What Are the Most Important Differences Between...

What are the most important differences between Parliamentarism, Presidentialism and Semi-Presidentialism and what political implications follow from these differences? In this essay, I will be identifying the underlying differences between the political systems of Parliamentarism, Presidentialism and Semi-Presidentialism. This will include identifying the different types of governments concerning majority and minority rule and the elections that are held in the three democratic systems above, accountability of the executive and legislator, and finally the separation of power between the executive and the legislator of a state. Moreover I will be examining the political implications these all hold for each of the three democratic states†¦show more content†¦In the US the executive and the legislator are independent bodies voted for by the electorate. The President has a fixed term of 4 years which cannot be dissolved by Congress as you were voted in by the electorate. However in the UK, the executive can be replaced as it was appointed by the legislator due to this some argue the Parliamentary system in the UK is less accountable than the U S Presidential system, as accountability is taken by the collective decisions of the cabinet in the UK opposed to the US where the President is held accountable as an individual, so it is easier to criticise as you are electing an individual not a party as seen in the UK. This in turn makes it much easier in the US to hold the executive accountable and oust them from office at the end of their 4 year term as they had won a popular vote obtaining a majority of 50% or more (Harris and Reiley,1998). In a SemiPresidentialism nation, accountability is a priority which is why two executives are appointed in form of the President and the Prime Minister. The President must cooperate and compromise with the legislature as they are held accountable, which is highly advantageous in a divided liberal nation such as France, as all matters must be taken into account. The key difference between Presidentialism, Parliamentarism and SemiPresidentialism is the separation of power between the executive body and the legislator. The executive, legislator and

Music Notes - 3387 Words

Music Notes: Midterm One Introduction Studying Rock: * Fan mentality: reject other forms of music * Gold Records: 500,000 copies * Platinum Records: 1 million copies Themes: * Social, political, and cultural issues * Issues of race, class, and gender * The development of the music business * The development of technology The Popularity Arc: * Mainstream popularity is the ‘peak’ * Genres tend to develop underground and aren’t written about historically during these years (subcultures) Musical Form: * The way different sections in a song are organized Rhythm: the way music sounds are organized in time; beat is the pulse Meter: organization of rhythm and beats into music * Simple; one amp;†¦show more content†¦Rhythm and Blues in the 1940s and 1950’s * black music * Blues; explain hard times, express sadness, race relations * Popular music played and listened to by black people * Played no role in mainstream pop (white people didn’t know about it); racial segregation * Black southerners also migrated, and brought music to Memphis, Chicago amp; Detroit Classic Blues * African American Women * Bessie Smith had been popular in the early 20’s selling 1 million hits but blues popularity faded out of the mainstream * Piano Horns, womens point of view Rural/Country (Delta) Blues Approach: * Robert Johnson; crossroad blues * Sang with acoustic guitar, irregular forms, call and response * Tremendous flexibility,Show MoreRelatedNotes On Music And Music1255 Words   |  6 PagesAlkhaldi Music Class 04-15-2017 There is something alluring about traditions. 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Logistics Industry In Vietnam Challenges Economics Essay free essay sample

Vietnam has developed economic system markedly after following economic reforms in 1986, going one of the fastest turning economic systems in Asia. The ceaseless attempts of the province towards international economic integrating such as the implements of bilateral trade understandings, accomplishing ranks of the ASEAN Free Trade Area ( AFTA ) and, most late, come ining to the World Trade Organization ( WTO ) , has made farther strong alterations in Vietnam s trade and economic government. However, to go on feeling by province economic growing, Vietnam needs to go through challenges such as reforming its regulative environment and legal model and, every bit of import, bettering the substructure for the transit and logistics sectors. Transportation system and logistics have of import function in Vietnam s development. This survey will concentrate on Viet Nam s logistics industry that can go on to be facilitators of state s economic advancement, nevertheless there are a figure of possible challenges that must foremost be addressed. 1. Introduction Vietnam is one of fastest-growing sourcing and fabrication locations in the universe mean export growing rate was the highest in the part during the last decennary. The state has become a focal point for off-shore purchase for planetary makers looking for even lower cost locations than others in Area. By favourable conditions, there are chances every bit good as challenges for the conveyance and logistics sector in Viet Nam. This research will analyse Vietnam logistics industry through theoretical accounts such as Porter s five force, PESTLE analysis and Product life rhythm to present recommendations for development of logistics industry in Vietnam 2. Porter s five force analysis Beginning: hypertext transfer protocol: //www.caneval.com/images/pictures/fiveforcesmodel.jpg Menaces of new entrants High Menace of new entry can be characterized as high due to Vietnam must wholly open the logistics market for foreign companies in 2012 following its committedness to the World Trade Organization ( WTO ) . This is a large trouble for Vietnamese logistics concerns that have to vie with foreign companies that have greater capital and better fight. Menace of replacements Medium E-commerce will open a new market for participants in the logistics field. Logisticss and distribution systems that function expeditiously and efficaciously in all respects will be important for the success of the companies involved. This implies that fabricating companies, and particularly logistics companies, must place and make effectual logistics solutions in order to vie on the market place. Dickering power of providers Medium The inefficiencies of the air and ocean transit system and a deficiency of back uping substructure on the landside, including repositing and terminal installations are haltering the growing of efficient logistics patterns in the state. However, Government initiatives to better logistics substructure and increased engagement of international operators are expected to better the logistics landscape in Vietnam. Dickering power of purchasers Medium/High The Vietnamese logistics industry has great possible for development, which domestic concerns have non yet made the most of. At this clip, domestic companies handle merely 18 per centum of entire import-exports, with the remainder being catered for by foreign logistics companies. Inadequate logistics substructure including uncomplete route systems running to havens, warehouses, and airdromes has resulted in increased logistics costs. This disadvantage has hampered the development of the Vietnamese logistics sector. Rivalry among bing houses High There are more than 800 largely small-sized logistics concerns in Vietnam, and they remain modest in footings of capital, engineering and work force. In add-on, logistics substructure is unequal, and there are many legal barriers impeding the development of logistics in Vietnam. Leading international logistics companies are expected to spread out their presence in Vietnam through direct investing and joint ventures. The operating environment for service suppliers is likely to better as the apprehension of the benefits of an integrated logistics system increases among policy shapers and end-users. Soon, the Vietnam transportation industry is dominated by international bearers who are able to supply planetary coverage and a broad scope of services. The local bearers are mostly focused on domestic and regional transportation services within South East Asia. As a consequence of the footings for accession to the WTO, Vietnam has allowed foreign transportation companies to set up joint ventures with bulk foreign ownership. 2. Analysis on PESTLE of Vietnamese logistics industry PESTLE analysis is used to place factors of macro environments of Viet Nam in logistics industrial development trusting on five basic elements such as Politicss, Economy, Society, Technology, Legal and Environment. Political factor Laws and ordinances effected within the logistics industry are dependent on the political environment which formulates such Torahs and ordinances. Governmental policies and ordinances of Viet Nam on the logistics industry are non clear plenty to make conditions for the state s fledgling logistics industry to develop. Recently, favourable policies for industrial activity have led to the growing of Foreign Direct Investment ( FDI ) flows and the constitution of more privately-owned Vietnamese endeavors. This has given great impulse to the state s industrial sector and resulted in the multi-fold growing of its international trade. Table 1 Strength of investor protection index ( 0-10 ) Index Vietnam East Asia A ; Pacific OECD Average Extent of revelation index ( 0-10 ) 6 5.1 5.9 Extent of manager liability index ( 0-10 ) 0 4.6 5.0 Ease of stockholder suits index ( 0-10 ) 2 6.3 6.6 Strength of investor protection index ( 0-10 ) 2.7 5.3 5.8 Beginning: hypertext transfer protocol: //www.doingbusiness.org/ExploreEconomies/ ? economyid=202 Economic graduated table The concerns expanded beyond national boundaries and extended their planetary range to take advantage of new markets and cheaper resources, so the motions of goods created new demands for the transit and logistics industry. Rising rising prices and planetary competition gave rise to greater force per unit areas on concerns to understate the costs of operation, including execution of just-in-time stock list direction systems, etc. , and besides created demands for velocity and truth in all facets of concern. Vietnam s imports and exports have been systematically increasing and the economic system has shown a healthy growing rate of on mean 7.6 per centum per annum between 2001- 2006.A The state s exports and imports for the twelvemonth 2008 totalled US $ 144 billion, a 21 per centum addition from 2007.A The increased trading activity had created strong demand and immense chance to the logistics service suppliers, particularly in the cargo send oning sector.A Figure 1 Viet Nam entire exports and imports 1990 2008 ( Unit of measurement: Millions of USD ) Beginning: General statistics office of Viet Nam Furthermore, foreign investing has besides been lifting steadily in the Vietnamese logistics sector and is expected to increase further with the state s entry to the WTO.A There are a big figure of foreign logistics companies which are in the procedure of obtaining or have already obtained their licenses to run as a entirely foreign owned companies or joint ventures in Vietnam.A With the increasing incursion of multinationals, the market is expected to turn during the following five old ages, with service degrees making international criterions. In Vietnam, the Government purposes to put every bit much as 10 per centum of its GDP on substructure including the conveyance, energy and telecommunications sectors.A The private sector is expected to play an expanded function in financing the main road, haven and airdrome projects.A Improved substructure developments and accessory services such as repositing, terminals and distribution Centres will farther hike the demand for logistics services and create immense concern chances for the bing logistics service suppliers. Figure 2 Foreign direct investing undertakings licensed in period 1988 2008 Beginning: General statistics office of Viet Nam Social force The unequal human resources for logistics services have non been well-trained and enterprises suffer a deficit of qualified logistics experts. In an attempt to maintain gait with these demands, every bit good as cater to the demands of the universe s 13th largest population, the Vietnamese Government has invested to a great extent in upgrading its conveyance substructure. However overall, its record of success can outdo be described as assorted. While Vietnam s huge web of inland waterways transport goods expeditiously throughout the state, an unequal route web less than 20 % paved and limited railroad capacity have prevented Vietnam from run intoing its full conveyance potency. On the other manus, Vietnam s quickly turning air and haven industry has facilitated a higher volume of trade, imparting hope that betterments across all conveyance webs will hold a similar consequence. Technological force The unequal information system of Viet Nam logistics industry isA taking to be uneffective. Vietnam is legging behind others states in the Region in EDI and E- Commerce applications. A figure of ASEAN states have made significant attempts to construct up a public- private EDI, inter- ministry web to portion the logistics information and to better the industry s operations. VICT ( Vietnam Internal of Commercial Technology ) system of Vietnam is the lone port operator utilizing the EDI system, on standalone footing, which processes machine-controlled container charge, automated stock list direction ( container pace operation ) , machine-controlled gate operation ( truck reaching and going cheque ) , machine-controlled vas operation ( container burden and unloading direction ) , and CFS stock direction. Legal force In Vietnam, the regulative and legislative criterions such as imposts clearance, land handling, and terminal operations are extremely complicated and non ever consistent.A The multiple beds of disposal at territory and provincial degrees have besides led to some studies of corruptness and subsequent addition in both lead times and the cost of treating freight.A Many havens and airdromes besides lack back uping logistics distribution Centres, which can ensue in increased stock list and idle clip for trucks, ships and planes.A A Presently, the boundaries between the operations of assorted concerns such as cargo forwarders, warehouse operators, fleet operators and incorporate logistics companies are non good defined.A They are frequently disconnected and do non by and large complement each others concern offerings, which can take to duplicate of attempt, higher costs and lead times.A The deficiency of information sharing, lucidity on functions and duties pose great challenge and can farther halter the growing of the logistics industry in Vietnam.A Environmental factor The Vietnamese logistics industry besides lacks experient logistics professionals.A This is a major challenge and drawback for the local every bit good as transnational logistics companies since they find it hard to engage the right talent.A Insufficient preparation and instruction in the field of logistics is besides a major subscriber to the scarceness of skilled forces. The conveyance substructure is really in bad status and a corridor for multimodal conveyance has non been created while the demands for quality conveyance of goods between assorted agencies of conveyance are turning progressively. Figure 3 Cargo conveyance of Viet Nam in 2009 Beginning: General statistics office of Viet Nam 4. The Drivers of alteration of the Logisticss industry The ordinances of authorities, national transit and substructure system, concern environment, cost and clip of services are defined chief forces that dives alteration of logistics industry in Viet Nam. Regulations of authorities s relevant policies Vietnam had acquired about US $ 80 billion ( 2008 province est. ) in FDI, directed towards more than 6,000 undertakings. The FDI influx will go on as more investors realise the possible chances that the state has to offer. However, the complex legal and regulative environment, originating from an uncoordinated theoretical account of policy execution, is a major concern for private and foreign investors. This is a important ground for the low engagement of private investors in critical sectors such as substructure development. National transit and substructure system The route, rail and air transit web slowdown significantly behind international criterions and hence history for a low portion of the overall transit market. The betterment of these webs will greatly heighten the state s ability to develop its domestic and international connectivity. This will convey important benefits to its trade growing every bit good as the transit, logistics and touristry industries. Trade environment Vietnam has good potency to develop into a major Asiatic transportation hub. However, the deficiency of first deep H2O port installations is restricting its possible to to the full develop transportation and related industries. Promoting the engagement of international transportation and port operators would add great impulse to the sector. However, there will be a demand for greater transparence in policy devising and to put greater accent on economic considerations over political expedience. In the past decennary, Vietnam s containerized volumes have grown every twelvemonth by about 20 per centum, but the hold in upgrading and spread outing of ports has resulted in continued inefficiency and possible congestion jobs. Weak landside substructure is another major concern for both service suppliers and users. Table 2 Trading across boundary lines in 2009 Region or Economy Documents to export ( figure ) Time to export ( yearss ) Cost to export ( US $ per container ) Documents to import ( figure ) Time to import ( yearss ) Cost to import ( US $ per container ) East Asia A ; Pacific 6.7 23.1 909.3 7.1 24.3 952.8 Eastern Europe A ; Central Asia 6.5 26.8 1,581.8 7.8 28.4 1,773.5 Latin America A ; Caribbean 6.8 18.6 1,243.6 7.3 20.9 1,481.0 Middle East A ; North Africa 6.4 22.5 1,034.8 7.4 25.9 1,221.7 OECD 4.3 10.5 1,089.7 4.9 11.0 1,145.9 South Asia 8.5 32.4 1,364.1 9.0 32.2 1,509.1 Sub-Saharan Africa 7.8 33.6 1,941.8 8.8 39.4 2,365.4 Viet Nam 6 22 756 8 21 940 Beginning: hypertext transfer protocol: //www.doingbusiness.org/ExploreTopics/TradingAcrossBorders/ Costss and clip Last, the development of its logistics industry will significantly heighten Vietnam s fight through the decrease of transit and stock list costs, shorter lead times for bringing to finish markets and an overall betterment in the efficiency and security of the motion of goods and stuffs. Presently, logistics costs are a important subscriber to the high cost of making concern in Vietnam. Over the last 10 old ages, increased competition and the improved degree of logistics services has significantly reduced this cost. 5. The life-cycle theoretical account Beginning: hypertext transfer protocol: //alife4info.co.uk/images/stagesInTheIndustryLifecycle.jpeg Vietnam s economic system is expected to go on to turn at above 6 % for the following five old ages and between 5 and 6 % in the undermentioned five old ages. The portion of the industrial and services sectors within GDP composing will go on to turn. Vietnamese logistics industry is considered base between growing and shakeout phases ( X ) . The experience of its neighbors ( Singapore, China, and Hong Kong ) will function as utile illustrations of how to develop logistics industry. Government policies focus on transforming Vietnam into a market economic system and go oning international economic integrating. There is an chance to better this farther through investing in new substructure every bit good as new procedures and engineering to run into international criterions. This will back up for chief national industries, including transit and logistics to go on growing in the hereafter. 6. Scenario Analysis Redesigning of ordinances and concern Torahs based on association of little units to ease trade operations faster, cheaper and more effectual The industry is extremely fragmented with an estimated 800 operators viing for concern. Most operate on a little graduated table and have limited coverage, service scope and information engineering ( IT ) capabilities. Service suppliers face several challenges, including inconsistent ordinances across assorted degrees of disposal and a deficiency of skilled work force. It is necessary to promote members to work in coaction with each other on the footing of using endeavors advantages ( physical installations, information systems, and othersaˆÂ ¦ ) for one-stop store proviso ofA services, and spread outing domestic and abroad scope of concern operations. Improvement of engineering, the national transit system as development of roads, substructure, landside and international airdrome. There is a critical demand, nevertheless, to develop route and landside substructure in order to ease the efficient motion of the increased volume of goods. Upgrading of the bing airdromes at Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi to back up larger volumes of lading is besides desperately required. The increased accent placed on developing the electronics and high-tech sectors by the Government will give renewed drift to further develop its air installations, as these merchandises require more sophisticated and unafraid manners of bringing and shorter theodolite times. Proposed new ports around the two major economic Centres of Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi could ensue in a important betterment of substructure. The development of deep H2O ports is besides likely to significantly hike international lading activity linked with Vietnam and lessening overloaded flows of goods at two bigger ports as Ho Chi Minh and Hai Phong. The earlier development of the new international airdrome at Long Thanh, in the state of Dong Nai following to Ho Chi Minh City will convey approximately much needed extra capacity. Again, the concurrent development of an improved route web to link to the new airdrome will be required to avoid the creative activity of new constrictions. Training and human resources The procedure of acquiring aware of the importance of logistics, constructing logistics direction accomplishments and heightening the ability to interpret logistics theory into logistics pattern needs some sum of clip. The Government is to hold a policy to help endeavors and schools in order to step up the undertaking of developing under assorted flexible signifiers, supplying human resources for the industry. On their portion, endeavors need to seek support and cooperation in human resource preparation from foreign states.

