Guiding Principals of Professional Learning Communities Essay

Normally, in a professional learning community also known as a PLC, the educators work together brainstorming ideas, lessons, and activities that will support a plan to be implemented all in hopes of the student’s achievement. A professional learning community can benefit a school’s environment by reinforcing teacher morale and leadership skills. As the school moves forward, every professional in the building must engage with colleagues in the ongoing exploration of three crucial questions that drive the work of those within a professional learning community: †¢ What do we want each student to learn? How will we know when each student has learned it? †¢ How will we respond when a student experiences difficulty in learning? The answer to the third question separates learning communities from traditional schools. A PLC can serve as a support system that motivates teachers to follow a guided plan. Educators who are building a professional learning community recog nize that they must work together to achieve their collective purpose of learning for all. Therefore, they create structures to promote a collaborative culture. This plan can include classroom assistants, parent volunteers, and other school personnel like librarians. The PLC culture can influence teachers through numbers. When teachers come together and have strength in numbers they can support each other, collaborate, and brainstorm the most effective methods and techniques to instruct the students. Even the grandest design eventually translates into hard work. The professional learning community model is a grand design, a powerful new way of working ogether that profoundly affects the practices of schooling. But initiating and sustaining the concept requires hard work. This is where the challenges may arise. It requires the school staff to focus on learning rather than teaching, work collaboratively on matters related to learning, and hold itself accountable for the kind of results that fuel continual improvement. A PLC will construct a solid foundation of committed teachers who are passionate about their career and working with families a nd fellow colleagues. The benefit(s) of a PLC is that everyone has the opportunity to be involved and share goals and positive learning experiences of the schools learning environment. When educators do the hard work necessary to implement these principles, their collective ability to help all students learn will rise. If they fail to demonstrate the discipline to initiate and sustain this work, then their school is unlikely to become more effective, even if those within it claim to be a professional learning community. The rise or fall of the professional learning community concept depends not on the merits of the concept itself, but on the most important element in the improvement of any school; the commitment and persistence of the educators within it. In conclusion, educators who work together form structured atmospheres that promote learning. References Barth, R. (1991). Restructuring schools: Some questions for teachers and principals. Phi Delta Kappan, 73(2), 123-129. Marzano, R. (2003). What works in Schools: Translating research into action, Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

Chocolat Essay

‘Chocolat’ a film directed by Lasse Hallstrom, centres around a small village by which on the surface may seem peaceful and in ‘tranquillity’ but beyond the surface lay many individuals and larger groups of people, families, face issues of isolation, acceptance and tolerance within the community. These major themes are portrayed through animated actors whom Hallstrom accentuates these ideas through filmic techniques. Isolation a major issue in this film and Hallstrom has conveyed this idea constantly throughout the film. The introduction of the film has shot the village from bird’s eye view and these continuous overhead shots express the isolation and disconnection the village has from the rest of the country. The scenery of mountains and large landscapes of forestry and the long river depict a peacefulness and tranquillity and also at the same time creating a sense of vastness and distance this village has from the busy civilisation of France. Vianne and her daughter Anouk are travellers and foreign to the village, were foreshadowed to be isolated individuals before they even stepped into the village. The voice over narrated, † there was once a quiet little village where people believed in tranquillity† and the slam of the church doors were magnified and the effect of the silence that came afterwards with long shots of the front of the church established the ‘tranquillity† and also the force of law and order in this village- everyone had attended church, no one was outside with other plans to do. The traditional hymn of the church was contrasted against the ethereal music and the wind sounds that weaved through the preacher’s speech. This wind signified a change. The voice over explained, † villagers held to their traditions until a sly wind blew in from the north† and a point of view shot from the wind’s perspective pushing the church doors open interrupting the silence and the preach further stresses the disturbance and changes that will occur to the village. The costuming of Vianne and Anouk represents the difference to the village as they arrived with their bright red hoods contrasting the bland, white background. As Vianne and Anouk prepare the opening of their shop, they are avoided by many of the villagers due to the negative comments spread by the Comte de The repetition of the lines, â€Å"I heard she was a†¦ † with several shots of different people one after the other emphasises the disconnection they have with Vianne. Vianne not attending church created further reason for the villagers to isolate themselves from her. Although Vianne is isolated from the community there are individuals within the community whom are isolated as well. Armand, a seventy-year old lady with diabetes, opened up to Vianne about her isolation and disassociation with her family, especially her grandson- Luke, due to conflicting personalities and views between her daughter, Caroline, and herself. The tension is evident between the mother and daughter when Luke is caught spending time with Armande. Close up shots of Armande’s and Caroline’s facial expressions demonstrated the hostility they held for each other. A full shot of both women with a wide space between them showed that not only they were physically distant but their relationship with each other is flawed. Luke, grandson of Armand, is also isolated not only from his grandmother but from his peers as well due to Caroline’s protectiveness. As Luke looks from inside through his window to where the children are playing in the snow, sounds of the children’s laughter and screams are muffled as if to put the audience in Luke’s shoes, feeling lonely, caged and having lack of fun and freedom. Josephine is also an important character who experience isolation. Josephine was insecure and living in fear under the same roof of her abusive husband. She was isolated in terms of unable to confide to a friend and she found her release instead by stealing small items. A close up shot of Josephine in church stealing a mirror from someone’s purse, and a faint smile formed on her face from the thrill of getting away with something was her release. When Josephine finally confined to Vianne about the lack of power and inequality in the relationship with her husband, we have a medium shot of her, sucessfully capturing her body language, fidgety fingers and her facial expressions displaying the enormous stress and pressure she is experience. In this film, a lack of tolerance is immense in the community of this village, Comte de Renou is intolerance at its depleting level yet the irony of him being † a patient man†, and â€Å"If I were the first Comte de Renou I would have had you out of this village as quick as you came†. Due to the Comte’s influence the villagers have avoided the chocolate cafe and is further emphasised by a shot from the inside window display of the shop with the people peering inside with curious but wary glances but never coming close to entering the shop. The tolerance that the Comte the Renou has in the act of fasting due to religious reasons. The zoom in and focusing of the enticing food that lay on his desk only to be blocked by a photo frame. A close up on his facial expression fighting the need to discipline his body after taking a deep sniff in a jam jar shows his immense ability of tolerance and control within himself. The relationship between Armande and Caroline are the perfect example of intolerance of each other. Long shots and full shots always view these women with much distance between themselves. Josephine is an individual who had endured and tolerated much under the roof of her abusive husband. When Josephine had confided to Vianne of the impossible deeds and chores she had to follow it also expressed the lack of power Josephine had over herself- much like what most women had experience in marriages at that time, â€Å"You must think I’m stupid†¦ but men do run the world† she explained. In the middle of the night Josephine pounded on Vianne’s door and a full shot of Josephine with her suitcase conveyed the rebelliousness and a decision Josephine made on her own will and the intolerance of living in fear. Although the villagers have tried to disassociate themselves from the chocolate cafe, they began to fall in love with Vianne’s chocolate and charm and have begun to tolerate their associations with her. These confused villagers have all frequented to the confessional about their sins, Hallstrom shot their confessions from behind the confession screen with a continuous fade in and fade out of each person’s confession about the temptation and satisfaction that received from tasting her chocolates, emphasising the effect Vianne has had to these villagers. Immediate action to rid off the gypsies when they settled on the river’s edge strongly expressed the prejudice the Comte de Renou and majority of the villagers had towards the gypsies. Labelling them as ‘river-rats’ and ‘drifters’ did not win the council over on approval to ostracise the gypsies because they were not on their ‘property’ by law. Due to the unsuccessful action, Comte de Renou had initiated flyers of â€Å"boycotting immorality† as the alienation and exclusion of the gypsies will bound to be successful. Shots of the fliers repeatedly being stuck on, nailed in, glued signified the participation of all villagers, except Vianne, and the lack of tolerance they hold to the outsiders. The acceptance of Vianne was a slow progress but the ice-breaker between herself and the community was by hosting Armande’s seventieth birthday party. Slow motion and extreme close-ups on the guests faces showed the great appreciation and enjoyment of the food and the respect and acceptance of Vianne. The announcement of dessert being held on Roux’s boat had the guests in silence and in hesitation but they had accepted and long shots of the scene of the people dancing to lively music with laughter on the boat demonstrated there was no longer a barrier between the gypsies and villagers. Josephine had embarked on a transformation. She is dressed in bright clothing; emphasising change, she no longer speaks in a hurried and timid tone, and smiles and laughs often. Josephine had stood up for herself instead of fleeing from a situation as seen in the scene where Georges is hit over on the head by a pan by her. Josephine had come to an acceptance of herself and has become a happier and better woman. Due to Luke’s disobedience Caroline has opened her eyes. A long shot of her mother and son having fun and over the long distance between them at Armande’s party again shows their distant relationship with the other, but a close-up on the look the women shared was a mesmerising conundrum. Caroline has come to realisation and acceptance that caging her son did not made him a happy child, and the next scene that involved Caroline was of her fixing a bicycle for Luke. The Comte de Renou had come to terms of acceptance of his broken marriage and Vianne. The Comte lost all sense of control and smashed Vianne’s window display in rage, but he gave into himself when an extreme close up on his lip and tongue licking a small speck of chocolate emphasised the humanity in the Comte. The morning the Comte woke up a high angle shot of him looking up to Vianne conveyed the extreme vulnerability and the reversed roles in this situation. The Comte gives Vianne a genuine smile at the Easter celebration, but the voice over narrates, â€Å"he took another seven months to ask Caroline out†. Vianne herself had accepted that belonging to a community is what satisfies her. The act of Vianne refusing the north wind and finally the action of her opening the window and throwing her mother’s ashes into the air symbolised the release of Vianne, the freedom her mother as the ashes are recorded flying into the wide open sky. Vianne has truly accepted that she is happiest when she belongs to a community.

