The Monetary Behavior as Created by the Federal Reserve Essay

The Monetary Behavior as Created by the Federal Reserve - Essay Example e instances, the value can be significantly higher, or even lower, than the dollar amount denoted on the paper, all due to the acts of the Federal Reserve. The Federal Reserve also has the responsibility for the behavior of the dollar on the global exchange market, alongside the bigger picture of controlling how much currency is printed and in circulation at any one time (Federal Reserve Publications Committee, 2005). Any action taken by the Federal Reserve in regards to these factors can in some way, shape, or form, influence and controls the behavior of the US dollar. The Federal Reserve has the power, and has always had the power since its creation, to control the amount of funds in its regional banks throughout the United States. By the Federal Reserve requiring any Federal Reserve banks to keep reserves on hand to handle unexpected outflows as well as meet the demands for the daily operations, it was believed that stability in the behavior and value of a dollar would result (Fed eral Reserve Bank of San Francisco). These reserves, however, also play an important part in how the Federal Reserve controls the behavior of a US dollar throughout the nation and the world. From day to day, the amount of reserves a bank wants to hold may change in accordance with its daily transactions. Therefore, when a bank finds that it needs additional reserves on a short-term basis, it can borrow them from other banks that happen to have more reserves than they need (Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco). The interest rate associated with this overnight borrowing of reserves is called the federal funds rate, which adjusts to balance the supply of and demand for reserves. The U.S. Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) sets a target for the federal funds rate, and keeps the rate on... The Federal Reserve has the power, and has always had the power since its creation, to control the amount of funds in its regional banks throughout the United States. By the Federal Reserve requiring any Federal Reserve banks to keep reserves on hand to handle unexpected outflows as well as meet the demands for the daily operations, it was believed that stability in the behavior and value of a dollar would result (Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco). These reserves, however, also play an important part in how the Federal Reserve controls the behavior of a US dollar throughout the nation and the world. From day to day, the amount of reserves a bank wants to hold may change in accordance with its daily transactions. Therefore, when a bank finds that it needs additional reserves on a short-term basis, it can borrow them from other banks that happen to have more reserves than they need (Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco). The interest rate associated with this overnight borrowing of reserves is called the federal funds rate, which adjusts to balance the supply of and demand for reserves. The U.S. Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) sets a target for the federal funds rate, and keeps the rate on target by increasing and decreasing bank reserves through transactions such as the buying and selling of U.S. Treasuries (Federal Reserve, 2011). This is all done in accordance with the long-term goals of monetary policy as stated above.

Case report for Harvard Business School Case and solutions to problems Essay

Case report for Harvard Business School Case and solutions to problems in the case - Essay Example At times, there are different other factors apart from these budgeting methods, which should also be kept in mind while making decision. Because when we talk about investment there are two major components; return and risk. The budgeting method used in the cases will help the decision maker in critically analyzing all the available alternatives and choosing the best among them, so that they can achieve profitable cash flows in future. Investment is defined as present commitment of dollar for a specific tenure in order to generate future stream of cash flows which will be greater than current dollar amount1. The investor can be an individual, an organization, a government or a pension fund. In addition to this, investor expects a rate of return on the investment as compensation for the time for which they have made investment2. However, there might be some deviation from expected rate of return from certain investments and such deviation is known as investment risk. Therefore, where there is investment there is return and risk. Investment can be of two types; financial investment and economic investment. A financial investment refers to commitments in terms of monetary terms in order to generate better future cash flows which can be in a form of interest, premium, dividend etc. However, economic investment refers to making fund commitment which will result in increase of capital stock which includes goods and services. Furthermore, investors are looking for investment opportunities that will increase the current pool of funds in future. Hence, investment analysis refers to finding and opting for investment opportunity that will be giving highest rate of return and is having minimum risk. Thus, investors needs to evaluate all the available investment options and should come up with the best possible scenario3. Organizations encounter many investment opportunities but the main issue is opting and evaluating the options. Therefore,

