Mittal Steel in 2006

Mittal Steal in 2006: Changing the Global Steel Game Industry Analysis Although steel was a highly demanded good, the industry as a whole was largely unprofitable. One reason for this was that the industry remained highly fragmented in contrast to their suppliers and even some of their buyers, who were considerably more consolidated. Aside from the increased competition that fragmentation contributed to, it also degraded the steal industry’s bargaining power to raw material suppliers and in some cases, such as the auto industry, the buyers.The resulting high fixed costs, volatile raw material prices, and intense price competition fueled unstable profitability. Adding to the fragmentation issues was a lack of differentiation in the market. For the longest time there were really only two production possibilities. One, being vertically integrated and producing higher-grade steel at a higher cost of operation, or two, de-verticalize and focus on low cost, low-grade steel productio n. Depending on the production selected, the resulting accessible customer base was limited.This lack of differentiation further fueled the limited bargaining power of steel manufacturers. As stated above, steel was highly demanded. The problem was that the growth of that demand remained quite stagnate for nearly 20 years. It wasn’t until the explosion of growth in the Chinese construction industry, attributing to 25% of total steel consumption, that the steel industry saw any profitability. In an industry where customers demand a low cost and a consistent product, being able to maintain a reliable supply while being as cost efficient as possible was key to a firms success.Though there was a spike in Chinese demand, only those strategically positioned could access the true value of the Chinese market. This was because the steel industry operated primarily on an intra-regional basis. Many factors attributed to this, but a firm’s dependence on raw material access, and tr ying to avoid high transportation and tariff costs, as well as delivery lags, were the primary reasons for high regional trade. In order to access the benefits of regional trade, firms had to expand their operations through high FDI in the form of M&A’s.This gained them access to highly profitable regions and it allowed firms to spread their risk over a larger area, reducing the impact of demand fluctuations in one particular region. The reason many of these M&A opportunities existed was because of a major shit from government owned steel plants to privatization. Through privatization, FDI opportunities became possible in many countries, thus make intra-regional trade more accessible and attractive. Consolidation & Integration Recognizing that the dynamics of the market were changing, LNM was quick to take advantage.He was steadfast in his belief that they only way to create sustained success was through consolidation and integration. With increased privatization opportunitie s available, LNM began a series of M&A’s that would gain him access to regions that were highly profitable, had lower labor costs, and would position him to have higher bargaining power with suppliers. LNM made the first moves in the industry toward consolidation, and was this strategic initiative that has since driven the evolution of the industry to where it is today.A major source of value creation was derived from their technological lead in DRI. LNM decided early on to focus their operations around â€Å"integrated minimills†, which was untraditional at the time. Through this structure he was able to capture the maximum value of his operation, using scrap in the minimills, then reverse integrating into DRI. Once unreliable, DRI technology had advanced so much that it’s output was now comparable to the quality of integrated steel plants.This technology stronghold provided them better quality steel at a cheaper cost of production, providing them with a huge c ompetitive advantage. Additionally, It was this technology, aided by a proven SWAT team and protocol, which supported their ability to transform underperforming government owned plants to profitable ones in a short period. LMN’s initial approach was to resurrect distressed government owed plants then breath new life into them through technology sharing and smart practices.He soon sought larger targets that would provide him not only economies of scale, but also provide competitive advantages through geographic scope. Starting with Karmet, he began to shift his targeting toward plants that were either highly integrated, possessed significant mineral rights, or supplied a strategic geographic advantage. Through designing their activity architecture in this way, Mittal steel became the world's largest and most integrated steelmaker; providing strong positions in North America, Europe, Asia, and Africa.The result of their strategic positioning, combined with their focus of coordi nation through KIP and KMP, made Mittal the first firm in the industry to operate as a transnational organization. Each plant provided its own uniqueness, providing different capabilities and skills that could be harnessed for the good of the whole organization. There was also a heavy flow of people, materials and finances between the interdependent plants, but at the center of it all was the Mittal Steel directing tight coordination and a shared strategic decision making process. On a regional level, they operated through regional hubs.This allows Mittal’s positioning of adjacent plants to source from the same suppliers, increasing their bargaining power and reliability of supply, while not jeopardizing cannibalism of sales as each plant’s customer base was unique to their location. Mittal’s vertical integration in mining and low cost position helps support profitability and helps to  reduce capital expenditure needs. They are the most diversified steel  co mpany in the world in terms of asset  location and market presence. They also have a diverse product range, including both flat and long steel.As such, Mittal is not overly dependent on any single  region, product, or end market. These benefits are somewhat mitigated however by the risks associated with Mittal’s rapid expansion through acquisitions. These include such things as institutional risks associated with emerging markets and uncertainties regarding the integration of newly acquired assets, although Mittal's  integration track record has been successful to date. Arcelor Acquisition In light of the above information, I believe that Mittal should pursue the Arcelor acquisition aggressively.Mittal Steel & Arcelor complement each other in terms of geographical coverage and product mix, as there is no significant overlap. Mittal has strong positions in the U. S. market; low-cost operations in Central and  Eastern Europe, Asia and Africa; and vertical raw-material i ntegration. Arcelor is the leader in higher value-added products with strongholds in Western Europe and Brazil, as well as a focus on Russia, India, and China. I believe that the positioning of Arcelor’s plants and resource capabilities would integrate nicely to Mittal’s activity architecture.There would be very minimal duplications of effort, and many of the regions that Arcelor operates are in prime locations to source raw materials. The addition will only strengthen Mittal’s integrated transnational value chain. Through acquisition, Mittal would produce nearly 110 million tonnes of steel per year, making them three times as large than their next competitor. Although this can lead to diseconomies of scale, in Mittal’s case, as the largest player in the steel industry both globally and in the key markets, the combined group would enjoy significant bargaining power.Additionally, through shared expertise, the combined entity would be in a better position t o develop the high growth region of China and South East Asia. Arcelor’s alliance with Nippon and Mittal’s acquisition of Karmet and stake in Valin will provide access to critical Asian markets. Regardless of the â€Å"synergies† the acquisition will create, caution still needs to be exercised by Mittal. There are evident signs that the acquisition will not be welcomed by Arcelor, assuming that Mr. Dolle’s canceled meeting and unreturned phone call was an indication to his temperature on the proposal.If the acquisition turned hostile there is a good chance Mittal would have to overpay for Arcelor, which could have adverse affects to it investment ratings. At the current bid price Mittal would already have to leverage â‚ ¬5 billion and would be in debt by â‚ ¬11. 5 billion. Although they have a good track record of ROI and the industry as a whole has seen a spike in ROIC, they do not want to spend more than they have to. Despite the favorable history and perceived synergies, Mittal should pay at a maximum â‚ ¬27. 1 billion for the deal. They should obviously try to pay as close to the current bid as possible, but at â‚ ¬27. billion they are still in a position where they could access the capital needed given their successful history. Also, at the mark of â‚ ¬27. 1 billion their debt would raise to â‚ ¬20 billion, but with an EBITDA of over â‚ ¬5. 5 billion annually, not to mention the added revenues from the acquisition, the debt could be confidently paid off in a reasonable timeframe. If the bidding exceeds the mark of â‚ ¬27. 1 billion, the negotiations should be ceased and Mittal should pursue other opportunities to continue their global footprint expansion.

Critically analyse how the Global Energy Assessment pathways represent future socio-technological change in the energy system, focussing on the building sector.

