The Effects of Language Extinction on Cultural Identity in Third World Countries - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 7 Words: 2171 Downloads: 7 Date added: 2019/04/10 Category Culture Essay Level High school Tags: Cultural Identity Essay Did you like this example? Language extinction has grown immensely in third world countries recently, stripping many from their cultures. Some see language extinction as a positive effect because narrowing down the number of languages can lead to easier communication between people. Others see it as a negative effect because the growth of language extinction means the increase of dying cultures. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "The Effects of Language Extinction on Cultural Identity in Third World Countries" essay for you Create order There are some that think of language extinction as neither beneficial nor harmful and think there should be a greater focus on the other problems surrounding third world countries. Language extinction may not be the biggest issue in these countries, but should still be focused on, and resolved through the preservation of endangered languages, due to the death of people’s cultural identities, traditions, and morals. The term â€Å"third world country,† also known as a â€Å"developing country,† is a country that is in need of becoming more advanced or modern economically and socially, for example, some of the countries of Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Oceania. Third world countries face many problems like poverty, starvation, hazardous water sources, high death rates, corrupt governments, inadequate education, and poor sanitary conditions. These issues in developing countries overshadow the issue of language extinction, with language extinction just now being paid attention to in recent years. Languages are often looked at serving valuable references of group belongings that allow people of different ethnicities or nationalities to know what group they belong to, and what similar heritage they may share (â€Å"‘Our Languages are Dying’†). Extinction or loss of a language is not only looked at as one less way to say â€Å"hello,† but is also looked at a s the death or loss of a culture (â€Å"‘Our Languages are Dying’†). Languages are utilized like tools for comprehension of people’s realities, a person’s language influences the way they perceive the atmosphere around them, their beliefs, their actions, their speech or diction, and their behavior in social situations (â€Å"‘Our Languages are Dying’†). Due to the lack of light shined on the issue of language extinction there is now a growing fear of alteration or abandonment to one’s native tongue indicating a possibility of their language not surviving till the twenty-second century (â€Å"‘Our Languages are Dying’†). â€Å"It is estimated that only ten percent of the present languages in the world will survive† (â€Å"‘Our Languages are Dying’†). The article â€Å"‘Our Languages are Dying’† comes from a non-profit organization, Cultural Survival, the organization works to keep the vast amount of cultures alive. Many languages are endangered, in danger or at risk of becoming extinct; ninety percent of languages are predicted to vanish with this generation (Abrams and Strogatz). Daniel M. Abrams one of two of the authors of â€Å"Linguistics: Modelling the Dynamics of Language Death,† is a professor; the other author Steven H. Strogatz has attended man y refined colleges such as Princeton, Cambridge, and Harvard. Languages are representations of people’s cultures and ethnic classification ’s that are being stripped away with the increase in the number of languages disappearing or vanishing sooner than one may think. The Earth’s population is continuously growing with third world countries making up the majority of the population and first world countries, like the United States and small parts of Europe, making up the minority. â€Å"The Earth’s population of seven billion people speaks roughly 7,000 languages;† comparing the number of languages to the population amount there should be about one million people speaking each language (Rymer). With the accelerated deterioration of the many languages in the world, many are referring to it as a â€Å"linguistic genocide† (Wolfin). Adrian Wolfin, the author of the article â€Å"Falling Silent,† has written articles for the organization and magazine New Internationalist. â€Å"Seventy- Eight percent of the world’s population speaks the eighty-five largest languages, while the 3,500 smallest languages share a mere eight and one-fourth of a million speakers† (Rymer). In the next one hundred years linguist s, a person who studies languages, believe approximately half of the Earth’s amount of languages have a possibility of vanishing or becoming extinct (Rymer). â€Å"More than one thousand languages are listed as critically or severely endangered;† with one language statistically becoming extinct every fourteen days. (Rymer). Languages that are spoken in remote or abandoned places, like many areas in third world countries, are now not being protected by any national borders or natural barriers from the dominating languages, like English, in control of world communication and trade (Rymer). The article â€Å"Vanishing Voices,† written by Russ Rymer, was published in a widely popular magazine National Geographic. Smaller or minuscule languages are being dominated by the more known or popular languages for ease of communication and business matters between countries causing many smaller spoken languages to disappear or become extinct stripping people from what should be their native tongue. The cause for many languages being abandoned is due to multiple factors, from parents not teaching the language to their children, smaller languages being dominated by larger languages, or genocide, mass murder of a particular group of people. Many parents in tribal settlements or communities, like those found in m any third world countries, commonly are found not teaching their children their native tongue, what is supposed to be their first language, but are instead teaching languages that are said to provide improved education and achievements (Rymer). Often parents that speak smaller languages do not find the need to teach their language to their child since it is considered uncommon; they view communicating the small language not convenient or unbeneficial to their child’s future (â€Å"‘Our Languages are Dying’†). Many people believe abandoning their native tongue will be beneficial to them economically; the reason for this belief is due to the media mainly showing more popular languages causing people who speak smaller languages to feel isolated (Ostler). Because of the isolating feel, people will abandon their native tongue and the many traditions that come with the language to learn the more â€Å"beneficial† language for them (Ostler). Commonly the younger generation loses interest in the smaller language and older generations lose hope trying to keep the language alive due to the disrespect they have undergone for living with a small language (Ostler). Nicholas Ostler, the author of the art icle â€Å"Endangered Languages-Lost Worlds,† is a linguist, a person who studies languages, making him knowledgeable about languages and diction. Sometimes genocide is the cause for language extinction, if a population that speaks a certain language is suddenly murdered so is their language, traditions, and culture (Woodbury). â€Å"Often a community is pressured to give up its language, and even ethnic and cultural identity† (Woodbury). In some places, it is prohibited by law and people are punished for writing or teaching their language causing many languages to become extinct (Woodbury). Anthony C. Woodbury, the author of â€Å"What Is an Endangered Language?,† is a linguist and a member of the organization â€Å"Linguistic Society of America.† â€Å"Languages evolve, flourish, and disappear through history†¦ modern commerce and communications are assimilating thousands of once remote societies and their language into one global culture (Hayden). Thomas Hayden, the author of the article â€Å"Losing Our Voices,† is a journalist and a director at Stanford University. Each cause of language extinction is linked to the reason for the loss of many diverse cultures and traditions. Despite language extinction affecting cultures and traditions it also affects science and knowledge. The loss of a language means information loss which can create instability in an ethnic group; culture is the fo undation of stability or the feeling of security, and when a language becomes extinct it creates isolation, discouragement, and irritation (Hayden). When a language becomes extinct not only is culture and traditions lost but â€Å"many fields of science from evolutionary biology and anthropology to ecology and neuroscience will be impoverished† (Cookson). Each language that becomes extinct and is not documented or recorded leaves a tremendous gap in people’s knowledge or comprehension of some of the complicated anatomy the human mind is possible of conceiving (Cookson). Scientists hope to document languages before they become extinct to hopefully preserve the minimum of a small portion of its culture and scientific inheritance (Cookson). Any language that becomes extinct is considered a loss to science, however, some languages that are considered rarer are more valuable than others (Cookson). Clive Cookson, the author of Linguists Speak Out for the Dying Tongues: LANGUAGE: Scientists are Engaged in a Race Against Time to Research and Catalogue the Worlds Disappearing Dialects, Writes Clive Cookson:: [LONDON 1ST EDITION], is an editor and journalist for Financial Times and studies many fields of sciences. As language extinction increases linguists are now trying to categorize and decide the most valuable languages to preserve ba sed on the amount of useful information they have to offer and what insights are being lost (Rymer). Many linguists are attempting to learn as much as they possibly can about the endangered languages before they become extinct so not all beneficial knowledge is lost when the language vanishes (Woodbury). Language loss not only means the loss of a culture, which is already horrid enough itself, it also means the loss of valuable knowledge and science. There are many potential solutions to solving language extinction, and if the solutions were followed through it could mean the preservation of many diverse cultures and valuable knowledge. A possible solution to language extinction could be enforcing policies, improving education, and advertising to make the endangered languages more known (Abrams and Strogatz). The increasing number of conferences, workshops, and publications are now offering more support for people, schools, and communities that are attempting to preserve smaller or endangered languages (Woodbury). Many researchers are also trying to preserve endangered languages, so valuable knowledge is not lost, by making â€Å"videotapes, audiotapes, and written records of language use in both formal and informal settings, along with translations† (Woodbury). Many linguists are also working with communities that wish to preserve their language by offering â€Å"technical and practical help with language teaching, maintenance, and revival† and are also writing many dictionaries and grammars of the endangered languages (Woodbury). Many linguists are encouraging people to become multilingual, a person fluent of multiple languages, or at least bilingual, a person fluent in two languages, to maintain their native tongue while learning an international language (Cookson). There are also many organizations working to bring attention to language extinction and the need to record endangered languages (Pollak). Michael Pollack, the author of the article â€Å"World’s Dying Languages, Alive on the Web,† has had many of his articles published in the magazine The New York Times. It should be known that people do not have to give up their language or culture, just because it is uncommon, for a more popular dominating language. As seen in the Frida Kahlo painting â€Å"Self Portrait Between the Borderline of Mexico and the United States,† Mexico and the United States, two different cultures can collide without either having to give up their traditions or languages. Frida Kahlo, a Mexican, can still preserve her language and culture while adopting a language that may be known as more beneficial for her in the United States. However, some argue that there should be nothing done to preserve endangered languages because multiple languages can cause harder communication between people. People argue that society is lacking in change, of embracing multiple cultures, and should embrace a global culture for a faster development of economy (â€Å"‘Our Languages are Dying’†). Many languages can lead to uncontrollable people and unsteady governments; societies with many cultures are often hard to keep under control due to the diverse amount of morals and traditions (Ostler). Many think it would be much easier to abandon their smaller language and adopt a more international language to communicate with others easier and provide more economic benefits to themselves (Ostler). People also argue that languages have been disappearing for a long time and will continue to disappear, therefore there is no point in the preservation of the endangered languages (Ostler). Another argument is that third world countries need to focus on developing their country instead of trying to preserve a language or culture, however, without a person’s culture, there is no meaning to life. Despite people’s arguments for not preserving endangered languages, there is no denying that cultures and traditions are lost when a language dies. In conclusion, language extinction not only causes the death of cultures, traditions, and morals but also results in the loss of knowledge and science. Preserving endangered languages must be done to keep traditions and valuable or bene ficial knowledge alive for future generations. Many things can be done to preserve languages like specific schools that teach the endangered language, documenting the language, or teaching younger generations to become bilingual. Third world countries are already surrounded by multiple issues, there is no need for the increase of language extinction to become a bigger issue when it can be easily resolved. A person without their native tongue, or what is supposed to be their first language, are missing a huge chunk of their cultural identity.

