Barbados – Country’s Geographical Notes

Barbados island nation in the Caribbean, is situated about 100 miles (160 kilometres) east of the Windward Islands. Roughly triangular in shape, it measures 21 miles from northwest to southeast and about 14 miles from east to west, with a total area of 166 square miles (430 square kilometres). Its capital is Bridgetown, the only seaport. Barbados is not part of the Lesser Antilles, although it is sometimes grouped with this archipelago. The island is of different geologic formation; it is less mountainous and has less variety in plant and animal life. The geographic position of Barbados has profoundly influenced the island's history, culture, and aspects of its economic life. In the era of sailing ships, access to the island was difficult because of the prevailing winds from the northeast. Outward-bound ships from Europe had to gain the island while heading west, for it was difficult for them to turn and reach its shores by sailing eastward against the wind. The island remained a British possession without interruption from its settlement in the 17th century to 1966, when it attained independence. As the first Caribbean landfall from Europe, Barbados has functioned since the late 17th century as a major link between western Europe (mainly Britain), eastern Caribbean territories, and parts of the South American mainland. Because of its long association with Britain, the culture of Barbados is probably more British than that of any other Caribbean island. Since independence, however, cultural nationalism and regional awareness have tended to increase. The climate is generally pleasant. The temperature does not usually rise above 86 F (30 C) or fall below 72 F (22 C). There are two seasons: the dry season, from early December to May, and the wet season, which lasts for the rest of the year. Average rainfall is about 60 inches (1,525 millimeters) a year, but, despite the small size of the island, rainfall varies, rising from the low-lying coastal areas to the high central district. Barbados lies in the southern border of the Carribean hurricane zone, and hurricanes have caused great devastation. Barbados is densely populated. More than one-third of the population is concentrated in Bridgetown and the surrounding area. Most of the farmland is owned by large landowners or corporations. As a result, â€Å"tenantries† are as common as villages. Tenantries are clusters of wooden houses–locally known as chattel houses–located on the borders of the large estates; they are usually owned by the occupants but stand on rented ground from which they may easily be removed. Most of them have electricity and running water. The largest town is Bridgetown. In its commercial and administrative centre, multistorey buildings are altering the features of the 19th-century town. Apart from Bridgetown, Oistins, Holetown, and Speightstown are the largest towns. The population of Barbados was 257 082 in 1990. the average population density was 572 persons per sq. km (1482 per sq. mile) was notably high considering the predominantly rural agricultural character growth of population during 1970s and 1980s was kept below 1% by out-migration. The capital, largest city and only seaport is Bridgetown with a population of 6720 in 1990. About 90% of the total population black; the remaining portion is composed of whites and persons of mixed racial descent. English is the official language. More than 50% of the people are Anglicans; other important faiths include various protestant sects and Roman Catholic. Education is free to children between ages of 5 to 16yrs. Barbados has a small, market-oriented, developing economy. Services, manufacturing, and agriculture are the main productive sectors. Although Barbados had a relatively high per capita growth rate in the 1980s, unemployment, especially among the youth and women, has been a serious problem. Most of the employment is in services and distributive trades, the greater part of which has been unionized. The economy of Barbados has traditionally been dependent on the growing of sugarcane and the production of export of refined sugar, molasses and rum. Sugarcane is grown principally on large estates rather than on the small farms. The annual harvest is in the early 1990s totalled about 600000 metric tons. Local industries manufacturing clothing, furniture, electrical and electronic equipment and plastic items. Newly discovered reserves of petroleum and natural gas are being exploited. Fishing has also increased the importance. Tourists' facilities have earned more foreign revenue than sugar products. The table below shows the origin of tourists to Barbados, the number of tourists visiting Barbados and the average GNP of tourists visiting Barbados ($US). The table below is refers to the question ‘why do fewer tourists travel shorter distances to Barbados from West Indies and South America? COUNTRY NO. OF TOURISTS TO BARBADOS AVERAGE GNO OF TOURISTS IN $US CANADA 65600 17936 SOUTH AMERICA 3500 3087 USA 170800 16664 UK 101200 11903 WEST EUROPE 33700 13333 WEST INDIES 64300 2798 Climate Figures For London The Advantages And Disadvantages Of Tourism To Barbados Barbados has many white sandy beaches and the beautiful sun, which often attracts holidaymakers. But the holidaymakers also bring many disadvantages to the country. The advantages and disadvantages are listed below in two categories. ADVANTAGES * When holidaymakers arrive the country often needs employees to work in hotels. E.G. waiters/waitresses, cleaners, bar attendants etc. * The country employs 15000 people. * Holidaymakers create other jobs such as in garages, factories, taxi drivers etc. * Tourism has encouraged the development of facilities which benefit the whole community. a) a deep water harbour b) an airport terminal c) a better road network d) an improvement in water supply, sewage, disposal, electricity. * Fisherman benefit as there is more fish needed to please tourist so the fisherman receive more money. DISADVANTAGES * Jobs have to shed labour at slack periods (Sep / Oct and May / June). * Cost was expensive to establish because of the need to import foreign manufactured goods such as vehicles and furniture. * Cost loses income for the country because a) food and manufactured goods still have to be imported, b) many hotels are foreign owned. The government is now trying to rectify by building hotels itself and encouraging local people tourists apartments. * Tourism has an effect upon agriculture by depressing it by draining it of workers. * The country loses money due to having the need to import goods such as Beef from New Zealand and Los Angeles. * Economy is dependent upon conditions elsewhere- recession in North America and Europe caused tourist numbers to fall by 5% in 1981. * Low moral standards in the tourists can have a bad effect on communities such as alcohol abuse and prostitution. * Tourist industries have affected land beach and sea resources. It is also responsible for increase in pollution on both land and sea. IS TOURISM HELPING BARBADOS? It's very difficult question to answer whether tourism is helping Barbados or not. So to answer this question I had divided it into two categories â€Å"Positive† and â€Å"Negative. After considering all the points it will be easier to decide whether tourism is helping Barbados or not. â€Å"Positive† * because tourism brings money to island like Barbados through accommodation paid for by tourists, souvenirs sold to tourists e.g. clothes, steel drums, coral jewellery, tours organized by country's community as they drive them around by giving toured rides etc. * because tourism supplies jobs for the country's community e.g. in hotels as bar attendants, waiters/waitresses, cleaners etc., taxi drivers, fishermen/women etc. * because tourism stimulates the country's market, even providing new markets. * because tourism has provided a better communication between races and cultures. * because tourism has provided the country with enough money to produce an airport, maintain better road links and conditions, and an improvement in water supply, sewage disposal and electricity. â€Å"Negative† * because tourism has also broken up communities by bringing so many tourists into the country that the communities are being denied access to the facilities provided. * because tourism has caused a loss in money by tourists expecting foreign manufactured goods e.g. food, furniture, vehicles etc instead of buying native products. * because tourism has caused a westernizing effect on culture and social standards, which can cause differences and may even cause the community to forget its background history. * because tourism has caused the environment to change by making buildings around the beach and buildings which do not fit in with the country's environment. * because the agriculture workers have left the fields to work in hotels close to the tourists so there are not many people to work in the fields anymore. After considering this subject, I conclude that tourism has both positive and negative effects on Barbados. If tourism is not controlled, in future it will not have good effect on the country as the country will be changed i.e. there will not be clean beaches with beautiful white sand and crystal clear green sea water, beautiful palm trees or the green environment etc. this will changed by the community changing their environment to please the tourists by building more hotels and forgetting their culture. If you think carefully then you will realize that tourists are going to Barbados for its culture, its beautiful white sand and crystal green water, its green environment and of course the sun. On consideration, tourism can have benefits for Barbados- bringing employment, income and improved facilities. On the other hand it can bring pollution, destruction of the environment in order to build facilities, and can have a detrimental effect on the culture and community life. WHY DO FEWER TOURISTS TRAVEL SHORTER DISTANCES? In answering this question I have referred to table 1 on the previous page. The question asked is ‘why fewer tourists travels shorter distances to Barbados from South America and West Indies?' My opinion on the question asked by many people is that GNP in both places is low and the vast majority cannot afford to travel abroad. If the country does not have a very high GNP they will not have much disposable income after all the main expenses are paid off e.g. mortgage, taxes bills, National Insurance (N.I), pensions, and road tax ( if car is involved). South America's GNP is 3087. West Indies GNP is 2798 (the figures stated are calculated in $US). If you compare the GNP of countries like USA and the UK to that of the GNP of the countries like the West Indies and the South America you will notice that people in the USA and in the UK have much more disposable income. USA's GNP is 16664. UK's GNP is 11903 (the figures stated are calculated in $US). Another reason for answering this question is that in the West Indies and in South America the annual average climate is generally the same so the residents will not need to travel to find the sun and fine weather. WHY DO SO MANY PEOPLE TRAVEL TO BARBADOS FROM NORTH AMERICA & EUROPE? The question asked is why do so many people travel to Barbados from North America and Europe. My suggested opinion is firstly because in countries in North America and Europe usually have a higher GNP meaning after all the main expenses are paid off (stated in the question ‘why do fewer tourists travel shorter distances to Barbados?')they end up with enough disposable income to spend on the trips to places like Barbados. Another reason is that in places like Europe and North America the climate is too hot but there is either too little hot weather or the climate is not hot enough. There are not that many beautiful beaches like in Barbados. ‘WHY DO TOURISTS FROM NORTH AMERICA AND EUROPE TURN UP IN BARBADOS AT CERTAIN TIMES OF THE YEAR?' My suggested answer for this question is because of hot climate. At certain times in the year the sun is out and the weather is basically hot, hot and hot with a lot of sun. The months when the climate is hot and sunny is at the end of December to beginning of June. The remaining months are mainly rainy months so you wouldn't actually find many tourists around in Barbados.