Culture and Education Essay

When dealing with issues that pertain to people’s beliefs and faith, one has to tread with caution. Although there is religious liberty, one has to be careful about religious issues when it comes to public places. For one, I believe that religion is a personal thing and restrain should be put on it when we come to a place where other people that are not of the same religious belief are. Not that we are not at liberty to display our faith but the truth is that as we have right so do other people have rights too and our own faith should not overshadow theirs. However, there are some instances where we might be in a dilemma of what to do. The case provided is a good example of this scenario. Without recourse to emotions or sentiments, I think the board made a right decision which has been long overdue. However, as expected, some people will rebuff this decision because of some rather emotional or sentimental reasons. Their argument will be will not be objective but their rebuttal of the board’s decision will be patterned after the following argument. The position of the parents who rebuffed the decision of the board will be grounded on the fact that the late principal deserves some respect because he has toiled in that school. These parents will consider the action made by the board as disrespectful to the late principal and thus will call for the reversal. Apart from this, they might argue that the portrait has been an integral part of the school tradition and that they consider the idea of just waking up one day and deciding to remove what has been a part of the school life and tradition rather absurd. â€Å"What do you want the poor boy that painted the portrait to feel? Imagine the number of hours the poor boy spent in painting that portrait. † Furthermore, these parents may argue that since no one is complaining about the portrait, the portrait is not affecting the board. â€Å"Is it disturbing you or is it hindering the discharge of your duties? † Question 2: A. Linda Mealey argued in her paper titled â€Å"Bulking up: the roles of sex and sexual orientation on attempts to manipulate physical attractiveness† that â€Å"Socialization processes can either reduce or enhance biological differences between individuals or groups† Sex role socialization and sexual orientation has led to stereotypes. The more people are aware of their sexual orientation, the more they come to be identified with the general preconceived ideas about the sex. For example, if a lady believes in a stereotype about women generally, she comes to see herself from the point of view of this stereotype and this will make her naturally identify with people that fall under the same sexual orientation. Although, stereotypes might sometimes lead to discrimination of a sex, the truth is that it allows people that fall under the same sex to identify with each others as it serves as a unifying platform. B. There are some school roles that reinforce sex role stereotypes for girls. An example of this is the fact that the position of cheerleaders in the school football teams. This reinforces sex role stereotypes for the girls because they are made to feel that they can not meet up with the challenges that men do. Another example is that in some schools, the positions of vice-presidents of organizations are reserved for ladies. This also reinforces sex role stereotypes that men are leaders and women should support them in whatever they do. Although these school roles might not be directly intended to reinforce sex role stereotypes, the truth is that they do. Reference: Mealey, L. â€Å"Bulking up: the roles of sex and sexual orientation on attempts to manipulate physical attractiveness† (1997) Retrieved on April 28, 2008 from http://findarticles. com/p/articles/mi_m2372/is_n2_v34/ai_19551975

History -wk3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

History -wk3 - Essay Example Functionalism was more interested in how the mind worked, and how it is used by an organism in order to adopt to it’s environment (Schultz and Schultz, 2004). These researchers were concerned with how the mind functioned in the real world. Psychology was interested in the functioning of the entire human being which is the reason why they tended to function under functionalism instead of structuralism. Darwin believed that natural selection meant that some organisms would survive in their environments while others would not and that this may be inherited (Schultz and Schultz, 2004). According to Weiner, this natural selection has changed in that it now means that individuals are attempting to maintain the genetic pool so that individuals do not develop those characteristics that will not promote the maintenance of the species. Although these two theories are similar, it seems that contemporary evolutionary theory gives more understanding of why some children survive and some do not whether this is in childbirth or afterwards. In other words, perhaps some defects are detected early on in a species and therefore the organism is eliminated before it has a chance to grow because it does not promote the species. I am interested in the concept of Gestalt psychology and how it has been used in counseling and therapy. I would like to begin with an understanding of what Gestalt psychology is and how it has developed over time. I would like to include an understanding of its influence for Wundts work and how it was influenced by the Zeitgeist in physics. I am fascinated by the idea that some of these theories have grown into the opportunity to use it in therapy. I will discuss some of the major contributors to Gestalt psychology including Max Wertheimer, Kurt Koffka, Wolfgang Kohler, Kurt Lewin. I will then discuss how Frederick Perls eventually coined "Gestalt Therapy" in order to show that therapy could be

MENTOR PROTEGE PROGRAM - CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION AND MANAGEMENT Essay

MENTOR PROTEGE PROGRAM - CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION AND MANAGEMENT - Essay Example The Department of Defense Mentor-Protà ©gà © Program is useful for a small-business owner contracting with the federal government for the first time in several ways. This is an excellent way to learn the ropes in dealing with the federal government (Stanberry, 2012). The Small Business will immensely benefit from this experience given that they are given the opportunity to learn and build their own resumes such that they can also develop into large corporations. When small businesses are subcontracted to prime contractors, they are in a position to learn basic management and contracting skills such that they can operate viably on their own. Essentially, subcontracting is helpful to small businesses in that efficiency is improved in the completion of the task to be carried out. This also helps small businesses to grow such that they can be in a position to bid for federal contracts on their own once they have

Recession & tourism industry in London during 2007-2010 Dissertation

Recession & tourism industry in London during 2007-2010 - Dissertation Example The tourism industry in London serves as the epitome of how the recession greatly ravaged several industries, given that it is considered as specialising in the provision of services that are secondary to human needs. However, the gravity of the matter herein is that this development does not auger well for the entire economy, since tourism provides important socio-cultural, economic and political values to any given economy. It is for this reason that studying the impact of the 2007-2010 global financial recession on tourism becomes needful. Introduction That financial vibrancy of an economy affects different industries therein is a matter that is beyond gainsay. This is so since austere economic constraints compel people to seek more economically viable alternatives. This is particularly the case when the industries involved are seen to be peripheral to human needs. Specifically, recreational and tourism industry are very vulnerable to financial meltdown that may take place at eith er the national or global level. This is because tourism is considered marginal to values that are sacrosanct to the sustenance of human life. Man eventually prioritises his needs during the times of financial recession as a way of eradicating unnecessary expenditure, so that he can eventually keep afloat. This is to say that the global financial recession of 2007-2010 affected the tourism industry in sundry ways that can be seen in the discussion that ensues forthwith. Part 1: Purpose of the Research The research topic of this research is determining the different ways in which the global financial recession of 2007-2010 affected the tourism industry. This is not to mean that the essence of the research is mainly limited to the chronological time frame of 2007-2010. On the contrary, by looking at the effects of the 2007-2010 global financial recession, one can determine the manner in which the variable which is economic recession can affect tourism and recreational industry. The im port of this above is that the main objective of this study is to determine the manner in which the global financial recession of 2007-2010 affected the tourism industry, so as to bring about a myriad of corrective measures and policies that can keep tourism afloat, even in the face of serious financial challenges. In turn, the need to keep tourism vibrant perennially is underscored by the socio-cultural, economic and political values that it (tourism) endows a nation with. No sooner than an economy downplay the importance of tourism than for its foreign policy begin to lose effectiveness and efficiency. The setting of this research undertaking comes against the backdrop of 2 years that succeed the 2007-2010 global financial recession. The 2 years which succeed 2007-2010 the global financial recession are significant in this research, given that it allows for adequate observations and rumination over the dynamics that the 2007-2010 global financial recession may have acted upon the tourism industry. This ensures that information that shall have been gathered on this matter will be as comprehensive as is needed in scholarly discourse. The need for a comprehensive discourse is underscored by the dictates of objectivity in academics. It is only by being objective that one will be able to see the relevance of 2007-2010 global