Slavery During The Civil War - 1707 Words

Cotton was the king of the South. It was bringing in large amounts of money as the textile industry in the North grew. Slavery was vital to the economic well-being of the South, and when the North began to question the â€Å"peculiar institution† of the South the wall of civility between the two sectionalized areas began to crumble. Due to the growing issue of slavery in the 1850s, the United States of America was in a state of total disarray and turmoil. The tension that had always existed between the North and South over the matter of slavery was no longer ignorable. As the United States expanded to the West, the status of slavery in the new states erupted in a violence that could no longer be controlled by sectionalism. The peace treaties that had worked in the past became Band-Aids over stab wounds. Southern states began to leave the United States of America to form the Confederate States of America and war was declared as the South fired onto the forts of the North. The C ivil War was caused directly by the issue of slavery; the fugitive slave act in the Compromise of 1850, Dred Scott v. Sandford, and Bleeding Kansas prove that slavery was the key factor in the eruption of the nation. In 1832, Dr. John Emerson purchased a thirty year old male slave, Dred Scott, from the Blow family; Emerson moved from the southern territory of Alabama into the Northern territory of Illinois with Dred Scott in tow (VanderVelde 4). â€Å"Slavery did exist in Illinois, yet Emerson had brought hisShow MoreRelatedSlavery During The Civil War1159 Words   |  5 PagesThe Civil War, occurring between the years 1861 and 1865, was a devastating effect of sectionalism caused by the division of the country on the topic of slavery. Slavery impacted every aspect of the country, whether in the North or the South, though primarily in the South; major impacts were in the politics and economy of the early country ways which inevitably caused the Civil War. Slavery was the focal point of the economy in the South, this inthrallment was the fuel for the agricultural SouthRead MoreSlavery During The Civil War989 Words   |  4 Pagesthe foul seeds of slavery in American soil. Quickly, slavery would spread like weeds throughout the colonies, and became significantly important to the South. According to the Constitutional Rights Foundation, â€Å"Before the Civil War, nearly 4 million black slaves toiled in the American South.† However, during the late 1800s, many American citizens began to contemplate the mortality of slavery, thereby causing the states to divide. Although the North was for the abolition of slavery, the South defendedRead MoreSlavery During The Civil War Essay1728 Words   |  7 Pages Eighteen century was a time period when slavery took deep roots in the New World. Slavery institution deeply affected and shaped the United States in the way we know it now. It affected all aspects of an American society: politically, economically and socially. Slaves were the ones who worked on large plantations, harvesting the crops, taking care of houses, fighting for an American independence, and gave the white people a leisure time to improve their knowledge and exercise political powerRead MoreSlavery During The Civil War1571 Words   |  7 PagesSlavery, defined in Webster’s dictionary as the â€Å"condition in which one human being is owned by another†, was a heinous crime against humanity that was legal and considered a normality in America from 1619 to 1865. In 1865, the Union won the Civil War against the Confederates and declared that African American slaves be emancipated. Before their emancipation, African American families were split up, never to see each other again. Their rights of political and social freedoms were also stripped awayRead MoreSlavery During The Civil War Essay1761 Words   |  8 PagesThe idea of slavery in early America began when African slaves were brought to the newly settled North American settlement called Jamestown in Virginia in 1619, to help in the cultivation of cash crops as tobacco. Slavery was practiced all throughout the colonies in the 17th and 18th centuries, with the abundance of practically free labor provided from the enslaved African-Americans helped pave the road of economic foundations in the newly founded nation. With the invention of the cotton gin in 1793Read MoreSlavery During The Civil War1751 Words   |  8 PagesFreedom. Independence. Liberty. Slavery in America began as early as the 1600’s when the colonists began settling in Jamestown. Originally, slavery was merely a small system of labor, meant to aid the production of crops and help build the economic foundations of the New World. The concept of slavery differed from place to place and from person to person. Some believed that owning another person as a source of free labor was just, wanting to extend the idea of slavery. Others thought the labor systemRead MoreSlavery During The Civil War1900 Words   |  8 Pageslifestyles, abolitionists from north were against slavery and advocated emancipation to slaves in the south. Slavery may not have been the only factor that sparked a disagreement between the north and south but it certainly had an influence on states decisions to remain or leave the Union. The conflict of slavery has been an issue as early as the American Revolution but it became a serious problem around the 1850’s and during the Civil War. The impact slavery had on the Union can be seen in events suchRead MoreSlavery During The Civil War Essay1754 Words   |  8 Pages‘Modern’ slavery in America began in 1619 when the first wave of slaves, were brought from Africa to a North American colony in Jamestown, Virginia. From 1619 to 1807 (when The Act Prohibiting Importation of Slaves was made) according to the Trans-Atlantic Slave Database 12.5 million african were shipped to America. Prior to this slavery had existed as early as 1400 in europe. In America their sole purpose was to facilitate the production of lucrative crops such as Tobacco and cotton. By the 18thRead MoreSlavery During The Civil War1636 Words   |  7 PagesThe Reasons that led to the Continue of Slavery in Virginia When Englishmen arrived at Jamestown they found a great land for farming. A few years later when the Englishmen decided to settle down at the new land, they grew a high-grade tobacco at the Chesapeake . It did not take long time for settlers to understand that they could pay their fines, debts, and taxes with tobacco, so they started to grow tobacco everywhere. In order to support economic growth and luxury living, EnglishmenRead MoreSlavery During The Civil War1908 Words   |  8 PagesThroughout the 1800s in America, slavery was a controversy between the north and the south. A Slave was one who was the property of another human being under law and was forced to obey them. The North felt that slavery was unfair and inhumane, whereas in the South, they felt as though slavery was crucial to their success. African American slaves were not allowed many rights: they were not allowed to testify in court against a white person, could not receive an education, or even sign c ontracts

Banking Regulation Act Summary Free Essays

BANKING REGULATIONS ACT 1949 The Banking Regulation Act was passed as the Banking Companies Act 1949 and came into force wef 16. 3. 49. We will write a custom essay sample on Banking Regulation Act Summary or any similar topic only for you Order Now Subsequently it was changed to Banking Regulations Act 1949 wef 01. 03. 66. Summary of some important sections is provided hereunder. The section no. is given at the end of each item. For details, kindly refer the bare Act. * Banking means accepting for the purpose of lending or investment of deposits of money from public repayable on demand or otherwise and withdrawable by cheque, drafts order or otherwise (5 (i) (b)). Banking company means any company which transacts the business of banking (5(i)(c) * Transact banking business in India (5 (i) (e). * Demand liabilities are the liabilities which must be met on demand and time liabilities means liabilities which are not demand liabilities (5(i)(f) * Secured loan or advances means a loan or advance made on the security of asset the market value of which is not at any time less than the amount of such loan or advances and unsecured loan or advances means a loan or advance not secured (5(i)(h). Defines business a banking company may be engaged in like borrowing, lockers, letter of credit, traveller cheques, mortgages etc (6(1). * States that no company shall engage in any form of business other than those referred in Section 6(1) (6(2). * For banking companies carrying on banking business in India to use at least one word bank, banking, banking company in its name (7). * Restrictions on business of certain kinds such as trading of goods etc. (8) * Prohibits banks from holding any immovable property howsoever acquired except as acquired for its own use for a period exceeding 7 years from acquisition of the property. RBI may extend this period by five years (9) * Prohibitions on employments like Chairman, Directors etc (10) * Paid up capital, reserves and rules relating to these (11 12) * Banks not to pay any commission, brokerage, discount etc. more than 2. 5% of paid up value of one share (13) * Prohibits a banking company from creating a charge upon any unpaid capital of the company. (14) Section 14(A) prohibits a banking company from creating a floating charge on the undertaking or any property of the company without the RBI permission. * Prohibits payment of dividend by any bank until all of its capitalised expenses have been completely written off (15) * To create reserve fund and 20% of the profits should be transferred to this fund before any dividend is declared (17 (1)) * Cash reserve – Non-scheduled banks to maintain 3% of the demand and time liabilities by way of cash reserves with itself or by way of balance in a current account with RBI (18) * Permits banks to form subsidiary company for certain purposes (19) * No banking company shall hold shares in any company, whether as pledgee, mortgagee or absolute owners of any amount exceeding 30% of its own paid up share capital + reserves or 30% of the paid up share capital of that company whichever is less. (19(2). Restrictions on banks to grant loan to person interested in management of the bank (20) * Power to Reserve Bank to issue directive to banks to determine policy for advances (21) * Every bank to maintain a percentage of its demand and time liabili ties by way of cash, gold, unencumbered securities 25%-40% as on last Friday of 2nd preceding fortnight (24). * Return of unclaimed deposits (10 years and above) (26) * Every bank has to publish its balance sheet as on March 31st (29). * Balance sheet is to be got audited from qualified auditors (30 (i)) * Publish balance sheet and auditors report within 3 months from the end of period to which they refer. RBI may extend the period by further three month (31) * Prevents banks from producing any confidential information to any authority under Indl Disputes Act. (34A) * RBI authorised to undertake inspection of banks (35). * Amendment carried in the Act during 1983 empowers Central Govt to frame rules specifying the period for which a bank shall preserve its books (45-y), nomination facilities (45ZA to ZF) and return a paid instrument to a customer by keeping a true copy (45Z). * Certain returns are also required to be sent to RBI by banks such as monthly return of liquid assets and liabilities (24-3), quarterly return of assets and liabilities in India (25), return of unclaimed deposits i. e. 10 years and above (26) and monthly return of assets and liabilities (27-1). How to cite Banking Regulation Act Summary, Essay examples

