The 1906 landslide victory Essay Example for Free

The 1906 avalanche triumph Essay What exactly degree is it reasonable for infer that it was Conservative/Unionist failings that prompted the 1906 avalanche triumph? Inside the most recent 20 years being ruled by the traditionalist party, maybe it is conceivable to accept that soon there would be an opposite in preservationist fortunes. This could emerge out of a liberal rebound or another gathering finding their feet in parliament. As we probably am aware it was the Liberals pointing their command again to win an avalanche triumph in 1906. Be that as it may, outside variables can't completely be credited to the traditionalist ruin as it arrived in an avalanche rout. In responding to this inquiry I will take a gander at the wasteful aspects and confinements of the preservationist party, while additionally thinking about the activities and choices of different gatherings. Any reasonable person would agree that the moderates would have thought that it was hard to increase further votes than they previously had gotten structure past races, and that their objectives were fundamentally union of their position. This avalanche in 1906 demonstrates that the preservationist protests were neglected to be clung to. Subsequently in responding to this inquiry the principal perspective to take a gander at is the traditionalist gatherings own constraints. A considerable lot of the issues that the traditionalists needed to confront were them continually appearing to have an insufficient pioneer, Arthur Balfour. From the start it would to be accepted that he may turn into a decent pioneer as he had cerebrums, fortitude, vision and that he was likewise an all around regarded man in the center. Balfour hated majority rule governments like his uncle Salisbury, yet in that he never paid attention to it. Balfour turned out to be excessively cerebral and excessively uninvolved, and in his eyes, the Tories were an instrument for taking care of the countries issues. He saw that Britain was in a condition of decrease on the universal front, with the monetary development soaking close by efficiency. Hence, barrier of the domain was required so as to make Britain increasingly serious and Chamberlain was especially given tot this. It must be said that it was the blend of Chamberlains reaction and Balfour letting him institute his reaction that turned into a significant purpose for the traditionalist annihilation in the 1906 decisions. The traditionalists international strategy was likewise poor, as it was the Liberals in 1886 with the issues including Irish home principle. Between the two men, the gathering crumbled from Salisburys secure and predominant gathering, to in the long run ruins. Balfour was likewise expensive about change, and it was the ineffectively organized social change that appeared to prompt the disappointment of certain social gatherings that had been officially illuminated by the moderates. A case of this is the 1902 Education Act, which in the end wound up in a political catastrophe. So as to accomplish national significance and proficiency it was accepted at the time that it was training that held the key, and that if instruction didnt become an unmistakable component of gathering strategies Britain would fall behind other significant nations. Along these lines no big surprise that Balfour and Devonshire both co-worked to advance the training demonstration of 1902. Embitterment arrived at its tops in the late spring of 1906 with Dr. Clifford, who began after arranging a battle against instruction change. This turned into the start of the non-conventionalist revolt. Different changes fomented the non-traditionalists gatherings, after two years with the sanctioning of the 1904 Licensing Act, which made arrangement for conclusion of republic houses yet additionally remunerated the individuals who had lost exchange by a duty on those remaining. With Balfours failure to change he had two significant cases in the open spotlight, which totally discolored the partys notoriety with fix demonstrating total obtuseness towards the general supposition. Balfour botch on the household front with him thoroughly appreciating the worker's guilds fomentation that emerged structure a progression of decisions in the late 1890s (Taff Vale). Conversely with Disraeli during the 1870s he put forth no attempt to end the weight gatherings. Balfours primary concerns were with the international strategy and keeping up of the realm, which in actuality would improve Britains position. Another significant misstep that Balfour made was the harm from the Boer War in South Africa. Alfred Miller worried about the war requested the importation of Chinese specialists, these laborers would work in the gold mines of the Rand. At first Chamberlain who clearly perceived the significance of general feeling vetoed the solicitation, anyway the board endorsed the solicitation later in 1903. This end up being a slip-up with a flood of dissent all over Britain, for the most beyond words the individuals getting progressively mindful of human rights. The objection came structure the inner voice as the Chinese laborers needed to work in poor conditions in the most little and risky territories. Balfour could have dismissed the thought, anyway to him the arrangement was compelling and down to earth. On the fifteenth May 1903, Birmingham, Chamberlain pronounced his confidence in majestic inclination as he proposed to desert unhindered commerce which had become a method of British life for a long time. He accepted that an arrangement of obligations would integrate the general realm, raise income for social change and secure British industry. The war on the Tariffs had begun with Chamberlain seeing this move a method of tackling the countries issues while giving him singular additions, for example, him being at the center of attention in the wake of blurring with the peak of the Boer War. In July 1903 an insulted gathering of unionists started to set a Free Food League, and in this manner Balfour confronted an amazingly risky position. Harsh squabbles were starting to frame between the individuals who embraced organized commerce and the individuals who were duty reformers. Another gigantic hit to the moderate party under the discussions of tax change was the loss of Winston Churchill, who openly indicated the necks of the dissidents, levy change turned into a mobilizing weep for preservationists and an appointive obligation. The insurance of people implied less nourishment for the individuals, while the fre exchange represented flourishing and modest food. Chamberlains change, was as a matter of fact deplorable to match with monetary restoration, yet this dread of costly food made a reprisal in the nation and I accept this was the significant mix-up made by the gathering, which eventually delivered a swing against them of crushing extent in what is know seen as the avalanche triumph of 1906. Chamberlain and Balfour both appeared to have the ineptitudes to assuage every single social gathering and this was exacerbated with their incapable social change, failure to comprehend general conclusion and their steady concentration after tackling the countries issue. This all added to the declining moderate help. The perspectives that I have quite recently committed are the traditionalists errors that prompted the avalanche triumph, yet the Liberal party after Gladstone was attempted changes. These progressions were evident in their association and philosophy and hence by the mid 1900s it was prepared again to challenge the preservationists through the discretionary framework. The year 1902 was an unequivocal year for the dissidents fortunes. At first, the nonconformists looked set to separate further into groups as Roseberys authority had finished in him driving a weight bunch inside the gathering as a leader of the new liberal class. The gathering name was Schism which incorporated the conspicuous figures, for example, Gray, Fowler and Asquith. The gathering anyway started to blur away. The training Act set up by the preservationists allowed the Liberals to change and join together and rally to the non-conventionalist cause. The Liberal government officials currently had something to get on, and antagonistic vibe toward rate bolster fir church schools and the cancelation of the non-traditionalist overwhelmed educational committees was an ideal issue. By-races promptly swung against the Tories, as the Liberals won in Bury and Leeds by July. In 1903 Chamberlain had started his scandalous tax change crusade and gave the Liberals a completely ideal issue wherein they could challenge. The Liberal purposeful publicity, machine had got moving with the fundamental liberal feature huge Liberal Loaf against the little Tory portion. Asquith started to develop as a main hero in the issue, and was a thistle in Chamberlains side. Through the battle the dissidents were winning back votes structure the regular workers as the nonconformists played upon the way that the levies were being established to the detriment of the majority who need to pay for them. This at that point prompted more places falling under the Liberal handle like Lancashire. Indeed, even new care groups were being empowered, as the National League of Young Liberals was set up in 1903 and had 300 branches by 1906. Gladstones accomplishments as a coordinator implied a fall in the quantity of unionist competitors. The parting of the dynamic vote had unmistakably bounced back to the unionist advantage, featured in the unionist strength at Barnard mansion in 1903. The inevitable understanding was marked in September 1903 with the primary essence being that Labor would get a free disagreement somewhere in the range of forty to fifty unionist situates as a byproduct of sponsorship the Liberals somewhere else. The consequences of the 1906 races were central to the agreement made by the two gatherings, as the advantages influenced both. To be sure the LRC and the Liberals had the option to focus after exploiting the new aftereffect of common laborers cognizance, which was appeared fundamentally at the counter against the war battled for the rich industrialists of the Rand, the lucrative plans of Chamberlain, the scornful nature against Labor with the subjugation of Chinese specialists and the refusal to turn around the Taff Vale judgment. The change issue was the last deficiency of the preservationists for the Liberals to offer the conversation starter. The 1906 races was a fiasco for Unionists though the dissidents solidify their fortifications w hile picking up in Lancashire, London and the southeast. All in all I accept that it was primarily because of the traditionalist failings that prompted the 1906 avalanche races. The Tory party was going by tw

Discuss the prospects for a peaceful resolution to the Essay

Talk about the possibilities for a tranquil goals to the isreali-palestinian conflict.What are the center issues that should be settled for enduring harmony to happen - Essay Example decades so as to achieve enduring harmony among Israelis and Palestinians however these endeavors have wound up in disappointment basically as a result of the reluctance of either side to make concessions that are esteemed to be favorable to their adversaries. The outcome has been that the contention has stayed exceptional and this to such a degree, that it has gotten basic for the two sides to level allegations and counter allegations towards one another over their reluctance to achieve enduring harmony. It is fundamental to take note of that there are numerous issues that must be settled all together for enduring harmony to be realized in this area, some of which will be talked about in this paper. Among the issues to be settled are the accompanying; the contention of character, socio-mental hindrances, religion, equity and reasonableness as an obstruction, lastly, the vital choices taken during the harmony procedure. Probably the greatest issue that must be settled so as to finish the Israeli-Palestinian clash is the contention of character. This is a circumstance which created because of the constrained expulsion of Palestinians from their territory during the war of 1947 to 1949 which realized the Palestinian displaced person emergency (Flapan 1987, p.4; Morris 2004, p.48). This emergency has gotten one of the significant issues of dispute during the harmony procedure since it has achieved a circumstance where among the focuses made by Palestinian specialists is that the displaced people reserve an option to come back to their genealogical grounds. The contention for return is one which is typically harshly contradicted by Israel since it would basically mean the refutation of the Jewish state and acknowledgment that it has settled Palestinian land illicitly. This is a concession that Israel is reluctant to make since it would basically bring its advancement in the course of the most recent six decades to a stop. Besides, most Israelis accept that the land that was involved beginning from 1948 is their tribal land and that

