Adult Education in the 21st Century Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Adult Education in the 21st Century - Essay Example Many theories have been put forward on how adults learn in the 21st century resulting to different propositions in this issue. One of the many theories proposed is Malcolm Knowles’ theory of andragogy that has gained acceptance based on recognition. This theory has been accepted without careful consideration of its propositions. Though widely accepted, there have been debates about this theory’s classification. People have not been able to define this theory according to its work (is it an adult learning theory, a teaching theory, a philosophical theory or all of these) because it may serve different purposes. Adult learning process is a bit different from child education, and it would encompass issues such as the purpose of learning. This process would also require that those being taught choose how they want the process to be done. This would not be the case when dealing with school going children. This write up looks on how adult learning is done in the 21st century. Knowles defines andragogy as â€Å"the art and science of teaching adults.† In his efforts to work on this theory, he gave four assumptions upon which adult learning would be based. According to Knowles, adult learning is based on the following assumptions. The first assumption is that teachers are responsible for helping adults to move from reliance and become independent.The other assumption is that learners are believed to see education as a way to increase their competence. Thirdly, Knowles makes an assumption that learners will be willing to learn to aim that the knowledge attained would enable them solve real-life problems. The other assumption is that adults have are experienced, and this would facilitate the learning process. Later, Knowles together with Holton and Swanson added two assumptions on adult learning. The first one was that adults knew the reason that made them learn at that age. The final assumption in this area is that self esteem is a motivator for adul t education. One concept in this theory is that adult learning has been compared to a contract that requires at least two parties. The teacher and the learner negotiate on the outcome of the learning process that is yet to be implemented. Negotiations on how the outcome will be achieved are also done by these two parties. This corporation of the teacher and the learner in formulating strategies together is the foundation upon which andragogy is based. Therefore, andragogy provide insights on the learning process and is considered an approach to adult education and development (St. Clair, 2002). Transformational and relative learning Adult learning process applies a process called situated learning which tackles activities that are familiar to the learner. Here, the adult students learn through immersion in activities that concern their discipline of study. For instance, engineering and political science students would be required to examine the content and structure of governmental websites. This would enable them study the weaknesses and strengths of government resources that are provided online (Sholes, 2003). Situated learning will aim to achieve various aspects on adults taking learning lessons. Present the students with situations that would reflect the way they will apply the knowledge they have acquired in real life situations. For example, this would be in problem solving in their discipline of work. It will also provide numerous roles and multiple perspectives, support working together in construction of knowledge and admission to expert performances. Constructive- development learning The other theory applied in adult learning is constructive- development theory that encompasses adult growth and the learning proc

