Comparative Politics: Uk and Us

At base, a congress and a parliament seem to be very similar things the legislative branches of the majority of the world's democracies which are filled with popularly elected men and women who come together to decide the legislative issues of their home nation. However, despite the initial impression of sameness, the two are very different in two key areas: how one is elected to the body and what one does once elected. The difference can begin to be seen in the origins of the words. Congress is based on an ancient Latin word meaning â€Å"a coming together,† which is precisely what happens in a congress representatives from all the parts of a nation coming together to discuss matters of state. Parliament, however, has its roots in a French word meaning â€Å"To talk,† and there certainly is a great deal of talking going on in any parliament. In fact, this simple linguistic difference leads one to the chief difference in the election process. A congress is based upon primary elections in which the general populace selects their candidates more based upon their personalities and individual plans for office, while in a parliament, the delegates are chosen to run by their own political parties based almost entirely on their willingness to follow party standards. While party certainly comes into play in any congress, the individual really does mean more in elections to that body. And it is that sense of individuality that leads to the second main difference between the two. In a parliamentary government, the Prime Minister and his cabinet (The leaders of the nation) are chosen from the majority party in the country's parliament. Thus, if the members of that party begin voting against their party's ideals in the body, the entire government can come apart, forcing an election of a new Prime Minister. With this in place, many parties very carefully restrict the freedoms of their delegates to ensure the safety of their Prime Ministers. In a congress, however, the executive branch is entirely separate from the legislative, allowing the members to vote freely based on the wishes of their constituents and own consciences, with no fear of doing permanent harm to government itself. Their increased individual power leads to many interesting phenomena, not the least of which being that they receive a much larger salary than parliamentary delegates individual congressmen are simply more important. And thus do the two differ from one another in many ways, making each a great deal more than a simple collection of delegates arguing about issues of state.

Poverty as a Challenge Class Ix Ncert

Poverty As A Challenge | Class IX NCERT (CBSE) Economics (Social Science) Chapter 3, Poverty As A Challenge Class IX, NCERT (CBSE) Economics Textbook Exercise Questions-Answers Q. 1: Describe how the poverty line is estimated in India. Ans: In India poverty line is measured or calculated considering the following factors required for subsistence: 1. Minimum level of food requirement, 2. Clothing 3. Footwear 4. Fuel and Light 5. Education and 6. Medical requirement etc. These physical quantities are multiplied by their prices.The present formula for food requirement is based on the desired calorie requirement. On the basis of these calculations in 1999 – 2000, the poverty line in the rural areas was fixed Rs. 328 per capita per month and in urban areas, it was Rs. 454. People earning more than this amount were considered above the poverty line and earning less than this amount were considered as living below the poverty line. Q. 2: Do you think that present methodology of pover ty estimation is appropriate? Ans: The present methodology of poverty estimation does not look appropriate.It only takes one factor in view and that is the economic factor. Moreover it considers about a â€Å"minimum† subsistence level of living rather than a â€Å"reasonable† level of living. Poverty has many dimensions. It is no longer confined to economic factors alone. With development, the definitions of what constitutes poverty also changes. Its concept has broadened to human poverty. A few persons may have been able to feed themselves but if they are without education, without shelter, without health-care, without job security, without self-confidence, without social equality, they are considered poor.If poverty is to be removed in real sense and the people are to be brought above the poverty line, not only that we need to increase their income but also, we have to provide the people with education, shelter, health-care, job-security, respect, dignity all. There fore, the present methodology of poverty estimation needs to be modified and broadened in order to make it an appropriate method. Q. 3: Describe poverty trends in India since 1973. Ans: As per the data given in the book there is a substantial decline in poverty ratio in India from 55 percent in 1973 to 36 percent in 1993.There was further decline from 36 percent in 1993 to 26 percent in 2000. Although the number of poor people remained stable (about 320 million) in the earlier two decades (1973 to 1993), there was significant reduction in the number of the poor to about 260 million till 2000. If the present trend continues, the people below poverty line may come down to less than 20 percent in the next few years. Q. 4: Discuss the major reasons for poverty in India. Ans: There are various reasons for poverty in India which are outlined below – (1) Prolonged Colonial AdministrationThe policies of British Colonial government shattered the Indian economy so much that it could no t be revived until the 1980s. (2) Unabated Population Growth The failures to promote both the required economic growth and population control have been the main cause of poverty today. (3) Illiteracy Illiteracy is also an important cause of poverty in our country. (4) Disparity in the Ownership of Land-holdings The unequal distribution of land, lack of land resources and failure in the proper implementation of land reform policies have been the major causes of poverty in rural areas. (5) UnemploymentLack of job security and unemployment are other causes. (6) Widening Inequalities of Income This is a feature of high poverty. Money has been concentrating in fewer hands, thus rendering a majority of people poor. (7) Slow Growth of Employment Opportunities Despite the implementation of various employment generating programmes our government has failed to provide the necessary employment opportunities. (8) Socio-cultural Factors In order to fulfill social obligations such as marriage etc . and religious ceremonies people in India including the poor spend a lot of money which makes some people even poorer.Q. 5: Identify the social and economic groups which are most vulnerable to poverty in India. Ans: Social Groups vulnerable to Poverty in India (1) Scheduled Castes households. (2) Scheduled Tribes households. Economic Groups vulnerable to Poverty (1) Rural Agricultural labour households. (2) Urban Casual labour households. Q. 6: Give an account of interstate disparities of poverty in India. Ans: Poverty in India is not the same in every state. The success rate of reducing poverty varies from state to state causing inter-state disparities in poverty level.Orissa, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh are the three poorest states in India with their people living below poverty line being 47, 42 and 37 percent respectively. Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab and Himachal Pradesh are the three better-off states in India as far as the poverty is concerned. Q. 7: Describe global poverty trends . Ans: There have been substantial reduction in global poverty, but there are regional disparities described below – (1) Poverty declined in China and South-East Asian countries as a result of rapid economic growth and huge investments in the development of human resources. 2) In Latin America, the ratio of poverty remained almost the same. (3) In sub-Saharan Africa, poverty saw an upward trend rather than a downward trend. It rose from 41% in 1981 to 46% in 2001. (4) Poverty ha surfaced itself in some of the former socialist countries like Russia, where formerly it was non-existent. Q. 8: Describe current government strategy of poverty alleviation. Ans: Removal of poverty has one of the major objectives of Indian developmental strategy. The current government strategy of poverty alleviation is based on two planks: (1) Promotion of Economic Growth 2) Targeted Anti-poverty Programmes Some of the anti-poverty programmes undertaken by government at present are discussed below: P rime Minister’s Rozgar Yojana (PMRY) Started in 1993, this programme aims to create self-employment opportunities for educated unemployed youth in rural areas and small towns. Pradhan Mantri Gramodaya Yojana (PMGY) Launched in 2000, this aims to create and improve basic services like primary health, primary education, rural shelter, rural drinking water and rural electrification. National Food for Work programme (NFWP)Launched in 2004 in 150 most backward districts of the country, this programme is open to all rural poor who are in need of wage employment and desired to do manual unskilled work. National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) This act was passed in September 2005. The act provides 100 days assured employment every year to every rural household in 200 districts. Later, the scheme will be extended to 600 districts and also one third to the proposed jobs would be reserved for women. Q. 9: Answer the following questions briefly – (i) What do you understand by human poverty? ii) Who are the poorest of the poor? (iii) What are the main features of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act 2005? Ans: (i) Poverty is multi-dimensional problem. As per the official concept of poverty, a person is considered poor if his or her income falls below a given ‘minimum level’. But human poverty is not confined to economic factors alone. With development, the definitions of what constitutes poverty also changes. The official definition of poverty considers only a ‘minimum’ subsistence level of living rather than a ‘reasonable’ level of living.Many scholars advocate that the concept of human poverty must be broadened and should be looked through other social indicators like – illiteracy level, lack of general resistance due to mal-nutrition, lack of access to resources like health-care, safe drinking water, job opportunities, sanitation, lack of self-confidence without social equality etc. (ii) Women, c hildren (especially the girl child) and elder people in a poor family are regarded as the poorest of the poor because they are systematically denied equal access to resources available to the family. (iii) Refer to the answer of Q. 8 above.