Factors Behind Food Supply Shortages Kenya â€Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: Discuss About The Factors Behind Food Supply Shortages Kenya? Answer: Introducation The article Maize shortage: How did we get here? Written by Ken Macharia in June 24th 2017 in Kenya is going to tell us about the shortage of maize that has currently become a political issue. The article clearly notes that this issue is not a new one as it has been experienced in Kenya from time to time. Kenya is running into a food crisis as the staple food is becoming less affordable owing to the high prices of flour (Peralta 2017). Kenya produces maize but not enough to meet the annual demand and thus is forced to import the deficit from the neighboring countries such as Uganda and Tanzania (Macharia 2017). There are several reasons that are behind the current alarming shortage of maize in Kenya; this articles marketing concern will be on the most critical factors that have been agreed by many to be responsible. The paper shall analyze how such a food shortage will or have impacted the food prices and how this has or will consequently impact the social welfare. This will be explained by the gains and losses on consumer and producer surpluses theory. This paper will thus be important to the Kenyan government and other governments that are undergoing a similar issue of food shortage. It will establish the problems, and draw conclusions that will be accompanied by various recommendations on the best way forward. The elasticity theory will help to explain why there still exist a shortage of supply for maize even when prices are very high. It will consider the previous actions taken by the government and how successful the policies have been. One of the policy is the waiving of import duty on maize and the elimination of VAT on bread and maize flour (Chinagoabroad.com 2017). The article also determines when and how this shortage is going to come to an end. The laws of demand and supply will help determine the equilibrium level. Demand and Supply Demand is what consumers need, whereas supply is what the producers provide. Kenya does not produce sufficient bags of maize to meet its annual demand; it produces 36 million bags whereas its annual demand is 42 million bags, the 6 million bag deficit is sourced from Uganda and Tanzania. At initial equilibrium level x, the quantity level is Q* and price level is P*. Since the shortage is caused by other factors other than price, the supply curve is forced to shift leftward from S0 to S1; the shift is represented by the arrow; the supply level fell from Q* to Q1. Demand and supply law dictates that any factor other than price causes the demand or supply curve to shift. A new equilibrium level e is created at the new supply level. The shortage in supply causes the price level to rise from P* to P1. This fall in the supply of maize explains the rising price of flour in Kenya. Producer and Consumer Surplus and the Dead Weight loss Producer surplus is the benefit the producers enjoy from selling at a price higher than what they are willing to sell. The consumer surplus is the benefit the consumers enjoy from buying at a price lower than what they are willing to pay. Importation is important for the Kenyan government to supply for the excess demand. Without importation the supply for maize is lower and thus the bags are sold at a high price P1. The equilibrium level where supply of maize equates the demand is at point x where 42 bags of maize are demanded and supplied at a price P*. The equilibrium quantity is met by importation (supply with importation); the price charged per bag is lower and thus a maximization of social welfare. At a high price P1, the consumer surplus is lower (area aP1b); since the equilibrium level is at x, the lower consumer surplus is associated by a deadweight loss on consumers equal to area bcx. The producer surplus without importation is the area below P1b but above the supply curve without importation; it is associated by a deadweight on producers equal to are cxd. At the equilibrium point x, both the consumers and producers surplus are higher since the deadweight loss is absent. The deadweight loss is a representatio n of efficiency loss. The equilibrium consumer surplus is ap*x and producer surplus is are below P*x but above supply curve with importation. Hoarding of Products Influence by Market Prices One of the most probable cause of the shortage is the preexisted drought that led to a reduction in the average harvesting by the farmers (Obulutsa and Miriri 2017). The economy received little rainfall during the previous year and the rainfall season was distorted. Since most of the Kenyan farmers depend on rainfall for their crops, there was no way they could have escaped the drought. Further, TheBigIssue (2017) also noted that farmers hoarded their produce since the market prices were low. Farmers have been receiving low prices for their products for years even after the input price have gone up (Mulenga 2017). The second cause is attributed to the governments failure to oversee the upcoming maize shortfall on the basis of the reduced average production during the previous harvesting; there was already in place a warning for the upcoming shortage. The instability in South Sudan is also another factor behind the interrupted maize supply. The instability caused a huge rise in the maize price in South Sudan compared to what the National Cereal Produce Board (NCPB) offered. This made it more attractive to sell maize bags in this region to get a share of the increased profit. Some investors from Uganda and Kenya exported maize to this region. The price offered in South Sudan was 5000 whereas NCPB offered 3000. This increased the shortage as some of the 36 million bags produced in Kenya were exported to South Sudan and the 3 million bags sourced from Uganda became unavailable since a better marketing was obtained. The 2.5 to 3 million bags sourced from Tanzania was also not available since there was a change of policy from selling maize to maize floor in Tanzania. The article by Macharia (2017) makes an important notion that the shortage could have been avoided by raising the NCPB maize price by 600 to 3600. This would have made it more attractive to many producers to sell to the NCPB. The action implemented was too little and wrongly implemented. Jonathan Nzuma noted that the subsidy policy was expensive and only a short term measure; it was not appropriate and would not benefit the consumers (Peralta 2017). The action taken was for the government to pump 6 billion on maize subsidy program which lowered the maize floor from ksh 182 to 90 (Oforo 2017). There was also an allowance for the importation of duty-free maize to curb the shortage (TheBigIssue 2017). Elasticity of Demand Consequences Elasticity is a determinant of how demand or supply responds to the price changes. There was a huge rise in the price of maize rose to the highest level ever experienced in this economy. Maize floor is a staple food and thus has an inelastic demand to price changes; this means that almost the same quantity is consumed no matter how high the price is. A 2kg tin of maize retailed at a price of Ksh 150 in areas where there is increased maize production and Ksh 180 where maize is inadequate; this translated to a 90 kg bag selling at Ksh 6750. Even after the subsidy, price offered by the retailers was above Ksh 90 because supply was still inadequate and the retailers were able to ration the product (Andae 2017). Other than the maize flour price going up and becoming unaffordable, the wheat flour price has also gone up and is also becoming unaffordable. This is because the demand for wheat flour has gone up owing to its increased consumption as a substitute for maize floor (Andae 2017). Ge nerally, there was an increase in the CPI and inflation rate with the biggest change lying on food and alcoholic beverages (Kenya National Bureau of Statistics 2017). The high price benefited consumers since the inelastic demand maintained almost the same level of demand. The harvesting of maize by Western and South Rift farmers in September is the only action that will stabilize the situation. Conclusion The maize production subsidy offered by the government was not the best solution to curbing the maize shortage. The subsidy was part of the campaign strategy employed by the government leaders on their personal boost for their campaign; it was only meant to appease consumers. This subsidy was beneficial only to the millers. The farmers had no benefit from this subsidy. What the government should have done, it should have used these 6 billion funds to buy the maize from the farmers at a higher price; this would have been more beneficial to the Kenyan farmers and would have translated to an improvement in the economys growth. The government should ensure that farmers get better prices for their produce so as to boost their productivity; this makes it impractical for the imposition of floor prices on maize. The government could have overseen the upcoming maize shortage and implement good policies towards the same. A research on the best policies could have taken place on the policy make rs side and leave subsidy as the last option. The warning provided by the experts on an upcoming maize shortage should have been taken seriously and could have provided the policy makers with enough time to decide on the best policies. It could have seen the dangers of allowing maize exportation to South Sudan and implement strict restriction before the situation worsens. Since the subsidy program was not the best policy, it is not expected to be sustained in the long run and thus the government should seek an alternative action. The land management practices could be a long term solution to increasing farmers productivity as recommended by the World Bank. References Andae, Gerald. 2017. "Expensive Maize Pushes Up Price Of Wheat Flour". Business Daily. https://www.businessdailyafrica.com/markets/news/Expensive-maize-pushes-up-price-of-wheat-flour/3815534-3940468-4cvuxrz/index.html. [Accessed 28 Sep. 2017]. Andae, Gerald. 2017. "Kenya: Retailers Sell Subsidized Maize Flour at Sh119, New Data Shows". Allafrica.Com. https://allafrica.com/stories/201707040263.html. [Accessed 27 Sep. 2017]. Chinagoabroad.com. 2017. "Asoko Sector Brief - Kenya Maize Production Q2 2017". Chinagoabroad.Com. https://www.chinagoabroad.com/en/article/asoko-sector-brief-kenya-maize-production-q2-2017. [Accessed 27 Sep. 2017]. Fews.net. 2017. "East Africa: Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia, Somalia, South Sudan, Rwanda, and Burundi Regional Maize Supply and Market Outlook". FEWS NET. https://www.fews.net/sites/default/files/documents/reports/East%20Africa_Market%20Supply%20Oulook_20170914_FINAL.pdf. [Accessed 28 Sep. 2017]. Kenya National Bureau of Statistics. 2017. "CPI and Rates of Inflation for August 2017". Kenya National Bureau of Statistics. https://www.knbs.or.ke/download/cpi-rates-inflation-august-2017/. [Accessed 27 Sep. 2017]. Macharia, Ken. 2017. "Maize Shortage: How Did We Get Here?" Capital Business. https://www.capitalfm.co.ke/business/2017/06/maize-shortage-how-did-we-get-here/. [Accessed 27 Sep. 2017]. Mulenga, Davis. 2017. "'Government Will Not Set Floor Price for Maize' - Minister". African Farming. https://www.africanfarming.com/government-floor-price-maize/. [Accessed 28 Sep. 2017]. Oforo, Valentine. 2017. "Traders Make Huge Profits On Subsidized Maize Flour (Kenya)". Asoko Insight. https://asokoinsight.com/news/traders-make-huge-profits-on-subsidised-maize-flour-kenya. [Accessed 27 Sep. 2017]. Peralta, Eyder. 2017. "Price Of Corn, A Kenyan Staple, civil-engineering". NPR.Org. https://www.npr.org/2017/06/04/531444392/price-of-corn-a-kenyan-staple-soars. [Accessed 27 Sep. 2017]. TheBigIssue. 2017. "KRA Opens Window for Duty-Free Maize Imports". THE BIG ISSUE. https://www.thebigissue.co.ke/index.php/2017/05/07/kra-opens-window-duty-free-maize-imports/. World Bank. 2017. "Kenya Project Boosts Maize Production and Climate Change Benefits". World Bank. https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2017/07/18/kenya-project-boosts-maize-production-and-climate-change-benefits. [Accessed 28 Sep. 2017].