Abstract There has been growing concern surrounding climate change over recent years and much emphasis has been placed upon the ways in which the environment can be protected. Accordingly, because of how important it is for organisations and individuals to adopt environmentally friendly practices, effective environmental controls are vital. There is much debate as to the extent to which the Global Energy Assessment pathways represent future socio-technological change in the energy system, yet this study intends to find this out by focussing on the building sector. Introduction The government has placed a great deal of emphasis upon climate change in recent years by exploring the different ways it can be tackled (Department for International Development, 2011: 13). The Department of Energy and Climate Change aims to make sure that the UK has â€Å"secure, clean and affordable energy supplies† (DEEC, 2014: 1) and seeks to promote international action in order to eliminate climate change. In 2012 the Global Energy Assessment (GEA) was therefore launched and a new global energy policy agenda was established (GEA Writing Team, 2012: 4). The GEA intended to change the way society uses and delivers energy in order to mitigate climate change. In doing so, it brings together hundreds of international researchers to provide an analysis of the current issues that exist and to identify the possible options that can be taken in tackling climate change. Technology options and policies are also included in the GEA and are considered vital in protecting the environ ment and maintaining sustainable development (GEA, 2014: 1). As noted by Greening, the Secretary of State for International Development: â€Å"The long-term effects of climate change threaten to undermine progress in reducing global poverty† (Department for International Development, 2011: 3). This is the main reason why the UK is committed to helping developing countries adapt to climate change in a positive way by ensuring that they take up low carbon growth and effectively tackle deforestation. This study will therefore examine some of the Global Energy Assessment pathways, by focusing on the building sector, in order to consider the effects these will have upon the energy system in the future. Socio-Technological Change in the Energy System In order for climate change to be tackled effectively, socio-technological changes are needed within the energy system. This can be ascertained by reviewing the different sectors which impact the environment and then considering what socio-technological changes are required. The building sector has a significant impact upon the environment because of the fact that it accounts for one-third of the planet’s total energy use (Global Alliance, 2012: 1). Technological improvements to buildings are therefore a cost-effective way of mitigating climate change. By using existing proven technologies we have the ability right to â€Å"reduce energy consumption in new and existing buildings by 30-50 percent at extremely low or no cost, and usually at negative cost (Global Alliance, 2012: 1). Increased building efficiency is therefore the future for the building sector because not only do greener buildings help to promote sustainability but they are also better for the consumer in that th ey are more comfortable and cheaper to maintain (NAR, 2014: 1). The pathways for transition that have been explored in the GEA therefore need to be followed if the building sector is to become more energy efficient. This is important given that GHG emissions are expected to nearly double by the year 2030 under a high-growth development scenario (Metz et al; 2007: 6). The GEA supports sustainability in the building sector by helping decisions makers address the challenges associated with building development (CCCSEP, 2012: 1). Energy Efficiency Barriers in the Building Sector The building sector can contribute to tackling climate change through socio-technological change in the energy system, yet there are many barriers towards improved efficiency in this sector. One of the main barriers that exists is a lack of technical, economic and general knowledge about the energy sector. Not only does this knowledge gap apply to consumers but it also applies to building designers, architects and politicians (Urge-Vorsatz, 2012: 702). Because of this lack of knowledge, it is very difficult for many of the technologies and practices that exist in this area to be implemented. Furthermore, although energy efficient practices are considered cost effective, they are not being widely adopted due to the high initial start-up costs. The high upfront costs are thus discouraging, especially when there is a lack of knowledge that exists in this area and unless greater awareness is provided, it is unlikely that the GEA pathways will have much of an influence in the future. Mark et failures also provide barriers to energy efficiency because of the failures in the way the market operates (Urge-Vorsatz, 2012: 702). Such flaws prevent the trade-off between energy efficiency investments and energy saving benefits. Behavioural barriers are also a problem for energy efficiency in the building sector as the behaviours of individuals and companies may be difficult to change. For example, individuals may fail to turn the lights off in their homes, whilst organisations may fail to identify energy saving opportunities, especially if they do not benefit directly from them. An example of this can be seen in relation to green leases since these are one of the main pathways to energy efficiency. Green leases thus impose obligations on landlords and tenants to achieve targets for energy consumption. This ensures that the energy use of commercial buildings is minimised through â€Å"better measurement, greater awareness and systematic management† (All Party Urban Development Group, 2008: 2). There are a number of different green lease shades which represent different commitments to the green agenda: light green leases represent a modest commitment to the agenda, whilst dark green leases reflect a much more serious commitment (Bright, 2008: 158). Regardless of the benefits green leases have on the environment, however, they are not being used as much as they should. This is largely the result of the â€Å"conventional relationship between the landlord (as building owner) and tenant (as occupier)† which generally neglects â€Å"environmental co nsiderations† (Hinnells et al; 2008, 1). The extent to which green leases represent future socio-technological change in the energy system is therefore unclear and it seems that further changes are required if a more robust system is to be implemented. Green leases should be used more frequently than they are at present, yet it is questionable whether this is likely to happen given that â€Å"change may be rapid, disruptive and challenging (Hinnells et al; 2008: 1). Bright believes that capital investment will allow for more efficient equipment to be introduced that will allow for better energy savings to be made (Bright, 2008: 158). This will encourage landlords and tenants to enter into a green lease if they can identify the real benefits that are associated with them. Consequently, it is evident when looking at green leases that one of the main barriers towards improved energy efficiency is the lack of awareness that exists. In order to remove this barrier to energy efficiency, campaigns and sector learning networks could be introduced in order to increase the current awareness of GEA’s (Carbon Trust, 2005: 16). Furthermore, actions could also be taken that raise the attention of building owners such as; tax incentives and low interest loans (Rezendes, 1994: 41). This will allow greater access to energy efficient equipment and will encourage individuals to take advantage of the opportunities that are available. Another barrier towards energy efficiency in the building sector is transaction costs and the limited availability of capital. Because building owners do not generally have spare capital available to make their buildings more energy efficient, they are less likely to take the GEA pathways into consideration (Ecofys, 2012: 3). Furthermore, as has been pointed out; â€Å"financial barriers to the penetration of energy efficiency and building integrated distributed generated technologies include factors that increase the investments costs and/or decrease savings resulting from the improvement† (Urge-Vorsatz, 2012: 698). Arguably, building owners are unlikely to make energy efficient changes if they are not also cost-effective despite the fact that the equipment is more efficient. This could also be rectified through tax incentives and low interest loans, yet economic instruments could also be introduced that reduce the overall costs of the equipment. Energy prices could also be increased so that going green would be more of an incentive than it is at present. This is because, unless there are significant cost benefits of becoming more energy efficient, it is unlikely that individuals will be actively encouraged to do so. Market misalignment is another barrier that prevents â€Å"the consistent trade-off between specific energy-efficient investment and the societal energy-saving benefits† (The Carbon Trust, 2005: 16). An example of this can be seen in relation to tenant-landlord relationships where companies have no direct control over the premises and so are reluctant to invest in energy effi ciency. This barrier could be overcome through the provision of split-incentives. This would encourage landlords to become more energy efficient if they were being incentivised to do so. If the GEA pathways are implemented, the environment will benefit significantly from this and the passivhaus standard will be applied in the building sector. This standard is the robust approach to building design which seeks to minimise the heating demand of buildings by building houses that have exceptional thermal performance (Passivhaus, 2011: 1). Unless it is less costly for builders to employ the passivhaus standard, there will be no incentive for them to do so as they will not benefit from the reduced energy savings. GEA Pathways for the Energy Efficiency Transition Because of how important it is to protect the environment, it is necessary that the multiple objectives outlined in the GEA are being met through environmental control. The main objective of the GEA pathways is to understand the combination of measures, time scales and costs that are needed to transform the energy system. In understanding this, however, it is necessary to first identify the energy efficiency barriers that exist so that appropriate measures can be implemented to alleviate them. Reducing thermal energy use is achievable through a number of different pathways such as; best practice in building design, construction and operation; the elimination of energy poverty; the increase of living space and economic development ((Urge-Vorsatz, 2012: 703). Before these pathways can be incorporated, it will be necessary to for significant investments to be made as well as the introduction of new appliances and technology and discounted energy saving costs. Because this will require h igh start-up costs, increased knowledge of the GEA pathway benefits will be needed so that individuals and organisations will be incentivised to adopt such pathways. Hence, many approaches have already been implemented to manage pollution-generating processes (Stuart, 2006: 1), yet it cannot be said that the obligations placed upon individuals under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 and the EU’s Council Directive 96/61/EC to control the environment are being realised (McEldowney and McEldowney, 2010: 48). This is likely to be the result of market failures and behavioural barriers since individuals and organisations may not be able to identify when an energy saving opportunity arises. Nevertheless, since the Climate Change Act 2008 was first enacted various mitigation and adaption strategies have been introduced, such as the Government’s ‘Green Deal’. The objective of this deal was to limit greenhouse gas emissions so that the increase of global tempe rature could be decreased. The Green Deal has been considered a welcoming development because of the fact that it has enabled the energy efficiency of many households and businesses to be improve â€Å"without consuming so much energy and wasting so much money† (DEEC, 2010: 1). This is beneficial for consumers and is likely to reduce the initial startup costs. The Green Deal is also effective in increasing the awareness of energy saving benefits, which is likely to remove any subsisting behavioral barriers. Conversely, it has been argued that the implementation of the GEA pathways may actually lead to further energy use, through the so-called rebound effect (Gillingham et al, 2013: 474). Although the GEA have identified the possible re-bound effect the implementation of their pathways may have, it seems as though little consideration has been given to this (GEA, 2012: 1573). Accordingly, it cannot be said that the barriers to energy efficiency have been given much thought and unless the behaviour of individuals and organisations change, it is unlikely that the GEA pathways will have much of an impact in the future. There are both direct and indirect rebound effects that are likely to occur. The direct rebound effect happens when people consume more energy as a result of the low costs, and the indirect rebound effect happens when people use savings from lower energy costs to spend on other energy intensive activities (Sorrell, 2010: 636). In view of this, is thereby essential that rebou nd effects are taken into consideration when evaluating how beneficial energy efficiency really is. As noted by Giillingham et al; however: â€Å"Empirical evidence indicates that the direct rebound effect will dominate in the near term† at around 10-30 per cent (2013: 476). Regardless of this, it was also pointed out that rebound effects are not necessarily bad since the overall well-being of society will be improved as a result. Therefore, even if the re-bound effect does not lead to a significant reduction in energy use, societal well-being will be improved. It is unclear whether the target of 80 per cent emission reductions by 2050 will be achieved since there are a number of different changes that need to be implemented in order for the barriers to energy efficiency to be overcome (Bell and McGillivray, 2008: 531). In effect, whilst many implementations have been made towards establishing a sustainable future in the energy sector, the extent to which these have proven su ccessful remains largely unclear. If the barriers to energy efficiency are removed and the GEA pathways are followed, there is a possibility that the emission reductions will be reduced by 2050, yet it remains to be seen whether this will be by 80 per cent. This is because as put by Riahi et al; â€Å"although the GEA pathways have shown that such a transformation is possible, the task remains and ambitious and will require rapid introduction of policies and fundamental policy changes that lead to coordinated efforts to integrate global concerns† (2012: 1300). Consequently, the barriers to energy efficiency will need to be overcome before the GEA pathways can be implemented, yet this is likely to prove extremely complex. Increased awareness would be the first step as this will lead to behavioural changes that will ensure the GEA pathways are being adopted. Conclusion Overall, whilst there are a number of different GEA pathways that are intended to make effective socio-technological changes in the energy system, the extent to which these will prove successful remains unclear. This is because, whilst many of the pathways are considered effective ways of creating an environmentally friendly energy system, it cannot be said that the current mechanisms are being employed by all. This is evidenced by the introduction of green leases, which are aimed at establishing energy efficient ways of occupying commercial property. Whilst these leases do seem rather beneficial to both landlords and tenants, their place in the market has not yet been established. The lack of incentives may be one reason for this, which signifies how further benefits ought to be made available. In addition, the future of the mitigation and adaption strategies that have been implemented into the building sector is also unclear because of the fact organisations do not always co-operat e in the implementation of such strategies. The re-bound effect is also not being given enough consideration and thus needs to be taken into account when analysing the GEA pathways. Consequently, in order to maintain sustainable development and minimise climate change, it is vital that the GEA pathways are being promoted a lot more so that the impact the building sector has on the environment can be minimised, yet in doing so the re-bound effect should be taken into account in order to ensure that a more realistic approach is undertaken References All Party Urban Development Group., (2008). Greening UK Cities Buildings; Improving the Energy Efficiency of Our Offices, Shops and Factories. A Report Delivered by the Officers, (2008), 20 March 2014. Bell, S. and McGillivray, D. (2008). Environmental Law, 7th edn Oxford University Press. Bright, S., (2008). Going Green. 158 New Law Journal 1135, Issue 7333. CCCSEP. (2012) ‘Global Energy Assessment: Energy-Efficient Building Modelling Scenarios’ Centre for Climate Change and Sustainable Energy Policy, Centre European University, 29 March 2014. DEEC. (2010). ‘What is the Green Deal?’ (2010) The Department for Energy & Climate Energy, Accessed 20 March 2014. Department for International Development. (2011) ‘Tackling Climate Change, Reducing Poverty’, UK International Climate Fund, Accessed 19 March, 2014. Dowden, M., (2008). Property/Landlord & Tenant: Contentious Carbon158 New Law Journal 1707, Issue 7348. Ecofys. (2012) ‘The Benefits of Energy Efficiency – Why Wait?’ Sustainable Energy for Everyone, Accessed 30 March 2014. Gillingham, K. Kotchen, M. J. Rapson, D. S. and Wagner, G. (2013) ‘The Rebound Effect and Energy Efficiency Policy’ Yale University School of Forestry & Environmental Studies, [Online] Available: http://www.yale.edu/gillingham/ReboundEffectLongForm.pdf [03 April, 2014]. Global Alliance. (2012) Why Buildings, Global L-eadership in our Built Environment, Accessed 20 March 2014. Global Energy Assessment (GEA) Writing Team. (2012) Global Energy Assessment, Towards a Sustainable Future, New York: Cambridge University press. Global Energy Assessment (GEA). (2014) ‘Global Energy Assessment’ International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, Accessed 19 March 2014. Hinnells, M., Bright, S., Langley, A., Woodford, L., Schiellerup, P., and Bosteels, T., (2008). McEldowney, J. and McEldowney, S. (2010) Environmental Law, 1st edition Longman. NAR. (2014) ‘What is Green Building’ National Association of Realtors, Accessed 14 March 2014. Passivhaus. (2011) ‘The Passivhaus Standard’ [Online] Available: http://www.passivhaus.org.uk/standard.jsp?id=122 [03 April 2014]. Rezendes, V, S. (1994) Geothermal Energy, DIANE Publishing. Riahi, K., et al; (2012) Global Energy Assessment, Chapter 17, [Online] Available: http://www.iiasa.ac.at/web/home/research/Flagship-Projects/Global-Energy-Assessment/GEA_Chapter17_pathways_lowres.pdf [03 April 2014]. Sorrell, S. J. (2010) ‘Dimitropoulus, The Rebound Effect: Microeconomic Definitions, Limitations and Extensions’ Ecological Economics, 65(3): 636-649. Stuart, R. (2006) ‘Command and Control Regulation’, The Encyclopaedia of Earth, Accessed 20 March 2014. The Carbon Trust. (2005) ‘The UK Climate Change Programme: Potential Evolution for Business and the Public Sector’ Making Business Sense of Climate Change, Accessed 29 March 2014. The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DEEC). (2014) What we do, Gov.uk, Accessed 20 March 2014. The Greening of Commercial Leases. Emerald Group Publishing Ltd, 20 March 2014. James, R., (2010). Not Easy Being Green. Property Law Journal 22, 20 March 2014. King, V., (2009). Is My Lease Green32 Company’s Secretary Review 24, Issue 24. LRCI., (2009). Guidance: Green Commercial Leases. Low Carbon Research Institute Convergence Programme, 20 March 2014. Urge-Vorsatz, D. (2012) ‘Energy End Use: Buildings’ Accessed 29 March 2014.

