Monday, September 30, 2019

Whip it

Bliss is curious about joining the roller derby team while in Austin, TX for the derby event, but her friend, Pass, is doubtful about her actually trying out for the team. Pass brings up several factors about why Bliss wouldn't try out Including her not having the guts to try out, her not being as tough as the other roller derby girls, and the fact that her mother would disapprove of It. Plus, although Pass TLD exactly mention It, Bliss wasn't the appropriate age to Join the team. She had to be 21 to join the team and she was only 17.I felt like Pass was bringing up all of Bliss' flaws not to put her down, but to make her want to prove her wrong and go for it. As the movie explores the relationship between Bliss and her mother, I feel like nobody's really happy with each other's decisions. Bliss wants to find direction in her life and follow her heart's desire while her mother aspires for her to be a beauty queen like she once was as a teen. Even though they both don't really see eye to eye about their differences, Bliss goes along with her mom's wishes o please her, so in a sense, I suppose her mother is happier in the situation.The things that they have In common are their love for each other even if it's not shown too often throughout the film, and their passion for what they love to do In life: Bliss' roller derby racing and her mother's beauty pageants. How Bliss and her mother view each other Is pretty similar. Her mother sees beauty and Intelligence wealth Bliss, and feels that both can surface by competing in the beauty pageants. Bliss also sees the beauty in her mother, although her mom feels like this has faded away wrought the years.Bliss' mother sees herself as a former beauty queen who has aged and often reflects on the days when she was younger. Bliss sees herself as a girl who just isn't the beauty pageant type, but has other special qualities about her that may not set well with her mother. I view Bliss as a girl who knows that there's courage a nd strength within her and strives to bring them out. From the very beginning of the movie, I felt that she knew there was a certain path she was supposed to be following but was uncertain of what It was.From her dyeing her hair blue and becoming Interested In roller derby at the head shop that day, I think she knew that she was different and was destined to be a free spirit. I view her mother as someone who honestly just wants the best for her daughters, but can be too overprotective of them and unreceptive to what they truly want out of life. She's definitely strong and stands firm in her beliefs, it even showed in her facial expressions that she was a woman of dignity. I got the feeling that she knew how tough life can be and she didn't want her daughters going through any mind of pain if she could help it.I could see her reasons for wanting to protect Bliss from the world, but I feel that she shouldn't have pushed her beauty pageant dreams onto Bliss. With Bliss' participation i n roller derby racing, I feel like it liberated her and helped her confront her mother about what she really wants to do with her life. I also feel that she gave her father a sense of pride which we can see by him putting her Jersey number In the yard at the end of the movie. We could see how her decision affected her family as a whole.What roller derby almost costs her was her almost consumed by her newfound life of roller derby, and she had to really face the good and bad that came with it. Vive experienced this as well with some of my leisurely choices. Vive learned that no matter what you're passionate about, there's always an upside and downside waiting for you Just down the road. The key to not letting the downsides knock you off your axis is to stay focused and to never let friends and family fall to the wayside while pursuing that passion.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Ah, Are You Digging on My Grave

â€Å"Ah, Are You Digging on My Grave? † was first published in the Saturday Review on September 27, 1913, then in Thomas Hardy’s 1914 collection, satires of Circumstance: Lyrics and Reveries with Miscellaneous Pieces. The poem reflects Hardy’s interest in death and events beyond everyday reality, but these subjects are presented humorously, with a strong dose of irony and satire. This treatment is somewhat unusual for Hardy, who also produced a number of more serious poems concerning death. In â€Å"Ah, Are You Digging On My Grave? † a deceased woman carries on a dialogue with an individual who is disturbing her grave site. The identity of this figure, the â€Å"digger† of the woman’s grave is unknown through the first half of the poem (Ruby 1). As the woman attempts to guess who the digger is, she reveals her desire to be remembered by various figures she was acquainted with when she was alive. In a series of ironic turns, the responses of the digger show that the woman’s acquaintances a loved one, family relatives, and a despised enemy have all forsaken her memory. Finally it is revealed that the digger is the woman’s dog, but the canine too, is unconcerned with his former mistress and is digging only so it can bury a bone. Though the poem contains a humorous tone, the picture Hardy paints is bleak. The dead are almost completely eliminated from the memory of the living and do not enjoy any form of contentment This somber outlook is typical of Hardy’s verse, which often presented a skeptical and negative view of the human condition (Ruby 1). Hardy was born in 1840 and raised in the region of Dorestshire, England, the basis for the Wessex countryside that would later appear in his fiction and poetry. He attended a local school until he was sixteen, when his mother paid a lot of money for him to be apprenticed to an architect in Dorchester. In 1862 he moved to London, where he worked as an architect, remaining there for a period of five years. Between 1865 and 1867 Hardy wrote many poems, none of which were published. In 1867 he returned to Dorchester and, while continuing to work in architecture, began to write novels in his spare time. Hardy became convinced that if he was to make a living writing, he would have to do so as a novelist (Ruby 2). Drawing on the way of life he absorbed in Dorsetshire as a youth and the wide range of English writers with which he as familiar, Hardy spent nearly thirty years as a novelist before devoting himself to poetry. In 1874 Hardy married Emma Lavinia Gifford, who would become subject of many of his poems. They spent several years in happiness until the 1880s, when marital troubles began to shake the closeness of their union. Hardy’s first book of verse was published in 1898, when he was fifty-eight years old and had achieved a large degree of success as a novelist. Although his verse was not nearly as successful as his novels, Hardy continued to focus on his poetry and published seven more books of verse before his death, developing his confidence (Ruby2). With the composition of the Dynasts: A Drama of the Napoleonic Wars (1904-08) an epic historical drama written in verse, Hardy was hailed as a major poet. He was praised as a master of his craft, and his writing was admired for its great emotional force and technical skill. Hardy continued to write until just before his death in 1928. Despite his wish to be buried with his family, influential sentiment for his burial in Poet’s Corner of Westminster Abbey instigated a severe compromise: the removal of his heart, which was buried in Dorchester, and the cremation of his body, which was interred in the Abbey (Ruby 2). The structure of â€Å"Ah, Are You Digging On My Grave? † is a familiar one, although not one commonly associated with poetry: the joke. A situation is established and briefly developed, then the punch line turns everything on its head. In Hardy’s bitter joke a dead woman has high- flown expectations of the living: her loved one will remain forever faithful to her; her family will continue to look after her exactly as they did in life: and even her enemy’s hatred will not wane. The poem’s punch line deflates her hopes and reveals them as vain and ridiculous. Hardy sets up his joke carefully, with a poet’s attention to the language he uses (Ruby 4). The atmosphere is set in the first two lines. A sigh from the grave seems to signal profound meditation on morality and love. The phrasing of the two lines is almost self-consciously â€Å"poetic. † Such language is maintained throughout the first three stanzas. Expressions like â€Å"planting rue,† â€Å"Death’s gin. † â€Å"The Gate that shuts on all flesh† portray feeling that is heightened, more sensitive and authentic than every day, emotion (Ruby 4). They awaken a sense of tragedy and compassion in the reader, But Hardy is merely setting us up for the punch line. They tone of the poem’s language begins begins to change in the fourth stanza. One hardly notices it, so great is the reader’s surprise that it was a little dog that was poeticizing all along. The first seeds of doubt have been planted: this poem may not be exactly what it at first seemed. The dead woman recognizes the dog’s voice and utters the article of faith she feels most deeply: a dog’s love outshines anything human (Ruby 4). But when the dog replies, the reader realizes that Hardy is up to something else. The â€Å"poetry† and sentimentality have vanished. The dog’s voice is as ordinary and plainspoken as that of the Wessex country folk. He deflates her last hope so offhandedly and without pretense that its effect is brutal. At the same time the dead woman’s expectations about her lover, her family and enemy are portrayed as products of the same ridiculous sentimental outlook (Hardy 4). â€Å"After coming to the end of ‘Ah, Are You Digging on My Grave? ’ the reader realizes that the title would have been more accurate even if less interesting if called, â€Å"Oh No One Is Digging on My Grave. ’ † (Ruby 10).

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Femoral Vein to the Lower Lobe of the Right Lung Via of the Right Pulmonary Artery

Hello everyone and welcome aboard: Today we are going to embark together in my mini sub and we are going to travel through this wonderful body of this young lady named Brittany. In this journey we will enter her body through the femoral vein and travel all the way to her lung. Alert! Alert! An alert just came and we are in for a wild surprise. A bacteria has invaded Brittany’s lower lobe of her right lung and we need to report the invasion and document all we see as to what we see also.The femoral vein runs parallel with the femoral artery through the upper thigh and pelvic region of the body (Yahoo Health,2013) Being one of the larger veins in the body, the femoral vein returns blood into the leg to the heart through the iliac vein. Before we get to the iliac vein, we are going to pass through the inguinal ligament that forms a band going from anterior superior iliac spine to the pubis ligament.The role of the inguinal ligament is to protect the tissue movement between the tr unk and the lower extremities,(Yahoo Health, 2013). From the inguinal ligament, going north, we are going to see the external iliac vein which is a continuation of the femoral vein just above the inguinal ligament. Starting at the groin area the external iliac vein goes along the pelvic area. When it intersects with the internal iliac vein, we will navigate east into the common iliac vein that functions to drain the perineal regions.The iliac veins are joined together to form inferior vena cava, also know as posterior vena cava, is a vein that carries a lot of deoxygenated blood from the lower body to the heart,(Yahoo Health, 2013). It runs behind the abdominal cavity and alongside the righ vertebrae column of the spine and it carries a lot of the blood from the lower bosy to the heart and lungs,(Yahoo Health, 2013). From here we can already see the heart. Isn’t it factastic? ? ?

