Relationship of a Father and Son Essay

The moment where everything changed was the day Manning finally won his first arm wrestling match, his father gained some respect towards him and they both learned valuable lessons. One was manning learned that his father was a great parent in his own way and his father learned that being rough isn’t the only way you can show affection to your son. On the other hand, in â€Å"Shooting Dad†, Sarah Vowell describes the political differences her and he father have. In the house she states that one was a republican and the other was a democratic (171). Every time they would try to start a normal conversation they would end up arguing, and having discussions of who beat who. In the end she matures and realizes that they both are actually very alike. Communication is not as easy as it seems but if you take the time to listen and pay attention to details in life you’ll find that your parents’ views aren’t so far off of yours. The fathers’ competitive side was his way of showing his communicative relationship with his son. Manning used to be able to enjoy a relaxed game of arm wrestling with his father before but as time passed everything became more real and competitive. He states, â€Å"I always had to lose ‘ Want to try it again? ‘ he would ask, grinning†¦. and with squinting eyes he would laugh at me, a high laugh, through his perfect white teeth† (163). The relationship between the father and son was a physical rough relationship. The attitude of the father impedes the communication to surpass the bond of strength that they have now. The father was seen as the protector of the family. He was the tough guy, who wouldn’t show emotions. The son realized that his father has been the person he was for them. He guided them and helped them in the toughest situations in life. The age difference impeded the positive communication between them. This all started when he was a teen. The mental state of a son differs from the mental state of a father. The awareness, attitude, and strength all change as he matures over the years. As he grew he started working out more and became stronger while the dad was aging. The moment he realized he had matured and now viewed life different was when his dad challenged him to what was his last arm wrestling challenge between them. He felt sorry but the power that he was gaining was too exciting to let go of. When he was small the dad was the one with the power, he was the man of the house but now that he won he has now taken the responsibility to take that next challenge and soon be the adult, the head of household the one to take care of the family. He learned a lesson that changed the communication between him and his father. In my life as I’ve grown I’ve noticed a difference between the communication of my father and I. Before we would talk about dolls and makeup and now we communicate by being rough. We have competitions about the smallest things like what’s that color to who will win the wrestling match or soccer game. At first to me all that was boring and bland, but as he started to get older he distanced himself from me. What stopped us from being able to communicate was the fact that we both had different views in life. I was focused on school and focused on achieving my goal to graduate and his focus was on his work and sports. We would spend limited time together that we had so much to talk about yet we would stay quiet for hours. He slowly became more involved in my school and studies and I would get pointers from him on how to play the sport correctly. Now during weekends we go to baseball games, basketball games, or to the library. Our bond has grown to be a strong relationship. The love between families is always there, it’s just that people choose to show their affection in many different ways. Manning and Vowell explain how they struggled to communicate with their father’s but overall they ended up figuring out that they are similar in many way to their father’s. The form that Manning was able to communicate or interact with his father was through a physical tough relation and the Vowell was through nature as she took photos and as he killed it. Learning to communicate can be the key to life; it’s just the matter of finding happiness between the people.

John Deere and Company Essay

Complex Parts, Inc. has been a supplier of specialized parts to Deere & Company for the past 10 years, with annual sales of $3. 5 million. Over the past year the supplier has fallen behind in its ability to satisfy the guidelines outlined in Deere’s Achieving Excellence Program (AEP), a supplier evaluation process that promotes communication, trust, cooperation, and continuous improvement. Due to this decline, one of Deere’s supplier evaluation teams, consisting of four employees, has to make a quick recommendation about the future relationship between Deere & Complex Parts. The Achieving Excellence Program (AEP) evaluates, on a yearly basis, key parts of how a supplier is performing. It focuses on five key areas: quality, delivery, cost management, wavelength and technical support. The program classifies each supplier, from best to worst, as either Partner, Key, Approved or Conditional. AEP effectively assesses the supplier’s commitment to its relationship with Deere in such areas as enhancing communication, lowering costs, and improving design. The biggest drawback to the AEP is that it does not consider the full history of the supplier’s relationship to the company. The evaluation only focuses on the past year and not the historical highs and lows of productivity. The program also does not take into account the current economic conditions and how the market is performing. It examines what the supplier is doing to increase profits for Deere, but does not explore what Deere could be doing to help the supplier, beyond training, plaques and honors. The Achieving Excellence Program is an ideal way to analyze how a supplier is functioning, but it would be beneficial to include an assessment of how or what Deere & Company could do to aid the supplier. Historical information of how the supplier has performed, its current financial situation and the current market state or trends should all be considered as part of the appraisal of a supplier. Using the AEP evaluation, it is difficult to determine how Complex Parts has performed over the past year. While the supplier has done extremely well, it has also done very poorly, resulting in an adequate performance. Overall, the supplier has performed well, achieving a quality rating of 666 and a delivery rating of 8650, both well below the ideal for a Partner classification. Unfortunately, the past quarter showed a sharp drop in Complex Parts’ performance, achieving a delivery rating of 155,000, higher than the ideal rating for a Conditional supplier. Looking closer at other areas of the AEP, Complex Parts received a tepid score with both positive and negative aspects in all categories. The supplier was great at following through on suggestions for quality improvement and was very proactive, but had little plans for cost reductions or how to eliminate problems resulting in late deliveries. The company took an active role in keeping up with required specification changes, but did not return phone calls to the customer service group and cost Deere tremendously with weekly expedited deliveries. Complex Parts excellently internalized the Deere Quality Plan elements, took a lead role in getting the elements implemented, and improved quality performance over the past year, but did fall behind in employing the plan in its new facility, now 5 months into operation. Finally, Complex Parts’ R&D department was very impressive with several suggestions resulting in new product programs, but the supplied parts did not meet cost targets which reduced Deere’s projected profits, and new parts quotes were not being received in a timely fashion. Using the information received from the AEP evaluation, Complex Parts should be classified as a Key supplier. While there are many troubling areas, the exceptional performance in most areas of the AEP cannot be ignored. The supplier should not retain its Partner status, but it should be recognized as an important supply chain member. There are two main courses of action that the evaluation team can consider in regards to Complex Parts. The supplier can be downgraded to a Key or an Approved supplier or it can retain its current classification as Partner with a re-evaluation in six-months. Due to the low aspects in every category within the AEP assessment, Complex Parts should be downgraded to a Key or an Approved supplier. The company was given a performance summary every quarter and should not be surprised that its classification has dropped. The best alternative course of action would be to allow the company to keep its Partner rank with the provision that it will be re-evaluated in six months to determine the future of the relationship. Included in each alternative should also be the appraisal of the other two possible suppliers. Each company should receive an in-depth evaluation and classification for comparison with Complex Parts. There are both short-term and long-term implications to these recommendations that should also be considered before making a decision. In the short-term, Complex Parts would be rewarded for its high performance, but would recognize the need for improvement. The supplier would either enhance its troubled areas or it would risk being downgraded or replaced. Deere & Company stands to lose revenues due to increased costs in the short-term if the supplier does not quickly improve its performance. In the long-term, Deere & Company would show that the AEP is taken seriously and that long-term supplier relationships are a true goal of the company. It would also prove how dedicated the company is to achieving excellence and how continued improvement is a vital part of the company’s goals. While Complex Parts is currently a Partner supplier to Deere & Company, its future rests in the hands of the supplier evaluation team. Complex Parts has performed adequately over the past year, but falling aspects indicate that the company may not be able to live up to expectations in the coming year. With an assessment of other possible suppliers and by allowing Complex Parts to retain their supplier classification with an interim evaluation in six months to determine their fate, they will either increase performance or risk demotion. Deere & Company strives to develop long-term relationships with its suppliers and a quick decision based on only a year’s worth of data, and more specifically a low-performing quarter, would be detrimental to the company’s goals. More information needs to be included in the evaluation in order to gain the full picture of how the supplier is operating. With this additional information, Deere & Company will be able to fulfill its goal of a better supplier relationship.

