Floods in India Essay Example for Free

Floods in India Essay Floods are caused by weather phenomena and events that deliver more precipitation to a drainage basin than can be readily absorbed or stored within the basin. Acre-foot. Volume of water required to cover 1 acre of land (43,560 square feet) to a depth of 1 foot; equivalent to 325,851 gallons. Cubic feet per second (ft? /s). A unit of measurement expressing rates of  discharge. One cubic foot per second is equal to thedischarge  of a stream of rectangular cross section, 1 foot wide and 1 foot deep, flowing water an average velocity of 1 foot per second. Equivalent to 448. 8 gallons per minute. Discharge. Rate of flowa volume of fluid passing a point per unit time, commonly expressed in  cubic feet per second, million gallons per day, or gallons per minute. Drainage basin. A part of the surface of the Earth that is occupied by a drainage system, which consists of a surface stream or a body of impounded  surface water  together with all tributary surface streams and bodies of impounded  surface water. Land area drained by a stream or river. Flash flood. The result of heavy or excessive amounts of rainfall within a short period of time, usually less than 6 hours, causing water to rise and fall quite rapidly. Flood. An overflow or inundation that comes from a river or other body of water and causes or threatens damage. Any relatively high  streamflow  overtopping the natural or artificial banks in any reach of a stream. Flood frequency. Refers to a flood level that has a specified percent chance of being equaled or exceeded in any given year. For example, a 100-year flood occurs  on average  once every 100 years and thus has a 1-percent chance of occurring in a given year. Flood plain. A strip of relatively flat-lying land that borders a stream and is underlain by sediment carried by the stream and dropped in the slack water beyond the influence of the swiftest current. Flood stage. The  stage  at which overflow of the natural  streambanks  begins to cause damage in the reach in which the elevation is measured. Flood stages for each USGS gaging station are usually provided by the National Weather Service. Gage datum. An arbitrary datum plane that is established for a particular gaging station to which water-surface elevations can be compared. Gage height. See  Stage. Gaging station. A site on a stream, canal, lake, or reservoir where systematic observations of gage height or waterdischarge  are obtained by a gage, recorder, or similar equipment. Peak stage. The maximum height of a water surface above an established datum. Same as peak gage height. Precipitation. Rain, snow, hail, or sleet. Real-time data. Data collected by automated instrumentation and telemetered and analyzed quickly enough to influence a decision that affects the monitoring system. Recurrence interval. The average interval of time within which the magnitude of a given event, such as a flood, will be equaled or exceeded one time. Stage. The height of a water surface above an established datum. Used interchangeably with gage height. Streambank. The margins of a stream channel. Banks are called right and left as viewed facing the direction of flow. Streamflow. The discharge or flow that occurs in a natural channel. Although the term discharge can be applied to the flow of a canal, the word streamflow uniquely describes the discharge in a surface stream course. Surface runoff. That part of the runoff that travels over the soil surface to the nearest stream channel. It also is defined as that part of the runoff of a drainage basin that has not passed beneath the surface following precipitation. Surface water. Water on the surface of the Earth. Water year. The water year deals with the surface-water supply for a 12-month period, October 1 through September 30. The water year is designated by the calendar year in which it ends and which includes 9 out of the 12 months. Thus, the year ending September 30, 1999, is called the 1999 water year. NOTE:  Some definitions were excerpted from other sources. Terms 1. Current and historic stream water levels are reported as stage above a gage datum or as water-surface elevation above sea level. which is the addition of the stage to the gage datum.

French Speaking Canadians In The Province Of Quebec History Essay

French Speaking Canadians In The Province Of Quebec History Essay Language has always been the symbol of identity and assimilation. Today no other issue is posing the great danger to the Canada as in the prospect of Quebec sovereignty due to language and identity. This article describes the Quebec situation in terms of language and identity issue. In this article factors that lead to the adoption of Charter in Canadas parliament about the French Language in Quebec in 1977 is discussed. Quebecois were worry about being minorities in their own territories, where they have majority. Mainly after 1960s, the Francophone has held discriminatory feelings of fear and confidence. The fear of being weakened and dying as language and identity of distinct people and the confidence that they can perform better on its own. To these feelings is added the feeling of rejection. These conflicting attitudes have shaped language policy in Quebec in 1977. Since 1960s till now significant controversies exploded in Canadian society with the passage of restrictive languag e legislation. The laws have helped to reverse the position of the French language for French speakers in Quebec. But the issue is not only of language and identity but looking for separate nation. Even the linguistic law has also created some controversies of linguistic communal, individual rights and other minorities rights. Executive Summary Quebec is the Canadian province with majority of French speakers or francophone opposite to the rest of Canada where English speaker are in majority. Due to that, issue of identity and language has taken into a great consideration since the quiet revolution in late 1960s. Francophone refers to French colonists who arrived in Canada during 17th and 18th centuries and whose  mother tongue  is French. Francophone where influence by many factors like low birth rate of French speaker, power economic condition, English migrants etc to struggle for the survival of their language and identity. As a result of these efforts Quebecer achieves some success as well, recognizing the French language as official language of Canada along with English and the only official language of the province. Also the commercial sign, schools and media are to be carrying out in French language. This bill also created some controversies in Canada as many thinks that it is racist bill because it is discriminat ory against other ethnic groups and languages. Two referendums were also taken place in 1980 and 1995, but both the time the Quebecers rejected the separation. In 2006 the House of Common recognizes the Quebec as nation with in the Canada. Which has solve the issue to certain extent but still there are lots of Francophone demanding a separate nation for French speakers. Quebec is also facing some external pressure from USA, ethnic societies and other Canadian provinces due to its current situation in the area. Current situation of Quebec suggest that they should stay as province of the Canada because they not ready for the handling the responsibilities of new independent state. Even the French speakers now get the every right for their identity and language so now the political parties using that issue for gaining political and financial advantages. The best approach is to have referendum in Canada for such issue and solve it with the consensus with all the representative parties of Canada. Table of Contents Abstract 01 Executive Summary 01 Introduction 03 Historical Background 03 Quebecer Language 04 Quebecer Identity and their Issues 04 Challenges successes and continuous problem 05 Conditions leading to new language and Nation 05 Quebec Successes and Continuing Problem 06 Quebec: Separate nation or Canadian Province 06 Internal Circumstances 06 External Circumstances 07 Future of Quebec and there possible solution 08 Important events took place since1980 08 Quebec Vs Basques; similarities / differences 09 Does this relate to the area of the world you come from? 10 Discussion and Evaluation 10 Conclusion 11 References 11 Introduction This paper traces the language and identity progression of Quebec-Canada relations from quiet revolution till now. Quebecers are demanding for acquiring greater provincial powers and control within the Quebec with respect to language and identity because they have majority. In short, for Quebecers independence is now about how the society works, live and play in a large within their ethnic group and their identity. This is being the case of Quebec struggling for its language and identity, since the Quiet revolution 1960s till 2010. In the first phase of article, brief history of Quebec has been describe in terms of French language and French and British invasion in early times. There were also many demographic factors which lead Quebec to fight for language and identity which force francophones for the survival of the French language. These factors are low birth rate in French speakers families, lower socioeconomic status and a fear of mineralization in their own respective territori es. Along with that large number of migrant attracted to Quebec because of English Schools in Quebec. To counter with such issues language policies were made in Quebec to protect the French language and identity. To restrict the access to English language schools, commercial signs in any other language, public administration and the rest of media and other communication should be carried out in French. These circumstances also give birth to new controversies among other ethnic groups for protecting their rights in the Quebec. In the later stage in the paper it is compare to the situation of Basque country. Comparisons were made with respect to similarities and differences in the situation of language of Quebec and Basque. The solution to the Quebec problem is to have a referendum in the entire Canada for Quebec separation but the separation will be harmful for both. Because if it is separated there is possibility of other ethnic groups may raise their voice for separation. For Quebe c it will be hard to mange