August 11, 2010, from https://www. cia. gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ke. html Forum, A. P. (2008). An Audit of Police Oversight in Africa. Cape Town: African Minds. Kessler, G. (2005, April 27). State Dept. Defends Estimate Of Deaths in Darfur Conflict. Retrieved August 10, 2010, from Washington Post: http://www. washingtonpost. com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/04/26/AR2005042601397. html Lewis, I. (2008). Understanding Somalia and Somaliland: Culture, History, Society. NY: Columbia University Press. Lowe, C. , & Amara, T. (2009, October 26). Tunisian President Wins Fifth Term in Office. Retrieved August 11, 2010, from Reuters: http://www. reuters. com/article/idUSTRE59P03M20091026 Martin, P. M. , & O’Meara, P. (1995). Africa. Bloomington: Indiana University Press. Moran, M. H. (2008). Liberia: The Violence of Democracy . Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania. Nossiter, A. (2010, February 9). Nigerian Parliament Names Acting President. Retrieved August 11, 2010, from New York Times: http://www. nytimes. com/2010/02/10/world/africa/10nigeria. html Pateman, R. , & El-Hamamsy, S. (2003). Egypt. NY: Marshall Cavendish. Perkins, K. J. (2004). A History of Modern Tunisia . Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Polgreen, L. (2005, November 12). In First for Africa, Woman Wins Election as President of Liberia. Retrieved August 10, 2010, from New York Times: http://www. nytimes. com/2005/11/12/international/africa/12liberia. html Raftopoulos, B. , & Mlambo, A. (2009). Becoming Zimbabwe: A History from the Pre-Colonial Period to 2008. Harare: Weaver Press. Raghavan, S. (2010, August 6). Kenyans Celebrate Approval of New Constitution. Retrieved August 10, 2010, from The Washington Post: http://www. washingtonpost. com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/05/AR2010080500525. html Rorison, S. (2008). Congo. Guilford: The Globe Pequot Press Inc. Rotberg, R. I. (2007). Nigeria: Elections and Continuing Challenges. NY: Council for Foreign Relations. Sheehan, S. , Yong, J. L. , & Lin, Y. J. (2010). Angola. NY: Marshall Cavendish. Wright, J. (1981). Libya: A Modern History. Beckenham: Croom Helm Ltd.

Analysis of the Poem “Genesis”

Bruce Dawe, an Australian poet, has written the poem ‘Genesis'. The poem compares the beginning of school to Adam and Eve's expulsion from the Garden of Eden, hence the title ‘Genesis'. Dawe has put the context of the poem into a modern day theme. Using the comparison of Adam and Eve's loss of innocence, he describes how the innocence of children is lost at school. This correspondence to the story of God expelling Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden because they had eaten fruit from the tree of knowledge. In the poem ‘Genesis', children are expelled from innocence into the harsh realities of the world by partaking of the tree of knowledge – education at school. Dawe has used various techniques to convey his message across. Throughout the poem, there is an underlying criticism of what society does to children by sending them to school, leading us to question the wisdom of â€Å"education† as provided at school. He has achieved this critical commentary by lightly incorporating the technique of gentle satire into the poem to attack the human folly. This satire implies that society has not learnt from Adam and Eve's mistakes and condones the sinful behaviour in the name of â€Å"education†. His idea has been put forward by the interpretations that God created Adam and Eve, of whom lost their innocence from the tree of knowledge, but society created the cause of the loss of innocence through education. In the lines â€Å"Ah, what ink-stained webs we weave†(1.23), Dawe implies that the adults of society have created a trap (that cannot be untangled) for their children, in their desire for their children to know more, almost pushing them into losing their purity of heart. This satire has made possible by the technique of irony because the Garden of Eden is supposed to harmonise paradise, but school is far from paradise; yet is respected and designated as a ‘good' place by society. The predominating mood created by Dawe is quite paradoxical for he has put forward a serious inner meaning, in an informal manner. The tone of the poem is cynical and sarcastic, occasionally using wry humour to express the feelings of entrapment and unwillingness of the children â€Å"Stabbing first flies with new biros† (1.8). In the poem you can almost sense the children's lack of freedom when the poet describes them â€Å"Watching corner-eyed, the sun, No longer at their beck and calling† (1.10-11). The school bell has replaced their freedom of control over the day. Using sarcasm, Dawe describes the different classrooms as prison cells. This implication is made by the words â€Å"Like old ‘lags' to whom all's one!† (1.7). ‘Lag' was the name given to a convict in the early days of Australian's history and refers to the children who are â€Å"imprisoned† in their classrooms. The fact that all cells look the same illustrates their lack of interest in their classrooms. It all symbolises the loss of freedom. The children's loss of freedom innocence is shown throughout the poem and is illustrated by examples of them choosing bad over good. â€Å"Dumping wholesome snacks Mum makes, In the school incinerator† (1.22) and eating â€Å"tooth-rotting cakes† (1.19) and drinking â€Å"Mind-destroying Fizzi-cola† (1.20). With the help of his mindful selection of words such as, ‘mincing' and ‘cocky' he has built up the imagery that incorporates the sense of flirtatiousness and rebelliousness in the students. Other effects of imagery include the use of metaphor where Dawe compares the delay of sound from a jet-plane to the delay of understanding from the school children when faced by the information in their new text-books. â€Å"Like jet ‘planes so far above them, Waiting for the sonic boom† (1.16-17). The use of simile is also closely connected with the metaphor, where Dawe compares the difficulty of schoolwork to the difficulty of reaching a jet-plane. â€Å"Text-book whose right answers loom, Like jet ‘planes so far above them†(1.15-16). By using both techniques, Dawe enables the reader to visualise more clearly the poet's impressions. The words used by Dawe are vivid and image is substantial, yet simplistic. This allows readers of all levels to appreciate and understand his writing even those who do not normally care for poetry. He has accomplished this in ‘Genesis' by using compound words throughout the whole poem, which allow him to describe ideas promptly and concisely, producing a clear image of his intentions: â€Å"†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦tooth-rotting cakes, Mind-destroying fizzi-cola† Along with these compound adjectives his rhyming pattern and regular rhythm futher enhances ease of reading and permits the poem to become almost harmonious. Dawe's negative connotations of school, aroused emotions of sadness. This is because I believe the poem speaks of truth of that innocence is lost in school, a place that provides one of the most important aspects to life, education. Dawe has created this poem to comment on the tragedy of the human race, that is to say, what children have become since Adam and Eve. However, I find that his negative attitudes are not necessarily accurate. Despite my disagreeing view with Dawes beliefs, he has nevertheless been successful in conveying his intentions – to satirise the human obsession with education and the emphasis placed on school learning. He has achieved by incorporating many techniques into his work.

