Studies on Entrepreneurship Development for Graduate in Maiduguri Borno State Implication for Counselling Strategies free essay sample

Studies on Entrepreneurship Development for Graduate in Maiduguri Borno State: Implication for Counselling Strategies By Umar Goni NCE, B. ED. M. ED. (Asst. Lecturer) Department of Education University of Maiduguri [emailprotected] com, Umara Mustapha NCE, B. A. ED. M. ED. (Chief Tutor) Department of Education University of Maiduguri and Ali Mburza B. A. ED. M. ED PhD Department of Education University of Maiduguri [emailprotected] com Abstract This is an empirical study designed to investigate entrepreneurship development for graduates in Maiduguri Borno State: Implications for counselling strategies. Four research objectives were set and four research questions were answered in this study. A survey method was employed, an instrument tagged Entrepreneurship Development Among Youths in Borno State Questionnaire (SEDAYQ) was developed and validated by the researchers, the questionnaire elicit information on youths ability and inability to become entrepreneurs. The questionnaire also elicit information on age, personal background, educational level, moral support, family background and personal experience in the area of interest, data were analyzed using frequency count nd percentages. We will write a custom essay sample on Studies on Entrepreneurship Development for Graduate in Maiduguri Borno State: Implication for Counselling Strategies or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The findings of study revealed types of entrepreneurship engaged by youths in Borno State, Causes of youths’ engagement in entrepreneurship, Government role in assisting entrepreneurs and Problems encountered by the graduates in entrepreneurship. Counselling strategies were also provided to graduates, government and Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs) on how to develop, assist and improve entrepreneurship among Borno State graduates and to become self reliant in the society. Key Words: Entrepreneurship, Development, Graduates Counselling Strategies Introduction The idea of Entrepreneurship is not new in Nigeria; it had existed even before the coming of the colonial masters. The prominence being gained by entrepreneurship in the present time is borne out of the need to address the octopus called unemployment which is facing our society; entrepreneurship is associated with different kinds of activities that have to do with the establishment of business enterprises. Such activities may include identification of investment opportunities, deciding what opportunities to exploit for profit, promotion and establishment of business enterprise. Others include pooling of various resources needed for production and distribution of goods and services, organization and management of human and materials resources for the attainment of the objectives of the enterprise, as well as risk bearing and innovation. Thus the effective performance of the above activities is very vital to start, growth and survival of any business enterprise. Entrepreneurship is a significant factor in the process of the economic development of any nation like Nigeria. Entrepreneurial development is meant to facilitate enterprise development and skill acquisition in order to reduce dependence on the existing employment market. It also entails the objective of motivating the individual to explore the possibility of exploiting the abundant resources in this country as entrepreneur. No wonder governments, nongovernmental organization, companies, humanitarians and individuals are now interested in empowering the people to create Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SME). This increased interest has been fostered by such factors in recognition that small firms play a major role in job creation and innovation as well as a vehicle for social and economic development and dependence on government (Ihekwoaba, 2007) There are two sources of funds to take up an entrepreneurship; they are internal and external sources. The internal source refers to the entrepreneur’s private sources such as personal saving and family and friend’s contributions. On the other hand, the external source refers to borrowed funds from the formal sector such as the wealthy individual, Banks, loan from cooperative societies, government investment cooperation and capital market. Entrepreneurship according to Chambers 20th Centaury Dictionary (1985), the root word to entrepreneurship is an undertaking. On the other hand, an ‘entrepreneur’ is referred to as the individual who undertakes an enterprise especially a commercial one often at a personal risk. Entrepreneurship according to Timmons (2006) is the process of bringing together creative and innovative ideas and coupling these with management, organization and skills in order to combine man, money machineries and other resources to meet an identified need thereby creating wealth. Hirsch and Peters (2005) sees entrepreneurship as the process of creating something new and with value by devoting the necessary time and effort, assuming the accompanying financial, physic and social risks and receiving the resulting rewards of monetary and personal satisfaction and independence. From the above definition it can be inferred that entrepreneurship is an initiative, imagination, flexibility, creativity and the willingness to think conceptually and capacity to see change as an opportunity. Entrepreneurship therefore, involves the identification and exploitation of opportunities to innovate. Bridge, Neil Cromic (2003) postulated that entrepreneurship is the willingness and ability of an Individual or group of persons to search for investment opportunities, establish and run a business successfully. In other words, entrepreneurship is the practice of starting new business in response to identified opportunities. Statement of the Problem Nigerian school leavers have low achievement motivation and risk taking behaviour. They do not invest independently to achieve success in personally determined ventures; rather they roam about seeking for employment on already flourishing organizations. Graduates of Universities and indeed tertiary institutions loiter around for several years without setting up a business of their own. Today, not only graduates of tertiary institutions in Maiduguri foraged the State capital (Maiduguri) in search of employment, but graduates from other sister States all over the country. This makes it necessary to look into how this predicament will be reduced or completely eliminated. It is a well known fact that both local and State governments in Borno have not employed graduates of all categories in the State for long. Hence these unemployed graduates parade themselves in the State in search of unavailable white collar jobs. Objectives of the Study The objectives of this study were to determine the following: 1-Types of entrepreneurship engaged in by graduates in Borno State 2-Causes of youths’ engagement in entrepreneurship in Borno State 3-Government assistance to graduates entrepreneurs in Borno State 4-Problems encountered by graduate entrepreneurs in Borno State Research Questions The following questions were answered in this study: 1. What are the types of entrepreneurship engaged in by graduates in Borno State? 2. What are the causes of youths’ engagement in entrepreneurship in Borno State? 3. Does government provide assistance to graduate entrepreneurs in Borno State? . What are the problems encountered by graduate entrepreneurs in Borno State? Methodology A survey method was employed in this study, an instrument tagged Entrepreneurship Development Among Youths in Borno State Questionnaire (EDAYQ) was develop and validated by the researchers, the questionnaire elicit information on youths ability and inabi lity to become entrepreneurs. The questionnaire also elicits information on age, personal background, educational level, support, family background and personal experience in the area of interest. The target population for the study was the entire youths in Borno State. However, eight hundred and eighty nine were sampled for this study. Purposive and Volunteer sampling techniques were used to select the samples. Only youths who are graduates and were engaged in entrepreneurship and s have volunteered to fill in the questionnaire were used. Data was analyzed using frequency counts and percentages. Results and Discussion Research Question One: What are the types of entrepreneurship engaged in by graduates in Borno State? Table 1: Types of Entrepreneurship Engaged in by Youths in Borno State by Gender Types of EntrepreneurshipFrequencyMale PercentagesFemalePercentages Cap making and washing 39283. 4 111. 23 Petty trading 138647. 19 748. 32 Road side mechanics 10310311. 58 Driving 12612614. 17 Dying13050. 56 080. 89 Gold/black smithing16161. 79 Live stock/fish farming 41202. 24212. 36 Dry cleaning48485. 39 Barbing /hairdressing 80202. 24606. 79 Vulcanizing26262. 92 Food selling24040. 44 202. 24 Bricklaying 06060. 67 Key cutting 07070. 78 D. V. D plate sales/ recording03020. 22 010. 11 Recharge cards/news paper vending14101. 12 040. 44 Welding21212. 36 Table one shows the types of entrepreneurship engaged in by youths in Borno State. From the sixteen entrepreneurship programmes expressed by the respondents, it is evident to see that more males engage in driving and road side mechanics while the females engage in petty trading and hair dressing. It is also evident from the findings of this study that the entrepreneurships programmes are stereotype in nature this is because no female graduate participated in entrepreneurship programmes such as road side mechanics, driving, gold/black smithing dry cleaning, vulcanizing, bricklaying, key cutting and welding. These entrepreneurships are traditionally seen as male oriented occupations. Research Question Two: What are the causes of youths’ engagement in entrepreneurship in Borno State? Table 2: Causes of Youths’ Engagement in Entrepreneurship in Borno State Causes FrequencyMale PercentagesFemale Percentages Poverty 2921301. 6216218. 22 Unemployment 50835239. 5915617. 54 Pressure from parents 89232. 58667. 42 Table 2 revealed unemployment, poverty and pressure from parents as the reasons for the youths’ engagement in entrepreneurship programmes in Borno State. None of the respondents indicated personal interest in the programmes. This is an indication that the youths are forced by circumstances for engaging in the entrepreneurships. Research Question Three: Does government provide assistance to graduate entrepreneurs in Borno State? Table 3: Government Assistance to Graduate Entrepreneurs in Borno State Assistance FrequencyMale PercentagesFemale Percentages Provided 00 Not Provided 88950556. 80 38443. 19 Table three shows that out of the 889 (505 males and 384 females) youths that participated in this study none of them indicated that they have received any assistance from the government in establishing the entrepreneurship they engage in. This is unhealthy for youth development and national development. Research Question Four: What are the problems encountered by graduate entrepreneurs in Borno State? Table 4: Problems Encountered by Graduate Entrepreneurs in Borno State Problem FrequencyMale PercentagesFemale Percentages Lack of Capital40120122. 6120022. 49 Lack of Support112829. 22303. 37 Rent Problem31217619. 7913615. 29 Lack of Electricity 53455. 06080. 89 No Problem11010. 11101. 12% Table four shows that lack of capital, lack of support, rent problem and lack of electricity as the problems they face in running the entrepreneurship they have established. Only 11(1 male and 10 females) revealed that they had no problem in establishing their entrepreneurship. Counselling Strategies -Youths should be encouraged to establish small scale businesses which will make them self employed instead of waiting for white collar jobs which are not forth coming. This could be done through assisting the youths with soft loans. -Youths should also be encouraged through counselling to develop personal interest in entrepreneurship programmes not necessarily get involved only when they are pushed to the world by unemployment as was the case in this study. Governments at all levels should endeavour to assist youths who are interested in establishing their own businesses by subsidizing electricity and shop charges. The government official could be reached through workshop and seminars. Recommendations Based on the findings of the study, the following recommendations are made: 1. From the entrepreneurship programmes indicated by the youths in this study, it is evident that the youths’ exposure for entrepreneurship is too limited. Thus, they should be encouraged to explore more entrepreneurship programmes that would demand less capital to start. This could be done through mounting of campaigns on radio and television. 2. Government and Non governmental Organizations should assist youths with soft capital to establish their sown Business. 3. Borno State government should establish Entrepreneurship Board which should take charge of assisting youths with revolving capital to establish their own Business. 4. Government and private organizations should establish companies and industries where youths should be employed after graduation. References Bridge, S. O. Neil, K. Cromic, S. (2003). Understanding enterprise, Entrepreneurship and Small- Business. London: Palgrave Chambers 20th Century Dictionary (1985). England : Pearson Education Limited Hirsch, R. D. and Peters, M. P. (2005). Entrepreneurship, New Delhi: McGraw-Hill Publishing Company Limited. Ihekwoaba, M. (2007). Entrepreneurship in vocational technical education, Lagos: Mukugamu Brother Enterprises Timmons, J. (2006). What is entrepreneurship, Colinbus USA Retrieved from www. entre-ed. org 22nd August 2010.