internal, economic and social factors and external, United State and French interference. Historical background Quebec is the province of Canada that is located in the East Central Canada. Quebec is the only Canadian province that has the majority of French speaking population and the only one whose sole official language at provincial level is French. Although in Canada there are two official languages English and French. Quebec is not only the largest Canadian province by area but also after  Ontario, is the second-largest  administrative division and populous province. There are also some smaller communities of French Canadians exist throughout Canada that are migrated from different regions. The major French speaking Canadians reside in Quebec prefer to call themselves as Quà ©bà ©cois  (Quebeckers) instead of French Canadian. French speaking Quebecers  or  francophone refers to French colonists who arrived in Canada during 17th and 18th centuries and whose  mother tongue  is French. Quebecers  or  francophone constitute the second largest ethnic group in Canada, and ab out 85% of French Canadians reside in  Quebec. According to the census of 2006, 67% of residents of the Montreal Census Metropolitan Area have French mother tongue and outside the Montreal CMA, this figure is 93%. In 1996, the population of Quebec was 86% Catholic and 6% Protestant. In the development of the province the Catholic Church plays a major influential role. In politics the Government party Sovereignty plays a vital role in the  politics of Quebec. The major event taken place in 2006 was the Canadian House of Common has passed the symbolic motion, recognizing the Quà ©bà ©cois  as a  nation  within a united Canada (CTV News, 2006). Quebecer Language The  French is the official language  of Quebec and it is the only Canadian province with majority of Francophone population. According to the 2006 Census out of total population, 80.1 percent gives a singular response for French as their first language (Statistics Canada, 2008). About 97.4 percent of the total can able to speak French, whether as their first, second, or in some cases, third language. A significant number of Quebecer consider themselves to be  bilingual  (possess the knowledge of both, French and English). Quebec has the highest proportion of bilinguals as compare to any other province in Canada. Opposite to that, only 10.2 percent of the total population in the  rest of Canada has knowledge of both of the countrys official languages (Statistics Canada, 2007-08). Since the 1970s, in the province of Quebec except French other languages have been permitted on commercial signs only if French is given marked prominence. But that law has also been the subject of controversy since the beginning. Quebecer Identity and their Issues The term  Quà ©bà ©cois is now replaced with the French Canadian  or Quebecers to demonstrate the cultural and identity among French Canadians, living in province of Quebec. The major French Canadian nationalism and identity was based upon the protection of the  French language and their identity. Since the Quiet Revolution in 1960s, French Canadian struggle a lot to protect and to keep alive the French Quebec language, culture and identity. The modern Quà ©bà ©cois identity is based on a  social and democratic  idea of French Quebec, encouraging the French language and French-speaking culture in the arts, education, and business within the  Province of Quebec (Bà ©langer, Claude 2000).  According to Ethnic Diversity Survey  of the 2001 found that French-speaking Canadians identified their ethnicity most often as  Quà ©bà ©cois, or French Canadian (Grofman, B. 2003). These grouped together by Jantzen (2005) as French New World ancestries because they originat ed in Canada. He differentiates the English  Canadian, as those whose family has been in Canada for multiple generations, and the French  Canadian, are those who are the descendants of the original colonizer of  Quebec  in the 17th and 18th centuries (Jantzen (2005). In the late 1960s in Canada, there was only one official language and that was English. After a long continues struggle of Quebec for its language they finally get the result in the form French official language of Canada along with English. Quebecers  or  francophone generally represent  Quà ©bà ©cois  (masculine) or  Quà ©bà ©coise  (feminine) demonstrate their cultural and national identity. Those Francophones who identify themselves as Quà ©bà ©cois and they do not have any French-Canadian origin, may not be identify as French Canadian. Opposite to those who have French-Canadian origin, but support  Quebec sovereignty, often find  French-Canadian to be archaic or even pejorative. This is due to the strong social, cultural, and political ties that most Quebeckers of French-Canadian origin, who represent francophone  Quebecers, keeps within Quebec. It has given  Quà ©bà ©cois  an ambiguous meaning (James,  C.E. Shadd, A.L 2001).  Most of the English speaking Canadians of British or Canadian lineage generally cannot trace their lineage as far back in Canada as French-speakers. Thus their ethnic and racial identities are weaker, For example, only 50% of third generation Canadians strong ly identify as such. The survey report notes that 80% of Canadians whose families had been residing in Canada for three or more generations reported Canadian and provincial or regional ethnic identities. These identities include French New World descendents such as Quà ©bà ©cois (37% of Quebec population), Acadian (6% of Atlantic Provinces) (Statistic Canada, 2003). Challenges successes and continuous problem Conditions leading to new language and Nation Quebecois nationalism and identity movement were taking into the great consideration during late 1960s. The objective behind the movement was to sustain and extend the importance of French language (McWhinney 1979). The mood of nationalistic movement mood was influence by several factors, which ultimately leads to major language changes in Quebec policies and sovereignty. That makes the Quebecers to think for survival of their identity. Mainly those factors were decline in the fertility rate among the French Quebecois was very crucial and taken into a great consideration. The birth rate of French Canadian decline rapidly during the quiet revolution in period from 1960-1966. Birth rate decline from 4.2 children per 1000 married women in 1956 to 1961 to 2.3 children per 1000 married women for the period from 1966 to 1971. Quebecs birthrate was the lowest of all the Canadian provinces in the 1990s (Joy 1992). Quebec fertility rate from 1986 to 1991 was only 1.5 (Chevrier, 1997). In 1931 , 7.2 percent of the population outside of Quebec had French as their mother tongue. This proportion dropped to less than 5.0 percent in 1991. Because of significant changes in fertility rates and immigration, Quebecs proportion of the Canadian population has dropped from 27.7 percent in 1931 to 24.1 in 2001 (Chevrier, 2003). The adaptation of new immigrants to English as language is another key factor that leads to language reform in Quebec. Along with that the growing fears of French as rare language among Quebecer both within Canada and within the province of Quebec (Esman, 1985). English language was significantly adopted by Immigrants coming to the province and they prefer to send their children to English rather than French schools. More than 85 percent of all immigrants in Quebec choose English language schools in the late 1960s, approximately 70 percent of Italian-speaking children in the Montreal area sent their children to schools in English (Gagnon, 1997). The fourth reason for legislating of language policy was related to the civil rights movement and the self-assertion of the French speaking population in Quebec in the period 1960s and 1970s. When Pierre Vallià ¨res wrote his famous revolutionary work (entitled it as Nà ¨gres blancs dAmà ©rique (White Niggers of America), 1967) about the Quebec. It was perceive by many Quebecers as they are discriminated in comparison to the English speakers in Quebec, and condemned the capitalist system in the 1960s and 1970s. Quebec Successes and Continuing Problem In 1977, French was made as the official language of this Quebec but it does not mean that status of French and French speakers improved. This occurred because of the introduction of Bill 101, which the  Parti Quebecois  brought into law in 1977 to restrict access to an education in English in the province.   After more than a quarter decade of the Bill, demographic factors lead to some successes. According to the Canadian Census of 2001, 81.2 percent of Quebecers still speaks French as their mother language. In addition to that, 41 percent of Quebecers said they can speak both French and English in 2001 in comparison to 38 percent in 1996. Also the number of Anglophones reporting that they are bilingual in Quebec also increased from 62 percent in 1996 to 66 percent in 2001. Approximately 50 percent of the allophones speak both French and English (Statistics Canada, 2002). The ratio to the number of non French speaker to attending French language schools has increased significa ntly. This ratio is greater among the young people. According to 2001 census, 90.2 percent of young immigrants were enrolled in French schools (Chevrier, 2003). On the whole, everyday relations between the linguistic groups are cordial, and show a willingness to accommodate each other (Larrivà ©e, 2003). Quebec still faces some real challenges and continuing problems. Like low Adaptation and assimilation of francophones outside of Quebec and low birth rate inside. These factors Quebec are responsible for the decrease in the French-speaking population in Canada to 22.9 percent in 2001, down from 23.5 percent in 1996 (Statistics Canada 2002). Quebec had the largest net loss of any of the provinces according to the 2001 census. English still dominates the North American continent as a whole. The dominance of English is especially felt in the areas of foreign trade, the internet, television, and among Quebecer who use a language other than French. Still the insecurity about the French language, while reduced, has not disappeared. Quebec: Separate nation or Canadian Province Internal Circumstances According to world raking Quebec is the second highest indebted non-central government. Annual