Analysis of Migration Patterns in Afghanistan

Analysis of Migration Patterns in Afghanistan Migration in Afghanistan: 1. Introduction Afghanistan is home to the largest refugee crises experienced since the inception of the UNHCR. Decades of war have led millions to flee their homes and seek refuge in the neighboring countries of Pakistan and Iran, and for those who were able, further abroad. The number of refugees spiked in 1990 at 6.2 million. They began to decrease in 1992 with the fall of the government, but began to increase again in 1996 with the rise of the Taliban. In 2002, with the fall of the Taliban and the US-led invasion, record numbers of Afghan refugees returned to Afghanistan. An international reconstruction and development initiative began to aid Afghans in rebuilding their country from decades of war. Reports indicate that change is occurring in Afghanistan, but the progress is slow. The Taliban have regained strength in the second half of this decade and insurgency and instability are rising. Afghanistan continues to be challenged by underdevelopment, lack of infrastructure, few employment opportunities, and widespread poverty. The slow pace of change has led Afghans to continue migrating in order to meet the needs of their families. Today refugee movements no longer characterize the primary source of Afghan migration. Migration in search of livelihoods is the primary reasons for migration and occurs through rural-urban migration in Afghanistan or circular migration patterns as Afghans cross into Pakistan and/or Iran. Afghans utilize their social networks to find low-skilled work in the cities or neighboring countries. The highly skilled in Afghanistan often seek to migrate to Western countries, as the opportunities in Afghanistan are limited. Afghans transnational movements have led to the development of the Afghan Diaspora, which has been essential in providing remittances to families in Afghanistan to meet their daily needs. The Afghan Diaspora has been involved in the reconstruction effort and is a key contributor to development in Afghanistan. The continued engagement of the Diaspora is important to the building of Afghanistans future. This paper seeks to provide an overview of migration and development in Afghanistan. It will begin with a country profile on Afghanistan (Chapter 2), followed by a review of historical migration patterns in Afghanistan (Chapter 3) and a synthesis of current migration patterns in Afghanistan (Chapter 4). The paper will then move to discuss migration and development in Afghanistan (Chapter 5), the Afghan Diaspora (Chapter 6), policies regarding migration in Afghanistan (Chapter 7), and the migration relationship between the Netherlands and Afghanistan (Chapter 8). The paper will conclude with an examination of future migration prospects for Afghanistan (Chapter 9) and a conclusion (Chapter 10). 2. General Country Profile Afghanistan is one of the poorest countries in the world and has been inundated by decades of war, civil strife and poverty. Today, Afghanistan is central in media attention due to the US led invasion post 9/11, however the country has been in turmoil for much longer. This section will provide a brief overview of the recent history of Afghanistan, the current economic situation, the current political situation, a cultural overview, and the current status of women in the country. Historical Overview The modern history of Afghanistan can be divided into four essential periods: pre 1978, 1978-1992, 1992-2001, and post 2001. Pre 1978 Afghanistan was founded in 1774 by Ahmad Shah Durrani who unified the Pashtun tribes in the region and created the state (CIA, 2009). The country was ruled by a monarchy and acted as a buffer between the British and Russian empires until it received independence from conjectural British control in 1919 (CIA, 2009). The last King, Zahir Shah, reigned from 1933 to 1973, when he was overthrown by a coup detat led by his cousin and ex-premier President Mohammed Daoud (Jazayery, 2002). Opposition to Daouds Government lead to a coup in 1978 by the Peoples Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA) (Jazayery, 2002). 1978-1992 Soviet Invasion The PDPA was a Marxist regime and from 1989 was supported by the Soviet Union. This was the first major flow of refugees from Afghanistan. The occupation by the Soviets was viewed in the west as an escalation of the Cold War. The West began to fund millions of dollars, which became billions of dollars, to the resistance forces known as the Mujahideen (Jazayery, 2002). The resistance forces operated primarily from Pakistan. In 1986 when Mikhail Gorbachev came to power in the Soviet Union, the Soviets began the process of extraditing themselves from Afghanistan and by 1989 the Soviets had left Afghanistan. 1992-2001 Taliban Rule In 1992 the Mujahideen forces overthrew Najibullahs Government. A failure of consensus of the new Government led to a civil war from 1992-1996 (Jazayery, 2002). Afghanistan became divided into tribal fiefdoms controlled by armed commanders and warlords (Poppelwell, 2007). The country was in a state of anarchy and Afghans lived in a state of constant fear of physical and sexual assault (Poppelwell, 2007). During this time, the Taliban emerged in 1994, claiming that Afghanistan should be ruled by Sharia (Islamic law) (Jazayery, 2002). The Taliban received support and funding from Saudi Arabia and Arab individuals in the quest to establish a pure Islamic model state (Poppelwell, 2007). The Taliban swept through Afghanistan encountering no resistance by the Mujahideen and were welcomed in many areas as they established relative security in the areas they controlled (Jazayery, 2002). By 1998, The Taliban had captured the majority of the country and established the â€Å"Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan† (Jazayery, 2002). A Northern Alliance that arose in opposition to the Taliban maintained a Government of the â€Å"Islamic State of Afghanistan† with Burhanuddin Rabbini as president (Jazayery, 2002). The Taliban Government was only recognized by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, while the Government of Rabbini maintained an officially represented seat at th e UN (Jazayery, 2002). After the bombings of the US Embassys in Kenya and Tanzania the Taliban were asked to stop harboring Osama bin Laden (Poppelwell, 2007). At their refusal, the UN imposed sanctions against the Taliban and Afghanistan in 1999 (Poppelwell, 2007). By this time the Taliban were known for disregarding international law and human rights (Poppelwell, 2007). During this time, killing, pillaging, raping, and ethnic cleansing of individuals occurred across Afghanistan by the Taliban regime (Jazayery, 2002). Post 2001 The events of 9/11 2001 led the US to lead Coalition Forces to invade Afghanistan on 7 October 2007. Within months the military forces had taken control of Afghanistan and declared the fall of the Taliban. The International Security and Assistance Forces (ISAF) in Afghanistan began with 5,000 troops. In 2003, NATO took over the ISAF, which now, due to increased security concerns, is comprised of approximately 50,000 troops coming from all 28 NATO members (NATO, 2009). In December 2001 a UN led interim administration was established under the Bonn Agreement. The Bonn Agreement established a new constitution and the first democratic elections in 2004 (Poppelwell, 2007). Hamid-Karzai, became the leader of a broad based thirty-member ethnic council that aimed to be multi-ethnic and representative of Afghan society (Poppelwell, 2007). The new administration faced many challenges and in 2005 the Taliban began to regain strength in Afghanistan. The increased security challenges led to the London Conference in January 2006 to address the end of the Bonn agreement and the current challenges in Afghanistan. The result of the London Conference was the Afghanistan Compact, which identified a five-year plan for Afghanistan. The Afghanistan Compact is based on three key pillars: â€Å"security, governance, the rule of law and human rights; economic and social development; and the cross-cutting issue of counter-narcotics† (Poppelwell, 2007, p. 8). Western Governments have taken on specific areas as a country lead for areas in which they will focus. The reconstruction process in Afghanistan has been extensive. A total of $14,775,000,000 US dollars has been contributed to the reconstruction process since 2001 (Livingston, Messera, and Shapiro, 2009). Despite the development efforts, insecurity has increased since 2005 with the Taliban regaining strength. The overall situation in Afghanistan continues to be characterized by conflict and poverty. Demographics A census has not been conducted in Afghanistan since prior to the Soviet invasion in 1978. Thus, all demographic information is estimates. In 2009, the CIA World Factbook estimated the population of Afghanistan to be 28.3 million. This was a significant decrease from the previous estimate of 33.6 million. An Afghanistan census is scheduled for 2010. The population growth rate in Afghanistan was estimated by the United Nations to be 3.9 percent 2005-2010 (UN Data, 2009). Economic and Poverty Overview Economic progress in Afghanistan is occurring through the reconstruction effort, however, Afghanistan continues to be one of the least developed and poorest countries in the world. Table 1 provides an overview of key economic and poverty indicators for Afghanistan in 2007. Real GDP growth for 2008-09 decelerated to 2.3 percent from 16.2 percent in 2007-08 (World Bank, 2009). This is the lowest GDP growth has been in the post-Taliban period and was due to poor agricultural production (World Bank, 2009). In 2009, however, growth is expected to increase due to a good agricultural harvest (World Bank, 2009). Table 1: Key Indicators GDP Per Capita (PPP US $) 1,054 Life Expectancy 43.6 Adult Literacy Rate (% aged 15 and above) 28.0 Combined Gross Enrolment Ration in Education 50.1 Human Poverty Index Rank 135.0 Probability at birth of not surviving to age 40 (% of cohort) 40.7 Population not using an improved water Source (%) 78.0 Children underweight for age (% under age 5) 39.0 Overseas Development Assistance per Capita (US$) 146.0 Source: UNDP, 2009 The latest poverty assessment in Afghanistan was conducted in 2005 through the National Risk and Vulnerability Assessment (NRVA). The findings indicate that the poverty rate was 42 percent, corresponding to 12 million people living below the poverty line (Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, 2009, p. 14). In addition, 20 percent of the population was slightly above the poverty line, suggesting that a small economic shock could place them below the poverty line (Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, 2009, p. 14). It is evident that widespread poverty continues to be a challenge in Afghanistan. Political Situation In August 2009, Afghanistan held it second democratic elections (World Bank, 2009). The incumbent President Hamid Karzai, was re-elected with 50 percent of the necessary votes, however, since the election there have been over 2,000 fraud allegations lodged with the Electoral Complaints Commission (ECC). The Independent Election Commission announced in October 2009 that its final results indicated less than 50 percent of the votes for Karzai. Thus, a run-off election was scheduled for November between Karzai and the lead opponent. Before the election, however, the opponent withdrew from the race leaving Karzai as President (World Bank, 2009). The United Nations Mission to Afghanistan has continued to coordinate international assistance and support the Afghan government in developing good governance. The key aspects of the UN Mission political mandate include: â€Å"preventing and resolving conflicts; building confidence and promoting national reconciliation; monitoring and advising on the political and human rights situation; investigating and making recommendations relating to human rights violations; maintaining a dialogue with Afghan leaders, political parties, civil society groups, institutions, and representatives of central, regional and provincial authorities; recommending corrective actions; and undertaking good offices when necessary to further the peace process† (UNAMA, 2009). The political situation in Afghanistan continues to be complex. In 2009, Transparency International rated Afghanistan 1.3 on the Global Corruption Perceptions Index (Transparency International, 2009). This was the second lowest ranking with only Somalia receiving a lower score. This suggests a high lack of trust in the Government of Afghanistan. Culture/ Ethnic Groups Afghanistan is a traditional and conservative society with large ethnic divisions. Table 2 shows the percentage of the population that belongs to the different ethnic groups. Table 2: Ethnic Groups in Afghanistan 1970s 2006 Pashtun 39.4 40.9 Tajik 33.7 37.1 Uzbeck 8 9.2 Hazara 8 9.2 Turkmen 3.3 1.7 Aimak 4.1 0.1 Baloch 1.6 0.5 Other 1.9 1.4 Source: The Asia Foundation, 2006; Encycopedia Iranica, 2009 The Pashtuns have generally been the majority in Afghanistan. They occupy land in the South and the East and are divided amoung tribal lines. The Tajiks are primarily Sunni Muslims who are Persian and occupy the Northeast and West of Afghanistan. The Tajiks are often well educated and landowners. The Uzbecks are descendents from the Turks and are primarily involved in agriculture. The Hazaras are primarily Shiite Muslims who occupy the infertile highlands in central Afghanistan. The Hazaras are subsistence farms that have used migration routes for survival for centuries (Robinson and Lipson, 2002). The vast majority of the population in Afghanistan is Sunni Muslim (87.9 percent). Shiia Muslims account for 10.4 percent of the population and the remaining ethnic groups are negligible in numbers. Shiia Muslims are thus a minority and have faced persecution in Afghanistan. Status of Women Afghanistans GDI (Gender Development Index) value is 0.310, which is 88.1 percent of its Human Development Index (HDI) (UNDP, 2009). The HDI does not account for gender inequality, and the GDI adds this component to the HDI. Afghanistan ranks 155 out of 155 countries measured in the world for its GDI. Indicators, such as literacy, illustrate this; 43.1 percent of adult males are literate, compared to 12.6 percent of adult females (UNDP, 2009). The culture of Afghanistan is a based on traditional gender roles. Traditionally, women are seen as embodying the honour of the family (World Bank, 2005). As such, women are given as brides to create peace, or to honour a relationship. The role of a wife is to maintain the household and support the husband, which includes domestic and sexual services. In general, a wife meets the husbands needs and if the wife does not she has dishonoured her family and community (World Bank, 2005). The legal rights of women in Afghanistan have changed with the political structure. Prior to Taliban rule, the Constitution of Afghanistan guaranteed women equal rights under the law, although local tribes may have had different customs. Under Taliban rule womens rights were severely hindered as they were not permitted to leave their homes unless accompanied by a close male relative, receive education, and had restricted access the health care and employment. Women were frequently raped and abused during this time. With the fall of the Taliban the