Recommendation for a web server software package

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Incorporating Kohlbergs Stages of Moral Development into the Justice Assignment

Incorporating Kohlbergs Stages of Moral Development into the Justice System - Assignment Example This enables people to live in peace and harmony. Criminal justice refers to the system of government institutions and practices that have been entrusted to maintain social control; deter crime and punish the individuals who deviate from the accepted principles of social justice. Law enforcement officers are part of the criminal justice. This means that they should uphold justice by following the accepted concepts and principles of fairness and moral uprightness (Dawson, 2002). Law enforcement officers are responsible for providing fair punishment and rehabilitation of individuals who violate the societal laws. This assists in deterring various forms of crime and maintaining peace within the society. They should ensure that there is justice by applying a level platform in all their practices, thus ensure equality and fairness. This prevents biases and restricts some individuals from deviating from the accepted principles. In today’s society, few people have confidence in the criminal justice due to the inequality applied by the law enforcement officers when performing their duties. Law enforcement officers should perform their mandates effectively by protecting individual rights and rendering equal treatment to every individual in the society irrespective of their education, wealth, social status, race or income among other factors. Law enforcement officers should render justice by following the rule of the law. Corruption and other social ills stem from the fact that some law enforcement officers do not follow the rule of the law. They protect the criminal, therefore, promoting oppression among the innocent victims. Lastly, the law enforcement officers should ensure that they deliver services with compassion. This is in reference to the treatment of the people who have broken the law. They should be rehabilitated and punished accordingly, therefore, making them useful members of the society.

Diversity Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Diversity - Research Paper Example This paper will present comparison of the economic situations coming from records of the years that have gone from the glorious years of being the top economic nation till modern day situation. The researcher will give insights on the markers of economic stability such as increasing unemployment rate, poverty and decreasing annual gross domestic product and the countless possible ways of reversing or sustaining the after effect of economic threats through finding researched trends and strategies. Key words: economy, economic stability, trends, strategies Introduction The ever changing economic arena has been fast evolving. Everyday economic activities are aimed at somehow one particular thing, which is to produce, to provide or to earn. The United States is known worldwide for its dynamic leadership and stability in world economy. It has fought many battles from history to be able to come up and build a structure that would sustain the vast needs of the country. It has lead many nati ons worldwide in setting foot marks to follow as an example of sturdy economic flow amidst all national issues and concerns. It has provided the American people with stable economic market to hold on to and has lifted the standards of living within its premises for the past 50 years or so. Does the sturdy wall of United States Economy has finally come to its peak and needs a reconstruction or remodeling? What was the weakest link in the economy that the government failed to set support that led to its sudden collapse affecting the entire economic stability? What could the government have done to foresee such changes in the global economy so that further decline would be avoided and future blows of economic changes would no longer affect the stability of the economy? This essay will go over the current trend in the economy and in a way to enhance the economic status of the country by means suggesting effective economic strategies that were backed up with studies that can be used by t he government as well in establishing more profitable and recession proof businesses that could sustain the downfall in the economy. Global Trends and Strategy within the United States The current economic situation: Where is United States now? Nothing seemed to be constant about living rather than the changes it continuously incur. Even if the United States have sustained to be in the lead in economic strength for the longest time still the cycles of change puts such leader into no exception. The global economic market has recently experienced an unexpected downfall and the sturdy American State and even other highly developed and leading countries were caught off guard of the unexpected surprise that brought economic storm around the globe. Recession shook the American economy and has led to many dismay—closure of many production and business establishments, prices rising, increasing rate of unemployment, decrease purchasing power of US dollar, decreasing work benefits and increasing rates of low paying jobs converted from previously high paying jobs just to sustain the challenged business. According to a source this has been a tumultuous decade for the United States. During the first 10 years of the 21st Century many unforeseeable events have happened that affected the national economy-- there was a major

