Japanese Culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Japanese Culture - Essay Example Allied Forces occupied Post-War Japan (1945-1952) and the General Douglas MacArthur of the United States ruled there. This order and these changes have exerted a significant impact on Japanese culture. A democratic world order has seized Japan’s military rule of the world. The war was devastating and many territories of Japan had to be subjected to the newly existent order. There was a constant intention of the Japanese nation to gain superiority in some spheres of their activities. For example, Japanese engineers came to the US companies made systematic attempts to improve different production modes. At this point technological background of popular culture development can be found. Thesis: Therefore modern culture of Japan is developed with respect to military context, changes of post-war period, social oppression and innovative social order of the society. Japan after war After war Japan intended to find new ways of profits gaining. In the result of their practices, Japan t urned into a consumer-oriented producer. Electronics was one of the most important concerns for Japan. Moreover, a great attention was paid to innovative automobile design (which was borrowed from the principles of Japanese aesthetics). After 1980s Japan gained reputation of the largest creditor nation on earth, and America turned into the largest debtor. Japanese popular culture has been spread all over the globe after rapid growth of industrialization and information bum. The Asian world wanted to reach pace of Japan development1. Post-war period of the country's development was marked by unique and vibrant culture, which is often associated with innovations in China and Korea and the rest of the Asian world. It cannot be denied that "markers of loss" after the war have been gradually disappearing from the Japanese culture. Culture development from the 1950s to the mid-1960s it was difficult for Japanese people to find their identities. They were puzzled by numerous losses after t he war. For example, we can refer to the drama and film,  Kimino na wa, the film  Gojira  (Godzilla), and the professional wrestler Rikidozan, where specific features and cultural templates of Japanese culture can be identified2. In the chapter "From the Anti-Security Treaty Movement to the Tokyo Olympics: Transforming the Body, the Metropolis, and Memory" the restructuring images of the resurfaced memories of the past are discussed. It can be claimed for sure that the memories should have been transformed and cleansed till 1964, the year of Tokyo Olympic. Tokyo has been changed into a clean and successful city. The Japanese volleyball team gain victory against the former Soviet team and this team signified the path of Japan's progress and a gradual restoration. Thus, there is a consequential transformation of the Japanese culture. The central principle of cultural development of Japan after war was a peaceful strategy3. The eternal peace was very important issue for the Japan ese culture. A rejection of military service in Japan has left a significant impact on the country's development. Igarashi integrates post-war concerns of the country in the context of popular culture development4. Igarashi claims that post-war crisis in the Japanese culture can be identified at different levels and different factors are influencing the process of cultural development in post-war Japan. The author is focused on psychological aspects of nation history development. Identity of historical development can be traced with respect to historical factors. In Barefoot Gen by Keiji Nakazawa (2004), the issues of family difficulties after war are considered. Family members showed their following social norms though they were puzzled by

Gun Ban in America Essay Example for Free

Gun Ban in America Essay In 2012, the most serious topics that people always talking about is Gun ban. Most of people voted for ban guns after the Connecticuts shooting incident. There are lots of children died in the elementary school, and Americans realized the bad effects about selling guns legally in many states. There are at least four shooting incidents each year. People may think it is the time to ban Americas guns now, but in fact it is not the guns fault. For my part, guns should not be banned, and people have the right to have guns ownership. Most people know that guns are one of Americas culture, just like the marijuana. People know what are illegal things, but they will still find a way to obtain them. So, banned guns cant prevent criminals. If the guns banned, criminal can still use other weapons to kill people. For example, in 1976, Washington DC is illegal to own any handguns or to keep any type of guns in home unlocked. However, Washington DC has the most criminal rates in united states. Whenever the guns is illegally, criminals can make any weapons, such as bombs, criminals can make bombs by themselves. Most of time, its the personals problems, criminals who caught by police always have mental ill or they dissatisfying about this country. Therefore, Government need strength the gun education and some safety classes about using guns. Ban guns is not a good solution, because the problem is not about guns. In addition, ban guns means remove the right to someone. In America, people are highly regard human rights. Giving up rights to bear arms would open up a world of control and unnecessary chaos. Some people have guns just for hunting, and they think guns are useful. Some of gun owner using guns in shooting range, they think it is their entertainment. Although, some cities made the announcement of gun ban, people were still reluctant to hand over their guns to Government. If the states that they live have banned guns, they can still go to another states to obtain another one. As part of Americans culture and freedom, it is impossible to ban guns exhaustive because of the different constitutions between states. Finally, the last reason that guns should not be banned, because guns can protect people. Except this criminals, most of people know how to use handguns, and they are using guns to protect their families. What if someone invade their house and pointing a gun at them, they can not wait until the police come. If that happens, no one will be safe. If a person wants to kill people, he will think all the way to hurt people even he did not have guns. However, what if the normal people does not have the guns to protect them when they meet some incidents. Guns always give people a sense of security, even they just locked them at their house. In conclusion, ban guns is not a big deal in America. According to Washington DCs criminal rates, it did not decrease the criminal rates at all. In some cities of America, restricted legislation could not restraint people to crime. Gun ban is only for temporary and it is not a permanent solution to this problem.

How Emily Brontë Fulfills the Expectations of the Gothic Genre Essay

How Emily Brontà « Fulfills the Expectations of the Gothic Genre Within this essay I will examine the social and historical background of Emily Brontà «'s upbringing, and the way her only novel, wuthering height, is related to the gothic genre. Emily Brontà « was brought up in a time very different from our own; she lived on secluded moors and without many of our modern day privileges, and became very close to her family. Many of her close family members died within her lifetime, affecting her deeply and leaving her emotionally scarred. The tragedy and misfortune of Emily Brontà «'s life is shown through her novel 'Wuthering Heights'. The many dark, sad and misfortunate parts of this novel which represent Emily Brontà «'s life are the same parts which can be categorised it in to the gothic genre. Cathy represents Emily Brontà «; they both suffered the loss of a parent and lived on secluded moors. The semi-autobiographical nature is also shown through Hindely, Cathy's brother, and his similarities to Emily Brontà «'s brother, both go through a spiral downfall into alcoholism and drink themselves into early graves. Emily Brontà « lived in a male dominated Georgian society. It was this male dominance and the idea of female inadequacy that forced her to publish her only novel Wuthering Heights under the male pseudonym Ellis Bell. Brontà «'s novel contains many of the elements that can be seen in the gothic genre. The setting is true to the gothic style; it is in a secluded place that often represents something that happened there. 'On that bleak hill top the earth was hard with a black frost.' In my opinion it represents the dark and gloomy past of Wuthering Heights, the death of Cathy and the tormented life of Heat... ... of a higher class. This shows the shallowness of society at the time and that society was male dominated. Women were forced to be dependent on men and had to marry men they didn't love to secure them a financial future and to gain a better social status. The novel raises issues that can been seen in societies of all times, including the modern society in which we live. It shows how people are judge on material things, most commonly in this novel it shows how people are judged on social status. The novel is told through two narrations, Nelly Dean and Lockwood. The parts of the novel that Nelly Dean narrates are informal, This shows Nelly is a servant, and is considered to be lower class in society. However when Lockwood narrates, the language is more formal, and like that of a highly educated person showing he is of higher class than Nelly Dean is.

Impact of Society in Arthur Millers Death of a Salesman Essay

Impact of Society in Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman      Ã‚  Ã‚   Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman examines outside influences on the individual.   These influences include society as a whole, the family as a societal unit and beliefs which the individual thinks he should espouse. In order to understand Willy Loman and the struggles with which he is dealing, the society in which he exists must first be understood.   He is relying upon a slightly different set of values and motivations than everyone else seems to be, and this sets him apart.   A prime example of the rest of society is Willy’s brother, Ben. In sociological terms, Ben is a classic representative of the old, 19th century middle class, while Willy represents the new, dependent, salaried, pathetically other-directed middle class.   Ben’s character is clearly inner-directed†¦ While Willy stresses the importance of personality, of being ‘well-liked’ and acceptable to the world, of pleasing others, while insisting on proper form, dress, manner, and style, Ben ignores all of this.   (Martin 56) Willy is looking to the rest of society for guidance, to see how he needs to act in order to be successful by their terms.   Yet he cannot fully let go of the belief that his way of trying to â€Å"please all of the people all of the time† is right. Society is made up of people like Ben who are focused on getting ahead.   It is an industrial society which is quickly expanding; people have to move quickly to stay on top.   They do not have time for the old ways anymore.   Willy has been working for many years, but he has not been able to keep up.   Ultimately, this is why he is let go from his job.   His boss, Howard explains it to him. Howard: I don’t want you to represent us.   I’ve ... ...4) While there is some disagreement as to what the effect of Willy’s actions ultimately will be on Biff after the curtain goes down, it is clear that Willy’s behavior destroyed the family unit as the Loman’s knew it and destroyed Willy as well.   The play does, however, end with the focus on the remaining member of the Loman family.   They are still a societal unit, and they must continue to live in the material modern world as best they can. Works Cited Baym, Franklin, Gottesman, Holland, et al., eds.   The Norton Anthology of American Literature.   4th ed.   New York: Norton, 1994. Costello, Donald P. â€Å"Arthur Miller’s Circles of Responsibility: A View From a Bridgeand Beyond.† Modern Drama. 36 (1993): 443-453. Martin, Robert A., ed. Arthur Miller.   Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1982. ---.   Eight Plays.   New York:   Nelson Doubleday, 1981.