Economic and Business Context Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Economic and Business Context - Essay Example in 1894 in Manchester, after wards Marks entered in to partnership with Thomas Spencer, and they established a company known as Marks & Spencer (M & S). In the initial time the company only concentrates in the area of selling of goods they are purchased the goods from wholesalers and other intermediteries after they established a good market base in UK they entered another area of business. Marks & Spencer became a limited company after adopting revolutionary policy of buying directly from manufacturers. In 1926 they stepped in textile industry. It is mainly concentrating on the selling of British produced goods for the purposes of maintaining cordial relation with British manufacturers by maintaining a new brand named ‘St Michael’ mainly they market clothing and Food products. The key factor behind their success is the motto of providing better customer service relation, by accepting unwanted goods from their customer and refunding the cash. The company tries to provide only quality goods by maintaining their reputation for offering fair value for money. In 1988 the company acquired Brooks Brothers an American clothing company and Kings Supermarket a food chain. Currently the company expands and diverse their business activities in the area of Food retail stores and Home ware retailing also. They are mainly marketing the clothing products through their retail outlets. â€Å"Marks & Spencer, leading international departmental, has drawn up ambitious expansion plans in India and China starting as early as next year, its chief executive Stuart Rose has said.† (Marks & Spencer plans to expand in India, china, 2007). The company also launched a web site for the purpose of online marketing system associated with Amazon.com. Marks & Spencer’s better customer service and quality products will helps them to improve their business in the area of online marketing also. â€Å"For years customer service has been a fundamental part of consumers offline shopping

Research paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 4

Research paper - Essay Example His sculptures are still being studied to this day as there is yet to be an in-depth analysis of them He came from a family of artists. His father and grandfather dealt in picture frames and table decorative, that they had made themselves, while his godfather was a painter. Daumier went to a middle class school but found no interest in education. His parents introduced him to Alexandre Lenoir, a well known actor, as a beginner. Alexandre had a collection of the best medieval and contemporary sculptures that Daumier drew motivation from. After his father was debilitated due to madness, Daumier set out to look for a paying profession. He worked as a messenger for a bailiff and familiarized himself with the workings of the law. Later, he abandoned this to follow his dream of being a painter. He started selling lithographs that he had made while still a child as well as getting paid to make portraits as means to supplement his works of art. He started as a lithographer, cartoonist but en ded up as an impressionist painter in his later years. He lived through three generations and saw France be transformed from a monarchy to a free republic. He began his career by sending caricatures to a weekly anti-monarchist magazine called ‘La Caricature,’ owned by a print publisher named Aubert. ... Below the commode, favorites of the King were picking leftovers and wastes from the king’s bounty. He spent six months in prison. After Daumier’s release, Aubert and his son-in-law had started another monthly magazine called L’Assocaition mensuelle lithographique. Daumier was unrelenting to create caricatures for this magazine as well as La Caricature and Le Charivari. It was from his piece for L’association mensuelle where most of his popular masterpieces can be found. One of these masterpieces is the lithograph called Rue Transonain made in 1834. He had depicted a poor family who were mistakenly shot dead in their home by men from Philippe’s army. Daumier got himself into trouble again. The king tried to confiscate and to destroy all the copies of that magazine issue. The French government later abolished the publication of any caricature that depicted the government. From then, most of Daumier’s caricatures revolved around societal issues. He made caricatures about the development going on in the country such as the trains, steamships and how they increased the gap between the rich and poor. Daumier was fired then by Le Charivari during this period of censorship. After the revolution that saw Louis-Philippe dethroned, Daumier was rehired and began to make political caricatures again. The first president of the republic, Napoleon III was very lenient when it came to freedom of the press. His earlier works reveal the impressionistic style that he used. From his workings since 1848, spectators can see the use of contours that shoe the angle of light. Historians were unaware of this feature of Daumier’s work as they had paid him little concentration. Some of his workings had been discarded when

The invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq Personal Statement

The invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq - Personal Statement Example Each of the wars had a level of analysis. These levels were individual state, and system. The levels of war analysis form a hierarchy. The responsibilities of the hierarchy rely on the scale and nature of the operation. The individual level of analysis in war includes a basic idea of how human traits cause many of the social outcomes in historical instances, including war and peace. There are variations of this idea as listed in a paper written by Wade L. Huntley, Ph.D. titled Causes of War and Paths to Peace written in May of 2004. Those variations include: basic human nature, varying features of human nature and both perception and misperception. His considerations behind this would include that in factoring basic human nature, people are basically aggressive, loving, greedy and fearful and so forth. People would be of all sorts of types, some aggressive, others peaceful, greedy or generous. Perception and misperception can result as bad decisions are made, especially in times of stress, which continually exemplifies the limits of human understanding of more than just human nature. Now, the question is, why does this series of considerations explain how war can manage coming about' According to t he text written by Wade L. Huntley, Ph.D. ... Wars or conflicts that would figure into this particular style of analysis would include, the Kurds, Bosnia, and Afghanistan in the grand scheme of war analysis because it would be individual conflicts of interest and security involved. The state level of war analysis includes a basic idea that the key factor is not necessarily based on human factors, but governmental ones in organization and such. The constraints that are created as a result of the basic infrastructure of the country can become a root cause of war. There are two variations to this idea. One is the state's nature; because each state wants certain things just because they would happen to be states and things like security and unity or nationalism would be inclusive within that. Also, included within this perspective is, like individuals, every state would be different. There would be differences that include purposeful, ideological and structural differences to consider. Much like the man vs. man consideration, this would be, in order revolutionary vs. status quo, capitalism vs. communism and democracy vs. totalitarianism. So, how can we understand such things, well we examine one of the wars on a state level. This would be, in essence, the Vietnam C onflict in which half the country believed strongly in democratic process and the other half would believe strongly in the communist construct. The same could be said for the Korean War. Understanding the underlying reasons would hardly gain knowledge as to how the individual level of war interpretations would inevitably cause war. Nor, would this actually explain the impetus of war in the fact that uncertainty of the human condition exists. In the State level of war, you have states that control the military, so

Financial efficiency of Oman Airports Management Company in early Essay

Financial efficiency of Oman Airports Management Company in early recruitment of human resource during the transitional period of Muscat International Airport development project - Essay Example ir ground staff, air traffic controllers, air terminal operations staff, aircraft mechanics, cargo specialists, electronics personnel, passenger specialists, ticketing staff, and radar engineers among others (Young & Wells, 2011: p44). The long-term HR strategy should be geared towards the optimal support of the airport’s corporate strategy and their business situation. Additionally, such mega trends as individualization, diversity, demographic changes, education, and health should be taken into account (Loo & Chow, 2011: p1688). These aspects will then feed into the HR strategy that, in turn, will establish fundamental goals for management of HR and measurement packages that it is associated with. Most of these measures should be implemented immediately and fleshed out as the airport’s development is carried out. The targets for the airport’s HR strategy should be increasing efficiency, covering requirements of personnel, improving the airport’s attractiveness as an employer, and the establishment of excellent leadership (Williams, 2013: p56). Once the airport’s development is finished, the HR strategy should move to recruiting individuals with high personal and professional ambition and a passion to give clients world class customer service (svo.aero, 2014: p1). The recruitment process should seek out individuals with efficiency and high performance that will align with the airport’s strategy of exceeding client expectations. The first priority for the airport in their HR recruitment needs should be accommodating client needs, including visitors, passengers, and employees. The behavior and attitude of recruited staff should support their core values, while also handling the opportunities and challenges of working in an international airport. Beria, P., & Scholz, AB. 2010. Strategies and pitfalls in the infrastructure development of airports: A comparison of Milan Malpensa and Berlin Brandenburg International airports. Journal of Air Transport

Personal Finance Essay Example for Free

Personal Finance Essay Personal finance addresses the way an individual or families earn, budget, save, and spend money gained from employment, loans, or gifts. As a college student, my personal finances are based upon money I have obtained, seasonal employment and parental support. In creating my budget, I had to realize that my income was not the same each month so I had to make sure I had enough money to pay for my gas, phone bill, and entertainment. Sometimes I would go over budget due to unexpected bills so I would ask for help from my parents. I use a debit card through my bank City National Bank. I chose this bank because my parents also bank there and it’s a small personal bank. It makes it easier if I need my mom to transfer money to my account in case of an emergency. I do not use checks only my debit card and occasional cash, the debit card pulls money out of my account somewhat like a check. I do check my account online, and my statement looks similar to the on in The Money 101 Student Workbook. The format is a little different, but the same kind of information is given. I do not keep a register much to my mother’s dismay. Every Christmas, she gives me a register to keep track of my spending but I fail to use it. I do track my spending through balance inquiries that I receive via the ATM, as well as online. If I wanted to change banks, I would choose a bank that would be in Marshall and has the small town feel to it. I would also want one that might offer interest on my account. I didn’t find any new information concerning debit cards, but I do prefer a debit card to a credit card because it takes money out of your account instead of possibly spending what you don’t have. You can also abuse a credit card and use it unnecessarily. I did check on annualcreditreport. com to see if I had a credit report, but I do not because I don’t have any accounts in my name. The best card deal I found was on chase. com because if I put my name on my parents account then I could also have their 8. 99% interest rate. There were lots of credit card offers that had 0% introductory rates, but since I have no credit, then the interest rate would rise dramatically. Some insurance policies that would be important for personal finance would be disability insurance, car insurance, and health insurance. Identity theft insurance would probably be a good insurance protection. The thing that stuck out to me when Mike Brady came and spoke was the concept of â€Å"full coverage† insurance for your car, he said that it’s only an interpretation and not something that is written down, he also stated that there is no such thing as â€Å"full coverage. I would probably put my savings in the savings account in my bank since I would have access to it. My retirement plan would be to match whatever my company is putting into my 401K and putting money into stock that I can draw from when I actually do retire. The test that we took in the back of the booklet was fairly easy after looking through this so many times I answered a credit card would be the one to hurt you the most when in fact it says the student loans would affect your credit score more. My parents educated me very well on a lot of these subjects especially budget and checking account, my mom has preached to me about having a budget for as long as I can remember. The thing I learned from this unit, just to point one out, was the savings and retirement planning I didn’t realize it was such a priority because at my age you really don’t think about those things but I’ve learned that I do need to start early.

