Five Pillars of Islam Essay

The First Pillar is the believers’ confession of faith, reduced to a few words that every member of the faithful from every continent and background can understand, from the illiterate nomadic herdsman in the deserts of Northern Kenya to the sophisticated trilingual businessman of Paris or Riyadh. The Second Pillar is the central act of righteous in Islam, the very essence of the life of a Muslim. The Third Pillar Islam is a significant presence in one hundred or more countries all around the world, and the majority religion in over forty. There are almost a billion believers. By the year of 2020, if present trends continue, half the world would be Muslim. Islam is an Arabic word meaning submission or commitment to the God. Islam is the humble recognition of the relationship between man and his divine creator and resonates with the familiar words from Judaism and Christianity. The fourth Pillar is the fasting. A Muslim must fast for the month of Ramadan. During the fasting month, one must refrain from eating, drinking, smoking, and sexual intercourse from dawn until sunset. The fifth and final Pillar is where a Muslim must make a pilgrimage to Mecca. Every adult Muslim who is physically and financially able to do so must make this pilgrimage at least once in his or her lifetime. The history of Islam begins with Muhammad and the Quran. The low level of importance given by Muslims to the events before Muhammad is illustrated by the Arabic term for the preceding century, the Time of Ignorance. Muhammad never claimed to be anything but mortal. For a non-Muslim with no knowledge of Arabic, is an exasperating, punishing read, apparently without order, narrative or conclusion. The magic of classical Arabic, in a modern example, was a strong element in the extraordinary power. In the Commonwealth of Medina, Muhammad was prophet, lawgiver, and prayer leader, commander of the army and head of state. So when he died, leaving only one surviving child, his daughter Fatima, and without providing for a successor or clarifying beyond doubt the method by which successor should be appointed, the ummah fell into dissention. The unity of Islam would never recover from the events that were to follow over the next two decades and no satisfactory answer would ever be found to the question of the legitimacy of subsequent Muslim rulers. There is no mystical ritual in mainstream Islam; there are no human intermediaries of divine interceders between man and God. There are no sacraments to be administered by the ordained few to the supplicant many. If God in the Muslim version forgave Adam for his transgression at the time, then man cannot be inherently evil, or born in original sin. So, like Adam, all men can be forgiven their sins directly by God without the need for intervention by any third party, whether a Redeemer on a cross, a virgin with child, or a priestly delegate operating through the medium of a confession box. The early history of Shia has moulded the character and faith of the sect into a form substantially different from Sunni Islam, even though the two branches both practise the Five Pillas and shares a common belief in the divine nature of the Quran. In order to penetrate the differences between the two, there is a rough parallel to be explored between Shia and Catholicism on the one hand and Sunni and Protestantism on the other. The comparison may be superficial and not always a perfect fit, but for an observer from a post Christian culture, the analysis is revealing nevertheless. Even though America is probably the most religious country in the Western world, with about 85 percent of the population professing belief in a god, religion was not considered a forming part in American culture. Religion in America is considered to be entirely contained within the word freedom the basis of the United States Constitution which does not once mention the word god. Faith for Americans is a free personal choice and therefore, in theory, has no place in the group activities of national politics and culture. Even school prayer is banned by a long-standing Supreme Court interpretation of the Constitution. In practice, of course, US elections are won and lost through religious support, as if the President’s job description included Chaplain-in-Chief. And a low-level battle rages constantly in US courts and legislatures between secularists attempting to uphold the strict separation of church and state, and religious groups intent on government funding for religious schools and faith-based initiatives.

Countryside v.sCity Life Essay

Have you ever thought about your birth place? Do you make your own decision where to live? I believe every person, in a certain time, think about the place they should live: countryside or city? To make the best choice, we must look at three big differences between countryside and city: the environment, education, entertainment. First of all, the countryside has a quiet and peaceful environment. Since most people living in the countryside make their living mainly on farming, the atmosphere is kept fresh and healthy. They are living close to the nature with green vegetables, pure water. In the countryside, people are neither in a hurry, nor anxious. They can stay in their house until they feel the need to visit their farm. On the contrary, the city has a busy and stressful environment. Everyday city dwellers have to face with pollution by noise and smoke from a huge amount of vehicles. Since many people work in factories or offices, and they also get paid by working hours, every day they are full of schedules and plans. As a result, they are suffering more pressures than those living in the countryside. The next difference between city and countryside is education. In the countryside, there are not many high graded school, many students have to go to the big city for higher education. While schools in the countryside don’t provide much services for students, many schools in the big city are equipped with modern labs supporting for practice and research. Others with workshops on or off campus give the learners the best training for later work. Schools in big cities also offer many activities for low grade students like field trips and boys and girls club. In higher levels, with many exhibitions, fairs, festivals and conferences, students are much easier to do their researches. Entertainment is another concern of many people. In the countryside, entertainment is only in some physical activities: fishing, biking, hiking, swimming. These things, in fact, are only practice outside and sometime not enough for the human nonstop needs. In big cities, there are more culture activities like concerts and cinemas making the richness of mental life. Entertainment of the nightlife including casinos, clubs, hotels, recreation and shopping centers, gyms, fashion centers, contributes to the liveliness of a city, which we are hardly find in the countryside. In conclusion, both countryside and city has their own values. Therefore, people can choose living in the countryside or in the city depending on their most needs. For me, each person only has one life. We are not able to choose the birth place but we completely can choose the place to live. That is the part of reaching our most optimal peak of life. Once we look back we are proud of the happy time we have ever lived in that place.

Black Aesthetics Essay

Black Aesthetics The word â€Å"aesthetics† can be defined as a branch of philosophy that critically reflects on art, culture, and nature. It is a view, opinion, or an attitude toward what is considered offensive or acceptable. It is more scientifically defined as a critical judgment of the sensory emotional values that exude from the nature of beauty, art, and taste. Aesthetics as it pertains to the black community or simply â€Å"black aesthetics† refers to ideologies and perspectives of art that centers around back culture and life. Black aesthetics spawned from the Blacks Arts Movement of the 1960’s where blacks demonstrated that you didn’t have to assimilate into white American culture. The movement refers to a period of African American creativity beginning in the mid-1960’s and continuing through much of the 1970’s. It was a pivotal moment in African American literature. It inspired black people to establish their own publishing houses, magazines, journals and art institutions. It led to the creation of African American Studies programs within universities. It all precipitated from the assassination of Malcolm X in 1965. Linked both chronologically and ideologically with the Black Power Movement, The BAM recognized the idea of two cultural Americas: one black and one white. The BAM pressed for the creation of a distinctive Black Aesthetic in which black artists created for black audiences. The movement saw artistic production as the key to revising Black American’s perceptions of themselves, thus the Black Aesthetic was believed to be an integral component of the economic, political, and cultural empowerment of the Black community. The Black Arts Movement called for an explicit connection between art and politics. This movement created the most prevalent era in black art history by taking stereotypes and racism and turning it into artistic value. The concepts of Black Power, Nationalism, Community, and Performance all influenced the formation of this national movement, and it proliferated through community institutions, theatrical performance, literature, and music. One of the biggest problems that black Americans have been dealing with since being removed from our homeland is self-identification within western civilization. American culture was initially shaped by many European races and cultures coming together through shared ideals and values in which, has attributed to our diversity. However, other races did not always have a choice; all of the enslaved Africans were forced to assimilate. During the late 1950’s and early 1960’s, many African nations were struggling for their independence from Europe. Their struggles correlate to the struggle of blacks in the United States during the same time period. Since the 1880’s, when European nations colonized Africa, Europe had almost complete control over the continent, but this changed during the 1950’s and 1960’s. By 1958, ten African countries had gained their independence, and sixteen more joined the list in 1960 alone. With these nations gaining heir independence, it demonstrated the ability of blacks to overpower their white oppressors. The Black Power and Black Arts Movement in the United States were the result of just that. Who are black people, what are black people, what is their relationship to America and the world? It must be repeated that the whole myth of â€Å"Negro citizenship,† perpetuated by the white elite, has confused the thinking of radical and progressive blacks and whites in this country. The broad masses of black people react to American society in the same manner as colonial peoples react to the West in Africa, and Latin America, and had the same relationship that of the colonized toward the colonizer. Too long have we allowed white people to interpret the importance and meaning of the cultural aspects of our society. We have allowed them to tell us what was good about our Afro-American music, art, and literature. How can a white person who is not part of the black psyche (except as the oppressor) interpret the meaning of the blues to us who are manifestations of the songs themselves? Black people concerning the contributions that we have made in shaping this country must make a thorough re-examination. If this re-examination and re-evaluation is not made, and black people are not given their proper due and respect, then the rivalries and contradictions are going to become more and more evident, more and more intense, until there is a national uproar.

Marijuana Legalization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Marijuana Legalization - Essay Example According to the paper findings positive usages include dealing with allergies relating to respiratory problems , digestive factors such as appetite, and most effectively it is used in sexual inhibition processes in certain individuals, mental state of an individual under certain depression and other stresses, In all these it has been tested to positive impact as a result it has been advocated for permitting its usage on legal grounds for medical purposes.This essay stresses that the debate got more intense when it was found out that it can be used for medical purposes, and seeing its vast usage along with medical implications, number of states took steps towards legalizing and making it a open market item for the adults. Under the garb of federal law, marijuana is strictly prohibited and clearly defined rules exist in which any one found in its possession, or under its influence will be dealt with severely, the law also defines terms and penalties for its users and its possession ho lders and suppliers. It is the individual and municipal laws of respective states, that have thought of entertaining the thoughts of legalizing it and making it part of their legal life. Over fifteen states are enrolled in debate and race for making marijuana legal for medical purposes.  Comparisons are being drawn between the usage of alcohol and that of marijuana and advocates of it say that it has more soothing effect and less negative impact if it is used in a contained manner.