Leadership and People

Promoting Servant Leadership in the Youth Defining Leading and Leadership Leading is defined as: 1. Influencing others to take action toward specific goal. 2. Guiding and directing on a course, and as serving as a channel. A leader is someone who has commanding influence. Leadership is defined as: 1. It is the process of influencing and directing activities of members toward goal accomplishment. 2. It is about ordinary people who care. People who care enough to get extra ordinary things done. 3. It is the capacity and will to rally men and women to a common purpose and the character which inspire confidence. . It is simply not an art (emotional/instinctual) or a science (rational/acquired). It is a blend of the rational and emotional, the innate and acquired, the ideal and practical. (Source: Peter Northouse, Leadership Theory and Practice, 2001)Lecture 6 – Leadership Styles Let us compare leadership styles. We can do this best by contrasting two opposite styles of leadership: the authoritarian and the democratic (or participate) style. 1. The Authoritarian Style shows certain characteristics and we can sum them up by saying that leaders falling under this category: are generally strong-willed, domineering, and to some extent, aggressive. †¢ must have their own way, which for them, seems the only way. †¢ look upon subordinates more as functionaries than as persons, and the best subordinates, in their estimation, follow directions without question. †¢ ordinarily are not ready to listen to views and suggestions of others (although they may pretend to), if they offer different opinions. †¢ not encourage equal relationships (i. e. adult to adult with underlings. As a rule, they do not allow themselves to get close to employees.They do not like to see employees get close to one another, for such cliques, as authoritarian leaders perceive them, might endanger their authority. †¢ have business-like and task-oriented attitudes. The job c omes first. †¢ generally blame poor results on the inability of others to carry out instructions correctly. The following self-talk describes the attitudes of authoritarian leaders: I know best what is to be done here. After all, I am better trained, more experienced, and better informed on the matter than anyone else here. The others in the group expect as much of me.This is after all, my job as their leader. Because I cannot do everything myself, I need their help, not their ideas and plans, to implement what needs to be done. I can take care of the thinking, and I do more than my share of the doing too, but I shall need their help here. I suppose I’ll have to listen to them. These days, they expect that much of me. But I don’t expect to hear anything new. I’m quite confident that we will end up doing it my way. Of course, I’ll handle the proceedings during the meeting and I’ll manage to control the pace of things as well.After all, the agen da is mine and I’ve thought each point through already. I’ll also dispose of any disputes that may arise, since the task is the thing that counts, and we can’t be held up by any petty personal squabbles. That would be a sheer waste of time. Better that we all keep our feelings to ourselves anyway. As a member of this leader’s group, one might see things this way, whether one likes it or not: The leader is the real spokesman of the group. He usually does most of the talking and all of the actual planning and only wants our approval and cooperation. In fact, his credentials are good.He does have more experience and competence than I have and he seems to have our best interests at heart. During the meetings, he doesn’t like to waste any time. While he’s not a very personable man, he’s always ready to help any of us, whatever the hour and however serious the problem. In one way, I’m happy that the leader takes all the responsibilit y of the group upon himself. That leaves me to do more or less what I want, just as long as I do the job he asks me to do. And he is generous with his praise of my work – I guess, because this reflects well on his leadership in the eyes of outsiders.But at the same time and probably for the same reason, he comes down hard when we make mistakes or he feels that we have let him down. I sometimes resent being so uninvolved and feeling so unimportant. I would like to speak out and even disagree with the leader – for he is not right all the time, but I’m not sure how this would go over with the others in the group. While we spend a lot of time talking about the boss and his ways outside meetings, we tend to turn into lambs when he is around. I guess it is because we would not like to hurt and upset him. So things keep going on in the usual way. 2.Democratic or Participative Style Characteristics of democratic leaders can be summed up in the following: †¢ They ar e generally as concerned with maintaining group effectiveness as with completing the task to be done. †¢ They encourage members in their groups to express their ideas and feelings, because they believe that such a climate leads to greater creativity and commitment. †¢ If they encounter resistance or conflicts, they allow them to surface and they seek the help of their groups in removing the resistance or resolving the conflicts. †¢ They encourage joint decision-making as well as shared goal-setting. They rarely set policies without explaining the reasons and proposing them to their groups, when they can, for suggestions and criticism. †¢ They believe that responsibility for getting a job done depends as much on the group as upon themselves. They try to have this attitude shared by all group members. †¢ They allow group members a good deal of freedom in their work, once they have shown their ability to do it. †¢ They keep looking for better ways to do th ings and are open to change when convinced that such changes seem called for and would lead to greater effectiveness. †¢ They believe in the effectiveness of group work.They also believe that groups of committed individuals working together have greater potentials than when those same members work as individuals. When we characterize the attitudes of such leaders in the following bit of self-talk: I place a high value on sound and creative decisions that emerge from real understanding and searching within a group of committed people who take their life together seriously. I listen for, and try to elicit, ideas and opinions that differ from my own. I have clear convictions, but I am also open to change in the face of sound ideas and reasoning.I realize that, however, competent and experienced I am, I may not have all the information needed, and definitely lack the experience of others in the group. I am always ready to learn. When conflicts arise in the group, I do my best, with the group’s help, to identify the issues involved and to uncover their resources. When aroused by someone or something, I try to contain myself and stay in touch with whatever might be going on inside of me. I try to maintain a sense of humor to keep things in perspective. I put a lot of energy into group work, because I firmly believe in the effectiveness of teamwork.As a member of this leader’s group, one might see things this way: I find the other members of the group quite friendly and cooperative, including the leader of the group. We all seem to have a common stake in what we are doing and in the group we belong to. We have developed a true team spirit, along with initiative and creativity. We keep looking for new better ways and our leader encourages us to do so. As far as possible, we make decisions and set goals as a result of group consensus. We all share in the success or failure. In our working together, as a group, we have experienced a â€Å"circle of s uccess† more than once.That same group member might reflect on the circle of success this way: A shared commitment to the group and its task leads to – interdependent efforts from its members to find the best way to complete those tasks, which in turn lead to – a degree of shared success in achieving those targets, and this accomplishment leads to – confidence in the group’s potential and back to – renewed commitment to the group and to its ongoing tasks. You like the atmosphere, and you find your own role both interesting and rewarding. 3. Another type of leadership style is the laissez-faire. This is a leader in name only.He fails to provide any direction for his group. Members are left the responsibility of leading and directing. (Source: Peter Northouse, Leadership Theory and Practice, 2001) Lecture 7 – Indispensable Qualities of a Leader The following are the indispensable qualities of a leader: 1. Character – How a leader deals with circumstances of life tells you many things about his character. – Crisis does not make character, but it certainly reveals it. – It is more than talk. Anybody can say that he has integrity, but action is the real indicator of character. Your character determines who you are. – It is a choice.It is said that talent is a gift but character is a matter of choice. – The beginning of character repair comes when your face your flaws, apologize and deal with the consequences of your action. 2. Charisma – Most people think of charisma as something mystical, almost undefinable. They think its’ a quality that comes at birth or not at all. But that’s not true. Charisma, plainly stated is the ability to draw people to you. And like other character traits, it can be developed. – In order to gain charisma, one should love life. People enjoy leaders who enjoy life. Think of the people you want to spend time with.How would you desc ribe them? They are celebrators and not complainers. They are passionate about life. If you want to attract people, you need to be like the people you enjoy being with. 3. Commitment – It separates the doers from the dreamers. If you to be an effective leader you have to be committed. True commitment inspires and attracts people. It shows them that you have conviction. They will believe in you only if you believe in your cause. – It starts in the heart. Most individuals want everything to be perfect before they are willing to commit themselves to anything.But commitment comes before achievement. It is an antecedent. If you want to make a difference in other people’s lives as a leader, look into your heart to see if you are really committed. – It is one thing to talk about commitment. But it is another to do something about it. The only real measure of commitment is action. As quoted by Arthur Gordon: â€Å"Nothing is easier than saying words. Nothing is harder than living them day after day. † 4. Competence – Responsible people show up when they are expected. But highly competent people take it a step farther. They don’t show up in body only.They come ready to play everyday – despite of what they feel, what kind of circumstances they are in, or how difficult to expect the game to be. – Like Benjamin Franklin, All highly competent people continually search for ways to keep learning, growing, and improving. – Performing at high level of excellence is always a choice, an act of the will. As leaders, we expect our people to follow through when we hand them the ball. Constituents expects that and a whole lot more form their leaders. 5. Courage – It begins with an inward battle. Every test you face as a leader begins within you.The test of courage is no different. As quoted by the psychotherapist Sheldon Kopp: â€Å"All the significant battles are waged within self. † Courage is not the absence of fear. It is doing what you are afraid to do. It means letting go of the familiar and forging ahead into something new. 6. Passion – Researchers spend a lot of time trying to figure out what makes other people successful. They often consider a person’s credentials, intelligence, education, and other factors. But what goes beyond those is what we call passion. Your burning desire determines your destiny. Think of great leaders, and you will be struck by their passion: Gandhi for human rights, Winston Churchill for freedom, Martin Luther King Jr. for equality, Bill gates for technology. – Anyone who lives beyond an ordinary life has great desire. It’s true in an any field: weak desire brings weak results, just as a small fire creates little heat. The stronger your fire, the greater the desire – and the greater the potential. 7. Problem Solvers – Effective leaders always rise to a challenge. That is one thing that separates winner s from winners. While others complain, leaders rise above predicaments with creativity and tenacity.No matter what field a leader is in, he will face a problem. – Leaders with good problem-solving ability demonstrate five qualities. 1. They anticipate problems. Since problems are inevitable, good leaders anticipate them. Anyone who expects the road to be easy will continually find himself in trouble. 2. They accept the truth. People respond to problems in these ways: they refuse to accept them; they accept them and put up with them; or they accept them and try to make things better. Leaders must always do the latter. Effective leaders face up to the reality of the situation. 3. They see the big picture.Leaders must continually see the big picture. They cannot afford to be overwhelmed by emotion. Nor can they allow themselves to get so bogged down in the details of the problems that they lose sight of what’s important. 4. They handle one thing at a time. Effective leade rs never try to solve all the problems at once because they know it would be a ceaseless striving. If you are face with lots of problems, make sure you really solve the one you are working on before moving to the next one. 5. They don’t give up a major goal when they are down. Effective leaders understand the peak-to-peak principle.They make major decisions when they are experiencing a positive swing in their leadership, not during the dark times. To improve your problem-solving skills, do the following: 1. Don’t avoid hassles/problems. If you have been avoiding them you’ll never have the opportunity to solve them. You’ll only get better if you gain experience dealing with them. 2. Develop a method. Some people have a hand time solving problems because they don’t know how to tackle them. Try using the TEACH process: T IME– spend time to discover the real issue. E XPOSURE– find out what others have done.A SSISTANCE– have your te am study all angles. C REATIVITY– brainstorm multiple solutions. H IT – implement the best solution. 