Eating Apples at Night: a Korean Superstition

Eating Apples at Night: a Korean Superstition â€Å"An apple a day keeps the doctor away. † This adage is taught to most western children as a way of verbalizing that apples are very healthy to eat. In theory, if we eat an apple every day, we will be so healthy that we won’t need a doctor. Although this is an exaggeration of the health benefits of apples, we can all agree that this is one healthy fruit. Koreans also have the same belief, but there is one exception. It’s believed in Korea that eating an apple at night is actually unhealthy.Eating apples at night would be difficult for one’s stomach to digest, leading to indigestion. This would lead to a sick feeling and make it difficult to get a good night’s sleep. The origins of this theory are unknown, but this belief seems to be well known in Korea. Most people don’t eat apples at night anyway, but Koreans will admit to hearing about this from an elder at some point in their life. A few of those will actually believe it and refrain from eating â€Å"sah gwah† (apples) at night.The fact that apples are very healthy is no mystery, but does that change when eating them at night? Eating food before going to sleep is generally a bad idea because foods that are spicy, heavy or fatty will make it difficult to sleep soundly. Apples, however, have none of those properties and are actually filled with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that are beneficial for sleeping. For example, apples contain vitamins C, B6 potassium. They help to decrease blood pressure, improve breathing and lower blood sugar.They also help the body to secrete serotonin causing the nerves to relax easier. All of that provides for a good night’s rest. There are also polyphenols (antioxidants) which are found mainly in the skins of apples. They assist the body in breaking down carbohydrates and regulating blood sugar, providing a steady level of energy (so you don’t stay up due to an energy spike). That causes body fat to burn steadily, all while you are sleeping. Most of an apple is really just water, but there is enough fiber to help you feel full as you sleep.This fiber also is good for digestion and aids in cleansing the colon. The fiber is easily digested and soluble in the intestines. If anything is unhealthy, it could be the fact that apples contain (natural) sugar and account for about 10% of the body’s carbohydrate needs. However, combined with all the other healthy properties, the good far outweighs the bad. If all these facts are to be believed, then an apple at night is actually very healthy and helpful to eat, as opposed to the Korean thought that it’s unhealthy.Due to the fiber, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants which help the body to feel full, relaxed and keep blood pressure and sugar levels stable, the apple is a great snack to have before going to bed. Try it for yourself and see if you can feel and enjoy it. Let’s make a new slogan for apples: â€Å"An apple at night makes the body feel alright! † By Stephen Redeker Health information provided by Matthew Lee â€Å"Eating Apples Before Bed† at www. livestrong. com