Christianity and Paganism in Beowulf Essay

The literature of a period is often regarded as the purest manifestation of the social, political, and cultural atmosphere of a particular era. At a crossroads, often than not, these works narrate the development of a culture besieged by new ideas and influences. Considered as the earliest extant poem in a modern European language, the Germanic epic entitled Beowulf is a clear example of how two warring cultural ideologies are melded together to create a population’s own unique social identity. Peppered with pagan images of magic and monsters, one would almost immediately assume that the poem was created as an account of heroism in the likes of Greek myths and epics, but it is easy to acknowledge that the over-arching motive that pushes the narrative is the relationship of the people with their new God, the Higher Being proclaimed by the burgeoning Christian religion. Taking this into account, one could easily characterize Beowulf as the product of â€Å"folk Christianity†Ã¢â‚¬â€the reconciliation of the newfound religion of Christianity and traditional paganism, a melding that suited the culture of the Anglo-Saxon people. The sense of paganism in Beowulf can be easily attributed to the prolific existence of otherworldly monsters and supernatural events in the text. Revolving around the three â€Å"monsters† portrayed in the poem—the man-killing Grendel, the vengeful witch of the marsh that is his mother, and the dragon that would be the catalyst to the end—these characters or images portray a Scandinavia that was overwhelmed by a wide array of mythological creatures that wreck havoc in the small communities, a Scandinavia of pagan lore. But amidst this, a hero called Beowulf would appear from the distance, a Christian â€Å"savior of mankind†, to expunge the lands of these vicious beasts. From this mere premise we immediately assume the tension that exists between the two different ideologies: Beowulf exemplifies the new order of Scandinavian warriors, those that follow a new God but still abide by their traditional beliefs, while the monsters symbolize the mayhem and destruction of paganism. Such dynamic was taken advantage of by an anonymous medieval monk who had put the story of Beowulf on paper, showing the power of Christianity over paganism. An earlier example of a â€Å"pagan† monstrosity and Christian heroism found in the text is Beowulf’s battle with Grendel. The monster had been terrorizing the lands of Hrothgar, and news of this had spread throughout the land. It is interesting to note that Grendel has been described as â€Å"Conceived by a pair of those monsters born/ Of Cain, murderous creatures/ Banished by God, punished forever for the crime of Abel’s death (line 105-108). † This portrayal of the Christianity’s first murder pushes further the idea that those of the supernatural and pagan element are, as Grendel is shown, â€Å"banished by God†. Beowulf arrives at Hrothgar’s land, a warrior of epic capacity, and lends his service albeit for the price of wealth and fame. He destroys this monster with no weapon at hand, and gains the respect of the people—clearly showing the power of Christianity over paganism. Another aspect of Christianity that is liberally addressed throughout the text is the concept of Christian fate. When our heroes talk of God, they do so in acknowledgement of His all-encompassing power and dominion. Lines such as â€Å"’twas the judgment of God†, â€Å"Blessed God†, and â€Å"the mercy of God† can be read throughout the text and shows how these characters entrust their life and fate to their newly found religion. Overall, Beowulf should be considered not as a pagan text but rather a Christian one because Christian values compose the backbone of the prose. Beowulf is essentially an insight into the history of a people who have come to comfortably adapt to new ideas and beliefs through changing times.

A Successful Failure in Apollo 13 Project

The launch of Apollo 13 began on April 11, 1970. Mr. James A. Rober, member of the crew, commander, John L. Swigate, Jr. It is the command cabin pilot, Fred W. Haise, Jr., a module pilot of the moon. All test modules seem to be ready for release. However, before the launch, several problems occurred, astronaut Thomas K. Mattingly had a measles in Germany and was supposed not to have antibodies. He had to be replaced by John Swigate. The movie I chose was Apollo 13, which was a successful failure about the mission of Apollo 13. Captain Apollo 13, Jim Robell, is the character I chose to write. Lovell faced many life and death decisions and had to choose between living a lifelong dream or living with a family. Jim Lovell is a precious person. He feels strong in self identity, self-esteem, honesty, and confidence. But most importantly, Lovell can prioritize his values, identify the most important things in a difficult environment, play the biggest role in everyone around, and finish the job correctly It will be able to run. When facing a difficult situation, such as failure due to stirring of the oxygen tank, Lovell said that when it reached its final benefit, stirred the tank. Under the psychological efforts of tenacious project managers, situations that are initially unacceptable at first or deemed difficult to deal with will collapse. The classic story about this attitude is the mission of Apollo 13. In his book Failure is not an option (Berkeley Publishing, 2001), Gene Kranz describes the efforts to repair damaged spacecraft life support systems. This is one of the most difficult engineering challenges the team is facing, with serious problems among those with the most specialized knowledge, even partial solutions are possible. Kranz took the position that they not only find a solution but also resolve within a fixed time limit. He refused to accept in any simple way, encouraged his team to explore alternatives, resolve conflicts and concentrate It was a failur e - we see failure because we have to avoid it absolutely. The mission of Apollo 13 is often quoted as failing is not really a choice. However, due to the experience gained by crew rescue, it was classified as successful failure. So there are no plans, failure is the way they learn, this is the way you should learn. Failure, quick failure. I stimulate myself - I do it in two ways. First of all, I sat down and wrote what happened and what I already did. Remember what you can do. Next, I created a mood board or visual board. This is a series of photos that show you what you are trying to achieve. It helps to visualize using images. This will help you stimulate you through difficult times. I have been doing this for about three years and I can not begin telling you how useful it is. Because the picture is often seen, it may be just subconscious - I have pinned my blue beyond the door of learning.

The effect of biological principles on the architectural design Toward Essay

The effect of biological principles on the architectural design Toward sustainable approach - Essay Example Sponges can be examined in order to create more efficient buildings. Nature also optimizes energy consumptions and the elasticity of biomaterial. It introduces an era where expectations are not what to extract from nature, but rather what can be learn from it (Benyus, 2002) and (Pawlyn, 2011). This new era (Benyus, 1997) defines biomimicry as a new science that uses nature’s models as an inspiration to study the design, in order to find a solution to solve human problems. The concept of using nature as a model for manufactured products is not a new. Although Biomimicry has created a radical change, the architectural community and peoples’ perception of the contemporary building has not been positive. Like most new trends, some criticism has been raised against this approach. Biomimicry should be incorporated into inspirational architectural designs. The aim of this essay is to investigate how to create a natural design by exploring the link between the biological principles on the architectural design. The first part of this essay will discuss the background of biomimicry. The second part of the paper will focus on the principles of biometry and the relative approaches. The third part of the essay will discuss the effectiveness of the levels of biomimicry. In the last part the paper will illustrate some drawbacks against biomimicry In the English language, the creation of the term bionic (also known as biomimetic, biomimicry, bio-inspiration, biogenesis, biologically inspired design) probably originated from the Greek word bion (Iouguina, 2013). This word means life. Mimicry is to imitate or copy. Thus biomimicry is the imitating of life or living things. â€Å"Biomimicry from bios, meaning life, and mimesis, meaning to imitate is a new discipline that studies natures best ideas and then imitates these designs and processes to solve human problems. Studying a leaf to invent a better solar cell is an example, it

THE PERSUASIVE SPEECH Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

THE PERSUASIVE SPEECH - Essay Example As we know, those who oppose gun control usually highlight the necessary for self-protection. They also maintain that individuals with guns would ensure self defense when police fail to provide protection to general public. However, evidently gun is not devised to threaten or injure someone but to kill. Hence, the free use of guns must be banned despite the so called benefits. In the first place, once gun becomes a common utensil like knife or pen nobody will take serious care of it. Evidences show that guns are very often misused by everyone especially school children, for when they get emotionally upset, instead of seeking some counseling measures, they tend to pick parent’s gun and shoot at their peers and teachers. As reported in the New York Times dated May 2, 2011, in the 90s, the number of children carrying guns to the school was more than 10, 0000 in the US (School Shootings). In the same way, the overall murder rate of the United States is â€Å"six times higher than the average economically developed nation† (Carter 4). It is also reported by Cleck that â€Å"both gun carrying and gun violence are phenomena almost entirely confined to world outside schools† (qtd. in â€Å"Texas Plan for guns..†). The statistics clearly shows the incidents like shooting in a college of Alabama killing one woman wounding three on April 7th 2011. The killing of 12 elementary school students by a gun man in Rio De Jeniro, Brazil on April 8th stands on the top of all such incidents (School shootings, May 2, 2011). The practice of allowing children to get access to guns is not digestible for common sense. Some others argue that since criminals have guns, the public also must be given guns to counter balance the situation. There are people who have the license to use guns. But still there are incidents like bank robbery and house breaking. If the license to use guns would well tackle

Procurement Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Procurement - Assignment Example erefore, the outdoor sports stores REI might try to use certain strategies at the time of selecting the sources of supply, suppliers, market place and competition. Sources of supply: in order to satisfy the changing needs of the individual, maximum extent of the entrepreneurs of outdoor sport stores REI try to offer best products. Only then, the level of satisfaction rate of the customers might get enhanced thereby amplifying the rate of dominance in the market. However, in order to do so, the entrepreneurs desire to analyze the psychology and perception of the customers through vivid market research and competitor orientation policy. After doing so, the sources of supply are determined by the entrepreneurs of outdoor sports stores REI’s, in order to attract a wide range of customers towards it and to retain them for longer period of time among others (Drummond & Ensor, 2006). Not only this, by market research and customer orientation, the risk of switch over costs might be reduced that may prove extremely effective for the organization in the market among other rival players. Suppliers- as per contracting policy, the suppliers might be selected after signing the document of placing the orders exactly in time and also with exact materials. If the specified time period gets delayed then, the entire order of products might get cancelled along with the contractual document as well. Then, the suppliers may not be offered any sort of orders that might hamper the entire productivity and profitability of the organization. So, the suppliers are selected extremely consciously in order to retain them for longer period of time (Christensen, 2003). Market places- the market places are selected on the basis of the geographical distribution of the area. This is because, if the range of buyers is high, then the rate of sale might also be increased thereby amplifying its total profit margin as well. Similarly, if numerous mass markets, super markets or hyper markets are