The Effects of Social Networking Sites on an Individuals Life

Introduction Social networking can be termed and described as the groping of individuals. This is done into specific groups. In this case, it should be known that social networking is most popular online than in any other place. We can not rule out the existence of social networking in other places like workplace and schools but it has been more popular on the internet and this is a fact that we all need to agree to. Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on The Effects of Social Networking Sites on an Individual’s Life specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The internet is filled with millions of people who are looking for new experiences as far as meeting others and making friends is concerned (Kelsey 13). Other aspects of sharing information have also picked up in recent years and this means that social networking has brought about a new approach to human beings relationships. This means that it has come with various impacts that need to be evaluated and looked at. Such impacts and effects can be looked at from different perspectives depending on what we expect to see and evaluate. As much as social networking often involves grouping individuals together for a common goal, we need to critically evaluate the social networking sites that have been shaping the whole aspect of socializing as time goes by. This therefore brings us to the important topic and aspect of social networking sites. In this case, a social networking site lays more emphasis on building social relations (Powers 21). This can be amongst people who share different interests or have some specific characteristics that they can be distinctly identified with. Social networking sites have also been known to provide a virtual community that revolves around specific aspects. In this case, people with common and shared interests can communicate without any problem. Discussion Social networking sites It should be known that so cial networking sites have had various effects on individuals’ lives. This paper will therefore focus on the effects of social networking sites on an individual’s life. This is because social networking sites have been know to have a number of effects depending on the user. For example, social networking sites can affect a students learning in a brood way. On the other hand, social networking sites can also have an impact on an individuals work life (Kelsey 19). Advertising Looking for research paper on it? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More These are the effects that this paper seeks to analyze and evaluate. It should be known that social networking sites have positive and negative effects. It is therefore important that such aspects are looked at for long term sustainability. Social networking sites have various impacts on the society, individuals, relationships, the youth, students, teenagers, communication and others. These sites have changed our lives in a broad and they will continue to change the way we relate as time goes by. We are described as social animals and this is based on our ability to form social groups. Face book, YouTube, My space, Twitter and others have enabled individuals to form clusters that have revolutionized their interaction. With this kind of services around us, you can be sure that they will ultimately change the way we relate with each other (Baron 9). Social networking has enabled people to meet with others without necessarily having to travel to different locations. This can be a long lost friend or school mate whom you have not seen in a while. Overview In this case, you can connect and re-connect with a number of lost friends. This is as far as students and workmates are concerned. Social networking sites have brought confusion about our weak ties and strong ties. In this case, there is no distinction between genuine friends and other acquaintances and t his should be a worrying trend as far as individuals’ lives are concerned. It should be known that most individuals take time to maintain relationships with people that they have never seen. In this case, they waste a lot of efforts to maintain these relationships yet they have never known each other personally (Barham 17). Social networking sites have led to electronic relationships and this has made people to misrepresent themselves. Most individuals struggle and strive to show their best side and this is a bad precedent. There are individuals who maintain anonymity on social networking sites and this can be dangerous. It should be known that social networking sites have a high connectivity and these changes the way individuals react to other people. Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on The Effects of Social Networking Sites on an Individual’s Life specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This topi c can be squarely focused on individual students and workers who are on social networking sites (Wilson 27). In this case, the impact and effects of social networking sites can be in the classroom and at work. The dependency on social networking sites has increased in recent years and this is not good as far as the social aspect of individuals is concerned. Most individuals and students lack social skills because they are generally anti-social. Effects and impacts Social networking sites have affected and reduced productivity in the workplace and this cane be proved beyond reasonable doubt. These sites create distraction in the workplace and they have cost various organizations a lot of money. In this case, individuals will spend their time networking instead of being productive as far as their work is concerned. There has been an argument that most employees spend almost an hour at work on social networking sites and this time can be used on something else (Baron 34). Social net working sites have become part of employees’ lives and organizations should come up with better ways of approaching this issue. A business can only benefit from social networking sites as far as promoting their business is concerned. This is because it offers a large platform to promote businesses and this should be capitalized on. Most employees face low performance scores because of social networking sites and this should be evaluated. Students are the most active lot on social networking sites and this means that they have been affected in a broad way. Students have been addicted to these sites and this has affected their concentration both in class and at home. There is an argument that if you have not talked to a person for a year, you can tell his/her life by following his page or updates (Kelsey 25). Most students indicate and imply that there is a big relationship between satisfaction and social networking sites. In this case, they are implying that students who use such sites are more satisfied with their lives than those ones who do not use them.Advertising Looking for research paper on it? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More It has been noted that most students use social networking sites to follow on specific topics that are even beyond their age. This is a bad precedent in the society because such students have ended up knowing things that they are not supposed to be aware of. Most people do not read traditional newspapers because they can access them on social networking sites and this has an impact on the normal business traditions. It has been proven that the general understanding of the term social networking has been misrepresented by individuals as time goes by and this needs to be well understood (Powers 37). Misleading and misunderstandings on social networking have brought a lot of problems in our society and this should be demystified. Chatting does not translate to sharpening of social skills and this means that individuals have been doing it all wrong. Most individuals are highly dependent on technology to interact and this affects their personality in a broad way. Individuals should int eract with the world around them and this can not be enhanced through social networking in any way. As much as they provide an outlet for people to express themselves this can always be abused because there are certain ethics that have not been adhered to (Wilson 36). Other people use abusive language on social networking sites and this can be very disturbing. In this case you can not control what others say on such social networking sites. People have different personalities as far as social networking sites are concerned. In this case, an individual can present a different personality online than what he/she is well known for. This will therefore cause chaos when the two personalities interact in any way. An example is the escalation of crimes that have increased because of social networking sites. Online dating has been increasing as time goes by and the negative effects are mostly seen when couples meet face to face for the first time (Barham 37). This is because an individua l can be disappointed in what she or she is seeing as they can meet a different person from what they were meant to believe is the true picture. We all agree that it is easier to type the information that somebody wants rather than what you truly stand for and this is bad. Conclusion These are some of the effects that social networking sites have had on individuals’ lives. In this case, you can easily cheat about your true character and this has duped people and led them into serious problems. Some teenagers have met people who can harm them online. In fact, there are cases where a teenager can meet with somebody online and then go on to be impregnated yet she does not know his other life (Powers 27). Some individuals post nude and bad pictures on social networking sites and this has been disturbing to other users. It should be known that most users disregard their privacy and this has always exposed them to predators. Managers can easily stalk on an individuals profile and s this can open a new window of conflict on an employees life. Students and workers have been lazy because of social networking sites and this is a fact that we have all faced in our lives. It should be known that the use of social networking sites can provide a good learning experience if they are used well. In this case, they can easily inspire themselves as time goes by. Most students who rely on social networking sites lack learning skills and this is a worrying trend (Barham 32). We have seen that social networking sites have negative and positive effects on an individuals’ life. This topic is likely to generate a lot of debate in coming years because the use of social networking is likely to gain pace as time goes by. Works Cited Barham, Nick. Disconnected: Why our kids are turning their backs on everything we thought we knew. New York: Ebury Press, 2004. Print. Baron, Naomi. Always on: language in an online and mobile world. New York: Oxford University Press, 2008. Pr int. Kelsey, Todd. Social Networking Spaces: From Facebook to Twitter and Everything In Between. New York: Springer-Verlag, 2010. Print. Powers, William. Hamlet’s Blackberry: A practical philosophy for building a good life in the digital age. New York: Harper, 2010. Print. Wilson, Charles. Child porn ‘social networking site’ busted by feds. New York: Associated Press, 2010. Print. This research paper on The Effects of Social Networking Sites on an Individual’s Life was written and submitted by user Grayson Webster to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Free Essays on Picasso And Matisse

Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse are two of the greatest painters and sculptors of the 20th century. These two great artist are complete opposites â€Å"as different as the north pole is from the south pole†(Richardson 147) is how Matisse described Picasso and himself to Gertrude Stein, a biographer. Matisse is a man from northern France and Picasso is very much a man from southern Spain. Picasso, ten years younger than Matisse produced provocative art that resembled Matisse’s style and creativity. These two fine artists developed a bond with each other in their lives. Their attitudes reflected their competitiveness to generate art crackles with â€Å"I-can-do-anything-better-than-you rivalry and flashes of contagious genius.†(Richardson 147) It seems as if these two godly painters had a magnetic pull between them, a yin-yang polarity that allowed for a constant shift in the roles of supplier and stealer, leader and follower, hero and antihero. Even though Picasso and Matisse are rivals they became oriented with each other’s work. The two artists held meetings that allowed them to explore what fueled their passion for art. Picasso and Matisse regularly subjected each other’s work to intense scrutiny. â€Å"Whether they approved or disapproved of what the other was up to they understood each other as only two titans could.†(Richardson 147) The artists made a strong impact on the world with their rich works. Critics felt it was only doing the paintings justice to ask the artist what the art meant to them personally. The people who inquired about Picasso’s work would easily irritate him as he was unable to describe it in any detail. Matisse, in contrast, displayed an amazing expressiveness of mind. He was precise, concise, intelligent and impressed people. Matisse’s frame of mind is very equipped as he reflects it with the capacity in which he expresses his thinking. Maybe Picasso did not wa nt to articulate on his work to the world... Free Essays on Picasso And Matisse Free Essays on Picasso And Matisse Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse are two of the greatest painters and sculptors of the 20th century. These two great artist are complete opposites â€Å"as different as the north pole is from the south pole†(Richardson 147) is how Matisse described Picasso and himself to Gertrude Stein, a biographer. Matisse is a man from northern France and Picasso is very much a man from southern Spain. Picasso, ten years younger than Matisse produced provocative art that resembled Matisse’s style and creativity. These two fine artists developed a bond with each other in their lives. Their attitudes reflected their competitiveness to generate art crackles with â€Å"I-can-do-anything-better-than-you rivalry and flashes of contagious genius.†(Richardson 147) It seems as if these two godly painters had a magnetic pull between them, a yin-yang polarity that allowed for a constant shift in the roles of supplier and stealer, leader and follower, hero and antihero. Even though Picasso and Matisse are rivals they became oriented with each other’s work. The two artists held meetings that allowed them to explore what fueled their passion for art. Picasso and Matisse regularly subjected each other’s work to intense scrutiny. â€Å"Whether they approved or disapproved of what the other was up to they understood each other as only two titans could.†(Richardson 147) The artists made a strong impact on the world with their rich works. Critics felt it was only doing the paintings justice to ask the artist what the art meant to them personally. The people who inquired about Picasso’s work would easily irritate him as he was unable to describe it in any detail. Matisse, in contrast, displayed an amazing expressiveness of mind. He was precise, concise, intelligent and impressed people. Matisse’s frame of mind is very equipped as he reflects it with the capacity in which he expresses his thinking. Maybe Picasso did not wa nt to articulate on his work to the world...

I want to be a computer scince teacher this way i chose this major Personal Statement

I want to be a computer scince teacher this way i chose this major - Personal Statement Example Today, I can confidently claim that I am a computer expert. I have troubleshot many intricate computer problems that many people, with good computer knowledge can not do conventionally. Software, hardware, whatever my friends and siblings have trouble with, I am the one to be consulted, and by the grace of God, I usually do not disappoint them. I have always kept a computer major subject included in my studies in schools so far. I have been earning excellent grades in the subject and my credentials stay evident to that. Having accoutered myself with the knowledge of computer to an unusual level, I intend to build my career in this field. Now that I am about to join college, I want to study Computer Science. I have explored many colleges and universities online and on other forums. I have also sought advice from my seniors and elder siblings. After having consulted so many people and sources, I have reached the conclusion that your college is indeed, the best institution for studying Computer Science in. Your college is equipped with latest computer technology. I personally feel that a student’s access to the underlying concepts and traits of Computer Science is the most profound in your college. The faculty is quite experienced. The curriculum is rich enough to ensure the conveyance of knowledge in a solid manner. A ll of this is further enchanted with the conventional teaching practices prevalent in your college. In addition to that, the college timings suit me a lot. I can easily adapt to the routine and deliver my best. I personally want to be a Computer Science teacher in the future. God has blessed me with unusually large computer knowledge. I feel that it is my social responsibility to impart as much of it to young generation as much I can. This would content me and I would have a feeling of accomplishment that would be priceless. Teaching Computer Science is my dream. I look forward to

Comparison between two books Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Comparison between two books - Essay Example This study aims at examining and analyzing the approaches used by two books in explaining criminological issues and the criminal justice system in America. The two books are Criminological Theories and Rebuilding Justice. In the third chapter of Criminological theories, the book discusses biosocial and biological theories of crime. The basis of these theories is the view that it is possible to observe and measure individual differences and that defects in individuals’ genetic and biological make up can predetermine one’s criminal behavior (Ronald and Christine, 2013). Contemporary biological theories have tended to put more focus on differences in genetic and biological factors and how they interact with the external environment. The traditional theories stipulate that crime occurs as a result of biological abnormalities in individuals and the individuals therefore have no choice of their own to avoid criminal acts. Notable proponents of these theories include sociologists such as Cesare Lombroso, Ferrero William, Charles Goring, and Sarnoff Mednick among others. Some of the biosocial and biological theories include the evolutionary theory that states that genetic criminal behavior is p assed down to the next generations through the evolutionary process of natural selection; the biosocial arousal theory states that the level of arousal of an individual works according to the social environment around them (Ronald and Christine, 2013). Individuals with a lower arousal level are less capable of learning fast and moving at pace with the wider society and will thereof resort to criminal activities. Biological theories approach the criminal justice system in a different view. Punishment is viewed as a way of deterring individuals from committing crimes, but it cannot effectively change the individuals’ biological characteristics that predispose them to criminal

Current and Future trends in Microelectromechnical Systems Case Study

Current and Future trends in Microelectromechnical Systems - Case Study Example cessing, and data acquisition features."[2] The term MEMS refer to the devices that are on a millimetre scale with micro-resolution. It is the integration of mechanical elements, sensors, actuators and electronics on common silicon substrate through the utilization of microfabrication technology [8]. There are several broad categories of MEMS fabrication technologies. They are Bulk micromachining, Surface micromachining, LIGA, Deep reactive ion etching and the integrated MEMS technologies. The brief [9] of each of the technologies is given below Bulk micromachining is a fabrication technique which builds mechanical elements by starting with a silicon wafer, and then etching away unwanted parts, and being left with useful mechanical devices [9].'The advantages are less cost high reliability, manufacturability, and good repeatability [9]. Surface Micromachining builds devices up from the wafer layer-by-layer [9]. Surface Micromachining requires more fabrication steps than Bulk Micromachining, and hence is more expensive.' It is able to create much more complicated devices, capable of sophisticated functionality. LIGA is a technology which creates small, but relatively high aspect ratio devices using x-ray lithography [9]. Unlike traditional Bulk Micromachining, which uses a wet chemical etch, Deep Reactive Ion Etching micromachining uses'a plasma etch to create features allowing greater flexibility in the etch profiles, enabling a wider array of mechanical elements [9]. Since MEMS devices are created with the same tools used to create integrated circuits, in some cases it is also possible to fabricate Micro-machines and Microelectronics on the same piece of silicon [9].' LITERATURE REVIEW MEMS has a very wide range of applications, particularly of its sensors which are used many of the automotive, medical and other consumer products. The technology development is immense and there are several in the literature to quote from in evidence of this fact. The MEMS related technology and literature work is very huge and hence effort has been made only to cover the key developments from random authors. One technique developed in the United States at the University of Wisconsin uses thin film polysilicon for the sensor diaphragm [3]. The polysilicon devices are correspondingly smaller and hence they cost less. Another technique, result in much smaller sensor dies than standard bulk micromachining techniques NovaSensor in the United States, employs high temperature fusion bonding of silicon wafers to form inward tapering cavities under single crystal silicon diaphragms [4]. These devices are used in medical catheters. An improvement in low pressure measurement has also been suggested as by using advanced MEMS micromachining