If-Then and If-Then-Else Conditional Statements in Java

If-Then and If-Then-Else Conditional Statements in Java The if-then and if-then-elseconditional statements let a Java program make simple decisions about what to do next. They work in the same logical way as we do when making decisions in real life. For example, when making a plan with a friend, you could say If Mike gets home before 5:00 PM, then well go out for an early dinner. When 5:00 PM arrives, the condition (i.e., Mike is home), which determines whether everyone goes out for an early dinner, will either be true or false. It works exactly the same in Java. The if-then Statement   Lets say part of a program were writing needs to calculate if the purchaser of a ticket is eligible for a childs discount. Anyone under the age of 16 gets a 10% discount on the ticket price. We can let our program make this decision by using an if-then statement: if (age 16) isChild true; In our program, an integer variable called age holds the age of the ticket purchaser. The condition (i.e., is the ticket purchaser under 16) is placed inside the brackets. If this condition is true, then the statement beneath the if statement is executed in this case a boolean variable isChild is set to true. The syntax follows the same pattern every time. The if keyword followed by a condition in brackets, with the statement to execute underneath: if (condition is true) execute this statement The key thing to remember is the condition must equate to a boolean value (i.e., true or false). Often, a Java program needs to execute more than one statement if a condition is true. This is achieved by using a block  (i.e., enclosing the statements in curly brackets): if (age 16)​{ isChild true; discount 10;} This form of the if-then statement is the most commonly used, and its  recommended to use curly brackets even when there is only one statement to execute. It improves the readability of the code and leads to fewer programming mistakes. Without the curly brackets, its easy to overlook the effect of the decision being made or to come back later and add another statement to execute but forget to also add the curly brackets. The if-then-else Statement The if-then statement can be extended to have statements that are executed when the condition is false. The if-then-else statement executes the first set of statements if the condition is true, otherwise, the second set of statements are executed: if (condition) { execute statement(s) if condition is true}else{ execute statement(s) if condition is false} In the ticket program,  lets say we need to make sure the discount is equal to 0 if the ticket purchaser is not a child: if (age 16){ isChild true; discount 10;}else{ discount 0;} The if-then-else statement also allows the nesting of if-then statements. This allows decisions to follow a path of conditions. For example, the ticket program might have several discounts. We might first test to see if the ticket purchaser is a child, then if theyre a pensioner, then if theyre a student and so on: if (age 16){ isChild true; discount 10;}else if (age 65){ isPensioner true; discount 15;}else if (isStudent true){ discount 5;} As you can see, the if-then-else statement pattern just repeats itself. If at any time the condition is true  , then the relevant statements are executed and any conditions beneath are not tested to see whether they are true or false. For example, if the age of the ticket purchaser is 67, then the highlighted statements are executed and the (isStudent true) condition is never tested and the program just continues on. There is something worth noting about the (isStudent true) condition. The condition is written to make it clear that were testing whether isStudent has a value of true, but because it is a boolean variable, we can actually write: else if (isStudent){ discount 5;} If this is confusing, the way to think about it is like this we know a condition is tested to be true or false. For integer variables like age, we have to write an expression that can be evaluated to true or false (e.g., age 12, age 35, etc..). However, boolean variables already evaluate to be true or false. We dont need to write an expression to prove it because if (isStudent) is already saying if isStudent is true... If you want to test that a boolean variable is false, just use the unary operator!. It inverts a boolean value, therefore if (!isStudent) is essentially saying if isStudent is false.