Toni Morrison And Recitatif English Literature Essay

Toni Morrison And Recitatif English Literature Essay It is the intention of this paper to look at Toni Morrison as a writer and how she expressed her political views through fiction. The short story by Ms. Morrison Recitatif, written in 1983, will be used as an example of her writing. This short was pulled for this paper from a collection of short stories found in the book Worlds of Fiction (2nd ed.) co-authored by Roberta Rubenstein and Charles R. Larson (2002, pp. 600-612). A biographical perspective will be implied in this paper but not formally addressed. First this paper will give a brief summary of Toni Morrisons biography, including literary awards. Second a summarization of Ms. Morrisons short story Recitatif. This paper will take a critical view of this story from a feminist, a racial, and a historical perspective. Toni Morrison born in 1931, her given name was Chloe Anthony Wofford. Ms. Morrison, the second oldest of four sibling was raised in a working-class black family, in Lorain, Ohio. Ms. Morrison attended Howard and Cornell Universities. She has taught at Texas Southern University, Howard University, and Yale. Since 1989, she holds a chair at Princeton University (Sture, 1997, para 1). Among the many awards for literature that have been bestowed on Ms. Morrison, are the National Critics Circle Award, the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and Noble Prize for Literature. She was the first African American to ever receive a Noble Prize for Literature (Rubenstein and Larson, 2002, p 599). Ms. Morrison list of accomplishments is impressive by anyones standards. She has been a published author since 1970. Ms. Morrison has published seven novels, several children books, and academic texts. Recitatif is one of her few short stories ever published. In a quote from Toni Morrison about this story she stated, The best art is political and you ought to be able to make unquestionably politically and irrevocably beautiful at the same time (Rubenstein and Larson, 2002, p 599). She has become the voice for the Black American experience. The short story Recitatif is narrated in first person. My mother danced all night and Robertas was sick. (Morrison, 1983, p. 600) is the opening line of the story and sets the tone of the story. It is a tale of how two eight year old girls meet in an orphanage and why they became friends. Both girls struggle in school and have an unusual acceptance of their circumstances. It is the friendship between the two girls that makes living in the orphanage bearable. Throughout the beginning of the story Twyla, the narrator of the story, refers to all the things in life that make herself less than everyone else. Both Twyla and Roberta are one of the few children in the orphanage that actually have parents. They are not there because their parents have died, like the rest of children, but because their mothers cant take care of them. This is the glue that binds the two girls together. The narrator of the story recalls a particular day when the two girls are watching the older girls dance in the fields, but on this particular day one of the woman from the kitchen cuts through the field to catch the last bus home. She is physically disabled and mute; the older girls start to taunt the woman. They call her names and knock her to ground. The two young girls just stand and witness the injustice. The second significant thing the narrator recalls is the Easter Sunday when both of their mothers come to visit. She is so excited to introduce her mother to her best friend. When her mother finally arrives for church service she is embarrassed by the way her mother is dressed and by how loud she speaks. When she finally can introduce her mom to Robertas mom, Robertas mom grabs Robertas hand and she rushes away from her and her mom. The story fast forwards in time. Twyla is a young adult working as waitress. One day Roberta comes into the restaurant with two young men on her way to see a concert. This is the first time Twyla has seen Roberta since she left the orphanage. Twyla tries to talk with Roberta but is blown off. Twelve years later the two run into each other again at the store. This time Roberta wants to catch up with Twyla. Twyla is married with a son of her own in school. She finds out so is Roberta. Both of their sons are about the same age. The major difference at this time is Roberta is rich and Twyla is of the working class. Roberta accuses Twyla of having taken part in the incident with the kitchen worker (Maggie) twenty years before. This makes her question her reality. They part on a cold note. Several months later, the two women find themselves on opposite side of fence -on school integration. Twyla did not like how far her son was going to have to travel to go school but was okay with him attending a new high school. Roberta was absolutely appalled at the idea of her son being integrated into a school on the other side of town. Both mothers picketed each other and the school. The picketing last six weeks and then the children are sent back to school. After it all over the two women run into each other once again. Roberta confesses to Twyla that they never kicked the mute woman. The two women end with. Did I ever tell my mother never stopped dancing? And Roberta replied Yes. You told me. Mine, she never got well. Crying Roberta says, Whatever happened to Maggie. (Morrison, 1983, p612) This is still the glue that binds the two women together. The writer never actually gives any specific dates when the events in the story take place. She uses social clues to let us fill in the time period the events take place. During the visit of Twylas mother to orphanage, Twyla reflects how she was embarrassed her mother would wear pants to church (Morrison, 1983, p 601). In the nineteen fifties women began to wear pants instead of dresses and skirts all the time. It was still a social faux pa to wear slacks to church. This would lead to the embarrassment of Twyla over her mothers loud pants. Another time reference in the story is eight years later when Twyla is waitress in at Howard Johnson. When she tries to speak with Roberta, she is told they are on their way to see Jimmy Hendrix in concert. Jimmy Hendrix died of a drug overdose on September 17th 1970 (Morrison, 1983, p604). Therefore one could safely assume the meeting happened in the sixties. Two months after the girls meet 12yrs later they run into each other during a protest over busing students to integrate the school (Morrison, 1983, p608). It was in 1954, that the US Supreme court ruled that equal but separate was not constitutional. In 1965, US Supreme court ruled busing was a legal solution to desegregate public schools. During the 1970s and into the early eighties many schools adopted busing plans to integrate the public schools. This was time of great change and many mothers protested busing their children to a different neighborhood to attend school. This is the historical account that sets up the setting for Toni Morrisons Recitatif Recitatif is the story of two women one black and one white. From the very beginning of the story the reader can pick up on racial clues and come to this conclusion. The one thing omitted in this story is which one white and which one is black. This where the readers own racial prejudices may come in. On page 600, the seventh paragraph it states à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦we looked like salt and pepperà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦and thats what the other kids called usà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (Morrison, 1983) Although this is not the first clue this the most obvious clue to the race of the two girls. The author intentionally leaves out the racial identity of both girls. She is challenging the reader to follow her clues throughout the story. The readers own racial biases may influence which girl they perceive as being black or white. There are several references to the fact that Roberta is actually black. In the very being as Twyla is recalling their first encounter she mentions her mother warning her that, they never wash their hair and smell funny. Roberta sure did. Smell funny, I mean. (para 2) One of the things the author does to challenge the readers racial prejudices is Twyla is the insecure one of the two. She is the one who feels less than the other children. It is Twylas mother that is snubbed by Robertas mom. It is also Roberta, who does not want her child shipped across town to attend a different school than his friends. It is Twyla who becomes offended that Roberta would not want her son to attend a school that her son attended. It is through excluding their racial identity that the reader can see what preconceived ideas they brought into the story. From a feminist point of view the story is told only from a female perspective. All the characters of significance in the story are female. It was an all girls orphanage with all female staff. Neither Twyla nor Roberta has a father. Both women get married and have sons. Neither the husbands nor the sons are ever actually introduced in any significant way to the story. It is in this fashion that Toni Morrison can actually tell the story without gender bias. (Goldstein-Shirley, 1999, pp 99-101) Leaving out any conflict between men and women she is able to eliminate a gender bias allowing room only for racial prejudice brought to the story by the reader. David Goldstein-Shirley gathered information from 67 college students. The questionnaire reflected the readers ability to pick up racial cues and their personal views. 6 of the 67 students did not pick up on any of the racial clues in the story. These were the exception not the norm. The other 58 students were able to pick up on racial cues given in the story and add personal experience not written but implied to the story. The data provided that it was personal experiences that reader brought to the story and integrated into the story rather than an influences based on gender or demographics (1999, pp 106-107). The study showed the results that were intended by Ms. Morrison. Toni Morrison used her short story Recitatif to show an author could write a political statement and engage the reader at the same time to take a look at their own racial prejudices on the issue. Her experiment to remove racial identity from the characters of story and to remove gender bias was a great undertaking. The study by David Goldstein-Shirley was proof that Toni Morrison completed her task with great success. Recitatif was a perfect blend of in Ms. Morrisons own words unquestionably political and irrevocably beautiful at the same time (Rubenstein and Larson, 2002, p 599). Toni Morrison stayed true to the historical times of the setting, the racial times of the setting, and all from a completely feminist point of view. Annotated Bibliography Goldstein-Shirley, D. (1999), Chapter 7- Race/[Gender] Toni Morrisons Recitatif Women on the edge: ethnicity and gender in short stories by American women Retrieved February 15, 2010, from http://books.google.com/books?id=6llWqBg0RG0CHYPERLINK http://books.google.com/books?id=6llWqBg0RG0Clpg=PA97ots=fSdm0pfKpXdq=toni morrison recitatif themeslr=pg=PA98#v=onepageq=toni morrison recitatif themesf=falseHYPERLINK http://books.google.com/books?id=6llWqBg0RG0Clpg=PA97ots=fSdm0pfKpXdq=toni morrison recitatif themeslr=pg=PA98#v=onepageq=toni morrison recitatif themesf=falselpg=PA97HYPERLINK http://books.google.com/books?id=6llWqBg0RG0Clpg=PA97ots=fSdm0pfKpXdq=toni morrison recitatif themeslr=pg=PA98#v=onepageq=toni morrison recitatif themesf=falseHYPERLINK http://books.google.com/books?id=6llWqBg0RG0Clpg=PA97ots=fSdm0pfKpXdq=toni morrison recitatif themeslr=pg=PA98#v=onepageq=toni morrison recitatif themesf=falseots=fSdm0pfKpXHYPERLINK http://books.google.com/books?id=6llWqBg0RG0Clpg=PA97ots=fSdm0pfKpXdq=toni morrison recitatif themeslr=pg=PA98#v=onepageq=toni morrison recitatif themesf=falseHYPERLINK http://books.google.com/books?id=6llWqBg0RG0Clpg=PA97ots=fSdm0pfKpXdq=toni m orrison recitatif themeslr=pg=PA98#v=onepageq=toni morrison recitatif themesf=falsedq=toni%20morrison%20recitatif%20themesHYPERLINK http://books.google.com/books?id=6llWqBg0RG0Clpg=PA97ots=fSdm0pfKpXdq=toni morrison recitatif themeslr=pg=PA98#v=onepageq=toni morrison recitatif themesf=falseHYPERLINK http://books.google.com/books?id=6llWqBg0RG0Clpg=PA97ots=fSdm0pfKpXdq=toni morrison recitatif themeslr=pg=PA98#v=onepageq=toni morrison recitatif themesf=falselr=HYPERLINK http://books.google.com/books?id=6llWqBg0RG0Clpg=PA97ots=fSdm0pfKpXdq=toni morrison recitatif themeslr=pg=PA98#v=onepageq=toni morrison recitatif themesf=falseHYPERLINK http://books.google.com/books?id=6llWqBg0RG0Clpg=PA97ots=fSdm0pfKpXdq=toni morrison recitatif themeslr=pg=PA98#v=onepageq=toni morrison recitatif themesf=falsepg=PA98#v=onepageHYPERLINK http://books.google.com/books?id=6llWqBg0RG0Clpg=PA97ots=fSdm0pfKpXdq=toni morrison recitatif themeslr=pg=PA98#v=onepageq=toni morrison recitatif themesf=falseHYPERLINK http://books.google.com/books?id=6llWqBg0RG0Clpg=PA97ots=fSdm0pfKpXdq=toni morrison recitatif themeslr=pg=PA98#v=onepageq=toni morrison recitatif themesf=falseq=toni%20morrison%20recitatif%20themesHYPERLINK http://books.google.com/books?id=6llWqBg0RG0Clpg=PA97ots=fSdm0pfKpXdq=toni morrison recitatif themeslr=pg=PA98#v=onepageq=toni morrison recitatif themesf=falseHYPERLINK http://books.google.com/books?id=6llWqBg0RG0Clpg=PA97ots=fSdm0pfKpXdq=toni morrison recitatif themeslr=pg=PA98#v=onepageq=toni morrison recitatif themesf=falsef=false Mr. Goldstein-Shirley poled 67 college students who had read the short story Recitatif. He documented the readers ability to pick up on the racial cues given by the author in the story. He broke this information down by gender and demographics. Morrison, T. (1983), Recitatif,    Worlds of Fiction (2nd ed. 2002).   Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Recitatif by Toni Morrison was pulled from this collection of short stories. This is short story written in first person about the relationship formed between two young girls and how it impacted the narrator of the story as an adult. This short story was examined in this paper from several different perspectives. Rubenstein, R. and Larson, C. (2002) Worlds of Fiction (2nd ed. 2002).   Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. This book is a compilation of fiction stories from around the world. Toni Morrisons short story Recitatif is included in this book to represent a North American writer, a perspective of class, a racial or cultural conflict, relationships of women, and youth maturation. The story was pulled from this book and the Biography written for this was used in writing the biographical summary for this paper. Sture, A (1997), Nobel Lectures, Literature 1991-1995, Singapore: World Scientific Publishing Co. Retrieved February 15, 2010, from http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/literature/laureates/1993/morrison- bio.html This site provided a bibliography of the author Toni Morrison. This information was compiled when Ms. Morrison won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1993 for her novel Beloved. This biography was used in the biographical summary for this paper.

progression of america :: essays research papers

Progress is a steady improvement, on advancement toward a better stage, America has made an enormous progression because of the charter issued by King James I of England; John Smith; and even though it was a small contribution, the Tobacco industry which was established by John Rolfe. May 24th was the first day for many settlers and they had no idea as to that day being the first day of the rest of their lives. A couple years passed and a charter came along from the king of England.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  On May 24th, 1606, about 100 settlers set foot on â€Å"American† soil. They had founded Jamestown. This just didn’t come out of anywhere, King James I had proposed a charter for them to do so. The charter allowed the joint-stock company of England or also known as the Virginia Company to colonize (1.)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Later after about two years a guy named Captain John Smith emerged as basically the savior of the colonists. He set the colonists straight. HE did this by forceful leadership. He knew that if they didn’t learn to survive, they would die. It was up to him as the leader to persuade them to do so. The colonists, before John Smith came along, died of malnutrition, disease, and attacks from Native Americans. Although John Smith did not reign for a long period of time, he accomplished a lot (2.).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The tobacco industry, even though it was a small contribution to the progression of America, it was made possible by John Rolfe. He is credited with the introduction of tobacco into Virginia. Sir Walter Raleigh, even though did not introduce tobacco into Virginia he did indeed introduce it to England. John Rolfe found a tobacco that the colonists liked or enjoyed to smoke or chew, their was tobacco already that was planted by the native Americans but the colonists basically did not enjoy it so obviously it was good that someone like John Rolfe did (3.