History and Demographics of Myanmar

History and Demographics of Myanmar Introduction Myanmar (Burma renamed Myanmar in 1989) has never seen sustained conflict-free periods since its independence in 1948. The military has ruled the country since 1962. In 1988, pro-democracy protests were crushed. In 1990, free and fair national elections were held in Myanmar for the first time in 30 years. The National League for Democracy, the main political movement led by Mrs Aung San Suu Kyi (1991 Nobel Peace Prize laureate), won 62% of the votes and 82% of the seats in elections.[1] While the purpose of these elections was never made fully clear (either to create a Constituent Assembly or a legislative Parliament), the military regime refused to honour the result. Since then, the senior political leaders and the army have remained the beneficiaries of the countrys self and externally imposed isolation. The population continues to live under political oppression, aggravated by economic difficulties. Detentions, intimidation and political oppression of activists are common place. In 2003, the military government presented a seven-step ‘roadmap for constitutional and political reform towards a ‘disciplined democracy. The first face of this roadmap was launched in 2004, with the reconvening of the National Convention to deliberate on basic principles for a new Constitution. Then in December 2007, the process of drafting a Constitution, based on those basic principles, began.[2] Unlike other political groups invited, the NLD refused to take part in the process. Although these first steps might indicate progress, the roadmap has come under criticism for being non-inclusive and lacking credibility. The economic situation stays highly problematic and potentially de-stabilising. The poor data quality and dubious governments statistics, which point to double-digit economic growth, are highly misleading to outside observers and attempt to obscure the countrys dire humanitarian situation. Because of political constraints, donor assistance levels to Myanmar remain grossly insufficient to cover the needs of the general population. In mid-August 2007, as a result of the dismal economic situation, street demonstrations were sparked over a sudden increase in fuel prices. The demonstrations grew into a nation-wide protest against the regimes policies. The Myanmar Sangha an influential institution in society showed overwhelming support for the protests. The government responded with a violent crackdown on the peaceful protests. This crackdown was condemned by the international community, which consequently renewed its pressure on the regime for political reform. As a result the European Union extended their existing sanctions on Myanmar in November 2007. Thus far, European sanctions do not seem to have pushed the government in the desired direction, and they may even have produced counterproductive effects. These include a hardened stance by the government, negative impact on Myanmar civil society and an undermining of the economy at large. Its often said that sanctions are, in and of themselves, a form of violence, employed as a political tool used for rhetoric rather that to create meaningful change. Nevertheless, it is questionable whether Myanmars progress towards a functional democracy would be accelerated by the absence of economic sanctions. The military government adheres to its Roadmap to ‘disciplined democracy, which can best be described as a fully controlled, slow transition to semi-civilian rule. This proceeds at the pace conducive to the generals in charge, protecting their interests and largely disregarding external criticism or pressure. In the governments point of view, Western sanctions are a hostile reaction towards its declared intention for a (controlled) transition. Since the SPDC can rely on sources of income outside the purview of sanctions (energy, commodities, etc.) it is hard to imagine that the regime will deviate from its declared goals as a reaction to sanctions or Western pressure. While experts often argue that economic sanctions have no impact on a targeted country, this report seeks to provide evidence of sanctions applied against Myanmar that have an economic, social and the political impact. For supporting this thesis the focus will be on the restrictive measures imposed by the European Union. It reviews the European Unions existing policies ‘supporting Myanmar to become a peaceful, democratic and prosperous country. Moreover, it will show that it is not enough to wait for a political breakthrough. Evidence suggests all sides, including the international community should have the courage to move away from these entrenched positions and try a different approach. After having given the necessary background and having shown why restrictive measures are applied by western communities, this report will provide recommendations for a different approach towards democracy in Myanmar. 1. Background In June 1989, the ruling military junta changed its name from Union of Burma to Myanmar, one year after the brutally suppressing of pro-democracy protests, where thousands were killed. The military junta claimed this name would be more neutral for a state of a huge ethnic diversity. Thus it would lead to greater harmony among the countrys desperate people and provide them a feeling of release from their British colonial past. The capitals name was also changed from Rangoon to Yangon.[3] The new name was accepted by most countries, including the United Nations, as a privilege of the Burmese government in power, but was not accepted by the United States.[4] Both terms are commonly used, with some people referring to the country as Burma and others referring to it as Myanmar. The same is also true for Rangoon; most people are more familiar with this name than Yangon. Myanmar is the largest country in Southeast Asia and in many ways a country defined by its geography, isolated and yet with a wealth of opportunities to work with its neighbouring countries. The country borders China, India, Bangladesh, Laos and Thailand. Much of the country is the valley of the Irrawaddy River, which runs north to south, from the icy eastern curve of the Himalayas down over a thousand miles to the brackish tidal waters of the Andaman Sea.[5] To better understand modern Myanmar and the reasons behind its self-imposed isolation, their needs to be a greater focus on historical context. The inherent complexity of the issues involved is easier to understand if the various historical forces are analysed separately. The different strands of history, described below, will finally come together and shape the present and show that current issues which today concern the state are mainly rooted in the countrys complex and often dubious institutions and history. Indeed, it can be argued that the countrys current situation is a result of often well-meaning but definitely foolhardy attempts to apply popular political measures to a fragile system of social imperative. â€Å"Nationalism†, â€Å"socialism†, and â€Å"autarky†, as well as â€Å"federalism†, â€Å"autonomy† and â€Å"centralisation†, are systems that have been used by political rulers in post-colonial Myanmar.[6] 1.1 Colonial Past Myanmar was relatively distinct, coherent, and autonomous for almost 1,000 years before the British annexed the country in the 19th century.[7] The first Burmese empire was founded in the 11th century. Many communities which lived in remote places were rarely brought under central domination, but remained relatively distinct from each other in matters such as language, culture, patterns of production, and political traditions.[8] Burman kings built glorious capitals like Pagan and Mandalay and ruled over a rich and thriving civilisation. Moreover, they benefited from an increasing population and revenues, providing significant military and economic advantages over neighbouring polities. Several wars in the eighteenth century led to territorial expansion, which further strengthened the Burmese state and created a distinctive Burmese cultural identity. At the same time, the growth of external trade, both with China and the western world provided further revenues. But the era of Burman kingdoms could not last forever and ended in 1885 when the British deposed the last King Thibaw in Mandalay and made Burma a province of British India. With the invasion of the British, new powerful political concepts and models for later leaders were introduced.[9] The British annexed Burma in 1886 and divided the country into two main administrative areas: Ministerial Burma, which was mainly populated by the Burman majority, and the Frontier area.[10] The British wanted to establish law and order through a low cost central administration. They secured their economic interest by rationalisation and commercialisation of agriculture. The British occupation did provide certain stability, by unifying diverse indigenous ethnic groups under colonial rule. Nevertheless, the British colonial system significantly changed and damaged the Burmese social structure. The precolonial social organisation largely rested on the authority of local chieftains and Buddhists monks. Buddhism as the common faith shared among the Burman majority, the Arakanese and most Shan and Karen people, was the main source of social stability as this faith emphasises self-reliance and righteous behaviour. Moreover, education was offered by monks to all.[11] With the British occupation, authority of local chieftains was replaced by weak influence of salaried officials, who were more responsible to local government rather than to the local communities.[12] The influence of the monks was weakened and they were soon deprived of their main social function. In order to protect the interests of minorities, the British assigned them some key functions which the Burmans, the dominant ethnic group, could not participate. For example, the British mainly recruited Karens, Kachins and Chins in the colonial army and administration, whereas the Burman were kept out of such activities. According to Josef Silverstein, minority groups living on the frontiers were administered directly by the central British administration. They were separated from the rest of the country, and those living in Ministerial Burma were granted seats in the legislature.[13] Thus, ethnic minority groups were divided along occupational lines.[14] Moreover, the British displaced indigenous and non-indigenous to the South in the fertile delta region. Deprived of their traditional social structure, those newly established cultivators fully adopted the imported rule of law, tenan cy rights and money lending practices. These British policies made the Burmese people conscious of their ethnic and cultural differences for the first time. This led to social division that had not existed in the pre-colonial period.[15] With the British annexation of Burma the structures of foreign trade changed, as well. The Burmese economy under the informal empire had become dangerously dependent on the export of view primary commodities -cotton and teak in particular. At the same time, rice was being imported in ever larger quantities, and soon Burma became the worlds largest rice exporter. However, as a consequence, an exodus of landless farmers in 1930 led to competition between ethnic groups and violent intra-communal riots. The world depressions of the 1870s led to a dramatic decline in the relative prices of nearly all primary commodities, including all of Burmas main exports. But nevertheless, international rice prices stayed the same or even rose. Thus, at this time of attempted reform, in contrast to Siam (Thailand) which enjoyed the profits of growing international trade, Burma was plunged into increasing economic hardship and fiscal collapse.[16] Efforts to promote economic development failed as the state lost its autonomy to colonial powers and the economy became more fully integrated into global markets. Local reactions to European expansion lead to crisis and intervention. The failure of British rule in Burma, instability and state insolvency were caused largely due to underpayment by Western countries for goods and services. The rise and fall of cotton prices and, more generally, dependence on western markets, weakened the Burmese government, desperate to find the funds with which to finance reform.[17] This demonstrates that these conditions created an opportunity for Western nations to dominate the country, eventually leading to British colonial rule. Following the British withdrawal, the Japanese occupied Burma in summer 1942. But throughout their four years of control over Burma during the Pacific war, the Japanese did not succeed in bringing the Burmese population under their rule, nor could they manage to lessen the external menace of allied forces. To secure their position they promised to bring independence to Burma and support an indigenous army. By not following through on their promises, the Japanese precipitated the emergence Burmese nationalists, who consequently allied with the British. In March 1945, the Anti-Fascist Peoples Freedom League was formed. Aung San, Chief of this Burmese army, became the head of the Anti-Fascist Peoples Freedom League. The AFPFL was first a resistance movement founded on Buddhist philosophy and open to all Burmese regardless their ethnic background, their political or religious beliefs. It later became a leading political party calling for national unity and federalism. During this transitional period to democracy, a Burmese government was created to handle administrative matters.[18] After the Japanese occupation ended in August 1945, the Burmese feared a regression to the British colonial economic order. Strikes and negotiations led in January 1947 to a meeting in London. There it was decided that a constituent assembly should be elected in April, and those living in Frontier Areas would have to decide whether or not to join Ministerial Burma. In a second meeting in Panlong on the 12th February 1947, the Chin, Kachin and Shan agreed to join the future federal union as autonomous communities. However, the Karen, Karenni, Rakhine (or Arakanese) and the Mon did not sign the Panglong agreement, which seriously challenged its credibility. To this day, dialogue between the Burman majority and ethnic minority groups is a rare and difficult proposition. As expected, the AFPFL won the elections, and Aung San was put in charge of writing the constitution, which espoused â€Å"unity in diversity† that could only be achieved by a federal system. His assassination in July 1947, as well as the deaths of other officials, left Burma without the means to pursue the democratisation process. And so, the declaration of Burmas independence from the Commonwealth on the 4th January 1948 did not prevent the hope of national unity to fall apart. After the Japanese occupation during World War II, the country gained independence from the British in 1948.[19] 1.2 Myanmar and its Ethnic Diversity With its estimated population of 50 million, Burma is one of the most ethnically diverse countries in the world. Due its central location, settlers from many different backgrounds have migrated to Burma. Today about two thirds of the population is Burman (Bamar) and the remaining one-thirds are ethnic minorities. This ethnically diversity is more than ever a critical issue and thus the ground of most of the countrys problems. Largely due to the fact that throughout history, Burma has experienced a great deal of inter-ethnic mingling.