8. Team Player – If you get along, they’ll go along. Leaders should have a contagious cheerful and positive disposition. They should be able to create an atmosphere of oneness. – According to Mr. John Maxwell, people don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care. It is true the ability to work with people and develop relationships is absolutely indispensable to effective leadership. People truly want to go along with people they get along with.And while someone can have people skills and not to be a good leader, he cannot be a good leader without people skills. 1. Have a Leader’s Head – Understand people – The first quality of a relational leader is then ability to understand how people feel and think. As you work with others, recognize that all people, whether leaders or followers, have some things in c ommon. – They like to feel special, so sincerely compliment them. – They want a better tomorrow, so show them hope. – They desire direction, so navigate them. – They want success so help them win. 2. Have a Leaders Heart – Love people According to the President and CEO of Difinitive Computer Services, Henry Gruland: â€Å"Being a leader is more than just wanting as lead. Leaders have empathy for others and a keen ability to find the best in people†¦not the worst†¦by truly caring for others. † 3. Extend a Leader’s Hand – Help people – People respect a leader who keep their interest in mind. If your focus is on what you can put in at people rather than what you can get out of them, they will love and respect you – and these create a great foundation for building relationships. 9. Visionary – You can seize only what you can see. Vision is everything for a leader. Because vision leads the leader. It p aints the target. It sparks and fuels the fire within. Show me a leader without a vision, and I’ll show you someone who is not going anywhere. – To get a handle on vision and how it comes to be a part of a good leader’s life, understand these things: 1. Vision starts within. If you lack vision, look inside yourself. Draw on your natural gifts and desires. Look to your calling if you have one. 2. Vision draws on your history. Vision is not some mystical quality that comes out of a vacuum as some people seem to believe.It grows from a leader’s past and the history of the people around him. Talk to any leader, and you’re likely to discover key events in his past that were instrumental in the creation of his vision. 3. Vision meets other’s Needs. True vision is far-reaching. It goes beyond what one individual can accomplish. And it has real value, it does more than just include others; it adds value to them. 4. Vision helps you gather resources. One of the most valuable benefits of vision is that it acts like a magnet-attracting, challenging, and uniting people. It also rallies finances and other resources.The greater the vision, the more winners it has the potential to attract. (Source: Peter Northouse, Leadership Theory and Practice, 2001) Lecture 8 – Towards Transformational Leadership Society’s transformation requires transformational leadership (Stephen Covey, 1992), transforming people and organizations in a literal sense – to change them in mind and in heart, enlarge vision, insight, and understanding, clarify purposes, make behavior congruent with beliefs, principles, or values, and bring about changes that are permanent, self-perpetuating and momentum building.Transformational leadership for Covey basically means that we change the realities of our particular world to more clearly conform to our values and ideals. It focuses on the â€Å"top line† and is principle-centered, thus it: â⠂¬â€œ builds on man’s need for meaning – is preoccupied with purposes and values, morals and ethics – transcends daily affairs – is oriented toward meeting long term goals without compromising human values and principles – separates causes and symptoms and works at prevention – values profit as the basis of growth – is proactive, catalystic, and patient focuses more on mission and strategies for achieving them – makes full use of human resources – identifies and develops new talent – recognizes and rewards significant contributions – designs and redesigns jobs to make them meaningful and challenging – releases human potentials – models love – leads out in new directions – aligns internal structures and systems to reinforce over arching values and goals Leadership is the ability to influence others towards desired goals, but transformational leadership includes doing the right thi ngs.The following virtues are considered as the foundation of transformational leadership: 1. Prudence – the habit which enables man to direct his actions to human life’s goals of knowing the right thing to do and applying it. 2. Justice – the habit of giving each one his due with constant and perpetual will; gives stability which man needs to work without fear and anxiety in the search for happiness. 3. Fortitude – the habit of overcoming the difficulties and pressures of life in the pursuit of good. 4. Temperance – the habit of bringing the desires and natural inclinations of man under the control of right reason. . Industry – the habit of working hard and working under pressure. 6. Loyalty – the habit of remaining true to your friends and to your principles (goals) inspite of difficulty. 7. Responsibility – the habit of being accountable for one’s actions, duties, obligations; readiness to answer to the consequences o f our actions. 8. Cheerfulness – the habit of being optimistic, positive, always seeing the bright side of things. 9. Generosity – the habit of sharing the good that one has with other people; thinking first of the people around him and looking for ways he can help and serve them. 0. Magnanimity – the habit of having great ideals and ambitions of doing good; being concerned with doing great deeds of service to others by devoting his life to serve his country or to help people. Covey identifies the following characteristics of principled-centered leaders: 1. They are continually learning: – constantly educated by their experiences – read, seek learning, take classes, listen to others, learn through both their eyes and their ears – continually expand their competence and ability to do things – develop new skills, new interests make and keep promises or commitments – increase their personal worth as they elevate themselves to the next level of challenge and make their self-mastery grow 2. They are service-oriented: – see life as a mission not as a career – â€Å"yoke† up every morning, think of others and put on the harness of service in various stewardships – believe that the effort to become principled-centered without a load to carry simply will not succeed – have a sense of responsibility, of service, of contribution 3. They radiate positive energy: cheerful, pleasant, happy – attitude is optimistic, positive, upbeat, enthusiastic – spirit is hopeful, believing – have an energy field or an aura that charges or changes weaker, negative energy fields around them – attract and magnify smaller positive energy fields – tend to either neutralize or sidestep the negative energy they come into contact with – wisdom gives them a sense of ho strong the negative energy source is and a sense of humor and timing in dealing with it 4. They be lieve in other people: do not overreact to negative behaviors, criticism or human weaknesses – realize that behaviors and potentials are two different things; believes in the unseen potential of people – feel grateful for their blessings – don’t carry grudges – refuse to label other people, to stereotype, categorize and prejudge – seek the oak tree in the acorn and understand the process of helping the acorn to become a great oak – create a climate for growth and opportunity 5. They lead balance lives: – intellectually active, having many interests – healthy sense of humor, particularly laughing at themselves and not t other’s expense – open their communication, simple, direct, and non-manipulative – their actions and attitudes are proportionate to the situation-balanced, temperate, moderate, wise – live sensibly in the present, carefully planning the future and flexibly adapting changing circ umstances – genuinely happy for other’s success and do not feel in any sense that these take anything from them – see success on the far side of failure; the only real failure for them is experience not learned from 6. They see life as an adventure: savor life because their security comes from within instead of from without – see old faces freshly, old scenes as if for the first time, rediscover people each time they meet them – like courageous explorers going on an expedition into unchartered territories – their security lies in their initiatives, resourcefulness, creativity, will power, courage, stamina, protection, and abundance of comfort zones in their home-camps – completely present when they listen – basically unflappable and capable of adopting virtually to anything that comes along 7. They are synergistic: as changed catalysts, they improve almost any situation they get into – in team endeavors they build on the ir strength and strive to complement their weakness with strength of others – in negotiating and communicating with others in seemingly adversarial situations, they learn to separate the people from the problem – focus on other person’s interests and concerns rather than fight over positions – together they arrive at sybergetic solutions, which are usually much better than any of the original proposals, as opposed to compromise solutions wherein both parties give and take a little . They exercise for self renewal: – regularly exercise the four dimensions of the human personality, physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual – exercise their minds through reading, creative problem-solving, writing, and visualizing – emotionally, they can make an effort to be patient, listen to others with genuine empathy, show unconditional love, accept responsibility for their own lives, make decisions, and reactions (Source: V. Gonzales, Values Integra tion and Promotion, 1997) Part IV – Volunteerism Lecture 9 – Serving Others: VolunteerismVolunteerism is a cross-cutting social phenomenon that involves all groups in society and all aspects of human activity. Volunteer action directly contributes to economic growth, social welfare and protecting the environment. It also helps to build and/or consolidate social capital and to promote more participation and self-initiative, thereby, establishing or stabilizing democratic processes. Volunteerism opens wide doors of opportunities for other things. Serving others can lead an individual to new avenues which he can gain valuable experiences in life.Through volunteer work, one can expand his horizon and learn how to live with other people and can even gain new friends. The experience of living in a new environment can make him more understanding and compassionate while at the same time learning new skills to develop his self-esteem and interpersonal skills. Opportunities abou nd for him to share his skills and resources, but so much more to share his hopes and dreams, and in the process, make other dreams come true. Serving others through volunteer work can challenge one to tap his resources, get in touch with his inner self and discover latent abilities he never thought he had.Given the responsibilities of a volunteer, many people have discovered their deep sense of commitment and the heart to help others. Volunteerism recognizes the power of individuals driven by their commitment to make a difference wherever they are. (Source: VSO Leaflet) Part V – Life Skills Seminar 1 – Disaster Preparedness and Management Disaster management has a broad scope covering disaster preparedness, organization and training, construction of disaster reduction facilities, disaster response and rehabilitation, public information, and research and development.Over the past few years, various emergencies services necessary during disaster have been developed in a ll the region and provinces. Designated organizations have been oriented in their various roles in the disaster management. Specialized skills in search and rescue, evacuation, disaster medicine, vulnerability analysis, damage assessment and first-aid have been widely undertaken. In 1995 alone, 159 training sessions on various aspects of disaster management have been conducted all over the country.Organizations and training are continuing disaster preparedness tasks which are undertaken to equip staff in various government services agencies, including volunteers from private sectors who are engaged in disaster response. Recognizing the vital role of the youth in rescue, evacuation, emergency and relief services, they are also trained to have specialized skills in disaster response for future mobilization by the National Service Reserve Corps. (Source: NDCC; OCD) Seminar 2 – Basic First Aid Safety is an ongoing concern that must never leave your thoughts.There is a primal inst inct in many people to dash to the rescue of those in need. Basic first aid allows you to quickly determine a person's physical condition and the correct course of treatment. Basic first aid refers to the initial process of assessing and addressing the needs of someone who has been injured or is in physiological distress due to choking, a heart attack, allergic reactions, drugs or alcohol or other medical emergencies. First aid is the provision of initial care for an illness or injury. It is usually performed by a non-expert person to a sick or injured casualty until definitive medical treatment can be accessed.Certain self-limiting illnesses or minor injuries may not require further medical care past the first aid intervention. It generally consists of a series of simple and in some cases, potentially life-saving techniques that an individual can be trained to perform with minimal equipment. (Source: Philippine National Red Cross) Part VI – Community-building: A Community De velopment Challenge Activity 9 – Story Telling Friendship Rainbow – Friendship Value Once upon a time the colors of the world started to quarrel. All claimed that they were the best. The most important. The most useful.The favorite. Green said: â€Å"Clearly I am the most important. I am the sign of life and of hope. I was chosen for grass, trees and leaves. Without me, all animals would die. Look over the countryside and you will see that I am in Majority. † Blue interrupted: â€Å"You only think about the earth, but consider the sky and the sea. It is the water that is the basis of life and drawn up by the clouds from the deep sea. The sky gives space and peace and serenity. Without my peace, you would all be nothing. † Yellow chuckled: â€Å"You are all so serious. I bring laughter, gaiety, and warmth into the world.The sun is yellow, the moon is yellow, the stars