Group Leadership Project Reflection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Group Leadership Project Reflection - Essay Example In short, the male-superiority power. Even now in so many countries of the world, especially the third-world countries, women are beaten and thrown in dark rooms. This has given men the nerve to regard women as the followers and not as the leaders. Nevertheless, the women of today have fought tooth and nail to change that ideal and establish themselves also as the leaders. They have same or even better qualifications as men. They have equally better opportunities as men to come forward, and so now they are almost seen as the leaders of the new-world. Today women acquire all leaders’ positions as lawyers, professors, ministers, though not without difficulty. What worked well: Researches, who wanted to work for women and in their favor, and wanted to escalate their position to leaders, have struggled to define leadership qualities that were needed in general, and were possessed by women in particular. Importance of leadership is evident from how well the organization handled by that leader is managed, employee performance and success of the organization. There is also a form of leadership termed as emotional leadership. The women have been found to be better at this leadership as they are more emotionally able to penetrate their colleagues. The women are more attached to their families and so they are opted more and more for these positions. As women are just as competent as men in all fields of work so they are taking part in all possible fields too, like technical, educational and political. The Civil Rights Act of 1991 established a concept of glass-ceiling. According to this, women are able quire good to and safe positions in any... According to the report findings the women of today have fought tooth and nail to change that ideal and establish themselves also as the leaders. They have same or even better qualifications as men. They have equally better opportunities as men to come forward, and so now they are almost seen as the leaders of the new-world. Today women acquire all leaders’ positions as lawyers, professors, ministers, though not without difficulty.As the paper stresses  there is a form of leadership termed as emotional leadership. The women have been found to be better at this leadership as they are more emotionally able to penetrate their colleagues. The women are more attached to their families and so they are opted more and more for these positions. As women are just as competent as men in all fields of work so they are taking part in all possible fields too, like technical, educational and political. The Civil Rights Act of 1991 established a concept of glass-ceiling. According to this, women are able quire good to and safe positions in any business organization but are not able to rise to the surface; this declaration has helped in distinguishing reasons for women’s inability to not be able to rise to power. A work, published by center for leadership, outlined the problems, faced by women when it comes to breaking this glass-ceiling. And it also gave formulas for success early in their careers.

Concept of leadership

Concept of leadership Leaders are born and Leadership skills can be developed represent two fundamentally different perspectives towards the development of leadership quality. Which perspective would you support, and what implications may this have for management development in organisations? Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The concept of leadership is as old as man himself. This is because ever since men came together for the purpose of achieving their different goals (communal, economic, political etc), there has always been the existence of a position for a leader/ leaders who would set the path towards the achievement of decided goals. This paper seeks to assume the position that leadership skills can be developed. One truth we know is that all leaders are born and when thrust with responsibilities performs with mixed results: some perform well; others perform woefully while others are able to balance the scales of performance. Upon the study of the various available literatures on leadership it was discovered that so many people have posited beautiful logical arguments for both sides of the divide. Nevertheless the question at hand demands that a position be assumed and supported and this is what i seek to do. The position of this paper is to logically argue against the notion of a breed of people born as leaders as those qualities are not inscribed on a mans forehead but are developed through certain challenges which bring out those qualities which become evident to everyone. As would be highlighted in subsequent sub-topics the paper would attempt to make a point for is assumed position. What is Leadership?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Like many other concepts there are many definitions of leadership. Nevertheless they all assume that it involves the headship of any entity, organization, or group. Many scholars might argue back and forth about the philosophy of leadership, but the fact remains that the leader is the one who determines the path the group or entity would follow. Antonakis, Cianciolo and Sternberg (2004) agree with this point of view as they point out that it is a concept which is very easy to identify but difficult to define.Fieldler, cited in Antonakis et al (2004) also noted that there are many definitions of the concept as there are theorists and scholars working on the subject. John Maxwell, the author of the book 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership believes that leadership is nothing more than influence. Thus a leader to him is the person with the most influence among a group or within an entity. Northouse (2006) however argues that leadership is a diverse concept that might mean many things to different people. Nevertheless he assumes that there are common elements in all the definitions of leadership and he based his view on these common elements. To him, leadership is a systematic process whereby a person is able to influence other people to achieve common goals. Northouse posits that his definition is rooted in the following elements namely: process, influence, groups and common goals. Bryman (1986) is also in support of the position that the context in which the concept of leadership is applied varies from scholar to scholar. He also highlights that there have been ethical attempts by scholars to distinguish between leadership and other methods of influence like power and authority.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Leadership is a concept that is present in every group or entity be it a school, church, business organization, state, association (local and international) etc. There are so many reasons why people emerge as leaders of the various groups they find themselves in. Some emerge by popular consent e.g. as found in a democratic state like the United States, others emerge by appointment e.g. the chief executive officer of an organization or business corporation. Others yet emerge as leaders via their possession or control of the means of coercion e.g. military leaders and dictators and in the business world boardroom politics and manipulation might see the emergence of a new head/ boss. Leadership is an essential feature of all entities that must be present as an entity without leadership might be brought down by internal and external instability. It is for this reason that scholars have taken time to study about leadership and the role it plays in achieving org anizational goals. The recognition of its importance has given rise to the question of ethics in leadership and the dichotomy between good and bad leadership. Nevertheless it must be said on hand that the ethics of leadership is dependent on the position of the interested scholar. Thus while some scholars may concern themselves with leadership by consent, others may be more Machiavellian in nature. However this paper does not want to delve in to the ethics of the matter but rather wishes to pay attention to the question at hand. THEORIES OF LEADERSHIP Many scholars over the years have opined and debated on the various approaches to understanding the concept of leadership. This debate has spanned from the time of early philosophers like Plato down to modern theorist. According to literature there are a number of theories which helps one to understand the concept of leadership and these we shall take a note of briefly. Seleshi Sissaye (2001) provides us with some of the well known theories namely Trait theory Functional theory Situational theory Trait theory According to Sissaye the trait theory can be seen as that which argues that leadership traits are acquired at birth. It is one of the earliest theories as it assumes the notion that some people have these traits while others lack it. It has however been criticized for its inconsistency although it later regained prominence in later years. Northouse (2009) also refers to it as the great man theory because it concerns itself with those qualities that made men great. He further noted that unlike other theories this one was focused on the nature of the leader and not the followers. Functional Theory Sissaye (2001) says that this theory came after the trait theory and it is an important one because it takes recognition of the role that leaders play in their environment. It was propounded by Parsons in 1951. Reisman in Sissaye further teaches that in this theory the leader actually serves three roles in his institution: facilitator, administrator and model. Situational Theory To Sissaye (2001), the situational theory came to replace both the functional and the trait theories of leadership. It is founded on the contingency theory of social organization. Hamilton in Sissaye postulates that the core of this theory is the argument that the nature of the job determines the emergence of the leader. In other words, a leader emerges based on the opportunities presented or on the circumstance he/ she find himself in. Northouse (2009) observed that that this type of leadership theory involved a directive and supportive dimension and these have to be applied when the occasion calls for it. Are Leaders Born?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This is an interesting question. It is one because it attempts to understand the notion that leaders are a special breed of people who come into the world to fulfil their role of leadership. Thus it bears an element of destiny in it. Roger Gill (2006) noted that scholars and philosophers have debated this position over the years like Shakespeare and Aristotle. However many scholars of the modern period have also argued this position on the grounds that there is an innate characteristic in certain individuals which might be highlighted or can be moulded to attain the desired level of leadership characteristics. Indeed Nicholson and Norburn in Gill assume the position that there are innate genetic cells in individuals which may be developed to the desired standard. To them since all people are not leaders it is only reasonable to assume that the leaders have a certain leadership trait that has placed them in that position. This argument is also supported by Kilpatrick and Locke in Torrington, Hall and Taylor (2008). They also believe that leaders possess certain genetical leadership traits such as drive, motivation and self confidence which make it easier for them to perform well in leadership positions. The truth is that all leaders are biologically born. They are all products of the biological reactions which bring forth everyone- leaders as well as followers. There is nothing extraordinary about the birth of leaders because so many factors are involved in the emergence of a leader and it is these factors if favourable to the leaders success that might lend some validity to this statement. This notion makes one to question the existence of the followers. If leaders are born and developed from the womb to be leaders, then are followers already predetermined to become followers from birth? Finzel (2007) proposes that real leaders arent born but learn by trial and error and that inability to learn good leadership habits might haunt a ge neration of subsequent leaders. Cohen (1999) makes an interesting point that there are so many people who are educated and have good qualifications but this does not naturally endow them to lead. Rather than support the claim this paper wishes to disapprove of this philosophy that leaders are born not made and that leadership skills can be developed. Leaders and their skills are developed   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Leadership Development according to McCauley, cited in Day (2001) involves the collective expansion of organizational members to involve themselves in leadership roles and processes. The fact is that all human beings are born with various traits talent and skills: psychological and physical. Leadership should however not be viewed in this light. This is because unlike genetical traits like eye colour, lip colour, looks etc, leadership is a combination of opportunity and ability. Leadership traits as argued by scholars of the trait school are not as evident as those physical traits which individuals are known to exhibit. Thus we might say that all individuals are born with leadership skills all of which are not made manifest, rather their skills are honed and sharpened through the various challenges they face and opportunities presented to them. His/ her ability to head a group visibly confers on him the status of leader (although in some cases the visible head might not be the real leader e.g. as in the case of Mahatma Gandhi and Nehru in India. In management circles a leader is identified through his ability to handle different difficult situations put in his charge. These opportunities are presented to identify key areas of strength and weakness and this gives people the chance to weigh and determine the kind of leader they want at the top. Lenore Mewton (2009) in her paper argues this position by admitting that although it is very possible for individuals to possess traits and qualities which equip them for positions of leadership, it can also be learned and developed from executives and other business practitioners as their experience helps shape and individuals decision making processes. She believes that for a leader to be prepared he must assume leadership of himself of self leadership and proposes that individuals must be conscious and aware of their qualities and abilities as this allows them to decide on which to employ whi le taking decisions in leadership position.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Lets take a closer look at this position. Leadership development might start from any point in an individuals life. Factors such as the environment and the individual a leader comes in contact with also shape the way his leadership abilities are developed. An individual who attends school, goes to church or mosque and develops through life might remain a follower unless given such positions that bring out such leadership qualities in him. It is for this reason why many institutions such as businesses, governments, non-governmental organizations etc spend lots of money engaging their staff in various leadership courses within and outside state boundaries. For instance in institutions such as the military, soldiers rise through the ranks and are given positions of command. Their success in handling these various assignment given to them determines how the move up the military hierarchy. This view is in agreement with the opinion of Lussier and Achua (2009) w ho argue also that most of the worlds major corporations spend millions of dollars on various leadership seminars and training programs around the world. They further posit that irrespective of an individuals talents, he/she could be developed to lead if given a chance or provided an opportunity.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In trying to justify the position of this paper the argument would rely greatly on the opinions of the development theorists. This is because many of the popular businesses in the world today depend on leaders that are developed through their ability to handle various challenges presented to them. The modern business environment is such that the only leaders that are recognized are those who have risen through the ranks and have had their abilities tested and developed through the various programs, seminars and leadership programs they have found themselves in which has brought out those leadership qualities in them. The next sub heading would try to look at how leadership skills are developed in an organizational context. Leadership Skills Development in an Organization   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  How are leadership skills developed in organizations? What are the processes? What does it entail? Do the beneficiaries of such processes end up becoming good leaders? These are some of the questions that this sub heading hopes to answer in a brief yet concise way. Many organizations have many ways of ensuring that leadership skills of her staff are harnessed to the fullest. Many of the popular corporate names like General Motors, General Electric, IBM, Procter and Gamble etc have a culture of developing their staff to bring out the leadership skills in their staff. This was further confirmed in a Fortune Magazine online article of the World best companies for leaders which saw those companies listed earlier as examples as part of the top ten. A look through the list of companies and their profiles show that the companies all have various strategies and methods for identifying and developing managerial talents into the kind of leaders that would benefit th e corporate world. For instance in Procter and Gamble top executives also participate in training staff at the companys leadership colleges, while at IBM mobility assignments are given to thousands of staff spanning from a range of three to six months. At Titan Cement, which also made the Fortune list, their own leadership program also includes a one year program known as the career pre heater, as well as a value system for evaluating people thereby identifying leadership material through their performance.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Why do companies take the effort to develop the leadership skills of their staff? A personal opinion might be that companies prepare to advance to the next phase of growth by preparing their staff and developing their leadership skills so as to ensure that the business has a viable leadership to steer them through to that next phase of growth. A lot of the major corporations try to satisfy their leadership needs internally by developing special leadership programs for their leadership talents or high performing managers. For instance Hewlett Packard or HP for short, the PC and InfoTech Company based in the US according to Carter, Ulrich and Goldsmith (2005) through their Workforce Development and Organizational Effectiveness Group developed a program called Dynamic Leadership; a program which according to HP was to improve decision making and leadership amongst other objectives set by the then CEO Carly Fiorina. The end product of this program was after a study and analysis of the process was that they benefitted financially over the long term after evaluation of various processes as well as successfully merging with another PC company-Compaq. A lot of the big corporations also have a similar pattern for identifying and filling leadership gaps within the organization. Other big corporations that have implemented a similar model to that of HP include Macdonalds Corporation, Intel, Lockheed Martin etc. Macdonalds Corporation for instance is one of the biggest fast food ventures in the world. In 2001 its HR Design Centre created a program for its key managerial staff called the Macdonalds Leadership Development Experience. This program was specifically designed to bring out leadership qualities of staff that would go on to occupy a key position within the Macdonald hierarchy namely the position of Regional Manager. The candidates undertook training and the scholars, Ulrich et al considered the training process good enough to bring out t he leadership qualities in these candidates. However many people are developed through structural positions of leadership. Thus their ability to head a position determines if they have the Capacity to handle people and resources on a larger scale.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Day (2001,a) however notes that there are other methods by which companies develop their potential leaders. Some of the examples given include the 360 degree feedback, which involves the collection of different points of view of an individuals performance, as well as mentoring, which Day defines as formal developmental relationships while performing duties on the job. McCauley and Brutus (1998) identify with Job Assignments as an important tool in training potential leaders and Day (2001, b) notes that this has been employed by Businesses like the Coca Cola Company. IMPLICATIONS FOR MANAGEMENT DEVELOPMENT IN ORGANIZATION. What are the implications of leadership development in organizations? How does management benefit from the leadership skills development that many organizations are now focusing on? It must be said that a lot of companies in the world today are investing in leadership development because they are aware of the benefits that come with good leadership in business. This is what Mullins (2007) believes, that businesses identify people who would be beneficial to the companys management in the long term. If we borrow from the resource based view of HRM we would understand that leadership skills constitute part of the resources which give a company competitive advantage against rival businesses. Shajahan (2007) is also of the opinion that leadership programs directed at skill development serve as a source of competitive advantage. Some implications which i personally identified include the following namely: Continuity Smooth flow of Communication Identification of the right leaders for the business. Continuity: One of the reasons why companies undertake leadership skills program is to ensure continuity of leadership. Thus businesses undertake different strategies of leadership skills development to ensure that there is continuity in the business. This is because only good leaders have the foresight to keep a company going through to the next phase of growth. As Shajahan (2007) noted in the example of General Electric (GE), while its iconic C.E.O, Jack Welch, was preparing to retire in 2001, executives where being recruited to report to the potential successors of Welch. Thus Shajahans point is that companies concerned with leadership do not wait until the last minute to get a leader. They rather start the process early enough and continue till the process till whenever the process becomes unnecessary. Smooth flow of Communication: Leadership Skills development allows for a smooth flow of communication between potential leaders and other staff. This is because staffs that are trained under these leadership development schemes are knowledgeable of the internal workings of the organization as well as the people who bring about these workings and functions i.e. the staff. Thus it is easier for them to communicate and pass down directives because of their knowledge of the system and familiarity with those that operate the system. This can be seen in companies that recruit their management staff internally. Identification of Right leaders for the business: This is also similar with the first point but is also unique in its nature. Leadership development is a process which highlights the leadership potential of all participants involved in the development program. As a result such programs do not only provide leadership options in times of succession and continuity but also provide options for those who would take charge of key areas of business. Such people might mature over time to take over the leadership mantle if need be as such key positions handled by these persons constitute part of their leadership training process. Others might not assume leadership positions in that company but might be suitable and well qualified for like positions in other companies.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are other key implications of leadership skills development which are crucial to management success in an organization. Nevertheless it can be seen that it is a process that is very good in bringing out that part of individuals which is usually hidden unless identified and sharpened to suit the objectives and mission of the organization. CRITIQUE OF THE LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT POSITION   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Although i have taken the position that leadership skills can be developed, there are still some criticisms that linger over it and much of it come from the philosophical school of thought that leadership qualities are in born, a position adopted by the trait school of leadership theory. These scholars have made some reasonable points that are worthy of consideration and analysis.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  According to Gill (2006), the argument about leaders being born or made started with Hippocrates description of personality types based on body humour. In his book, Gill argues the point that this position is a psychological one, which makes it important because its concerns are crucial to the success and making of a leader. Such psychological concerns include interpersonal, psychological and emotional concerns. One of the major flaws of the leadership development position thus is that it downplays the importance of psychology in leadership. Although it can be argued that leaders are developed over time to suit their roles, one must not ignore the fact that leaders also have certain qualities that identify them as natural born leaders. For instance Northouse in Gill (2006) identified in his analysis certain trait qualities associated with leadership namely integrity, dominance, self confidence and sociability. Judge in Gill (2006) also identified some more characteristics which could be identified with leaders namely agreeableness, extraversion and conscientiousness. This view is also upheld by Kirkpatrick and Locke (1991) who argue that leaders possess those special traits which push them further to develop those identified traits. They make use of examples of personal characteristics of some leaders like Sam Walton of Wal-Mart and John Paul Jones of the US Navy to drive home their point of the relationship between trait and leadership. Nevertheless it must be noted that although possession of leadership traits is a factor, it does not determine the success of a leader.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Another criticism noted with this leadership development position is that the fact that leadership skills which are developed through certain training schemes either formal or informal does not guarantee the success of a leader. Skills development does not uniquely give leaders a successful tenure in their organization just as traits alone does not explain leadership success. CONCLUSION   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This paper has briefly reviewed the concept of leadership and has seen that leadership although identifiable cannot be given an encompassing definition. Many people see leadership in different lights; influence, management, control, power etc and as a result it cannot be given a wholesome definition to embrace all these points of view. The theories surrounding the concept of leadership have also been briefly reviewed as it is the opinion of this paper that these theories have a great influence on the question of concern. The two points of opinion: leaders are born and leadership skills can be developed have also been reviewed in a bid to provide a bit of understanding on the debate. While this paper has adopted the position of leadership development, it nevertheless has sought to point out that any of the positions is subject to the beliefs and opinions of the individual as there is no universally acceptable position on the subject of leadership. One might be forced to make the conclusion that an argument like this is more of a philosophical question and with leaders coming up in different sectors and carrying out their duties in different ways there is no clear superior argument as both positions have considerable weight. Nevertheless the position of this paper still stands: that leadership skill can be honed and sharpened to suit and lead a people in a particular way. This stands because people have certain qualities that could be shaped to be of better use to the larger society, community, organization or country.

