Prison Crowding Essay

Prison overcrowding is referred to as one of the major social problems in the United States. The problem of prison crowding has also touched Great Britain, some European countries, and finally, the developing world. During the 14 years between 1980 and 1994, the U. S. prison population has grown 172 percent (Bleich, 1999); more than 30,000 state prisoners spend their days and nights in country jails, waiting for new cells. The consequences of prison overcrowding are reflected in the whole set of broad social phenomena, from prison violence to higher rates of recidivism. The late 1970s and the beginning of the 1980s have been characterized by the growing number of prisoners in the U. S. â€Å"The United States produced a rate of growth in the nation’s prison population that scholars and legal commentators have repeatedly characterized as ‘unprecedented’† (Gaes & McGuire, 1995). The number of prisoners was growing so fast that prison officials failed to develop effective systems and supervising networks that would maintain social and criminal stability across all correctional facilities at the federal level. The reasons and causes of prison overcrowding are numerous and require different approaches; but with financial and social resources being limited, federal authorities are unprepared to meeting the social challenges of prison overcrowding in the U. S. Organizational instability in prison system produces numerous adverse effects, including the development of dysfunctional psychological responses among younger prisoners and the system’s inability to satisfy the basic needs of prisoners. The causes of prison overcrowding are different and numerous: mandatory minimum sentencing, denial of parole, a variety of â€Å"zero tolerance† criminal policies, drug wars, and even trivial acts’ criminalization lead to the prisoners’ population increase (Bleich, 1999). Poverty and homelessness are the two indirect causes of prison overcrowding. The absence of effective anti-recidivism programs results in the growing number of prisoners in all types of correctional facilities. However, the discussion of prison overcrowding issues should start with the evaluation of psychological problems inmates face in crowded cells: â€Å"there is growing evidence that the Post Incarceration Syndrome is a contributing factor to high rates of recidivism. The cruelty of guards and staff remains a primary problem; those in prison are subjected to verbal violence and ridicule for anything from sexual preference to gender identity† (Gaes & McGuire, 1995). These violent attitudes significantly contribute into the growing levels of recidivism; many of those who have been imprisoned for the first time are sentenced for the second and the third time before their first imprisonment term comes to an end. Objectively, prison overcrowding forms a kind of a vicious circle, with violence, assaults, disciplinary penalties and recidivism in its center. The problem would not be so complex, if not for the growing social tensions between the inmates, the prison staff, and the rest of the American citizens. Prison overcrowding leads to the development of dysfunctional behaviors among prisoners, to the growing amount of unsatisfied needs, and to excessive application of force and violence needed to maintain social order in prisons. These threatening tendencies lead to the disruption of the traditional social structures, where the â€Å"imprisoned† gradually replace â€Å"socially free† population, further increasing the level of society’s criminalization in the country. Dysfunctional behaviors are particularly problematic among younger prison population; young prisoners are more susceptible and vulnerable to the changes which occur in prison; recent researches have proved young prisoners’ vulnerability to â€Å"restricted conditions, since there is neither the space, the facilities, nor the resources to provide inmates with a full range of training, work, and educational opportunities, when there are too many prisoners to cope with† (Ekland-Olson & Barrick, 1983). Young prisoners are more sensitive and volatile in their aggressive reactions to the new type of prison environment; as a result, they are more likely to be punished by prison officials through segregation units, isolated housing unites, or similar administrative measures. In these violent contexts, young prisoners risk committing another crime, thus contributing into the growth of recidivism in the American prisons. Dysfunctional psychological responses and the growth of â€Å"young recidivism† are not the only consequences of prison overcrowding; by filling prisons and jails above their capacity, prison officials fail to satisfy even the basic needs of prisoners. Health, nutrition, and social needs of prisoners are simply neglected, raising their sensitivity to various types of social threats, including health epidemics, aggression, and violence. Beyond normal sleeping and eating conditions, prisoners need vocational training, education, and meaningful jobs. Prisoners require extensive work experiences that will further help them adapt to real-life conditions beyond the prison walls. Prison overcrowding deprives prison officials of effective and reliable needs assessment and screening instruments and strategies, which could be universally applied to improve the prisoners’ well-being. The current prison system in the U. S. does not guarantee that prisoners’ basic civil rights will be followed while they are being imprisoned. Unfortunately, thousands and thousands of prisoners are still in need of treatment and counseling for different types of mental and physical health disorders (Bleich, 1999). As a result, by the time these prisoners are released on probation they are likely to face social rejection and negligence, leading recidivism and violence. Intimidation and force remain the two most effective instruments used to maintain order in prisons. A crowded prison can be compared to a â€Å"boiling cauldron of inmate hostility, ready to erupt instantaneously into a riot† (Cavadino & Dignan, 2002). In the absence of other relevant governing mechanisms, violence seems the easiest universal method of keeping prisoners’ behaviors under control. â€Å"For example, in maximum security prisons in California, guards armed with rifles are strategically positioned inside mainline housing units and authorized to respond to inmate disturbances with lethal force† (Gaes & McGuire, 1995). Violence and intimidation are further aggravated by the lack of appropriate staff resources that could potentially maintain stability and organizational order in prisons and jails. Violence and the lack of professional staff negatively impact the quality of relationships between prison officials and inmates, making the crisis of control and legitimacy the central social element of prison overcrowding in the U. S. (Cavadino & Dignan, 2002). In the light of the abovementioned issues, the natural question is whether overcrowding can be minimized and avoided, and what should be done to improve the quality of life in prisons. Researchers and professionals suggest that probation reform may change the situation in the American prison system. â€Å"Forty percent of prison intakes are from probation violations, and half of those violators are put into the prison system because of technical violations† (Hicks, 2006). By reducing probation sentencing terms and simplifying supervision rules, prison officials are likely to resolve the majority of issues related to prison overcrowding and its social consequences. Federal authorities and criminal justice professionals are to reconsider the criteria applied to zero tolerance policies and juvenile delinquency, to minimize the portion of young population in prisons. Ultimately, the basic needs of current prisoners should be assessed and addressed, to ensure that ex-prisoners are able to adapt to the changing real-life conditions and to return to regular work and life performance after being released from prison (jail). Conclusion Prison overcrowding leads to the development of distorted and dysfunctional social visions in the American society. Violence and intimidation remain the two widely accepted instruments of maintaining order in prisons. Young prisoners are particularly vulnerable to aggression and violence in jails. The reduction of probation sentencing terms and supervision rules simplification may resolve the majority of social issues related to prison overcrowding in the U. S. , but federal authorities still lack appropriate resources that could be used to simplify the organizational structure of prison system in the country.

Victoria Secrets

MAIN ITEMS TO BE COVERED IN THE GROUP PROJECT 1. Overview of chosen company/product and its domestic marketing strategy (in the country in which it is currently based). Victoria's Secret is an American retailer of women's wear, lingerie and beauty products. [2] It is the largest segment of publicly-traded Limited Brands with sales of over US$5 billion and an operating income of $1 billion in 2006. [2] Victoria's Secret is known for its annual fashion show, the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, and for its catalogs, both of which feature top fashion models. . In-depth Environmental Analysis of key foreign country-market(s) being considered for expansion. This would include Cultural, Political, Economic, Legal and Technological aspects of the environment (all aspects of the macro and micro environment that are relevant to the particular company/product and country-market being looked at need to be covered). †¢ Environmental Analysis must be supported by country-specific research, an d sources must be cited supporting key perspectives on the country. Key similarities and differences between the particular foreign market and the home market must also be identified and discussed 3. Competitive Analysis 4. SWOT analysis – company’s own strengths and weaknesses in the context of the environmental analysis and market audit. 5. Evaluation of companies Objectives (both short and long-term) for the specific products and country-markets being considered (in the light of the environmental analysis) and recommendations. 6.Assessment of the country-market opportunity being considered, and possible market-entry strategies appropriate to the market, including recommendations on most suitable market-entry strategies in the context of the preceding analysis (Note: In situations where the company has already decided on a country-market to enter into, you would evaluate and critique the company decision, and provide your view on whether you agree with the particular country-market choice or not). 7. Marketing Mix Recommendations for the chosen country-market and rationale for the recommendations.Particular reference should also be made to Standardisation and Adaptation (ie. The marketing mix elements that will be 2 carried over from the home market to the foreign market and therefore standardised, and the marketing mix elements that will be customized to suit the needs of the foreign market should be analysed and highlighted) . The marketing mix recommendations should include: a. Target markets and consumer profile b. International Product/Services strategy c. International Marketing Communications strategy d. International Distribution & Channel Management strategy e. International Pricing strategy f.Any other relevant marketing mix elements that you recommend be used a part of the strategy to enter the foreign market Please note that your recommendations will need to logically flow from your Environmental analysis (including the comparison o f the home market and the foreign market), SWOT analysis, evaluation of company objectives, and choice of market and entry-strategies. They also need to provide a rationale for how implementing your recommendations will lead to the company achieving the objectives you have defined. Marks Allocation for Items above: Item 1: 10% Item 2: 20% Item 3: 6% Item 4: 10% Item 5: 4% Item 6: 10% Item 7: 40%