In Praise Of Holistic Admissions

In Praise Of Holistic Admissions In last weeks blog entry  Diversity or Merit?  I included the following quote: One of the most important things about college is its role as a socializing institution. College is a place where you meet all sorts of people from all sorts of backgrounds and you learn from each other. It is, properly constituted, an environment which fosters intellectual, ideological, and social cross-pollination. You need diversity broadly defined for college to matter. I hope that this quote is somewhat self-evident. When I said college was a socializing institution, I didnt mean that its a place to idly chat with people (although it is that). I mean it is an environment within which one undergoes socialization. And so we have to take a great deal of care in constituting the class, because whom it is composed of will greatly affect your experience within it. This leads me to another point Id like to discuss, which is the importance of the idea of holistic admissions. We have a holistic admissions process here at MIT, and we talk about it a lot. But what does it mean? Why do we have it? And what does it do for our class? When we say that we have a holistic admissions process it essentially means that our admissions process takes into account many different factors, and that we understand that it is the interaction of these myriad factors which constitutes the applicant. We deploy holistic to differentiate against admissions systems which only consider so-called objective academic data (and I am air-quoting so hard I might sprain a knuckle) in their admissions process. Sometimes, holistic academic processes are criticized as being misguided. Academic merit, it is suggested, should be the sole dispositive factor controlling the admissions process. Suppose, for a moment, we didnt have a holistic process. Suppose that we wanted to build an application system around merit, defined, as it always seems to be, by test scores and grades. (Id certainly  contest this definition, but will concede it here for the sake of argument). We could build a working admissions system around this premise. A very simple version might look something like this: create an index by multiplying SAT score and GPA. Rank-order the list by the highest product of the two, admit the top 1,000 students automatically and deny the rest. Would this really be a better admissions process? Well, I guess I could go home pretty early to get a full nights rest after turning on the Admissions Machine the day after applications are due. Then again, Id probably not sleep very well if this is all I did. And the students we admitted wouldnt feel as home here. Because what we try to do is build a community, and an admissions machine cannot produce a community. It can only produce a bunch of test scores and GPAs crammed into classrooms. Even worse, such a system would produce a very thin slice of the population, because the segment of students perched atop the SATs are a comparatively homogenous bunch.  SAT scores are strongly correlated with parent income, and parent income is strongly correlated with their parents income. Now obviously there are many factors at play here, but the trend is clear: the (multigenerationally) wealthier you are, the higher you score. All of this is to say that, if scores were all we cared about, our campus would be overwhelmingly socioeconomically similar. Thats limiting. Its limiting because of the scope of issues and problems which people have experienced, and its limiting because of the solutions which are likely to come to the minds of people. In short, it lends itself to group think and experential echo chambers. At that point, its not a college as a socializing institution: its a Great Gatsby garden party. I think that most people intuitively understand this. I think that most people intuitively agree with the idea that the best function of an admissions office is to constitute a class of sufficiently prepared individuals who have a diversity of skills, experiences, knowledge, background, who can all learn from each other. That there is something important about considering things besides test scores and grades things like teacher letters, essays, and backgrounds in a holistic process. Now, in a holistic and fundamentally subjective process not everyone is going to agree with every decision we make. Some people would strike a slightly different balance in terms of class composition. Students who were admitted tend to think the schools that admitted them made the right decision; students who were not admitted quite understandably disagree. Point is: when people bring up hypothetical comparison cases, saying well this person got in, and this person didnt, and thats not a good decision, its really just arguing over the margins. Folks arent really disagreeing with the overall model of holistic admissions. They just dont like the marginal output that any particular iteration of the process might produce. But they all agree in principle.  Because selective college admissions is about finding the right mix of students who will, as a collective, form the best class that can be admitted to that particular university at that particular time. In fact, in a certain sense you could say that our job, as an admissions office, is emphatically not to admit the best students to MIT, but rather to admit those applicants who will become the best MIT students. We are selecting the right mix of ingredients from which MIT graduates will be produced. This is why, incidentally, David put so much emphasis on making the most of your opportunities. Because we dont care about what youve done so far as much as we care about what youre going to do at MIT. As Booker T. Washington wrote: Success is to be measured not so much by the positions that one has reached in life, as by the obstacles one has overcome trying to succeed.   The idea is best understood with a metaphor drawn from my favorite sport of football: MIT isnt the end zone. Its where you get the ball when you start the next drive.

How The NACW Fought Sexism and Racism in Jim Crow Era

The National Association of Colored Women was established in July of 1896  after Southern journalist, James Jacks referred to African American women as â€Å"prostitutes, thieves and liars.† African American writer and suffragette, Josephine St. Pierre Ruffin believed that the best way to respond to racist and sexist attacks was through social-political activism. Arguing that developing positive images of African American womanhood was important to countering racist attacks, Ruffin said, Too long have we been silent under unjust and unholy charges; we cannot expect to have them removed until we disprove them through ourselves. With the help of other notable African American women, Ruffin initiated the merger of several African American women’s clubs including the National League of Colored Women and the National Federation of Afro-American Women to form the first African American national organization. The organizations name was changed in 1957 to the National Association of Colored Womens Clubs (NACWC). Notable Members Mary Church Terrell: first president of the NACWIda B. Wells-Barnett: publisher and journalistMary McLeod Bethune: educator, social leader and eighth president of NACWFrances Ellen Watkins Harper: feminist and poetMargaret Murray Washington: educator and served as the fifth president of the NACW Mission The NACW’s national motto, â€Å"Lifting as We Climb,† embodied the goals and initiatives established by the national organization and carried out by its local and regional chapters. On the organizations website, the NACW outlines nine objectives which included developing the economic, moral, religious and social welfare of women and children as well as enforcing the civil and political rights for all American citizens. Uplifting the Race and Providing Social Services One of the NACWs main focuses was developing resources that would help impoverished and disenfranchised African Americans. In 1902, the organizations first president, Mary Church Terrell, argued: Self-preservation demands that [black women] go among the lowly, illiterate, and even vicious, to whom they are bound to ties of race and sex...to reclaim them.   In Terrells first address as president of the NACW, she said, The work which we hope to accomplish can be done better, we believe, by the mothers, wives, daughters, and sisters of our race than by the fathers, husbands, brothers, and sons. Terrell charged members with the task of developing employment training and fair wages for women while establishing kindergarten programs for young children and recreational programs for older children. Suffrage Through various national, regional and local initiatives, the NACW fought for the voting rights of all Americans. Women of the NACW supported womens right to vote through their work on the local and national level. When the 19th Amendment was ratified in 1920, the NACW supported the establishment of citizenship schools. Georgia Nugent, chair of the NACW Executive Committee, told members, the ballot without intelligence in back of it is a menace instead of a blessing and I like to believe that women are accepting their recently granted citizenship with a sense of reverent responsibility. Standing Up To Racial Injustice The NACW vehemently opposed segregation and supported anti-lynching legislation. Using its publication, National Notes, the organization was able to discuss its opposition to racism and discrimination in society with a wider audience. Regional and local chapters of NACW launched various fundraising efforts after the Red Summer of 1919. All chapters  participated in nonviolent protests and boycotts of segregated public facilities. Todays Initiatives Now referred to as the National Association of Colored Womens Clubs (NACWC), the organization boasts regional and local chapters in 36 states. Members of these chapters sponsor various programs including college scholarships, teenage pregnancy,  and AIDS prevention. In 2010, Ebony magazine named the NACWC as one of the top ten non-profit organizations in the United States.