deficits of Quebec still exceed the value of three billion Canadian dollars per year. Along with that public bureaucracy is already distended; even so, thousands of federal employees have pledged to absorb by the Quebec government. Who are now lives in or have to ties after Quebec independence. The Quebec government is not ready and prepared to take the responsibilities and debts of Separate nation. Other estimates that Quebec Province also has to accept the federal governments debts, which is a very large amount (Fry, E.H. 1996-97). Along with all that 50 percent of debt would be payable to investors outside Quebec, and they may also suffer the additional lower bond rating challenges and a devalued currency. In addition to economic growth, provincial unemployment is also very low as compare to the rest of Canada. In 1996 the unemployment rate was 11.8 percent, two percentage points more th an Canadas overall 9.4 percent jobless rate. Like only 3000 jobs were created in Quebec, compared with 26,000 in British Columbia, 33,000 in Alberta, and 150,000 in Ontario (Fry, E.H. 1996-97). Along with these entire economic shortcoming the other big issues is Quebec politics; Quebec political parties raise issues periodically with central Canadian government and also threatening them as well. But the purpose of them is not just to solve the issue of language and French identity but to take some financial benefits from the Canadian government. Due to all these facts now the rest of Canada also want them to be separated from the Canada because they are not only burden on Canada but also creating racist policies like bill 101. According to which the only official language Quebec is French just opposite to rest of Canada where two official languages are French and English. The Bill also discriminating against other ethnic groups and minority language because they are only allows if French allow them. So the issue of Quebec is more political than issue of language and identity. People response as their politicians portraying the image to the public. Just as the in 2006 the  Canadian House of Commons  placed symbolic motion  recognizing the Quà ©bà ©cois  as a  nation  within a united Canada. Every political party was strongly agreed with the suggestions and later on that bill was passed (CTV News, 2006). Even the political party that was always demands Quebec as Separate nation and not the state within the state. External Circumstances Although in a situation where the Quebec declare their declaration of unilateral independence, Canadian government must have to intervene. There will be two reasons for intervention in the matter as one to protect the rights of the federally-protected minorities within the Quebec, and second to secure federal assets. France has the policy of non-intervention in the matter of Quebec but non-indifference, for example, has been a constant irritation to Ottawa (Alex Morrison, 1992). United States is the single most vital external actor in any Quà ©bec separation situation. If United States felt that instability in its northern part on its northern border threatened its own security, they will intervene. Such intervention will also possibly be occur due to the political pressures from within the US government or from interest groups or a national press interested in newly Canada. Whatever is going to be the ethical issue of intervention, the reality is that that the United States will ke ep a close eye on the situation. The intervention of United State might be in the form of direct military intervention, if they security threats, the imposition of sanctions. The most possible grounds for external intervention would range from directly by threat or force or by ant other mean, like third party arbitration in response to ethnic, minority protection, humanitarian assistance, resource protection or stability concerns. Due to the fact if the issue is not properly and timely handle it would lead to ethnic war among the different group within Canada and also within Quebec as well. The other Canadian provinces like Ottawa are also ready to create hurdle for Quebec if it get separation. Future of Quebec and there possible solution Some people think that, only way to protect the French language and identity is to separate the Quà ©bec province from the rest of Canada.  The central inspiration behind the nation is the issue of language, many believe that Quà ©bec will get more benefit economically and socially, if it were to separate from Canada. Opposite to that, many Quebecers feel if the Canadian government do not recognising Quà ©bec as a separate society, with its own unique language, identity and economy within the Canada, it will be a great lost in this increasingly globalised world for Quebec.  The `Bloc Quà ©bà ©cois` is the Political party of Canada represents this desire for sovereignty. That does the politics on the issue of having separate nation from Quebec. But the ground situation is quite different from what they demand. Politically, economically within the Quebec and in rest of Canada as well they are not in a position to have separate state. Also looking into the external scenario as well they have lot of threats which will make it more badly for new Quebec nation. To solve these issues Canada especially Quebec needs a good, strong politically and socially influential leader. Because if the Canada is not going to solve it in better way than it might lead to other ethnic and language issue in the country. But Canadian House of Commons, declaration of Quebecois is a nation within united Canada was great move which lower the issue into a great extent. If the Quebec want to have separate nation because of language than they must have to realize the fact that in any case they have to survive in the globalize world with English. Today English is consider as the one global language and it is called Globalish and it is also the main source of trade, communication, media etc. So in both cases either Quebec is separated or exists within the Canada as province, Quebecers  or  francophone has to learn English. Keeping knowledge of the language is not the bad thing to do as the Quebecers do. But the political parties of Quebec, using it as the advantage in political ground by making it as issue of identity. Which Canadian government had already given them by accepting as nation within the nation. Presently the Quebecers  or  francophone is getting support from provincial as well as federal government socially and economically as well. But once they get separated from Canada they will also lose the edge which have currently in the gl obalize world. The best possible solution is to have a referendum in the Quebec and in rest of Canada about the separation of Quebec. On the basis of that referendum they had to make the decision with the consensus of all political parties of the entire Canada. Important events took place since 1980 In a referendum that was held in 1980, Quebecer vote against sovereignty by the margin of 60-40. In 1981 Quebec  government take steps to ban all public signs that are in English  and any other language except French. The amendment of repatriation on Canadians constitution, except Quebec, all other provincial government and Federal government of Canada are agreed upon. Quebec government Premier Rene Leveques insists to veto over the Canadians repatriation constitutional change. That was discarded by the Prime Minister Trudeau, by making repatriate amendment 1982. In 1988 Supreme Court of Canada again reverses the sign law of French only Quebec. However, Quebec reinstated the law and as a result; the  ratification of the Meech Lake Accord  was slowed by Manitoba Premier Gary Filmon. Due to these certain issues, Bloc Quebecois political party was created by French cantina politicians in 1990. In referendum of 1995, again the Quebecer rejected the separation from Canada but this time the margin was very narrow 50.6 no to separation. Quebecer Premier Jacques explains the reason of failure as it is due to the negative and humiliating remarks against non French speakers. Finally 27th November 2006, Canadian House of Commons, announced that Quebecois is a nation within united Canada. After making such a change, some people think that it is the first step toward the separation of Quebec from Canada. Other has a different view; they think that it is clever and far reaching effort to make Quebec unproblematic province once for all. But whatever the case that was very good step taken by the House of Common because now Quebecers dont have any solid reason to demand for separation. Quebec Vs Basques; similarities / differences Basque Country is used to refer to the people located on the shores of the Bay of Biscay and on the two sides of the western Pyrenees that separate the Spanish and French States. The Basque language is considered as one of the oldest language of pre-Indo-European languages, and its origins are still unknown. Two important features about the Basque people are historically obvious. First is the, difficulty in harmonizing internal relations in among Basque people and reaching the common agreement with consensus. Second is the use of force or violence as tools to solve this problem. They think that issues can be best solves by the power. The main issue of Basque country is also like Quebec, language and identity. There has been continuous struggle to defend a different social reality or identity, one that includes a different language, a different culture, and different customs. Due to that reason number of conflicts and wars are occurred prior to the 19th century because of integration to Kingdoms or States that wished to incorporate the Basque into their territory. These states have periodically influence them by force to follow the identity and language of ruler state. This was very damaging to the identity of different Basque cultures. Similar to the issue of Quebec, survival of language and identity, but the both the situations are quite different in many aspects. For example in case of Quebec, the issue is now more political than the issue of identity and language because Canadian government had provided them every right to strengthen their language and identity. In 2006, Canadian government also accepted Quebec as nation within the nation along with 101 Bill. Opposite to that Basque country was invaded many