The Mystery Of Pyramids Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

The Mystery Of Pyramids - Essay Example Pyramids are mysterious in all the aspects they reveal; the enormous sizes, the greatness, the artifact, the architecture and the life after death. The most important aspect that inspires awe in the Egyptian pyramids are the existence of mummies that are still extant in the world, after so many years have passed since then. The perfect shape of pyramids also manifests an array of historical expertise and efforts exerted by the laborers. As the people started building pyramids, they got perfect in the art. This paper examines the history of pyramid construction, the perfection of this art as well as the beliefs of people behind the pyramid building. It also probes into the belief of Egyptian people concerning the life after death. The Egyptian pyramids reflect the testimony of a whole civilization that existed in the world about 5000 years ago. These pyramids were mostly built during the fourth dynasty of the Old Kingdom of Egypt, which happened to be one of the modern dynasties of its time. At that time, the rulers in Egypt were known as "Pharaoh" i.e., the king. Egypt was a civilization where people staunchly believed in eternity, in the concept of life after death. Pyramids, as they continue to withstand the test of time, are evidence to the fact that Egyptians wanted their kings to exist for eternity so that every one in the kingdom could be assured of perpetuation of their life after death (Ancient Egypt, home 1) All the Egyptian pyramids were built in typically the same standard form. These pyramids had the same sort of passages and chambers for the King as well as the people of his family and court. The tombs of these people surrounded the Kings' pyramids in the same manner throughout the Egyptian pyramid era. The passages and ways under the ground were constructed in the standardized vein during the periods of all the Egyptian Kings. However the size varied due to the ability and expertise of Egyptian people in building such huge monuments that marked the history of Egyptian civilization capturing the interest and awe for the world, generation after generation (The Built of Egyptian Pyramids). There exist about hundred pyramids in Cairo the Egyptian capital, however the ones at Giza happen to be the mysterious of all with respect to their size as well as their reflection of early Egyptian life. These pyramids of Giza also referred to as the Great pyramids, are popular even today due to the mysteries they unfold regarding the ancient Egyptian livelihood (The Pyramids Of Egypt). The History Of Egyptian Pyramids Pyramids have a mysterious history signifying the early Egyptian norms and beliefs concerning death and life after death. Before pyramids, the Egyptian people used to build stone graves and monuments with desert soil and stones. The first ever pyramid was the pyramid with steps constructed at Saqqara for King Zoser in 2750 BC (Ancient Egypt, home 1). The step pyramids were built with no experience and expertise of people in the construction work. Hence, the variation in shapes and designs of pyramids continued perpetually in the successive eras reflecting the yearning of Egyptians for something great that could keep their kings alive through the eternity. And that was specifically true of these pyramids; the efforts millions of Egyptian labors are still alive in the form of pyramids that continue to remain extant today, making the age of modernity

Choose a business function (e.g. marketing HR finance) and outline and Essay

Choose a business function (e.g. marketing HR finance) and outline and discuss the changing nature of work and employment in thi - Essay Example Conclusion†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.8 VIII. Bibliography†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..10 I. Introduction: â€Å"Setting a goal is not the main thing. It is deciding how you will go about achieving it and staying with that plan.† 1-- Tom Landry In the present backdrop of globalization as trend-setters and intensive competitive market, the Human Resource department is not confined to the mere recruitment and payroll management instead the HR business function has contributed immensely to the timeline adherence with high-qualitative and more productive deliverables which has become imperative day by day. This in line has prioritized the HR to fulfill the need to educate, train and organize resource-planning a nd imbibe in the common company-culture and creativity to team-up to yield an energetic high performance network. Thus the knowledge-assets of organization nurtured by the HR department – are driven by like-minded individuals who share the passion, vision and mission of the corporation and hence increase the brand-endorsement and market-value manifold compared to any tangible assets. Amongst the top priority lists in the agenda of any successful HR department is effective talent acquisition to employ, deploy, train and retain the best individuals. In this research article the case study of the Human Resources Department has been scrutinized and analyzed with the focus on the changing nature of the work and employment in HR. II. Human Resources: The deployment and retention of suitable acquisition of talents in an organizational workforce is the supremely important and the most challenging tasks of the HR and the Management – which in the long run has proven to be the k ey to organizational success. Planning is the cardinal key to success of any organization and hence job description, task analysis worksheet, KSA (knowledge, skill, or ability) identification, and job specification are the primordial and primary requirements of Human Capital Management, and thus hiring and retaining the best people in the industry. This is achieved through very strong recruiting efforts which stresses on the overall career and economical development of the workforce, re-recruiting and internal branding, rewards and recognition, personal motivation, team events, periodic onsite deputation and rotation policy. Hence the primary focus of the HR department can be tabulated as: Fresh employment necessary for a vacancy generated. Former workforce needs to be revamped to actualize organizational profit. Specify and define the employee responsibilities and roles. To determine promotion and compensation revisions. To establish impartial standards and specifications (essentia lly for women, underprivileged, minorities, and mentally or physically challenged). The HR hence in the process can prioritize and organize the following: Employment Estimation and Evaluation: Performance Appraisal, Systematic Disbursement of remuneration and revenue allocation, Establishing Salary Levels Talent Acquisition: Designing appropriate job descriptions and specifications in order to recruit employ and retain the best talents in the industry Nurturing organized and competitive employment relationships: Constituting reporting hierarchy and Creating crystal clear correspondence communion Establishing motivated fulfillment of absolute talent management: Systematizing, Strategizing,

Develop an organisational management profile of an organisation in a Essay

Develop an organisational management profile of an organisation in a defined cultural context and critically reflect upon the F - Essay Example While developing the organisational structure, it is quite significant for the managers to address six key components. They are work specialisation, chain of command, centralisation and decentralisation, departmentalisation, span of control and formalisation (Murphy & Willmott, 2010). The organisational culture is mainly concerned with the way in which the employees perceive the nature of the organisation. It represents the common perception held by the members of organisation (Murphy & Willmott, 2010). The main objective of the study is to identify a Japanese organisation and to describe its cultural context in which the organisation tends to function and its management structure. The study will also try to relate management structure with the organisational culture with the assistance of varied theories that are available. After having related both the key aspects, this study will try to identify how well the organisation’s culture and structure aligns with its objectives. T he Japanese organisation that has been chosen for the study is Kyoto International School. It is located at the heart of Kyoto city and therefore offers its students with the first-class international education program. The school makes use of the international curriculum structure that offers the students with an opportunity to develop their intelligence in a way that can assist each student to build confidence towards facing the challenges in the real world (Kyoto International School, n.d.). Senpai/Kohai Relation at Japan Senpai and Kohai are considered as significant components of age-related status relationship in Japan. Senpai is almost similar to the western conception of mentor and Kohai is nearly similar to the notion of â€Å"acolytes†. The young employee in an organisation will be considered as Senpai of the older employee in case the older employee joins the organisation at a later time in comparison to the young employee (Geelong & District, Golden Plains Kyokush in Inc, 2011). It has been observed that in Japanese schools, the senior students who are considered as Senpai tend to have greater power over the students who are young (Kohai). The Japanese society has a vertical structure where the individuals are arranged according to rank order in their social group. The structure in Japan is quite rigid and is universally accepted and applied. The hierarchical Japanese social system is administered via education system. The individuals at Japan are not just evaluated by the length of education but by the name of the schools that they have attended as well (Czinkota & Kotabe, 2000). The Senpai and Kohai relationship also tends to impact the relation in between the teachers and the students. In Japan, the students think that teachers must be respected because of their experience, age as well as ability. They also consider that the teachers are always right. However, in universities the seniors are treated with greater respect but rank and power tend to separate professors and it is observed that there are vertical hierarchies involving seniority rules among the faculties in

RAWAN SULIMANI-Personal Statement t- THE GEORGEWASHINGTON UNIVERSITY Personal

RAWAN SULIMANI- t- THE GEORGEWASHINGTON UNIVERSITY LAW SCHOOL - Personal Statement Example I will not settle for second best and after obtaining knowledge from George Washington University Law School I can be the business leader I was born to be. By business leader I mean a woman who is strong and proud of her accomplishments. Why Law? Law is powerful and honorary. The law places judgment. Where I come from, law school is typically for men. Women do not have to settle for ordinary. Women can excel in any career field. Obtaining my masters will prove that women can accomplish anything they set their mind too. Good education is a necessity in a growing world. It is important for people to become more independent and become a good example for the younger generations. The more good examples that are set will only lead to better leaders of tomorrow. I am certain that with my previous accomplishments and new goals in place that I will prove and set examples. These traits are what it takes to be a leader, the type of leader that comes from hard work. Hard work from a proper education like that of George Washington University Law School is essential for personal development. The LLM program will fit my personal development