[20] Discussions about ethnicity are related to terms, such as â€Å"nationalities† and â€Å"national races†, referring back to the course which was introduced into Myanmar during the colonial era and became concretised with the countrys independence in 1948 when various constitutional models for multi-ethnic states were being discussed. The examples of Yugoslavia, Stalinist Russia, and the United Kingdom were considered as alternatives for Myanmar. It started in the 1930s when ideas of socialist and Marxist concepts had been introduced into Myanmar which took power in 1948 as the essence of the critique of British imperialism and colonial rule. The disproportionate wealth that European and Asian foreigners had gained during the colonial period, creating a situation where the Burmese were poor people in their own rich land, meant that the removal of alien economic domination became a key goal of nationalist policy.[21] The 1974 constitution, which is now being revised, divided Burma into seven ethnic states- the Rakhine, Shan, Mon, Chin, Kayin, Kayah (formerly Karenni) and Kachin and seven divisions, where ethnic Burman people held the majority.[22] Furthermore, the military junta distinguishes 135 sub-ethnic groups among the seven major ones. According to Analysist and social scientists the s can be distributed as following: Bamah 65%, Karen 9%, Shan 7% , Chin 2%, smaller groups like the Mon, Kachin and Wa at 1% each, and Indian 7% at least.[23] Due this huge ethnic diversity, locked into this small geographic zone, over hundreds of different dialects and languages have been identified. Most of the people would not be aware of such classification, if the countries military junta would not use this nomenclature for discriminative purposes. Ethnic minority groups are not excluded in cities populated by Burmans, but with the juntas assimilation into the Burmese Buddhist system, called â€Å"Burmanization†, they are faced severe discriminations, such as the deny of social, cultural and religious rights of ethnic minorities.[24] Moreover, with its xenophobia and oppressions against minorities, the military rule is responsible for the eclipse of huge parts of the peoples history. Minorities culturally and racially different from the dominating Burmans have been uprooted from their localities under the pretext of being â€Å"Kula†, â€Å"non- natives†, or even outright â€Å"foreigners†. In a multiethnic country like Myanmar, instead of following the democratic policy of unity and diversity, the military junta uses Burmanization as a guide and prosecutes the minorities, renames places, destroys minority places and replaces them with their ethnic names. The discrimination of minorities is reinforced by religious consideration, especially Christians, Hindus and above all Muslims communities are often target of many human rights abuses. Christianity is often associated with the Chin, Kachin and Karen, Hinduism with Indians, and the Islam, accounting for about 13% of the population, is mainly represented in Arakanese, Indian and Pakistanis communities. They often have no access to certain jobs, mainly in administration and in the army. Those who live in the remote zones are subjected to atrocities committed by unleashed military groups. The juntas propaganda portrayed ethnic minorities as trouble makers, and ordinary Burmans, besides the Tatmadaw, progressively share this view. Most popular targets of discrimination are the Royhingas, who are Muslims in religion and live in the Mon-State, bordering to Bangladesh.[25] ‘One party, one blood, one voice and one command was already the slogan of the Dobama movement, a motto which still lives on in the Burmese armed forces, the Tatmadaw.[26] Nevertheless, given the fact that Burma is struggling with ethnically and political problems it may be impossible to build unity with such a slogan, especially when 40% of the population is not seen as part of the Burmese society. 1.3 Post Colonial Era The country has been ruled by military dictatorship since 1962, when General Ne Win seized power from the Prime Minister U Nu. Only between 1974 and 1988 there is the exception of a period of one party rule. Ne Win introduced the â€Å"Burmese Way to Socialism†, which systematically referred to the decent of a country which had a 90 percent literacy rate and was rich in natural resources. Together with its regime, he dismantled the independent judiciary, the legislature, the multiparty system and finally cut Burma off from the outside world. This regime has been engaged in military operations against the Communist Party of Burma and various ethnic minorities fighting for autonomy or independence from the central government, which has traditionally been dominated by ethnic Burmans.[27] The current executive body, the State Peace and Development Council is a group of a dozen high-ranking soldiers. On state and division level, military Regional Commanders enjoy a limited autonomy granted by the regime. On township and village level, local Peace and Development Councils exist. In the cease-fire areas, ethnic leaders determine and implement policies, depending on the degree of their autonomy vis-à  -vis the Regional Commanders and SPDC. Although the system of government seems centralised, from the outside world, in reality, it is highly fragmented, with opaque decision making procedures and means of governance.[28] The military is entrenched in every instant and institution of the state, including the Union Presidency, the Union Government, the Union Assembly and the Regional or State Assemblies. The constitution is fleshed out with repetitions and irrelevant provisions. In many respects the constitution is vague and confusing and open to conflicting interpretations. The military is above the constitution and above the law. The Chief of staff of the Defence Forces is the most powerful person under the constitution. His appointment and removal are not referred to the constitution. It is anticipated that he will be beyond the control of a civilian government. The Chief of staff of the Defence Forces and the military are regulated by the militarys own regulations, which enables them to override the constitution and serves as a justification for the military regime to stay in power. The President appoints the Chief Minister for each state and region. A partially elected Legislative Assembly is also established in each state and region.[29] The military regime, then under the name of State Law and Order Restoration Council, seized power in 1988. In August, widespread popular riots against the military regime, which were initiated by university students in Rangoon, were brutally suppressed and thousands were killed. People took to the streets and demanded an end to decades of military dictatorship and international isolation. The protests have been rumbling on for months, starting with students at the select Rangoon Institute for Technology, spreading through the sprawling capital and then upcountry. The price of food skyrocketed, and a mood of opportunity and imminent upheaval fused with long-pent-up anger and resentment against the authorities. In 1990 the SLORC held elections for a multiparty parliament. The NLD as the main political movement under the leadership of Mrs Aung San Suu Kyi won 82% of the seats in the National Assembly. However, the results of the elections were never recognised by the military regime whi ch maintained power. The military refused to step down and since then have kept tight control of the country. Aung San Suu Kyi has been under house arrest most of the time and only the leadership and the army have benefited from self-imposed and external isolation.[30] In October 1992 the SLORC formed the Commission for National Convention in order to draft fundamental principles of constitution. These principles underscoring six major points: Solidarity of the Union for Myanmar Solidarity of the national unity Perpetuation of national sovereignty Development of parliamentary democracy Development of justice, freedom and equality in the political arena The participation of Tatmadaw in the future states national politics. To determine these basic principles above, the SLORC convoked National Convention for Myanmars new constitution in August 1993.[31] The convention assembled less than 15% of the representatives elected in 1990 and the principles which were discussed had to conform to the objectives of the convention, pre-defined by the SLORC. Western States have passed many resolutions to encourage the junta to give a timetable for the convention. But so far, there is no clear sign of its near conclusion, and the NLD, which has left the Convention in 1995 due to undemocratic procedures, has been banned permanently from the convention by the SLORC. The SLORC was officially dissolved on 15 November 1997, reformulating itself as the State Peace and Development Council.[32] 2. Recent Development During the last four decades the regime has been effectively functioned under self-imposed isolation in an attempt to revitalise the ailing economy and avert popular pressure for political reform. To do so the regime operates without any respect of humans basic freedoms and rights. It is in particular the absence of an effective judicial system, and with that the fact that rule of law is not guaranteed by any means, which makes a transition to democracy incessant. The military junta keeps all media under tight control and limits the development of civil society. Torture and extra-judicial executions as well as forced labour also remain widespread measures in the regimes fight against political opponents and certain ethnic groups. By that, forced village relocations and armed resistance of especially Karen and Shan populations continue to cause internal displacement and a refugee influx in particular into Thailand.[33] The lack of good economic governance has led to widespread poverty among Myanmars population, structural un- and underemployment as well as under-funded health and education systems. Engagement of the international donor community remains limited due to the countrys political situation. It is also worrying that the junta spends high percentage of its budget for military hardware; as opposed to the few resources spend for public health and education. Concerns by the international community are aggravated by the widespread corruption inside the country as well as the uneven distribution of opportunities in urban and rural areas. So far, military rulers have been resisted external demands to turn over power to a democratic government and it seems that pressure from the international community has been mainly failed. Obviously it could not prevent the junta to seek almost total autonomy, although it seems that the present regime has opened up the country to some extent. However, the regi me remains suspicious of and resistant to external criticism and interference. This chapter seeks to present the countrys recent development on the economic and political front. It shows Myanmar from the perspective of the international community. Moreover, it will provide a deeper understanding in Myanmars economic structure and thus gives a basic background to understand how EU measures affect the country. 2.1 Myanmars Recent Economic Development-An Analysis With a real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of 4.0 per cent in 2008, Myanmar is one of the poorest nations in the world.[34] Today, Myanmars economy is based on agriculture, gems, timber and oil. Although, the country is rich in natural resources, it has only weak linkages to the global economy. Over the past four decades, deep structural problems caused by the military-inspired policies and the absence of any rational economic and developmental strategies have led to diminishing living standards and widespread poverty among the general population in Myanmar. Political repression and impoverishment have drastically reduced the ability of communities to handle political or social change.[35] To give an economic overview and analysis of Myanmar, the focus in this section will be on macroeconomic indicators, such as GDP growth, exports and imports, inflation, investment and interest rates. Economic data, including s on foreign debt and investment are scarce. Data from the states Research Centre are mostly inaccurate or distorted. This can be explained partly through the fact that the SPDC are noted to be using older methods of calculating some key indicators, which are therefore difficult to compare to data used by most other nations today. For instance, the IMF suggests that official s used are significantly overestimated.[36] GDP Growth: According to the IMF, over the period 1997/98-2007/08, GDP growth has remained at an annual average of around 5 per cent, with the exception of 2003/04 when the banking system belatedly to fall out of the Asian Markets Crisis of 1997. The annual growth of 5 per cent would be considered quite healthy in comparison to regional GDP growth, were it not for the rampant inflation in the country, which dramatically undermines any gains made. To clarify, any additional GDP revenues would be swallowed up by the even higher rising costs. The EIU suggests that there has been solid growth in the energy and mining sector as well as significant growth in the service sectors over the last decade.[37] This would be somewhat encouraging, were those gains not negated by inflation. Evidence supporting this can be found by looking at the continued poor social development indicators and widespread poverty in the country.[38] A household survey conducted by UNDP shows that union-wide 32 per cent of the population lie below the poverty line and 10 per cent below the food poverty (i.e. cannot afford to buy food for basic nutritional requirements). This is also well illustrated by the fact that across the union 34.4 per cent of children under 5 years of age suffer from moderate malnutrition.[39] GDP by Sector: About 70 per cent of enterprises and firms (small and middle sized businesses) are in private poverty, the remaining 30 per cent (in particular large scaled enterprises) are still owned by the state, which work more often in deficit. The private sector is dominated by business people who are trusted by the government and often employ relatives of senior SPDC members. It has a share more than 90 per cent of the economic performance. However, Myanmars economy is predominantly shaped by agriculture.[40] Therefore the agricultural sector gains approximately 50 per cent of the countrys GDP. An estimated two thirds of all citizens are working as farmers or labourers. Contrary, the industrial sector including natural gas export segment contributes only 20 per cent of GDP and trade and services 36 per cent.[41] Myanmars economy was fully regulated by the state, but obviously the government is taking approaching steps to liberalize agriculture. Though it has ended some production controls and mandatory procedures as well as allowing to grow rice as a dry-season crop in irrigated areas. Some of the state owned enterprises which are contributing to the processing and supplying inputs of agriculture have been privatized. Myanmar has been one of the major rice exporters in the world until the government banned exports of rice and some other agricultural products to held domestic prices down. Only in 2006, the export ban could relax a bit and eased further in 2007.[42] GDP by Capita and Purchasing Power: As the chart below clearly shows, Myanmars GDP per capita in 2006 was, by some significant margin, the lowest in the region. This is partly down to the low levels of annual GDP gained by the economy. This could be attributed to numerous factors, such as poor productivity levels, significant trade restrictions and consequent low levels of trade, poor foreign direct investment and poor taxation collection system. According to the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and IMF estimates, Myanmar has the lowest GDP per capita at Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) of all neighbouring countries (as shown below). To clarify, PPP is an indicator designed to negate the relative costs of living in the country data and show a comparable income level per person on an equitable basis. Needless to say, the low relative GDP per capita, even at PPP rates shows how low general income levels a