Pokemon Phenomenon Essays - Shnen Manga, Abra, Kadabra, And Alakazam

Pokemon Phenomenon This kids phenomenon began as a hand-held video game and exploded across the globe, from trading cards to becoming the number one rated television kids' show on the popular cartoon programming Kids' WB! The TV program is drawn in the manner of the old speed racer cartoon with similar type voices. It began showing in syndication in September 1998 and within a few months shot to the top of the ratings chart for children's programs. The Pok?mon phenomenon began in Japan in 1996, with Nintendo inciting a national craze when it introduced software for its Game Boy portable video game system called "Pocket Monsters." The name Pok?mon, is short for POcKEt MONster, each have there own special fighting abilities. Pok?mon is marketed as a creative strategy game based on mythical creatures. Sounds like fun but its more than that, much more. You work your way to the top, perfecting your skills by using your Pok?mon to fight against other Pok?mon trainers. The Pok?mon game does get the kids to think, strategize and use their memory skills. But thinking on what is the question that needs to be asked. " Pok?mon are incredible creatures that share the world with humans,' says Professor Oak (on the program), the leading authority on these monsters." There are currently over 150 documented species of Pok?mon. The professor says "We need to deal with poke'mon as individuals just as we deal with people." Pok?mon frequently take on the characteristics of the human who captured them. The Pok?mon song and mantra is heard on the program and written in the materials. "I want to be the very best like no one ever was, to catch them is my real test to train them is my cause ."I will travel across the land Searching far and wide Each Pok?mon to understand the power that's inside. "Gotta catch them all!" Its you and me I know I know, its my destiny." Just about every child has memorized this stanza. The last line of the Pok?mon mantra, "Gotta catch them all!" is used over and over again to have the kids desire and crave for collecting more Pok?mon paraphernalia. Whatever the creators of these Pocket monsters come out with the kids want they are hooked. Between the TV commercial breaks a Poke'mon comes flashed in a shadow shape and they all say in unison "Whose that Pok?mon." The kids are to recognize the certain character by its shape. Now remember there are over 150 of them so to do this takes quite some time to familiarize themselves with the creatures. This becomes a whole new education for them to learn of these mythical creatures. A Look at The characters The story revolves around a 10 year old boy named Ash Ketchum (a boy and his friends). He is energetic and determined to become the world's greatest Pok?mon Master." Ash's goal and your child's is to become the greatest trainer in the world by collecting and raising pok?mon. His pet is Pikachu who looks like across between a cuddly rabbit and a rat. He has a lightning bolt shaped tail. (Raichu also has a lightning bolt tail) Misty a girl who is Ash's friend is described as "headstrong and stubborn . . . constantly quibbling with Ash." She is always giving him a hard time, they are constantly arguing. Ash says she's always putting him down. Then there is the third member of the adventurous trio, Brock who has uncontrolled hormones. Brock who is Ashes trouble making partner is girl crazy, he is infatuated with their perfume, dress and shape. Every girl he sees he is in love with. Brock's fascination with the opposite sex often gets him and the gang into trouble. Brock also has a temper (have you seen your child develop one?) and sometimes will hit Misty, who is his friend on the head, as in one case because she wanted to reveal that he loves a certain girl. Competition drives Ash making him obsessed with catching all the Pok?mon. But it is not that easy he has enemies, Team rocket. A boy girl team called Jessie & James (Jessie James remember him, the outlaw). Meoth is a Pok?mon on team rocket who are the enemy are the nemesis of Ash, they want to steal all the Pok?mon's from the people and trying to steal Pikachu from Ash, and at times they do, but Ash always gets him back. "Prepare for trouble, make it double.... Jessie, James . . . they are an

Existentialist View Of Human Condition Essays - Modernism

Existentialist View Of Human Condition Essays - Modernism Existentialist View of Human Condition Two of the main principles of Existentialist Human Condition are: That man exists and then creates himself and what man chooses for himself he chooses for everyone else as well. Lets examine the first principle: man exists and then defines himself. What it means is that man is created on this earth and is nothing but a body, blood and guts. What he chooses to do and to be is what makes him a man. If a man comes into this world and chooses to steal, cheat, kill and lie then that is what that man has made himself to be. While society may see him as a "evil" person, that is what is right for him. Now on the other hand if a person chooses to be generous, kind, honest and loving, society may see him as a "good" person while it is still right for him. According to the Existentialists, a person is placed on this earth with no predisposed "good" or "evil" values, one man is not created with any more good or evil than the next. By the decisions we make in life we create oursel! ves. Next the second view, what man chooses for himself he chooses for everyone else. This is a view I really believe in. Everything we do in life effects someone else, whether we no it or not. Every time we drive our car. Every time we eat something, spend money, go for a jog someone else is effected. For an example: a man goes to the store and buys a stereo. First of all the clerk the clerk is effected because they have to check you out, so you have taken some of their time. The store is effected because they are minus one radio from their store. The manufacturer now has to make one more to replace the one that was bought from the store. The manufacturing employees are effected because put the radio together, and so on. On the other hand a man who chooses to steal that same stereo will effect even more people. If he get caught the store, the manufacturer, the police, the courts, the jails and all the people who are involved with those organizations. So now the question is raised "what if everyone acted the same way that man did?" Well there could be nothing but anarchy, no laws, or government. Basically we would revert to a type of Neanderthal type state. This is why many classic philosophers have problems with the Existentialist point of view, because of the "what if" questions.