Chinese Judiciary Achievements Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Chinese Judiciary Achievements - Essay Example Despite this strides made, china is still away from achieving a wholly independent judiciary. This has been enhanced through enormous re-education and community attitude changes are encouraged. Achievements Chinese judiciary in the past thirty years has been successful in its quest for formalization and institutionalization. The areas include but not limited to; taking strides towards regulating acts of administrative laws. The important roles played by administrative legislation toward effective legal regulation of government legislative practices are crucial for any legal system. Legislative law of the people’s republic of china for instance, has ensured a basic legal framework for managing acts of administrative legislation (China's judicial system and its reform, 2010)1. For this to be realized, Chinese government issued the ordinance regarding the procedures for the formation of administrative control and the provisions on the guide for making administrative rules. This w as a sign of institutionalization and formalization at the judiciary. Cleaning up administrative rules, repeatedly standardization acts of government legislation (Cai, 2001)2. ... clarity and coherence in lawful standards, and in its way to realizing progress in the law based government, it has initiated several cleanups aiming at government legislation particularly those related to duties and rights of administrative areas. This initiative by the Chinese government to cleanup rules, regulations and normative documents have helped with the enactment of law-based government. Building of administrative penalty system and guarding individual procedural rights. An administrative penalty refers to authorizations passed on individual, legal persons and organizations found to have violated administrative directions. Such penalties help in effective management of communal affairs, enactment of administrative objective and disciplining person found with the offense of breaching administrative law standards or derail administrative goals and avoid illegal habit. China is among the few states to have an official administrative penalty law (Cai, 2001)3. In the year 1996, the Administrative Penalty Law established the legal ideologies and processes for legal and correct penalties and putting public opinion into consideration. It became useful during the incorporation of administrative penalty actions of administrative structures into a lawful framework. Through this, unjust penalties which were common in the early 1990s were stopped efficiently. Issuance of public security law and promotion of domestic based administration has seen improvement in areas such as legislative theory, important principles, and the sorts of punishments that are appropriate for public security management, punishment processes and supervision of law enactment. This is a reflection of the progress made so far by the Chinese government towards realizing a law based state and it

CIS Questions Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

CIS Questions - Coursework Example Determine if they can be used simultaneously in a page. If so, explain which of the two takes precedence over the other. Javascript is utilized for one line and customization where CSS is utilized in multiple webpages to ensure that aesthetics of a page are consistent. Javascript is utilized more for web page validation and action whereas CSS is used for style and design. 12. Imagine that you designed a Website for a client using JavaScript to make animated snowflakes fall on the page. When you test the page, the animations do not work. Predict what the problem could be and propose a solution. 13. Analyze some of the limitations a Web designer should be aware of before adding JavaScript to a Website. Determine if these limitations outweigh the benefits of using JavaScript. Explain your decision. From the server or client side, the processing power can be a huge factor. Additionally, web pages with many scripts. It can take a long process to execute because of the algorithm that it must process. 14. From the second e-Activity, identify a company (bank, car wash, travel agency, nonprofit, restaurant, etc.). Keeping that company in mind, select the client-side or server-side scripting you would most likely use, and why. Or you can explain the client-side or server-side scripting you would not use, and why not. I used to take this course as a Business Analysis and specialized in e-marketing which allowed me to harness my growth in this realm. My future position will IT director in BA. The demand for Business Administration undoubtedly has boomed over the recent years along with marketing. It is one of the best scope in the commerce market for various reasons First and foremost, the specialization of marketing in BA is a perfect fit in e-commerce. I will be exposed to many realms of technology that exploits many channels of the business. In the modern century, internet marketing has become one

Wages v. Wages Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Wages v. Wages - Essay Example The couple moved with their two children. In light of the decision to move to Kentucky, the mother went to court again requesting a change of custody. She argued that the move to relocate was based on her strong belief that it would be disadvantageous to their child. In her motion, she requested that she did not want to end the relationship between her daughter and her former husband. The father responded by accusing her former wife as a woman who lacked motherliness prior to their divorce. He also pointed out that the mother’s current husband had left her twice and that she had two different jobs and was not in a position to cater for their child appropriately. He wanted to be granted full custody or be relieved from paying child support (Sharp, W. and Antoon, 2005, P.73). He also wanted to stop paying for the child’s hospital insurance unless the court granted him full custody of the child. While the mothers intention to move to Kentucky and leave the child with her former husband was with good intention, it was perceived that it would result in a significant change of circumstances. She was also not best suited to have custody of the child as the former husband had more people whom would help him raise the child much better than the mother would. There was no significant evidence found by the court that moving the child to Kentucky would result in a great change in circumstances. The father was not granted custody. (Sharp, W. and Antoon, 2005, P. 73) The second ruling was made based on the present facts. Custody was not granted to the father as the mother’s motion to change custody was denied. The reversal of the earlier judgment was as a result of the mother’s failure to show the court that she was better suited to have custody. An appropriate visitation schedule was deemed to be better than changing custody basing on the facts present at that

Memo- Gazprom and Itera Essay Example for Free

Memo- Gazprom and Itera Essay In the case study of Gazprom and Itera, we see how different companies and governmental organizations can potentially be able to exploit a large company such as Gazprom for a large profit. Gazprom is a large gas and oil company that is valued very cheaply compared to other large oil and gas companies (such as Exxon Mobil). Browder is a shareholder of Gazprom that identifies several questionable transactions that were done by Gazprom and other organizations that have relationships with Gazprom. He is questioning why the undervaluation could have occurred based on the business being conducted by the oil giant. The problem that exists for Gazprom is that the market perceives the company to have lost 99 percent of its assets, completely devaluing the price of its goods. In reality, only 10 percent of its assets were stolen, and the market is slowly trying to catch up to that truth. Browder is attempting to identify the transactions in order to solve the large problem at hand. These transactions include organizations that work with Gazprom such as Itera (a gas trading company) and PricewaterhouseCoopers (their internal auditor) devaluing the gas and oil Gazprom held in certain situations and reselling it for a profit. In one example, Itera bought gas valued at $35 a barrel from Turkmen gas and resold it to Gazprom for $45 a barrel. PwC thought this difference was acceptable due to transportation costs, even though those were already taken care of separately. In general, the lack of transparency and accountability being administered by management in Gazprom and its partner companies was a fail ure to its stockholders. Browder’s recommendations to the Russian government are vital, mainly due to the fact that it has a 38% controlling stake in Gazprom. Because the vast majority of the operations conducted by Gazprom occur within Russia’s boundaries, it is up to the government to set the correct standards and close loopholes so that organizations and individuals will not exploit such situations. Browder’s recommendations to the U.S. and to the Board of Directors of Gazprom could be essential for enacting change within the  corporate environment to prevent such scrupulous transactions. Though these changes could prove helpful in the reorganization of the company in the long run, the international political environment does not provide Gazprom with the best situation. The fact that Russia’s governmental body has so much stake in the company can greatly complicate things due to the personal influence of those running the government. Several members of the Russian government could fulfill a personal agenda using the government’s stake in the company as leverage (this could have been the case potentially with these transactions). This is also the case with PwC and Itera, both with a lot of power to take advantage of loopholes and other lucrative situations when it comes to Gazprom. There are several things Browder can do to combat this situation, but I think his strategy will be a difficult one to execute alone. He would need to collect more shareholder power before he steps forward with the resolutions. Involving the U.S. and Russian government will be difficult due to the lethargic manner in which these situations can be resolved. Taking care of the company from within should be he first move, but only with the appropriate number of people backing his plan.