Anylasis of three extracts

The three extracts I am comparing are written by three different authors. The first extract I am going to tell you about is written by a famous author called ‘Terry Pratchett'. The second extract is written by a children's author ‘Charles Dickens'. And finally, the third extract I am going to explain, is written by another well-known author, ‘Eoin Colfer'. With these three extracts, I am going to inform and describe how the characters and settings are developed. In the first extract the characters are well described using many adjectives. For example ‘Mr Horsefry' was described as a ‘youngish man, not simply running to fat but vaulting, leaping and driving towards obesity. He had acquired at thirty and impressive selection of chins, and now they wobbled with angry pride. ‘ I can picture this man with so many chains and not being able to speak properly. This is a funny description and makes the reader want to read on and see what else the reader writes about Mr Horsefry. Terry Pratchett' also writes that Mr Horsefry is: ‘Despite his expression, which was that of a piglet having a bright idea, and his mode of speech, which might put you in mind of a small, breathless, neurotic but ridiculously expensive dog, Mr Horsefry might have been a kind, generous and pious man. In the same way, the man climbing out of your window in a stripy jumper, a mask and a great hurry might merely be lost on the way to a fancy-dress party, and the man in a wig and robes at the focus of the courtroom might only be a transvestite who wondered in out of the rain. When I read this description I was laughing, and I could imagine a man dressed up as a woman who has god knows how many chains and seeing him wondering in the rain. Also listening to him when he speaks, it would be difficult to understand him because his chins would get in the way. This is a very good and clear description of ‘Mr Horsefry' and enjoyable to read and if someone reads this description they would know what ‘Mr Horsefry' looks like and what his personality is like. Also in this extract, it is a shame that ‘Terry Pratchett' didn't describe the settings as much as he describes ‘Mr Horsefry'. For example the quote, â€Å"Ah, this would be . . . what is it now . . . the glass ceiling? † said lord Vetinari brightly. â€Å"No, my lord. That is something else. I believe you may be thinking about the ‘Agatean Wall†. This quote tells me what the ceilings and the walls may look like, but it doesn't tell me what else the place looks like. The writer could have described what the canary looked like or what time of year it was, for example was it in the middle of winter, or was it in late summer. But I don't know because this wasn't explained in the extract. However ‘Terry Pratchett' could have explained this in the beginning of the story or later on in the story, I'm not to sure. Describing the setting would make the story a lot better and when the reader reads this extract they would be able to picture what is going on and where the characters are, as that is what happening now, I am confused where the characters are and I am thinking of a completely different place to what the writer is thinking of when he wrote this book. In the second extract ‘Charles Dickens' describes the character, ‘The Ghost of Christmas Past' as: ‘It's hair, which hung about its neck and down its back, was white, and if with age; and not yet the face had not a wrinkle in it, and the tenderest bloom was on the skin. The arms were very long and muscular; the hands the same, as if it hold were of uncommon strength. Its legs and feet, most delicately formed, were, like those upper members, bare. It wore a tunic of the purest white; and round its waist was a lustrous belt, the sheen of which was beautiful. It had its dress trimmed with summer flowers. But the strangest thing about it was, that from the crown of its head there sprang a bright clear jet of light, by which all this was visible; and which was doubtless the occasion of its using, in its duller moments, a great extinguisher for a cap, which it now held under its arm. ‘ This is a brilliant description of the sprit and I can picture what ‘The Ghost of Christmas Past' looks like. I know exactly what her hair, skin, feet, legs and what she was wearing. This is also a very clear description as well. It is easy to understand and easy to see what the ghost looks like. In this extract ‘Charles Dickens' does not describe the setting as much in detail as he did with the character ‘The Ghost of Christmas Past'. For example the quote: ‘Not the curtains at his feet, nor the curtains at his back, but those to which his face was addressed. The curtain of his bed drawn aside;' this quote tells me a little bit about Cosmos room and the curtains. However I find this quote quite confusing as I am not to sure whether or not the curtains are in Cosmo's room and where else are the curtains. Also I am not sure where he is, is he in his room? Or is he somewhere less? For example, is Cosmo in a huge empty mansion? Or is he in some hall way? Who knows? That is why it is important to tell the reader where the character is otherwise the reader gets lost. The finial extract is written by anther well known author ‘Eoin Colfer'. He has developed his characters in his story by using a few adjectives. He describes a character, Cosmo who is a young boy aged fourteen years old as: ‘Cosmo receives his schooling from education software, his teeth were whiter that white and his hair was lustrous and flake-free, but his insides felt like they were being scoured with a radioactive wire brush. Eventually Cosmo realized that the orphanage was slowly killing him. It was time to get out. ‘ ‘Eoin Colfer' didn't use as much adjectives as the other writers did. The description of Cosmo was not that clear, as I didn't know exactly what he looked like. However the quote: ‘†¦ aby Cosmo was discovered swaddled in an insulated Cheery Pizza envelope on Cosmonaut Hill in Moscowtown. The state police swabbed him for DNA, search for a match in the Satellite mainframe and came up blank. Nothing unusual about that, orphans turn up every day in the city. So the newly christened Cosmo Hill was dipped in a vaccine vat and sent on a tube to the Clarissa Frayne Institute or Parentally Challenged Boys Freight. ‘ This quote tells me that Cosmo was an orphan and was found on ‘Cosmonaut Hill in Moscowtown'. This quote many not tell me what Cosmo looks like but it does tell me about how he was found. So this is a pretty good description of where he was found. Also in this extract ‘Eoin Colfer' has used many descriptive words to develop the setting. For example the quote: ‘Satellite City was not part of any welfare state, so the institution had to raise funds any way they could. Clarissa Frayne's speciality was product testing. Whenever a new modified food or untested pharmaceutical product was being developed, the orphanage volunteered its charges as guinea pigs. It made perfect financial sense. The orphans got fed and cleaned, and the Frayne Institute got paid for the privilege. This quote tells me about the orphanage and ‘Clarisse Frayne'. This quote may not describe the settings as much as the other stories did but it tells me a lot about the orphanage, but at least that is something. So overall I have realised that it is important to describe the character in the stories, otherwise the reader would think of something else that the writer may not be thing of. Also this is the same for the settings. You have to explain but the area is like and where the characters are. This is important as well so that the reader can picture what is going on without getting confused.