Little Prince Reaction Paper

Little Prince Reaction Paper Little Prince Reaction Paper Little Prince Reaction Paper: The Process of Writing Have got an assignment to write a reaction paper on the Little Prince but do not know what to begin with? Reading of this article will help you to put your thoughts together! So, in what way can you write a good little prince reaction paper? Lets split your work into 3 main steps: preparing, writing and checking. There is no doubt that the first stage in the preparation for writing of the little prince reaction paper is reading of this wonderful childrens story even if you have already read it. To write a reaction paper on a book you should not only have the general idea about this book (know the characters, the plot and the ending) but also make the deep analysis of it. To do that you should study the book thoroughly. After you have read the story try to analyze it: define the main idea (what Antoine de Saint-Exupry wanted to say by writing this story), characterize the main characters (the Narrator, the Little Prince, the Fo x, the Rose, the Snake, the King and others). Remember: before writing your paper you should make a thesis statement. It will be the main point that your paper will prove. Define what exactly has touched you most of all: the issue of childhood and adolescence or the idea of the protection of the world we live in, for example. In this case you will have a lot of thoughts to write in your little prince reaction paper.When writing your little prince reaction paper you should keep all the writing requirements. Do not forget that your paper should contain such parts as the introduction, the main body and the conclusion. Editing is a very important process. Re-read your little prince reaction paper thoroughly several times in order to identify and correct all grammatical, punctuation or syntactical mistakes. When getting down to your little prince reaction paper, pay attention to the following points:Never postpone your writing for the last day. Although a reaction paper is not a large work it may play a significant role in your study. Like any academic paper a reaction paper should be well-structured. Pay your attention that all the paragraphs of your little prince reaction paper should be interrelated and prove the same idea the paper thesis statement. All your thoughts should be clear and understandable.So, this information will help you to write your little prince reaction paper. Anyway, if you face any difficulties, do not hesitate to contact us! We are always ready to help you in your study!

The U.N Humanitarian intervention in Syria PART 2 Case Study

The U.N Humanitarian intervention in Syria PART 2 - Case Study Example Article 1 and 2 of the Charter of the United Nations outlines the importance of recognizing the sovereignty of nations and their self-determinacy (Repertoire of the practice of the security council 1). The charter prohibits member states from forcefully intervening in the internal affairs of other states unless they either successfully seek the approval of the UN Security Council or react to protect their borders from external forces. This has played a major role in the humanitarian intervention, or lack of, in Syria. It has offered an obstacle for any nation willing to intervene in order to end the current crisis present in Syria. This restriction also covers the establishment of no fly zones and providing weapons to the rebel forces in Syria (United Nations 1). It is believed that powerful nations with permanent seats in the Security Council have used this provision to scuttle any attempt of intervention in Syria with Russia and China being the key accused. When the allegations of the use of chemical weapons by the government of Syrian on civilians and rebels in the region of Ghouta on 19 March 2013 surfaced, the United Nations embarked on a fact finding mission and presented a damning report that highlighted the use of sarin on civilians (United Nations 1). Consequently, the UN Security Council during its sittings showed a rare unity and passed Resolution 2118 in an attempt to ensure that the use of chemical weapons on civilians is not repeated. The resolutions demanded the destruction of the chemical weapons and prohibited the manufacture, accumulation and transfer of chemical weapons by Syria. Failure to adhere to the conditions set, the Security Council may impose penalties on Syria as per Chapter VII of the UN Charter (Repertoire of the practice of the Security Council 1). The United Nations, together with the League of Arab States, has played a key role in the search of a peaceful political solution in Syria.

Professional and technical communication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Professional and technical communication - Essay Example It is also concerned with alleviating human suffering. The purpose of the website is to create awareness of IFRC to the people who are affected by disasters. In order to do this, people must have clear knowledge of what IFRC is. It tries to ensure that the people’ vulnerability to hazards is eliminated or reduced. It might be possible to predict some disasters like the floods, tsunamis or hurricanes but not others like earthquakes. By fully analyzing the climate, people can be able to predict some of the weather related disasters. Climate automatically increases the intensity and frequency of disasters related to weather. The purpose of the international federation is to reduce the impact of these disasters to people who are affected by them. The federation comes up with the effective prevention methods and strategies that that saves lives of the victims. It has built a culture of prevention which is not easy in any way. In involves a lot of sacrifice. They use certain information to analyze the risks and the existing capacities of the community which help to reduce people’s vulnerability to most likely disasters. This helps to resume their lives and make them survive after disasters. IFRC works with realistic and set objectives called Millennium Development Goals. The achievement of these goals will totally be dependent on the government’s willingness to support the federation in consultation of the affected people. This means that the government must work with the representatives in different communities. The federation will want to have international diplomacy and relations with government and other stakeholders to make it clear that it sees consistency in the humanitarian. Another issue that will be prominent is how the movement and its individual part relate to the outside world. This is the way its own multi-stakeholders work reflects its own multi-consistency

Conducting Scholarly Research Essay Example for Free

Conducting Scholarly Research Essay Conducting Scholarly Research The following tutorials and information are mandatory, though no assignment is required to be submitted. The skills developed in these tutorials will be used throughout the nursing program. Evaluating the resources you use One of the major challenges today, with the sheer amount of information available at your fingertips via the Web, is determining the reliability of the information presented. It can be quite difficult to determine the quality, authenticity, and authority of the information you encounter. However, there are a number of tools and skills at your disposal that help to determine if the information you find is trustworthy and of academic quality. Watch the Evaluating Websites tutorial to learn more about how to determine the quality of information found on the Web. Review the tutorial: â€Å"Evaluating Websites,† located at http://tutorials.gcumedia.com/evaluatingWebTutorial/vp02.swf What makes a resource scholarly? Throughout your courses at GCU you will be encouraged to use scholarly resources to support your assignments and discussion questions. But what is a scholarly source? Simply put, a scholarly source is a resource or research created, published, and or written by scholars and professionals in a specific discipline. In addition, a scholarly source should have undergone rigorous fact checking and peer review to ensure the research and information presented is of strong academic quality. The bulk of scholarly resources can be found in books and academic and/or professional journals. A large majority of these are research based. A scholar or professional may publish articles in other resources, such as in magazines, newspapers, and even Web sites and blogs. However, these sources do not go through the rigorous fact checking that is expected from scholarly journals. This rigorous fact checking is called peer review. When a scholar or professional submits their article to be published the journal will send the article to another expert in the field to review the work. The reviewer will look to see that the quality is high, the research sound, and the  conclusions in line with the work presented. If it is approved, it will then be published in the journal. This process gives students like you the added confidence in the resource being used. How to find Scholarly Research The Web is filled with information and resources. It is possible to find scholarly articles and research on the Web. However, most will ask that you pay a fee to read the article. The GCU library has subscribed to a number of the journals so that you do not need to pay to read the research. These journals and articles are contained in collections called Databases. Some are multidisciplinary, but most are specific to a subject area. For instance, in nursing, the strongest databases include CINAHL, OVID, and the ProQuest Nursing Allied Health Source. These can be found on the Nursing subject page in the GCU library. Watch the â€Å"GCU Library Walk Through Tutorial† to learn how to access the library and its vast resources. The â€Å"GCU Library Walk Through Tutorial† is located at http://tutorials.gcumedia.com/libraryWalkThrough/vp02.swf Watch the CINAHL Tutorial to learn more about how to specifically use this nursing specific database. Pay special attention to the section discussing subject headings. Learning to use tools like these will help you design effective search strategies and significantly reduce the time and frustration that comes with research. The CINAHL Tutorial is located at http://tutorials.gcumedia.com/CINAHLTutorial/vp02.swf The GCU library has a number of Librarians and staffed trained specifically to assist you with your research. Please contact them if you have questions or concerns with finding information. They can help walk you through the technical aspects of using a database and assist in developing search strategies that will enable you to find the information you need. Call them at 800.800.9776 ext. 6396641 or email them at using the form at http://library.gcu.edu/AskALibrarian Scholarly Writing Writing will be a large part of the work expected in this program. Scholarly writing can often be intimidating, but there are a number of resources GCU has provided to ease this strain and help you learn to write good scholarly papers. A key to scholarly writing is using evidence to support your arguments. The skills you learn as a researcher will aid you in your writing. The purpose of education is to build your knowledge and the purpose of academia is to contribute to and build the knowledge of the culture as a whole. By taking the research and writings of others and evaluating and adding it as essential pieces of your own research, you then move the knowledge of both yourself and the community to the next step. To enable this process, it is essential to cite where the information is found that is used in your papers. This is why scholars use citation styles, such as APA, to standardize how this is done and allow others to easily follow from where the information has come. This is, of course, in addition to the ethical reasons that argue that one should be acknowledged for the work that is done. Watch the tutorials below to learn more about scholarly writing and what resources are available to you. The Writing Center, located in the Student Success Center Writing in APA Tutorial http://tutorials.gcumedia.com/mediaElement/apa-6th-edition-tutorial/apa-6th-edition-tutorial-v1.1.html Plagiarism Tutorial http://tutorials.gcumedia.com/plagiarismVideo/vp02.swf LoudCloud Tutorial http://tutorials.gcumedia.com/studentWTCTutorial/vp02.swf The Writing Process Tutorial http://tutorials.gcumedia.com/writingProcessTutorial/vp02.swf The Center for Learning Advancement has a number of staff and tutors available to assist you in your academic writing. In addition they have a number of resources available at the click of a button. Find out more at

A Feminist Reading of Mary Shelleys Frankenstein :: Feminism Feminist Women Criticism

Feminist Reading of Frankenstein When reading Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, one cannot help but notice that the women characters seem to have little substance compared to the male characters. This may have been caused by the time period in which she wrote: one in which females were considered inferior to males. This difference between the sexes can be looked at using a variety of different perspectives. Johanna M. Smith, a professor at the University of Texas at Arlington, discusses this issue using feminist eyes in her essay entitled "'Cooped up': Feminine Domesticity in Frankenstein." The main points in Professor Smith's essay are that the female characters are there only to reflect the male characters, and that the Frankenstein family has a weird style of living, which she describes as a "bookkeeping mentality" (Smith 279). Smith begins her essay by looking at the historical factors that may have contributed to this seemingly sexist book. Shelley, writing in the first half of the 19th Century, was in a period in which a woman "was conditioned to think she needed a man's help" (Smith 275). In the novel itself, no women speak directly. The book has three basic narrators: Robert Walton, Victor Frankenstein, and Frankenstein's monster. The female characters are very weak in this novel, especially Elizabeth, Victor's cousin/fiancà © (no they aren't from Arkansas). She is portrayed as the perfect woman, especially after Victor's mother, Caroline dies. She takes the place of the mother figure in the household. But just like all the female characters in the story, her character has little substance. Victor's character is described in detail, as is that of the monster, and Henry Clerval. When Henry gets killed, sympathy is really felt toward Victor, because he has just lost his lifetime friend. When Elizabeth i s murdered, the reader finds it hard to connect with what Frankenstein is feeling. Elizabeth (and the other main female characters: Justine and Caroline) are there to reflect the men characters. Professor Smith states in her essay that "women function not in their own right but rather as signals of and conduits for men's relations with other men" (283). This is especially clear when the monster kills Elizabeth on their wedding night. The monster is upset with Victor, so instead of hurting him, he kills his wife. Elizabeth is used as a sort of ruler to measure the relationship between Victor and his monster. A Feminist Reading of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein :: Feminism Feminist Women Criticism Feminist Reading of Frankenstein When reading Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, one cannot help but notice that the women characters seem to have little substance compared to the male characters. This may have been caused by the time period in which she wrote: one in which females were considered inferior to males. This difference between the sexes can be looked at using a variety of different perspectives. Johanna M. Smith, a professor at the University of Texas at Arlington, discusses this issue using feminist eyes in her essay entitled "'Cooped up': Feminine Domesticity in Frankenstein." The main points in Professor Smith's essay are that the female characters are there only to reflect the male characters, and that the Frankenstein family has a weird style of living, which she describes as a "bookkeeping mentality" (Smith 279). Smith begins her essay by looking at the historical factors that may have contributed to this seemingly sexist book. Shelley, writing in the first half of the 19th Century, was in a period in which a woman "was conditioned to think she needed a man's help" (Smith 275). In the novel itself, no women speak directly. The book has three basic narrators: Robert Walton, Victor Frankenstein, and Frankenstein's monster. The female characters are very weak in this novel, especially Elizabeth, Victor's cousin/fiancà © (no they aren't from Arkansas). She is portrayed as the perfect woman, especially after Victor's mother, Caroline dies. She takes the place of the mother figure in the household. But just like all the female characters in the story, her character has little substance. Victor's character is described in detail, as is that of the monster, and Henry Clerval. When Henry gets killed, sympathy is really felt toward Victor, because he has just lost his lifetime friend. When Elizabeth i s murdered, the reader finds it hard to connect with what Frankenstein is feeling. Elizabeth (and the other main female characters: Justine and Caroline) are there to reflect the men characters. Professor Smith states in her essay that "women function not in their own right but rather as signals of and conduits for men's relations with other men" (283). This is especially clear when the monster kills Elizabeth on their wedding night. The monster is upset with Victor, so instead of hurting him, he kills his wife. Elizabeth is used as a sort of ruler to measure the relationship between Victor and his monster.