High-Blood Pressure Essay Example for Free

High-Blood Pressure Essay In this particular essay, I am going to attempt to inform you about the disease called high blood pressure. In this three to four page report I will discuss what causes it, how it can be treated and when you know it is too high. Hopefully, after reading this piece, you will be more aware of what high blood pressure is. To begin with, the disorder or disease that I will be doing my report on is High blood pressure; also known as hypertension. The system that the disorder comes from is the cardiovascular system. The majority of times, there is no clear cause, which can be identified as the cause of the disorder. The clearest cause of why blood pressure is high is that the arteries that the blood flows through are too small. High blood pressure is most common in people whose families have had it; the same as heredity. It is also most common in males, patients who are over 35 years old, African-Americans and in women on oral contraceptives. High blood pressure is far more common in families where other members have had this condition. Even though sometimes it is a hereditary disorder, it is not always. For instance, while the incidence of high blood pressure is low in Japan, it is higher in Japanese who migrate to America. Cultural things that we do in America will affect the incidences of high blood pressure, these include: Being overweight, eating high sodium diet, exercising too little, and drinking more than two alcoholic drinks daily. Some of the symptoms include: Calcification, cardiac arrest, chest pain, depression, diabetes, dizziness, heart attack and shortness of breath. The disorder doesnt really progress within the system. If you have high blood pressure in one part of your system, it is most likely that you have high blood pressure in all of your system. Blood only comes from one place in your system, your heart. So if a little part of your body has high blood pressure, then every blood vessel in your body should have it as well. Some people think that only at a certain level of high blood pressure should be treated. Some people also think that the higher the blood pressure, the higher the risk of suffering one of its complications. People with hypertension are encouraged to: Maintain ideal body weight, reduce the consumption of sodium and maintain at least a modest exercise program. If  your blood pressure is too high, then medications may be taken to control it. Several readings are required to test whether or not you have high blood pressure. Generally, blood pressure is said to be too high at the level of 140/90, and some therapy should be started at this level. If after the therapy, the pressure is still too high, then you should start taking medications. You cant really tell when your blood pressure is too high. One of high blood pressures nicknames is silent killer because it can hurt you very bad even when you dont know you have it. The biggest problem with the treatment of high blood pressure is not a lack of knowledge, but a lack of applying our current knowledge. To help treat the disorder remember these key points: take your medications as prescribed, Get your medications filled before they run out, and follow-up with your doctor. There is a syndrome that people sometimes feel eerie about. This is called White Coat Syndrome. This is a situation where patients have a high blood pressure in the doctors office, but nowhere else. This is usually where when someone sees a doctor he or she starts to feel tense and irritated. This is not a terrible thing. If you have an occasional high blood pressure it is not as dangerous as when your blood pressure remains elevated all of the time. There is really no prevention of high blood pressure. It is mostly a hereditary trait passed down from a family member. The best bet that you have to prevent the disease is to maintain an ideal body weight, reduce your consumption of sodium and maintain at least a modest exercise program. Doing these things will not prevent it 100%, but they might help you out for the future. Some common causes of the disease are medications, habitual alcohol use, too much salt in the diet, obesity, stress and arteriosclerosis. In conclusion, I have summed up some pretty important topics in this composition. Some of the most important things that I learned are that some people dont even know when they have high blood pressure or not, what you can do to treat the disease, and what you can get it from. I think that after I have read learned all this about the disease, I will probably try to consume less sodium, maintain an ideal body weight and exercise fairly  regularly. By doing these everyday things I should be able to help myself from getting the disease.