Homosexuals and James Baldwins Role in the Civil Rights Movement Essay

During the Civil Rights Movement, James Baldwin wrote many articles and essays on racial issues. His unique and powerful style invoked the thoughts of many people. What also made Baldwin stand out from others was his homosexuality. Baldwin wrote several essays and novels that had a homosexual theme rooted within the story. It was through this method that Baldwin was able to express his homosexuality and at the same time present a view of black culture that was highly unacceptable during that time period. His works gave him much widespread attention but essentially he was not recognized as a prominent leader of the movement. This was a result of stereotyped images of homosexuals and the desire for African American men to align themselves with the image of being powerful and very masculine. Because African Americans were in the struggle for equality and power here in America, to have a homosexual, who is stereotyped to have effeminate features, might prove detrimenta l in the drive for equality. There were a lot of things going on during the 1960s. The Civil Rights Movement was in full steam and the push for African American quality was greater than ever. The mass of appeal for protest was overwhelming and it spread to other causes as well. Movement could be found in other minority groups, women, and homosexuals as well. This period in time was unique because change was being encouraged and many people took advantage of it. James Baldwin was no exception to this motion of change. During this time period he produced many essays and novels, some of which contained a homosexual theme. He was bold in his move because he was one of a few among many who dealt with the topic. It was only until r... ...among other writers in the literary circle and in a sense became a leader that way. In more recent times, Baldwin has been given much praise for his work, he fueled other writers to follow suit and write about issues like race and sexuality. Hopefully his works will continue to be passed on to others and will open the minds and hearts of many. Works Cited Boykin, Keith. One More River to Cross New York: Anchor Books/Doubleday, 1996. Holland, Sharon P. â€Å"(Pro)Creating Imaginative Spaces and Other Queer Acts: Randall Kenan’s A Visitation of Spirits and Its Revival of James Bladwin’s Absent Black Gay Man in Giovanni’s Room.† McBride 265-87. McBride, Dwight A., ed. James Baldwin Now. New York: New York U P, 1999. Spurlin, William J. â€Å"Culture, Rhetoric, and Queer Identity: James Baldwin and the Identity Politics of Race and Sexuality.† McBride 103-21.

Positives and Negatives

All people in this world are different. They feel differently and have different skills. Even though they have different skills, strengths and weaknesses, there will be some ones common amongst the people. Likewise, some of my strengths and weaknesses might be similar to that of my friends, parents, relatives, people around the world and some not. That is how we are made. Although, strengths and weaknesses isn’t a permanent thing. It can be worked on and can be improved and polished.I am a very cheerful, caring and loving person who never fails to smile everyday. I tend to remain happy most of the time and believe smile is one of the greatest gift given to us. When we give a smile, it might blossom the rest of the day of another person. Moreover, I am an optimistic person who likes to work hard and always believes if we work hard enough, nothing is impossible to achieve. I like to be confident and think of myself as a quick learner. Without confidence, achieving our goals, tar gets is very difficult.I am a frank, unselfish, team player with the driving power and willingness to learn and face challenges. These are some of the strengths I believe I have in me. Talking about some of my weaknesses, I sometimes get very emotional which affects my day to day life. Also, I feel that I am sensitive to my criticisms. When this happens, I sometimes become short-tempered. My another weakness is that in some cases, I tend to underestimate myself which is one of my biggest weakness I believe so far.Although I have my strengths and weakness, there are some strengths I believe I would like to polish and some weaknesses I would like to improve. First of all, I am confident but in some cases, I might tend to be nervous. I would very much like to improve that and remain confident all of the time, though never be overconfident. I work hard but sometimes, I get distracted and affects my work. I would like to improve that and be more focused. Regarding my weaknesses, the firs t thing I would like to improve would be to never underestimate myself.I should always make myself believe that I have it in me to do a particular work. Also, sometimes, I get short tempered which might hurt a lot of people. So, i need to keep myself calm and never act bitterly. I believe I have expressed myself . These are some of the strengths and weaknesses I believe I have in me. Some strengths needs to be polished and some weaknesses needs to be improved. There is no doubt that it can be achieved because these are not permanent. All this is what makes me and I am proud of who I am.