Analysis Of The Poem I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings

The Time of Renewal â€Å"Here on the pulse of this new day you may have the grace to look up and out and into your sister’s eyes, into your brother’s face, your country and say simply very simply with hope good morning†. Maya Angelou was born on April 4, 1928, in St. Louis, Missouri. She was a writer and civil rights activist, Maya Angelou was well known for her memoir in 1969, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. Maya Angelou made literary history being the very first nonfiction best-seller by an African-American woman. In 1971, Angelou published Just Give Me a Cool Drink of Water Fore I Die that won the Pulitzer Prize-nominated poetry collection. Later, she wrote the poem On the Pulse of Morning â€Å"one of her most famous works which she recited at President Bill Clinton s inauguration in 1993. Angelou received several different honors throughout her career as a writer and civil rights activist, including two NAACP Image Awards in the outstanding literary work (nonfiction) category, in 2005 and 2009. She died on May 28, 2014 and left with a great legacy. â€Å"On the Pulse of Morning† is speaking on survival and renewal. Her poem is very lyrical and inspirational. It allows human beings have the imagination and courage to build up something new instead of tearing down what we have built thus far. This poem declares a positive statement that without a doubt the human race will indeed survive. This poem speaks of love as the answer to our fear - fear of commitment, fear of risk, fearShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of The Poem I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings 1267 Words   |  6 PagesJoy McQueary Ms. Ball AP English Language 16 May 2017 SAHC: J.M. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings â€Å"Wouldn’t they be surprised when one day I woke out of my black ugly dream, and my real hair, which was long and blonde, would take the place of the kinky mass that Momma wouldn’t let me straighten?† (4) A theme in I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings is Angelou’s identity struggle as a black female. During this time in the country, colorism and a European standard taught that having black features wasRead MoreAnalysis Of The Poem I Know Why The Caged Bird Sing And Phenomenal Women 1217 Words   |  5 Pages The importance of Maya Angelou’s, â€Å"I know why the Caged Bird Sing† and â€Å"Phenomenal Women† is the focus of identity, feminism and racism. Throughout these poems, we will see the way she explores the life of women in a male dominated society and the racial segregation between whites and blacks that took place for over hundreds of years. Each poem reflects its own form of identity for both women and African Americans during segregation. Her use of metaphors, symbolism, figure of speech, and imageryRead MoreMaya Angelou655 Words   |  3 Pageseveryone could have equality in the United States. The poem, â€Å"I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings,† by the poet Maya Angelou, uses the following poetic devices: symbolism and lyric that give meaning to poem. The first poetic device that this poem shows is symbolism. Symbolism is when an author or poet uses a person, place, thing or an event to represent something else. An example of 3(1565443) symbolism from the poem would be â€Å"The caged bird sings with fearful trill of the things unknown but longedRead MoreI Know Why The Caged Bird Sings And Still I Rise By Maya Angelou1517 Words   |  7 PagesPoems of Color The poems â€Å" I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings† and â€Å"Still I Rise† by Maya Angelou are both poems that speak on the issues of the mistreatment of African Americans, and how these challenges were created simply by the color of one’s skin and overcome. While the poems â€Å"Mother To Son† and â€Å" Dreams† by Langston Hughes refer to the hopes of African Americans for a better standard of living, and the consequences of departing from these dreams of bettering themselves. This comparison ofRead MoreI Know Why The Caged Bird Sings By Maya Angelou Analysis840 Words   |  4 Pages There is one person that is a civil rights activist, memoirist, a poet and above all a woman, this person is none other than Maya Angelou. Angelou has been a famous American poet since the release of her 1969 autobiography, I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings. Angelou has inspired many people by telling her life story to the public, but not only did she inspire, she also created a very different and personal point of view of the world we live in. The poem’s she has written transition from painRead MoreMaya Angelou : An Influential Voices Of Modern Society Essay1386 Words   |  6 Pagesresulted in the memoir, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, the first non-fiction best seller by an African-American woman. Continuing her success, Maya became the first African-American woman to have her screenplay turned into a film, the Pulitzer Prize nominated film, Georgia, Georgia. Maya Angelou published a total of 7 autobiographies, 3 books of essays and numerous books of poetry over many decades. Her first book of poems to be published, Just Give Me a Cool Drink of Water ‘fore I Diiie, was releasedRead MoreAnalysis Of Maya Angelou s Caged Bird 1835 Words   |  8 PagesPower Because I live in a community with a majority black population, it is very easy to know all of the famous African American people. Growing up with my grandparents, I always heard a lot about the loving Dr. Maya Angelou. She was a tremendous figure in their lives and a phenomenal woman. One day my family was sitting outside, and my mom was reading a book with a lot of famous poems. The one she read aloud was Maya Angelou’s poem â€Å"Caged Bird.† She was so emotional reading this poem. During thatRead MoreWhy Should Anybody Care?1198 Words   |  5 Pages ELA7_SB_U5_L11 Introduction and Objective â€Å"Why should anybody care?† That’s the question of the day! The answer is also how you create an effective concluding section for your essay. You want to make sure your reader understands why they read through your entire essay, and you want them to be happy they spent the time doing it! Today s lesson objective is: Students will write a concluding section that follows from the information or explanation presented. In addition to a strong introductionRead MoreMaya Angelou: A Model Woman Through Influential Literature Essay1708 Words   |  7 Pagescomes from her extraordinary books and poems. Her literature has influenced the young and old with their contents. Maya Angelous literary significance rests primarily upon her exceptional ability to tell her life story as both a human being and a black American woman. She is best known for her series of six autobiographical volumes, which focuses on her childhood and early adult experiences. The first and most highly acclaimed, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings , written in 1969, tells of her firstRead MoreTradition And The Individual Talent944 Words   |  4 Pagesthe people in a particular group, family, society, etc., for a long time.† However the playwright, poet, and critic T.S. Eliot believes tradition in a poetry sense varies through cultures, through time, and it is ever changing. In Eliot’s critical analysis â€Å"Tradition and the Individual Talent† tradition is something considered passed down but in a poetry sense, it is something that is not inherited, it is something that requires great ambition and focus to learn from past poets. A great poet must learn