Does SAT State Testing Drive SAT Popularity

Does SAT State Testing Drive SAT Popularity SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Curious about which states require the SAT? Could requiring the SAT make it more popular than the ACT? In this post, we'll discuss how state SAT testing could increase nationwide SAT rates, and what to do if you live in an SAT-required or SAT-optional state. What Are the "SAT Required" States? The SAT is a required test in the District of Columbia, Delaware, Illinois, Colorado, Michigan, New Hampshire, and Connecticut. Connecticut already had a very high SAT participation rate (88%), so jumping to full participation wasn’t an entirely unexpected development. In Idaho, the SAT is administered for free in schools across the state, but students have the option of taking the SAT, the ACT, or the Compass exam to fulfill their testing requirement. According to a New York Times article about the new testing, "Because so many Connecticut public school students take the SAT anyway, replacing the existing high school test, given in th grade, with the SAT would leave young people with one exam fewer on their roster." Notably, Maine used to require the SAT but switched away from it to the Smarter Balanced test (which assesses Common Core standards). However, while Maine no longer requires the SAT, they still fund students who want to take it, so they still have a very high (96%) SAT participation rate. Do State SAT Partnerships Boost National SAT Rates? Although the SAT is taken by all students in four states and the District of Columbia, that pales in comparison to the 18 states that have ACT partnerships. So while state SAT testing boosts SAT participation in a few states, the SAT has actually fallen behind the ACT nationwide. Even in states where the SAT is more popular than the SAT, there have been noted declines in SAT test takers since 2006. Meanwhile, the ACT surpassed the SAT in 2012 as the most popular college admissions exam. The ACT has remained at number one, since1,924,436 students took the ACT in 2015, whilejust 1.7 million took the SAT. Since the ACT has managed to bill itself as a more straightforward test of what is taught in high school, it has scored more state partnerships and is more popular in the west and mid-west. This has allowed it to pull ahead in terms of overall numbers. So even though the SAT has some state partnerships, the ACT is growing faster since it has scored more partnerships and has successfully marketed itself as a more straightforward college entrance exam. Pros and Cons of Requiring the SAT States that require the SAT use the SAT as a gauge of how well their students are getting prepared for college and career in high school. The SAT is often used as a replacement for other th grade or high school tests, with the goal of lessening the exam burden of high school students. So is a state SAT initiative a good or bad idea? Well, there are pros and cons, which we will explore below. Upsides to Requiring the SAT Requiring the SAT and funding it gives all students an opportunity to take the SAT, opening up the door to college applications and saving money for families. This can help simplify the college admissions process, especially for families who have never been through it before. Also, for students planning on taking the SAT anyway, requiring the SAT in school gives students another chance to practice the SAT. This can introduce them to the test in lower-pressure conditions – which could help them when studying for a more serious retake. (However, a caveat to this is â€Å"all scores† schools, which we will discuss below.) If students can maximize their SAT score, they can also maximize their college scholarship opportunities. In short, by simplifying access to the SAT, states can give all students a better shot at getting into and affording college. Downsides to Requiring the SAT Requiring the SAT lowers the state SAT average, since requiring it means non-college-bound students are taking the SAT. This isn’t â€Å"bad† so much as it makes it more complicated to compare SAT averages from state to state. Comparing the state SAT averages in SAT-required and SAT-optional states is like comparing apples and oranges, since the populations of students taking the test are so different. Requiring the SAT alone might not also guarantee an increase in college acceptances and/or scholarships. The SAT is notoriously tricky, and without including test prep in schools, students might not do as well on the SAT as they're capable of. Also, by taking away the ACT versus SAT choice, requiring the SAT could create some testing fatigue for students who want to take the ACT instead. Finally, the SAT might not be the best measure of high school achievement. The SAT isn’t a test of what students have learned in high school, which is why Maine switched over to a Common Core test rather than the SAT. Since the SAT was designed specifically to test "aptitude,"not academic subjects, it's not necessarily a reliable indicator of how well students are doing in high school. What to Do If Your State is SAT-Mandatory So what should you do if you’re in one of the states that require the SAT? If you’re applying to any schools that require all SAT scores ever earned to be sent, make sure to study hard for the school administration of the SAT – since your score will matter! If you’re not applying to any all scores schools, you don’t necessarily have to stress over the SAT being taken at school, but you should still take advantage of it by studying hard, since it’s free. If you get a good score, you won’t have to pay to take the test again! However, if you think you’ll do better on the ACT, you can focus on studying for the ACT and just use the SAT you take in school as practice. Remember, for the vast majority of colleges, you only have to submit the ACT or the SAT – not both. (Some of the "all scores" schools require your complete testing history, meaning any SAT and ACT scores you have, though this is a fairly rare policy.) Remember, you can choose whether you want to focus on the ACT or the SAT. And remember, even if you’re in an SAT-required state, colleges don’t care whether you take the SAT or ACT, so focus on studying for the one test you will do the best on. What to Do if Your State is SAT-Optional First, check to see if the ACT is required. If you’re taking the ACT anyway, and you think you’ll do better on it, don’t worry about signing up for the SAT. If you think you might do better on the SAT, sign up for it. Recognize that if you’re in an ACT state, the state SAT percentiles will be skewed since mainly higher-performing students will be taking it, but don’t let that dissuade you from taking the SAT. If you’re in a state where neither the SAT or ACT is required, just sign up for the test you think you’ll do best on. You can decide which of the two tests to take by trying a practice version of each. What’s Next? If you live in an SAT-required state, you should learn more about the SAT: how long it is, how it's scored, and what you can learn from the directions. If you live in an SAT required state, you may want to take the SAT more than once if you don’t do well when you take the test in school. Decide here if you should retake the test! Did you know the SAT was recently revised?Get a complete guide to the changes on the SAT here! Want to improve your SAT score by 240 points?We've written a guide about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now: Have friends who also need help with test prep? Share this article! Tweet Halle Edwards About the Author Halle Edwards graduated from Stanford University with honors. In high school, she earned 99th percentile ACT scores as well as 99th percentile scores on SAT subject tests. She also took nine AP classes, earning a perfect score of 5 on seven AP tests. As a graduate of a large public high school who tackled the college admission process largely on her own, she is passionate about helping high school students from different backgrounds get the knowledge they need to be successful in the college admissions process. 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Using the Spanish Nouns Hombre and Mujer

Using the Spanish Nouns Hombre and Mujer Hombre and mujer are the Spanish words for man and woman, respectively, and are used in much the same way as their English counterparts. Although both words can be used for a male or female, respectively, of any age, they are most often used to refer to adults. Also, el hombre, like the English man, can be used to refer to Homo sapiens, the human species. Example: Cientà ­ficos dicen que el hombre es el resultado de largas etapas evolutivas. Scientists say man is the result of long evolutionary stages. Hombre or mujer can also be used to refer colloquially to ones spouse. Hombre and mujer can also be used as interjections, much as man can be used in English:  ¡Hombre!  ¡Quà © emocionante! or  ¡Mujer!  ¡Quà © emocionante! Man! How exciting! Following are some common phrases using hombre or mujer. Some of them that are listed only with hombre can also be used with mujer but the feminine usage is rare. Also note that while a few of the terms may appear sexist, they are intended to reflect the language as it is used and not necessarily as all feel it should be. Common Phrases Using Hombre or Mujer de hombre a hombre, de mujer a mujer - in total sincerityhombre/mujer de confianza - right-hand man/womanhombre de entereza - man who is cool and composedhombre del saco - boogeymanhombre/mujer de negocios - businessman/businesswomanhombre de paja - figureheadhombre lobo - werewolfhombre medio / mujer media - average man/woman, man/woman in the streethombre/mujer objeto - person valued for his/her sex appeal and little elsehombre pà ºblico - man with social influencehombre rana - frogmanmujer de su casa - housewifemujer fatal - femme fatalmujer pà ºblica/perdida/mundana - prostituteser mucho hombre - to be talentedser mucha mujer, ser toda una mujer - to be exemplary in characterser muy hombre - to be strong and braveser poco hombre - to be a coward

