The Battle of Shiloh

The American Civil War began on April 9, 1861, with the Battle of Fort Sumter, between the Northern United States of America and the Southern Confederate States of America. It was never too clear until the Battle of Shiloh, won by the Union, as to who had the upper hand, in the war between the states. The Battle of Shiloh could easily be termed the turning point for the Union. It was at Shiloh – the place of peace, that history witnessed one of the bloodiest battles of the American Civil war.It was also one of the most controversial battles, with General Ulysses Grant taking the hit for inadequate planning, which resulted in a carnage, that killed over 10,000 soldiers on either side. The Battle of Shiloh, otherwise called the Battle of Pittsburgh Landing, took place on April 6th and 7th, 1862, at Hardin County, Tennessee. Commander Ulysses S Grant and Don Carlos Buell led the Union, while Albert Sidney Johnston and P G T Beauregard led the Confederates.The death of Johnston, i n the course of the battle, is said to be a major factor behind the Union victory. The Union had the Army of West Tennessee and Ohio with nearly 65,000 soldiers, while the Confederates were backed by the Army of the Mississippi with around 45,000 soldiers. After the bloody and brutal battle, the Union realized that the war was not going to be easy. The essay will walk down the historical lane and trace the events which shaped the Battle of Shiloh. The commandersAbraham Lincon once said, â€Å"I cannot spare the man. He fights. † That about sums up Commander Ulysses S Grants character. He was the son of a hard-working frontier family. Grant fought his first battle, an indecisive action against the Confederates at Belmont, Missouri, in November 1861. Three months later, he captured Fort Donelson and Fort Henry. Grant was made a national figure almost overnight, and he was nicknamed â€Å"Unconditional Surrender† Grant. He brought the same enthusiasm to the Battle of Shil oh, but did not fare so well there.The high number of casualties was deemed unnecessary and Grant’s decision-making powers were questioned. However he managed to defend himself and went on to become the 18th president of the USA (MSN Encarta, 2006). Everybody thought Albert Johnston the best soldier in the country; that was before the war. He had a gaudy career in the army after West Point (1826). After some peacetime soldiering he quit to care for his dying wife, then moved to Texas to start over.When Texas decided on independence he enlisted as a soldier and in a year he was commanding the whole Texan forces. He was the second most senior officer in the Confederate forces. His immediate appointment was to secure and organize the western theater. He took the initiative against the Union forces that had stopped to reorganize and resupply. Johnston led from the front but was shot in the process. It was his concern for the other wounded soldiers and a disregard for his own woun ds, which caused him to bleed to death (ehistory, 2007).The weapons and methods Neither side fought the Battle of Shiloh with its soldiers armed with the most modern weapons available. In one of the few times during the American Civil War, the Union did not enjoy an advantage of superior infantry weapons. There was no formal artillery command and control function for either side. The infantry commanders controlled their own artillery or left its employment up to the battery officers. This made massing artillery fires difficult.Massed fires of more than 25 cannon only occurred three times during the battle. Two of the massed artillery firings proved decisive: Ruggles’ bombardment at the Hornet’s Nest and Grant’s last line at Pittsburg Landing. The artillery officers for each side were inexperienced and attempted to use antiquated Napoleonic tactics. The commmaders were aware that half their soldiers were ‘green,’ that their weapons were obsolete and that there was hardly any planning involved.The battle hinged on the element of surprise. Both the commanders felt they had a good chance of winning and if Grant’s army was not fortified overnight, the results of the battle could have been different (Gudmens, 1960). The doctrine used by this particular battle and that of the marine corps today is similar. Both use speed, surprise, and concentrated force to achieve maximum impact with minimal expenditure of resources. (Santamaria, 2003) The battle reportThe foundation for the Battle of Shiloh was laid in February 1862, when a Union army-navy offensive succeeded in capturing Fort Henry and Fort Donelson, located respectively on the Tennessee and Cumberland Rivers, near the Tennessee-Kentucky border. The fall of the two forts initiated a series of Union triumphs that left the Confederacy struggling for life. The Confederate defensive line across southern Kentucky immediately collapsed, and the southern forces retreated from nort hern Tennessee to Alabama and Mississippi.The capture of Fort Henry opened the Tennessee River to Federal penetration to the Alabama and Mississippi state lines. Forces under Major General Ulysses S Grant advanced south to Pittsburg Landing, located on the west bank of the Tennessee River, about twenty miles north of Corinth, Mississippi. That put Union forces dangerously close to the Confederacy's most important east-west railroad, the Memphis and Charleston line, which made a junction at Corinth with the north-south Mobile and Ohio.If the Union army, designated the Army of the Tennessee, captured Corinth, not only would the Federals control the railroad, but Memphis would likely fall and open several hundred miles of the Mississippi River to Union forces. By late March, Major General Henry W Halleck ordered Buell and his Army of the Ohio to join Grant for an offensive against Corinth. Meanwhile, the Confederates concentrated their forces at Corinth in order to stop the Union advan ce before Buell could reinforce Grant.Their effort culminated in the battle of Shiloh, named for the Shiloh Methodist Church, located near the Union encampment (McDonough, 2002). After the fall of Forts – Henry and Donelson, Confederate General Albert Sidney Johnston, was forced to fall back, giving up Kentucky and much of West and Middle Tennessee. He chose Corinth, Mississippi, a major transportation center, as the staging area for an offensive against Major General Ulysses S Grant and his Army of the Tennessee, before the Army of the Ohio, under Major General Don Carlos Buell, could join it.The Confederate retrenchment was a surprise, although a pleasant one, to the Union forces, and it took Grant, with about 40,000 men, some time to mount a southern offensive, along the Tennessee River, toward Pittsburg Landing. Grant received orders to await Buell’s Army of the Ohio at Pittsburg Landing. Grant did not choose to fortify his position; rather, he set about drilling h is men many of whom were raw recruits. Johnston originally planned to attack Grant on April 4, but delays postponed it until the 6th.Johnston had been mortally wounded earlier and his second-in-command, General P G T Beauregard, took over (Battle of Shiloh, 2006). The Confederates, after being forced back from their first line, established a second along the Memphis and Charleston Railroad, where they concentrated their armies. It was their intention to attack Grant before he was joined by Buell. The Confederates, after making a very brilliant attack, were compelled to retreat.The Memphis and Charleston Railroad was severed by Sherman and by Mitchell, the campaign closing successfully on the national part by the capture of Corinth (Draper, 1868, p 281). On the 8th, Grant sent Brigadier General William T Sherman, with two brigades, and Brigadier General Thomas J Wood, with his division, in pursuit of Beauregard. They ran into the Rebel rearguard, commanded by Colonel Nathan Bedford F orrest, at Fallen Timbers. Forrest’s aggressive tactics, although eventually contained, influenced the Union troops to return to Pittsburg Landing.Grant’s mastery of the Confederate forces continued; he had beaten them once again. (Battle of Shiloh, 2006). Conclusion Measured in physical devastation and human lives, the American Civil War was the costliest war for the Americans. When the war ended, 620,000 men (in a nation of 35 million people) had been killed and at least that many more had been wounded. The North lost a total of 364,000, almost one of five Union soldiers and the South lost 258,000, nearly one of four Confederate soldiers (History Channel, 2007).In a way, the brutal and bloody Battle of Shiloh set the tone for the battles that followed. Though the union won the war, there were too many casualties from either side for it to be a clear victory. Both sides paid heavily in both human life and expenses. The losses reverberated for a long time in the consci ousness of the people of America. Reference Civil War, American. (2007). The History Channel website. Retrieved 12:57, Jan 25, 2007, from http://www. history. com/encyclopedia. do? articleId=205794.Draper, John William (1868). History of the American Civil War. Volume: 2. New York: Harper & Brothers Publishers. Gudmens, Jeffery J (1960). Staff Ride Handbook for the Battle of Shiloh. Combat Studies Institute PressFort Leavenworth, Kansas, Retrieved February 1, 2007, from http://www-cgsc. army. mil/carl/download/csipubs/gudmens. pdf McDonough, James L (2002). Battle of Shiloh. In Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture [Web]. Tennessee : University of Tennessee Press. Retrieved 01, 21, 2006, from http://tennesseeencyclopedia. net/imagegallery. php? EntryID=S034Santamaria, Jason A, Martino, Vincent, & Clemons, Eric K (2003). The Marine Corp Way. Mcgraw-Hill Companies. Ohio State University, (2007). Albert S Johnston. Retrieved Febraury 1, 2007, from eHistory Web site: http://ehis tory. osu. edu/uscw/features/people/bio. cfm? PID=45 Ulysses S Grant. (2006). In MSN Encarta [Web]. MSN. Retrieved February, 1, 2007, from http://encarta. msn. com/encnet/refpages/RefArticle. aspx? refid=761555289 US Department of the Interior, National Park Service. (2006, 04, 13). Battle of Shiloh. Retrieved January 20, 2007, from Web site: http://www. cr. nps. gov/hps/abpp/battles/tn003. htm

FACTOR THAT INFLUENCE INTENSIVE BAHASA INGGERIS STUDENTS’ MOTIVATION TOWARDS LEARNING ENGLISH AT ALPHA COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY IN SEREMBAN 2 Essay