Friday, September 27, 2019

Business Ethics and Sustainability Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Business Ethics and Sustainability - Essay Example Reference is made to a specific case, as an example: the oil spill caused by BP in Mexico in 2010. Different ethical approaches are used for evaluating the role of parties in the specific ethical issue and for understanding how the effects of this issue, in terms of ethics, could be limited. Also, the following problem is explored: can a particular ethical theory be used for realising all aspects of an ethical issue in the business sector or a combination of different ethical approaches would be rather preferred? The examination and the analysis of the facts of the specific case, as based on appropriate literature, lead to the following assumption: business decisions and operations can be quite complex; current ethical approaches are not able, if used separately, to explain all ethical issue related to business activities no matter the size of a business. In the 20th of April 2010 a strong explosion occurred in BP’s ‘drilling rig in the Gulf of Mexico’ (The Guardian, 2010). The site’s safety measures were proved quite problematic: a mechanism that had been established for controlling the leak of oil did not operate while no plan appeared for limiting the human losses in regard to the company’s staff in the particular site (The Guardian, 2010). As a result, about 11 employees died while 17 others suffered severe injuries; also, an extended oil slick was gradually developed affecting the natural environment, see waters and coasts, in the greater Gulf area (The Guardian, 2010). About ‘200 million gallons of oil’ (Geggel, 2015) have been released in the Gulf of Mexico during the 87 days that followed the explosion in BP’s particular drilling rig (Neuhauser, 2014). The damage caused on the area’s natural environment has been quite critical (Figure 1). Due to its effects on the environment, the specific incident was carefully investigated by the authorities, as of all its aspects. At a first

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Tablets industry analysis research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Tablets industry analysis research - Essay Example The globally competitive nature of the modern business environment makes it very relevant for companies to put in a lot of efforts into their marketing. This is because through marketing, they are presented with opportunities that make it possible for them to identify the right people within the competitive market who can be strategically presented with what the company has (Kotler and Keller, 2009). Marketing also sets the pace for companies to develop the best forms of strategic options that help in making them competitive as against their core competitors with whom they are in the same market with (Adcock, Halborg and Ross, 2001). With this said, it will be appreciated that marketing is a very broad and relatively generalized concept for any company. It is for this reason that aspects of marketing must be clearly defined in order to make the most of the concept. In this paper, two very important areas of marketing are focused and these are market analysis and industry analysis. Ma rket and industry analysis can be said to be part of the overall research and development (R&D) component of marketing where companies get to study and understand their market and the industry within which they operate in a better way through critical evaluation of market and industry variables (Kotler and Keller, 2009). In this paper, some of the areas that are given include product category, market segmentation, competitors, and product positioning.

Movie review-Why We Fight Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Movie review-Why We Fight - Essay Example of government must guard against the acquisition of influences that are unwarranted, whether asked or not asked by the industrial complex of the military. The capability of the disastrous rise of power that is misplaced exists and will always be there. The movie ‘Why We Fight’ is directed by Eugene Jarecki. It is a documentary movie of 2005 and it is about the military-industrial complex. The movie’s title refers to the World War II era that was commissioned by the U.S. Government so as to justify why they entered the war which was against the Axis Powers. In the movie, Eugene looks as to the reason why young people of America are sent to war. The movie also conveys the message that there is a change in portrayal of American war interference since World War II. It shows that America currently engages in good wars unlike in the past where there was military adventurism. It is in the interest of America’s self-serving corporate that there are more operations of wars. Being occupied with technologies of the military and actions are common American psyche features but the film focuses on anti-war efforts (Rollins, et al. 53). The movie follows a father who is still grieving after four years after the death of his son in New York on 9/11/2001. To any caring parent, a son’s death is normally an impactful and anger is a reaction that’s understandable. In the movie, the story line revolves around the father’s anger that shifts from those seen responsible for the attacks to those in high political offices who are responsible of manipulating the initial anger in support of war. The sentiments of the father later becomes far more noble. Being aware of the agony of losing a son, he can never wish it to an innocent person no matter how they are divided by the culture, geography or class. As mentioned in the movie, the attacks on 9/11/2001 were largely part a response to initial U.S. aggression to the Muslim-dominated Middle East and the Third World as a whole.

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Personal and Organizational Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 2

Personal and Organizational Ethics - Essay Example Values can range from the ordinary places, such as the belief in hard work and  punctuality, to the more psychological, such as self-reliance,  concern for others, and harmony of purpose (Velasquez, 2002). Every human being has personal values that they uphold and maintain as they grow up. These values are quite important in the life cycle of human beings as they define who we grow up to become and they define our future. They also help us develop a relationship with the people around us and in our places of work. The values that we uphold define our character and other people’s perception of who we are. I uphold various personal values which I believed have shaped me to be the person I am today. To start with, respect is my number one value. I believe one need to respect others to be respected. Respect begins with oneself, if you show no respect to yourself, no one will respect you. Secondly, I uphold the value of truthfulness/ honesty. The wise men said that honesty is the best policy and I totally agree with them. I believe if one is truthful and honest in their endeavors, they will always succeed in life. Integrity is another value I maintain, people with integrity are peop le who are respected in the society. They are people who are focused in life with a huge desire in success. I also believe in hard work which is the root of all the best things in life. I also uphold self-reliance and self thinking which form strong driving forces towards attaining my goals. Other values I uphold include selflessness, justice, creativity, discipline, team work, tolerance, trust, kindness, goodness, humility and many others. Every one of us is aggravated to move our lives in certain guidelines. That motivation is determined by the values we pledge to. Our values are thus the creations and ideas of the thought, the distinct formulations of understanding that express what we perceive to be important truths about life. These ideals are then toughened by our

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Infromation System Development Blog Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Infromation System Development Blog - Essay Example The main purpose of system development is to develop an information system that should be able to meet business and personal needs of the users. Model-driven analysis can really benefit the development of information systems by providing a proper set of guidelines regarding system development to the developers. The main benefits of developing information systems include proper management of business related information, documentation of the collected information, and assisting managers in the processing of information. A model-driven technique helps developers draw such models, which can be used for various purposes, such as, to gather business related information, to prioritize requirements, and to review recommendations to develop an efficient information system. System developers use model-driven technique to develop such systems, which can be used for collecting business related data and for processing, analyzing, and disseminating collected data to the concerned departments in the form of information. Therefore, we can say that model-driven analysis plays a considerable role in developing efficient information systems. In this method, developers use documentations of problems, reports, files, and case studies for collecting information. Sampling of existing documentation and databases is a good way to gain understanding of the whole system. In this fact-finding method, developers try to understand the system by either participating personally in different activities or watching other people perform those activities. Observation allows developers check validity of the facts and obtain relevant data. In this method of fact-finding, internet, reference books, and previous researches on the same system are used to gather information. These sources make developers know how other people have been successful in developing somewhat similar systems in the

Monday, September 23, 2019

Chemical Synapses Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Chemical Synapses - Essay Example The process that must occur in the presynaptic axon is a series of events that lead to release of a neurotransmitter. An action potential in the presynaptic cell causes Ca2+ channels to open. An influx of Ca2+ into the presynaptic terminal causes the neurotransmitter, which is stored in synaptic vesicles, to be released by exocytosis. The neurotransmitter diffuses across the synaptic cleft, binds to receptors on the postsynaptic membrane, and produces a change in membrane potential on the postsynaptic cell. The change in membrane potential on the postsynaptic cell membrane can be either excitatory or inhibitory, depending on the nature of the neurotransmitter released from the presynaptic nerve terminal. If the neurotransmitter is excitatory, it causes depolarization of the postsynaptic cell; if the neurotransmitter is inhibitory, it causes hyperpolarization of the postsynaptic cell. Local currents depolarize each adjacent region to threshold. Finally, the presynaptic terminal is depolarized, and this depolarization causes voltage-gated Ca2+ channels in the presynaptic membrane to open. When these Ca2+ channels open, the Ca2+ permeability of the presynaptic terminal increases, and Ca2+ flows into the terminal down its electrochemical gradient. Ca2+ uptake into the terminal causes release of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine (ACh), which has been previously synthesized and stored in synaptic vesicles. To release ACh, the synaptic vesicles fuse with the plasma membrane and empty their contents into the synaptic cleft by exocytosis. ACh is formed from acetyl coenzyme A (Acetyl CoA) and choline by the action of the enzyme choline acetyltransferase.