times by French and Spanish state and tries to enforce their culture on them. Like prohibit in the use of the Basque language and various cultural expressions. Not only that but also they are trying to solve issues and problem by force, violence which causes number of casualties periodically and uncertainty. So although the issue is same in both the locations but the situation is entirely different. Does this relate to the area of the world you come from? Pakistan is a multilingualism country; there are many cases of language based identity. Even the provinces are described in terms of language base identity. Main languages are Sindhi, Punjabi, Pashto and Balochi etc these are all used to create or sustain ethnic identity and affiliation. Urdu is the official language of the country along with the English. But the language base identity is not the sole drive of the identity in case Pakistan, it works along with the religion. These two together make the identity of the nation just as opposite in case of Quebec, where the main issue is French language. Although in Pakistan politician do use the language base identity, but their purpose is just to strengthen their vote bank. The issue seems like language is not actually of language but equal distribution of resources and power. Discussion and Evaluation What is important is that, just as the language help in the creation of single nation, in the same way it also helps in the shaping of ethnic identity. The sense of isolation in the ethnic group contains, the nation can only be build by conforming that they share the pie; that they have respect for each others values, their language and identity. If that is going to happened the frustrations will make people united against it with many symbols and one of which is language. These circumstance leads to the creation of new nation but over the breakage of existing one. So if it is right that language creates nations than there is also no doubt if those circumstances are not properly handled, it is the reason of breaking nations. The issue is very sensitive because of the emotional attachments of the groups to it history and identity. Managing such kind of problem in beginning is very important otherwise it will only end at the separation, violence and hatred. Just as the case of Quebec where the issue of language and had taken a great consideration after 1960s. Although Canadian government had handle the situation very effectively as for the matter is concern. Canadian government also accepted the French language as the official language Canada and only official language in Quebec. They have given the full rights to protect and strengthen French language in all fields of life in Quebec. Even though these rights were also miss use in the Bill 101 where they have restricted other ethnic and language groups only to French language. Along with that Quebec government and political parties also misusing the issue and use it for their political gain. Due to that they receive huge funds from Canadian government. After all these circumstance today the rest of Canada also want to separate the Quebec from Canada. But issue is not as simple as its look like. If Canada separates them than also there will more ethic groups will raise the same kind of i ssues and they will also demand for separation. Along with that, there will also start fight resources among themselves and the external pressure will also be superior. Quebec is also not in position to take the responsibility of separate sovereign nation, so its better to be a part of the Canada. Conclusion If Quebecer wants to have a separate nation for French speakers than the best possible solution is to have the referendum in the entire Canada along with Quebec. Along with that they have to take every step with complete census so as to avoid any social and ethnic issue which leads to violence or damage. Challenges to the independence are predictable; there will be various issues of concerned for the newly independent like Ottawa will tries to push Quebec to the verge of instability and collapse. Economic conditions, meeting it fiscal deficit every year, resource and debt distribution between Canada and Quebec are the challenges, which Quebec has to tackle with if they get separated. Above all the issue of territory has to be achieving to the satisfaction of all parties with the eruption of escalatory friction and violence. Canadian history, as well as extensive study of current ethnic conflict, offers comprehensive reasons to believe that Quà ©becs separation to independence will b e everything but peaceful. Although the separation will bring damages for both in long run and short run as well. So before separating, they have to try to make each and every effort evade the perfect storm. And live as one nation and that is Canada.

Tesco Plc Management and Success

Tesco Plc Management and Success A large amount of literature is available on the management methods and policies of Tesco, the culture change it has adapted in its past, its workforce and its retailing success. This has been compared to the management theories and criteria of change management, and discussed to find out how closely do Tescos employee management mechanisms link with the actual theory. A brief overview of the history of Tesco with detailed step by step progress made by the company the strategies, values and policies, stakeholders and customers of Tesco are also precisely discussed. The future plans and a comparative analysis of Tesco with other top retailers is also presented. Tesco PLC: Based in United Kingdom ever since 1920, Tesco has to date expanded itself into several countries across the European Union as well as in Asia (EMMC, 2007). Such success of Tesco has been possible due to its focus on growth strategy, and its core competencies which are basically its brand reputation and the value-added services it provides through the brand experience. In addition, Tesco has shown a wide potential to capture foreign markets with variable environmental, cultural and political factors. It is highly sensitive to external environment, and adjusts on a need basis. It is also important to consider the factors of Tescos internal environment which add to its competencies (Clark, 2008). Tesco has gained its current position as one of the major retailers of the United Kingdom by adapting to the needs of its customers. One of the major shifts of the organization culture and strategy came in 1990 when the organization transformed itself by focusing on its human resource management. This was done by a process of strategic and cultural change (Clark, 2008). Retail industry and Tesco: Retail refers to sale in small quantities, the retail industry is an important sector of the economy; it comprises of individuals and companies which are engaged in the selling of finished products to end users. The retailer buys the products in large quantities from the manufacturers either directly or through a wholesaler, and then sells smaller quantities to the end-user. Retail is usually classified according to the type of product; divided mainly in three categories that are; food products, soft goods ,which includes clothing accessories etc and hard goods, which includes electric appliances, electronic items, sports goods, furniture et cetra (Akehurst and Alexander, 1997). Tesco PLC is a United Kingdom based global departmental store, it is the third largest retailer in the world. Tesco started as a food retailer but after the success in food business the company expanded its business activities by retailing a variety of products, targeting different markets and creating intere st in customers of different sectors. At present with over 2,500 stores worldwide and more than 450,000 peoples employed, Tesco is ruling all around the world with its business which covers retailing, distribution, logistics, telecommunication and financial services (Tesco case study, 2011). Tesco PLC History Tesco was founded in 1919 by Jack Cohen; he started off by selling surplus groceries on a stall at the East End of London. The companys name was penned from the initials of T.E. Stockwell, who was at that time a partner, and CO from Cohens name. Cohens motto was pile it high, sell it cheap, it referred to the fact that customers wanted inexpensive products at a convenient location and an optimum volume that would be profitable. After initial ten years of foundation finally the first store was opened by Cohen in 1929 at Burnt Oak, Edgware, North London. Jack Cohen introduced a new concept of food ware house when, in 1934, he built a new headquarters and a warehouse for central stock control. The success story of Tesco PLC continued and as a result by 1965, Tesco owned a chain of 212 stores in North of England and by 1965, the count was increased to 356 stores. By this time, Tesco was becoming a prominent retailer in all of Europe and this fact was highlighted when the name of Tesco wa s entered in Guinness Book of World Records as the largest store in Europe (Tesco PLC, 2011). Tesco initiatives over the years: Tesco started off as a retailer for foods but expanded its spectrum to other products; in 1975 Tesco broadened the concept by opening petrol stations at different major sites. The idea behind this launch was to provide customers everything that they need, in one location. They initially started selling branded petrol but in the late 80s their own brand fuel went on sale. To attract customers, a price cutting campaign under the banner of Checkout at Tesco was enunciated by the company in 1977. Tesco introduced yet another new concept and became the first major retailer to emphasize the nutritional value of its own-brand products by launching its Healthy Eating initiative, Healthy Eating was launched to show commitment of the company in providing customers not just healthy good quality food but also to promote a healthy life style. The year 1992, was a very happening year at Tesco, as many new products were launched this year, these launches included a whole organic range and computers for schools. Other than this, the campaign of Every Little Helps was also launched this year, this campaign basically developed the companys philosophy, Tesco refers to Every Little Helps as an expression of their values, and the values are that no one tries harder for customers than Tesco and the company treats its