BUSINESS GLOBALISATION Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

BUSINESS GLOBALISATION - Essay Example Trading Blocs A trading bloc refers to the agreement between certain countries to reduce trade restrictions, tariffs and other trade barriers for each other while imposing strict trade barriers with other nonmember nations. Without any doubts, trade blocs like ‘European Economic Community’ (ECC) and ‘North American Free Trade Agreement’ (NAFTA) exist because they provide great advantages to the member nations (Prempeh, Mensah & Adjibolosoo, pp. 98-99, 2004). First, large markets created through trading blocs allow production to take place in bulk, which in turn means that firms can take advantage of economies of scale. Second, companies within the trading blocs come closer to each other, which lead to greater competition (Wiarda, pp. 93-98, 2007). Quite understandably, greater competition leads to higher level of efficiency. Third, when tariffs decrease due to trade blocs, the cost of imports goes down and consumers can purchase products with lower prices. F ourth, an individual country may not enjoy that political and economic authority over the globe but a group of countries certainly can have their voice heard (Rossi, pp. 304-305, 2007). In fact, this remains the biggest possible advantage of trade blocs that they allow the members to become interdependent on each other thus making them less vulnerable to the external shocks. Fifth, trade blocs reduce the transactions costs for all the members thus allowing the trade the trade to happen with lesser monetary and time costs (Ervin & Smith, pp. 185-186, 2008). Changes in the Balance of Trade in during 20th century Without any doubts, the world is a completely changed place as compared to what it was a century ago. The world has undergone a complete transformation in the 20th century and the same is true for world trade. The balance of trade refers to the total value of exports minus the value of imports of a country during the given year. The balance of world trade in the past century h as changed largely. During the early days of the 20th century, most of the countries at that time used to avoid trade deficits and considered it as bad for the economy. The process of Globalisation was slow and most economies comparatively were closed economies. However, as of the data of CIA for the year 2010, out of the 191 countries on their list, only 61 countries or 32 percent of the countries had a trade surplus and the rest of the them were showing trade deficits. Quite understandably, this refers to the fact that the balance of the world trade in totality is in negative giving a trade deficit. The biggest trade deficit was for the economic superpower United States of America with 561 billion US dollars (Steger, pp. 74-78, 2010). Furthermore, even economic powers like United Kingdom, India, France, Brazil, Canada, and Australia had deficits of more than 35 billion US dollars (Steger, pp. 74-78, 2010). However, upcoming Asian giants China, Japan, and Germany remain at the top of list with trade surpluses of 272, 166, and 162 billion US dollars (Steger, pp. 74-78, 2010). Economies of Scale With Globalisation and increasing international trade, economies of scale have emerged as an extremely important factor in expansion and production of various industries. Economies of scale refer to ‘the phenomenon where the cost per unit decreases with increasing production’ (Rossi, pp. 304-305, 2007). It allows the firm to lower its costs and gain greater market share or the firm may decide to maintain the