Bhutanese Refugees Resettlements in the USA

Bhutanese Refugees Resettlements in the USA Introduction Writing a research paper is not an easy task. It requires an exciting topic, argument, research and puzzle questions, extensive research, literature and data on the topic. I was looking for the research topic for my political science capstone course that is related to the politics and/or policies of immigration or integration in the United States. I was born and did my high school in Nepal where I was first introduced about the Bhutanese refugees when they first flee from Bhutan after being the stateless people in their own birth place. A stateless person is someone who does not have the legal document of citizenship of any country which would create a bond between government and individual, and provides certain political, economic, social and other rights as well as the responsible citizen of that nation. (USA for UNHCR, n.d.). Later In 2006, the United States governments offered resettlement to Bhutanese refugees living in the camps from Nepal. (Centers for Disease Control and Prev ention, 2014). I will be doing research on those Bhutanese refugees who were brought in the United States as a Refugee based on the Refugee Resettlement Act of 1975. So, the topic of my research is Bhutanese Refugees Resettlement in the United States. My research puzzle is, while the main mission of the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) is to help new populations maximize their potential in the United States by linking them to critical resources that assist them in becoming integrated members of American society. (Office of Refugee Resettlement, n.d.).However, The Office of Refugee Resettlement and Department of Health and Human Service have already reported 16 suicides cases of Bhutanese refugees from 10 different states who were resettled in the United States between March 2008 to February 2012. Most of the refugees who committed suicide were below 50 years of age and were in the United States less than a year. There are some suicide cases in refuges resettled from other countries such Burma, Burundi, Somalia etc. but the Bhutanese refugees cases are more frequent and higher than other (Trong, Taylor, Lankau, Sivilli, Blanton, Shetty, Lopes-Cardozo,2012; CDC). In the U.S 11 out of 100,000 people die by suicide however the rat e of suicide in Bhutanese refugee is three times higher than the national average. (The Refugee Health Technical Assistance Center (RHTAC), 2011).So, the aim of my research would be to find out why do Bhutanese refugees and some other refugees are committing suicide after they arrived in the U.S? Are there any loopholes and weakness on the refugee resettlement policy that is causing the newly resettled refugees committing suicide and going under serious mental illness? By looking at the frequent suicide cases of Bhutanese refugees and the refugees from other countries, it looks like the U.S government was only able to provide the new identity but not been able to solve their political, cultural, economic and social integration complications. Historical Background Life in Bhutan Bhutanese refugees are the group of people from Nepal migrated to the South of Bhutan in the late 1800s after the Anglo- Bhutanese war of 1865. Later, the migrated newer generations started working in Agricultural field and eventually became Bhutans primary suppliers of food. The number of such worker increased day by day until about 1930 because of the invitation by licensed contractors. The successful generations migrated from Nepal became the Bhutans key source of nations revenue, who were paying taxes in cash even before the Bhutanese monarchy was established in 1907. (Hutt, 2003) The new programs of infrastructure development and land reform program granted Bhutanese citizenship based on the Bhutans Citizenship Act of 1958. However, the new Citizenship act of 1977 and 1985 altered citizenship law drastically. The marriage act of 1980 mandated to marry only with Bhutanese ethnicity with threaten of revoking the government benefits if violated and mandate to wear Bhutanese nationa l costume only nationwide as well. (Rose 1994). So, the Bhutans Citizenship Act of 1985 revoked the Lhotsampa peoples citizenship who does not meet certain criteria such as if they didnt have the tax receipts that can prove that they were living in Bhutan before 1958 and second if they had not been counted in the census. (Lee 1998). In the October of 1900, the people of south did a huge public demonstration asking for civil rights and cultural freedom. The Bhutanese government also acted against protester by capturing the identified participants and placed them into prison. They were kept into the prison for several months without any litigation. Many of them were released by Bhutanese government only if they are ready to sign the voluntary migration form (The form that has the agreement that those who signed it will leave Bhutan as soon as they are released from the jail). So, in the end of 1990, the people from Lhotsampa fled to Nepal by truck. Life in Nepal In 1991, more than one million Bhutanese-Nepalese from Bhutan took temporary protection in Nepal. Later, in the end of 1991 at the request of Government of Nepal (GoN), United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and World Food Program (WFP) established the total of seven refugee camps for more than 105,000 refugees in Eastern part of Nepal providing humanitarian assistance and international protection such as food, sheltered, health and education to the Bhutanese refugees. (WFP Publications 2013). All the responsibilities to managed and look after the camp is under UNHCR and for that they assign number of subcontractors and agencies. System of committees were assign to carry out day to day activities. Like Refugee Coordination Unit for the implementation of government policy in all the seven camps, the cam management unit for registration of birth and death as well as looking after food and health program. Likewise, there were Camp secretary, Sector Head and counselling Board. Refugees were living in a very restricted and crowed conditions as for huge numbers, 106,000 of refugee there were approximately 16,673 huts using the local materials like bamboo and their lifespan was assuming to be of three years. Despite having problematic life, they had maintained a very good condition in regards of water and sanitation facilities. Incentive workers within the camp managed the water system and is centrally controlled and distributed through pipes in the estimation of 20-25 liters per person per day. Talking about the food, food basket used to be distributed in every two weeks and they used to get equal amount whether they are grown up man or a newly born. Nepal Red Cross Society were the organization for rations/food until LWF (Lutheran World Federation) took over on 2006 (Bhutanese Refugee, n.d.). The Bhutanese refugee gave high priority for education of their children and thus started running English medium education programmed even with the small resource. The refugees were not allowed to work out of the camp due to the policy of Nepal government but they do not lack opportunities within the camp. And among those chances teaching was the most common. The teacher in the camp were paid a salary in other to motivate them but was much lower than those working outside the camp (Gharti, 2011) (Adelman, 2008). As per the information given by the end of November 2006, there were 37,403 students studying in the schools that was establish within the camp. Even though many Bhutanese refugees were educated there were also a student who dropped the schools as they had to go through multiple difficult situation. Mostly children and women in a camp had a very hard life. For instance, women had to go to jungle in search of wood for the fire to cook the food also there were operation center of Nepal Maoist near the camp and the young refugee had high chance of recruit by Moist (Gharti, 2011)(Adelman, 2008). Resettlement in third Countries: Several Bilateral meetings between Nepal and Bhutan to resolve the Bhutanese refugees situations of repatriation or resettlement didnt come up with the specific solution. (Human Rights Watch, 2007). In fact, in June 2003, The Government of Bhutan appealed that only 24% of the populations in one camp were genuine refugees fled from Bhutan. However, it never let those 24% people also returned to Bhutan. (Banki ,2008) On the other hand, from February 1996 Nepal itself went under civil war due to The Communist Party of Nepal Maoist who were aiming to overthrow the Nepalese Monarchy and establish People Republic. The civil war was ended on November 21,2006. Due to the everyday strikes and unsecured situations Government of Nepal was not able to provide full attention regarding the settlement of Bhutanese refugees problems. More than 13,000 people (including both civilian and armed forces) were killed and 1300 people were misplaced during the conflict. (Office of the United Nations High Co mmissioner for Human Rights, 2012). The repatriation was also impossible because the properties and lands that the Bhutanese refugees were utilizing were on the possession of the other local Bhutanese people. (Adelman, 2008). Since the resettlement and repatriation was impossible in Nepal the resettlement to the third countries was realized as the ultimate solution for the Bhutanese refugees. (COR Center Refugee Backgrounder No. 4, 2007). Finally, in 2007 the Government of Nepal agreed the alternative of the third-country resettlement. The United States government offered to resettle more than 80,000 Bhutanese refugees in the United States based on the refugee and resettlement act of 1975. So, the first group of Bhutanese arrived in the United States was on March 25, 2008 and resettled in different States and cities such as Texas, Arizona, New York; Chicago, Illinois; Syracuse, St. Louis, Missouri, Colorado, Seattle etc. (Bhutanese American organization-PA) Research procedures As a research procedure, the primary data was collected through a random interview. I conducted face to face interview with four random Bhutanese refugees of age above 40 who are currently residing in the Queens, New York. The reason why I chose Queens, New York was because it was easier to find the personnels and conduct the interview since many of the resettled Bhutanese refuges are staying in this region. Even though they came from Nepal and Speak Nepali language I have never met or spoke to those refugees before I took the interview. It was completely random selection. The primary objectives of conducting interview with the Bhutanese refugees (age above 45) is to collect and analyze the pre-and post- migration experiences information from Bhutan to Nepal to the United States. I interviewed with the four randomly selected adult Bhutanese refugees (age above 45) living in the Queens Region. I found Sam (name changed) in the Indian local grocery store called Patel Brothers, met Sima (name changed) Bhutan Corner (Cafe), met Dan (name changed) in Laliguras restaurant and met Albert (name changed) in Elmhurst nearby Hindu Temple. The questions that I prepared for the interviews were related to the pre- and post- migration experiences, qualitative characteristics such as education, languages, job, health status, future aspirations, neighborhood interactions etc. (see Appendix). I collected the interview data by writing down in my notebook. The assumption is that the information collected from the random Bhutanese refugees interview would be more effective to gather deeper information to find out the answers connected with the puzzle and research questions. Literature and data The Secondary literature and data was collected by browsing the several existing scholarships such as books, peer-reviewed journal, articles, newspapers articles, government sites and respective non-profit organization web pages and blogs. The primary reason to look at the literature and statistical data is to provide intellectual information for my research questions and to provide complement to my research puzzle and thesis statement. Findings and Reviews The number of Bhutanese refuges and their group are together multiplying in such a way that thy have their own separate categories in the U.S. Census count. (NY daily news, 2011). These people are mostly residing in Sunnyside, Maspeth, Elmhurst, Woodside and Jackson Heights. (Asian American Federation). Based on the conversation with Sam inside the one corner of the Patel Brothers store, Sam is currently living in Woodside, New York since 2011 with his families. He is 53 years old and was one of Bhutanese who fled from Lhotsampa, Bhutan to Nepal in the summer of 1993 with his wife and two kids. He said living in the refugee camp of Nepal was just a partial relief with limited freedom. He and his families were very happy for getting migration to the United States. Overall, he looked happy for coming in the United States the only complain he had was not getting the expected job. He and his wife both were the teachers in Nepal but they could not get the same type of job in the United States even after several attempts. He does not have stable job and his wife works as a housekeeper at doctors home. I didnt ask him question number 13. He has hope from his kids and would have a better life in the future. Based on the interview with Sima. She is living with her husband in Woodside as well. She said she was 25 years old when her family fled from Bhutan to Nepal in 1993. She was raped by Bhutanese police while she was in prison. She was a beautician in Nepal but here she is also doing housekeeping job and part time salon helper. She said her she was not able to pass the beautician license test because of weak English. She added that though she makes enough money to spend but not fully satisfy with her profession however, she said she does not have any regrets feelings after coming to the U.S. She also does not have any social interaction with other communities besides Nepalese, Bhutanese and some Indians because of the cultural and language variations. The question regarding the suicidal ideation of the Bhutanese refugees she said it varies by the persons mentality. Some people are doing good and some people are going under mental illness however she doesnt want to blame everything on U .S. Government. She said some people were already under depression while they were in Nepals