customers as they would like to be treated (Tesco PLC, 2011). Tesco PLC was prospering at an accelerated rate, and to ensure this, the Tesco team was making every possible effort to engage the customers and maintain the consumers loyalty with the company, for this purpose Tesco launched another initiative by the name Would I Buy It; the purpose of this campaign was to guarantee that the products offered to the customers were always of the highest quality. Tescos club-card was also launched this year. The club-card was UKs first customer loyalty program; the sole purpose was to give something back to the loyal customers. According to Lord MacLaurin, former chairman of Tesco, customer loyalty is not how customers demonstrate their loyalty to the company; it is about how the company demonstrates their loyalty to their customers. By this time Tesco was not only the largest retailers, but was also the market leader of food retailers and dominated the English market in food retailing, and thus, started expanding the business beyond the boundary acros s the world (Tesco PLC, 2011). Tescos international markets reach: Globally, Tesco PLC was first introduced in Hungary and later entered Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia and also Ireland. The business was also launched in Asian countries Taiwan, Thailand and South Korea. Parallel to all these across border business growth, 24 hours trading was also introduced In the year 1998, Tesco launched its Finest premium brand of foods; the Finest included fresh and prepared food ranging over 100 products which change with the season. In 1999, Tesco took another initiative and published supermarket prices comparison on the internet and also launched an on-line bookstore and on-line banking. By 2000 tesco.com was launched (Tesco PLC, 2011). The success of Tesco was mainly because of its customer satisfaction strategy and in order to continue this journey the emphasis was always on customer care, and so in 2001 Tesco launched Customer Champions in many stores which implemented a new labor schedule to further improve services to the customers, the company also followed a continuous replenishment of policy to ensure at least 99% of stock availability. The very same year Tesco also achieved the landmark of becoming the leading organic retailer in the United Kingdom. In 2003, Tesco steps into the business world of Malaysia, Japan and Turkey. In the same year, Tesco started a new offering Free-From product; these products were especially designed for customers having special dietary needs. Peoples who are susceptible to any kind of allergies or food intolerance were able to entertain themselves with this new developed food range and restricted diets was not any more an obstacle to enjoy food of respective interest. All the Te scos Free from products are made gluten free, wheat free and in some cases milk free; all the ingredients that usually are the most common causes of food allergies. The free from product range included over 150 products (Tesco PLC, 2011). Tesco entered United States of America business in 2007, by opening Fresh and Easy a chain of local grocery stores whose focus was on fresh foods. Tesco introduced own-label products rather than the usual vast range of US brands of heat and eat meals. This local food chain used a straightforward everyday low price strategy and offered cheaper rates to the American customers (Tesco PLC, 2011). Tesco PLC Strategies and Policies Tesco entered the world of retailing business and gradually ranked highest among the largest and best retailers in United Kingdom, now by twentieth century the concept of retailing has became increasingly popular and therefore, the competition among the retailers has immensely increased. Customer focused strategy of Tesco: Every company is working on developing new strategies and business policies in order to attract new customers and keep old customers loyal to the company. At the present situation when business is so customer oriented, the key to remain in business is customer satisfaction and this stabilizes the companys economy (Ma and Ding, 2010). Tesco has always paid considerate attention to its customer and this is the biggest reason of their success, the core purpose of the company is to create value for customers and earn their lifetime loyalty. Tesco has achieved its goal and the business of Tesco PLC has flourished throughout its journey because the company has religiously focused on its four strategies and strictly implemented upon them. The first key strategy is to grow the core United Kingdom business by establishing Extras, Superstore, Metro and Express. The second strategy is to expand the business internationally, while the third strategy emphasizes on become equally strong in its non -food retailing business as it is in its food retailing business (Tesco CSR, 2005). Retail services offered by Tesco: The final strategy is to provide new retailing services in response to changing customer demand, the retailing services includes online shopping, Tesco Personal Finance(TPF) and telecom industry. The team of Tesco has tirelessly worked upon its strategies and that is the reason they are on top not only in food retailing but also in other retail businesses. Tesco understands and anticipates the needs and requirements of the customer and this is why it has always been successfully responding to changing lifestyles and demand of the customer and this has become the key drive of the company ever since it was established (Tesco PLC, 2011). Products offered by Tesco: In order to make its mark in the non-food retailing business Tesco has developed and introduced a wide range of products in different varieties making its business as versatile as possible. From food stuff to all soft goods such as clothes, footwear, accessories, jewelries, beauty products, household item, kitchen items etc, and also hard goods such as sports goods furniture, appliances and electronic items, are made accessible to the customer under the roof of Tesco PLC, this has provided the customer not just with ease but also with a good shopping experience to take home with. Providing with a variety of goods is not the only objective it is essential to maintain the quality to ensure brand loyalty with the customers. Constant innovations of ideas and development of products and services is required to keep competitors on their toes, that is the reason that Tesco keeps launching new campaigns, product and services ideas (Tesco CSR, 2005). The marketing department has made the understanding of customers better than anyone. The management of Tesco reports that the reason as to why it is necessary to understand customers is because championing the customer voice in the business helps in guiding and measuring the business, that is why any new product, service, campaign or business idea is launched after extensive site research which determines and obliges to meet customer needs by matching the store format to the location. Market research is done to monitor and track the healthy business, identify changing customer needs, understand current customer issues, and ensure initiatives that the company has taken are right for customers, moreover strategic insight is developed which guides business strategy through customer perceptions and concerned people views. Analysis on the insight is done to get feedback from customers and keep a check and balance of the companys performance. Further research is done on customer lifestyles and the shopping experience that is being offered by the company in order to guarantee that the business is reflecting the needs of customers. According to the management team going through these five steps enables them to fully understand the scenario and this makes them achieve a competitive advantage (Tesco PLC, 2011). Tesco and its Stakeholders Suppliers Tesco has managed to flourish a stabilized relationship with its suppliers. Tesco supports the British Farm Assurance Mark; this is because of the Tesco Farming Initiative taken by Tesco with the suppliers and farmer organizations. In 2001, during the crisis of foot and mouth, Tesco donated a large amount for the British farmers that were affected by the disease. Also through Tesco Codes of Practice, the company takes interest in the welfare of the animals; these codes specify the kind of husbandry expected by the farmers and suppliers from the company. The company also takes part in researches regarding the problems and issues of husbandry (Tesco PLC, 2011). Employees The prospect of expanding business has enabled Tesco to entertain people with proper job offers all around the world. Tesco has around 200,000 employees in United Kingdom and about 65,000 in Ireland, South-East Asia and Europe. Employees enjoy benefits such as pensions, profit share schemes, shopping discounts and other save money schemes. Tesco launched a career site which helped a great number of graduates and other workers in finding suitable jobs within the organization. A large number of employees are share holders in the company (Tesco PLC, 2011). Customers Tesco PLC has a huge range of customers that belong to entirely different sectors and cultures. The wide spectrum of the goods whether food or non-food items offered by the company makes customers from every age of life. The good quality of the products and the continuous innovations of the products, have made the brand loyalty of customers possible (Tesco PLC, 2011). Strategic and cultural change in retail sector: Strategic change refers to using strategy in order to successfully implement change, to achieve the long-term goals and objectives of the organization. Culture change is a link between organization culture and key company performance variables such as return-on-investment (ROI), sales growth, innovation, employee satisfaction and customer satisfaction. Thus, the strategic change may be viewed as a mechanism of bringing about change in the company, be it a culture change, empowerment or total quality (Balugan, 2001). In order to bring about the change at Tesco, it is crucial to see that this change is properly managed and administered throughout the organization. According to Kennen (2007), organizations can induce culture change by uncovering the core values and beliefs of the employees, by discussing and communicating the process of change, and by