The outsourcing of the Canon Europe

The outsourcing of the Canon Rupee's finance and accounting management to Accentuate Total words: 2772 Contents l. Introduction In 2006, the Canon Europe decided to outsource its finance and accounting business to the Accentuate consulting company. As a well-known imaging solution company, Canon Europe confronted with fierce competition in 2006. Although Canon Europe is a subsidiary of Canon Inc. Of Japan, the company contributes about one-third of Canon Inc. ‘s worldwide sales revenue.At the initial stage of transforming, to focus on those activities which are significant to its competitive positioning, the executive of Canon Europe determined to establish a shared-service center to centralize the company's finance operations. After a series of testing and analysis, Canon Europe found out that cooperating with the right outsourcing partner is the only way to achieve greater effectiveness. This measure not only can be used to reduce costs of their finance processes and improve the efficiency of them, but also to create powerful differentiating relationships with supplier.After the careful review of the proposals of all the candidates of vendors, Canon Europe finally decide outsource the finance and accounting business operation to Accentuate. The contract duration is seven years, and Accentuate provided Canon Europe with a range of finance processes through the management of the Accentuate Delivery Center in Prague. II. Outsourcing Project Overview By the reason of Cannon Europe was constantly confronted with increased completion and tighter, the executives of Canon Europe decided to create a powerful, differentiating relationships with suppliers by improving finance processes to reduce he costs.They also determined to improve the finance and accounting, like ordering from approved suppliers using standardized purchase orders, could increase their compliance . Initially, the executives thought that centralizing the company's finance operations would be th e right way to achieve the goals which were mentioned above. But by 2006, they found out that the only way to further savings and greater process effectiveness is through outsourcing. In the autumn of 2006, Accentuate submitted a proposal to Canon Europe that included significant details about its research on high performance.Subsequently, Canon Europe executives recognized Accentuates capabilities are relevant to their company's own strategic direction, and they also initiatives to achieve world-class finance operations, following detailed conversations with Accentuate leaders, the executives finally decided to outsource the company's European shared-services operation to Accentuate. Canon Europe signed a seven-year business process outsourcing contract with Accentuate, focusing on finance and accounting.Managed through the Accentuate Delivery Center in Prague, Accentuate provides Canon Europe with a range of finance recesses, including accounts payable, cash posting and fixed asse ts administration, as well as travel expense processing. Services are provided in 12 languages to Canon Europe businesses in 14 European countries. Ill. Client Perspective The experience of client Canon Europe had a good experience in this whole outsourcing process. Accentuate helped Canon achieve the objectives because running finance and accounting back offices is teacher business of them.Accentuate were able to deploy their economies of scale, and their expertise and process focused to help Canon achieve world-class performance. In fact, within the outsourcing activities, the Canon Europe reached the goal of improving their productivity baby percent in three years. Sourcing model The model that Canon Europe used is sole supplier model, which means Accentuate provides the entire finance accounting service to them. To the Canon Europe, the outsourcing model they chose is appropriate.Outsourcing finance and accounting presents a series of unique challenges that require deep expertis e and sophisticated toolkits. Furthermore, the vendor corporations need the right resources, innovation and talent to positively impact their business. The main benefit of this model is the sole accountability of the supplier, which makes the governance of the venture easier relative to other configuration models. Briefly speaking, it is a wise decision for Canon Europe outsourcing its whole finance and accounting process to an onshore vendor.Canon Europe selected a offspring outsourcing model to cooperate with Accentuate. According to the Decision-making matrix on outsourcing which was suggested by Hillocks (2002), the Canon Europe outsourced their â€Å"Qualifiers†, which means the organization outsourced their finance and accounting department-?the radical activity for business operations, but do not contribute to the company's competitive positioning in a major way. Strengths and weaknesses The company intended to invest more in their core competitiveness such aspirator m arketing, customer service and looking after their channel partners.Therefore they are realistic in paying vendors, and recognized back office administration as a secondary activity and do not wish to invest in back office innovations. Secondly, â€Å"thereat a number of strength that Canon has realized through the relationship with Accentuate. â€Å", said by Chris Poppa(Accentuate Senior Executive). For instance, this outsourcing activity increased visibility and transparency on the finance processes, more responsive service from the Prague Deliver Centre improved management control through the formal discipline.And finally, Canon Europe can focus on their core business and not worry about the back-office processes. The Canon Rupee's outsourcing weakness lies in that they are a large company, this fact results to the difficulties when they selected vendors. There are so many factors they need to consider, for instance, the reputation, the capability of handle massive ATA and the technology innovations of the suppliers. The organization's own characters decide that the number of vendors they can choose from is limited, and it due to the cost controlling becomes even more difficulty.Retained capabilities The capabilities that developed by Canon Europe through the outsourcing activities are as following: First, relationship building. Creating a powerful, differentiating relationship with supplier is one of the aims of Canon Europe. Actually,building a relationship involves helping users understand developmental of finance and accounting for the business ND the improvement of productivity, helping users and financialexpertscollaborate, and ensuring users' ownership and satisfactions. The second capability is informed buying.Generally, this capability related to the challenge of managing the finance and accounting outsourcing strategy in a way that meets the interests,priorities, and goals of the business. For example, the transition from a shared-services mode l to the Accentuate Delivery Center in Prague was completed in only four months, furthermore, there was no reengineering needed and all finance activities were quickly stabilized. Thirdly, to protect the current and future contractual position of the firm, Canon Europe also had the contract monitoring capability.It is important to note that the contract monitor ensures that the business position is contractually protected at all times while the contract facilitator is mainly involved in the day-to-day operational 1 . Furthermore, as a contract monitor, Canon Europe needs to ensure that their business position is contractually protected at all the timely 2. Risks in outsourcing deal The Canon Europe also met several risks. First of all, considering that Canon Europe ND Accentuate are both influenced organizations in the world, they both have the differentiations culture.Provided that during the process of outsourcing, both parts have limited opportunities for interactions, hence it w ill cause misunderstandings and poor change management controls 3. The structural risk may also exist in the process of the duration of outsourcing. Structural risk refers to the danger that the relationship between clients and suppliers may not work as expected. Whatever, transaction preprocessing insurance claims processing are happily easy to monitor using preciseness's to measure their quality 5.Therefore these activities present low structuralism. Lastly, if an organization decides to outsource some business which includes sensitive data, then a carefully managed outsourcing contract may be preferable. This is because large established clients are probably more careful about protecting their reputation. Expected value Within Canon Rupee's new finance and accounting outsourcing environment, there is now greater assurance that activities are being executed effectively with maximum efficiency, and that productivity and continuous improvement are daily priorities.Such advancements demonstrate why the goal to improve productivity within the outsourced activities by 25 percent in three years is well within reach. To sum up the foregoing, the business achieving performance continually. To keep the relationship between Canon Europe and Accentuate getting better is also the value that this outsourcing activity brought. Actually, Canon Europe paid careful attention to the levels of relationship competency of the supplier, without they wish to maintain a close long-traineeships.Whatever, they found out that Accentuate has the ability to support the future changes in their business direction, and the needs of their innovations the supplier, so the long-term relationship would be a potential value they wish to obtain. ‘V. Supplier Perspective Good pick for supplier From the perspective of Accentuate, this contract was a good pick undoubtedly. First and for most, Accentuate built the partnership with Canon through this outsourcing process, this laid the foundatio n of theorization's of strategic partner in the future. Actually, in 2010, Canon enters $9. Ban to launch in collaboration withAccentuate to deliver customized information and media management solutions for large European organizations. Given these facts, we can make a conclusion of both parts already built good relinquishment's the finance and accounting outsourcing process. Advantages and disadvantages The vendor selected in this outsourcing case possessed plenty of advantages. First of all, finance and accounting (F) was one of the first processes that Accentuate start to outsource, henceforward have more than 15 years operational experience in Finance and Accounting business process outsourcing.Secondly, Accentuate was also en of the best consultant companies in that time, which means they had better reputation and lower risk than other companies. Last but not least, Accentuate has their own R teams, which maximize the efficiency and increase the possibilities of reaching the go al successfully. While outsourcing, three technology innovations of Accentuate play an important role. For example,the first of these is an Accentuate- developed self-service portal that is updated daily to help Canon Rupee's suppliers control, access and monitor invoicing and payment activities.As for the disadvantages, one of them is the technology solutions growth in Accentuate is much slower than consultancy roles in the fierce competition of the consultant industry. Therefore, once Canon encountered some technique problems in the outsourcing process, Accentuate may not provide powerful supports to them efficiently. Risks to vendors Like most of devotedness, Accentuate also had risks in this outsourcing process. One of them is reputation loss, it would happen as the venture failed.No matter what the real reason is, the supplier always should take the responsibility for the failure first. Another risk is the security of techniques and intellectual property. Elementally repertory rights are also one of major concerns to both the client and the supplier 19. Thus, companies should be particularly careful, because the absence of suitable contractual safeguards can put at risk the firms' rights to its own intellectual property. For example, the development and the application of Accentuates technology innovations are belong to the core competence of the organization.And the Accentuate-developed self-service portal also has key function to the completeness of the whole outsourcing project. Expected value As an outstanding consulting company, Accentuate expects not only to manage the entire successfully, but also to develop the partnership with the Canon Europe. Cooperating with some well-known companies successfully, like Canon, will expand the influence of itself. Furthermore, building the partnership with those companies will also bring plenty of opportunities to the future development to Accentuate.Hillocks suggests that enterprise partnership's involves risk- reward and Joint ownership arrangements, offers promising way to leverage cost and quality gains as well as knowledgeableness and exploitation. V. Recommendations Safeguard of client's position To mitigate the risk that Canon Europe may face, the organization interacted on a daily basis with Individual Accentuate teams (one for each process such as accounts payable and cash posting).Besides, to increase the visibility of the clients, the Accentuate Planning and Control enables management and process owners to capture and track critical path activities and issues in real time. The extraction of value for supplier For the supplier, provided atone of their targets is obtaining extraction of value from the contract, then the following factors are important: firstly, Accentuate should ensure they provided the desired services according to the contract.Secondly, manage to protect the safety of the sensitive data, like ensure the data to be used in appropriate ways, and periodically check that authorized personnel are following designated procedures. Win-win situation As the contract manager of insubstantial public sector agency noted â€Å"Suppliers have to make a reasonableness's to stay in business. You don't want them to lose moneybags the worse their business gets, the worse your business gets. â€Å"Theodosius uncovers that both parts in the outsourcing process are interest- elated.Creating a win-win situation's the client receives increased value- adding services and disruptive generates better revenues and obtaining more opportunities. When Accentuate completed the outsourcing project, the Canon Rupee's employees were free from time-consuming finance transactional tasks, and they are now able to focus on strategic activities to add value to the businesses. Improvement or changes In the next five years, the organizations recognize back office administration as a secondary activity and do not wish to invest in back office innovations, whereby the equines proc ess outsourcing will overshadow IT outsourcing.The clients should invest much more in contract value due to the contract management is a major determinant of outsourcing successes. Second, to avoid the outsourcing failure, the thing that Canon Europe should considerately suppliers other than sole supplier model, as a large company, the outsourcing process of Canon Europe would be more complex than others, therefore continue with only one vendor would carry high amount of risk. In the future, selective sourcing with multiple suppliers will remain the dominant trend.

English Capitalization Rules and Example Sentences

English Capitalization Rules and Example Sentences This guide to capitalization rules is especially for ESL students. It contains clear explanations for each rule with simple examples of correct sentences. Once you understand these rules, try a capitalization rules quiz to test yourself. First Word in a Sentence Always capitalize the first word of a new sentence. There is something wrong with this cheese. However, Im hungry.Strange things have happened recently. I think the police should investigate. The Pronoun I Only the pronoun I is capitalized. All other pronouns (she, they, him, me, us, etc.) are NOT capitalized. He asked me where I had bought my jacket.If I see her, I will give her your message. Proper Nouns There are many special rules concerning proper nouns. Generally, Proper  nouns  can be understood as the names of specific people, places, things, pets, organizations, etc.  Here are some specific rules to follow: I visited California on my vacation.She gave Peter a present for his birthday. The Directions   Capitalize North, South, East, and West when contained in the name of a place (state, country, etc.) but not when used for giving directions. Correct My friend lives in South Carolina.We are planning a vacation in South Africa. Incorrect She lives in Southern Europe. SHOULD BE She lives in southern Europe.Im going to visit my friends in Eastern Oregon. SHOULD BE Im going to visit my friends in eastern Oregon. Members of an Organization The Neighborhood Players are presenting a musical next week.Some Washington Democrats would like to see the company up. Names of Companies The name of a company is similar to the name of a person and needs to be capitalized.   My niece loves Converse shoes.Do you prefer Siesta or Aloha products? Periods of History Capitalize periods of time in history that have specific names. The Dot Com Era lasted far shorter than many people expected. Events Names of specific events should be capitalized.   I went to the Tomato Growers Conference in Salinas last weekend.Have you ever attended the Technoland Convergence Festival? Acronyms Each letter of an acronym (a letter for the first letter of every word: CIA - Central Intelligence Agency) I prefer to watch PBS tv whenever possible.The ICAM commissioned a study on OBLOG. The Gods Names of gods are capitalized, including Allah, Vishnu, and God. The word god is generally not capitalized if it is used to refer to the generic idea of a deity, nor is it capitalized when it refers to multiple gods. Wotan is one of the gods in Wagners Ring Cycle.The pastor prayed that God should deliver us from our sins. Days, Months But Not Seasons Both days and months are capitalized but not NOT seasons.   Correct She flew to Dallas in September.Do you have any time on Monday? Incorrect I love skiing in Winter. SHOULD BE I love skiing in winter.They visited Bob last Summer. SHOULD BE They visited Bob last summer. Countries, Languages, and Nationality Adjectives All words the indicate a specific country should be capitalized including adjectives describing food, customs, etc.   I lived in Italy for over 10 years.Have you ever had any really expensive French wine?Do you speak Russian? Mom and Dad Capitalize family relationships when used in place of a name Have you given Mom her present yet?I think Dad needs some time off work. Titles Before Names Titles are capitalized only when they are part of the name.   Correct The soldier wrote to General Smith and asked for advice.Have you spoken to Vice Principal Smithers yet? Incorrect George Washington was the first President of the United States. SHOULD BE George Washington was the first president of the United States.Peter Smith was elected Mayor in 1995. SHOULD BE Peter Smith was elected mayor in 1995. Beginning and Ending of Letters Start and end your letters with capital letters.   Dear Mr. Smith,Best regards, First Word in a Quote This is true even if the quote occurs in the middle of a sentence. The last time I talked to Peter he said, Study hard and get to bed early!Thomas Patterman was a simple man who said, Give me life, liberty and a bottle of rum! Main or Content Words in Titles Remember that content words include nouns, pronouns, principal verbs, adjectives, and adverbs. Rainy Days and MondaysHow to Win Friends and Influence your Neighbors First Word in Each Line of Poetry Each first word in a poem should be written with capital letters.   Roses are redViolets are blueI think I said Hes in love with you!