General Electric Essay

General Electric is an American conglomerate currently ranked #9 on the Fortune 500 list. The firm operates in four primary business segments; Energy, Technology Infrastructure, Capital Finance and Consumer / Industrial. Headquartered in Fairfield, CT, General Electric has grown over the past 122 years into a financial behemoth realizing revenue in excess of $146 billion in 2013. Throughout its existence, General Electric has demonstrated an inconsistent record in terms of ethical governance and responsible business practices. Like many of its peers, the firm endured a number of scandals, particularly in the late 1990’s and into the 2000’s. In response to these issues and in accordance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act passed in 2002, General Electric has transformed its business practices and is now recognized as one of the more respected players in the world of corporate governance and honorable business practices. Contemporary business practices exercised by the firm have earned numerous accolades including: – #6 Best Global Brand (Interbrand) – #10 Most Admired Company (Fortune) – #180 Greenest Company (Newsweek) To understand how this corporate evolution occurred, we need to understand the organizational structure and managerial best practices utilized by General Electric and the nature of the legislation that necessitated this institutional change. What is Sarbanes-Oxley? The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (SOX) is a federal law that mandated new or enhanced standards for all U.S. public company boards, management and public accounting firms. Drafted in response to a number of high-profile corporate scandals that occurred in the late 1990’s and early 2000’s by U.S. Senator Paul Sarbanes and U.S. Representative Michael Oxley; the legislation imposed several powerful mechanisms designed to curb corporate malfeasance and to protect investors. The most significant of these mechanisms included individual certification of corporate financial statements by top management, increased penalties for fraudulent activity and the separation of auditing and consulting functions in outside business agencies. (www.soxlaw.com) The overarching effect of this legislation was the increased scrutiny of financial statements submitted by publicly traded  companies and growing corporate auditing expenditures. (Sidime, 2007) Board Composition: structure and governa nce General Electric has been a progressive company in terms of Board composition and governance. (see composition matrix – attached)For decades, the company has demonstrated a desire to promote diversity in governance from three primary perspectives: gender, race and age. In addition, General Electric had historically satisfied many of the obligations outlined in the Sarbanes Oxley legislation well in advance of its passage including listing the definition of individual committees and the number of committee meetings. (General Electric Annual Report – 2000) One potential conflict that exists with the General Electric governance strategy is the combination of President / CEO and Chairman roles. This is a practice that the company has exercised since Ralph Cordiner combined these responsibilities in 1958 and continues today with Jeffrey Immelt serving in the role since 2001. An additional challenge that exists within the Board structure of General Electric is the lack of ter m limits. Nominated individuals are approved annually through a majority of votes present and may continue to serve indefinitely. This issue was debated recently when shareholders proposed a 15 year term limit of Board service along with separation of the CEO / Board Chair role. The measure was defeated in a lopsided vote held during the company’s April 2013 Board meeting. (Catts, 2013) Audit Committee Consisted of outside directors. Held 5 meetings in 2000. Reviewed the activities and independence of GE’s independent auditors as well as the firm’s financial reporting processes. Composed of independent directors. Held 11 meetings in 2003. â€Å"to review the activities and independence of GE’s external auditorsand the activities of GE’s internal audit staff†¦also reviewed GE’s system of disclosure controls and procedures.† Composed of independent directors. Held 12 meetings in 2013. Primary responsibilities include: selection of independent auditor, review the independent audit, oversee the firm’s financial reporting activities and accounting standards. Tenure Combination of cash & stock. $75,000 annual base plus $2,000 per meeting. Combination of cash & stock. $250,000 base, 10% premium for service on auditing or compensation committee. Removed contingent service reward of 5,000 shares. Combination of cash, stock & other. $250,000 base. Average compensation = $302,457 The moral of the story as it relates to Board structure and Governance within General Electric is that while the firm did work to shore up its regulatory and oversight positions post SOX; the company had exercised the basic principles outlined in the legislation for some time. Performance Metrics & Executive Compensation General Electric has functioned for decades under the philosophy of hiring, motivating, rewarding and retaining its executive leaders through compensation. The company has maintained an executive compensation model that includes salary, bonuses and stock options as the vehicle to achieve this goal for decades. While the total compensation packages at the highest levels of leadership are not as lucrative as they once were – General Electric has adapted its compensation policies in order to remain competitive and compliant in an evolving business environment. 2000 – Jack Welch In the year 2000, Jack Welch stood without peer in the world of American business. Recently named â€Å"Manager of the Century† by Fortune Magazine, (Colvin, 1999) General Electric increased revenues to nearly $130 billion. During this year Mr. Welch earned $16,700,000 in salary and bonus. In addition, Mr. Welch was granted 3,000,000 stock options which became exercisable upon retirement as well as 850,000 restricted stock options. The later options were granted by the board in appreciation of 20 years of service to GE. Furthermore, Mr. Welch was granted a split-dollar life insurance policy contingent upon execution of a personal consulting contract (up to 30 days annually) at the discretion of the acting CEO. Final terms of the consulting contract and retirement package are not listed, but the value is estimated to be north of $420 million. 2003 – Jeffrey Immelt Jeffrey Immelt emerged as the new CEO of General Electric following a highly publicized succession process in 2001. Perhaps due to his relatively short tenure to this point, but more likely due to the passage of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act; overall executive compensation was revised at General Electric in 2003. In addition to a more responsible base salary, executive bonuses and stock options were much more clearly outlined and defined in the 2003 proxy statement. While the Board Compensation Committee does state: â€Å"We  rely upon judgement and not rigid guidelines or formulas or short-term changes in our stock price in determining the amount and mix of compensation elements for each executive officer† official documents include an element of specificity not previously available to investors. Mr. Immelt was paid a $3,000,000 base salary and bonuses totaling $4,325,000 – a 10% increase from the previous year. In addition, Mr. Immelt was granted 250,000 performance share units in lieu of stock options. This is the most significant change related to executive compensation policies that occurred at General Electric post SOX. From the 2003 GE Proxy Statement: â€Å"These performance share units are intended to recognize the unique position of the GE CEO. The committee believes that the CEO of GE needs no retention compensation, and that his equity compensation should be focused entirely on performance and alignment with investors.† This change in policy effectively linked 50% of the CEO’s equity compensation directly to the company’s cash generation performance; the remaining 50% would only convert to shares if specific shareholder return metrics were met. In short; the better the performance of the firm – the better the compensation for Mr. Immelt. Finally, select executives at GE (including Mr. Immelt) were granted 3-year performance incentive awards. These award s would be paid only upon achievement of unlisted specified goals related to: earnings per share, revenue growth, return on total capital and cumulative cash generated. 2013 – Jeffrey Immelt Today, the evolution of executive compensation continues at General Electric. The 2013 Proxy Report provides a thorough and defined description of all elements and metrics used to determine final executive compensation. Following essentially the same compensation model initiated in 2003, Jeffrey Immelt realized total compensation (including projected pension value) of $20,592,769. Leadership, Ethics & Firm Values General Electric is a perfect case study in the evolution of an American business. Formed in 1892 primarily as an electric company, the firm has grown into a global dynamo. Today the company operates in several areas including finance, appliances and power systems. This type of evolution and growth does not happen by accident, it is the result of visionary leadership  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ a quality that has existed within GE for a century. Founded by one of this country’s greatest innovators, General Electric has embodied the vision of Thomas Edison since its inception. The company has dabbled, innovated and revolutionized a number of industries throughout its existence. This truth is a testament to the men that have lead the organization throughout the years. (see past leaders – attached) More recently, present-day General Electric has been molded primarily by two individuals who utilized their personal skill to direct the company through a challenging time. Jack Welch (1980 â⠂¬â€œ 2001) Jack Welch joined GE in 1960 as a junior chemical engineer. Early in his tenure, Welch considered leaving the organization citing a frustration with an overwhelming bureaucracy that existed within the firm. Welch was convinced to stay and worked his way up the ranks becoming Chairman and CEO in 1980. Welch became one of the most successful executives in the history of the United States during his tenure, growing the value of the company by 4000%. He accomplished this by imposing leadership efficiency practices throughout the company. Welch promoted strong businesses by limiting bureaucratic inefficiencies, trimming inventory and closing factories. His governing philosophy at GE was that a company should either be number 1 or number 2 in a particular industry or it should get out of that business. Welch adopted Motorola’s Six Sigma quality program in 1995 to further streamline operating efficiencies. In addition, Welch instituted a rigorous method of assessing organizational performance and leadership termed Session C. The goal of this program is to provide feedback and identify talent to managers within the organization. During Jack Welch’s tenure, General Electric became wildly profitable and became recognized as the preeminent organization in terms of operating efficiency and profitability. Mr. Welch’s methods, while successful were generally autocratic and focused on two specific issues: profitability and legal compliance. Jeffrey Immelt (2001 – present) Jeff Immelt was groomed to lead General Electric from a young age. Immelt’s father worked for GE in the Aircraft Engines Division. After receiving his A.B. in Applied Mathematics from Dartmouth College, Immelt earned an M.B.A.  from Harvard. Jeffrey Immelt formally joined General Electric in 1982 and began his professional ascent. Following a public and high-profile transition; Immelt was challenged with the difficult task of replacing legendary GE CEO Jack Welch in 2001. Immelt was immediately dealt two unparalleled challenges upon assuming the position – the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 and to a lesser extent the public backlash attached to the prominent accounting scandals that occurred at the turn of the century. Immelt began to create an impact immediately, adopting a more people-oriented approach to management than the efficiency-minded approach that had governed GE for the preceding two decades. Immelt launched a series of effectiveness-oriented meas ures that encouraged innovation and risk-taking. Immelt also began to look to developing markets in search of opportunity. Finally, Jeffrey Immelt moved GE’s operational focus to areas not previously considered: concentration on long-term growth over short-term gains, infrastructure development with an emphasis on green energy and increased marketing efforts focused on social responsibility. The contrast between these two vastly different yet extremely effective leaders provides an interesting snapshot of the effects of the evolution in American business following the corporate scandals of the late 1990’s and early 2000’s. While General Electric was not directly attached to a major scandal during that era, the timing of GE’s leadership transition was fortuitous. While there is certainly room for a chicken vs. egg debate regarding the change in managerial philosophy at GE; the change in leadership at the top of the company definitely provided an opportunity to shift course in the post-SOX business world. Corporate Sustainability & Social Responsibility Similar to many traditional American manufacturing powers, General Electric did not exercise sustainable business practices for the bulk of its existence. This, of course, was not uncommon in American industry. However, at the turn of the century, the first mention of social responsibility appeared in a GE company document. â€Å"Integrity: the Spirit and the Letter of Our Commitment† was a comprehensive document outlining the company’s policies related to privacy, supplier relationships, working with governments, environment, health and safety. The initial draft of this document was essentially a rule book seeking to achieve legal compliance in  the various nations where General Electric conducted business. The following year, (2001) two share owner proposals sought to amend and bolster the â€Å"Integrity† statement – Share Owner Proposal No. 2; which attempted to â€Å"improve the quality of life for employees and their communities† by allowing collective bargaining, eliminating discrimination & intimidation and promoting free labor, as well as Share Owner Proposal No. 3 which called for the Board to discontinue and renounce a PR campaign initiated by the General Electric Company that downplayed the dangerous effects of PCB’s dumped in the Hudson river by the company. The GE Board of Directors voted against both proposals. The reality of the Board’s actions demonstrates that the early years of General Electric’s sustainability and social responsibility programs were based in superficial statements only. In 2003, General Electric launched an interactive, electronic version of its Annual Report. This new medium included a section devoted to the â€Å"Citizenship† initiatives active within the company. The two paragraph overview acknowledged the need for a modern corporation to practice environmental compliance, leadership in corporate governance and high ethical standards. The document lists various social programs supported by the organization and its employees including nebulous philanthropic and volunteer efforts. While a step in the right direction, an outside observer may still question the level of commitment GE expressed to its sustainable programming. The strategy did not contain the measurable, quantifiable objectives r equired to effectively execute a large-scale sustainability program. (Epstein, 2003) Today, General Electric has created and maintains a robust, independent website dedicated to corporate sustainability. www.gesustainability.com outlines GE’s commitment to long-term sustainable business practices including: internal processes, (people, governance, compliance and health & safety) sustainability initiatives (health, energy & climate, water and natural resources) and progress (public policy, grassroots activism, lobbying, human rights and research). Most importantly, the site lists and outlines performance metrics used to govern their processes including the GRI G3 Sustainability Reporting Guidelines. The end result of the GE sustainability program has been a complete remake of the GE brand identity. Today; General Electric is recognized as a leader in corporate and social responsibility, receiving accolades from: The Human  Rights Campaign, (Corporate Equality) CR Magazine, (100 Best Corporate Citizens) Dow Jones Sustainability Index (Sustainable Business Prac tices) and the US President’s Volunteer Service Award amongst many others. In summary, General Electric is not a company without fault. Issues with comingling of responsibility at the top, lack of diversity in executives, and a series of accounting scandals in the early 2000’s are a few of the complications that the organization has witnessed. However; in terms of the ability of a large corporation to evolve in order to remain relevant throughout time, GE has fared better than most. Resources – Catts, T. (2013, April 24). GE investors reject 15-year term limits for board members. Bloomberg. Retrieved from www.bloomberg.com/news /2013-04-24/ge-investors-reject-15-year-term-limits-for-board-members.html – Colvin, G (1999, November 22). The ultimate manager in time of hidebound, formulaic thinking, General Electric’s Jack Welch gave power to the worker and the shareholder. He built one hell of a company in the process. Fortune. Retrieved from www.archive.fortune.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/1999/11/22/269126/index.htm – Epstein, M. & Roy, M. (2003). Improving sustainability performance: specifying, implementing and measuring key principals. Journal of General Management. Vol.29, No. 1 2003. – Sidime, A. (2007, February 18). The good and bad of Sarbanes-oxley. San Antonio Express-News. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/262392306?accountid=12381 – Rachel, E.S. (2002, October 29). GE adds 2 outside directors in move to boost governance. Wall Street Journal. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/398860308?accountid=12381 – Watson, I. (2002, June 30). GE caught up in US accounting scandal. Knight Ridder Tribune Business News. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/462671234?accountid=12381 – General Electric Corporation. Wikipedia. Retrieved from www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/general_electric – Jack Welch. Wikipedia. Retrieved from www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/jack_welch – Jeffrey Immelt. Wikipedia. Retrieved from www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/jeffrey_immelt – General Electric Proxy Statements. (2000,2003,2013). SEC. Retrieved from www.sec.gov/archives/edgar/data – The Spirit & The Letter (.pdf). GE.com. Retrieved from www.ge.com/files/usa/commitment – www.soxlaw.com