American Government and politics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

American Government and politics - Essay Example Presidential speeches are dynamically recorded online in which individuals can discuss their opinions on. Furthermore, networks such as CNN and even white house are on twitter. Although this may seem risky, it allows the government to convey their message and benefit from these avenues of social networking. Law exists because it is critical for human existence. It is in human nature to engage in constant warfare. When law is implemented and citizens give up their rights to a sovereign ruler, things seem to be in harmonious manner. When someone violates the law, they are imprisoned for their actions. Prison and fines are the common ways punishing individuals who don’t abide with the law. Congress and the government makes the law to secure the freedom for the citizens of America. However, the process of laws being enacted is a long due process which can be often frustrating not to mention the rivalry that exists between Republicans and Democrats. Select ONE of the following scenarios  for the assigned chapters and complete the Critical Analysis questions.   Your written response must be at least 100 words in support of your position on the questions.   Be sure to note the chapter number and feature in your response. The concept of Shariah laws is complicated that are handled carefully with Islamic scholars. The shariah insists that a person must say the word â€Å"talaaq,† which means divorce in order to obtain that talaaq. If a person says this three times to a same person, he is not allowed to marry her every as the marriages becomes null. The problem is the fact that when men just write the word divorce instead of saying it. In essence, does it become valid if a person does it through texting or email? Indeed, Islamic jurists have pondered upon that issue. Recently though, the Saudi courts have upheld this issue and said that divorce through texting should be upheld. Freedom of expression is

Building Stakeholder Management and Culture Essay

Building Stakeholder Management and Culture - Essay Example The paper tells that the value of building a sustainable, goal-oriented corporate culture has been identified as a path towards a thriving venture. Corporate culture talks about practical guiding principle, commonplace values, practices, interests, and beliefs integral to managers. Building a stable stakeholder culture is a key force reinforcing firm stakeholder management. One of the prevalent descriptions of stakeholder culture is that it holds the traditions, beliefs, ideals, and objectives that organisations have built for dealing with stakeholder relationships and concerns. Successful stakeholder management involves the formation of a corporate culture that most largely envisions and considers responsibilities to stakeholders (e.g. individuals, employees, communities, etc). Corporate stakeholders nowadays are confronted with policy and public demands, corporate social responsibility (CSR), and business ethics. Many of such issues are alongside a boost in government ruling and th e enlarged position of subordinate stakeholders in reaction to the economic disorders. Organisations are looking for new code of ethics that will originate from traditional norms as well as from moral codes. Policymakers and government stakeholders have recently acted to implement more accountability and transparency from CEOs to guarantee ethical business conducts and the rights of shareholders. Organisations will discover means to financially support CSR programmes with the assistance of the government, community advocates, and humanitarians. (Polonsky 2005). Ultimately, according to Lamb and Mckee (2005), for the demands of public policy, it is important for numerous stakeholders, especially employees, employers, labour unions, and the government to work in partnership to promote ethical corporate conduct and stakeholder management. Current studies have emphasised the notion of ‘stakeholder culture’ as an influential force when organisations are attempting to evaluat e the value of different stakeholder demands. Although some businesses manage to survive an economic setback, they would be in a better position if they will evaluate their stakeholder culture, rooted in ethical conduct, and characterised as the â€Å"shared beliefs, values, and evolved practices regarding the solution of recurring stakeholder-related problems† (Global Economics Crisis Resource Centre 2009, 34). Recognition of an organisation’s stakeholder culture can contribute to the growth of cooperation among stakeholders. The Stakeholder Theory In the 1970s, extraordinary intensities of environmental crisis and development, such as oil crisis, occurred. Because of this predicament the ‘stakeholder theory’ emerged as an ingenious global perspective of the corporate world (Lorca & Garcia-Diez 2004). Nevertheless, the concept upon which it was grounded was an already widely known field, because the concept ‘stakeholder’ had been applied in t he 1960s. However, some scholars trace back the origin of ‘stakeholder’ way earlier than the 1960s; Preston (1990 as cited in Lorca & Garcia-Diez 2004) claims that the concept surfaced when the General Electric Company classified primary stakeholders during the Great Depression, namely, the general public, customers, employees, and owners. But it was Freeman (1984) who formally established the stakeholder theory. Today, according to Carroll and Buchholtz (2011), the stakeholder theory is recognised far and wide and has gained the official approval of numerous academic disciplines, and professional groups. Nowadays, success no longer relies simply on the customer, but also on the attainment of a stable equilibrium that pleases a company’s stakeholders: employees, owners, customers, suppliers, and

Postmodernism in Modern Society Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Postmodernism in Modern Society - Research Paper Example There has been a contracting debate on postmodernism among architects and plastic and visual artists. As defined by architectures, postmodernism is taking half from the traditional ways of doing things and getting the others from supplementary sources to develop a blended component. It entails using modern approach to address traditional issues in architecture. The same thing applies to visual arts. In visual arts, postmodernism is the process of blending conventional arts with new arts. There has been mixture of traditional medium of printing and the modern means of printing and designing in modern visual arts. In music, postmodernism has a remarkable impact to the method of dancing, instruments used and the costumes used in dancing. Although traditional music does not significantly change, there are some aspects of the music which are affected by postmodernism. Change in music arts, styles, and costumes has an impact on artist way of living.1 Postmodernism in visual arts has a comp lex history. Many scholars in the field are not confident in using the term since they believe it wiped away practices and techniques that existed in the field over the last thirty years. Although, there is no agreement on the components appropriate to define the current changes in visual art, postmodern arts is described as the art developed after the diminish of modern arts in 1960s. The movement that defines postmodernism includes the pattern painting in the mid 1970s. During this time, Americans celebrated both non-geometric and geometric arts. Artists were reacting against the Puritanism of negligible and abstract arts. The second widespread movement was Neo-Expressionism which occurred in the late 1970s and early 1980s. At this time, practitioners were advocating for the return of traditional sculptures and painting art. This movement was common among German expressionists. There was also another movement that occurred in mid 1980s called Neo-Geo. Practitioners in this movemen t were parodying the previous movements. They used Day-Glo colors to communicate their message. The actors in this movement were contradicting with Neo-Expressionist idea on postmodernism. The other commonly known movement was New British sculpture. This involved the sculptures of common artists at that time. According to them, there was decay in United Kingdom urban environment which led to waste of consumer community in the country. They also intended to explore the manners in which different objects were given meaning in the society. There was also Super-Realism movement which took place between 1960s and 1970s. This movement was also called Photo-Realism. The pioneers of this movement were trying to express their dissatisfaction with the application of photography in the arts of painting. Nevertheless, their concern was on technical predicament of putting light and tones on a surface instead of general verisimilitude.2 In general, postmodernism art is due to the reaction of mode rnist arts obsession. Postmodernism is the reintroduction of morals, ornaments and decorations in art and sculptures. At around 1967, art magazines were occupied with sleek cube form, but in 1969, this was substituted with photographic image, language, ongoing process and natural substances. Most of postmodern artists portray nonchalance in addressing mismatched styles. They combine different style in one art. In this case, they lack purity and uniformity in

Chapter 3 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Chapter 3 - Assignment Example The percentage contribution of food is 32%, products 21%,housing 29% and mobility 18%.Therefore ecological footprint will be as shown; Food=2.72, goods=1.79, shelter=2.5, mobility=1.53.The total ecological footprint is an average of 8.5 global hectares per person. The ecological footprint of a person living in the primitive U.S.A, there is a reduction in general carbon emission by this person. The person does not need a vehicle to move and, therefore, will take a walk or ride a bicycle. The food the person consumes is more of natural and, therefore, there is a reduction in the overall emission patterns. Food=25%, goods=17%, shelter 20%, mobility 10%.Therefore the ecological mobility will be (0.25*8.5+0.17*8.5+0.2*8.5+0.1*8.5) =6.12 global hectares/planets. The ecological footprint of other countries is low or high. This depends on the natural resource endowment. For example, in Australia is 12.25 global hectares because of the use of coal to generate energy. WWf calculator exists on an online platform, but it derives the calculations by asking questions like the kind of food one consumes and the frequency of its consumption. It asks questions about all components of carbon footprint and ecological footprint. My ecological footprint in the calculator is 3.14 planets, and carbon footprints are 2202.4 because of the difference in their questions used in calculations. Some of the behaviors that can reduce the emission of greenhouse gases come from an individual. One can decide to use his or her vehicle once or twice in a week. One can opt to board a train once in a while to job. One can ration the amount of food consumed and also the appliances used at home can avoid issues of using kerosene stoves to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide. Overall, we can conclude that it would be so important for a society to work towards lowering the ecological footprint. This would be paramount. Some of the measures to ensure this can include; the country is

Blog Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Blog - Essay Example Generally speaking BBC has the responsibility of telecasting news in a genuine manner with accurate news content. It also has the responsibility to enhance creativity and promote skill of future generation in media profession. There are also difference between quality and popular newspaper where the former projects international and national news but will have politically biased content while popular papers are consumed by readers who are minorly educated. Language and layout of quality paper is precise whereas popular paper gives news in fancy layout and less authentic language. It could be said that the quality of journalism has increased due to the arrival of social media. The diversity of news broadcasting also has increased with the incoming of social media. Moreover users can research their news related and also can broadcast through blogs and updates in social networking sites. However it is sad that in my home country government does censor the press and regulate news which is

International Management Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

International Management - Case Study Example The Chinese market compares favorably in terms of skills, flexibility as well as hard work while compared with the American market. Besides, the company enjoys ease of management of supply chains in China when compared with the same in America and this enables rapid access of the products across different part of the world. The Chinese government offers subsidies as well as streamlining regulations in order to boost manufacturing industries, which is favorable to Apple Company. However, the main threat that the company faces while operating in China is the threat of having more labor demands as labor organizations gain ground in improving employees’ welfare, which implies increased costs of operations through higher wage bills, which subsequently lowers the company’s profitability (Anon, 34-35). Among other obligations that the Apple company must meet towards its customers is the design and creation of high quality products which will ensure customer value and which will meet health standards for the welfare of the customers. Besides, Apple Company is obliged to increase persistently in research undertakings in order to keep improving on products offered to the customers.On the other hand, Apple Company is obliged to ensure value for shareholders investments through continued profitability. This explains the efforts that the management puts towards ensuring that the company runs profitably and ensuring that costs are minimized as possible while increasing sales. Finally, the company is in contract with Faxconn Company for assembly of the products and is therefore obliged to keep the company running through continuous supply of raw materials. Apple Company must also ensure that terms of contract between itself and Foxconn are honored. On the other hand, Foxconn have an obligation to the apple company in ensuring that high quality products are assembled and ensuring

PERFORMANCE APPRASIAL AT KFSH&RC Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