establishing new behavioral norms. There are two views to any type of organization change: the managers top-down view (that is how the change impacts the managers) and the employee bottom-up view (that is how the change impacts employees). The latter can be termed as individual change management, using techniques to help employees transition through the change. This is important because employees are the people that ultimately implement the change at its very basic level (Hiatt and Creasy, 2003). Also, when change is initially introduced employees tend to feel doubtful about their ability to change which results in decreased confidence and performance, inducing resistance (Balugan, 2001). Change management can thus become a significant crucial issue, which if not implemented properly can result in loss of employee trust in management. Successful organizations inspire a strong organization culture into their employees. Change management also depends on the incorporation of several factors in the change model, including timing of change, scope of change, diversity capacity of employees, and readiness of employees to change (Balogun, 2001). Bedingham (2000) has described how strategic change was implemented by Tesco in 1987. According to the article, Tesco came across the performance lapse of the organization in a research done by Verax for Coca Cola to study retail buying (Cummings, 2011). The research findings revealed that the performance of the retail store managers at Tesco was very low compared to the competitors. In response, Tesco decided to review its management practices to improve customer satisfaction. In this process, it took retail lessons of training and transforming its front-line staff that come in direct contact with the customers every day. The need for training Tesco employees had also emerged due to the diverse ethnic, racial, social and economic backgrounds of its employees. All these employees have different skills and shortcomings, and hence require training specifically customized to their different personalities. Another need for employing these training programs is due to the fact that recruit ing new employees is much more costly to any organization than retaining the same employees (The Times 100) The growth and transformation of the retail industry itself and the concept of retailing are also responsible for the growing need of bringing about a change in employees at Tesco. Factors affecting this include changing needs of the customers and the society, as well as from the changes in supply of labor. Another factor leading to this management change is the transformation of the retail structures over the years. The layouts are now professionally developed, with vast amount of support systems and skilled staff required to handle them. Previously, employees in a retail store were meant simply for assisting the customer, however today with the presence of modern technology, databases and finger-tip market knowledge, employees are expected to serve the customers with all the tools for decision making. Social changes brought about the need of extending business hours, and hiring employees more on a flex-time basis to accommodate the employees varying lifestyles. Whilst decades ago, retail employees were hired on a permanent basis, having a specialty in retail service, today employees are drawn from a pool of part-time workers, such as students, who take up jobs to earn some extra money. This has decreased the element of specialty and skill, which is in contrast with the fact that more expertise is now demanded by customers from the retail staff (Akehurst and Alexander, 1996) With respect to Tesco and its strategic change, individual change management has even a greater role, as its employees are the front-line staff, playing a major role in the image and success of the retail organization. According to Akehurst and Alexander (1996), in retail companies it is not the managerial staff, or external marketing activity that determines the image of a retail company in a consumers mind. Instead, it is the way customers are treated and the behavior of the retail store staff that determines this element. Even in outlets which are made for self-service, retail staff can affect customer satisfaction by their role in assistance, giving advices and greeting customers. One example of an employee-oriented retail company is Umpqua Bank in California, which has been able to provide excellent customer service due to its employee focus. At Umpqua, employees are empowered to fully satisfy a customer rather than perform specific tasks. This means that every employee learns every task regarding customer service, and can satisfy customer to his or her full potential. Employees are free to do whatever they can to provide customer satisfaction even without the consent of the supervisor. Hence, many branches keep dog bowls for the clients dogs, arrange yoga lessons and movie nights to retain customers (Berman, 2007). Thus, this shows that employee empowerment can lead to innovation even at the retail staffing levels. This becomes important when considering the possible implications that such culture changes can bring in a retail environment such as Tesco. Spurlock is another organization which induced organizational change by altering work standards, procedures and culture. The organization brought about a change in the way resources and time is managed, reallocating everything from staff to plant timings. One important lesson from their change management was the inclusion of staff in the process. The change process coupled with the employee training to meet the needs of the new system, eventually led to an entire work culture change. In the end, there was more teamwork and collaboration increased through the organization due to the shifting and reallocation of employees (Vonderhaar et al, 2010). However, despite the fact that the employees have such crucial significance, employee management is a considerably under-searched area in retail management (Akehurst and Alexander, 1996). In the book Value-based human resource strategy: developing your consultancy role, Grundy and Brown (2003) assert that in 1990, Tesco decided to undergo a culture change to enhance its responsiveness throughout the organization. However, this change came on quite gradually rather than abruptly. This is because when the organization hired an HR consultant, it discovered that the term culture change had an inherent risk of failing. It was too overwhelming a concept, indicating a huge change in the organizations function which made it incomprehensible for its stakeholders. Hence Tesco underwent change in the name of customer service instead, because the term described exactly what kind of change was going to be targeted. Similarly, when BP introduced its cultural change, it put an economic value that came from the change to motivate the employees to adopt it. Thus, organization culture change can be adopted in several steps, namely value change which lead to behavioral change in employe es. Recruitment: According to the report of Datamonitor (2003) Tesco Plc is recruiting almost three million employees for the product manufacturing and services. It is the biggest private employer of UK. (EFILWC, 2007) Tesco is a heavily customer oriented organization, with a focus on its external environment. Since its cultural shift in 1990s Tesco has been able to empower its staff and provide them with benefits and motivational tools that have positively impacted overall employee satisfaction. It has even extended its gradual cultural shift on to managerial and corporate level (Bedingham, 2000). Training for employees: Tesco has established six or seven levels of store employees, and provides training to whoever desires it (Garry, 2010). The training program is not simply an adaptation for the internal organization; it also provides an external qualification and a degree to employees for working at Tesco. Since the program is so significant from the aspect of employees themselves, they are more closely involved with the organization and develop a bond with the company. The training program has become a huge aspect of the organizations culture and vision itself. It has left the employees feeling more connected, confident and customer-oriented. Moreover, the personal development results in homogenous values of employees throughout the organization (Garry, 2010). Training program at Tesco involves several different types of trainings such as Introduction training, First class serve, Hygiene Training, Multi skills training et cetra. Introduction training is given the very first day, and involves introduction, discussing the organizations history, values and functioning. The First Class serve teaches how to interact with the customer and properly greet him or her. Hygiene training as the name indicates refers to training about the employee hygiene practices as required in the store. Multi skill tasking prepares employees for job rotations (Gulyas, 2007). According to Gulyas (2007) there is a significant difference between training and management development, though the terms are often used in same context. Training is the process by which people are taught skills to perform specific tasks, whereas management development refers to giving people knowledge and skills to enable them to undertake greater responsibility. Also, culture change at an organization is not merely a question of skills development of employees (Gerber and Lankshear, 2000). Organizations have a tendency to view skills of employees as end in themselves whilst skills in fact induce only surface level change, which does not translate into the deeper level of culture change (Lokshin, Gils, and Bauer, 2009). However, at Tesco, there is training of employees and management development for the managers. Therefore, employee training at Tesco is not merely a question of skill development, but also has the entire 360-degree personality development of its employees as its foc us. Employees are constantly expected to improve their behavior, to bring about personality changes that get reflected in their overall performance, and to develop themselves into empowered, inquisitive individuals who can take greater responsibility. Tesco enhances three major aspects of the employee behavior which are customer focus, ability to work with others and personal