How fertility was portrayed in ancient art Essay

How fertility was portrayed in ancient art - Essay Example The earliest artifacts that portray fertility can be said to emanate from both the historical periods of Neolithic and Paleolithic period. These images included sculptures in which females were portrayed, whereby the artists presented the women with swollen bellies, as well as accentuated thighs and breasts. One of these images is the â€Å"Venus of Willendorf†, which encompasses a figure of a female that is well rounded. The picture of the woman in this portrait has been carved from limestone whose shape is that of an egg. This work portrays fertility since it seems that the artist who curved it linked fertility with the shape of the stone used, which resembled an egg. Fertility in this artwork can also be portrayed by the fact that it has some features, which can be regarded as the phenomenon of female figurines (Liu 147). Some archeologists have referred to this image as the goddess of fertility. This image is crucial since it portrays some features that relate to fertility . For example, the swelling in the image, as well as the femininity emphasized by the sculptor, can be connected to female fertility. From this image, fertility, in its physical form, can be seen from most of the features that the image possesses. The female figure appears as strong and large, which is common in pregnant women who fall under the category of fertile people. The continuity and change about fertility can be depicted by the fact that figure appears as stable. In addition, the hands of the female figure can be seen resting on her breasts, which further presents her as strong. The power seen in the figure can be associated with childbirth and stable health, which relate to fertility (Liu 147). Another ancient piece of art that represents fertility is the â€Å"Venus of laussel.† This image consists of a drawing, which portrays an overweight woman, but with little presented about her looks. This figure can be found in Laussel, which is a cave in the French Valley of Dordogne. Scholars of the Paleolithic period have asserted that the woman in this image holds a crescent moon. The figure held by the woman resembles the crescent moon. In addition, the figure has 13 stripes, which represent the lunar cycle. Since the Venus has her hand on her belly, which is of large size, this can be regarded to be a sign of fertility. Moreover, the tallies, which the crescent has, can sometimes be referred as the total number of cycles of menstruation, which a woman experiences in one year. This image can be regarded as important since it presents some of the symbols, which related to fertility in women (James 230). The other image that represents fertility is the â€Å"Sculptured Vase† from the Uruk Period. This sculpture represents Inanna, the goddess associated with both fertility and love. This figure represents a huge image of the goddess receiving some offerings. In addition, there is also a representation of a man who is nude. The purpose of the va se is to honor the goddess, who can be considered valuable for the role she plays when it come to fertility. It is believed that this goddess blesses women with children and enables people to fall in love with one another. Therefore, it can be argued that this image is crucial as it represents the goddess who determines whether people are fertile. The continuity of fertility in Uruk Period can be seen to be connected to the

Visiting a church Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Visiting a church - Research Paper Example And the first time I bothered to read said â€Å"judgment must begin at the house of God,† apparently my good friend and neighbor is a staunch member of the church. We planned to visit the church but didn’t reveal any of my motives to him. We were to visit the church on a normal Sunday service on 20th April, 2012. This date was convenient in some way as it was â€Å"Easter Sunday† my neighborhood friend was going to provide me with all the information that I needed as he had a lot of faith in me and he perceived me as if I was going to join the church, and become part of the staunch congregation like him. Roman Catholic Church was located and planted as a traditional charismatic/evangelical congregation in the mid-1980s. By late 1990s the congregation had taken on what is commonly known as â€Å"seeker sensitive† model of doing church. I noticed that the demographic of Roman Catholic Church was primarily suburban, Caucasian, middle class individuals and families ranging in age from twenty to fifty year olds. Roman Catholic Church is part of the denomination that was birthed in the midst of the Church Growth Movement in the late 1970. I also observed that the church relates to the community in a good manner. The community at large felt affiliated so much to the church because as my neighbor friend told me, the church is a place of solution to human’s problem, and agency providing answers in specific contexts, not only spiritually, but politically, socially and otherwise. Roman Catholic Church has attracted all sort socio-economic classes. It was evident during my visit to the church that all form of classes is represented in the congregation from the upper, middle, and low class. Some sporty automobiles that were present at the parking lot were evident that there was upper class, and some of the congregation did not have any cars they either walked or used a public means to

Written Practice in English Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Written Practice in English - Essay Example I have improved upon the following skills, but I still need some on working them: introductions/ conclusions, argument/persuasion, evidence/support, sentence/paragraph structure and staying on topic. I will need more, significant work on tone, revision, meeting/staying within page length, pre-writing and transitions. When I started the course, I was not even aware of the dynamics of writing. However, I was introduced to the various elements involved in good writing, and the first component that struck me and I wanted to specialize in was the ability to summarize. I practiced a lot on this because I thought it contained many subsidiary skills of writing related to identifying and choosing the significant ideas, editing, organizing and so on. I could say that I have mastered this skill after some dedicated hours of work. I have also mastered the skill of responding to a reading. For this, I spent quality time to read things carefully and to identify the main and supporting arguments. I am convinced now that my responses could be effective only if I understand properly whatever I read. I have improved drastically with my word choices. Earlier, I used to believe that words did not matter much as long as the content was significant. Now I am aware that the content can be made significant only if the r ight words are used. With the proper choice of words, I reached high levels of clarity as well. Before I start writing anything, I try to identify my thoughts clearly and ask myself whether this could be presented with clarity. With the help of my professor, I could identify various formats of writing and can claim that I am adept at it now. Though it all seemed restricting in the beginning, I was able to grasp the logic that worked with every format, and this helped me a lot to master them.