My Career Essay -- Personal Narrative Careers Essays

My Career I do not know that anyone chooses a career in life. It seems that fate or certain outside forces influences the decisions you make in life. These forces change your life from one career to the next until you end up in your retirement years looking back on your life thinking of the â€Å"what ifs." I guess I have to open the topic of my paper â€Å"My Career† with me in my teens because my life has turned direction several times since then. Originally I had my heart set on a football career. I was fairly good at it playing both offensive and defensive positions. Unfortunately the outside sources that changed my budding career involved a tractor on my Uncle’s farm one summer in my junior year. The tractor won and I lost some movement in my knee for about three years. Needless to say my career was over. A few years later I entered college and found a desire to become an oceanographer. I have always lived near the water and interested in the ocean, the life under it, and the secrets it holds. If I remember correctly the outside force that ended this career was my own failure in following some strict study habits. Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute informed me that they accepted only 3.0 grade point average and above. Another outside force at this time was t he draft and the Viet Nam War. I ended up entering the Navy and was sure that I had found the career of my lifetime. I had finally found a career where I excelled. I was happy, enjoyed the professionalism, the freedom and authority that I possessed. This new career fit well with my character and what I wanted to do with my life. I trained people, helped them, watched them succeed and grow. What more could I ask for, the military had a certain form of excitement not shared by any other profession in the world. The places I traveled if duplicated would take a lifetime of trying, the experience, the honor of serving my country, all with an adequate wage scale. The outside forces that ended this career path in the Navy would fill a volume. To keep this long story in perspective and within the confines of this assignment, it is easier to conclude that the Navy became a job and not an adventure. Three crashes, a divorce, and plethora of other smaller forces led to the decision to retire prematurely from the military and return to my home in Syracuse, New York where my family was. ... ...od compensation package. The Readers Digest version of my careers in only a few pages. The final chapter is not written yet and is still to come. Check for it in your grocery stores. I enjoy helping people, training them to realize their dreams and successes. However, there is a price for this knowledge. Paid to support my family in a life style that they feel is comfortable. I guess that as I have gotten older, my need for speed, excitement, and adventure as a driving force within my career has been replaced. My outside driving force is my family, my need to help them survive. My career rewards themselves spent on my family’s education, marriages, and for my own retirement with my spouse. Am I happy with my own life and with the career paths I have been fortunate to see and succeed with? Yes! Would I do anything differently? Yes! If I did, would I be blessed with the wife and children that I presently have? I do not know. I do know that my career has been my life, the people I have helped along the way. My payment has been small, with the survival of my family. This fact I would not change for anything. Fate has been a mystical force in my life, and I thank it. My Career Essay -- Personal Narrative Careers Essays My Career I do not know that anyone chooses a career in life. It seems that fate or certain outside forces influences the decisions you make in life. These forces change your life from one career to the next until you end up in your retirement years looking back on your life thinking of the â€Å"what ifs." I guess I have to open the topic of my paper â€Å"My Career† with me in my teens because my life has turned direction several times since then. Originally I had my heart set on a football career. I was fairly good at it playing both offensive and defensive positions. Unfortunately the outside sources that changed my budding career involved a tractor on my Uncle’s farm one summer in my junior year. The tractor won and I lost some movement in my knee for about three years. Needless to say my career was over. A few years later I entered college and found a desire to become an oceanographer. I have always lived near the water and interested in the ocean, the life under it, and the secrets it holds. If I remember correctly the outside force that ended this career was my own failure in following some strict study habits. Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute informed me that they accepted only 3.0 grade point average and above. Another outside force at this time was t he draft and the Viet Nam War. I ended up entering the Navy and was sure that I had found the career of my lifetime. I had finally found a career where I excelled. I was happy, enjoyed the professionalism, the freedom and authority that I possessed. This new career fit well with my character and what I wanted to do with my life. I trained people, helped them, watched them succeed and grow. What more could I ask for, the military had a certain form of excitement not shared by any other profession in the world. The places I traveled if duplicated would take a lifetime of trying, the experience, the honor of serving my country, all with an adequate wage scale. The outside forces that ended this career path in the Navy would fill a volume. To keep this long story in perspective and within the confines of this assignment, it is easier to conclude that the Navy became a job and not an adventure. Three crashes, a divorce, and plethora of other smaller forces led to the decision to retire prematurely from the military and return to my home in Syracuse, New York where my family was. ... ...od compensation package. The Readers Digest version of my careers in only a few pages. The final chapter is not written yet and is still to come. Check for it in your grocery stores. I enjoy helping people, training them to realize their dreams and successes. However, there is a price for this knowledge. Paid to support my family in a life style that they feel is comfortable. I guess that as I have gotten older, my need for speed, excitement, and adventure as a driving force within my career has been replaced. My outside driving force is my family, my need to help them survive. My career rewards themselves spent on my family’s education, marriages, and for my own retirement with my spouse. Am I happy with my own life and with the career paths I have been fortunate to see and succeed with? Yes! Would I do anything differently? Yes! If I did, would I be blessed with the wife and children that I presently have? I do not know. I do know that my career has been my life, the people I have helped along the way. My payment has been small, with the survival of my family. This fact I would not change for anything. Fate has been a mystical force in my life, and I thank it.

Prevention of Stress

To help reduce stress and improve the quality of life, many organizations are becoming more involved in wellness programs. With increasing health care costs, many employers are concentrating on disease prevention and health promotion. By putting a wellness program in place, it leads to a healthier workforce which increases its productivity level, reduces employee absenteeism, creates less overtime, and it also cuts the cost of health benefits (Kizer, 1987). Another reason that many companies are developing a wellness program within the organization is the effect it has on the bottom line. By preventing stress, an organization has happy healthy employees which means t quality and quantity of work will be improved. For example † A middle manager may be a company's shining star, but if he is living in constant disharmony at home, or if his teenage daughter, whom he suspects is using street drugs, did not come home until 3 a. m. last Saturday night this promising manager is not going to be particularly efficient at even routine daily tasks. A worksite wellness program could help† (Kizer, 1987, p. 36). Another contributing factor to higher job related stress is less leisure and vacation time. Throughout the 1980s, the amount of paid time off for employees is act† shrinking. Many European workers are gaining vacation time, while Americans are losing it. † In the last decade, U. S. workers have gotten less paid time off – on the order of three and a half fewer days each year of vacation time, holidays, sick pay, and other paid absences. † (Schor, 1991 p. 32). Many companies faced an economic squeeze in the 1980†³s. Vacations and holidays were among the cost-cutting efforts. DuPont reduced its top vacation allotment time from seven four weeks. They also eliminated three of their paid holidays a year. With the new trend of downsizing, many employees are fearful of job loss and therefore, spend less time away from the workplace (Schor, 1991, p. 32). Individuals who experience high or frequent levels of stress need to learn to cope. High levels of stress can effect job performance and it can also be unhealthy. To maintain a healthy lifestyle, people need to attempt to take responsibility for stress. Those individuals need to learn more about stress in general and how it effects them. They also need to develop technique. for monitoring personal levels of stress and develop techniques to deal with job related stress. Employees should look within the organization on ways to alleviate stress and how to cope more effectively. Organizations an often unnecessarily stressful and should be changed to reduce the negative impact on individuals' physical and mental health (Paine, 1982, p. 21). Three major strategies for strengthening individuals are workshops, stress management skills, and focused short term counseling. Introductory workshops are essential to communicate and educate to be more mentally and physically healthy. Such workshops which specialize in topics as time management or relaxation techniques help to alleviate the stress in one's life (Paine, 1982, p. 22). Finding techniques that deal with personal stress can also be useful in dealing with job stress. Regular aerobic exercise to deep breathing techniques are potentially useful in stress management. Many specialist agree that there is not any one method to overcome the problem. One needs to realize their own self needs and strengths in dealing with stress management (Paine, 1982, p. 23). There are many different ways in which you can deal with job stress. Individuals can take on simple self-help countermeasures. There is also help from friends, colleagues, spouse, or other relatives. Professional help is available from clergymen, physicians, or counselors. The worksite offers several advantages for employees interested in making healthy lifestyle changes. The advantages include: Most employees go to a worksite on a regular schedule, thus providing opportunities for regular participation in wellness programs. Contact with co-workers can provide strong social support which is believed to be a primary force in sustaining lifestyle changes. Opportunities for strong, steady support of the program, as well as for promoting the concept that good health is good for everyone. Programs at the worksite may be less expensive to the employee than comparable programs in the community or may even be offered free as an employee benefit. Because of the varity of data systems available, it is possible to evaluate changes in an employee's health status or other measures resulting from the program. The most attractive feature from an employee†s viewpoint is the fact that the program is convenient. From the employers viewpoint the benefits of worksite health promotion for stress include: Improved employee relations Improved retention Improved community relations. Reduced absenteeism Reduced number of hours lost to late arrivals and sick davs. Since there's no getting around life†s problems, the best way to manage stress is to learn better coping skills. First pinpoint the reasons for stress in your life. Then try changing your attitude about them. Learn what you can control and accept the things you cannot. Practice self talk (this to shall pass, Some day we will laugh about this, or Its a learning experience). Keep your perspective. Ask yourself, â€Å"Will I remember this in five years? † Try to find the positive side to a stressful situation. Do not worry about things that may never happen. Practice positive self-talk, for example,†I can do this,†or â€Å"I'm in control. â€Å"Negative self-talk such as, â€Å"I have to be perfect,† or â€Å"I can't do this,† produces more stress. Take action to manage stress. Changes and stress create energy. Are you using that energy to continue toward your goals? Or are you letting stress make you unhappy and unproductive? Take action to control your stress, both at work and at home. Manage your time better- make a â€Å"to do† list. Make it realistic so you can do the things listed and set priorities. Break task into bite size chunks. Delegate as much as possible. Keep in mind that tomorrow is another day and accept the fact that you may not get everything done today. Make sure you are communicating effectively- Go into stressful meetings as fully prepared as possible. Organize your thoughts, establish eye contact and listen for the whole message, including content feelings, and meanings. Remember that solving problems depends on give and take. Be prepared to negotiate and compromise. Break the tension cycle-At your desk, close your eyes, breathe deeply and relax. Laugh with co-workers, go out for lunch. At home, read a book, take a walk, chat with next door neighbors. Gets plenty of regular exercise and sleep-they will help you cope better. Get organized at home-Set daily and weekly routines for household chores. Delegate some chores to other family members. Cook meals in large quantities and freeze some for later. Plan for emergencies, keep first aid supplies and an extra set of car keys around. Stress can affect your self-esteem and your health, if you let it. Be kind to yourself. Relax, keep a positive attitude and get involved in activities you enjoy. Build on your strengths, take care of yourself Also team to reach out to others. Everyone needs a support system, a network of trustworthy people you care about and who care about you. Share your feelings so that they don't build up. Then focus on building positive energy. Stress is a normal, involuntary response to any demand made upon the body. Stress is very complex. Sources of stress may be made either more positive or more negative by a range of factors related to a given situation. Stress has become a widely used yet poorly understood term. As a result, a number of misconceptions about stress exist. Three of the most identified misconceptions are that: all stress is dab, stress is a part of life and there is nothing you can do about it, and stress is caused solely and completely by environmental factors. Stress is very much a personal condition, and individuals vary in their ability to cope with different forms and levels of stress. An example of this stress on a personal note would be co-worker conflict. When this stress occurs co-workers should discuss this matter privately. If possible, arrange your meeting on neutral grounds. Approach the person in a non-threatening manner. Respond to them with: â€Å"I would like to talk something over with you. † Try to make the other person feel less defensive or angry. Do not blame the other person. Listen closely to the other person. Understanding the other point of view may help you feet less stressful. Focus on ways to solve the problem. In this I mean do not revisit every past negative incident, this may distract from the resolution. Finally if none of the above work, seek help. If necessary talk with an employee assistance counselor who can help develop ground rules for such discussions and promote respectful communications. Stress is a complex process. It can arise in white collar as well as in blue-collar workers. Surveys have found little difference between white and blue-collar workers in terms of complaints, health, life satisfaction, depression, or other indicators of stress. Shift workers are thought to be more susceptible to stress-related illnesses. Because of personal involvement with the disruption in basic steep patterns and disruption in social life. Since every situation is unique, there are probably as many separate sources of stress as there are work situation. This may is important to recognize when seeking to evaluate working environments for sources of stress. Never the less sources of work related stress can be grouped into four general categories. Work load-which means stress resulting from to much work, to little work, work that is to hard or to easy. Work conditions-refers to a wide variety of factors including organization structure, such as job loss, change in work, and similar factors. Work patterns- pertains to shift work, repetitive work, and paced work Work roles-, which can be stressful because of role expectations with efficient use of resources and staff. Employers may also wish to introduce an EAP, which provides an effective strategy for assisting employees with personal and work related problems. Where organizations believe it would be necessary to make decisions about the quality of the proposed program. Such decisions should be made on the basis of a well-defined set of criteria. The following set of eight criteria for evaluating and selecting a stress intervention program is suggested.