are yellow. Every time you look at sunflower, the whole world starts to smile. Without m e there would be no fun. † Orange started next to blow her trumpet: â€Å"I am the color of health and strength. I may be scarce, but I am precious for I serve the needs of human life. I carry the most important vitamins. Think of carrots, pumpkins, oranges, mangoes, and papayas. I don't hang around all the times, but when I fill the sky at sunrise or sunset, my beauty is so striking that no one gives another thought to any of you. â€Å"Red could stand no longer he shouted out: â€Å"I am the ruler of all of you. I am blood – life's blood! I am the color of danger and of bravery. I am willing to fight for a cause. I bring fire into the blood. Without me, the earth would be as empty as the moon. I am the color of passion and of love, the red rose, the poinsettia and the poppy. † Purple rose up to his full height. He was very tall and spoke with great pomp: â€Å"I am the color of royalty and power. Kings, chiefs, and bishops have always chosen me for I am the sign of authority and wisdom. People do not question me.They listen and obey. † Finally Indigo spoke, much more quietly than all the others, but with just and as much determination: â€Å"Think of me. I am the color of silence. You hardly notice me, but without me you all become superficial. I represent thought and reflection, twilight and deep water. You need me for balance and contrast, for prayer and inner peace. † And so the colors went on boasting, each convinced for his or her own superiority. Their quarreling became louder and louder. Suddenly there was a startling flash of bright lightning, thunder rolled and boomed.Rain started to pour down relentlessly. The colors crouched down in fear, drawing to close to one another for comfort. In the midst of the clamor, Rain began to speak: â€Å"You foolish colors, fighting amongst yourselves, each trying to dominate the rest. Don't you know that you were each made for a special purpose, unique and different? Join hands with one another and come to me. † Doing as they were told, the colors united and join hands. The rain continued: â€Å"From now on, when it rains, each of you will stretch across the sky in a great bow of color as a reminder that you can all live in peace.The Rainbow is a sign of hope for tomorrow. † And so whenever a good rain washes the world, and a rainbow appears in the sky, let us remember to appreciate one another. Friendship is like a rainbow: Red like an apple, sweet to the core. Orange like a burning flame, never dying out. Yellow like the sun that brightens your day. Green like a plant that keeps on growing. Blue like the water that is so pure. Purple like a flower that is ready to bloom. Indigo like the dreams that fill your heart. Thank you for our friendship! Lecture 10 – Working Together through Community DevelopmentAn honest reflection on the many local and national issues that exist today can be intimidating, even discouraging. The present Filip ino community is beset with problems such as low level of living, low level of productivity, poor marketing system, oppressive and teneurial arrangements and practices, unemployment and underemployment, limited genuine support facilities for socio-economic development, poor health condition, low level of education, cultures of silence and poverty, personalized policies and community disorganization.These factors exist, and they play a part in shaping our society. But just as these limitations are facts of life, so too is our genuine concern to those in need. The ultimate goal of development is â€Å"to improve the quality of life. † To achieve this goal of development, this requires an integrative process of mobilization and the raising of the consciousness of the people and the building of community organizations. The development process to be truly responsive, effective, equitable and sustainable, must be people-empowered, people-centered and towards community empowerment.S uch empowerment implies that the decision-making must be given to the people involved, thereby incorporating into the development process their own needs and values (Dr. Vivian Gonzales, VIP-CWS, Laguna: Sikap Strive Foundation, 1997). Through community development, the students together with the people in the community develop a common feeling of solidarity and become aware that they can achieve positive changes not only for themselves but also for their community. Lecture 11 – A Brief History of Community DevelopmentCommunity development as a new discipline, grew out of an older concept – community organization. In the 1950’s a number of social scientists and educators formed the American Council on the Community, a relatively short-lived organization whose purpose was the institutionalization of scattered efforts throughout the United States to improve American community life. This effort was built on the experience acquired during World War II when millions of Americans participated in volunteer efforts and organized to deal with local problems.This was the time when United Unions agencies and the technical assistance programs of the West sought to help the developing countries (Third World countries) move along the road to economic progress (modernization). Community development became one of the models (strategies) employed toward the transformation. The term received so much attention and recognition not only in the developing world but also in the US that it came to replace â€Å"community organization† even in the US.Programs to help the impoverished areas of Appalachia or large metropolitan centers were legislated into existence and were labeled either as Community Development or Rural Development in the statutes. The essential feature was resource mobilization (people as well as material resources) at the community level so as to introduce a better quality of life. It included, among others, a new kind of stock taking by local residents, the use of outside consultants in interpreting the facts collected and in planning programs to meet the needs that were identified.In the 1960’s over sixty countries either had well-formulated national community development programs or were in the process of bringing them into existence. Leaders of nations in Africa, Central, and South America, and Asia/Pacific after World War II faced tremendous tasks of nation building. This was due to the long periods of colonization under European nations faced with large-scale problems and relatively inadequate resource-utilization (low technical-know-how) national leaders embraced the idea of mobilizing local people carry out community projects.The Community Development program of India, for example, was set up to aid the inhabitants of 558,000 villages attain a higher social and material level of well – being. Multi-purpose village level workers, especially trained for this new challenge, met with the village pe ople, helped them to recognize and identify their needs and potentials and offered technical and moral assistance to meet their needs. The technical assistance was given by specialists in agriculture, animal husbandry, road building, irrigation, education, health and sanitation, rural cooperatives, etc. The basic unit was the block which comprised 100 villages.Other countries, of course, worked out the kind of community development programs best fitted to their situation. The key common element to all countries was the thrust toward self-help and communal labor to undertake projects they considered important. Any compensation of labor was often channeled through the local community authorities by the external funding agencies so that other projects could be further financed (e. g. the â€Å"food-for-work† programs). These community development program were often fitted into national five-year to ten year plans to ensure the allocation of sufficient resources to these efforts at the â€Å"grass-roots† level.To many national leaders such programs seemed a way toward democratization and decentralization of the political process; they gave local people a feeling of being involved in nation-building and showed that the central government was actually beginning to show an interest in their welfare. In recent years, however, the central government is found wanting in this direction because the interest in this approach begins to wane due to greater focus being placed on urban development at the expense of rural development. (Source: ASI CD Monograph, 1998) Lecture 12 – Definition of the ConceptThere are many definitions of community development. The definitions vary according to type of agency, the setting, the method of operation and the purpose of the agency. Despite their differences, they share certain commonalities in their definitions. Thus, in defining the concept community development, these elements are evident: †¢ a group of people ; †¢ residing in a community; †¢ reaching a decision; †¢ to initiate a social action process (planned intervention); †¢ in order to have a desirable change in their social, economic, political, cultural, or environmental situation.Community Development is a planned, organize and evolutionary process whereby a group of people with common aims, needs and aspirations come together to initiate social action in order to improve their social, economic, political, cultural, and environmental conditions. The term â€Å"community development† came into international usage to connote the processes by which the efforts of people themselves are united with those of governmental authorities to improve the economic, social and cultural conditions of communities, to integrate these communities into the life of the nation, and to enable them to contribute fully to national progress.This complex of processes is made up of two essential elements: the participation of the pe ople themselves in efforts to improve their level of living with as much reliance as possible on their own initiatives and the provision of technical and other services in ways which encourage initiative, self-help, and mutual help and make them more effective in programs designed to achieve a wide variety of specific improvements such as health, environmental conservation etc. This definition was coined by the United Nations. (Source: ASI CD Monograph, 1998)Lecture 13 – The Aims and Objectives of Community Development Aim, is a term that is simply defined as a â€Å"clearly directed purpose†. It is sometimes used interchangeably to mean objective or goal. In the context of Community Development, the words â€Å"aim† and â€Å"objectives† are not easy to defined. However the aim of community development is refer to a community action. This does not help much to understand without referring to the reality of community development practice. In reality the p rimary objective of community development is to promote, sustain, support and maintain community action.Apparently, community development is related to community action, just as education, is related to learning. Hence, in promoting community development these must be some kind of community action to initiate or to guide the promoter to carry out either social or economic activities to improve their welfare or to solve their real problems. In order to arrive at a simpler understanding of the aims and objectives of community development, it may be worthwhile looking into the different types of community development and their respective objectives. Looking at each of them will underline both their differences and similarities.From this standpoint, it may be possible to infer a general aim of community development through the synthesis of their common element. 1. Community Work Type This can be regarded as a professional approach to community development which has developed within the field of social work. It came into being in response to increasing demand for social services for the age, the sick, the unemployed etc. The objective of this type of community development work ahs been given as the, â€Å"giving of aid and support to people who need more control over their lives. †Examples: a. When members of a community offer voluntary services to a victim of say, typhoon, who lost his/her house. Oftentimes, other people in the community may offer temporary shelter, food, clothing etc. to the victims. This is typical norm of the Asian people, specially in rural areas. b. Community voluntary work in the community such as clearing, or weeding the local market or repairing the streets. 2. Colonial Social Development Type This type came into existence when many colonized nations in the Third World attained self – rule (independence).The objective of colonial social development type was to integrate economic and social programs into education for self â⠂¬â€œ management programs and for the development of the political structure in the newly independent nations. Examples: a. Rural Rice Milling Cooperatives. b. Rural Thrift and Savings Societies. c. Educational and Health programs. 3. Urban Renewal Types The purpose of urban renewal type is to break down social isolation and give more meaning to personal existence by encouraging the formation of social groups of different kinds which will organize own affairs. Example:When urban squatters are re-settled, new residential associations are formed to undertake the provision of water, light, and sanitary facilities for their benefit. They are encouraged to undertake self-help projects to realize their own social activity goals. 4. Adult Education Types The aim of adult education type is to help in the identification and development of local leaders; to foster the concern life and enable communities to deal with existing problems. Example: The institution of skill training and livelihood development programs in order to produce people who will be more enterprising and entrepreneuring. . Institutional Type The objective is to encourage those who have been provided formal service, to take action on their own behalf and in addition, to accept responsibilities to render service to others. Example: Youth organizations provide social, recreational and cultural services for the community. 6. The Idealist / Political Activist Types It aims at giving practical expression to social justice through militant action in order to see beneficial change for the participants within the shortest possible time. 7. The Community Development Type This is known the â€Å"kampong-based† type.The aim is towards the development of the potential of individual members of the target group. It stresses on self-reliance and participation to bring about desirable socioeconomic transformations. It also stresses on cultural exchange between Kampong in other countries to stimulate globalizatio n. (Source: ASI CD Monograph, 1998) Lecture 14 – The Major Purposes of Community Development The overall purpose of community development is to help people employ the rights methods to organize self-help initiatives and to develop techniques relevant to their own situation for socio-economic and cultural progress.Specifically, community development: 1. Is designed to meet the learning needs of significant groups in the community e. g. community leaders or civic or special interest organizations. 