Minority language rights

Minority language rights Introduction The linguistic rights of persons belonging to national minorities are protected by international human rights law. The human rights standards which relate to language rights are varied. Some belong to what is often referred to as hard law. These standards are of a legally binding nature and are mainly contained in treaties. An example of such a standard at the universal level is Article 27 of the 1966 International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.9 It is categorical in the sense that it prohibits States from denying persons belonging to minorities the right, in community with the other members of their group to use their own language. (Phillips Rosas, 1995, 13–76) Other examples are Article 19(2) of the Covenant, which guarantees freedom of expression (including choice of language as a vehicle of communication), and Articles 2 and 26, which prohibit discrimination on a number of grounds including language. Article 2(1) of the 1966 International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights10 similarly prohibits discrimination on the basis, inter alia, of language in relation to the enjoyment of the rights accorded under that instrument. The same prohibition of discrimination on the basis of language is guaranteed by Article 2(1) of the 1989 Convention on the Rights of the Child11 with regard to the rights accorded therein. Even more exacting is the 1990 International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families which, in Article 1(1), stipulates that the Convention is to be applied to the intended beneficiaries preference based on race, colour, descent, or national or ethnic origin to the e xtent that the notion of _national or ethnic origin may include or be identifiable on the basis of language, so, too, this Convention provides relevant standards. At the regional level, the Member States of the Council of Europe have adopted two treaties which address the issue of minority language rights: â€Å"the 1992 European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages14 and the 1995 Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities.15 In addition, Article 14 of the 1950 European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms prohibits discrimination, in the enjoyment of the enumerated rights and freedoms, on the basis of language.† (European Court of Human Rights, 2006, 33) Article 1 of the Convention specifies that the notion of national minorities cover matters of language use. The other categories of standards which also seek to protect the linguistic rights of persons belonging to national minorities are sometimes referred to as soft law. These include instruments such as the 1992 UN Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities (Lewis, 1998, 479-504). Article 2(1) of the Declaration refers to the right of persons belonging to linguistic minorities to enjoy their own culture, to profess and practice their own religion and to use their own language in private and in public, freely and without interference or any form of discrimination. Although the declaration is relatively specific, it is not of itself legally binding on States (Underdal, 1998, 5-36). The same applies to the Copenhagen Document of the OSCE which, while containing specific provisions constituting political commitments bindin g on all OSCE participating States, these are not binding obligations under international law. At the sub-regional level, the 1994 CEI [Central European Initiative] Instrument for the Protection of Minority Rights (which requires States to sign the document, notwithstanding that it is not a legally binding instrument) provides protections for the use of minority languages. These instruments articulate standards of behaviour which reflect what the respective communities of States intend to be the norm. These soft law instruments are important points of reference for the international community as they express shared values and certain standards to be promoted and respected in relations between the State and persons within its jurisdiction. (Council of Europe, 1994, 94-101) Notwithstanding the significant list of relevant standards, their formulation remains sometimes general and lacking specificity with regard to their precise application in concrete situations. In view of this, and in view of the fact that minority language related problems are confronted on a recurring basis within his work, the High Commissioner on National Minorities (HCNM) concluded that it would be useful to consult a number of experts of international repute and to ask them to look at the linguistic rights of national minorities in greater depth with a view to developing a set of practical guidelines. The HCNM envisaged that such guidelines, to be based directly and solely on existing international standards, would be extremely useful as States could refer to them when developing and implementing minority language related policies and laws. They could also serve as a reference for the HCNM in his own work. (Van de Kragt Dawes, 2003, 112-22) In the summer of 1996, the HCNM requested the Foundation on Inter-Ethnic Relations (FIER) to take up the initiative of developing such guidelines. The development of these guidelines was not to be an attempt to set new standards; of course, neither the HCNM nor the FIER had a mandate to undertake standard-setting (Underdal, 1998, 5-36). Rather, the guidelines were to constitute an expert interpretation of existing standards which could serve to facilitate the development and implementation of appropriate policies and laws pertaining to the linguistic rights of national minorities. The experts sought to provide interpretation of these standards relating directly or indirectly to the linguistic rights of national minorities while maintaining coherence within the entire system of the international protection of human rights. (Council of Europe, 1994, 94-101) The result of this process is a set of language-related recommendations which focus on a number of spheres of regulation and activity of particular importance to the maintenance and development of the linguistic identity of persons belonging to national minorities (Lewis, 1998, 479-504). The recommendations are divided into the following subject categories: Names, Religion, Community Life and NGOs, Media, Economic Life, Administrative Authorities and Public Services, Independent National Institutions, Judicial Authorities and Deprivation of Liberty. The Explanatory Note which accompanies the recommendations (and is an integral part of the document) specifies the links between each recommendation and relevant international human rights standards. (Hawkins, 1997, 403-434) Separation Of The Public And Private Spheres The Human Rights Committee (HRC) through its General Comments has presented the concept of minority very broadly, embracing non-citizens in the category of a minority. This is a significant development in terms of the new construction of the definition of a minority, particularly given that the HRC is in a position to represent UN practice in some parts (Chen, 1998, 214). The HRCs General Comment on Article 27 states unequivocally as follows: â€Å"The terms used in article 27 indicate that the persons designed to be protected are those who belong to a group and who share in common a culture, a religion and/or a language. Those terms also indicate that the individuals designed to be protected need not be citizens of the State party . . . A State party may not, therefore, restrict the rights under article 27 to citizens alone.† (Human Rights Committee, 1992, 159–181) The HRCs view basically seems to have followed the subjective and objective criteria of the traditional minority definition, but it is a new version of the definition in that it does not require nationality or citizenship of the State of residence. Furthermore, the HRC held: â€Å"In those cases where aliens constitute a minority within the meaning of article 27, they shall not be denied the right, in community with other members of their group, to enjoy their own culture, to profess and practise their own religion and to use their own language. Aliens are entitled to equal protection by the law. There shall be no discrimination between aliens and citizens in the application of these rights. These rights of aliens may be qualified only by such limitations as may be lawfully imposed under the Covenant.† (Human Rights Committee, 1992, 159–181) In this context, an attempt to define minority in international law made by Special Rapporteur Eide of the Sub-Commission on the Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities84 shows the United Nations approach to the concept of a minority, which is not limited to citizens of the State concerned. He defines a minority as follows: â€Å"For the purpose of this study, a minority is any group of persons ‘resident within a sovereign State which constitutes less than half the population of the national society and whose members share common characteristics of an ethnic, religious or linguistic nature that distinguish them from the rest of the population.† (European Court of Human Rights, 2006, 33) It is critical to note that he effectively replaces the nationality or citizenship criterion with the standard of place of residence. The populations whose members share common characteristics of an ethnic, religious or linguistic nature and have resided in the territory of the States concerned, are the decisive indicators for identifying a minority status (Kusà ½, 2006, 299–306). If this being the case, it would be more cogent to focus on the fact that the members of a minority group should have ‘durable ties with the State in which they live. This requirement is expressed in the word ‘exist in that Article. Universal Declaration of Human Rights states: Everyone has the right freely to participate in the cultural life of the community, to enjoy the arts and to share in scientific advancement and its benefits. (Human Rights Committee, 1992, 159–181) And the Vienna Declaration reminds states that Persons belonging to minorities have the right to enjoy their own culture, to profess and practice their own religion and to use their own language in private and in public, freely and without interference or any form of discrimination. (Council of Europe, 1994, 94-101) The Convention on the Rights of the Child states that a child belonging to an ethnic, religious, linguistic, or indigenous minority: Shall not be denied the right, in community with other members of his or her group, to enjoy his or her own culture, to profess and practice his or her own religion, or to use his or her own language. (European Convention on Human Rights, 1998, 765–773) And the preamble to the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages motivates and situates the cultural protections included in that document by noting that The protection of the historical regional or minority languages of Europe, some of which are in danger of eventual extinction, contributes to the maintenance and development of Europes cultural wealth and traditions. (European Convention on Human Rights, 1998, 765–773) The Committee on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights (CESCR) recommended remedy for concerns about inequalities in the enjoyment of social and cultural rights by minorities is for the state party to: Increase its efforts to preserve regional and minority cultures and languages,, and that it undertake measures to improve education on, and education in, these languages. (Prà ©mont, 1996, 513–514) It is the fundamental presumption of international human rights law that the State must respect the autonomy of the human being by refraining from interfering in specified domains. These are understood to be the private spheres of the individual. At the same time, assuring freedom for everyone according to their own autonomous desires requires that the State order society in such a way as to protect individuals and also to facilitate their initiatives (Lewis, 1998, 479-504). These are understood to be public spheres of legitimate action by the State. The original intention was that the title of the recommendations should make reference to the use of minority languages in the public and private spheres. The recommendations were to be grouped in two categories, one corresponding to the private sphere and the other relating to the public sphere (Buchheit, 1978, 73-79). The experts came to the conclusion relatively quickly that, notwithstanding the conceptual value of this division, it w as not practical for purposes of precise policy formulation to divide the recommendations according to these two categories because it was not possible to categorise each human activity as exclusively belonging to one or other sphere. What might be seen as belonging to the private sphere may in certain situations have serious repercussions on legitimate public interests and hence affect the public sphere. For example, as a rule, correspondence belongs to the strictly private sphere (Underdal, 1998, 5-36). However, if there is any reasonable suspicion on the part of the authorities that the content of the correspondence in question is of such a nature as to threaten the security of the population, the State is entitled to interfere at the risk of violating the right to privacy (Hawkins, 1997, 403-434). The content of such correspondence could be the planning of a terrorist attack or the violent overthrow of the government. In such a case the matter acquires the dimension of legitimat e public interest. Of course, the content of correspondence is to be distinguished from the use of language as a vehicle of communication; in the latter case, there would seem to be no legitimate public interest in either requiring or prohibiting a choice of language. Nonetheless, the example of correspondence illustrates the experts view that it was not possible to approach the process of developing recommendations in a water-tight fashion. (Van de Kragt Dawes, 2003, 112-22) The initial version of the recommendations included one recommendation of a general nature which served to point out that the right of persons belonging to national minorities to use their language should not be made subject to any limitations save those prescribed by law and necessary in a democratic society to protect public safety, order, health, national security and morals. The authors of the original text were of the opinion that it would be useful to stress the very narrow scope the State has for limiting the enjoyment of linguistic rights (Kusà ½, 2006, 299–306). Nevertheless, upon reflection, the experts concluded that in a set of recommendations such as these it would be unhelpful merely to repeat in a recommendation the well-known phraseology regarding permissible limitations. In addition, the experts assumed that it is generally understood that few human rights are absolute; most human rights are subject to limitations. Consequently, the effect of including a reco mmendation regarding limitations could inadvertently send a negative signal and would not be in keeping with the spirit of the document as the experts viewed it, i.e. to stimulate a positive and practice oriented approach in the protection and promotion of minority rights (rather than creating impediments or excuses to implementation). (Hurd, 1999, 379-405) Accordingly, it was decided that this particular recommendation would be deleted and that the issue would be dealt with in the general remarks at the beginning of the Explanatory Note. The definition of national minority it was inevitable that at some point early on in the deliberations the issue of what constitutes a national minority (as opposed to any other category of minority) would come up. The issue had been debated at some length in the process of elaborating The Hague Recommendations Regarding the Education Rights of National Minorities (Buchheit, 1978, 73-79). As was the case then, so in this situation: the experts concluded that, although a universally accepted clearcut definition of national minorities does not exist in international law, the fact remains that the mandate of the HCNM makes reference to the national minorities of the OSCE. In this connection, there are sufficient references in the expressed standards and in the evolving jurisprudence of the relevant bodies largely (if not entirely) to settle the question. In particular, paragraph 32 of the Copenhagen Document states the following in its first sentence: To belong to a national minority is a matter of a persons individual choice and no disadvantage may arise from the exercise of such choice. (Human Rights Committee, 1992, 159–181) The overriding concern of the experts was to ensure that by focusing specifically on national minorities the process would not be doing a disservice to other minorities be they (only) linguistic, ethnic, religious or other (Cortell Peterson, 2000, 132-145). They sought to avoid a situation whereby they might inadvertently provide a point of reference to governments which would be looking for ways to limit the linguistic rights of other minorities such as migrant communities (Levy, 1994, 279-312). This concern is given its full expression in the general remarks of the Explanatory Note in which it is stated clearly that The Oslo Recommendations are intended to strengthen and add to the existing body of human rights related to the use of language and that they were not developed with a view to restricting the real or potential impact of these rights in any way. (Chen, 1998, 214) Stronger links to fundamental rights in both the original background paper and the preliminary drafts of the recommendations and Explanatory Note, those standards of human rights law which make direct reference to language or are very evidently related to language were quoted. In particular, reference was made to such language-specific standards as Article 27 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (which refers to persons belonging to minorities as having the right to use their language), Article 30 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (which guarantees the childs right to use his/her own language), Article 2(1) of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National, Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities (which proclaims the right of persons belonging to the noted minorities to use their own language in public and private) and other language-specific standards contained in regional instruments such as the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages, the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities and the Copenhagen Document (Van de Kragt Dawes, 2003, 112-22). The experts proceeded on the basis that such fundamental rights as freedom of expression and non-discrimination are in any case to be respected and provide the foundation for the other rights. The experts, however, concluded that there was a need for The Oslo Recommendations to make a strong and demonstrable link between language rights and such underlying concepts as the dignity of the human person and the notion of essential equality (Crocker, 1999, 56-66). From these precepts, language-specific rights also connect with other freedoms such as association and assembly. Hence, The Oslo Recommendations stress that the right of persons belonging to national minorities to use their language(s) in private and in public flows from the most fundamental rights and freedoms contained in the international instruments. (Buchheit, 1978, 73-7 9) The Language Of Business The consultation process leading up to the final set of recommendations can be said to have progressed at a generally even pace. The issue of minority languages in business, however, was both complex and controversial enough to slow down the process. As discussion on this issue progressed, consensus began to emerge. The running of a private business was indeed seen by the experts as an activity belonging essentially to the private sphere. Most experts immediately argued that the State is not entitled to impose any undue linguistic restrictions or requirements in this domain (Levy, 1994, 279-312). This point of view, however, was contested by some experts who stressed that such a blanket approach could have unforeseen and unintended consequences in certain circumstances. The example of the Baltic States was put forward as a case in point (Kusà ½, 2006, 299–306). In situations where the language of the majority had suffered under a long period of repression and where that langu age may be said to be in the process of re-establishing itself (as is the case in Estonia and Latvia), such a liberal approach could undermine the overall social interest in having a language of commerce and public administration for the State which is broadly used and, therefore, accessible to all (Phillips Rosas, 1995, 13–76). In the absence of such a broadly known language, it was further argued that the process of State-building and social integration would be negatively affected — with the language of the majority also potentially under threat. The experts agreed that the issue should be looked at in greater detail and entrusted the FIER with the task of researching the matter further. (Van de Kragt Dawes, 2003, 112-22) The practical effect of these legitimate requirements could be that it would be easier, in the long run, for the given enterprise to function in both languages. The other alternative could be for the enterprise to make extensive use of translators which would allow it to meet the requirements of the State without having to change its internal language practices (Cortell Peterson, 2000, 132-145). In any event, the experts felt it was important to underline in the Explanatory Note that the legitimate linguistic requirements advanced by the State in this essentially private sphere must be proportional to the public interest to be served. The State must be reasonable and cannot make unrealistic or discriminatory demands on the owners of private businesses (Hawkins, 1997, 403-434). The problem of arriving at a consensus around the difficult issue of minority languages in the business sector was interesting for what it highlighted in this particular consultation process. On the one hand, the intervention of the advocates who are involved in specific in-country situations served as a kind of reality check with respect to an issue that is obviously a very thorny one in a number of countries. This was a good thing. In the process of elaborating The Oslo Recommendations, the in-put of advocates contributed to making the process more thorough. On the other hand, this experience illustrated clearly a general point. The development of policy guidelines based on international human/minority rights law and intended for general application in a large heterogeneous region such as that covered by the OSCE should not make reference to or be guided by considerations that are particular to a specific context or situation. Of course, in the process of implementation, full account will have to be taken of the specific elements of each situation. Nevertheless, careful consideration of complex domains such as business enterprise reveals that it is both possible and useful to elaborate practical guidelines. (Crocker, 1999, 56-66) When referring to administrative authorities, international instruments refer to the right of persons belonging to national minorities to communicate with the authorities in their own (i.e. minority) language(s). But this right is applicable only in such cases where the minority in question has inhabited the area traditionally or in substantial numbers implying rights exercisable at the local and/or regional level (Hurd, 1999, 379-405). While the notion of traditional clearly indicates a lengthy period of time with established practices (verging on the idea of an acquired right), the notion of substantial numbers implies both quantity and compactness each of which affects feasibility calculations (Lewis, 1998, 479-504). Certainly, corresponding with local authorities in the mother tongue or being able to express one orally at the offices of public administrative authorities and services are important for the advancement of ones interests (Crocker, 1999, 56-66). But while this is not in doubt, the extent to which these may be invoked as rights (with corresponding duties on the State) turns on an evaluation of the facts in the specific situation (i.e. whether the demanding group or person belonging to such a group has inhabited the area traditionally or whether they constitute substantial numbers) (Buchheit, 1978, 73-79). The experts were of the opinion, for example, that if one considers the standards contained in such instruments as the Copenhagen Document (paragraph 34) or the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities (Article 10(2)) as they relate to administrative authorities, in conjunction with the fundamental principles of equality and non-discrimination, one could conclude that in certain situations (i.e. where minority populations are significant in number and compact in their geographic distribution), local and regional authorities should take steps to ensure that health and social services be provided to persons belonging to the n ational minority in question in the minorities language. The use of the minority mother tongue is particularly important in the sphere of health and social services (Chen, 1998, 214). People must be able to express themselves fully and unequivocally when they are faced with health problems or are in need of counselling or basic services. After much discussion, the experts agreed that the relationship between the persons belonging to minorities and the public authorities goes beyond the right to address authorities in ones own language and to receive a reply in this language (Underdal, 1998, 5-36). In certain cases, it may include the right to receive services provided or administered by the authorities in ones own language. The objective should be to organise and facilitate the delivery of services to the maximum benefit of as many persons as possible not only speakers of the official or State language(s). It was also noted by the experts that persons belonging to minorities are to be assumed to be taxpayers and that public authorities are to be assumed to be acting as public servants responsive to the needs of the whole population (including persons belonging to national minorities). (Kusà ½, 2006, 299–306) The provision of services in the language of a national minority may involve substantial budgetary implications and consequently may provoke a negative reaction on the part of the majority. While having achieved consensus around the potential implications of equality and nondiscrimination in the provision of linguistically sensitive services, the experts pondered how best to approach this matter in terms of recommendations. The experts agreed that, in terms of services, Recommendation 14 should be drafted in general terms. In the Explanatory Note, however, they agreed that the most important services (i.e. health and social services) should be highlighted, but this should not be read as excluding other services or facilities for participation. It is to be noted in this connection that, as a general matter, the exact wording of a recommendation and its correlation with the relevant text in the Explanatory Note is necessary for a full understanding of the views of the experts, especial ly when dealing with issues involving resources. (Levy, 1994, 279-312) Issues such as gerrymandering or the arbitrary modification of a regions demographic composition through the eviction or expulsion of populations were not dealt with in the preliminary stages of the drafting process. It was initially felt that, although these issues are of vital importance to the advancement of the interests of national minorities, they do not necessarily relate to linguistic rights. Nonetheless, during the consultation process the point was made by a few experts that these issues should be addressed. The experts felt that these issues were closely related to the ability of national minorities to achieve and maintain strength in numbers and density in a particular region with consequences for minority language rights. Without attention to these matters, entitlements could be undermined by practices of gerrymandering or forced movements of populations. As a result of these concerns, the section of the recommendations relating to administrative authorities and public s ervices was expanded to include a recommendation regarding the issue of gerrymandering and the arbitrary modification of the demographic composition of regions (Levy, 1994, 279-312). As the recommendations evolved over time such a recommendation seemed out of place and some experts proposed that it be deleted. At the third and final consultation the issue was raised again. The point was reiterated that reference should be made to this question in view of its importance to the survival of minorities. In the end it was proposed and agreed that, although this question should be addressed, it would not be formulated as a recommendation but would be dealt with in the particular section of the Explanatory Note which relates to administrative authorities and public services. (Phillips Rosas, 1995, 13–76) The international instruments relating to the protection of the rights of persons belonging to minorities contain little in terms of these persons access to justice in their own language. Nonetheless, the experts felt strongly that the issue of justice and access to it in minority languages had to be addressed. Hence, The Oslo Recommendations contain four recommendations relating to this issue (Crocker, 1999, 56-66). Recommendation 16 concerns the establishment of independent national institutions such as human rights tribunals or ombudsmen which are meant to provide non-judicial recourses for persons belonging to national minorities whose language rights have been violated. While recognising the importance for minorities of access to such recourses, the experts did not have numerous minority rights standards to which to refer. (Hawkins, 1997, 403-434) Their main point of reference was the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination which stipulates in Article 1(1) that the concept of racial discrimination is not limited solely to race but includes discrimination based also on ethnic origin. Article 6 of the Convention then requires States parties to assure to everyone within their jurisdiction effective protection and remedies through competent tribunals and other State institutions against any acts of racial discrimination which violate his human rights and fundamental freedoms contrary to this Convention. (Hurd, 1999, 379-405) In terms of Recommendations 17 through 19 which deal with minority languages in the judicial process, the experts made reference to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms which both deal with the administration of justice in a general context rather than one particular to minorities. More specifically, Article 9 of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages provides a range of alternatives to secure the use of minority languages before judicial authorities (Buchheit, 1978, 73-79). Certain bilateral treaties also expressly entrench such rights. While referring to these standards, the experts sought to link them with other fundamental rights affecting persons belonging to minorities, in particular non-discrimination provisions and the right to an effective remedy. In elaborating especially these recommendations, the experts kept in mind the HCNM specific encouragement to be bold and creative while remaining within the parameters of international human rights law (Cortell Peterson, 2000, 132-145). The experts were