Advantages and Disadvantages using facebook by students Essay

Facebook is an account which can help everyone to connect with different people from anywhere in the world, include the students. It will improve their knowledge about other places, customs and cultures. For example English students can improve their English by using chatting application that is provided in Facebook. In facebook, students be able to chat with foreigner in other countries. Therefore, students can learn about how to speak English well. In addition, Facebook also gives the students the opopportunity to communicate with their friends very easily. Students can use Facebook for group study by creating a group only for studying. Students can share any information’s and learn about homework, assignments, exams, etc in that group. Establish social connections with students at your school and at institutions across the country Connect with like minded individuals, and individuals with similar interests Stay in contact with old friends Snow Day – Update! Not sure if school will be open or closed on a snow day? Check it out on your teacher and/or Principal’s page on Facebook. You’ll find the answer and a whole lotta comments. Reaching out to a student in need Students shared that sometimes it’s hard for them to approach a teacher or even really reach out for help face-to-face. Sharing a disappointment on Facebook can be easier. Students shared how touched they were by encouraging words from a teacher either on their page, or as a face-to-face follow up. Disadvantages of of using Facebook by Students: It regards to students education, students are more often subjected to reading Facebook update than reading books Facebook users, most likely always want to know about update status, so that every day without they realize it takes time. They are stimulated to write unimportant things. Students will have study distraction; students will be ignoring their valuable time to do homework and to study before the exams. In addition, students are spending more time in Facebook than review their lessons. When  students browsing on the internet to search assignments, they prefer to chat with their friends about nonsense thing. Badly, Facebook like drugs that will make the students get addicted. Students can spend hours just to read their friends updates and looking at the latest pictures. Another problem by using Facebook is spending much money, in term to pay the internet costs. Students online disclosure of illegal activities, such as substance abuse, can be used if students come under investigation for related offenses. Potential employers may use facebook to discover information about students Facebook- Facebook (formerly [thefacebook]) is an online social networking service headquartered in Menlo Park, California. Its name comes from a colloquialism for the directorygiven to students at some American universities. Facebook was founded on February 4, 2004, by Mark Zuckerberg with his college roommates and fellow Harvard University students Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin Moskovitz and Chris Hughes. The founders had initially limited the website’s membership to Harvard students, but later expanded it to colleges in the Boston area, the Ivy League, and Stanford University. It gradually added support for students at various other universities and later to their high-school students. Facebook now allows anyone who claims to be at least 13 years old worldwide to become a registered user of the website, although proof is not required.

The Golden Age of Islam

The golden age of Islamic (and/or Muslim) art lasted from 750 to the 16th century, when ceramics, glass, metalwork, textiles, illuminated manuscripts, and woodwork flourished. Lustrous glazing was an Islamic contribution to ceramics. Islamic luster-painted ceramics were imitated by Italian potters during the Renaissance. Manuscript illumination developed into an important and greatly respected art, and portrait miniature painting flourished in Persia.Calligraphy, an essential aspect of written Arabic, developed in manuscripts and architectural decoration. This paper will examine the Islamic literature, music and philosophers. The most well known work of fiction from the Islamic world was The Book of One Thousand and One Nights (Arabian Nights), which was a compilation of many earlier folk tales told by the Persian Queen Scheherazade. The epic took form in the 10th century and reached its final form by the 14th century; the number and type of tales have varied from one manuscript to a nother.All Arabian fantasy tales were often called â€Å"Arabian Nights† when translated into English, regardless of whether they appeared in The Book of One Thousand and One Nights, in any version, and a number of tales are known in Europe as â€Å"Arabian Nights† despite existing in no Arabic manuscript (L. Sprague de Camp, pg. 10). This epic has been influential in the West since it was translated in the 18th century, first by Antoine Galland. Many imitations were written, especially in France. Various characters from this epic have themselves become cultural icons in Western culture, such as Aladdin, Sinbad and Ali Baba.However, no medieval Arabic source has been traced for Aladdin, which was incorporated into The Book of One Thousand and One Nights by its French translator, Antoine Galland, who heard it from an Arab Syrian Christian storyteller from Aleppo. Part of its popularity may have sprung from the increasing historical and geographical knowledge, so that pl aces of which little was known and so marvels were plausible had to be set further â€Å"long ago† or farther â€Å"far away†; this is a process that continues, and finally culminate in the fantasy world having little connection, if any, to actual times and places.A number of elements from Arabian mythology and Persian mythology are now common in modern fantasy, such as genies, bahamuts, magic carpets, magic lamps, etc (John Grant and John Cute, pg. 52). When L. Frank Baum proposed writing a modern fairy tale that banished stereotypical elements, he included the genie as well as the dwarf and the fairy as stereotypes to go. Ferdowsi's Shahnameh, the national epic of Iran, is a mythical and heroic retelling of Persian history.Amir Arsalan was also a popular mythical Persian story, which has influenced some modern works of fantasy fiction, such as The Heroic Legend of Arslan. A famous example of Arabic poetry and Persian poetry on romance (love) is Layla and Majnun, dati ng back to the Umayyad era in the 7th century. It is a tragic story of undying love much like the later Romeo and Juliet, which was itself said to have been inspired by a Latin version of Layli and Majnun to an extent. Ibn Tufail (Abubacer) and Ibn al-Nafis were pioneers of the philosophical novel.Ibn Tufail wrote the first fictional Arabic novel Hayy ibn Yaqdhan (Philosophus Autodidactus) as a response to al-Ghazali's The Incoherence of the Philosophers, and then Ibn al-Nafis also wrote a novel Theologus Autodidactus as a response to Ibn Tufail's Philosophus Autodidactus. Both of these narratives had protagonists (Hayy in Philosophus Autodidactus and Kamil in Theologus Autodidactus) who were autodidactic feral children living in seclusion on a desert island, both being the earliest examples of a desert island story.However, while Hayy lives alone with animals on the desert island for the rest of the story in Philosophus Autodidactus, the story of Kamil extends beyond the desert isl and setting in Theologus Autodidactus, developing into the earliest known coming of age plot and eventually becoming an early example of proto-science fiction (John Grant and John Cute, pg. 52). Theologus Autodidactus, written by the Arabian polymath Ibn al-Nafis (1213–1288), is an early example of proto-science fiction.It deals with various science fiction elements such as spontaneous generation, futurology, and the end of the world and doomsday. Rather than giving supernatural or mythological explanations for these events, Ibn al-Nafis attempted to explain these plot elements using the scientific knowledge of biology, astronomy, cosmology and geology known in his time. His main purpose behind this science fiction work was to explain Islamic religious teachings in terms of science and philosophy through the use of fiction.A Latin translation of Ibn Tufail's work, Philosophus Autodidactus, first appeared in 1671, prepared by Edward Pococke the Younger, followed by an English translation by Simon Ockley in 1708, as well as German and Dutch translations. These translations later inspired Daniel Defoe to write Robinson Crusoe, regarded as the first novel in English (James Thurber, pg. 64). Philosophus Autodidactus also inspired Robert Boyle to write his own philosophical novel set on an island, The Aspiring Naturalist (James Thurber, pg. 64).The story also anticipated Rousseau's Emile: or, On Education in some ways, and is also similar to Mowgli's story in Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book as well as Tarzan's story, in that a baby is abandoned but taken care of and fed by a mother wolf. Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy, considered the greatest epic of Italian literature, derived many features of and episodes about the hereafter directly or indirectly from Arabic works on Islamic eschatology: the Hadith and the Kitab al-Miraj (translated into Latin in 1264 or shortly before (James Thurber, pg. 4) as Liber Scale Machometi, â€Å"The Book of Muhammad's Ladder †) concerning Muhammad's ascension to Heaven, and the spiritual writings of Ibn Arabi. The Moors also had a noticeable influence on the works of George Peele and William Shakespeare. Some of their works featured Moorish characters, such as Peele's The Battle of Alcazar and Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice, Titus Andronicus and Othello, which featured a Moorish Othello as its title character. These works are said to have been inspired by several Moorish delegations from Morocco to Elizabethan England at the beginning of the 17th century (Nazami, 1980).A number of musical instruments used in classical music are believed to have been derived from Arabic musical instruments: the lute was derived from the al'ud, the rebec (ancestor of violin) from the rebab, the guitar from qitara, naker from naqareh, adufe from al-duff, alboka from al-buq, anafil from al-nafir, exabeba from al-shabbaba (flute), atabal (bass drum) from al-tabl, atambal from al-tinbal, the balaban, the castanet from kasatan, sonajas de azofar from sunuj al-sufr, the conical bore wind instruments, the xelami from the sulami or fistula (flute or musical pipe), the shawm and dulzaina from the reed instruments zamr and al-zurna, the gaita from the ghaita, rackett from iraqya or iraqiyya, the harp and zither from the qanun, canon from qanun, geige (violin) from ghichak, and the theorbo from the tarab.A theory on the origins of the Western Solfege musical notation suggests that it may have also had Arabic origins. It has been argued that the Solfege syllables (do, re, mi, fa, sol, la, ti) may have been derived from the syllables of the Arabic solmization system Durr-i-Mufassal (â€Å"Separated Pearls†) (dal, ra, mim, fa, sad, lam). This origin heory was first proposed by Meninski in his Thesaurus Linguarum Orientalum (1680) and then by Laborde in his Essai sur la Musique Ancienne et Moderne (1780). See as well the gifted Ziryab (Abu l-Hasan ‘Ali Ibn Nafi‘). Ottoman military ba nds are thought to be the oldest variety of military marching band in the world. Though they are often known by the Persian-derived word Mehter. The standard instruments employed by a Mehter are: Bass drum (timpani), the kettledrum (nakare), Frame drum (davul), the Cymbals (zil), Oboes and Flutes, Zurna, the â€Å"Boru† (a kind of trumpet), Triangle (instrument), and the Cevgen (a kind of stick bearing small concealed bells).These military bands inspired many Western nations and especially the Orchestra inspiring the works of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Ludwig van Beethoven. Arab philosophers like al-Kindi (Alkindus) and Ibn Rushd (Averroes) and Persian philosophers like Ibn Sina (Avicenna) played a major role in preserving the works of Aristotle, whose ideas came to dominate the non-religious thought of the Christian and Muslim worlds. They would also absorb ideas from China, and India, adding to them tremendous knowledge from their own studies. Three speculative thinkers, a l-Kindi, al-Farabi, and Avicenna (Ibn Sina), fused Aristotelianism and Neoplatonism with other ideas introduced through Islam, such as Kalam and Qiyas.This led to Avicenna founding his own Avicennism school of philosophy, which was influential in both Islamic and Christian lands. Avicenna was also a critic of Aristotelian logic and founder of Avicennian logic, and he developed the concepts of empiricism and tabula rasa, and distinguished between essence and existence. From Spain the Arabic philosophic literature was translated into Hebrew, Latin, and Ladino, contributing to the development of modern European philosophy. The Jewish philosopher Moses Maimonides, Muslim sociologist-historian Ibn Khaldun, Carthage citizen Constantine the African who translated ancient Greek medical texts, and the Muslim Al-Khwarzimi's collation of mathematical techniques were important figures of the Golden Age.One of the most influential Muslim philosophers in the West was Averroes (Ibn Rushd), founder of the Averroism school of philosophy, whose works and commentaries had an impact on the rise of secular thought in Western Europe (Nawal Muhammad Hassan, 1980) He also developed the concept of â€Å"existence precedes essence†. Another influential philosopher who had a significant influence on modern philosophy was Ibn Tufail. His philosophical novel, Hayy ibn Yaqdhan, translated into Latin as Philosophus Autodidactus in 1671, developed the themes of empiricism, tabula rasa, nature versus nurture, condition of possibility, materialism, and Molyneux's Problem. European scholars and writers influenced by this novel include John Locke, Gottfried Leibniz, Melchisedech Thevenot, John Wallis, Christiaan Huygens. George Keith, Robert Barclay, the Quakers, and Samuel Hartlib(Nawal Muhammad Hassan, 1980).Al-Ghazali also had an important influence on Jewish thinkers like Maimonides and Christian medieval philosophers such as Thomas Aquinas. However, al-Ghazali also wrote a devastatin g critique in his The Incoherence of the Philosophers on the speculative theological works of Kindi, Farabi and Ibn Sina. The study of metaphysics declined in the Muslim world due to this critique, though Ibn Rushd (Averroes) responded strongly in his The Incoherence of the Incoherence to many of the points Ghazali raised. Nevertheless, Avicennism continued to flourish long after and Islamic philosophers continued making advances in philosophy through to the 17th century, when Mulla Sadra founded his school of Transcendent Theosophy and developed the concept of existentialism.Other influential Muslim philosophers include al-Jahiz, a pioneer of evolutionary thought and natural selection; Ibn al-Haytham (Alhacen), a pioneer of phenomenology and the philosophy of science and a critic of Aristotelian natural philosophy and Aristotle's concept of place (topos); Biruni, a critic of Aristotelian natural philosophy; Ibn Tufail and Ibn al-Nafis, pioneers of the philosophical novel; Shahab al -Din Suhrawardi, founder of Illuminationist philosophy; Fakhr al-Din al-Razi, a critic of Aristotelian logic and a pioneer of inductive logic; and Ibn Khaldun, a pioneer in the philosophy of history and social philosophy. Despite a number of attempts by many writers, historical and modern, none seem to agree on the causes of decline.The main views on the causes of decline comprise the following: political mismanagement after the early Caliphs (10th century onwards), foreign involvement by invading forces and colonial powers (11th century Crusades, 13th century Mongol Empire, 15th century Reconquista, 19th century European colonial empires), and the disruption to the cycle of equity based on Ibn Khaldun's famous model of Asabiyyah (the rise and fall of civilizations) which points to the decline being mainly due to political and economic factors.References 1. L. Sprague de Camp, Literary Swordsmen and Sorcerers: The Makers of Heroic Fantasy, p 10 ISBN 0-87054-076-9 2. John Grant and J ohn Clute, The Encyclopedia of Fantasy, â€Å"Arabian fantasy†, p 52 ISBN 0-312-19869-8 3. James Thurber, â€Å"The Wizard of Chitenango†, p 64 Fantasists on Fantasy edited by Robert H. Boyer and Kenneth J. Zahorski, ISBN 0-380-86553-X 4. NIZAMI: LAYLA AND MAJNUN – English Version by Paul Smith 5. Nahyan A. G. Fancy (2006), â€Å"Pulmonary Transit and Bodily Resurrection: The Interaction of Medicine, Philosophy and Religion in the Works of Ibn al-Nafis (d. 1288)†, pp. 95–101, Electronic Theses and Dissertations, University of Notre Dame. [3] 6. Dr. Abu Shadi Al-Roubi (1982), â€Å"Ibn Al-Nafis as a philosopher†, Symposium on Ibn al Nafis, Second International Conference on Islamic Medicine: Islamic Medical Organization, Kuwait (cf. Ibnul-Nafees As a Philosopher, Encyclopedia of Islamic World). 7. Nawal Muhammad Hassan (1980), Hayy bin Yaqzan and Robinson Crusoe: A study of an early Arabic impact on English literature, Al-Rashid House for Pub lication.