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Globalization is only for Developed Countries Essay Example for Free

Globalization is only for Developed Countries Essay In the 1990s, the term globalization gained the popularity. At that time, globalization had become phenomena with an aura of an elemental force, almost similar to that of time and gravity. In simple words Globalization means that the same products will be available in all the countries of the world. It also means economic integration and a world united by the web. This glorious ideal made us think that if globalization would stay on with all its perks with falling trade barriers, leaving countries batter off economically and that it will reduce the widening gap between the rich and the poor. It was believed that the removal of the barriers to trade and foreign investment would result in a dynamic change in the way a company anywhere in the world would do business. It was hoped that the integration would prove beneficial to all. In the 1990s the iron curtain disappeared and trade barriers started falling, the gifts of several rounds of WTO, the Western and Japanese entrepreneurs started looking far beyond there borders for highly beneficial deals, cheap labor new markets and a very big lot of new customers. Nobel Laureate, Stiglitz (2002) rightly interpreted the situations of developing countries in his illustrative work Globalization and Its Discontents. He says; â€Å"Small developing countries are like small boats. Rapid capital market liberalization, in the manner pushed by the IMF, amounted to setting them off on a voyage on a rough sea, before the holes in their hulls have been repaired, before the captain has received training, before life vests have been put on board. Even in the best of circumstances, there was a high likelihood that they would be overturned when they were hit broadside by a big wave (p. 17). † With the end of World War II globalization started taking shape in a big way. In 1975, there were still only 7000 MNCs compared to more than 60000 today. A maddening race for going global began from opening up a two-man sales office to chalking out a countrywide network. Companies had to be big and they had to be universal. By the 1990s no one was alien to the charms of the phenomenon called globalization. The intellects of the world-entrepreneurs, economists, celebrities and politicians traveled around the world to tell us how small the world was getting. We were told to think globally and act locally. However, soon the reality dawned. The developed nations have discarded the moth-eaten policy and adopted an open-shutter strategy in coping with the developing nations. In the past they donned an apologetic camouflage and devised subtle and under-the-counter means to bring the developing countries round to their point of view, they at least acknowledged their sensitivities and treated them as members, no matter how low-grade, of the homo sapiens species. But now they have thrown all pretence to the winds and, without mincing words, dictated their terms to the developing world. Even Kipling had the decency to spell out the Western concern for the ‘uncivilized’ people of the third world by treating them as ‘the white man’s burden’. He was deeply committed to their improvement and had probably hatched some fantastic schemes to pull them out of their ‘savage’ state. But the present day reformers make no bones about it. They shamelessly believe that the condition of the third world countries is simply irretrievable and no amount of logic and persuasion can help them out of their ugly predicament. Therefore they now rely on dictation as a prescription for their conversation and have imposed their brand of progress and prosperity spineless people of the third world. And they are least bothered about their preferences and priorities.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