refugee camp. She shared her dream of getting license and having job in own field to be the owner of small beauty salon by herself. I met Dan when I was drinking coffee in Nepalese restaurant (Laliguras). He said he is around 45 now and staying with his wife and one kid. He said he was a teenager when his families escaped from Bhutan to Nepal. Dan is living in Jackson heights 82nd street. Since he was looking open minded and friendly I was little more comfortable asking questions to him. Hence, I was focusing more on the research puzzle and research question. He told me some interesting things, he said after the arrival in the United States they all get supports such as food stamps, Medicare, cash assistance, and training. However, the cash assistance was never enough to cover all the expenses. He also said, all of us need to be self-standing within three to eight months and ready to repay the travel loan (where a family with four people owes $5300 for an only one-way ticket). So, after eight months all the refugees get the pressure of paying back the loan. He again said, I was lucky to get the job in restaurant helper and was able to pay back the loan. He still remembers his close friend hung himself in his bedroom ceiling fan due to the financial burden. He ended up saying that he is now a chef in the restaurant and doesnt have any future high expectation as of now and has very limited interaction with the other communitys people. Later again, I stepped out towards Elmhurst. I meet Albert nearby Hindu Temple. He is around 50 and staying with his wife and 3 daughters. He was working as car mechanic outside camp in Nepal and his expectation was of getting similar job in USA but he was not able to get the same type of job in the United States. He said that he felt like none of the owner or manager trusted him even to give a chance of showing his capabilities. He said now I have three daughters working but he had a very nightmare life in the past after the first arrival in the United States. He said I thought couple of times of doing suicide as well but friends gave me loan to pay off government loan and found a job in warehouse as helper. He again said, language is the most important thing, if you dont know how to speak English in the United States you are vulnerable to discrimination and limited opportunity. From the face to face to interview and sensitive conversations that I conducted with four random Bhutanese refugees living in Queens county New York, it suggests that to begin a new life in the worlds most developed nation like the United States must be a proudful and victorious for the refugees like Bhutanese, who were fleeing from their own country due to the fear of tortures and camp. However, starting over life in totally new environment and with zero balance and knowledge is not an easy. Refugees like Bhutanese who have migrated from the underdeveloped countries like Bhutan and Nepal must deal with numbers post migration problems such as social and cultural integration, language, income, financial burden, mental stress etc. They already have lots of memories from the past persecutions and burden of camp life where as life would be very difficult and unpredictable especially in different and completely new culture, norms, language and communities. Although all of them were very e xcited while moving to the US because of getting new life and identity in the worlds most developed and powerful country but after sometime almost all of them have complains having problems in staring with due to various obstacles like not getting an expected job, discriminations and less opportunity due to language problem, burden of paying back the government loan after six months where they were not fully established in the new world the United States. More than 60% of the Bhutanese refugees follow Hindu religion and rest of others ae Buddhist, Kirat and Christian. (International Organization for Migration (IOM), 2008). The four main sub castes under Hindu Bhutanese refugees are Brahmins (Priests), Cheetris (warriors), Vaishyas (farmers, merchants) and Sudras (servant, Laborers). Most of the Hinduisms are radical where the religion based discrimination is common in Hindu community. So-called higher caste Brahmins do not even allow to enter so called loser caste Hindu people in their kitchen and will not eat food prepared by the lower caste people. (Chapman Colorado.gov, n.d.) Many Hindu Bhutanese refugees are vegetarians some of them does not even eat or touch beef or pork which are common foods in the United States. As per the research conducted at Arizona State University regarding the connection between religious coping and acculturation stress among newly-resettled Hindu Bhutanese refugees in the United States. They use their analyzed data to study the psychological impact of integration on the newly resettled Hindu Bhutanese refugees in the US. Based on the references and collected data, researchers found that Hindu Bhutanese refugees have a very hard time integrating their Hindus Bhutanese culture and beliefs with American cultural values. The authors suggest that heartfelt Hindu Bhutanese may need additional support to integrate in the newly resettled community. causing them isolating and mentally hopeless. (Benson, Sun, Hodge, Androff, 2012) I collected mixed outcome from the face to face interview as some interviewees talked about the loophole of the U.S. Government policy where other said the pre-existing mental health situation of the refuges that developed even worse quite some time later after they arrived in the United States. The cross-sectional survey conducted on the randomly selected 579 Bhutanese refugees of 18 years or older who resettled from 2008-2011, in seven cities of the United States nationwide: Atlanta, Buffalo, Syracuse, Phoenix, Tucson, Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston etc. by the CDC officer considering to the demographics, mental health symptoms, and associated risk factors related to the depression symptoms among newly resettled Bhutanese refugees in the US suggests that the prevalence of depression symptoms among resettled Bhutanese refugees in the US (21%) was higher than the (5%) reported in a meta-analysis of large studies of refugees resettled to western countries. (Trong, Taylor, Lankau, Shetty, Sivilli, 2015 18(4)). Most of the women and older generation refugees have no education at all. So, those we didnt have any education opportunities in Bhutan and didnt became educated in Camp obviously will have the difficult time to adjust in the country where life, culture, language, food and community are different and new. (Marschilok, 2013). The cross-sectional survey and report suggests that cultural isolation and acculturation are resulting in difficulty in integration and adaption into the new country with new peoples. The refuges who had less education were already worried about the resettlement in the third countries making this population more vulnerable to depression since pre-migration. In addition, the researchers at US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Boston Childrens Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts Department of Public Health and Department of Infectious Diseases performed Bivariate logistic regressions to recognize associated factors with mental illness and suicidal ideation. As a research method, random Bhutanese refugees are interviewed and surveyed by trained experts in the participants community. From the research, they find the mental health conditions occurrence percentage are depression (21%), symptoms of anxiety (19%), post-traumatic stress disorder (4.5%), and suicidal ideation (3%). She also finds the significant causes for suicidal ideation such as financial responsibility, receiving low social support and having symptoms of anxiety and depression. (Trong, Taylor, Lankau, Shetty, Sivilli, 2015 18(4)). The writer, contributing editor at the Bhutanese refugee-run Bhutan News Service currently living in Charlotte, North Carolina writes that just few weeks earlier before hanging in an apartment in Phoenix Arizona, Menuka Poudel spoke to him about her hope and dream of pursuing higher education and long living in America. The writer himself is one of the refugee from Bhutan. He writes poor Poudel was one of the 30 Bhutanese refugees who has already done suicide in the U.S. since the summer of 2008 after the resettlement program began. He adds the statistical data from CDC office that from 2008 to 2012, the ratio of Bhutanese refugees suicide case in America was 20.3 out of 100,000 people. In fact, this ratio is near to double compare to the U.S. general population global suicide rate of 16.0 out of 100,000, (WHO). He also writes after resettlement, many young Bhutanese adults who came to USA seem to have a misalliance between their hope and American dream with the availability of work and quality of pay and life resulting to the mental illness and suicide. Limitations: This research has number of limitations. First, conducting a face to face interview is not an easy task especially when we are doing research about suicide, life and living standards. The collection of data and outcomes might not be 100 percent accurate by conducting a face to face interview with individuals regarding such personal and sensitive issues. Most of the times people might give false statement due to the fear of privacy and hesitations. Second, the primary data I have collected is only from the one region and with a very few contributors, so my collection of primary of data can be useful for the brief analysis but not to draw the conclusion about the Bhutanese refugees who are residing across the United States. Conclusion: Acculturation Appendix: What is your name? Can you tell me about yourself? When did you leave Bhutan and Nepal? Are you married and Do you have children?) Can you tell me about the Journey to the United States? Before you come to the United States, where did you live? Tell me about your favorite childhood memory. What did you like about living in the refugee camp and What did you dislike? Do you remember about that moment when you came to know that you are migrating to the United States permanently? Did you find any surprising differences between your expectation and real life of America? How were you feeling when you first stepped out of Americas Airport? and How were you feeling after six months and How are you feeling now? What are the most challenging things you ever faced in the United States? Why are some people in your community are committing suicide asked only to Dan? What are your future aspirations? References: What Is a Refugee USA for UNHCR? USA for UNHCR. http://www.unrefugees.org/what-is-a-refugee/ (September 18, 2016). https://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2016/03/11/bhutanese-refugees-find-home-america https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/assets/2015factsheets_orr.pdf http://refugeehealthta.org/physical-mental-health/mental-health/suicide/ https://www.researchgate.net/publication/237412852_THE_BHUTANESE_REFUGEES_BETWEEN_VERIFICATION_REPATRIATION_AND_ROYAL_REALPOLITIK Hutt, Michael. 2003. Unbecoming Citizens: Culture, Nationhood and the Flight of Refugees from Bhutan. New Delhi: Oxford University Press. Rose, Leo E. 1977. The Politics of Bhutan. Ithaca: Cornell University Press. 55 Leo E. 1994. The role of the monarchy in the current ethnic conflict in Bhutan. In Michael Hutt (ed) Bhutan: Perspectives on Conflict and Dissent. Gartmore: Kiscadale Publications Tang Lay Lee. (1998). Refugees from Bhutan: Nationality, statelessness and the right to return. International Journal of Refugee Law, 10(1 2), 118-155. Muni, S.D. 1991. Bhutan in the throes of ethnic conflict. India International Centre Quarterly (Spring): 145-54. http://www.bao-phila.org/history The Refugee Act. http://www.acf.hhs.gov. http://www.acf.hhs.gov/orr/resource/the-refugee-act (September 18, 2016). Benson, G. O., F. Sun, D. R. Hodge, and D. K. Androff. 2011. Religious Coping and Acculturation Stress among Hindu Bhutanese: A Study of Newly-Resettled Refugees in the United States. International Social Work 55(4): 538-53. Vonnahme, Laura A. et al. 2014. Factors Associated with Symptoms of Depression Among Bhutanese Refugees in the United States. Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health J Immigrant Minority Health 17(6): 1705-14. Ao Trong, Shetty Sharmila, Sivilli Teresa, Blanton, Ellis Heidi, Geltman Paul, Cochran Jennifer, Taylor Eboni, Lankau Emily, and Cardozo Barbara. 2015. Suicidal Ideation and Mental Health of Bhutanese Refugees in the United States. Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health J Immigrant Minority Health 18(4): 828-35. Mishra, T.P. 2014. American Dream Becomes Nightmare for Bhutanese Refugees. WSJ. http://blogs.wsj.com/indiarealtime/2014/01/07/american-dream-becomes-nightmare-for-bhutanese-refugees/. Maxym, maya. 2010. Nepali-Speaking Bhutanese (Lhotsampa) Cultural Profile. EthnoMed. https://ethnomed.org/culture/nepali-speaking-bhutanese-lhotsampa/nepali-speaking-bhutanese-lhotsampa-cultural-profile#section-3 (September 18, 2016). Ranard, Donald A. 2207. Bhutanese Refugees in Nepal. Hartford Public Library. https://www.hplct.org/assets/uploads/files/backgrounder_bhutanese.pdf (September 18, 2016). Bhutanese Americans Make History Advocating on Capitol Hill. 2014. Hindu American Foundation (HAF). http://www.hafsite.org/whats-new/bhutanese-americans-make-history-advocating-capitol-hill (September 18, 2016). Refugee Health TA. Refugee Health TA. http://refugeehealthta.org/physical-mental-health/mental-health/suicide/ (September 18, 2016). Suicide and Suicidal Ideation Among Bhutanese Refugees United States, 2009-2012. 2013. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6226a2.htm (September 18, 2016). Cochran, Jennifer. 2013. Suicide and Suicidal Ideation Among Bhutanese Refugees United States, 2009-2012. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6226a2.htm (September 18, 2016). Kulman, Betsy, and Kevin Tsukii. 2014. New to America, Bhutanese Refugees Face Suicide Crisis. Aljazeera America. http://america.aljazeera.com/watch/shows/america-tonight/articles/2014/6/19/bhutanese-refugeessuicide.html (September 18, 2016). Ellis, Heidi B. 2015. Understanding Bhutanese Refugee Suicide through the Interpersonal-Psychological Theory of Suicidal Behavior. APA PsycNET. http://psycnet.apa.org/journals/ort/85/1/43/ (September 18, 2016).