Supply Chain and Logistics Technology Research Paper

Supply Chain and Logistics Technology - Research Paper Example From equipping transport executives with highly computerized gadgets that track inventory, or depending on wireless instruments to check the temperature level of frozen items as they are being transported all through the supply chain, it is evidently clear that the supply chain industry has appreciated and understood the importance of wireless technology (Frost and Sullivan – wireless devices, 2009). Wireless technology is increasingly assisting the companies within the supply chain industry to operate faster, better, smarter and increasingly more efficiently in a competitive global industry. There are specific mobility and wireless trends happening within the supply chain industry, which can be beneficial to individuals engaged in the logistics and supply chain business.Wireless Technology Enhances Transparency n the supply chain and logistics management industry, participants are continuously under pressure to minimize expenses as a strategy of profit maximization. Logistics managers are therefore keen on cutting back on certain costs such as labor and fuel. A slight increase in these expenses beyond a company's projections may negatively affect the company's profitability, especially when multiplied across different stages in the supply chain. In this regard, organizations are continuously resulting in wireless software applications that offer to trace and tracking abilities that lead to greater transparency and efficacy.   Wireless solutions are preferred since they can provide proof of delivery of shipped goods.

Online education can be good supplement to regular school education Research Paper

Online education can be good supplement to regular school education - Research Paper Example According to Doan, Kim and Bloomfield (65), this kind of education is facilitated by virtual schools which are web-based programs catering for distance education students’ needs. Virtual schools provide facilitation for online education by providing the necessary learning environment consisting of software and hardware essential for online learning (Means 9). In the list of what virtual schools provide are cyber schools, electronic schools, cyber charts and e-schools. The internet has been observed to contain information overload (Greenblatt and Washington, DC: Congressional Quarterly 788). This information is important in providing expansion of knowledge that is attained in regular school education. Thus, online learning serves this purpose of adding to the learning attained through regular school education programs. The combination of both, regular school learning and online learning, characteristically comprise what is referred to as blended learning. This has substantial benefits to an individual’s knowledge enrichment. The delivery as well as receiving of online courses involves relatively user-friendly essential software and hardware. The software system utilized for the packaging the communication tools, grade book, course content among other essential elements of the course is the learning management system (LMS) (Doan, Kim and Bloomfield 63). The second essential software for online learning is the student information system (SIS) which basically manages the students’ data (Ibid 63). Online instructors and students utilize audio and video plug-ins: to share course contents. Basic productivity software such as web browsers, Microsoft Word, Adobe Acrobat Reader and Microsoft PowerPoint are important for a variety of activities expected of the instructors and students for information sharing (Ibid 64). Hardware requirements are also

FDI in Sudan agriculture Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

FDI in Sudan agriculture - Research Paper Example However, in subsidiaries, more than 50% of the voting rights must be controlled by the parent company. Foreign direct investment in which the parent enterprise cannot exercise control over the affiliate enterprise is basically termed as a portfolio investment (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, 2009, pg 17). Moreover, FSI stimulates economic growth in host countries of the affiliate companies. Host countries therefore undertake to attract foreign investors by introducing tax breaks, specific grants and incentives, investment regulation relaxation and enforcing low interest rates on loans to foreign investors. Foreign Direct Investment in Developing countries, Africa and Sudan Foreign direct investment has in the past few years grown considerably, particularly in developing countries’ agricultural sector. Foreign investors view developing countries to have exceptional potential of economic growth. Primarily, multinational companies have significantly increa sed foreign investments in developing countries because of the competitive advantage in their investments. Currently, foreign direct investment in developing countries constitutes sixty one percent of total foreign investments. ... In a move to promote foreign investment in agricultural sector, African governments have undertaken structural adjustment and liberalization of policies to sourcing and marketing inputs and outputs of agriculture both locally and internationally. The governments have also introduced export-processing zones in targeting foreign investors in the agricultural sector (Basu, et al, 2002, pg 12). FDI and Development: Review of the literature Forms of International Investment in Developing Countries International investors may enter foreign markets through trade, foreign direct investment, or international licensing of technology and intellectual property such as copyrights and patents. Each of the above forms is characterized by different levels of involvement, managerial requirements, and commitment in a foreign market (Schaffer, Agusti, and Earle, 2008, pg 6). Trade in foreign markets usually has the least political and legal risks due to its limited involvement in the foreign economy es pecially in the case where a transnational corporation is maintaining sales agents over seas. Trade is used by investors to import items not readily available in the country and export items that are in plenty or not needed. In addition, foreign governments may regulate trade by enacting laws, policies, and import duties. Licensing of technology and intellectual property are substantial assets with legal rights to artistic or written works, name and government grants owned by domestic and international firms. Lastly, foreign direct investment refers to ownership and active control of productive assets by an investor in a foreign country with the expectation of making profits both in the short run and in the long run. Land and environmental

Information Technology Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Information Technology - Coursework Example There are many types of MSD ranging from different types of arthritis, back pain, gout, fibromyalgia among many others. However, another set of MSD known as work-related MSD is prevalent since almost all people use computers for either work or play. The article that was discussed comes from conquest chronicles website that discuss Lateral Epicondylitis, which is commonly known as tennis elbow. This type of repetitive stress injury happens when people use their arms and wrist during some motions such as hammering or holding a screwdriver. Nevertheless, people who often use the computer are also susceptible to this RSI because their wrists are constantly resting on the computer table for long hours when typing or playing games in some cases. Hence, tennis elbow is not common only to tennis players but people who constantly use their forearms. A closer look at the anatomy of tennis elbow shows that chronic rotation of the two major muscles (Anconeus and Supinator) which supports the for earms movement results to strain on the tendons in these muscles (orthoinfo. aoos.org). Over time, the tendons suffer from repetitive movements leading to lateral epicondylitis. The result of the Computer Workstations ETool( osha.gov) showed I had twenty-five yes answers, which show that there are some things that must be adjusted to make my workstation more ergonomic.