Saudi Arabia unemployment citizens Research Paper

Saudi Arabia unemployment citizens - Research Paper Example The financial sector in the country is highly developed because the banks in the region do not pay taxes. The region is infertile and water resources are scarce. Thus, agronomy accounts for a small fraction of the economy, and the country is forced to import about half of its agricultural products. However, the major challenge that Saudi Arabia faces today is the high rate of unemployment in an zone that has the highest growing population in the world (Al Nisr Publishing). This paper will discuss the issue of unemployed citizens in Saudi Arabia, the problems it imposes and the appropriate solutions that the government and the private sector can impose to address the situation. Based on views raised by western diplomats, officials and ordinary Saudis, it is evident that they are shocked that such a wealth country is not capable of finding employment for its young women and men. Today, Saudi Arabia is regarded as being wealthier than ever before. The prices of oil have remained high for about three years. Since the prices of oil are set at $60 or every barrel, the country is anticipated to be earning about $480 million in a day. Approximately 40 percent of that amount is spent by the government in areas such as health, education, and man power (Adelman). If money alone was capable of solving the problem, then the issue of unemployment would not exist in the country. In fact, Saudi Arabia is anticipated to be growing at an alarming rate. The unofficial estimates reveal a 20 percent growth rate while the official estimate reveal 9 percent growth rate. It is higher among those people who are aged below 30 years, and who make up to about two thirds of the country’s population. This means that there is something that is entirely wrong in the economy (Adelman). For instance, the talk of â€Å"Saudization† of labor is one of the push factors as to why unemployment is rising in the

The Olive Tree Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Olive Tree Case Study - Essay Example This is a good aspect for its business position (Porter, 2008). The initial costs that include  £143,000 for annual rent,  £445,000 for turning the bank into a restaurant, and a bank loan of  £335,000 have not been covered especially considering that only sales amounting to  £588,498 were realized in the entire trading period. Nevertheless, without considering all the costs of establishing the restaurant, a net loss amounting to  £76,602 is recorded, further strengthening that the restaurant is yet to make profits. This paper focuses on the Olive Tree Restaurant Case Study. The paper presents an analysis of its performance that give way to meaningful recommendations based on the business performance indicators. In this regard, the analysis is based on an interview conducted with Angelo, the restaurant owner, as the respondent. Some data on the restaurants progress in terms of sales, costs, rent, rates, fuel, wages, and other operating costs were collected. Analysis was done on this data in order to confirm the responses provided though the interview. The Olive Tree Restaurant boasts of a number of strengths although, like any other business, there are various weaknesses associated with its operations. The major strength is its ability to recording large sales amounting to almost  £600,000 (588,498 to be exact) within the first trading period. i. Loyal Customers: With regard to this strength, the restaurant management ensures that customer are warmly welcomed after entering the restaurant thus encouraging them to remain loyal to the business (McQuarrie, 2006). This aspect specifically generates the feeling of being special, appreciated and honoured by being a customer to the restaurant. In return, a customer is likely to feel important to seek the restaurant services a second time or even become a loyal customer (Chamberlain, 2010). ii. Effective restaurant operations: This strength is

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Organizational Culture - Essay Example stry and providing services such as construction and agricultural products, including tractors, engineering vehicles, bulldozers, loaders, but it has also diversified now keeping in view its potential and also started making the shoes and boots. The company is having the revenue of US $ 36.339 Billion in the year 2005 and is currently employing 77000 employees approximately, the organizational culture the company is showing is strong in terms of services they are providing right now, it was all due to the fierce competition with Komatsu that the company decided to change its culture in 1990s as a result they are having very strong hold in the market, the culture was weak before 1990s as there were so many of the labor strikes and a lot of shutdown processing was there but sooner the company identified its weakness and worked on it, you can see that now the entire union of employees work together and corporate at their level best with the customer as a result the company gained succes s, which was otherwise not possible if there wouldn’t be any team work. The organization is following a dominant culture, there are strict rules that are followed by all executives and employees in the organization, which also includes intact working of supervisors, employees and executives. -The organization and me have few things common, both of us keep on striving to get the better results and also we both have a desire to excel in what we do, the organization has taken it self out of a situation from where no body gets out and eventually results in bankruptcy, nevertheless it kept on striving and today it stands number one in manufacturing construction tools and equipments. -The organization first of all believes in being innovative and risk taking which means that the employees whenever come up with great idea, they are allowed to implement it, also the organization believes in people orientation which means that they consider their employees as they have already paid the

Marketing Analysis of the Country of Zaire Research Paper

Marketing Analysis of the Country of Zaire - Research Paper Example Its capital is Kinshasa and its people are called Zairian (Library of Congress Country Studies, 1993). "Known as the Belgian Congo up until its independence in June 1960, unrest and rebellion plagued the new government until 1965, when Lieutenant General Joseph-Dsir Mobutu, by then commander-in-chief of the national army, seized control of the country and declared himself president for five years" (Wikimedia Foundation, Inc, 2009). Geography. The over-all land area is 2,343,950 square kilometers / 904765 square miles and with a generally high temperature and humidity. Two wet and two dry seasons are observed during the year with an average annual temperature of 25C (Library of Congress Country Studies, 1993). Demography. The over-all population of the country is recorded at 53,624,718 and a density of 22.88 per sq. kilometer. A study of Shapiro in 1995 has found out that the population grows by 3% annually over the past 30 years (Shapiro, 1995). This figure has not increased much then. The birth rate is 46.02 births/ 1000 population while the death rate is at 15.15 deaths/ 1000 population. Life expectancy at birth is recorded at 48.94 years.

Analysis of Strategic Risks in South Africa Essay

Analysis of Strategic Risks in South Africa - Essay Example This essay is one of the best examples of analysis of different specific kind of risks in political, social and economic environment of South Africa, that greatly influence a company operation. It critically looks at the political, economic, financial and social Risks and gives insights into how a corporation should position itself in order to gain the best of results in South Africa. Political risk refers to risks relating to the governance and control of the various peoples in a given nation. The inherent political risks in South Africa have to do with the nature of social exclusion practiced in the country for a long time. However, power is in the hand of a popular the Black African majority government. The constitution gives a lot of room for strikes, trade unionism and demonstrations, which reignites the strategy used by the Congress and the people power that comes with the current government. This means that a corporation entering the market needs to understand its microcosmic position and make adjustments to meet these elements of favoritism, nationalism, mass action and corruption. There is also economic risks that are connected with the high cost of doing business in South Africa and other factors like the entry of Chinese businesses who have control of affairs. There are also financial risks relating to credit risk and money transfer issues. Managing across culures is quite difficult. However, the cultural risk in South Africa is increased by the fact that the cultural diversity is huge. ... The World Cup brought South Africa surpluses in its balance of trade in the past year and increased its GDP its previous years’ data. With the weakening US Dollar, a business that seeks to operate in South Africa will find it relatively more expensive to trade in South Africa that it would in other parts of the world. Unemployment Unemployment rates in South Africa currently stand at 25.3% and this is blamed on the people’s demands for high wages and better working conditions than other parts of the world (SouthAfrica.Info, 2011). This therefore presents a labor risk to the nation. This is because these conditions show that clearly, labor is expensive in the country. This therefore means that any business that seeks to open up a branch in this country needs to be willing to pay more for labor. International Trade International trade in South Africa is increasingly becoming skewed in favor of the Brazil, India, China and Russia and nations like China in particular has a lot of control in the affairs of South Africa (SouthAfrica.Info, 2011). This therefore means that any company from a country not in this category risks losing out to the competition posed by these nations that are favoured by international treaty in South Africa. This therefore makes it more prudent for a corporation to consider other international expansion options that makes good use of outsourcing to remain competitive and acquire a favorable image in the South African market. Financial Risks General Financial Risks The World Bank gives South Africa 68% for credit worthiness indicating that although it is a low risk country to do business in there is still some risk to do business there (Adar, 2008) The Currency Risks South Africa’s Rand is quite stable