Starbucks Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Starbucks - Essay Example The paper talks us the story of Starbucks from very begining. By 1992, Starbucks had its initial public offering with 165 outlets. Today, Starbucks has almost 17,000 stores in over 50 countries. It has also taken over several companies including Seattle Coffee Company, Seattle's Best Coffee, Diedrich Coffee and Coffee People. Starbucks has also reduced product cost and waste but at the same time improved customer satisfaction. The profitability of their international business continues to improve through supply chain efficiencies. The primary market risk that Starbucks will face in the coming year is the commodity price risk of coffee and dairy products. Foreign exchange currency risk is also a concern because of its international operations. After an analysis of the financials of Starbucks, we can say that it is very good investment for the future because of its growth potential. Although its US market may already be saturated, its overseas market is not yet saturated. Its 40-year history of providing exceptional coffee, world-class customer experience, commitment to its partners (employees) and dedication as a responsible corporate citizen is more than enough reason to invest in the company. We are sure we can go wrong with Starbucks! Go to the store and try a good cup of coffee!

Beauty and the Beast Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Beauty and the Beast - Essay Example In addition to women equality, Rich also broadened her writing to promote equality for gays, those disenfranchised by race and class (Rich 5). From the title â€Å"When we dead awaken: writing as a revision† it is practically difficult to believe how many people have been affected including women and those who don’t have an idea of what is happening (Rich 5). According to Rich, it is exhilarating to be alive at the time of awakening consciousness since it leads to confusion, disorientation and pain (Rich 7). By the virtue that the work is a revision, the main idea is to look back and seeing with fresh eyes of entering an old text from a new critical direction (Rich 7). Relatively, the main idea is to create self knowledge for women who keep searching for identity and refusal to self-destructiveness in the male dominated world (Rich 7). Cupid and Psyche is a well known tales written by Lucius Apuleius in C.E. 150 (Apuleius 1). The tale narrates about a major obstacle that was overcoming to the love between Psyche (which means breath of life or soul) and Cupid (which means desire) (Apuleius 3). The main obstacle was affecting the ultimate attachment of the two in marriage. The story elaborately describes theme of dangerous curiosity, punishment, tests and redemption through divine favor (Apuleius 5). Tiger’s bride by Angela Carter is another love story of a woman who moved in with a mysterious masked Milord (Carter 2). The Milord was a beast and the marriage ended up after her father lost in a gambled game of cards forcing him to award the Milord with his daughter (Carter 3). The Milord was eventually revealed to be a tiger (Carter 5). However, a happy ending is exhibited when â€Å"The courtship of Mr. Lyon,† the heroin transformed into a glorious tiger a proper mate to the beast (Carter 5). The lady and the lion is another short tale about a man who had three

Ousmane Sembene Black Girl Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Ousmane Sembene Black Girl - Essay Example The protagonist’s disillusionment drives her to desperation until she eventually decides to commit suicide. The tragic life of Diouana is representative of many African women’s lives, who suffer acute neglect and subjugation not only in their home countries, but also in the global context. The film’s opening sequence introduces one to a ship docking in harbor in Southern France, with the main character Diouana disembarking from it. The Senegalese woman left her native country to work for a French couple as their children’s caretaker. One of the first points noted is the protagonist’s need to look for an informal job in France, irrespective of the fact that her country is already independent from colonialists. This draws one’s attention to the failure of African elite leaders to empower their citizens, especially women, who are relegated to the role of domestic workers, instead of being trained formally to gain fiscal independence. Contrary to Diouana’s expectations, her migration to France is not joyous or fulfilling at all. Her  expectation of travelling to France and that of her French employers is completely disjointed and incomplete, which leads her to a silent, withdrawn and gradually depressing existence. The silence is perha ps symbolic of the African woman’s suppression to the point of being unable to speak her mind or communicate effectively (Spivak 72-75). After arriving at the high rise apartment in Antibes, France, Diouana is instantly given instructions to start cleaning. It becomes apparent that her lifestyle in France, with the French couple is strikingly dissimilar from the one she had with the same family in Africa. While in Dakar, she wore her native apparel and exposed her natural hair. She also took care of the couple’s children and did not have to do household chores. However, in France, Diouana puts on a

Human and Animal Interrelationships Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Human and Animal Interrelationships - Term Paper Example nimal research") The significance of such experiments is difficult to exaggerate, however it is important to prove the necessity and the role of such researches. The main advances that changed the medicine due to animal research are discovery of penicillin, first antibiotic for tuberculosis, medicine for meningitis, vaccine for poliomyelitis, introduction of kidney transplantation and many others ("Medical advances and animal research") All the researches, mentioned above, used mice in the experiments, which together with rats are the most popular animals of medical research. Rats and mice are inexpensive, unpretentious in care and food, live only for 2 or 3 years. The discoveries, which were made as a result of the experiments with mice and rats, helped their authors to win more than 30 Nobel Prizes. One of the significant discoveries, which engaged mice together with rabbits, was development of in vitro fertilization, which was performed by Robert Edwards in 1950-1960s. However he received his Nobel Prize only in 2010. This discovery helped the infertile families to have babies: more than 4 million of people were born due to the results of experiments ("The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2010. Robert G. Edwards"). Another fatal disease, for which the scientists hope to find the treatment using animal research, is Duchene dystrophy. Duchene muscular dystrophy is one of the most widespread forms of muscles dystrophy. The gene, which is responsible for muscle development, is corrupted, and muscles cells eventually die in the organism. The disease is congenital and affects mostly boys. There is no treatment for Duchene dystrophy at present, however scientists hope to find one soon with the help of animals, which are used for testing agents, that might help to reverse the deadly processes in muscles. The Italian scientists experimented with using stem cells from the blood vessels of dogs to treat their natural dystrophy mutation, which helped to stop its

How Wilfred Owen and John Scott present ideas about slaughter and sacrifice Essay Example for Free

How Wilfred Owen and John Scott present ideas about slaughter and sacrifice Essay Write a comparison of the ways Wilfred Owen and John Scott present ideas about slaughter and sacrifice, how far do you agree with the view that Scotts poem is more effective than Owens in communicating its message? The Send Off and The Drum both explore the truths about war outlining the horrors and effects of war through language and poetic techniques. Owen attacks the understanding between those at home who promote war as a romantic, glorious and heroic exercise and dying for ones country as an act of nobility and with this who fight and die in war and who know the true horror of the battlefield. Scott explores the desperations caused by battle. He also makes clear that he does not consider war as a fight of honour; more as a gruesome game to see who can be more stubborn to admit what they are doing is wrong. Both poets show similar thoughts about war and how it is betrayed to a glorious act of heroicness. In the opening stanzas of the drum the poets mention the sounds and tones which follow the soldiers. In The drums case it is the drums discordant sound. This instrument is used for the historical march of the soldiers. Which in this case is confusing to the men. As they are parading round, and round. This gives a sense of never ending war. Each day the men follow the same routine until it is there turn to face the enemy in battle. Owen immediately challenges the positive connotation of the send off in the first line. Our first image is of close darkening lanes. This has two meanings; the first meaning is the lanes fatefully enclose the soldiers in their closeness, they cannot turn back, the second meaning is that darkening is emphasized as a metaphor of the soldiers dark destiny to which their farewell is sending them and that is to be killed in war. John Scott talks about the pathetic reasons which people go to war. He explains how the young are almost excited by the surrender of the opposition. To sell their liberty for charms. This line suggests that people would rather sell there independence for money. Regarding how it would affect their country. The alliteration used in the phrase grimly gay in the send off alerts the readers the forced gaiety of the men and ambiguity of their supposed adventure isnt everything that is thought to be at first. Grimly Gay also contradicts the concepts of grimness and gaiety, which captures a focus for the mixture of excitement and fear in the men and the country for which they sacrifice their lives for. Scott mentions the line ambitions voice commands. This word ambition almost represents the lives of many of the soldiers fighting in the war. Either there ambition to return to there country or to fight for there country. It can also be in replacement for the general who commands his soldiers to war. A sense of death is built up in the next line. To March, and fight, and fall, in foreign lands. This shows the reality of war, you can fight and put your life on the line, but you may also lie dead in the hands of the enemy and fall in there territory. The send off portrays the sense of something sinister and shameful about the operation, in the uncertainty of the mens future and in the prospect of the injured and weary return of too few of them. Owen talks about how complete strangers to him went to war. They were not ours this explains how he talks about random people being in the war. The imagery for the gifts of flowers for good fortune is mixed with that of flowers for a funeral wreath. It is as though the gift of flowers is the soldiers first war wound, a prelude to a course of events that must end in death. Scott shows exactly what the true meaning to war is and how it affects the life of others. He speaks of the burning towns mangled limbs windows tears. These quotations explain the sense of horror and slaughter which took place in the Napoleonic wars. The way Scott expresses his views on the war are the tragic ways in which widows had to cope without there husband. Those who lost there homes and had to migrate to another area. Owen shows this kind of horror as well but not in the magnitude of Scott. As mens dead. The apostrophe in the word men shows the extensive number of soldiers who were killed. Wilfred Owen ends his poem almost like the ending of a war and how they leave the allies country. Shall they return to beating of great bells, in wild train loads? A few, a few, too few for drums and yells. The word shall suggest that you do not really know if soldiers will return in a good way. He almost contradicts himself when he talks about loads of men returning then he says a few. This shows that not even he is sure about the outcome of returning soldiers. Part of the soldiers betrayal is how they are dehumanized and treated so indifferently by the authorities that process them. Terms such as siding-shed and train-loads creates the concept of produce rather than people being transported. The structure of the poem is broken up into stanzas with lines long and short. The shorter lines are a lot more sinister in tone which talks about ominous events that are going to happen in war. The lengthier lines are more informative. This irregularity of long and short lines and stanzas gives the poem motion which shows the beat of marching men and a moving train. The structure of the drum is completely different it is set out in two stanzas which echo the beat of the drum which is parading around and around. That is why the use of repetition is applied for this line in both stanzas. I agree in a sense that Scotts poem is more effective on its approach to get its message through to the reader. The reason for this being is that it can relate with the reader more because he is writing a personal response. Noticeable by the use of I this means that he can communicate in a more individual way. He also gives more ideas on what soldiers and families would have had to see through the war stages. Not only does he give a personal statement but takes into consideration of how it may have affected the lives of others. He also shows the gruesomeness which occurs in battle. However Owen also has written a very informative poem. As he has the experience of being a solider he has more of an idea how the war worked. Unlike John Scott he did not oppose to violence. Maybe that is why Scott could have been biased towards the idea of war. Only pin pointing the parts to war which were bad, and not those which commemorate the honour and remembrance which you receive after fighting in the war. But Owen also feels the same way about the war and he has been there. I suppose these poems would not be similar because they are both from different stages of time. One which was written in the Napoleonic war and the other in world war one. That is why there is a difference in writing styles and issues which are discussed. The reason for John Scotts poem being more violent maybe because they did not use weapons like guns and explosives so battles with swords maybe have been more brutal. Taking this into consideration I think both poems have different ways in which to get there message across so they are equally as effective.