2. Enhance the ability of groups of individuals so that they can work collectively to attain community social and economic goals. 3. Teaches about matters relating to community or region, generally associated with social structures and public as well as private and voluntary enterprises. 4. Emphasis on shaping infrastructure and social organizational support through involvement in the legislative, including formal financial and business enterprises. Source: ASI CD Monograph, 1998) Lec ture 15 – Basic Stages in the Community Development Process A process is something which has a beginning and an end, and it happens over time. In the community development process, certain distinct stages are essential for its promotion. There are various listings of stages or steps in literature on community development. But I shall somehow oversimplify it here. 1. The Problem Situation A situation may exist in a community which represents a need, a problem, an opportunity, or a challenge to a community group, or to the entire community.Usually it would be tackled as a community project. 1. The Will To Do Through discussion, diffusion of ideas and with information input, the group involved may reach a point where it is beginning to form a will to do something about it. 2. Organizing Some form of organization is established with a certain amount of commitment from individuals to some in-depth and specific thinking about the project. 3. Getting to the People At this stage, the process moves to the general membership of the community. Information is diffused and educational work is undertaken community-wide. The potential exists for conflict.Considerable discussion, and expression of viewpoints. General goals may become clear and some commitments may be made. 4. The Planning Process If the project is blessed by legitimizers, the planning process will begin. The definition of objectives, availability of options or alternatives, and availability of resources may be assessed. The end result may be a plan to approach the project with specific information. 5. Execution Phase Initiation of the projects is often an occasion to build community spirit and identity and to cement commitment depending on the project, it is often an important occasion in the community. . Evaluation Evaluation is an on – going process (monitoring) but the final assessment is undertaken upon completion of the project. Community members try to review their experience for strength and weaknesses. The experience gained may be used in future community development projects. (Source: ASI CD Monograph, 1998) Part VII. Understanding Community Organizing Lecture 16 – Defining Community Organizing Community Organizing (CO), as commonly used has already joined the â€Å"wagon of over-used† words both in the academic and non-academic circles.Every agency or organization has its own interpretation of things around its own interpretation of things around it and therefore it must be no surprise that CO, like other terms, has different definitions depending on who, where and for what. It is popularly used among development practitioners, social workers, health workers, agriculturists, forest workers, teacher and even students. There are those who use CO to promote en environmental protection while there are those who use environmental protection promotes community organizing.Some say that CO is building organizations, other say it is just one of the aims of C O. some practitioners say that tantamount to doing community development. Community organizing is not just physically gathering and organizing people so that they can collectively participate in solving problems. CO is more a process of community-based decision-making involving the intervention of a change agent particularly regarding the exploitation of community-based resources. As Paulo Freire noted in his participatory approach research, â€Å"Man is being who exist in and with the world.To exist is thus a mode of life which is proper to the being who is capable of producing, of deciding, of creating and communicating himself. † Let us now look at several definitions of community organizing: It is the process of bringing about and maintaining adjustment between the social welfare needs and resources in a geographical area or special field of service. This means that a community needs to be aware that their needs can be responded by what the community’s physical bou ndaries. Adjustment of these needs with the available resources will require: ) Identifying what resources are exploitable; b) Planning on how to tap, use and re-use them; c) Employing environmentally safe appropriate technology; and d) Promoting collective human action in the resource management/maintenance. That is, in the essence, organizing the people for a common purpose/goal. According to the Philippines Business for Social Progress (PBSP), â€Å"CO is a systematic, planned and liberating change process of transforming a complacent, deprived malfunctioning community into conscious, empowered, self-reliant and just humane entity and institution†.This means, the community as a social unit, needs to learn so that they become empowered to address problems confronting them. CO is a process forged along people’s empowerment and the eventual formation of a self-reliant organization that will facilitate development in a sustainable manner. Apart from the above definition s, I would like to re-visit the concern that has been expressed for sometime now on the misuse and abuse of the concept of CO. (Source: ASI CD Monograph, 1998) Lecture 17 – The Concept of Community Organizing 1. Of Means and Ends (Process and Result)As a process, CO is a series of interrelated activities with the aim of unifying the people into an organization process, characterized by people’s participation in all aspect or stages of the organizing process. CO is a complex process that goes beyond the mere setting up of a formal organization. It is a process which ultimately influences the patterns of relationships in the community through the development and maintenance of a normative system. Such norms are expected to affect the values, belief, attitudes and aspiration of the people in the community.As a radical approach in bringing development to the community. Being radical, CO employs coercion, advocacy and even threat to uproot the causes of social injustice in the development of the people. Although CO starts by addressing small and simple issues which the people can immediately act on or solve, its main focus is to dig into the root cause of the problems. As a result of the organizing process, CO refers to the resulting entity, which is the legitimate and real organization of the people.It becomes the real manifestations of the people’s collective wills to be able to participate, voice out and be heard and also to act and decide as unified body (group). The resulting organization mirrors the people’s interests, sentiments and aspiration. Does the end always justify the means? There is, without a flaw, the perennial question about the ethical considerations of the irreverent attitude and the unconventional methods that effective COs have employed in their practice. But Alinsky resorted thus:Conscience is the virtue of observations and not of agent of action; in action, one does not always enjoy the luxury of a decision that is consistent both with one’s individual conscience and good of mankind; action is for mass salvation and not for individual’s personal salvation – particularly in the midst of society’s innate hypocrisy, its contradictions and apparent failure of almost every facet of our social and political life. 2. Of Power By giving power to the people we bring about â€Å"the future secured in the people’s hands†.Power is the basic element in the community organizing process. People’s power in CO is not based on material wealth in status in society. A powerful people’s organization (PO) is, therefore, an important means to find redress for their grievances and act against those conditions that appear and dehumanize them. People’s empowerment is making the people more assertive and advocative to face and fight human rights violations and exploitations. It is a process involving the recognizing and building upon innate capacity.It is not a program or activity but a process of enabling people, especially the weak, the poor, the unorganized, the illiterate, the oppressed to learn to surmount their powerlessness and to try to develop their God-given capacity to reach their in-born potential. Becoming vocal, they may be guaranteed basic freedom, opportunities and self-governance at the grassroots level. 3. Of Conflict (And Controversy) In CO, dissatisfaction or discontent (discontentment) is viewed as a positive ingredient that nourishes the enlightenment and development of a community.This is because it motivates people to come together and discuss and determined to solve problems affecting them. CO sees confrontation as a necessary and useful tool in solving social injustice. Change is part of human life and conflict (or friction) indispensable in social change. To live is to change. Change and conflict are fraternal twins in societal change. One functional aspect of conflict is that it leads to a search for solu tions. It is an instrumental for innovative change.It also helps to release the latent socio-psychological frustration. 4. Of Praxis (Theory and Practice/Reflection and Action) By a praxis here, it means that theory and practice o0f community organizing. In the day-to-day community improvement or organizing work, it is difficult to identify or separate the theory from the practice. Theory and practices should be so inter-woven and complementary, each testing and strengthening the other. It also refers to reflection and action. 5. Of Conscientization (Critical Awakening)Conscientization refers to the process in which men (humans) are not recipients, but as knowing subjects, achieve deepening awareness both of the socio-cultural reality which shapes their lives and their capacity to transform that reality (Paulo Freire; 1972). Conscientization involves reflection and action occurring simultaneously in the process of organizing wherein critical reflection becomes form of action. Featur es of Conscientization: 1. It is people’s organized response because the system it contends (struggles with) is organized. . It mirrors and unmasks the different aspects (realities) of the system so that the people see them for what they are. 3. It changes attempts by elites to petrify (solidify) the culture of poverty and galvanize (electrifies) within people the spirit of critical awareness and mass protest. At the same time, it promotes the spirit of cooperation, unity and sincerity among the people to fight against the individualistic, competitive, exploitation and selfish characteristics of the elites. (Source: ASI CD Monograph, 1998)Lecture 18 – Goals of Community Organizing Community organizing aims at achieving the following broad goals: 1. People’s Empowerment CO helps the community to become better equipped with appropriate skills, ethics to assert and advocate for their rights, towards social equity, fairness and human dignity. 2. Building Organizatio n The organizing process brings into being relatively permanent structures that can better serve the needs and aspirations of the community. A viable, self- reliant and grassroots-managed organization (PO) is one of the aims of CO. hrough formal or non-formal set-ups or structures, the community acquires the skills of community management. 3. Building Alliances Community organizing aims to give the people, skills in intra and inter organizational management and processes through group linkages and networking among the various groups in the community. 4. Popular Democracy Popular democracy entails such attributes as consensus-building in decision-making, planning and participation in community projects. It gives rise to â€Å"one man one vote† system, freedom of speech and freedom of religion, among others. . Social Transformation CO seeks to change the life of a community and the whole society into a democratic, nationalistic, self-reliant and self-governing entity. An entity to address the needs of individual members as well as community-based concerns such as environmental degradation. 6. Development of Local Leaders It aims to identify local leaders and equip them with the necessary skills to better serve their people. (Source: ASI CD Monograph, 1998) Lecture 19 – The Guiding Principles of Community OrganizingCO like other concepts, has set of principles to guide the practice. It is people’s organized response because the system it contends (struggles with) is organized: Go to the people. Live among them. Learn from them. Plan with them. Work with them. Start with what they know. Build on what they have. Teach by showing. Learn by doing. Not by showcase, but a pattern. Not odds and ends, but a system. Not piecemeal, but an integrated approach. Not to conform, but to transform. Not relief, but release. Go to the people and live among the people.Learn the culture of the people and try to integrate into the culture. Learn, plan and work wi th the people. The people are highly knowledgeable about the local situation so the community organizer must avail of this opportunity. Start from where the people are in their development. There must be a proportionate blend between top-down and bottom-up technologies in order to tap the indigenous resources in the community. Teach by learning first from the people. The community organizer must realize that local or indigenous knowledge is not inferior to Western or scientific knowledge.Respecting the people’s knowledge will encourage them to learn other skills to complement what they already know. Integrative and holistic approach. The community organizing must focus on the interdependency and the interrelatedness of the factors needed to transform the situation of the people for the better. Cumulative and continuous. CO is not one time great even but grows gradually without break until specific problems are addressed and phased-out. (Source: ASI CD Monograph, 1998)