In the era of information and technology, there is a great need for individuals to learn and master the English language. Nowadays the English language is important to get a job easily. English is also used for different purposes such as news and information, business, diplomacy, entertainment and others, supported by Kitao as cited in (Kasuma, 2002). According to Travil as cited in (Kasuma, 2002) knowing the language can help us to express our opinions, hopes, and even our dreams. In Malaysia every school uses English as the language for teaching subjects such as Mathematics and Science, and a lot of people learn English at school, where English language is used as a common subject. Learning the language is important and people learn to read and write in English to make sure they can communicate with other people. However, there are still some people who may not read and speak in the English language fluently. In the primary and secondary schools English is taught as a second langua ge. By studying English, students can prepare themselves to improve their thinking and communication skills. Based on Rosli Talif as cited in (Kasuma, 2002), English could 2 contribute to knowledge, understanding and skills of students, who need to be equipped with such skills in order to be prepared for more complex problems in the future. As we all know English is important but there are still people who don’t want to take the opportunity to learn the English language because of their lack of motivation. Motivation is suggested to be an important factor to start learning English. Motivation is defined as the extent that one strives to acquire the language because of the desire to do so and satisfaction derived from it supported by Gardner as cited in (Wimolmas, 2001). For students to achieve their success they need to have a strong motivation for themselves. Motivation can influence the students learning results. Motivation is the biggest single factor affecting a language learner’s success. According to Tuan L as cited in (Jafari, 2013) one of the factors influencing the success of the learners in learning English is the person’s motivation. Students who have low motivation will  not attend the class, or enter the class late, that is why motivation is needed to make the students more likely to enter the class and want to learn English or other subjects. Motivation is one of the factors or keys to success in anything. When they lack motivation the students also get poorer results. Every student has his own goal and target. Some of the students have the motivation to learn and some students learn by working harder in understanding the subject. They will have different results, as some students may have good results and some student may not even though they have worked harder, because the student that have a higher motivation will get the credits and have better results. 3 1.1. Background of Study This research is done in Alpha College of Technology (ACT) which is one of the Private Colleges in Malaysia. The population of this college is about 1143 students. The topic that has been choose by the researcher is the factors that influence Intensive Bahasa Inggeris (IBI) students’ motivation towards learning English at Alpha College of Technology in Seremban 2. In this research the respondents that have been chosen is students from Alpha College of Technology, who are from Semester 1 to Semester 6. In this research students can be motivated by many factors, and the researcher will focus on four independent variables to examine the factors that influence students’ motivation in learning English. Intensive Bahasa Inggeris (IBI) is a programme that takes two month for the students to complete. Students who enter this program will gain a lot of knowledge. The objective in this IBI programme is after two months the students, they should be able speak English using correct grammar and they should be able have a confidence when speaking and communicating with others. In this IBI programme, the students will learn everything in English also speak in English with the lecturers. It is because Alpha College of Technology has decided to take lecturers from the other countries so that they can’t speak our language which is Bahasa Malaysia. With this method, the students will not have an option to communicate in Bahasa Malaysia. They need to speak English to communicate with the lecturers. So the students will be able to have a confidence in themselves to speak with others. The college also has provided good facilities to learn the language in two month. The students will have a comfortable classroom. Other than that the students will also do some activities in the class such as presentations, public speaking, acting, and many more. All of these activities will be in the English language. Some of the students will do the activities individually and in groups so this will make the students have more confidence in communicating with others using the English language. Other than that, the IBI programme also uses technology in the lessons, such as using a projector which teaching in class. This will make the students understand the lectures. The lecturers may use the projector in teaching grammar using presentations. The college also provides good audio systems in every classroom to make sure the students can hear the lecturers during lecture. The audio system also will be used in the listening activities. With all these facilities, the collage hopes to mak e the students have high motivation in learning English in the two months. Although after the two months, if the student still can’t have good grammar skills, at least they have confidence in communication and can speak with everyone. 1.2. Problem Statement English is important nowadays, because it is used in all our daily activities. English is the fourth most widely spoken language in the world. It is the most spoken official language in the world. In Malaysia English is known as a second language which is used every day and it is an international language. English language can help create many opportunities in international markets because English is used as an international language and it will be easy to communicate with others from different countries. Many of the world’s top films, books and music are published and produced in English. Therefore by learning English you will have access to great entertainment and have a greater cultural understanding. Other than that, most of the content produced on the internet is in English. So, by knowing English will allow you to access and get more information easily. There are several factors that motivate IBI students in learning English. Learning will not happen without good motivat ion, some students may have a good motivation but when it comes to learning English they will lose their motivation because they have a negative view to learning English. So, in  this research the researcher will view the factors that influence IBI students to learn English. There are four factors that influence IBI students’ motivation in learning English which are the activities, facilities, the lectures ability and the technology. Specifically, the research explored that with suitable activities, it will help students’ motivation in learning English. Learning English will not be effective if the students only learn theory without activities, because students will have better understanding of the language and have the courage to speak in front of others. As we notice, most of students who learn English do not fully understand and can’t speak and communicate well with others. This is because they do not have the motivation to do so. In Malaysia, some of the institutes don’t have effective activities for the students to give them motivation to learn English. The colleges must know what activities can be used to make the students want to learn more English. They can give activities such as public speaking, poem recitations, and spelling contests. With correct activities, the students will have good motivation to learn English, because they will not face any stress in learning English. Next the researcher also examined the facilities of the college to see if they are suitable for the students to learn English. The college must provide good facilities to make their students learn English. A college which does not have good facilities will not inf luence student’s motivation in learning English. The facilities will include whether the college provides a good class, which has air-conditioning or not, enough tables and chairs for study, and has a whiteboard or not. Good facilities are most important to make the students have motivation in learning English. Some of students don’t want to enter the class because they are not satisfied with the facilities that are provided by the college. In this case the students will not come to class and will study at the hostel. This show that the students have poor motivation because they don’t have the desire to learn and may be they will stop leaning in the college. The lecturers’ ability is also important in determining the students’ motivation in learning the English language. The lecturers need to have a willingness to teach the students and if the lecturers don’t have the willingness to give lectures to the students 7 than the students will not have the motivation to learning English. Lecturers play an important role in developing student’s minds and motivation in learning the English language. Some colleges may have all foreign lecturers to give a lesson to the students so that the students will have to speak in English to communicate well with the lecturers because the lecturers only understand English. With a good lecturer’s ability, the students will be able to learning English with a higher motivation. Also some students may not be liked by the lecturers. This is normally because they are biased, and some students may refuse to enter a class because they do not like the lecturers, either personally or professionally. Other than that, technology also may be a factor that influences students to study the English language. The college needs to update their technology for the betterment of the students. Technology that may be used by the college like projectors, for lectures can make students understand more clearly. Also with the use of technology, the lecturers can give a lecture to the students faster. For some students they can learn faster when using a technology because they enjoy themselves during the lectures and get the main point in the lecture easily. The lecturers also do not need to worry about insufficient time to give lectures to the students. 8 1.3. Research Question This research focuses on factors that influence IBI students’ motivation towards learning English. The research questions are: 1.3.1. Are activities a factor that influence IBI students’ motivation towards learning English? 1.3.2. Are facilities a factor that influence IBI students’ motivation towards learning English? 1.3.3. Is the lecturers’ ability a factor that influences IBI students’ motivation towards learning English? 1.3.4. Is technology a factor that influences IBI students’ motivation towards learning English? 1.4. Research Objective The specific objective for this research is the factors that influence IBI students’ motivation towards learning English. The research objectives are: 1.4.1. To identify whether activities are a factor that influence IBI students’ motivation towards learning English. 1.4.2. To identify whether facilities are a factor that influence IBI students’ motivation towards learning English. 1.4.3. To identify whether the lecturers’ ability is a factor that influences IBI students’ motivation toward learning English. 1.4.4. To identify whether technology is a factor that influences IBI students’ motivation towards learning English. 9 1.5. Significance of Study The significance of this study is to find the factors that influence IBI students’ motivation towards learning English at Alpha College of Technology in Seremban 2, Negeri Sembilan. It is believed that those students that have motivation in themselves will want to continue learning English and take the IBI programme. 1.5.1. Researcher This research, can be used by other researchers as their references. The researcher will also get more knowledge and get more information about the factors that influence IBI students’ motivation towards learning English at Alpha College of Technology in Seremban 2, Negeri Sembilan. Other researchers may use the information that is obtained in this study and apply it in other areas by using different or more samples. With this research also the researcher may increase his self-confidence and communication skills when dealing with other people in the future. 1.5.2. Intensive Bahasa Inggeris (IBI) students Through this research, the student will get the knowledge about the factors that influence IBI students’ motivation towards learning English in more detail. In addition, with this research, the researcher can also help the students to identify the factors that influence them to learn English. 10 1.5.3. Readers This research is important and very beneficial to the reader because it can be used as information in understanding the factors that influence IBI students’ motivation towards learning English. 1.5.4. Future researcher This research will be able to help others in their future research. It is important because future researchers can use this research as a guide for a new area of research with similar topics. The researcher also will be able to use this research as a reference to gain more knowledge about the factors that influence IBI students’ motivation towards learning English at Alpha College of Technology in Seremban 2, Negeri Sembilan. 1.6. Scope of the Study Student motivation for learning something is the factor for the students to continue studying. For the purpose of this research, the study will focus on factors that influence Intensif Bahasa Inggeris (IBI) students’ towards learning English at Alpha College of Technology. 11 1.6.1. Subject This research focuses on factors that influence IBI students’ motivation towards learning English at Alpha College of Technology. In this research, the researcher will know what are the factors that will influence the students’ motivation. For this research it focuses on four motivation factors that have been identified. They are activities, facilities, lecturers’ ability, and technology. 1.6.2. Respondents The respondents in this study were selected from students who have taken an IBI programme at Alpha Collage of Technology, Seremban 2. As many as 100 respondents were selected to answer the questionnaire that was already prepared. The questionnaire is based on the factors that influence IBI students’ motivation towards learning English based on the independent variables. 1.6.3. Location The location of the study that was chosen by the researcher is at Alpha College of Technology, Seremban 2, Negeri Sembilan. This place was selected because it is close to the researcher’s residence, and it is faster for the researcher to distribute and collect the questionnaire from the students. The researcher also selected this place because it is easy to get permission from the authorities to do the research. It is also suitable for 12 the researcher to get the respondents because it is easy to find respondents as they are in the IBI programme at Alpha College of Technology. 1.7. Limitation of the Study 1.7.1. The respondent This research focuses on 100 respondents who had entered the Intensif Bahasa Inggeris (IBI) programme, which is a two month programme. The researcher had difficulties when distributing the questionnaire because the researcher needed to give the questionnaire to persons who have entered the IBI programme only. The researcher will get late feedback from the respondents because the researcher may need to explain the questions to them. Also some respondents did not answer the entire questionnaire and gave false information while filling in the questionnaire. Other than that there were a few respondents who did not give their cooperation to the researcher. 1.7.2. The location This study was done at Alpha College of Technology which has an Intensif Bahasa Inggeris (IBI) programme. This study was only conducted in a specific area which is at Alpha Collage of Technology in Seremban 2, Negeri Sembilan. 1.7.3. Limitation of data The researcher found that the data needed was available only in Alpha College of Technology. Therefore the data may not be very accurate because it is only from the students of Alpha College of Technology. 1.8. Chapter Summary As a summary, this chapter explains the overview and background of the study. In addition, this chapter also explains about the problem statement of this research which explain about the problem that make the researcher make this research. Next the researcher will create a research question and research objective which will be used as an independent variable in this research. The dependent variable of this research is motivation and Intensive Bahasa Inggeris (IBI). After that the researcher will need to explain about the significance of the study which contain researcher, IBI students, and for the future researcher. Beside that the researcher will explain about the scope of the study which is subject, respondents, and location. Lastly the researcher will explain about the limitation that the researcher have during completed this research.