The Contribution of Academic Research to Accounting and Financial Essay

The Contribution of Academic Research to Accounting and Financial Regulation - Essay Example 1). Despite the contribution of academic research in advancing theory, however, Coetsee (2010, p. 1) pointed out that no comprehensive theory in accounting has emerged. I have used only accounting journals except one which is a journal in management. I believe that the definitions of â€Å"accounting† and â€Å"financial regulation† in the journals have the same standard and the definitions are basically common in the profession. There can significant variations, however, in the area of financial regulation as the definitions can reflect theories on how financial regulation can best be implemented. In any case, the specific definition of accounting and financial regulation follows what the author or authors have used in their works. Some of the authors do not even have a definition of â€Å"accounting† and â€Å"financial regulation†, perhaps as a tacit assumption that there is a usual definition of the concepts in the accounting journals anyway. ... 273). Academic research is usually associated with research that is undertaken for its own sake, something done for the advancement of knowledge. It is different from the other kind of research which is usually described as policy-oriented. Academic research is usually found in journals while policy institutes, government, financial regulators, and consultancy groups usually undertake policy research. Although academic research is usually described as theory-oriented, in accounting it seems difficult to separate the theory part and the parts that are relevant for corporate governance. Baker and Barbu credited the academic community for improving rigor and theoretical underpinning in their research and the said factors contributed a lot in the major step in the harmonization of accounting standards in Europe (Baker and Barbu 2007, p. 273). Between 1965 to 2004, the academic community had an increasing output of academic research related to the international harmonization of financial standards (Baker and Barbu 2007, p. 276). However, the idea of creating a conceptual framework to facilitate accounting harmonization was introduced much earlier or in the 1940s (Baker and Barbu 2007, p. 280). In the 1980s, an important role played by accounting academic research is that the research pointed out that cultural and economic factors play important roles in shaping differences in accounting practices by countries (Baker and Barbu 2007, p. 280-281). Another sub-theme that had been prominent during the 1980s is the role played by history in shaping the accounting practices adopted by countries (Baker and Barbu 2007, p. 281). During the mid-1990s, the arguments towards accounting uniformity played an

Physical Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Physical Education - Essay Example From the discussion it is clear that these three dimensions determine a person’s Quality of Life. As a result, the health and medical care increasingly target physical education because of its strong correlation with physical health. A study by Marmot et al. posits that improved QoL correlates with reduced illnesses and other health issues, and it reduces costs in treatment of the ailments. As a result, including physical education in the curriculum is a productive way of implementing healthy lifestyle for these pupils.This study highlights that exercising helps a pupil develop both the understanding and knowledge of their body’s performance, and most of the times the students remain amazed by their body’s abilities. This development brings about endurance, which links to the Christian value whereby a pupil shows endurance when exploring his or her body’s capabilities. Creativity, expression of feelings and emotions come out right during dance and sports a mong other gymnastics. Students may build a positive mindset that promotes progression if allowed to have a reflection time to evaluate their experiences. In addition, these students will see a sense of admiration and respect when observing elite performance from professional athletes and their peers.  The physical education promotes healthy lifestyle and healthy living is vital for every student. During fair play, a student develops the ability to identify right from wrong in the sporting events, and especially during competition.

U05a1- Problems Definition and Research Intrest Statement on Paper

U05a1- Problems Definition and Intrest Statement on Depression - Research Paper Example Proponents of the biological perspective have identified that depression is caused due to the chemical imbalances in a human body. Deficiencies in two neurotransmitters, substance that allow brain cells to communicate, serotonin and norepinephrine are the major chemical imbalances that lead to depression. For example, deficiency in serotonin can result in sleep deprivation, anxiety and uneasiness. Similarly inadequate supply of norepinephrine leads to laziness, fatigue and depressing moods. (Lysaker et al 2007) Due to depression there are other bodily chemicals that are also altered. For instance a chemical known as cortisol, a hormone that a body produces in anger and stress, is at its peak in the morning and gradually decreases as the day progresses but in people, suffering from depression, the cortisol level does not comes down in the later hours of the day. This high level of cortisal is not healthy because research has shown that people suffering from long term stress have high level of this chemical in their bodies. (Lysaker et al 2007) This school of thought considers negative thoughts as the major cause of depression. According to Beck, great advocate of cognitive perspective, depression is a result of one’s poor self concept and how a person evaluates himself rather than a person considers negative views about oneself due to depression. A study conducted by Abela and DAlessandros (2002) on college admissions showed that students having negative views about their future have strong relationship between dysfunctional attitudes and depressing moods. This was proved later when students, having dysfunctional attitudes, did not get admissions in their desired colleges showed symptoms of depression after their self concept became negative due to failing the test. (Beck, 2008) In addition to negative view about oneself, negative views about the world and future may also lead to depression. For example, a

XBRL Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

XBRL - Research Paper Example It allows semantic meaning that is required for reporting financial and non financial information of businesses. This technology uses XML based language. The main objective of XBRL is to prepare and exchange financial information for further usage of it like analysis of financial information for investment decision making. It is a standard way to communicate with the stakeholders of the businesses through sharing financial information. Specification of standardization of information is developed and published by XBRL International Inc. The information on the XBRL platform can be freely downloaded especially the financial statements can be downloaded as spreadsheet format so that it can be easily used for further analysis (AICPA. 2012, p.1). The information will also be available in multiple languages to meet the purpose of mass target audiences. The professional users of financial statements of business like the security analysts can analyze the company’s financial information by comparing with other competitors very easily. This will be assist by getting automating filling of business information which can be easily compared with the previous financial figures. Again this helps analysts to increase speed along with high level of accuracy of data. The XBRL platform also provides the relevant definition of each reporting concepts and the relationship among various financial parameters and reporting concepts. XBRL facilitates the preparers of financial information of the companies to utilize freely accessible software to tag quarterly and annual financial information within taxonomy. This information is accomplished in an Instance Document that can be easily accessible by the target audiences. This information can be electronically exchanged and also can be validated in computers and also can be readable by the users from any part of the world. XBRL has published guideline for the users in its websites to help the preparers of financial statements (FFIEC, 2006, p.2). What information is required to be provided in XBRL? Requirement of information XBRL has been revised but there is no major change in the basic format of disclosed information in the periodic report or registration statement for new XBRL requirement. One minor change is that the companies have to provide financial statements along with the statement schedule and footnotes. The companies do not need to provide information about executive compensation and statistical disclosure of financial performance in a specific financial year. The companies must have to provide quarterly earnings reports, transition reports and annual reports. XBRL wants to extend the contents of Form 8K which will be revised and updated version of the previous financial statements of the companies duly filled with only SEC. XBRL also needs registration statement of limited security act which will update information about change of price range at the time submitting quarterly or annual financial repor t by the companies. Previously the companies need to provide amended at each time of filling in XBRL platform. For merger and acquisition of business registered with XBRL, it needs the detailed information of revised financial structure of the company and details of the acquisition value. XBRL data need registration statement of securities act which must include financial statements like Form S1 and Form S3. This incorporates the financial information provided by the company (SEC, 2009, p.23). What are the perceived benefits of XBRL? Are there any risks and/or drawbacks? XBRL is perceived to be beneficial for both the preparers and the users of financial statements. Financial analysts, regulatory bodies and investors gain more efficient and faster access financial data. This information

Government's role in Marketing Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Government's role in Marketing - Research Paper Example The two most important economic factors that affect international marketing are: 1. The industrial structure of a country 2. The income distribution of a country. The product and service needs of a country are shaped by the country’s industrial structure. There are 4 main types of industrial structures. They are as follows: 1. Subsistence economies: People consume what they grow and such an economy offers very few market opportunities. 2. Raw material exporting economies: Economies wealthy in one or more than one natural resources but poor otherwise. Such countries are excellent markets for large equipment etc and for luxury goods if a wealthy upper class is present. 3. Industrializing economies: Manufacturing accounts for 10-20% of the country’s economy. These countries are a good market for raw textile materials, heavy machinery, steel etc. A new affluent class and a small middle class are usually created by the on going industrialization, both of which require new types of imported foreign goods. 4. Industrial economies: Services and manufactured goods are the chief exports of industrial economies.. A large middle class usually exists making industrial economies an ideal market for all sorts of goods.... Low, medium and high income households may exist in industrialized economies whereas a subsistence economy may exist of mostly very low income households. However, developing or even poor economies may be attractive markets for all kinds of goods. The best example in this case is China. Even though China has only 0.2 millionaires per 1000 residents it trails only the US, Germany and the UK in the total number of millionaires because of its large population. (Kotler, 2008) The cultural elements that affect international marketing include: The different ways in which potential customers in different countries use and think about certain goods e.g. an average Frenchman uses twice as many grooming aids and cosmetics as his wife (Kotler, 2008). Cultural norms and regulations of each country e.g. Nike inadvertently offended Arabs and Muslims when it released shoes with a stylized â€Å"Air† logo which resembled Allah in Arabic script (National Geographic, 1999). Business norms and b ehaviors also play a very important role in international trade. Question 3: The political risks in international marketing involve: 1. Negative attitude of host government towards foreign firms. For e.g. Currency restrictions, import quotas etc might be imposed on the foreign to make life difficult for them. 2. Monetary regulations. Buyer’s government might impose restrictions on removal of a currency from the country leaving the seller no option but to receive payment in the blocked currency and getting their profits stuck. 3. Political instability is another risk associated with international trade. A major example of this phenomenon is the Dell Brazil case. Dell chose the Brazilian state of Rio Grande Do Sul as the site for its