Peace And Stability In Afghanistan Politics Essay

Peace And Stability In Afghanistan Politics Essay Even after almost eight years of international communitys efforts in Afghanistan the instability and turbulence has increased rather than abated. Not only has Afghanistan seen ever increasing levels of violence and loss of life the virus of instability and culture of violence has also spread across the Durand line with hardly any silver line on the horizon. A deadly insurgency, higher opium production, increasing civilian casualties, rampant corruption, an unstable neighbourhood and an uncertain political future remain the defining features of the complex and combustible situation that obtains in Afghanistan. Much of the initial euphoria generated after the fall of Taliban in 2001 has dissipated and those advances made in the fields of education and womens rights have been overshadowed. The prospects for preventing Afghanistan from being sucked into this whirlpool of chaos appear bleaker than ever.  [1]   2. Americas Af-Pak policy which was announced in end of March 2009, needs to be scrutinised to gauge its progress and success or otherwise. The main pillars of this strategy were based on not only in increase of force levels but also on increase of the resources devoted to economic development and coordination among international donors building Afghan governing structures primarily at local level reforming the Afghan government expanding and reforming the Afghan security forces and trying to improve Pakistans efforts to curb militant activity on its soil. The strategy also included negotiations with Taliban figures that were willing to enter the political process. After the Presidential election there is a need to again review the security, governance and development and aid structures and delivery mechanisms. 3. Major factor impacting the situation in Afghanistan is the continued resurgence of Taliban due to a host of contextual factors. The Taliban is estimated to have a permanent presence in 72 per cent of Afghanistan; its hold being strang not only in its bastions of the South but also in the East, where it literally runs a parallel government. Moreover the insurgency is spreading in a manner in which it has begun to ring the capital city of Kabul, with three of the four main roads leading to Kabul being rendered ensafe for Afghan or International travel. Successes against the Taliban, whether military or of winning hearts and minds have been limited as the Taliban appear to be striking at will with lethal forcw and is increasingly successful in the propaganda war. 4. Governance is another area where the noramal populace has been disillusioned with current dispensation. Endemic corruption plaguing much of the government machinery, especially the police and judiciary, both of which effect the evreryday life of the common man, has undermined credibility of the elected government and helped build up a degree of local support which stems more out of the Talibans ability to fill in the governance vacuum as opposed to ideological support for their cause. 5. Developmental aid has been delivered to Afganisthan in vast quantities but it is not visible on the ground. Fruits of this aid have yet to be tasted by the common people. Bonn process was followed by London Compact and there is an Afghan National Development Strategy (ANDS) for 15 years ahead but the timelines and benchmarks outlined in the same have not been adhered to. And the economic aid promised to realize the ANDS has also not been delivered whereas there is a massive spending by the NATO and Coalition forces to the tune of about US $20 billion a month. 6. How can, therefore, the international community improve on the delivery mechanisms and implementation measures? This remains one of the key questions in the current conundrum of security and development complicated further by weak governance. Surge indevelopment and aid funds and personnel planned as part of the Af-Pak strategy may help but some of the contextual core issues would yet need to be addressed before a positive outcome could be expected. 7. Looking at a wider perspective, how do the regional stake holders view the Afghan imbroglio? How can their varying perceptions be reconciled for the cause of common good? 8. Further, the presence of safe havens in Pakistans lawless frontier regions have played a seminal role in sustaining the insurgency in Afghanistan and fuelling instability in Pakistan, thus making it impossible to visualize a solution to the Afghan quagmire in isolation. 9. Given the above background what could be alternative future scenarios in Afghanistan say in next 4 to 5 years time and 8 to 10 years time keeping in mind the trends and drivers and possible triggers? Based on the emerging scenarios what should be the international communitys policy and strategy choices to ensure a favourable outcome? A broad range of critical issues affecting the Afghan environment need to be examined before a determination as to how to proceed further can be made. 10. Broadly, therefore, the seminar on peace and stability in Afghanistan and the way ahead is built around four themes of security, governance and examination of likely future scenarios and offering recommendations for policy and strategy choices which can be made now so as to move towards a better and brighter future for Afghanistan and in effect for rest of the international community. METHODOLOGY Statement of Problem 11. To analyze the effects of likely political instability in Afghanistan post withdrawal of International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and its implications for India and policies that India needs to adopt to deal with this problem. Justification of Study 12. United States is increasing getting impatient in the affairs of Afghanistan wherein its policies are not delivering the desired results. It is likely to reduce its foot prints in that country and has accordingly set a deadline for withdrawal of ISAF. 13. The goal of US in Afghanistan is to defeat Al Qaeda and deny them the bases in that country, so as to improve its own homeland security. As per US, achievement of this goal is not dependent on creating an environment of political reconciliation in Afghanistan, which is difficult and time consuming. Rather its goal can be achieved by entering into an agreement with one entity: Taliban, who may agree to keep Al Qaeda out in exchange of returning back to power. Hypothesis 14. The return of Taliban or any civil war post de-induction of ISAF would hurt India dearly. India would prefer a sovereign, democratic secular Afghanistan which is not under the influence of powers inimical to our interests. 15. Therefore, India must ensure that the world community does not abandon Afghanistan at this crucial juncture and continue to provide for its political reconciliation and rehabilitation. In this regard, deployment of UN sponsored security forces with a much larger agenda than the ISAF is looked into, so as to allow the country to become strong both politically and economically. Methods of Data Collection 16. The study is primarily based on information gathered from books written by prominent Indian, foreign authors as well as information available on the internet. There has also been an attempt by me to analyse the events as they have unfolded and suggest possible options and own responses. Other sources of information are articles written in Indian, Pakistani, Western newspapers and news services such as the CNN and BBC as well as some defence journals. A bibliography of the sources is appended at the end of the text. Afghanistan being a very current topic has undergone a series of ups and downs during the course of my preparation of the dissertation. The Bonn Agreement is very relevant in todays context and is also attached as an appendix. Scope 17. The study will be covered under the following heads:- Chapter I Introduction Chapter II Geo strategic importance of Afghanistan to India Strategic location of Afghanistan Key to Energy Security Pakistans desire of achieving strategic depth by having control over Afghanistans polity Chapter III Brief history of Afghanistan post 9/11 Defeat of Taliban and set up of new Government Role of Pakistan in combating terrorism Chapter IV : Present imbroglio in Afghanistan. Failure of US policies in Afghanistan Growing frustration amongst US and NATO forces Poor governance by Karzai and growth of Taliban Chapter V : Likely Future Scenarios and Implications for India Withdrawal of US forces and re emergence of Taliban Depletion of US footprint and renewed violence Pakistan getting foothold in Afghanistan and involvement of Al Qaida in Kashmir Indian involvement reduced with a hostile government in Afghanistan Chapter VII Options Available To India Make efforts to ensure continuous presence of International security force in Afghanistan Involving UN in peace establishment in Afghanistan Continuing support to government in Afghanistan by undertaking rebuilding projects Chapter VIII : Conclusion. CHAPTER II BRIEF HISTORY OF AFGHANISTAN POST 9/11 OP Enduring Freedom On September 20, 2001, in the wake of the September 11 attacks, US President George W. Bush delivered an ultimatum to the Taliban government of Afghanistan to turn over Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda leaders operating in the country or face attack. The Taliban demanded evidence of Bin Ladens link to the September 11 attacks and, if such evidence warranted a trial, they offered to handle such a trial in an Islamic Court. The US refused to provide any evidence. Subsequently, in October 2001, US forces along with UK and coalition allies invaded Afghanistan to oust the Taliban regime. On October 7, 2001, the official invasion began with British and US forces conducting air strike campaigns. Kabul, the capital city of Afghanistan, fell by mid-November. The remaining al-Qaeda and Taliban remnants fell back to the rugged mountains of Eastern Afghanistan, mainly Tora Bora. In December, the US and her allies fought within that region. Its believed that Osama bin-Laden escaped into Pakistan duri ng the battle. In March 2002, the United States and other NATO and non-NATO forces launched Operation Anaconda in the hopes that theyll destroy any remaining al-Qaeda and Taliban forces in the Shahi-Kot Valley and Arma Mountains of Afghanistan. The Taliban suffered heavy casualties and evacuated the region. The Taliban regrouped in Western Pakistan and began to unleash an insurgent-style offensive against the United States and her allies in late 2002. Formation of Civialian Government After Operation Enduring Freedom, Mujahideen loyal to the Northern Alliance and many other groups mustered support for a new government in Afghanistan. In December 2001, political leaders gathered in Germany to agree on new leadership structures for Afghanistan. Under the Bonn Agreement, an interim Transitional Administration was formed and Hamid Karzai was named the Chairman of a 29-member governing committee. On 13 June 2002, the Loya Jirga, appointed Karzai as the Interim President of the Afghan Transitional Administration.[28] The former members of the Northern Alliance remained extremely influential in the new dispensation. Hamid Karzai won the 2004 presidential election, and became President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. He defeated 22 opponents and become the first democratically elected leader of Afghanistan. Although his campaigning was limited due to fears of violence, elections passed without any significant incident in spite of a surge of insurgent activity.] 6. After Karzai was installed into power, his actual authority outside the capital city of Kabul was said to be so limited that he was often derided as the Mayor of Kabul. The situation was particularly delicate since Karzai and his administration had not been equipped either financially or politically to influence reforms outside of the region around the capital city of Kabul. Other areas, particularly the more remote ones, were historically under the influence of various local leaders. Karzai started making attempts to negotiate and form amicable alliances with them for the benefit of Afghanistan as a whole, instead of aggressively fighting them and risking an uprising. CHAPTER III BEGINNING OF CHAOS Americas Miscalculation President Bush, speaking at the Virginia Military Institute in the spring of 2002, proposed a Marshall Plan for Afghanistan and its neighbours that added up to state-building on a regional scale. But the post 9-11 Pentagon long stuck with a narrow, or sharp focus on wiping out Al Qaeda and the Taliban, with a corresponding under-focus on long-term development. Other agencies of the US Government struggled to advance their programs with little coordination either with the Pentagon or with one other, and with much micro-managing by e-mail from offices in Washington. But even had the Pentagon gotten it right or the other agencies been better coordinated, the program would still not have worked, for US policy (and UN policy as well) suffered from a birth defect. When the US finally toppled the Taliban, Tajiks from the Northern Alliance took control of Kabul. In a winner-take-all move, they immediately packed the government with their own supporters and relatives, to the exclusion both of Pashtuns, the largest group in the population, and minority Shia Hazaras. Eager to sidestep all dissension, the UNs Bonn meetings in December, 2001, ratified this dangerous status quo, while the Emergency Loya Jirga, held in June, 2002, then ratified the Bonn conferences mistakes. While U.S. officials talked bravely of working the situation, Northern Alliance leaders in Kabul effectively consolidated their hold on power. Marshall Fahim, confirmed in Bonn as Afghanistans Minister of Defense, kept his own militia lodged in the capital and cut personal deals with like-minded warlords elsewhere, greatly complicating the task of building a national army. Worse, he and his family seized control of key markets and other assets to create their own income stream, independent of Karzai and the Americans. Many Pashtuns, as they watched this unfold and noted their fellow-Pashtun Karzais inability to counteract it, went into a sullen opposition. A few resorted to armed opposition. Since most Taliban leaders had been Pashtun, this gave the appearance of a Taliban revival. In fact, it was worse, a new movement of Pashtuns and other groups aggrieved over having been excluded from the post-Taliban order. Because the US backed Karzai, they blamed their own marginaliza tion on America. This bitter mood gave rise to a new opposition and new insecurity. Charged with rooting out remnants of Al Qaeda and the Taliban, the US worked with whatever forces were at hand, including warlords, postponing to a later phase the achievement of balance within the Kabul government and the consolidation of state institutions. Light Footprint. Afghanistan was the least resourced of any American led nation building operation. There are 1.5 international soldiers for every 1000 persons in Afghanistan compared to 20.5 per 1000 in Kosovo, 19 in Bosnia, 10 in Sierra Leone and nearly 4 in Haiti. Post conflict stabilization operations require more troops and longer time than to win the initial fight. In fighting, firepower and technology enable smaller, more agile forces to prevail. But in post conflict stabilization and reconstruction, there is a need for more ground troops, money and time. Low levels of investment in military power and economic assistance in post conflict reconstruction lead to a low level of security, ineffective governance and poor economic