PERFORMANCE APPRASIAL AT KFSH&RC - Essay Example Feedback process 23 1. Importance of feedback 23 2. The re-engineering process of the Human Resource Department 24 3. Results of survey 26 4. Discussion 33 5. Conclusion 35 6. References 38 Executive Summary This dissertation comes in two parts. Chapter 1 reviews whether there is a need to change or update the existing performance appraisal being used by the King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre. Under the present environment of technological and communication advances, there are many changes noted in the use of the traditional system. The study also shows that the PAS of the KFSH&RC is not consistent with the social and cultural idioms of the hospital as it is patterned after the American environment which is totally different from that of Saudi Arabia. Data gathering from published literatures, studies and opinions of noted authors is done to amplify the recommendation and conclusion that an update is needed under the circumstances In chapter II of the study, the reco mmendation in part I has been followed so that the design of the Human Resources at King Faisal Hospital Science & Research Center is being re-engineered by the management. A memorandum to this effect has been sent by the Human Resources Department to all managers and supervisors to take part on the exercise, training and proper information. As one of the basis for the re-engineered design, a feedback information is desired by management to complete the structure of its design plan. Knowing what the personnel feels will equip them with the knowledge of what is really going on inside the organization and what is really needed and thus be able to correct deficiencies in the system. To gain insight of the personnel’s perception on the performance appraisal and also to find out the needs of personnel on training and development, a survey was conducted to 139 personnel of the hospital representing 2% of the total number of personnel of KFHSRC. The number of sample has been limited due to limitations of time and resources to conduct a larger number of sampling. Result showed majority of respondents believed on the validity of performance appraisal for rating performance. Survey shows training and development are needed by some respondents while some respondents do not understand their job responsibilities. Findings of the study can be used as references by the Human Resource Management in correcting deficiencies of performances and developing programs for development of personnel. A REVIEW OF THE PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL SYSTEM AT KFSH&RC Introduction The King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center appraisal system has been developed by the hospital in 1988. It is a system based on the American Appraisal system that has been adopted by the hospital in 1975. The pros and cons of the present appraisal system of the hospital are reviewed to determine if there is a need to update or replace or the PAS totally. Chapter 1 of the study presents the overview of the KFSH&RC, the present performance system and its benefits. This section also presents a review of literature that includes the criticisms, studies and researches that argue about instituting new measures of performance evaluation of employees and gauging employee job satisfaction. Chapter II discusses the implementation of the re-engineering project for the human

Teens at High Risk of Suicide Essay Example for Free

Teens at High Risk of Suicide Essay Teen suicide is a major problem in today’s society and it is totally preventable. This issue needs to be taken care of immediately. Teen should not be taking their lives intentionally. Teen suicide is derived from three major factors: bullying, drug/alcohol abuse, and most commonly mental illness. It has been a pretty popular topic in the media world but it still just gets pushed under the rug. Suicide is currently the third leading cause of death in the United States between the ages of 15 and 24 (Holmes 1). It is also one of the most preventable forms of death because the person will show warning signs. This is a common myth; that people do not show any warning signs. That in fact is wrong, someone who is thinking about committing suicide almost always shows warning signs it is whether or not you pay attention and take action towards them. Although there are many factors that can lead people to cause suicide mental illness is the leading cause. Bulling, depression, anxiety, drug and alcohol abuse, and sexual or physical abuse follow close behind (Teen Suicide Statistics 2). Bullying is quickly starting to become one of the major leading causes of teen suicide. There are plenty of news stories on how yet another teen has taken their life due to being bullied. Bullying has been a serious problem in schools for many years now and somehow it needs to be put to an end. School should be a safe place where you go to get an education. You should not have to worry about if your going to get picked on today before school, during lunch, or after school and so your day is just spent in fear. In the past year bullying in schools has been brought to the public attention more but nothing is really successfully being done about it. Most bulling occurs in the elementary and high school years. Everyone knows that kids and teenagers can be curl towards each other at times. A common reason that kids or teens feel the need to bully someone is peer pressure. Almost everyone has experienced some type of bullying in their lifetime, whether they were the victim, the one doing the bullying, or even just being a bystander. ABC news has reported that almost 30 percen t of students are bullies or bullying victims. It is not uncommon to hear of those that were often bullied became bullies themselves in return. It is not always just the nerdy kid with glasses that gets bullied on the playground by the jock it can be anyone. Once it gets to the point where the kid doesn’t even want to come to school  anymore and they aren’t acting like themselves it is time to really be concerned. According to a study completed by Yale University it states; â€Å"victims of bullying are two to nine times more likely to contemplate suicide than people who aren’t bullied† (ABC 1). We all have heard of teenagers that were bullied and as a result they took action in an extravagant way. An example of this is the columbine shooting that happened on April 20th, 1999 in Colorado. Dylan Kelbord and Eric Harris had known each other since middle school and one day they were so fed up with their peers and they took violent action. On April 20th, 1999 the boys’ seek to get revenge on those that had ever made fun of them. During the middle of the school day the boys walked into the sch ool with guns, knives, and bombs and walked down the hallways to kill. By the time that it was over twelve students, one teacher, and the two boys were dead, and 21 more were injured. (Rosenberg 1) All of this could have been prevented. Both Kelbord and Harris showed suicidal signs. Stated in the video left behind by them Kelbord states that he had been contemplating suicide since 1997 and the boys started thinking of a large massacre in 1998. They even wrote about this plan in each other’s yearbooks. Also stated in the Columbine Massacre by Jennifer Rosenburg is that â€Å"looking back, there were telltale hints and clues that something was seriously wrong. Video tapes, journals, guns and bombs in their rooms would have been easily found if the parents had looked† (Rosenburg 4). So, all of this could have been prevented if people had paid more attention to their personalities. After this incident it started to become more common to hear about teen suicide in the media related to being bullied. It got so bad that celebrities such as Elen Degeneres, Elton John, Anne Hathaway, and many more began posting video messages to reach out in an attempt to stop bullying. There are so many bullying prevention programs out there that not only help those cope with being bullied, but they also try and help the ones that are doing the bullying. These programs help them direct their anger in a non-harmful ways. Some of these programs are B.R.A.V.A. (Bully Resistance and Violence Avoidance Program), T.E.A.C.H. (Teens Educating and Confronting Homophiba) and the RISE (Rise in Schools Everywhere) (Registry of Bullying Prevention Programs 1 2). These programs are all created to focus on putting  an end to bullying. Theses programs are great because bullying affects those of all ages. Everyone is guilty of it and everyone knows how it feels to be put down. So together we need to stand up against bullying in every school and if this were to happen the number of teen suicides related to being bullied could be reduced greatly. Even just paying attention to warning signs can help those in need get help. â€Å"According to the Canadian Metal Health Association some warning signs include but are not limited to; repeated expressions of hopelessness, helplessness or depression, behavior that is out of character, signs of depression – sleeplessness, social withdraw, loss of appà ©tit, giving away prized possessions, telling final wishes, remarks related to death and dying, or an expressed intent to commit suicide† (Preventing Suicide 1). All of these signs should be taken seriously in order to prevent the worse. However bullying is of course not the only factor that leads many teens to suicide. Drug and/or alcohol abuse is also a contributing factor that may lead a teen to suicide. It could be that they have an addiction to drugs or alcohol and has led them to commit suicide or that they had tried using these substances to cope with their feelings and they ended up having an overdose or poising. No matter what the scenario is there is still help for substance abuse so it does not have to lead to accidental or intentionally overdoses or suicide due to withdrawal. There are all kinds of support groups, therapy or even having a friend sit them down and talk to them about their concerns they have been noticing can help lesson the numbers of death from these substances. Talking with the person directly about the situation can be very beneficial. It could be that all the person needs is someone to listen to what they are going through and what feelings they are having without being judged or looked down upon. Giving them your support can help them work through it and make them feel like life is tough but it is worth living. There is also the myth that talking to a person about their suicidal thoughts will push them over the edge and cause them to actually follow through with it. In reality talking to someone about suicide will most often times do more good than harm; in fact the worst thing you can do is not take any action at all (Teen Suicide is Preventable 1). Helpguide.org states in their article, â€Å" Suicide Prevention: Spotting the Signs and Helping and  Suicidal Person,† that Talking to a friend or family member about their suicidal thoughts and feelings can be difficult but, if you even think they might be thinking about it its better to ask. You cannot make a person suicidal by showing that you care. In fact, giving a suicidal person the opportunity to express their feelings can provide relief from loneliness and may prevent a suicidal attempt. If a friend or family m ember is suicidal, the best way to help is by offering an empathetic listening ear. (Suicide Prevention 2) Just letting your loved one know that he or she is not alone and that you care can make a world of difference. However, don’t put the responsibility of making them well on you. Still offer them recovery options. Drug and alcohol abuse is often times common for depressed people and is a hard habit to break that is not easy to do alone. Depression is a leading cause of suicide and falls under the category of mental illness. All mental illness can be anything from depression to bipolar disorder. Although depression is the leading cause of suicide it does not mean that everyone who commits suicide was depressed. Schizophrenia and bipolar disorder are other common mental illnesses that have been proven to be causes of suicide according the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI 1). Sexual orientation, which can also fall into the cat orgy of mental illness, also plays a major role in suicides among teens and young adults. According to the Centre for Suicide Prevention, gay, lesbian and bisexual teens have a higher chance of committing suicide than other teens. â€Å"According to a study completed in 2001, 48% of gay, lesbian, and bisexual youth have said that their contemplation of suicide was related to, or was a result of their sexual preference† (Suicide among Gay†¦ 1). Out of all causes of suicides, mental illness had proven to be the leading basis; in fact only about 10% of people who have committed suicide were not suffering from a mental illness of some sort. With the majority of people that have committed suicide suffering from a mental disorder or substance abuse, they often times â€Å"have difficulty coping with such crippling stressors. They are unable to recognize that suicide is a permant solution to a temporary problem according to the National Institute of Mental Health† (NAMI 3). There are many factors that play a role in teenage suicide. Being a teenager is not an easy thing. You are going through all kinds of body, thought and feeling changes during your teen years. School is not easy and people are not always nice. That is just how life goes. Teens need to know that everyone faces these problems and there are many other ways to cope with any situation before it has to lead to suicide. Anti- depressant drugs have proven to be highly effective in helping teens steer away from the thought of suicide. People need to stand up against bullying and take into general consideration that every action will have a reaction on a person, whether it is good or bad. Suicide is preventable and if people were more considerate of others feelings, then the number of teen deaths could easily be reduced. When someone gives up hope on living there needs to be more hands reaching out to them and showing them why they are here today.