life-changing influence

There are two people who have had a significant influence in my life like. These are my father and my best friend, Timothy. I consider both of them to be my heroes because they helped me to become more enthusiastic about my studies. They also taught me how to live without being fearful especially being fearful of failing. Particularly during my elementary and junior high school years I was not particularly motivated to excel nor attempted to perform as well as the other students in my classes. This began to change, however, when I met Timothy, my very good friend, during my very first year in high school. He is person who has had an alarming impact on my life and influenced me to change my negative attitude. I now refer to him as my soul mate. In a number of ways Timothy has helped me to adopt a more positive attitude towards my school work and life in general. Timothy encouraged me to study hard and helped me believe that I could perform as well as or even better than the students who were usually at the top in my class. Prior to meeting Timothy I did not see the value of studying or revising work covered in class. When I was faced with tests I depended solely on my small recollection of what transpired in class and this prevented me from succeeding or excelling. Timothy taught me to study on a continuous basis not only as it approached exams. He helped me to prepare more effectively for exams by teaching me to study bit by bit prior to the exam rather than just a night or two before. He showed me that by re-reading the material which had been explained in class it would be easier for me to recall information whenever I had a test. Timothy even encouraged me to challenge him on our various tests. Most importantly I remember him saying to me â€Å"never give up, before you try first† so I took on the challenge to aim for the skies. As a result of his influence and encouragement and my heeding his advice, my relative rank in the class improved and so did my interactions with my classmates and friends. My friends started inviting me to study with them as a team. They began to see me as a diligent and clever student and I was accepted into their clique. Finally I began to feel as if I belonged. Even though Timothy and I are now pursuing different educational goals (he chose electrical engineering while I choose business) after having graduated from high school, I will never forget the considerable influence he had in transforming my life. Besides Timothy, my father has also had a significant influence on my life extends. Prior to knowing Timothy I was not goal-oriented and had little prospects for my future. When I began to see that I could actually be successful I also began to think about a future occupation. My father has been instrumental in helping me to decide on a career. Currently I have chosen to pursue Business administration as my major with a particular interest in entrepreneurship and finance because of the exposure I got to these fields by my father. My father, working in business himself, allowed me to accompany him on several occasions on business trips and I even attended several business conferences and negotiations with him. The perspective and knowledge I gained from these sessions have encouraged me to choose this same field to pursue as my career goal. Additionally the financial aspect of business administration has particular appeal to me. I had often heard my father discussing Indonesian stocks, such as Telkom, Indosat as well as American stocks, such as Dow Jones. The Stock Exchange is, I believe, a lucrative avenue through which companies can maintain their business and even bring in profits. In choosing business administration as my major I hope to learn to essentials of managing a business. What I look forward to most is developing my communication skills so that I could become an effective and efficient businessman. Since I plan to operate my own business I hope to learn essential business communication skills such as how to communicate effectively and respectfully in both in written and spoken forms, how to motivate others particularly employees, how to foster good interpersonal relations, how to use various communication tools to assist in carrying out the functions of my future enterprise, the skills of making presentations among other skills that are essential to the proper administration of any business venture. Besides my father and my personal business interests, my cousin has also inspired and my interest in the business field. Some time ago he delivered an address at an Indonesian University. The title of his presentation was â€Å"Simulation Stock Competition.† Listening to his speech encouraged me to enter a university competition that was open for students to invest in the Stock Market. Of course even though the competition was in the form of a simulation and we were not investing with actual money, my interest in the Stock Market was peeked. For the two months I was involved in this program I became exceedingly excited about the strategy of business investment. Overall both my father and Timothy have motivated me to aspire for greater things. Indeed they both encouraged me to be confident in my own abilities rather than being dependent on my friends. I began to believe that, like my friends who were performing well, I too could become successful and make a significant mark in society. I am, therefore, fortunate to have had a friend and a father to encourage me to change my perspective and to help me get rid of certain negative attitudes and attributes that were very unprogressive. My vision for my life has now broadened from having absolutely no interest in my future, to being excited about a particular career option and working on fulfilling my goal of becoming a businessman. Barring such influence I may have still been stuck in the rut of mediocrity.   

Why read The Story of An Hour by Kate Chopin (1894) Essay

Why read The Story of An Hour by Kate Chopin (1894) - Essay Example Mallard, who having a weak heart, mourns the death of her husband, Kate Chopin introduces a passage, which abruptly pictures window’s feelings of relief and freedom and thus this tragic event becomes confusing. Finally, in the exact moment when Mrs. Mallard finds out her allegedly dead husband is alive, she dies of a heart attack. From the critical perspective, the first impression from the story is undoubtedly confusing, however, a more careful analysis reveals that there are many reasons why this literary piece would be important and even necessary to read. Unlike many literary works that are essential descriptive, Kate Chopin’s â€Å"The Story of an Hour† teaches a modern reader to understand historical and social context of the story. This most popular piece of Chopin’s short fiction was written and published in 1984, and the influence of this historical epoch on the story is evident. Chopin’s women are framed and determined by the historical traditions, morals and principles. Women’s lives are limited by kitchens, children, families and occasional genteel routs. â€Å"Story of an Hour† witnesses a woman dawning on the notion of freedom after she learns of her husband’s death. Mrs. Mallard is awe-struck at her own feelings, as she has too lived her life according to the rules of middle-class white womanhood, but she lets the feelings flow nevertheless, and she makes plans for her new life: â€Å"Free! Body and soul free!† (Chopin, par.14). Chopin leaves audience with perhaps her most telling dramatic irony: the gathered community, viewing Mrs. Mallard as the pinnacle of respectable true-womanhood, decides her cause-of-death: â€Å"joy that kills† (Chopin, par.20). As in most of Chopin’s literature, her women who rebel from marriage are not rebelling from their husbands personally; rather, and perhaps worse, according to true-woman ideology, they rebel from the depletion of personal power and selfhood that

American Value Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

American Value - Essay Example These are sets of values that we believe we, as a society, should, and often do, live by. Interestingly enough, even our entertainment industry propagates and furthers those values. In the movie, The Shawshank Redemption, also there were certain â€Å"American values.† The movie is based on a Stephen King novella by the name of Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption. It revolves around the friendship of two inmates at the Shawshank State Penitentiary, Andy and Red. Andy is a banker convicted of murdering his wife and her lover, though he always maintains his innocence. Red is known to smuggle contraband in the penitentiary, and he gets Andy a rock hammer and a poster of Rita Hayworth. The jail warden uses Andy’s skills as a banker to launder money the former makes through kickbacks and selling prison labor cheaply. When a fellow inmate, Tommy, tells Andy that he knows of another penitentiary’s inmate who had confessed to killing Andy’s wife and her lover, Andy takes the information to the Warden. However, the Warden is scared that his fraud will be revealed in case of Andy’s release, therefore, he has Tommy killed. Later, Andy escapes and exposes the Warden as a result of which the Warden kills himself. Red, upon his parole, goes to Mexico, where Andy has escaped to, and reunites with his friend. The movie touches upon the concept of justice, a value we Americans hold highly.

Profile of a Terrorist Group Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Profile of a Terrorist Group - Essay Example In the past, specifically during World War II, Chechens were forcibly removed from the region by the then Soviet leader Stalin. He accused them of cooperating with Germany’s Nazi regime, and this led to the death of tens of thousands, as many more fled for their lives. They only came back after Stalin’s death (Crenshaw, 2010). Terrorist category It is the belief of many that this group of extremists is a separatist movement, forged on ethnic lines. The minority Muslim community, that has been a part of the mountainous region in Russia, believes it is their right to lead themselves, and be free from Russia’s rule. After the Soviet collapse, there was the creation of Russian Federation Republic of Chechnya. It advocated for the independence of Chechnya through a movement famously known as Chechen All-National Congress, which made it impossible for the Russian government to take control of the region (Schaefer, 2010). In a war that lasted two years (1994-1996), this group fought the Russian government. Failure by the government to take control of the terrain led to the region being accorded de facto independence. In 1996, Russia called for a ceasefire, which prompted leaders of the separatist movement to sign a peace treaty that took effect the following year. Chechen militants had led the fight for emancipation, which allowed local movements to also plea their causes for separation from the Russian law. Militants engaged Russian authorities as they helped these local movements make a stand against the government, which led to the Second Chechen War (Tiersky & Jones, 2007). Goals of the group The goals/aims of the group were to create an independent state from Russian government/law, which would make them autonomous in their decision making and livelihood. Their means of achieving this autonomy came at a price as many Chechens died in the first and second wars, leaving tons more displaced. Emancipation being the central reason for their moveme nt, they have led attacks into Russia and other areas, which they feel that need to be emancipated from Russia’s laws. This group’s goals and aims have seen this group receive de facto independence for a short period, but this may not be the lasting solution the group is demanding (Schaefer, 2010). Support the group receives The media portrays the groups’ efforts without any bias. However, as with any war, there are some sympathizers. This is what propels the group to become relentless in their quest. Once the media relays different messages from the group to the public about its demands, wishes, and desires, it is next to impossible to predict the response that they may receive. Opponents and the government think that this is a means to attain the attention of the public to seek support in the group’s fruitless quest, which is to alienate their region from the rest of Russia. To most, this is a treacherous attempt that should be erased from the groupâ₠¬â„¢s minds. Sympathizers, mostly from the Muslim ethnic minority group think that calls for separation are long overdue, and that their actions are justified (Tiersky & Jones, 2010). The leadership, funding and capabilities of the group It is crucial for such a movement to have a stable and constant leadership figure. Since the group’s inception, four known leaders have led the separatist movement. The first was Khasan Israilov, followed by Samil Basayev, and the latest victim who died under mysterious circumstances was Abu Hafs as-Urdani. July

Intercultural Conflict Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Intercultural Conflict Analysis - Essay Example Millions of immigrants go to foreign nations every year to find work and living. Labor immigration has become an important aspect to discuss in the world today because of the number of people, states and issues surrounding it. Million of foreign workers seek work in foreign countries such as oil-rich Saudi Arabia and Gulf States as well as the United States of America. According to the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training in Bangladesh, the number of immigrants migrating to Gulf Cooperation Council between 1976 and 2009 are over 5 million. Saudi Arabia and United States are the topmost destinations. International labor market migration has increased in the recent past with countries such as Japan, Lebanon, Malaysia, Singapore and Mauritius being the newest destination. The rise in international labor market has resulted in an increased complexity with respect to political and human right challenges. As governments struggle in the face of increased political pressure to exercise vigilance in exercising rights and wellbeing of its citizens, conflicts seem to be increasing also. Issues of migrant worker exploitation and increased prejudice against migrant workers, with the later exerting more pressure on the already unpredictable overseas human capital markets. According to International Labor Organization (ILO), the concept of labor exploitation can be understood as rejection of the specific rights pertaining to the immigrant labor in contrast to the guidelines set by National Labor Laws. Labor exploitation includes maltreatment of labor, physical torture & abuse, sexual abuse from employers along with mental and psychological torture among others .