situation has improved for women, however there are great differences between the rural and urban situation (World Bank, 2005). The Ministry of Womens Affairs (MOWA) was established in the Bonn Agreement to promote the advancement of women in Afghanistan. MOWA works in an advocacy role to ensure that policies are implemented for both men and women. In addition, MOWA works with NGOs to ensure programs for women are implemented. Womens rights remain to be a primary concern in Afghanistan. At present, approximately 60 percent of women are married before the age of 16 (IRIN, 2005). At 44, women in Afghanistan have one of the lowest life expectancies in the world (UNDP, 2009). Women who are widowed are ostracized in rural communities, but are often able to make a living in the cities to support themselves and their families. However, female-headed households tend to be primarily represented in the poorest quintiles of Afghan society (World Bank, 2005). The situation for women in the urban centres such as Kabul is becoming more liberal. Education rates of girls in the urban centres are high than rural areas and these indicators suggest changes are occurring for women in urban areas. Womens rights are high on the international policy agenda for Afghanistan and a key goal of development aid. 3. Historic Overview of Migration Migration in Afghanistan has had a long history and has significantly shaped the countries social and cultural landscape (Monsutti, 2007). Historically, Afghanistan was a country of trade between the east and the west and a key location on the Silk Road trade route. Thus, migration is a part of the historical identity of the country. The following chapter presents an overview of the complex migration patterns, with a historical perspective. Migration Patterns from Afghanistan to Pakistan and Iran Prior to 1978 Migration between Afghanistan and Pakistan and Iran has a long history. The migration relationships are rooted in the ethnic ties that span the borders between the countries. For instance, Pashtuns make up 20 percent of the population in Pakistan and 30 percent in Afghanistan. The Pashtuns are separated by the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, which is referred to as the Durand Line. The Durand Line was established during British colonialism to demarcate British India from Afghanistan, and has been acknowledged to be an arbitrary divide of Pashtun land (Monsutti, 2005). Thus, cross-border migration of the Pashtuns between Afghanistan and Pakistan has been a way of life. Similarly, the Hazaras of Afghanistan are Shiites Muslims, which is the majority religion in Iran (Monsutti, 2005). Hazaras regularly engaged in migration to and from Iran via religious ties. These ethnic and cultural ties led to cross-border migration for decades prior to the Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan. The poor economic position of Afghanistan prior to 1978 led to further economic migration to the better off states of Pakistan and Iran. Stigter states, â€Å"The economic differences between Afghanistan and Pakistan and Iran have long led Afghans to migrate to these countries to find employment and, for Iran, enjoy the benefits of a higher income† (2006, p. 117). In the 1960s and 1970s industrialization in Afghanistan was minimal and there were limited opportunities for the newly educated and growing rural population (Stigter, 2006). A widespread drought in the 1970s led to large-scale crop failure and further migration of many Afghans from the north and north-western Afghanistan into Iran (Monsutti, 2006). In addition, the oil boom of 1973 caused further increasing numbers of Afghans to cross into Iran and other Middle Eastern countries to capitalize on the labour opportunities (Stigter, 2006). Studies have also confirmed that prior to the war migrants from Northern Afghanis tan travelled to Pakistan during the winter, illustrating that seasonal migration occurred between the two countries (Stigter, 2006 from CSSR, 2005). These pre-established migration movements reveal that social networks were established between Afghanistan and Pakistan and Iran prior to the Soviet Invasion and proceeding wars. Monsutti states that â€Å"Channels of pre-established transnational networks exist between Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran- the movement of individuals to seek work, to escape drought or to flee war has been a common experience in Afghanistan† (Monsutti, 2006, p. 6-7). Thus, it can be deduced that migration to Pakistan and Iran was a natural option for many Afghans. International Migration Post 1978 International migration movements from Afghanistan from 1978 have primarily been comprised of refugee flows. The vast majority of refugees fled to Pakistan and Iran in the largest refugee crises of the late 20th Century. 1 shows the number of Afghan refugees in Pakistan and Iran from 1979-2001. 1 illustrates that refugee outflows from Afghanistan began in 1979 with the Soviet Invasion. The outflows continued to increase during the Soviet occupation when there was civil war between the US funded Mujahideen and the Soviet backed Najibullah. Flows during this time spanned social classes and ethnic groups as the initial reason for migration was primarily protection led. However, reasons of a lack of economic opportunities, devastation of infrastructure and trade networks, limited access to social services such as healthcare and education, and political and social reasons also contributed to migration flows (Stigter, 2006). Migration was thus not only refugee protection, but also the need to make a livelihood (Stigter, 2006). The peak of the refugee flows occurred in 1990 with 6.2 million Afghan refugees. This was after the Soviet withdrawal and when the Najibullah remained in power (Jazayery, 2002, p. 240). In the 1990s drought contributed to continuing refugee flows from Afghanistan (Stigter, 2006). The fall of the Najibullah in 1992 led to large-scale repatriation. However, with the Taliban gaining power in 1996, the number of refugees began to increase again to approximately 3.8 million refugees in 2001. During the initial refugee outflows in 1979 both Pakistan and Iran warmly welcomed the refugees under a banner Muslim solidarity (Monsutti, 2006). Iran is a signatory and Pakistan is not a signatory to the 1951 Convention of Refugees and its 1967 Protocol, however both countries welcomed the refugees. In Iran the refugees were given identification cards, allowed access to work, health care, food, free primary and secondary education, and were free to settle where they chose (Monsutti, 2006). Pakistan created an agreement with the United Nations to provide services to the Afghan refugees and received financial support from the international community (Monsutti, 2006). The era of welcoming Afghan refugees began to change in 1989. In Pakistan refugees were still welcomed from 1989-2001, but were not provided with the same level of services and facilitation (Monsutti, 2006). In Iran support also decreased and by the 1990s refugees no longer received identity cards and assistance (Monsutti, 2006). The position of the host countries became increasingly unfriendly post 2001, which will be discussed in the next chapter of this paper. Return Migration The Mujahideen took over the government in 1992 and as a result nearly 2 million refugees returned to Afghanistan. By 1997 an estimated 4 million refugees had returned from Pakistan and Iran (Stigter, 2006). Simultaneously, however, conflicts between rival Mujahideen groups dissuaded many refugees from returning, and created new refugees and IDPs. Internal Migration The primary source of internal migration in Afghanistan was Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). Internally Displaced Persons Internal displacement flows have followed a similar trajectory as refugee flows. The exact number of IDPs is not known and 3 shows estimated number of IDPs in Afghanistan from 1985-2001. Generally those who are internally displaced do not have the means to cross an international border. IDPs in Afghanistan had access to very few services during this period. The UNHCRs capacity in Afghanistan began to increase after 1992 as is illustrated in 3 by the red line. From 1995 the two lines start to converge as the number of IDPs assisted by UNHCR increases and the total number of IDPs decreases. By 2001 the number of IDPs has significantly increased to 1.2 million. The number of IDPs in Afghanistan will be further examined in the next chapter. 4. Current Migration Patterns- 2001- Present Current migration patterns in Afghanistan are complex and multifaceted. Since 2001 Afghanistan has witnessed the largest movement of refugee return in UNHCRs history (Monsutti, 2008). These flows have been a mixture of voluntary and forced return of refugees who had been outside of Afghanistan for varying periods. The majority of returnees are from Pakistan. Afghan refugees have maintained ties with Pakistan and now cross-border labour migration between Afghanistan and Pakistan is increasing. In addition to international flows, the numbers of IDPs have decreased in Afghanistan since 2001 as IDPs return to their regions of origin. Finally, within this picture there are large flows of rural-urban migration as returnees and non-returnees find limited opportunities in rural areas and move to the cities in search of work. All of these flows are occurring simultaneously and present a complex picture of current migration patterns and flows. Each of these areas will be addressed in the follo wing section. Internal Migration Internal migration flows in Afghanistan have been increasing in the post-Taliban period. As refugees and migrants return to Afghanistan they do not necessarily end their migration cycle. Returnees may continue to migrate internally in search of livelihoods and opportunities. The internal migration flows in Afghanistan are comprised of IDPs, rural to urban migration, and trafficking. Internally Displaced Persons Internal displacement in Afghanistan has been understudied and information is limited to availability from the UNHCR. In 2004, the UNHCR conducted a data profiling of IDPs in UNHCR assisted camps and in 2008 the UNHCR created a national profile of IDPs in Afghanistan. Statistics regarding IDPs are estimates[1]. Table 3 shows the number of IDPs and IDP returnees from 2001 to 2008. At the fall of the Taliban in 2001 there were approximately 1.2 million IDPs in Afghanistan, of which many returned spontaneously in 2002 (UNHCR, 2008, p. 6). In 2008, IDP returns were negligible due to continued insecurity, inter-tribal and personal conflict, landlessness and drought, and lack of job opportunities and basic services in rural areas (UNHCR, 2008). Table 3: IDPs Total and Returns: 2001-2008 IDPs IDP Returnees Year Total Assisted Total Assisted 2001 1,200,000 2002 665,200 753,300 2003 184,300 2004 159,500 27,400 2005 143,000 17,000 8,600 2006 129,300 129,300 10,400 10,400 2007 153,700 153,700 8,000 8,000 2008 230,700 230,700 6,500 4,000 Total 2,865,700 513,700 822,600 31,000 Source: UNHCR Global Reports, 2001-2008 Of the current IDPs (235,000) the UNHCR identifies 132,000 as a protracted caseload (2008). Table 4 shows the reasons for displacement of the current IDP population. These numbers do not include those who are invisible IDPs or urban unidentified IDPs. UNHCR estimates that the actual number of IDPs in Afghanistan is substantially larger than the numbers suggest (2008, p. 18). Table 4: Reason for Displacement of Current IDPs (2008) Reason for Displacement No. of Families No. of Individuals Protracted 31,501 166,153 New Drought affected 1,083 6,598 New Conflict Affected 1,749 9,901 Returnees in Displacement 8,737 52,422 Battle-affected 127 759 Total 43,197 235,833 Source: UNHCR, 2008 Since 2007 the return of IDPs has continued to decrease due to increased instability in the country, drought, landlessness, and the spread of conflict and insurgency areas (IDMC, 2008). Disputes are arising between IDPs and locals as in Afghan culture if you are not born in the region you do not belong there (IDMC, 2008). Options for IDPs appear to be limited as they are not welcomed in the regions where they are seeking protection. Rural to Urban Migration Urbanization is rapidly occurring in Afghanistan as returnees settle in the cities and people migrate from rural communities to urban centres. Approximately 30 percent of returnees settle in Kabul (Stigter, 2006). The population of Kabul in 2001 was roughly 500,000 and it had grown to over 3 million by 2007 (IRIN, 2007). The urban centres do not have the infrastructure or resources to meet the needs of the large inflows of migrants, however, research suggest that the difficult situations in the cities are better than rural areas. In 2005 the Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit conducted a study on rural to urban migration (Opel, 2005). A total of 500 migrants were interviewed in the cities of Kabul, Herat, and Jalalabad. The majority of migrants were male (89 percent) and the average age of migrants was 31 years (p. 4). Males tend to migrate to support their families, and females migrate when they have lost their husbands or have been ostracized by their community and have no means of supporting themselves in rural areas. The majority did not own productive assets in their village (71.2 percent), although 43 percent owned a house in their village (p. 8). The primary reasons for migration were the lack or work in the village and better opportunities in town (42%), followed by lack of work in the village (38.2%) and insecurity (16.3%) (p. 11). The majority of migrants made the journey on their own (70.7%) and paid for the journey from their savings (p.14). Migration to urban areas is expensive and the poor est of the poor cannot afford the journey. Once in the cities, the majority were employed in low skilled day labour work and on average respondents reported working 16 out of the past 30 days (p. 20). Social networks were essential in people finding work as 89 percent of skilled workers and 60 percent of unskilled workers reported receiving assistance from a relative, friend or neighbour (p. 20). Incomes in the cities were low, but were higher than what individuals could earn in the rural areas. The majority of urban migrants remitted money to their family in rural areas, which they carried with them when they returned or sent through family or friends. None of the urban migrants use the Hawala (see Chapter 6) system, which was reported to be too expensive for them. The majority of migrants reported planning to settle in the city (55%) (p. 26). Overall, the majority did improve their economic situation through migration (61.9% for males and 80.9% for females) (p. 27). The large-scale migration to urban centers appears to be a trend that will continue. It is estimated that urban centers are now accounting for 30 percent of the population in Afghanistan (Opel, 2005). The rapid urbanization has shifted rural poverty to urban poverty (Stigter, 2006) and many challenges remain for the cities in managing the rapid growth. National Trafficking In 2003 the IOM in Afghanistan conducted a study on trafficking of Afghan women and children. Research on trafficking in Afghanistan is difficult due to the lack of data inherent in all areas of Afghanistan, but increasingly so due to the fear of reporting trafficking related crimes and the shame associated with such