Absolutism and Baroque Art in 17th Century

Europe in the 17th century was a continent in upheaval. Even this early on, it must be acknowledged that what was just said can be considered as an understatement. There is just not enough space and enough phraseology to describe the depth and sweeping changes occurring at that time. The transformation from Medieval Europe into Industrialized Europe can be likened to birth pangs – painful experiences that would result in something amazing if one can only go through the ordeal.In this period of turbulence there are two ideas and concepts that until now has caught the imagination of historians and art connoisseurs: a) Absolutism (political/religious) and b) Baroque (art). The complexity of these two terms offers a glimpse into a Europe emerging from slumber and into a collection of states that will rule the world. This paper will look into the relationship of absolutism and Baroque art in the context of the events that shaped 17th century Europe.At the end of the study the follo wing questions will be answered:1. What exactly is absolutism?2. What is Baroque art?3. What exactly is the relationship between absolutism and Baroque art?Absolutism For a 21st century American, a simple understanding of absolutism may be a form of rule that is anti-democratic. The modern world is so used to freedom of speech, freedom to assemble/protest and finally ability to choose its own leaders. Thus, anything that displays the opposite is ofcourse absolutism.But an accurate definition of absolutism is problematic. First of all there is an extreme difficulty tracing its origins and how it developed. According to Peter Wilson, in his book, â€Å"Absolutism in Central Europe†, â€Å"There seems little agreement as to when it emerged, what drove it forward, whether it progressed through distinct phases and when it came to an end† (2000, p. 10). But historians could not be denied. Many had pointed to the end of the Thirty Years War, as the beginning of the age of abs olutism.Wilson elaborated on this timeline when he wrote â€Å"The Treaty of Westphalia in 1648 [†¦] not only concluded the Thirty Years War in a major European peace settlement confirming France as a major power, but strengthened the German princes by weakening the authority of the Holy Roman Emperor† (2000, p. 12). Absolutism therefore is a transition phase between the Dark Ages and the coming capitalist society. And to simplify it much further, â€Å"†¦absolutism existed as a real form of monarchy†, according to Wilson (2000, p. 11).It is now easy to understand that this kind of rule which was exemplified by France, can find its origins in the past monarchial systems that ruled Europe and this include the display of absolute power by an infallible pope. Politics and Art The connection between Baroque art and absolutism is subtle. There is no proof that can show that Kings had a direct hand in developing this art form. Still, the force that propagated it an d encouraged it to flourish comes from leadership soaked in absolute power.This is because the line that connects absolutism and Baroque art is the term counter-reformation. It would be helpful to take one step backwards and see the development of counter-reformation and the subsequent use of an art form as a kind of information disseminating tool. It quickly developed into a fashionable thing for Kings to indulge in – collecting Baroque art and commissioning artists to create the same. Baroque Art The cultural product of the 17th century Europe was described as â€Å"Baroque† (Kleiner & Mamiya, 2005, p. 569).Kleiner and Mamiya then added that it is, â€Å"†¦a convenient blanket term. However, this term is problematic because the period encompasses a broad range of developments, both historical and artistic, across an expansive geographic area† (2005, p. 569). Since it is impossible to have an accurate description of Baroque art that will give justice to al l artwork done in this period, then it would be better to console oneself with a basic understanding of Baroque through Mary Marien’s work.In Fleming’s Arts and Ideas, Marien remarked that in this technique there is more emphasis on forceful striving and restless motion as opposed to calm and repose (2004, p. 359). Mariend added that, â€Å"Grandeur and magnificence prevailed in the baroque arts. Emperors, kings, popes, and princes vied with one another to attract great artists to their courts by offering large commissions† (2004, p. 359). Counter-Reformation The motivation and the directive to use baroque arts in the Counter-Reformation was traced by Klein and Zerner.It emanated from the headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church and they wrote, â€Å"In reaction to the Protestant’s attacks against images, the Council of Trent, restating the ideas of the 15th century ‘Catholic Reformation,’ required art to regain dignity in its forms and coh erence (Klein & Zerner, 1966, p. 119). But the effect of baroque arts was not merely to create icons that are proper and dignified. It was able to move people by the way the subjects are portrayed.Reich and Cunningham elaborated on this and they wrote: Carvaggio’s work is emotional and dominated by strong contrasts of light and darkness. Annibale Carracci painted scenes of movement and splendor [†¦] Rembrandt used strong contrast of light and dark to paint deeply felt religious scenes†¦(2005, p. 195). Conclusion Attempting to define both Baroque art and absolutism proved to be problematic for the proponent since the two terms were used to describe a wide range of developments in 17th century arts and politics.Still, it was ascertained that absolutism is a form of monarchial rule that existed after Europe emerged from the Medieval Period. It was also a transition phase from the feudal type of governing the land to the more sophisticated nations states and unto the mo re recent capitalistic society of Europe. Around the same time that this kind of governance was used in Europe – of which France was the prime example of a more distinguishable absolutism – there were other events and movements that could be indirectly linked to said form of governance.In reaction to an earlier kind of absolutism – of which the Holy Roman Emperor was the prime example – Protestantism was the result of the discontentment of such rule. The counter-reaction of the Roman Catholic Church to the act of splitting the church in two is a program called counter-reformation. In essence it was a method aimed at strengthening Roman Catholics remaining strongholds at the same time actively defending the Catholic Church from further incursions by the Protestants.Baroque was one of the major tools used to display the superiority of the Roman Catholics, as opposed to the crudeness of the breakaway sect. But it was not only the Church who realized its impo rtance, the rich and royalty spared no expense in collecting and commissioning artists to produce one. Thus, there were two ways that Baroque art became a utilitarian tool in relation to those wielding absolute power. With regards to the Catholic Church an explanation was already given earlier. Concerning royalty, the nobility and wealthy merchants, it was a way of displaying opulence and status.ReferencesReich, J. & Cunningham, L. (2005). Cultures and Values: A Survery of the Humanities. CA: Thomson Wadsworth. Marien, M. (2004). Fleming’s Arts and Ideas. CA: Thomson Wadsworth. Kimmel, M. (1988). Absolutism and Its Discontents: State and Society in Seventeenth Century France and England. New Jersey: Transaction, Inc. Kleiner, F. & Mamiya, C. (2005). Gardner’s Art Through the Ages: The Western Perspective. CA: Thomson Wadsworth. Wilson, P. (2000). Absolutism in Central Europe. New York: Routledge.

3 Easy Content Optimization Tips Every Blogger Should Focus On

3 Easy Content Optimization Tips Every Blogger Should Focus On You may be producing regular content as a way to drive traffic to your blog, but are you testing that content just like you would test any other landing page? Content marketing- or using your blog as a tool for traffic growth- is a great way to encourage readers to visit your site, share your content with others, and hopefully become a verified lead that you can follow up with. But this doesn’t happen automatically. You need to make sure that your content creation process has a suitable content optimization layer. Just like the rest of your site and business. Here’s the key thought- you know that good optimization and A/B testing works on landing pages, home pages, and product pages, but are you properly testing things where your regular content lives? On your blog, for example? With all of the knowledge out there about content optimization, it can be easy to apply the same scientific process to optimize your content marketing. There are  three simple methods you can use to optimize your content, and help you introduce an optimization layer to your blog. The result? More traffic, more shares, and more leads- it’s as simple as that. 3 Ways To Optimize Your Content For More Traffic And ConversionsTip  1: Optimize Your Content To Get More Traffic If you use a blog to create content and as a marketing tool, then one of your key metrics for success is the inbound traffic that comes in at the top of your funnel. While traffic  isn’t the only metric that matters, it is an important place to start. Its also one of the areas that deserves some heavy content optimization. There are three primary sources of traffic that you can optimize. Source #1- social media When new content goes live, you should be sharing it across all of your social media properties. Did you know that this process can be tested so that it will bring in more traffic? One of the ways to test this is to create a social sharing schedule that simply distributes  your social messages more than once on each network. Share your content more than once on social media. You can see the different times well share this post on different social networks. For this, you should be testing different times to post your content and different messages that may drive better results. We were able to double our own traffic with this process. Use a #socialmedia sharing schedule to share your #contentmarketing at just the right time.Source #2- email marketing Most email marketing software makes it super easy to A/B test your email subject lines, or pretty much any of the content within the email itself.  This is an important practice that is easy to implement. In fact, we never send out a major email that doesn’t have an A/B test built in. Always A/B test your email subject lines. After A/B testing our own email subject lines for months, we’ve been able to draw several conclusions about how to make our audience more likely to consume and share our content. The results for your audience will be different, but it is such an easy place to do testing,  itss  almost a no-brainer. Source #3- SEO and  SEM Most of us are regularly optimizing our blog content based on keywords that potential customers and readers might search for on Google. This is a smart practice, and one that you can easily A/B test. What you need to do is narrow your content down to one or two different keywords or keyword phrases that you think your visitors are the most likely to use. From there, optimize your content accordingly and make a small AdWords campaign for each keyword phrase that you are testing. After you run the paid campaigns for a few weeks, you should get a clear picture of what keyword will bring the most click-throughs, and you can optimize your content according to that keyword. For more tips on A/B testing your SEO pages, check out this excellent guide on the KISSmetrics blog. Optimize your current #blog content by #ABtesting with an AdWords campaign.Tip 2: Optimize Your Headlines  To Get More Shares After reaching a milestone of more than one million headlines in our database, our team started to wonder if we could find a way to predict how likely a headline was to be shared on social media. To our surprise, we found a little secret. Emotional headlines are in fact more likely to be shared via social media. With that in mind, we decided it was time to build a new tool to combine that data with everything else we know that makes up the best headlines. Thats the headline analyzer. Content with headlines scoring 70 or better with the headline analyzer  are  some of the most likely to be shared. This means that one of the best ways to get more shares is to write better headlines, and there are some easy ways to test those headlines as you learn. A/B test your headlines. Buffer, for example, has outlined their own process for A/B testing headlines on their blog. Their method is simple. By sending out a couple tweets with two alternate headlines, they are able to see which headline gets the most attention on Twitter. From there, they can adjust their post to accommodate the winning headline. Another option for A/B testing your headlines is by using the KingSumo Headlines WordPress Headline tool, which allows you to test multiple headlines at once. Over time, the tool will automatically select the best headline to use permanently going forward. It is a great ‘set it and forget it’ option. Write Better Headlines With A  Free Headline Analyzer The headline analyzer  will help you: Use headline types that get the most traction for social shares, traffic, and search engine ranking. Make sure you have the right word balance to write readable headlines that command attention. See the best  word and character length for search engines like Google and email subject lines, while also seeing  how your readers will scan your headlines. Try The Free Headline Analyzer Now Optimize your #headlines to increase your #socialmedia shares.Tip 3: Optimize Your Content To Get More Leads So, you’ve optimized your content to get more traffic and more shares, but what are you doing with all of those new visitors? Hopefully, youre converting some of those visitors into leads. This is another area that begs for some efficient A/B testing. Test different lead collection methods. There are several methods you can use to collect email leads, and even a few simple plugins that will help you with the process. But don’t take the default settings for granted. You need to test the methods for finding leads. For example, Noah Kagan recently shared his extensive pop-up box testing. He was able to determine the best time to display a pop-up box and learned exactly how often he could display it without annoying his readers. A few of the things that you should be A/B testing include: The overall look and feel of your lead collection area. We were able to increase conversions by switching from a blue to an orange option form. A simple change with a big result. The copy and content displayed on your lead collection form. Can you increase conversions by adding social proof? How long a user needs to be on your page before seeing your lead collection form. Noah Kagan found the magic number to be 5 seconds. Various methods and locations for lead collection. For example, does a pop-up or slide-in lead collection form perform better? Test different signup offers. Another thing you can test is the offer you make visitors in exchange for signing up. For example, does offering them a valuable piece of content improve conversions? We found that by offering a free e-book or download, we were able to double our conversion rate over night.

Brave New Worlds Bernard essays

Brave New World's Bernard essays In Brave New World, Aldous Huxley uses Bernard Marxs character to demonstrate that even in a society where people are manufactured by the hundreds, human instincts still hold true, and they cannot be denied. Huxley explores Bernards human desire to undermine the society that ultimately refuses to accept him. This exploration begins immediately with Bernards first appearance. Just as the Director finishes his explanation of how efficiently the World State successfully eliminated lovesickness and everything that goes along with frustrated desire, Bernard gives the reader the first glimpse into a characters private thoughts. That character is one that is lovesick, jealous, and fiercely angry at his sexual rivals. Under his breath, Bernard expresses his fierce loathing of Henry Foster and Benito Hoover. He calls them idiots, swine (55). On the surface level, a reader would come to believe that Bernards discontent stems from a systematic or philosophical dislike for his society. Although this argument contains elements of truth, Bernard's discontent more accurately stems from his frustrated desire to fit into his own society. As human beings, we want what we cannot have, and when w e realize that we cannot have it, we try to devalue it by criticizing it. It is Bernards inferiority complex that inhibits him from fulfilling his desires. He is his own worst enemy in his struggle to gain acceptance because he consciously alienates himself from his peers. He spends his time alone, wallowing over his inadequacies. One of which is his physical stature. Bernard is an Alpha-Plus, yet he holds the physical prowess of a Gamma. He, therefore, severely resents the normal people in his society. As a result of human instinct, Bernard becomes rather fond of solitude, and he spends his time thinking and pondering alone. This alienates him even further from his society because he does...