High School Dropouts Essay Example for Free

High School Dropouts Essay In The Great Gatsby money is a symbol of success. Money controls the lives of the characters in the story, but it is easy to see that it could not bring happiness. Each of the characters thinks that having money will solve all of their problems and make them successful, but that is not true. These are a few examples of characters in the story who think that money is the answer to being successful, when it actually does not bring them true happiness. Daisy is a character who was born into a wealthy family, but she does not have any good values or purpose in her life. Her life is boring, so she tries to use her wealth to make her happy. She is a socialite, always goes to parties with her wealthy friends, and she wears clothes that are white with a lot of gold and silver. Even though she thinks that these things will make her happy, she is still bored and always wonders what she will do next. She has an affair with Gatsby even though she is married to a wealthy man, Tom, because she is bored. She does not value herself or anyone else. Her money has not made her a happy person even though everything she does is based on wealth. Gatsby has a lot of money. Even though he has a huge house, fancy cars and clothes, and has parties all the time, he is not really corrupted by the money. He does everything he does just to get Daisy and prove to her by his wealth that he is good enough for her. He thinks that all he has will get her to marry him, but he does not realize that Daisy will never leave her husband because he is so wealthy. Daisy’s husband Tom is very wealthy. He gambles, goes to horse and car races, and has many affairs. He has a mistress that he supports, but obviously not happy with his life. When he finds out that Daisy has been having an affair, he gets angry with her even though he is guilty of doing  the same thing. Daisy and Tom are not happy, their money and success have not made them happy, but daisy will not leave Tom because he is wealthy. In The Great Gatsby money is seen as a symbol of success by the characters. They have all of the clothes, cars, houses, and social events that they want and that money can buy. Despite all of this, they are unhappy, have no real values or friends, and no real purpose in life.