Health Care Finance in the United States Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Health Care Finance in the United States - Essay Example Some of the services offered are respite care, rehabilitation, and environmental modifications. For these services, Out of Pocket Payments are usually the largest sources of healthcare financing, paid directly by patients and are no reimbursable by an insurer or related third parties A new Gallup Daily evaluation reinforces the great level of inconsistency in health insurance coverage among U.S population segments. In general, health insurance coverage is lowest in U.S’ mid-twenties, a situation that is strongly associated with income, at a range from a low of 44% across 35-year olds earning below $25,000 per year to 100% amongst seniors above 60 earning the same amount per year. Of the total population interviewed by Gallup last year, an estimated 17% of the entire American population did not have a health insurance cover. As a reality with many features of American life today, the absence of health insurance is not randomly or equally distributed. There is a distinct income and age pattern when it comes to the population with health insurance. Among 18-year olds, 84% are insured. However, this relatively high coverage are presumably mirrors the fact that most of the youthful Americans are still covered by their parents’ insurance policies, though this changes immediately as they begin their twenties. Health insurance coverage comes to the lowest level of the total age range (66%) at the age of 22. Starting from this age, the percentage of the population insured begins to increase, albeit gradually, hitting the 95% level at the age of 65 when Medicare cover is formally available. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is inclusive of considerable new requirements designed to increase the rates of health insurance coverage. It includes the compulsory expansion of Medicaid programs to cover persons in households with incomes less than 133% of the federal poverty level, a necessity

Geography final project ( analysis of articles and question summary.) Research Paper

Geography final project ( analysis of articles and question summary.) - Research Paper Example The counter-contention is that if open arrangement can quicken development in medium-measure development focuses, and if critical parcels of the extra profits head off to expanded amounts of transients from slacking hinterland ranges, at that point this system is effective from a national perspective (Skop and Li). Decentralization of centermost government managerial exercises and open ventures from the biggest urban communities Movement to urban communities additionally evacuates repetitive work from horticulture; in spite of the fact that gainfulness may be flat and falling in the over-burden tertiary division of numerous urban areas, it is still higher than gainfulness in agribusiness. Furthermore living arrangement in the city lays open the vagrant to modernizing impacts and enhances his shots to get aptitudes, however unassuming. Due to the self-improving nature of squatter settlements the United Nations Center for Housing, Assembling, and Planning now focuses on the acknowledge ment and underpin of their longer run being and of sufficient preplanning for their fate advancement. Then again, it is affirmed that endeavors to clear such settlements ordinarily squander panic open assets and irritate the issues of the individuals concerned. Meeting of Japanese prefectural for every capita salaries began to show up around 1961 and proceeded in parallel with the most elevated rate of monetary development. This wonder seems to have been brought about by joining in pay rates around distinctive parts of the economy, which in turn came about because of tightening of work markets. Asians immigrants in New York State In spite of the fact that Asians remain a generally minor part of the aggregate populace, right now less than 5 percent-they are around the quickest developing racial/ethnic minorities in the United States today. In connection, the aggregate U.S. populace developed by 13 percent throughout the 1990s, from 248.7 million to 281.4 million. Fast and sizable pop ulace development is attributable basically to the way that Asians now explain just about one-third of all movement to the United States. In the most recent some decades, the mix of modifying worldwide economies, geopolitical settings, and movement approaches has set in movement new and noteworthy streams of relocation from Asia to the United States (Bergman). Workers from India and China, particularly, are decently ready for, and fit into, the occupation needs of the globalizing U.S. economy. Transients from the aforementioned two nations are actively selected by both the U.S. government and U.S. multinational partnerships for their specialized know-how, entrepreneurial abilities, and business associations with quickly developing abroad showcases. Information from the Citizenship and Immigration Service (once in the past the Immigration and Naturalization Service) demonstrate that India and China are the heading supporters of both work based outsiders (al-for the most part 39 perce nt of the U.S. add up to in 2002) and H-1b makeshift laborers (with a heightened of practically 60 percent in 2001) (U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service 2003). Therefore, numerous Asian Indian and Chinese migrants land in the U.S. with the abnormal amounts of training, expert preparing, or money related assets

Liminality in Dracula Essay Example for Free

Liminality in Dracula Essay History has taught us that rebelling against your people or religion almost always results in displeasure, as the members of the community usually frown upon it. Throughout the novel Each Man’s Son by Hugh MacLennan, there are two themes which are linked to this topic of defying your origins, though never plainly affirmed: the Celtic identity and the Puritanical predestination-like values. Not conforming to these ways of life demonstrates two themes at which Archie the fighter and Ainslie the dreamer display: the attempt to foster new values will doom you to failure and resisting your religion will only let you yearn for escape but haunt you forever. This paper, will first analyze the meaning of these two themes; second show that Archie fights against the Celtic identity and that Ainslie tries to escape the Puritanical values. First, it is suitable to grasp onto these concepts with the history from the novel concerning the Celtics and the Puritans since it frames the foundational richness of the story. In Each Man’s Son the symbolic references on the history concerning the Celtic identity is manifested as â€Å"a Homeric people† in ultimate solitude, which proves to be symbolic due to the fact that it ties meaning to the Highland people as a â€Å"desperate and poetic/race of hunters, shepherds and warriors† (MacLennan 1, 2). The novel is full of richness, which provides ironic information about the people: who were found â€Å"older than France† with â€Å"no organization† (MacLennan 25-5). This characteristic given to the men of Cape Breton is highly relevant to the plot as Archie choses to literally fight the regulatory social norms of the Celtic identity when he follows his dreams to become an American boxer. In the novel, the Celtic identity is in direct conflict with Puritan values within certain characters, especially Ainslie. Presbyterians note that they â€Å"live and die under the wrath of an arbitrary God who will forgive only a handful of His elect on the Day of Judgment† (MacLennan 2). The value of the quote symbolizes an underlining view on the Puritan religion as it describes how the Calvinists must live a basic life in order to be resurrected with eternal life. In the Bible, which Puritans follow unfailingly, it is written, â€Å"you must be born from above† meaning that you must have â€Å"been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father† (John 3:7, 1 Peter 1:2 NIV). Furthermore, religion takes a crowning importance in the novel as it acts as the basic yet powerful feature of the story. Numerous characters struggle to adopt their identity, namely Doctor Ainslie for he attempts to darken his religious distinctiveness. The lacing of the Celtic identity and the Puritan religion represents tension, which Archie the fighter and Ainslie the dreamer must overcome. Second, Archie is a clear example of a character who conflicts with the Celtic identity because although he is acclaimed as the â€Å"bravest man in Cape Breton†, â€Å"fierce and unpredictable†, unlike the flock of people, he was a â€Å"hero whom nobody understood and everyone admired†; unfortunately, he is also destined to fail (MacLennan 12-8-6). â€Å"Archie is a hero† with grandiose â€Å"physical strength† who was loved â€Å"because he was giving significance, even a crude beauty, to the clumsy courage they all felt in themselves† (MacLennan 19-9). Generally Celtics feel that destiny works against them; they feel that luck must have been against them. This illustrates that the repercussion of rebelling against the Celtic identity is absolutely forbidden. The Celtic character is normally condemned to a life of simplicity, total depravity and unconditional fellowship of God and as Archie ventures the unknown he distorts the norm. Animalistic Archie emphasizes that some men will â€Å"live their whole lives like oxes and cows and that he is â€Å"not one of them† this statement, in other words, means that Archie does not intend on living a reclusive life as he fully intends on going out into the world, in spite of the consequences, to create a new life for himself and his family. He had â€Å"left his home to find wider opportunities in the United States† (MacLennan 3). Ironically, as Archie attempts to make money and follow his dream of becoming a boxer he refuses to obey the Celtic norm and is doomed to fail; he is left defeated by his embedded Celtic identity. The final character, which shows prominent struggles, concerning following norms is Ainslie: the dreamer. This is due to the fact that he is resistant to his Puritan religion, which leaves him yearning for an escape from societal pressures. Quite like Archie, Ainslie is also hopeless, yet in different matters: his religion haunts him not only consciously but also unconsciously in dreams as he is disturbed by religious stories. Traditionally, Puritans live a life in profound guilt, constant criticism and austerity because they believe in predestination at which God has chosen the elect to enter heaven. Though he is living in the pressures of this community he continuously denies his belief in God however it is hard to believe that he is a nonbeliever for he continuously shows signs of religious identity. Ainslie craves for a purpose in his life, an attainable goal a dream to escape this community, yet as the novel unfolds he is left haunted forever by his religious mental state. Ironically, because of the fact that he resists his religion and yearns for an escape, he will be left him undeniably haunted forever. In summary, historical details, Archie and Ainslie in Each Man’s Son emphasize conflicts between the Celtic identity and the Puritan religion. Contrasting the two characters, I find it much more rewarding to explore who you are and discover your identity instead of fighting or denying it because then you will not become a failure or be tormented by it. Unlike Archie and Ainslie, I had opportunities to participate in accomplishments that have given me a positive understanding of my identity while I was growing up, which undeniably shaped who I am today. Works Cited MacLennan, Hugh. Each Man’s Son. Toronto: The New Canadian Library, 2003. Print. New International Version Holy Bible. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1986. Print.