Biography of Annie Jump Cannon, Classifier of Stars

Biography of Annie Jump Cannon, Classifier of Stars Annie Jump Cannon (December 11, 1863–April 13, 1941) was an American astronomer whose work in star cataloging led to the development of modern star classification systems. Along with her groundbreaking work in astronomy, Cannon was a suffragist and activist for women’s rights. Fast Facts: Annie Jump Cannon Known For: American astronomer who created the modern star classification system and broke ground for women in astronomyBorn: December 11, 1863 in Dover, DelawareDied: April 13, 1941 in Cambridge, MassachusettsSelected Honors: Honorary doctorates from University of Groningen (1921) and Oxford University (1925), Henry Draper Medal (1931), Ellen Richards Prize (1932), National Womens Hall of Fame (1994)Notable Quote: Teaching man his relatively small sphere in the creation, it also encourages him by its lessons of the unity of Nature and shows him that his power of comprehension allies him with the great intelligence over-reaching all. Early Life Annie Jump Cannon was the eldest of three daughters born to Wilson Cannon and his wife Mary (neà ¨ Jump). Wilson Cannon was a state senator in Delaware, as well as a ship builder. It was Mary who encouraged Annie’s education from the very start, teaching her the constellations and encouraging her to pursue her interests in science and math. Throughout Annie’s childhood, mother and daughter stargazed together, using old textbooks to identify and map out the stars they could see from their own attic. Sometime during her childhood or young adulthood, Annie suffered major hearing loss, possibly due to scarlet fever. Some historians believe she was hard of hearing from childhood onward, while others suggest that she was already a young adult in her post-college years when she lost her hearing. Her hearing loss reportedly made it difficult for her to socialize, so Annie immersed herself more completely in her work. She never married, had children, or had publicly known romantic attachments. Annie attended Wilmington Conference Academy (known today as Wesley College) and excelled, particularly in math. In 1880, she began studying as Wellesley College, one of the best American colleges for women, where she studied astronomy and physics. She graduated as valedictorian in 1884, then returned home to Delaware. Teacher, Assistant, Astronomer In 1894, Annie Jump Cannon suffered a major loss when her mother Mary died. With home life in Delaware becoming more difficult, Annie wrote to her former professor at Wellesley, the physicist and astronomer Sarah Frances Whiting, to ask if she had any job openings. Whiting obliged and hired her as a junior-level physics teacher- which also enabled Annie to continue her education, taking graduate-level courses in physics, spectroscopy, and astronomy. To continue pursuing her interests, Annie needed access to a better telescope, so she enrolled at Radcliffe College, which had a special arrangement with nearby Harvard to have professors give their lectures both at Harvard and Radcliffe. Annie gained access to the Harvard Observatory, and in 1896, she was hired by its director, Edward C. Pickering, as an assistant. Pickering hired several women to assist him on his major project: completing the Henry Draper Catalogue, an extensive catalogue with the goal of mapping and defining every star in the sky (up to a photographic magnitude of 9). Funded by Anna Draper, Henry Draper’s widow, the project took up significant manpower and resources. Creating a Classification System Soon into the project, a disagreement arose over how to classify the stars they were observing. One woman on the project, Antonia Maury (who was Draper’s niece) argued for a complex system, while another colleague, Williamina Fleming (who was Pickering’s chosen supervisor) wanted a simple system. It was Annie Jump Cannon who figured out a third system as a compromise. She divided stars into the spectral classes O, B, A, F, G, K, M- a system which is still taught to astronomy students today. Annie’s first catalog of stellar spectra was published in 1901, and her career accelerated from that point on. She received a master’s degree in 1907 from Wellesley College, completing her studies from years earlier. In 1911, she became the Curator of Astronomical Photographs at Harvard, and three years later, she became an honorary member of the Royal Astronomical Society in the U.K. Despite these honors, Annie and her female colleagues were often criticized for working, rather than being housewives, and were often underpaid for long hours and tedious work. Regardless of criticism, Annie persisted, and her career flourished. In 1921, she was among the first women to receive an honorary doctorate from a European university when the Dutch university Groningen University awarded her an honorary degree in math and astronomy. Four years later, she was awarded an honorary doctorate by Oxford – making her the first woman to receive an honorary doctorate of science from the elite university. Annie also joined the suffragist movement, advocating for women’s rights and, specifically, the extension of the right to vote; the right to vote for all women was finally won in 1928, eight years after the Nineteenth Amendment in 1920. Annie’s work was noted for being incredibly rapid and accurate. At her peak, she could classify 3 stars per minute, and she classified around 350,000 over the course of her career. She also discovered 300 variable stars, five novas, and one spectroscopic binary star. In 1922, the International Astronomical Union officially adopted Cannons stellar classification system; it is still used, with only minor changes, to this day. In addition to her work on classifications, she served as a sort of ambassador within the astronomy field, helping forge partnerships among colleagues. She assumed a similar role for the astronomy field’s public-facing work: she wrote books presenting astronomy for public consumption, and she represented professional women at the 1933 World’s Fair. Retirement and Later Life Annie Jump Cannon was named the William C. Bond Astronomer at Harvard University in 1938. She remained in that position before retiring in 1940 at the age of 76. Despite being officially retired, however, Annie continued to work in the observatory. In 1935, she created the Annie J. Cannon Prize to honor women’s contributions to the field of astronomy. She continued to help women gain a foothold and gain respect in the scientific community, leading by example while also lifting up the work of fellow women in science. Annie’s work was continued by some of her colleagues. Most notably, the famous astronomer Cecilia Payne was one of Annie’s collaborators, and she used some of Annie’s data to support her groundbreaking work that determined that stars are composed primarily of hydrogen and helium. Annie Jump Cannon died on April 13, 1941. Her death came after a long illness and hospitalization. In honor of her countless contributions to astronomy, the American Astronomical Society presents an annual award named for her- the Annie Jump Cannon Award- to female astronomers whose work has been especially distinguished. Sources Des Jardins, Julie.  The Madame Curie Complex- The Hidden History of Women in Science. New York: Feminist Press, 2010.Mack, Pamela (1990).  Straying from their orbits: Women in astronomy in America. In Kass-Simon, G.; Farnes, Patricia; Nash, Deborah.  Women of Science: Righting the Record. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1990.Sobel, Dava.  The Glass Universe: How the Ladies of the Harvard Observatory Took the Measure of the Stars. Penguin: 2016.

Clinical Chemistry Practical Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Clinical Chemistry Practical - Essay Example The supernatant was neutralized with 3.2M K2CO3. After recentrifugation, the glucose fraction was extracted from the second supernatant by rapid sequential anion and cation exchange chromatography . The fraction containing glucose was dried before derivatization . The 297-to-299 ionic ratio responses were calculated in terms of isotopic enrichments using a standard curve made up from a known enrichment of glucose solutions. The diagnosis is diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). Three key features of diabetic ketoacidosis are hyperglycemia, ketosis, and acidosis. The conditions that cause these metabolic abnormalities overlap. DKA is defined as an increase in the serum concentration of ketones greater than 5 mEq/L, a blood glucose level of greater than 250 mg/dL (although it is usually much higher),blood pH of less than 7.2, and a bicarbonate level of 18 mEq/L or less. DKA usually occurs as a consequence of absolute or relative insulin deficiency that is accompanied by an increase in counter-regulatory hormones (ie, glucagon, cortisol, growth hormone, epinephrine). This type of hormonal imbalance enhances hepatic gluconeogenesis, glycogenolysis, and lipolysis. Hepatic gluconeogenesis, glycogenolysis secondary to insulin deficiency, and counter-regulatory hormone excess result in severe hyperglycemia, while lipolysis increases serum free fatty acids.

Language Acquisition Priciples Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Language Acquisition Priciples - Essay Example The article also discussed latest methods of teaching English as a second language and also the connected strategic actions. This article also details the position statements issued by three professional organizations about the teaching of ELLs. According to Judy Richardson (2005) the well known professional organization in the area of education is "Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages" (TESOL), which has issued several position statements. The most prominent of which is "Position Statement on Language and Literacy Development for Young English Language Learners" (October 2001). This position statement encompasses six main recommendations regarding language and literacy development for ELLs. The position statement underlines the need for: The position statement issued by TESOL and International Reading Association (IRA 2001), a professional organization dedicated to best practice in teaching literacy have demonstrated consistency in their approach with regard to what teachers should know and practice. These organizations have also laid down what rights the ELLs should be given. A meaningful mainstreaming and a proper evaluation of the ELLs is possible with the establishment of these rights.

Language Acquisition Priciples Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Language Acquisition Priciples - Essay Example The article also discussed latest methods of teaching English as a second language and also the connected strategic actions. This article also details the position statements issued by three professional organizations about the teaching of ELLs. According to Judy Richardson (2005) the well known professional organization in the area of education is "Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages" (TESOL), which has issued several position statements. The most prominent of which is "Position Statement on Language and Literacy Development for Young English Language Learners" (October 2001). This position statement encompasses six main recommendations regarding language and literacy development for ELLs. The position statement underlines the need for: The position statement issued by TESOL and International Reading Association (IRA 2001), a professional organization dedicated to best practice in teaching literacy have demonstrated consistency in their approach with regard to what teachers should know and practice. These organizations have also laid down what rights the ELLs should be given. A meaningful mainstreaming and a proper evaluation of the ELLs is possible with the establishment of these rights.

Letter Concerning Toleration Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Letter Concerning Toleration - Essay Example According to John Locke in his Letter Concerning Tolerance, the state and the church are perfectly distinct and infinitely different entities (Locke 24). In his opinion, the magistrate has no role in matters of religion. The main functions of the state are to protect life, people’s liberty, and their properties. Every entity in the society is limited to its functions and protection of souls is not one of the states functions but rather the function of the church. Therefore, by creating laws to criminalize the use the hallucinogenic mushroom, the stipulations describing how the drug is not fit for consumption and what makes it criminal should apply to all individual citizens of the state in the bid to uphold democracy and protection of peoples lives and liberty. Allowing some religions to use the drug while restricting others is a true description of what Locke refers to as intolerance. It is a definite case of a state showing coercion of citizens to convert to certain religion s. This is because conversion to the exempted religion would allow those people with the urge to use the drug a right to the drug. The American flag and patriotism Reciting the pledge of allegiance while facing the American flag as a show of patriotism is not wrong even in Locke’s point of view. This is because Locke is precise and categorical about the extend to which the state can make wrong moves in controlling religious practices and the main factor of consideration is the essence of everything that the state implements as a rule for every citizen. The only wrong move that the state could take in such a case is to connect the reciting of the pledge of allegiance while facing the American flag to matters of religion. In this case, the state has not made connections of religious beliefs to the aspect of reciting the pledge of allegiance while facing the American flag. In addition to this, the state makes itself clean in this case by ensuring that this aspect is practiced by all citizens of America regardless of their religious affiliations as a show of patriotism to the state. It is for the parents to these children to differentiate matters of religion from undertaking universal activities that are meant to show patriotism to the state. The state never intended to connect the action of reciting the pledge of allegiance while facing the American flag with matters of the soul. Nonetheless, subscribing as a citizen of a certain state or nation means that one has made the choice of being patriotic to the particular state. The Christian minister The case of the Christian minister presents a very controversial aspect in consideration of Locke’s views in the letter concerning tolerance. The controversy is presented in the fact that both the state and the Christian minister would agree and disagree with Locke’s ideas at some point. In Locke’s view, there should be religious tolerance among churches as a factor that would foster peace in t he society. The minister was not wrong to criticize another religious sect in the congregation of his religious sect in order to persuade his people to choose his religion but he had no right to threaten to burn the Koran as it would be fostering a totalitarian ideology that Locke is against. He is correct in Locke’

General Agreement on Tariffs & Trade Research Paper

General Agreement on Tariffs & Trade - Research Paper Example Such direct and indirect non-tariff barriers can be suicidal to the interests of an exporting firm. It cannot run its business and the same applies to the importing country; if the importing country has alternative sources of getting the same product, it can manage but the exporting firm has to change its business planning strategy and need to find out new locations to export is stock, which can be dead stock if no other foreign marketplaces an order for the same produce. Management has to be always on the alert to take bold decisions as per the new reality. Scope and horizon of GATT are necessary to know before knowing the basic principles of GATT. GATT 1947 rules were framed to be applicable in trade of goods only. GATT 1947 played a dominant role in minimizing tariff and non-tariff barriers in world trade but worldwide problems were surfaced where GATT could not play a positive role in resolving the issues. Certain areas of business were not part of the GATT responsibilities like trade in services and agriculture-related issues of continuous quarrels among nations. Trade in textile and apparel was left out of the GATT scope because of the politically touchy nature of these industries. Left out of the scope of GATT were intellectual property rights issues. GATT could not succeed in controlling â€Å"unfair trade† practices ((Schaffer et al., 2009, p. 297). GATT 1994 came in effect to address the limitations of the previous agreement on trade. GATT 1994 included two most important agreements on WTO Final Agreement representing the Uruguay Round of Multilateral Trade Negotiations and the WTO Agreement Establishing the World Trade Organization. GATT 1994 included other than the earlier provisions of GATT 1947, a number of multilateral trade agreements on particular issues ((Schaffer et al., 2009, p. 297).

A Very Long Engagement by Jean-Pierre Jeunet Movie Review

A Very Long Engagement by Jean-Pierre Jeunet - Movie Review Example A Very Long Engagement is a French romantic war film and the series of awards and accolades that greeted this film makes people that have not watched the film have the feeling that they have missed a lot. The film was the fictional storyline that was based on the experience of some individuals in the concluding stages of the First World War. The film is a must watch for everybody that loves romantic films with a spice of war scenes in it. As earlier said the film won several awards and was nominated for awards in different categories. The film won about eight awards and was nominated (but did not win) about twelve times. The nomination and the awards that the film won show the film’s quality. A Very Long Engagement is based on a novel written by Sebastien Japrisot in 1991 with the same title and it brings the details of this novel back to life. The film chronicles the search of a young woman named Mathilde Donnay (Audrey Tautou) for her fiance, Manech Langonnet (Gaspard Ulliel ). Manech was one of the soldiers that took part in the First World War. Mathilde was aware that Manech could have been killed during the battle of the Somme during the First World War, but the fact that she still had hope that he was still alive showed the kind of affection that Mathilde had for Manech and this is just one of the ways that the producers of this great film brought the romantic details of the First World War back to life.