Whistle Blowing Theory And Whistleblowers Protection

Whistle Blowing Theory And Whistleblowers Protection The aim of this paper is to present the theory of whistleblowers protection, analyze the mechanisms for protection that surrounds it and draw out recommended whistle-blowing protection for Republic of Macedonia. It will start with presenting background theory for whistleblowers protection and define the main concepts of this theory such as who are the whistleblowers, what it means and when does it occur, and what are the most commonly used mechanisms for protection of whistleblowers usually included in policies. The paper will furthermore, analyze the basic mechanisms of protection such as anonymity, immunity from legal action, and protection against reprisal which are often referred to as basic whistle-blowing protection, and further mechanisms such as relocation or transfer, reinstatement and back pay. These mechanisms will then be compared to the legislation in Macedonia. The final part of this paper will conclude with recommendations drawn out from these analyses for a whistleblowers policy protection that might be adopted by the Government in Macedonia. WHISTLEBLOWING Whistle-blowing is a term that has been used a lot in the media to present different cases of wrongdoing and stress the importance of these cases for the public welfare. In this part of the paper we will look at the concept behind whistle-blowing and what this means through several different definitions that have been used in this theory or definitions that support the understanding of the author of this paper. Furthermore, we will define the term whistle-blower and whistleblowers protection and several cases of whistleblowers will be presented in order to present the importance of this protection. The term whistle-blowing comes from different origins. The general understanding that underlines the origin of this term usually derives from the action of whistling as an act of signaling. In these terms, Miceli and Near make a parallel of the act of blowing the whistle in a corporation or government, and the whistling of a football referee. By comparing whistle-blowing with an official on a playing field, such as a football referee, who can blow the whistle to stop action, they refer to the whistleblower as someone who whistles to stop wrongdoings (Miceli and Near 1992, 15). Similarly Deiseroth, ties the term whistleblower to the Englishbobbies(policemen), who would blow their whistles when they would notice the commission of a crime (International Network of Engineers and Scientists for Global Responsibility 2009). All of these imply that whistle-blowing as an act is related to signaling wrongdoings. Before going into explanation of who are the whistleblowers and what is the impac t of reporting wrong doings, we will look at the theory that defines the concept of whistleblowers and whistle-blowing as an act. According to Larmer, whistle-blowing is the act of complaining, either within the corporation or publicly, about a corporations unethical practices (Larmer 1992, 126). De Maria in his book Deadly disclosures: whistle-blowing and the ethical meltdown of Australia defines whistle-blowing as a public exposure of wrongdoing (De Maria 1999, 32) and as an ethical resistance against the usually protected existence of wrongdoing (De Maria 1999, 34). Whistle-blowing is also defined as the disclosure by organizations members (former or current) of illegal, immoral, or illegitimate practices under the control of their employers, to persons or organizations that may be able to effect action (Near and Miceli 1985, 4). In addition to these definitions Jubb looks at whistle-blowing in a broader range and defines it as dissent, in response to an ethical dilemma, in the form of a public accusation against an organization (Jubb 1999, 79) and in the more narrow terms defines it as: a deliberate non-obligatory act of disclosure, which gets onto public record and is made by a person who has or had privileged access to data or information of an organisation, about non-trivial illegality or other wrongdoing whether actual, suspected or anticipated which implicates and is under the control of that organisation, to an external entity having potential to rectify the wrongdoing (Jubb 1999, 79). As it can be understood from the provided definitions of whistle-blowing, we can conclude that the concept of whistle-blowing is mainly defined as a concept that involves reporting of ethical wrongdoings which affect the public in the society. Now that we have underlined the origins and the act of whistle-blowing, we turn to identifying who is the whistle-blower and why there is a need for a whistleblowers protection. De Maria defines whistleblowers as: a concerned citizen, totally or predominantly motivated by notions of public interest, who initiates of his or her own free will, an open disclosure about significant wrongdoing directly perceived in a particular occupational role, to a person or agency capable of investigating the complaint and facilitating the correction of wrong doing (De Maria 1995, 447). At the same time, Miceli and Near define the whistleblowers as present or past member of an organization against which the complaint is lodged (Miceli and Near 1992, 16). The definitions given above imply and confirm the idea given in Jubbs more narrow definition of whistle-blowing about possessing inside knowledge about an organization regarding different wrongdoings of the organization or skeletons in their closets. They also stress the importance of whistleblowers in the act of revealing wrong doings in the public sector or the organizations. Additionally, the provided definitions of wrong doings also stress the importance that these acts often refer to information in possession of the whistleblowers gained in the period of employment with the public sector or given organization, which deals with illegal or un-ethical acts. Unfortunately when information is leaked very often the question within the organizations according to Frome is not Is it right or wrong? but Who leaked it? (Frome 1978, 53). In many cases such as these, when this information is exposed to the public, the whistleblowers are fired, repressed or in some extreme cases even assassinated. Such is the case of Marlene Garcia Esperat who was killed for her exposà © on graft and corrupt practices (Espejo 2006) in the Philippines Department of Agriculture in 2005. Similar is the case of Satyendra Dubey who brought up the corruption in the highway construction in India and was assassinated in 2003 year after he complained to Mr Vajpayee and the road network authorities (BBC News 2003), and the case of Manjunath Shanmugam, who brought up to attention the corruption in the gas industry in India and was murdered for exposing an adulteration racket in Lakhimpur in 2005 (News, Daily News Updates 2009). Even thought the cases presented above represent extreme situations, they stress the importance of having policies that will offer whistleblowers protection. The protection in these terms is provided through the several mechanisms brought up at the beginning of the paper, namely the anonymity, immunity from legal actions, protection against reprisal as well as relocation, reinstatement and back pay. Basic protection Anonymity Whistleblowers are in some cases reluctant to blow the whistle. This can be a result of many factors, some of which include the fear of their safety, the seriousness of the information that they are in possession of, and some factors may include the fear of unfair retaliation. In these cases whistleblowers may choose to stay anonymous. However even thought some of these factors can be into play anonymity not always can be guaranteed, especially in cases as defined by Elliston when the anonymity impedes the pursuit of truth (Eliston 1983, 174). One way of establishing anonymity is by introduction hot lines in the organization, but has to be taken into account that this may come as a conflict in smaller organizations. Immunity from legal action This shield refers to the immunity from legal actions for the whistleblowers. In the most simplified meaning this reflects to situations when the whistleblower may be given immunity from criminal prosecution in exchange for their testimony. The Justice Department of Australia in a discussion paper on Public interest disclosures states that person that discloses information about wrong doing will not be liable for any action, claim or any other demand of whatsoever nature including for breach of statute, criminal offence, defamation, breach of confidence, misconduct or other disciplinary offence (Tasmanian Department of Justice 2000). However, it needs to be noted as well that immunity from legal actions is also not always guaranteed. For example, a person can not be given immunity if the wrongdoings that are reported have been carried by from the person that is reporting them. Protection against reprisal Protection against reprisal is seen as critical by Near and Dworkin because it signals organizational support for the reporting of wrongdoing (Near and Dworkin 1998, 1560). These authors point out that an organization that does not treat its employees fairly under other circumstances would seem more likely to retaliate against whistleblowers than would an organization that is seen as fair (Miceli and Near 1992, 217). Considering the above, whistle-blowing protection policies usually define certain actions that are taken against individuals that are attempting or conspiring to cause harm to the whistleblower. Further protection Relocation or transfer Relocation, which sometimes is tied to anonymity, is an additional mechanism of the whistleblower protection that provides relocations or transfers to another department upon a request of the person that blows the whistle. In cases when the identity of the whistleblower is keep anonymous this protection is not necessary, whereas in cases of knows identity additional protection is provided by relocating the whistleblower. In other cases, the whistleblower if he has concern about his safety, he can again request for relocation or transfer. It needs to be taken into account that considering this protection will most probably vary on a case to case basis. The South Australian Whistleblower Protection Act 1993 states that if whistleblowers feel that a reprisal might arise from their actions of reporting wrongdoings, they can request for relocation on the basis that the only practical way to remove or substantially remove the danger (South Australian Whistleblower Protection Act 1993). Remedies Reinstatement The reinstatement with the whistleblowers protection usually falls under the categories of remedies. Within this category reinstatement should be provided in order for the whistleblowers to continue his career. Kohn states that one of the goals of reinstatement is to restore the employee as nearly as possible to the position he or she would have been in if the discrimination has not occurred (Kohn 2001, 331). Furthermore, he states that reinstatement after a person has blown the whistle is sometimes nearly impossible especially when it comes to finding comparable work in the same industry (Kohn 2001, 330). In has to be taken into account that for most of the whistleblowers the issue of having a job comes first and foremost from the fundamentals of the benefits that one gain in terms of income. Therefore, the protection to the whistleblowers by providing reinstatement can be seen as having crucial importance to the whistleblowers themselves. Lewis in his article on whistle-blowing at work also points out to the importance of having reinstatement provided by saying the where workers have lost their jobs they should also have the option of choosing reinstatement or re-engagement (Lewis 2001, 193). Back pay According to Kohn, back pay serves to vindicate the public policy behind a wrongful discharge statute, at acts as a deterrence to future unfair labor practices, and it serves to restore the injured employee to the same status quo as would have existed but for the wrongful act' (Kohn 2001, 332). These serves to provide the whistleblower with further protection on the basis of compensation; however the limitation of the back pay is that it is difficult to approximate the amount that the person would have earner have he or she stayed in the organization. Kohn states that back pay awards are continues and are concluded once the employer makes unconditional offer of reinstatement (Kohn 2001, 333). After we have looked at the whistle-blowing concept and the protection that is proved to whistleblowers, we need to take a look at the legislation in Macedonia to see what kind of protection is offered, if any. Furthermore, we will continue with recommendations for whistle-blowing protection that the Government of Macedonia might consider to implement in future whistleblower policies. Article 38 from the Law on free access to information of public character in Macedonia states that: Any responsibility shall be removed from an employee within the state administration that shall disclose protected information, in case such information be of significance for the disclosure of abuse of power and corruptive behavior, as well as for the prevention of serious threats to human health and life and the environment (Law on free access to information of public character 2006). In addition to this article, Article 20 from the Law on prevention of corruption in Macedonia provides that: A person who has disclosed information indicating an act of corruption may not be subject to criminal prosecution or to any other liability; protection according to the law shall be provided to a person who has given statement or has testified in a procedure for an act of corruption. This person shall have the right to compensation of damages, which he/she or a member of his/her family has suffered, due to the statement made or testimony given (Law on prevention of corruption 2002). These two articles from the legislation in Macedonia provide some legal protection to whistleblowers, however they do not protect the whistleblower fully. Article 38 from the Law on free access to information of public character in Macedonia states that person that would disclose information about wrong doings will be removed from responsibility, however the article does not define this responsibility and whether it refers immunity of legal prosecution. In addition, Article 20 from the Law on prevention of corruption limits the disclosed information only to acts of corruption, and similarly to the previous article again it does not define the protection of the whistleblower in a way that no further information is given about the form of the compensation of damages. The following section of this paper provides the recommendation for an ideal whistleblowers protection and gives a recommendation on which of the measures or as we called them shields should be taken into consideration and drafted in a law by the Government of Macedonia. RECOMMENDATIONS In terms of anonymity, the author of this paper feels that it needs be taken into account that people sometimes choose not to blow the whistle when they consider this action to be vain. In addition to this, Miceli and Near point out that people sometimes dont want to take the time to make a report (Miceli and Near 1992, 42). They furthermore stress that even thought guaranteed anonymity may reduce this bias to some extend, it does not address the other problems (Miceli and Near 1992, 42). Having said this, the author of this paper believes that further devolvement in policies that would address biased situation should be well and explicitly developed in the whistleblowers protection. Recommendations on immunity refer closely to the discussion earlier about the Law on free access to information of public character in Macedonia and the need to clearly identify the removal of responsibility when disclosing wrongdoings and whether it refers to immunity of legal prosecution. The whistleblowers protection should include actions for people that are attempting or conspiring in order to carry out reprisal over the whistleblower. These actions should include legal and disciplinary actions if a person engages in acts that would personally harm or threaten the safety of the whistleblower, would engage in acts of property damage or loss, intimidates, decreases level of employment and similar activities that might harm the white-blower. The author of this paper believes that in terms of relocation or transfer, a recommendation for an ideal policy for whistle-blowing protection aside from the relocation and transfer should consider expanding this protection in a way that would provide as well leave of absence in case when no relocation or transfer is available at the moment. This in addition to the relocation and transfer shield would provide more efficient protection when there is any chance that the person blowing the whistle might be reprised. The whistleblowers protection should clearly define reinstatement and back pays protection. In terms of reinstatement, it needs to be noted in the legislation that reinstatement must be to a comparable job (Kohn 2001, 333). The protection should clearly defined the process of back pay awards and if this process can last continuously until reinstatement of the employee has been brought up on the agenda of the employer. Further considerations might be given in defining the process of calculation in terms of time. This would imply that back pays can be calculate on quarterly basis which would imply that employees interim earnings in one particular quarter have no effect on back pay liability for another quarter' (Kohn 2001, 333), or they can be calculated on periods of six months which would reflect the current situation in Macedonia where usually no significant changes are seen in terms of promotions or raise on salary on shorted periods. In conclusion, the articles provided in the legislation of Macedonia referred to some degree to immunity from legal action and to payment of damages to the whistleblowers as a result from inflicted damages from a given testimony. Thus, a whistleblowers protection is recommended that would give clear understanding of what constitutes a person that discloses wrongdoings, the opportunity for anonymity, reinstate or transfer as well as definitions of remedies that would follow these actions. Second and most important due to the effort of the Government of Macedonia to fight with corruption having a clear and well defined whistleblowers protection drafted in law that might lead to more rapid improvements when fighting and prevention corruption. REFERENCE LIST BBC NEWS. 2003. India probes whistleblower murder. BBC NEWS, December 15, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/3320011.stm (accessed November 29, 2009). Deiseroth, Dieter. 2009. What is whistle blowing? International Network of Engineers and Scientists for Global Responsibility. http://www.inesglobal.com/index.php?whistle-blowinghighlight=Dieter%20Deiseroth (accessed November 29, 2009). De Maria, William. Deadly Disclosures: Whistleblowing and the Ethical Meltdown of Australia. Kent Town, S. Aust: Wakefield Press, 1999. De Maria, William.1995. Quarantining dissent: the Queensland public sector ethics movement. Australian Journal of Public Administration 54(4): 442 455. Elliston, Frederick A. 1982. Anonymity and Whistleblowing. Journal of Business Ethics 1(3):167-177. Espejo, Edwin G. 2006. The Esperat murder case: Justice at last but no end yet. Sun.Star General Santos, October 09, http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/gen/2006/10/09/feat/the.esperat.murder.case.justice.at.last.but.no.end.yet.html (accessed November 29, 2009). Frome, Michael. 1978. Blowing the Whistle. The Center Magazine 11 :50-58. Johnson, Roberta Ann. Whistleblowing: When It Works and Why. Boulder: L. Rienner Publishers, 2003. Jubb, Peter B. 1999. A Restrictive Definition and Interpretation. Journal of Business Ethics Vol. 21, no. 1 (August). http://www.jstor.org/stable/25074156 (accessed November 29, 2009). Kohn, Stephen M.Concepts and Procedures in Whistleblower Law. Westport, Conn: Quorum Books, 2001. Larmer, Robert A. 1992. Whistleblowing and Employee Loyalty. Journal of Business Ethics Vol. 11, no. 2 (February), http://www.jstor.org/stable/25072254 (accessed November 29, 2009). Lewis, David. 2001. Whistleblowing at Work: On What Principles Should Legislation Be Based? Industrial Law Journal 30, no. 2, http://ilj.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/reprint/30/2/169 (accessed November 29, 2009). Miceli, Marcia P., and Janet P. Near.Blowing the Whistle: The Organizational and Legal Implications for Companies and Employees. Issues in organization and management series. New York: Lexington Books, 1992. NDTV News India. 2009. News, Daily News Updates, November 10, http://birlaa.com/news/remembering-manjunath-killed-for-honesty/10000 (accessed November 29, 2009). Near, Janet P., and Marcia P. Miceli. Organizational Dissidence: The Case of Whistle-Blowing. Columbus, Ohio: College of Administrative Science, Ohio State University, 1985. Near, Janet P., and Terry M. Dworkin.1998. Responses to Legislative Changes: Corporate Whistleblowing Policies. Journal of Business Ethics 17, no. 14 (October), http://www.jstor.org/stable/25073989 (accessed November 29, 2009). Official Gazette of the Republic of Macedonia. 2002. Zakon za sprecuvanje na korupcijata (Law on prevention of corruption) 28/02. Official Gazette of the Republic of Macedonia. 2006. Zakon za sloboden pristap do informacii od javen karakter (Law on free access to information of public character) 13/06. South Australian Government Gazette. 1993. Whistleblower Protection Act 16.9/93. Tasmanian Department of Justice. 2000. Public Interest Disclosures. Discussion paper. http://74.125.77.132/search?q=cache:8G4kPPC9a18J:www.justice.tas.gov.au/__data/assets/word_doc/0008/55556/Discussion_Paper_Final.doc+%22Immunity+from+legal+action%22+whistlecd=3hl=enct=clnk. (accessed November 29, 2009).