Conversations about Modern Art Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Conversations about Modern Art - Assignment Example The paper "Conversations about Modern Art" analyzes modern art, poetry and also "Starry night", the painting of Vincent van Gogh. The use of spiral lines in his painting also depicts a slow cool night in the small town. The orange illuminating color of the moon creates a picture of peace. The white colors of the stars also surround the little town creating a peaceful horizon. The swirling wave motion and curling nature of the moon also creates a cool horizon as can be seen in the painting. The slow motion movement of the trees surrounding the houses in the town also proves a peaceful environment. On the, stands a massive dark structure resembling a tall tree. Gogh brings this image out of seclusion from the rest of the town and shows stability in the town. Gogh in the painting represents a peaceful emotion. This is by use of stars and the fact that people are missing in the streets or in the town. By use of spiral and curly lines in his painting, various contrasts in colors also crea te a good balance of peace in the representation. The painting represents a good aspect of modernism. The age of the painting depicts an age where artists created modern artistic work moving away from neoclassicism. The picture of well-organized houses in a small town represents modernity. The church represented in the drawing at the centre of the houses also shows a modern way of life. The houses also show new forms of buildings a real difference from the ancient kind of buildings in that age.

Marketing and New Technology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Marketing and New Technology - Essay Example Social media allows people to connect with each other and at the same time share information. The relationship between marketer and consumer is a lot more interactive. Consumers are free to express their views and opinions about products and services, and hence marketers get customer feedback which would not have been possible in traditional media. There are various advantages or benefits that social media technologies offer that make it more attractive to marketers. Marketers are able to track and trace consumer behaviours, track the effectiveness of marketing campaigns, target specific consumers, create communication channels for consumers to interact with each other, and many more. There are numerous forms of social media forms or technologies that companies can use to market their products and services. Most popular ones are social networks, blogs, microblogs, social bookmarking and voting, media-sharing sites, review sites, forums and viral marketing. Qualitative research has be en employed and secondary data has been used in constructing this paper. There are some issues that need to be considered such as unethical practices and misuse social media technologies safeguard of customer information, etc. ... Marketing communication is not anymore targeted to individual customers but communities and groups of individuals who share a common interest or ideology. Communication channels are such that conversation can now be out in front of millions of people with a lot less time and money. Many believed or saw the above mentioned development as death of advertising but it is far from the truth. All the changes mentioned above are a result of advent of internet and World Wide Web, and in turn the emergence of social media as a platform for marketing. Social media revolution is a result of new technologies and innovations that have been developed in the last decade or so, that has completely redefined marketing and has resulted in the rebirth of advertising. Social media revolution has brought a whole new dimension to marketing. There is no need to outspend your competitors if you can outsmart them. Technologies like twitter has made it possible to get the market pulse at your finger tips inst ead of having to spend thousands on focus groups. Technologies and services like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, etc are at the forefront of social revolution. Facebook has around 250 million users while Twitter has 14 million users. YouTube attracts 100 million viewers per month while blogs have 346 million people (Zarrella, 2009). There is no bigger platform than social media platform for companies to market their products and services. This paper is a literature review and critical discussion on how new technologies of social media has revolutionised marketing. Going forward social media will account for majority of marketing of business worldwide. Consumers are starting to play an increased role in influencing each

Conversations about Modern Art Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Conversations about Modern Art - Assignment Example The paper "Conversations about Modern Art" analyzes modern art, poetry and also "Starry night", the painting of Vincent van Gogh. The use of spiral lines in his painting also depicts a slow cool night in the small town. The orange illuminating color of the moon creates a picture of peace. The white colors of the stars also surround the little town creating a peaceful horizon. The swirling wave motion and curling nature of the moon also creates a cool horizon as can be seen in the painting. The slow motion movement of the trees surrounding the houses in the town also proves a peaceful environment. On the, stands a massive dark structure resembling a tall tree. Gogh brings this image out of seclusion from the rest of the town and shows stability in the town. Gogh in the painting represents a peaceful emotion. This is by use of stars and the fact that people are missing in the streets or in the town. By use of spiral and curly lines in his painting, various contrasts in colors also crea te a good balance of peace in the representation. The painting represents a good aspect of modernism. The age of the painting depicts an age where artists created modern artistic work moving away from neoclassicism. The picture of well-organized houses in a small town represents modernity. The church represented in the drawing at the centre of the houses also shows a modern way of life. The houses also show new forms of buildings a real difference from the ancient kind of buildings in that age.

American Industrial Revolution Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Essay

American Industrial Revolution Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania - Essay Example These factors all allowed Pittsburgh to become the major American city contributing to the Industrial Revolution, and Pittsburgh's connections with the rest of the United States helped to spawn the Industrial Revolution in other parts of the country. In order to understand why Pittsburgh was such a key player in America's Industrial Revolution, one must trace the city's boom back to the start of the Industrial Revolution within the city's own boundaries. The start of the Industrial Revolution in Pittsburgh can be traced all the way back to the start of the nineteenth century. The low cost of coke, and iron, alongside the large amount of coal found near Pittsburgh contributed to the development of the iron industry within the city, and later, within America (Bernal, 1970, p. 83). Most of the iron production during this time period used charcoal as a source of fuel. However, the discovery of the abundance of minerals around Pittsburgh introduced a new and better way to produce iron. This occurred mainly because coal can create a higher temperature, and is thus more effective for burning in comparison to charcoal. Furthermore, the coal found outside of Pittsburgh was excellent in quality, and was vary abundant (Derry and Williams, 1993, p. 94). For example, coal seams were discovered to be at least four to ten feet in thickness outside the city, and when compared to London, Pittsburgh's coal turned out to be of better quality, more abundant, and most importantly, more profitable. The early production of iron nails, balls, and different farm tools began to occur, and eventually these products were widely available to the public. In 1812, Pittsburgh developed the first iron rolling mill, using the development of the steam engine. This first mill spawned many other mills using steam engine power, and the city grew as a result (Hannegan, 2000, p. 23). By 1815, Pittsburgh could be called the biggest city in the east. This advancement in iron technology in the city opened the door to allowing Pittsburgh to become a major city within the Industrial Revolution. Obviously having better quality coal than London, which was at the heart of the Western Industrial Revolution, is an early indicator of how important Pittsbur gh was becoming to the rest of the United States. The coal developments in Pittsburgh inspired the rest of the United States to revise its approach to goal development. After the development of the iron mills came the development of glass factories, pottery mills, breweries, grist mills, nail mills, steam engine factories, cotton factors, and printing offices. The glass factories were yet another important development to the Industrial Revolution and the rest of the United States. Not surprsingly, plate glass saw very limited residential use in the 1800's. In Boston some of the wealthiest people had begun to use polished plate glass instead of sheet glass in their front windows before 1850. In 1897 the Marsh Plate Glass Company developed a continuous lehr (oven) for annealing plate glass, reducing the carefully controlled cooling time from three days to three hours. Oldhousejournal online