James Pollard essays

James Pollard essays In Alan DershowitzÕs novel Chutzpah, he devotes an entire section to the issue of, and his personal feelings about James Pollard. He begins this section with a description of the way in which this man was caught selling classified government documents to the nation of Israel. Basically this man was a Jewish American spy for the Israeli government because of a duty he felt stemming from a secret loyalty he felt toward the nation of Israel. Over an extended period of time this man sold thousand of secret documents which in the eyes of Weinberger, the Secretary of Defense for the United States was a Òserious breech in national security.Ó Dershowitz emphasizes in great detail how in order to avoid a trial in which the declassification of these documents would be required, Pollard was pressured to accept a plea bargain in which he would plead guilty, give full disclosure pertaining to the information he handed over, and release all rights to any of his future published material that pertained to the case. In exchange for these things he would be granted a formal request by the US government to the judge of the case which would call for a restricted sentence for him and his wife. Pollard agreed to this deal and was satisfied with it until he received a sentence of life in a maximum security prison and his wife received 5 years in prison. The evidence that Dershowitz presents suggests that Pollard did get an unfair deal, and a much harsher sentence than others in the past have received for similar crimes. Dershowitz s...

Advanced Hypothesis Testing

Advanced Hypothesis Testing We will identify the feasibility of hiring temporary employees as opposed to working current employees into overtime at Proctor Gamble (PG). For example, PG employees earn an average of $25 dollars per hour and are entitled to many benefits like medical, dental, vision, and various employee assistance benefits. By hiring temporary employees, PG circumvent the need for benefits to that group of people.PG is a global corporation, employing over 98,000 people throughout the world. Recently, the company was rated fifth for the quality of its products and services and fourth for innovation. Overall, PG was ranked fourth on the Fortune list of the top five most admired companies (PG, n.d.).PG has one of the largest and strongest portfolios of trusted brands, including Pampers, Tide, Ariel, Always, Pantene, Bounty, Folgers, Pringles, Charmin, Downy, Iams, Crest, Actonel and Olay (PG, n.d.). The United States has different manufacturing plants in: Phoenix, Arizona, Russellville, Arkansas, O xnard, Anaheim, and Sacramento, California, Dover, Delaware, Albany, Atlanta, and Augusta, Georgia, Iowa City, Iowa, Kansas City, Kansas, Alexandria and New Orleans, Louisiana, Auburn, Maine, Hunt Valley, Maryland, Aurora, Nebraska, Avenel and South Brunswick, New Jersey, Greensboro and Henderson, North Carolina, Cincinnati (H.Q.),English: Mountains over Cayey municipality of Puer...Lima, Leipsic, and Lewisburg, Ohio, Mehoopany, Pennsylvania, North Sioux, South Dakota, Jackson, Tennessee, Sherman, Texas, Green Bay, Wisconsin, and Cayey, Puerto Rico (PG. n.d.).Our advanced null hypothesis is that by using temporary employees, Proctor Gamble will spend greater than or equal to what salaried employees earn. Our alternate is that Proctor Gamble will spend equal to or less than what salaried employees are paid. The level of significance is 95%.The test statistic used is the one sample t-test. T equals the mean minus the population mean divided by the sample divided by the square root o f the number.The decision rule is to accept the alternate hypothesis because the critical values fall within range.Descriptive Statistics: Wages/hrVariable N N* Mean SE Mean StDev Minimum Q1 Median Q3Wages/hr 35 1 13.471 0.265 1.567 10.500 12.500 13.500 15.000Variable MaximumWages/hr 17.000One-Sample Z: Wages/hrThe assumed standard deviation = 1.56795%UpperVariable N Mean StDev SE Mean BoundWages/hr 35 13.4714 1.5669 0.2649 13.9071One-Sample T95%UpperN Mean StDev SE Mean Bound35 13.4710 1.5670 0.2649 13.9189ReferenceProctor Gamble. Retrieved March 23, 2006 from: pg.com/en_US/index.jhtml

Australian Law and Native Title

Australian Law and Native Title Introduction Long before British colony established in Australia, that is, before 1788, the Aboriginal people and the Torres Strait Islanders settled in Australia as indigenous people. As usual, the Aboriginal people and Torres Strait Islander had their own customs and laws governing them besides, speaking a unique language.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Australian Law and Native Title specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Interestingly, these laws and customs went in tandem with brawny and firm spiritual connections, with an aim of forming an indigenous country. For example, these traditional customs and laws composed diverse activities like performing ceremonials and rituals, where men could go hunting and fishing and on the other hand, women could gather food. Additionally, the laws and customs mandated provision of education and knowledge to children through storytelling, artwork, songs and dances. Furthermore, thes e laws and customs became a platform of environmental conservation for future generations. Therefore, these laws and customs provided equality to all members of the society irrespective of the social class. However, after 1788, the story was never the same as the British colony alleged its own sovereignty in Australia. In essence, the British administration claimed colonial mastery and administration over Australian residents. (National Native Title Tribunal, 2010, Para. 1-7). Background History: Advent of Inequality The main cause of Australian law inequality was the British colonisers. These colonisers enacted laws that segregated some communities from the rest. On gaining independence, some leaders continued to impose these laws. To weaken this structure, communities had to contest in a court of law. By 1788, European powers had spread all over Europe to colonise weak nations- Australia being one of them. Nevertheless, it was not an easy task, as these power blocks in Europe had to deploy some tactics in case; indigenous territories resisted any form of colonialism. The first mode applied by these western powers was to conquer by conquest. At this instant, colonial masters had to seek mandate to colonise a nation by negotiating for certain reparations. If this system failed, the colonial masters applied another method. This time round, they could apply stringent measures in order to force indigenous population succumb to their demands. An example of this is what happened in Fiji during the colonial period. Some compensations and reparation could follow. Lastly, the third system involved declaration of land as terra nullius. This means, colonial masters considered land unsafe for human inhabitation hence; no need to negotiate any form of compensations of reparations to indigenous populace (a lie).Advertising Looking for essay on history? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Any of the three system s asserted negative consequences to indigenous population. As a result, many people suffered most. Some of them became landless and subjected to hard labour. Inequality dominated the talk of the day even as colonial masters killed stubborn indigenes. (Gary, 1997, Para. 5-6). The Aboriginal people of Australia had a well-structured system of governance. Their laws provided a platform of equality among all members. The laws and customs soldiered solidarity among Aboriginals before the First Feet of British colonisers arrived. The laws acted as foundation blocks whose realignment will see the relationship among Aboriginals crumple. Furthermore, the solidarity of Aboriginal population, plus their laws and customs, did not prevent British colonisers from building their own empire over the sovereignty enjoyed in Australian continent. The British colonisers declared Australian land terra nullius. This is because; the British colonisers did not want to negotiate with indigenous population o ver the issue of compensation. Instead, they opted to declare land terra nullius so that, they could evade any form of reparation or compensation exclusive of reference to indigenous rights. Some historians depict that, had these British colonisers recognized how important Aboriginal laws were, they could have spared Aboriginal sovereignty and instead, discuss and negotiate with indigenous population in order to award compensation or reparation to the lost land. (Fry, 1947, pp. 158-168). Deceitfully and deliberately, in 1889, the British colonisers ignored Aboriginal laws and customs, which gave Australian inhabitants fundamental rights and as a substitute, they declared British dominion based on terra nullius. Captivatingly, British officials applied terra nullius through lying to Australian inhabitants. This lie turned into a myth lasting over 200 years. Additionally, the myth shattered the Aboriginal laws and customs and eventually brought devastating moments among Islanders and Aboriginal people in Australia. The Koori people knew this to be a lie just as it came out to be. The British colonisers administered Australia under Terra nullius laws. Even after their withdrawal, Terra nullius dominated indigenous population in Australia until 1992. (Bird, 1988. pp. 4-32).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Australian Law and Native Title specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Nevertheless, there came a period in 1992, when Aboriginal people in Australia demanded justice. The law had proved futile and horrible. Indigenous people tired of terra nullius lies sought legal redress. Finally, one person named Mabo, filed suit to nullify terra nullius. Luckily, the High Court in Australia decided to illegalise terra nullius hence, liberating Aboriginals and Islanders of Strait. Fascinatingly, in Australian High Court, the Mabo case had taken a different perspective where, the national emphasis of Aboriginal stru ggle of rights previously deemed political made a quick shift into legal battle to voice out the demands of Aboriginal populations. The intense and successful political tussle lasting for five decades transformed into above-board configuration where astronomically priced law experts and Barristers fought mercy on the part of Aboriginal people. Together, these people fought to retain their ancestral land, which the British colonisers typified to their own sovereignty. Even today, the struggle continues. All manner disadvantages falls on the Aboriginal people as they struggle to retain the forgone justice. The struggle for liberation among Aboriginal population started in 1930 and continued to 1980s. They had formed a political movement aimed at reclaiming their land. All this time, Aboriginal Court cases dominated Australian Courts. Consequently, in 1993, there came a parliamentary legislation, Native Title Act, which brought equality in Australian legal system. In fact, most inhabit ants in Australia including indigenous ones illiterate in law, now have an idea on the Mabo decision as a product of the Native Title Act of 1993. The Act brought some light on legal matters and most importantly, the Aboriginal people received justice though the liberation continues. (Berndt, 1992, pp. 12-48). Native Title Under Australian law, a Native Title is a legal documentation, which provides Australian indigenous persons certain privileges and interests. In most cases, the Native Title provides policies that see people own and use land according to their traditional practices, that is, societal customs and laws. Additionally, the Title recognises and awards legal land interests to indigenous Australian citizens having survived and acquired accreditation from Queen Victoria in 1901.Advertising Looking for essay on history? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Under normal instances, Native Title resembles non-Indigenous property rights that allow people classified as indigenous, to exercise native rights on their traditional land. Apparently, the system allows land fragmentation at the expense of indigenous groups. Sometimes, the Native Title and non-indigenous laws behaves like two-tier systems, which recognises single national, geographical and jurisdictional environment in the application of Australian law. Thus, the Native Title is a customary law recognised by all Australians as customary Aboriginal law. In order to be effective, indigenous people’s rights and interests must depend on traditional customs and laws whose foundation rests on the group’s collective responsibility. The Native Title submits to individual or collective rights. Since 1992, Australian law identifies all interests and rights held by indigenous population. In particular, the Native Title became a custom will and at the same time, traditional law in order to bring equality and justice before the law. There are numerous rights, privileges and civil liberties gained because of enacting the native title into Australian law. Previously, these privileges consummating into rights did not exist. However, the native title awakened the dissemination of various time-honoured laws and customs, brought forth an idea of guarding and touring specific sceneries, ensured equality to all on the side of owning land, allowed accessibility to restricted areas so that, people can exploit traditional ritual and ceremonies. The Title gave all Australian citizens the right to own and occupy land albeit controlled places. (Native Title Tribunal, 2010, Para. 12-21). Mabo versus Queensland (1992) In 1990s, the Australian parliament made a move to negotiate a treaty with indigenous people who had suffered because of terra nullius. Although indigenous people in Australia did not have a representative in parliament, the feasibility of the matter said a l ot. The realignment of indigenous population in Australia preconditioned equality, which many Australian viewed as a political dispensation between people hence, social cohesion in Australia. Indeed, the influx of the Native Title in 1990 marked a step towards Australian legal equality. In the High Court of Australia, Mabo case challenged Australian authority whether; all-inclusive negotiations were paramount in overthrowing terra nullius in order to embrace indigenous governance recognised under Australian law. Most importantly, comprehensive negotiations had reached a sorry state both in practice and in principle. Verily, the Mabo case exuded legal injunctions other than property ownership in Australia. This is because; the Aboriginal population as an indigenous group, exercised an excellent internal jurisdiction, which defined individual rights and freedoms. Furthermore, the Native Title recognised any group that had internal traditional laws and customs jurisdiction. Such a grou p had the right to enter biding with the government over its indigenous resources and territory. (Jupp Nieuwenhuysen, 2007 p. 65). The Genesis of Equality in Australian Law In 1992, Australia entered a new era where equality dooms. In particular, the High Court of Australia brought some light in Australian law. The Meriam people had gone to court in order to secure rights of owning land in the Islands of Torres Strait. Luckily, the common law in Australia recognised such cases to receive hearing under the Native Title, which composed of traditional laws and customs. As a result, the Aboriginals lost land, language and left homeless. Interestingly, the federal government of Australia continued these policies, which undermined Aboriginal people. In the event, the High Court discarded the British impression of terra nullius (a situation where land does not belong to anybody). This notion had created inequality in large scale as the Australian citizenry except indigenous populace owned land. Therefore, the outcome of Mabo case gave individuals, righty to own property. Basing its argument on Native Title, the High Court declared that, individuals or communities could own land according to traditional laws and customs. This was to happen irrespective of inequitable laws created by Crown. Additionally, the High Court declared that, individuals and communities had the right to not only access and use land, but also possess it legally. (Department of Foreign Affairs, 2010, Para. 4-11). The law did bring equality replacing past injustices in Australian law. For example, the Mabo case highlighted two themes. The first one is, colonial boundaries preventing people from owning land, were a perjury to Aboriginal people. Secondly, terra nullius being a colonial sentiment is itself inequality and its abolition meant equality and new principals guiding land ownership in Australia. The law brought justice in land ownership. The federal government’s land tenure system to the aboriginal people seemed part of segregation. However, the advent of native title ensured the aboriginal people own land in Australia. Colonial masters and hence the federal government, caused material injury to Aboriginal people. In addition, they lost traditional rights, language and forced out of land. The law brought equality in that, like other Australian citizens, the Court ruled on their side to receive traditional rights. Moreover, in terms of economic gains, the Aboriginal people like indigenous Australians, participated in income generating activities like mining and doing business. On the other hand, the federal government sent money to remote areas to undertake communal projects. In the past, racism, social amenities, education, employment and housing were invisible truths among Aboriginal people. The law brought equality through mainstreaming where; the federal government adhered to Aboriginal policy and completed various programs for the benefit of the Aboriginal people. Socio-economically, the Aboriginals are almost at the same level with other indigenous Australians. Equality in the Context of Native Title The Native Title did bring equality in Australian legal equality. The fundamental rights and interests gained from the Native Title root from traditional laws and customs initially, destroyed by British sovereignty. In addition, Native Title rights do not resemble government rights like Aboriginal Land Rights Act of 1976 (Northern Territory), or any other statutory land rights. Nonetheless, the Native Title rights extend its rights and interests even to water bodies, a scenario not exhibited under government laws. By this, the Native Title establishes just land acquisition in tandem with traditional laws and customs. The parliamentary legislation of 1993, Native Title Act, reaffirmed the recognition of native title, as the foundation of egalitarianism and justice. Native Title applies heavily in the legal system of Australia to promote e quality. For example, customary law recognises traditional laws and customs, which sire rights and interests of certain indigenous Australians. Additionally, the Native Title ensures that, communities and individuals own access land and water notwithstanding, traditional laws and customs. The fact that, the legal system in Australia recognises native title under customary law is a step towards equality and justice before law. This means, individuals or communities denied land either from dubious operations like terra nullius; can contest in a court of law to secure such rights. As a calculated move towards equality, it is the Native Title Act, which determines the groups or communities to receive rights and interests. Nevertheless, this must be in a case where, the native title holds. Additionally, the Act provides a policy framework on how Australian law deals with future activities flout with the native title. In a situation where the law finds native title prejudiced, compensatio n follows immediately. In essence, the native title brings equality in Australian law through fair hearings and compensations if any. (Stephenson Ratnapala, 1993, pp. 13-58). Unlike Australian law, the native title bestows native title rights and interests to indigenous Australians or any person or group that had made claim in a court of law. Grippingly, rather than authoritarianism, the native title allows consultation between all stakeholders in order to have a common solution to a certain problem. For example, through the native title and Australian law, indigenous Australians have effectively negotiated communal land benefits according to their traditional customs and laws. Moreover, the once segregated indigenous population can now access opportunities like employment and birthright fortification, courtesy of the native title. Previously, the government did not recognise land bodies and title certificated held by indigenous people. Consequently, the Native Title Act required pr ofessional land bodies whose main role will be, to ensure equality to all claimants. Overall, some clauses in the native title gave power to the Native Title Tribunal, native title representative bodies and the Australian Federal Court to solve all contentious issues arising from the native title. (Bachelard, 1997. pp. 8-34). Many at times, the government receives blame for its laxity in educating people to understand the Native Title Act. Majority of Australians seem not to understand what Native Title Act means to them. There might be some Australians having land issues but do not know how to solve them yet, the Act allows mutual discussions leading to an amicable solution. Nevertheless, for those who have gained familiarity of the Native Title Act, land interests and reparations are not serious issues to trouble. Even as Australians become acquainted with the provisions of the Native Title Act, it is now clear that, more volunteer Indigenous Land Use Agreements will take preceden t and create a consensual fortitude of dealing with issues arising from native title so that, equality prevails in Australian law. (Yunupingu, 1997, pp. 54- 73). Conclusion Traditional laws and customs were the contentious issue leading to the Mabo case (No.2). These laws and customs formed an Aboriginal perspective different from the normal jurisprudential Australian law concepts. According to Aboriginals, Australian law had to incorporate traditional values, practices, beliefs and rules in form of an ‘aboriginal culture’. The British colonisers brought a lie called terra nullius, which led to erosion of ‘aboriginal culture’. For over two hundred years (1788-1992), the Aboriginal people and Torres Strait Islanders owned nothing and lost rights to possess. Captivatingly, since then, Australians lost understanding on traditional laws and customs, which were paramount among indigenous Australian population. In the wake of realisation, indigenous Australians d ecided to fight for their rights and interests. Originally, Australian was a judge-made common law nation; law concept left by British colonisers. Nevertheless, after years of political movement and legal battling, terra nullius laws became invalid. On the other hand, the Native Title Act of 1993 by Australian parliament brought justice and equality to all Australians. Today, million of Australians own property and access rights to acquire, use and occupy land. This is so because; the native title brought equality into Australian common law. References Bachelard, M., 1997.The Great Land Grab: What every Australian should know  about Wik, Mabo and the Ten-point Plan. Melbourne: Hyland House Books. Berndt, M., 1992. The World of the First Australians, Aboriginal Traditional Life:  Past and Present. 5th Ed. Canberra: Aboriginal Studies Press. Bird, G., 1988. The Process of Law in Australia: Intercultural Perspective’s. London: Butterworth Publishers. Department of Foreign Af fairs and Trade, 2010. Indigenous land rights and native title. Web. Fry, T., 1947. Land Tenures in Australian Law. 3 Res Judicatae, 156-168. Gary, F., 1997. Native Title is not Land Rights. Web. Jupp, J. Nieuwenhuysen, E., 2007. Social Cohesion in Australia. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. National Native Title Tribunal., 2010. History of Native Title. Web. Stephenson, M. Ratnapala S., 1993. Mabo: A Judicial Revolution. Aboriginal  Land Rights Decision and its impact on Australian Law. Brisbane: University of Queensland Press. Yunupingu, G., 1997. Our Land is Our Life: Land Rights – Past, Present and Future.  Brisbane: University of Queensland Press.