Carrefour Company Analysis Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Carrefour Company Analysis - Assignment Example Cost leadership strategy focuses on the supply side of an enterprise and comprises of an integrated set of actions taken to produce goods or services with features that are acceptable to customers at the lowest possible cost in the market. Product differentiation alternatively creates a perception in customers’ minds that specific brands are unique and have superior qualities with respect to the image, reputation, reliability, designs, and quality compared to the similar other products in the market (Baroto et al., 2012). Niche markets are the narrow market segments having specific demands that are isolated due to geographic location or socio-economic factors. The principal risk factors in the retail industry are categorized as follows; 1) business environment: Political and social environment, Economic environment and market volatility, Environment, pressure and regulatory changes, Changes in the sector and the competitive Environment, Natural disasters and climate change, Terrorism and crime 2) strategy and governance: Strategy definition, adjustment and implementation, Compliance and fair practices, Corporate responsibility, Environment, Disputes/Litigation 3) operations: Relevance and performance of economic and business models, Operational and financial control of growth and expansion, Partnerships and franchising, Control of the supply chain, Product quality, compliance and safety, Safety of people and property, Human resource management, Continuity, integrity and confidentiality of information systems and Control and valuation of assets and 4) financial: Market risk, Liquidity risk, Interest-rate risk, Foreign-exchange risk, Equity risk, Quality of financial management, budgets and reporting and Credit risk. Specific business strategies have been articulated and designed to remain the long-term profitability of the company while successfully managing these risk factors.

A Very Long Engagement by Jean-Pierre Jeunet Movie Review

A Very Long Engagement by Jean-Pierre Jeunet - Movie Review Example A Very Long Engagement is a French romantic war film and the series of awards and accolades that greeted this film makes people that have not watched the film have the feeling that they have missed a lot. The film was the fictional storyline that was based on the experience of some individuals in the concluding stages of the First World War. The film is a must watch for everybody that loves romantic films with a spice of war scenes in it. As earlier said the film won several awards and was nominated for awards in different categories. The film won about eight awards and was nominated (but did not win) about twelve times. The nomination and the awards that the film won show the film’s quality. A Very Long Engagement is based on a novel written by Sebastien Japrisot in 1991 with the same title and it brings the details of this novel back to life. The film chronicles the search of a young woman named Mathilde Donnay (Audrey Tautou) for her fiance, Manech Langonnet (Gaspard Ulliel ). Manech was one of the soldiers that took part in the First World War. Mathilde was aware that Manech could have been killed during the battle of the Somme during the First World War, but the fact that she still had hope that he was still alive showed the kind of affection that Mathilde had for Manech and this is just one of the ways that the producers of this great film brought the romantic details of the First World War back to life.

Political Science Questions and Answers Assignment

Political Science Questions and Answers - Assignment Example Using the concepts of competition and socialization to anchor your analysis, explain what Waltz means when he writes that a structure â€Å"may designate a compensating device that works to produce a uniformity of outcomes despite the variety of inputs.† The implication by Waltz is that structure within the global system always focuses on maintaining their outcomes within constricted margins no matter the inputs to them. This is possible due to socialization factors and competition. Socialization results from differences in societies that arise from informal and impulsive techniques applied in the definition of conduct norms. Consequently, the resulting norms control the group members and this discharges diversity and heartens homogeneity. Conversely, competition defines organization where the outcomes facilitate the selection of behavior, where the least successful conducts leave the global system and the triumphant institutes set the pace imitated by others. Q.3. what are th e core assumptions of realism, according to Gilpin? How and WHY do Mearshimer’s assumptions differ? Guzzini reveals Gilpin’s five assumptions: the global system is stable provided no nations attempt changing it; states challenge the system where the benefits arising outdo the expenses incurred; nations seek to system change through economic, politica, and territorial growth up to the point of equilibrium or excess on marginal costs of continued change compared to marginal benefits; the attainment of equilibrium between benefits and costs resulting from additional change and growth causes faster increment in econiomic cost to sustain the status compared to the financial ability to support th status; and failure to resolve unequity causes system changes settles for a novel equity reflection .While Gilpin’s assumptions focus on the system systematic, and interaction changes within the global system, Mearshimer’s assumptions focus on factors contributing to the endless competition for security amongst nations. Additionally, Mearsheimer argues that given that power ful states operate anarchic environment, they feat and distrust each other leaving each to worry about the objectives of the other on security. Q4. Compare how Lebow and Waltz explain the nature of order and its relevance to the behavior of states on the world stage

Race and Ethnicity Essay Example for Free

Race and Ethnicity Essay Discussion about race and ethnicity has increased steadily over the last several years. Recent discussion has centered on whether the differences between race and ethnicity are necessary, damaging, or beneficial. There is also much to be said about race relations across the globe and many questions to be pondered. Writing about race can be difficult, and discussion about race even more difficult. The idea is that with research and knowledge, it is much easier to have an intelligent, well-informed discussion about issues that affect all of us. Listed below are some possible essay topics: Race vs. Ethnicity Is the idea of â€Å"race† a human construction that is further separating people in countries across the globe? Does science support the idea that â€Å"ethnicity† more clearly defines us, and therefore, should be how we see each other? Discuss the inherent differences and similarities between race and ethnicity and the importance of them. Race issues in American TV shows and movies Explain through examples and research how different races are portrayed on television and/or movies. Are stereotypes exploited? Are stereotypes nullified? What about the presentation of race in cartoons, e.g., the Disney movies? Race and the criminal justice system It is commonly believed that minorities are at a disadvantage when it comes to the justice system. Is this true? Are there disproportionate numbers of minorities convicted of crimes? Racial profiling Examine the hot-topic debate about racial profiling. Consider situations that might involve profiling: driving; airport screening; renting/buying housing; shopping and shoplifting; college entrance; and job hiring practices. Discrimination in hiring The topic of discriminatory hiring practices can be explored on its own. Available research will include news reports of instances and court cases. Also review the laws in place to prevent such practice. More possible topics: Should racial profiling be a legitimate law enforcement policy in some areas? †¢Should Affirmative Action for state university enrollment be continued? †¢Should the primary method of public school funding (property taxes in individual school districts) be amended to create more fairness in schools? †¢If a university offers â€Å"African-American Studies or Black Studies as courses, should it also offer European-American Studies or White Studies? †¢How do certain television programs perpetuate racial or ethnic stereotypes? †¢Should schools only purchase textbooks that offer revised or alternative perspectives on historical events? †¢What should be done about racial disparities in the sentencing of criminals? †¢Should the American government pay reparations and return land to Native Americans? †¢Should hate groups have the right to distribute literature on university campuses? †¢If research shows that certain racial or ethnic groups receive poorer medical care on average, how should this problem be corrected?  Ã¢â‚¬ ¢Should government organizations have staff that accurately reflect the racial, ethnic, and gender balance in society? Assignment: Choose one of the above listed topics, a combined topic from above, or a topic of your own choosing that somehow relates to the issue of race and ethnicity. Research the topic, choosing at least 3 sources that you can also easily print to bring to class. This will be an in-class essay with two days of writing that will be at least 4 pages. Type a works cited page and bring it to be turned in with the essay and the printed sources.

Multiple Universes Essay -- Astronomy Research Science Essays

Multiple Universes For the sake of characters, I will assume that everyone understands, or at least partly understands, the grave obscurity in which quantum mechanics revolves. In essence, like light, electrons are attributable to the qualities of waves in which they exhibit a type of diffraction pattern caused by the electrons interfering with each other, therefore, positing that matter, at least microscopically, acts as a wave (1). Hence, it seems as though electrons do not follow a static pattern, but interact with the world dynamically in a more probabilistic manner. With a probabilistic view of the world there leaves room for the chance of other possible outcomes within our world that could happen, allowing for a realistic possibility of other worlds concurrently occurring. Hugh Everett III was the first to publish a theory on the concept of particle wave simultaneity leading to the possibility of multiple universes resulting from every possible particle event creating a new world (2). Everett, then, could solve the problem of Schrodinger’s cat allowing for the fact that the cat lived and died but in different universes—broadening the idea of superposition. David Deutsch has brought a realist’s point of view to the Multiple Worlds Interpretation (MWI), explaining that there is a tangible self (the self that we see) and a shadow self (the self that splits off), and that the interference created during the double slit experiment happens from the shadow and tangible passing through the different slits. Multiverses, however, offshoot from the MWI and posit that each quantum fluctuation creates a brand new big bang, explaining how it’s possible for our world to have had the six numbers perfe... .... But the likelihood of such events is slim, since it is far more likely that Earth will be destroyed before we are able to consider such travel. So in conclusion, multiverses are quite exciting and intriguing—not only to scientists, but to laymen; one need only glance at popular culture to see we as a people are fascinated with the possibilities. But in reality, the science and reality of multiverses is far from concrete; so until we are able to gain more knowledge, we will have to be content with our dreams. Sources Cited: http://online.redwoods.cc.ca.us/DEPTS/science/chem/storage/Schrod/ http://everythingforever.com/everett.htm http://www.csicop.org/si/2001-09/fringe-watcher.html http://www.all-science-fair-projects.com/science_fair_projects_encyclopedia/Multiverse http://www.geocities.com/capecanaveral/hangar/6929/manyworld.html

The Necessity of Gun Control Essay -- Argumentative Persuasive Essays

The Necessity of Gun Control Gun control is one of the most debatable topics today. Thirty-three million Americans own firearms for hunting (Aitkens 9). But hunting is not the sole reason for which many individuals buy firearms. Of all countries, the United States is the one which is troubled most by a large number of criminals who are in possession of guns. The U.S. has the highest firearm murder rate of any democracy in the world (Aitkens 5). Where is the country going wrong as far as gun control is concerned? An immense number of laws have been created by the legislature. All were made in order to be sure guns remain in control of the right hands, yet the problems seem to prevail. All three branches of government (judicial, legislative, and executive) are involved in desperate attempts to improve the situation. Getting rid of guns would not work; it would be an impossible task. But, if pressure was applied to all aspects of gun employment - production, ownership, and most importantly dealership - a majority o f problems could be controlled. Since there are two sides to every debate, the antithesis of this position views gun control as unnecessary. This view is strongly held by the National Rifle Association, a very powerful organization, which has nearly 3 million members and an annual budget of 88 million dollars. The NRA is highly effective in motivating thousands of gun owners into action against gun control legislation. Lobbying, advertisements, letter-writing campaigns, and contributions to political candidates who oppose gun control have been some of the establishment's most effective strategies in its fight against tighter firearms laws. Most members of the NRA believe that restricting firearms to prevent gun-rel... ...er country in the world, the United States needs to improve its gun policies. Keeping people on record would allow strict control of guns. "People" are all involved; manufacturers, dealer, buyers, and most importantly, users. Works Cited Aitkens, Maggi. Should We Have Gun Control? Minneapolis: Lerner Publications Company 1992. Cozic, Charles P., et al., eds. Gun Control . San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1992. Gottfried, Ted. Gun Control; Public Safety and the Right to Bear Arms . Brookfield, CT: The Millbrook Press, 1993. Landau, Elaine. Armed America; The Status of Gun Control. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Julian Messner, 1991. Hawkes, Nigel. Gun Control . New York: Gloucester Press/Watts, 1988. "A New Round For and Against the Brady Bill." U.S. News & World Report 9 Sept. 1996: 8. Kopel, David. "Criminal Record." National Review 2 Sept. 1996: 43-44.