Stages of Development | 0-19 Years

Stages of Development | 0-19 Years Explain the sequence and rate of each aspect of development from birth – 19 years. The sequence of development refers to the expected pattern of development of a child from birth through to 19 years. Child development, in turn, refers to the biological, the physical and the emotional or psychological changes which take place within a time-frame as the individual passes through various stages or phases from (complete) dependency to (increasing) autonomy. The term development incorporates the skills and knowledge that children and young people are developing. Children and young people follow a pattern or sequence or order of development, and knowledge about expectations at the different ages and stages, helps practitioners to support development, as well as to identify those individuals who may need additional support or those who may require extension, for example, through a gifted and talented programme. Skills and knowledge and physical growth are all interconnected and therefore cannot be viewed in isolation. Instead a ‘holistic’ approach to development needs to be adopted as these areas are co-dependent. Children and young people need to be able to develop properly in order to reach their full potential. Practitioners should remain aware of the fact that although each area of development is important as an entity in its own right, each area is as important as any other, and also that they all impact upon each other. The areas can be ‘separated out’ as such, but they are reliant upon each other and so if a child does not have the physical skills to turn pages in a book or the language to decode words, then that child will not be able to read. Developmental changes may be influenced by a variety of factors, including genetics, events during prenatal development, the delivery and birth itself as well as post natal influences. Developmental change can be due to maturation – genetically controlled processes or as a result of environmental factors, although mostly, there is an interaction between the two. The development of children and young people is a continuous process and can be measured in a variety of ways. Children and young people tend to develop at different rates but the sequence or order in which they develop will be more or less the same. For example, a child will acquire one skill – walking, before developing the next skill in the sequence – running. As development tends to be more rapid in the early years, the milestones are initially quite close together. As a baby becomes a toddler / child and the toddler / child becomes a young person, the milestones can be further apart. It is important to bear in mind that children and young people are individuals, so their rate of development may be different and also development may not progress across all the required areas with the same degree of equality. Sometimes the rate of development can present cause for concern. However, it is essential to remember that each person is unique and this must be borne in mind, especially when examining the rate and development of a child or young person. Generally speaking, development is said to progress from head to toe, from the inner self to the outer self, from simple to complex and finally from general to specific. The aspects of development by which children and young people are measured against are: Physical Development Physical development can be sub-divided into: Fine motor skills (manipulation) involve the coordination and control of small muscles, for example, tying a shoe lace or using pincer grip to pick up crumbs or hold a pencil and mark make with it. Gross motor skills involve the coordination and the control of large muscles and the acquiring of skills such as running and walking, throwing a ball or pedalling a bicycle. These skills require the use of the entire body or at least several parts of the body. Muscle tone and muscle strength are important, for example, if a body has ‘high tone’, the movements may be jerky or appear disconnected and if the muscle strength is poor, the child or young person may not be able to exert much pressure with his hands or legs. The quality and range of movement is also important – does a child or young person move noticeably slowly or too quickly and is the child or young person able to make movements that go from one side of the body to the other (‘crossing the midline’). Physical development is about learning to master movements and this allows a child or young person to become independent. They master the ability to explore and interact the world and environment around them. The muscles in the body need to develop and gain strength and as they do, the body is able to coordinate better. Cognitive / Intellectual Development This encompasses the way in which the brain processes information (remembering names or colours or numbers and information). Imagination (for example in role-play), is also a cognitive skill and cognitive development is strongly linked to communication and language. Communication and Language This is about learning to communicate with other people and understanding their communication in return. Talking, reading, writing and using gestures/body language or a sign language, are all examples of communication and it is essential that children and young people acquire language and a range of vocabulary or sign language skills in order to be able to communicate effectively. Receptive and expressive language are effective tools for communication. As stated above, communication and language are linked to cognitive development (thinking about what others are trying to convey as well as what you are trying to express). Social and Emotional Development This area is about forming and maintaining relationships, understanding oneself, becoming self-reliant, having the ability to make decisions, feeling sympathy and empathy, knowing what behaviour is acceptable, and having the ability to control emotions appropriately. This area is closely linked to cognitive language development. Intellectual or Moral Development This has strong links with cognitive development and is a sub-set of social and emotional development. Intellectual or moral development is about decisions that children and young people take, principles they adopt and their behaviour towards others. It includes a child or young person’s attention span, ability to understand information and to reason, the developing of memory, logical thinking and questioning. For example, Piaget advocated that group games promoted and advanced the moral and intellectual development of children and young people. An adult explains the rules of a game and gradually reduces his or her involvement, allowing the child or young person to regulate the game this allows room for a child to take risks, to make errors and to learn and develop moral understanding and autonomy. Table detailing the sequence and rate of each aspect of development from birth to 19 years plus Age Intellectual Social/Emotional Language Gross Motor Fine Motor Skills Infant – Birth to 12 months Learns by experimenting with hands and putting objects in mouth. Attaches to the mother and father and begins to recognise faces; smiles. At about six months begins to recognise parents and expresses a fear of strangers. Responds to and participates in simple interactive games. Vocalises a lot more and imitates some sounds, says 2 syllable words like ‘mama’, ‘dada’, ‘baba’. Lifts head, pulls chest up, rolls over, pulls to sit up and crawls or stands either with some or no support. Is able to reach for objects and picks up finger food or toys, like rattles or keys. Picks up small objects like crumbs. Toddler 1 – 2 years Is able to learn words for people and objects and to name some items when prompted. Learns that self and parents are separate, imitates sounds, is able to indicate needs or wants without crying. Is able to say more words and follow simple instructions. Can walk, kick, stop, jump, throw a ball and drop items. Unbutton clothing, build tower with few bricks, mark make, use spoon to feed self. Preschool 2 – 5 years Knows when is tired or hungry, cold/wet or soiled and recognises some colours, numbers, shapes and objects. Able to separate from carer with ease, un/dress with assistance, wash / dry hands, play games. Increasingly independent in toileting and self-care. Follows simple or complex instructions, speaks in simple sentences. Good range of vocabulary. Runs, hops, squats and jumps, pedals a tricycle, balances and co-ordinates well. Pulls self onto play equipment. Builds tower of 7/8 cubes, forms letters and some alphabet and is able to pedal a bicycle. Feeds self. School 5 – 12 years Understands numeracy and literacy concepts, relationships between objects and feelings, acquires knowledge and skill. Increasingly independent, emotionally still attached to its parents, dresses/undresses mostly without assistance, joins clubs and social groups, make friendships. Has an increasing bank of vocabulary, is able to describe his / her feelings, or objects, or materials, is able to school independently. Improved balance, may overestimate physical capabilities, joins in different physically demanding activities. Able to sketch/draw people, copy detail in figures and objects, sew, knit, paint and craft with control. 12 – 18 years Understands some abstract concepts like death or illness or God and religion, and develops an understanding of complex ideas. Experiences mood swings and changes in behaviour, highly influenced by peer group, distances from parents emotionally, engrossed by self-image, may have sexual relationship. Uses increased vocabulary and understands abstract concepts such as grief. These are now fully developed. These are now fully developed. 19 years plus Continues to develop ability to make sound decisions, understands complexity of relationships with others. Becomes independent and develops own lifestyle, chooses career path, develops a social and economic status, may have a partner, become a parent, Continues to develop knowledge, uses increased vocabulary and different styles of language. These are now fully developed. These are now fully developed.