Germany and the germans class Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Germany and the germans class - Essay Example er polished his oratory skills but at the same time he could afford himself to unbosom himself to his confidents, which was unacceptable during official speeches. Trevor-Roper set himself a mission to study the development of Hitler’s thinking - the point that is usually ignored by historians. Hitler’s personality is revealed through these conversations in all its unpleasant grandeur. The most interesting notes are dated by 1941-1942. At that time Hitler was on the rise and orated with a special inspiration. After Stalingrad, everything changed. It all ended when the Fuhrer, who was hiding in the bunker, increasingly practiced his eloquence only in the circle of sleepy secretaries or in the presence of his aide and doctor... Conversation topics were all but the most essential and urgent - the military one. England, America, India, painting, music, architecture, Aryan Jesus, Bolshevik St. Paul, pharaohs, the Maccabees, Julian the Apostate, King Farouk, vegetarianism and Vikings, the Ptolemaic system, the era of glaciation, Shintoism, prehistoric dogs, spartan soup – despite his utter ignorance, Hitler covered almost all possible issues in his talks. Hitler was tireless in his speeches. Albert Speer and Otto Dietrich unanimously talk about Hitler’s pathological and integral feature â€Å"speech egoism† (Redeegoizmus). It is very interesting to get to know what Hitler reasoned about himself and his empire, how he became a practical politician and political philosopher in one person, Napoleon and Spengler at the same time, who imagined himself to be a Roman emperor entrusted with the sacred mission to plunge the Huns - Russians and destroy Carthage - Britain. I would like to turn attention to Hitler’s opinion of his political opponents on the other side of the English Channel, in the U. S. and Soviet Union. He mentioned that both Anglo-Saxon are worth each other. His general characterization of Roosevelt is striking – the President is an imbecile, a

Comparative study of security in Windows and Linux Research Paper

Comparative study of security in Windows and Linux - Research Paper Example It is also important to ensure that the user functions do not interfere with the work of the operating system. Since the operating system is large and complex in code, it is suggested to create it in pieces. Each of these pieces should be well defined with respect to their work, inputs, outputs and various internal functions. The look and feel of the Linux operating system is same as that of the UNIX operating system. Linux is much younger than UNIX system. While OpenBSD is also generated over the UNIX framework, it is mostly developed using the security issues into account. In recent times, internal threats implied to the threats that were caused due to the misuse of internal data of an organisation by an internal employee. Nowadays it is not only limited to a dissatisfied employee who misuses confidential data for his/her own profit, but today it is more important to find out the ways by which the person is getting an access to those valuable data. In the same way internal threats to operating system generally occurs due to some internal bugs that were generated during the creation of the Operating system, such as some back door, or some logical errors, that are still not fixed and are open to vulnerabilities. The team that developed this operating system claims that the system had been developed, keeping various security threats in mind. OpenBSD is developed in UNIX. At present it is considered to be number one with regards to the security measures among various other available options, since this system was developed through proactive security measures and implementation of cryptography. OpenBSD uses a pseudo random number generator for its cryptographic encryption purpose. Keeping in mind that security can be breached if the number that is used for encryption gets hacked, resulting in the entire system being open to external attack, the OpenBSD system generates

Owning a Small Business Essay Example for Free

Owning a Small Business Essay 1.Sole proprietorship – Provide an example of a sole proprietorship in your town or community. What might be some advantages to owning this business? What are some of the biggest challenges that the owner likely faces? †¢Subway is the business that is a sole proprietorship in my town. The advantages of owning this business would be I is a low cost to start the business up and it is continually ranked the number one Franchise. The owner likely faces running out of the topping they use to make the sandwiches with or not having enough dough for the bread. 2.Partnership – Provide an example of a partnership in your town or community. What are the advantages to this form of business organization? What might be some challenges of being a partner in a partnership? †¢Keller Williams is the business that is the partnership that is in my town. The advantages of owning a real estate business like Keller Williams would be the business could be one of the largest real estate franchise companies in the United States. The company will also keep growing with the more houses you sell and rent to people. The company also provides specialized agents in luxury homes and commercial real estate properties. Some challenges could be that your partner isn’t a good partner and hides things from you or that they just want to do things on their own and ruin the business that you guys own together. 3.Corporation – Provide an example of a corporation. What are the advantages and disadvantages of this form of business? How do the challenges compare to those of sole proprietorships and partnerships? †¢Summit Mountain is the corporation that is located in the town that I live in. The advantages of owning a business like this is that you get to live in the snow and you also get the snowboard ski and mountain bike for free. You also get the most beautiful views in Big Bear. You also get the chance to meet all kinds of people from all around the world. All the states and different cultures. The advantages of owning a business like this is that you get offered self-employment tax savings have a continuous life, limited liability, more money for investment and it also makes raising money easier. The disadvantages are extensive paperwork, double taxation, two tax returns, the size of the business, possible conflict with stockholders and board of directors. References †¢http://www.subway.com/subwayroot/Own_a_Franchise/default.aspx †¢http://www.kw.com/kw/aboutus.html †¢http://www.pe.com/local-news/local-news-headlines/20130705-big-bear-snow-summit-is-on-the-market.ece †¢http://www.legalzoom.com/incorporation-guide/reasons-to-form-corporation.html †¢http://faculty.valenciacollege.edu/srusso/ch5.htm

Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) Benefits

Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) Benefits Indian agriculture has a rich historical past. Hymns in Rigveda describe plowing, sowing, irrigation, fruit and vegetable cultivation. An ancient Indian Sanskrit text, Bhumivargaha, classified agricultural land into twelve categories: urvara (fertile), ushara (barren), pankikala (muddy), maru (desert), aprahata (fallow), jalaprayah (watery), kachchaha (land contiguous to water), sharkara (full of pebbles and pieces of limestone), shadvala (grassy), nadimatruka (land watered from a river), sharkaravati (sandy), and devamatruka (rainfed). Archaeological evidence suggests that rice was grown along the banks of the Indian river Ganges in the sixth millennium BC. Thousands of years ago, Indian farmers used to domesticate cattle, buffaloes, sheep, goats, pigs and horses The farmers used traditional methods of cultivation. However, over past fifty years Indian population has tripled. To meet the food requirements of the increasing population and save them from starvation increase in farm production was the need of the hour. Norman Borlaug, titled as the Father of the Green Revolution introduced the concepts of introduction of high-yielding varieties of cereal grains, increase of irrigation infrastructure, advancement of management techniques, distribution of hybridized seeds, use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides to farmers in developing countries. India too successfully implemented it, which led to rapid growths in farm productivity and enabled us to become self-sufficient by the 1970s. However, this historical revolution created some problems also. For example high yield was associated with land degradation. Also there was increase in number of weeds. There was evidence of chemicals in water and crops making them unsafe. Today, India is among the top three global producers of many crops, includ ing wheat, rice, cotton, pulses, peanuts, fruits and vegetables. Worldwide, India has the largest herds of buffalo and cattle. It is also the largest producer of milk. Also India has one of the largest and fastest growing poultry industries. India’s basic strength lies in its farms. With this huge farm productivity it becomes imperative that the safety and quality of farm produce is ensured at all stages of production. We need to balance the requirements of food security and safety both. The solution to this complex problem is by adopting Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs). To increasing the quantity and quality of food in response to growing demand it is required to increase the agricultural productivity. Good agricultural practices, often in combination with effective input use, are one of the best ways to increase productivity and improve quality. GAPs enhance the production safe and good quality food. These practices are ususally environmentally safe and ensure that the final product is appropriate handled, stored and transported. When GAPs are put in practice in true spirit it can be assured that the food will meet quality and safety standards at the time of harvest. GAPs protect food at the primary stage of production from contamination by the following :- Physical hazards like rocks, dirt ,sand filth, putrid and decomposed materials Toxic chemical hazards and contaminants from the environment like heavy metals, environmental pollutants and industrial chemicals) Excessive or unsafe levels of agricultural chemical residues as pesticides, fertilizers, veterinary drugs and other chemicals Contamination or damage by pests, vermin and other insects Biological contamination by mould, pathogenic bacteria or viruses which can cause spoilage, crop damage and food borne illness or chronic health hazards in humans According to Food and Agriculture Organization of United Nations Good Agricultural Practices are practices that address environmental, economic and social sustainability for on-farm processes, and result in safe and quality food and non-food agricultural products (figure 1). Figure 1: Four main pillars of GAP. The international market is becoming competitive. The developed countries have become more demanding, critical and stringent when it comes to accepting export of food from developing countries. To have a good standing of our farm produce in the international market Indian Good Agricultural Practices (INDGAP) have been formulated. Adopting theses practices will ensure a safe and sustainable farm produce. INDGAP defines certain minimum standards with a well defined system of accreditation mechanism and implementation of GAP. These standards are voluntary and non discriminatory to the growers. INDGAP has different modules for all farm, crops, fruits and vegetables, combinable crops, green tea and coffee. Broad outline of various aspects which need to be managed are :- Site history and management Soil management Soil mapping Plant nutrition management an fertilizers Irrigation and fertigation Integrated pest management Plant protection products Traceability Complaints management Visitors safety Record keeping Health welfare and safety of workers Environmental conservation Waste and pollution management The potential benefits of GAP are significant improvement in quality and safety of food and other agricultural products. There is a marked reduction in risk of non-compliance with national and international regulations regarding permitted pesticides, maximum levels of contaminants (including pesticides, veterinary drugs, radionuclide and mycotoxins) in food and non-food agricultural products, as well as other chemical, microbiological and physical contamination hazards. Adoption of GAP helps to promote sustainable agriculture and contributes to meeting national and international environment and social development objectives. However there are various challenges related to GAP. The most prominent is a definite increase in cost of production. There is lack of harmonization between existing GAP-related schemes and availability of affordable certification systems which often leads to increased confusion and certification costs for farmers and exporters. There is a high risk that small-scale farmers will not be able to seize export market opportunities unless they are adequately informed, technically prepared and organised to meet this new challenge. It is required that governments and public agencies play a facilitating role in this aspect. However, at times it has been experienced that compliance with GAP standards does not promote all the environmental and social benefits which are claimed. Some key points for adopting GAP are:- Selecting the right type of land to be cultivated for food crop production; Planting the best-quality seeds and of the most appropriate varieties; Use of authorized and acceptable chemical inputs (fertilizers, pesticides) as per approved directions (e.g. concentration, frequency, timing of use); Controlling the quality of irrigation water (in case of use); Use of appropriate harvesting and on-farm storing and handling techniques; Use of suitable methods for shipping of produceto markets or food processors.