Key Factors Contributing to the Israeli

MASENO UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF DEVELOPMENT AND STRATEGIC STUDIES INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AND DIPLOMACY UNIT; THE MIDDLE EAST IN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS DIR; 307 SECTION A Research on Israel’s A. ) Geographical Location B. ) Population C. ) Ethnic Composition D. ) Historical Background E. ) Level of Economic development F. ) Nature of Government SECTION B Discuss the key factors contributing to the Israeli- Palestinian Conflict.ISRAELS FLAG ISRAELS EMBLEM SECTION A. INTRODUCTION The name Israel has historically been used in common and religious usage to refer to the biblical kingdom of Israel or the entire Jewish nation. According to the Hebrew Bible the name Israel was given to the Palestinian Jacob after he successfully wrestled with the angle of the Lord, Jacobs twelve sons became the ancestors of the Israelites also known as the twelve tribes, well, that is from a biblical view.Israel, officially the state of Israel is a parliamentary republic in the Middle East along the East ern shore of the Mediterranean sea, it contains geographically diverse features within its relatively small area, some if not all will be discussed in the essay below, in this Essay I will concentrate on discussing the general information of Israel and that includes its Geographical location, Population, Ethnic Composition, Historical background, Level of economic development and the Nature of government. GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATIONThe geography of Israel is very diverse with desert conditions in the south and snow-capped mountains in the north. Israel is located at 31degrees north of the eastern end of the Mediterranean Sea in western Asia. It is bounded to the north by Lebanon, the northeast by Syria, the East by Jordan and the West Bank, and to the southwest by Egypt with this border also being the border between Asia and Africa. To the west of Israel is the Mediterranean Sea which makes up the majority of Israel’s 273km coastline and the Gaza strip, Israel has a small coastline on the Red Sea in the south.Israel is approximately 20,700km square which includes 445km square of inland waters, Israel stretches 424km from north to south and its width ranges from 114km, at its narrowest point 15km. the Israeli occupied territories include the West Bank 5,879km, East Jerusalem 70km square and the Golan heights 1,150km square. The south of Israel is dominated by the Negev deserts covering some 16000km square more than half of the country’s total land area, the north of Negev contains the Judean desert which at its border contains the Dead Sea which at 417m is the lowest point on earth.The inland area of the Central Israel is dominated by the Judean hills of the West Bank, whilst the central and northern coastline consists of the flat and fertile Israeli Coastal Plain, the northern region contains the Mount Carmel Mountain range which is followed inland by the fertile Jazreel valley, and the hilly Galilee region. The Sea of Galilee is located beyond this an d is bordered to the east by the Golan Heights which contain the highest point under Israeli control, a peak in the Mount Harmon Massif at 2,224meters, the highest point in Israel’s internationally recognised territory is Mount Meron at 1. 08meters that is 3963ft. Israel is divided into four physiographic regions, they are as follows; The Mediterranean Coastal Plain It stretches from the Lebanese border in the north to Gaza in the south interrupted only by Cape Carmel at Haifa Bay, it is about 40km wide at Gaza and narrows towards the north to about 5km at the Lebanese border; on the right is a side view of the Coastal Plain from Rosh Hanikra Mount. The Central HillsInland (east) of the coastal plain lies the Central highland region, in the north of the region lie the mountain and hills of upper Galilee which are generally 500m to 700m in heights although reach a maximum height of 1,208m at Mount Meron. On the right is the Rainbow cave which is a natural arch on the northern ridge of Nahal Betzet. The Jordan Rift Valley East of the Central highlands lies the Jordan Rift Valley which is a small part of the 6500m long Syrian-East African Rift, in Israel the rift valley is dominated by the Jordan River, the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea.On the right is a picture of the Jordan Rift Valley. The Negev Desert It comprises approximately 12000km square more than half of Israel’s total land area, it is geographically an extension of the Sinai Desert, forming a rough triangle with its base in the north near Beersheba, the Dead Sea and the Southern Judean Mountains and it has its apex in the southern tip of the country at Eilat. Historical backgroundFollowing World War II, the British withdrew from their mandate of Palestine, and the UN partitioned the area into Arab and Jewish states, an arrangement rejected by the Arabs. Subsequently, the Israelis defeated the Arabs in a series of wars without ending the deep tensions between the two sides. The territori es Israel occupied since the 1967 war are not included in the Israel country profile, unless otherwise noted. On 25 April 1982, Israel withdrew from the Sinai pursuant to the 1979 Israel-Egypt Peace Treaty.In keeping with the framework established at the Madrid Conference in October 1991, bilateral negotiations were conducted between Israel and Palestinian representatives and Syria to achieve a permanent settlement. Israel and Palestinian officials signed on 13 September 1993 a Declaration of Principles (also known as the â€Å"Oslo Accords†) guiding an interim period of Palestinian self-rule. Outstanding territorial and other disputes with Jordan were resolved in the 26 October 1994 Israel-Jordan Treaty of Peace.In addition, on 25 May 2000, Israel withdrew unilaterally from southern Lebanon, which it had occupied since 1982. In April 2003, US President BUSH, working in conjunction with the EU, UN, and Russia – the â€Å"Quartet† – took the lead in laying out a roadmap to a final settlement of the conflict by 2005, based on reciprocal steps by the two parties leading to two states, Israel and a democratic Palestine. However, progress toward a permanent status agreement was undermined by Israeli-Palestinian violence between September 2003 and February 2005.In the summer of 2005, Israel unilaterally disengaged from the Gaza Strip, evacuating settlers and its military while retaining control over most points of entry into the Gaza Strip. The election of HAMAS to head the Palestinian Legislative Council froze relations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority (PA). Ehud OLMERT became prime minister in March 2006 and presided over a 34-day conflict with Hizballah in Lebanon in June-August 2006 and a 23-day conflict with HAMAS in the Gaza Strip during December 2008 and January 2009.OLMERT, who in June 2007 resumed talks with PA President Mahmoud ABBAS, resigned in September 2008. Prime Minister Binyamin NETANYAHU formed a coalition in March 2009 following a February 2009 general election. Direct talks launched in September 2010 collapsed following the expiration of Israel's 10-month partial settlement construction moratorium in the West Bank. The area of modern Israel was the birth place of Monotheism, first of Judaism and later of Christianity and contains of sites sacred to several Abrahamic religions, including Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Druze and Baha’i.Although coming under their sway of various empires and home to a variety of ethnicities, it was predominantly Jewish until the Jewish-Roman wars after which Jews became a minority in most regions except Galilee. The region became increasingly Christian after the 3rd century and then largely Muslim after the 7th century Arab conquest. The Arab became a focal point of conflict between Christianity and Islam between 1096-1291 and from the end of the crusades until the British conquest in 1917was part of the Syrian Province of first the Mamlut Sultanat e of Egypt and then from 1517, the Ottoman Empire.In the mid 19th century, persecution in Europe led to the formation of the Zionist movement, which was able to win international support for a Jewish Masonry state on the side of the ancient kingdoms, following the British conquest of Syria in the first World War and the formation of the mandatory state of Palestine, Jewish-Arab tension Gradually evolved into the Arab-Israeli conflict, a collision of the Jewish nationalist movement. Israel’s independence in 1948 was marked by massive migration of Jews from both Europe and the Islamic world to Israel, and of the Arabs from Israel leading to extensive conflict with the Arab League.After independence in 1948, the first president of Israel came into power on 17th Feb 1949, he was in office for two terms until 9th Nov 1952, The second president was Yitzhak Ben-Zvi who came into power on 16th Dec 1952, he stayed in office for three terms until 23rd April 1963, the third president wa s Zalman Shazar who came into power on 21st May 1963 to 24th May 1973, the forth President was Ibrahim Katzir who came to power on 24th May 1973 to 29th May 1978, the fifth president was Yitzhak Navon who became president of Israel on 29th May 1978 to 5th May 1983, the sixth president of Israel was Chaim Herzog who came to power on 5th May 1983 he ruled for two terms until 13th May 1993, the seventh president was Ezer Weizman who ruled Israel from 3rd May 1993 to 13th July 2000 he stayed in office for two terms, the eighth president of Israel was Moshe Katsau who came to power from 1st August 2000 to 1st July 2007, the ninth and current president of Israel is Mr Shimon Perez who has stayed in office since 13th July 2007.Most Israeli presidents were involved in national politics of Zionist activities before taking office, some were also distinguished in other fields for example Chaim Weizmann was aleading research chemist who founded the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rohovot; Zalm an Shazar was an Author, poet and Jonourlist, while Chaim Herzog was a military leader , attorney and diplomat. The first Israeli presidents were born in the former Russian Empire which was true of much of the leadership in the early day of the state the first with a Sephardic background was Chaim Herzog, who originally came from Belfast, Nothern Ireland. The first president from a Middle Eastern county outside of Israel was Moshe Katsar, who was born in Persia. POPULATIONIn 2012, Israel’s population was an estimated 7,933,200 people of whom 5,978,600 are Jews, Arab citizens of Israel comprise 1,636,600 of the country’s total population, those identified as others make up the remainder of the population, when the state was established, there were only 806,000 residents and the total population reached its first and second million in 1949 and 1958 respectively. The overall population grew by 96,300 people since the end of 2011 a growth rate similar to that of the last e ight years. The Jewish population grew 1. 8% (similar to past years) while the Arab population grew 2. 4% (a rapid decline from the 3. 4% annual growth rate in the 1990's). The Christian population grew 1. 3% and the Druze population grew 1. 7%. Israel's population is considered young relative to the populations of other Western countries. 28% of the population was aged 0-14 while only 10. 3% were older than 65 years of age. OECD average is 18. % (0-14) and 15% (65+). Israel's average age, however, is getting older. In 2011, the average age was 29. 5 years as opposed to 27. 6 in the year 2000. Average age for males is 28. 4 and for women is 30. 6 years old. Life expectancy in 2011 was 80 years for men and 83. 6 years for women. This life expectancy continues an upward trend of the last decade. Jewish males had a life expectancy 4. 2 years higher than their Arab counterparts; while Jewish women had expectancy 3. 0 years higher. The Israeli life expectancy is higher than the OECD aver age. About 40% of Israel's total population lives in the centre of the country (24% in Central region and 16. % in Tel Aviv area). Approximately 17% of the population lives in the north and another 14% are based in the south. 12% live in both Jerusalem and Haifa regions and another 4% in the West Bank. Just under half of the Jewish population lives in the canter of the country, either Jerusalem or Tel Aviv metropolitan areas. 60% of the Arab population lives in the north. Jerusalem and the Central region recorded an above average growth rate of 2. 5% while Tel Aviv saw one of its lowest, at 0. 8%. Israel's population density increased in 2011 to 347 people per every square kilometre (not including the West Bank) as opposed to only 288 people per km2  in 2000.By comparison, Slovenia (whose territory is roughly the same size as Israel's) has a population density of 102 people per km2; Belgium (slightly larger than Israel) has a density of 364 people per km2. Tel Aviv is Israel's den sest region with 7,522 people per km2; Jerusalem has a density of 1,484 people per km2 and Bnei Brak is Israel's densest city with 22,145 people per km2. 47,885 couples were wed in Israel over the past year, of which 75% were Jewish and 21% Muslim. 13,042 couples were divorced during the year, 80% Jews. 166,296 babies were born in Israel during 2011, almost exactly equal to the 2010 birth number of 166,255. The number of children per woman in Israel stands at 3, slightly lower than the 3. 03 of 2010. Jewish women have an average 2. 98 children (a rise of . 1 from 2010), which is the highest recorded number since 1977. The number of children for every Muslim woman stands at 3. 51; however this is a dramatic decrease from 3. 75 in 2010, the literacy level in Israel’s total population 97. 1%. ETHNIC COMPOSITION Languages Israel is a country of immigrants and its population is comprised of a mosaic people with varied ethnic backgrounds, lifestyles, religions, cultures and traditi ons. The Jewish people account for 80. 5% of the total population of Israel. Israel has two official languages, Hebrew and Arabic. Hebrew is the primary language of the state and is spoken by the majority of the population, and Arabic is spoken by the Arab minority.Many Israelis communicate reasonably well in English, as many television programs are broadcast in this language and English is taught from the early grades in elementary school. As a country of immigrants, many languages can be heard on the streets. Due to mass immigration from the former Soviet Union and Ethiopia (some 120,000 Ethiopian Jews live in Israel), Russian and Amharic are widely spoken. Between 1990 and 1994, the Russian immigration increased Israel's population by twelve percent. More than one million Russian-speaking immigrants arrived in Israel from the former Soviet Union states between 1990 and 2004. French is spoken by around 700,000 Israelis, mostly originating from France and North Africa.Religion Isra el and the Palestinian territories comprise the major part of the Holy Land, a region of significant importance’s to all Abrahamic religions – Jews, Christians, Muslims and Baha'is. The religious affiliation of Israeli Jews varies widely: a social survey for those over the age of 20 indicates that 55% say they are â€Å"traditional†, while 20% consider themselves â€Å"secular Jews†, 17% define themselves as â€Å"Religious Zionists†; 8% define themselves as â€Å"Haredi Jews†. While the ultra-Orthodox, or Haredim, represented only 5% of Israel's population in 1990, they are expected to represent more than one-fifth of Israel's Jewish population by 2028.Making up 16% of the population, Muslims constitute Israel's largest religious minority. About 2% of the populations are Christian and 1. 5% are Druze. The Christian population primarily comprises Arab Christians, but also includes post-Soviet immigrants and the Foreign Laborers of multinatio nal origins and followers of Messianic Judaism, considered by most Christians and Jews to be a form of Christianity. Members of many other religious groups, including Buddhists and Hindus, maintain a presence in Israel, albeit in small numbers. Out of more than one million immigrants from the former Soviet Union in Israel, about 300,000 are considered not Jewish by the Orthodox rabbinate.The city of Jerusalem is of special importance to Jews, Muslims and Christians as it is the home of sites that are pivotal to their religious beliefs, such as the Israeli-controlled Old City that incorporates the Western Wall and the Temple Mount, the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Other locations of religious importance in Israel are Nazareth (holy in Christianity as the site of the Annunciation of Mary), Tiberias and Safed (two of the Four Holy Cities in Judaism), the White Mosque in Ramla (holy in Islam as the shrine of the prophet Saleh), and the Church of Saint George in L od (holy in Christianity and Islam as the tomb of Saint George or Al Khidr). A number of other religious landmarks are located in the West Bank, among them Joseph's tomb in Shechem, the birthplace of Jesus and Rachel's Tomb in Bethlehem, and the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron.The administrative center of the Baha'i Faith and the Shrine of the Bab are located at the Baha'i World Centre in Haifa and the leader of the faith is buried in Acre. Apart from maintenance staff, there is no Baha'i community in Israel, although it is a destination for pilgrimages. Baha'i staff in Israel do not teach their faith to Israelis following strict policy. Education Israel has a school life expectancy of 15 years and a literacy rate of 97. 1% according to the United Nations. The State Education Law, passed in 1953, established five types of schools: state secular, state religious, ultra orthodox, communal settlement schools, and Arab schools.The public secular is the largest school group, and is atte nded by the majority of Jewish and non-Arab pupils in Israel. Most Arabs send their children to schools where Arabic is the language of instruction. Education is compulsory in Israel for children between the ages of three and eighteen. Schooling is divided into three tiers  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ primary school (grades 1–6), middle school (grades 7–9), and high school (grades 10–12)  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ culminating with Bagrut matriculation exams. Proficiency in core subjects such as mathematics, the Hebrew language, Hebrew and general literature, the English language, history, Biblical scripture and civics is necessary to receive a Bagrut certificate. 304] In Arab, Christian and Druze schools, the exam on Biblical studies is replaced by an exam on Muslim, Christian or Druze heritage. In 2003, over half of all Israeli twelfth graders earned a matriculation certificate. The Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Tel Aviv University are ranked among the world's top 100 universities by Tim es Higher Education magazine. Israel ranks third in the world in the number of academic degrees per capita (20 percent of the population). Culture Israel's diverse culture stems from the diversity of the population: Jews from around the world have brought their cultural and religious traditions with them, creating a melting pot of Jewish customs and beliefs.Israel is the only country in the world where life revolves around the Hebrew calendar. Work and school holidays are determined by the Jewish holidays, and the official day of rest is Saturday, the Jewish Sabbath. Israel's substantial Arab minority has also left its imprint on Israeli culture in such spheres as architecture, music and cuisine. LEVEL OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Israel is considered one of the most advanced countries in Southwest Asia in economic and industrial development. In 2010, it joined the OECD. The country is ranked 3rd in the region on the World Bank's Ease of Doing Business Index as well as in the World Econo mic Forum's Global Competitiveness Report.It has the second-largest number of startup companies in the world (after the United States) and the largest number of NASDAQ-listed companies outside North America. In 2010, Israel ranked 17th among of the world's most economically developed nations, according to IMD's World Competitiveness Yearbook. The Israeli economy was ranked first as the world's most durable economy in the face of crises, and was also ranked first in the rate of research and development center investments. The Bank of Israel was ranked first among central banks for its efficient functioning, up from the 8th place in 2009. Israel was also ranked as the worldwide leader in its supply of skilled manpower.The Bank of Israel holds $78 billion of foreign-exchange reserves. Despite limited natural resources, intensive development of the agricultural and industrial sectors over the past decades has made Israel largely self-sufficient in food production, apart from grains and beef. Other major imports to Israel, totaling $47. 