Portlands Historic Union Station essays

Portland's Historic Union Station essays Portlands Historic Union Station has been a staple of transportation in the Northwest since it was built in 1896. Portland is a young city at just 150 years old, and Union Station has played a key role in making Portland what it is today. As Portland grew during the late 19th century because of its timber and livestock exports, coupled with the gaining popularity of railway travel, the city decided to construct a rail station that could serve as a major transportation hub for the region. Even with the creation of the Super Highway across the U.S., Union Station has continued to thrive as an important part of the cities transportation system. It also serves as a cherished landmark. Portlands Union Station has had a rich history throughout the years. However in order to completely understand the buildings meaning, factors such as cultural influences, design principles, economic forces, and its technological means must be examined. All buildings are constructed to fulfill needs. Union Station is no exception to this rule. Union Stations purpose is obvious in that it serves as a central part of Portlands expansive transportation system. Without a program, Union Station would be a mere piece of art. Union Stations purpose has never changed dramatically. It has always served as the major center of the cities railroad travel. Of course it had more usage before the creation of the Super Highway and the popularity of air travel, but it has always served the community and its purpose has stayed consistent. Union Station used to serve as the icon for fast and easy travel. Today people look at the Portland (PDX) airport as the fastest mode of travel. Union Stations usage has dropped over time but the people who use it have been the same. Travelers looking to get from place to place have always been the predominant force behind the creation and usage of this building. The program of Union Station is no...

Dónde pedir información migratoria de todo tipo

Dà ³nde pedir informacià ³n migratoria de todo tipo Es muy comà ºn que los migrantes o los extranjeros con visas no inmigrantes tengan dudas sobre cul es exactamente su estatus migratorio o sobre asuntos que pueden afectarlo. En este artà ­culo se explica cà ³mo obtener informacià ³n de primera mano sobre situacià ³n de casos pendientes ante el Servicio de Inmigracià ³n y Ciudadanà ­a (USCIS, por sus siglas en inglà ©s) y con las embajadas o consulados. Asimismo, cà ³mo saber si una persona est detenida, tiene una orden de deportacià ³n o de arresto, cà ³mo comunicarse con el Servicio Nacional de Visas, cà ³mo consultar si se es ciudadano americano. cà ³mo se puede solicitar un pasaporte o dà ³nde estn las oficinas locales del ICE. Y otros otros telà ©fonos importantes sobre asuntos que afectan muy de cerca a migrantes. Consultar con el USCIS Si se tiene un caso pendiente con el USCIS, existen diferentes modos de comunicarse y buscar informacià ³n. En persona Todos los extranjeros que se encuentren legalmente en Estados Unidos pueden usar el servicio de InfoPass.  Se pide una cita y en un corto plazo de tiempo se puede acudir a una oficina de Inmigracià ³n. Allà ­ un oficial con conocimiento del tipo de casos sobre el que existe la duda examinar la documentacià ³n que se le presenta y ofrecer una opinià ³n profesional. Es importante subrayar que los inmigrantes indocumentados no pueden utilizar este servicio. Y que puede tener consecuencias muy adversas presentarse voluntariamente en unas oficinas de Inmigracià ³n, como por ejemplo, ser arrestado en el momento. Por internet, correo electrà ³nico, mensaje de texto Se puede utilizar el sistema del USCIS de My Case Status para verificar cà ³mo est la tramitacià ³n. Es necesario saber el nà ºmero de caso que es el que aparece en la primera carta que se recibe del USCIS. Por correo Si se ha enviado una peticià ³n o solicitud a una Oficina de Campo (Field Office), se puede enviar una carta preguntando por el caso. Incluir los siguiente: Nombre completo y direccià ³nAlien Registration NumberFecha de nacimientoFecha y lugar de la aplicacià ³n sobre la que se preguntaEl Nà ºmero del caso Fotocopia legible de la à ºltima carta que se recibià ³ del USCISY, si ya ha tenido lugar una entrevista o la toma de huellas digitales, indicar la fecha y el lugar donde se realizà ³. Militares Los miembros del Ejà ©rcito de los Estados Unidos tienen reglas especiales en algunos asuntos migratorios. Para informarse y resolver inquietudes que les afecten directamente o a familiares pueden marcar gratis al 1-877-247-4645, de lunes a viernes de 8.am a 4.30 pm hora CST. Tambià ©n pueden escribir un correo a: militaryinfo.nscdhs.gov. Recordar que algunos familiares de militares o reservistas o veteranos que se encuentran en situacià ³n de indocumentados pueden beneficiarse del Parole in Place y obtener asà ­ los papeles. Centro Nacional de Visas (NVC) Las personas que estn pendientes de una visa de inmigrante pueden ponerse en contacto con el NVC siguiendo pautas establecidas. Si la inquietud que se tiene es sobre cunto tiempo hay que esperar, la informacià ³n puede saberse verificando cada vez las fechas de prioridad que publica el Departamento de Estado en el Boletà ­n de Visas. Detenidos y à ³rdenes Existe una base de datos donde es posible verificar si una persona est detenida por las autoridades migratorias. Y si no aparece en el sistema, existen telà ©fonos en los que los familiares o los abogados de la persona que se cree que puede estar detenida pueden pedir informacià ³n. Si una persona est detenida se puede averiguar informacià ³n sobre la prisià ³n y su direccià ³n en esta aplicacià ³n. Recordar que a los detenidos se les puede enviar dinero y paquetes. Adems, si se cree que se puede tener una orden de deportacià ³n en contra, es conveniente verificarlo.   Cortes de Inmigracià ³n Si se quiere saber el estatus de un caso, se puede marcar a cualquiera de los dos telà ©fonos siguientes: 800-898-7180240-314-1500 Si se desea pedir informacià ³n sobre el rà ©cord migratorio que pueden tener las cortes, marcar al 703-605-1297. Tramitacià ³n Visas no inmigrantes Asà ­ se puede verificar los tiempos que tardan en tramitarse las distintas visas no inmigrantes segà ºn el consulado o embajada en la que se aplica.   Si existe la tentacià ³n de aplicar en una oficina consular distinta a la del lugar habitual al que se reside, conviene tener en cuenta cules son los posibles inconvenientes. Verificacià ³n de Resultados de la loterà ­a de Visas (green card) Todos los aà ±os el gobierno de Estados Unidos celebra una loterà ­a gratuita de tarjetas de residencia. El sorteo se conoce como Visas de la Diversidad y los resultados se dan a conocer en mayo.   Oficinas   La direccià ³n de las oficinas de campo del USCIS se puede verificar aquà ­. Hacia el final de la pgina aparece un mapa, clickar en el estado en el que se busca la informacià ³n. Para buscar la direccià ³n exacta de los Centro de Apoyo, donde entre otras cosas se toman las huellas digitales y las fotos, se puede utilizar esta aplicacià ³n.   Y aquà ­ se puede buscar por estado la direccià ³n de las oficinas en las que se llevan a cabo entrevistas de asilo que han sido previamente pautadas. Si se busca contactar con la oficina local de Aplicacià ³n y Expulsià ³n (ERO, por sus siglas en inglà ©s), aquà ­ estn las direcciones fà ­sicas y las de correo electrà ³nico, por estado. Pasaporte americano En ocasiones es necesario obtener urgentemente un pasaporte porque se viaja con carcter inmediato y o bien no se tiene o bien est expirado. En estos casos, cerrar una cita marcando al 1-877-987-2778, antes de presentarse en una de las Agencias de Pasaporte Regionales.   Si se sigue el procedimiento ordinario, en tiempo normal o acelerado, estas son las oficinas en las que se puede aplicar.   Tener en cuenta los casos en los que se puede renovar por correo y los requerimientos especiales para menores.  Si se est fuera de los Estados Unidos, contactar con nuestra embajada o consulado ms cercano. Por à ºltimo, si se ha solicitado un pasaporte, aquà ­ se puede verificar online el estatus del caso.   Dudas sobre ciudadanà ­a Aunque parezca increà ­ble, lo cierto es que muchas personas creen que pueden ser ciudadanas americanas pero no lo saben con certeza. El principal problema es que la ley ha cambiado en varias ocasiones y por esos algunas personas no tienen claro si conservan la ciudadanà ­a o la adquirieron sin saberlo. Siempre que se tenga una duda razonable sobre la posibilidad de ser ciudadano americano se puede marcar al  1800-375-5282.  Ahà ­ encontrar ayuda. Tambià ©n es importante informase sobre quà © hacer para saber sobre si es posible recuperar la ciudadanà ­a que en aplicacià ³n de leyes pasadas se perdià ³ involuntariamente. En todo caso, antes de preguntar es aconsejable informarse sobre las reglas bsicas que regulan la ciudadanà ­a y cà ³mo se adquiere. Embajadas y Consulados Las Embajadas y los consulados americanos tienen al servicio del pà ºblico pginas webs donde brindan importante informacià ³n. Tambià ©n ofrecen sus telà ©fonos de contacto y correo electrà ³nico. Pero hay que entender que las oficinas consulares de los Estados Unidos no son los abogados particulares de nadie.   Las Embajadas y los consulados sà ­ que brindan ayuda a los ciudadanos estadounidenses que residen en el exterior. Para facilitar su labor es altamente recomendable inscribirse para tal fin. Reportar un ilà ­cito migratorio Se puede marcar al 1-866-DHS-2-ICE, o lo que es lo mismo: 1-866-347-2423. Tambià ©n se puede llenar en inglà ©s este formulario.   Telà ©fono para reportar abuso laboral En el 1-888-7581 se puede denunciar todo tipo de abuso, desde el no pagar salarios legales a acosos laborales o sexuales. Pueden denunciar todos los trabajadores, sin importar su estatus legal.   Violencia domà ©stica y otros tipos de crà ­menes Cualquier persona puede denunciar, tambià ©n sin que se tenga en consideracià ³n el estatus legal. Pero como aquà ­ se explica, salvo en casos en los que por seguridad hay que llamar inmediatamente, las và ­ctimas indocumentadas deberà ­an consultar antes con un abogado migratorio.   Los telà ©fonos a los que se puede marcar son: Là ­nea abierta nacional contra la violencia domà ©stica: 1-800-799-7233Là ­nea abierta de la red nacional contra el asalto sexual, violacià ³n, abuso e incesto (RAINN, por sus siglas en inglà ©s): 1-800-656-4673Centro nacional de nià ±os desaparecidos y explotados: 1-800-843-5678Centro nacional para và ­ctimas de crà ­menes: 1-800-394-2255 Otros telà ©fonos importantes En todo Estados Unidos y sus territorios se puede marcar al 911 para contactar con la policà ­a.   Para asuntos migratorios lo ms adecuado es contar con un abogado reputado. Y, si no se puede pagarlo, intentar obtener ayuda a travà ©s de organizaciones que brindan asistencia legal a migrantes. Por à ºltimo, el sistema consular mexicano en los Estados Unidos ha habilitado un telà ©fono gratis al que se puede marcar desde cualquier paà ­s para ayudar a su migrantes nacionales. Funciona muy bien y presta ayuda beneficiosa. Este artà ­culo no es asesorà ­a legal. Sà ³lo tiene carcter informativo.