Anna in the tropics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Anna in the tropics - Essay Example This was the only form of entertainment for the cigar factory workers of the time. So, I expected this play to portray the dilemma of the time when factory owners were faced by the choice of switching to modernization or carrying on their traditions. Apart from this, I expected it to have a tinge of romance in this which was enhanced by the presence of conflict and then its resolution. The play, Anna in the Tropics, revolves around a Cuban family that settles in Tampa, Florida and sets up a cigar business in the city. The factory owner, Santiago and his wife Ofelia have two daughters named Conchita and Marela who also work in their family cigar warehouse rolling cigars. A new lector comes into the factory named Juan Julian who reads the exciting Russian story of Anna Karenina. Marela, who wants to experience life outside the factory and Conchita who does not seem to be having a happy married life with her husband, Palomo, are very intrigued by the story of Anna Karenina. Santiagoâ₠¬â„¢s brother, Cheche, on the other hand, despises lectors due to a previous event where his wife ran off a previous lector and therefore wants to remove the lector and bring modern machineries to aid the rolling of cigars. My favorite characters include Marela, Cheche, and Juan Julian. In the first Act, Marela characterizes a very comic and humorous character with slightly immature thoughts. She feels restricted within the boundaries of her family cigar warehouse and wants to enjoy life outside of the factory. She is dumbstruck when she sees Juan Julian when she was waiting for him with her mother and sister. Marela is very influenced by the story of Anna Karenina narrated by Juan Julian. I feel that Marela is child-like initially and wants to live life more than just rolling cigars at her father’s factory. I can Marela’s feelings because being in the factory all the time with only a lector’s story to entertain can be boring particularly for a merry girl like M arela, who wants to enjoy her life. Cheche, Santiago’s half brother does not seem to like Juan Julian which results from his past experience where the lector ran with his wife. Even Juan Julian finds out when he first meets Cheche but I believe Cheche’s feelings are natural having his wife run off with a previous lector. Perhaps the most interesting character is that of Juan Julian, the lector who has been hired by Ofelia as a lector to entertain the cigar workers. Julian’s character becomes more compelling when he narrates the story of Anna Karenina which interests both Marela and Conchita equally. The play repeatedly tries to emphasize on the theme of tradition and change, problems and resolution, and love. Although it is apparent that Cheche already despises lectors due to his bitter past experience his dislike is added by the fact that he wants to introduce modern machinery to aid the factory workers in making cigars. As he aims to bring new machines into th e warehouse he threatens the existence of old Cuban traditions of having a lector and workers roll cigars with their hands. And Conchita who is having a troubled marriage with her husband who is having an affair. Conchita feels influenced by Julian’s story of Anna Karenina and to some extent with Juan Julian. Music and lighting has been one of the most important elements of the play enhancing its theme and effect. Every scene in the Act was followed by music inspired by Cuban music. This helped the

Specific events over the past years that have affected the stock Essay

Specific events over the past years that have affected the stock market - Essay Example Prices remain steady and predictable and investors are confident in the market remaining steady. Markets respond to changes in the economy and a major change in the economy often results in major shifts in the stock market. Market crashes are precipitate by something occurring within the economy or war (or the threat of war). The stock market (New York Stock Exchange) responds to changes by gaining value or losing value. Markets losing value are not good. Changes in the economy can be real or perceived (the belief that something bad is going to happen). The NYSE (New York Stock Exchange) has responded in the past to changes (some perceived, some real) in the economic environment. Careful study of the stock markets since 1900 shows several events that affected the markets. Crashes in the market were swift and often lasted more than a year before the markets recovered. The most recent stock market crash was from January of 2000 to October 2002. During this time frame the markets were affected by the bursting of the 'tech bubble'. A lot of small '.com' start-ups went out of business and their investors incurred great losses. Also, during this time frame the twin towers were toppled by a terrorist attack (September 11th 2001). The instability this caused was reflected in market performance. The market dropped 37.8% before it recovered. According to Brenda Spotten, Associate Professor ... other symptoms of financial instability may adversely affect the real economy if they impair the ability of the financial markets to provide funds and hence transfer command over resources."(Spotten, B p1) In essence, a perceived inefficiency in the market can affect the economy and vice versa. Recently another 'bubble' burst. The housing market currently is in a slump. Good advice for investors would be to not invest in trendy new investments like 'tech bubble' start-ups. Investing in funds that are market resistant (such as a diversified fund) would provide some protection from market instability. Changes in the Federal Reserve lending rate can cause ripples in financial markets. Sometimes investors watch closely when the Federal Reserve changes interest rates for overnight lending (for banks). In 2004 investors were relieved when then Chairman, Alan Greenspan, raised the interest rate by 2.5%.(Ip, G p1) The markets continued to remain stable. Between November of 1973 and December of 1974 the market lost 45% of its value before recovering. During this time frame the Vietnam campaign was winding down. The retreat of American forces from Vietnam and the Watergate investigation had the affect of reducing consumer confidence in the market. Going back further in history finds another stock market crash that was the result of events in history. During 1939 and 1942 the United States grappled with entering World War Two. During this time frame the stock market lost 40% of its value. The attack on Pearl Harbor cemented the United States' entry into the war. As wartime production increased, the markets recovered. Prior to the United States' commitment to the war, politics, and fear of war, fueled the market crash during this period. The early American

Learning Methods Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Learning Methods - Essay Example A lecture is an exposition of a given subject given out before a class for the main purpose of learning or giving instruction. This is generally a method of teaching by formal discourse with the main purpose of offering an overview of a certain subject and delivering particular information on a specific subject. Lectures are of more importance in providing a synthesis of several researchers and textbooks or give out original or unpublished information. A lecture usually exists in four type’s i.e. participatory lecture, oral essays, problem-solving and textual exegesis. (Nunan, 1992, pg 56) 0728866156,072 However the oral essay, participatory and textual exegesis is more lecturers coordinated, controlled and they are closer to the traditional model in which a lecture is divided into specific topics and sub-topics and orderly covered. As the problem-solving and participatory varieties are conducted with apparently greater flexibility however it requires a tedious planning (Nunan, 1992, pg 57) Lectures being the mostly used methods of learning I found it vital in my learning ability but I was always challenged with a number of factors that would not easily allow me have the appropriate learning ability. For instance the big number of students always needed an early wake up in order to catch up with the population in order to have a front sit where u can easily have clear understanding of the lectures. Nevertheless my hard work to be the first among the front chair students inability to clearly understand the language of he lectures made my learning too harder. I would not clearly get the vital contents due to faster speaking lecturers. The large population greatly hindered the understanding ability due to different noises from every part of the room; with my inability to clearly getting the lecture’s fluency this added another burden on it due to message distortion. The most challenging part is when I came late in class.