8  billion in 2006, include fossil fuels, raw materials, and military equipment. Leading exports include electronics, software, computerized systems, communications technology, medical equipment, pharmaceuticals, fruits, chemicals, military technology, and cut diamonds, in 2006, Israeli exports reached $42. 86  billion, and by 2010 they had reached $80. 5 billion a year.Israel is a leading country in the development of solar energy. Israel is a global leader in water conservation and geothermal energy, and its development of cutting-edge technologies in software, communications and the life sciences have evoked comparisons with Silicon Valley. According to the OECD, Israel is also ranked 1st in the world in expenditure on Research and Development (R&D) as a percentage of GDP. Intel and Microsoft built their first overseas research and development centers in Israel, and other high-tech multi-national corporations, such as IBM, Ci sco Systems, and Motorola, have opened facilities in the country. In July 2007, U. S. illionaire Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway bought an Israeli company Iscar, its first non-U. S. acquisition, for $4  billion. Since the 1970s, Israel has received military aid from the United States, as well as economic assistance in the form of loan guarantees, which now account for roughly half of Israel's external debt. Israel has one of the lowest external debts in the developed world, and is a net lender in terms of net external debt (the total value of assets vs. liabilities in debt instruments owed abroad), which as of 2011[update] stood at a surplus of US$58. 7  billion. Days of working time in Israel are Sunday through Thursday (for 5 a days ‘week'), or Friday (for 6 a days ‘week').In observance of Shabbat, in places where Friday is a work day and the majority of population is Jewish, Friday is a â€Å"short day†, usually lasting till 14:00 in the winter, or 16:0 0 in the summer. Several proposals have been raised to adjust the work week with the majority of the world, and make Sunday a non-working day, while extending working time of other days, and/or replacing Friday with Sunday as a work day. Israels economy faces mamny challenges, some short term and some long term challenges, the short term side, it is inability to duplicate its success in telecommunication industry into other growing industries hampers its economic outlook, its inability to foster larger multinational companies in the last decade also questions its ability to employ large numbers of people in advanced industries.On the longterm side, Israel is facing challenges on high dependency of the growing number of Ultra or Thudox Jews who have a low level of official labour force participation amongst men, and this situation could lead to a materialy lower employment –to-populationratio and a higher dependency ratio in the future , the governor of the Bank of Israel Stan ley Fitcher stated that the growing poverty amongst the Ultra or Thodox is hunting the Israel economy. According to the data published by Ian Fual rsman, 60% of the poor households in Israel are of the Haredi Jews and the Israeli Arabs, both groups together represent 25-28% of the Israeli population NATURE OF GOVERNMENT The Israeli system of government is based on parliamentary Democracy, the prime minister who is Benjamin Netanyahu is the head of government and the leader of the multi party system.Executive power is exercised by the government, Legislature power is vested in the Knesset, the Judiciary is independent of the Executive and Legislature. The political system of the state of Israel and its main principles are set out in basic laws, Israel does not have a written constitution. For governmental purposes, Israel is devided into six districts. Central District, Haifa District, Jerusalem District, Nothern District, Southern District, Tel Aviv which is the capital city of Isra el is the six district. The districts are further subdivided into fourteen subdistrict and into fifty natural regions, administration of the districts is coordinated by the ministry of interior.In the State of Israel, as in other democratic states, rule is rooted in the following liberal principles and institutions: basic laws that lay down the order of government and the rights of citizens; the holding of elections to the house of representatives based on the principle of the rule of the majority, with the rights of the minority guaranteed by law; the principle of the separation between the legislative branch, the executive branch, and the judiciary, to which the institution of state control has been added; freedom of the press. The Electoral System The elections in Israel are general, equal and secret. On the national level they are held at least once every four years, and on the municipal level at least once every five years. Israel has a system of proportional representation, an d the whole state is considered a single constituency. Every party running for election presents a list of candidates, and the number of candidates entering the House of Representatives is proportional to the percentage of support the list receives.Every citizen over the age of 18, whose name appears in the list of voters, may vote. The Legislature Branch; Knesset The Knesset is the house of representatives of the State of Israel. The Basic Law: The Knesset, states that the seat of the Knesset is Jerusalem, and that upon election it will have 120 members. The law deals with the elections to the Knesset and with the essence of the service, the work and the immunity of the Knesset, its committees and its members. The law does not define the authority of the Knesset and details regarding the way its functions appear in its regulations. A new Knesset starts to function after general elections are held, which determine its makeup.The President of the State opens the first session of a ne w Knesset and immediately passes its running onto the eldest Knesset member. At this meeting the Knesset members declare their allegiance, and the Speaker of the Knesset and his deputies are elected. The Knesset fulfils its functions by means of two arms: the plenary in which all the Knesset members sit and the Knesset committees. The plenary holds debates within the framework of legislation, government statements, motions for the agenda, motions of no confidence and questions, and the deliberations usually end with a vote. The Knesset plenary decides on most issues on its agenda by means of a vote, and resolutions are adopted by a majority.A majority usually means the majority of those present at the meeting. There are, however, resolutions which require an absolute majority, and others which require a special majority. The function of the committees, in addition to dealing with bills, is to supervise the work of the Government Ministries and to hold debates on issues within the re alms for which they are responsible, and which are of public interest. By means of the committees, the Knesset maintains direct contact with the Government Ministries, and receives information from Ministers or their representatives. There are four types of Knesset committees that function on a regular basis: 1. Permanent Committees (12)Committee for Advancing the Status of Women; Constitution, Law and Justice Committee; Economic Affairs Committee; Education, Culture, & Sports Committee; Finance Committee; Foreign Affairs & Defence Committee; House Committee; Immigration and Absorption Committee; Internal Affairs & Environment Committee; Labour and Welfare Committee; Science & Technology Committee; and the State Control Committee. 2. Special Committees Committee on Drug Abuse, Committee on the Rights of the Child, Committee for Foreign Workers. 3. Parliamentary Inquiry Appointed by the Knesset Plenum  to deal with particular issues viewed as having special national importance. 4. Ethnic Committees Responsible for jurisdiction over members who have violated rules of ethics of the Knesset or who have been involved in illegal activity outside of the Knesset. In addition, there are two types of committees in the Knesset which convene only when needed: 1. The Interpretation CommitteeIt  deals with appeals against the interpretation given by the Speaker during a sitting of the plenum to the Knesset Rules of Procedure or precedents. The Committee is made up of the Speaker and eight Knesset members chosen by the House Committee. 2. Public Committees It is established to deal with issues that are connected to the Knesset. The members of public committees may be experts in a particular field, public figures, or current or past Knesset members. An example of such a committee is the Public Committee for the Draft of Ethical Guidelines for Knesset Members. The members of the committees are appointed during the first meetings of every new Knesset with the help of an â⠂¬Å"arranging committee,† which is selected for this purpose. Basic LawsEven though it was stated in the Proclamation of Independence that the Constituent Assembly, which turned into the First Knesset, would draft a constitution for Israel, this was not done due to differences of opinion with the religious parties. In place of a constitution, it was decided to legislate a series of basic laws, which in the future would together form the constitution. Even now, more than 60 years after Israel's establishment, the task of drafting a constitution has yet to come to fruition. There are several articles in the existing basic laws which can only be amended by an absolute majority (the support of more than 60 MKs) or a special majority (which is large than an absolute majority) of the Knesset members. The existing basic laws are:President of the State (1964) | The Knesset (1958) | The Government (2001) | The Judiciary (1984) | The Israel Defence Forces (1976) The Capital Jerusalem (1 980) | The People's Lands (1960) | The State Comptroller (1988) | The State Economy (1975) Human Dignity and Liberty (1992) | Freedom of Occupation (1994) The Executive branch; the Government Until after the elections to the 13th Knesset, it was the President who assigned the task of forming a new Government to the head of the list with the best chances of succeeding, who was also usually the head of the largest party in the Knesset. The Government required the approval of the Knesset, so that it needed to represent a coalition supported by a majority of the Knesset members, even if not all of its supporters were actual members in it.The 32nd Government of the State of Israel, which was formed in March 2009, is made up of the following Ministries: Agriculture and Rural Development | Communications | Construction and Housing | Culture and Sports | Defence Diaspora Affairs | Education | Energy and Water Resources | Environment | Finance | Foreign Affairs | Health Immigrant Absorption | Industry and Trade | Justice | Prime Minister's Office | Public Security | Religious Services | Science Social Affairs and Social Services | Strategic Affairs | The Interior | Tourism | Transport The President The President of the State is elected by the Knesset in a secret vote, and primarily fulfils ceremonial functions as head of State. Candidates for the presidency are customarily proposed by the large parties, and are usually well-known public figures. The President is appointed for a period of five years, which can be extended by a further five years. The functions of the President are defined in the Basic Law: The President of the State. In addition, the President assumes public functions and activities in accordance with the customs which have crystallized on the issue, and with his personal inclinations.Amongst the President's formal functions are signing laws (even though he has no control over their content) opening the first meeting of the first session of a new Knesse t, receiving the credentials of new ambassadors of foreign states, approving the appointment of civil and religious judges, the State Comptroller and the Governor of the Bank of Israel, pardoning prisoners or commuting their sentences, etc. In the past it was also the President who decided who to approach after general elections with the task of trying to form a new Government, but this function will cease to exist as of the elections to the 14th Knesset, when the Prime Minister will be directly elected. The Judiciary The courts deal with cases of persons charged with a breach of the law. Charges are brought up by citizens against other citizens, by the state against citizens, and even by citizens against the state. The sessions of the courts of law are usually public, unless it is decided to hold closed hearings under special circumstances.When more than one judge is presiding, and the judges do not agree on a verdict, the opinion of the majority is decisive. Israel does not have t rials by jury. The cases brought to the courts are of two types: criminal cases and civil cases. A criminal case is one involving a transgression of the social order, and its intention is to punish the offender, if his guilt has been proven. In a civil case the plaintiff is a private person or association and the defendant is a private person or association. The subject of the trial is the demand that a contract signed between the parties be fulfilled, a debt is returned or compensation is paid for damages caused.In a civil trial there is no punishment, but a duty to pay financial or other compensation. Freedom of the press The institutions of government in Israel are subject to public scrutiny by the written and electronic media. Public scrutiny is one of the marks and foundations of a democracy, and in Israel it is secured in the principle of freedom of expression which is mentioned in the Declaration of Independence, and is currently being secured in a basic law. REFFERENCE 1. Gl obal servey (2006); Middle East Progress Amid Global gains in freedom. 2. Wells, John V. (1990); World Economic Outlook 3. Latest population statics for Israel; Jewish Vitual Library 17th Sep 2012 4.Berger Earl; The covenant and the Sword; Arab- Israel relations, 1948, London 5. Bregman Ahron ; A history of Israel; New York; Palgrace Macmillan 2002 6. A Arnon and J. Weinblatt; Soverighnity and economic development; The case of Israel and Pakestine SECTION B INTRODUCTION The Israeli–Palestinian conflict is the ongoing struggle between Israelis and Palestinians that began in the early 20th century. The conflict is wide-ranging, and the term is also used in reference to the earlier phases of the same conflict, between the Zionist yishuv and the Arab population living in Palestine under Ottoman and then British rule. It forms part of the wider Arab–Israeli conflict.The remaining key issues are: mutual recognition, borders, security, water rights, control of Jerusalem, Isra eli settlements, Palestinian freedom of movement and finding a resolution to the refugee question. The violence resulting from the conflict has prompted international actions, as well as other security and human rights concerns, both within and between both sides, and internationally. In addition, the violence has curbed expansion of tourism in the region, which is full of historic and religious sites that are of interest to many people around the world. Below are the key factors that contribute to the conflict between Israel and Palestine in detail. Mutual RecognitionIt is often said that the fierceness of the struggle between the two stems from the fact that both the Israelis and Palestinians claim the same territory as their historical homeland, the main matter here is that for decades Israelis and Palestinians deny each other rights to exist as national entities, this mutual rejection is much more than a conflict over territory, as territory can be fought over, compromised on, c urved up and eventually shared, but when each party claims exclusive ownership of the disputed land and is profoundly convinced that the other has no right to exist, there is no way of the quagmire only a fight to finish. Israel often argue that if Palestinian and Arab leaders had not repeatedly refused any compromise over the disputed land especially if they had not rejected out of hand the 1947 UN resolution on the partition of the mandatory Palestinian into two states, one Arab the other Jewish, a decision satisfactory to both sides could have been worked out in time, the Palestinians could not even imagine sharing the land they felt that they were sure that Palestine was theirs by right and there’s only thus the emergence of the State of Israel in 1948 descended upon them as an individual and national tragedy.The Palestinian systematic rejection of Israel’s national existence and their dogged refusal to countenance any form of territorial compromise year after year , decade after decade, played into the hands of Israelis leaders from Ben–Gurion in 1948 to Golder Mier and Yitzhak Rabin in the 1970s and 1980s, it enabled them to ignore and deny Palestinians national rights and with a good conscience of that. The Oslo peace process was based upon Israel ceding authority to the Palestinians to run their own political and economic affairs. In return, it was agreed that Palestinians would promote peaceful co-existence, renounce violence and promote recognition of Israel among their own people. Despite Yasser Arafat's official renunciation of terrorism and recognition of Israel, some Palestinian groups continue to practice and advocate violence against civilians and do not recognize Israel as a legitimate political entity.Palestinians state that their ability to spread acceptance of Israel was greatly hampered by Israeli restrictions on Palestinian political freedoms, economic freedoms, civil liberties, and quality of life. It is widely felt a mong Israelis that Palestinians did not in fact promote acceptance of Israel's right to exist. One of Israel's major reservations in regards to granting Palestinian sovereignty is its concern that there is not genuine public support by Palestinians for co-existence and elimination of terrorism and incitement. Some Palestinian groups, notably Fatah, the political party founded by PLO leaders, initially claimed they were willing to foster co-existence depending on the Palestinians being steadily given more political rights and autonomy.However, in 2010, even Fatah leaders such as Mahmoud Abbas refused to recognize Israel as a Jewish state, while the leader of al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades, which is the official Fatah's military wing, publicly disclosed Fatah's â€Å"ultimate goal† to be the destruction of the Jewish state, and that Abbas would lie about recognition of Israel following â€Å"Zionist and American pressure† for â€Å"political calculations† as one of the means to achieve the aforementioned goal. In 2006, Hamas won a majority in the Palestinian Legislative Council, where it remains the majority party. Hamas has openly stated in the past that it completely opposed Israel's right to exist, and its charter states this. Following the release of Gilad Shalit in 2011, Abbas praised his capturing by Hamas and reassured the Arab public he would â€Å"never recognize a Jewish state†. Israel cites past concessions such as Israel’s disengagement from the Gaza Strip in August 2005, which did not lead to a reduction of attacks and rocket fire against Israel—as an example of the Palestinian people not accepting Israel as a state.Palestinian groups and Israeli Human Rights organizations (namely B'Tselem) have pointed out that while the military occupation in Gaza was ended, the Israeli government still retained control of Gaza's airspace, territorial water, and borders, legally making it still under Israeli control. They also say that mainly thanks to these restrictions, the Palestinian quality of life in the Gaza Strip has not improved since the Israeli withdrawal. Israeli Security Concerns Throughout the conflict, Palestinian violence has been a concern for Israelis. Israel along with the United States and the European Union, refer to the violence against Israeli civilians and military forces by Palestinian militants as terrorism. The conflict between Palestine and Israel is not only basically a question of Palestinian terrorism that largely threatens the security and existence of Israel, it is also a question of Israeli Military ccupation that started in 1967, which provokes Palestinian resistance which then threatens the security of Israel, to go on speaking about Palestinian terrorism without seeing the right of the Palestinians to their freedom and to end their occupation is condemning oneself not to see reality and to remain impotent in reaching a solution, what do the Palestinians want? They want their independent state, and what do the Israelis want? They want their security inside secure borders protected from all attacks or threats, the two requirements are interdependent, after the end of the occupation will bring cessation of all violence and hence the security of Israel, but instead of putting an end to the occupation, the Israeli government maintains it and follows ways-reprisals and recently they declared war which just led to the opposite of security i. e. more Palestinians reaction, violence and hence Israelis insecurity.Oppression and humiliation imposed upon the Palestinian people can only produce violent Palestinian reactions that threaten the security of Israel. The motivations behind Palestinian violence against Israeli civilians are multiplex, and not all violent Palestinian groups agree with each other on specifics, however a common motive is to eliminate the Jewish state and replace it with a Palestinian Arab state. The most prominent Islamist groups, such as Hamas, view the Israeli–Palestinian conflict as a religious jihad. Suicide bombing is used as a tactic among Palestinian organizations like Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade and is supported by as much as 68% of the Palestinian people.In Israel, Palestinian suicide bombers have targeted civilian buses, restaurants, shopping malls, hotels and marketplaces. From 1993–2003, 303 Palestinian suicide bombers attacked Israel. The Israeli government initiated the construction of a security barrier following scores of suicide bombings and terrorist attacks in July 2003. Israel's coalition government approved the security barrier in the northern part of the green-line between Israel and the West Bank. Since the erection of the fence, terrorist acts have declined by more than 90%. Since 2001, the threat of Qassam rockets fired from the Palestinian Territories into Israel is also of great concern for Israeli defense officials.In 2006—the year followi ng Israel's disengagement from the Gaza Strip—the Israeli government recorded 1,726 such launches, more than four times the total rockets fired in 2005. As of January 2009, over 8,600 rockets had been launched, causing widespread psychological trauma and disruption of daily life. Over 500 rockets and mortars hit Israel between January–September 2010. Since mid-June 2007, Israel's primary means of dealing with security concerns in the West Bank has been to cooperate with and permit United States-sponsored training, equipping, and funding of the Palestinian Authority's security forces, which with Israeli help have largely succeeded in quelling West Bank supporters of Hamas. Rights on Water ResourcesOf the water available from the West Bank aquifers, Israel uses 73%, West Bank Palestinians use 17% and illegal Jewish settlers use 10%, while 10-14% of Palestines GDP is agricultural, 90% of them must rely on rain fed farming methods, Israels agriculture is only 3% of their G DP but Israel irrigates more than 50% of their land, three million West Bank Palestinian use only 250,000,000 cubic metres per year while six million Israelis enjoy the use of 1. 