Balanced Scorecard Development Free Essays

string(86) " related trying to show one as the causation of one another; simply to reach targets\." Abstract The balanced scorecard was introduced in 1992 as a performance measurement tool and has developed now to form a strategic management system. This paper uses eight articles, identified in Figure 1 along with extra materials to track and analyse developments in the design and implementation. The paper shows examples of the scorecard in practice and concludes that developments have been beneficial overall. We will write a custom essay sample on Balanced Scorecard Development or any similar topic only for you Order Now It also highlights problems encountered along the way and further areas for improvement. For years managers have used financial measures to monitor performance however a study carried out in 1990 led to the development of the first generation balanced scorecard (BSC); a strategic planning and management system. By including financial and operational measures,it solved the issue that managers were beginning to reject financial measures during the 1980s and 1990s (Letza, 1996). The BSC originated analysing four perspectives; customer, internal, learning and financial,with focus driven by four questions shown in Figure 2. The BSC encouraged managers to focus on few critical measures to prevent complexity and information overload, however ensured several areas were looked at simultaneously as organisations became more complex (Kaplan Norton, 1992). Choice around the measures allows adaptability and flexibility when using the model. This is vital in order to keep up with global competition and the ever changing environment. Companies must acknowledge this flexibility and as their strategy changes, so must the measures to stay in line with overall aims. The introduction of the BSC coincided with the recession in the 1980’s and 1990’s. Therefore companies will have been more enthusiastic about performance measurement and seen this as a good way to track progress towards strategy, growth and profit. Today, 20 years on, the core perspectives have stayed with the individual measures being adapted and perspectives added depending on the company’s strategic goals. The BSC has evolved from a performance measurement tool enforced by few, to a strategic management tool used worldwide; with the main developments being ‘driven primarily by observed weaknesses in the design process rather than in the architecture of the original idea’ (CobboldLawrie, 2002). Financial measures were satisfactory for the industrial era however adapting to change in skills and competencies allowed the scorecard to produce ‘richer and more relevant information about activities they are managing than is provided by financial measures alone’ (CobboldLawrie, 2002). No individual measure produces adequate information to plan. When planning a journey, the objective is to get from one point to another with lots of dials producing information on the likelihood of succeeding. The fuel gage alone doesn’t set the scene however collectively the measures allow a judgements and decisions to be made. For example, to increase the likelihood of success you may add more oil or fuel. In business with the objective to boost sales you may increase quality and therefore sales. Introducing operational measures to performance measurement, allows these factors be monitored as the drivers of future financial performance. As the number of measures is limited, companies must identify the factors that are key performance drivers in order to achieve successful implementation. With the first generation scorecard, very little was known about the implementation of the BSC. This meant companies were not gaining the full effects of improved performance. ‘What you measure is what you get’ (Kaplan ;Norton, 1992). Therefore if you measure things that have no influence, directly or indirectly to profitability and growth then it will be impossible to improve. Hence the measures must be in line with a company’s strategic objectives. Kaplan and Nortonintroduced the four processes for managing strategy shown in Figure 3 to emphasise the need for the BSC to be linked to strategy, but there was no clarity to the importance and effect of this. Many would have good measures in place such as customer satisfaction but would not analyse this further to improve profitability, therefore a wasted opportunity as there was no real vision of making it happen. The design however, was taken on successfully by many companies as it brought everything together in one clear report. Words were kept minimal and visual aids were used to represent and explain measures. This proved effective as few words paint huge pictures, and people are designed to accept pictures and often remember these better. The BSC also looks at the whole organisation as opposed to separate departments therefore bringing all silos together. Many organisations have individual cultures within each silo and therefore departments are often driven towards targets at departmental level as opposed to overall corporate objectives. Therefore it is crucial that all measures are monitored to ensure that the targets are met through the right objectives, and not at the expense of another. For example the production department may increase productivity leading to more sales and potentially higher profits however the quality may slack causing customer satisfaction to fall. This could cause reputational damage leading customers to go to competitors who offer higher quality. The second generation scorecard expanded on this highlighting filtering and clustering as areas of concern. This took the BSC from the measurement system to an integrated management system while still focussing on strategy and performance drivers. Often this involved relating measures to key performance indicators. The second generation scorecard introduced strategic objectives and developed causality further. This development addressed the issue of an ‘inability to link a company’s long-term strategy with its short term actions’ (Kaplan ; Norton, 1996). Adding phrases to the four perspectivesallowed companies to select measures around their strategic vision. This selection method provided more thoroughness and made implementation clearer and more defined. Causality was included in the first generation scorecard with the four statements shown in Figure 4 but the second generation developed this by indicating relationships between the measures across the perspectives shown in Figure 5; as opposed to just vague links between the perspectives. This increased the urge to ‘prove’ links (Kaplan ; Norton, 1996). This could have been bad for companies as employees may have tried to link movements in the performance measures that weren’t related trying to show one as the causation of one another; simply to reach targets. You read "Balanced Scorecard Development" in category "Essay examples" This would be more common when financial rewards were linked to performance. Even with this is mind, the linkage model became an important part of the BSC design. Introduction of software reporting systems improved managers’ ability to react with fast diagnosis and quick interventions when problems occurred. The early software provided by AT;T, and later by companies including IBM; used email and diary programs to fasten this process. Software caused confusion as many believed it would enable design and implementation of the BSC. However, it is performance management software to use after implementation to ensure performance information gets ‘to the right people at the right time’ (Balanced Scorecard Institute, 2013). As it allowed data to be stored, objectives could be allocated to owners and measures to objectives; allowing managers to make historical comparisons to measure performance accurately over time. It also helped communicate the information effectively and enforced more control and organisation. Some packages allow performance to be measured and tracked at departmental level, project level or the organisation as a whole. This only works if there is strategic alignment throughout the hierarchy. Organisations can then narrow down the specific areas that are underperforming in order to increase focus to improve or divest that part. Although the software has many benefits some find it ‘difficult to adapt to the needs of a growing and dynamic company’ (IBM, 2013). Hence, many prefer to use self-developed software however it sometimes lacks required functions and solutions to the cause and effect; as the specialist skills are not there to develop the program. Difficulties still arose in selecting relevant measures and target setting due to conflicting thoughts amongst management. There was also difficulty communicating the linkage model to lower level staff if they did not already have knowledge of the model. This could cause problems when trying to motivate teams as there will be different interpretations of aims and targets; therefore employees working towards different goals. The late 1990’s saw the third generation and the development of the destination statement (Figure 6) in order to achieve clarification through checking the measures, objectives and targets selected. The destination statement is a form of ‘what if’ analysis that brought the tool closer to company strategy, it’s management and implementation. By estimating quantified amounts of consequences and achievementsfor a set future period; companies could easily compare actual achievements to targets and benchmark against others externally, in the case it was to stick with objectives from the linkage model. For example the destination statement would predict a rate of customer satisfaction for 3 years that you could check back against annually. This will identify under achievements, perhaps where you can enhance quality to boost satisfaction; and over achievements where you can identify what successful policies to keep. Management teams could easily relate to the statement to communicate down the hierarchy in order to gain a single interpretation, as it did not include looking at complex strategic objectives. Therefore a reversal of design as it was seen as an early stage