Precipitation Test of Cations and Anions :: Chemistry Lab

Qualitative Analysis Purpose: In this lab, we would tests the ions of Mg2+, Ca2+, Sr2+, and Ba2+, and enable each to be identified separately. And by using these observations, we could also identify an unknown. We also would tests the ions of SO42-, CO32-, Cl-, and I-, that also enable each to be identified separately, and to be use to identify the unknown. Safety: Chemicals include toxic. Remember to wash hands after the experiment. Procedure Summary; Part I - Qualitative Analysis of Group 2 Elements We first mix 0.02M K2CrO4 with each Mg(NO3)2, Ca(NO3)2, Sr(NO3)2 and Ba(NO3)2 together. Secondly, we mix 0.1M (NH4)2C2O4 instead of 0.02M K2CrO4 together with the same reactants used before. Thirdly, we mix 0.1M Na2SO4 as the added reagent. Then, we mix 0.1M NaOH as the added reagent before. Precipitates should forms for some, and be recorded in Table 1 with observations. At last, we obtain an unknown solution to identify the cation by mixing it with the 4 reagents we used before. Part II- Qualitative Analysis of Selected Anions We first mix 1M HNO3 with each Na2CO3, Na2SO4, NaCl and NaI together. Repeat these steps by placing 0.1M Ba(NO3)2 instead of 1M HNO3. Then mix1M HNO3 for the onces that formed precipitates. Repeat the first step by placing 0.1M AgNO3 instead of 1M HNO3. Divded the contents of the ones that contains ppt in half, then add 6M NH3 to one set of them and for the other set add 1M HNO3. Using these observation, we obtain and identify an unknown union. All observations should be recorded in Table 2. Pre-lab Questions: 1. What is the difference between qualitative and quantitative analysis. Qualitative analysis is a set of procedures used to identify a particular ion or a sample. Quantitative analysis is used to identify the amount of ion presence in a solution. 2. What type of reaction will use to identify the cation in part I? Double replacement and precipitate-forming reaction will be used to Precipitation Test of Cations and Anions :: Chemistry Lab Qualitative Analysis Purpose: In this lab, we would tests the ions of Mg2+, Ca2+, Sr2+, and Ba2+, and enable each to be identified separately. And by using these observations, we could also identify an unknown. We also would tests the ions of SO42-, CO32-, Cl-, and I-, that also enable each to be identified separately, and to be use to identify the unknown. Safety: Chemicals include toxic. Remember to wash hands after the experiment. Procedure Summary; Part I - Qualitative Analysis of Group 2 Elements We first mix 0.02M K2CrO4 with each Mg(NO3)2, Ca(NO3)2, Sr(NO3)2 and Ba(NO3)2 together. Secondly, we mix 0.1M (NH4)2C2O4 instead of 0.02M K2CrO4 together with the same reactants used before. Thirdly, we mix 0.1M Na2SO4 as the added reagent. Then, we mix 0.1M NaOH as the added reagent before. Precipitates should forms for some, and be recorded in Table 1 with observations. At last, we obtain an unknown solution to identify the cation by mixing it with the 4 reagents we used before. Part II- Qualitative Analysis of Selected Anions We first mix 1M HNO3 with each Na2CO3, Na2SO4, NaCl and NaI together. Repeat these steps by placing 0.1M Ba(NO3)2 instead of 1M HNO3. Then mix1M HNO3 for the onces that formed precipitates. Repeat the first step by placing 0.1M AgNO3 instead of 1M HNO3. Divded the contents of the ones that contains ppt in half, then add 6M NH3 to one set of them and for the other set add 1M HNO3. Using these observation, we obtain and identify an unknown union. All observations should be recorded in Table 2. Pre-lab Questions: 1. What is the difference between qualitative and quantitative analysis. Qualitative analysis is a set of procedures used to identify a particular ion or a sample. Quantitative analysis is used to identify the amount of ion presence in a solution. 2. What type of reaction will use to identify the cation in part I? Double replacement and precipitate-forming reaction will be used to

Around The World In Eighty Days: Summary :: essays research papers

Around the World In Eighty Days: Summary The title of the novel, Around the World in Eighty Days, is pretty much self explanatory. An Englishman, Phileas Fogg, places a wager that he can circumnavigate the world in 80 days. The events that occur throughout the novel describe his journey around the world.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Phileas Fogg, the protagonist, was a lonesome person who lived with his paid servant. Mr.Fogg was thought to be rich although no one knew where his riches came from.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Jean Passepartout, Fogg's paid servant. A strange fellow who had held many different jobs, such as fireman and gymnast.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Detective Fix, an English detective who followed Fogg around the world because he suspected that Mr. Fogg was a bank robber.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Aouda, a Parsee woman who was saved from a Setee by Fogg and Passepartout.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The antagonist of the novel was time, Mr. Fogg was pressured to arrive back in London within 80 days or otherwise lose his fortune.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  My favorite character in the novel is Passepartout. Passepartout was an innocent Frenchman that just after being hired as Mr. Fogg's servant was told to pack for a trip around the world. Throughout the entire novel the reader is informed of all the peculiar habits of Fogg that Passepartout had to support.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  My least favorite character is Fix the detective. He followed Fogg around the globe, he missed arresting him in India and Hong Kong through incompetence, and as soon as they arrived back in London, he did arrest Fogg but erroneously.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The main conflict of the novel was time. Time caused a lot of pressure on Fogg; he had to get back to London on time or he would lose the money he wagered. Mr.Fogg and Passepartout were confronted many times with the problem of lost time; when time was lost extra effort and work had to be put in so as to make up for the lost time. The incident that made me happy was when the real bank thief was caught and Fogg was let out of jail with exactly enough time left to arrive in London on time.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The one part that I would change is when Passepartout and Fogg are separated on India and then they meet up again coincidentally in Japan. I know that this is science fiction, fiction being the important word but still it is to something that is almost impossible to happen in real life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  While Fogg and Passepartout were in the India jungle, they saw a woman, Aouda, who was going to be burned alive as a sacrifice. Fogg decided to attempt to save her.

Purposes of Images and Imagery in Shakespeares Macbeth :: GCSE English Literature Coursework

Purposes of Imagery in Macbeth      Ã‚  Ã‚   The Shakespearean tragic drama Macbeth uses imagery to stisfy various needs in the play. This essay will develop the above premise, including exemplification and literary critical thought.    In The Riverside Shakespeare Frank Kermode enlightens regarding the imagery of darkness in the play:    Macbeth is the last of the four "great tragedies," and perhaps the darkest. Bradley began his study by pointing out that "almost all the scenes which at once recur to the memory take place either at night or in some dark spot." That peculiar compression, pregnancy, energy, even violence, which distinguishes the verse is a further contribution to the play's preoccupation with the fears and tensions of darkness. (1307)    Lily B. Campbell in her volume of criticism, Shakespeare's Tragic Heroes: Slaves of Passion, describes how the imagery contributes to the atmosphere of the play:    Macbeth is, however, not only a study of fear; it is a study in fear. The sounds and images in the play combine to give the atmosphere of terror and fear. The incantation of the witches, the bell that tolls while Duncan dies, the cries of Duncan, the cries of the women as Lady Macbeth dies, the owl, the knocking at the gate, the wild horses that ate each other, the story, the quaking of the earth - all of these are the habitual accompaniments of the willfully fearful in literature. (238-39)    A.C. Bradley in Shakespearean Tragedy comments on the dark imagery of the play:    The vision of the dagger, the murder of Duncan, the murder of Banquo, the sleep-walking of Lady Macbeth, all come in night scenes. The Witches dance in the thick air of a storm or, 'black and midnight hags', receive Macbeth in a cavern. The blackness of night is to the hero a thing of fear, even of horror; and that which he feels becomes the spirit of the play. (307)    L.C. Knights in the essay "Macbeth" explains the supporting role which imagery plays in Macbeth's descent into darkness:    To listen to the witches, it is suggested, is like eating "the insane root, That takes the reason prisoner" (I.iii.84-5); for Macbeth, in the moment of temptation, "function," or intellectual activity, is "smother'd in surmise"; and everywhere the imagery of darkness suggests not only the absence or withdrawal of light but - "light thickens" - the presence of something positively oppressive and impeding.