The Mass Media Laws In Pakistan Media Essay

The Mass Media Laws In Pakistan Media Essay The Mass Media do not exist separately from the other institution in the society. The Mass Media are necessary part of the processes of social change and maintenance. They have ability to revolutionize any other estate of the country. This aptitude of media has been usually taken as a threat by other estates. Particularly political mechanism of many countries of the world felt bullying from free media. To secure their regimes from media threats they curbed the voice of media with some legal checks and bounds. The interesting fact is that the regulatory measures to secure other estates by restricting media freedom are tagged Media Laws. Media law is a term used for a mix of more traditional categories of law with a focus on providing legal services to the communication industry. The write up enlightens that whether Pakistani Media laws are facilitating media by providing services to communication industry or acting as a barrier in the way of information flow. Pakistani Governments have been formulating such kind of laws for media from very beginning of media origin in the country. Even Popular democratic regimes in the country felt to curb media freedom through legal and even illegal checks. The study focuses on why do they need media laws? What are they? How these laws are functioning? The important aspect of the paper is to find out even a single law that is formulated to secure or strengthen Mass Media Networks of the state. Historical Perspective: History of media laws in Pakistan is quite interesting. Interesting in a sense that media laws were originated according to the requirement of state of affairs threatening to the running political bodys influence or reputation. These laws were formulated by different regimes when some critical issues were arisen, the governments muted media voice through the remote of law in order to cover their faults. Media as fourth estate are working effectively to influence public opinion. There is strong relationship between opinion formation of masses and media reports. Most of the governments take this relationship as a menace for their power. They have a view that media are naÃÆ' ¯ve, they are not properly aware with the use of power. So there must be some regulatory measure for their power balance. Political  instability in Pakistan affected the Media enormously. All branches of media were affected but print media suffered badly. Although, it was declared many times in constitution that freedom of speech and expression would be provided to the media. However, this rule was never truly implemented and many political leaders banned the press during their regime. In constitution of 1956, an article specifically devoted to freedom of speech was included. The 1956 constitution lasted less than three years and was abrogated in October 1958 by the imposition of marshal law. With the removal of marshal law in 1962, a new constitution was enforced which sustained with the recognition of initial concept of freedom of expression. But actually, a military ruler imposed the constitution, which was completely devoid of laws of freedom. However, the strong reaction of press and public resulted in constitutional amendment#1 to the 1962 constitution and in 1963; the press and publication ordinance came into organism. Press and Publication Ordinance contained harshest of laws restraining freedom of expression and the progressive progress of media. But soon in March 1969, General Yahya Khan imposed martial law and tried to curb media freedom by int roducing the system of press Advice given by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in order to avoid publication of anti government material. During this phase, the publications with independent and progressive views were taken over by the authorities. Finally the National Press Trust acted as a front to control press by taking over these journals. Western Pakistan maintenance of Public order ordinance formulated in order to merge into one law various stipulations for defensive custody of people and control of persons and publications with the help of bridle of public order and maintain the device of subjugation. In 1963 and 1964 with some modifications this law authorized government to restrict the printing of publications, to enter and search premises and to forbid trade in of newspapers, among other measures. These measures have been used by different governments until the government of Musharraf. At the time of Administrative and economical breakdown in 1961, the government took over the main news agency Associated Press of Pakistan in order to manipulate news flow. Government took it as an opportunity to filter the news items that was supplied to print, electronic, and even international media. Rather than giving chance to private venture to make better the performance of news agency, the government abruptly muscled in to regulate flow of information. The Press can not compromise with its freedom and started mutiny against the establishment by providing substitute sources for news gathering. The complementary source was the establishment of independent press. This bold step taken by press show rigid aspiration of journalists community for free media. Pakistans first civilian Chief and President Mr Zulfikar Ali Bhutto also proved impatient ruler when respond very robustly to some anarchistic press reports by various members of press, also muted free voices and jailed some editors and publishers on the basis of alleged reason of national security. Democracy or Discrepancy: Mass Media organizations of the world are diverse and this diversity depends on the degree of enthusiasm to media reports by political elites. The societies following communism and totalitarianism generally have restrictions of what the media could represent about the government. On the other hand, the societies following a Bourgeois Democracy have not much more limitations. We find discrepancy while comparing the stance, of other democratic regimes, on media freedom with our own democratic regimes. Although Bhutto government was representing democracy, but it was stained by some dictatorial strokes on media landscapes. The new establishment, although originated on the foundations of democracy, freedom of speech and human rights, could not serve the purpose. As did the National Press Trust, the Press and Public Ordinance remained. The alternative news agency of government-owned Agency (APP), Pakistan Press International, was brought under governments control through use of force and authority. Governments Secrecy and Media Disclosure: Governments operate in secrecy; media live by disclosure. The difference among operating system of both of the estates contradicts when any kind of instability occurs in one of the above systems. Or any pillar of state misuses its power. Same happened in 1977, when the martial law was implemented. The naÃÆ' ¯ve government endeavored to work in secrecy, for this purpose the authorities curbed the media freedom badly. The media were suppressed in advance, so that any kind of intrusion in governments way can be avoided. In the era of Zias rule journalists abuse became public rather than covert. Many journalists were thrashed publicly; it was practiced frequently till the end of the government. From 1977 to August 1988 Media gone through a spectacular oppressions, the only positive change of that era was News Agency PPI were handed over back to its private sector ventures. Since then PPI is working effectively as an alternative source of news to the state owned news agency Associated Press of Pakistan The new democratic body came into power in 1985, but the laws for mass media remained the same. Blazing a tiny trail: The press law, acting as a barrier in the way of press freedom, was repealed by a new caretaker government. No doubt it was an absolute shift to democracy. This step was taken as good sign for press future and provided the latitudinal setting for media. Although it was a tiny trail in the journey of media practitioners to freedom of expression but it is blazing in murky of black laws. The regulation, Registration of Printing Presses and Publications Ordinance that was promulgated in 1988, It was being altered in a way that the governments interference in media was stopped. District Magistrate was authorized to give a receipt to a candidate for the issuance of statement for owing a printing press or publication of a journal to make available the applicant with evidence that would help avoid government intervention. In this way the governmental and other political pressures on media were abridged considerably. Moreover, newspapers get rid of compulsion to publish in full press notes issued by the government; they were given liberty to publish what they want. Although Supreme Court ruled the amendment, in law of 1988, illegal, but it was changed according to the wish of representative bodies of press. Due to a variety of reasons journalists community appealed to revise the law, they were obliged by bringing a key change in the law. The key change was stopping the regime to muscle in media affairs. A New Chapter; Old Contents: During Benazirs second term in office the independent press started highlighting and assailing charges of rampant corruption at the highest levels she hit back by proposing to bring on the statute books a new law to establish press courts in order to ensure that the so-called irresponsible and malicious journalism was effectively curbed. As Burhanuddine Hassan writes this devilish scheme was probably worse than any move ever made even in worst periods of media repression (Hassan, 2000, p. 264). In this way the new chapter brought old contents with it, due to different pressures media returned to conventions after only four months. The so-called democratic government reversed all the moves leading to freedom of expression. The positive step of this regime was approval of importing newsprint at market prices. But in 1990, Mian Nawaz Sharif took over the approval for some unknown reasons. During this regime freedom of media was curbed by conventions. Media and journalists have to face a lot of pressures and threats. Another phase of liberalism: Musharraf s government was seemed to having view of media liberty; there were less restrictions with few regulatory measures. But this liberal policy was spoiled at the end of the regime, when some critical issues were aroused. In order to respond these issues Musharraf grasped the neck of media by implementing the state of emergency. This is worthy to note that freedom of media in this era was actually consequence of globalization and impact of technological advancement in communication sector. History depicts that almost each and every government of Pakistan felt to curb media freedom in order to strengthen their regime. For this purpose they formulated laws for mass media, which acted for a long time as defender for regimes and bully for Media organizations. Other Pressures on Media: Governmental actions have encouraged non official groups to adopt uncivil and non legal means to deal with the media. The media in general and the press in particular have always been vulnerable to violence and harassment by extremist organizations and by groups and individuals whose actions are adversely commented upon by the press. Aggressive reactions also occur when the press does not publish a certain news report or does not give the prominence to some item which the extremists think the item deserves. Symptomatic of disturbance rise of intolerance in Pakistani society particularly with regard to sectarian and ethnic considerations that sharpened during the 1980s, this dimension of danger is faced by press is the price that media have paid for the protected periods of dictatorship imposed upon the people for over two decades during which division were deliberately fostered in order to weaken the political process. On occasion even the government controlled electronic media have been subjected to threats when programs featuring women, music and entertainment have sought to be realistic and contemporary rather than remain in suffocating mold of sterility preferred by the forces of obscurantism. As literacy and education increase and as level of access to international media improve, as in the case of overseas radio and satellite TV channels, there is a sense of hope that non official intimidation of the media by groups that largely remained unpunished for their attacks will diminish in the years ahead. Existing Regime and Media Laws: Pakistan Government plans to introduce new media laws Updated: Thursday July 1, 2010 10:30:03 PM ISLAMABAD: Authorities are proposing a law to restrict graphic coverage of militant attacks, and possibly curb harsh criticism of the government, by increasingly independent television channels, ARY NEWS reported. If approved by the National Assembly, the bill, known as the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority Bill, would ban live coverage of the militant attacks, as well as broadcast of anything defamatory against the organs of the state. It would also prevent discussions which could influence the judiciary at a time when it has been dealing with several political cases involving President Asif Ali Zardari. The new bill prohibits media from broadcasting video footage of suicide bombers, bodies of victims of terror attacks, statements from Islamist militants and any acts which promote, aid or abet terrorist or terrorism. An offender could be sentenced to up to three years in jail or fined up to 10 million rupees ($117,100). Critics, however, say the government could use the proposed law to tame media outlets. The government has not yet set a date for voting on the bill. The bill seeks to amend a law introduced by former military President Pervez Musharraf in an attempt to muzzle the media after he imposed emergency rule in November 2007. Under the original law, media were prohibited from broadcasting or publishing statements ridiculing Musharraf, top government officials and the military. However, the present government led by Zardari, who replaced Musharraf in 2008, has proposed an amendment to strike down what it calls draconian laws by the former military ruler. The draconian laws that threatened coercive actions against the press will be removed via this bill to begin the process of providing for a free press in Pakistan, said a draft of the bill obtained by media organs. U.S. ally Pakistan is confronting a growing threat from Islamist militants. The militants have unleashed a wave of attacks across the country, killing hundreds of people, in retaliation for military offensives in their northwest bastions. Officials accuse some media outlets critical of the president of running a vilification campaign against the government, but promised they would not curb free speech. Nowhere in the civilized world are murderers, terrorists and extremists given air time on electronic media to expound their views, Farah Ispahani, a ruling party parliamentarian on the standing committee on information and broadcasting, told Reuters. This report, which will take on the shape of a bill in the next session of parliament, is not an attempt to control the media. It is a necessary code of conduct that is usually practised all over the world willingly by the electronic media. Rights activists, however, doubt the governments intentions. This bill is a self-defeating exercise. They are harming their own image and it exposes their dictatorial temperament, said Iqbal Haider, a former law minister and co-chairman of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan. To call a spade a spade or a crook a crook is no offence. The Supreme Court in December struck down a controversial law that provided amnesty to Zardari, several aides and thousands of political activities from corruption and other charges. Many of Pakistans broadcast outlets are full of the latest twists and turns of the cases surrounding Zardari, with many anchors and talk show hosts criticizing the president. Current Situation: Today Pakistani media is comparatively free as it was in past. There are few regulatory measures, formulated by Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA). These measures are not to regulate how to present? Or media have what to present? They are there just to decide that the bridle of media should be handed over to whom? The freedom of Pakistani media is not gifted by the government, or it is not due to leniency of the regime. It has been snitched from harsh clutch of dictators by force. The factors that are involved in achieving the liberty include; Public Support Efforts by the part of Journalists Globalizations impact Public Support: The first and most active factor that worked for achieving media freedom is public support. Pakistani people are seeking for a free, fearless and vibrant media. They refused to accept Disinformation or Dysinformation. They have become mature and shrewd enough can easily detect any kind of sly in represented facts. So in order to win their trust all type of media are working hard to become a credible source for them. Efforts of Journalists: Journalists are fighting for media freedom from so many decades. They did not compromise with their freedom of expression. Whenever it was curbed the journalists fight back, when a regime muted the voice, they find alternatives to send the information to their audience. So their struggles to achieve freedom must be admitted and admired. Globalization: With the impact of globalization media got independent in all over the world. The media boom is due to emergence of communication technologies and advancement in satellite communications. This technological expansion is one of the significant effects of globalization. All of the above factors worked together to achieve present day media freedom in Pakistan. So we may say that if the impacts of globalization may eliminated probably over media have to face problems as they faced in past due to implementation of black laws. Mass Media Laws in Pakistan: Before having a detailed discussion it is necessary to know that what existing laws for mass media are, so we will see these laws at glance, Annexure-I Constitutional Provision Article 19 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan Every citizen shall have the right to freedom of speech and expression, and there shall be freedom of the press, subject to any reasonable restriction imposed by law in the interest of the glory of Islam or the integrity, security or defence of Pakistan or any part thereof, friendly relations with foreign states, public order, decency or morality or in relation to contempt of court or commission or incitement to an offence. Annexure-II Provisions of Rules of Business, 1973 In order to ensure freedom of Press and promotion of responsible Print and Electronic Media in the country as envisaged in the Constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the Federal Government entrusted a number of task to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, as provided in the Rules of Business 1973. These are: i) Policy relating to internal publicity on national matters; ii) Broadcasting including television; iii) Production of films on behalf of the Government, its agencies, Government controlled Corporations, etc.; iv) Press relations, including delegations of journalists and other information media; v) Provision of facilities for the development of newspaper industry; vi) Policy regarding government advertisement; control of advertisement and placement; vii) Audit of circulation of newspapers; viii) Liaison and coordination with agencies and media on matters concerning Government policies and activities; ix) External Publicity; x) Training facilities for Radio and Television personnel. Annexure-III Media Laws a). Press, Newspaper, News Agencies, and Book Registration Ordinance-2002. b). Press Council of Pakistan Ordinance -2002. c). Freedom of Information Act 2002. d). Defamation Ordinance 2002. e). Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) Ordinance 2002. f) Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) Rules 2002 g). Condition of (working journalists) Services Act, 1973; We will discuss some significant laws for print and electronic media, briefly. But before that it is necessary to discuss why they are required? Requirement of media laws: As far as the question that is it necessary to call for media laws? is concerned we can easily say that laws absolutely necessary for the proper functioning of any organization as they help to maintain check and balance. Following arguments prove the significance of media laws: 1) Media sometimes crosses the limits and does more than enough, in order to stop this there should be a check/law. 2) We often hear much about fundamental human rights on media, but by exhibiting violation of these rights media itself violates human rights. That thing also needs to be suppressed. 3) Personal and communal privacy is highly affected by media. No secret remains secret because of media globalization. Some things happen to worth keeping private so to protect privacy law is essential. 4) The owner of the product is responsible that in case the product is provided to be used by somebody else, that this user is in compliance with the above rules and regulations and agrees to not mention, comment, state or otherwise discuss anything about the respective product. A corresponding law may need to govern import restrictions so that ANYTHING, product or service or even visitors to the respective country need to sign when entering the respective country to obey to this law. Print Media Laws: CENSORSHIP: Censorship is considered very important in perspective of media. It holds same significance for media as a bridle for a horse. It keeps media in limits. A governmental organization censors anything that is considered morally corrupt. But as an old latin phrase states WHO WILL GUARD THE GUARDS, here comes a point that who will suggest that something is morally crooked? Code of ethics is one thing which will help here. All laws of censorship are meaningless without the code of ethics. Government of Pakistan has tried very hard to implement laws of censorship. But this is crystal clear that Pakistani censor board has awfully failed to do so. The reason definitely is the stark absence of code of ethics. PRESS LAWS: Our freedom depends in large part, on the continuation of a free press, which is the strongest guarantee of a free society.    Richard M. Schmidt-   Constitutional Provisions Guarantees An article in constitution Pakistan provides freedom of speech and fundamental rights, this piece of writing refers especially to press and is given below: Article 19, Freedom of Speech: Every citizen shall have the right to freedom of speech and expression, and there shall be freedom of the press, subject to any reasonable restrictions imposed by law in the interest of the glory of Islam or the integrity, security or defense of Pakistan or any part thereof, friendly relations with foreign states, public order, decency or morality, or in relation to contempt of court, commission of or incitement to an offense. Copyright: The advent of new communication technologies, increasing computerization, the ease with which material can be reproduced in large volumes at fairly low cost, the spread of video piracy in particular and related development makes the subject of copyright most pertinent to a developing country like Pakistan. That is why the government of Pakistan supports the international agreements on copyright and this preference for acceptance of an international disciplinary approach is reflective in the updating of and the amendments made to, the Copyright Ordinance, 1962 through the changes brought about in 1992. Laws for Broadcast Media: Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority: PEMRA is a regulatory body; it was established on 1st March 2002 by the government. This is responsible for serving and regulating the establishment of all private electronic media. Its mandate is to improve the standers of information and entertainment through media and enlarge the options available to public in media. It is also established to make the peoples access easy to mass media at local and community level. The most significant mandate is have checks on media organizations through accountability and good governance. Since PEMRAs beginning in the country, electronic media of Pakistan remained in regimes control till the Pakistans first private sector TV channel was launched in 1990s. It was the mid of 90s when people started using satellite dishes for fulfilling their entertainment needs. It was the time when government realized people necessitate and adopted more liberal media policies and provided the public easy access multiple TV channels by encouraging public private participation. For the accountability purposes there was a need to have an effective regulatory frame work. By keeping in view all of the above purposes and the larger interest of the state Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority were established. Factors behind the formulation: As for as concerned, why these laws have been formulated? There are four factors behind identified by Javed Jabbar in his book Mass Media Laws and Regulations in Pakistan, according to him four factors that determined the nature and the application of laws and regulations to mass media in Pakistan from the date of its independence it would be appropriate to list the legislative material carried over from the second half of 19th century and the first forty six and a half years of twentieth century under British rule as the first of these factors. The second factor was the authoritarian mind-set which shaped the exercise of executive power. In the absence of a directly elected Parliament and with the Constituent Assembly perennially unable to frame a constitution that could satisfy both East Pakistan and the disparate groups in West Pakistan, palace intrigues thrived, myopic self centered interests becoming sharp thorns which pricked and began to hurt the press of the country. Shaped by ownership and control of vast tracts of land and other wealth, accustomed to conventional subservience of the serfs, seeing the upsurge of the pre 1947 freedom movement on mass level as a passing aberration which had to be tolerated and used for its own purposes, the feudal mind-set looked upon the media, particularly and independent press, as a constant irritant and an unacceptable challenge to the supremacy of the ruling class, a status enjoyed by this for several eras under British tutelage. The third determinant factor was the acute sense of uncertainty about the future stability of a country whose survival for not more than a couple of years had been forecast by prominent Indian leaders. Combined with the conflict over Kashmir and the first of the wars with India which occurred in 1948, the new nation faced a geo-political situation rife with security threats. In such conditions, criticism of government actions by Press can easily be seen as giving comfort to the enemy. Without a well-established tradition of engaging in candid exchange and the acceptance of dissenting viewpoints, the atmosphere facilitated a gradual increase in the influence if the military, initially behind the scenes, as a part of the lens with which the state perceived the media. Making up this quartet, was the fourth factor which shaped, policy, laws and actions with regard to the press in the early years of Pakistan. This was the continuing volatility in the political arena. An organization that was more of an emotional mass movement inspired by the idea of an independent homeland for the Muslims, the Muslim League as a political party entrusted with the tasks of leading a vast and uniquely constructed new country into stable statehood proved unable to rise the occasion. Deprived of the towering leadership of Quid-e-Azam in less than a year of independence, the party was unable to quell factionalism and unwilling to transcend provincial and parochial divisions to offer a large and unifying vision. Despite the sincerity and service of some veterans of the freedom movement the political process very quickly began to reveal internal strife, incompetence and corruption. While government controlled radio and censor controlled cinema could not offer a mirror to t he reality of these times, the press was seen as an element that was aggravating the problems already being faced, instead of helping to resolve the complexity of the situation. Introducing New Directions: In terms of fundamental and a direction setting change in mass media laws and norms, perhaps the 104 day tenure of the caretaker government appointed by Presendent Farooq Leghari on 5th November 1996 and headed by Prime Minister Malik Meraj Khalid becomes the most significant phase in the history of Pakistan. The only similar period of significance would be the time in September 1988 when the black law of 1963 was repealed and a new phase of press freedom was ensured. During the most recent experience of a caretaker administration, basic changes were put into place in the laws and conventions, ranging from alterations in nomenclature to ending, once and for all, the 50 year monopoly of the state and government over electronic media. One of the first decisions taken by the government in November 1996 was to change the name of Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to the Ministry of Information and Media Development. This amendment has more importance than merely the replacement of one word with other words. The term: broadcasting had come to acquire the propagandistic and one sided dimension by which governments imposed a one way dissemination of messages upon the people because the term: broadcasting in it self reflects a one way function rather than a two way process of dialogue and communication. Secondly with the new developments of media technology which include media that reach specific and small audiences, the concept of narrow casting has become as important as the concept of broadcasting. Thirdly and possibly most importantly, Pakistan is one of lowest levels of access to mass media by the people. For example, countries in Sub-Saharan Africa have more Radio sets per 1000people as in Pakistan. The task of increasing levels of access to mass media and in turn facilitating mass media to increase their coverage of the population should become the most vital priorities for the ministry, rather than the outmoded functions of serving as an instrument for production of propaganda. The caretaker government also introduced the refres