Flood in Epic of Gilgamish and Book of Genesis of the Holy Bible Essay

The Flood in The Epic of Gilgamish and The Bible The story of the great flood is probably the most popular story that has survived for thousands of years and is still being retold today.   It is most commonly related within the context of Judeo-Christian tradition.   In the Holy Bible, the book of Genesis uses the flood as a symbol of God's wrath as well as His hope that the human race can maintain peace and achieve everlasting salvation.   The tale of Noah's Ark begins with God's expression of dismay as to the degenerate state of the human race at the time.   People were behaving wickedly and sinfully and God decided that a genetic cleansing was necessary.   He spared only Noah and his family, along with two of every type of animal; one male and one female.   The other most popular flood story is found in the Epic of Gilgamish.   In this text, the gods have decided to destroy everything on earth by creating a great flood.   The only survivor is a man named Utnapishtim, spared because he is the god Ea's favorite hum an.   The Babylonian God Ea had decided to eliminate humans and other land animals with a great flood, which was to become "the end of all flesh".   He selected Utnapishtim, to build an ark to save a few humans, and some of other animals, much like Noah.   In comparing and contrasting the Babylonian text and the biblical story of Noah's Ark, there are many similarities between the two stories and one would conclude that they are essentially identical.   The Genesis story describes how mankind had become corrupt and how the earth was filled with violence.   In the ... ...in it, leaving only a chosen few to remain on earth to start all over again. Works Cited and Consulted: Budge, E. A. Babylonian Story of the Deluge and the Epic of Gilgamesh. Montana, USA: Kessinger Publishing Co., n.d. Gardner, John and John Maier. Gilgamesh: Translated from the Sin-leqi-unninni version. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1984. Heidel, Alexander. The Gilgamesh Epic and Old Testament Parallels. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1949. Ignatius Holy Bible. Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition. San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1996. Web Sites Consulted: The "Epic of Gilgamesh": An Outline. Online. 15 Feb. 2002. http://www.hist.unt.edu/ane-09.htm Sumerian Mythology FAQ. Online. 15 Feb. 2002. http://webster.unh.edu/%7Ecbsiren/sumer-faq.html Flood in Epic of Gilgamish and Book of Genesis of the Holy Bible Essay The Flood in The Epic of Gilgamish and The Bible The story of the great flood is probably the most popular story that has survived for thousands of years and is still being retold today.   It is most commonly related within the context of Judeo-Christian tradition.   In the Holy Bible, the book of Genesis uses the flood as a symbol of God's wrath as well as His hope that the human race can maintain peace and achieve everlasting salvation.   The tale of Noah's Ark begins with God's expression of dismay as to the degenerate state of the human race at the time.   People were behaving wickedly and sinfully and God decided that a genetic cleansing was necessary.   He spared only Noah and his family, along with two of every type of animal; one male and one female.   The other most popular flood story is found in the Epic of Gilgamish.   In this text, the gods have decided to destroy everything on earth by creating a great flood.   The only survivor is a man named Utnapishtim, spared because he is the god Ea's favorite hum an.   The Babylonian God Ea had decided to eliminate humans and other land animals with a great flood, which was to become "the end of all flesh".   He selected Utnapishtim, to build an ark to save a few humans, and some of other animals, much like Noah.   In comparing and contrasting the Babylonian text and the biblical story of Noah's Ark, there are many similarities between the two stories and one would conclude that they are essentially identical.   The Genesis story describes how mankind had become corrupt and how the earth was filled with violence.   In the ... ...in it, leaving only a chosen few to remain on earth to start all over again. Works Cited and Consulted: Budge, E. A. Babylonian Story of the Deluge and the Epic of Gilgamesh. Montana, USA: Kessinger Publishing Co., n.d. Gardner, John and John Maier. Gilgamesh: Translated from the Sin-leqi-unninni version. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1984. Heidel, Alexander. The Gilgamesh Epic and Old Testament Parallels. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1949. Ignatius Holy Bible. Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition. San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1996. Web Sites Consulted: The "Epic of Gilgamesh": An Outline. Online. 15 Feb. 2002. http://www.hist.unt.edu/ane-09.htm Sumerian Mythology FAQ. Online. 15 Feb. 2002. http://webster.unh.edu/%7Ecbsiren/sumer-faq.html

How Piaget’s Work Influenced Instruction and Curriculum Development Essay

Piaget’s theory of intellectual development states that children go through four stages as they grow and develop. These stages are the sensorimotor stage, the preoperational stage, the concrete operational stage, and the formal operations stage. In the sensorimotor stage, young children use their senses to explore their world. They look, touch, see, smell, and listen to the things in their surroundings and at the same time, they develop what Piaget refers to as object permanence which means that the child is able to retain an image of what he or she experiences such as round objects and pain. Toothman cites Piaget as saying that this stage is composed of substages which are the schemata stage, assimilation stage, and accommodation stage. ( Toothman, n. d. , n. p. ) In the schemata stage, the child develops a mental structure of the things he or she sees around him or her and tries to see which objects bet fit the mental structure. The child then proceeds to the assimilation stage where a child incorporates new information in the existing schema. For example between one ball and another ball, the child may notice that the other ball makes noise when shook. The child then moves to the accommodation stage where he or she makes adjustments in the schema to fit in the object. In the The next stage is the preoperational stage where young children develop a mental representation of the things they experience. For example, they may mentally symbolize animals as having four legs such that anything that fits this mental representation is considered by the child to be an animal. This stage is also accompanied by the use of language. After the preoperational stage, the child goes through the concrete operational stage. According to Hermann, ( Hermann, 1964, p. 250) the child is able to perform mental operations such as classifying objects and arranging them in a particular order. In the last stage which is the formal operations stage, young children learn to think in an abstract manner, reason in a hypothetic manner, and think about thinking. Cherry cites Piaget as saying that the role of deductive logic is very important at this stage where the child determines outcomes for given hypothetical situations based on a general principle. (Cherry, n. d. , n. p. ). Cherry further adds that â€Å"children at the formal operational stage of cognitive development are often able to quickly plan an organized approach to solving a problem. † The work of Jean Piaget has greatly influenced the way schools design their curriculum or program of instruction as well as the way children are taught. Their curriculum of instruction are based on Jean Piaget’s four stages of intellectual development. Teachers as well as school administrators have put great emphasis on manipulatives, language experience, hands-on activities, and discovery oriented instruction. Young children who are in the sensorimotor stage are given plenty of experiences to use their hands and eyes to understand the things around them. For example, in math, young children in this stage are taught how to count using small blocks or understand the different shapes by using toys which teach them how to fit an object into its correct slot or space. In teaching science, teachers do not allow their pupils or students to be mere observers; they are encouraged to touch, feel, smell, hear, and taste. For example, in a lesson about the leaf, young children are not only shown what a leaf is but they are able to experience the leaf by touching or smelling. It is in this manner that children are able to develop a concrete idea of what leaf is. When children reach the preoperational stage, the curriculum and method of instruction changes. Here the teacher helps the young children develop mental images of the things around them by using pictures and words. For instance, the teacher may show the young children a picture of a living organism with four legs and tell them it’s an animal using the word animal. It is here that children are also able to associate words with pictures of objects. In math, teachers do not only teach their pupils how to identify one shape from the other but also associate a word with its respective shape. For instance, the math teacher may show his or her pupils a square and at the same time, say the word square. Adjustments are made in the curriculum and method of instruction as children reach the concrete operational stage. The curriculum and the teacher focuses more on nurturing the abilities of young children to perform mental operations using objects. In the language class, for instance, young children are taught how to arrange the letters of the alphabet in the correct order using blocks. In math, children learn the correct sequence of numbers by having them arrange each flash card containing a number in the correct order. It is also in this stage that children are taught how to solve simple problems using their power of reasoning. The teacher may hold one big ball and one small ball and ask the pupils which ball is big and which is small. In their young minds, the pupils try to see the discrepancy between the sizes of the two balls. In language, young children are able to discover the appropriate initial sound for each letter in the English language. As children enter the formal operations stage, the teacher is already aware that the child is already ready for work that involves abstract thinking. In math for example, children are taught how to solve numeric problems in a step-by-step manner. In science, young children come up with possible answers to problems that might be posed by the teacher and systematically prove their answers through experiments.