A Look Into Kingston :: essays papers

A Look Into Kingston Kingston has been the home to many famous reggae artists. Why do so many artists come from Kingston? Does it say something about the message of the music and or the conditions in Kingston that also encompasses trench town? Background of Kingston Kingston is located on the southern side of the island of Jamaica and is protected from the strong northeast trade winds by the vast Blue Mountain ranges. The city of Kingston stretches for more than 50 mi including 10-mi long harbor. This makes for a diverse community of fisherman as well as street vendors and many unemployed people. Kingston is the largest and one of the most diverse cities in the English-speaking Caribbean. More than half a million people populate Kingston of different decent ranging from African, Asian, European, and Middle Eastern roots. The city's tremendous growth during the 20th century has produced severe overcrowding, persistent unemployment, and violent crime. Poverty has devastated Jamaica's black majority and nowhere is this more apparent than in the ghettos of Kingston. European colonialism set up a society of racial stratification and current residents of Kingston have to deal with historic tensions between the city's black and brown residents. Kingston of today is a direct result of the organized racial and cultural segregation that began more than 300 years ago, when Jamaica was a British colony. Many of the social and political changes that have swept Jamaica since 1692 have occurred first in Kingston, often in reaction to organized political protests. The history of Kingston itself represents the legacy of slavery and the efforts by black and brown Jamaicans to find freedom and equality in a nation haunted by what's left of colonialism. Kingston was founded in the summer of 1692, after a large earthquake destroyed the coastal city of Port Royal. From the beginning Kingston was run by Jamaica's white elite, mostly sugar planters from England. The city was created to serve the social and economic interests of white planters. Residential segregation in the form of a color-class system, beginning in 1692, served to reinforce cultural separation. (Henriques, 32) During the first half of the 18th century Kingston saw an influx of Jewish merchants, white sugar planters, African slaves, and a small amount of free blacks in the colored community. Kingston served as a trading post for the Transatlantic Slave Trade and this was one of their main trades.

Alices Adventures in Wonder Land, James and the Giant Peach Essay

Alice's Adventures in Wonder Land, James and the Giant Peach 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland' was written by Lewis Carroll in 1865. It was written for children and is a story of a twelve year old girl who falls down a rabbit hole. On her adventures, the protagonist, Alice, comes across many weird and wonderful scenes, sites and characters. She comes across many creatures and animals with anthropomorphic behaviour. The entire story is set in a strange world of continuous change. 'James and the Giant Peach', written by Roald Dahl in 1965, is also a book written for children. It is about a boy called James, who is also the protagonist and is also a similar age as Alice, and he comes across a huge peach. This peach contains giant insects, which talk. There are several similarities between these two stories, including the fact that the protagonist is a child who goes through magical and strange scenes that are packed with fantasy and wonder. Also, the characters that they meet along their way are, in both stories, creatures and animals who behave anthropomorphically. James is taken through many adventures and situations of great excitement. He lives in and lives off the peach which he has become stranded upon whilst floating at sea. Eventually, in the climax of the story, the peach ends out flying over New York City with the aid of Seagulls. This is a modern child's story, and even with a century between the publishing of James and Alice, the two stories are incredibly alike in scene structure and character relevance. In both stories there are wonderful but bizarre characters that influence the story and how it develops. In Alice, a strong influence of the story is the Cheshire Cat. Using riddles a... ...er influence, I have come to the conclusion that 'Alice's Adventure's in Wonderland' simply isn't as enjoyed by children as it used to be. It is too out of the ordinary and merely unbelievable. Fantasy works with the imagination, but this story is just too fantastical. The introduction of the animated film has also discouraged children from reading the book, because not as much effort has to be put in just to understand what's happening. This is the case with modern stories as well. For example, the Harry Potter stories are released as films as well as in books, yet many children still enjoy and are inspired to read the books as well as watching the films. Basically 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland' has passed its time, and in the modern day requires too much concentrating, hard work and deep thought to be enjoyed. Easily read stories, are easily enjoyed.

Walmart Essay -- GCSE Business Marketing Coursework

Walmart History: Beginning to Today Wal-Mart is a general merchandise discount retailer, which was incorporated in 1962. Wal-Mart’s history is based on one man, Sam Walton, who changed the course of retailing forever. Sam Walton first entered retailing when he was a management trainee at J.C. Penny Co. in 1940 in Des Moines, Iowa. After serving in the Army in World War II, Walton acquired a Ben Franklin variety store franchise with his brother James Walton in Newport Arkansas, until they lost the lease to the store in 1950. By 1962, when the first Wal-Mart Discount City was opened in Rogers Arkansas, both Walton’s were operating fifteen stores under the â€Å"Walton 5 & 10† name, and were the largest Ben Franklin franchisee in the country. Limited pricing, low gross margins, and high inventory turnover characterized these stores. Walton phased out the stores in 1976 in order to focus on the emerging Wal-Mart stores. In 1978, the first distribution center was built, followed by the first Wal-Ma rt Supercenter in 1983 and a Sam’s Club in 1988. Important to Walton, and ultimately Wal-Mart, are certain philosophies that were amounted over time. Walton held these values tightly, and engrained them in the Wal-Mart cultures. From his experience at J.C. Penny Co. he was impressed with the philosophies they used (e.g. â€Å"The Penny Idea†) and used them to mold Wal-Mart. This included referring to employees as â€Å"associates†, serving the public to their complete satisfaction, and receiving a fair profit from services rendered. Walton’s theory on what Wal-Mart should be is â€Å"a conveniently located one-stop shopping unit where customers could buy a wide variety of quality merchandise at discount prices.† And as Wal-Mart grew, management sought a firm that was a â€Å"discount department store chain offering a wide variety of general merchandise to the customer.† It was on these values and philosophies that Wal-Mart expanded. Wal-Mart has grown above and beyond the Arkansas store that opened thirty-nine years ago. It serves more than 100 million customers weekly in all of the 50 states, plus Puerto Rico, Canada, China, Mexico, Brazil, Germany, United Kingdom, Argentina, and South Korea. Wal-Mart’s current operating numbers are: Wal-Mart Stores 1,736 SuperCenters 888 SAM’s Clubs 475 Wal-Mart Neighbo... ...mount of inconvenience, Wal-Mart should implement more entrances and exits into different departments, such as the Garden department and the Grocery department, with signage that easily identifies what part of the store the entrances are leading too. Moving from the retail level to business relationships, Wal-Mart has extensive opportunities to expand on its distinctive competency of its distribution system. The company has strategically placed distribution centers all over the US close to its stores. This not only makes for an excellent venue to supply Wal-Marts, but other companies’ stores as well. Wal-Mart Inc. can be a competitive distributor that would service companies not in direct competition with Wal-Mart. A study should be conducted to find out which industry should be targeted for this type of venture. This is a low risk high return venture because Wal-Mart would be using facilities that the company already owns, and expansion of these facilities is already in the making. In addition, Wal-Mart has already been successful in distribution with its offspring grocery store distributor â€Å"McLean†. McLean services not only Wal-Marts, but convenience stores as well. Walmart Essay -- GCSE Business Marketing Coursework Walmart History: Beginning to Today Wal-Mart is a general merchandise discount retailer, which was incorporated in 1962. Wal-Mart’s history is based on one man, Sam Walton, who changed the course of retailing forever. Sam Walton first entered retailing when he was a management trainee at J.C. Penny Co. in 1940 in Des Moines, Iowa. After serving in the Army in World War II, Walton acquired a Ben Franklin variety store franchise with his brother James Walton in Newport Arkansas, until they lost the lease to the store in 1950. By 1962, when the first Wal-Mart Discount City was opened in Rogers Arkansas, both Walton’s were operating fifteen stores under the â€Å"Walton 5 & 10† name, and were the largest Ben Franklin franchisee in the country. Limited pricing, low gross margins, and high inventory turnover characterized these stores. Walton phased out the stores in 1976 in order to focus on the emerging Wal-Mart stores. In 1978, the first distribution center was built, followed by the first Wal-Ma rt Supercenter in 1983 and a Sam’s Club in 1988. Important to Walton, and ultimately Wal-Mart, are certain philosophies that were amounted over time. Walton held these values tightly, and engrained them in the Wal-Mart cultures. From his experience at J.C. Penny Co. he was impressed with the philosophies they used (e.g. â€Å"The Penny Idea†) and used them to mold Wal-Mart. This included referring to employees as â€Å"associates†, serving the public to their complete satisfaction, and receiving a fair profit from services rendered. Walton’s theory on what Wal-Mart should be is â€Å"a conveniently located one-stop shopping unit where customers could buy a wide variety of quality merchandise at discount prices.† And as Wal-Mart grew, management sought a firm that was a â€Å"discount department store chain offering a wide variety of general merchandise to the customer.† It was on these values and philosophies that Wal-Mart expanded. Wal-Mart has grown above and beyond the Arkansas store that opened thirty-nine years ago. It serves more than 100 million customers weekly in all of the 50 states, plus Puerto Rico, Canada, China, Mexico, Brazil, Germany, United Kingdom, Argentina, and South Korea. Wal-Mart’s current operating numbers are: Wal-Mart Stores 1,736 SuperCenters 888 SAM’s Clubs 475 Wal-Mart Neighbo... ...mount of inconvenience, Wal-Mart should implement more entrances and exits into different departments, such as the Garden department and the Grocery department, with signage that easily identifies what part of the store the entrances are leading too. Moving from the retail level to business relationships, Wal-Mart has extensive opportunities to expand on its distinctive competency of its distribution system. The company has strategically placed distribution centers all over the US close to its stores. This not only makes for an excellent venue to supply Wal-Marts, but other companies’ stores as well. Wal-Mart Inc. can be a competitive distributor that would service companies not in direct competition with Wal-Mart. A study should be conducted to find out which industry should be targeted for this type of venture. This is a low risk high return venture because Wal-Mart would be using facilities that the company already owns, and expansion of these facilities is already in the making. In addition, Wal-Mart has already been successful in distribution with its offspring grocery store distributor â€Å"McLean†. McLean services not only Wal-Marts, but convenience stores as well.