growth. From the outset, two contradictory concepts drove international intervention in Afghanistan. The country was described as the major front of a global war on terror, yet the intervention was light footprint engagement. This light footprint continued to impair every aspect of reconstruction of Afghanistan .Taliban was removed from power, but neither their potential to return nor their external support was addressed. The focus on accomplishing short term security goals undermined the efforts at establishing positive long term trends. Mis governance The general opinion in Afghanistan is that the insurgency is rising because the people have lost faith in government. The security forces have failed to protect local villages and the institutions struggle to deliver basic services. The patience of people with government is breaking down and it in turn is favouring the return of Taliban. The afghan government had difficulty providing essential services to the population, especially in rural areas of the country. As per a World Bank report, the main beneficiary of assistance was the urban elite. This triggered deep seated frustration and resentment among rural population. The government suffered a number of systematic problems and had difficulty attracting and retaining skilled professionals with management and administrative experience. Due to lack of investment and poor maintenance only 6% of the population received electricity. Most efforts were to supply electricity to the urban areas and not to the rural areas which were falling to Taliban. The Afghan government faced challenges providing security outside of the capital. A major reason was the poor state of the Afghan national police. The result was weak security apparatus that could not establish monopoly of the legitimate use of force within the country. The police was not an international priority after the overthrow of the Taliban regime and they received significantly less money and attention than the army. The Afghan police was needed to help establish order in urban and rural areas, but they were heavily out gunned by the insurgent. The police force was plagued with corruption and lacked semblance of a national police force. Pakistani Dimension Pakistan has played a very strong role in Afghanistan in the last three decades, unfortunately, it has been a very negative role. With the fall of Taliban in Afghanistan, Pakistan lost its political clout in that country but it retained its links with the Taliban and actively assisted insurgency in Afghanistan It was only due to intense pressure from America that Pakistan reluctantly agreed to stop aid to Taliban. However, as it became clear later that Pakistan was not committed to end terror. Pakistan decided to hold talks with the militant leaders in Swat and offered to stop all military actions against them. This further fuelled insurgency in Afghanistan and increased attacks on US and NATO forces. Revival of Taliban Almost five years after the defeat of Taliban regime, there was a resurgence of Taliban in 2006. Their return could be divided into three stages through which the group gradually gained momentum especially at the last stage that started in 2006. The first stage, from 2002 to 2003, had a relatively tangible lull. However, there were some small bombings from time to time. In 2003, the Mullah Mohamed Omar launched a new Jihad council comprising of ten military leaders of Taliban. The group could achieve this essential military restructuring cashing in on the US shift of focus towards Iraq. The second stage, from 2004 to 2005, witnessed a number of remarkable activities and developments in tactics of fighting, types of weapons, and the groups deployment in several areas.The Taliban started to carry out some military operations in daylight and managed to fully control some remote areas of south Afghanistan.The third stage, from 2006 to 2007, marked the overwhelming return of the Taliban. The year 2006 was the bloodiest one since the fall of the Taliban, as more than 4, 000 were killed, including one third of civilians. The British-American council for media security reported in a comparison between the years 2005 and 2006 that there was an increase in the attacks on the NATO forces from 900 in 2005 to 2500 attacks in 2006. One of the major achievements of the Taliban in this period of time was that they managed to run peoples affairs in some southern areas establishing a good network and friendly relationships with the residents of the south. Taliban Strategy. Analysts pointed out that Taliban had established a two pronged strategy in Afghanistan. First to re establish its authority over the southern provinces around its former headquarters in Kandahar and second to destabilize a ring of provinces around Kabul. CHAPTER IV US EXIT POLICY AND LIKELY FUTURE SECURITY SCENARIOS Af-Pak Policy On 23 January,2009, American President Mr Obama announced his Af-Pak policy wherein he stressed that his administration was committed in refocusing attention and resources on Afghanistan. The salient features of his policy were: Appointment of special envoy Mr Richard Holbrooke to Pakistan and Afghanistan to help lead US effort to forge and implement strategic and sustainable approach to the region. Pakistan told to destroy the safe heavens for Al-Qaeda and Taliban in the tribal areas bordering Afghanistan. Deployment of 17,000 additional troops in Afghanistan to improve security situation. The American President had laid out a very bold and responsible policy to counter the resurgent Taliban insurgency in Af-Pak region. However, within a short span of one and half years the American policy has undergone a complete change with President himself laying down the withdrawal plan of ISAF( International Security Assistance Force) and the Secretary of State , Mrs Hillary Clinton stressing the need to reintegrate the insurgents in the political mainstream of Afghanistan. This dramatic turnabout of American plans regards Afghanistan is due to various factors, American Losses. The American or the NATO losses have been increasing and with every passing year the Taliban is becoming stronger and stronger. Even though more and more troops have been deployed and more money pumped in but still the attacks on the ISAF are only increasing. The Taliban tactics have now graduated to frontal attacks on US outposts. US Goals in Afghanistanà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.There is a profound confusion in America regarding what US goals in Afghanistan ought to be and what the means for resolving those goals should be? The debate is on whether US should focus narrowly on issues of counter terrorism or should they focus on counter terrorism and counter insurgency. It is also being debated whether US should really be engaged in business of state building or can workaround by negotiating with adversaries, the Taliban. These debates in domestic politics are turning against an extended and continuing commitment to Afghanistan. Crisis of Resolution The allies are tired of the Afghan commitment, because they do not understand how the struggle that is going on, in this far away land has an impact on their own security. The urgency that the world felt on 12 September 2001 has weakened with the passage of time. Afghanistan seems too hard, too complex, and too difficult and as the legend goes would continue to be the graveyard of empires. If this is true than why should we and the international community continue to make commitments to a war that by some iron laws of history is ultimately destined to end up in defeat? (d) Crisis of Resources. America is investing heavily in Afghanistan. There is no gainsaying the fact that the commitments to Afghanistan and Pakistan are costly to the US. In 2010, America has committed $65 billion to Afghanistan. If we take into account the aid to Pakistan, the total comes to $85 billion, these are not small commitments. If the lives of troops, wastage of equipment and wear and tear on forces that have been engaged in this theatre are taken into consideration especially at a time when America is in economic crisis itself and the entire world community is struggling with the global crisis, the cost is phenomenal. Many NATO countries are focused on these costs and argue that a way must be found for a quick exit from Afghanistan. This has made the job of US President more difficult. Choices for America The International community and especially America faces two choices for Afghanistan. The first is to invest and endure in Afghanistan and the second is to improve conditions, in order to exit. These are the two strategic choices that US has to contemplate as it talks about the way ahead, as each strategy has a different consequence. Invest and Endure. If US have to carry out this option, then they have to build consensus domestically and internationally on the enduring importance of Afghanistan. All members of international coalition have to commit to the resources required i.e. military, economic and diplomatic institution. This option of invest and endure cannot simply be a military campaign. It has to be an effort to re-constitute societies by changing the counter-insurgency strategy and focusing more on protecting population and minimising collateral damage. Improve and Exit. In case America and other NATO countries decide to improve the conditions in order to exit they will have to adopt a different strategy. The ideological adversaries will not have to be defeated but only kept at bay for sometime inorder to improve conditions. The investments in the institutions, social welfare and democracy would be minimum. Americans have started to realize that military solution is far difficult to achieve as compared to a political solution. They have started saying for quite some time that they want re-conciliation and talks with Taliban if they can lay down their arms. There have been covert contacts with certain Taliban elements, however, it has not produce any results till now. Even President Karzai has realized the precarious state of ISAF and have himself started wooing the Taliban so that his government can last even after the International forces withdraw. . So without clear success how long will American stay? NATO and Afghanistan have recently agreed to fix 2014 as the deadline for troops withdrawal from Afghanistan in a phased manner. They have also clarified that troops can stay in support role even beyond 2014. However, mounting coalition deaths, growing domestic pressure in NATO countries and the increasing differences between Karzai and the west may change the situation. Also, any major military debacle like, a US post being overrun by Taliban or an air crash with significant casualties may immediately catalyze opposition to war. Even the 2012 Presidential elections may require early troop withdrawal in the there is no clear sign of success. Likely Future Scenarios The debate on likely security scenarios emerging in the region post withdrawal of ISAF is gaining momentum in India. Many analysts have generated three plausible scenarios which are likely to emerge post withdrawal of ISAF from Afghanistan. (a) Scenario 1 US withdrawal or draw down of forces Return of the Taliban It is pointed out that in case of a complete US withdrawal, the probability of return of Taliban is not farfetched, thereby condemning Afghanistan to what US analysts describe as the worst case scenario. This would also lead to an emboldening of the Al Qaeda, instability spreading to Pakistan and Central Asia, thus reducing the region to become a base for Al Qaeda operations. (b) Scenario 2- US limited engagement-proxy warà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ The most probable scenario beyond 2014 is the reduced US presence in Afghanistan with troops limited to protecting key cities, a shift from overstretched counterinsurgency operations to internal defence. This would allow Pakistan to continue its hedging strategy whereby it will continue supporting the Afghan Taliban to destabilise Afghanistan with the eventual goal of reinstating a pliant regime. Scenario 3- US long term commitments -Building on Afghan state. According to the analysts, this is the best case scenario for Afghanistan, though such a state of affairs is highly unlikely given the reduced public support for the Afghan war in the United States. This would call for additional resources including troops to train and partner with Afghan forces and continuation of the institution building programmes. In this scenario, India could play a long term role in the training of the Afghan national institutions, institutional building political, and security and justice sector reforms. CHAPTER V GEO STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE OF AFGHANISTAN When Allah had made the rest of the world, He saw there was a lot of rubbish left over, bits and pieces and things that did not fit anywhere else. He collected them all together and threw them down on the earth. That was Afghanistan. An old Afghan Saying Geographical Location Afghanistan is a land locked country with Iran to its west, Pakistan to its south and east, China to its north east and the newly independent states of Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan to its north. Afghanistan covers an area of 245, 000 square miles and is surrounded by two nuclear states, China and Pakistan, a threshold nuclear state, Iran and having three other nuclear powers in its near vicinity, India, Kazakhstan and Russia. This places Afghanistan in a difficult situation with its neighbours as well other regional and non regional powers vying to get a foothold in the country to spread their influence in the region and the subcontinent. It is also the land bridge between South Asia and Central Asia and possibly to Iran as well. Safe Sanctuary for Islamic Fundamentalism Apart from being the land bridge to central Asia, Afghanistan has been a home to the fundamentalist of various hues and colours ranging from the Jihadis from Kashmir to the Uighur separatists. Afghanistan certainly provided a suitable launch pad for such activities in Central Asia, more so when the Taliban was at the helm of affairs. Taliban played host to Al Qaida and its leader Osama Bin Laden The strengthening of links between militant organisations like IMU (Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan), Al Qaida, the Chechen rebels, Uighur separatists and the Taliban, further compounded the security situation in the region. Energy Resources in Afghanistan In terms of natural resources, Soviets had estimated Afghanistans proven and probable gas reserves at up to five trillion cubic feet. However, the production has been affected by years of war, and new reserves are yet to be located due to lack of any serious exploration having been carried out for the last 30 yrs or so due to the prevailing situation. The northern areas adjoining Central Asia have proven reserves of natural gas estimated at 100 billion cubic meters, the Jar Quduk oil and gas complex being a case in point. Afghanistan also has an estimated coal reserve of up to 400 million tons located between Herat and Badakhshan. However, due to the situation in Afghanistan, the production has remained low and unless serious efforts are made in the near future, Afghanistan will continue to play its historical role of serving more as a transit route for others than as an exporter of its own resources. Oil and Gas Pipelinesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.The Central Asian republics hold the key to large resources of energy i.e oil and gas. The landlocked nature of these states imposes inherent constraints in unravell