A View from the Bridge: the Opening Scene Essay

The opening scene of Act Two marks the dramatic turning point of the play. In this scene, Catherine confronts Rodolfo over Eddie’s allegation that Rodolfo only wants to marry Catherine to be an American. However it is soon revealed that Rodolfo truly loves her. The two characters sleep together for the first time, a fact that Eddie finds out when he returns home drunk, which results in a devastating confrontation between the central characters. The seriousness and the intense emotions displayed in this scene, plus Arthur Miller’s use of dramatic devices, make this scene very dramatically effective. It is a turning point in the play because it is the first time Catherine and Rodolfo sleep together, symbolising Catherine’s transformation from a â€Å"little girl† to a grown woman; and Catherine’s ties with Eddie have finally cut as she chooses Rodolfo over Eddie. In this scene, Eddie also confronts his feelings towards Catherine as he kisses her in a fit of rage, passion and desire. This scene opens up with Alfieri’s narration. He tells the audience that Catherine and Rodolfo are â€Å"alone† in the apartment for the first time. The fact that they are alone suggests something is going to happen and sets the scene and create tension because the two characters are alone in a cramped flat without anyone to interfere and no other witnesses except the audience. The cramped apartment is dramatic device which is more obvious on stage ? the dining room is the focus of the actions, the small, claustrophobic space increases tension between the characters. The character of Alfieri serves two functions. In the play, Alfieri is the narrator, who tells the audience the story of Eddie Carbone in flashbacks, and therefore constantly reminds the readers of the tragedy that is yet to come. However he also acts as an actual character in the play ? the role of the wise lawyer, whom Eddie seeks advice from. A narrator is a typical dramatic device used often in plays, dating back to Greek tragedy, which is the style this play is written in. Catherine asks Rodolfo is he is hungry, instead he replies â€Å"not for anything to eat†. This suggests Rodolfo’s desire for Catherine and further emphasis what might happen now they are alone together. This makes the audience wonder and curious, about Rodolfo and Catherine, and also about Eddie’s reaction when he finds out. Catherine starts to ask Rodolfo a series of questions about the options of the two of them living in Italy. At first Rodolfo thinks Catherine is joking as he is smiling, as he does not know the real question Catherine is asking him. However, we as the audience understand she is testing him to see if he only wants to marry her to be an American. This is an example of dramatic irony which Miller uses to create tension and suspense as the audience wonder how Rodolfo is going to react and whether he will figure out Catherine’s true intention. We are also kept in suspense as we wait to see if Rodolfo really loves Catherine. As Rodolfo realises Catherine’s seriousness, stage directions describes that his smile â€Å"vanishes† and he is â€Å"astonished† at Catherine’s request and he walks to her â€Å"slowly†. From here, it is clear that Rodolfo recognizes something is wrong and the tension is heightened as his previous joking mood has gone and is moving onto a more unpleasant topic. Rodolfo tries to persuade Catherine by commenting Italy as having â€Å"no money†, â€Å"no business † and â€Å"nothing† and though Italy is beautiful, â€Å"you can’t cook the view†. This quote shows Rodolfo’s maturity and his understanding of reality and that he is not blinded by a mere pretty surface. As Catherine continues to pursue the idea of living in Italy, Rodolfo becomes increasingly frustrated: â€Å"There’s nothing! Nothing, nothing, nothing. † We see the characters are more emotionally charged as the argument continues; Rodolfo becomes more angry and irritable as the tension builds up, and the audience tense up as the calmer atmosphere is now disturbed by something more exciting. Finally, Catherine confesses she is â€Å"afraid of Eddie† here. This is the first time she admits her fear of Eddie and his actions to the audience, which marks another turning point of the play ? she no longer sees Eddie as a non-threatening, kind man she thought he is. There is a slight pause after Catherine’s admission. This creates tension and allows time for Catherine’s confession and is a hint to the impending tragedy sink in. However, even after this, Catherine persists with her questioning, which eventually leads to Rodolfo’s realisation: â€Å"This is your question or his question? † Therefore the penny drops as the truth comes out. From this point on, the characters confront their true feelings and give the audience further insight into the characters’ inner emotions. This quote also shows that Rodolfo is not the naive, innocent boy portrayed and seen by other earlier in the play? He is quite witty and intelligent and knows when something is going on. Rodolfo is â€Å"furious† at Eddie’s accusation of him and explains that the only reason he wants to â€Å"be an American so I can work†. This shows Rodolfo is realistic and is not just an impressionable, young, starry-eyed boy who loves America so much. This corresponds with earlier in the play with his â€Å"you can’t cook the view† speech. From here, we see another more mature, responsible side of him. This also touches on the theme of family and responsibility?  two of the things that are significant in the Italian traditions. These are shown through the way Rodolfo says that he cannot bring Catherine from a rich country to a poor one; otherwise he would be a â€Å"criminal† â€Å"stealing† her face when he cannot afford enough food for her as he would be responsible for her well-being. Catherine is â€Å"near tears† and Rodolfo is â€Å"furious† as the argument progresses. This makes the scene more dramatic as we see the characters’ emotions are displayed so raw and vividly in this scene, as indicated in the stage directions. Catherine describes Eddie as â€Å"mad all the time and nasty†, which contrasts with her earlier comments of â€Å"the sweetest guy† and â€Å"good†. This reveals that Catherine loves Eddie very much but at the same time is afraid of him as she admits herself. This paradox illustrates Catherine’s emotional turmoil and complex feelings. It also suggests that she too, knows something is wrong with Eddie’s over-the-top rage and fury about the idea of her and Rodolfo together, further emphasised by Rodolfo’s suggestion that Eddie will â€Å"spank† Catherine if she disobeys him ? that there is something dark and primal in Eddie’s feelings for Catherine. Catherine denies she is a naive â€Å"baby† like everyone thinks, which reminds us that Catherine is caught in the crossfire and has to do what everyone else’s expectation of her. However, she continues to defend Eddie as she criticises Beatrice of not being a good wife and woman to Eddie, unlike the way she can because she can â€Å"tell† and â€Å"know† what Eddie wants and needs. This almost peculiar comment deepens the audiences’ sense of unease as we suspect that something inappropriate is going on between Eddie and Catherine and that Eddie’s feeling may possibly be reciprocated. Rodolfo does not seem to realise this as he persuades Catherine to leave Eddie. Catherine then tries to change the topic and instead tells Rodolfo to â€Å"hold† and â€Å"teach† her. This shows Catherine is inexperienced. However alternatively, it can mean that she is manipulative ? when the conversation is not turning out the way she wants to, she cunningly changes the topic using her sexuality. This contrasts with the previous impression the audience have of her and suggests that she is not the saint that we think she is. She cries â€Å"softly† as Rodolfo gently leads her to the bedroom ? thus completes Catherine’s transformation from a â€Å"little girl† to a woman. It signifies Catherine’s choice of Rodolfo over Eddie as she loses her virginity to Rodolfo ? something she can never claim back, parallel to the fact she can not go back to Eddie anymore. Her ties have finally been cut. This significant event also means tragedy is inevitable as the audience know all hell will break loose when Eddie finds out. There is a little pause between the part when Rodolfo leads Catherine to the  bedroom and Eddie’s confrontation with them. During this part, no speech is spoken; it only shows Eddie’s return. This gives the audience some breathing space as tension slows down a little and to give time for the audience to prepare for the revelation Eddie is about to find out. Eddie returns home â€Å"drunk†, which creates tension as the audience anticipate trouble, and the fact that he is drunken means his behaviour would be even more aggressive and unpredictable and then making his confrontation with Rodolfo and Catherine more dramatic. Eddie sees Catherine first; the situation appears to be calm, though awkward and uneasy because the audience know that a huge thing has just happened and the calmness is just the calmness before the storm and we wait anxiously for the dreadful truth to dawn on Eddie. According to the stage direction, Rodolfo comes out of the bedroom second. Eddie sees him and his arm â€Å"jerks slightly in shock†. Rodolfo nods to him â€Å"testingly†. Eddie jerks his arm in shock implies he realises what has happened. He is in astonishment and disbelief. Rodolfo reminds the audience that Beatrice is out, which means there is no one to act as the peace-maker?  there are only three of them alone in the small, claustrophobic apartment where the atmosphere is tense and uncomfortable. There is a pause as Eddie let the revelation to sink in. the pause creates suspense as the audience wait for his catastrophic reaction. Instead, however, Eddie just tells Rodolfo to â€Å"get outa here†. A simple, short command without any explanation or discussion. This amplify the uneasiness in the atmosphere as his reaction seems strangely still to the awful knowledge he just learned, the audience are surprised by this and wonder what will happen next. Eddie grabs her arm as Catherine starts to go. This is the start and a hint to the conflict that is yet to come. Catherine starts to go. Catherine is â€Å"trembling with fright†, shows that she is really scared. She â€Å"frees her arm†, suggests that she is standing up to Eddie finally. She speaks in short sentences, creating a fast pace and urgency atmosphere Eddie tries to regain the control of the situation by commanding Catherine: â€Å"You ain’t going anywheres. â€Å" He desperately tries to make Catherine stay by use the last bit of his power to control her. When Catherine disobeys, he â€Å"draws her to him† and â€Å"kisses her on the mouth† as Eddie finally confronts his desire and feeling for Catherine. The kiss suggests there is something of a sexual desire in Eddie’s feelings, not just the simple possessiveness some fathers have of their daughters. Eddie asks Rodolfo what he is â€Å"gonna be†, thus challenging him, with Catherine as the winner’s price. Rodolfo squares up to Eddie and accept the challenge â€Å"with tears of rage†, suggesting his ego has been bruised badly. He â€Å"flies at him in attack†, which shows Rodolfo’s extreme rage at the fact Eddie has just kissed Catherine and his challenge of his manliness. However, Eddie humiliates him further as he â€Å"pins his arms, laughing, and suddenly kisses him†. This kiss is very sudden and unpredicted, so it is very shocking for the audience and we are incredulous at Eddie’s actions. This kiss is a very extreme action and we slowly realise that it is used to humiliate Rodolfo, questioning his manliness and an attempt Eddie makes to confirm his suspicion of Rodolfo’s sexuality. Catherine â€Å"tears â€Å"at Eddie’s face, while Eddie stands there with â€Å"tears rolling†. This is the point where Eddie realises he has lost and this is the point where he realises Catherine is gone from him. The audience sympathises with him because we know he truly loves Catherine and he has just lost everything he holds dear. However, he still tries to gain the control of the situation and he and Rodolfo are almost frozen with anger: â€Å"They are like animals that have torn at one another and broken up without a decision, each other waiting for other’s mood† This description compare Rodolfo and Eddie as â€Å"animals†, suggest something dark, terrifying and primal in the situation, which makes the audience feel uneasy and uncomfortable. When Eddie breaks the silence, he tells Rodolfo to get out and tells him to â€Å"watch your step, submarine. † â€Å"Submarine† is slang for an illegal immigrant. This is a warning to Rodolfo and a hint to what is going to happen. From this point on, it is clear to the audience that tragedy is inevitable because it seems that Eddie will go as far as to betray his family and report the brothers to the Immigration Bureau. We also know that if Eddie does do that, the consequence will be devastating, as foreshadowed by the Vinny Bolzano story from the very earlier on of the play. Eddie ends this act with a dreadful warning, which create suspense as to what he is going to do and grabs the audience’s attention as we wait to see his next actions even though we already suspect what he is going to do. In conclusion, the opening scene of Act Two is one of the most important and dramatic points of the play. Throughout the first act, Arthur Miller tells us of Rodolfo and Marco’s arrival and sets up the steps leading to the play’s climax ending. In Act One, the audience see the growth of Eddie’s paranoia and jealousy, slowly accumulating to his final outburst. The incident in this scene: Rodolfo and Catherine sleeping together is the final push that sends Eddie over the edge and promote him to report the cousin to the Immigration Bureau. It is in this scene Eddie’s patience runs out and in this scene he realises he has lost Catherine to Rodolfo. He confronts his feelings by kissing Catherine and humiliates Rodolfo with the shocking kiss. This scene is full of emotions which are displayed vividly to the audience through the characters’ actions and speech. The emotions grab the audience attention because we care about the characters and curious about what is going to happen.