behavior. For this purpose, Tesco also arranges leadership workshops for its employees (The times 100). Tesco regularly evaluates the characteristics and performance of its employees to keep identifying skill shortages and new job demands. Based on the results, it adds on to its Personal Development program so that it is catered to meet the upcoming needs of training (The Times 100) Tesco also gives employees a steering wheel which shows them how their performance is creating a difference in the organization, by providing specific measures for employees, managers, country and the entire organization (Garry, 2010). In the current era, core Human Resource practices tend to encourage an innovation-oriented team based environment where employees are empowered. This is based on theories of motivation in management such as Hierarchy of Needs theory by Maslow (1943) and Hygiene Theory by Herzberg (1959). According to Abraham Maslow, human beings have varying levels of needs that have to be satisfied in a given order from basic physiological need of food and clothing, to higher level needs, such as drive for self-esteem and self-actualization. Hence, good working conditions, general praise and appreciation and an empowered working environment are essential features when it comes to fulfilling the needs of employee. Also, according to Herzberg (1959), there are certain factors the absence of which leads to an overall dissatisfaction of employees with their work. These are different from the factors that increase satisfaction and include company policy, supervision, working conditions etc. These are kno wn as Hygiene factors. In order to keep employees motivated, maintaining good working standards and conditions are essential. The Times 100 research has shown that, keeping in view the Maslows Hierarchy Model of Needs, Tesco seeks to fulfill all the level of needs, from basic to the highest through its various employee motivation programs. It provides basic pay and locker room facilities and health security and pension. In addition it addresses the higher needs of the individuals by empowering them in a team based environment, providing them feedbacks and appraisals, and motivating them through encouragement and respect (Bent and Freathy, 1997). According to Parish (2007) Tesco PLC managers listen to their staff, spend time with them and build direct one-to-one relationships which boost the overall employee motivation. The management found through surveys that one of the basic needs of their employees were to be listened to with respect. Therefore, at the organization, employees are treated with trust and respect and included in the decision making of the store, their voice and opinions are given due considerations and the problems they face in dealing with the customers are reflected upon and solved. In fact, the technique has been so successful that it is being replicated by a nursing hospital for the management of nursing staff. One of the benefits of training at Tesco was the greater teamwork and improved customer service. The major reason behind this improvement was the visible change in the confidence level of Tesco employees that has come from the training activities. The challenges in training employees came from the initial unwillingness of employees to enroll, because they were reluctant or shy (Garry, 2010). According to European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions (2007), Tesco seeks employees from different cultures, background through different sources, including government programs and campaigns. Its recruitment system allows the employers to consider people from diverse cultural and local groups, and fit them into particular jobs depending on capabilities and tendencies. It also participates in the government regeneration programs which look for employees amongst those that have been chronically unemployed. It also makes sure that its managers work shoulder-to-shoulder with its workforce, and are aware of the technical aspects of the work. Tesco provides its employees salaries based on the nature of work, and additional benefits, both monetary and personal in the form of flexible work hours. As of 2003, Tesco has a 94% employee retention rate with its socially inclusive policies. Tescos management of employees plays both roles of a company facilitator and corporate social responsibility. Through employee training and personal development, Tesco has enabled people unemployed for several years to be successfully employed (Gateway, 2003). Ma and Ding (2010) have also described the customer-orientation of Tesco.com, by asserting that customer value and customer satisfaction are amongst the core values of the organization. They have a clearly defined purpose, and they fulfill it through their excellent customer and delivery service. According to the work, 67% of the people take Tesco as their favorite supermarket. Thus, we see that in the past, Tesco employed tools and techniques of strategic change management in order to successfully bring behavioral change in its employees. The change however was more focused on the behavioral aspects such as employee professionalism rather than employee values, however Tesco ensured that both training and development were used as mechanisms for this change to make it long-term and effective.

Moses :: essays research papers fc

The Death of Moses When the saga of Moses comes to an end with the prophet's death, the narrative voice in Deuteronomy 34:9-11 states: "Since then no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses whom the LORD knew face to face." Were the prophets that came after Moses equal to his stature? In determining the answer to this question, by researching this topic I will discuss and look at the entirety of Moses' life as recorded in the Scripture. There are certainly many unique aspects of Moses' life that were not duplicated in the lives of any of the subsequent prophets. For example, Moses was raised as an Egyptian prince. There is noting in the Bible to indicate that he knew of his Israelite heritage until adulthood. True, his own mother was recruited by the Egyptian princess to nurse him through infancy, but there is little to suggest that Moses would have retained any memory or inclination of his heritage from this period (Neufeld, 1993). Yet, despite his acculturation as an Egyptian, he was able to not only accept, but rejoice in his relationship to the Israelite slaves of Egypt. This is certainly a unique characteristic of Moses' life that was not duplicated. Furthermore, no other prophet, save Moses, had the experience of meeting God "face to face" as Moses did on Mt. Sinai with the burning bush. However, the Bible does clearly indicate that other prophets "spoke" to God and received guidance in their own way. As this suggests, it is also possible to argue that there were prophets after Moses equal to him in their relationship to God. This stance is supported, somewhat, in the biblical verses that describe how Moses felt on this topic of shared responsibility for leading the people. These verses describe how two men in the Hebrew camp, Eldad and Medad, felt that the spirit of God came upon them and they began to prophesize within the camp. A young man ran and told Moses what these two men were doing. Joshua, son of Nun and minister to Moses reacted quickly and implored Moses to forbid the men from doing this. However, Moses said to him, "Are you jealous for my sake? Would that all the Lord's people were prophets, that the Lord would put his spirit upon them." After which, Moses and the elders of Israel returned to the camp (Numbers 11:24-30). As this suggests, Moses, certainly, had no qualms about supposing that

Sept 11 2001 Attacks and Cover Up Essay -- essays research papers

Sept 11 2001 Attacks Throughout history there have occurred many tragic events. On Sept. 11, 2001 an unforgettable event occurred, and will be remember throughout the ages of the United States history. On the tragic day of 9/11 a day that will be unforgettable, the unthinkable happened. The terror stuck the heart of New York City, two planes crashed into the world trade center and total chaos occurred, and lives where lost, and many injured. The terror didn’t end there, other plane hit The Pentagon. Thousands of lives were lost in a single morning, people scatter for help and to be saved, and some died trying to save them. On the morning of September 11, 2001, nineteen terrorists affiliated with al-Qaeda hijacked four commercial passenger jet airliners. Each team of hijackers included a trained pilot. The hijackers crashed two of the airliners (United Airlines Flight 175 and American Airlines Flight 11) into the World Trade Center in New York City, one plane into each tower and resulting in the c ollapse of both buildings soon afterward. A nearby church and the rest of the World Trade Center complex's 7 buildings were also destroyed or damaged beyond repair. A third airliner (American Airlines Flight 77) was crashed into the Pentagon in Arlington County, Virginia. Passengers and members of the flight crew on the fourth aircraft (United Airlines Flight 93) attempted to retake control of their plane from the hijackers, that plane crashed into a field near the town of Shanks Ville in rural Somerset County, Pennsylvania. In addition to the 19 hijackers, 2,973 people died, another 24 are missing and presumed dead. But I think there’s more behind the story. Despite their claims of having been taken unawares and with complete surpr... ...ely following 9/11, and after he emerged from hiding, President Bush lavishly praised his accomplices in the FBI and warned off those who might dare to question or criticize the agency. Moreover, although he had grounded all commercial and private jets, he made one critical exception: The bin Laden family, with whom he and his father had personal and financial ties, were allowed to escape questioning and the U.S. and to fly back to Saudi Arabia. Both President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney also began threatening those who were suggesting that the events leading up to 9/11 should have been anticipated, and both Bush and Cheney urged Senate and House Republican leaders and Democratic Majority Leader Tom Daschle to block any investigation into the events of Sept. 11. The cover up began well before 9/11. The cover up continues to this day.