The global warming Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The global warming - Essay Example ds, carbon monoxide, heavy metals, ozone, radon, and industrial smog (sulfurous and nitrous compounds mixed with water vapor and soot) (Global, 2003). Many of these pollutants are released into the atmosphere from areas of heavy industry and high traffic areas. Air pollution existed long before this, though, in the form of volcanic activity, fires, and dust-storms. This natural sort of pollution was generally able to be removed or assimilated by the functions of the biosphere. During these times, the earth was in a system that basically had minimal impact from humans. New chemicals and excess pollution since the industrial revolution, however, have taxed the threshold level of the biosphere. Acid deposition, global warming, and stratospheric ozone depletion represent unsustainable impacts on the environment. Many atmospheric scientists agree that air pollution from human sources has significantly altered the entire biosphere. Working globally in concerned international communities is seen to be key to solving the problem and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. But steps must be taken to reduce the threat of global climate change at the individual, local, state, and national, as well as the international, level. Steps could be as complicated as urban design and waste management research, or as simple as planting a tree. Many cities have voluntarily taken the initiative to improve the environment by implementing greenhouse gas reduction strategies. These strategies can help communities save money as they lower the risks to human health caused by glo bal warming. As too carbon dioxide enters the atmosphere from traditional energy sources, and as the media pays a lot of attention, more and more people have been exploring energy alternatives in the form of wind and solar energy, as well as exploring more environmentally friendly options in their choice of building materials. Global warming has been a concern of science for more than a century, perhaps

The impact of VAC Therapy on management of sternal wound infections Literature review

The impact of VAC Therapy on management of sternal wound infections after cardiac surgery - Literature review Example The impact of VAC Therapy on management of sternal wound infections after cardiac surgery Sternal wound infection after cardiac surgery is a serious problem resulting in increased patient morbidity; mortality and duration of hospital stay (Luckraz et al 2003). The incidence of this infection has been variably reported as 0.5 to 5% and the resultant mortality as 10 to 25% (Sjogren et al 2006; Schimer et al 2008). Conventionally, many management techniques have been recommended to treat this complication like surgical debridement with open dressings, closed irrigation of the infected wound, or reconstruction with vascularised omental or pectoral muscle flaps (Domkowski et al 2003). Vacuum assisted closure (VAC) therapy is one of the newer modalities to treat this complication (Evans & Land 1997) which has been widely adopted. Application of negative pressure was successfully used for treating chronic wounds such as diabetic foot ulcers (Eneroth &Â  van Houtum 2008; Ubbink et al 2008). After it was found successful in achieving faster healing in these wounds, use of this therapy has been extended for the management of sternal wound infections as well (Luckraz et al 2003; Domkowski et al 2003; Hersh et al 2003; Sjogren et al 2006). However, i t hasn’t been proven yet with good evidence that its efficacy is more than the conventional treatment. Thus, the main objective of this review is to determine the effectiveness of vacuum assisted closure therapy in the management of wound infection after cardiac surgery. ... Also, it allows re-examination of the wound and bedside debridement, as and when required. To apply negative pressure, wound area is packed with special dressing (polyurethane sponge/foam or polyvinyl alcohol foam) and covered with a transparent tape which seals the wound. A drain tube passes through this tube which is connected to a vacuum tube which sucks out the fluid through this drain tube. Negative pressure applied is in the range of -75 to -125 mm Hg (MAS 2006). Conventionally, medical (antibiotics) and various surgical modalities have been used in the treatment of deep sternal wound infections (DSWI) (Singh, Anderson & Harper 2011). Surgical management options include closed suction antibiotic irrigation system, omental flap reconstruction, pectoralis major, latissimus dorsi or rectus abdominis muscle advancement or rotation flap, and microsurgical free flap. Early wound exploration is combined with any of these techniques. Regimen of sternal fixation with sternal plating sys tem is also getting popular (Singh, Anderson & Harper 2011). Traditional methods of wound care involve regular cleaning and dressing of the wound different kinds of dressing materials from simple gauzes to chemical impregnated gauzes as per the type of the wound. However, VAC therapy is being projected as one solution for multiple wound types. Search strategy A manual search was conducted for the journals, books and other data related to the subject. Internet was also accessed for searching for journal articles pertaining to the subject. CINAHL database via the EBSCO host platform was utilized to perform a literature search because it is the most wide-ranging nursing database and is easy to search. MEDLINE and COCHRANE database

Review Righteous Dopefiend by Philippe Bourgois and Jeff Schonberg Essay

Review Righteous Dopefiend by Philippe Bourgois and Jeff Schonberg - Essay Example homeless who are always hustling for the drugs over food and shelter and evaluate the way in which this segment of society functions to create their own culture and system, specifically with the desire to have more heroin available for their use. Throughout the book, the author’s relay different segments of the homeless population to show the different functions and roles that are a part of the community. Different stories are told about the heroin users and how they work to create an aspect of society that is based on using illegal drugs. This is followed by ethnographic figures that take place through a series of photographs to show the lifestyle and conditions of the individuals that are a part of the community. Through the documents that were taken, was the ability to capture a space in society that is often regarded as morally wrong and which doesn’t account for the social truth and realities that the righteous dopefiend’s carry in culture. The main argument that the author present is to represent the homeless and the righteous dopefiend’s in a different light. The authors’ state in the beginning that the observations taken from the homeless are not regarded as one that is morally objective. Instead, the photographs and stories are an anthropological representation of culture and society. It is the authors’ desire to create a different viewpoint of the homeless that are addicted to heroin, not from a righteous or morally fit viewpoint, such as society views. Instead, the book is based on observing how the culture and society of homeless addicts functions. The book remains neutral and is not objective in observations and instead shows how the individuals survive and what they regard as important in their lives. The author combines this with evaluations from the segments of society, such as the difference between the younger addicts and the older generations. The main thesis that the authors’ are able to provide through these

Bespoke Form of Contracts: A Scourge or Necessity?