in the process, as opposed to the final,making selection of measures and ausality easier. Companies have proven success without financial measures. Svenska Handelsbanken, while not disclosing use of the BSC; have gone over thirty years with ‘no budgets, no absolute targets, and no fixed plans’ but with specific performance measures in place (Daum, 2001). More recently, in 2003 a new CEO adopted the BSC for Lloyds TSB in order to ‘show employees how their actions impact their colleagues and customers and how this, in turn, translates into our overall performance’ (Lloyds TSB, 2013). This linked objectives of 80,000 employees, emphasizing the advantage of aligning the whole organisation. By involving employees at every level in some aspect of the process generates ‘acceptance of and commitment to the concept’ (Ward, 2005). Implementation proved successful to drive the company towards growth and away from being sales and cost driven, which had caused them to lose their strong market position. ‘The cause and effect chain of events’ was critical for them to see that would drive the revenue up as opposed to just a target of increased sales (Ward, 2005). As Lloyds are large and have overseas staff they could have faced technical and strategic challenges including cultural conflict and difficulties selecting measures. Companies with a diverse workforce should ensure they measure things that can be influenced and changed by employees. Lloyds also highlighted the point that implementation takes time and resources to ensure thoroughness. A tight deadline imposed ‘danger of completing the task while missing the goal’ (Ward, 2005). They recognized the importance employees understanding the concept before implementation so brought in a BSC specialist, who had worked closely with Kaplan and Norton to run seminars and lectures; in order to reduce this danger. Not only do employees need to understand the concept and accept the process; they should include feedback including how many employees see it as motivational and effective. If employees do not enjoy what they are doing they will be inclined to only meet targets and not excel further. The strong focus of the scorecard encourages companies to focus on what they really need to measure as opposed to what is easy to measure; resulting in all decisions being made around the strategy. The BSC changed the way people looked at performance measurement. Previously it was seen as a method to ontrol employees but the tool encourages targets in order for employees to work towards. The idea was that employees would adapt their behaviour accordingly to reach goals; hence giving them more freedom, motivation and involvement in the process. However, some may argue that the focus has shifted too far towards operational matters that there is not financial involvement. Adaptability should allow those com panies to change to their needs. The BSC will vary for each company depending on how dynamic the industry is and what the individual aims and strategy include. Lloyds TSB added a fifth perspective as they felt it was a key driver to the company’s strategic direction. Although there are BSC failures, the advances in the design have allowed more successful implementations over the years. There is now more knowledge and literature available because more companies have adopted this management tool; but more importantly there are significant successes documented for teams to learn from. With corporate social responsibility being so highly regarded nowadays due to greater awareness and regulation, modern scorecards have seen a fifth sub-perspective introduced; environment/external. This shows the broader impact on society than is indicated through the customer perspective; hence giving more in-depth analysis. As long as the process is carefully planned, communicated and regularly monitored it should prove successful however there is always room for improvement with the uncertainty in the ever changing environment. The scorecard, instead of providing single destination outcomes could include risk and probabilities related to various possible outcomes. In conclusion, the economic environment is only going to become more dynamic but the last twenty years has proven that continuous developments should ensure the BSC is kept up to date in order to stay a useful management tool. Figure 1 – Main Articles Used Author| Title| Daum. J| Beyond Budgeting: A Model for Performance Management and Controlling in the 21st Century? | Cobbold. I ; Lawrie. G| The Development of the Balanced Scorecard as a Strategic Management tool| Kaplan. R ; Norton. D| The balanced scorecard – measures that drive performance| Kaplan. R ; Norton. D| Transforming the Balanced Scorecard from Performance Measurement to Strategic Management: Part 1| Kaplan. R ; Norton. D| Using the balanced scorecard as a strategic management system| Letza. S| The design and implementation of the balanced business scorecard| Schneiderman. A| Why Balanced Scorecards Fail| Ward. A| Implementing the Balanced Scorecard at Lloyds TSB| * Full references for the articles are shown in the reference list at the end of this paper* Figure 2 – Four Perspectives for Balanced Scorecard Perspective| Why? | Customer| â€Å"To achieve our vision, how should we appear to our customers? | Internal Business Process| â€Å"To satisfy our shareholders and customers, what business processes must we excel at? â€Å"| Learning and Growth| â€Å"To achieve our vision, how will we sustain our ability to change and improve? â€Å"| Financial| â€Å"To succeed financially, how should we appear to our shareholders? â€Å"| Figure 3 – The Balanced Scorecar d Process Adapted from – Kaplan, R. S. and Norton, D. P. , Using the balanced scorecard as a strategic management system, Harvard Business Review, January-February 1996, 75-85. Available from: http://scholar. google. co. uk [Accessed 23 February 2013] Figure 4 – First Generation Balanced Scorecard Source – Antunes. G et al. , Process improvement measures in social area organisations: A study in institutions for elderly: survey results, The TQM Journal. Available from: http://www. emeraldinsight. com [Accessed 15 February 2013] Figure 5 – Second Generation Balanced Scorecard/Linkage Model Source – Cobbold, I. C. and Lawrie, G. J. G. , 2002. The Development of the Balanced Scorecard as a Strategic Management tool, 2GC Website. Available from: http://www. 2gc. co. uk [Accessed 19 February 2013] Figure 6 – Third Generation Balance Scorecard/Destination Statement Andersen. H. , Effective quality management through third-generation balanced scorecard, International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management, Available from: http://www. emeraldinsight. com [Accessed 21 February 2013] References Andersen. H. , Effective quality management through third-generation balanced scorecard, International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management, Available from: http://www. emeraldinsight. com [Accessed 21 February 2013] Antunes. G et al. , Process improvement measures in social area organisations: A study in institutions for elderly: survey results, The TQM Journal. Available from: http://www. emeraldinsight. com [Accessed 15 February 2013] Balanced Scorecard Institue, 2013. The Balanced Scorecard Technology: Strategic Performance Management Automation. U. S. Balanced Scorecard Institute. Available from: http://www. bala ncedscorecard. org/software/balancedscorecardsoftware/tabid/61/default. aspx Balanced Scorecard Institue, 2013. What is the Balanced Scorecard. U. S. Balanced Scorecard Institute. Available from: http://www. balancedscorecard. org/bscresources/aboutthebalancedscorecard/ tabid/55/default. aspx Cobbold, I. C. and Lawrie, G. J. G. , 2002. The Development of the Balanced Scorecard as a Strategic Management tool, 2GC Website. Available from: http://www. 2gc. co. uk [Accessed 19 February 2013] Daum, J. H. , Beyond Budgeting: A Model for Performance Management and Controlling in the 21st Century? , Controlling finance, July 2002. Available from: http://scholar. google. co. uk [Accessed 4 March 2013] Drury, C. , 2008. Management and Cost Accounting. 7th Edition. London: Cengage Learning. IBM, 2013. Balanced Scorecard Software. U. S. IBM. Available From: http://www-01. ibm. com/ software/analytics/cognos/balanced-scorecard-software. tml IBM, 2013. Innovation Center. U. S. IBM. Available From: http://www-01. ibm. com/software/ data/cognos/innovation-center/advisors. html Kaplan, R. S. and Norton, D. P. , The balanced scorecard – measures that drive performance, Harvard Business Review, January-February 1992, 71-79. Available from: http://scholar. google. co. uk [Accessed 21 February 2013] Kaplan, R. S. and Norton, D. P. , Transforming the Balanced Scorecard from Performance Measurement to Strategic Management: Part 1, American Accounting Association Accounting Horizons, 15 (1), 75-85. Available from: http://scholar. google. co. k [Accessed 23 February 2013] Kaplan, R. S. and Norton, D. P. , Using the balanced scorecard as a strategic management system, Harvard Business Review, January-February 1996, 75-85. Available from: http://scholar. google. co. uk [Accessed 23 February 2013] Letza, S. , 1996. The design and implementation of the balanced business scorecard. Business Process Re-engineering Mangement Journal, 2(3), 54-76. Available from: http://www. emeraldinsight. com [Accessed 15 February 2013] Lloyds Banking Group plc, 2009. Annual Report 2008. United Kingdom: Lloyds Banking Group plc. Available from: http://www. lloydsbankinggroup. om/investors/financial_performance/ company_results. asp#2007 Lloyds Banking Group plc, 2013. Performance Management. United Kingdom. Lloyds Banking Group pl c. Available from: http://www. lloydstsb-annualreport. com/businessreview/our_people/ performance_management/ Schneiderman, A. M. , Why Balanced Scorecards Fail, Journal of Strategic Performance, January 1999, 6-11. Available from: http://scholar. google. co. uk [Accessed 6 March 2013] Ward, A. , Implementing the Balanced Scorecard at Lloyds TSB, Strategic HR Review, 4 (3), 16-19. Available from : http://www. emeraldinsight. com [Accessed 28 February 2013] How to cite Balanced Scorecard Development, Essay examples