Right to education in India Essay Example for Free

Right to education in India Essay Abstract Everyone has the right to education. Education shall be free, at least in the elementary and fundamental stages. Elementary education shall be compulsory. (Article 26 of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights). This UN recommendation has been reinforced in the provisions of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act (2009), which came into effect in India on 1 April 2010, enshrining in law for the first time the rights of all Indian children aged between six and fourteen years to free and compulsory elementary education regardless of caste, class, gender, etc. After 62 year of independence, The Union of India has made free and compulsory education a fundamental right for every child between the age of 6to 14. Now India has joined the group of those countries who provide for constitutional guarantee to free and compulsory education. The enforcement of this right is the joint responsibility of the centre and the state with even the local bodies playing their role in its functioning. The present paper shares the historical perspective, salient features, critical analysis of the act, the problems ahead and suggests ways to overcome them. Index  Content Page number Introduction 4 Historical perspective 5 Salient features 6 Criticism 7 Challenges ahead 9 Suggestions 11 Conclusion 13 References 14 Introduction Education is a fundamental human right and essential for the exercise of all other human rights. It promotes individual freedom and empowerment and yields important development benefits. Yet millions of children and adults remain deprived of educational opportunities, many as a result of poverty. Normative instruments of the United Nations and UNESCO lay down international legal obligations for the right to education. These instruments promote and develop the right of every person to enjoy access to education of good quality, without discrimination or exclusion. These instruments bear witness to the great importance that Member States and the international community attach to normative action for realizing the right to education. It is for governments to fulfill their obligations both legal and political in regard to providing education for all of good quality and to implement and monitor more effectively education strategies. Education is a powerful tool by which economically and socially marginalized adults and children can lift themselves out of poverty and participate fully as citizens. Education system was in a huge problem right after at the time of independence. It was under Prime Minister Mr. Atal Bihari Vajpai that educatory reforms were made. Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan was a massive step with what followed by mid day meal. Objective: 1. To determine the problems in the right of children to free and compulsory education act, 2009. 2. To find out the problems in present and future after the amendment. 3. To find out effective solutions for the same. Historical perspective At the time of Independence, India inherited an educational system which was not only quantitatively small but was also characterized by striking gender and regional disparities. Only one child out of three had been enrolled in primary school. Thus challenge was to provide elementary education to all its children within a stipulated period of time. Accordingly, universal education for all children in the 6-14 age groups became a constitutional provision by Article 45 of the Constitution. Special care of the economic and educational interests of the under privileged sections of the population also became a constitutional obligation. But these constitutional provisions still remain unfulfilled. Governments commitment to ensure elementary education for all children aged 6-14 years was later seen in its ambitious program named Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan. Free and compulsory elementary education was made a fundamental right under Article 21A of the Constitution in December 2002 by the 86th Amendment. In bringing this into action, the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Bill was drafted in 2005. This was revised and became an Act in August 2009, but was enforced on 1st April 2010. The Right to Education Act will benefit about one crore out-of- school children and a large number of drop-out children. As per an estimate, out of 22 crore children in the 6-14 years age group in the country, 4. 6 percent children have no enrolment in any school. Salient Features The Right to Education Act is a detailed and comprehensive piece of legislation which includes provisions related to schools, teachers, curriculum, evaluation, access and specific division of duties and responsibilities of all concerned. Main features of the Act are as under: 1. Every child from 6 to 14 years of age shall have the right to free and compulsory education in a neighborhood school till completion of elementary education 2. Private schools shall provide 25 percent reservation for weaker sections and economically disadvantaged groups in the admission. 3. All schools except government schools are required to meet all specified norms and standards within three years to avoid cancellation of their recognition. 4. The act calls for a fixed pupil-teacher ratio, i. e. 30:1 5. The act mandates improvement in quality of education 6. Financial burden shall be shared between Central and State Governments Criticism 1. It is stated in section 3(1) that every child of the age of six to fourteen years shall have the right to free and compulsory education in a neighborhood school till completion of elementary education. Criticism: right and compulsory are two contradictory terms and thus it should be stated in duties of a parent and guardians to make sure their children get their right just like in China in their article 46 amended in 2006, although it has its presence in section 10 but there is no punishment stated on failure to do so. The age for education is also not justified. There should also be free education for the youth and adults who are uneducated and there also should be adequate stress levied upon pre schooling as a child might not be able to cope with the intellectual needs required in standard one without it. 2. It is stated in section 6 that for carrying out the provisions of this Act, the appropriate Government and the local authority shall establish, within such area or limits of neighborhood, as may be prescribed, a school, where it is not so established, within a period of three years from the commencement of this Act. Criticism: The period for the following is far too long as a school as per government norms must have a huge open space and different classrooms for each year with a strength not exceeding 30 students. This can be reached in one year and so a time limit of 18 months would’ve been adequate rather than delaying it more by another year and a half. 3. It is stated in section 8 (a) that provide free and compulsory elementary education to every child Provided that where a child is admitted by his or her parents or guardian, as the case may be, in a school other than a school established, owned, controlled or substantially financed by funds provided directly or indirectly by the appropriate Government or a local authority, such child or his or her parents or guardian, as the case maybe, shall not be entitled to make a claim of reimbursement of expenditure incurred on elementary education of the child in such other school. And in section 18 No school established, owned or controlled by the appropriate Government or a local authority shall, after the commencement of this Act, be established or function, without obtaining a certificate of recognition from such authority, by making an application in such form and manner, as may be prescribed. Criticism: trust bodies and private tutoring as been availed by our former prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru, both are discouraged. 4. It is stated in section 16 that No child admitted in a school shall be held back in any class or expelled from school till the completion of elementary education. Criticism: This may result in lack of seriousness for education and in the end result in failure after elementary education. 5. It is stated in section 17(1) No child shall be subjected to physical or mental harassment. And in 17(2) whoever contravenes the provisions of subsection (1) shall be liable to disciplinary action under the service rules applicable to such person. Criticism: the remote areas where the adults and youth are un-educated may face problems in putting forward a case for the same rather a special committee under education board must look into such issue. Challenges ahead 1. State Governments Apathy: Lack of Promptness / Commitment Poor economic conditions of the States 2. Availability of Infrastructure Facilities: Establishment of Primary Schools within one kilometer and upper Primary Schools within three kilometer distance. Well equipped classrooms, library, laboratory, play ground, drinking water and toilet facilities 3. Availability of Teachers and Required Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Five lacks new teachers are to be recruited and 5 lacks new classrooms are to be constructed to meet the required 30: 1 pupil teacher ratio. There are seven lacks teachers in the recognized 13 lacks primary schools. Out of these, three lacks teachers are either untrained or under-training. In many states large numbers of teachers are para-teachers and many of them are untrained. As per a recent report by NUEPA, Bihar tops amongst the states having poor pupil-teacher ratio and Uttar Pradesh comes at second place. In about 35 percent primary schools in Uttar Pradesh, pupil teacher ratio is 60:1. Fifty one percent primary schools in Uttar Pradesh are having three or less number of teachers. Out of these, 38 percent are para-teachers. In the present circumstances, to maintain pupil-teacher ratio as per the Act, appears a distant dream. 4. Quality of Education: Quality of education depends upon the quality of teachers. Teachers selection and training procedure and their conditions of work need a substantial improvement. Teachers accountability to the pupils, their parents, and the community and to their own profession needs to be determined. 5. Twenty Five Percent Reservation of Seats in Private Schools: What will be the identification, selection and verification of economically weaker and disadvantaged children? Would they be selected from the neighborhood or from the entire village/town/city? How the whole process will be monitored by the government? Suggestions In the light of the challenges discussed earlier, following are some suggestions which may be helpful to meet the challenges: 1. The state governments are required to show promptness for the implementation of the RTE Act. The states who have not yet released any notification regarding the Act must do it without any further delay. The Central Government should impose a time limit to release funds to the states. If any state government still shows apathy to release notification, then no funds should be released by the Centre to that state for the establishment of new schools. State governments should show full commitment for the implementation of the Act. 2. Primary schools with all minimum required infrastructure facilities should be established in the neglected areas on priority basis. Central government should release budget of its share to the states at the earliest. Facilities in the existing government schools should be expanded. To avoid the closure of unrecognized private schools for not fulfilling the prescribed recognition standards within three years, these schools must be helped to improve their facilities by resource support and providing linkages with financial institutions. To meet budgetary constraints, stress must be given on cost effectiveness and accountability at every level. 3. To meet the increasing demand of qualified and trained full time teachers, the teachers in required number must be recruited at the earliest. Pupil-teacher ratio must be maintained as per requirement. As more and more children move into the primary school age group, it becomes needful to build more and more schools and recruit more teachers for sustained improvement in the quality of education. 4. Primary schools need to be made aware of the provisions made for 25 percent reservation of seats for the economically and socially weaker and disadvantaged children and the role of school managing committees in this regard. The identification, selection and verification procedure of such children should be well defined and well informed. It should also be notified that how the whole process will be monitored. 5. There is need to streamline educational administration. The pace of implementation of the Act can become faster if bottlenecks in administration are removed. Altogether, it is essential to adopt an integrated approach and establish linkages between education and other related areas such as child care, nutrition and health. Each state should formulate a State Program of Action and each district and school should formulate a Program of Action of its own by taking into account the State Program of Action. 6. Teachers performance is the most crucial input in the field of education. Well qualified and highly motivated teachers are the key to effective implementation of the curriculum. They give impetus to the teaching-learning process. Top priority, therefore, should be fixed for the improvement in the quality and content of teacher education program 7. While the Central and State Governments have their full share of responsibilities, it is community participation and involvement of NGOs which will make marked difference in meeting the challenge of implementing Right to Education Act. 8. To achieve the goals of Free and Compulsory Elementary Education, it is of upmost importance to develop curricula that is responsive to changing needs and facilitates the incorporation and integration of new content areas related to science, technology, population and the environment. Conclusion: In order to meet the challenges and surmount the hurdles that stand in the way of implementing Right to Education Act, it is needful to concentrate all efforts with full dedication and commitment. Not only the central and state governments but the nation as a whole should take responsibility in this regard. Community participation and support can make marked difference in achieving this goal. There exists a need for greater coordination amongst different agencies and functionaries involved in this task. To overcome population pressures and budgetary constraints, cost effectiveness and accountability must be ascertained at every level. Efforts should be focused on qualitative improvement of the whole program. References The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 (RTE Act, 2009). Education and National Development, Report of the Education Commission (1964-66), NCERT, New Delhi, 1971. Challenges of Education–a policy perspective, Ministry of Education, Govt. of India, New Delhi, August 1985. National Policy on Education – 1986, Ministry of Human Resource Development, Govt. of India, Dept. of Education, New Delhi, May, 1986. Towards an Enlightened and Humane Society, Report of the Committee for Review of National Policy on Education 1986, Final Report, 26th Dec. 1990. National Policy on Education–1986 (With Modifications undertaken in 1992), Ministry of Human Resource Development, Department of Education, New Delhi, 1992. National Policy on Education 1986, Programme of Action, 1992, Ministry of Human Resource Development, Department of Education, Govt. of India, 1993. Education for All – The Indian Scene, Department of Education, Ministry of Human Resource Development, Govt. of India, Dec. 1993. Sixth All India Educational Survey, Selected Statistics, NCERT, New Delhi, 1998. Seventh All India School Education Survey, Provisional Statistics, N. C. E. R. T. , New Delhi, Sep. 30, 2002. National Curriculum Framework, 2005, N. C. E. R. T. , New Delhi. National Curriculum Framework for Teacher Education, N. C. T. E. , New Delhi, 2009–10. The gazette of extraordinary India http://www. unesco. org/new/en/education/themes/leading-the-international-agenda/right-to-education/.