Love and Loneliness in Thornton Wilders The Bridge of San Luis Rey Ess

Love and Loneliness in Thornton Wilder's The Bridge of San Luis Rey "Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far." -Theodore Roosevelt, 1901    In Thornton Wilder's Pulitzer Prize winning novel, The Bridge of San Luis Rey (1939), a message is woven throughout the pages and portrayed in each character. The novel is about the finest bridge in all of Peru and on Friday, July the twentieth, 1714, the bridge broke, taking five travelers into the gulf below. Brother Juniper, a monk who witnessed the catastrophe burned the question, "Why did this happen to those five?" He also poses the proposition, "Either we live by accident and die by accident, or we live by plan and die by plan" (pg. 119). The novel tediously describes each of the five killed in the accident. All five of them were well-respected people in the public eye who, at one point in their lives, deeply loved someone, but unintentionally loses them. As the novel draws closer to the end, the message becomes clearer to the reader. Thornton Wilder uses the bridge in his novel to symbolize the "bridge" between love and loneliness. The "bridge" of love that "connects one to a nother gives dignity and purpose to even the lowliest of lives" (pg. 119). One of the victims of the accident was the Marquesa de Montemayor, Doà ±a Marà ­a. She had an unhappy childhood, "she was ugly; she stuttered; her mother persecuted her with sarcasms" (pg. 11). She lived alone and when she was finally forced into marriage, she still lived alone. When she was bore with a daughter, she was determined to give "her idolatrous love" (pg. 12). However, little Clara took after her father and was cold and intellectual. Clara frightened her mother, "but Doà ±a Marà ­a could not prevent herself from... ...ld sit down and rest, but it turned out not to be necessary" (pg. 102). The breaking of the bridge in Thornton Wilder's novel, The Bridge of San Luis Rey (1939) symbolizes a realistic message of how there is a "land of the living and a land of the dead and the bridge is love, the only survival, the only meaning" (pg. 117). The characters in the novel display the true affection at one point in their life and suddenly in an instant, the bridge is beyond repair. Wilder does an amazing job of creating a situation approached in every day life about love, losing and loneliness. The message in The Bridge of San Luis Rey (1939) is one that all of the world can relate to, it's a strong "bridge" at one point and with one wrong move, it's broken and lost forever.    Works Cited    Wilder, Thornton. The Bridge of San Luis Rey. New York: Washington Square Press, Inc. 1955.