Analysis on Ethan Frome Essay Example

Analysis on Ethan Frome Essay Example Analysis on Ethan Frome Paper Analysis on Ethan Frome Paper Essay Topic: Ethan Frome Sometimes our light goes out but is blown into flame by another human being. Each of us owes deepest thanks to those who have rekindled this light. Albert Schweitzer. Ethan Frome who takes care of his ill wife becomes very attracted with his wifes sister and must choose whether or not to express his feelings. Individual responsibility is the obstacle when dealing with ones free will. This will be shown by analyzing, Ethans choices of individual responsibility and free will. Ethan, from Starkfield New England is a poor farmer who is taking care of his ill wife Zeena. Zeena had always been what Starkfield had called sickly (pg 35). She suffered from asthma and other complications. People struggled for years with troubles, but they always succumbed to complications (pg 108. ) Ethan felt it was his obligation to take care of his ill wife as they had been married for seven years. When they married they agreed as soon as he could straighten out the difficulties, he would sell the farm and saw mill and try their luck in a large town (pg 71). It was believed that her sickness was derived from the effect of life on the farm, or perhaps, as she sometimes said, it was because Ethan never listened (pg 72). Due to this Ethan felt it was his responsibility to take care of his wife. Zeena had been trying hard to get help as she occasionally left town to seek medical assistance. Ethan had grown to dread these situations because of their cost (pg. 62). Zeena had always returned with expensive remedies that were promising but never ended up working. Ethan felt his commitment of marriage was enough for him to believe that it was possible for his wife to re-cooperate from her illness and return to a normal life. While Ethan was taking care of Zeena, it was suggested that they should acquire more assistance due to his wifes health. Mattie Silver came from Stamford, and when she entered the Fromes household to act as her cousin Zeenas aid it was thought best, as she came without pay (pg 32). Ethan had taken a liking to the girl from the first day (pg 32). Mattie took pressure and stress of Ethans workload and everyday chores and basically rekindled his spirit of love. It was a fact since Mattie Silvers coming he had taken to shaving every day (pg 39). They both had gained strong feelings for each other but did not want or feel it was right for them to be expressed. One day however when walking back home from the village Mattie stumbled on an unseen object and clutched onto Ethans sleeve to steady herself. The wave of warmth that went through him was like the prolongation of his vision. For the first he stole his arm about, and she did not resist (pg 50). From that point on the both of them became more fond of each other and showed their feelings more openly to each other. One day when Zeena left town for medical reasons Mattie had attempted to do something special for Ethan by preparing him a special meal. To be used in this special meal was Zeenas pickle dish, which was only used on special occasions. Sitting at dinner the cat had backed into pickle dish, which fell to the floor with a crash (pg 85). This can be seen as the couples dream falling to pieces and not being able to be repaired as the next night Zeena had returned and she ordered that Mattie leave as Zeena required someone with medical experience. When Ethan and Zeena confronted each other it was the first sign of open anger between the couple in the sad seven years together (pg 112). He could not picture himself living without Mattie and had to choose whether or not to stay with his wife or follow his heart and go with Mattie. Ethan could not exercise his free will and be with Mattie as his individual responsibility was dealing with that of Zeena which he felt he could not abandon. Ethan had always wanted the best for his wife Zeena but she would have to come to the realization that youre a poor mans wife (pg 114). It would be impossible for him to hire a trained medical aid as the funds just were not there. Ethan felt his free will was put to the test when Zeena had ordered that Mattie leave. Ethan than realized that he could not live with out her. The night when Ethan escorts Mattie to town to catch her train they think of the idea of leaving and going West. Ethan had always dreamed of the idea but came to the conclusion that he could not leave his ill wife. Im tied hand and foot, Matt. There isnt a thing that I can do (pg 158). Before they departed Ethan wanted to do one more thing Mattie and that was take her coasting or tobogganing. While tobogganing Ethan had came into confusion as a suicide pact was suggested as they went for their last turn down the hill. They were attempting to hit a huge Elm tree but right before they hit Ethan had suddenly seen his wifes face with twisted monstrous lineaments, thrust itself between him and his goal, and he made an instinctive movement to brush it aside (pg 170). which caused Ethan to just hit the tree ever so slightly not to kill them but to injure them severely. Ethans feels his individual responsibility to Zeena must be taken care of first before he can have any life with Mattie. It is important that ones individual responsibility is taking care of first before attempting to pursue ones free will as it will cause a major obstacles and conflicts if striving to make the both co-exist. Ethans problem of choosing who he loved could have been resolved if he stuck with his individual responsibility and helped his wife back to good health.

Existentialism - Essay Topics

Existentialism - Essay Topics If you are studying existentialism and have an exam coming up, the best way to prepare for it is to write lots of practice essays.   Doing this helps you to recall the texts and the ideas you have studied; it helps you to organize your knowledge of these; and it often triggers original or critical insights of your own.   Here are a set of essay questions you can use.   They relate to the following classic existentialist texts:    Tolstoy, My Confession Tolstoy, The Death of Ivan Ilyich Dostoyevsky, Notes from Underground Dostoyevsky, The Grand Inquisitor Nietzsche, The Gay Science Beckett, Waiting for Godot Sartre, The Wall Sartre, Nausea Sartre, Existentialism as a Humanism Sartre, â€Å"Portrait of an Anti-Semite† Kafka, A Message from the Emperor, A Little Fable, Couriers, Before the Law Camus, The Myth of Sisyphus Camus The Stranger    Tolstoy and Dostoyevsky Both Tolstoys Confession and Dostoyevskys Notes from Underground seem to reject science and rationalistic philosophy.   Why?   Explain and evaluate the reasons for the critical attitudes toward science in these two texts.    Both Tolstoy’s Ivan Ilyich (at least once he falls sick) and Dostoyevsky’s   Underground Man feel estranged from the people around them.   Why?   In what ways is the kind of isolation they experience similar, and in what ways is it different?    The underground man says that ‘to be too conscious is an illness.’   What does he mean?   What are his reasons?   In what ways does the underground man suffer from excessive consciousness?   Do you see this as the root cause of his sufferings or are there deeper problems that give rise to it?   Does Ivan Ilyich also suffer from excessive consciousness, or is his problem something different?    Both The Death of Ivan Ilyich and Notes From Underground portray individuals who feel separated from their society.   Is the isolation they experience avoidable, or is it primarily caused by the sort of society they belong to.    In the Authors Note at the beginning of Notes from Underground, the author describes the underground man as representative of a new type of person that must inevitably appear in modern society.   What aspects of the character are representative of this new type of modern individual?   Does he remain representative today in 21st century America, or has his type more or less disappeared?    Contrast what Dostoyevsky’s Grand Inquisitor says about freedom with what the Underground Man says about it.   Whose views do you most agree with?    Nietzsche, The Gay Science Tolstoy (in Confession), Dostoyevsky’s Underground Man, and Nietzsche in The Gay Science, are all critical of those who think the main goal in life should be the pursuit of pleasure and the avoidance of pain.   Why?      When Nietzsche read Notes from Underground he immediately hailed Dostoyevsky as a ’kindred spirit’.   Why?    In The Gay Science, Nietzsche says: â€Å"Life- that is: being cruel and inexorable against everything about us that is growing old and weak†¦.being without reverence for those who are dying, who are wretched, who are ancient.   Ã‚  Explain, giving illustrative examples, what you think he means and why he says this.   Do you agree with him?    At the beginning of Book IV of The Gay Science, Nietzsche says all in all and on the whole: some day I wish only to be a Yes-sayer.   Explain what he means- and what he is opposing himself toby reference to issues he discusses elsewhere in the work.   How successful is he in maintaining this life-affirming stance?    Morality is herd instinct in the individual.   What does Nietzsche mean by this?   How does this statement fit in with the way he views conventional morality and his own   alternative values?    Explain in detail Nietzsche’s view of Christianity.   What aspects of Western civilization, both positive and negative, does he see as largely due to its influence?    In The Gay Science Nietzsche says: â€Å"The strongest and most evil spirits have so far done the most to advance humanity.†Ã‚   Explain, giving examples, what you think he means and why he says this.   Do you agree with him?    In The Gay Science Nietzsche seems to both criticize moralists who distrust the passions and instincts and also himself be a great advocate of self-control.   Can these two aspects of his thinking be reconciled?   If so, how?    What is Nietzsche’s attitude in The Gay Science towards the quest for truth and knowledge? Is it something heroic and admirable, or should it be viewed with suspicion as a hangover from traditional morality and religion?    Sartre Sartre famously observed that man is condemned to be free.  Ã‚   He also wrote that man is a futile passion.   Explain what these statements mean and the reasoning that lies behind them.   Would you describe the conception of humanity that emerges as optimistic or pessimistic?    Sartre’s existentialism was labeled by one critic â€Å"the philosophy of the graveyard,† and existentialism strikes many as dominated by depressing ideas and outlooks.   Why would someone think this?   And why might others disagree?   In Sartre’s thinking which tendencies do you see as depressing and which uplifting or inspiring?    In his Portrait of the anti-Semite, Sartre says the anti-Semite feels the nostalgia of impermeability.   What does this mean?   How does it help us understand anti-Semitism?   Where else in Sartres writings is this tendency examined?    The climax of Sartres novel Nausea is Roquentins revelation in the park when he contemplates.  Ã‚   What is the nature of this revelation?   Should it be described as a form of enlightenment?    Explain and discuss either Anny’s ideas about ‘perfect moments’ or Roquentin’s ideas about ‘adventures (or both).   How do these notions relate to the major themes explored in Nausea?    It has been said that Nausea presents the world as it appears to one who experiences at a deep level what Nietzsche described as the death of God.   What supports this interpretation?   Do you agree with it?    Explain what Sartre means when he says that we make our decisions and perform our actions in anguish, abandonment and despair.   Do you find his reasons for viewing human action in this way convincing?   [In answering this question, make sure you consider Sartrean texts beyond just his lecture Existentialism and Humanism]    At one point in Nausea, Roquentin says, â€Å"Beware of literature!†Ã‚   What does he mean? Why does he say this?    Kafka, Camus, Beckett Kafkas stories and parables have often praised for capturing certain aspects of the human condition in the modern age.   With reference to the parables we discussed in class, explain which features of modernity Kafka illuminates and what insights, if any, he has to offer.    At the end of ‘The Myth of Sisyphus’ Camus says that ‘one must imagine Sisyphus happy’?   Why does he say this?   Wherein lies Sisyphus’ happiness?   Does Camus’ conclusion follow logically from the rest of the essay?   How plausible do you find this conclusion?    Is Meursault. the protagonist of The Stranger,  an example of what Camus calls in ‘The Myth of Sisyphus’ an ‘absurd hero’?   Justify your answer with close reference to both the novel and the essay.    Beckett’s play Waiting for Godot, is- obviously- about waiting.   But Vladimir and Estragon wait in different way and with different attitudes.   How do their ways of waiting express different possible responses to their situation and, by implication, to what Beckett sees as the human condition?    Existentialism in general ‘The important thing is not to be cured but to live with one’s ailments’ (Camus, The Myth of Sisyphus).   Discuss this statement with reference to at least three of the following works:     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Myth of Sisyphus   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Gay Science   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Notes from Underground   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Nausea   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Waiting for Godot Do the works in question illustrate, support, or criticize the outlook expressed in Camus statement?      From Tolstoys account of his suicidal despair in his Confession to Becketts  Waiting for Godot, there is much in existentialist writing that seems to offer a bleak view of the human condition.   On the basis of the texts you have studied, would you say that existentialism is indeed, a bleak philosophy, excessively concerned with mortality and meaninglessness?   Or does it have a positive aspect also?    According to William Barrett existentialism belongs to a longstanding tradition of intense, passionate reflection on life and the human condition, yet it is also in some ways an essentially modern phenomenon.   What is it about the modern world that has given rise to existentialism?   And what aspects of existentialism are particularly modern?    Related links Life of Jean Paul Sartre Sartre - Quotations Sartres terminology Sartres concept of bad faith