How the Novel Rebecca Reflects and Subverts the Conventions of the Roma

"I'm invariably ill-tempered in the early morning. I repeat to you, the choice is open to you. Either you go to America with Mrs Van Hopper or you come home to Manderly with me." "Do you mean you want a secretary or something?" "No, I'm asking you to marry me, you little fool." Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier is a fine example of the romantic genre as it reflects certain conventions such as the hero and heroine?s characteristics. It also subverts many romantic conventions for example, the journey to happy ever after. Conventions of the gothic/horror genre are also found in the novel. The conventions that Rebecca reflects of the romantic genre are those of the characteristics of the hero and heroine (as mentioned above). The heroine is usually innocent and vulnerable with low confidence and low self-esteem. The narrator of the novel also holds these characteristics. The first impression of the hero seems rude, arrogant and insufferable but the heroine soon realises she was wrong and sees the hero differently. This is also a convention of the Romantic genre. Rebecca also subverts certain aspects of the genre, such as the ?happily ever after? ending to most romantic novels. The gothic genre is also found in the novel, with the spirit of Rebecca haunting Maxim and the narrator?s marriage. One major convention of the Romantic genre is the innocence, vulnerability and lack of confidence of the heroine. In Rebecca, the narrator constantly refers to herself as an un-educated, inexperienced and young schoolgirl, ??I was a youthful thing and unimportant?there was no need to include me in the conversation.? Throughout the first six chapters, the narrator is depicted as very young with no experience. She admits this herself, ?It was a s... ...it? Open the title-page.? Nonsense, I said, I?m only going to put the book with the rest of the things.? As if prompted by Rebecca?s spirit, the book falls open on the title page. The heroine can feel the force of the writing as she thinks, ?How alive was her writing though, how full of force.? The page is then torn out and burned, and the heroine?s thought feel cleared. This section of the novel has a major gothic and horror feel to it. Conclusively, the novel Rebecca reads as a very intense and interesting novel reflecting as well as subverting the conventions of the romantic genre. It also includes many aspects of the gothic and horror genre which create a haunting theme for the storyline. The hero?s way of treating the heroine is arrogant even though she refuses to accept it. They never reach happily ever after for their marriage is forever haunted by Rebecca.

How Dead Mens Path and Snapshots of a Wedding Portray Different Cultur

How Dead Men's Path and Snapshots of a Wedding Portray Different Cultures For this essay I am going to discuss Dead Men’s Path, by Chinua Achebe, and Snapshots Of A Wedding, by Bessie Head. These are both short stories from the Opening Worlds book by Heinemann. Written by the Nigerian son of devout Protestants, Dead Men’s Path is a profound short story, which explores the modernisation of Africa through beliefs and also the effects of Western customs and ideas on traditional African society. It tells the story of one man trying to modernise Ndume Central School in Africa where he has recently been made Headmaster. Although only 26, Michael Obi has a very high opinion of himself, and a somewhat over-inflated ego. He sees himself to be above others and superior to them because he is educated: ‘He was outspoken in his condemnation of the narrow views of these older and often less-educated ones.’ With his young wife Nancy supporting his radical ideas and views of a modern school, not just in teaching method but also in appearance, Obi tries to bring the ‘backwards... How Dead Men's Path and Snapshots of a Wedding Portray Different Cultur How Dead Men's Path and Snapshots of a Wedding Portray Different Cultures For this essay I am going to discuss Dead Men’s Path, by Chinua Achebe, and Snapshots Of A Wedding, by Bessie Head. These are both short stories from the Opening Worlds book by Heinemann. Written by the Nigerian son of devout Protestants, Dead Men’s Path is a profound short story, which explores the modernisation of Africa through beliefs and also the effects of Western customs and ideas on traditional African society. It tells the story of one man trying to modernise Ndume Central School in Africa where he has recently been made Headmaster. Although only 26, Michael Obi has a very high opinion of himself, and a somewhat over-inflated ego. He sees himself to be above others and superior to them because he is educated: ‘He was outspoken in his condemnation of the narrow views of these older and often less-educated ones.’ With his young wife Nancy supporting his radical ideas and views of a modern school, not just in teaching method but also in appearance, Obi tries to bring the ‘backwards...

Counterculture Essay -- Culture Cultural Movements Sixties 60s Papers

Counterculture For the first time in American history, a large population of people of all ages, classes, and races came together to challenge the traditional institutions, traditional values in society, and "the establishment" in general. Youth, women, ethnic minorities, environmentalists, migrant workers and others caused the emergence of the counter culture. This cultural movement from 1960 to 1973 was caused by many factors. This era was one that was filled with many important events that shaped the way that Americans viewed life. Those who were unhappy with what was going on around them and took part in this social phenomenon reflected and demonstrated their attitudes, values, and ideals in many ways. Various things from protests to songs expressed their views and made their point get across to America. This cultural movement had a profound impact on society. It had both beneficial and detrimental effects on the society. As we look back on the sixties, it was one of the most important decades because it accomplished so many important things. The sixties was an era that was filled with so many important events that caused people to become actively involved in challenging the structure of American society and taking a stand. Civil rights was one of the most important issues. African Americans were still treated unequally although the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments were supposed to grant them equality. Separate but equal wasn't enough for most people. Incidents where African Americans were denied rights caused much rebellion. When Rosa Parks was ordered to give up her seat on the bus to a white person, Montgomery's black community boycotted the buses. These incidents became more frequent and more people took... ...ew the society and take action. The actions of women, youth, African Americans, environmentalists and other caused the emergence of the counter culture that had such a profound impact on society. Although there were many different factors causing the surfacing of the counter culture and many different methods to challenge the traditional society, the goals of all of the groups were the same. They all wanted some form of change and change was what they got in return for their actions. Although women are still paid less than men, and there are still many more whites than blacks in government positions, the sixties was an era of progress. The counter culture has paved the way for American society today and created a country that allows and accepts free expression and doesn't frown down upon those who challenge the long-established society values and institutions. Counterculture Essay -- Culture Cultural Movements Sixties 60s Papers Counterculture For the first time in American history, a large population of people of all ages, classes, and races came together to challenge the traditional institutions, traditional values in society, and "the establishment" in general. Youth, women, ethnic minorities, environmentalists, migrant workers and others caused the emergence of the counter culture. This cultural movement from 1960 to 1973 was caused by many factors. This era was one that was filled with many important events that shaped the way that Americans viewed life. Those who were unhappy with what was going on around them and took part in this social phenomenon reflected and demonstrated their attitudes, values, and ideals in many ways. Various things from protests to songs expressed their views and made their point get across to America. This cultural movement had a profound impact on society. It had both beneficial and detrimental effects on the society. As we look back on the sixties, it was one of the most important decades because it accomplished so many important things. The sixties was an era that was filled with so many important events that caused people to become actively involved in challenging the structure of American society and taking a stand. Civil rights was one of the most important issues. African Americans were still treated unequally although the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments were supposed to grant them equality. Separate but equal wasn't enough for most people. Incidents where African Americans were denied rights caused much rebellion. When Rosa Parks was ordered to give up her seat on the bus to a white person, Montgomery's black community boycotted the buses. These incidents became more frequent and more people took... ...ew the society and take action. The actions of women, youth, African Americans, environmentalists and other caused the emergence of the counter culture that had such a profound impact on society. Although there were many different factors causing the surfacing of the counter culture and many different methods to challenge the traditional society, the goals of all of the groups were the same. They all wanted some form of change and change was what they got in return for their actions. Although women are still paid less than men, and there are still many more whites than blacks in government positions, the sixties was an era of progress. The counter culture has paved the way for American society today and created a country that allows and accepts free expression and doesn't frown down upon those who challenge the long-established society values and institutions.