European colonization Essay Example for Free

European colonization Essay Religion was a key factor for the European colonization but these events were all started by the Protestant Reformation. The Protestant Reformation triggered the events leading to the persecution of many people in many European countries. The Protestant Reformation was caused by Martin Luther and he opposed the church and made his own Lutheran Church. People all over Europe were inspired to make their own churches and religious beliefs which made religious persecution occur in many of the countries because they tried to suppress the rebellion of the Protestants. Religion had a profound effect on colonization because the Protestant Reformation caused great turmoil which lead to the persecution and conversion of the New World. Certain groups of religions were persecuted for the way they believed such as the Puritans and Huguenots after the Protestant Reformation. The Puritans arose after King Henry split from the Catholic Church because he could not get a divorce from his wife so he made the Anglican Church which led to the creation of these Puritans. The Puritans wanted to purify the Anglican Church of all the Catholic beliefs which caused much of England furious with these people and lead to the persecution of these people. The Pilgrims were a group of Puritans who were known as Separatists who wanted to break away from the Anglican Church and found the colony of Plymouth. Another group of Puritans followed John Winthrop who was convinced there was no future in England for Puritans made a joint-stock company called the Massachusetts Bay Colony and founded the colony of Massachusetts with several towns and a capital named Boston. This lead to even more colonization as conditions worsened in England which made thousands flock to the colonies which is known as the â€Å"Great Migration†. Even in these colonies which were found to stop persecution and have religious tolerance there was still persecution and this led to the creation of more colonies and so forth many people were banished from Massachusetts and made colonies of their own due to this religious persecution. The Huguenots were French Protestants which led to colonization of the New World by the French because in that time France was mainly a Catholic country and under King Louis XIV one million people settled South Carolina, while other found sanctuary in Rhode Island, New York, and Virginia. The religious freedom of some of the colonies brought many other people from different countries which increased colonization as well such as the Scots-Irish, Germans, and etc. Religious persecution brought people from all the European empires to the New World. The Spanish and French wanted to convert these â€Å"Indians† in to Catholicism so they could be favored by God as a holy country and were inspired to spread. This was also one of the main reasons the Spanish Monarchs wanted to colonize the New World. There were missions built all over New Spain so they could convert these Natives which indirectly made the Spanish colonies spread throughout much of what is now Latin America and the South-west region of the U. S. There was also a road that linked these missions together is what is now modern day California known as El Camino Real or the Royal Highway which spread the Spanish Colonies. There were also Jesuit priests who went to some of the farthest reaches or most hostile parts of New Spain to convert these Natives which spread these colonies further as the Jesuits built more and more missions in various places that were not yet colonized. These Jesuits also worked with the French to convert these Native Americans to Christianity in the New France region. They were known as â€Å"black robes† by the Natives and the Jesuits tried to live with the Natives and convert them to the Catholic Faith. They also built missions in the New France region making New France larger as they converted more Natives. This increase in land allowed the people to spread and populate more land so more settler arrived. The Spanish and French kingdoms were driven to convert these Native Americans and this allowed them to spread in more and more land available so more people came and colonized New Spain and New France. This urge to colonize and convert was caused the Protestant Reformation. The Reformation made the events and steps which caused the church to be severed and caused conflict and persecution all over the European empires. People were inspired by Martin Luther bravery and made their own churches to defy the Catholic Church as it got weaker. This created the urge for most of the empires to convert the natives and spread. Religion had a profound effect on colonization because the Protestant Reformation caused great turmoil which lead to the persecution and conversion of the New World.

Death Penalty Essay -- Capital Punishment Judicial Essays Papers

The Death Penalty   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Death Penalty can be considered one of the most debated issues in the United States. The death penalty is a judicially ordered execution of a prisoner for a serious crime, often called a capital crime (Capital). There are many people that oppose the death penalty and then there are many people who are for the death penalty. People who oppose the death penalty feel that it is not humane or it might be too expensive. The people who are for the death penalty feel that it gives a chance for individuals to be accused for their wrong acts. Most convicted murderers face the possibility of execution. The nature of the case is what decides whether or not the convict qualifies for the death penalty.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  People who oppose the death penalty take the side that is too much money. They feel that it is far more expensive to execute the convict than keeping them in prison. In Texas, the cost of each execution case is roughly three times greater than detaining an inmate for forty years with the tightest security. Other states have similar statistics on how the death penalty is more expensive than imprisonment. One poll, "The Budgetary Repercussions of Capital Convictions" states that the cost of capital trials from 1982-1997 was $1.6 billion (Costs). Part of the taxpayers money goes to the cost of executing a criminal. Many feel that the money can be used for education or medicare. Also, many people opposing the death penalty feel that many convicts are inn...