Report on religious traditions Religion is Tenrikyo Research Paper

Report on religious traditions Religion is Tenrikyo - Research Paper Example Some would even argue that it is still not a separate religion, but remains a branch or sect of Shinto. The name comes from Tenri ,which means "heavenly wisdom" in Japanese, or â€Å"heavenly intelligence ( Morrigan 2013), and Kyo meaning "teaching, and so Tenriko is the teaching of heavenly wisdom as put forward by a benign deity. In its earliest days was mainly a grass roots peasant’s movement, with a strong shamanic element. It set out to meet the needs of ordinary people and also drew its support in the main from the lower stratas of Japanese society. Followers of Tenriko have faith in God, who is known by several names. This God has expressed his divine will through Nakayama Miki's part as the Shrine of God, together with other less important leaders who followed her, such as Honseki Izo Iburi, known when young for his carpentry skills, and who took over Tenriko leadership on the death of the foundress. Morrigan ( 2013) discusses the fact that, despite its female founder , Tenriko can be seen as sexist with leadership often being handed down the male line, father to son , whether or not the new leader is the most suitable , and clearly sees this as something that has gone wrong. Having researched lists of clerics Morrigan has found ( 2013) no sign of a church led by a woman , or any movement asking for the advocating for a greater inclusion of women in leadership in Tenriko. Similarly to the situation found in too many other faiths , and in particular in Christian churches , women tend to have their own organizations and activities, although officially training for ministers is open to both males and females and the idea of equality is an important tenet of the faith. It seems likely that the more patriarchal practices which have crept into Tenriko have occurred as it became established as an officially recognized part of Shintoism and also had to survive the difficult times of the early 20th century, which of course included Japan’s involvem ent in two major wars, as well as the country’s economic collapses during the Great Depression and as a result of World War II. According to Dempsey ( 2013) although there are now followers in many countries, this new religion began in Japan in the mid-19th century, and is based upon revelations to a woman called Nakayama Miki, known to her followers as Oyasama. The exact date of the church’s founding is 10/26/1838, the date on which Miki’s husband Zenbei felt he was complying with the wishes of God by accepting his wife as a shrine, that is he was accepting that God was actually dwelling inside his wife. They had married when Miki was only 13, and she has been described as a perfect and virtuous housewife. The events described took place more than 30 years after their marriage ( Let us reason ministries, 2009). In her 40’s a Shino priest was called to the home to carry out some form of "mystical ritual" in order to cure both Miki and her husband. At this time she went into a trance and had her first revelation. She spoke as if the voice of God was actually speaking through her. Tenrikyo Church World Headquarters can be found in the city of Tenri, in central Japan. I tis built around Jiba, the place where, according to ancient tradition humankind was first created by God the Parent and, so, symbolically, and according to the faith of believers , is therefore the ancestral home of all people. According to the doctrine of Tenriko ,:- In the beginning, the world was a muddy ocean. Tsukihi, God the Parent, finding this chaos unbearably tasteless, thought of creating human beings in order to see the Joyous Life and thus share in that joy.( Doctrine of Tenriko,

A CRITICAL REVIEW OF THE USE OF FACEBOOK AS A SOCIAL MEDIA TECHNIQUE Literature

A CRITICAL OF THE USE OF FACEBOOK AS A SOCIAL MEDIA TECHNIQUE TO PROMOTE SMALL AND MEDIUM SCALE BUSINESS ONLINE - Literature review Example oviding online shopping experience to its customers and over the years this mode of shopping has been very well accepted by the customers (Internet World Stats, 2012a). However the industry had also witnessed a crash of some major companies and it was realised that competing in the age of internet has become more risky and this tool has to be used very wisely so as to gain the competitive edge (Internet World Stats, 2012b). Social media is still being deemed as a transforming power of the present world. It makes marketing more innovative and intellectual. Social media network allow its users to share ideas, events, activities and interests by providing a platform to share news and information, provides different alert services like CAS and SDI, facilitates enhanced consumer knowledge by allowing product reviews, provides information about new products and services and allows businesses to come up with innovative strategies that would help the owners expand the business opportunities among a wide range of customers (Kalmath, 2013; Humphrey and Schmitz, 2002). The activity of a group of people gathering together to share knowledge, views and information by making the use of conversational media is commonly known as Social media (Weinberg, 2009; Kaplan and Haenlein, 2009). There are different forms of social media that SMEs can take advantage of, for example, social book marking, blogs, social networking websites, content writing communities, virtual worlds, micro-blogging sites, online gaming websites, news sites, online forums and many more. Web 2.0 and social media are both, means of communication that share the same features implying both are user-friendly and user-empowering and enhance knowledge sharing (Erdogmus and Cicek, 2012). A company can overcome the problems associated with the conventional methods of marketing, by way of adopting social media marketing strategies. Thus the user will be able to efficiently allocate the available resources to improve

Genetics - Its History, Advantages and Future Research Paper

Genetics - Its History, Advantages and Future - Research Paper Example Genetics and the studies which investigate the genome of living organisms are important in the investigation of populations in reference to their distribution. It is thus through genetics that we are able to define the existence of racial differences and the patterns which describe the behavior of each population (Betz-Zall 109). Genetics has enabled scientists to come up with medicine for the therapy of various conditions which affect human beings and animals. For example studies on bacteria and viruses in relation to their genotypic expression illustrate the move towards making medical realities possible (Coates, John and Andy 18). It is thus through studies in genetics that the life of animals and human beings is conserved. Additionally, the study of genetics enables the achievement of preservation of the plant kingdom. This is made possible through the enhancement of genotypic makeup of plants which is geared towards the enhancement of the ability of plants to survive in various environments (Geck 153). The history of genetics is demonstrated by the application of genetics in the improvement of human, animal and plant life through cross breeding techniques. The work of Gregor Mendel defines the future of genetics by illustrating how the genotypes of organisms are passed from the parents to the offspring (Betz-Zall 109). It is thus through future studies of the genotypes of living organisms that the changes in the populations of the world is to be defined and determined (Mark, Hon and Roger 58). The blending of genes to come up with a unique living organism is a historic feature of genetics which has been used to cause changes in the offspring. These changes are aimed at ensuring that the genotypic and phenotypic structures of living organisms are designed to enhance their survival within the competitive environment (Coates, John and Andy 19). Nonetheless, the studies which enhance the feature of living organisms are procedural in addition to contextually lo ng lasting through the results are beneficial to the enhancement of life of human beings, plants and animals (Mark, Hon and Roger 67). Reproduction is a concept of genetics which illustrates the role of genes in the perpetuation of the offspring. It is through the combination of the male and female genes that the existence of a population is made possible (Betz-Zall 109). The study of these genes therefore plays a leading role in ensuring that the life and existence of life is not extinct. Additionally, the human and animal genome and the related studies ensure that the existence of life is achieved through improvement of the previous genotypic and phenotypic expressions. More importantly, the conviction of nurture within the nature of life as expressed through genes is achieved through genetics and the related studies (Geck 153). Nurture explains that in addition to the role of genes in the living of organisms, the environment also plays a role. It is in this sense that it is under stood that the level into which genes contribute to the expression of living organisms is also influenced by external factors within the environment (Mark, Hon and Roger 65). The significance genes are further demonstrated by the diversity which is expressed within the human, plant and animal kingdoms (Coates, John and