Downsizing and Globalization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Downsizing and Globalization - Essay Example This paper presents a critique of the globalization and downsizing, and the reasons why organizations engage in these strategies. Downsizing Strategy Downsizing is a management strategy that involves reduction of an organization’s labor force as a result of corporate restructuring that is focused on maintaining competency in a highly competitive environment. Mergers and acquisitions are among the significant drivers for downsizing. For instance, the acquisition of PeopleSoft by Oracle led to a reduction in the number of employees by 5,000 in a bid to increase efficiency in the new organization. PeopleSoft’s revenue had been declining as a result of the economic crises that significantly affected the profitability of UK firms in 2007 (Blackburn, 1999). However, mergers and acquisitions may necessitate downsizing due to duplication of roles among employees from the merging organizations. The dominant organization tends to retain a greater share of its human resources whil e selecting few employees from the other organization, mainly those with specialized skills that may help in maintaining competitiveness (Kothen et al. 1999). Revenue management is focused on maintaining high revenue while keeping costs at the lowest level possible. Downsizing is among the key strategies for revenue management since organizations find it easy to reduce the workforce and utilize the remaining employees maximally. The operating environment is under constant changes that may affect an organization’s profitability if drastic measures are not undertaken. For example, globalization of industries has increased competition as foreign firms establish subsidiaries globally. Local industries in the global economies are faced with challenges with regards to product quality and production costs. For example, Spar (2003) observes that the cost of labor in China is low compared to some developed economies such as US and the UK. Foreign companies have therefore established s ubsidiaries in China where they produce at lower costs and then sell their products to other economies where the cost of labor is high. This trend has significantly affected industries operating in such economies since they have to minimize spending on labor to effectively compete with organizations that have taken advantage of the Chinese labor market. They have been compelled to lay off workers as well as calling for early retirement (McCann et al. 2008). Technological advancements have significantly influenced the need for organizations to downsize. Organizations engage in innovations to maximize production and increase efficiency. However, some innovations reduce labor-intensive work thereby reducing the need for workers. For example automation of processes increases speed and efficiency in production compared to human labor. Moreover, the recurrent expenditures of maintaining human resources are avoided since the machines require an initial capital outlay and occasional mainten ance. Many organizations globally downsized after introducing computers in their processes. This was a significant development that increased efficiency and accuracy in record keeping as well as service delivery to customers (Froud et al. 2000). Efficiency improvement involves reduction of the excess workers that perform tasks which have little contribution to the organization’

TESLA Model X , SWOT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

TESLA Model X , SWOT - Essay Example This in itself is a source of competitive advantage for the company. The company is unique in that there is not yet any other player in the industry that has manufactured a vehicle that matches Tesla’s innovative vehicle. As noted by Porter (1985), differentiation strategy gives the company a competitive edge over other players in that its products cannot be matched by other rival competitors. This will help the company to appeal to the interests of many customers by virtue of possessing unique features which make the vehicle exceptional. The other advantage of the company is that Model X car is efficient as a result of the fact that it is an electrified vehicle. This means that the customers will experience fewer expenses in the future since the vehicle does not use any form of fossil fuel. This comes against the background of rising fuel prices across the globe. However, the major weaknesses of this model car are that it is electric and it is expensive. The price is high as a result of the fact that it is expensive to manufacture. Honestly, there may be very few customers who may be ready to fork out more than $60Â  000 buying a vehicle. The price is too much such that ordinary people may not be in a position to afford it. it can also be seen that the automobile industry is also characterised by other players some of which are reputable such as Toyota and Daimler. These cars also have their own hybrid cars that do not use fossil fuel and they may pose a threat to Tesla Motors. According to Robson (1997), competition in the environment is one major threat that can impact on the viability of the organization. This is the case in terms of Tesla since the other competitors can also offer their hybrid cars that can also attract many customers since they are environmental friendly. Therefore, it is imperative for Tesla motors to capitalise on it s strengths and opportunities in order to gain a competitive advantage while at the same

FAMILY LAW Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

FAMILY LAW - Essay Example Under the MCA, a lump sum order can be made to enable the payee to comply with pre-existing liabilities and expenses already incurred such as the outstanding mortgage payments in the current scenario; or alternatively it could be used to enable a spouse to take training as Ann has indicated. In such cases, an order can only be made if Timothy has the appropriate capital5. Section 25A requires courts to consider the desirability of promoting cessation of financial obligations between the parties. In ancillary relief applications, there is a mandatory judicial obligation to consider a clean break or impose a time limit on financial obligations. However, as highlighted in SRJ v DWJ,6there is no judicial presumption towards a clean break. It is further evident from the decision in Miller and Mcfarlane7, that the courts favour wives of wealthier spouses in divorce, which places Ann at an advantage8. Nevertheless, the overriding sentiment of the MCA is to encourage spouses to become independent and the courts will follow the section 25 guidelines9. With regard to the judicial approach to Ann’s demands for maintenance, in Wachtel v Wachtel10, the courts adopted a one third formula as a starting point. Moreover, as a result of the decision in White v White11the House of Lords determined a benchmark approach of equal division in surplus asset cases12. With regard to the property and maintenance, the house is jointly owned and Ann and Timothy’s children are adults and have moved away. Accordingly, the appropriate approach as highlighted in Piglowska v Piglowska13 is to consider the specific criteria in section 25(2) of the MCA, which creates no priority. Section 25(2)(a) and (b) are relevant and therefore the present and future income and other financial resources of both parties, including any increase in capacity that is reasonable to expect a party to take

Foundation of Business Analysis Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Foundation of Business Analysis - Case Study Example The significant confidence is 88% implying that the it does not mee the 95% required confidence The results didn’t show any significant statistical variance between the hypothesized entrà ©e price (p = 0.118 OR 0.059) and the sample data. Therefore we fail to reject the null hypothesis and conclude that patrons will be willing to pay $18 for an entree, which is the same as the prediction of the forecast model. The finding shows that most patrons are willing to pay $18. A one-sample t-test is taken to check if patrons can spend $200for an entrà ©e as per the forecast model specification. The significant confidence is 100% implying that the significance confidence it meet the 95% required confidence. For this case the confidence level exceed the 95% minimum threshold therefore we are taking the alternative hypothesis (Weiers 54). A one-sample t-test is taken to check if the location is in ZIP 7 for an entrà ©e as per the forecast model specification. The significant confidence is 100% implying that the significance confidence it meet the 95% required confidence. For this case the confidence level exceed the 95% minimum threshold therefore we are taking the alternative hypothesis. at p=0.01 the likelihood of people with different income levels gave a relationship of 0.775, at 0.000 level of significance. Thus value is high showing a higher likelihood to patronize the restaurant by people of different income level. At p=0.01, the t=7.710 for simple dà ©cor was high than for elegant dà ©cor t=-8.906. this was considered at 95% confidence level. In addition, the mean value (3.58) of the patrons preferred simple dà ©cor. While the patrons preferring elegant dà ©cor had mean value(2.33) which is a lower value. Patrons prefers live entertainment given that the majority love listening to Jazz cambo (t=11.385) at p=0.01 confidence level. Fewer patrons prefer listening to string quarter (t=-7.009) at confidence

How to Be Professional Engineer Essay Example for Free

How to Be Professional Engineer Essay Hong Kong is many large-scale infrastructures in future. There are many job chances. Chances are often but my lower educational background may not be able to secure. If I want to fight for more chances, I must continue to enhance me. Become a professional engineer, experience and education are same important. When I success join the HKIE member, it can certificate I have professional qualifications because become corporate membership need definite experience and education and after different assessment. That is a long way, cannot short time to complete. In route to membership, there are two way, it is Corporate Member and Associate Member. Corporate Member there is two types. It is Fellow and Member Fellow is a senior Corporate Member who is usually at least 35 years of age and has achieved positions of responsibility to which he/she has brought superior knowledge and practice in an engineering discipline. Member is a qualified professional engineer who has attained the age of 25, obtained an accredited/recognised degree or the equivalent in an acceptable engineering discipline, received adequate training, had sufficient responsible experience, and successfully completed the Institutions Professional Assessment or the equivalent. Associate Member is an engineering technologist who has attained the age of 23, obtained a Higher Diploma or Higher Certificate accredited/recognised by the Institution, or an acceptable equivalent in a recognised engineering or technological discipline, received adequate practical training, had appropriate responsible experience, and successfully completed the Institutions Assessment Interview In my own choice, I will think out join Associate Member, after Promotion to Member because I will have Recognised Higher Certificates, it is one of the main factors while I have Minimum of 3 to4 years experience. I can take the last step to Assessment Interview.