Business process re engineering The WritePass Journal

Business process re engineering Introduction Business process re engineering IntroductionTHE IMPACT OF BPR ON AN ORGANIZATIONAL PERFORMANCE CONCEPT OF BPRADVANTAGES OF BPR DISADVANTAGES OF BPR ROLE OF IS/IT FUNCTION IN BPRIT PROCESSES AND DEVELOPMENTIMPORTANCE OF IS/IT IN BPRCONTRIBUTIONS OF INFORMATION SYSTEMIMPACT OF IS/IT IN AN ORGANIZATIONLIMITATAIONS TO TECHNOLOGYCONCLUSIONRECOMMENDATIONSBIBLIOGRAPHYREFERENCESRelated Introduction A management approach concerned at making the improvements and developments to the business by raising the efficiency and effectiveness of the processes that exist within and across the organisations. The key for an organisation to success the business process reengineering is to look at their business processes from a clean slate prospect in order to determine how they can improve and better build these processes to lead their businesses. THE IMPACT OF BPR ON AN ORGANIZATIONAL PERFORMANCE The people and the processes are the foundation of any organizations and business process reengineering renovates an organization in ways that directly affect performance. If the individuals are motivated and working hard, than the processes of the businesses are manageable and the nonessential activities remain, the execution of organization will be poor. The key to transforming how people work is business process reengineering, which becomes visible to be minor changes in processes and can have dramatic effects on cash flow, the delivery of the service and the satisfaction of the customer. The best technique to map and improve the organizations procedures is to take a top down approach, and not undertake a project in isolation. Beginning with mission statements, which define and describe the purpose of the organization, what it apart from others in its sector or an industry. Producing vision statements which define where the organization is going, to provide a clear picture of the desired future position. Establish these into a comprehensible business strategy, which derives thereby the objectives of the project.   Defining behaviours, which makes possible for the organization to obtain its goals. Produce the key power measurements to seek out progress. In relationship of the efficiency improvements to the culture of the organization. Identifying initiatives that will improve performance. CONCEPT OF BPR The concept of BPR generally includes the use of computers, information system and Information technology to organize data, project trends, etc. Many large companies are giving high importance to software integration, they want to build strong links between business systems and make information flow better and avoid to access data stored in multiple systems. Let us take an example, suppose a person wants to place an order over the internet. An integrated software solution take that order, shift it and allocate them to the manufacturing plant on one hand and place order for the raw materials on the basis of the stock, update the financial position of the company with respect to suppliers and the inventory on the other hand and so on. Different names have been given by the people to the integration of ERP, SCM, BPR and CRM. These names include e-business, c-business, m-business and KM etc. There are many softwares that do these integration activities. To name a few software these are known as Baan, Fourth Shift, Frida, JD Edwards One World, Manage 2000, Masterpiece MP/Net, Micro strategy, Oracle e-Business Suite, People Soft and SAP R/3. ADVANTAGES OF BPR It locates the customer at the midpoint of the organisation. It helps to reorganize business functions, identify the core activities and processes as well as inefficient or obsolete ones. It helps them to focus on overall corporate objectives and promotes greater staff involvement. It reduces the new product development and process activity times and can condense the response of the customer as well. It can lead to `quantum leap improvements and developments in business resultsif planned and implemented carefully. It can improve the current industry position, an inefficient and reorganize business processes and can make them the industrial leader. DISADVANTAGES OF BPR It is more suited to products and services that involve logical sequences in production. It may be less suitable for highly variable processes. It may require a high level of investment in IT and requires good teamwork and a high degree of planning and implementation expertise. It can be seen as a real threat to jobs. Success is not automatically guaranteed. ROLE OF IS/IT FUNCTION IN BPR Top management must have the full support to BPR to succeed. The leader must be willing to drive change, even to the point of ruthlessness, if resistance is encountered. â€Å"Although, BPR has its roots in IT management, it is primarily a Business Initiative that has broad consequences in terms of satisfying the needs of customers and the firms other constituents†. (Davenport Stoddard 1994) The IS/IT group may need to play a behind-the-scenes advocacy role; convincing senior management of the power offered by IT and process redesign. It would also need to incorporate the skills of process measurement, analysis, and redesign. It is essential to differentiate between information technology (IT) and information systems (IS) to understand the role that information systems play in today’s business environment. IT is the term employed to describe the hardware of computer, the software, and the tools of infrastructure of network in other words, technology itself. IS describes the broader prospect in which IT is employed by the management to create and the systems of support which make it possible for the organization to chase and achieve its strategic goals. When discussing IS, it is important to consider all three of its dimensions: IT, management, and organizations. As a practical matter, it should be noted that the terms IT and IS are often used interchangeably, particularly by those who are not directly involved in the IS or IT field. Information technology is persistent in all the organizations and society as a whole. Businesses are based on IT and telecommunications to achieve their day-to-day goals. In fact, the collection, storage, and retrieval of data and information are both more sophisticated and more ordinary than they have ever been. The information which a company gathers about its procedures of management is a valuable tool of resource for planning.The organizations are able to create and implement new strategies by the innovative use of existing information technologies and systems of information. For example, FedEx upgraded its parcel tracking system to provide the direct access through the website of the shipment information to its customers. This upgrade reduced the cost to provide the service to the customers and simultaneously increased the quality and the availability of the service. This example shows the possibilities of IS while adopting new strategies. IT PROCESSES AND DEVELOPMENT Today, we find a great number of advances in the IT’s has being employed in the companies. In one way, the remarkable advances in personal computers and the communications make it possible to employees to work outside the office while still being always connected to the office. The employees can work of the house or other places. The communication systems of multi-media, which send and receive audio and video signals, help us by making decisions by employing the email, the transfer of file, or the videoconference. The techniques of computer-aided design/manufacture/technology (CAD/CAM/CAE) take account of the design of products, manufacture, and the coordinating activities of technology. By gaining new IT tools, it enables companies to gain important advantages such as: 1) Cost savings, improvement and recovering the accuracy of exchanging information. 2) Avoiding inherent human errors so complex and repetitive tasks are used. 3) Saving money because it reduces errors and the time it takes to accomplish tasks. 4) Integrating and coordinating several functions immediately. 5) Improving the effectiveness and the effectiveness of organization by elimination delay, the administrative intermediaries, and the unessential stages of transformation and by providing a better access to information. The environment of today quickly requires companies to develop and offer the products which will satisfy the needs for customers. The companies cannot be able to do this if they apply processes with many stages and rare collaboration. Consequently, this environment forces a change of the processes of businesses to the mediation reduced by device and increased collaboration. To diminish the degree of mediation and increase the degree of collaboration, Firstly companies must reduce the degree of mediation in processes. That is, they must convert processes with a great number of stages of intermediary of processes which take part directly in the final results. The IT’s that make this modification easy might be: 1)   Shared databases: Different functions are allowed to take part directly by employing information stored in the data bases. Each function can approach, write, or recover the information of this data base the moment when it is necessary. 2) Imaging technology: Several people may work at the same time on a digitalized image of documents or graphics. 3) Electronic data exchange and electronic funds transference. Furthermore, shared computing resources make it possible for different functions to have access to information at any time. Second, the companies must increase the degree of collaboration in the processes so that the implied functions share information. IT that makes the collaboration easy among the different people can be technologies of communication. These allow the transfer of information by using tools such as the email, the videoconference, and the File Transfer Protocol. IMPORTANCE OF IS/IT IN BPR All organizations would like to grow and extend. In order to reach this growth and prosperity, organizations place long-term goals. Their roles as a financial manager are to be helped to develop the organizational strategies which facilitate and obtain those goals. The future growth and prosperity of any organization is essential in an effective management and use of information technology (IT) and information systems (IS). In today’s organizations, the vast majority of the data to support organizational activities and decisions comes from IS, which incorporates IT, data and information, and business procedures. Organizations with poorly designed information systems face numerous problems. Consider the case of the Hershey Foods Corporation, which found it unable to effectively ship candy for the Halloween season following the implementation of a new computer system. The company faced a 19% drop in profitability because of this problem. Yet at the same time, organizations that effectively design and manage their information systems can gain tremendous benefits. A recent study by Jeanne Ross and Peter Weill found that organizations that effectively manage their IT decision making experience financial performance levels about 20% higher than those with less effective IT management. IS/IT should not be used as a cure-all for organizational problems because technology can create as many problems as it solves if it is not understood properly and its applications are not actively managed. The key to developing a good strategy to achieve an organization’s goals is to build well-designed and well-managed systems. CONTRIBUTIONS OF INFORMATION SYSTEM IS contributes to organizational goals when people use data, information, and information technology through a set of procedures. IMPACT OF IS/IT IN AN ORGANIZATION All medium to large organisations depend on information technology (IT) for their continuous survival. Consider organisations like British Gas, British Telecom, the Power and Water companies having to manually calculate, millions of customer bills every month or quarter. Similar opinion applies to many other organisations such as the high street banks, central and local government. A recent article in the Daily Telegraph IT supplement suggested that many large organisations could last no longer than 24 hours without IT support! There should be a little wonder that attitudes to the development of information systems have changed over the years from an ad hoc almost cavalier approach to a professionally managed, disciplined, planned, and engineering approach. IT can prove to be useful during the process of redesign and reengineering analysis. The graphics software and the tools of CASE can produce the charts of process maps, the spreadsheets and the costing software take account of the analysis of the cost activity-based, the data base can track the satisfaction and the complaints of the customers and display boards of E-mail of â€Å"lamp-shade† can be introduced to capture suggestions of the employees. Moreover the E-mail and the groupware can facilitate the communication and coordination through the geographical and organizational barriers. It is recommended that during the process of implementation stage, companies follow these basis rules: Recognize that IT is only part of the solution: it allows managers to collect, store, analyze, and communicate and distribute information better. Cut and paste the IT tools needed. Bring in an internal or external IT expert: their knowledge, skills, intelligence, and experience are invaluable. After implementation, continually monitor IT performance and keep up with new IT developments. Mentioned below are some examples of the companies experience that show the role and implementation of IS/IT in business process redesigning To exhibit the advantages of BPR, Ford Motor was chosen by Hammer [1990]. By applying the data bases shared in the process of accounts payable, which includes the purchase, receiving, and the accounts payable, Ford reduced its labour of the employees by 75 percent. Hewlett-Packard changed the functioning model of its salesmen. Using the portable computers, they were connected to the data base of the inventory of the company. They obtain the information of period on time, activate and apply directly for promotions, changes of the prices, or discounts. Pointless to say, their time devoted to the customers has increased by 27 percent and sales, of 10 percent. When Citibank transformed its system of analysis of credit by reducing paper dispensation, it obtained an increase of 43 percent at time devoted to gather new customers. The credit of IBM took two weeks to finish a claim of financing because there were five stages to the process. By redesigning the process and while making take part the general practitioners who work with data bases and telecommunications networks, it takes now only four hours. LIMITATAIONS TO TECHNOLOGY There are limits to what a technology may accomplish. For example, when the video conferencing technology of communication became the first time available, much were excited about the prospect to employ the visual communication to finish the need for business trip, or reduce-the least substantially it. While there is no question which the visual communication can be employed for some aspects of communication of businesses, it did not finish the need for travel, partly because of the nature slightly limited of the medium and the human desire for the contact head to head. Still another, and really undefeatable, the question which limits the use of the video conferencing communication is physical distance and the notion of the time zones. Consider a situation where a senior executive in Vancouver tries to arrange a video conference with sales offices in Eastern Canada, Europe, and in Asia. Taking account of the time zones, there is no overlapping time of covering during the normal working hours which will allow parts in these four geographical regions to meet. CONCLUSION To be successful, business process reengineering projects need to be top down, taking in the complete organization, and the full end to end processes. It needs to be supported by tools that make processes easy to track and analyze. BPR is a methodology by which important improvements are obtained, although it requires big changes in organization and work style. This involves the need to change or even increase working styles, job functions, needed knowledge, and organization values. Reengineering requires long-time dedication, resources, and effort. These are made easier by using elements called enablers. Its role is crucial because it allows a company to alter processes in two ways: collaboration grade increase and mediation grade decrease through the implementation of shared databases and communication technologies. So, IT may help companies to obtain important improvements on variables such as costs, quality, and delivery time. Although these are not the only important elements, also bear in mind structural changes, company culture, and human resources. RECOMMENDATIONS BPR must be accompanied by strategic planning, which addresses leveraging IT as a competitive tool. Place the customer at the centre of the reengineering effort concentrate on reengineering fragmented processes that lead to delays or other negative impacts on customer service. BPR must be owned throughout the organization, not driven by a group of outside consultants. Case teams must be comprised of both managers as well as those will actually do the work. The IT group should be an integral part of the reengineering team from the start. BPR must be sponsored by top executives, who are not about to leave or retire. BPR projects must have a timetable, ideally between three to six months, so that the organization is not in a state of limbo. BPR must not ignore corporate culture and must emphasize constant communication and feedback. BIBLIOGRAPHY Berman, Saul, Strategic Direction: Dont Reengineer Without It; Scanning the Horizon for Turbulence, Planning Review, November 1994; Pg. 18. Brown, Tom, De-engineering the Corporation, Industry Week, April 18, 1994; Pg. 18. Cafasso, Rosemary, Rethinking Reengineering, Computerworld, March 15, 1993; Pg. 102. Caldwell, Bruce, Missteps, Miscues Business Reengineering Failures, InformationWeek, June 20, 1994; Pg. 50. Chew, Angie, How Insurance Firms Can Reengineer for Success, Business Times, June 20, 1994; Pg. 11. Cone, Edward, Technology Chief of the Year; All the Right Moves Tom Trainer of Reebok International Successfully Teamed Business Reengineering with Information Technology, InformationWeek, December 26, 1994; Pg. 35. Davenport, Thomas H., Will Participative Makeovers of Business Processes Succeed Where Reengineering Failed? Planning Review, January 1995; Pg. 24. Economist Newspaper Group, Reengineering Reviewed The Economist, June 1994, Pg 24. Ettorre, Barbara, Reengineering Tales from the Front, Management Review, January 1995; Pg. 13. REFERENCES http://jobfunctions.bnet.com/abstract.aspx?docid=390451promo=100511tag=bn-left teamtechnology.co.uk/business-process-reengineering.html comp.glam.ac.uk/pages/staff/tdhutchings/chapter1.html#head1 scribd.com/doc/396076/Foundations-of-Information-Systems-in-Business netlib.com/bpr1.shtml#recom entrepreneur.com/tradejournals/article/100012316_2.html kmbook.com/bpr.htm susanto.id.au/papers/BPEASAP.asp