Bespoke Form of Contracts: A Scourge or Necessity? Chapter 1 Introduction Research Rationale The use of standard forms of contract, FIDIC Red book (Red Book Engineer/ employer designed Contractor executed) was introduced in the UAE during the late 80s and early 90s, more specifically on Dubai Municipality infrastructure projects by the Dubai Municipality, later been transformed to RTA in 2006. Ever since FIDIC based bespoke forms introduced in the UAE, it has been used extensively in the construction industry, the Red book based FIDIC forms are extensively used in different types varying from lump sum to re-measurement contracts by many large organizations. Every project is associated with risk and is inevitable and the impact is spread across the project. Whilst the intention to introduce a standard form of contract was to achieve a balance in terms of risk sharing between the parties, conversely at a later stage clients started amending the standard form of contracts to safe guard their interests. Many such bespoke versions did not achieve the intended purpose as it became one sided due to the alterations. The one sided contracts, in other words i.e. by drafting partial contracts to safe guard the employers risks and financial positions will have a tendency to impact the construction cost. If the risk is high, the cost increases proportionally (Mohamed Hartman, 2000, p 15) UAE as a country has high potential and growth compared to the neighboring Gulf countries in the recent years (2003 2008), which led to many fast track infrastructure and building projects, most of those are innovative, having ambitious aspirations to become international land marks, having the common feature of shorter durations. One of the main reasons for adopting fast track projects was to reduce the financial burdens (loans and repayment period) and to minimize the risk for escalation due to the construction boom in the region. Also in a raising market, the cost of the construction was proportional to the duration of the project as the contractors were including the risk for escalation in their bids. A few examples for such land mark projects with shorter duration captured the attention are Burj Khalifa tower, Dubai Metro, Palm Island and Dubai Mall. The multinational construction interface between the parties and culture stipulated the importance of using standard forms of construction contracts in the UAE, one of the main reasons to use standard forms of contracts are the familiarity among the parties, which has been used across many developments worldwide, even practiced at courts, assumed to be understood by parties, the risks are apportioned in a balance way and understood by even the stake holders, reduced legal and construction cost. As mentioned above, one of such standard form of contract, FIDIC 1987 4th edition red book was introduced by Dubai Municipality in early 90s with amendments to the original form (bespoke version is called as Dubai Municipality general conditions of Contract), later been followed by many public and private sector clients in UAE. Many such amendments in the creation of bespoke versions of FIDIC forms have defeated the intended purpose of achieving a balanced version of contract By the mid of 2006, many clients started using bespoke versions of new FIDIC i.e. FIDIC 99 Contracts, however there is a significant difference between these two forms (FIDIC 1999 FIDIC 1987) of contracts in many areas. Like any other place in the world, the competitions in the construction industry among the contractors are very high in UAE also. Many clients in the region, whilst using open or selective tendering (as they invite tenders from their own tender pool), before and after the current economic crisis, do have the habit of awarding the works to the lowest bidder. In order to overcome the competition in the market, the contractors at times started under quoting the works, were trying to recover through variation and claims at a later stage. This situation resulted in arguments and disputes due to the wrong interpretation of the forms of contract used by different parties, in addition, the unbalanced and void bespoke versions contributed much to these kinds of disputes. Many such disputes were revolving around the poor interpretation and understanding of the variations clauses, leading to claims and disputes on fast track projects. The intended purpose of this dissertation is to identify The essential clauses needed to administer a contract The importance of making right interpretations while using contracts An overview of the bespoke versions of contracts Research Methodology A detailed analysis of Variation clause in Nakheel Conditions of Contract ( bespoke FIDIC 1987) and the possible interpretations by various parties to the contract, briefly stating the difference between 1999 1987 based forms clauses that relates to variation and varied work clauses. Identify the potential difference between the two bespoke versions i.e. FIDIC 1999 1987 4th edition Nakheel Conditions of Contract on major clauses. A case study on a dispute from ALDARs Conditions of Contract (bespoke of FIDIC 1999) on variations while using the bespoke versions of contract Proposed study chapters The intended study focus on the meaning of construction contracts, their existence and the different forms of contracts. The literature review is covered in the first four Chapters, Chapter 2 covers the use of different forms of FIDIC contracts, including a brief history of their start in the UAE, Chapter 3 focus on the essential clauses needed for the administration of any forms of Construction contracts, Chapter 4 an analysis of Nakheels conditions of contract (bespoke FIDIC 1987 4th edition) variation clause, the possible interpretations by different parties to the Contract, Chapter 5 a comparison between Two bespoke forms of Nakheels Conditions of contract (FIDIC 99 and FIDIC 87 4th edition) on major clauses, Chapter 6 a survey to identify whether the employers achieved the intended purpose by using bespoke versions, Chapter 7 analysis of the data collected ,chapter 8 recommendation. An overview of the construction Contracts Construction contracts are generally classified as Oral (when the act will not apply) or written (if the other criteria are met, the act applies). The form of written contracts are again classified into i. A simple exchange of correspondences; ii. A tailor made written agreement; iii. A standard form such as JCT,Fidic etc; iv. Standard terms and conditions of the business. Contract in broader term is defined or expressed as conformity between two or more person i.e individuals, businesses, organizations or government agencies to carryout, or to abstain from doing things in exchange for something of value. Contracts can be oral or written, using formal or informal terms. If one party to the contract fails to live up to its part of the bargain, there shall be a breach and certain remedies for solving this is available. The expressions of the contract who, what, where, when, and how of the contract describe the binding promises of each party to the contract. In other words the significance of the agreement becomes important only when a breach occurs by the counterpart and it becomes necessary to protect the right of the other party (http://law.freeadvice.com/general_practice/contract_law/contract_agreement.htm) and the breach of contract is recognized by the common law and the remedies are available as well. On the other hand, the strongest contract, in terms of enforceability, shall have an offer, acceptance with considerations for the exchange, the terms of such an agreement shall be without ambiguity, and is signed by the parties to the contract who has the proper capacity to enter into the contract. Weaker contracts can be classified as verbal agreements or contracts agreed by parties in direct violation of state or federal laws of the country. There are several aspects related to valid contracts; in fact, an entire course in law school is often devoted to contract law (http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-contract.htm). John Adriaanse (2007) quoting Lord Diplock who classified construction contract as â€Å" the sale of goods, work and labor for a lump sum price payable by installments as the goods are delivered and the work done. Decisions have to be made from time to time about such essential matters as the marking of variation orders, the expenditure of provisional and prime cost sums and the extension of time for carrying out the work under the contract†. He also stated that â€Å"a construction contract is best described as a complex web of competing interests†. At the same time Charles.S. Philip (1999) defining contracts as â€Å"binding agreement between two or more persons or parties construction contracts are defined as agreements, oral or written, executed between Clients and Contractors for construction / maintenance work done for compensation†. In another definition â€Å"we must understand that a construction contract is merely a set of criteria, or expectations, t hat bind the contracting parties† (Gilbreath, 1992) The basic elements of a contract are an offer, acceptance of the offer with considerations. This can even be described as concurrence of wills or ad idem or meeting of the minds of two or more parties (http://www.alway-associates.co.uk/legal-update/article.asp?id=165).Consideration, on the other hand, makes sure that e that something is exchanged. In certain situations, the law requires the consideration to be adequate, which is, a relatively reasonable price, or ostensible, where even a Dirham will do. Contracts may or may not be enforceable by law. The good example is; the agreement between the parent and child cannot be enforceable by law whereas the agreement for a loan probably enforceable by law. On the other hand whether a contract is enforceable by law or not depends on many factors, the primary and most important factor being whether the parties to contract anticipated / intended the contract to be legally enforceable or not. Most of the construction contracts are bilateral contracts, some cases the unilateral contracts becomes bilateral with considerations. Contracts can be bilateral or unilateral. In a bilateral contract, each part makes promise or promises to the other party. A good example is while selling a home, the buyer promises to pay the seller AED 1 Million in return the seller agree / promise to deliver the title of such property. Where as in a unilateral contract only one party to the contract make the promise. A good example is the reward contract. X promise to pay a reward to Y if Y find Xs stolen car. Here Y is not obliged to find Xs stolen car, but X is obliged to pay the reward to Y only if Y finds Xs car. The consideration for the agreement is Ys trust on Xs promise or Y giving up his legal right to anything he wanted at the time he was in the process of finding of the car. Here, conditions precedent to Xs obligation to pay is the finding of the car, although this is not a legal condition precedent as technically no binding contract has arisen until the time car is found (because Y hasnt agreed / accepted Xs offer until he find the car, referring back to the basis of contract as it requires offer, acceptance and considerations), the terminology â€Å"condition precedent† is used in contract law to establish a condition of promise in an agreement. For example, If Y has promised to X to find the car, and X has promised to pay Y when the car was found, Xs offer has been considered as a condition attached to it, and an offer and acceptance have been occurred. This is an incident in which a condition precedent attached to a bilateral contract. In the construction industry, the significance of having a balanced contract agreement has become essential to avoid disputes and to facilitate a smooth administration during the construction period. According to Lord Lathams report 1994, â€Å"constructing the team†, construction is a very unique process, the construction industry is different than the manufacturing and other industries, each project is unique with its nature and conditions, having heterogeneous conditions and situations, however definition of Latham for contracts not limited here, but include the design activities, advise and other legislations (Adriaanse 2007) which specify many details that a construction contract should take care of. Chapter 2 The Importance of using Standard forms of Contract 2.1 Introduction The adversarial nature ([Cheung et al., 2006] and [Cheung and Yiu, 2007]) and inborn risks (El-Sayegh, 2008) of the construction industry contributes to the speedy developments of construction disputes. Construction disputes are originated by many sources (Cheng et al., 2009). One of the main sources is the lack of understanding on the Contracts. Deprived interpretation and poor understanding of the construction contracts make the contracts clauses ([Broome and Hayes, 1997], [Cutts, 2004] and [Styllis, 2005]) and legalese ([Cutts, 2004] and [Candlin et al., 2002]), which results in differences between the parties to the contract on their legal rights and responsibilities. It is to be noted that this statement is justified in a study conducted by Mohamad and Zulkifli (2006), where majority of the contractors reported about the problems in understanding the contract documents. It is to be concluded that contractors need to be well versed in the interpretation and understanding of claus es stated in contracts. Dispute resolution methods at the early stages of disputes are the soft-skill resolution technique, i.e. avoidance (White, 2002), which offers a practical approach to prevent the predictability of conflicts that may occur in a project by understanding the form of contract used. The main objective of dispute avoidance technique is to promote teamwork and to create a harmonious atmosphere (Cheung, 1999). Thus, a proper appreciation of the construction contracts to the stakeholders will prevent a dispute from rotting, although a total elimination may be impossible. The importance of this chapter is to make a improved insight into the need for clarity of contract documents. Furthermore, it will assist contract drafters and experts review and clarify the clauses of the contract form in an understanding way to the parties. After the parties understand and consent to the clauses stated in the contract, the parties would recognize their obligations and contractual rights as required in the contract. 