Effect of Culture on Marketing Strategy

Effect of Culture on Marketing Strategy Current cultural diversity in Sri Lanka is evolvement from its rich history and commenced from the civilization of Yaksha and Naga tribes and more importantly nourishment from the Buddhism. Further, Sri Lankan culture is influenced by Indian invasions and from going through Portuguese, Dutch and British rules; Sri Lankan culture is diverse like its natural heritage.   In the early 19th century, the British rule introduced democracy, modern education, legal and commercial agriculture system. Now Sri Lanka is a mirror of its own ancient and modern cultures which is diverse from its cities to far villages across the island. Sinhalese and Tamil are the most widely spoken languages in Sri Lanka, with around 74% of population can speak in Sinhalese, while more than 18% can speak Tamil. Muslims also speaks Tamil as their main language. The colonization started with the Dutch followed by the Portuguese and finally long standing ruling by the British had an impact on the languages, as well as opening the history to the international trade. In addition to Sinhalese and Tamil, English is also used by the Sri Lankan population which was concentrated to urban areas initially are now expanding to rural areas with the more prominence to English is given in the education system and increased IT literacy. English is maily used for commercial and official purposes. Sri Lanka is a multi-religious and a multi-ethnic country and Buddhists account for approximately 69% of the population, followed by the Hindus with around 15% of the population. Also inherited from India, Hinduism too has a long and rich history in the country. Most Hindus are Tamils and they account for a majority in Northern Sri Lanka, as well as in the Eastern, Western and Central regions (up country) of the country. Islamic community accounts for around 8% with a majority are domiciled in the Eastern and Western regions; as well as around 8% followers of Christianity. Having a healthy literacy rate of around 90% (source: United Nations Development Program Report 2009) and around 83% of the population having secondary education ranks Sri Lanka on top among other developing nations. The complex ethnic and religious mix of Sri Lankan society and also traditions and rules inherited from colonization have given rise to a mixture of laws which include Roman-Dutch Law, English common law, , Kandyan, and Jaffna Tamil law (Thesawalamai Law). Accordingly, Sri Lanka is a country rich with culture and cultural diversity. Its people live their daily lives very close to their religious beliefs, adherence to traditional norms, family orientation (close bond with their families in all aspects of life from birth to death), mother centric society and attachment to native foods (mainly rice) and etc. can be considered as main cultural values. Hence, whatever the product or service that marketers are confronted of promoting, they will have to consider the Sri Lankan culture and cultural values to be a major influencing factors to the success of the product or service. Further, the fact that the culture is not static (dynamic) and change over time and people get adjusted puts the Marketer in a more challenging situation as he needs an understanding of all aspects. Cultural Values Societies have values that are shared by its members. As stated above, values serve as guiding principles for culturally acceptable behavior. It defines what is right? What is wrong? What is important or unimportant?. The values emphasize those objects, conditions that those members consider important. Values are more related to the norms of a culture, but can be more abstract than norms. For example raising of the national flag during nationally significant occasions or even in the case of a wedding or singing the National Anthem in national ceremonies and also government establishments (including some private entities) prior to commencement of work are values. Further, they reflect the value of patriotism. In the recent past in Sri Lanka patriotism has taken a new wing particularly in the aftermath of successful war and now it has extended to trading and commercial world with the theme Buy Ours (Ganna Ape De). Therefore this new trend has bearing on consumer behaviour. As an exampl e, recently launched KIK COLA (Elephant House) advertisement features that till the last drop Sri Lankan with primary focus on Coca Cola. Even Lanka Bell advertisements mainly based on the theme 100% Sri Lankan. Why are cultural values so important? The cultural values of a community give it a unique identity of its own. People are the driving force of this uniqueness. Culture is shared among the people in the community, society or sub group. Culture is passed down from one generation to the other and gets evolved over time. It links people of a region or society together. The customs and traditions the society follow, the clothing they wear, the festivals, the food they eat, and importantly, the cultural values they follow, binds them. Analysis of how Sri Lankan Cultural Values Affect the Consumption of Selected Products and Services First we will get a brief understanding of Sri Lanka as a Customer. According to the Annual Report of the Central bank of Sri Lanka (2009) the population statistics can be summarized as follows, Mid-year population (000) in 2009 : 20,450 Mn Age distribution (000) in 2009 0 14 years: 5,378 Mn 15 64 years: 13,784 Mn 65 years and over: 1,288 Mn Also the Per Capita income is in the rage of USD 2,000 and is expected to double corresponding to the GDP growth by 2016. Having an understanding of what culture is, what cultural values are in general and the Sri Lankan culture and cultural values, we will now evaluate how those aspects have influenced the consumption of several products and a service in the Sri Lankan market. Herbal Soaps Sri Lankan culture is very much related to the nature. All most all the aspects of the Sri Lankan culture are linked with the wonders of the nature. Ayurvedic medicine is a treatment method unique to Sri Lanka and all Sri Lankans (irrespective of what religion they belong to) know and have faith on its healing capabilities. We did not see herbal soaps in the market at the beginning and until recent past only a few manufactures saw the opportunity in herbal products. Then we saw even foreign brands like Lux and Lifebuoy taking up the herbal route since the herbal soaps prove to be profitable and attract a larger target market segment because herbal soaps are very much in line with our values and beliefs particularly it reflects our attachment to nature. Generally Sri Lankans value old things. Ayurvedic medicine has been practiced in Sri Lanka for thousands of years and people still have faith in it and values it. This has been used by various marketers and now we can almost get anythi ng in its herbal format. Child Milk Powder The bond between the mother and her child is cherished and valued in almost in any civilized culture. When considering the modern era, generally the state of that bond in Sri Lanka and other South Asian countries much more stronger than in any other country. The bond between the child and the mother is built mainly through the nurturing aspect of that relationship. In the Sri Lankan context (mother centric culture) it is deeply believed that there is nothing more vital to child than the love and warmth of a mother and mothers milk (breast milk). Breast feeding is fading away in many European countries and getting used to supplement formulas, but in Sri Lanka it still holds strong. Sri Lankan mother generally breast feed their children for at least for two to three years. In this context child milk powders have an enormous challenge because it is widely believed that there is no replacement for breast milk. Hence, what the marketers approach has been to place the product as a suppleme ntary which provides the nutrition and protection from deceases. If it were to come as a replacement for breast milk, the product wouldnt have survived for long. This situation also facilitated with the increase in working women in Sri Lanka but culturally Sri Lankan women are mostly supposed to be housewives and to take care of the children. The Brands like Anchor Pediapro, Cow Gate, Nan, Enpro Grow, Enpro Lac are some of the child milk powder available in Sri Lanka market. Automobiles Sri Lanka has been using automobiles since the period in which British were in power. First automobiles seen on the Sri Lankan roads were European made. But now we can see automobiles from India, Japan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Korea, Taiwan and various other countries and also the assembly of vehicles was commenced in Sri Lanka in the recent past. At first, European vehicles were used by the higher end of the society and now also European vehicles are driven by upper class people in the country. Those vehicles are priced higher and can be afforded by only those people. But when the Japanese entered the market (in 1960s), they came up with economical vehicles that can be afforded by the middle class people as well. There is strong belief among the Sri Lankans still that if someone wants to buy a good vehicle with quality, economical fuel consumption, durability and moderate prices they would first select the Japanese vehicles among other countries which offer same features. This belief a nd attitude is further proven by the high prices in the second hand market for Japanese vehicles and people prepared to pay more for Japanese vehicles. European vehicles are relatively less valued in the second hand market. Hence the demand for Japanese vehicle is geared by the beliefs among the Sri Lankan people (adherence to traditional norms) that a Japanese vehicle is economical and gives value for money and trustworthy. However, we have recently seen Indian brands promoting their vehicles to be the most economical but still we cannot see the trust on Japanese vehicles going down. Pain Relief Balms Sri Lanka having a rich heritage in Ayurvedic medicine, people were used to applying Ayurvedhic oils and pastes to their every day bruises. The recipes and formulas have been passed down through generations and some recipes are household known facts. During the last decade or two we saw the market bombarded with various balms to be used for bruises and to relive pain. Wintegino, a famous UK brand, can be highlighted for usage among the people and now sprays (other than balm) with the same effect can be seen in the market. However, it is a known fact that Siddhalepa a brand which has its roots in the Ayurvedic medicine tops all such balms and oils in the market by sales, and it has been doing this for decades. The secret of this success is the faith/beliefs that Sri Lankan people have on Ayurvedic medicine which the effects have being proven over centuries. The people still has the faith (beliefs) that Ayurveda is the safest way of medication with minimal or almost no side effects. Si ddhalepa is proven product with real Ayurvedic essence. Unless it is to be used in quick and convenient manner (in a sport event to be treated to injured players, where most likely a spray would be used) Ayurvedic balms are preferred by Sri Lankans where the demand is directly linked to cultural beliefs and rich heritage. Pawning of Jewelry The provision of financing for immediate money needs by pawning jewelries has become a prominent business segment for financial services sector including the banks (formal banking sector). However, traditionally pawning business was dominated by the village merchants (Poli Mudalali) and despite the high interest rates and also the low security of jewelries pawned the people still used to go these village merchants simply due to reason that culturally the pawning were deemed as a sign of severe economic hardships and economic mismanagement of the particular person and family. Particularly in rural areas and areas close to Colombo, the people have a very close relationship with their families, relatives and neighbors and hence the negative points of view formed by others are considered to be very critical and long lasting. Therefore people used to go in times (especially night times) to the money lenders to ensure the confidentiality and did not turn up at banks. However, the money circulation on pawning is considered to be very high and which provided a new perspective to finance sector to expand this business segment. Accordingly, in the recent past all financial institutions are heavily promoting the pawning business as it is risk free (due to security in terms of gold) and profitable. For this purpose, the first initiative was to have separate areas for pawning customers to confidentially attend to the matter which was major relief from a severe cultural burden. This situation coupled with low interest rates and high security for the customers reduced the negative trends or beliefs towards pawning in Banks. In fact today the all banks and other financial institutions use advertising heavily and also sales promotions are in place to attract customers namely providing the highest amount per pound, facility to settle the amount in installments, giving gifts on each pawning, raffle draws and etc. Analysis on How Cultural Values are Important for Marketing Strategic Decisions Based on preceding sections it is obvious the impact of culture and cultural values on consumer behavior. Accordingly, cultural values has to be considered in marketing and developing marketing strategies as they have a significant impact on the purchasing behaviour of the consumers. How culture and cultural values could influence the buyers/consumers buying decisions? This is not a simple process which someone could easily conclude but rather it requires a detail examination. Since the consumers are culturally different, the processing of information in a cursory and spontaneous manner reflects culture-based differences. As an example when you go pass a roadside billboard or when you watch a TV advertisement, they will influence/persuade you provided it in line with your cultural values or norms. When coming up with a marketing strategy for a product, it is important to understand the level of the culture of the market since behavior at different levels of the culture varies. From the marketing perspective four levels of cultures could be identified and according to Srnka (2004) they are Supraculture, Macroculture, Mesoculture and Microculture as shown in Figure 1 in next page. Four Levels of Culture Based on a Marketing Perspective Source: Article by Dr. Katharina J. Srnka on Cultures Role in Marketers Ethical Decision Making: An Integrated Theoretical Framework 2004 As we move down the cultural levels the approach of the marketer needs to be customized to the target market, because when we move down the number of people in that level comes down as well as the detail of their preferences increases. It is not possible to assess the impact of a respective consumers cultural background on marketing strategies in general, because the specific elements of the marketing- mix, i.e., 1.price, 2. place, 3. product and 4. promotion strategies are all more or less affected by culture and hence each component of the marketing mix should be compatible with the cultural context as non compatibility of even one component may result in products or services being rejected by the target market. Pricing, which is the first element of the marketing- mix, refers to decisions about the actual product or service price the consumer has to pay and considers production costs, as well as the consumers willingness to pay, which might especially be affected by his or her cultural background. The willingness to pay represents the valuation of products. Since consumers learned during the process of which products they should approve of and which they should not, the culture influences the appreciation of certain products as well as the willingness to pay. On the other hand, decisions concerning pricing interact with the economic development of a country. Hence, cultural background might serve as a determinant of the target market and pricing mechanism. In the context of distribution policy (place), culture might also be important to differentiate between several target markets, even if the characteristics of the culture do not have a direct impact on decisions concerning product distribution. Nevertheless, different cultural values have to be considered when distributing products because consumers from different cultures have different buying habits. For example, in Sri Lanka liquor is prohibited to be sold near any religious places due to the strong religious foundation followed by Sri Lankans. Thus, cultural background has to be taken into account in determining the distribution channel of products, but the differences between cultures that are of interest for decisions on distribution policy are observable, which makes it easier to consider these differences in product distribution. The third element of the marketing- mix, product development, is much more affected by the consumer s cultural background. As the product attributes are expected to bring about solutions which should satisfy different cultural background of consumers, culture has to be considered in the development of products. Otherwise, products may not be in accordance with what the consumers expect the products to be. Moreover, products which are preferred in certain usage situations such as religious ceremonies vary because of culture and as an example in a Hindu wedding which mostly conduct in Hindu Kowil are served with vegetarian foods. The PIZZA HUT had pizzas made out of all meats namely chicken, beef, pork and mutton. However, Muslims due to their religious preaching do not eat pork and also do not turn up in places where pork is served. Also having Halal certification is a must for Muslims to have chicken. Accordingly, PIZAA HUT has now stopped serving pizza made out of pork and got certi fication from All Ceylon Jamiyyathul Ulama Committee for Halal Certification. The fourth element of the marketing- mix is the development of communication strategies (promotion) which broadly consists of Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) tools such as advertising, personal selling, sales promotion, direct marketing and publicity. It is argued that even the branding and packaging also form part of IMC. IMC are very much culture sensitive and hence should be designed properly. As an example, Anchor always uses the theme Trusted by Mothers for its milk powder and it is a powerful communication strategy. Whereas once Nespray (full cream milk powder) had an advertisement featured by famous Actress Sriyani Amarasena and in that it was emphasized that she was given Nespray milk by her parents which she did for her daughter and now same milk is given for her granddaughter. But this advertisement was not popular as it was considered as an insult to motherhood. Further, if a Marketer wants to communicate that its product is particularly appropriate to certain usa ge situations, it is not satisfactory to only observe consumption patterns, it is also necessary to get to know the reasons for culture specific consumption habits. Hence, in order to convince consumers of the appropriateness of certain products, it is of major importance to know the reasons why consumers prefer some products over the others. Generally IMC strategy should consider differences in religions, languages, differences in infrastructure and legal parameters. The interdependency between culture specific buying motives and the development of communication strategies is due to the main elements of culture such as symbols, heroes, rituals and values. As advertising plays a major role in a companys communication strategy (IMC) and is affected by all kinds of cultural dimensions and hence advertising especially has to consider cultural values and cross cultural differences. As an example the Avenger mens perfume advertising included that after applying the perfume the person appeared for the advertisement become violent or very emotional with girls. However, this promotional strategy was not successful as it was not culturally acceptable in the Sri Lankan context. Also the recent advertisement on Provado, an agro chemical produced by Heyleys Agro Products Limited, has an advertisement for which famous musician Sunil Perera appeared and it had double meaning phrases and there were many complaints against this from all levels from agricultural community and hence certain parts were edited/deleted and the new version is probably acceptable. Further, the Ceylinco Insurance which uses negative approach in advertising is not culturally viable though the norm that all things including human lives are uncertain since culturally we are still not prepared to accept or think of a death or other form of hazard. Conclusion If a marketing strategy is able to influence the behaviour of a potential customer in manner that makes potential customer convert to an actual customer (makes him to buy) the marketing strategy can be judged to be a success. To do that effectively it is required to understand what makes people behave in the manner they do especially their buying behaviour. Many studies have proven the behaviour of a person is mainly influenced by that persons culture and the cultural values that person holds. According to this study it is clear that the demand for products and services are created by the influences of cultural values pertaining to the respective culture. Further it can be stated that a successful marketing strategy adopted in Sri Lanka needs to address and consider the cultural diversity and uniqueness aspects in the Sri Lankan culture which influence the Sri Lankan customers purchase of products or use of services in a continuing manner.