Friday, September 20, 2019

Sub Saharan Africa Ssa Politics Essay

Sub Saharan Africa Ssa Politics Essay Sub-Saharan Africa is the largest current aid recipient region of the world since 2001 having overtaken Asia as the largest aid-receiving region. Since more than five decades ago, over $1 trillion has been disbursed to the region to spur development and integration into the global economy (Moyo, 2009; Dessai and Porter, 2009; and Handley et al. 2009). Despite the huge amount of aid flow to sub-Saharan Africa, widespread poverty, chronic hunger and prevalence of life-threatening diseases are unprecedented in the region. Institutions and scholars are now referring to food-malnutrition-hunger problems in the developing countries as the third crises' (Chibba, 2011:76-77).There are also increasing dependency on aid, foreign technologies, institutions and value system, (Todaro and Smith, 2011; Collier, 2008; Kelsall, 2008). The World Bank (2008) on the monitoring of the progress of MDG reported that the first goal of halving absolute poverty has been disappointing in sub-Saharan Africa. The failure of aid has generated debate among scholars and policy practitioner alike. This is because of the failure of fifty years of challenging aid interventions. Poor political leadership and weak state institution of recipient countries, and the agenda and conditionality imposed by donor countries and governments are attributed for the failure of aid politics and economics of aid. However, the availability of abundant natural resources in Nigeria and other sub-Saharan African countries have not affected their fortune so-called resource curse (Ushie, 2012:1; TI, 2012; Handley et al 2009). The aid-growth debate, multilateral and bilateral institutions and prominent scholars like Jeffrey Sachs and Arndt et al. in Chibba (2011) support the view that aid has a key role to play in achieving poverty reduction and development. There are increasing demand for focussed aid to developing countries, especially small states, low-income countries and post-conflict states (Chibba 2011, Paulo and Reisen, 2010). Critics of Sachs work on aids role in development such as William Easterly (2006), Dambisa Moyo (2009) among others argued that poverty could be solved more by income redistribution than by growth and that aid is destructive to the economy of developing countries. However, the most important thing is finding workable and real-world solutions to address both poverty and development challenges. The role of institutional quality of a country is more significant and not closely related to the volume of development assistance to the country. It is also more important than the geographical location and integration of the country into world trade (Booth, 2011). He said this could be an argument for lack of strong positive link between aid and development outcome in sub-Saharan Africa. Kofi Annan in UNDP 2006 noted that governance issues remain crucial elements of all strategies towards poverty eradication and human development governance matters for development. Institutions, rules and political processes have major roles to play in whether children have access to quality education, whether people have access to basic things of life, and whether there is development or retrogression. Promoting human development is beyond overcoming economic, social and technological challenges: it includes political and institutional challenges, which causes poverty and insulation to developmen t (UNDP, 2002; Abdellatif, 2003). The governance crisis in sub-Saharan Africa is obvious in prevalent corruption, public services that are inefficient and inability of citizens to exercise their basic rights to choose their leaders court without justice, public officials demanding bribe and hospital without doctors and drugs. Good governance is crucial in eradicating poverty and promotes development through effective institutions and rules. These can be achieved through accountability, transparency, empowerment, participation and rule of law. Failures of social policies often occur because the beneficiaries lack political power and adequate representation in the decisions that affects their lives. Developing countries will promote human development for all with governance systems that are fully accountable to the citizens. People can be better off when they can participate in the debates and decisions that affect their lives (UNDP 2002). For aid to achieve its aims, the people that aid target must be empowered. Aung San Suu Kyi cited by UNDP (2002:52) argued, Development as growth, advancement and the realisation of potential depends on available resources and no resources are more effective than people being empowered are. Governance for human developments must protect human rights; promote wider participation of the people in the institutions and rules that affects their lives. It is not just about efficient, equitable economic and social outcomes, but must embrace fair process. Succinctly, it must be democratic in substance and in form by the people and for the people (p, 52). Todaro and Smith (2011) noted that development needs improved functioning of the public, private and citizens sector. Each of these actors has their weaknesses accountability. These weaknesses must be addressed to achieve balanced, shared and sustainable development. Civil society organisations have the capacity to reduce accountability gap in global governance. Scholars and policy-makers have come to accept the fact that active involvement of civil society organisations in governance will provide solution to accountability deficit in global governance (Scholte, 2011). Civil society should be a major player to achieve that goals by mobilising communities, delivering services and shaping policies (Ibrahim and Hulme, 2010; Bank and Hulme 2012; and Collins 2012). To critics, civil society might aggravate the problem because they themselves are poorly accountable to their constituency even if they have one (Scholte 2011; Steffeks et al, 2008, Kaldor 2002). The recent studies and international commitments reiterate the necessity of increasing research on poverty eradication and achieving sustainable development. Official monitoring of the impact of Paris Declaration where developed and developing countries make commitment to make aid effective by 2011 showed that only one of the thirteen targets has been met(OECD, 2011). Making aid effective and achieve its goal remains a crucial goal of development. Democratic governance is the answer good governance or good enough governance is democratic governance from human development perspective (UNDP 2002; Grindle, 2007). 1.1 RESEARCH OBJECTIVE This research intends to study how to overcome constraints to poverty reduction and achieving sustainable development in sub-Saharan Africa. The research intends to answer these questions: What are the obstacles to poverty reduction and development in sub-Saharan Africa? What are the role of NGOs and civil society in promoting democracy in global and national governance institutions? What are the roles of civil society and NGOs in shaping governance policies and as alternative provider of social services? 1.2 METHODOLOGY There is an extensive literature on the role of state and non-state actors in governance of aid and capacities of different actors in governance institution towards poverty eradication and achieving human development in developing countries. This research will provide answers to the above questions by reviewing literature as a secondary data source. This method is selected considering the timescale of the study. It is possible to carry out this type of research by evaluation of secondary data source in assessing the core issues and approaches in providing solution to the research questions. This allows the critical appraisal of different literature source. Ethically, there is no research participant, hence no implication on any. This research is limited to the review of relevant literature on role of CSOs in poverty reduction, development and aid in developing countries and no field research This research work is structured in five chapters. The first chapter contains introduction of the issues in aid governance, the rationality for this research and research objectives methodology. Second chapter captures the rationality for aid in the development of sub-Saharan Africa. Its shed light on the challenges facing sub- Saharan Africa, and why aid has not been effective in reducing extreme poverty and promote human development. The concluding part of the chapter discusses global governance challenges and previous roles of NGOs and civil society in global governance and development. The third chapter discuss the centrality of democracy in governance and achieving sustainable human development. The focus of chapter four is the roles of NGOs and civil society in promoting democracy and addressing economic and development policy challenges. The fifth chapter is the conclusion of this research CHAPTER TWO LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1. RATIONALE BEHIND AID, AID DEBATE AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT Attainment of development by any nation depends on combination of factors. These include the countrys resources endowment and population; its governments policies and objectives; the availability of external capital and technology international flow of financial resources; and the international trade environment (Todaro and Smith, 2011). External capital comes in three main forms. The first of these involves private foreign direct and portfolio investment by large transnational corporations and purchase of bonds, stocks and notes in the developing countries credit and equity markets by private institutions and individuals. The second involves remittances of earnings by international migrants; and the third involves public and private development assistance foreign aid. In the case of sub-Saharan Africa, there are factors that make it unattractive for private foreign direct and portfolio investment. Political instability and incessant military take-over; economic factors and poor bu siness environment; geographical factors majority of the countries in the region are landlocked nations; and insecurity of life and property and poor infrastructure makes it unattractive as a place for foreign investment (Sachs, 2005:63). In addition, remittances of earnings by international migrants are small. According to United Nation report cited by Todaro and Smith (2011), only Nigeria and Egypt have remittance of 4.7 and 5.8 percent of their GDP. The above situation makes the role of aid in the development of sub-Saharan Africa significant. Aid aims to fill the gap limiting development by supplementing savings to boost investment for improving productive capacity and needed infrastructures that facilitate development (Burnell, 2008; TI, 2011 and Todaro and Smith, 2011:702). The argument is that developing countries lacks adequate domestic savings required for investment opportunities. Coupled with this, African countries have low foreign-exchange earnings to finance imports. Lack of physical and human capital to attract private investment does not also help matter. Despite the increasing flow of aid, government policies and objectives are militating against its effectiveness. Defining foreign aid is conceptually problematic. To Dambisa Moyo (2009), aid is simply the sum total of both concessional loan and grants. Concessional loans are funds to be repaid, but with a more favourable repayment conditions to the borrower than what can be obtained through standard financial markets. It is sometimes at the expense of the lending countries. Grants are money given for nothing in return. She mentioned three types of aid. The first is humanitarian aid. That is, aid in response to catastrophe and calamities. The second is charity-based aid. These are aid disbursed by charitable organisations (NGOs and other voluntary sectors) to institutions or people on ground (p7). The third form of aid is systemic aid. This is aid payments made directly to governments which could be either through government-to- government transfer( bilateral aid) or transfer through institution such as World Bank(multilateral aid). The widely used concept of aid is the combination of all official grants and concessional loans. It may be in kind or currency. Peter Burnell(2008), viewed aid as including transfer of finance, commodities and other goods, technical cooperation and debt relief and grants is the common form of bilateral aid to least developed countries because of their inability in the past to service concessional loans acquired,(p.503). The intention is transfer of resources from developed countries to developing countries to reduce poverty and facilitate development the common target of aid now (Todaro and Smith, 2011; TI 2011). The focus of aid on the human development, poverty reduction and good governance is a recent development in aid governance. The reason for the new focus of aid is the increasing high profile of other non-state actors in governance, particularly, civil society organisations (TI, 2011, UNDP 2007). This weakened the monopoly of the state in promoting development and the role o f these non-state actors are increasing as the power of the state declines and global economic activities intensifies (Dessai and Porter, 2008: 499). They defined the state as the network of government, quasi-government and non-governmental institutions (traditional institutions) that coordinates, regulates and monitors economic and social activities (p. 499). The US Marshall Plan (1948-51) of post-war reconstructions in Western Europe success set spur the use of aid vehicle in promoting development, but the failure of aid to achieve same in least developed nations is a case for concerns. The contemporary experiences generated heated debate on the relevance of aid to national development and spurred the queries of rationalities behind aid (Moyo, 2009; Burnell, 2008 and 1997; Collier, 2008 and Todaro and Smith, 2011). In the first decade of twenty-first century, the common reason given by donor nations for giving aid are moral and humanitarian interest in helping the less privileged. Some development assistance has been in the form of emergency food relief and medical program currently in Afghanistan, Somalia, Haiti, Southern Sudan and Syria. As true as that may be, there are historical evidences that support the claim that no donor nation give aid without expecting something in return. Some of the reasons are political and economic gain, counterterrorism especially after September 11, antinarcotics in Mexico and Latin America, and prevention of HIV and AIDS. Common motivation by donor countries is political benefits. Burnell (2008) argued that even US aid for post-war reconstruction in Western Europe was motivated by political and concerns for national security and superpower competition with USSR (Todaro and Smith, 2011). The hidden rationale of the US Marshall Plan was mainly to contain the spread of communism. The success achieved in bringing Western Europe back on sound economic footing was clear, but it also gave US the advantage of influencing foreign policy with that part of Europe becoming its allies. It enhanced the emergence of US-led multilateralism (Moyo 2009:12). The focus shifted in 1950s from Europe to developing nations while the agenda of containment embodied in the US aid programme dictated a shift in emphasis toward political, economic, and military support for friendly less developed nations especially those considered geographically strategic (Todaro and Smith, 2011:701). The Cold War marked the political contest between USSR and US. African countries were used as battleground to make the newly independent nations either communist or capitalist. The protracted disaster in Syria reflects