Analyzing Psychological Disorders Essay

Schizophrenia is a mental illness that is chronic and severe. It can be a disabling illness that affects men and women with the same ratio or frequency. This term is from a Greek word that means having a â€Å"split mind†. Though this usage in medical terms is not accurate. The Western perception of this illness is their belief that the term is equal to a disorder of split personality. They have been found to be very distinct mental disorders. People afflicted with schizophrenia do not manifest split personalities. Schizophrenia is an illness hat affects the mind and is characterized by the disability of perceptions and manifestations of reality. Schizophrenia has five classifications. The first is the paranoid type where hallucinations and delusions are present but there is absence of disorganized behavior, thought disorder and active flattening. The disorganized type of schizophrenia occurs when active flattening and thought disorder are both present. Catatonic schizophrenia occurs when there is evidence of psychomotor disturbances. There is the presence of psychotic symptoms in the undifferentiated type but there is also absence of criteria for the other types of schizophrenia. The residual type is wherein all the symptoms of the mental disorder is present at low level of intensity. Signs and symptoms for people with schizophrenia suffer from delusions and false faith in their personal convictions despite the presentation of evidence disproving the matter. This symptom is not explained by a person’s cultural background and orientation. Those afflicted also suffer from hallucinatory perceptions that can manifest when there is a lack of external diversion. The most common type of hallucination is the hearing of voices and other sounds. There is also the manifestation of disorganized attitude, behavior and thoughts. Speech is also incoherent and disorganized. The person suffering from this type of mental disorder display catatonic behavior wherein the person’s body may become rigid and unresponsive. The causes of schizophrenia are unknown. There are a lot of factors that are said to be involved with the formation of this illness. There is an interaction between genetics, biology, psychology and the environment that leads to the mental disorder. Medical science does not have a full understanding of all the causes and other concerns related to the mental disorder. Recent research and medical studies is slowly but surely shows improvement and progress that would help define the causes of schizophrenia and their explanation. An increase in the dopaminergic activity that is inside the mesolimbic pathway of the brain is a constant and significant finding (Bentall 2005). Data gathered from a PET study shows suggestions that the lesser frequency the frontal lobes are activated during a task that involves a working memory there is a greater increase in the abnormality of dopamine activity in the striatum that is though to be related to deficits in neurocognition in schizophrenia. While the credibility of the diagnosis has introduced many difficulties in the measurement of the relative effect of genes and the factor of environment, more and more evidence have suggested that environmental and genetic factors can combine and create a reaction that would lead to the mental disorder of schizophrenia. Suggestions have also been made regarding the diagnosis of schizophrenia had an important genetic composition but that is influenced by the stressors or factors relating to the environment. The concept of a vulnerability that can be inherited from by some people can be destroyed by psychological, biological and environmental stressors. This is known as the stress-diathesis model. The idea that psychological, biological and social factors is more significant is called the biopsychosocial model in analyzing the causes of schizophrenia (Goldner, Hsu 2002). The approximate degree and frequency of hereditary causes in schizophrenia has a tendency to vary because of the difficulty in the separation of the effects of the environment and genetics. Twin studies have both suggested that there is a high rate of cases involving schizophrenia caused by genetic factors. It is possible that schizophrenia is a mental condition that is complicated in hereditary nature with many genes likely interacting to increase the risk of schizophrenia or the separate parts that can also occur that will lead to its diagnosis. Studies in genetics have implied that genes that increase the risk for the development of schizophrenia are not specific and may also increase the risk of development of other psychotic disorders. A breakthrough in recent research also suggested that very rare copies or omissions of small DNA sequences within the genes that are known as copy number variants were also related to the increased rate of risk for the development of schizophrenia (Noll 2006). It has also been thought that factors that cause schizophrenia can combine in the early development of the human brain during pregnancy. This would later increase the risk of developing schizophrenia. One finding that raised a great amount of curiosity is that people who were diagnosed with the mental illness is said to have been more possibly born in spring or winter in those living in the northern hemisphere of the planet. There is current evidence that exposure to infections during the prenatal stage can increase the risk of the development of schizophrenia in the age of maturity. This finding provides additional proof that linked the utero-developmental pathology with the risk of developing the mental disorder. Social conditions also help the increased risk of schizophrenia. People who are living in a highly urbanized environment have been found out to be exposed to great risk of being afflicted with the mental disorder. Poverty, poor living conditions and social status has also been found to contribute to the risk factor. Migration of people that is related to social problems like racial discrimination, unemployment and people coming from broken families also become factors of developing schizophrenia. There has been an implication made regarding the risk factor of childhood abuse and trauma that can cause schizophrenia later on in life. Lack of support and family dysfunctions also increase the risk but not directly connected to parenting. Substance use have also been found to increase the risk of schizophrenia but the relationship of this link is found to be complex. There has been some difficulty in distinguishing a clear relationship of substance use and the mental disorder. There is also solid evidence that the usage of certain illegal substances can start the onset or relapse of the mental illness in some people. These people who were diagnosed with schizophrenia use these substances to overcome negative emotions that comes with the intake of anti-psychotic medication and the mental condition itself. Negative feelings of paranoia and anhedonia were considered to be primary characteristics. The ingestion of amphetamines can trigger the brain to release dopamine that would increase dopamine activity. It is this excessive increase in activity that it is known to be partially responsible for the manifestation of psychotic symptoms of the mental disorder. This is partially supported by the idea that amphetamines can worsen the symptoms present in schizophrenia. This type of mental disorder can be triggered by heavy usage of stimulants and hallucinogens. One study has suggested the that the use of cannabis contributes to the occurrence of psychosis though some researchers suspect that the use of this substance was only a small part of the many factors of schizophrenia (Green 2002). There is also a number of psychological reasons that have been implicated in the development and sustainability of schizophrenia. A number of cognitive biases have been named in those that have been diagnosed and those that are at risk especially when there is the application of stress or in a state of confusion overly increased attention to potential threats, arriving at conclusions and impaired reasoning. There is also the manifestation of difficulty in differentiating from inner speech mechanism to one coming from an external entity and difficulty in retaining concentration. Case Studies: Anxiety Tom is an engineer, he is happily married, and he is the father of three bright, healthy children. By all appearances, his life is stable and satisfying. Tom, however, suffers from continual worry that he has a difficult time turning off. His anxiety may center on anything from his perceived health problems (he has recently been to his doctor for a physical, but no health issues were discovered) to money and job responsibilities. At times his anxiety peaks to the point that it interferes with his ability to function on the job. Physical symptoms include muscle tension, headaches, and hot flashes that often accompany Tom’s anxiety. Tom often feels nauseated, and he becomes easily fatigued. When he feels anxious, Tom has difficulty concentrating, he becomes irritable, and he has difficulty falling asleep at night. All of these symptoms have been present for the last 6 months. Tom has tried to talk himself out of his anxiety, but this has not worked for him. Toms wife is supportive, but she does not know what to do for her husband (Hauser, 2005). Neural circuitry involving the amygdala and hippocampus is thought to underlie anxiety. When confronted with unpleasant and potentially harmful stimuli such as foul odors or tastes, PET-scans show increased bloodflow in the amygdala. Possible mechanism is malfunction in the parabrachial nucleus, a structure in the brain, that among other functions, coordinates signals from the amygdala with input concerning balance. The amygdala is involved in the emotion of fear. Biochemical factors come into play. Low levels of GABA, a neurotransmitter that reduces overactivity in the central nervous system, contributes to anxiety. A number of anxiolytics achieve their effect by modulating the GABA receptors.

Improve Your Writing Income with These Five Golden Options

Improve Your Writing Income with These Five Golden Options If you dabble in anything writing, you know it shares a similarity  to any ordinary business seasons. Businesses experience boom or recession;  writers experience feast or famine. To escape this cycle, writers capitalize in two ways: finding retainer clients and collecting a plethora of clients. But do you know there are other options that can help beat the challenges of seasons? Here are six alternative revenue sources to engage in as a writer. 1. Social media management Social media management may involve writing social media teasers to jazz up social content. It is also about managing/moderating social media groups or pages through writing or sharing social posts, commenting, and interacting with the audience for clients with a large social following. Have an idea/expertise on how to run a social media page successfully or how to deal with influencers? Share your credentials on  Social Media Manager Pro Directory,  AngelList,  Indeed, or  LinkedIn  to find assignments suitable with this skill set. 2. Content pruning/editing/author website manager Content pruning seeks to eliminate or update non-performing content and duplicated pieces that have lost meaning or weigh  down a site. The aim is to improve a sites health, search, and SEO ranking. Website managers write the metadata for webpages and blog entries: writing subject lines/ headlines, uploading pieces to CMS, providing quality, licensed images and videos, and engaging blog readers They also edit ebooks, webinar, courses, novels, manuscripts, and articles submitted To land assignments of these types, check out  Reedsy,  Scribophile,  Scribendi,  Servicescape, and  Book-Editing.com. Other places to find editorial appointments are on professional editorial directories like  Society for Editors and Proofreaders  (SfEP) and  Editorial Freelancers Association  (EFA). 3. Email writing and marketing campaign Email writing is yet another avenue you can explore, separate from article writing. With its low barrier to entry, email marketing/writing generates a higher ROI compared to article writing while remaining as the best method to promote solutions to an audience. Places to find email writing assignments are  Reedsy,  Indeed,  LinkedIn, and  ZipRecruiter. 4. Writing contests, personal essays and poetry Many freelance writers never think of adding writing contest or poems to  their portfolios. To find yearly writing contest and poems, visit  Sapiens Plurum,  The Smart Set,  32poems,  The  Poetry Foundation,  Rattle,  American Poetry Review,  The New Yorker, and  The Paris Review. For short stories, you can view guidelines at  StoryMagazine.org,  The Atlantic,  The New Yorker, and  The Threepenny Review. 5. Writing a