The Education System In Palestine

The Education System In Palestine Developing education in Palestine is a unique experience, rich and full of challenges and obstacles. First, it is unique due to the fact that it is one of the few countries where the Ministry of Education was established from scratch. Rich because of the enthusiasm and inspiration of Palestinians to learn. It is a challenge because Palestine is not yet a state and is facing a daily conflict with the Israeli occupation (UNESCO, 2002). Since the beginning of the Aqsa Intifada in 2000 and until now, the suffering of the Palestinian education increased like other vital sectors in Palestine as a result of the ongoing and repeated Israeli aggression. In particular, the aggression affects the lives of Palestinian children, their lives, future and school. Hundreds of students were killed, arrested and injured by the occupation army, which demolished many schools and some were transformed to military barracks. Not only has the Israeli occupation authorities stopped to this limit, but they est ablished the Apartheid Wall, which increased the suffering of the educational family and prevented the access of teachers and students to school safely; thus, this forced them to travel long distances or wait for the Israelis to allow them to cross the gates that are set up on the wall (MOEHE, 2009). Background: As a result of the 1948 Mandate and the banishing of a lot of people from their houses, Palestinians sought for recompense in education in order to protect a satisfactory level of living (Fasheh, 1990; Hallij, 1980). As far as the Israeli Occupation inflated, Palestinians considered education as a mean to keep them away from the obliteration and the Israelis confiscation, and the possibility of being a weapon to contend with (Tahir, 1985; Hallij, 1980). Throughout the period between 1967 and 1994, the Israeli government was in charge for the education sector in the West Bank and Gaza. After the Palestinian Authority was established in 1994, enrolment of students into all schools reached over a million from 650,000. However, the Ministry of Education suffered in creating methods for planning, synchronization and budgeting whilst handling the situation with the students growth and the continual crisis of the Israeli occupation (Nicolai, 2007, p. 1). After the Oslo I Accord in 1994, the Palestinian Authority Ministry of Education was founded. According to the West Bank report of the Educational Sector Analysis published in 2006, in September 2000, it was the first time when the Palestinian national curriculum was launched in the Palestinian schools and particularly in the first till the sixth grades for which this curriculum replaced the Jordanian and Egyptian curricula used since the Israeli occupation in the West Bank and Gaza in 1967. Moreover, this curriculum created an advantage for Palestine as being the first Arabic country that teaches the English language in the first grade, as well as initiated and taught Information Technology as an obligatory material from the fifth till the twelve grade. Additionally, schools had elective subjects such as home economics, health and environment from the seventh grade till the tenth grade, and economics and management in the eleventh and twelve grades (Passia, 2008, p. 356). The education system endured from striking damages through that period; schools and universities were closed for a long time and even some universities closures extended to about four years, where Israelis obliged a big number of teachers to leave their jobs. Moreover, it was prohibited to reveal anything about the Palestinian history, culture, geography and inheritance neither in class nor in the situation, for which the Jordanian textbook were in the West Bank and the Egyptian textbooks were in Gaza at that time (Nicolai, 2007, p. 1). According to the World Bank report (2006a, p. 44), a total of 266 schools and 7,350 classrooms were built between 1995 and 2005. The MOEHE was directly accountable for the building of 118 new schools and 2,675 educational classrooms in order to decrease the schools double shifts. According to the PCBS, 41% of classes had 30 students or less in 2004/2005 and only 18% of classes had more than 40 students (ibid: p. 51). According to the MOEHE (2007/2008), the survey results indicated that there are 1,182,246 male and female students studying in kindergartens and schools including 710,287 students in the West Bank and 471,959 students in Gaza Strip; 592,389 males and 589,857 females. Moreover, there are 766,730 students in government schools, 253,116 students in UNRWA schools, 78,111 students in private schools and 84,289 children in kindergarten. There has been an obvious increase in the number of schools since the years 1994 and 2007. The total number of schools increased from 1,469 (1,080 governmental schools, 254 UNRWA, and 135 private) to 2,337 schools (1,775 governmental schools, 286 UNRWA, and 276 private) in the West Bank and Gaza during 1994/1995 and 2006/2007. The number of sections also increased during the same period. In 2007, the class sections in the Palestinian schools reached 31,963 (34% student rate per each section), 22,833 in Governmental schools (33.3% students), 6,188 in UNRWA s chools (40.9% students), and 2,942 in private schools (24.6% students) (MOEHE, 2007, p. 1). Due to the harsh and hard situation that the Palestinian people have been facing until recent years, yet, the drop out rate decreased since 1993/1994 (2.25%) until 2005/2006 (0.9%) in Palestinian schools, and 3.33% in governmental schools compared to 0.1% in governmental schools in the same years sequentially (ibid: p. 2). In 2000, while the MOEHE was attempting to endure the corrosion of the education system, the Aqsa Intifada began. This Intifada caused to increase the corrosion in the education system that the MOEHE was facing. Based on the World Bank report (2006a, p. 37), Palestinians are the most educated people in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) area with 91% adult literacy rate. According to the MOEHE, in year 2007/2008, only 1,867 out of 2,415 schools were operating with one shift and the remaining 548 schools were operating with two shifts, including 67 schools in the West Bank and 481 in Gaza Strip (Passia, 2008, p. 359). Education Structure in Palestine: The education cycle is divided into 12 phases, starting from the first grade to the twelfth grade; the pre-school education provides educational services for children from the age of four up to the age of five, which is not yet a mandatory phase in the Palestinian educational system (World Bank, 2006a, p. 6). The common education system is divided into two phases. Phase one, the basic education that is covering grades from one to ten and is divided into preparation phase from grade one to four, and empowerment phase from grade five to ten. The second phase is the secondary education, which is not obligatory, that covers grades from eleven to twelve. These grades are alienated to literature, scientific, and vocational education, which included industrial, agricultural, commercial, hotel and home economics. In the West Bank and Gaza, there are fifteen industrial schools, as there are only three of them governmental (ibid: p. 9). According to the World Bank Report (2006b, p. 53), in 2004/2005, the total number of students attending schools and pre-schools was about over a million, 60% in the West Bank, 70% in governmental schools, 24% in UNRWA schools, and 6% in the private sector. As for teachers employment, governmental schools employed 66% of teachers, UNRWA 18% and the private sector 18%. However, the private sector is not investing adequate education and mostly vocational training due to the high expenditures and the slow profits anticipated from these projects. On the other hand, the private sector invests in nurseries and kindergartens (Fronk, Huntington and Chadwick, 1999). Schools Enrolment in Palestine: West Bank and Gaza accomplished high enrollment rate compared to other developing countries in the MENA region. According to the MOEHE (2005), during the period of 2005/2006, there are 383,748 students in the preparation stage; including 195,618 male and 188,130 female that are registered in schools in Palestine. A total of 62% of students (238,500 students) registered in governmental schools, 29% (109,419 students) in UNRWA schools and 9% (35,829 students) in private schools. As for the empowerment stage, a total of 569,873 students are registered in schools; including 296,247 male and 283,626 female. A total of 70% students (Among them, 398,672 students) are in governmental schools, 25% (145,133 students) in UNRWA schools, and 5% (26,068 students) private schools. Quality of Education in Palestine: According to Kellaghan and Greaney (2001, pp. 22-23), quality is the term relates to the adequacy or appropriateness of objects or processes for the purposes for which they were intended. Furthermore, quality implies a scale, and often implies standards. An object can be of good or poor quality, or it can meet, or fail to meet, a standard. There are many features of the system that would influence the educations quality; such as the schools building condition, teachers status, administration staff, teacher training, and the curriculum, for which any weakness in any of these indicator will affect the other indicators. Nonetheless, the outcome is the most important part, but what really matters is not the high enrollment rate, but the fact that if the students are obtaining the suitable knowledge, understanding and skills and are not dropping out of schools. To measure the quality of education in Palestine is not easy because of the major effect of the political situation on the education sector. Curfews, closures and all Israelis policies forced on the Palestinians affected the education sector mainly during Al-Aqsa intifada; students need to cope with all emergency situations, as well as for the teachers and schools administrators. Those aspects demoralize the educational quality. According to the MOEHE, about 43 schools were occupied and turned into Israeli military bases since the outbreak of the Al-Aqsa intifada (Nicolai, 2007, p. 2). According to the World Bank report (2006a, p. 4), developing countries regularly reach to a serious point after the attainment of high schools enrolment; but had to shift their concerns to the educational quality that might have been affected by the fast extension. The report also reconfirmed that the MOEHE has to shift their focus more on monitoring, evaluation and investing in human resources such as training teachers instead of their focus on construction and the provision of textbooks. Current Educational Situation in Palestine: Based on UNICEF (2010) statistics, there are 1,141,828 students in 2,611 schools from the first till the twelfth grade; 1,955 governmental schools, 325 UNRWA schools and 308 private sectors. Compared to the details demonstrated before, there is a clear change in number of students. According to the MOEHE, in governmental schools, there are 70% attendance, 22% in UNRWA and 8% in private sectors. Since the last elections in 2006, Gaza has been under siege and the needed construction material has been prevented to enter Gaza, which caused a problem of the increasing number of students leading to increasing the double shifts in schools. Double shifts reached 82% in governmental schools, 90% in UNRWA schools which lead schools to cut off the educational hours in order to observe the large numbers of students. In addition, the Ministry added that there is a high need to build new schools in the next five years in order to absorb the increasing number of students. Thus, its recommendation w as to build at least 100 UNRWA schools and 105 governmental schools. Nonetheless, obstacles hindering the movements of students to their schools havent got easier; they still suffer from long distances and are obliged to walk as high as 25 km to reach their schools in addition to paying a lot of money on a monthly basis (UNICEF, 2010, pp. 1-2) Conclusion: The problem of the education sector in Palestine is not easy; the complexity of the political situation is affecting this sector, the stages that the Palestinians went through and changing the responsible authority on the education sector since the British mandates left its finger prints on the current deterioration in the education sector. The problem of the schools crowdedness is not only due to the population growth but also due to the accumulated problems during the period 1967-1994; this freezing period in the education sector development affected deeply the quality of education in Palestine. Since the start of the MOEHE in 1994, the PA has only been trying to rebuild the education system through the expansion policy and constructing additional schools and classrooms. Yet the Israeli occupation is still hampering the education development through the closure policies. Previously and currently, the MOEHE is still facing many problems; such as, the continuous growth rate of students and the limited number of educational classrooms in addition to the unsuitable geographic distributions of schools site due to the Israelis imposed checkpoints, settlers road that increased throughout the second Intifada, and the segregation between Palestinian areas; as a result, students face the problem of crossing long distance to arrive at their schools. Moreover, governmental schools faced a main problem of the small sizes educational classrooms in the West Bank.