India China Relations A Perspective History Essay

India China Relations A Perspective History Essay The Sino Indian boundary has never been formally delimited. Historically no treaty or agreement on Sino-Indian Boundary has ever been signed between the Chinese Central Government and the Indian Government. Zhou En Lai, 23 Jan 1959. General 1. China as an emerging power generates fear, concern and mistrust among the countries across the globe including the USA. Its rapid economic growth, fuelling an equally rapid military modernisation coupled with enhancing trans border capabilities has sent wake up calls, particularly to the United States, Japan and India.  [1]  China is following a two pronged strategy of reassuring its neighbours of its peaceful intentions, even while pressing ahead with huge military expenditure. Now that China stands poised to emerge as a global power, the international community is uncertain about Chinas intentions, despite all the peace rhetoric that emanates from its political leaders and state organs. 2. An analysis of Indias relations with the Peoples Republic of China today must take into account the historical perspective ,differences in the global situation, domestic policies and perceived national security interests which set the 1950s and 2000s apart. In view of the diversity and range of issues which have engaged India and China, the India-China relationship could be described as a very complex engagement. India China Relations : Pre 1947 Phase 3. Prior to the independence, the leaders of the national liberation movement of both the countries deeply sympathised with their respective popular struggles to put an end to colonialism. During the Japanese attack on Manchuria province of China in 1931, not only China Day was observed in India, but a call was also given by the Indian nationalists for boycott of Japanese goods. In July 1940, Mao Dezong had written to Jawahar Lal Nehru, The emancipation of the Indian people and the Chinese will be the signal of the emancipation of all the downtrodden and oppressed. Relations:  Post  Independence 4. Indias view of China was to a great extent shaped by Nehrus ability to persuade the Indian elite to try and take an objective view of both the positive and negative aspects of Chinese nationalism. Some major events post independence are listed below:- (a) Diplomatic Recognition. India diplomatically recognised the peoples Republic of China on December 30, 1949. (b) 1954 Accords. The relations between India and China in the 1950s were very cordial. In 1954, the Chinese Premier, Mr. Zou En Lai visited India which led to the signing of two Accords as follows:- (i) India recognised Tibet as an integral part of China and considered it to be an autonomous region of China. (ii) The declaration of Panchsheel in the Joint Communiquà ©. The Panchsheel enshrined the five principles as follows: (aa) Respect for Sovereignty and Territorial Integrity of all States. (ab) Non-aggression. (ac) Non-interference in Territorial affairs. (ad) Equality and Mutuality. (ae) Peaceful Co-existence 5. The Tibet Problem. Tibet was briefly conquered by Mongols in the thirteenth century but otherwise came under Manchu control only in the eighteenth century. The British regarded Tibet as a buffer state, and, in the Shimla Conference of 1913, recognised Chinese suzerainty, but not sovereignty, over Tibet. This was never accepted by any Chinese government, but they could do little about it. In 1950, the PLA invaded Tibet to integrate it into the Chinese State.  [2]  In 1954, India recognised Tibet as an integral part of China and China undertook to respect the religious and cultural traditions of the Tibetans. In 1959, a rebellion took place against Chinese rule in Tibet, and the Dalai Lama fled to India with his followers. This large-scale influx of Tibet refugees into India headed by the   Dalai Lama led to heightening of tensions. The Chinese regarded the hosting of the Dalai Lama, Tibetan refugees and the government in exile as an obstacle to India China relations. The   1962   Conflict 6. India claimed that the McMahon Line demarcating   the Indo China   border was an internationally   recognised   boundary.  [3]  The   Chinese policy centred on re-negotiations and   delineation   of borders   where   no   treaty or agreement   existed.   The   differing positions   on   the status of the boundary   laid   the basis of the conflict. The Chinese attacked in North Eastern Frontier Area (NEFA) and Ladakh beginning from 20 October 1962 and occupied about 5000 square miles of the Indian Territory. China declared a unilateral ceasefire on 10 November 1962 and withdrew behind the McMahon Line in the NEFA Sector. However, it gained about 3000 square kms of Indian Territory, though, according to Chinese version, it does not occupy even a single inch of Indian Territory. Instead it asserts that more than 90000 square kms of the Chinese territory is still under Indian occupation.In 1962,the Indian Parliament passed a resolution to wage a n unending struggle till the recovery of Indian territory from China and it also forbade cessation of any occupied territory to China as part of any settlement. Relations after the War 7. Because of Indias close relations with the Soviet Union and her leadership of the non aligned movement, China saw India as a political rival in the Third World and constantly tried to denigrate it in various forums. The assistance extended to the insurgents by China was considered a serious issue by India. The rebel Nagas were given training in arms and provided with weapons and funds to carry on armed rebellion in India. In June 1967, two Chinese embassy officials in Delhi were arrested for espionage. In September 1967, China attacked Indian position at Nathu La and in October attacked another position at Cho La. In April 1968, manipulations were done again at Nathu La. Beginning of the New Era 8. Mr Rajiv Gandhis visit to China in December 1988 marked a turning point in the normalisation of relations between the two countries  [4]  . During this visit, the two states formally agreed to put aside their past differences and to rebuild   their relations on the basis of the five principles of Panchsheel. Both sides agreed to settle the border issue through mutual consultations through Joint Working Group(JWG), consisting of military experts, cartographers and foreign policy officials and pledged to   maintain   peace and   tranquillity   on   the border while taking   other   confidence building measures. Intensified political interactions, regular institutionalised negotiations on all issues of bilateral interest under the Joint Working Group framework begun in 1989, and the deepening of trade and other ties laid the regime of confidence and security building between the two countries.In 1993, the then prime minister Mr. Narasimha Rao visited China and bot h the sides agreed to force reduction on the border. 9. China showed no response to Indias nuclear tests on 11 May 1998 but reacted sharply after May 13 tests, when Vajpayees letter to Clinton was made public. It asked India to give up the programme and join NPT. Chinas claimed that its security concern increased due to the tests and now it will have to cater for nuclear India also.There had been deterioration in Indo-China relations after the conduct of nuclear tests by India. China adopted a. brazenly.partisan.attitude by terming Indias nuclear tests as outrageous but describing Pakistans nuclear tests as only regrettable.  [5]   10. Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayees Visit to China (June 2003). The visit by the then prime minister has been labeled as a new turning point in Indo- China relations.During the visit both the countries issued a joint declaration on Principles for Relations and Comprehensive Cooperation Between India and China in the future. The declaration rolled out a road map for friendship and cooperation. The key issues of the declaration are as under :- (a) Boundary Issue. The two sides agreed to appoint a Special Representative to explore from the political perspective of the overall bilateral relationship for the framework of a boundary settlement. India and China agreed to a three phase settlement of the border dispute as under:- (i) Phase I. The agreement on the Guiding Principles to settle the border dispute. (ii) Phase -II. The special representatives of the two sides to construct a framework based on the guiding principles. (iii) Phase -III. Apply this framework on the ground in a single package deal involving give and take, which will be worked on a political basis by the Special Representatives. (b) Tibet. The Indian Side stated that it recognises Tibet as a part of China and reiterated that it does not allow .Tibetans to engage in anti China political. activities. 11. Reopening of the Nathu La (06 July 2006). The Nathu La Pass used to be a part of the ancient Silk Route, a vital trade link between India and China, prior to its closure in 1962. During the visit of the former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee in 2003 China recognised Sikkim as a constituent of India and signed a MoU to resume trade .Nathu La Pass reopened after 44 Years on 06 July 2006 when India and China formally inaugurated trade through the Nathu La Pass, linking Sikkim and the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR).  [6]  At present the border trade is limited to the border zone and the export list is restricted to 29 items of export for India and 15 items of export for China. 12. Chinese Prime Ministers Visit to India. The Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao visited India for three days with a 400 strong Chinese business delegation in December 2010. Indian and Chinese business institutions signed 50 deals worth $16 billion surpassing the $10 billion worth of agreements signed during the visit to US President Barack Obama in November 2010. Pending resolution of the stapled visa issue, for the first time India refused to include in the Joint Statement references to Chinese sovereignty in Tibet and One China that had been part of the past three summit level declarations. 13. India China Strategic and Economic Dialogue. The agreement to initiate the Strategic and Economic Dialogue (SED) was taken during the Chinese Premier Wen Jiabaos visit to India in December 2010.The first ever Strategic Economic Dialogue (SED) was held in Beijing on 26 September 2011.The objective of setting up the SED was to increase coordination on macro economic policies and to provide a platform for both countries to leverage common interests and shared developmental experiences. 14. Annual Defence Dialogue. The Annual Defence Dialogue (ADD) has added a positive note to Indo-China relations. The defence.dialogue was established under. the provisions. of the MoU for Exchanges and Cooperation in the field of Defence, signed between India and China in 2006. The first Annual Defence Dialogue was held in Beijing in 2007 followed by the second in Indian in 2008. The third meeting was held in Beijing in 2010. India and China held the Annual Defence Dialogue (ADD) in New Delhi on 09 December 2011. 