Evaluating China’s one child Policy Essay

During the 1970s, China felt the indenting need for a drastic policy that would be able to control its ever-expanding population and to begin development in its country and thus the one child policy was born, if the policy had not been instituted china would have faced severe famine and starvation as it would not have been able to cope with rapid growth. The policy was administrated in September 1981 and they called it ‘birth planning’ by which families were given a maximum limit of one child per family however in rural areas, couples were allowed to have two children and this was to help need on agricultural land and farming; those who try to breach this law would face severe consequences. The policy was considered as one of history’s ‘most ambitious pieces of social engineering’ as quoted from The Economist since the policy heavily intervened with families plans for the future and affected how most chines families would function in terms of having children. The policy governed by the Chinese government was said not to last no longer than a single generation and yet here in 2013, the policy still continues to proceed and there are little or no signs of a new policy or removal of this policy from the country. Administration Of Policy The policy in china was very drastic and therefore it contained many punishments for anyone who tried to breach the policy and the government also deployed many forces of administration to make sure that people were being monitored and that no one was trying for a second child. There were family-planning workers in every single workplace to grant families the ability to have a child if they had been on the waiting list and also at this point the couple would be presented with a special card which gives them authority to claim governmental benefits such as free education, free kindergarten facilities, free healthcare etc. on birth of the child. Police called the ‘granny police’, who were not actual police but represented the role of making sure woman were practicing using contraception and to had the objective of reporting on pregnancies so that the local authority would be able to work out whether a family is trying to have a second child illegally. Female women were also given education on the use of contraception and this was to try minimising the amount of unexpected pregnancies. Family planning officials levy huge fines of up to ? 20,000 from those who try to have a second child and this fine account for the estimated value of public services that the forbidden child would have received over its lifetime. Furthermore, in some areas the couple would have been stripped of their house, jobs and even the ability to live in a particular area of the country. Also in earlier time they would have been forfeited their rations and clothing benefits. Furthermore, women would have been given forced steralisations or contraceptive pills and their chances of being able to have children ever again would be removed if they were found guilty of trying to have a second child and this would impose that they would never be able to have a child even if they decide to migrate to another country. This kind of steralisations was only existent in certain provinces of China and it is currently completely abolished from all parts of china as it was considered to unforgiving for a punishment. Changes Generated by The One Child Policy. Without need to say, the obvious: the one child policy had caused a drop in the fertility rate in China. From the starting point of the policy in 1981 to now the birth rate has dropped from an above average 2. 9 to 1. 7 and this has lead to understand that the policy was successful and that it has tackled one of the country’s main concern which is an ever-expanding population. Furthermore, this drop has claimed to prevent up to 400 million births, which would otherwise have kept China’s population at 1. 7 billion currently compared to the 1. 3 billion that it actually is today. However, despite showing a drop in birth rate after the beginning of this policy, there are statistics that show that China’s fertility rates fell drastically during the 1970s and that the policy did not influence the drop in birth rates much. This suggests that the fertility rate was naturally decreasing so there was no need for the policy. This suggests that the policy did not control the country’s population greatly because the fertility rates had dropped severely just before the commencement of the policy. Therefore the implementation of such a severe policy has now indented Chinese people’s concept of families and even if the policy was to be removed people will still continue to have few children and this would not have been the case if fertility rates were allowed to naturally decrease to make the population eventually stable much alike how most other countries have progressed through the demographic transition such as Russia, Germany and Japan. The rapid fall in fertility rate just before the one child policy is clearly shown in the graph that is on the previous page; the graph was taken from the GapMinder webpage which holds information about the world demographic and thus is very reliable. Another negative impact of the one child policy was a case of female infanticide. In fact, this is an interesting concern as it has lead to china presenting a population where there are about 120 Chinese men for every 100 Chinese women and thus there is a shortage of women. There was a severe amount of female infanticide for several reasons. Firstly a male child was seen as more superior for the use on farmland and for the use on agricultural land as men were seen as stronger characters compared to women. Secondly, only the male would be able to carry forward the family name and in China there was a great cultural desire to carry forward a family name to keep the family advancing through generations. Finally, men are usually the main income-earners, either because they are more employable or earn higher wages for the same work, or because they are able to do more agricultural work in subsistence economies. Since male babies have a greater income potential, they are more desired over females and thus female births were usually abandoned or killed. There are some stories of extreme discomfort where female babies have been flushed down toilets and drowned, as they were not considered valuable to Chinese family. Furthermore, the shortage of females in China has lead to a generation where there are â€Å"too many men†, and this was caused by the desire to have a male child in the family. The result of the one child policy has meant that there are 1000 million women whom would else be existent if the policy wasn’t introduced and thus this social engineering has converted the a balanced gender country into an imbalanced country with more men. This has lead to desire to import woman known as human trafficking where women are smuggled using from Burma and North Korea and the women are used as prostitutes or sold as wives and domestic servants in parts of china. This is a negative outcome of the policy by which women are used inappropriately and are illegally imported from other countries. Furthermore, it is expected that by the year 2030 there could be up to 20-30million bachelors in chine whom are unable to find a partner and this would further increase the desire and temptation to want female prostitutes and this will create an illegal transportation of women to china from neighboring countries. Another disadvantage of the policy is that a generation of not enough children is developing in china and this results in not enough children to look after parents which could mean that the country could grow old before it is able to develop it’s economy and becoming rich by limiting the mouths to feed as it is trying to do so using the one child policy. In china this lack of children is called the ‘4-2-1’ dilemma and as The Economist suggests this is where each couple has the job of looking after four parents and one child. This creates a dilemma as the couple’s parents become aged and need the help of the couple and thus the couple have the cost of having to look after their parents all on their own as they would not have any siblings and thus china has created a problem for families trying to develop as they will have a shortage of money to spend elsewhere in the economy to try boost the countries development stage. The imbalanced structure of china’s population also hints that the working force will come to an end by 2020 and therefore this would mean that the country would not be able to further develop and this has again raised pressure on the Chinese government to introduce further amendments to the one child policy. For example, Hu Jintao suggested allowing more than one birth but between longer gaps and also the scrapping of the birth quota so that couples could still have a child even if the maximum number of children in a certain area is reached. This would help to regain a large population of workers in the future generation to continue with the countries development without having to deal with another expanding population. The article presented by The Economist has dealt with many defects of the one child policy including the extortionate amount of female infanticide, the illegal need for a second child, female imports, ‘4-2-1’ issue and the fact that the country could have still developed without the policy as statistics showed that fertility rates were naturally decreasing as people become more educated and this would therefore have reduced to country’s large population and allowed the country to develop as the government would have to feed fewer people and also if the policy had not been introduced there would not be effects one some females lives who have been sterilized permanently after the birth of the first child because this would prevent the mother from having another child ever. Also, the Chinese government are now unable to scrape the policy because they have not alternatives that could be administrated on the scale of the one child policy and therefore the government suggests ‘we will stick to the family-planning policy for decades’ and this implies that the removal of the policy would have a considerate difference on China’s population and that it could possibly improve the gender imbalance which is not of great interest to china as demographers suggest the removal of the policy would suggest a rapid increase in population once again and this would mean that the country would not be able to achieve its goal which is to become a well developed country with a high GDP. The charts below show what would happen to china’s population and its structure by 2050 if the policy was to be removed and as the first graph clearly suggests, the one child policy has been heavily successful in maintaining a smaller population and emphasis should be placed on the fact it is just a smaller population. Although, the population is smaller the structure of the population between men and women and groups of elderly, working class as well as those under 15 is highly imbalanced and as the chart on the right clearly imposes, if the policy was removed the demographic structure will become more balanced once again.

My Strengths and Weaknesses Essay

I have a mutual share of strength and also weakness in a really and rarely main subject in school, although schools only focuses on Maths and Vietnamese, and usually left the other main subject in Award-winning. That subject, is English. People in my country rarely have young talented English Expert. My country doesn’t have schools that trains student to English Genius, because through many years, Vietnam has some trouble with the other countries or maybe Vietnamese and Maths has a long history and yet tradition of students getting into Vietnamese or Maths Major, sometimes they even eliminate English from schools majors. But for people that interact with TV, extra-hours English Schools, people from other countries, like me: it always easy when it comes to Writings and Readings in English. You see: my strength in writing English is unbelievable. I can write 100 of English topics that I like. Remember the last 3 words because it will be really important. I like to write. I write all the time, and it’s like a rampaging life with a thousand words being delivered or somehow passed by into the writings. My goal to persuade is making people care about my writings, with a way out that please everyone and actually like it. Some maybe written about policy. Read more:  Strength and Weaknesses of a Person Some maybe written about problems that wasn’t solve like Apathy, North Korea-USA Legal Trouble, Julian Assange†¦ Yeah some like that. But my weakness in this is that I can’t write things that I don’t like or don’t care about. It is like a disease that nobody yet find the cure. This weakness wasn’t too bad, because either I like it or not, in time, I could write it. But it is just not as good as my likings. The writings that I finish but I don’t like was like a dirty draft. To this day I have many dirty drafts, for example, topics like: Marry issues, Dying Man’s Last Wish thought, When You Got A 10, how does it feel ? †¦ things like that, are actually ten ton craps. In communication, I have good ability of persuading people into activities or make interest in people’s already good hobby. My speaking is good, communicating to others, meaning or translation. Like helping old people. They found themselves in trouble talking with English. I can translate for them, with a persuasive talk and meaningful speaking when they don’t understand. Although some people didn’t really like to talk with me about problems above. It’s really awkward, because I don’t know how to stop the conversation. Really I don’t. But that’s not my weakness. The actual weakness of mine in communication is I don’t use to the thought of presenting or in a easier way to understand: talking in front of many people. I am kinda ashamed of talking to people I don’t know, or talking things that they like, but disappointed because I didn’t bring the hit to them. I only talk if I have to. Like if I was a Economic teacher, talking in front of many people will be ok. But if I was a one hit wonder singer, presenting songs that they never heard because they only like the hit, not other songs. Like that. Because of this issue above, I communicate with personnel, not any crowd. Speaking with more than 5 people that I don’t know, I could have a stroke for god saint. So there you have it, my strength and my weakness in Writing and Communicating English. What I learn from this is there are strength and weakness in every one, even the person that you most think that is the best: yourself. You just have to see it your own and find a way to solve it. Until know, I didn’t find mine yet. But if you believe in a shining and successful future with a near-perfect (nobody is perfect, no matter how hard they try) self, find it. You have many chance to find it, it’s just about how you take it and learn.