954million cubic meters which means that each Israeli consumes as much water as four Palestinians, Israeli settlers are allocated 1,450m cubic per person per year. Israel consumes the vast majority of the water from the Jordan river despite only 3% of the river falling within is pre-1967 borders.Israel now diverts one quarters of its total water consumption through its national water barrier carrier from the Jordan river, where Palestinians have no access to it what-so-ever due to Israeli closures, Israel does not allow new wells to be drilled by Palestinians and has consificated many wells for Israeli use, Israel sets quotas on how much water can be drawn by Palestinians from existing wells when supplies of water are low in the summer month, the Israeli water company closes the values which supply Palestin ian towns and villages so as not to affect Israeli supplies, this means that illegal Israeli settlers can have their pools topped up and lawns watered while Palestinians living next to them, on whose land the settltment are situated do not have enough water for drinking and cooking. In the Oslo II Accord treaty, both sides agreed to maintain â€Å"existing quantities of utilization from the resources. In so doing, the Palestinian Authority established the legality of Israeli water production in the West Bank. Moreover, Israel obligated itself in this agreement to provide water to supplement Palestinian production, and further agreed to allow additional Palestinian drilling in the Eastern Aquifer. Many Palestinians counter that the Oslo II agreement was intended to be a temporary resolution and that it was not intended to remain in effect more than a decade later. Indeed its name is â€Å"The Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement. † This agreement also established the right o f the Palestinian Authority to explore and drill for natural gas, fuel and petroleum within its territory and territorial waters.It also delineated the major terms of conduct regarding regulations on the parties' facilities. In 1999, Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it continued to honor its obligations under the Interim Agreement. The water that Israel receives comes mainly from the Jordan River system, the Sea of Galilee and two underground sources. According to a 2003 BBC article the Palestinians lack access to the Jordan River system. Numerous foreign nations and international organizations have established bilateral agreements with the Palestinian and Israeli water authorities. It is estimated that a future investment of about US$1. 1bn for the West Bank and $0. bn is needed for the planning period from 2003 to 2015. In order to support and improve the water sector in the Palestinian territories, a number of bilateral and multilateral agencies have been supporting many different water and sanitation programs. There are three large seawater desalination plants in Israel and two more scheduled to open before 2014. When the fourth plant becomes operational, 65% of Israel's water will come from desalination plants, according to Minister of Finance Dr. Yuval Steinitz. Palestinian Refugees of the 1948 War Palestinian refugees are people who lost both their homes and means of livelihood as a result of the 1948 Arab-Israeli conflict.The number of Palestinians who fled or were expelled from Israel following its creation was estimated at 711,000 in 1949. Descendants of these original Palestinian Refugees are also eligible for registration and services provided by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), and as of 2010 number 4. 7 million people. A third of the refugees live in recognized refugee camps in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. The remainder live in and around the cities a nd towns of these host countries. Most of these people were born outside of Israel, but are descendants of original Palestinian refugees. Palestinian egotiators, most notably Yasser Arafat, have so far insisted that refugees have a right to return to the places where they lived before 1948 and 1967, including those within the 1949 Armistice lines, citing the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and UN General Assembly Resolution 194 as evidence, although they have privately countenanced the return of only 10,000 refugees and their families to Israel as part of a peace settlement. Mahmoud Abbas, the current Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization accepts that it is â€Å"illogical to ask Israel to take 5 million, or indeed 1 million. That would mean the end of Israel. † The Arab Peace Initiative of 2002 declared that it proposed the compromise of a â€Å"just resolution† of the refugee problem. Palestinian and international authors have justified the right of return of the Palestinian refugees on several grounds; * A few authors included in the broader New Historians assert that the Palestinian refugees were chased out or expelled by the actions of the Haganah, Lehi and Irgun.The New Historians cite indications of Arab leaders' desire for the Palestinian Arab population to stay put. Shlaim (2000) states that from April 1948 the military forces of what was to become Israel had embarked on a new offensive strategy which involved destroying Arab villages and the forced removal of civilians. * However, historian Benny Morris states that most of Palestine's 700,000 â€Å"refugees† fled because of the â€Å"flail of war† and expected to return home shortly after a successful Arab invasion. He documents how all around Palestine, Arab leaders advised the evacuation of entire communities as happened in Haifa, 1948. Morris considers the displacement the result of a national conflict initiated by the Arabs themselves. Karsh notes tha t the Palestinians were themselves the aggressors in the 1948-49 war who attempted to â€Å"cleanse† a neighboring ethnic community. Had the United Nations resolution of November 29, 1947, which called for two states in Palestine, not been subverted by force by the Arab world, there would have been no refugee problem in the first place. He reports of large numbers of Palestinian refugees leaving even before the outbreak of the 1948 war because of disillusionment and economic privation. The British High Commissioner for Palestine spoke of the â€Å"collapsing Arab morale in Palestine† that he partially attributed to the â€Å"increasing tendency of those who should be leading them to leave the country† and the considerable evacuations of the Arab effendi class.Huge numbers of Palestinians were also expelled by their leadership to prevent them from becoming Israeli citizens and in Haifa and Tiberias, tens of thousands of Arabs were forcibly evacuated on the instru ctions of the Arab Higher Committee. * The Israeli Law of Return that grants citizenship to any Jew from anywhere in the world is viewed by some as discrimination against non-Jews, especially Palestinians that cannot apply for such citizenship or return to the territory which they were expelled from or fled during the course of the 1948 war. Since none of the 900,000 Jewish refugees who fled anti-Semitic violence in the Arab world was ever compensated or repatriated by their former countries of residence—to no objection on the part of Arab leaders—a precedent has been set whereby it is the responsibility of the nation which accepts the refugees to assimilate them.Although Israel accepts the right of the Palestinian Diaspora to return into a new Palestinian state, Israel insists that their return into the current state of Israel would be a great danger for the stability of the Jewish state; an influx of Palestinian refugees would lead to the destruction of the state of Israel. Control over Jerusalem Israel remains one of the core issues in the Israel-Palestinian conflict, During the 1948 Arab-Israeli war West Jerusalem was among the areas captured and latter annexed by Israel while East Jerusalem including the Old City was captured by Jordan. Israel captured East Jerusalem during the six day war and subsequently annexed it. The border of Jerusalem is a particularly delicate issue, with each side asserting claims over this city.The three largest Abrahamic religions—Judaism, Christianity, and Islam—include Jerusalem as an important setting for their religious and historical narratives. Israel asserts that the city should not be divided and should remain unified within Israel's political control. Palestinians claim at least the parts of the city which were not part of Israel prior to June 1967. As of 2005, there were more than 719,000 people living in Jerusalem; 465,000 were Jews (mostly living in West Jerusalem) and 232,000 were Muslim s (mostly living in East Jerusalem). The Israeli government, including the Knesset and Supreme Court, is centered in the â€Å"new city† of West Jerusalem and has been since Israel's founding in 1948. After Israel aptured the Jordanian-controlled East Jerusalem in the Six-Day War, it assumed complete administrative control of East Jerusalem. In 1980, Israel issued a new law stating, â€Å"Jerusalem, complete and united, is the capital of Israel. † At the Camp David and Taba Summits in 2000–01, the United States proposed a plan in which the Arab parts of Jerusalem would be given to the proposed Palestinian state while the Jewish parts of Jerusalem were retained by Israel. All archaeological work under the Temple Mount would be jointly controlled by the Israeli and Palestinian governments. Both sides accepted the proposal in principle, but the summits ultimately failed.Israel has grave concerns regarding the welfare of Jewish holy places under possible Palestinian control. When Jerusalem was under Jordanian control, no Jews were allowed to visit the Western Wall or other Jewish holy places, and the Jewish cemetery on the Mount of Olives was desecrated. [63] In 2000, a Palestinian mob took over Joseph's Tomb, a shrine considered sacred by both Jews and Muslims, looted and burned the building and turned it into a mosque. [64] There are unauthorized Palestinian excavations for construction on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, which could threaten the stability of the Western Wall. Israel, on the other hand, has seldom blocked access to holy places sacred to other religions.Israeli security agencies routinely monitor and arrest Jewish extremists that plan attacks, resulting in almost no serious incidents for the last 20 years. Moreover, Israel has given almost complete autonomy to the Muslim trust (Waqf) over the Temple Mount. Israel expresses concern over the security of its residents if neighborhoods of Jerusalem are placed under Palestinian cont rol. Jerusalem has been a prime target for attacks by militant groups against civilian targets since 1967. Many Jewish neighborhoods have been fired upon from Arab areas. The proximity of the Arab areas, if these regions were to fall in the boundaries of a Palestinian state, would be so close as to threaten the safety of Jewish residents.Nadav Shragai states this idea in his study for the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, â€Å"An Israeli security body that was tasked in March 2000 with examining the possibility of transferring three Arab villages just outside of Jerusalem – Abu Dis, Al Azaria, and a-Ram – to Palestinian security control, assessed at the time that: ‘Terrorists will be able to exploit the short distances, sometimes involving no more than crossing a street, to cause damage to people or property. A terrorist will be able to stand on the other side of the road, shoot at an Israeli or throw a bomb, and it may be impossible to do anything about it. The road will constitute the border. ‘ If that is the case for neighborhoods outside of Jerusalem's municipal boundaries, how much more, so for Arab neighborhoods within those boundaries. Palestinians have voiced concerns regarding the welfare of Christian and Muslim holy places under Israeli control. Some Palestinian advocates have made statements alleging that the Western Wall tunnel was re-opened with the intent of causing the mosque's collapse.Israel considers these statements to be totally baseless and unfounded, and to be deliberately intended to incite aggression and public disorder, and stated this in a 1996 speech at the UN. Israeli Military Occupation in West Bank Occupied Palestinian Territory is the term used by the United Nations to refer to the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip—territories which were captured by Israel during the 1967 Six-Day War, having formerly been controlled by Egypt and Jordan. The Israeli government uses the te rm Disputed Territories, to argue that some territories cannot be called occupied as no nation had clear rights to them and there was no operative diplomatic arrangement when Israel acquired them in June 1967.The area is still referred to as Judea and Samaria by some Israeli groups, based on the historical regional names from ancient times. In 1980, Israel annexed East Jerusalem. Israel has never annexed the West Bank or Gaza Strip, and the United Nations has demanded the â€Å"termination of all claims or states of belligerency and respect for an acknowledgment of the sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence of every State in the area and their right to live in peace within secure and recognized boundaries free from threats or acts of force† and that Israeli forces withdraw â€Å"from territories occupied in the recent conflict† – the meaning and intent of the latter phrase is disputed. See Interpretations.It has been the position of Israel that the most Arab-populated parts of West Bank (without major Jewish settlements), and the entire Gaza Strip must eventually be part of an independent Palestinian State. However, the precise borders of this state are in question. At Camp David, for example, then-Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak offered Yasser Arafat an opportunity to establish an independent Palestinian State composed of 92% of the West Bank, Arab neighborhood of East Jerusalem, and the entire Gaza Strip and dismantling of most settlements. Yasser Arafat rejected the proposal without providing a counter-offer. A subsequent settlement proposed by President Clinton offered Palestinian sovereignty over 94 to 96 percent of the West Bank but was similarly rejected.Some Palestinians claim they are entitled to all of the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem. Israel says it is justified in not ceding all this land, because of security concerns, and also because the lack of any valid diplomatic agreement at the time means that ownership and boundaries of this land is open for discussion. Palestinians claim any reduction of this claim is a severe deprivation of their rights. In negotiations, they claim that any moves to reduce the boundaries of this land are a hostile move against their key interests. Israel considers this land to be in dispute, and feels the purpose of negotiations is to define what the final borders will be.Other Palestinian groups, such as Hamas, have in the past insisted that Palestinians must control not only the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem, but also all of Israel proper. For this reason, Hamas has viewed the peace process â€Å"as religiously forbidden and politically inconceivable†. Control of the Air Space During the Camp David Summit during the summer of 2000, American military experts raised the question of whether the Israeli demand for control of a unified air space over all the territory between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River was ess ential. Among the justifications provided by Israeli representatives was the danger of aerial terrorism. The Israeli explained their need to be prepared in the event of a suicide attack, carried out by a civilian air craft laden with explosives.Access to the Israelis air space from the Mediterranean sea to the west is permitted only to planes that have identified themselves and have been identified before they come within 100meters of Israel The Palestinians have demanded control over the Kalandia (Atarot) airfield in Jerusalem, to have it become the international airport of the Palestinian state. They also intend to establish additional airports for internal Palestinian air traffic. Israel opposes handing over Atarot airfield to the Palestinians since a Palestinian airport adjacent to Israel’s capital poses an unacceptable risk. The operation of a Palestinian airport in the West Bank would also entail substantial risks – both in terms of security and in terms of fligh t safety. Israel would lack the sufficient flight safety.Israel would lack the sufficient response time required to intercept a hostile response time required to intercept a hostile plane on a mission to attack an Israeli target. In addition, there is the danger of traffic overload in the international corridor between Israel and Jordan, and an overlap of activity (circling) involving Ben-Gurion Airport, Israeli military airports, and civilian airports in the West Bank. The Palestinians repeatedly argue that they The Palestinians repeatedly argue that they insist that peace will bring security. Therefore believe their own interests take precedence over Israel’s. Conversely, Israel views its security as a necessary condition for maintaining peace and stability, and cannot agree to proposals that would base its vital security needs solely on diplomatic agreements.It is only through a mutual understanding of the other party’s needs – and by building an effective co ordination apparatus to provide fitting solutions to demands on both sides – that a stable and viable agreement can be implemented. In light of the special time, space and topographical conditions of the area, it is not possible to divide the airspace and the electromagnetic spectrum between Israel and a future Palestinian state. For both of these, unified solutions are