15. Indias External Affairs Ministers Visit to China. Indias External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna visited China on 08 February 2012. He inaugurated Indias new $10 million embassy, which was described as a new page in ties with China. India and China stressed for a flexible and imaginative approach in 2012 to bilateral relations to minimise the effect of persisting political irritants, like the border dispute and Tibet. According to Mr. Krishna, it was the Government of Indias position that the Tibet Autonomous Region was part of the Peoples Republic of China, and as a result of that India was dealing with the internal affairs of China and India would be very cautious.The Chinese Government appreciated the firm support of the Indian Government over the Tibet issue. Both the countries decided to mark 2012 as the year of Friendship and Cooperation. CURRENT MAJOR IRRITANTS IN INDIA-CHINA RELATIONS 16. Relations between India and China have improved considerably in the last nine to ten years. However, normalisation does not imply that divergences in the strategic perceptions between the two have suddenly converged or that conflicts of interests and differences of opinion on a range of issues have disappeared. Despite an improvement in India China relations, a number of issues emerge as irritants. The   Boundary and Territorial   Dispute 17. Refer figure 1. The border dispute can be traced.back to the Shimla Conference of 1914. When. the representatives of British India, Tibet and China met. It was decided in the Conference. that Tibet was an autonomous country and the McMahon Line would be the boundary between India and Tibet though Chinese sovereignty of some sort would extend over Tibet. At the. conference the representatives of India and Tibet signed the agreement, China did not, thus disputing the McMahon Line.Therefore,the McMahon Line in the East and the boundary (Aksai Chin) along Ladakh in the West .remained a boundary by usage and understanding. The result was that the exact boundary was not demarcated, leading to border skirmishes in 1962 and the Chinese penetration into the .Sumdorang Chu Valley of Arunachal Pradesh in 1986. Figure 1 18. The Main issues of the Border Dispute are as under  [7]  :- (a) Arunachal Pradesh. China refuses to recognise Arunachal Pradesh as part of India. China claims 90,000 square kilometres as their territory whuch is almost the whole of Arunachal Pradesh , calling it South Tibet. The border dispute is the legacy of the British colonial rule. The boundary is now known in both India and China as the Line of Actual Control (LAC). (b) Aksai Chin. India accuses China of occupying 38,000 square kilometres in Jammu and Kashmir,in the Aksai Chin region, north east of Ladakh. (c) Trans-Karakoram Tract. Under the Sino-Pakistan Boundary agreement of 1963, Pakistan illegally ceded 5,180 sq km of Indian territory (Trans-Karakoram tract) to China. The transfer is disputed by India as it is part of Jammu and Kashmir. 19. Indias position. In the West the border should remain at the 1959 position thus implying that it does not recognise Chinese claim over Aksai Chin. The northern borders of Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim correspond to the McMahon Line and hence the boundary. India also states that China is occupying Indian territory since the 1962 conflict and also that the territory west of Karakoram in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK) legally belongs to India and has been illegally ceded by Pakistan to China. 20. Chinas Position. China claims 90,000 sq km, which is almost the entire state of Arunachal Pradesh.Occupies 38,000 sq km, which is Aksai Chin in Kashmir. Occupies 5,000 sq km of Shaksgam valley ceded to it by Pakistan in June 1963 and does not recognise the McMohan Line. 21. Talks to Resolve the Border Dispute. The meeting of the experts from both sides laid foundation for a dialogue by the Sino-Indian Joint Working Group (JWG), the apex body negotiating the final settlement of the border dispute. The agreement on confidence building Measures (CBMs) signed during the visit by the Chinese President to India in 1997 reiterates. the determination. of both sides to seek a fair, and mutually acceptable settlement of the boundary question. In the year 2000 Maps of middle sector were exchanged. In 2003 the Special Representatives were appointed after the then Prime Minister Vajpayees China visit.on 11 April 2005.An agreement on political parameters and guiding principles was signed which spelt out the three main territorial disputes i.e. Arunachal Pradesh, Aksai Chin Region and Trans-Karakoram. 22. 15th Round of Border Talks. The 15th round of Border Talks was held in New Delhi on 16 and 17 January 2012. Indias Special Representative for the talks was the National Security Adviser (NSA) Shivshankar Menon and Chinas Special Representative was Dai Bingguo, State Councillor. The border talks are currently in the second stage of negotiations, which involves agreeing upon a framework to settle the dispute. The first stage was concluded with an agreement on political parameters and guiding principles in 2005. The third and final stage would involve the specifics of delineating the border. During the talks both sides agreed to set up a working mechanism on border management to deal with important affairs related to maintaining peace and tranquillity in the border areas. The agreement to establish the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on the India-China Border Affairs would. Undertake. Tasks. that are mutually.agreed upon by the two sides, but would .not discuss. resolution of the Boundary dispute. The Working Mechanism would study ways and means to strengthen. exchanges. and cooperation. between military. personnel and establishments of the two sides in the border areas and would be headed by a Joint Secretary-level officer from the Ministry of External Affairs and a Director General level officer from the Chinese Foreign Ministry and would also comprise diplomatic and military officials of the two sides. Chinas Infrastructure development Along the Border 23. Defence Minister A.K. Antony told the Rajya Sabha on 14 December 2011, that India has taken a serious note of Chinese infrastructure development in the border regions opposite India in Tibet and Xinjiang Autonomous Regions. The infrastructure development included the Qinghai-Tibet railway line, with proposed extension up to Xigze and Nyingchi besides roads and airport facilities. In response the Indian Government was giving careful and special attention to the development of infrastructure in the border areas opposite China to meet Indias strategic and security requirements. China Objection to Indian Defence Ministers Visit to Arunachal Pradesh 24. In February 2012, the Defence Minister Mr. A.K. Antony visited Arunachal Pradesh to mark the 25th anniversary of its Statehood. China called on India to refrain from taking any action that could complicate the border dispute. The Defence Minister emphasised that, like Jammu and Kashmir, Arunachal Pradesh was an integral part of India and as Defence Minister it was both his right and duty to visit the State and all other border States. Indias external affairs minister Mr S.M. Krishna said that Arunachal Pradesh was a part and parcel of India and all seven States in north-eastern India were part and parcel of India, and China had no rights to make adverse remarks on the Defence Ministers visit to Arunachal Pradesh. Chinas Development Activity in Pakistan occupied Kashmir  [8]   25. On 14 October 2009, India called upon China to stop developmental activities in areas illegally occupied by Pakistan.India was reacting to Chinas assurance to Pakistan of help in upgrading the Karakoram highway and building the Neelam-Jhelum hydro electric project in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK). India noted that Pakistan had been illegally occupying parts of Jammu and Kashmir since 1947, and China was fully aware of Indias position and concerns about Chinese activities in PoK. India hoped that China would take a long term view of India-China relations and cease such activities in areas illegally occupied by Pakistan. Chinas presence in PoK has grown in recent years and it is currently involved in several infrastructure projects in the disputed region. 26. During the Russia-India-China Trilateral Summit in November 2010, Indian Foreign Minister S.M. Krishna told his Chinese counterpart Yang Jiechi that that just as India had been sensitive to its concerns over Tibet Autonomous Region and Taiwan, China too should be mindful of Indian sensitivities on Jammu and Kashmir. This was the first time India had drawn this parallel directly. The comparison was intended to emphasise the depth of Indias concerns over Chinese attempts to question the countrys sovereignty in Kashmir. 27. Chinas Stand. China said that it was a matter for India and Pakistan to resolve and that China had no reason to change its policies on Kashmir .The Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi said that China always believed that the problem of Jammu and Kashmir could only be resolved through dialogue and negotiations between India and Pakistan and that there was no need for China to change its policy. Sino-Pak Strategic Equation 28. Chinas elusive strategic equation with   Pakistan poses a hindrance to any substantive   improvement in   Indias   relations with China.The core of Sino-Pakistan ties comprises the transfer of military hardware and technology besides nuclear co-operation. Islamabad has been getting weapons at subsidised prices from China. The overt.and covert.military assistance by. China. to. Pakistan is the biggest impediment. in improving India-China relations. The Sino-Pakistan collusion in the nuclear field is seen as Chinas long term strategy in gaining supremacy over India. Status of Tibet and Dalai Lama 29. Despite the government of Indias acceptance of Chinese sovereignty over Tibet,  China   is still not satisfied. The main reason being that India has   given asylum   to Dalai Lama and has become a refuge for   disaffected Tibetans   fleeing   the country. China does   not   fully   accept Indias   stand that while India revered the Dalai Lama as a   Holy man and a spiritual leader, it would not allow him to engage   in any political activity on Indias soil. Beijing is suspicious of Indias continued willingness to host the Dalai Lama and his Tibetan Government in exile.  [9]  In November 2011, China postponed the 15th round of Border Talks with India over Dalai Lamas participation in a Buddhist conference that was scheduled to take place at the same time in New Delhi. China said that it was opposed to any country that provided a platform for the Dalai Lama and his anti-China activities. Issuing Stapled Visas to Indian Citizens Domiciled in Kashmir and Arunachal Pradesh  [10]   30. In October 2009, it came to light that the Chinese embassy in New Delhi had begun issuing visas to Indian passport holders from Jammu and Kashmir on a separate sheet of paper rather than stamping them in their passports as is the case with other Indian citizens.China has also issued stapled visas to the handful of Indian passport holders from Arunachal Pradesh. Analysts point out that the separate sheet visas for Kashmiris was seen by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) as an attempt by China to question the status of Jammu and Kashmir. The immigration authorities were told to treat any visa that was not stamped on a passport as invalid for the purpose of travel. India asked China not to discriminate against visa applications filed by its nationals on grounds of domicile and ethnicity.In January 2011, China again issued stapled visas to two Indian sportsmen from Arunachal Pradesh. India again unequivocally conveyed to China that a uniform practice of issuance of visa to Indian nationals must be followed regardless of the applicants ethnicity or place of domicile. India strongly conveyed that it would not accept anything that questions the status of Jammu and Kashmir and Arunachal Pradesh which were an integral part of India. On 06 January 2012, India cancelled the visit by a military delegation to China after one of its members, an Indian Air Force (IAF) officer from Arunachal Pradesh was denied visa by China. Bilateral Trade Imbalance in Favour of China 31. As the bilateral trade between India and China touched $60 billion in 2011, China enjoyed a trade surplus of $24 billion in 2011.The widening trade imbalance has been a source of concern, especially because trade has emerged as the key to bilateral relations amid persisting political uncertainties.The record trade imbalance has raised questions on the sustainability of the relationship.India has stressed that China should open up its economy for more exports from India. Indian exporters could explore getting access to Chinas markets in information technology, pharmaceuticals, agriculture and allied products.Both the countries have agreed to a strategic economic dialogue to enhance macro-economic policy coordination and address challenges in economic development and cooperation.China agreed to take measures to promote greater Indian exports to China with a view to reduce Indias trade deficit.China agreed to gradually resolve the problems faced in China by Indian pharmaceuticals, I nformation Technology and agricultural products. 32. Much diplomatic water has flowed under the bridge of Sino-Indian relations since 1962 and we need to take a pragmatic view of it. Such a view needs to be informed by an appreciation of the several common features that India and China share as civilisational entities which are trying to cope with modernisation of their traditional societies, on the one hand, and the process of integrating with the international system, on the other. China is not only an important civilisation out there, it is Indias largest neighbour right here.  [11]  Thus, there is a need for making independent assessments of Chinas capabilities and intentions rather than borrowed judgments made from different strategic viewpoints.