How Does Shakespeare Present Feelings of Love

How does Shakespeare present strong feelings about love in ‘Romeo and Juliet’ and ‘The Merchant of Venice’ In Romeo and Juliet and The Merchant of Venice There are many examples of strong love. The two most prominent examples of strong love are romantic love and unrequited love. In Romeo and Juliet, there appears to be more examples of unrequited love than that of romantic love, despite the main theme of the play being the romantic love between Romeo and Juliet.The unrequited love between Romeo and Rosaline is significant, as it opens the debate of whether or not Romeo’s love for Juliet is sincere. At the beginning of the play, Romeo claims to be in love with Rosaline, saying to Benvolio â€Å"In sadness cousin, I do love a woman,† in Act 1 scene 1. The love he feels for her is a sad and longing love, for she does not feel the same. The likeliness of Romeo’s love being just infatuation is high, as he loses his love for Rosaline quickly a fter merely laying eyes upon Juliet at the Capulet’s ball, â€Å"O she doth teach the torches to burn bright! In this quote and the continuation of the speech, he explains how she is a â€Å"rich jewel†, burns brighter than the torches and beauty is not a strong enough word to describe her looks. As he finds his new love in Juliet so quickly, you could argue that it is only infatuation as he sees her at the party for only her looks, as he did with Rosaline earlier on. Another notable example of unrequited love is Paris and Juliet. In act 1 scene 3, Lady Capulet and Nurse are talking to Juliet about Paris’ love for her. They are trying to convince her to want to marry him as she does not have a choice over whether she actually does or not.They continuously say what a great man he is â€Å"He’s a man of wax† (possibly meaning that Paris is so perfect, he could be made of wax) and â€Å"Read o’er the volume of young Paris’ face, and fi nd delight writ there with beauty’s pen. † They imply that Paris does in fact love her from the line â€Å"Speak briefly, can you like of Paris’ love? † In the part of the scene where they are describing Paris to her, Shakespeare uses a lot of reference to books, possibly implying he is a man of intellect, so he is not just looks.In the time that Romeo and Juliet was set, books would’ve been owned only by the rich and educated, a lot of books were also handwritten with beautiful handwriting, so with use of metaphors of books, Lady Capulet and Nurse were comparing him to something of privilege, wealth, and beauty. Despite their efforts, Juliet does not warm up to the idea of marriage as she does not know Paris, saying â€Å"It is an honour that I dream not of,† and â€Å"I’ll look to like, if looking liking move. But no more deep will I endart mine eye than your consent gives strength to make it fly. The romantic love between Romeo and Juliet is considered to be true love. It appears to be love at first sight when they see each other at Capulet’s ball, and after their first kiss, they find out they are each from the feuding families. They are shocked and devastated when they find that out as they realise they cannot be together, showing deep feelings and devotion from the start. Throughout the play, they find ways to see each other and get married. Juliet seems to truly love Juliet, as she still trusts him even after he has killed her cousin, Tybalt.Also, at the beginning of the play, Juliet appears shy and reluctant to speaking much, but when she meets Romeo, she speaks as much to him as he is to her and in the same style. She has very complex thoughts about him, showing her love is sincere and well thought out. And when she finds out he is a Montague, he thoughts are for his safety. She trusts Romeo a great deal, as she asks only for his word of love, needing no proof. This differs particularly from the romantic love between Portia and Bassanio because not only does she give him the ring as proof of her love, she feels she has to test his loyalty with it.But Juliet does not doubt Romeo. In order for the two of them to get together, she very bravely, goes through with Friar Lawrence’s plan, meaning she disobeys her parent’s wishes. When she awakes from her sleep, she finds Romeo dead beside her. She kills herself as she cannot imagine living her life without Romeo, which is the same reason Romeo killed himself. They loved each other so strongly they were willing to give their lives for each other. Throughout the play, Romeo and Juliet show devotion, loyalty, and love.In The Merchant of Venice, there are more examples of romantic love than that of unrequited love, although it is arguable that not all examples of romantic love are genuine. The first example of romantic love is that of Jessica and Lorenzo. In the play, Jessica is Jewish and Lorenzo is a Christian, meaning that there love is forbidden. Jessica gives up her faith and becomes a Christian so her and Lorenzo could be together. The love of these 2 is much like the love between Romeo and Juliet. Romeo and Juliet both give up their lives as they could not be together, and Jessica betrays er father by becoming a Christian, much like Juliet betrays he parents by marrying Romeo. Both of these are examples of forbidden love. The romantic love between Portia and Bassanio is one that can be debated. When Bassanio first talks of marrying Portia he says â€Å"In Belmont is a lady richly left/and she is fair. † From this quote you could presume he is only interested in Portia for her money, as he is in great need of it at that moment. But when he has to pick between caskets he says that he is â€Å"tortured not knowing if he can marry her or not†, but he could just be putting on an act.He leaves Portia almost immediately to return to Venice and help Antonio, he says he will not sleep u ntil he sees her again, which, again, could be an act, though he appears to act more sincere at this point. Before he leaves, Portia gives him a ring as a token of her love. Later on, he is very reluctant to giving the ring up to Balthazar when he asks for it as payment at first, but when Antonio tells him to he gives it up immediately. At the end of the play, he apologizes and says he’ll spend the rest of his life devoted to Portia. Portia’s love to Bassanio appears to differ greatly from that of Bassanio to Portia.When Bassanio chooses the right casket, she is delighted, and is very worried that she would not live up to his expectations. â€Å"I might in virtues, beauties, livings/ exceed account† When first speaking to him, she also seems to give herself to him. â€Å"Myself and what is mine, to you and yours/ is now converted. † She does not seem to be as independent as before. She could’ve been suspicious of the legitimacy of Bassanio’s love from the start, she could’ve already been planning to test him before she gave him the ring. She also offers to pay Antonios debt twice over, just because he is a friend of Bassanios.An example of unrequited love is Antonio’s strong feelings towards Bassanio. Antonio is very happy to lend Bassanio money even though he is already in Antonios debt and Antonio would have to borrow money from somewhere else to do so. When Solario describes their friendship, he says â€Å"I think he only loves the world for him† â€Å"Him† being Bassanio. When Antonio believes he is going to die, he tells Bassanio â€Å"say how I loved you† and seems glad that he is paying for Bassanio’s debt with his life, instead of Bassanio having to do so himself. The last example of unrequited love is the love between Nerissa and Gratanio.When Gratanio marries Nerissa, the marriage also depended on whether or not Bassanio chose the correct casket, so his love may not b e sincere, and more forced. For if the incorrect casket had been chosen, would he still have loved her so dearly? Would he have even still loved her at all? In conclusion, Shakespeare puts many aspects of strong feelings in the form of love into these two plays, and presents each of them in a unique and individual way, leaving much room for interpretation. He uses expressive language, many great examples of tone and exchange of speech to emphasize these facts.