The Effects of Government Spending and Borrowing Essay examples -- Gov

The Effects of Government Spending and Borrowing Government borrowing can be inflationary because the government borrows from banks, which increases the money supply. Banks assume that consumers will not take more than 10% of their savings out and on that basis are able to lend to the government. This increases the money supply because the government has borrowed from the bank but the consumer’s savings stay the same and therefore there is more money in circulation. According to monetarist beliefs an increase in the money supply will directly increase inflation. Inflation can lead to unemployment, as people demand less due to higher prices and therefore demand for labor maybe decreased. Inflation also creates uncertainty for entrepreneurs, cost curves increase and revenue can decrease thus squeezing profits. Also when inflation is in the mind of the entrepreneur it can escalate easily as they will take inflationary actions like automatically increase prices and therefore it is imperative government spending/borrowing is controlled. Although government borrowing does increase the money supply, the monetarist view of a direct link between money supply and inflation is wrong, as proved when Britain experienced recession under Margaret Thatcher. In order to control the money supply the government cut borrowing and spending, which in theory would reduce the money supply, inflation and unemployment but interest rates had to rise to stop consumer borrowing, which in turn increased the exchange rate. High interest rates curbed consumer borrowing, which reduces demand for products, along with a high exchange rate ruining demand for exports ... ...ector borrowing is not the enemy of unemployment. If the government borrows too much then there will have to be increases in taxes, mainly corporation tax and this will also contribute to some unemployment, but the public sector does help employment in some ways. Education and training (funded by the government) provides a skilled, desirable workforce, which will encourage British firms to employ British workers instead of looking for other skilled workers in an increasingly globalized world. The National Health Service also reduces the amount of residual unemployed and therefore contributes to keeping employment levels high. Government borrowing should only occur if for investment purposes and if it will be repaid over the cycle, otherwise it destroys entrepreneur confidence and eventually leads to unemployment.

Colleges Should Educate Student Athletes Essay -- Educating College At

All college students sitting in classrooms today face challenges that can impede their success. A challenging course schedule, competing demand for the student’s time, and college readiness are all factors that can hinder a student’s performance in the classroom. Moreover, these challenges also have the ability to impact the student’s overall student development. While most students share a common set of stressors, there are certain groups on campus that face pressures and challenges that are not shared by the majority of their peers. Student athletes are such a group. Joshua Watson (2005) noted the positive benefits of participating in intercollegiate activities, but also noted that such participation can lead to issues of â€Å"maladjustment, emotional illness, and psychological distress† (p. 442). Because of the unique issues facing student athletes, academic administrators and student affairs professionals are challenged to adequately address these challenges. While there may be existing services on campus to assist all students with success related issues, institutions must also take a closer look at the services that will be the most effective for student athletes. An important element is not only having a conducive learning environment for services, but also staff personnel who understand the complex life of a student athlete. Many athletic advising and counseling programs concentrate on academic eligibility; however, student athletes can also benefit from services that promote the overall development of the student (Howard-Hamilton & Sina, 2001). Based on the aforementioned, institutions could greatly benefit from a dedicated office that works directly and closely with student athletes. An Athletic Student Developme... ...ross models of psychological nigrescence. Journal of Black Psychology, 5(1), 13-31. Evans, N.J., Forney, D.S., Guido, F., Patton, L. D., & Renn, K. A. (2010). Student development in college: Theory, research, and practice (2nd ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. Howard-Hamilton, M.F. & Sina, J.A. (2001). How college affects student athletes. New Directions for Student Services, 93, 35-46. Menke, D. (2013). Student-athletes in transition: Applying the Schlossberg model. Academic Advising Today, 36(3). Schlossberg, N.K., Waters, E.B., Goodman, J. (1995). Adults in transition: Linking practice with theory (2nd ed). New York, NY: Springer Publishing Company. Watson, J. (2005). College student athlete’s attitudes toward help-seeking behavior and expectations of counseling services. Journal of College Student Development, 46(4), 442-449.

Macbeth - GUILTY :: essays research papers

This was an oral presentation, in which I prosecuted Macbeth. I received a grade of A-, however was told that it was my actual presentation rather than my essay that stopped me getting a higher grade :) Ladies and Gentlemen, I will be brief. You have heard the testimonies and seen the evidence; it is now time for the fate of Macbeth to be decided. Today you have met scores of witnesses testify, under oath, the defendant’s entirely good and honest character, and have pondered as to how the King of Scotland could commit such atrocities. However, unmistakable evidence opposes such testimonies and proves beyond reasonable doubt that the defendant Macbeth killed his King, Duncan the II of Scotland, his life-long friend Banquo and Lady Macduff and her children. Over the last six months we have seen Macbeth degrade from a fearless and heroic warrior to a murderer, a conscious villain who felt extreme guilt after killing his King out of pure greed and ambition. His servant, as testified, overheard Macbeth express his guilt to his wife on the night of the murder: â€Å"I am afraid to think what I have done; Look on ‘t again I dare not.† Following his crowning at Scone, King Macbeth hired three assassins to murder his long-time friend Banquo, in order to protect his crown. It was after the murder of Banquo that Macbeth then turned into an unmerciful, non-repentant tyrant. This man, once heralded a hero, became the bane of Scotland and his people. The defense has tried to manipulate facts to persuade you that Macbeth is not to blame for these murders and has placed responsibility for these deaths on everyone from Lady Macbeth to the witches, who occasionally conversed with the accused. You have heard testimonies of the three witches, who told us of their encounters with Macbeth. What sort of man would associate with such evil beings, and most of all, believe the nonsense they foresee? The witches did not directly influence Macbeth to assassinate his King, they only speculated as to what the future may hold and these predictions ignited his overwhelming ambition to become King. These associations with the witches bring serious doubts to the goodness of the defendant’s character. Speculations that Lady Macbeth is responsible for Duncan’s murder have been made by the defense. But blood found on this cloak hidden in Macbeth’s quarters proves without doubt that it was Macbeth who actually committed the murder.