Macbeth: The True Nature of Man :: essays research papers

In the play Macbeth by William Shakespeare, the author tries to show the true nature of man by using the play’s main character, Macbeth, as an example. He is overly ambitious, courageous, and self-doubting. Throughout the play, Shakespeare displays these characteristics to the audience through Macbeth to show the true nature of man. At the end of the play, these characteristics ultimately lead to Macbeth’s downfall. In the beginning of the play, Macbeth is described as being â€Å"valiant†. He is a skilled warrior, who is loyal to his king and his country. Almost single-handedly, he wins the war for Scotland. He defeats many of the enemy soldiers, including a traitor, all in the name of his king. But, when three witches encounter Macbeth and his friend Banquo, Macbeth’s ambition begins to grow. They tell Macbeth that he will be Thane of Cawdor and King. Soon after, Macbeth meets with King Duncan. He informs Macbeth that he is the new Thane of Cawdor. Macbeth is astonished, and from then on he is obsessed with being king. His ambition begins to become ruthless when Duncan proclaims that his son Malcolm is the Prince of Cumberland, and therefore, the heir to the throne: â€Å"The Prince of Cumberland! That is a step/On which I must fall down, or else o’erleap, /For in my way it lies. Stars, hide your fires;/Let not light see my black and deep desires:/The eye wink at the hand ; yet let that be/Which the eye fears, when it is done, to see.† (I,iv,48-53) At this moment, Macbeth, realizing that they stand in the way of the witches’ prophecies, decides that both Duncan and Malcolm need to die for him to be king. As soon as Macbeth kills Duncan, he enters into a world of evil. Later in the play, Macbeth’s ambition becomes increasingly ruthless. He kills his best friend Banquo, and almost kills Banquo’s son, Fleance, because he believes they would stand in the way of his reign. The witches told Banquo â€Å"Thou shall get kings, though thou be none.† (I,iii,67) This means that Banquo himself would not be a king, but that his successors would be. Macbeth tries to prevent this by killing Banquo and his son Fleance. Even though Macbeth can be called a tyrant and a murderer, he is nonetheless, very courageous. In the beginning of the play, he fights very bravely for his king and country.

I Disagree with Nietzsche, We Should Embrace Life, Not Destroy It Essay

I Disagree with Nietzsche, We Should Embrace Life, Not Destroy It Admittedly, the philosophy of the late nineteenth century German Friederich Nietzsche had a profound impact on my world view. I concur with his belief that humans should occupy themselves with living in the reality that is, and not to be preoccupied with fantastic illusions of working towards a great afterlife. Granted, I am still very young, but from what I can see, humans have no universal nature nor do any set of underlying human morals dictate what is right and wrong. And as much as people would like to believe, unfortunately, we do not have free will. Every action carries the weight of a punishment or reward, so in essence, people do things either in fear or in hope of attaining one of these outcomes, therefore, humans do not have free will. So, then what is the meaning of life? To live each day as if it is heaven itself is all anyone can really do; accepting and embracing the reality of your life is the source of meaning. Whether God exists or not is irrelevant, the only th ing that is within the control of humans is the power to embrace life. As 1950’s Beat poet Allen Ginsburg stressed, people should be concerned with "living in and inhabiting the human form." Living means to not let outside forces take away your pursuit of life, once this thirst for life is taken, you are simply existing, waiting to die. To understand this position on life, take the following hypothetical situation. A woman has a terminal disease; in one year she will be dead. But she does have two options, she can simply live out the year in a hospital bed, weak and sickly from her disease, and die in one year. Or, the alternative choice is that she can take a pill which will... ...e. Because what we choose in life determines the degree to which we live. And at the very core of every person lies the drive to live. As humans with a high degree of cognitive intelligence, we are a part of nature, not above it; our high intellect should serve as a tool to understand this fact. To Nietzsche, humans must destroy everything, so that a new and more pure humanity centered on life can rise. I do agree that we must abandon the traditional illusions that have prevented humans from embracing life, but living in pursuit of destruction is not necessarily the answer. I believe that we must not let human made and human imposed notions of right or wrong control how we live, but living for the sake of destruction is not living. We must live to find an inner and individual satisfaction. Therefore, all life choices should be made with the intent of embracing life.