How The Family Life Is Changing

How The Family Life Is Changing How much is family life changing? In one of the BBC articles written by Mark Easton in 2007, he highlights that in a survey which is made by BBC, three quarters of Britain are positive about future of their family. Correlatively, it is deduced that 40 years ago people were less happy than now. When the BBC exhibited its research of families in Britain, the result demonstrated that closest relationships between family members were deteriorating in time in consequence of reduction in traditional family structures. In spite of all alterations, 93% of the people in the world are satisfied with their family life. Moreover, Easton claims that for every three weddings there are now two divorces which shows the highest rate in Europe. Cohabitation has increased to 64% in ten years. So that, approximately half of children were born outside wedlock. What is the Family Life for a Single Parent? What Easton states in a BBC article in 2007 is that the highest proportion of lone parenting is in Europe which also indicates that one on four children now stay with a single mother. In addition, Academic studies have been proved in 2007 that children who have one mother are less successful at school than offspring of married couples. According to growing numbers of people (7/10) rely on that parent are getting worse at family life. Although Easton gives a general information and important statistics about lone parenting, Kimberly Gail highlights essential sides of single parenting in 2011 in BBC news. According to Gails point of view, parenting is a challenging endeavour. Lone parenting is not only challenging but also very fulfilling. The custodial parent struggles with responsibility of looking after and providing basic requirement. When you are a lonely mother, you are expected to make up your mind by yourself and so that you can have a healthy and happy family life through following some primary steps. Gail divides lone parenting into 5 groups. COMMITMENT- In an attempt to be as successful parent, you have to have courage to take responsibilities as they fall on your shoulders. Your family is supposed to be your priority. Due to the fact that you are a parent, you are committed to spend time and money to support your children physically and emotionally. HOME MANAGEMENT- Because lone parenting requires you to be alone in your house hold, organisation is essential. Many single parent families are responsible for arranging household. In order to be successful in organising, one of the good ways is to create an assigned daily list of household chores for everybody. It is even very easy for a small child as she/he will be picking up and putting away the toys. RESPONSIBILTY- Single parents are responsible for rising children alone and direct them to variety of activities. RELATIONSHIPS AND TRADITIONS- It is substantial for parents to carry daily rituals. Rituals and traditions are materials of keeping family members together and can be a relaxing reminder of stability. In order to give examples to keep rituals going; get together for a dinner, go out for bowling at the weekend and join to activities that will create a warm environment as it reinforces family chains. SELF-CARE- Many single parents sacrifice a lot to make stable house warmer for their children. However, parents should know that taking care of them is also very important. Daily exercise reduces stress and provides you a healthy life. Taking time with family and parents is also essential to strengthen relationships. Some parents also take advantage of religious community and spiritual guidance. Technologys role The other factor in family life which we can mention is technology. As it is easier to access to a public transport than 50 years ago, the distance between family members decreased. According to Mark Easton (BBC Home Editor) mobile phones have made communication between family members easier, even though the internet has not yet become very common in family environment. With regard to the researches in 2007 less than a third of internet users preferred contacting their parents every week and 8% of them communicated everyday. Although family life changes fast, we esteem are family ties more than ever. According to what James Westhead states, despite increasing influence on family life, with computers and internet, it is clear that they have negative impact on relationships. Parents complain about the amount of time that their children spend in front of screens rather than involve in traditional family activities. To give an example, Second Life is a programme which makes people or families interact online as an avatar and even share family meals. Professor Lewis implies that Technology is a double edged sword for families, it can erode and reduce human interaction but at the same time, technology is great at bringing people together just look at mobile phone use within families. (Lewic.C, BBC news: 2007) A BBC pool has indicated that most of the British people are very positive about their family future. A question arises; what will size of families be in the future? According to predictions, in case trends in the past continue, parents in the future will not have many children and not get married. In reference to researches, the percentage of children who has non-married parents has increased 3 times more in last 50 years to 40% while the number of children has dropped to 1.8 in a family. A third of un-married parents are single and the rest of the people are co-habiting, however are more willing to separate than in the past. According to James Westhead, predictions are unreliable. Professor Charlies Lewis (expert on family psychology) highlights that we will encounter with more single parents and more separation People are already making and breaking relationships more easily and that is not necessarily a bad thing. Fighting between parents who stay together can be harmful for children. (Lewis.C, BBC News: 2007). The most influential factor is most probably economic. Moreover, the increasing cost of living and pressure leads people to have fewer children. Families become hot political topic It was brought forward that single parents and other family variations should not be involved in government policy. It is a common thought that while some traditional families which includes a married couple looking after children in a constant home seemed to be the ideal, dramatic social changes occurred in last decades and it became intolerable to base policy on it. According to Assinder in 2007, social changes caused the nuclear family to emerge. Furthermore, it was argued by some people that most of the social problems were generated by collapse in traditional family life. Correlatively, Tory Prime Minister John Major began to cut married couples tax allowance in mid 1990s and it was ended by Labour in 2000. The leader David Cameron implied in BBCs News night in 2007: Marriage is, on the whole, a good thing that should be rewarded not punished. In addition, the chief secretary, Andy Burnham gave his opinion about marriage and stated that I dont think the Tories should have a mon opoly on this kind of thing. This is totally where Gordon Brown is coming from, your roots and your family are everything. Never the less, the policy on family is possible to alter, as majority of people showed interest to David Camerons announcements. Particularly, Camerons promissory speech in order to increase the inheritance tax to  £1million took less attention in the party conference. According to Liberal Democrats, tax break are not the right way to be chosen and they insist to focus on helping couples stay together. It appears that the family is bound to become one of the most common issues in following elections and policy.

The Implementation Of Policies And Legislative Social Work Essay

The Implementation Of Policies And Legislative Social Work Essay Children are de ¬Ã‚ ned as in need when they are unlikely to achieve or maintain, or have the opportunity of achieving or maintaining, a reasonable standard of health or development; or whose health and development are likely to be signi ¬Ã‚ cantly impaired, or further impaired without the provision of services under s.17(10); o are disabled as defined in s.17(11); or those who are in specific need of safeguarding under Part V of the (CA)(1989). Ann had recently been separated with her husband due to domestic violence and is currently living in a womens refuge with her 12 years old daughter. She had reported feeling depressed and lack resources. The development of a definition of domestic violence in Yemshaw v Hounslow LBC [2011] UKSC 3 (SC), decision by the court set a precedent that was used in meeting the needs of families. Children witnessing domestic abuse have now been included in the definition of harm under s.31(9) of the CA (1989). Section 17(1) of the CA (1989), places a general duty on Local Authorities (LA) to safeguard and promote the welfare of children within its area who are in need. It is based on the presumption that so far as it is consistent with their duty, children upbringing should be promoted within the family with an emphasis on parental responsibility as defined under s.3(1) of the CA (1989). This is complemented and reinforced under s.10(3) of the CA (2004), which requires LAs to have regard to the importance of parents and other persons caring for children in improving the well-being of children. LAs are directed through their specific duties and powers specified in Part 1 of Schedule 2 to provide services considered appropriate to meet the needs of children in need with the aim of avoiding the need for care proceedings . This includes homelessness, the psychological effect of witnessing abuse and disruption with school. Under s.17(6) the LAs can provide accommodation, counselling or as in th e cash of domestic violence, assistance in cash. Social workers are charged with discretion in making ethical decisions and should therefore use case law for additional guidance (Brammer, 2010: 190). In R v Nottingham City Council [2001] EWHC Admin 235, it was established that assessment is not a discretionary duty. Additionally, In R. (on the application of MM) v Lewisham LBC [2009] EWHC 416, it was held that the consideration given to the referral fell far below the standard required by law. The CA (1989) stipulates the legal framework within which Social Work practice with children in need is situated. Its child-centred approach is embodied in the welfare paramountcy principle s.1 and the welfare checklist s.1(3) states factors that must be considered with respect to determining the childs best interest. This welfare principle is also evident in s.3(5) and s.17. It adopt the principle that any delay s.1(2); in considering whether to make, vary or discharge s.31 and s.8 orders, s(1)(4); is likely to prejudice the childs welfare; and no order should be discharge except it is unequivocally in the childs best interests. The complexities and uncertainties of family life have brought about evolving policies and guidelines to complement the legislative framework (Davis, 2009). An understanding of childrens needs requires a multidisciplinary evidenced-based assessment, which is prescribed under The Framework for the Assessment of Children in Need and their Families (DoH, 2000). This is conferred under s.7, LA Social Services Act (1979) and requires LAs to comply with their duties. The Every Child Matters (DfES, 2003) led to the enactment of the CA (2004): it requires LAs under s.11(4) to have regards of statutory guidance to cooperate and make arrangements to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. Working Together to Safeguard Children (DCSF, 2010) specifies how agencies should work together: it states unequivocally the proactive early identification of additional needs and the provision of appropriate services. The complexities and tension of multi professional perspective is recognised in The Common Assessment Framework (CAF) (DfE, 2009) and based assessment on consistency and coordination between agencies (Brammer, 2010). There are potential dissonances between legislative framework and the ethical frameworks, which informs social work practice. Parton (2006) noted the complexities of balancing child empowerment and professional judgement, and suggested that Social workers should advocate for children through their active participation in accordance with s.17(4A and 4B). Graham (2011: 1541) highlighted a substantial cultural shift to include children in planning and decision-making through the construction of the social model of childhood. This principle sought to reconcile the concept of child autonomy and right, with professional accountability and responsibility (Williams, 2008). The concept of best interest and the welfare of the child set out in s.1(3) and A8 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989) is also embodied in decision-making (Butler and Hickman, 2011). In a speech at the Institute of Public Policy Research, Educational Secretary Michael Gove claimed that safegu arding children is inundated with optimism bias (Media, 2012). The law confers both a discretionary and obligatory duties, and the prediction of impairment is given emphasis under s.31 and s.17. It is therefore critical for social workers to have an ethical consideration when discharging their powers and duties, and reflect social work values in their proportionality of intervention under the Human Rights Act (HRA) (1998) which is seen as an additional scrutiny of practice (Brammer 2010: 114). The value of outcome focus needs analysis and multi-agency working is compatible with social work values. It recognise the complexities and sensitivity of domestic violence, and emphasis on the compounding effect of stereotypical assumptions and stigma faced by individual and families (Sheppard, 2006). Social workers conceptualisation according to Connolly, et al (2006) is invaluable in promoting social inclusion. This is particularly relevant to Anns situation. Assessment should not be based on a single event; careful consideration must be given the long-term effect of domestic violence (Williams, 2008). It must be conducted sensitively with an emphasis on respectful uncertainty, flexibility, openness and honesty about professional involvement (Laming, 2003). Strafford,et al (2010:13) locates the process of assessment in the context of a Systems approach. Social workers need to be aware of the likely impact of any intervention on the family. Social workers are required to adopt a principled approach based on negotiation and partnership. The CA (2004) requires LAs to coordinate services with relevant agencies: this gained explicit recognition in the Working Together to Safeguard Children guideline and reflects an acknowledgement that disadvantage occurs within a context of multiplicity of interlocking factors and social dynamic of the family (Graham, 2011). Social workers must therefore, integrate best-known evidence to inform professional judgement to accounts for the uniqueness, uncertainties and potential value conflicts (GSCC, 2003). Anti-discriminatory and anti-oppressive practices are integral to social worker practice and enshrined in law. The GSCC (2003: 1.5) code of practice stresses the importance of respecting diversity and different culture and values. Further, s.22(5) requires due consideration to be given to a childs religious persuasion, racial origin and cultural and linguistic background which is also encapsulated in A.14 of HRA (1998), the right not to be discriminated against. The amendment of parental responsibility by the Adoption and Children Act (2002) to include adult with real relationship accounts for value placed on recognition of diversity of families to combat social exclusion (Strafford,et al 2010: 16). Millar and Corby (2006) highlighted the positive effect of a detailed assessment: Munro (2011) and Wise et al (2011: 95) are however, critical of the bureaucracy and the prescriptive nature of the Assessment Framework, which distracts social workers from their core therapeutic function. This presents a dilemma of balancing the need of a more rigorous assessment framework with the CAF (Crisp, et al, 2007). Social inclusion and integration are intrinsic to social work, however, Palmer (2003) and Goldthorpe and Monro (2005) notes that there is concern amongst social workers that the high eligibility criteria have seen a shift from family support to reactive child protection practice thereby further excluding and marginalising families. This have led social workers to question the concept of needs led service provision. Stafford, et al, (2011) reports on the conflicts and complexities around issues of confidentiality and information sharing within multidisciplinary teams. This posed a dilemma between the welfare of the child and Anns right to confidentiality. Domestic violence occurs within the context of both civil and criminal domain. This present are a wide range of shared and diverse models of knowledge and practice amongst professionals involved with children and families (Graham, 2011). OLoughlin and OLoughlin (2008: 41) noted the complexities of balancing the rights and responsibilities of parents and the rights and needs of children. This present a dilemma between a principled welfare approach and s.8 orders as highlighted in Debbonaire (2012). Cleaver et al (2010) noted that whist childrens needs occur within the family and environmental context and often interlinked with those of their parent: It is crucial that practice is child-centred and needs considered separately through childrens active participation (Mullender 2002: 121). The complexities of parental contact from the perpetrator of abuse might expose the children to witnessing more abuse. The legislative framework and policies have an enormous impact on social work practice. The complex interplay of skills, values and knowledge; the prevailing social attitudes; and the conflicting and overlapping imperative, have been analysed as the range of dilemmas and conflicts faced by social workers. What is most noteworthy, however, is the need for sound professional judgement and ethical consideration.