Persuasion Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Persuasion - Research Paper Example â€Å"Ethical behavior is very significance and important in the society (Johannesen, 2007).† In this paper we will explore the internal and external factors that influence behavior use of deception-Manipulation Theory, Four Factor Model, and Interpersonal Deception Theory. The paper also discusses how visual images, iconic images, music and aroma effect persuasion; Subliminal Messages VS. Supraliminal Messages, Backward Masking, and Neurolinguistic Programming (NLP). Internal and External Factors that Influence Behavior Positive ethical behavior is expected in all careers and engagements in life. In our current society, people do not always do what is expected from them. Sometimes a person is aware that a given action will have negative consequences but still does it. In the society, it is something nice for every person to be responsible and do only what is right. This is the best way to maintain social responsibility and ethical conduct. At the same time, a person should no t be guided to act in a given manner. Such ethical behavior and act should be intrinsic and consistent with human ethical principles, values and moral obligations. The importance of this behavior is that the society will live in harmony and reduce a great deal of problems faced in it (Freeman & Stewart, 2006). With reference to research, it is clear that manipulation theory offers a way of examining at a distinctive part of the interpersonal communication procedure that deals with the manner through which information packages. It is worth noting that manipulation theory is more concerned with the substance of the deceptive messages, the situational substances that bring them about, the extent to which the recognition of that message affects awareness of the deception and the relational effects related with deceptive messages. Ethical behavior determines a person’s action and how it will influence the people around him. For any action, it is necessary to make sure the greatest gain is realized. This can be explained using the utilitarian theory, which is a major ethical theory. According to utilitarianism, an action is viewed ethical if it promotes the greatest or best consequence. The resultant consequence, according to the utilitarian theory, should maximize happiness (Johannesen, 2007). The argument of this ethical theory is that actions are only right if they will promote happiness and wrong if they produce the opposite of happiness. Any form of ethical behavior should therefore be aimed at maximizing happiness. With reference to the Four Factor Model, whenever people are telling lies, there are usually four fundamental mechanisms at work. Such mechanisms include arousal, behavior control, emotion, and thinking. To begin with is arousal. Lying results to arousal and anxiety. This occur either due to disagreement at conflicting behavior and value, or because of the fear of being caught. The second factor is behavior control. Human beings try to have p ower over body language that might give them away. In actual fact this is impossible and leakage frequently takes place, for instance where one is controlling his or her face and his legs give him away. Emotion: Human emotions usually change whenever lying (Freeman & Stewart, 2006). Thinking: to lie, we frequently have to think harder in order to guarantee coherence in our arguments. Research records that interpersonal deception theory explains the way through which people cope

Ebay and Market Entry Challenges Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Ebay and Market Entry Challenges - Essay Example eBay maintains the seller platform much like the United States that is set on fixed auction philosophy, which limits real-time discussion with sellers. GMarket is also more innovative in setting up excitement with buyers and sellers, acting as a middleman for various lottery schemes that provide more incentives (Ihlwan, 2006). eBay attempted to simply export in its market entry strategy, using the same business model that had found success in the United States. In a market where GMarket was an innovator creating incentives-based packages, eBay was having a tough time being the dominant auction and selling site of choice. eBay’s fixed price selling concept was considered unfavorable by Chinese customers used to more direct sales tactics between buyer and seller. The use of mobile technology in China is also limited based on distribution of cellular technology and cultural adoption of this modernized selling format. Therefore, the ability to gain more market share through mobile technology sales was limited or eBay (Chan, 2007). Lack of ability to use mobile sales and marketing in this region limited the brand visibility of eBay with potential target markets and thus made it difficult to establish brand loyalty for eBay. The inability to use technology to improve the competitive position of eBay posed significant expansion problems. Pricing was another reason why eBay found difficulty in Asia, where the fixed price auction format made it appear to buyers and sellers that product listing costs were much higher than competition. The ability of sellers to contact customers and the flexibility of GMarket gives the buyer the ability to instantly reduce prices or add certain incentives, which makes eBay look rigid in pricing structures that is a turnoff to the price-sensitive Chinese buyers. Thus, it should be said that place, product, price and promotion were all negatively impacted by competition and the current sales platform being used by eBay. Simply export ing American talent and technology to this market was a poor market entry strategy since the Chinese online sales environment differed culturally than in the United States. It was a mistake to think that Chinese buyers would maintain the same market characteristics and therefore eBay entered this market without adaptable tools to better fit market conditions and buyer/seller attitudes and brand familiarity with other auction and sales competition. eBay simply did not have any quality tools to differentiate the business from competition other than mobile marketing which is not a common sales practice in the Asian markets. References Chan, Isabelle (2007) â€Å"EBay Has Its Eye on Southeast Asia â€Å", 29 Oct 2007, Business Week. Retrieved August 27, 2012 from http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/content/oct2007/gb20071029_295570.htm Ihlwan, Moon (2006) â€Å"Gmarket eclipses eBay in Asia†, 28 June 2006, Business Week. Retrieved August 27, 2012 from http://www.businessweek. com/globalbiz/content/jun2006 /gb20060628_910393.htm?chan=search RUNNING HEADER: Google and Asian Online Censorship Google and Asian Online Censorship BY YOU YOUR SCHOOL INFO HERE DATE HERE Google and Asian Online Censorship In Asia, Google faced many problems with establishing a market presence and gaining consumer revenues associated with its search engine business. In China, the government censors much of

Content analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Content analysis - Essay Example Net energy output comprised ethanol and co- product energy credit less energy inputs. Analysis was conducted on the life trends of corn ethanol systems leading to mainstream of United States power to approximate greenhouse gas release and energy efficiencies on the foundation of restructured standards for crop managing and output, biorefinery process, and co-product consumption. Direct consequence greenhouse gas release was projected to reduce as compared to gasoline. A graph of Biorefinery thermal energy efficiency in corn production against previous tears estimates were compared. Another graph of new energy yield against greenhouse gas emissions indicated a reduction of corn-ethanol systems. Charts to show regional variability in the corn ethanol system performance were used. Greenhouse gas reductions expected in this research permit a greater buffer for addition of circumlocutory effect land utilization and adjustment emissions whereas still attaining regulatory greenhouse gas reduction targets. These results corn-ethanol suggests that systems have substantially greater potential to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions, as well as reduction of overdependence on imported petroleum for transportation fuels. An advanced closed-loop biorefinery with anaerobic digestion abridged greenhouse gas release and improved the net energy ratio. The research found that instead of being controlled by the customary models to measuring intangibles, through modern greenhouse gas coverage frameworks, a better open method is established which would advance the suitability and apply the worth of use and gas renewal

Ebay and Market Entry Challenges Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Ebay and Market Entry Challenges - Essay Example eBay maintains the seller platform much like the United States that is set on fixed auction philosophy, which limits real-time discussion with sellers. GMarket is also more innovative in setting up excitement with buyers and sellers, acting as a middleman for various lottery schemes that provide more incentives (Ihlwan, 2006). eBay attempted to simply export in its market entry strategy, using the same business model that had found success in the United States. In a market where GMarket was an innovator creating incentives-based packages, eBay was having a tough time being the dominant auction and selling site of choice. eBay’s fixed price selling concept was considered unfavorable by Chinese customers used to more direct sales tactics between buyer and seller. The use of mobile technology in China is also limited based on distribution of cellular technology and cultural adoption of this modernized selling format. Therefore, the ability to gain more market share through mobile technology sales was limited or eBay (Chan, 2007). Lack of ability to use mobile sales and marketing in this region limited the brand visibility of eBay with potential target markets and thus made it difficult to establish brand loyalty for eBay. The inability to use technology to improve the competitive position of eBay posed significant expansion problems. Pricing was another reason why eBay found difficulty in Asia, where the fixed price auction format made it appear to buyers and sellers that product listing costs were much higher than competition. The ability of sellers to contact customers and the flexibility of GMarket gives the buyer the ability to instantly reduce prices or add certain incentives, which makes eBay look rigid in pricing structures that is a turnoff to the price-sensitive Chinese buyers. Thus, it should be said that place, product, price and promotion were all negatively impacted by competition and the current sales platform being used by eBay. Simply export ing American talent and technology to this market was a poor market entry strategy since the Chinese online sales environment differed culturally than in the United States. It was a mistake to think that Chinese buyers would maintain the same market characteristics and therefore eBay entered this market without adaptable tools to better fit market conditions and buyer/seller attitudes and brand familiarity with other auction and sales competition. eBay simply did not have any quality tools to differentiate the business from competition other than mobile marketing which is not a common sales practice in the Asian markets. References Chan, Isabelle (2007) â€Å"EBay Has Its Eye on Southeast Asia â€Å", 29 Oct 2007, Business Week. Retrieved August 27, 2012 from http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/content/oct2007/gb20071029_295570.htm Ihlwan, Moon (2006) â€Å"Gmarket eclipses eBay in Asia†, 28 June 2006, Business Week. Retrieved August 27, 2012 from http://www.businessweek. com/globalbiz/content/jun2006 /gb20060628_910393.htm?chan=search RUNNING HEADER: Google and Asian Online Censorship Google and Asian Online Censorship BY YOU YOUR SCHOOL INFO HERE DATE HERE Google and Asian Online Censorship In Asia, Google faced many problems with establishing a market presence and gaining consumer revenues associated with its search engine business. In China, the government censors much of