How Does Robert Louis Stevenson use literary techniques to illustrate E

How Does Robert Louis Stevenson use literary techniques to illustrate the social, historical and moral points he is trying to make in Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde? Throughout the Novella, ‘Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde’, the author Robert Louis Stevenson uses a wide range of literary techniques in a skilful and sophisticated way to help achieve his effects and put his points across. Stevenson’s unique use of language is vital to the success of the Novella, with the structural and linguistic devices playing a vital part in creating the unusual atmosphere, which makes the Novella so successful. Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde centres upon a conception of humanity as dual in nature, although the theme does not emerge fully until the last chapter, when the complete story of Jekyll – Hyde relationship is revealed. Robert Louis Stevenson had a very strict moral upbringing living in the nineteenth century, where class and social standing were very important in such a rigid system. The fact that he had such a religious background perhaps creates a link between the main moral point of good and evil and his disciplined religious upbringing, the bible teaching the importance of good and evil, and the seven deadly sins. He uses a variety of techniques to put across his views across on many social, historical and moral points. Throughout the novella the author gives the readers an insight into the morality of human nature by using different characters to represent the double standards of society in the Victorian era. The different language used for each of the main characters in the book is used to emphasise the character and their role in the Novella. Utterson, the lawyer, is described in the opening sentence of the book ‘cold, scanty, a... ...t that Stevenson had such a religious background perhaps creates a link between the main moral point of good and evil and his disciplined religious upbringing. This may have influenced him in his writing, (the bible teaching the importance of good and evil, and the seven deadly sins). The Gothic horror has been compared particularly to the detective fiction of Sherlock Holmes, with both works being written in the same period of the Victorian era. It is a testimony to Stevenson’s inventiveness as a writer that this novella has had this independent existence over a hundred years after the first book was published. Because of the uniqueness of the novella and the fact that such a wide range of literary techniques have been used, it is no surprise that, ‘the strange case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde’, is one of the most famous works of horror fiction of all time.

How did the Cold War begin Essay

The Cold War was â€Å"the struggle for global power between the United States and the Soviet Union following World War II† (History book, pg. 874). The Cold War began by controversial wants and needs from two different countries and several different â€Å"weapons† were used to fight this controversial war. The feuds eventually kept building up, greater and greater, resulting in one great war. Two countries, the United States and the Soviet Union both took part in fighting. The Cold war began for a number of different reasons. One of the main reasons this war began was that there were huge differences in the way that the Soviet and the US led one another and the disagreements eventually reached a final rising point, causing several feuds as well, riots. The US was a democratic state where many parties could stand and elections were held. It was a fair and politically correct policy for everyone. â€Å"I believe it must be the policy of the United States to support free peoples who are resisting attempted domination by armed minorities or outside pressure.† (DBQ 2) The Soviet was a communist state, where the political party controlled the state. The people basically had no free will. More reasons as to how the Cold War started up would be affected by the mistrust between the two countries. It started as far back as the October Revolution of 1917. When the communists came to power, they created harsher ways of ruling their country, which angered the US greatly. One last reason on how the Cold War came about was the US fear of Russian expansion. In 1922, Russia combined with five other states creating the Soviet Union. In 1936 five more states joined forming an even larger Soviet Union. Eventually the Soviet Union had almost equaled the size of Europe. â€Å"All these famous cities and the populations around them lie in the Soviet sphere†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (DBQ 1) The US feared a new uprising of a strong, independent, and powerful country. â€Å"I need to say that the world situation is very serious†¦ Europe must have a great deal of additional help, or face heavy economic, social, and political damage.† (DBQ 3) During the Cold War there weren’t really weapons used during the war. Going back to the term â€Å"Cold War,† it referenced to not having the war getting â€Å"heated† with weapons of mass destruction etc. No Nuclear, Biological or Chemical weapons were used during this Cold War. Instead, the countries fought up front, or in some other type of not so violent way. However, during the Cold War, there were some new weapons that were created from both sides. During this period, the Soviet Union created their own atomic bomb and the H-Bomb (Hydrogen Bomb) was first created in the United States. These two weapons of mass destruction were not used, better suggesting the phrase, â€Å"Cold War.† If by any means there were to be a weapon of mass destruction aimed at the opposing enemy, then the country responsible for the cause would have to help restore, and fix any damages caused. â€Å"They agree that if such an armed attack occurs, each of them will assist the party or parties so attacked.† (DBQ 4) The Cold War was a five year war against the Soviet Union and the United States. These two Communist and Democratic countries had very different views and ways of ruling their citizens. One feared of expansion, the other feared of the opposing differences. However, they both agreed on keeping the war at a minimum by agreeing to not allow weapons of mass destruction, etc. to come into the war. Hints to the term â€Å"Cold War.†

Learning Disabilities in Society Today Essay

The modern society has advanced very much compared to the earlier society, for example of the mid twentieth century. This advancement can be attributed to various technological innovations and inventions that have taken place in the society. The various spheres of change have impacted both positively and negatively on the welfare of the people. This is together with the welfare of those with disabilities. Disability has been and remains to be a major aspect of social inquiries and studies that has been conducted in the society. This is given that the disabled persons are part and parcel of the society. In this regard, the issue of disability as an area of study encompasses various aspects. This is for instance the kind of relationships between disability and work, disability and oppression, disability and education and disability and discrimination among others. In addition, studies on disability have centered on the measures that have been taken or ought to be taken to address the issue. The measures taken range from medical interventions and efforts to change the attitude of the members of the society towards the disabled people. Disability and the Society Today: Overview There are several definitions that have been proposed for the term disability. The definitions depend on the orientation and experiences of the scholar. For example, in law, the term disability can be used to connote a physical or mental impairment of an individual (Shah & Priestly, 2009). For the impairment to qualify as a disability, the law requires that it must have a substantial and long term negative effect on the individual’s ability to carry out normal day to day activities (Valentino & Skeletonk, 2009). However, not all such conditions qualify as disabilities. For example, individuals with ailments such as cancer, HIV/AIDS and those who are blind or partially sighted are not considered as been disabled. According to the legal definition given above, impairments considered to make an individual disabled include sensory impairments, such as sight and hearing, or mental impairments such as learning disabilities, dyslexia and mental illness (Bradley, Danielson & Hallahan, 2002). Some severe disfigurements, for example those affecting limbs and other physical organs, are regarded as a disability. Some conditions that can worsen over time such as multiple scleroses are also regarded as a disability as soon as they are diagnosed, even before they start to affect the individual’s day to day activities (Lerner, 2000). There are criteria that have been put in place to determine whether a disability is long term or not. For example, for a disability to de regarded as long term, it must have lasted for at least one year (Bradley et al, 2002). Disabilities that have lasted for less than one year can also be classified as long term. This is when there are sufficient grounds to expect the disability to last for at least one year after its onset (Barnes, Fletcher & Fuchs, 2007). For example, a loss of both limbs can be considered as a long term disability even if the loss is barely one month old. Also, for a disability to be regarded as long term, it must be expected to last for the rest of the individual’s life (Barnes et al, 2007). As earlier alluded to in this paper, there are several types of disabilities affecting people in the society. These range from physical disability, mental disability among others. Another type of disability that affects people in the society, albeit not so visible, is learning disability. This paper is going to look at learning disabilities within the context of the modern society. A general overview of disability has already been provided to create a context within which learning disability will be located.

A Piece of Art

I am choosing this piece of art because it reminds me of the original one, the Napoleon Crossing the Alps, by the French Neoclassical painter Jacques-Louis David, and also because that I am quite like this Mario game very much. This artist had turned my childhood hero into a very good piece of art, that to me, can capture every aspect of him and his loyal pet, although Yoshi does not look that fiercely. The original work of Jacques-Louis is about a mighty general, who is bravely charges in the front of the army toward the enemy. Napoleon proportion show that he is the real commander, not just any soldier or any captain, but the great Napoleon Bonaparte himself. Calmly sitting on his fiery horse, finger points toward the Alps, Napoleon leading his people to victories. To sum up, this painting express Napoleon as the hero of the peoples of France, the one who freed them from the hands of Louis the sixteenth. The Mario Crossing the Mushroom Kingdom shows a quite similar meaning. Instead of crossing the dangerous Alps, Mario just crossing the Mushroom Kingdom. Now, what we all know what Mario do in the Mushroom Kingdom: fighting evils, rescue the princess, and freed the kingdom from the tyrant's hands, so that makes Mario a hero too, right? Yes! Yes, it is! Mario is the hero of the Mushroom Kingdom. Although Mario just a plumber, he has fought for the Kingdom with all he has, his running skill as you can see in the games, and he freed them from the tyrant.The painting is very accurate in some ways, the costume, Mario's beer belly, his clothes, and all, Mario did not really wear gloves until recently, but that can be pretermit. What is different from the original painting is that, instead of pointing his finger toward the Kingdom, Mario holds a mushroom. Funny, I would say, because in the game, Mario power up by eating special mushrooms from the mystery boxes scattered around the kingdom, they can make him bigger, and stronger depends on what mushroom he eats, and that is very interesting to see the mushroom in the painting. The Mario Crossing the Mushroom Kingdom resembles most detail from the original one: Mario's proportion, Yoshi front legs, and back legs positions, the harness, and the cape. There is one interesting thing is that Yoshi left eye is glancing backward just like Napoleon's horse eye position, glancing backward. His attention to the small details like that amuse me a lot, it makes me to look for other version of Napoleon Crossing the Alps, just to look at their eyes, although I don't see the name carved in the rock anywhere in the picture, but that is not important. There is something about Naburanja version of the dinosaur Yoshi that keeps me wonder. You see, normally, Yoshi's appearance is a cute little green dinosaur, with a frog like tongue that can swallow enemies. But here, all I see is probably the grow up version of Yoshi. He is bigger, looks more muscular, his green skin looks fade a bit, perhaps to shows old age. Yoshi normally is seen wearing brown boots, but now the boots were completely torn by his claws, like Yoshi had grown up suddenly, so suddenly that he could not take off his boots, so he had to let them be torn. Naburanja usage of colors to describe the gloomy, sad atmosphere of the scenario, where the Kingdom is invaded, and overran by monster, the princess being kidnapped with no hope to rescue her, and so on, is incredible. Naburanja use the dark, gray color to describe it. What more, is that when Mario and Yoshi showed up, light breaks through the darkness, to shine upon our heroes, where ever they go. The colors where Mario stands, are bright colors, red, blue, light dirt yellow, green, and white. It shows that Mario is going to be the savior of the Mushroom KingdomOverall, the painting is magnificent to me, its capture the picture of the hero of my childhood quite correctly, using the Napoleon Crossing the Alps style of drawing. Naburanja colors usage is wonderful, it described the scenario of Mushroom Kingdom correctly, and he depicted Mario like a saint, light shine bright where ever he goes. This painting of Naburanja has many interesting aspect that I love very much, and this is the way I mostly see it, also it makes me chuckle every times I come across it.