the hegemony between Russia, China and US. In the Latin America, Alliance for Progress in 1960s was established to promote economic development of the region, but underlying that is the motivation to counter rise of Fidel Castro in Cuba and the fear of communism in other Latin America nations. The doomed fate of the Alliance for Progress showed its irrelevance to US scheme of affairs. Dated back to 1940s, Britain government gives aid for infrastructural projects to poorer nations, majorly to commonwealth member countries and British Colonial Development and Welfare Act was established to fund social services (Moyo, 2009). In sum, Western donors give aid as a political instrument to prop up friendly political regimes in developing nations based on their own national security interest. Critics of aid argued that the fight against AIDS is to prevent it from spreading to the West and likely state collapse that might be a haven for terrorist (Moyo, 2009; Maathai, 2009). There is strong economic rationale for foreign aid from developed countries. Chief among them are Japan and Germany. Japan gave aid to less developed Asian neighbours to promote its private investments and expanding trade. Chinas aid in Africa currently have same motive. The aim of Marshall Plan was for Europe to regain their social, political and economic stability and to regain their level of development. US injected about $100bilion (current value of the aid package) as rescue package under George C. Marshal, the then US Secretary of State in 1947, for post- Second World War reconstruction in Europe. The birth of Breton Wood institutions (IMF, World Bank and WTO) in 1940s with the agenda of restructuring international finance, establishing a multilateral trading system and formation of framework for economic cooperation to avoid the experience of the Great Depression of 1930s reinforce aid system. They were to enhance capital investment for reconstruction and manage global financi al system purposely to share investment risk between countries where all member nation bankroll the risk involved (Moyo, 2009; Todaro and Smith, 2011 and Dessai and Porter, 2008). Economic benefits also accrues to the donor countries especially from tied aid loans or grants that requires the recipient countries to use the fund to purchase goods and services from the donor countries. According to Todaro and Smith (2011:705), a large fraction of US aid has been spent on American Consultants and other US businesses. The recipient countries accept aid based on their belief on the economic tenets of developed nations as a requirement for the achievement of their own development and in some cases and lack of domestic resources. To some corrupt leaders aid is attractive because they hardly account for it and sometimes used to suppress opposition and retain power military assistance. Moral obligation, some argued, compel the donor countries to assist the less developed nation on humanitarian ground. They believe that the rich countries, especially former colonial masters such as Britain, US, France, Italy, Spain Portugal to mention a few, owe the poor countries reparation for their past exploitations. Aid and aid governance has generated hot debate and political disagreement among scholars, policy-makers and the public (Collier, 2008:99). The first argument is on aid effectiveness in promoting development. Proponents of aid believe that it has engendered economic growth and transformed many developing countries. The Nobel Laureate, Maathai (2009), in her book The Challenge for Africa observed that Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) alone has provided over $650 billion in development assistance to sub-Saharan Africa. She noted the flows have not reversed the increasing death of poor African because of malaria, HIV/AIDS and other deadly diseases. However, the impact of foreign media and development experts concern on Africa issues especially on preventable diseases has been helpful, but that is not the concerns of sub-Saharan Africa public officials. Collier (2008) noted that aid tends to speed up growth. In Africa, he pointed out that aid has added about 1 percent to the countries annual economic growth rate of the bottom billion. Though not encouraging, but according to him, the growth rate in those countries has been less than 1 percent or even zero. The aid addition to the growth rate is the difference between economic stagnation and severe cumulative decline and without aid, cumulatively the countries of the bottom billion over would have become poorer than they are today: aid has been a holding operation preventing things from falling apart (Collier, 2008:100). The renewed commitment of the world leaders and international organisation involved in the governance of aid reinforced the position that aid is relevant to the development of sub-Saharan Africa. They agreed that properly administered aid would meet its development objectives (Paris Declaration, 2005). Critics of aid argue that aid does not promote growth and develop ment, but contrarily may even be destructive to development of developing nations. Moyo (2009) vigorously criticised aid in Africa. She argued: the notion that aid can alleviate systemic poverty and has done so is a myth. Millions in Africa are poorer today because of aid; misery and poverty have not ended but have increased. Aid has been and continue to be, an unmitigated political, economic, and humanitarian disaster for the most part of the developing world (p.xix). In the same vein, Peter Baueras cited by Moyo (2009), noted that aid distort development as the fund ended in the hand of a selected few. He said aid is a form of taxing the poor in the developed countries to enrich the new elites in their former colonies. Baueras concluded that aid-based theories and policies are inconsistent with sound economic management and with reality of the situation in developing nations. The argument that aid had had little or no impact on the development of sub-Saharan Africa is strong. However, one can be curious to ask what befell the income from the countries earnings from natural resources and other revenues. In reality, those resources also have not been of any impact on the development of the region (Ushie, 2012; Handley et al. 2009; and Chibba 2011, TI 2012). Moyo (2009) agreed on this and admitted that the problem of Africa is beyond aid because domestic earnings also seem to be a curse. Collier argued that the growth rate in countries with natural resources (oil windfall) such as Nigeria that earned over $280 billion from crude oil were not different from those other countries without such resources and with even negative effect of oil windfall on their economies. He lamented that more aid without changes in approach to governance is doomed to fail: but as a general instruments (aid) for developing the bottom billion they would be more reassuring had oil and other natural resources revenues been more successful in achieving development(2008:102). Maathai supported this claim: Unfortunately, too many African governments have used their budgets, and their natural resources, not to invest in their people, but in precisely the opposite manner(Maathai, 2009:75). Another dimension of aid debate is aid-conditionality. Formal president of South Africa, Dr Nelson Mandela, at the United Nation Summit in 1995 said it is to perpetuate difficulties of the South for the North to relate to us as hapless victims to dictate to regarding loans and the employment of aid (cited by Todaro and Smith,2011:684). Argument against conditionality is popular among civil society, governments and the international institutions involving in the governance of aid. Conditionality-based lending started in 1980s with recommendation for economic policy and institutional reform with Structural Adjustment Programme taken central stage. It incurred resentment because people viewed it as coercive and offensive to sovereignty (Burnell, 2008:505). Based on Dollar and Burnsides (1998) recommendation, selectivity was introduced to aid favouring countries that show commitment to sound development policy and good governance. Critics view this as depriving assistance to countries that desperately need the help. Nevertheless, Collier noted that aid agencies have little incentives to enforce conditionality because people get promotion by disbursing fund, not by withholding it. He advocated for a shift in the focus of governments to the welfare of their citizens. He argued that the internal process by which citizens force government to be accountable to them is weak in developing nations and must be strengthened. To achieve this, external pressure is needed and legitimate: Why should we give aid to governments that are not willing to let their citizens see how they spend it (2008:110). The focus of all stakeholders in aid governance now must be how to make it effective in meeting its development goals, because aid is at the heart of governance today and it is unlikely to disappear, (Moyo, 2009:66). Aid effectiveness can be viewed as efforts gear toward ensuring the maximum impact of development aid for getting the most possible lives improved. Elliot Stern et al (2008:20) based on the principle of Paris Declaration (PD) defined aid effectiveness as arrangement for the planning, management and deployment of aid that is efficient, reduces transaction costs and targeted towards development outcomes including poverty reduction. The theme of PD is how to improve the way aid is delivered and it was to supplement PRSP. It demands from donors to harmonise their assistance with the policies and systems of recipient countries to support country-owned development (Booth 2011). Development effectiveness of aid is conceived as the effectiveness of aid in promoting development. Human development requires more than achieving economic growth in GDP and raising income. The focus of development must shift from national income accounting to people-centred policies. Development is defined as the process of improving the quality of all human lives and capabilities by raising peoples levels of living, self-esteem, and freedom (Todaro and Smith, 2011:5). Sakiko Fukuda-Parr (2003) viewed development as the elimination of obstacles to what a person can do in life. Obstacles such as illiteracy, ill health, lack of access to resources or lack of civil and political freedoms. Amartya Sen (2001) noted that development should be viewed as a process of expanding the real freedom that people enjoyed. UNDP (2001) supported this by saying that the fundamental capabilities for human development are to live healthy and long lives, to be educated, to have access to resources for good standard of living and ability to participate in the life of the community. THE CHALLENGES TO DEVELOPMENT IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA Challenges facing sub-Saharan Africa are multi-dimensional, most importantly, the prevalence of extreme poverty and chronic diseases across the region. They form one-sixth of the world population, described by Paul Collier (2008) as the bottom billion. Sachs (2005:18) described them as too ill, hungry, or destitute to step the ladder of development. The webs of poverty make it extremely difficult to escape it on their own. Extreme poverty, according to him, means that households are unable to meet their basic physiological or biological needs for survival. Education is unaffordable for the children and there is no proper shelter for the household. Sachs (2005) reported that 93 percent of the world poor population lives in three regions: East Asia, South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. While it has reduced substantially in Asia, the percentage of extremely poor people has risen in sub-Saharan Africa (Handley et al. 2009; Moyo 2009; and Collier 2008). National Bureau of Economic Research (NGO) as quoted by Maathai (2009) reported that the economic growth of the world grew at 2 percent between 1960 and 2001, but the reverse was the case in Africa. She noted, GDP growth was negative from 1974 to mid-1990s and by 2003, sub-Saharan Africa GDP lowered by 11 percent than thirty previous years (p.48). In early 1960s, only 10 percent of the world poor were African, but in year 2000, African population formed 50 percent of the world poor. The growth rate of sub-Saharan Africa countries did not exceed 0.5 since 1960 when the population was 277million. With a population of over 900million, the growth rate remains unchanged. Such economic performance cannot guarantee meeting the basic needs of the people. Moyo (2009) also noted that sub-Saharan Africa remain the poorest region in the world with per capital income of $1 a day, lower than what it was in 1970s. The number of people from that region living in abject poverty doubled between 1981 and 2002. UNDP(2007) cited by Moyo(2009) predicted that by 2015, one-third of third of the world poor would be African contrary to one fifth in 1990. Life expectancy stands at 50year, the lowest in the world. And still, across important indicator life expectancy, literacy rate, maternal- infant mortality and income inequality the trend in Africa is not just downwards: Africa is (negatively) decoupling from the progress being made across the rest of the world(Moyo 2009:6). Collins (2012) described poverty as one of the greatest challenges to human security and basic human needs. In Nigerian newspaper, the Punch of 27th February 2013, former president of US, Bill Clinton said the cause of Boko Haram (Western Education is bad) insurgency in the Nige ria and other sub-Saharan countries are rooted in prevalence of extreme poverty. Sub-Saharan Africa is now a theatre of terrorism. Some of the factors adduced for these challenges in sub-Saharan Africa are classified as geographical, historical, cultural, tribal and institutional. Collier (2008) argued that geographical environment and topography of a country determines its wealth and success. Some environments are easier to manipulate than others are. This gives some society opportunity to tend plants and animal better than others do. The climatic condition, location, topography, species of plants and animals influences peoples ability to provide food for consumption and export. These have positive impact on the economic and development (Moyo 2009). Jeffrey Sachs (2005) gave example of how the climate and location of Britain helped in its economic and social development. He said, Geographical location of Britain enabled it to benefit from trade, productive agriculture and energy resources in vast stock of coal (p.35). He revealed that Britain has favourable climatic condition for agriculture and extensive navig able river ways for internal and external trade. The reverse is the case in sub-Saharan Africa. Historical factors particularly, colonialism was given as one of the reasons for poverty and underdevelopment in Africa. Sachs (2005) opined that Europe superior powers coax weaker societies to take action favourable to their advantage. They commandeered natural resources including natural wealth of Africa, and private army were raised to ensure compliance (p.41). Maathai (2009) also noted that the legacy of colonial master the territories they established was meant to serve their interest. They had no genuine interest in the development of the local population, but in raw materials to their various countries. She noted that outcasts of the traditional society that cooperated with the colonial authority were elevated to positions that they would never have held in traditional societal institutions. This cultivated a system that de-emphasised merit and competence that still endures today. It perpetuates underdevelopment because merit and competence is not a condition in filling offi cial positions against sound governance and justice. Even after independence, the new leader faile