Looking Out for Future Pain :: Pain Health Medical Essays

Looking Out for Future Pain Pain is a method used by the body to interpret the outside world. Our skin is covered with sensory neurons that are responsible for acquiring information about the body's surroundings (6). Some of the nerve endings involved in the pain sensing process are called nociceptors (6). Most of the sensory receptors and nociceptors come from an area near the spinal cord (6). The information from the sensory neurons is sent through intermediate neurons and is passed onto the motor neurons that are involved in a physical movement, or are sent to the brain (1). In the brain, the information is interpreted and behavioral and emotional reactions are created (6). The definition of pain used by the International association for the Study of pain describes it as a sensory or emotional interpretation that is produced when there is the potential or actual occurrence of tissue damage (2). Adults are able to verbalize the intensity of their pain and can help monitor the effectiveness of treatment when there is damage to the body tissue. How can adults interpret the pain in infants who cannot verbalize their experience? What concerns should we have when treating tissue damage in babies? What about the damage treatment of babies inside the womb? It has been noted that a newborn has sensory nerve cells that have a greater respond rate than an adult (4). With sensitive sensory nerve cells, the spinal response to a stimulus is also increased and lasts for a longer period of time when compared with an adult (4). The appearance of these sensitive nerve cells is found on a larger portion of a newborn's skin when compared with adults (4). These sensory areas are called receptive fields (4). The receptive fields help the nervous system keep track of where the stimulus was received (4). With a larger receptive field, babies are unable to pin point the exact location of the stimulus (4). Since newborns have very sensitive sensory nerves, the same response is produced to any stimulus without regard to the intensity (4). A newborn may react in the same way to a pinch as to a soft touch (4). The newborn will respond to non-harmful experiences as if they were potentially harmful (4). Questions have been raised about the level of sensation that the fetus itself undergoes when using surgery to address abnormalities in a fetus (1).

Comparing Japan And American Food Markets :: essays research papers

Comparing Japan and American Food Markets The Japanese Market has become vital to the U.S. Economy. Japan is the number one export market for the United States. In 1993, Japan accounted for 37.6 percent of the total growth in U.S. value-added exports. U.S. food products, in particular, are a huge market in Japan. American agricultural exports to Japan in 1993 were $8.7 billion. About one-third of Japanese agricultural imports come from the United States. However, there is sometimes a mixed reception in Japan regarding products from the United States. Japanese, on one hand, wish to do things "American" ever since the Second World War. But, on the other hand, U.S. products are perceived as less sophisticated than Japanese and European food products, in product formulation or packaging. Also, U.S. products are considered not as safe as domestics ones, due to the use of pesticides and chemical additives and the partiality of the Japanese consumer to purchase Japanese items. The reason for the large volume of exporting to Japan is due to United State's comparative advantages. Food products are very expensive to produce in Japan. Japan's current labor shortage, combined with import restrictions and domestic price stabilization programs, have driven up domestic production costs. The Japanese food consumption pattern consist of an openness to foreign products and a strong interest in things international. All types of international cuisine can be found in Japan. Many varieties of tropical and imported fruits, such as Florida grapefruit, California cherries, New Zealand kiwifruit, and Hawaiian papayas are readily available in supermarkets and department stores, as are imported alcoholic beverages ranging from Kentucky bourbon and Chinese beer to Russian vodka and California sake. Japanese food consumption is marked by short-term trends. For example, Korean and Mexican food became popular a few years ago and then unpopular. There have also been Italian and Spanish food booms. The Japanese economic recession has shifted the focus of many consumers to the more affordable neighborhood restaurants that feature traditional Japanese dishes. This has made consumers price conscious at grocery counters, which benefits cheaper imported goods. As a result, imported foods account for over half of Japan's average annual caloric intake. Moreover, with Japanese agriculture contracting, Japan's reliance on (and openness toward) imported food products will continue to increase. Conclusion In the future, the United States may no longer be considered to have a comparative advantage for food products in Japan. Countries in the western Pacific are likely to provide stiff competition for the U.S., due to the shorter shipping distances and the ease of conducting long-distance business from with in neighboring time zones. Offshore investment for processing exporting

Coach cater

l came to coach basketball players, and you became students. I came to teach boys, and you became men†. This quote shows how successful Coach Ken Carter's managing techniques are, however Coach Carter uses many managing styles through out the film. A good manager uses multiple managing techniques these techniques are autocratic, persuasive, consultative, participative and laissez fairer. Coach Carter's managing methods vary between the different situations he comes across. As shown wrought out the film Coach Carter's managing styles and approaches are very successful.One of Coach Carter's managing styles was autocratic. Autocratic managing Is mainly based only the managers decision also known as centralized decision making. This managing style is mainly focused on tasks and does not accept much feedback and gives very tight timeliness. An example of an autocratic managing style is when coach carter says, â€Å"let's see how many suicides you can do in†¦ One hour and seven minutes†. This quote shows how he is trying to discipline his team and the tight implies an autocratic manager Like coach carter would give In a situation Like that.A second managing style that is used by coach carter is a persuasive technique. Persuasive managing is very similar to the autocratic managing techniques. It uses centralized decision making, only interested in results and outcomes, however a manager of this technique would accept very little feedback. Instead of tight timeliness he or she often sells you decisions. An example of a persuasive managing style Is when coach carter says. Most importantly we control the tempo of the game†. This quote shows that he is giving orders that persuade the team to perform better.The third managing style coach carter approached his team with was a consultative approach. The consultative managing style consists of the manager willing to accept most of his or hers staff opinions. Consultative managers are more employee orie ntated and the staff has more Input with tasks. Coach carter uses this method of managing when he realizes his team is getting better at playing basketball, an example of this managing style is when coach carter is not satisfied with their grades however he is willing to help them improve their grades.This quote shows that coach carter believes in his team and is willing to hell them as he can see they have potential. The fourth managing style that was used by coach carter most commonly was a participative style. This managing style consists of many factors which are that decisions are made together, responsibility is often delegated to his or hers staff. This managing style also accepts a lot of feedback and is more of a flexible managing Tyler. N example of this managing style is shown when team member Jason Lyle says, â€Å"You said we're a team. One person struggles, we all struggle. One person triumphs, we all triumph†. This quote shows that he allows his team to make de cisions and to The final managing technique that was used by coach carter was laissez fairer in English translation leave alone. This technique is very laid back and is commonly used by a manager who has a staff that is very talented, however with a talented staff you can give a lot of responsibility to your staff.High delegation must come with a talented and trusted team and this is shown when coach carter sees his team doing paperwork in the gym and Jason Lyle says, â€Å"they can cut the chains off the door, but they can't make us play,(Dampen carter) we have decided to finish what you've started, sir†. Another scene is when Dampen carter offers his father a contract to allow him to play for Richmond oilier. These quotes and this scene shows the teams dedication, talent and how they are capable enough to make decisions.

Literary Devices Used in Macbe Essay

Imagine how dull a Shakespearean play would be without the ingenious literary devices and techniques that contribute so much to the fulfillment of its reader or viewer. Macbeth, by William Shakespeare, is a tragedy that combines fact and legend to tell the story of an eleventh century king. Shakespeare uses numerous types of literary techniques to make this tragic play more appealing. Three literary devices that Shakespeare uses to make Macbeth more interesting and effective are irony, symbolism, and imagery. One technique that Shakespeare uses is irony. Verbal irony is when a character says one thing but means the opposite. When a reader understands the irony of what a character is saying, then he can truly understand the nature and intentions of the character. An example of verbal irony is when Macbeth says to Banquo, â€Å"Tonight we hold a solemn supper, sir,/ And I’ll request your presence† (Macbeth 3. 1. 13-14). The reader soon discovers that Banquo never makes it to the banquet because he is brutally murdered by order of Macbeth. Shakespeare also uses situation irony. This occurs when the results of an action or event are different than what is expected. An example of situation irony occurs when Macduff talks to Malcolm and discusses the tragedies that are taking place in Scotland. Without knowing that his own family has been slain Macduff says, † Each new morn/ New widows howl, new orphans cry, new sorrows/ Strike heaven on the face† (4. 3. 4-6). Ironically, Macduff comments about widows, while he is completely unaware that he is a widower himself. Irony, a key element to a tragic play like Macbeth, has the ability to make the tragic hero appear more villainous or the down-fall seem even more tragic. The second type of literary device that Shakespeare uses in Macbeth is symbolism. The predominant symbol is blood and is used as an effective method to describe the theme of the play. Not only does blood symbolize bravery, it is also a means of showing treachery and treason and probably most importantly, guilt. One example of bravery occurs when the captain says, â€Å"For brave Macbeth? well he deserves that name–/Disdaining fortune, with his brandished steel,/Which smoked with bloody execution†(1. 2. 16-18). Soon after this blood changes into a representation of treachery and treason. Lady Macbeth asks the spirits to â€Å"Make thick my blood,/ Stop up th’ access and passage to remorse† (1. 5. 43-44). She asks the spirits to take away compassion and make her remorseless for the actions she is about to take. Also, when Ross asks, â€Å"Is’t known who did this more than bloody deed? † (2. 4. 22), he tries to figure out who performed the disloyal act of murdering the king. Blood is also used many times to express the guilt-ridden consciences of the characters. For instance, Macbeth says, â€Å"What hands are here? Ha! They pluck out mine own eyes! / Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash the blood/ Clean from my hand? † (2. 3. 58-60). Macbeth obviously feels guilty for killing Duncan in cold blood. Later in the play, Lady Macbeth reveals her guilt while sleepwalking. She walks through the castle carrying a candle. She often sits the candle down and begins to rub her hands as if she is trying to wash them. In her somber state, she cries out: What need we fear who knows it, when none can call our pow’r to accompt? Yet who would have thought the old man to have so much blood in him? (5. 1. 38-41). Lady Macbeth feels as though she cannot wipe clean her blood stained hands. This is a bit ironic since earlier she told Macbeth, â€Å"A little water clears us of this deed† (2. 2. 66). Lady Macbeth has many dreams and fantasies about blood, which shows that she cannot clear her conscience of this brutal act. Another literary technique that is used in Macbeth is word imagery. Word imagery is a term for a metaphor, a comparison that does not use the words â€Å"like† or â€Å"as†. One of the best examples of this is clothing imagery. For instance, Ross tells Macbeth that he has been named Thane of Cawdor, and Macbeth says, â€Å"The Thane of Cawdor lives. Why do you dress me in/ Borrowed robes? † (1. 3. 108-109). Macbeth asks why Ross is telling him this. This title is like new clothes to him, but this title and these clothes should still belong to the former Thane of Cawdor. Another example of clothing imagery occurs when Macbeth tells his wife that he has second thoughts of killing Duncan. He says, â€Å"I have bought/ Golden opinions from all sorts of people,/ Which would be worn now in their newest gloss† (1. 7. 32-34). Lady Macbeth thinks he is being irrational. Macbeth knows that he is the center of attention now because he saved the country. He also knows that if he kills Duncan everyone would be more interested in the death of their king than in their hero, Macbeth. Shakespeare’s work reveals that he knew how to make a play a work of art. Through his use of irony, symbolism, and imagery he is able to grab the reader or the viewer’s attention and keep it. These elements have contributed to the endurance of his works for centuries, and they will help it to endure for centuries to come. Without the use of these techniques, Macbeth would not be the tragic play that it is. This play would lack very important methods that help idealize the characters in the play.