Philippine Party-List System: A Failure or a Success? Essay

The country’s population is about 90 million; about 70 percent of which is in poverty. It is not farfetched to say that majority of the country’s population is underserved and marginalized ― our farmers, fisher folks, the youth and the women among others ―and are in need of government’s attention. In a developing country like the Philippines, decision-making or policy-making must gear towards development of these underserved sectors of the Philippine society. The population elects its legislators ― congressional and party-list representatives, senators and the rest of the elective members of the bureaucracy. But what assurance do the Filipino people get that the underserved are represented in the policy-making body of the country? It is the party-list system. As defined by Republic Act No. 7941 also known as the Philippine Party-list Act, â€Å"the party-list system is a mechanism of proportional representation in the election of representat ives to the House of Representatives from national, regional and sectoral parties or organizations or coalitions thereof registered with the Commission on Elections (COMELEC).† The rationale behind the emergence of the Philippine party-list system in the Philippine party politics is to provide representation to the marginalized and underrepresented sectors of the society ― a ‘democratizing agent’ to the elite-oriented Congress. Nonetheless, it attempts to challenge the status quo and truly serve the underserved masses (Rivera, 2007). The emergence of the party-list system is not an event which transpired â€Å"out of the blue† rather an attempt to redress an insufficiently undemocratic growing elite party politics in the country. Tracing history backwards, the domination of the elite-oriented party politics can clearly be seen since its beginning up to its continuing ascendancy in the Philippine politics today. When the American rule in the Philippines instigated, they were faced with Filipino armed resistance. To resist such â€Å"insurgencies† and to install its complete control over the Philippines, the Americans painsta kingly deceived the Filipinos thru the Filipinization it proposed ― a venue for Filipino participation in the realm of governance and politics. To achieve such purpose, they â€Å"recruited† the elites to join the Filipinization (Gealogo, 2007). Why the elites? For one, they have their own interest to protect. They have much and more to lose than to gain if they won’t yield and collaborate with the colonizers. And they do not trust their fellow Filipinos for they themselves have branded their fellowmen as ‘thieves’. Simply put, they try to maintain political power. And political power resides in property: in their wealth. It is interesting to note, they have collaborated not with the Americans only but with all the other colonizers who came to our land and they successfully maintained a stronghold in the political arena ― in the arena of influence and the influential ― and so begins the reign of the elites. Dante Simbulan (2005) sites that â€Å"the political parties or factions that developed [today] had one common beginning: the principalia group which . . . was composed of the native ruling elites under the Spaniards [emphasis added].† The elites of today are in fact the elites of the colonial Phi lippines. Surprisingly, the entire Philippine party system in today’s time is dominated only by less than a hundred to a hundred wealthy families, and they exist as political clans and dynasties (Simbulan, R., 2007). Does one expect an elite-oriented Congress to legislate against its own interests and genuinely serve the greater masses ― the marginalized and the underrepresented? Prior to the party-list system, minority parties that represent the interest of the same sectors that the party-lists represent today have existed. They tried to forward the interest of the underserved and the marginalized, but eventually, â€Å"no working class (or counter elite) political group or party was able to prosper [emphasis added] (Simbulan, D., 2005).† Former minority parties did not thrive. Now that the Philippine Party-list Act provides the establishment of the party-list system, the question is: Will it, too, vanish like the minority parties which used to assume the same role it does today? This paper seeks to assess the efficacy of the party-list system while pointing out loopholes and lapses in the system. As Section 2 of Republic Act No 7941 or the â€Å"Party-list System Act† states, the Party-list System has three basic elements: (1) to include the â€Å"marginalized† and â€Å"underrepresented† sectors of the country in the legislative processes of the House of Representatives ― democratize the Congress; (2) to pluralize the party system by encouraging multi-parties and (3) to simplify the electoral system. Let us examine the first element of the party-list system by finding out whether it complies with its most basic purpose or not ― that is to democratize the Congress. Based on RA 7941 and the 1987 Constitution, the party-list (originally) has the following basic features: 1. Twenty percent allocation. The party-list representatives constitute 20% of the total number of representatives including those under the party-list. 2. Two percent threshold. A party or organization must obtain at least two percent of the total votes obtained by the party-list system in order to get one seat. 3. Three-seat limit. Section 11 of RA 7941 specifies that a qualified party would be entitled to a maximum of three seats. 4. Proportional representation. The additional seats that the party is entitled to are computed in proportion to its total number of votes. Over the years, there have been debates on these basic features of the party-list system― the structure per se is said to be a â€Å"counter-productive† structure and is in contrast to the very purpose of the party-list system. To show this, let us take a look at the 14 years of the party-list system. The first ever party-list election in 1998 was accepted with enthusiasm. A total of 123 parties participated in the election. The first party-list election was not free of controversies. Right after the election, a certain party-list (PAG-ASA) filed a petition wanting the filling up of the complete 20 percent membership of the party-list to the House of Representatives― they argued it is mandatory. This petition gathered support from nine other organizations which also filed. Eventually, the COMELEC declared all the other 38 organizations in addition to the already declared 14 winners. In declaring the other 38 organizations the COMELEC clearly disregarded the 2 percent threshold and it reasoned out that their decision was based on the following justifications: (1) ‘the marginalized and the underrepresented sectors must be represented in the House of Representatives, (2) the party-list system must represent the broadest sectors of the society and; (3) it would encourage multi-party system.’ However, 12 of the parties which were initially declared by the COMELEC objected to the proclamation of the other 38 organizations arguing that only them (the 14 initially declared winners) are entitled to the seat in the lower house because the other 38 organizations failed to attain the 2 percent vote threshold. Eventually, the dispute was resolved in the Supreme Court. In an en banc session of the Supreme Court in October 1998 it ruled that the 20 percent seat allocation as prescribed by Section 5 (2) of the Constitution is not mandatory. Furthermore, it ruled that the 2 percent threshold is constitutional thus required to obtain a seat in the House of Representatives. So the COMELEC had to recall the proclamation of the other 38 organizations. Given the basic features of the party-list system, one important question needs to be answered: â€Å"How does the party-list system enhance the chances of marginalized or underrepresented parties of winning seats in the House of Representatives?† The COMELEC says that with the three- seat cap for the party-lists, major political parties or the bigger parties which usually dominates the elections will not have the chance to â€Å"corner all the seats† in the House of Representatives and â€Å"crowd out† minority parties. This, th ey argue, will encourage the party-lists to win seat in the House of Representatives. Granted this to be true and the desired or expected consequence to be existent, the party-list is indeed a potential counter-foil to the elite-dominated Congress. However, given this features, particularly the three-seat cap, Felix Muga (2007c) argues―in contrast with what the COMELEC declares―that this features of the party-list system particularly the three-seat cap is a â€Å"counter-productive† structure for â€Å"it promotes the break-up of a strong party into smaller ones and discourages parties to form bigger coalitions† (Para. 4). To illustrate this, let us consider the events after the 2001 Party-list Elections. After the Supreme Court disqualified some parties during the 2001 Elections, Bayan Muna’s percentage share of total party-list votes reached 26.82 percent (Party-List Canvass Report Number 26 as September 7, 2001). Sadly, they were just given three seats. Consequently, in the 2004 party-list election, Bayan Muna broke up into smalle r parties and obtained 6 seats in the House of Representatives. Note that not only Bayan Muna resorted to this break up; there are also several of other party-lists like the Sanlakas. Thus, Muga further claims that â€Å"it [3-seat cap] does not pave the way for smaller parties to win seats in the House of Representatives. Together with the 2% informal threshold in the simplified Comelec Formula or with the first party-rule of the Panganiban Formula, it cannot fill up the available number of party-list seats and causes the Formula used to contradict the principle of proportional representation [emphasis added].† The party-list as defined is a ‘mechanism for proportional representation’ (RA 7941). Thus, for instance, if a party gets 50 percent of the total party-list votes, it shall get the 50 percent of the total number of seats allocated for the party-lists (principle of proportionality). RA 7941 requires a vote threshold. The two (2) percent vote threshold means that the party which obtained at least 2 percent of the party-list votes will be allotted the seat. Mathematically, this can be represented by total number of votes of all parties divided by the total number of available seats (Hare Quota). In the 2007 Party-list election, the total number of party-list votes reached 8,416,421; the 20 percent seat allocation for that particular Party-List Election translated to 55 seats. Therefore, following the above-mentioned formula, we arrive at â€Å"8,416,421 divided by 55 seats, equals 153,025† (Hare Quota). Following the principle of proportionality, we now compute the ideal seat for BUHAY party-list, the top-notch party-list group in the 2007 Party-List Election. BUHAY attained a total number of votes of 1,169,234; we divide it with the Hare Quota for the 2007 Party-list Election computed earlier which is 153,025 (1,169,234/153,025). Thus, the ideal seat for BUHAY is 7.64. However, the ideal seat is not the actual seat given to the winning party-list groups. Muga (2005) came up with the idea of â€Å"seat allocation error† to illustrate the difference between the ideal seat and the actual seat given (ideal seat – actual seat given). BUHAY party-list’s ideal seat is 7.64, but it was granted with only 3 seats. Thus, the â€Å"seat allocation error† is 4.64 seats. They were deprived of 4 more seats in the Congress and were only given 3. Muga also provided a formula in computing the disenfranchised votes which can be expressed as: Degree of Negation X Hare Quota = Number of votes disenfranchised To a certain extent, the basic features ― the three-seat cap, the 2 percent vote threshold and the First Party Rule ― of the party-list system’s structure caused the negation of proportional representation. This structure is indeed â€Å"counter-productive† on the part of the party-lists and most of all, the entire marginalized sector they represent. The party-list system seeks to democratize the Congress. Ironically, the structure itself does not provide any clear means for a genuine â€Å"democratization† of the Congress. Given this restrictions, ‘no party can really grow in the Congress.’ In the latter part of this paper, performance of the party-lists (in terms of legislation) shall be assessed and we will found out if the current party-list structure has something to do with the party-lists’ performance. Also, major concerns of the party-list system are issues on accreditation, membership and legislation. The accreditation p rocess employed by the Commission on Elections is very loose ― there is lack of prohibition against party-lists with links to the government (irrespective whether direct or indirect), lack of strict imposition of prohibition on party-lists receiving foreign support, lack of strictness in following the rules set by the law on who shall become the party-list’s nominee among others. To illustrate this, let us consider the party-list Aksyon Sambayanan or AKSA. It is very clear in the Supreme Court ruling that a party-list shall be disqualified if â€Å"It is receiving foreign support from any foreign government, foreign political party, foundation, organization, whether directly or through any of its officers or members, or indirectly through third parties for partisan election purposes† (Ang Bagong Bayani-OFW Labor Party vs. COMELEC, G.R. No. 147589, June 26, 2001, En Banc). Despite that, after known to be supported by Socialist International, AKSA still was accredited, allowed to join the election and was given seat in the House of Representatives (Manalansan, 2007). It may be safe to say that the Supreme Court ruling has not been proven insurmountable because such lapses occur. Also is the nominee Catalina Bagasina ― a provincial board member and a business woman ― of the Pilipino Association for Country or Urban Poor Youth Advancement Wel fare (Pacyaw). The Ang Galing Pinoy party-list is a group representing the security guards. Its representative to the Congress is the former first son―the son of the former President now Pampanga Representative Gloria Arroyo― Rep. Juan Miguel â€Å"Mikey† Arroyo. What is troubling about this is that Rep. Arroyo is not and has never been a security guard. In short, he doesn’t belong to the sector he represents. Logically, how can he truly understand the plight of the security guards if he himself is not one of them? The Supreme Court ruling states that â€Å"not only the candidate party or organization must represent marginalized and underrepresented sectors, so also must its nominees. The nominees must be Filipino citizen ‘who belong to marginalized and underrepresented sectors, organizations and parties [he/she represents]’† (Ang Bagong Bayani-OFW Labor Party vs. COMELEC, G.R. No. 147589, June 26, 2001, En Banc, para. 8). Surprisingly, Ang Galing Pin oy which is in clear defiance to this rule is still in position in Congress. Still surprisingly, there are other party-lists in defiance to this. 1-UTAK party-list ― a group representing PUV drivers, operators and commuters ― had the late former Energy Secretary Angelo Reyes as its representative. It is interesting to note that former Sec. Reyes is a stalwart defender of the oil deregulation law, which this group he tried to represent, strongly opposes. Another point the Supreme Court ruling raised was that â€Å"the political party, sector, organization or coalition must represent the marginalized and underrepresented groups identified in Section 5 or R.A. 7941† (Ang Bagong Bayani-OFW Labor Party vs. COMELEC, G.R. No. 147589, June 26, 2001, En Banc). However, APEC or the Association of Philippine Electric Cooperatives is not a marginalized group yet it is granted the chance to join the election and win seats. Manalansan (2007) further points out other party-lists which are not considered marginalized. They are BUHAY, Veterans Federation of the Philippines and Cooperative-National Confederation of Cooperat ives (Coop-NATCCO) among others. Moreover, the Supreme Court ruled that â€Å"the party or organization must not be an adjunct of, or a project organized or entry funded or assisted by, the government. . . . The participation of the government or its official in the affairs of a party-list candidate is not only illegal and unfair to other parties, but also deleterious to the objective of the law† (Ang Bagong Bayani-OFW Labor Party vs. COMELEC, G.R. No. 147589, June 26, 2001, En Banc). However, the Veterans Federation of the Philippines (VFP) is a government-funded group. It is in fact a creation of R.A. 2640 (Manalansan, 2007). Clearly, there are lots of loopholes in the current party-list system ― not only the structure which makes it ineffective but also the very process of filtrating or accrediting the party-lists-to-be and the nominees. In its 14 years of existence, how well did the party-lists performed in the Philippine legislature? In the 11th Congress, the party-list representatives filed a total of 3, 698 bills and resolutions. Only 20 bills reached Second Reading. In the 12th and 13th Congress, party-lists representatives filed a total of 5, 706 bills and resolutio ns, but majority of which are still pending (Manalansan, 2007). In the 14th Congress, there were 19 bills which reached the Third Reading but disappointingly, none became a law. One may remember the approval of the 125 pesos daily minimum wage increase in the 13th Congress. It was filed by Bayan Muna Rep. Crispin Beltran (12th Congress) and refilled by him again in the 13th Congress (this time as Anakpawis representative). It was approved by the House of Representatives and the Senate. However, it was later on recalled. At the brighter side, laws on Abolition of the Death Penalty, Protection to Children in Conflict with the Law, Anti-Trafficking in Persons, Anti-Violence against Women and Overseas Absentee Voting have been passed with party-list representatives as forwarders and/or consultants. The progressive party-list representatives are diligent enough to file and re-file bills and resolutions that would serve the greater mass. These are bills to amend the Labor Code, to repeal the Automatic Appropriations law, Mining Act, National Government Center Land Utilization Act and Oil Deregulation Act among others. On the contrary, a number of bills have been passed within a short period of deliberations only. These bills are alleged as â€Å"Malacaňang-certified† legislations. Examples of this are the Expanded Value Added Tax, Lateral Attrition Law and the infamous Anti-terrorism bill or the Human Security Act of 2007. Since the beginning of the party-list system there were assumptions that the party-list, originating from elite politics, shall only prolong elite politics in the country (Simbulan, 2007). Some believe that this is just a make-believe measure to make it appear that the Philippine society is well-represented in the legislature. At this point, we will try to assess whether this assumption is true or not. It is a fact that the Philippine congress is a congress of the elite or the wealthy oligarchs of the nation. As a matter of fact, in a study conducted by the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ), it found out that ‘60 to 100 wealthy families (political clans) â€Å"dominate† and â€Å"determine† the entire Philippine legislature or politics’ (Simbulan, 2007). The PCIJ studied political clans from 2001 to 2004 and found out that political parties in the country are really â€Å"clan alliances†. In a Congress like this ―dominated by traditional parties and wealthy political clans, where number matters ― what can the very few party-list representatives do to forward the interest of the masses when it conflicts with the elites? Proponents of the party-list system admit that the party-lists have been absorbed by the traditional parties in the Congress. In news article from GMA News TV on April 6, 2010, former Marikina Rep. Romeo Candazo ― one of the main authors of the RA 7941 ― said that ‘majority of the party-list representatives have been co-opted by traditional politics. As such, it is very difficult for this minority party-list to resist the domination of these ruling elites. These political clans coalesce with other clans or political parties to uphold and protect the status quo and to maintain a stronghold on the legislature. This sufficiently explains why the party-lists get co-opted by these traditional parties. Clearly, the party-list is to the disadvantage as compared to the traditional parties in the Congress. First, the party-list lacks the number or a stronghold in the Congress due to the seat allocation restrictions of the Party-List System Act. Also, the party-list lacks the machinery during elections. The very low voters’ turnout on party-list election testifies to the ignorance of the people on this system. This may be attributed to the lack of machinery of the party-lists system. The party-lists lack the financial prowess to air political ads on televisions and other media of information. In a Pulse Asia Survey (March 27 to April 4, 2004), television is the leading primary source of election-related information (71%), followed by radio at 20 percent and newspapers by 4 percent (Arao, 2007). As such, how would the people know about the party-list if these media of information is not maximized by the party-list? However, we cannot deny the fact that the party-list has two faces: the rich and the poor. Some party-list representatives are found at the bottom 10 percent poorest Representatives, but there are party-list representatives who are millionaires. In the 12th Congress, APEC representatives were all multi-millionaires. There are many other millionaire party-list representatives like Alagad’s Rodante Macoleto, AVE’s Eulogio Magsaysay, and Coop-NATCCO’s Guillermo Cua among others. Note that in the 13th Congress, the richest party-list representative was VFP’s Gidaya with a net worth of 34.66 million pesos and the poorest was Anakpawis’ Rep. Rafael Mariano with a net worth of 18,000 pesos (Manalansan, 2007). It is not farfetched that one day the party-list is no longer of difference with the traditional parties in the Congress. What future awaits the Party-List System? Will it too vanish or survive the test of traditional politics? In conclusion, this paper does not undermine the potential of the party-list system for it has forwarded a significant number of bills and resolutions since 1998 up to this present Congress. It is a clear sign that the party-lists system, somehow, is working in the Philippines. They have provided the underserved and the marginalized a voice in the congress. They tried to strike a balance in an elite Congress. The party-list per se is a great chance for the masses to be represented. But it is undeniable that the party-li st system is failing. It might just be a matter of less than a decade that the â€Å"narrow alley constitutionally reserved for the representation of marginal sectors in Congress† be permanently closed by traditional politics (Tuazon, 2007). It is quite not hard to conclude that the Philippine party-list system is more of a failure than a success. First and for most, its goal to democratize the Philippine Congress is at the onset defeated for the structure itself limits the growth of this party-list groups in the Congress and even encouraged break ups among the party-lists. Secondly, the issue of accreditation weakens the chance of the party-list system to genuinely fulfill its promising purpose ― to serve the marginalized and the underrepresented sectors of the society. Moreover, the party-lists are co-opted by traditional politics. The party-list legislation has not resulted to any concrete law that would directly benefit the underserved sectors of the Philippine society. Nonetheless, the future for the party-list system is still bright despite such failures. As Dr. Florangel Rosario Braid of the Justice Cecilia Munoz Palma Foundation said: Those who argue that it [the party-list system] should be retained, and in fact strengthened, point to how it has been able to balance our â€Å"elite† democracy by providing representation to sectors which otherwise would have been excluded under our present political system. But how do we deal with blatant abuses like having individuals who had never been a part of the group that they are expected to represent? . . . It is about time that the system should be examined by groups from various sectors of society [emphasis added]. The party-list system as the sole legal or constitutional means by which the underrepresented and the marginalized sectors of the Philippine society assert their rights and be part of the Philippine legislature, despite its failure, should be braced and strengthened so as to serve its purpose truly.