Myth Of The Tornadoes Essays - Storm, Tornado, Wind,

Myth Of The Tornadoes Myth of The Tornadoes This was the time when gods ruled the universe and used the earth as their playground. The days where perfect for the month of May. The crops of the people grew fast and healthy, and the soil was rich as gold. The gods were being nice this year but people still knew that June was yet to come, the most dreaded month of the year, for this was the month of tornadoes. The people began preparing early for the treachery of the gods and put whatever they could over their windows to prevent their family from damage from flying debris. They picked their crops and put their livestock in the barn. It was the end of May and the earth was quiet enough for a thunderbolt to be heard over the sea. It was June, Lector and Zore, the gods of the winds, were in their season of destruction. This year Petri, the most powerful god of all, who disliked their petty, but destructive squabbles, told them to stop their fighting and hurting the people. Lector was the wind of the north and Zore was the wind of the south. They were worst enemies, they never ever got along, but this year when Petri said that if they killed more than twenty people they would be tortured for all eternity. At the beginning of June every human being on the world was ready for the tornadoes, but no tornadoes came. The people became confused and thought they were thinking of the wrong season. They were very cautious going about their lives, but after three weeks they became comfortable and started to unpack things. They started to plant the crops, take out the cattle, and take off the things on the windows to let the fresh air in. It was the last week of June, Lector and Zore were doing well, and had hardly argued at all. Petri felt that there would be no problems so he left to go to the other side of the world to see if things were running smoothly. Petri was very smart, so just in case, he left Boomer, the god of speed, in charge. As soon as he left, Lector and Zore got into a huge fight about who was the strongest, so they tried to settle it by having a wind contest. This was something like an arm wrestle but with wind. They kept on tying and no one would win or lose. Both of them got madder and madder and their wind strength got stronger and stronger by the second, which produced the biggest tornado in the whole history of the gods. When they unleashed their fury it was killing ten people a second . Still they kept on fighting and still the tornado grew. By now they were killing thousands of people and even Boomer wasn't strong enough to stop them. He raced to Petri at the other side of the world and told him. Bang! Petri's foot went, hitting the ground out of frustration and making the whole world shake as if a terrible earthquake had happened. He went back to the other side of the world and went before Lector and Zore and he screamed, ?You fools, how could you do this Petri banged their heads together and forced them to stop. For their foolishness Petri put them into wooden boxes with only their heads sticking out and in the boxes he put scorpions which stung them every time they moved. But every June Petri releases them to fight and get their anger out at each other and after they have vented their cooped-up energy, usually around September, Petri puts them back into their boxes and all the people are free to go about their lives in peace. Mythology Essays

Freeman Example

Freeman Example Freeman – Case Study Example Freeman Case-Study The market theory of capitalism, suggested by Milton Friedman majorly presents an opportunity for private ownership of resources. It refers to a state where new owners and firms are at liberty to inject additional funds in the economy with the intended purpose of actualizing new ideas. This theory has often been celebrated as it provides freedom and dynamism for investors because they have the independence to make their own decisions regarding the projects they are to support. Similarly, the theory has been credited because it supports innovation within the economy (Hill et.al 158). The market theory of capitalism on the other hand has been criticized on the basis that it comes with a lot of instability. The instability is in regard to the event that capitalism, if not properly handled can bring about a financial crisis, resulting in job insecurity and slump in the economy. In like manner, the theory has received disapproval for its tendency to favor the wealthy, w hile bringing continuous suffering to the financially disadvantaged within the society. The stakeholder’s framework of business takes into consideration the fact that stakeholders play a very critical role in the success of any project and the administration of any organization. In this regard, it is of great significance for a business to first identify its stakeholders as well as their key interests or issues that they want sorted. Similarly, a business should assess its prevailing status and the roles that are to be played by each of the stakeholders. Adam Smith’s free market economic theory brings in a new perspective, arguing that a market with several buyers and sellers will ensure that resources are not wastefully allocated. Similarly, it recognizes that for the earnings of one party to increase, then the other party must have a reduction in earnings. Works-CitedHill, Ronald P, and Ryan Langan. Handbook of Research on Marketing and Corporate Social Responsi bility. , 2014. Internet resource.

Pope Gregory VI - The Pope Who Bought the Papacy

Pope Gregory VI - The Pope Who Bought the Papacy Pope Gregory VI was also known as: Giovanni Graziano (his birth name); also John of Gratian (the Anglicized version.) Pope Gregory VI was known for: Buying the papacy. Giovanni paid his predecessor, Pope Benedict IX, what is sometimes considered a pension; when Benedict left, Giovanni was recognized as Pope Gregory VI by the cardinals. Gregory is also known for being one of the few popes in history to resign. Occupations: Pope Places of Residence and Influence: Italy Important Dates: Begins papacy: May, 1045Resigned: Dec. 20, 1046Died: At an unknown date in 1047 or 1048 About Pope Gregory VI: When Giovanni Graziano paid his godson a pension to convince him to resign, most scholars agree he did so out of an honest desire to rid the papacy of the dissolute Pope Benedict IX. Unfortunately, as Pope Gregory VI, he achieved little in Rome before Benedict and the antipope Sylvester III returned. The chaos that resulted as each man represented himself as the true pope was too much, and King Henry III of Germany rode south to settle the matter. At a council at Sutri, Italy, Benedict and Sylvester were deposed, and Gregory was convinced to resign the office because his payment to Benedict could be viewed as simony. He left Italy for Germany, where he died not long after. For more about the life and pontificate of Gregory VI, see his Concise Biography. Pope Gregory VI Resources: Concise Biography of Gregory VIPopes Who Resigned Pope Gregory VI on the Web Catholic Encyclopedia: Pope Gregory VIConcise look at Gregory by Horace Mann. Pope Gregory VI in Print The links below will take you to a site where you can compare prices at booksellers across the web. More in-depth info about the book may be found by clicking on to the books page at one of the online merchants. by Richard P. McBrien by P. G. Maxwell-Stuart The PapacyChronological List of PopesMedieval ItalyWhos Who Directories: Chronological Index Geographical Index Index by Profession, Achievement, or Role in Society

Exercise is Good for Your Health Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Exercise is Good for Your Health - Essay Example remote controls, automatic garage door openers, power screwdrivers, bread machines, electric pencil sharpeners, etc., etc. etc. We have created this easy and comfortable life. Unfortunately this trend in workplaces and living areas is taking our lives into pitfalls by making us lethargic and passive. We are going against our health that too, without much realisation. Overuse and overview of these items restricting our diverse physical movements, and still we are calling it as a wonderful life. This wonderful life has many bad implications due to lack of regular physical activity. To slip into an inactive lifestyle is very easy. Irony is that, do we really want our life to be dull, lazy with all ill health effects Id like to tell you in detail why Im so concerned about our inactivity. I would like you to show how exercise can pay off? This would persuade you to go out and do some exercise. A. Cardiovascular disease is the second leading cause of mortality worldwide, is caused by lack of enough exercise. Clogged arteries and veins are a result of inactivity. Our sedentary lifestyle is a major contributing factor, which increase chances of high blood pressure. It is estimated that in the UK, about 36% deaths in men are from heart disease and in women this number goes to 38%. And these deaths are associated with physical inactivity (http://www.sscn.nhs.uk/Your%20Heart/Exercise.htm). B. Our eating habits like fat diet and our failure to exercise our body leads to unwanted overweight. U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has estimated 400,000 obesity-related deaths annually in United States in 2004 (Sullum, 2006). High fat diet produces high levels of cholesterol in our blood, which in turns leads to plaque in our arteries. Overweight people have high risk of high blood pressure, heart disease and psychological illness (factual example - Camenzind). C. The incidences of bad implications of sedentary