Elementary Education Essay

Reading Comprehension -The student uses a variety of strategies to comprehend grade level text; Strand: Reading Process Listening and Speaking – The student effectively applies listening and speaking strategies. Informative – The student develops and demonstrates technical writing that provides information related to real-world tasks. Benchmark: LA. 2. 1. 7. 3. The student will summarize information in text, including but not limited to main idea, supporting details, and connections between texts; LA. 2. 5. 2. 4. The student will listen politely to oral presentations by classmates. LA. 2. 3. 1. 1. The student will prewrite by generating ideas from multiple sources (e. g. , text, brainstorming, webbing, drawing, writer’s notebook, group discussion, other activities); LA. 4. 4. 2. 5. The student will write simple directions to familiar locations using cardinal directions, landmarks, and distances, and create an accompanying map. Grade Level: Grade 2 Objectives: 1. Using the book The Trumpet of the Swan, the class will understand the main idea of the story by reading, listening and students discussion. 2. Basing on the journals of Louis in the Trumpet of the Swan, the class will come up with their very own journal writing. 3. Using the given information in the book The Trumpet of the Swan, the class will make a map of the main character’s travels and adventures. Activities: Before reading: 1. Ask the class if they know what a journal is and if they have ever written one. 2. Tell the class you are going to read them a story entitle The Trumpet of the Swan. During reading: 3. Read the Trumpet of the Swan. 4. Show a map of Canada and point important spots that are mentioned in the Trumpet of the Swan. 5. Show a sample journal and explain how to write and what to write. After reading: 6. Ask the class to read Sam’s poem and summarize the text and identify the main idea of the poem (Reading). 7. Ask the class to write a journal about nature (Writing). 8. Have the class make a map of Louis’ travels and adventures including all the important spots in Canada, Montana and the Northeast (Visually Representing). 9. Have the class discuss the book by having them share their favorite part and ask questions like the following: How to behave in the woods if you want to appreciate nature, what are their stand on the ethics of Louis’ father, why is there a need for Serena to hear the beautiful song of her mate, does anyone identify with Applegate Skinner? Or have someone recite a part of Sam’s poem (Talking/Speaking). 10. Ask the class to listen when a classmate recites a poem and identify the main idea of the poem (Listening). Assessment of Writing Development: The 2 ways of assessing a student’s writing development are Rubrics and Portfolio assessment. ? â€Å"Rubrics are tools teachers and students use to evaluate and classify writing, whether individual pieces or portfolios. They identify and articulate what is being evaluated in the writing, and offer â€Å"descriptors† to classify writing into certain categories (1-5, for instance, or A-F). Narrative rubrics and chart rubrics are the two most common forms† (UNL|FLWI, 2008). ? Portfolio assessment is the collection of students’ work over time reflecting their progress, efforts and achievements and teachers based it on the following items: â€Å"students’ Projects, surveys, reports and units from reading and writing Favorite poems, songs, letters, and comments, Interesting thoughts to remember, Finished samples that illustrate wide writing, Examples of writing across the curriculum, Literature extensions, Student record of books read and attempted, Audio tape of reading, Writing responses to literary components, Writing that shows growth in usage of traits, Samples in which ideas are modified from first draft to final product, Unedited first draft, Revised first draft, Evidence of effort, Self-evaluations, Writing that illustrates evidence of topic generation† (Hurst, 2009). Assessment of Grammar Skills: You can informally assess children’s grammar skills by: ? Reviewing children’s work on relevant pages in their Student Books, handwriting sentences they copied during Daily Routines, and especially their own independent Quick Writing. ? Another method is by â€Å"formal graded assessments such as quizzes, selected homework activities, and in-class tests† (Porter and vanDommelen, 2005). Assessment of Spelling Skills: The two ways of assessing the students’ spelling skills are observation and analysis of the work samples. ? Observation can be done in the classroom by observing the students as they write and as they try to use words that are beyond their ability level. It is important that observation be supplemented later with the students’ work samples and it should be done in a systematic way. ? Analysis of the work samples is an assessment of students’ â€Å"spelling ability from examination of samples of their unaided writing† (Westwood, 2008). These â€Å"samples can be taken from students’ exercise books, test papers, and language arts portfolios† (Fiderer as cited in Westwood, 2008). THE SPELLING PATTERNS: 1. Blends: are 2 or 3 letters combined to form a distinct spelling sound. Examples are : -br- in brown and break and -fr- in fry and freeze 2. Digraph: A group of two successive letters whose phonetic value is a single sound. For example, EA in BREAD, CH in CHAT, or NG in SING. 3. Diphthong: the union of two vowels, pronounced by a single impulse of the voice; as, ea in beat, ou in sound. 4. R-controlled vowels: When a vowel is followed by an r, it makes a special sound. These are called r-controlled vowels, or r-colored vowels. Examples are /ar/ sound as in car, /er/ sound as in butter. 5. Long vowel: a sound which is the same as, or very similar to the letter name of one of the vowels. Examples are /a/ as in gate, /e/ as in need. 6. Short vowel: Are vowels of shorter duration. Examples are short /a/ as in bat, short /e/ as in bet. 7. Contraction: is a word made up from a verb and another word where an apostrophe takes the place of any letters that are left out. It can be positive contraction or negative contraction. Examples are: aren’t – are not and here’s – here is. CUING SYSTEM: 1. Semantics — the study of the development and changes of the meanings of speech forms. Semantics is also a study of the process by which meaning is derived from symbols, signs, text, and other meaning-bearing forms. 2. Syntax — the conventions and rules for assembling words into meaningful sentences; syntax varies across languages. 3. Graphophonic — Refers to the sound relationship between the orthography (symbols) and phonology (sounds) of a language. 4. Phonological awareness — The understanding that speech is composed of sub-parts — sentences are comprised of words, words are comprised of syllables, syllables are comprised of onsets and rimes, and can be further broken down to phonemes. Cuing Strategies â€Å"Used by effective readers to figure out unfamiliar words and to make meaning, cuing strategies include knowledge of syntax, semantics, words and word meaning, and graphophonics (letter/sound associations). Teachers can guide students to use cuing strategies by reminding them to ask themselves, did it sound right? Did it make sense? Did the word look right? † (Teacher Resources, 2002). References † Advice for Teachers: Assessing Student Writing. † UNL | FLWI. 2008. 03 Apr. 2009 . Porter, Patricia, and Deborah VanDommelen. â€Å"Integrating Assessment with Grammar-for-Writing Instruction. † CATESOL: California Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages. 2005. 03 Apr. 2009 . Hurst, Carol Otis. â€Å"Portfolio Assessment in the Reading-Writing Classroom. † Carol Hurst’s Children’s Literature Site – Reviews and teaching ideas for kids’ books. 03 Apr. 2009 . Westwood, Peter. What Teachers Need to Know about Spelling. Aust Council for Ed Research, 2008. â€Å"Teaching Reading: Lens on Literacy. † Teacher Professional Development and Teacher Resources by Annenberg Media. 2002. .

Book Cover Analysis on the Pinocchio Effect Essay

Upon going through the vast artwork, one particular piece grabbed my attention. It was of a line up composed of men in boxer shorts in different colors. The overall look of the work gave it almost a vintage feeling because of the way the figures were drawn. It gave a sort of â€Å"pin-up† feel. Although composed of men, you can not help but be transported through time just by the visual aspect. The book was entitled â€Å"The Pinocchio Effect: On Making Italians, 1860-1920†. It dawned on me that these were Italians lined up, in a way that is reminiscent of a group of new recruits waiting to get their gears for war. As I further observed, these figures were progressing, starting from left to right. And taking this into consideration, I realized that this was a crude depiction of the evolution of an Italian man. The use of this illustration was very effective in stirring up intrigue in the work and as well as reinforcing what the book was about. Further research on the contents of the book revealed that this was indeed a book about the progression of the Italians after different Italian states began uniting into one nation (Stewart, 2007). This artwork was done by Isaac Tobin, an artist particularly renowned for his works on graphic design. The original look of the figures depicted in the work was compromised by the addition of color on the trunks. This added a comical feel to the overall mood of the figures, but is nonetheless effective in drawing out attention and to provide a contemporary feeling for the art. Overall, this artwork leaves a lasting impression and certainly a valuable addition to the cause of the book. It took the theme of the book and properly wielded the appropriate sources to tell its story at a moments glance.