Hole In My Life Essay

â€Å"It is not what one does that is wrong, but what one becomes as a consequence of it â€Å", which means the thing you do can turn you into something you’re not. It’s not the crime someone commits it’s if they change or have a positive effect on the consequence. Jack Gantos started hanging with the wrong people, started selling drugs but he didn’t think selling drugs could land him in federal prison. Jack spent his time in jail but he didn’t let jail stop him from writing. Jack realized he did a crime, he went to prison & got out and changed his life around. Gantos began as a person with lack of supervision, getting involved with the drug culture, he ends up going to jail when he gets out he goes to college and becomes an amazing writer. Jack’s lack of supervision started when he lived in a hotel in San Juan by himself without his parents, he made housekeeping cleanup for him, went to visit his mom and made her do his laundry. Living on his own was a way for him to do what he wanted on his own and when he wanted to which he proved was a way to show his lack of responsibility. Second example of Jack’s lack of supervision is when jack lived in the Bacon’s house, he would turn his music on full blast and not care what no one says. He was sort of taking advantage of the Bacon’s not knowing he was doing it. The final example is Jack doesn’t even ask anyone for advice he just starts making the crates with Rick. Jack is selfish and doesn’t want to listen to anyone he does stuff not knowing he could get in trouble. In the case of Jacks lack of supervision he lands himself with 6 years on his jail time. Jack got involved with the wrong crowd and drug culture. Jack and his drug partner Hamilton they smuggled drugs into the USA. He was eager to do anything to get money, he wants to go to college and be a writer and he needs the money to do it. By Jack getting involved with this drug culture he gets caught but Jack doesn’t turn himself in right away he’s on the run but eventually turns himself in. He eventually finds that jail is scary he has some bad experiences and thinks they might scar him making him think about changing his life. Gantos gets a job as an x-ray tech inside prison. He ends up learning new things. Hearing stories from some of the prisoners and seeing things that disqust him but they teach him a lesson and the readers get a feel on how prison is. Even though Jacks in prison but still continuing his career as a writer. In prison he gets a ship’s log on he uses that to journal in. Gantos began writing in the script log turning it into a diary about his life. In his diary he explains that he did make mistakes and wants his readers not to follow in his footsteps. While Jack was in school there were kids that came from prison to tell them how it was but Jack made fun of them in the end Jack sees that wasn’t a good idea. When he gets out he changes his life, he gets out, goes to school and becomes a successful writer. From the book â€Å"Hole In My Life,† one can learn a lot of tips that should stick with you through life. The first tip is don’t do drugs they can lead you to heavy trouble and they are bad for you. Another is always have your parents close to you so when you have a question about life you can ask them to see what is right. Third is everyone deserves a second chance. Last one is choose your friend wisely. In the book Gantos states â€Å"Feels like in a walking white target with legs.† He also states â€Å"In prison I got a second chance to realize I did have something to write about.

A reflective writing of the module within the academic year

Within the academic year 201 2/13, I took on a module named Context of Business. It alms to develop and understand companies' traditional and contemporary management and structural approaches (Chokshl, 2012). Within the academic year we were tested on our understanding of what was taught. This report Is a reflective writing of the year. This will be done by looking critically at the two assignments given to us. First assignment was to give a report of an organisational structure and draw up its chart. The second was to perform a group presentation of two companies of different sizes on various factors.This report will look in to the process, the challenges and outcome of each assignment. Assignment one: Presented at Week 6 The class was given an assignment to conduct a research of the structure of a business of our choice. We were to present our findings by researching the structure ofa business and draw up its organisational chart within six weeks. 2. 1 Outline First of all, I had t o look for a business of my choice. This Involved in looking Into businesses In my local vicinity or further afar. I finally settled on Syngenta, An International agricultural business Into crop productlvlty and protection of environment (Syngenta, 2013).I then had to start researching Into the business to find out what sort of organisational structure it had. For Syngenta it had a matrix style structure, a structure where highly skilled individual form teams for projects (Stanford, 2007). I also had to look into its span of control. Syngenta had a flat structure of operation, a structure where there are few layers of authority and delegation is used to carry out task effectively (The times 100, 2013). From this I was to prepare an organisational chart, a chart which shows the way the chain of command works in an organisation (The times 100, 2013).For this I was to take into onsideration of the matrix style and its flat structure of operation to draw up Its organisational chart. 2. 2 Challenges There were some challenges I faced while conducting this research. One maln challenge was the declslon of which company to choose. There was no restrlctlon on what company one could choose and I had to find one for which I would be able to find all relevant information. Another problem faced was distinguishing between the company's organisational structure and its span of control. had to go back to the lecture notes and other readings to find out their differences.As it was an individual ork I had no second opinion on matters and had to be careful that my decisions made were right. The assignment turned out to be more challenging than what I thought. This was due to the depth of research that was needed to acquire specific relevant information and the ability to back them up with substantial evidence. Over a period of time, looking back I can evaluate my performance as being done In a haste. This Is due to the fact that, not fully understanding the scope of the assignme nt given at the start of the work. This went against my time given hence I had to quickly do the work In order to beat the clock.Fortunately I was able to receive informal feedback from our tutor on our drafts. This helped recognise my mistakes was to give the audience a clear distinction between the organisational structure and the span of control of the company. I was warned on the penalty of improper referencing and plagiarism of content used. From what was given in the feedback for the draft I was able to develop on transferable skills such as proper referencing. In the end I was also able to learn new skills such as time management, the ability to plan and prioritise ones workload (The University of Manchester, 2012). 2. 3Outcome Learning from this assignment, given the opportunity to another work of this type, I will dedicate more time to each aspect of the work. Key lessons that I have identified for this work, is the ability to properly prepare and conduct intensive research . Through practice I will be able to develop these abilities. Looking at the skills learnt, most if not all are invaluable and beneficial transferable skills. These are competencies that could be carried from an activity to another (Graduate prospects ltd, 2013). What might be able to hold me back will be the technicality needed in the referencing.Referencing is the process of acknowledging sources consulted in pieces of work (London metropolitan university, 2013). For this I can refer to the materials available on the university library services. Assignment two: Presented on Week 22 For our second assessment, we were given a group work to conduct. We were to form groups of 4 or 5 members and give a presentation to the class on the topic of comparing two companies of different sizes. We were to compare and contrast their legal and ethical issues. 3. 1 Outline The first thing I had to do was to form a group. We then had to decide on which companies to choose.For the sake of comparing them we decided on companies that are within the same industry. Kelloggs, which manufactures and markets ready-to- eat cereals and convenience foods (Bureau van DiJk, 2013) and Eat ltd, a I-JK fresh food retail company (Bureau van DiJk, 2013). Then from the chosen companies we were to compare them on certain criteria. Them being, their vision, a description of what a business wants to be in future. Their mission statement, a more current description of a company's basic goals, philosophies and purpose (Chokshi, 2012). Also the size of the companies based on our own elements.Factors with affected heir mission statements and their legal and ethical issues. We then had to research on each company for information. After which we organised our data and created a draft. After the draft we designed our presentation for practising as a group. On the day of the presentation we made sure we arrived before time. We tested out our equipment and software on the screen and had a dry run so as to know how the actual event will feel like. We then presented our work when our turn approached and stayed within the time limit and allowed questions to be asked at the end. . 2 Challenges I personally encountered some challenges with this project. It proved quite difficult to form a group. We were not automatically placed into groups and the class was being selective with their choices. I was left with a two classmates without a group and a fourth was added under our tutor recommendation. I also had a challenge in my presentation skills. Presentation according to Oxford Dictionaries (2013) is a speech or talk where ideas or pieces of work are shown and explained to an audience. I when delivering. I moved about too much and spoke too fast.But through practise and the help of the group I was able to develop on my presentation skills. I realised hat I did not only personally face some problems but also the group as a whole faced some difficulties. One of such was our communication ski lls, the ability to clearly and confidently express one view to an audience (University of Kent Careers and Employability Service, no date). As we were mostly new to each other, communication between us proved difficult. Noticing this, I decided we take some time for us to know each other informally such as having chit-chats before meetings.Boocher (1999) suggested that small talk is a simple tool that helps build rapport and trust with co-workers which in turn helps build communication between them. It helped build a bond between us and in effect our communication increased. Other obstacles observed were our manner of conducting our research. Due to each having different courses, our times did not align and we could not meet to discuss the work as a group as frequently as desired. We then went about this using phones and emails and dividing the work and organising our finding when we do meet.We also had the challenge of getting our presentation right. We had to make sure it did not sound robotic and was interactive with the audience without losing the content of the presentation. Looking back and evaluating my performance; I would say we had a good performance. Even though we had many challenges and obstacles it was the fact that we were able to overcome them that determined our performance. We received some informal feedback form our tutor at the end our presentation which was helpful as she said that it was well executed and needed few minor adjustments.Also after the marking we received a formal feedback both as a group and individually. As a group we were told that our time allocation for each aspect was good but areas of more importance needed more time than others. As an individually, I was told my communication with my team and audience was good but I needed to speak more clearly and assertively. 3. 3 Outcome In order for me to improve, the next time I will do some aspects differently, such as having frequent group meetings to prevent work being done i n a hurry.Some key features that I have identified were my leadership skills. This is being able to motivate others and inspire them to take your lead (Graduate prospects ltd, 2013). Though it was a group work, I was able to personally oversee some aspects of the project which helped me develop such abilities. I was also able to develop my communication skills. Even as strangers to one another we were able to communicate efficiently between ourselves by the end of the project. By abiding to the 10 minutes limit we were able to develop our time management skills.In future, if I was to encounter other group works, the prospect of working with strangers might hold me back. In some cases this might be inevitable but it is the ability to adapt to this and establish a relationship that will help in the execution of the work. All in all, being given this assignment has had its difficulties and obstacles to overcome but it has lso developed my skills and taught me new ones. All which are cr itical skills needed in most career paths in this modern day.