Engage in Personal Development in Health, Social Care or Children’s and Young Peoples Setting

As a childminder I have a duty to be registered and inspected with Ofsted. This ensures that I am working to the high quality and standard as required by Ofsted and the Early Years Foundation Stage. It is my duty is to ensure that I provide consistently high levels of childcare, within a safe, positive, warm and happy environment where children always feel welcome. I have a duty to plan supervised activities for the children, to enable them to learn and develop at their own pace within the EYFS as appropriate for their individual age groups.I am also responsible for completion of all relevant paperwork adhering to guidelines to maintain constant structure of my childminding practice and implementing any additional requirements as they occur. It is paramount to my childminding practice to continue to perform all of these duties to give parents peace of mind that their child/children are receiving the correct level of care and support to flourish in their own individual learning.To pro mote and maintain high levels of professionalism whilst carrying out my work. To ensure I provide a safe environment for the children at all times.To carry out risk assessments on areas used for childminding within my home and garden area, and also of any places regularly visited and review these on a regular basis. To implement and update policies and procedures keeping in line with Ofsted’s guidance. Prepare and provide healthy balanced meals for children whilst being aware of any child’s individual dietary requirements. To maintain discipline of all children within my care encouraging positive behaviour at all times. To build and maintain good relationships with any people involved with the children’s lives, parents/teachers/social workers etc.I must be aware of any signs and symptoms of potential abuse and the current legislative procedures for reporting it. I need to be taking children in my care to childminding groups and playgroups to allow them interacti on with other children. I must make, maintain and implement plans covering long-term, medium-term and short-term to offer varied activities to stimulate children’s learning in different areas. I am required to make observations of children in my care to allow a picture to build on their learning abilities to assist in my planning of activities and to highlight any areas of difficulty children maybe experiencing to allow help to be sort as required. Mainly responsible for giving children within my care the best possible environment for them to thrive and feel safe whilst away from their carers/parents.1.2 Complete the table below describing how the relevant standards apply to your role Relevant Standards Expectations of your own work role EYFSNational Minimum Standards for Regulated Childcare (Wales)National Occupational StandardsJob DescriptionCommon CoreCode of Conduct

Evaluation of Software Industry in Bangladesh Essay

Chapter-I: Introduction 1. Origin of the Study The MBA program of DIJ requires that each student complete an internship attachment period of at least 10 to 12 weeks with an organization and submit a report on the basis of it. Considering the fast pace of the software industry today, I am working one of the youngest and brightest organization in the industry, Hello Dacca, as my place of internship. There is a lot of speculation regarding the future of the software industry, in general. With the little bit of healthy competition that the industry had been lacking till now, it is no doubt that the consumers would soon egin feel its affect in the form of lower prices and more packages to choose from. However, it remains a doubt as to which companies would Just survive and which companies would thrive and prosper. Hence, I chose to carry out a comparative analysis of the prospects and challenges of software companies in Bangladesh, with particular emphasis on the future prospects of Hello Dacca Pvt. Ltd. 1. 1 Watershed of the Software Industry In 1955, the world’s first software company was formed in the United States. Now, more than half a century later the software market has entered a period of drastic change. Many information processing functions found in packaged software has been transferred to the Web, and the use of open source software (OSS) has become widespread. There are also strong signs that â€Å"Software as a Service† (SaaS) will assume a greater prominence. These developments go beyond a mere discussion of whether to charge fees or to choose between packaged software or contracted development, or to use open source or proprietary software; they have shaken the software industry to its very foundation. Will the software industry continue to develop as a high-tech industry, or will creative destruction occur and a new industry rows from the ashes? Perhaps the industry will disappear altogether and become just another business service like embedded software? Tim O’Reilly describes three long-term trends in the evolution of software: (1) commoditization, (2) network collaboration, and (3) SaaS 2. History & Definition of the Software Industry Software Industry consists of that part of computer programming activity that is traded between software-producing organizations and corporate or individual software consumers. Traded software represents only a fraction of domestic software activity, whose extent cannot be reliably estimated, since much computer rogramming takes place within firms and its value is not captured by the industrial census or software industry analysts. According to the industry analyst INPUT, in 2000 the U. S. market for traded software was $138 billion (Table 1). The U. S. software in the year 2000 were $259 billion, according to the trade publication Software Magazine. The traded software industry consists of three main sectors: programming services, enterprise software products, and shrink-wrapped software products. These three sectors became established in the mid-1950s, the mid-1960s, and the late 970s, respectively, in response to the technological opportunities and the business environment of the time. The most successful firms developed specialized capabilities that enabled them to prosper within their sector; however, this specialization made it difficult to move into other sectors, and very few firms have been successful in more than one software sector. It should be noted that the software industry is not confined to independent software vendors, but also includes computer manufacturers such as 18M, Unisys, and NCR who supply programming services and software products alongside their hardware offerings and are among he largest software suppliers. These are sometimes referred to as â€Å"captive† markets because computer users have relatively little choice in the supplier of basic operating software for corporate systems. 2. 1 Programming Service The first commercial electronic computers†usually known as â€Å"mainframes†Ã¢â‚¬ were sold in the early 1950s. They were very expensive, typically renting for $100,000 a year. Most computer-owning corporations undertook their own program development and operations, for which they maintained a staff of up to thirty or forty individuals. This was not a disproportionate expense in relation to the overall costs of unning a computer. By the mid-1950s, however, mainframe prices had fallen significantly, and computer use diffused rapidly†the national computer stock rising from 240 mainframes in 1955 to over four thousand by 1960. Owners of these more moderately priced computers were often unwilling to recruit a permanent programming staff, preferring instead to commission programs from software contractors. Many of the early programming services firms were established by programming entrepreneurs to satisfy this demand. The first such firm, the Computer Usage Corporation (CUC), was incorporated in New York in 1955 by two ormer IBM programming employees, and the firm initially specialized in developing technical applications for the oil and engineering industries. The capital barriers to software contracting were (and remain) very low, and it was often said that all one needed was â€Å"a coding pad and a pencil. † The most important capability was the technical knowledge of the principals, usually acquired through working with a computer user or manufacturer. Several dozen firms entered the programming services industry in the second half of the 1950s. In a majority of cases, the firms pecialized in particular technical applications, or within a vertical market such as financial services, retail, or manufacturing. A very different type of entrant came into programming services in the mid-1950s, specializing in the construction of very large programs that were beyond the technical capability of even the largest and most sophisticated users. The first firm of this kind was the Systems Development Corporation (SDC), a subsidiary of the RAND Corporation, Santa Monica. SDC was incorporated in 1956 to develop the programs for the giant SAGE air-defense system. more than a million computer instructions. SDC employed several hundred programmers, estimated at the time to be perhaps halfof the nation’s programming manpower. SDC also trained hundreds of individuals to become programmers. There was, however, a rapid turnover of staff, as experienced programmers left for more remunerative employment in the private sector. At the time, SDC was hailed as the â€Å"university for programmers† and it was said that in the 1960s, SDC alumni were to be found in almost every major software firm in the country. SAGE was a â€Å"real-time† system, in which the computer lay at the heart of an information system that esponded instantaneously to external events. As the U. S. government deployed more and more real-time defense systems in the late 1950s and 1960s, systems integrators such as TRW, MITRE, General Electric, Wasting house, Hughes Dynamics, and Lockheed began to develop expertise in software construction. Real-time technologies were hugely expensive to innovate but once established by the military, they quickly diffused into the civilian sector in applications such as airline reservations and on-line banking. When Europe and the rest of the world began to catch up in the 1960s, American independent software firms and the programming ervices operations of computer manufacturers had a strong first-mover advantage. By the late 1960s, the most successful of the start-up software contractors had become significant firms. For example, by 1967 CUC had 700 employees, offices in twelve U. S. cities, and annual sales of$13 million. CUC, and firms like it, now offered a broad range of computer services that went well beyond program writing. Another firm, the Computer Sciences Corporation of El Segundo, California, established in 1959 by five programmers to write software for computer manufacturers, grew to ecome one of the largest computer services firms in the world (which it remains, with revenues in 2000 of$9. 4 billion, and sixty-eight thousand employees worldwide). Nonetheless, giant firms are the exception and the programming services industry is remarkably lacking in concentration. By the late 1960s there were several hundred programming services firms, but less than fifty of them had as many as a hundred employees.