Hullabaloo within the Media of China and Tibet :: Government China Tibet Essays

Hullabaloo within the Media of China and Tibet Since the 19th century, relations between the Chinese government and the people of Tibet have continually been on the decline. While there are many issues which lie at the heart of this conflict, recent events have drawn more focus to the economic relationship between the two. In February 2001, China passed legislation giving the needed approval to begin construction on the controversial Qinghai-Tibet railway. Stretching from mainland China to Lhasa, the capital of the Tibetan Autonomous region, completion of 'the world's tallest railway' would join together two regions previously only connected by air and treacherous roads (WTNN par1-2, 7). This development, while fully supported by the Chinese government, is receiving heavy scrutiny from the people and the government of Tibet. This controversy does not revolve around the railway itself, but rather the effect it will have. In the wake of this debate, the challenge lies with the media to present a clear, unbiased report of the argume nts, without taking up sides. Examination of the Chinese nationalist press and the news reports from the Tibetan nationalist groups, as well as a glance at third party news sources, proves there is little media coverage which does not carry with it some undertones of a political or social nature. These underlying connotations, uniquely created to reach each target audience, function to affect the message received by the average reader. An analysis of the target audience of each media source reveals not only the type of undertone presented, but also its predicted effectiveness. In China, there is one national English language newspaper: China Daily. Because it is written in English, and as a result of its online availability, one can reasonably assume the target audience for this newspaper is most notably people residing outside of mainland China. On March 9, 2001, China Daily published an article providing quotes and excerpts from speeches made by deputies of the National People's Congress (NPC) and members of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) during their annual session. Among the speakers on the topic of new railway development was Lobsang Gyaincain, an NPC deputy and the mayor of Lhasa, the capital city of Tibet. In his address, he highlights the benefits of building the Qinghai-Tibet railway, citing its ability to "enhance exchanges between ethnic groups, reinforce economic development in Western China, and modernize the concepts and styles of Tibet while not posing a threat on people's religious beliefs" (China Daily 4,6).

Student Financial Assistance Essay -- Argumentative Persuasive

Student Financial Assistance George W. Bush said education is â€Å"the great lifting mechanism of an egalitarian society.† He means, education is the great equalizer amongst individuals in a society established on equality. Unfortunately, access to education is not always as equal, nor are we living in an egalitarian society. In 1965, congress passed legislation, namely the Higher Education Act of 1965, in order to diminish the distance between students and the reality of higher education. Despite their seemingly positive intentions, the office of Student Financial Assistance has evolved into a very unpopular entity of the executive branch. Applicants are continuously frustrated by the aid, or lack of aid, that they are awarded. I was once a critic of the system and believed that I was being cheated out of aid that was rightfully mine. In fact, this is the point of view that I intended to support, in this paper. However, once I began to gather secondary sources, I found that this point of view l acked sufficient support and was untrue. Thus, my opinion has been changed. My opinion has been changed not only by research, but also by changing my perspective of the entire situation from narrow to broad and from particular to all-inclusive. The widely believed argument that the government distributes student-aid in a biased manner or, rather that the government’s policies for distributing the aid ultimately withhold aid from the middle class, simply, does not hold water. However, since I once made this argument and believed it strongly, I am willing to entertain it. The controversy about student aid, on the public level, begins when the Student Aid Report (SAR) is returned to the student and their family. This is whe... ...tem, I have questioned the amount of aid I received, and I have pointed a finger at the lower class. Now, as a result of this assignment, I have examined the system and how it functions and compared it with what it was intended to accomplish. My conclusion is that it works. I examined the allocation of funds amongst the spectrum of incomes, and I believe it’s just. I have also, extensively examined the lower class, who I once pointed a finger at. My conclusion is, when this nation establishes equality in the areas of, employment, housing, primary education, health care, racial and ethnic issues, etc., that is when we can talk about the small gap between each class in the amount of federal aid awarded to those classes. When the playing field has been leveled in all other variable subjects that is when the amount of aid should be congruent between all classes.

Alex Rikki Tikki

Both the book and the film used the same plot but spent a different amount of time on the explanation of the mall points. Hat are you trying to say) The plot of the book developed at a very quick pace during the orientation and became more detailed throughout the violence. The book of Rick Talk-Table explains the life of a young mongoose that Is separated from his family and normal environment due to a summer flood. The book involved two complications, one being Rick Tike's separation for his family and the other being that deadly snakes are in charge of the new environment that he Is having to adapt into.The climax of the story was Risk's first fight with a snake because it showed his revere and was the beginning of his adventure to defeating all the snakes. Rick Talk resolved both his problems by settling Into his new environment and found a new habitat. He also managed to kill the snakes and destroyed the eggs so that another dynasty of the snakes couldn't begin. The theme of the book version of Rick Talk-Table Is bravery and courage which are both demonstrated by Roll throughout the whole story. The plot of the film is also the same as the book except there are changes of sequences of events.The plot of the film developed gradually from a slow orientation and description of the story to a very quick explanation and showing of the violence. The film version of Rick Tike-Davit did not explain the life of the young mongoose but showed it instead which added an effect on the viewer because what was happening could be seen, The orientation In the film was narrated In detail and the film also had the same two complications as the book does as the story outline of both the film and book was the same.The climax of the film version of Rick Tike-Davit was the battle between Rick Tike and Nag In the bathroom as the lead up to this moment was very slow and it begun to become more intense. In the film Rick managed to resolve the complications by also adapting into his n ew home and killing the snakes and there eggs. The theme of the film version of Rick Tickle-Davit Is loyalty, bravery and courage which are noticeably demonstrated by Rick as he looked up to elders and showed his bravery through his victorious fights.The setting and characters were both key components for both the film and book. The film developed the characters and settings of Rick Tike-Davit better than the book. The characters ad different personalities and characteristics to each other. Nag and Angina are both represented as evil characters but Anglia is smarter than Nag Is. Dare and his wife are also the same except they both have a different personality and characteristic. Dare is a low self-esteemed character who is not very smart and is scared.Whereas his wife, Is the smarter one out of the two and will do whatever's required to guarantee her and her families safety, as shown when she flies down to slow down Angina during her battle with Rick. Characters' feelings were not o nly toy 2 Angina had a low, deep hiss that the viewer could straight away interpret anger from and to show Risk's anger his eyes changed into a sparkling red that helped the viewer identify his anger from. Anger was not the only characteristic shown through these visuals and sounds but it was the main one.Happiness was shown on Rick but the licking of his lips and his tail puffing up. Fear was shown through silhouettes and shadows creating a bigger version of the character. The setting in the film version of Rick Tike-Davit was explained in detail and was not only explained through words but also with visuals. Rather than having to describe the beginning of the story the filmmaker showed the audience and used sound effects to create a better understanding.The narrator in the film explained that the story was set in India whereas in the book it did not say where the story was set. The garden was the most described and was described positively through the perspective of Rick Tike-Davi t. â€Å"This is a splendid hunting ground† is an example of Rick enjoying the sight of the garden. Language features were used in the book to engage the reader. The book erosion of Rick Tike-Davit used language features to engage the reader throughout the story. He could fluff up his tail till it looked like a bottle brush† is an example of simile that the book uses. Rick Tike's tail is being compared to the fluffiness of a bottle brush and its softness. â€Å"Kicking and clucking† is an example of onomatopoeia that is used in at the beginning of the text through Risk's Journey getting washed away. An example of alliteration in the text is â€Å"Good gracious† and â€Å"bottle-brushy'. These two phrases use the same letter at the beginning of the word consecutively. Another example of simile used in the text is â€Å"as big as summer houses†.Multimode and visual features are key aspects throughout the film. The film version of Rick Tike-Davit uses multimode and visual features very effectively to make the story more entertaining and appealing. The sound and music of the film is used to make the segment being shown more realistic. At the beginning to allow the viewer to understand that the video is set in India it begins with Indian music and to make the summer flood more realistic sounds of thunder cracks and lightning strikes are used.Sound and music is also used to show adventure or in between segments when the narrator is not speaking. The film uses different camera shots, ranging from close ups to landscape shots. The film uses close ups mainly when Rick is angry to show his red eyes and its importance and signification to representing anger. Landscape or full shots were used to show the garden and all its beautiful and natural expressions. The film version of Rick Tike-Davit created a better understanding of the story and its outline rather than the book.This is because the film did not only tell the story like the book did but also showed it to help the viewer understand it much better. The book version had a lot of detail but lacked visuals and could have used more pictures so that the reader does not have to use their imagination. This is great work, Alex. Vive made a few suggestions (in red), but haven't corrected everything. I suggest that you re-read this critically and thoroughly and you'll see most things you might need to correct. One suggestion: use italics when you are talking about the book or film title Rick Tike-Davit.