History of the Middle East

CW43: The Middle East and Arab-Israeli Conflict, c1900–2001 Jewish settlement in Palestine, 1900–45 Conflict |Causes of conflict |Presence and influence of other actors and |Changing Arab-Israeli relationships |Proposed solutions | | | |international events | | | |World War One |Misperceptions |Actors: Ottoman Empire |Jewish settlements |Paris Peace Conference | |Britain and Arabs ally against the Ottoman|Unaware of the details of the Sykes-Picot |Until 1917, retention of Arab customs in |Lovers of Zion; Rishon-le-Zion; more than 40 |Arabs should have the right to national | |Empire; expectation from the Arabs that |Agreement and the Balfour Declaration; Britain’s|Palestine |Zionist settlements in Palestine by 1914; Jewish|self-determination; need for a major power| |they would get Palestine in return; |support for both them and Zionism | |population doubled between |to help them run their new country; | |Hussein-McMahon letters | |Actors: Britain |1922–29 |Britain received the mandate to look after| | |Arab disagreement with various proposals: |Balfour Declaration; given a mandate over | |Palestine, also confirmed that the terms | |Political conflict |verdict of Paris Peace Conference |Palestine by the Paris Peace Conference; helped |Reasons for migration |of the Balfour Declaration should apply to| |Emir Feisal becomes king of an Arab state |Decision to include the Balfour Declaration in |the Jews build up their military forces such as |Influence of Rothschild; Herzl and the Zionist |the new country | |consisting of Palestine, Lebanon, |the way n which Palestine was to be governed; |the Hagannah and the Irgun Zvai Leumi |Congress in 1897; Jewish National Fund | | |Transjordan and Syria; publicly opposes |Peel Report – proposed a Jewish state and an | | |Peel Report | |Zionist migration; Arab parties unite to |Arab state |Actors: King-Crane Commission |Wartime immigration |Palestine should be divided into a Jewish | |form th e Arab Higher Committee; Ben | |Concluded that the case for a Zionist presence |Jews smuggled in by ship: the Struma |state and an Arab state; Britain to keep | |Gurion’s conference at the Biltmore Hotel |Rate of settlement |should be dropped; findings ignored by Paris | |control of the area around Jerusalem | |calls for the immediate creation of a |Herbert Samuel’s influence; Jewish population |Peace Conference | | | |Jewish state in Palestine |doubled between 1922–29 | | |1939 White Paper | | | |Actors: France | |Jewish immigration to be limited to 75,000| |Civil disobedience |Extreme Zionism |King Feisal started attacking the French; French| |over the next five years; no more | |1936 general strike |Vladimir Jabotinsky, demonstration near the |removed him from Syria and Lebanon | |immigration without Arab consent | | |Mosque of the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem | | | | |Arab-Israeli violence | |Actors:Herbert Samuel | |1942 Biltmore Programme | |Protest again st Samuel’s decision; 1929 |Jewish dissatisfaction |British Jew, High Commissioner of Palestine; | |Calls for the immediate creation of a | |massacre; Irgun planted bombs and shot |Anger at the 1939 White Paper in light of the |16,500 Jews to be allowed to settle in Palestine| |Jewish state in Palestine | |Arabs in response to the White Paper |Nazi threat |in 1920 | | | | | | | | | |Arab-British violence | |Events: First World War; Paris Peace Conference | | | |1937–39 rebellion | | | | | | | | | | | |Jewish-British violence | | | | | |Lehi, Abraham Stern, Lord Moyne, Irgun | | | | | |violence | | | | | | | | | | |World War Two | | | | | |30,000 Jews in Palestine joined the | | | | | |British army | | | | | The creation of the state of Israel and its impact Conflict |Causes of conflict |Presence and influence of other actors and |Changing Arab-Israeli relationships |Proposed solutions | | | |international events | | | |Irgun and Lehi |British immigration limits |Presi dent Truman |Propaganda – Ben Gurion and the Jewish Agency |UN voted in November 1947 to partition | |From 1946, the Irgun and the Lehi began a |Despite President Truman’s declaration that |Demanded that 100,000 Jews be allowed into |continued to try to smuggle Jews into Palestine |Palestine six months from that date; | |large-scale campaign of violence against |100,000 Jews should be allowed into Palestine, |Palestine at once | |Jerusalem should be an international zone | |the British, including the blowing up of |the British fixed the limit at 1500 a month. | |Political change |under UN control; Jewish and Arab states | |the King David Hotel in Jerusalem, |This was the last straw for the Lehi and the |United Nations |On 15 May 1948, the British mandate ended and |should be linked in an economic union to | |headquarters of the British government in |Irgun; Exodus Asked to take back the mandate from Britain and |the Arab and Jewish states came into being; the |help eac h other’s trade | |Palestine, which killed 91 people | |decide the future of the country; UN Special |Jews named their state Israel and formed a | | | |UNSCOP Plan |Committee on Palestine; truce arranged on |government led by David Ben Gurion | | |Death toll |Jewish state would be larger than the Arab |11 June 1948 which allowed the Israelis to | | | |212 killings in Palestine |state; vote for partition was followed by |reorganise their army and transport the Czech |Effects of the violence | | | |violent Arab protests which soon turned into |weapons they had bought earlier in the year from|Nearly a million Palestinians left or were | | |Civil War |killings and counter-killings between Jews and |Europe; second truce lasted until October 15 |forced to leave their homes; most went to Jordan| | |Operation Dalet, Deir Yassin capture of |Arabs | |and the Gaza Strip, many went to Syria and | | |Tiberias, Haifa and Jaffa; Hagganah | |Arab League |Lebanon; Arab state of Palestine ceas ed to | | |occupied most of the Arab areas of West |Purchasing of arms |Palestine turned to it for help; however, it had|exist; Palestinians became a minority people in | | |Jerusalem |Hagannah leaders went to Skoda arms firm in |only been created recently and its members were |the new state of Israel | | | |Czechoslovakia and bought a huge quantity of |divided on many issues | | |War of Liberation |armaments | |Reasons for Palestinian migration | | |The civil war of 1948 was about to turn | | |Massacre at Deir Yassin, Israeli military | | |into an international war, the first of a |Arab League assistance | |victory; Arab leaders encouraged them to leave | | |series of Arab-Israeli conflicts that has |Arab League in December 1947 declared partition | |during the conflict | | |rocked the Middle East since 1948.On 15 |illegal and gave the Palestinians 10,000 rifles;| | | | |May 1948, armies from Egypt, Lebanon, |early in 1948 it formed an Arab Liberation Army | | | | |Transjordan, Ira q and Syria entered |of 3000 volunteers to fight in partition | | | | |Palestine with the aim of helping the | | | | | |Palestinian Arabs fight the Jewish state |Formation of Ben Gurion government | | | | |of Israel which had been created that day;|Five neighbouring Arab countries sent armies to | | | | |Arab Legion of Transjordan had taken back |make war on Israel | | | |control of the Old City of Jerusalem; | | | | | |Israelis seized western Galilee; drove the| | | | | |Lebanese back north; Israel was left in | | | | | |control of 80% of the land | | | | | Reasons for, and outcomes of, Arab-Israeli conflicts to 1973 War of 1948 |War of 1956 |War of 1967 |War of 1973 | |Description: |Description: |Description: |Description: | |On 15 May 1948, armies from Egypt, Lebanon, Transjordan, |Lasted for 10 days; invasion began on |5 June 1967; Israeli initial air strike (bombed Egyptian |6 October; the Day of Atonement; Arab initial success: | |Iraq and Syria entered Palestine with the aim of helping |29 October; advanced deep into Sinai; involvement of |airfields and launched similar attacks against the other |smashed Israel’s Suez Canal defences; 80,000 Egyptians | |the Palestinian Arabs fight the Jewish state of Israel |Britain and France; Egypt refused to evacuate Suez Canal |Arab air forces); land war (drove Egyptians out of the |crossed the canal; destroyed Israeli tanks; Syria | |which had been created that day |zone and were bombed by the British and French; UN voted |Gaza strip and Sinai; defeated Jordan within two days, |advanced into the Golan Heights and drove the Israelis | | for a ceasefire; Arab countries stopped supplying Britain|capturing the Old City of Jerusalem and the ‘West Bank’; |back into Galilee; Israel fought back: US weapons sent to| |Causes: |with oil; USA refused to support the invasion; Eden |attacked the Syrian army in the Golan Heights and this |Israel; 254,000 reservists mobilised; 14 October tank | |Establishme nt of Ben Gurion government; unhappiness with |forced to agree to a ceasefire just 24 hours after the |was over by June 10); United Nations ordered a ceasefire |battle against the Egyptians; Israel crossed into the | |the UN Partition Plan; British mandate expiring; both |first British troops had landed in Egypt; UN Emergency |which the Arab nations had to accept |Suez Canal; international pressure – USSR wanted it ended| |sides rearmed |Force moved in to police the border between Egypt and | |(feared that the Egyptians would lose); USA wanted it | | |Israel |Causes: |ended (did not want to provoke the Soviets into giving | |Effects: | |- Syria became violently anti-Israel (General Jedid’s |even more weapons to Egypt and Syria); joint ceasefire | |- Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan and Syria signed armistices |Causes: |takeover, attacks by Fatah guerrillas from Syria |proposed came into force on 22 October | |with Israel but no peace treaty; many Arabs have refused|- Nasser wan ted to avenge Egypt’s defeat in the 1948 war|increased) | | |to recognise Israel and have talked about destroying it;|against Israel and to return Palestine to the Arabs; |- Land dispute – Israeli tractor ploughed up some |Causes: | |many Jews arrived in Israel from existing refugee camps |increased wealth and armed strength; his reputation in |Arab-owned land close to the border and met Syrian fire. |- Sadat replaced Nasser in 1970 and he wanted to reverse| |and communities from Eastern Europe |the Arab world increased; he aimed to unite the Arabs |Israel responded by bombing Syrian guns.Israel warned |the Arab defeat of 1967 | |- Israel’s first law in 1950 was the Law of Return; |under Egyptian leadership |that it would strike back if Syria did not stop |- Egypt was more ready – asked the USSR for assistance; | |anti-Jewish riots; in Iraq, Zionism was punishable by |- 1955 arms agreement with Czechoslovakia gave Egypt |- USSR intervention (incorrectly a rgued that Israel was |plans were made for an invasion of Sinai across the Suez| |death; Arab protest at Israeli diversion of the waters |many Soviet weapons |ready to invade Syria at short notice); King Feisal of |Canal; Syria would also attack from the Golan Heights | |of River Jordan |- Support for Algerian rebels angered France – supported|Saudi Arabia and King Hussein of Jordan