Mandatory Death Penalty for Murder essays

Mandatory Death Penalty for Murder essays To take another persons life is horrible. It doesnt matter what crime or crimes he committed. Executing someone for committing a murder is morally wrong, because execution is equally as wrong as murder. Even if it seems that person deserve to be executed, his family and friends doesnt deserve to suffer from his loss. A person should have no excuse for murder no matter what the case is. However by killing that person youre not solving anything. By executing the murderer you could be giving him the easy way out because he might rather have a quick, painless death than to spend the rest of his life in prison. If the family and friends of the victim are going to suffer emotionally for the rest of their life, so should the murderer. Death wont make him suffer; it would only give him a painless end. Thats why we should lock him up in prison for the rest of his life: make him feel pain equivalent to the suffering of the victims family and friends. The other reason why the death penalty should be abolished is because death is final; thus it is not acceptable to make mistakes on the matter. As long as we have capital punishment, innocent people will be executed, it is unavoidable. We cant afford errors and rarely do we have complete proof that a person committed a murder. Therefore its always better to be safe than sorry. You could always release someone from prison if there was a mistake but you cant give somebodys life back. By abolishing the death penalty, it does not mean that we will be releasing convicted murderers. There are other reasonable choices such as life without parole. So even if innocent people are sentenced to life imprisonment, there is hope that someday someone will be able to prove their innocence. But once a person is executed, the opportunity for him to prove his innocence dies with him. ...

Cmo discapacitados pueden evitar examen de ciudadana

Cmo discapacitados pueden evitar examen de ciudadana Los residentes permanentes que desean naturalizarse para sacar asà ­ la ciudadanà ­a pero que  sufren de una discapacidad fà ­sica o mental pueden solicitar una waiver para no tener que rendir el examen de inglà ©s y conocimientos. Esta waiver, de ser concedida, serà ­a una excepcià ³n a la prctica general que establece que para convertirse en estadounidenses los residentes permanentes deben aprobar un examen sencillo en el que demuestren que pueden entender, hablar, escribir y leer el idioma inglà ©s y tambià ©n que tienen conocimientos bsicos sobre la historia y principios cà ­vicos de los Estados Unidos. En este artà ­culo se explica cà ³mo tramitar esa excepcià ³n y cules son los casos en los que es posible. Adems, se brindan consejos de interà ©s para los residentes permanentes que estn pensando en sacarse la ciudadanà ­a. Tramitacià ³n de la solicitud de la waiver para el examen de ciudadanà ­a Entre la documentacià ³n que acompaà ±a a la planilla N-400 debe incluirse la forma N-648. Esta sà ³lo puede ser cumplimentada por un mà ©dico o por un osteà ³pata (M.D., M.O.) o por un psicà ³logo clà ­nico con las debidas licencias o un psiquiatra y que tenga conocimiento de primera mano sobre la incapacidad. En otras palabras, puede ser un profesional de la medicina o psicologà ­a especialista en la discapacidad o el mà ©dico o psicà ³logo que le trata como paciente, siempre y cuando tenga experiencia suficiente sobre la discapacidad. El formulario N-648 debe rellenarse empleando un lenguaje sencillo y muy claro, no demasiado tà ©cnico y se debe identificar claramente la incapacidad. Se deben aà ±adir ejemplos especà ­ficos de cà ³mo la discapacidad afecta la capacidad del solicitante de aprender para rendir el examen de ciudadanà ­a, siendo esto extremadamente importante. Por à ºltimo, se debe prestar especial atencià ³n a completar la pregunta nà ºmero 3  de la planilla. Requisitos para que pueda solicitarse la waiver Deben cumplirse los siguientes requisitos: Se supone que la incapacidad va a durar por al menos 12 meses ms.La incapacidad debe ser la causa de que el solicitante sea incapaz de aprender inglà ©s y/o de estudiar el test sobre cultura cà ­vica e historia de los Estados Unidos. Este punto es fundamentalà ­simo. No basta con tener la discapacidad, sino que à ©sta debe afectar negativamente a la capacidad de aprender. Y por à ºltimo es necesario que la discapacidad no es  el resultado de haber consumido ningà ºn tipo de droga ilegal. Ejemplos de discapacidades para los que se puede solicitar la waiver. Siempre y cuando estas condiciones afecten a la capacidad de aprender porque inhabilitan la posibilidad de concentracià ³n o memoria, el USCIS podrà ­a conceder esta waiver.   Despuà ©s de examinar caso por caso, a personas que sufran entre otras de las siguientes enfermedades: depresià ³n severa, estrà ©s postraumtico (PTSD, por sus siglas en inglà ©s), demencia, esclerosis mà ºltiple en grado avanzado, esquizofrenia o desorden bipolar. Tambià ©n pueden incluirse un conjunto de enfermedades que provoquen que una persona està © agotada, en cama y no se pueda concentrar, como por ejemplo algunos enfermos de cncer que estn recibiendo quimioterapia, la arterioscleoris cerebral o casos severos de diabetes o enfermedades del corazà ³n. Tambià ©n pueden incluirse los casos de autismo, sà ­ndrome de Down o algunas instancias de discapacidades del aprendizaje. Es importante entender que esas y otras incapacidades pueden o no ser causa para la waiver, depende del su grado de severidad. El simplemente padecerlas no califica automticamente para que se conceda la peticià ³n. Por otra parte, la  ceguera o la sordera no son, por sà ­ solas, suficientes para que se conceda esta waiver de rendir el examen de ciudadanà ­a. Sà ³lo se aprobar si la discapacidad fà ­sica  es tal o va acompaà ±ada por otras enfermedades que impidan el proceso de aprendizaje. En general, si una persona es ciega el USCIS no le pedir que rinda el examen de inglà ©s escrito, pero le examinar oralmente. Tambià ©n se espera que aprenda las preguntas del examen de historia y cà ­vico. Si una persona es sorda, el USCIS puede pedir que utilice audà ­fonos, y si no puede o no son suficientes para que pueda escuchar o leer, se puede pedir que se haga el examen y se sea entrevistado con la ayuda de un intà ©rprete de lenguaje de sordos o incluso que se rinda el examen totalmente por escrito. Consideraciones a tener en cuenta y consejos sobre examen de naturalizacià ³n El ser analfabeto en el idioma nativo, en este caso en espaà ±ol o uno de los idiomas indà ­genas no es razà ³n suficiente para permitir no  rendir los exmenes. Si se tiene una discapacidad que no impide rendir el test de naturalizacià ³n pero que requiere ciertos acomodos, como es la necesidad de un intà ©rprete para sordos, se necesita solicitarlo al llenar  el N-400. Adems, en algunos casos,  en los que necesariamente hay que presentarse al examen, es posible rendir el examen en espaà ±ol. Finalmente, tener en cuenta que  en casos de necesidad econà ³mica la ley establece unas situaciones en las que se  califica  para no pagar tarifa por naturalizacià ³n. Es decir, es posible iniciar y finalizar todo el proceso sin tener que pagar las cuotas a Inmigracià ³n. Este es un artà ­culo informativo. No es asesorà ­a legal.