Case Study on Palliative Care: Example Answers

Case Study on Palliative Care: Example Answers Carol is a 48 year old woman who lives with her husband Dean and three children. Carols three children, Josephine (15 years), Harry (12 years) and Sarah (8 years) are aware their mother has cancer, but have not been told of the development of secondary disease or the implications this carries. The family run a small general store in an outer suburb of Perth. Carol was diagnosed with breast cancer three years ago, originally undergoing a right lumpectomy with adjuvant chemotherapy. Last year Carol was diagnosed with bone secondaries. Since that time she has been receiving tamoxifen and attending the oncology clinic for follow-up. The community palliative care nurse visits Carol once a month to monitor her progress and provide emotional support. While visiting Carol the nurse notes that she appears to be in considerable discomfort, though she denies any pain. On questioning Dean, the nurse learns that Carol has been found crying and holding her hip, but refuses to seek medical attention. Why do you think Carol is reluctant to seek medical attention and acknowledge her pain? ANSWER: Carol is reluctant to seek the medical attention because she is fed up with the medical checkups and also she receives no positive improvement in her health so she herself concluded to not to waste the money on her health and let them safe for her three children (Matthews, 2008). As Carol begins to receive palliative care, which members of the palliative care team do you think need to be involved in her care? Briefly describe the role of each. ANSWER: The family members of Carol play an important role in the team of palliative care and especially the role of Dean was very crucial because he is the person who could fill the strength in Carol to fight against this dangerous disease ( Foley, 2001). Investigations of Carols pain revealed bony secondaries. She was offered a course of radiotherapy, but refused as this would mean going to the city (55km away) every day, and she would be away from the shop at the busiest time of the year. Carol agreed to recommencing chemotherapy, and was commenced on regular panadeine forte (two every four hours) for her pain. Carol has been troubled by nausea and vomiting after each course of chemotherapy. On a follow up visit five days after Carols last chemotherapy, the community nurse discovers that Carol is constantly nauseated, vomiting several times a day and unable to keep any fluids down. Identify the possible causes of Carols nausea and vomiting. ANSWER: Chemotherapy involves the killing of cancerous cells from the patients body thus due to these heavier operations on Carols body would make her uneasy and thus she has nausea and vomiting (Ferrell, 2006). Describe the management strategies for the various probable cause(s) of Carols nausea and vomiting. ANSWER: Management strategies should be in order to give her strict instructions to be away from strong odours, not to lay flat after eating, have some light exercise after eating, to eat in smaller amounts and most importantly keep her mind relaxed and try to forget about the chemotherapy (Hesketh, 2005). On a follow-up visit, the community nurse discovers that Carol is only achieving two hours pain relief after her tablets and is taking them more frequently, but is reluctant to consider changing to stronger medication. Identify the appropriate steps for assessing Carols pain. ANSWER: She should be checked to take medicines on her own i.e. someone from her family should take the responsibility to fetch her with medicines; also management should maintain a regular chart of the total amount of daily doses and the time span of pain she have(McMann,  2009). After consultation with the general practitioner, the community nurse discusses changing Carols analgesia to something stronger. Carol is very reluctant as she feels she will only become addicted to hard drugs if she uses them now. Carol expresses concerns about having this type of medication in the house with young children around. What are the possible reasons for Carols reluctance to change her medication, and how could this be overcome? ANSWER: Carol main reason for reluctance was that she wants to be with her family also she wants to save money as she could not afford the hospitals expenses and hence she wants the whole medication to be done at her home. This can be overcome if and only if the management gives some relaxation in the expenses (Visel, 2006). Carol reluctantly agrees to a trial of oral morphine, initially in short-acting form until the dose is titrated. She is commenced on 10mg of oral morphine 4th hourly. What education should the nurse give Carol about commencing and taking morphine? ANSWER: The nurse should tell her to handle some pain and extend the period of taking the morphine from 2 hours interval to 4 hours interval so that she could develop some resistive powers in herself (Bruera, 2003). When should Carol be considered for conversion to controlled (slow) release morphine, and how would the dose be calculated for this? ANSWER: As soon as Carol feels that she has generated enough resistive power then the controlled doses of morphine should be given and the period should be increased rose to the power of 2 i.e. 2, 4, 8, 16 and finally it should be stopped (Bruera, 2003). Identify adjuvant medication that may be helpful in Carols case. ANSWER: Herceptin drug can be used as the adjuvant medication because it interferes with growth of cancer cells and slows their growth and spread in the body (Knox, 2004). Carol is reluctantly taking morphine 30mg every four hours and Naprosyn 500mg b.d. for her pain. When visiting Carol one day the community nurse finds Carol vomiting and complaining of catching a gastro bug from one of the children. On questioning Carol states she has had small frequent amounts of diarrhoea for 5-6 days, and has not had a normal bowel motion for two weeks. Carol is notably dry, complains of thirst, has a coated tongue, and a distended abdomen. What nursing investigations would you carry out? ANSWER: The infection is been spreading in her family due to the contact of virus released by the vomiting of the Carol. Hence personal hygiene should be maintained (Yarbro, 2005). What nursing strategies would you implement to relieve Carols symptoms? ANSWER: For relieving Carols symptoms the basic nursing strategies should ensure that the toiletry area should properly cleaned using diluted bleach, she must wash her hand after using the toilet, her clothes must be washed in warm water, and lastly the nurse should suggest her the BRAT food i.e. Banana Rice Applesauce and Toast as the main food from time to time and drink as much liquid as she discharges in her stools (Yarbro, 2005). Carols appetite has decreased and she is eating only very small amounts of food. She is not nauseous. Dean is finding it hard to accept that Carol doesnt need food and worries that without food Carol will die. What will you tell Dean about Carols loss of appetite? ANSWER: We will tell him not to panic because this loss of appetite is only due to the gastro effects and it will be removed as soon as the medicines perform their proper function (Ko, 2008). What strategies can you use to help Carol increase her intake? ANSWER: After giving her enough liquid food we will ask Carol to perform light exercises which could help her to burn more calories and so she will feel a good hunger for receiving a good nutrition (Ko, 2008). Carol has become increasingly bedbound and is spending many hours sleeping, and at times becomes restless. She has refused all further chemotherapy and blood tests and is aware her time is limited. Carol has told Dean that she would like to die at home. What do you need to consider to ensure that Carol can be cared for at home (eg. equipment, care needs etc)? ANSWER: The main consideration would be based on finding ways so that she must not get any complication in terms of medical facility. Hence important equipments must be installed with a good experienced nurse who remains with Carol in her house for 24 hours (Keir, 2002). The community nurse is called late at night because Carol has become semi-conscious, but is calling out and very restless. On arrival the nurse finds Carol agitated and restless in bed, with an increased respiratory rate, an obvious frown and unable to respond to questions. On questioning Dean states that he was unable to administer her last two doses of morphine slow release tablets. Carol has not taken fluids for several days, nor passed urine for eighteen hours. Identify the possible cause(s) for Carols restlessness and suggest treatments. ANSWER: Carols restlessness is only due to improper metabolism of her body so she should be given liquids as much as she could take and finally she must be made to discharge the urine (smith, 2006). The community nurse suggests insertion of a subcutaneous butterfly needle to administer Carols morphine for pain control. Dean becomes distressed, questioning the need for morphine when his wife is almost unconscious. He accuses the nurse of trying to hurry things along. What is an appropriate nursing response to Deans concerns? ANSWER: Nurse should send Dean outside the room and tell him to keep patience and keep faith, she will do the appropriate nursing of Carol (Kearny, 2006). Carol remains unconscious for several days. Josephine expresses concern that her mother has not had any fluids for several days and questions whether she should be admitted to hospital so intravenous fluids could be commenced. Josephine questions if it is cruel to let her mother die of dehydration? What explanation could the nurse give in response to Josephines concerns? ANSWER: Nurse should give condolence to Josephine and not to worry because she will take care of her mother in every aspects of medical concern (Alexander, 2000). What nursing actions will ensure that Carol is comfortable despite no oral intake? ANSWER: The basic nursing action that a nurse should check Carols pulse rate and blood pressure, if everything is normal then there it is ensured that Carol is comfortable despite of having no oral intake (Alexander, 2000). Dean approaches the palliative care nurse for assistance the next day. He states the children, in particular Sarah, are asking questions he doesnt know how to answer. Sarah asks detailed questions about what will happen to Carol before and after she dies, and appears to have a morbid interest in the details of death. Identify strategies to assist children dealing with death. ANSWER: While assisting children dealing with death the children of small age should be taken away from the house and make them busy in some games while elder children should understand itself how to manage with the condition (Schaefer, 2002). Carol died at 4.30 p.m. on a Sunday afternoon, with Dean, the three children and her mother by her side. Her death was described by the palliative care nurse as peaceful, but her dying as a struggle. What bereavement follow up could be put in place for this family? ANSWER: Carol was a strong fighter and she fights with her disease with silence and lots of courage, this death would keep soul free from the struggles that she had faced during her illness. God bless her soul Amen (Schaefer, 2002).