promised to help| | |- Need for $65 million of international aid to cope with|Arab rebels who were fighting the French in their colony|Syria |Effects: | |new humanitarian needs; change of leadership in Arab |of Algeria |- Nasser ordered UN Emergency Force to leave Egyptian |- Israeli victory: 12,000 Arabs had been killed compared| |governments: assassination of Egyptian prime minister in|- Nationalisation of Aswan Dam angered Britain – it had |territory; UN was ordered to withdraw; barred the Gulf |to 2000 Israelis | |1948; a series of military takeovers in 1949; in 1950: |been owned lar gely by British and French shareholders; |of Aqaba to Israeli ships; military pacts (Jordan and |- Oil as a weapon: OAPEC increased the price of Arab oil| |assassination of Lebanese prime minister; murder of |Nasser did this after Britain and the USA cancelled the|Egypt formed a defence pact; eight Arab states were |until Israel withdrew from Egypt and Syria | |King Abdullah of Jordan; coup in Egypt which gave |loans they had promised |poised to attack); Moshe Dayan (appointed Minister of |- USA tried to appease the Arabs | |Colonel Nasser power; Arab leaders blamed their defeat |- Increase of Fedayeen ttacks angered Israel – |Defence) decided to use attack as a form of defence |- Britain stopped supplying Israel with weapons | |on Britain and the USA and concentrated on improving |continuance of cross-border attacks; closing of the | |- EEC expressed sympathy for the Palestinians | |their economies |entrance of the Gulf of Aqaba to Israeli ships | |- Kissinger’s propo sal: disengagement of | | | | |Israeli and Egyptian forces should happen in 1974; they | | | | |should withdraw to pre-ceasefire positions; UN army | | | | |should control the gap between them; Israel should | | | | |withdraw from Sinai and in return get American aid | Reasons for, and outcomes of, Arab-Israeli conflicts to 1973 (cont) |War of 1948 |War of 1956 |War of 1967 |War of 1973 | | – Some of the new leaders hoped for a union of the Arab|Effects: |Effects: | | |countries; very little action taken on Palestinian |- Egypt’s military power reduced – 1000 casualties; |- Israel improved its strength and security – kept | | |refugees among all Arab countries, except Jordan; |Israel accepted as a permanent member of the |Sinai, Gaza Strip, West Bank, Golan Heights, and doubled| | |Fedayeen established – secret guerrilla attacks on |international community |the size of the country | | |Israeli targets; each year from 1949 to 1955, some 250 |- B ritain and France humiliated – their influence in the|- Disaster for the Arabs – 15,000 men killed; 800 tanks | | |Israelis were killed or wounded in such attacks.This |Middle East declined; had to leave Egypt empty-handed; |captured or destroyed; suffering for the Palestinians – | | |prompted Israeli attacks in retaliation, including an |failed to overthrow Nasser; failed to keep the Suez |those who had been living in the West Bank and the Gaza | | |attack on the village of Qibya in Jordan in 1953 and in |Canal open; had to introduce petrol rationing |Strip were now in occupied territories and faced heavy | | |1955 the Israelis mounted a raid on the Gaza strip after|- Israel gained security against Fedayeen attacks – |restrictions on their lives | | |a series of Fedayeen attacks on their territory; Arab |destroyed their bases; UN took over Sharm el-Sheikh and |- Strength of Fatah – Turned to Fatah rather than other | | |boycott of Israeli trade â €“ Israeli ships could not use |Gaza; emergence of Palestine Liberation Organisation |Arab states – Fatah increased their weapons; Battle of | | |the Suez Canal; confiscation of cargo from Israeli |- Nasser’s reputation in the Arab world increased – |Karameh; Arafat became leader; continual fighting | | |ships which called at Arab ports; Israel was in a |pro-western governments in Jordan, Lebanon and Iraq |between Egypt and Israel; support from USSR; 1970 | | |permanent state of tension |turned against France and Britain; hopes for United Arab|ceasefire; Guerrilla warfare (PFLP, Dawson’s Field | | | |League were soon dashed hijackings), Black September Organisation assassinated | | | | |the Prime Minister of Jordan, kidnapped and later | | | | |murdered eleven Israeli athletes taking part in the | | | | |Munich Olympic Games; failed diplomatic effort – UN | | | | |Resolution 242 | |Arab nationalism in the 1980s and 1990s, and divisions in the A rab world |Divisions in the Arab world |Conflict | |President Sadat |Direct conflict between Israel and Lebanon | |Sadat’s initiative: recognised Israel’s existence; Camp David Agreement of 1978; Washington Treaty 1979; caused |26,000 Israeli troops invaded Lebanon in response to a bus hijack; PLO continued their attacks undeterred by the UN| |fury in the Arab world; President Sadat was murdered by angry Egyptian soldiers |or the Christian militia leader, Major Haddad; June 1982 – 172,000 Israeli soldiers invaded Lebanon; UN let them | | |pass; forced the PLO out of Beirut; PLO went to Algeria and Iraq. Defeat for Israel – assassination of pro-Israeli | |Lebanon |Maronite President Gemayel of Lebanon; Sabra-Chatila massacre turned public opinion in Israel against the war; | |Sunnis, Shi’ites, Druzes; Christians-Maronites, Greek Orthodox, Greek Catholics; conflict between Maronites and |Defence Minister Ariel Sharon resigned; Israel had to withdra w from Beirut; met with suicide bombs from fanatical | |SunniMuslims; refugee problem |Shi’ites | | | | |PLO in Lebanon |PLO attacks | |Muslims in Lebanese government supported the PLO whilst the Maronites condemned them; full-scale civil war between |By 1986, PLO guerrillas were back in south Lebanon and making cross-border attacks on Israel; splinter groups came | |Phalangist Militia and Tiger Militia and Shi’ite and Druze Muslims; Syria invaded Lebanon on the side of the |into being; Palestine Liberal Front hijacked a cruise ship and the Abu Nidal group hijacked an Egyptian airliner | |Christians and then killed Christians | | | |Internationalisation of conflict | |Civil war between terrorist groups in Lebanon |Terror campaign was spread in places like Britain and France; in 1986 an American soldier was killed by a terrorist| |Islamic Jihad Organisation; Hezbollah; Arab Red Knights; Black Brigades; civil war involved taking of hostages |bomb in West Berlin; US bombing of Tripoli and Benghazi | | | | |Rise of Hamas from Fatah |Political dissension within Israel | |Following on from this, Hamas and other militant organisations rose to power and shook the foundations of the |Peres – talks in Morocco and Egypt; Taba; Yitzchak Shamir – no negotiation with the Arabs over the West Bank; | |authority which Fatah under Arafat had established. However, Arafat remained in his position until a month before |Jewish settlers continued to build new settlements there; Likud talked of extreme solutions such as the nnexation | |his death in 2004 |of the occupied territories | | | | | |Intifada | | |On 9 December 1987 an Israeli army patrol shot two attackers; uprising soon followed; strikes and economic | | |boycotts; refused to work for Israeli employers; Israel’s response – ‘iron fist’ | | | | | |Arafat’s change of tactics | | |Renounced terrorism; proclamation of independent state of Palestine; soug ht to negotiate a settlement with Israel; | | |USA entered into talks with the PLO; the Oslo Accords of 1993, agreed by Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and | | |PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat, granted the Palestinians the right to self-government in the Gaza Strip and the city of| | |Jericho in the West Bank, through the creation of the Palestinian Authority. The PLO had used negotiating tools to | | |get as close to their stated aims as was realistically possible, but this by no means marked the end of the | | |conflict, as the Second Intifada, with repeated suicide bombings, took place in 2000–04 | Sources |Lowe, N. Mastering Modern World History (3rd edition, Macmillan Masters, 997) | |BBC series, Cold War, written by Jeremy Isaac and Taylor Downing, published by Transworld in 1998 | |Hunter, R. E. The Six Day War (Purnell’s History of the 20th century, Vol. 6, Chapter 94, BBC, 1969) | |Kyle, K. Suez: Britain’s End of Empire in the Middle East (I. B. Taur is, 2003) | |Mandle, B. Conflict in the Promised Land (Heinemann, 1976) | |Mansfield, P. A History of the Middle East (Penguin, 2003) | |Perkins, S. J.The Arab-Israeli Conflict (Nelson Thornes, 1991) | |Regan, G. Israel and the Arabs (Cambridge University Press, 1993) | |Scott-Baumann, M. Conflict in the Middle East: Israel and the Arabs (Hodder Murray, 2007) | Processes (Part A) |Assess the impact of British intervention 1914–21 on the growth of Arab nationalism in the ensuing decade. | |Assess the impact of Britain, Egypt and Suez 1945–56 on the growth of Arab nationalism in the ensuing decade. | |Assess the impact of the Cold War 1956–73 on the growth of Arab nationalism in the ensuing decade. |Assess the impact of the United Nations and the Gulf War 1990–91 on the growth of Arab nationalism in the ensuing decade. | The role of individuals (Part A) |What was the short-term significance of David Ben Gurion? | |What was the short-term significance of C olonel Abdel Nasser? | |What was the short-term significance of Yasser Arafat? | |What was the short-term significance of Saddam Hussein? | Key events (Part A) |What was the short-term significance of the creation of the state of Israel, 1948? | |What was the short-term significance of the war of Yom Kippur, 1973? | |What was the short-term significance of the Iranian Revolution, 1979? | |What was the short-term significance of the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin, 1995? | Processes (Part B) How significant was the presence of foreign powers as an influence on the nature and growth of Arab nationalism in the years 1900–2001? | |How significant was the existence of Israeli-Arab wars as an influence on the nature and growth of Arab nationalism in the years 1900–2001? | |How significant was the promotion of proposed solutions as an influence on the nature and growth of Arab nationalism in the years 1900–2001? | |How significant was Israeli migration as an influence o n the nature and growth of Arab nationalism in the years 1900–2001? | The role of individuals (Part B) |Assess the significance of the role of individuals in affecting Israeli-Arab relations in the years 1900–2001. | Key events (Part B) To what extent do you consider the Balfour Declaration to be a key turning point in the political development of the Middle East during the 20th century? | |To what extent do you consider the 1948 Civil War in Palestine to be a key turning point in the political development of the Middle East during the 20th century? | |To what extent do you consider the founding of the Palestine Liberation Organisation to be a key turning point in the political development of the Middle East during the 20th century? | |To what extent do you consider the death of President Nasser to be a key turning point in the political development of the Middle East during the 20th century? |

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