Learning team Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Learning team - Research Paper Example Also, the ever growing complexity of the application software has resulted in large costs in software distribution to the end-users. . Through the use of Application Service Provider models, Riordan Manufacturing Company has been able to minimize costs and complexities of software. Additionally, the upgrading issues have been removed from the end firm by putting the onus on the Application Service Providers in order to maintain updated series. The company’s information technology outsourcing through the use of application service provider models has enabled the company to realize a rapid growth and reduce the costs of IT applications for her electronic -commerce implementation. The company adopted the use of ASP outsourcing model due to her limited budget in Information Technology. The use of Application Service Providers Outsourcing model has several advantages as compared to Traditional or partial outsourcing models. These successes include: the integration issues of application software are eliminated from the sit, reduced software application charges since the costs are spread over the customers, the possibility of vendors building more software application experiences, the main application software systems are kept updated and their performances managed by experts, and improved software scalability, reliability, availability and security of the information technology systems. This paper compares the common traditional information technology outsourcing models with the Application Service Provider Outsourcing models. It can be concluded that the ASPs comes with many benefits as compared to the traditional outsourcing models, hence should be

World Literature (See attched Word Document for insutruction) Essay

World Literature (See attched Word Document for insutruction) - Essay Example Human justice is defined as one that takes vengeance on those that have done wrong against other. This moves into human injustice, which states that the murder is not committed against an external enemy, but is instead committed against the self. The divine justice is briefly referred to and is used to please the gods instead of to bring justice to society. In comparison to divine justice, this does not reward one for actions that are righteous, but instead punishes them for something that is believed as wrong. The system I would rather live under is divine justice. The ability to have compassion and reward for fearing God is one that allows one to live peacefully, as opposed to taking vengeance on those who have done wrong. The argument of all three friends would be to have human justice. Whenever something is wrong, there is the immediate desire to take revenge or to get even. Instead of living righteously, most build into a system that is based on vengeance. 2. According to the Bhagavad – Gita, the ability to be saved is one that happens when one recognizes God or the prophet of God and comes out of ignorance and irreligion. As this happens, the soul is able to progress through life cycles while coming closer to God. If one does not move out of this, then they reincarnate into a different form, either animal or human. The ignorance that they carry turns into karma and the things of the past they have done with good intent turns into dharma. As one progresses, the karma can turn into dharma, which helps the soul to progress and to be saved. Kabir has a similar concept about being saved and the progression of the soul. Kabir recognized that as one overcame ignorance and recognized the Supreme Being, they were able to eliminate karma. As this happened, the individual was able to become an enlightened soul. When one reached the highest realm of enlightenment, they were recognized as bahkti, which meant that they were an

Fishy Foods Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Fishy Foods - Essay Example Fishy food successfully managed the adverse effects of the recession and efficiently used its finances to complete its business as well as its stakeholders. The data used in this report has been sourced from the given case study. Moreover, the theoretical data has been taken from several relevant books which have been mentioned in the reference list. The market-related information has been procured from Mintel and journal articles. Every startup company needs a proper set of marketing strategies for it to prosper and ensure sustainable growth. This report is based on a hypothetical start-up company which started its business in Birmingham by selling specialty fish based food products. The company was started off by two friends John and God. They decided to offer a unique food variety to the customers. The company was named Fishy Foods, which gradually expanded over the years and became quite popular among the customers. Despite the economic crunches caused by the recession, the compa ny managed to sustain its business. This report highlights the marketing strategies taken by the company and how it helped to sustain the business, the internal and external environment and how it influenced the business activities. It also covers the customer behavior along with the STP (segmentation, targeting, positioning) analysis and how the company leveraged it to their own benefit. Fishy Foods caters to the mass market and specialized in fish based foods. The company started off by selling fish finger sandwiches and other fish products like fish soup, fish, and chips with different variants. In order for a new company like Fish foods to run its business successfully, it needs to implement the proper marketing strategies. Before starting a business the company needs to assess the market environments and make any decisions based on the assessment results (Atherton, 2007).  

History Questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

History Questions - Essay Example Cuneiform writing was practiced as an art. Ancient Greece was characterized by islands, Peloponnesus, and mainland. It was surrounded by Mediterranean Sea and had few rivers, rocky soil and a mountainous land with the lack of subsistence farming and no irrigation scheme. My analysis demonstrated that Ancient Greece had no central political system hence lacked unity and was characterized by policies of humanistic and secular. Ancient Greece only took part in art and trade as the primary social activities and this system led to no significant economic achievement characterized by less population and high poverty. The two societies that showed long stability history and imperial dynastic rule are Ancient Egypt and Ancient China. Ancient Egypt had a precious natural resource surrounded with regular controlled flooding surrounded by political borders and a governed centralized system that facilitated political stability and a high population with less foreign interference. Its culture was uniform with a religious perspective and a point of direction in their way of life that unified the whole community. Ancient China was characterized by mountains, deserts, and rivers. The community in Ancient China practiced comprehensive agriculture that led to unification and communal working. The practice of religion adjudicated Unity in Ancient China and emphasize on respect to elders. They also mined bronze and took part in the art as a culture. The axial age is a time between 900-200 BCE when people began laying spiritual foundations that guide the common religions today. Urban civilization under priestly ruling brought communities together and encouraged trade activities. The Urban way of life started to expand leading to social, political and economic conflicts that disrupted order leading to questioning of conventional beliefs. Interaction between different communities exposed individuals to realities like

The Need for Wireless Standards and Protocols Assignment - 1

The Need for Wireless Standards and Protocols - Assignment Example American National Standards Organization is based in the USA and is involved in creation of various standards for products, services, processes, systems and personnel in the United States. ANSI-41 that is sometimes knows as the IS-41 was developed by ANSI to support interoperability and inter-networking between GSM and ANSI-41 MAP based networks to support subscriber roaming between different networks (Russell 2006). Even though this standard supports cross-technology roaming between a GPRS networks and ANSI-41 based networks. GPRS may be coupled with a GSM network and this requires enhancement to interoperability and internetworking Function that supports multi-mode mobile station and subscriber Identity Module (SIM) that has GPRS functionalities. Despite this, there is still need for advancements in the encryption of data to increase security of data transmission. This will increase its reliability and the quality of service of this protocol (Ceruzzi 2003). Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers IEEE is an international standardization organization that is involved with development of protocols and standards in various fields of electrical, electronics, communications, and computer engineering and computer science. In wireless communications, IEEE has been involved in creation of the IEEE 802.11 wireless local area network standard (Ceruzzi 2003). Breadth of Standards IEEE developed the first IEEE 802.11 standard in 1997, which was to provide the basis of using Wi-Fi.

Economic of Industry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

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The Need for Wireless Standards and Protocols Assignment - 1

The Need for Wireless Standards and Protocols - Assignment Example American National Standards Organization is based in the USA and is involved in creation of various standards for products, services, processes, systems and personnel in the United States. ANSI-41 that is sometimes knows as the IS-41 was developed by ANSI to support interoperability and inter-networking between GSM and ANSI-41 MAP based networks to support subscriber roaming between different networks (Russell 2006). Even though this standard supports cross-technology roaming between a GPRS networks and ANSI-41 based networks. GPRS may be coupled with a GSM network and this requires enhancement to interoperability and internetworking Function that supports multi-mode mobile station and subscriber Identity Module (SIM) that has GPRS functionalities. Despite this, there is still need for advancements in the encryption of data to increase security of data transmission. This will increase its reliability and the quality of service of this protocol (Ceruzzi 2003). Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers IEEE is an international standardization organization that is involved with development of protocols and standards in various fields of electrical, electronics, communications, and computer engineering and computer science. In wireless communications, IEEE has been involved in creation of the IEEE 802.11 wireless local area network standard (Ceruzzi 2003). Breadth of Standards IEEE developed the first IEEE 802.11 standard in 1997, which was to provide the basis of using Wi-Fi.