Concentration of Ownership and Decreasing Diversity in Print Media Essa

Concentration of Ownership and Decreasing Diversity in Print Media       For all who love to read books, imagine walking into bookstore after bookstore seeing the same type of books over and over. No variety, no choice, only repetition. Although America prides itself on freedom and democracy more than any nation in the world, this hypothetical situation is becoming increasingly closer to becoming a reality than some may think. Consolidation and concentration of ownership in print media companies may cause for the inability of some people to voice their opinions. What does this mean? This means that the basis of our country, including freedom from the first amendment, maybe be pulled out from under our feet. Causes of this lack of diversity in views and opinions may be linked to the fact that very few but extremely large publishing companies are publishing books and magazines. Conglomerate ownership becoming international will also lead to the lack of American publishing control. Finally, although the Internet supplies an outlet for new opportunit ies and a way of getting diverse information spread throughout the world, not all people are capable of obtaining this information. It was once thought that mass media would reflect very diverse points of view. Now that publishing of books and magazines has reduced to a few large companies, the outlook for diversity is beginning to shrink in size. In 1983, over 50 companies dominated the mass media of the United States. Today, this size has drastically decreased to nine major companies including AOL Time Warner, Disney, Bertelsmann, Viacom, News Corporation, TCI, General Electric, Sony, and Seagram1[1]. By allowing a few large companies to control m... ... Beacon Press 2000, Sixth Edition ed.: xx-xxi. 23 Sept. 2001 . 2[2] "Why Media Mergers Matter." Brill's Content Dec. 1999. 23 Sept. 2001 .       3[3] "The US media: a critical component of the conspiracy against democratic rights-Part 5." Editorial. World Socialist Website 27 Dec. 2000. 24 Sept. 2001 dec2000/med5-d27.shtml>.       4[4] New York Time Square. 23 Sept. 2001 location.asp?ID=New%20York%20Time%20Square>.    5[5] Columbia Journalism Review. 22 Sept. 2001 .    6[6] The Big Picture: Demographics. 21 Sept. 2001 demographics/article/1,1323,5901_768141,00.html>.

Police Stress

Police Stress page2 The first type of stress is external stress. The way that this stress is described is by stress that is caused by real threats and dangers. A few of these are like a call like a man with a gun and other dangerous type of situation. With this kind of stress it is able to affect a police officer on the job. This is because this is where the danger is and when these types of situations happen at. The way that this type of stress can affect a police officer social life is mentally. They can be out with other people having fun and joking around. Then in the officer mid they would be thinking about something that had happen that day. This kind of stress can also affect their personal life as well. The way that this happens is the officer does not know how to deal with or let go of the types of situations that they have to deal with on a day to day basis. I think that they could deal with this type of stress thought therapy or by talking to someone. This next type of stress is called organizational stress. The best way to describe this type of stress is by being over worked. This type of stress can affect an officer job by them being tired and from them being away from their family all the time. This type of stress also affects them socially. This is because they do not want to make plans to go and do something because of fear of them being called in for work. This type of stress can have an effect on their personal life as well. The way that this happens is the officer’s family starts to feel neglected and the officer stares to feel that he is letting them down. The way that they are able to deal with this type of stress is by going and getting some help, talking to someone or asking for some time off. The third type of stress that a police officer has is called personal stress. The way that this type of stress is described is by a police officer not getting along with fellow officers. The way that this affects the officer’s job is by having problems within the police department that they work in. The way that it affects them socially is it can cause tension in their socially life between people that they know. This stress also affects their personal life as well. This happen they take home this stress and use it against the people there. The way that they can deal with this is by getting to know the people they work with or talking with someone. The last type of stress there is for a police officer is called operational stress. The way that this type of stress is described is by having to deal with the day to day duties that they have to do on the job. This can affect their job because they do not do their job as well and sometimes they fail at it. The way that this affects them socially is by the way they look at criminals, Police Stress page2 citizens and their families. This can also affect them personally the way that it doses this is by making hard to deal with their family as well as work. The way that they can deal with this is by talking to a therapist or someone at work.

Finding the Ratio of Moles of Reactants in a Chemical Equation

Finding the Ratio of Moles of Reactants in a Chemical Reaction Purpose: The goal of the lab is to determine the mole ratio of two reactants in a chemical reaction (AgNO3 and K2CrO4). However, the formulas for the products are unknown. Introduction: When determining the molar ratio of a chemical equation, usually the formulas of the reactants and the products are known. With that information, it is particularly easy to determine the ratio. However, since the products and the formulas for the products are unknown, another property of the reaction must be analyzed to find the ratio.This property depends on the amount of the product formed or on the amount of reactant that remains. Properties may include the color intensity due to the product, the mass of the precipitate that forms, or the volume of a gas evolved. In this experiment, the method of continuous variations will be used to determine the mole ratio of two reactants. With this method, the total number of moles of reactants is k ept constant for the series of measurements. The property that is going to be measured is the change in temperature.The temperature change, or the heat produced, will be directly proportional to the amount of reaction occurs and to the total extent of it. The optimum ratio, which is the ratio of the reactants in the balanced chemical reaction, will form the greatest amount of product, or generate the most heat, and will be key to determining the molar ratio. Corrosive liquids, which burn the skin, will be used in the experiment. When this liquid reacts with acid, a toxic gas will formed. Keep away from the gas and protect your skin and clothing.Work in a fume hood or well-ventilated lab. Wear chemical splash goggles, chemical-resistant gloves, and a chemical-resistant apron. Wash hands thoroughly with soap and water before leaving the laboratory. The molar ratio of the reactants is the ultimate goal of the lab. In order to achieve that, secondary observations on the temperature chan ge will have to be made and analyzed. The data and graph made after the data is attained will assist in that. Procedure: 1) Obtain 2 beakers with 175mL of NaClO in one and 175mL of â€Å"Solution B† in another. ) Measure the temperature of each and make sure they are the same. 3) Measure 5. 0mL of NaClO and 45. 0mL of â€Å"Solution B† with the appropriate graduated cylinders and add them to a Styrofoam cup. 4) Stir the solution with a thermometer, and record the max temperature reached. 5) Pour the solution out, rinse the cup, and repeat steps 1-4 using a different ratio of the two substances, keeping the total volume at 50. 0mL. 6) Continue testing various ratios until you have at least 3 measurements on either side of the peak temperature difference.Conclusion: When the formula of the products are unknown in a chemical reaction, experiments must be done to find the mole ratio of the reactants. In our experiment, we used the method of continous variations to determin e to the mole ratio of the two reactants. The property measured was the change of temperature, as indicated in the data table. The method of continous variations keeps the total number of moles of reactants constant through a series of titrations.Each titration varies the mole fraction of each reaction from mixture to mixture by adjusting the ratio of NaClO to Na2SO3, which is also indicated in the data table. Theoretically, the maximum temperature change occurs when teh mole fraction of the reactants is closest to the actual stoichiometric mole ratio, which signals the mole ratio based on the mole fraction in the titration. According to the analysis, the mole ratio is 1:2 in the order of NaClO to Na2SO3.This ratio was concluded by the graph, in which the lines of best fit were extrapolated to intersect at the optimum ratio point. However, there was room for error when measuring the liquids in each titration. The measurements weren't always exact which could affect the change in tem perature. Also, when measuring the temperature it might not have been exact due to inconsistent stirring. Nonetheless, the goal of the lab was to find the mole ratio of the two reactants and it was concluded to be 1:2.