“The Importance of Mother Tongue-Based Schooling for Educational Quality”

Commissioned study for EFA Global Monitoring Report 2005 Carol Benson, Ph. D. Centre for Research on Bilingualism Stockholm University 14 April 2004 Part A: Overview While there are many factors involved in delivering quality basic education, language is clearly the key to communication and understanding in the classroom. Many developing countries are characterized by individual as well as societal multilingualism, yet continue to allow a single foreign language to dominate the education sector.Instruction through a language that learners do not speak has been called â€Å"submersion† (Skutnabb-Kangas 2000) because it is analogous to holding learners under water without teaching them how to swim. Compounded by chronic difficulties such as low levels of teacher education, poorly designed, inappropriate curricula and lack of adequate school facilities, submersion makes both learning and teaching extremely difficult, particularly when the language of instruction is also foreign t o the teacher.Mother tongue-based bilingual programs use the learner’s first language, known as the L1, to teach beginning reading and writing skills along with academic content. The second or foreign language, known as the L2, should be taught systematically so that learners can gradually transfer skills from the familiar language to the unfamiliar one. Bilingual models and practices vary as do their results, but what they have in common is their use of the mother tongue at least in the early years so that students can acquire and develop literacy skills in addition to understanding and participating in the classroom.Bilingual as opposed to monolingual schooling offers significant pedagogical advantages which have been reported consistently in the academic literature (see reviews in Baker 2001; Cummins 2000; CAL 2001): Use of a familiar language to teach beginning literacy facilitates an understanding of sound-symbol or meaning-symbol correspondence. Learning to read is most efficient when students know the language and can employ psycholinguistic guessing strategies; likewise, students can communicate through writing as soon as they understand the rules of the orthographic (or other written) system of their language.In contrast, submersion programs may succeed in teaching students to decode words in the L2, but it can take years before they discover meaning in what they are â€Å"reading. †  ¦ Since content area instruction is provided in the L1, the learning of new concepts is not postponed until children become competent in the L2. Unlike submersion teaching, which is often characterised by lecture and rote response, bilingual instruction allows teachers and students to interact naturally and negotiate meanings together, creating participatory learning environments that are conducive to cognitive as well as linguistic development. Explicit teaching of the L2 beginning with oral skills allows students to learn the new language through commun ication rather than memorization. In submersion schooling teachers are often forced to translate or code-switch to convey meaning, making concept learning inefficient and even impeding language learning, while bilingual programs allow for systematic teaching of the L2.  ¦ Transfer of linguistic and cognitive skills is facilitated in bilingual programs.Once students have basic literacy skills in the L1 and communicative skills in the L2, they can begin reading and writing in the L2, efficiently transferring the literacy skills they have acquired in the familiar language. The pedagogical principles behind this positive transfer of skills are Cummins’ (1991, 1999) interdependence theory and the concept of common underlying proficiency, whereby the knowledge of language, literacy and concepts learned in the L1 can be accessed and used in the second language once oral L2 skills are developed, and no re-learning is required.Consistent with these principles, it is possible for chi ldren schooled only in the L2 to transfer their knowledge and skills to the L1, but the process is highly inefficient as well as being unnecessarily difficult. Code-switching and code-mixing involve alternation between languages, and are common communication strategies in bi- and multilingual contexts. Code alternation functions best when all parties are competent speakers of the languages involved, but in submersion classrooms it is more of a coping strategy for dealing with a foreign instructional medium and does not necessarily contribute to second language learning.As specialists Lanauze & Snow explain, transfer means that â€Å"language skills acquired in a first language can, at least if developed beyond a certain point in L1, be recruited at relatively early stages of L2 acquisition for relatively skilled performance in L2, thus shortcutting the normal developmental progression in L2† (1989: 337).  ¦ Student learning can be accurately assessed in bilingual classrooms . When students can express themselves, teachers can diagnose what has been learned, what remains to be taught and which students need further assistance.In submersion schooling cognitive learning and language learning are confounded, making it difficult for teachers to determine whether students have difficulty understanding the concept itself, the language of instruction, or the language of the test.  ¦ The affective domain, involving confidence, self-esteem and identity, is strengthened by use of the L1, increasing motivation and initiative as well as creativity.L1 classrooms allow children to be themselves and develop their personalities as well as their intellects, unlike submersion classrooms where they are forced to sit silently or repeat mechanically, leading to frustration and ultimately repetition, failure and dropout.  ¦ Students become bilingual and biliterate. Bilingual programs encourage learners to understand, speak, read and write in more than one language. In co ntrast, submersion programs attempt to promote skills in a new language by eliminating them from a known language, which may actually limit learner competence in both.All of these advantages are based on two assumptions: one, that basic human needs are being met so that schooling can take place; and two, that mother tongue-based bilingual schooling can be properly implemented. Simply changing the language of instruction without resolving other pressing social and political issues is not likely to result in significant improvement in educational services. However, because language cross-cuts race, ethnicity, gender, and poverty, even minimally implemented bilingual programs have the potential to reach those who have traditionally been left behind by L2 submersion schooling.This paper will discuss how choosing an appropriate language of instruction has positive implications for education in terms of both increasing access and improving quality. Education for All: Building Strong Learn ing Foundations thru the Mother Tongue * Philippine basic education is now at a critical crossroad. It now calls for the revisiting of our commitment to Education for All (EFA) 2015. All stakeholders have to be vigilant and involved. Otherwise, education will just be a weak transformative power in our society.Instead of education for all, it will be education for the few; instead of seeing Filipino youth become critical thinkers, coherent communicators, and productive citizens; we will see a generation of unreflective and mediocre mouthpieces of languages not their own. We affirm the need to improve learning competencies in all subject areas, including English. Our educational system has to move forward following a roadmap drawn by experts in language and education based on empirical proofs. Experiences of other multilingual countries all point to the mother tongue as the best language of learning, especially in the early grades.The mother tongue is the most effective bridge to and foundation for the learning of other languages like English. At this stage, however, many of our lawmakers and national leaders still hold on to the unfounded but long-held belief that an English-dominated initial basic education will produce superior learners. We submit that such educational strategy will only benefit a very small number of Filipinos—those who belong to families where English is the home language. But the truth is that the majority of our school children come from homes where the mother tongue is the predominant language.This explains their marginalization in the classroom. Such marginalized learners, as pointed out by scientific evidences face the double burden of learning. They are struggling to learn the 3Rs on top of the big burden of learning an alien language in which they are taught. This predicament is one of the major culprits of poor performance and high drop-out rates. All of these imply the needed approach– teach the yet unknown 3Rs throug h the already familiar local language and culture, build the learner’s capacity to learn and introduce a second language with the correct phasing.With such mother tongue-based multi-lingual education (MLE) framework, the mastery of all the learning areas including English is effectively attained. It is a basic truth that language embodies a person's cultural identity and heritage. To uphold this truth, even international law guarantees and directs states’ educational system to develop respect for the child’s own cultural identity and language (Article 29-c Convention on the Rights of the Child). Thus, we reject any assertion that a local language may be inferior, inadequate and poses an obstacle to learning.We also reject the usual argument that MLE is costly and, therefore, very hard to implement in the face of limited financial resources. Papua New Guinea, a poor Asian country of more than 800 languages, has demonstrated that reliance on local initiatives and resources for MLE is highly feasible and substantially saves on much costs of developing and producing learning materials. Recently, our own DepEd’s Agusan Pilot MLE Study corroborated the practicality and merits of local self-reliance and initiatives.Thus, we submit that ultimately, to insist on teaching with an alien language is more costly and inefficient when children do not become functionally literate and hardly develop higher order thinking skills and whose English competencies are mediocre. Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education Many Filipino learners face barriers in education. One of these barriers is that our learners often begin their education in a language they do not understand. Because they do not understand the language of education, many learners become discouraged and tend to drop-out from school.Content of material is often culturally distant or unfamiliar to the learners. The limited education that learners receive does not prepare them for lifelong l earning. Mother tongue-based multilingual education (MLE) is a formal or nonformal education, in which the children’s mother tongue is used in the classroom as a bridge in learning Filipino and English. Children begin their education in a language they understand, their mother tongue, and develop a strong foundation in their mother language.The purpose of a multilingual education program is to develop appropriate cognitive and reasoning skills enabling children to operate equally in different languages – starting in the mother tongue with transition to Filipino and then English. It is a structured program of language learning and cognitive development which provides learners with a strong educational foundation in the first language. If the mother tongue is not used, we create people who are illiterate in two languages.Children do not become sufficiently fluent in their mother tongue (L1) in both oracy and literacy if their vocabulary in L1 is limited, thus restricting their ability to learn a second language (L2). A strong foundation in L1 is required for learning L2. Children’s understanding of concepts is limited or confused if leaning is only L2. The benefits of MLE include the following: †¢ Reduced drop-out †¢ Reduced repetition †¢ Children are attending school. †¢ Children are learning. †¢ Parents and community are involved. †¢ It is more cost – effective to implement mother tongue programs.A region wide training was conducted last summer in preparation for this school year’s pilot implementation. A Regional association of supervisors, school heads and teachers was organized during that training. Feedback gathered from the pilot implementers revealed that teachers find the use of the MTB-MLE very useful. Pupils are very participative and most of them have learned to read by this time. Although some teachers find it tiresome, especially in the preparation of materials, but they feel rewarded by seeing the enjoyment among the pupils in their learning experiences.