The Sisters Mainini and Lucia in Tsitsi Dangarembga’s “Nervous Conditions”

One of the most successful pieces of literature from Africa is the novel of the Zimbabwean native Tsitsi Dangarembga, â€Å"Nervous Conditions†.   The novel talks about the situation of African women and the predicaments they have to face on a daily basis. Dangarembga seems to argue that there is a sort of entrapment of women within the society stripping women of genuine freedom and an unprejudiced position in the society. It is expressed by the narrator and protagonist of the story, a young African girl named Tambudzai in her line â€Å"†¦my story is not after all about death, but about my escape and Lucia’s, about my mother’s and Maiguru’s entrapment, and about Nyasha’s rebellion† (Dangarembga 1) Dangarembga’s beautifully constructed novel strives to provide suggestions on how to avoid such gender related entrapments that are biased to patriarchy. This is a prevalent vicious cycle of powerless women is not only present in Africa, but all over the globe as well. To communicate the issues of African women, Dangarembga had created an ensemble of African Women that have varying voices to represent women of different views regarding the role of women in they society. If we were to relate Dangarembga’s Nervous Conditions to a painting, it seems like she had used different colours and varying strokes through her beautifully designed characters. In the heart of this painting are the sisters Ma’Shingayi, more commonly called â€Å"Mainini†, and Lucia. The sisters have contrasting personalities but interestingly their differences can still lead the readers towards insights regarding the role of women in the society. Let us first discuss the character of Mainini, since she has a much closer relation to the protagonist, who is her daughter. Mainini could be described as a supportive mother—that is for the case of her dead son Nhamo, but not for Tambudzai. Mainini became very devastated by the death of her son, to whom she had worked hard to provide education. After the unfortunate death of her investment, her son, she became a negative thinking character. She thinks maliciously and more often jealously of others that are around her.   Their hard life adds more to Mainini’s negative outlook in life. Mainini plays an important role in the text as the narrator thinks of her as a representation of a repressed woman. The book characterizes Mainini as too submissive and obedient. Her being subservient makes her prone to abuse by opportunists.   Because if this trait, her way of thinking evolved into something that sort of paranoid, that others will always take advantage of her.   This can lead her to a vicious conclusion that there are no reasons for a person to be kind, because this world runs under a dog-eat-dog system. The narrator describes her mother Mainini through this line â€Å"†¦who suffered from being female and poor and uneducated and black so stoically† (Dangarembga 86) This line suggests that Mainini is the representation of the disempowered woman. The saddest aspect about Mainini is that she herself views herself as powerless. It seems that Mainini is already worn-out by all the burden that she carries. She had expressed her exhaustion from her life through this line â€Å"†¦the business of womanhood is a heavy burden†¦how could it not be? Are not we the ones who bear children† (Dangarembga 16) That line just suggests that Mainini recognizes that there is inequality in terms of gender. She questions why women are not compensated and treated as equal to men. She had thrown this question when she notices that men can act lazy while it is regarded as unwomanly to act in such a way. On the other hand, we have Mainini’s sibling Lucia. Lucia can be considered an opposite of Mainini interms of personality and outlook in life. The book had described Lucia as someone who has a strong personality. In fact, ther personality was so strong that people were afraid of her specifically because they suspect Lucia to be a â€Å"witch† and a â€Å"prostitute†. Dangarembga had designed Lucia’s character as surrounded by mystery and malice. Lucia’s role in the narrative seems to be a thinking character. She would throw witty and smart lines like â€Å"even if you ignore me†¦it doesn’t mean I am not here† (Dangarembga 125) Another of her positive trait is that she is a warm-hearted and caring person. But despite those positive traits, Lucia is perceived by their community negatively. She is viewed to be a sexually promiscuous woman and she becomes the topic of gossipers in their community. It is believed in the story that Lucia has affairs with â€Å"†¦men who did not want to settle down but who were often very rich†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Dangarembga 127) Lucia is also considered as a talkative and expressive individual.   Lucia in fact lectures woman whom she thinks are being abused because of clinging unto conventional nations about womanhood. Lucia’s way of thinking can also be traced to the disempowerment of women in their community. But unlike Mainini, Lucia had developed a positive outlook and disposition. Lucia becomes an admirable character in the story as she is the only one speaking a witty tone. We can interpret that her kind of mindset is due to the fact that she recognizes that their society is like a prison for women, but however the men take advantage of her, they can’t take advantage of her free mind. Lucia’s open-mindedness highlights the flaw that makes women inferior to men in terms of societal roles. Just like here sister Mainini, Lucia had had her share of misfortunes and abuses. She was sexually abused by Takesure, a womanizer who has no means of supporting those he impregnates, and forced to be one of his many concubines. A villager had said â€Å"†¦look at that Lucia! Ha! There is nothing of a woman there† (Dangarembga 126). The villager may had jumped to that conclusion because the more conventional notion about womanhood is far from the characteristics of Lucia. What the critics of Lucia fail to see is that she had jumped over the fence that is set by the society and traditions. She had deconstructed the stereotypes that are much associated with womanhood such as being subservient and proper. Lucia’s character may have wanted to communicate to the readers that these â€Å"societal fences† are set up with patriarchal thinking, they will always be in favour to men. What the characters of Mainini and Lucia had shown us are different ways of thinking by a woman. Their kind of thinking does not only exist in books, these kinds of mentalities of women also exist in the real world, sometimes in even more extreme forms. The character of Mainini tells us a story that we can consider as common. Women remain silent and meek even though they are being abused deliberately. They don’t fight, and does not want to fight, the vicious cycle of women abuse. That is because they think that being abused is their role as a woman. This way of thinking is never good for any woman. As the character of Mainini had shown us, her self-induced repression makes her treat everybody with hostility. On the other hand, Lucia had shown us that some traditions and standards had to be brought down in order for women to achieve genuine freedom from male dominated societies. Lucia had shown us that an open-mind can break through the chains that bounds women. Mainini and Lucia had shown us that it is all a matter of choice, whether a woman should choose to be abused or to be free. Works Cited Dangarembga, Tsitsi. Nervous Conditions. Seattle, WA: The Seal P, 1989.      

Chemistry in Our Dailylife Essay

Our entire universe is made up of matter which is constantly changing forms and evolving into other forms of energy. Chemistry is defined as the study or science of this ever changing matter. The other sciences which we study commonly like biology, physics and mathematics are all dependent on chemistry and are known as specific studies under the elaborate subject of chemistry. Since there is chemistry seen in biological forms as well as physical states of nature, there are subjects called biochemistry and physical chemistry which help study these changes. There are many chemical changes which occur around us everyday but we are never aware of them. But this is a great way of teaching children how magical the world of chemistry is! With these real examples you can teach them by taking a chemistry in everyday life quiz, as practical studies are always fun to learn. To make this job easier for you, mentioned below are a few such examples of chemistry in everyday life, take a look! Examples There are chemical reactions in daily life like, in the way you breathe, the food you eat, the water you drink and in every motion which is taking place around you at every second of the day. It is a very important and interesting concept which could be taught to your children as they have to know, how their world works. The best way to explain this to them is to show them practically how and why are a few things in nature the way they are! You can do this by demonstrating a few kids chemistry experiments for them. An essay on this topic can be a great start to teach these kids, what a wonderful thing, chemistry is. Find out what these intelligent mechanisms of nature are, that define presence of chemistry in daily life, read on. Water, which occupies 70% of the earth’s surface is made by two chemical elements, hydrogen and oxygen. Soap is an emulsifier which allows oil and water to mix and so the oily mixtures on body and clothes can be removed after application of soap and water. Chemistry in kids’ life can also include why vegetables are colored. Colored vegetables consist of chemical compounds called carotenoids which have an area known as the chromophore. It absorbs certain wavelengths of light and thus there are colored vegetables. Food is cooked because of the steam that’s present either in the water added or that which is present inside the food items. Onions make you cry due to the presence of sulfur in the cells which break after the onions are cut. This sulfur gets mixed with moisture and thus irritates your eyes. You feel hungry because of the satiety center in your brain falls short of particular hormones to function and then sends the signal of hunger. You fall in love, get attracted and have a feeling of belonging because of certain monoamines present in your brain which get stimulated through nerve sensors. If you have wondered, why is the sky blue, it is due to a phenomenon called the â€Å"Rayleigh scattering†, which depends on scattering of light through particles which are much smaller than the wavelength. Hence when light passes through gases, there is scattering and the sky appears blue. Coffee keeps you awake because of the presence of a chemical called adenosine, in your brain. It binds to certain receptors and slows the nerve cell activity when sleep is signaled. Anaerobic fermentation is also a great concept which is present in the chemistry of everyday life. It is present in yogurt, breads, cakes and many other baking products. It is the multiplication of certain useful bacteria which increase the size of the food and make it more filling and soft. The food chain present in every ecosystem is also a major part of everyday life chemistry. Even though it has more biological background, it eventually works because of its chemistry. With these great examples, there is no other explanation of the existence of earth and its components other than chemistry. Thus, through so much to learn from, you can easily teach your children the importance of chemistry in our day-to-day life!