Managerial complexity in project based operation Essay

Managerial complexity in project based operation - Essay Example The decision to undertake any meaningful project comes with a lot of challenging complexities that the project manger has to overcome to achieve success.Attempts to get a single concise definition for the term managerial complexity have virtually failed because there are no specific tools to measure levels of complexity of individual project. The Rational Rhapsody observes that â€Å"Levels of complexity can be measured in all kinds of ways, including the number of team members or components, complexity of the design, integration of legacy code, type of content management used, and geographical distribution of the team.† The complexity of projects varies in demand and input. However, an attempt to give a concise measure of complexity has been done by Carver et al (2008). In doing this, Kailash (2008) observes that the writers â€Å"present a qualitative empirical model which captures both structural (static) and dynamic elements of   managerial complexity in projects.† The major themes introduced in the model are structural complexity and dynamic complexity. Structural complexity The Carvers model tries to make the understanding of the structural complexity of project management look easier by introducing a model that serves as the benchmark for determining the complexity of the structure of every project. In determining the structural complexity of a project, the writers put forth five (5) major dimensions from which the structural complexity of a project would be measured. The five dimensions, Mission, Organisation, Delivery, Stakeholders and Team. These are dimensions that help in determining the structural complexity of managing a project. Since the model helps in determining the structural complexity of a project, it is referred to as structural complexity model. To make it easier to remember the dimensions upon which the structural complexity is determined, an acronym, MODeST was developed to represent the first letter of each of the dimen sions and the first two letters of ‘delivery’ in the dimension. The model represents an empirical basis for measuring the complexity of projects globally. This is because typical challenges faced by complexity in project and programme environments in the management of all major projects around the world can be measured on the basis the dimensions of MODeST. Project managers are putting behind traditional project management strategies to get adapted to the realities of the structural complexity as proposed by Carvers et al (2008). â€Å"Until now, project management has lagged behind other corporate processes in its quest for simplicity while global entities have embraced complexity, even chaos† (Management Concepts, 2011). A typical real life example can be given with the setting up of an iPhone industry. With the establishment of an iPhone industry as a case study, such an industry follows the structure of MODeST as discussed above. To with, the company starts w ith a mission, starting their aims and objectives for venturing into business. These aims and objectives lays bare their vision and what they want to get out of the establishment of the business. As part of their mission, there is scale of operation which includes long timescale. Stating a mission would of course not be complete or valid without stating what possible uncertainties and constraints are there to be face. Some of these constraints include legal acquisition of licence. Such as business are would also put an organisational structure in place. As part of their organisation, the company would specify time frame of operation, trade or market space, and possible restructuring that would have to take place in the company either immediately or in the nearest future. Next, the industry will consider their delivery mode after production starts. To do this, they get an administration and management in place to take care of all duties that has to do with major decision making. Ther e would also be a mapping strategy to determine the project

Copper: Structure, Functions and Chemistry

Copper: Structure, Functions and Chemistry COPPER (I) Copper has played a significant role in the history of human civilization, he was the first metal produced on a larger scale and used for practical purposes. Copper has been used by humans since ancient times, in the oldest antiquity and almost certainly soon after gold and argint. Archeologists discovered objects of this metal dating from 8700 BC, the occurrence of copper, much tougher and cheaper than gold and argint, expand the uses and the manufacture of weapons and various utensils (especially plows), thus making a significant jump in history: the transition from the Stone Age to the Bronze Age. Copper is one of the chemical elements of the base, a metal which pure has orange-red color and has a high electrical and thermal conductivity. Distinctive color of the copper, reddish, has made as first people to use him in creating jewelry and tools. Currently it is used to create a variety of products (cables, cooking pots and pans, tubes and pipes, car radiators, etc..), and pigm ent and preservative for paper, paint, textile and wood. Can also be used in various combinations, with zinc produce brass and with tin produces bronze . In the Earths crust, copper reserves are estimated to be about 70 parts per million, which puts them among the top four of the Earth reserves. Copper is found in its natural state, but most are in the mineral reserves, of which the most important are chalcopyrite and bornite. From the point of view of the spread in nature, copper may be found either in the native form (pure or bonded) or be in the form of compounds or minerals. After existing information, the copper was discovered in the year 6000 BC, by a people living in Turkestan or on the southern slope of the Caucasus. From here emerged in Mesopotamia, Egypt, Crete and eventually in Europe. Judging after the old copper objects found, it can be said that this metal has emerged in Egypt 5,000 years BC and then, after a millennium, in the region between the Tigris and Euphrates, where the Sumerian civilization developed. In Egypt, on the pharaoh time Turmes, the copper was exploited in Sinai Peninsula and was known as Komt. Copper ores used by ancient peoples came from Asia Minor and the Cypru. Also, the great philosopher of antiquity, Aristotle (330 BC) wrote that in India there is a kind of copper that can not distinguish gold than by weight (it been easier). The first large deposits of copper ore were discovered about 3000 BC, in the island of Cyprus in the Mediterranean.There is evidence that the Greeks and then the Romans extracted copper from Cyprus (since 1500 BC). When the Romans conquered Cyprus, the Romans brought copper almost entirely from Cyprus, so they called him, Cyprium, metal of Cyprus, then shortened to cyprium and later at cuprum. In South America, the findings showed that there were copper objects from 500 BC along the north coast of Peru. A development in copper processing was done when the Inca empire fell, it being conquered by the Spanish in the 1500s. Regarding the United States, the first copper mine is known in Connecticut (Branby) in 1705, followed by Pennsylvania (Lancaster) in 1732. However, production of copper objects was based on copper imported from Chile until 1844, when were discovered large deposits of copper ore, high quality, around Lake Superior. With the development of techniques for processing by the late 1800s, began exploiting the copper ore lower quality in large mines open in the western United States. The biggest piece of elemental copper found in nature weighed 420 tonnes and was found in 1857 in the Keweenaw Peninsula of Michigan, USA. Copper-containing minerals, such as chalcopyrite, Azurite, malachite, copper is present in the earths crust at a concentration of 50 parts per million, and constituted 0.01% of the. Most of copper removed from the mine is in the form of compounds such as sulfides or sulfates. Today, copper ores (copper sulfides, oxides and carbonates) are found in the USA and Canada, as well as several other places (in more than 50 nations). Should be noted, however, about half of the amount of copper in the world comes dinChile and the United States. New Mexico, Nevada, and Montana are states that give the largest amount of copper (about 98 percent) in the United States. World production of copper is about 12 million tons per year and the reserves are about 300 million tons, and is projected to be only for another 25 years. Strongest copper manufacturers, top two are United States and Chile, followed by Canada, Peru, Australia, Russia, China and Indonesia. About 2 million tons of copper per year are recovered through recycling process. With 2000 years BC, the copper was used only in the manufacture of bronze, and later on making some ornaments and copper combinations of coloring glass in blue (used as a precious stone, rings, brooches and so on). Objects of copper with the greatest seniority were found in areas with historical significance, eg Chaldea, Egypt, Assyria, Phoenicia and America. Thus the oldest objects found in northern Iraq, beads native copper (nuggets), dating from about 9000 BC, and various tools for processing of copper, made in about 5000 BC. In the New World copper objects were used by Native Americans as early as 2000 BC. In China was used to create bells. Later, the copper has been widely used in various alloys as bronze and brass (copper zinc) Èâ„ ¢i copper tin zinc. As bronze, was used to make cutlery, coins, tools, art and various bronze vessels. Copper alloys have been strong enough to be used in guns and cannons, and was known as †gun metal†. Homer wrote of weapons made of copper. Around the year 900 BCE, copper salts have been used for painting had expensive homes, being combined with clay and lime later. The alloy of copper and nickel (cupronickel) was the preferred metal for coins, bronze coins first appeared in Egypt, between 430-322 BC, and is now used this alloy for achieving U.S. coins. Because he was one of the main metals (together of gold and silver ), copper came to the attention of the alchemists, who called Venus, after the planet that regarded represented by copper. It is now widely used like bronze and brass in construction, truss building, roofing, heating and plumbing systems. Also, the copper is used heavily for electrical equipment (60%), almost every electrical device (electric clocks, stoves, portable CD players, and electricity transmission wires) is based on copper, because it has a high electrical conductivity and cheap. It is well known that older telephone lines were made à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¹Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¹of thick copper wire packages, computers have copper circuit boards. Some copper alloys are used as pesticide for insects and rodents. Also, Copper alloys are found used in a variety of compounds: battery fluid, in fireproof, fabric paints, food additives for farm animals; fireworks (bright emerald color); The copper alloys underpin the manufacture of ceramics and enamels, photographic film, the different pigments and marine paints, as well as metals conservation, water purification, and wood protection. Using copper compounds, can also be undertaken and semi precious stones, such as turquoise (vary in color from green to blue) and malachite. Physical properties are usually those that can be observed using our senses such as color, luster, freezing point, boiling point, melting point, density, hardness and odor. A disc of copper (99.95% pure) In its solid state, of metal, copper has with a face-centered cubic crystalline structure, and is reddish, this color is the main property after which differs from the other elements. Copper color reflects red and orange light and absorbs other frequencies in the visible spectrum, due to its band structure. The copper crystal (cubic, face-centered) is lacking the presence of polymorphism. Usually, most of the inorganic compounds and organic compounds of copper are blue in color, although some may be green or greenish. Very interesting are his properties,to form compounds by green color (carbonate, chloride, etc.), Black (oxide) or blue (sulfate and hydroxide). One of the disadvantages of copper is the phenomenon of Cocle (greening), which can be often observed on old vessels and coins. Together with osmium (blue) and gold (golden yellow), the copper is one of three elemental metals has natural color other than gray or silver. Pure copper is orange-red and acquires a reddish stain when exposed to air, and will be green later. Cooper has a high melting point (1083 °C), which cause limited use to the pure metal. It can easily combine with other metals: Zn, Sn and Ni, forming alloys: brass, bronze,constantan, with improved properties and low melting points. He has a shine or glow, and his boiling point is 2595 °C. Its density is 8.96 grams per cubic centimeter. Copper is a very soft metal with a hardness of 3 on the Mohs scale (50 scale Vickers), tensile strength stood at 210 MPa, but is quite resistant to breaking, and very ductile (can be drawn into wires) and can be molded at high pressure. Both copper and its alloys have a very high pliability (can be drawn in thin sheets), and are very easy to process. However, the ductility of copper is extremely favorable, thus being able to obtain very thin copper wire, called strands (they used in the past, fuses). It is malleable, ductile, and an extremely good conductor of both heat and electricity. It is softer than zinc and can be polished to a bright finish . Is similar to the thermal conductivity of silver (silver 1 to 0.93), and much higher than other common metals. Precisely because of this property, copper pipe is used to transfer heat. However, the conductivity of copper is decreased when cooper is impure; when cooper contain the impurities of 0.1% of elements such as phosphorus, arsenic, silicon or iron, the conductivity may lower even by 20%. Therefore, electrotechnics uses only pure copper electrolyte. Like all metals, if copper is plated with another metal, begin galvanic corrosion process. Chemical properties Atomic number of copper is 29, and is found in group 11 of the periodic table, together with silver and gold, and has symbol Cu. Relative atomic mass is 63.546. The valence of copper is essentially 1 or 2 (a rare form copper compounds and salts of oxidation state 1, and 2, which are commonly called cuprous or cupric salts), although less may be even 3 . It is found in Group 11, Period 4 of the periodic table. Copper isotope 6429Cu electronic shell electron, 29 protons and 35 neutrons in the nucleus. Thanks to its electronic structure, copper may transfer an electron located on the last layer, forming ion CuI. Who ion combinations are stable. Copper can give, besides the electron located on the last layer, another electron, which is on the penultimate layer, forming ions CuII Copper does not react with water, but reacted slowly with the ambient air, as a result of this reaction, the copper surface to form a green layer of oxidized copper. In contrast to the oxidation of iron in moist air, this oxide layer stops the corrosion; a layer of green verdigris (copper carbonate) can be seen on old copper constructions, such as the Statue of Liberty, the largest copper statue world. Most copper salts are hygroscopic. Copper presents magnetic conductivity. Isotopes Copper has 29 isotopes; two of them, 63Cu and 65Cu are stable, and isotope 63Cu represents 69% of all natural copper. The other isotopes 27 are unstable (radioactive); the most stable of the radioactive is 67 Cu with half-life by 61.83 hours. Seven other isotopes have been characterized; between radioactive isotopes, it remark 63Cu, which emit positive beta radiation, resulting the isotopes of nickel, while the 65Cu isotope, with beta negative radioactive emissions, has results zinc isotopes. It should be noted that although it is a metal, copper is an essential element of life. It is found in all tissues of the body, but most of the copper found in the liver, and small quantities are found in the brain, heart, kidney and muscle. As beneficial effects, copper helps the body to use iron in the blood, reducing free radicals actions on tissues. Consuming foods copper may also prevent certain diseases or disabilities, such as allergies, baldness, AIDS, leukemia, osteoporosis and stomach ulcers. With iron (another metal), the copper assists in the synthesis of red blood cells. But it must be noted that copper does not break down in the environment, so it can be accumulated by plants and animals. This means that where there is copper in large quantities, it can develop only a limited number of plants, which adversely affect the work of agricultural land according to soil acidity and the presence of organic matter. However, manure containing large copper, is still applied on fields farm. Also, copper negatively influence activity of microorganisms and earthworms, which implies a slow decomposition of organic matter. Cupric salts are very powerful poisons for algae and fungi. Therefore, impregnate wood sulphate or copper naphthenate, to avoid the mushrooms and sprinkled vineyards, against blight, with a solution of copper sulphate mixed with lime. Copper has played a significant role in the history of human civilization, it the first metal produced on a larger scale and used for practical purposes. Copper is, after iron, the metal most used. After ones set, we find that the copper is a very common substance that occurs naturally in the environment and people use extensively. Apply in industry and agriculture, which made as à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¹Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¹copper production to increase over the last decades.