Blackber

blackberry Objective Regain blackberries 20% lost market share, and improve overall net profit vs. last year by 13% Offer the services that have already been introduced by competing company, and also work on providing customers with innovative applications Summary BLACKBERRY FOR BUSINESS Built to keep your business moving Where multiple devices ownership models, applications and operating systems exist, BlackBerry ®Ã‚  perfectly balances end user and corporate needs to keep your business moving.Blackberry  is a brand that was created by Research in Motion’s (RIM) Founder Mike Lazaridis in 1996, providing wireless web enabled devices across multiple networks. RIM is a Canadian based company founded in 1984 that formally worked with RAM and Ericsson, developing a two way paging system and wireless email network. The company’s goal and vision is clear: â€Å"to provide solutions for the worldwide mobile communications market, including the software that allows the Bla ckBerry Smartphone to provide mobile access to email, applications, media and the Internet. † (RIM website: http://www. im. com/company) Since the creation of Blackberry, it commands over 20% of the world’s Smartphone sales, available in over 91 countries on over 500 mobile service operators. Blackberry has sold over 100 million devices and still trumps the Iphone is sales since its development. With the development of the  New Blackberry Torch  we see the progress that Blackberry has made. Not only does Blackberry dedicate so much time and funds to research and development, but they have successfully built the brand strong and have reached different demographics in the past 5 years than any other company.There is no doubt that Blackberry has been, and will continue to be, the leader in research and development in wireless realm. Research In Motion (RIM), a global leader in wireless innovation, revolutionized the mobile industry with the introduction of the BlackBer ry solution in 1999. Since then, BlackBerry products and services have continued to change the way millions of people around the world stay connected. With the launch of BlackBerry ® 10, we have re-designed, re-engineered and re-invented BlackBerry.Not only did we introduce a new mobile experience to our global community of BlackBerry users, but we are also introducing a new name for the company. Research In Motion now operates globally under the iconic name BlackBerry. Corporate Responsibility Global Growth. BlackBerry is a company driven by ideas. We believe that innovation and collaboration will foster sustainable growth for our business. BlackBerry and its subsidiaries and affiliates (â€Å"BlackBerry†) are committed to offering the best tools for communication and social collaboration and working towards minimizing our environmental impact.BlackBerry  strives to act responsibly and expects the same of our partners and suppliers. Corporate Philanthropy BlackBerry Blac kBerry seeks to make a positive impact in our communities, engaging the talents and resources of our people and partners to harness the power of technology. BlackBerry strongly believes in the importance of education and works to inspire the next generation of minds, particularly in the areas of science, technology, engineering and math. Outreach efforts are concentrated on students at public elementary and secondary schools.Proud2Be program BlackBerry supports employee efforts to give back to communities through Proud2Be, a set of internal programs which present several opportunities to support our communities through fundraising drives and volunteerism. Through the Volunteer Recognition Program and the Child and Youth Active Living Program, BlackBerry  donated to 294 organizations around the world. Through these programs and a variety of corporately supported events and activities, employees volunteered more than 14,800 hours in fiscal 2012. Junior Achievement Europe innovation campsAs part of our commitment to furthering science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), BlackBerry  has partnered with JA-YE Europe, Europe’s largest provider of entrepreneurship education programs. Our partnership has supported the facilitation of one-day STEM innovation camps, which have provided real life technology based business challenges for the students to tackle with our employee volunteers. Over 900 students and 70 employees in Italy, Spain, South Africa, France, Sweden and the UK have all had the chance to participate in these forward-thinking innovation camps.An employee volunteer from Italy explained: â€Å"It was a fantastic experience, seeing how these young people were so engaged and energized. They loved to learn about BlackBerry and were able to use their creative skills to come up with some brilliant innovations. And for me personally, I really enjoyed being able to play my part in helping guide these students and see them gain confidence and get excited about innovation for the future†. Science, technology, engineering and math BlackBerry  successfully reached over 1. million students over fiscal 2012 to encourage their interest in (STEM) through programs such as the Canada Wide Science Fair, FIRST Robotics, and the BlackBerry Hands On Workshops (BBHOW) series. The BBHOW program teaches 11 to 17 year olds the science behind mobile technology and explores careers in technology. Fiscal 2012 saw the expansion of this program into the U. K. , with employee volunteers delivering workshops to eager students. In all, more than 9,000 students were able to participate in this learning program.BlackBerry and Free the Children BlackBerry is proud to partner with and help build on Free The Children’s record of local and global youth engagement to take action towards an inspired vision for tomorrow. Free The Children has taken the unique notion of â€Å"children helping children† to affect social change around the world. Its work has resulted in significant changes in two distinct areas, both of which BlackBerry is proud to support. The first and most direct is access to education.The second is an increased level of awareness and engagement that changes the way the youth who volunteer view themselves and the world around them—a mechanism for shaping the leaders of tomorrow. Through domestic empowerment programs and leadership training, Free The Children inspires young people to become socially conscious global citizens as well as agents of change for their peers worldwide. BlackBerry Build A Village Awards Going into its second year, the  BlackBerry Build A Village Awards  program sent 50 students to India and Kenya in July and August 2012.These students helped provide access to basic needs in the context of Free The Children’s four pillars of community development: healthcare, water and sanitation, education, and alternative incomes. They also had the opportunity to see the development projects that last year’s award recipients completed, including the schools and classrooms that are now open and the water and sanitation stations which are so vital to improving quality of life in Eor Ewuaso, Kenya and Bagad, India. The school that BlackBerry award recipients helped build in Eor Ewuaso was honoured by Free The Children for several academic achievements.More than 1,000 students, teachers and parents attended the award ceremony which celebrated achievements from the previous year. Eor Ewuaso won eight awards, including best school overall. We Day Waterloo The third annual  We Day Waterloo  took place on Wednesday, November 14, 2012. Close to 6,000 students from throughout southwestern Ontario came together to experience an event like no other. Free The Children co-founders, motivational speakers, and celebrity guests helped rally these young people to take on leadership roles in their communities.With the help of social strategy consulting fir m Mission Measurement, Free The Children was able to capture unprecedented insight into the impact of our last We Day Waterloo upon students, educators, and their schools. Highlights include: * 97% of students believed they could make a meaningful difference, up from 66% last year * 85% of students felt more educated about social justice issues * 96% of students planned to lead or play an active role in a social justice initiative * More than half of the educators in the audience returned to their schools with a renewed sense of purpose and enthusiasm forPublic Policy and Government Relations BlackBerry As one of the world’s leading communications technology companies with customers in more than 175 countries, BlackBerry actively participates in governmental proceedings, industry associations and technology standards bodies. Shaping public policy and engaging in regulatory affairs BlackBerry  helps to drive innovation, shape global policies and promote access to leading-edg e technologies. BlackBerry  partners with national and international organizations and industry bodies around the world to advance the development of wireless technology and mobile communications.In fiscal 2012, BlackBerry  participated in public consultations across multiple jurisdictions on a range of issues including spectrum, privacy, security, convergence, accessibility, intellectual property, and other issues. Lawful access Lawful access is a request by national or international law enforcement authorities to telecom carriers or technology suppliers for access to user communications for the purposes of law enforcement, investigation or prosecution as duly requested under the laws of a jurisdiction.A common requirement around the world, lawful access may be required for reasons such as investigating, solving or prosecuting crime, or for ensuring national security. Like others in our industry, from time to time, BlackBerry may receive requests from legal authorities for lawf ul access assistance. We are guided by appropriate legal processes and publicly disclosed lawful access principles in this regard, as we balance any such requests against our priority of maintaining privacy rights of our users. We do not speculate or comment upon individual matters of lawful access.Additionally, BlackBerry  does not provide special deals for individual countries, and we clearly stipulate that BlackBerry  has no ability to support the access of BlackBerry ® Enterprise Server (BES) communications as only our enterprise clients have control over the encryption keys for these communications. BlackBerry  is committed to operating its business in accordance with recognized industry standards of business and social responsibility in the markets we serve. BlackBerry  will continue to evaluate the markets in which we operate, we will engage and express our views to government and we will continue to operate in a principled manner. Learn about BlackBerry lawful acce ss principles Content filtering Content filtering refers to the ability to remove access to inappropriate and/or illegal Internet–based content. While often applied in the home or in a business to screen inappropriate content such as malware or pornography, content filtering requirements are generally established by national governments or voluntarily in many countries by Internet service providers, including telecom carriers. BlackBerry  is not an Internet service provider.Like our competitors, we support our carrier partners around the world to meet their obligations or commitments by working with them to ensure the availability of appropriate content filtering solutions for BlackBerry smartphones. Child online safety and protection Online safety and the protection of children and young people in the mobile environment are especially important to BlackBerry. For BlackBerry smartphone and BlackBerry ® PlayBookâ„ ¢ tablet applications, BlackBerry ® Worldâ„ ¢ offer s content rating and filtering options based on the CTIA Wireless Association’s  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Guidelines for App Content Classification and Ratings†.This feature enables parents to set a rating filter in BlackBerry World  to restrict content of specified ratings from being displayed or purchased. In addition, BlackBerry  introduced new parental control features that give