How to Deal with Peoples Language Barriers

How to Deal with Peoples Language Barriers Since there are hundreds of languages, it is not rare to come across people with difficulties in speaking your native language during travel, trade, or while carrying out other daily duties. However, in spite of language barriers, it is not impossible to communicate effectively.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on How to Deal with People’s Language Barriers specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Effectual communication is a talent that can be learned. The steps for getting your points across can easily be understood by individuals who have self-confidence and understanding of the basics (Janzen 21). When you meet a person with difficulties in speaking your language, first, try communicating using other languages. Many people are multi lingual. You may come across a person in the US, for instance, who cannot speak Korean, but if both of you can speak English, you can talk with much ease. Concurrently, read the body langu age closely and try to understand the intentions of the person. Use gestures to express universally acceptable concepts. You can smile to show that you have good intentions. This is an effective method of breaking the ice, which according to Lee, helps to make communication easy. After making communication easy, it is advisable to use the language of the listener to say, â€Å"I don’t speak much of that language.† Do not fear to use signs. In case of further difficulties, draw pictures on a note pad if possible (Lee). At the same time, exercise patient and pronounce words properly to find out if the other party understands the basic vocabularies. Avoid using exaggerated pronunciations, as it may result to more confusion. Nevertheless, be attentive to learn if you need to articulate certain words as your listener does (Lee). It is highly commendable to choose this method if the suitable accent is dissimilar from the non- native accent. Additionally, it is commendable to avoid turning up the volume thinking that it would enhance communication. Further, avoid hiding your mouth since the other party will be interested in studying your mouth as you utter each word. It is also improper to use baby talk or improper language.Advertising Looking for essay on languages? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More It can puzzle the non-native speaker and send the wrong notion regarding your level of proficiency. Moreover, avoid using running words together. This is because listeners often face the challenge of determining the last part and the beginning of words. It is, therefore, necessary to give a pause between words to help them understand the words without struggling (Caputo et al. 13). The listener may indicate that he/she is still struggling to communicate with you, and in this case, opt for simple words instead of complex ones. The simpler the word is, the enhanced the probability that the liste ner will appreciate it. For example, opt for the word big instead of enormous or make instead of manufacture. Note that sometimes, the ‘complex’ words are easier to understand than the ‘simpler’ ones (Caputo et al. 13). For example, Romance language speakers find certain ‘complex’ English words easy to understand since they are rooted in Latin. When communicating with Somalia people, one should use the complex Swahili words since they are rooted in Arabic. After identifying your listeners’ native language, you will encounter little difficulty deciding whether to use the simple or complex words. Your choice of verb phrases is also important. Use verb phrases whose meanings are easy to understand and do not pronounce as the listener’s language. Lee says that it is advisable to use simple phrases instead of the confusing verb phrases. â€Å"Look out† sounds almost the same as â€Å"look for.† Using any of the verbs is n ot helpful to the listener. Therefore, instead of opting for â€Å"look for† it is better to opt for ‘search for’. Moreover, instead of saying ‘look out’, it is best to say ‘be careful’. Further, is better to avoid using filler and colloquialisms. Words such as ‘um†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢, ‘yeah’, and’ totally’ do not help in making communication easy. You should avoid these words.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on How to Deal with People’s Language Barriers specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Non-native speakers, particularly those with poorer levels of proficiency, commonly suppose that fillers are vocabularies that they do not have in their native languages. Colloquialism is equally difficult to understand. Some of them are not easy to look up for in most dictionaries since they are not universal y accepted items of language. Patience is spec ial virtue that may make communicating with non-native speakers. This is because you may be asked a number of times to repeat something. When asked, repeat it as you said it the initial moment because it is possible that your listener did not hear you. However, if your listener still demonstrates difficulty in understanding, modify a few important words in the sentence, as they could have encountered problems in understanding some of the words. When repeating a sentence, repeat the entire sentence and not simply certain few words. Handling this is time consuming, but it is essential in eliminating confusion (Janzen 20). You should put in mind that your dialect may be different from what the listener learnt in school, and therefore while paraphrasing, try using other similar words that you might have known. In addition, use long forms of words. It is difficult for non- native speakers to determine the difference between short and long forms of words. Be explicit. You should say †˜yes’ or ‘no’ but not â€Å"Uh-huh† or â€Å"Uh-uh.† The words are confusing since they are not in grammar books. Outstandingly, for communication to be effective, both parties should understand each other. Therefore, listening is very important. Listen and refrain from making up your mind while the other party is still talking. Keep patience until the other person is done. This will help you to give useful information based on the information he/she have provided. At the same time, you should be conscious that certain customs have diverse norms concerning matters such as touching, personal space, and eye contact. The awareness will help you to tell whether an individual is trying to offend or not. Someone standing far away or not maintaining eye contact due to obedience to his/her cultural norms is not offending.Advertising Looking for essay on languages? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More On the other hand, a person who behaves in the same manner but has sufficient justification may be trying to offend. You should device better strategies to improve your communication. Remember to be relaxed and have satisfactory control of your communication (Caputo et al. 13). Conclusively, dealing with people who do not speak your language is challenging, but one can learn the apposite communication basics and overcome the barriers. Patience and showing emotional attachment are important elements for making communication with such persons effective. An effective communicator should put into practice all the basic steps. However, apart from putting the steps into practice, he/she should exercise creativity and innovativeness. Caputo, John S., Jo Palosaari, Kenneth Pickering, and John Nicholas. Effective communication. Twickenham, Eng.: Dramatic Lines, 2003. Print. Janzen, Joy. Teaching English language learners in the content areas. Review of Educational Research 78.4 (2008): 1010 -1038. Lee, Peter. How to Communicate with Non-Native Speakers of English | CultureLink International. CultureLink International. N.p., 1 Jan. 2009. Web.

Short questions about western civilization Assignment

Short questions about western civilization - Assignment Example There came inflation due to scarcity of workers hence no production. 4. i) The war resulted due to dynasty disagreements. William, duke of England despised King of France by not paying homage. The Kingdom of France, and England fort for control of French throne (Bonomi 2003). 5. Fro m military purposes, renaissance era began after dark period elapsed. This gave way to research and discovery in naval ships, new trade routes, and navigation techniques. Press printing assisted a lot. 7. The council aimed at ending the Papal schism in Avignon Papacy. It ended Three-Pope controversy by accepting the resignation of Papal claimants and elected Pope Martin V. It voiced the killing of Jun Hus and ruled out on security matters, and the freedom of pagans (Bonomi 2003). 8. Marsilius of Pauda turned down the godly beginning of papal body. John Wycliffe led a kind of rebellious sect, which preached for biblically centered reforms. He was the morning star of Reformation in influencing secular power. Jan Hus, a Czech reformer, is the initiator of church reformation ahead of Luther and Calvin and a key predecessor to protestant movement in 16th C (Bonomi 2003). 9. The themes included philosophy, literature, and science. Philosophy and literature defined the way of life from logic, to natural, moral, and metaphysics a structure for university education. Science explored the numerous invention milestones, fro machines, geography, chemistry, and mathematics. 16. It came through dialogue among the Protestants and Catholics, and consolidating their own religious identity. The uprising of renaissance again helped to quell the conflicts since drifted to self-actualization (Bonomi

Textual analysis - Writings from the French Revolution Essay

Textual analysis - Writings from the French Revolution - Essay Example The tax burden placed on poor civilians was not enough to alleviate the crisis faced by the administration. However, he presents a group of people who were longing for their rights and privileges. He uses an unpredicted, composed tone and manages to maintain a calm logic as he presents quite provocative facts about the revolution. He makes wrong, unjust, illogical situations to appear as though they were quite normal and the people could stomach any evil. He presents how the National assembly ironically apprehended power in the name the French nation. The 14th July 1789 Fall of the Bastille did not surprise him. He uses soft words to describe the distressed self-righteousness and radical jubilation that followed and/or provoked the revolution. The riots in Paris and other places are covered extensively to illustrate the devastating effects of the revolution; properties, innocent lives, and immaterial things were lost. The author manages to present the facts while maintaining a relatively neutral position that leaves readers wondering whether he supported the unwarranted revolution. Issues of great concern are presented in a down-to-earth and compassionate manner that easily s ways the readers to pity with the innocent people unjustifiably affected by the revolution. The assertion of the rights of man passed in 1789 was aimed at supporting a later constitutional change. The contents of the Act are not presented. It could as well imply that the Act further devastated people’s efforts to salvage themselves from the undue sufferings and/or acts of the administrators. While the author seems to perceive the rights as inalienable, many such rights were violated on several occasions. Religious divisions are also considered to be a significant factor in understanding the revolution. According to the author, â€Å"The programme of the church reform was also ideological, inspired by the rationalism and