Thursday, September 19, 2019

What is Economics? :: Economic Systems Economy Scarcity Essays

Economics, in one aspect, is the study of how individuals, societies, and countries manage to deal with the problem of scarcity. Scarcity is a problem within economics because the wants of people are unlimited and the resources available to fulfil those wants are finite (Sloman, 2001). The answer to scarcity is efficiency which Gowland and Paterson (1993) described as the most benefit from a certain amount of scarce resources. Within the economic system, there are several types of economies, each generating a different level of efficiency. It is said that an economic system that has allocative efficiency, productive efficiency, and equity will be effective. Along with the latter mentioned, the division of labour and comparative advantage, when exploited also bring about the effectiveness of a system. Within an economic system there are two contrasting ideals: the market economy and the planned economy. A free-market or laissez-faire economy makes decisions on an individual level with minimal government intervention. On the other hand of the spectrum lies the planned economy where all economic decisions are made by the government (Sloman, 2001). Both economies have their advantages and disadvantages. In a free-market economy there is freedom of choice, high incentives, and the belief in consumer sovereignty, yet, there are problems such as inequality of income, macroeconomic instability, and the chance of market failure. Likewise, though a planned economy has advantages such as low levels of unemployment and equal distribution of income, there is a loss of personal freedom and lack of consumer choice. Many people feel that efficiency lies in the free-market economy where one can easily answer the questions what should be produced, how it should be produced, and for whom. However, the problem with this ‘capitalist’ economy is that poverty and boom and bust cycles reduce progress (Economic Systems: How Societies adapt to Problems, 2003). â€Å"If you care about economic efficiency, you should like free markets†¦But they would also believe the second one should be qualified, in addition to its stabilisation and distribution functions, governments will be needed to correct market imperfections†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Rhoads, 1999, p.66) Rhoads (1999) mentions how a market economy leans towards more efficiency but needs the government sporadically, a combination which makes the so-called mixed economy. A mixed economy which leans towards laissez-faire, as in the case with the U.S or the United Kingdom, is rather successful. On the contrary, countries, such as Burma or North Korea, which slant towards a planned economy, lack progress. Along with allocative efficiency, how resources should be allocated, productive efficiency, which production method should be utilised, and equity, â€Å"specialisation and exchange are both necessary to have an efficient economy† (Demmert, 1991 p.3). Specialisation comes in the