Developing Early Warning System for Peace and Security in Nigeria Essay Example for Free

Developing Early Warning System for Peace and Security in Nigeria Essay 1. Brief Demographic Background of Nigeria: The demographic characteristics of Nigeria set the platform for an understanding of the case for conflict based National early warning system. A historical analysis of major conflicts in Nigeria since independence points to strong linkages to its demographic composition. It has been unarguably regarded as the most populous country in the Africa and also accounts for half of the entire population of West Africa. The last census exercise in 2007 conducted by the Nigeria Population Commision (NPC) put the country’s population at over 140 million. (NPC, 2006). Politically, it practices a three tier federal system of government comprising the Federal, State and Local Government Councils which implies relative levels of autonomy in governance as well as oversight and control which many political analyst has attributed as a mixture of British Parliamentary and U.S Presidential system of governance. It has 36 states with a Federal Capital Territory at Abuja. These are further sub-divided into 774 semi-autonomous local government councils. For political and economic exigencies of governance and development, it is segregated into what is referred to as six geo political zones which include the North Central, North East, North West, South East, South South and South West. With over 240 ethnic groups spread across the country, the challenges of representation, equity in political representation as well as economic accessibility has been the bedrock of many diverse conflicts in the country. This is further complicated by the heterogeneous mixture of Christian and Muslim religion greatly polarised between the Christian south and Muslim Northern region. (op cit.)The population of traditional religion is sparsely located across the six geo-political zones of the country. Despite the immense rich natural resources in the country, crude oil located at the south south, south east and south west geo political zones of the country remain the major revenue source for the country and also the major source of various causative factors of conflict in Nigeria which has led to its reference in many social science research cycles as the ‘resource curse’ to the extent that the country is now considered one of the 20 poorest countries in the world. Over 70% of the population is classified as poor, with 35 percent living in absolute poverty. This is especially severe in rural areas, where social services are limited or non existent. 2. The Peace and Security Dimension in Nigeria: In contrast, Nigeria’s complex political, socio-cultural and economic diversity has been a source of varied and multiple levels of conflicts and humanitarian crises with implication to sustainable peace, security and development within the country and the West Africa sub region. A retrospection of these conflicts highlights six basic conflict types that have pervaded the country in the last two decades. These include communal conflicts, chieftaincy conflicts, ethno-religious conflicts, oil related conflicts, election related conflicts and agro-pastoralist conflicts. These conflicts are the outcome of the deep rooted causal factors of poverty, poor/bad governance and inequitable distribution of resources and development across the country. Between 1999 to 2010 for instance there has been an estimated death of 14,000 people from various levels of these conflicts across the country and about 750,000 – 850,000 Internally displaced persons.(Internal Displacement Monitoring, 2007) Based on the lack of mechanisms to address the root cause of these conflicts, it has continued to reoccur, intensify and impact negatively in Nigerian societies to the extent of creating viscious cycles of violence and complex humanitarian crises. Communities experiencing these conflicts have remained vulnerable and usually face the risks of further conflicts and distablity. Based on the recurrence of these conflicts,the communities have been tagged, ‘flashpoints of conflict’, unusually disaggregated across geo political lines or constellations. 3. The concept of Early Warning for Peace and Security: Based on the negative impact of conflicts to development and human security, there is increasing paradigm shift from conflict resolution mechanisms regarded as reactive to conflict prevention mechanisms which is seen as more proactive and has the capacity to prevent or mitigate destructive conflict or humanitarian crises globally. As core element of conflict prevention, early warning has increasingly gained prominence, credibility and efficiency as a preventive mechanism and solution to conflicts in societies. By definition, Early Warning has been described as a process of communicating judgements about threats early enough for decision-makers to take action to deter whatever outcome is threatened; or failing that, to manage events in such a way that the worst consequences are mitigated† (WANEP: 2008). Dmitrichev Andrei defined it as organizational procedure or mechanism for the structures and systemic collection and analysis of information, and the subsequent communication of results of this analysis to policy makers in a form that would be easily recognized and understood. The recognition and appreciation of the opportunities inherent in this system resulted in the first organised platform for the systematic development of the early warning system led by the Forum on Early Warning and Early Response (F.E.W.E.R.) in 1997 in response to the Rwandan genocide of 1994. It blossomed to become the largest global network of over thirty five (35) organisations across the world that catalysed the creation of the early warning and response networks in the Caucasus (led by EAWARN/Russian Academy of Sciences), Great Lakes Region of Africa (led by the Africa Peace Forum) and West Africa(led the West Africa Network for Peacebuilding) WANEP. Further impetus to the adoption and institutionalisation of the early warning system was boosted by the former Secretary General of the United Nations, Kofi Annan when he stated that, â€Å"For the United Nations, there is no larger goal, no deeper commitment and no greater ambition than preventing armed conflict. The prevention of conflict begins and ends with the protection of human life and the promotion of human development. Ensuring human security is, in the broadest sense, the United Nations’ cardinal mission. Genuine and lasting prevention is the means to achieve that mission. (Koffi Annan: 2001) This further gave rise to the UN Security Council Resolution 1624 of 2005 with the following core declarations: 1. Reaffirms the need to adopt a broad strategy of conflict prevention, which addresses the root causes of armed conflict and political social crises in a comprehensive manner, including by promoting sustainable development, poverty eradication, national reconciliation, good governance, democracy, gender equality, the rule of law and respect for and protection of human rights; 2. Recognises the need to strengthen the important role of the United Nations in the prevention of violent conflicts, and to develop effective partnerships between the Council and regional organisations, in particular the African Union and its sub regional organisations, in order to enable early responses to disputes and emerging crises; 3. Affirms the UN commitment in â€Å"supporting regional and sub regional capacities for early warning to help them in working out appropriate mechanisms to enable prompt action in reaction to early warning indicators; 4. Recognises the important supporting roles played by civil society, men and women, in conflict prevention and the need to take into account all possible contributions from civil society; 5. Supporting regional and sub regional capacities for early warning to help them in working out appropriate mechanisms to enable prompt action in reaction to early warning indicators; 6. Promote coordination with regional conflict management machinery in Africa which provide the Security Council with additional reliable and timely information to facilitate rapid decision-making; 7. Strengthen the capacities of civil society groups, including women’s groups, working to promote a culture of peace, and to mobilise donors to support these efforts (UN: 2005) 4. Developing Institutional Platform for conflict Early Warning System: Reflecting on WANEP-Nigeria’s Experience: The participation and commitment of the West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP) to the FEWER platform strengthened its capacity and hands on skill for civil society based analysis and response mechanisms towards the prevention or mitigation of conflict especially within the great lake region following the post Sierra Leone and Liberian Conflicts of 90’s. This deepened its regional expertise as the reference point for early warning system in the West Africa sub region and subsequently the network of choice for the Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS) in the implementation of the regional based ECOWAS Early Warning and Response Network (ECOWARN). The system principally works through three basic components of reporting/data gathering, analysis and information dissemination utilised to facilitate response to issues of peace and security within the ECOWAS sub region. WANEP became the civil society partner with ECOWAS in the implementation ECOWARN since 2006. As part of the WANEP regional network, WANEP-Nigeria was mandated as the national civil society focal point to report into the online ECOWARN system. Its task was to provide weekly and daily reports to the incidence and situation reporting template as designed into the online system. This was to give ECOWARN an up to date civil society perspective of the peace and human security threats and opportunities in Nigeria. With the participation of Nigeria in this process came ominous challenges. 1. The first was the pressure from the focal points at Lagos secretariat of WANEP-Nigeria to deliver credible reports in relation to the size of Nigeria 2. With the size of Nigeria, the focal point concentrated in getting information from national newspapers, television and radio For the focal points who were staff of WANEP, it was included as part of their job responsibility. They relied on making phone calls to members of WANEP at the state levels for local or peculiar peace and security information that was not reported in the national media. However, these information were reluctantly or half-hazardly given and also cost intensive to the staff as they often bore liability for these calls. This challenge was partially cushioned when ECOWAS resolved to pay reporters communication allowance in 2007/2008. Inspite of this, the feedback from member organizations providing information at the state level was still half hazard and questionable. To redress this challenge, the program team at the national secretariat organized a brainstorm meeting to develop a framework for a workable national early warning system that not only ensures commitment of member organizations to support the system but also is both functional and cost effective. The first trial system was developed for the Nigeria 2007 elections. An Information, Communication and Technology (I.C.T.) consultant was engaged that worked directly with the program team to capture specific indicators to monitor election related conflicts in what was referred to as the ‘election barometer’. The cost of developing the barometer was wholly borne by the secretariat while the election monitoring was performed by staf f who volunteered to report into the system as an experiential learning process to enhance their understanding of the EW system. The experience motivated the secretariat to consciously plan for a conflict intervention proposal which includes an aspect of a sustainable/operational national early warning system. The submission and approval of the proposal by international partners led WANEP-Nigeria to develop the first locally designed and operated conflict focused National Early Warning system.