2.2 The need for contract clarity The need for this research comes up out of many conflicts identified in the construction industry due to the usage of different versions of contracts with amendments. A good example is, the senior officials of a leading developer in Dubai alleged that false ceiling collapsed and burst the pipes above the false ceiling at the buildings were related to the supervision problem and lack of access to the project site by the engineers (Developer Eyes ‘supervision authority2007). The engineers were not allowed on site due to some health and safety construction complications at certain times. This resulted inadequate supervision for the works. The problem heated up although the standard contract form clearly points out that the engineer, as being responsible for the overall supervision and direction of the project. Additionally, the Engineers representatives had the right of access to the works and construction site of the contractor (Clause 23 of bespoke Form). An explanation for this dispute was, contractor misinterpreted the conditions of contract and also failed to understand the legal obligations outlined in the contract. Thus, the question of clarity of contract conditions in the contract must be resolved. In addition, the court usually try to find out the intentions of contracting parties using plain, ordinary and popular meanings of the words. Scott vs Wawanesa Mutual Insurance Company brought out the clarity issue to the court attention (1994). The judge held that if the language of an insurance contract is ambiguous, the contra proferentem doctrine applies, that is the rule against the party who impose the inclusion of the ambiguous clause in the contract. On the other hand, if the wordings are unambiguous, the courts would not give any different meaning from what is expressed in its clear terms, unless the contract is highly unfair or hold an effect contrary to the intention of the parties (Duhaime, 2007 Duhaime, L., 2007. Part 7: interpretation of previous termcontracts.next term Duhaime Law, Victoria, Retrieved 22 May 2008, from .Duhaime, 2007). Thus, clarity of contract clauses is very important for the construction industry too. This shows the importance of understanding the c ontract by the contracting parties. Besides, the legalese takes place in the contract. The use of highly formal and technical language in legal documents disturbs interpretation (Feinman, 2003). Legal drafters made most damage by shrouding the mysteries of contracts with complex language and technical legal terms (Cutts, 2004). The deficiencies of legalese are mainly due to the unnecessary length and complexity. Sometimes, there are more serious errors that go unnoticed (Hill, 2001) because the interpretation of the contract clause was not actually written or interpreted in the contract (Thomas et al., 1994). Legalese would result the contracting parties fail to appreciate the contractual rights and obligations in a project (Semple et al., 1994). In the end, it shatters the working atmosphere of the project (Wang and Yang, 2005), resulting claims and delay to the project delivery. 2.3. Understanding the importance of standard form Construction contracts are well written agreements duly signed by the parties to the contract to define their contractual positions, relationships and obligations (Zaghloul and Hartman, 2003). The conditions of the contract are critical to ensure that the parties are put up by rules and regulations (Semple et al., 1994). The reduced understanding of the construction contract usually lead to construction disputes, as highlighted by many researches such as ([Thomas et al., 1994], [Semple et al., 1994], [Broome and Hayes, 1997] and [Mohamad and Zulkifli, 2006]). It is simply because of the reason that the parties could not achieve their contractual expectations (Harmon, 2003). Dubai Municipalitys be spoke forms of contract was followed and amended by various developers in the UAE industry. The origin of the contract can be traced to FIDIC Red Book 1987 standard form of contract. It had several amendments and revisions over the years by many developers and private sector clients in the UAE. The latest version of this form of contract was formulated in 2001 (Dr.Sam, 2004). The old-fashioned language used in it makes it difficult to understand and make the right interpretations. This is mainly due to lack of clarity and use of legalese in the contract clauses. Table 1 and Table 2 give a summary of clarity and legalese problems identified in the contract clauses of this Form. 2.4 History of FIDIC and other Standard forms of Contracts used in UAE Industry The most brilliant designs for any civil engineering or building project would remain in the documents and paper unless turned into reality by operations. This transaction process requires i.e. from the design to the reality requires the selection of the contract that reflects the aspirations of the parties as well as the demands of the successful project. The essential skills required for a Contract Administrator is the selection and management of proper form of contract and for each project, both the key criteria needed to be considered and risks should be identified and allocated, before the selection of the proper form of contract. This can be done from a range of standard forms of contract. In the UAE, the FIDIC form of contract (red book) was introduced in the early 90s for the infrastructure projects by Dubai Municipality, later been followed by many major clients such as Emmar, Nakheel and Damac. The standard form of contract identifies the roles and responsibilities of the parties, their agrents and provides rules to protect direct parties from doing wrong. The selection of the form of contracts depends on various criteria such as the responsibility and position of the parties involved in the contract. For example, factors such as , magnitude and nature of the works, procurement method (Lump sum, Measurement, Cost reimbursement), Design responsibility ( whether by the Employer, Part by the contractor or fully by the Contractor), roles and relationships (Client, Contractor, Design team and Specialists), the type of cost control document used (such as bill of quantities, schedule of rates, priced specification or contract sum analysis),Payment method (stage, time rela ted, turnkey) and Time (Open, fixed, acceleration and Damages). (Martin Brook, third edition, p 33-44) The various such forms of contracts available are JCT written by the Joint Contract Tribunal, NEC New engineering contract, a form recommended by Michal Lathams report (1994) for the use of both public and private sector clients because of its flexibility and written in simple English, ICE provided by the Institution of Civil Engineers, GC/Works/1 for Government Contracts, ACA Project Partnering Contract- PPC 2000, FIDIC..etc. A brief history of the FIDIC form of contract along with available forms are described below as the dissertation is focused on the FIDIC, the most commonly used for both building and Civil Engineering projects in the UAE. The Fà ©dà ©ration Internationale des Ingà ©nieurs-Conseils (â€Å"FIDIC†) organisation was founded in 1913 by France, Belgium and Switzerland. The UK joined only in 1949. The first edition of the Conditions of Contract (International) for Works of Civil Engineering Construction was published in August 1957 having been prepared on behalf of FIDIC and the Fà ©dà ©ration Internationale des Bà ¢timent et des Travaux Publics (FIBTP). The form of the early FIDIC contracts was prepared in line with the fourth edition of the ICE Conditions of contract. One difference with the initially published FIDIC contract was that they were based on the design being provided by the Employer or his Engineer to the Contractor. It therefore became best suited for various civil engineering as well as to various types of infrastructure projects such as roads, bridges, dams, tunnels and utility works such as water, sewerage etc. At the same time it was not so suited for contracts having major items of plant that were manufactured away from site. This led to thought of having the â€Å"Yellow Book† (the traditional one is known as the â€Å"Red Book† it was called as Red book because of the red color of the cover page) published in 1963 by FIDIC for mechanical and electrical works. This had the provisions for testing and commissioning which was more appropriate for the manufacture and installation of plant. The revised (second edition) was published in 1980. The revised editions of both Red book and yellow books FIDIC was published in 1987. A most important feature of the revised edition of Red Book (or â€Å"Old Red Book†)was provision for the Engineer to act impartially while giving a decision or in any action which affect the rights and obligations of the parties, whereas the previous versions assumed this implicitly. Although this talk concentrates on the new FIDIC forms, it should be remembered that the Old Red Book remains the contract of choice throughout much of the Middle East, particularly the UAE. A new form of contract was published (known as the â€Å"Orange Book†) in 1995 for the use on projects procured as design and build or turnkey, dispensing with the Engineer, providing for an â€Å"Employers Representative† who, while determining the value, costs or extensions of times need to: â€Å"determine the matter fairly, reasonably and in accordance with the Contract†. However, in 1999 FIDIC published new versions of the Red and Yellow books together with a Green and silver Books called as the short form of contract and turnkey contracts respectively. One of the significant differences between the 1999 edition and 1987 4th edition was the arguably diminishing role of the Engineer; a fair interpretation is making the Engineer as an assistant to the Employer. The other differences between these two versions will be discussed in the following chapters of this dissertation. Chapter 3 3.1 The important clauses and terminologies needed contract administration and a comparison with the bespoke version selected for the dissertation work During the process of making bespoke versions of contracts by amending the articles of the standard forms shall be done with extreme care as they run the risk of damaging the consistency as well as the integrity of the contract and the other contract related documents. Most of the standard conditions of contracts are developed over many years and been highly complex to deal with the unforeseen problems and legal decisions including statute law and an ever changing world. The contract must state clearly the documents that are having the status of the contractual documents, following are the documents that shall be considered as the contract documents. i. The signed agreement ii. Tender iii. General and particular conditions of contract iv. Drawings v. Bills of Quantities vi. Specification vii. Schedules viii. Program There are certain clauses required in the contract to facilitate the smooth administration of any contracts. The following are the commonly found and essential clauses required in construction contracts between the employer and the contractor irrespective of the forms and types of contracts. A detailed analysis with its importance is analyzed in this chapter for the dissertation purpose. Possession the date by which the employer shall provide possession to the contractor of the site to enable the work to begin, In FIDIC 1987, the commencement of work is described under the clause 41.1. The commencement shall be given with in the period agreed in the appendix to tender and failure to provide possession to the site within a reasonable time is interpretted as the breach from the employer.(CEM course material, Construction Law, chapter..). Under FIDIC 1987, the employer will, with the Engineers notice to commence the works, give to the Contractor the possession of the site (E.C Corbett, FIDIC 4th Legal Guide, p 238-239). Failure to give possession is dealt under clause 42.1, under such circumstances, the Engineer shall, after due consultation with Employer and Contractor determine Contractors entitlement for extension of time and also the associated cost, which shall be added to the Contract price, notify the Contractor with copy to the Employer (E.C Corbett, FIDIC 4th Legal Guide, p 238-239). Hence this clause is essential while drafting an agreement or contract for the administration. Completion The date, by which the contractor shall have the obligation to finish the work, this can be extended under various provisions if the employer or his contract administrator / engineer grant extension of time. Under FIDIC 1987, upon substantial completion of the work, the Contractor serve notice to the Engineer with copy to the Employer for the taking over certificate, and if the work in the view of the Engineer is substantially completed, issue a taking over certificate with in 21days. This is a very essential clause in any form of contract as in the absence of a completion date in the contract; the contractor shall be required to finish the work only within a reasonable time(ref: John Uff..). Non completion this clause shall deal with the situations when the contractor fails to complete the work by the agreed completion date or the extended completion date. If the work is not completed within the specified time, due to any reasons that the contractor is not liable or any concurrent delays, the contractor get the benefit of having an extension time with associated costs. However for Contractors own delay, the contractor shall not be entitled for the entitled for any extension of time, the remedy available in the contract is to make payment to the employer as liquidated damages or penalty as mentioned in the contract. Hence it is very essential to have a non-completion clause in agreements and contracts. Liquidated damages / Penalty Liquidated damages are usually amount is fixed and genuine pre-estimate of the loss in cases of breach, easy to calculate on building or commercial projects, however not easy on infrastructure projects. Whereas penalty is also a fixed amount, the contractor needs to pay this if a breach occurs. However in UAE, the term penalty is applicable as the same is followed in civil court. Whereas, under the English Law, Liquidated damages are applicable, if the sum mentioned in the appendix to tender is penalty and not the liquidated damages, the Contractor under the English law can challenge it, however under the UAE Law Civil code, Article,.. the penalty is applicable. Most of the Countries penalties are not acceptable. Refer, for example, a few leading cases on penalties, Dunlop Pneumatic Tyre Company Ltd v New Garage and Motor Company Ltd [1915] AC 79, 86-87, where the House of Lords recognized the principles on how to decide a damage clause that is actually a penalty and thereby unenforceable. â€Å" This case was cited by the High Court of Australia in Ringrow Pty Ltd v BP Australia Pty Ltd [2005] HCA 71, section 12, and by the Supreme Court of Ireland in ODonnell v Truck and Machinery Sales Limited 1998 4 IR 191. The Supreme Court of Canada has adapted a similar approach in Elsley v. J.G. Collins Ins Agencies, [1978] 2 S.C.R. 916, 946, and does not allow for any recov ­ery of an amount exceeding the actual damage† (J.Frank McKenna (2008) Critical Path. Reed Smith, p1-6). Hence this clause is essential in a contract or agreement. Defects liability- The defects are to be rectified with the period mentioned in the contract. Failure to rectify the defects within a reasonable time will enable the employer to engage a third party to do the work and deduct the amount from the contract sum. Under FIDIC 4th edition, clause 62 deals with the defects liability period. The issuance of the defects liability certificates signals the completion of the Contract and under FIDIC form, such a certificate shall be issued within 28days from the completion of Defects liability period, in both forms of FIDIC 99 as well as in 87 including the bespoke versions, the defects liability period shall not be extended beyond 2 years from the taking over certificate (E.C Corbett, FIDIC 4th Legal Guide, p391-392). Variations any variations should be authorized by the employer before the contractor is entitled for the payment. Variations are common to traditional procurement path than the Design and Build system (Ashworth, 1998). In construction due to the complexity of construction works it is almost impossible to complete a project without changes to the plans or the construction process itself however good and the complete the design details are at the start of the project. Baxendale and Schofield (1996) define variation as any change to the basis on which the original contract was signed. Construction plans are formed form of designs, drawings, quantities and specifications earmarked for a specific construction site and Variations are imminent in any construction project due to various reasons from finance, design, aesthetic, geotechnical, geological, weather conditions to feasibility of construction. Hence it is essential to have a provision to instruct and ev