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

A Mexican Farmer Worker in USA Essay -- Immigration Immigrant Essays P

A Mexican Farmer Worker in USA The first immigrant I interviewed will be referred to as â€Å"Jess†. Jess is from Guanajuato which is in southern Mexico. Jess, his five brothers and sisters, and his parents were farmers. They grew corn as their main crop. Jess’s family lived in a three-bedroom brick house in Mexico. Their house surprisingly had water and electricity. He only made 100 pesos a day ($10.00 U.S.). According to Jess, this was not enough money to get by on his own. He said that the average person in Mexico needs at least 150 pesos per day to live on their own and someone raising a family needs much more than this. This is why in 1985, at the age of 18, he came to Arizona to find a better job and to help his family. Jess paid the coyotes $150.00 to get him across the border, walking through the desert for 12 hours and riding in the back of a truck for the rest of the way. The coyotes that helped him were a very nice family and they were not threatening at all. He says that cro ssing the dessert was a scary experience and that he feared they would be burglarized, but claims that he made it across without running into trouble. It only took Jess two days after arriving in Phoenix to find a landscaping job. According to the statistics in Transnational Villagers, between 1996 and 1999, 60.3% of Non-Dominican Hispanics, like Jess, were employed in the U.S. and 45.3% of them worked full time. Jess did not require the help of job agencies to find work. Of course, he was undocumented at the time but this was not a problem in the landscaping business. With the money from this job, he was able to buy his first car which he paid $300 for. Landscaping paid $4.00 per hour which was minimum wage back then. He remain... ...ct each other. Its first objective was to reduce the number of undocumented immigrants. The second objective was to provide undocumented immigrants already working in the U.S. with a chance to become legal and obtain rights. The Act established employer sanctions against businesses that knowingly employed undocumented immigrants. It also provided those immigrants who had been living illegally in the U.S. since 1982 with a chance to obtain temporary resident status. The United States is slowly realizing how important these immigrants are to the U.S. economy. There service to the United States deserves the respect and gratitude of every U.S. citizen. Works Cited Chang, Grace. Disposable Domestics, South End Press: Cambridge, MA. 2000. Levitt, Peggy. The Transnational Villagers, University of California Press: Berkley, CA. 2001.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Waterfront Revitalization and Cities

Waterfronts: being competitory by regenerating the cities†¦ . If merely it were that simple OutlineIntroduction:What is waterfront revival?Body:Purpose of waterfront revivalAdvantages of waterfront fightDisadvantages of waterfront fightDecisionCould Lebanese waterfronts come to a point to fall in the world-wide map of competitory waterfronts?Introduction:What is waterfront revival? Water was an of import natural resource in the growing of early colonies. By holding assorted characteristics -a defence component, a beginning for agricultural production and trade, a agency for transit and industrial uses- H2O offered many advantages for metropoliss. Therefore, locations that existed on water’s borders, particularly natural and protective seaports, became favourable sites for the foundation of ancient metropoliss. So, contrary to modern-day status, throughout the history, there was a close and incorporate water-city relation. The Waterfrontis the country of a town or a metropolis aboard a organic structure of H2O, normally waterfronts are meant to be the image of the city.. Waterfront revival has been the most singular urban development effort in the universe during the last two decennaries. Bruttomesso defines waterfront revival as a â€Å"genuine urban revolution† . ( Bruttomesso 1993, 10 ) Waterfronts had experienced the most extremist urban revival of twentieth century metropoliss by holding transmutation in their physical layout, map, usage and societal form. As most of the world’s large metropolis centres are located on water’s border, revival of waterfronts referred to downtown development. Waterfront revival emerges by and large in port metropoliss sing station industrial or post war passages, where the disused industrial and commercial infinites and installations on the waterfront undergo renovation into new mixed-use office and residential composites, and attach toing upscale retail services, leisure countries, and public comfortss. Sometimes the renovation involves gentrification and the transmutation of long standing blue-collar zones into in-between and upper income enclaves, occupied by a mix of occupant professionals and tourers.Body:As stated by Short, â€Å"What sells the metropolis is the image of the city.† ( Short 1996, 431 ) One of the grounds a metropolis should be revitalized is to heighten its image. City publicity and metropolis stigmatization About every metropolis now has a series of promotional booklets, postings and other cultural merchandises pass oning selective images of the metropolis as an attractive, hospitable and vivacious international metropolis in which to populate and work In fact, metropolis publicity has a long history as one of the basic tools to pull people and money, such as visitants, immigrants, houses and new investing, to metropoliss for economic development intents. Physical redevelopment and flagship developmentsPhysical environment provides the touchable footing of metropolis attraction. It non merely provides the basic functionality of a metropolis but besides gives it character. Superb physical environment is in itself an of import component in attraction, while physical decay and derelict land have badly damaging effects on it. In add-on, physical environment is expected to play an of import function in metropolis selling by supplying a material look to the metropolis images that metropolis stigmatization efforts to make. For illustration, the image of a metropolis as a â€Å"vibrant† and â€Å"cosmopolitan† topographic point that metropolis stigmatization is seeking to present can be realized in the physical signifier of the edifices and public topographic points that visitants encounter in the metropolis. Culture-led and event-driven urban regeneration Although cultural elements were sometimes included in public urban intercession, they have by and large been adopted basically as a public assistance service, in which the chief concern was to supply wider societal groups with entree to an artistic and cultural heritage, and chances to show themselves in the society, they are regarded as an effectual tool to hike urban touristry, which generates disbursement and creates occupations, in the hope that a significant figure of occupations would be created indirectly by cultural investing in the signifier of occupations that serve visitants and audiences in eating houses, stores and hotels. Another ground is the widely-perceived potency of cultural elements in heightening metropolis image and attraction. In fact, in many successful instances where considerable sweetening and betterment of metropolis image were achieved, alleged â€Å"culture-led† policies were a cardinal characteristic in the schemes. Behind this was a widely-shared premise that civilization possesses a strong pulling power over highly-skilled and originative workers, and that efforts to carry these people to turn up in certain metropoliss will be aided if they are associated with humanistic disciplines, civilization and amusement. Cultural substructure, such as theaters, museums, and galleries, acts as a powerful magnet for originative people by offering attractive lifestyle chances. In add-on to refashioning the urban image, revival of urban waterfronts is besides of import in the economic growing of metropoliss. This would set the metropolis on the world-wide competitory metropoliss map. But this does non come free from disadvantages: Though the cultural substructure is an indispensable key, some metropoliss end up by losing their historical individualities by over viing. Plus, an overly commercial-tourist maps could be besides an issue ; domination of these maps over residential and productive 1s are an of import hazard. Because, these countries are normally used a few hours a twenty-four hours and in the weekends. While about the undertaking country is done planning, in order to supply long term usage of this country should be besides added residential usage as an excess commercial-tourist. Plus the existent estate belongings value will increase dramatically which makes it impossible for low income individuals to take part in the metropolis and this would take to more societal class’s segregation.DecisionCould Lebanese waterfronts come to a point to fall in the world-wide map of competitory waterfronts? And to what extensions? The Lebanese waterfront has started to fall in the world-wide map of competitory metropoliss, particularly the metropolis of Beirut where the solidere planning of the metropolis, started to determine it with a new individuality and new ends: though the tests to restitute and to reconstruct parts of the architectural linguistic communication of the interior metropolis, the new waterfront aka the zaytoouna bay undertaking is presented as a new metropolis in Beirut, besides that a assorted sum of skyscrapers hitting the sky of Beirut which are someway different from its history, some of the old historical memorials are to be demolished and new edifice are to immerge. In my sentiment, metropoliss have to take for world-wide fight but on the other side, a metropolis should besides keep its historical face which besides helps in advancing the image of the metropolis. To be world-wide competitory, a metropolis must non wipe out its yesteryear and merely program futuristic and technologically powerful metropoliss, the history of metropolis along with it being modern-day can besides hike its economic system and take it to the fight. MentionsDalla Longa, R. ( 2010 ) .Globalization and Urban Implosion Creating New Competitive Advantage. Springer Heidelberg Dordrecht London New York.Krugman, P ( 1997 ) .Pop internationalism.The hand imperativeness, Cambridge, Massachusetts, London, England.Sakr, E ( 2012 ) .Waterfront City undertaking promises to make more occupations. Daily star ( 2012 ) retrieved on 4/5/2014 from:hypertext transfer protocol: //www.dailystar.com.lb/Business/Lebanon/2012/Feb-09/162704-waterfront-city-project-promises-to-create-more-jobs.ashx # ixzz2y0NW1lLPGiovinazzi, O. & A ; Moretti, M. ( 2010) .Port Cities and Urban Waterfront: Transformations and Opportunities. TeMALab Journal,Retrieved on: 05/05/2014 from: www.tema.unina.it ISSN 1970-9870 Vol 3 – SP – March ( 57 – 64 )