Discuss the issue of legalization of marijuana Essay

Discuss the issue of legalization of marijuana - Essay Example Marijuana has always been a controversial drug, but it has become even more so since individual states have petitioned for its legalization for medical purposes. Though the long-term goal is to legalize the drug for recreational purposes, the short-term goal is to get it approved for medical uses. Some states, such as California, have opened up medical marijuana dispensaries, which allow people with prescriptions to obtain their drugs. They were able to be approved for medical marijuana because they provided proof that it is the only drug that can ease nausea and chronic pain. Doctors, scientists, and government officials alike believe that as long as the drug is being used for its intended purpose, then it should be legalized as a medical drug. Unfortunately, not all patients are using marijuana as directed. Since quite a few patients are able to grow their own medical marijuana, some have abused the system and have sold marijuana to be used as a recreational drug. While marijuana has shown its usefulness in helping some of the sickest patients, they are not helping society by making an illegal and controversial drug more readily available to the public. On the other side of the coin in regard to marijuana is legalization for recreational purposes. Many individuals from a variety of backgrounds have tried to compare marijuana with alcohol and cigarettes, attempting to convince those in power that marijuana is no worse than these other vices. Indeed, people have proven that marijuana is actually the lesser of the three evils (Regan 109). As such, it is believed that as long as marijuana is treated and regulated like alcohol and cigarettes, then there should be no reason for the drug to remain illegal. One of the assumed perks of legalized marijuana for recreational purposes is that drug-related crime will significantly decrease. This is due to the belief that if marijuana is legal, people will not have