Egypt’s Culture and Political System Essay

The Egyptian culture is considered one of the oldest cultures in human history. Surprisingly, it almost has some of gender equality except that it needs more to consider, in order achieving the third Millennium Development Goal, which talks of achieving gender equity/equality and women empowerment by 2015. I would recommend that the Egyptian constitution considers enacting and/or passing several legislations in favor of women and as well give recognition to the informal market sector, where bulks of the women are making meaningful contribution to the economy. I would also recommend that this ancient nation and culture acknowledges the home, where the men considerably have all the major decision making powers. I am of the conviction that women make sound and major decisions as well and can provide better and transformation ideas, realizing the remarkably undeniable work of the women of Liberia during the civil war. I believe that if our generation begins to identify the errors of past generations, relative to gender-related issues, and if we address those issues in more formal ways by beginning to give women their rightful places in society; ensuring that opportunities and privileges are equally and equitably distributed, our world can be the most enjoyable place even for generations unborn. In an effort to do this, we must begin with an identification of the problems as stated above, discuss them thoroughly as a way of enabling us to craft or design ideas that would amicably resolve them for the better of our general world, beginning with the Egyptian society. In Egypt the political system of policies and regulations of its political structure is based on its fundamental laws and practices. Most of which shows how the Egyptian government positions its power on the state and the society it governs. Egypt started out being a Republic adopting a democratic system. This system  defines the way i n which it uses its public authority. There are basically six parts to this system. The first is the constitutional system. There was a constitution of the Arab Republic of Egypt in 1971 that was used but then had a written amendment to it in 1980. The actual amendment had commonality in the English Common Law which came from the Napoleonic Code. It simply explains that Egypt declares it’s self as an Arab Republic with a democratic system. The second part is called the Executive Branch. The president is called the Head of State. The head of state is selected by a minimum one-third majority of the Majlis ash-Sha’ab, which is the â€Å"People’s Assembly. The People’s Assembly must approve by a minimum of two-thirds and have to be elected by a majority referendum. The election term is for six years with the possibility for re-election with conditional reasons for return. Putting into to play the general state policy is made up and supervised by the Head of State. He also rules the Armed Force. The last elected president of the republic was Mohammed Hosni Mubarak. The supreme executive and administrative organ of the State is the government; they are comprised of the Council of Ministers. This is ruled by the Prime Minister and he is the overseer of the work of the government. The highest part of the government is the Executive and administrative part of the Egyptian Republic is the Council of Ministers. The Ministers are together responsible for the policy and procedure of the State before the People’s Assembly, every Minister is responsible for the performance of his Ministry and is held to accountability to do so. The Parliament has great power as well. They have the power to withdraw confidence from the Cabinet or from any Cabinet member and leave them powerless. The fourth part of this system is the Legislative Branch. This branch of the Egyptian Parliament is a reflection in character and consists of the People’s Assembly, or Majlis El-Shaab and the Advisory Council or Majlis El-Shourah. â€Å"The People’s Assembly is the legislative branch of the State consisting of 444 directly elected members and 10 members appointed by the President, who serve for a term of five years. It has the power to approve the general policy, new laws, the budget and the development plans of the government. It also has the authority to undertake investigations and to levy taxes, besides appointing the Presidential candidate and passing a vote of no-confidence in the cabinet. The Advisory Council with 140 members, out of which 70 members  are nominated by the President, is Egypt’s consultative council. It offers advices and consultation and proposes to the Assembly new laws and regulations† (Haas, F. 2008). The fifth part of the system is the Judicial Branch. The Judicial branch System was brought into the country introduced into the country in 1854 and predicated on the English common law, Islamic law, and Napoleonic codes system to go through for four categories of courts of justice. Almost like the United States the highest judicial body is the Supreme Constitutional Court, the Court of Cessation. There are seven courts of Appeal in the various systems, and the Summary Tribunals in the districts are the principal court system in Egypt. It guarantees the independence of the judicial system. The fifth system is the Party of Power. This system is ruled on a multi-party system. â€Å"The Law 40 of 1977 regulates the development of political parties in Egypt. Though there is currently 17 active political parties representing various stands across the political spectrum, the law prohibits the creation of religious-based political parties in the state. Presently the National Democratic Party holds the majority of seats in the People’s Assembly† (History. 2012). The sixth system is the local government. This is headed by a Governor who is appointed by the President which is very different as to how they are selected in the US. â€Å"Egypt is administratively divided into 26 Governorates. Within their districts, local government units establish and run all public utiliti es, provide services and designate industrial areas. Working closely at various levels with local government is the Local Popular Councils. The basics: Egypt is a large, mostly Arab, mostly Muslim country. At around 80 million people, it has the largest population in the Middle East and the third-largest in Africa. Most of Egypt is in North Africa, although the part of the country that borders Israel, the Sinai Peninsula, is in Asia. Its other neighbors are Sudan to the South, Libya to the West, and Saudi Arabia across the Gulf of Aqaba to the East. It has been was ruled by Hosni Mubarak since from 1981 until February 11th†( Pew Research Center 2011, November 17). As to what is going on today in Egypt. There has been fierce protest in Egypt that has been promoted by the recent protests in which led to the fall of the Tunisian government as well as getting rid of longtime Tunisian dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. The Egyptians have gathered momentum to get support of other protesters across the Arab world in Algeria, notably in  protesting their autocratic governments, high levels of corruption, and grinding pove rty. This is a big reason Why Egyptians unhappy and disturbed about the government. They feel they have no basic freedom than Tunisians. â€Å"Egypt is ranked 138th of 167 countries on The Economist’s Democracy index, a widely accepted measure of political freedom. That ranking puts Egypt just seven spots ahead of Tunisia. And Egyptians are significantly poorer than their cousins to the west† (Mislan, D. 2012). How did this all start? These protests started with the protests in Tunisia. Just like their Tunisian counterparts, â€Å"Egyptian protesters have pointed to a specific incident as inspiration for the unrest. Many have cited the June 2010 beating death of Khaled Said, allegedly at the hands of police, as motivation for their rage. But it’s also clear that the issues here are larger† (Prager, D. 2012). This seems to be complicated for the US more than Tunisia was. The â€Å"Tunisian regime was a key ally for the US in the fight against Al Qaeda. But the US government’s ties to Tunisia’s Ben Ali pale in comparison to American ties to Egypt. Shadi Hamid of the Brookings Institution, a centrist think tank, explains: Predictions that a Tunisia-like uprising will soon topple Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak are premature the Egyptian regime, with its well-paid military, is likely to be more unified and more ruthless than its Tunisian counterparts were. The U.S. is the primary benefactor of the Egyptian regime, which, in turn, has reliably supported American regional priorities. After Iraq, Afghanistan, and Israel, Egypt is the largest recipient of U.S. assistance, including $1.3 billion in annual military aid. In other words, if the army ever decides to shoot into a crowd of unarmed protestors, it will be shooting with hardware provided by the United States. As Steven Cook of the Council on Foreign Relations points out, the Egyptian military is â€Å"not there to project power, but to protect the regime (History. 2012)†. There was a movement started in Egypt called the Egyptian Movement for Change (EMC). It also has another name called, Kefaya which in English means â€Å"Enough†. This came about in 2004. Almost immediately its importance to Egyptian political life was recognized, though not understood. Both Egyptian and Western analysts have mischaracterized the movement. Interpretations have been too narrow, focusing on specific details and ignoring the movement’s broad vision, or too broad, mistaking Kefaya for a generic social movement in the Western mode. All such approaches fail to  appreciate Kefaya’s real contribution. This essay argues that Kefaya’s significance lies in its transformative potential as a broad political force that is uniquely suited to the needs of the moment in Egypt. It is at once a cross-ideological force that has the potential, in the long run, of creating a new mainstream and a movement of a new kind that is creating a distinctive and promis ing form of politics for Egypt. Egypt’s political system has reached a dead end in the early twenty-first century. The opposition political parties are locked in their headquarters, unable to communicate with the public. Virtually acquiescing to the siege of an arsenal of restrictive laws, these political parties have for years suffered from an increasingly diminishing membership, a lack of operational funds, and internecine internal feuds. The â€Å"illegality† of the Muslim Brothers (MB) has paradoxically liberated that organization from restrictions that come with governmental licensing. However, the ideology, posture, secrecy, and political tactics of the grassroots-based MB engender the mistrust of many political forces, including some Islamists. At the same time, the secularist-Islamist polarization hinders the possibility of reaching any meaningful consensus on critical issues. This blockage is not lost on the regime, the clear beneficiary of such divisions among its adversaries, and it does not augur well for the future of the brothers in a lead role in shaping Egyptian political life. Amid this political disarray, a new generation of Egyptians holds the promise for transforming politics in Egypt. They have found a home and an instrument in Kefaya and in the process have invented a new form of politics. Their innovations are historically grounded on the specifics of Egypt’s political life in recent decades. Unique Egyptian circumstances have shaped their experiences, aspirations, and vision for the future. With the seething political discontent on the one hand and the ideologically based mistrust and mutual exclusion among the political forces on the other, Egypt needs today, more than ever, a new form of politics that pulls together diverse ideas from across the political spectrum to forge a new national project. For more than a decade, a group of activists and intellectuals have interacted across ideological lines to reach a common ground. Kefaya emerged as one manifestation of these efforts and as an important illustration of the possibilities of this new politics.  While such collaborative work across ideological lines is not unique in democratic experiences around the world, Kefaya represents the first successful effort of that sort in modern Egyptian politics. This essay, based on primary sources, including open-ended interviews, statements, newspaper articles, and reports, as well as unpublished documents, is composed of three main parts. The first part explains in more detail the reasons why Kefaya has been widely mischaracterized; the second illustrates why and how Kefaya represents a new force with the potential of creating a new mainstream; and the third explores the new politics invented by Kefaya. There has been Misunderstanding Kefaya Since its early days, there have been various critical interpretations of Kefaya by politicians and intellectuals alike, at times citing deficiencies in the movement’s profile, actions, and approach, while at other times dismissing the movement outright as being a â€Å"foreign puppet† or the pastime of â€Å"a bunch of kids.† The most serious and widely noted critique of Kefaya is that it has been essentially a mere protest movement, targeting President Mubarak personally, without putting forward an alternative candidate or articulating a constructive vision for political transformation. The critique along these lines has gained more momentum since the 2005 presidential election. Because Kefaya’s main slogan expressed the rejection of a fifth term for Mubarak as well as the succession of his son, the argument goes that Kefaya lost its raison d’etre with the end of the election. â€Å"Except for rejecting the election results, symbolized by the slogan of ‘Batel’, nothing new was produced.† When Kefaya played a leading role in the formation of the National Front for Change on the eve of the subsequent parliamentary elections, it was criticized as passing the torch to the old opposition parties, the very same entities whose inaction it has been formed to face. (Haas, F. 2008)†.The EMC had been â€Å"dragged into sitting together with the leaders of the tamed opposition, instead of putting forward a demand for changing the electoral system.† While critics clearly question Kefaya’s contribution to Egyptian politics, even the more positive assessments of the EMC mischaracterize it. For example, the American Left sees Kefaya as the beginning of â€Å"the process of rebuilding an Egyptian Left crushed by decades of police oppression† and a reverse of its â€Å"political marginalization caused by the rise of political Islam (Haas, F. 2008)†. Some Egyptian analysts as well characterize Kefaya  as a â€Å"secular† protest movement and thereby implicitly expect its role to be the containment of the Islamists. Kefaya has been so widely misunderstood in the West as well as among the Western-educated elite in Egypt because of the reliance on Western social scientific classifications, notably the social movement literature, to make sense of a phenomenon emerging from the very different Egyptian context. This shortcoming is compounded by looking at Kefaya with an ideologically selective eye. While Kefaya has indeed demonstrated several of the characteristics highlighted in the literature on new social movements, it is neither single issue oriented nor concerned with identity two of the most important features of new social movements. Shoehorning Kefaya into a category derived from the experience of postindustrial societies obscures more than it illuminates. Nevertheless, the concept of the new social movement comes closest to capturing certain features of Kefaya. The movement is one of dissent, aiming in a constant and persistent endeavor toward the transformation of Egypt.4 It is a loose network of small groupings around the country. Like social movements, it aims at generating public attention and has emerged from a realization of the perils involved in conventional party politics in Egypt, marked by debilitating restrictions and dilemmas. In other words, Kefaya emerges out of realization that the institutional channels are neither neutral nor amenable to the demands for change. However, unlike conventional social movements and because of the specific necessities of the Egyptian context, Kefaya is not focused on a single issue. The same, incidentally, is true of the Islamic movement whose platform also embraces a range of issues. In addition to the breadth of the issues addressed by Kefaya, the movement is ideologically diverse. In this way, it differs from the Islamic movement. While the latter has a concrete ideology shaping its project, Kefaya goes beyond any single ideology to be the only movement in contemporary Egypt that emerged out of serious political interactions across ideological lines. Approaching Kefaya through the prism of the social movement literature, with its American scholarship emphasis on resource mobilization and political processes, blinds analysis to this distinctive feature, which is in fact one of the most important contributions of Kefaya to Egypt’s political life. There is concern about the momentum behind Egypt’s emergency law, and what it means for progress both the incredible progress that has already been  made and the equally incredible progress that has yet to be made. There is concern about the treatment and status of the Copts and other members of the Christian Egyptian minority. There is concern about the security of the Egyptian–Israeli border and about relations between the two countries in general. There is concern that the progress that has been made thus far could actually lead to a reversal of Egypt’s progress, should the freedom to elect lead to a government that constricts the freedom of the Egyptian people even more than we have seen over the past 30 years And the list could go on. Indeed, there is no shortage of things about which to worry. There is a fine line between worrying and believing. Similarly, there is a fine line between two, seemingly contradictory, truths: Some degree of discontent with our present circumstances is healthy and necessary, because discontent fuels progress; at the same time, being happy requires that we make a point of being happy wherever we are. There is a fine and difficult line between making the best of our current reality and not giving up. It is necessary to think through all possible outcomes, including the undesirable and even the remote ones. Both worrying and believing are the result of thinking. Worry and anxiety result from focusing on undesirable outcomes no matter how probable or improbable. Belief, on the other hand, is the result of focusing on the best possible outcomes again, no matter how probable or improbable. Whereas worrying fuels panic and skepticism, believing fuels faith and hope. Positive action rarely results from the chaos, fear, or feelings of scarcity that often accompany worry. Faith and hope lead to trust and courage; and trust and courage lead to positive, prosaically action. So, yes, there does seem to be a great deal to worry about right now. Even still, if there’s even the remotest possibility that believing instead of worrying will lead to continued progress, and then it seems to me that believing is what we have to do. Positive Psychology has been described by Martin Seligman and others as the science of what makes life worth living; of what is working for individuals, families, communities, and society more broadly. The Positive Psychology experiment with which we are now charged is to, together, choose belief over worry. At least between now and Egypt’s presidential election, let us together make a conscious, deliberate decision to focus on what is working and how it can lead to the best possible future for Egypt and for the world as a whole. References Mislan, D. (2012). Cross Cultural Perspectives. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc. Haas, F. (2008). German Science and Black Racism–Roots of the Nazi Holocaust. FASEB Journal, 22(2), 332-337. History. (2012). Germany Country Review, 7-14. Ninkovich, F. (2001). The United States and Imperialism. Wiley-Blackwell. Pew Research Center. (2011, November 17). The American-Western European Values Gap. Retrieved fromhttp://www.pewglobal.org/2011/11/17/the-american-western-european-values-gap/ Prager, D. (2012). Still the Best Hope: Why the World Needs American Values to Triumph. HarperCollins.