Cultural Influences on Rite of Passage B

Cultural Influences on Rite of Passage Beliefs and Rituals Cultures throughout the world honor the passing from childhood into adulthood with special celebrations and rituals that coincide with religious or social traditions. World civilizations pay homage to this rite of passage differently, ranging from jovial and lighthearted galas to the barbaric rituals frequently associated with remote African tribes. There are also other sects of the population where their youth enter a transitional phase that lasts from months or years, such as the Amish and the Aborigines.Their youth use this time as a period of learning to think and act as adults and for decision making about their future. Amish or plain people as they are also known migrated from Europe in search of religious freedom. They were originally part of the Mennonite religion and follow many of the same practices today. They are governed by the unwritten rules known as the Ordnung. They live by principles of simplicity, reject ar rogance, embrace humility and socialize only within their community and avoid other parts of society as much as possible.Amish children only attend school until they complete 8th grade and higher education is discouraged or forbidden. At the age of sixteen, Amish teens are given the choice of participating in Rumspringa, a German term that translates into run around in English. During this time Amish adolescents are free to explore life among modern American society. It is believed that at this age that they have reached a maturity level where they can act responsibly as well as having the skills for making rational informed decisions.This time of reflection is for the youths to decide if they want to remain in modern society or return to the Amish community where they are baptized as adults and are expected to follow the church for the rest of their lives without question. Wargny 2 Rumspringa is also a catalyst for Amish teens to socialize and meet prospective marriage partners. Th ey congregate with other young men and women of Amish faith, experiment with alcohol, drugs, premarital sex, automobiles, cell phones, and video games. (Welcome to Lancaster County)Studies of rumspringa have concluded that approximately 85% of teens willingly return to Amish life and forfeit all conveniences of technology and English ways of life. The small percentage of those choosing to remain in modern society, do so with the understanding that they are shunned by all Amish people including their immediate family. There is no further contact or connection to their past and must live the rest of their lives as though they were strangers or non-existent to everyone they ever knew.The Australian Aborigine tribes are believed to have migrated from Asia more than 20,000 years ago and are native to the barren outback land of Australia. In ancient aboriginal culture, the rite of passage into manhood started at age 12 with a series of ceremonies and rituals held over a course of a few ye ars. The Alkira Kiumi as it is called, started at age 12, and involved the boy being repeatedly tossed into the air and caught by their male relatives of the tribe. Next was the circumcision procedure, which took place by a fire ring.The chief of the tribe sat on the boy’s chest and cut the foreskin of the penis off with a sharp stone or knife. The boy was given a boomerang to bite on for the pain. After the circumcision, the boy was made to kneel close to the fire so that the smoke would rise up and purify the wound and then the elders of the tribe fed the young man his severed foreskin to symbolize the devouring of boyhood. Wargny 3 Months after the initial circumcision, a fireside sub incision ceremony was held. A stick was inserted into the urethra to brace the knife as it cut from the urethra to the scrotum.The boy then rose and allowed his blood to drip into the flames of the fire. The second circumcision made it necessary for the boy to thereafter assume a squatting po sition in order to urinate. Anthropologists theorize that this ritual was performed so that young males would better understand and sympathize with a females’ menstrual cycle. After the circumcisions came a ceremony in which a chisel was used to knock out the front tooth of the young man as it was believed it made him more physically attractive. The next step toward manhood was to serve as a test of his courage by having him walk barefoot across a bed of fire.The final phase of the rite of passage into manhood was known as a walkabout and is also noted as a time for dreaming hence the name Dreamtime. â€Å" According to Aboriginal belief, all life as it is today is part of one vast unchanging network of relationships which can be traced to the Great Ancestors of the Dreamtime† (Rose Marina) It involved young men leaving the safety of their childhood homes to roam about in the barren desert to live on their own for a period of up to 6 months. During the walkabout; the t een boys were only permitted to rely only on nature and the spiritual guidance of their ancestors for their survival.As they roamed through the uncivilized land it was believed that if they followed the guidance of the spirits they would return to their tribes safely and would from then on be considered men. And if they succumbed to the deserts elements, then it was believed that they failed the test of manhood and died shamefully as a boy. Wargny 4 Due to contact with the modern world, the ancient rituals of the aborigine tribes have disappeared or have been replaced by more civil ceremonies that merely symbolize the original rite of passage practices for becoming a man.As validation for becoming an adult, Rumspringa and Alkira Kiumi differ vastly. Rumspringa offers the opportunity to live carefree and seductively in what the Amish refer to as The â€Å"devil’s playground† without reprisal upon their return. Alkira Kiumi was a painful and grueling experience that serv ed to prove a boy’s loyalty and faith in his heritage. Despite the overwhelming differences in these rites of passage, the completion of either of these ritualistic practices indicates a true allegiance to their respective religions and as paying homage to their ancestry.