parents the ability to control and restrict their children's use of various services and applications on BlackBerry smartphones, such as browsing, text messaging, BlackBerry ® Messenger and access to social networks. Furthermore, BlackBerry  and other leading companies have joined the â€Å"CEO Coalition to make the Internet a better place for kids†, which is a voluntary initiative esigned to respond to challenges arising from the diverse ways in which young people go online. Product Sustainability BlackBerry Creating products with the earth in mind BlackBerry is always on the lookout for sus tainable innovations that meet the needs of the present without compromising the future. Our commitment to reducing our environmental impact is visible throughout the lifecycle of our products—from initial concept to final delivery. Improving product sustainabilityIn fiscal 2012,  BlackBerry worked with experienced sustainability consultants to conduct in-depth, baseline assessments of our sustainability policies, programs and product development activities. The Natural Step, an international non-profit research and advisory organization, conducted a Sustainability Life Cycle Assessment (SLCA). The SLCA provided a strategic overview of the sustainability of our products, highlighting the ecological and social impacts of current products throughout their life cycle.To further assess the impact of our products,  BlackBerry worked with Five Winds International, an experienced sustainability management consulting firm, to conduct comprehensive Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) stud ies on the BlackBerry ® Torchâ„ ¢ 9810 smartphone and the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet. The assessment provided an in-depth view of each product’s environmental impacts at every stage in its life cycle, from the materials used in the product, to production and distribution, to its use, and for the end of its useful life.Together, the SLCA and the LCA equip  BlackBerry with information to help focus our efforts on reducing our overall environmental impact. * Learn more about LCA * Sustainable at the source Sustainable sourcing, conflict-free minerals and higher recycled content all play a role in the development of our products. Working with suppliers and manufacturers, processes and policies are established to help deliver more sustainable products and enhance the customer experience. * Learn more about our materials * It’s more than just a box Moving toward a more sustainable, holistic packaging approach reduces BlackBerry’s environmental footprint.New eco -friendly packaging for BlackBerry ® smartphones, along with reduced transportation emissions, paperless documentation and new BlackBerry accessories, help us deliver more sustainable products. Learn more about our packaging * More energy, less waste * One of BlackBerry’s goals is to design more sustainably at each stage in the product life cycle by adopting Design for Environment principles and formalizing energy efficiency considerations in the Research and Development design processes. New charger and battery-saving tips help increase the energy efficiency of BlackBerry products. Learn more about energy efficiency * BlackBerry recycling BlackBerry  offers a variety of options for customers to responsibly dispose of BlackBerry devices that have reached the end of their useful life. Learn more about BlackBerry recycling Responsibility at BlackBerry BlackBerry BlackBerry is committed to global sustainability by improving the economic, social and environmental impacts of o ur day-to-day operations. BlackBerry teams implement programs across the organization to identify, execute and measure sustainable initiatives.Contact the BlackBerry Corporate Responsibility team 2012 Corporate Responsibility Report Download  (PDF) Corporate governance Learn about corporate governance at BlackBerry (BlackBerry Code of Business Standards and Principles, information regarding the Board of Directors and more) Corporate carbon footprint Learn about BlackBerry’s initiatives to reduce our corporate carbon footprint: * Learn about BlackBerry’s participation in the Carbon Disclosure Project * Learn about climate change initiatives * Learn about BlackBerry greenhouse gas initiatives * * Corporate operations BlackBerry is committed to reducing the environmental impact of our operations. * Energy Efficient Buildings * New data center built to green standards * Green IT * Waste diversion * Paper recycling * Paper procurement * View the BlackBerry Paper Procureme nt Policy  (PDF) * ISO 14001 Environmental Management System * The wireless handheld manufacture and repair services operations in Ontario are certified to the ISO 14001 standard. In fiscal 2013, BlackBerry will continue the process of expanding the scope of our certification to include research and development activities. Learn more about the BlackBerry ISO 14001 program Recognition by others BlackBery strives to create the best work environment for employees through a variety of programs. We are proud to have these efforts recognized by others. * 2012 Waterloo Region Top Employer * 2012 Canada’s Top 100 Employers for Young People * Randstad Canada’s Most Attractive Employer 2011 * Philanthropic and Community Leadership Award, Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce * Community Outreach Award, Rolling Meadows Chamber of Commerce * Outstanding Corporate Chamber Partner of the Year Award, Greater IrvingLas Colinas Chamber of Commerce Finding success with BlackBerry Thousand s of companies, government agencies and non-profit organizations worldwide have increased their success with the BlackBerry solution and are effectively improving people’s lives. Success stories, such as  TDI,  R3SM,  Herrle’s Country Farm Market,  International Medical Corps  and  Missing Children of South Africa, showcase how organizations are using the BlackBerry solution to benefit society. To find out why the BlackBerry solution was the best fit for these and other customers, visit the BlackBerry Customer Success website  www. lackberry. com/go/success. Supply Chain BlackBerry BlackBerry is committed to ensuring that the management of our supply chain activities is socially and environmentally responsible. As a multinational company we recognize that our supply chain operations reach many parts of the globe and a diverse range of communities, each with their own culture and business norms. As a responsible organization, we also recognize that there a re certain standards of employment and environmental performance that must be respected wherever we operate or have business relationships.These standards are encapsulated in our Supplier Code of Conduct, which was published in 2011. Supplier compliance with the BlackBerry Supplier Code of Conduct and Responsible Minerals Policy is an expectation for doing business and is fundamental to our supplier engagement activities. BlackBerry  continues to be an active participant in the Electronic Industry Citizenship Coalition (EICC) and the Global e-Sustainability Initiative (GeSI). View the BlackBerry Supplier Code of Conduct  (PDF) View the BlackBerry Responsible Minerals Policy  (PDF) Learn about the EICCLearn about the GeSI Supply chain social responsibility implementation BlackBerry  uses a risk-based approach for monitoring supplier conformance to our Supplier Code of Conduct. In fiscal 2012, BlackBerry established an enhanced process for evaluating supplier social and enviro nmental responsibility (SER) risk and prioritizing suppliers for assessments. The first step is a high-level risk assessment based on such factors as supplier location, commodity, relationship and history. The high-level risk assessment intended to be conducted annually on our identified supplier list.The output of this assessment is a prioritized list of suppliers, who will be required to complete detailed self-assessments. BlackBerry  intends to use the EICC-ON system to gather this information. BlackBerry  supports a common industry solution to supplier SER management and is actively engaged in the continued development of the system through work with EICC. BlackBerry  has formalized a process for reviewing the supplier self-assessments and plans to use the results as an input to BlackBerry’s SER audit schedule. Learn more about our auditing process Freely chosen employment in our supply chains BlackBerry  supports the principle of freely chosen employment and does not support the use of slave labor in any of its forms, including forced labor and child labor. View the BlackBerry Statement Regarding Freely Chosen Employment In Our Supply Chains  (PDF) Building capacity through training Like many other companies in our sector, we conduct on-site audits to check that our suppliers are complying with our Supplier Code of Conduct.We also recognize that auditing is only one of a number of tools that can be used to help drive improvements in supply chain performance. We are interested in developing additional sustainable solutions and in this respect BlackBerry  is a co-leader of the EICC/GeSI Learning ; Capability Work Group. During 2011 the group developed and launched supply chain training programs focused on health and safety in the workplace and worker-management communications, including sessions hosted by BlackBerry  suppliers. Supply chain carbon reportingBlackBerry  is participating in the EICC’s carbon reporting system. Thro ugh this system we will survey many of our direct suppliers of materials, which will give us insight into the carbon emissions associated with BlackBerry’s supply chain. It will help us to identify areas for improvement and opportunities to work with suppliers on projects to reduce carbon emissions. It will also help to raise awareness within our supply chain of the impact of carbon emissions on the environment and the benefits that can be gained through reduction programs.Conflict minerals It is widely recognised that control over the valuable raw material resources of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and surrounding countries has contributed to armed conflict and serious cases of human rights abuses in the region. BlackBerry  does not support the use of minerals that are illegally mined, transported or traded, nor metals derived from such minerals, including gold, tantalum (columbite-tantalite), tin (cassiterite) and tungsten (wolframite).In January 2012, BlackBerry   published a  Responsible Minerals Policy  to clearly state our position. * Learn more about BlackBerry work to address conflict minerals Solutions for Hope In fiscal 2012, BlackBerry  joined the Solutions for Hope project which aims to create a process to deliver conflict-free tantalum material from the DRC in accordance with the OECD Due Diligence Guidance. The process is based on a â€Å"closed pipe† principle in which tantalite ore mined from specific sites within the DRC is traced along its secure supply chain to the smelter.The smelter, who is a participant in the CFS Program, converts the ore to capacitor grade powder and wire that is then shipped to AVX Corporation, who in turn manufactures the capacitors and ships them to participating customers, including BlackBerry. Not only does this program help to ensure that tantalum used in our products comes from verifiably conflict-free sources, but it also provides hope to the small artisanal miners and communities who rely on this work to support themselves and their families. Learn about Solutions for Hope Supplier diversity Launched in the U. S. nd Canada in fiscal 2012, the BlackBerry  Supplier Diversity Program works to create mutually beneficial business relationships with diverse suppliers that strengthen communities. The goal is to provide opportunities to diverse suppliers who satisfy purchasing and contractual standards. Diverse businesses include small businesses, businesses owned by veterans, minorities or women, and those in historically underutilized business zones. Sourcing areas of the corporation are encouraged to identify and include diverse suppliers and consultants in the procurement process. * Learn about the BlackBerry Supplier Diversity Program