Advocacy in Social Work

Advocacy in Social Work Advocacy, Rights and Partnership This reflective report contains my experience and understanding of advocacy and explains the types of advocacy and its methods and models, I will explain the theories and relate it to my practice and finally discuss the strengths and weakness of my area of practice and discuss the conflicts of interest implication up on the service user. DEFINITION OF ADVOCACY Advocacy is defined as a key concept in social work practice. It is defined as exerting influence on behalf of organisations and groups within legal power and political structure. Advocacy involves either an individual or group, or their representatives, pressing their case with influential others, about situations which either affect them directly or, and more usually, try to prevent proposed changes, which will leave them worse off .(Pardeck, 1996). Gates (1994) cites four variations of advocacy: legal advocacy, the representation of the user in a formal context, for instance a health-review tribunal; self-advocacy, where the individual or a group of individuals speak up for themselves, a form of empowerment; collective or class advocacy, the large organisations who speak for the interests and rights of a category of people; and citizen advocacy, the representation of the users interests by a competent advocate (eg a Social worker). Advocacy is a concept embraced by social work and advocating for clients is vital for the social work profession. The primary goals of advocacy are achieving social justice and people empowerment. In achieving these goals, a proactive, responsive and participatory approach is necessary (Pardeck, 1996). My role as an advocate during my placement was to speak on behalf of my clients and to empower them to advocate on their own behalf, whenever their rights have been denied; for example in accessing state benefits or demanding repair work from local Housing departments. The advocacy role, from a social context, includes the redistribution of power and recourse to an individual or group, guarding their rights and preserving their values, conserving their best interests and overcoming the sense of powerlessness (Pardeck, 1996. pg 151). RESOURCES AVAILABLE WITHIN PLACEMENT My second year practice placement was with a charity organisation, in the London Borough of Newham called RAMP (Refugee And Migrant Project). RAMP is one of The Renewal Programme projects and is registered with the Home Office Office of Immigration Services Commission. RAMP works to enable refugees and migrants (including asylum seeker) to realise their potentials and facilitate their integration into society. The focus of the organisation is to provide advice and advocacy and support on welfare benefits, housing and education and NASS National Asylum Support Services. RELATING THEORY TO ADVOCACY When I began working with migrants, refugees or asylum seekers, I took a very holistic and Person Centred Approach that allowed me to work in partnership and give them the opportunity to go through their own problems and find their own solutions to them. Carl Rogers was the founder of Person-Centred therapy. As a psychologist in the 1950s and 60s he studied the process of counselling and came to the conclusion that a number of basic principles were required in order for there to be a positive relationship and outcome between the client and the therapist. These are also known as core conditions: . Unconditional positive regard that involves the therapist being non-judgmental and accepting the client and their experiences. . Congruence, which means that the therapist displays their true thoughts and feelings during the session. . Empathy, where the therapist shows understanding towards the clients experiences without oppressing them. When engaging with my clients, I demonstrated unconditional positive regard by not judging them as individuals or for the needs they had; I wanted to find out what it is that they wanted/needed. I was congruent in that I acknowledged the fact that I was a student and I was also learning myself, and therefore I may not be able to answer all questions immediately. Finally, I showed empathy by acknowledging similarities that I may have with them such as coming from a minority ethnic community. As well as the core conditions, I used the Exchange Model of communication to engage in my meetings with my clients. Smale and Tuson (1998) point out that the exchange model believes that the client has an equally valid perception of their problems and that they themselves can contribute to finding the solutions. This also facilitates partnership between the worker and the client. The exchange model was effective because English was the second language for all my clients therefore enabled me to ask them simple, open-ended questions that were free from professional jargon, compared to Procedural model that has pre-set questions to conform to the requirements of the agency. I used two main theories to look at situations during my practice placement: Systems theory and Muslows Hierarchy of Needs. Systems theory originates from Bertalanffys (1971) biological theory that all things are part of a system: sub-systems that make up super-systems (in Payne, 1997). The theory is also known as ecological perspective; family theory and networks theory depending on what context it is used. Systems theory allows you to look at the whole picture and not just one aspect of a particular case. The concept of circular causality is also significant in this theory and it suggests that: if something happens in one part, it affects the other. I therefore did not analyse clients situations in isolation, I looked at their surroundings and their systems to understand their situations better. Pincus and Minahan (1973) describe 3 systems in which people depend on (in Payne, 1997 p.141): Societal systems (housing, social security and schools) For some of my clients, their housing department was part of their societal systems that they may have been experiencing problems with. On top of this, some of their main informal systems their families may be missing from them (i.e. still in their own countries). This had a detrimental effect on their self-confidence and achievement as it left gaps in the systems that are supporting them. Maslows hierarchy of needs highlights that the family is a very important factor in meeting basic needs for example, security. By being estranged from their families, clients are already at a weak point and according to systems theory; this also affects their formal and societal systems. As a social worker, in order to promote and enable my clients and to empower them, it was important that I was able to maintain as many systems around them as possible. This was important for their confidence and future development. When carrying out my work with asylum seekers, refugees and migrants I was very much open and holistic in the way that I looked at the multiple forms of discrimination and oppression that this client group may face. For example I did not only focus on the obvious forms of oppression. Such as race, religion and gender, I also looked at underlying issues such as relationships with partners and domestic abuse. I ensured that I did not ignore the oppression and discrimination that they may face within their own communities. Other theories, models and methods which I used included Crisis Intervention, Task-Centred work, Loss Bereavement amongst others. I found that being able to study, understand and relate these to my practice guided me immensely in my practice. They provided me with the knowledgebase, which I could use to eclectically and effectively in order to work with the many different situations that I worked with. THE IMPORTANCE OF WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH SU Adams (1998 p314) sees advocacy as a form of empowerment which, involves representing a persons interests in circumstances where they are not able to do so themselves. It strives to promote social inclusion by empowering marginalised people and therefore, has a direct relationship to anti-oppressive practice in social work. The ethical principles underlying advocacy reinforce working in partnership with users and carers, a key concept in social work practice and community care. Furthermore, the skills required for successful advocacy reflect core skills of social work practice (Bateman, 2000p17). Professionals get involved in peoples lives most of the times to help, but then oppress them by making decisions for them. Oppression is: Inhuman/degrading treatment of individuals/groups; hardship And injustice brought about by the dominance of one group over another; the negative and demeaning exercise of power. Oppression often involves disregarding the rights of an individual/ group and is thus the denial of citizenship (Thompson 1997 p31). In a situation where the Social worker made a decisions without consulting him, his needs and interests were not considered. As Adams (1998p301) affirms remedies to problems encountered lie primarily with experts and thus undermines self determination and authenticity. Most professionals take it upon themselves to make decisions for people as they assume that they cannot make choices for themselves, yet the Mental Capacity Act 2007 argues that almost all including the most severely disabled are capable of making choices and expressing their views and preferences. Therefore it is the Social workers role to challenge the abuse of power for suppression and for excluding people from decisions which affect them as stated by Stanford (accessed 5/01/2009) in the code of ethics. People requiring access to services should not feel that they are beggars, their welfare needs should be met as a right and dignity and respect should be maintained all the times. STRENGTHSÂ  AND WEAKNESSES OF ADVOCACY To assist service users, advocacy may be appropriate to protect the rights of the service user. An advocate will inform an individual of their options, and talk with other services on their behalf, if required to. The role of an advocate is to allow the service user to make their own self-determinations by ensuring they have all the relevant information, whilst at the same time not imposing their own views on the situation (Coulshed and Orme 1998). Difficulties with advocacy arise if the advocate tries to impose their own opinion on the service user, who may be vulnerable, and open to suggestion. The lack of statutory advocacy means that most services are provided by those who have already experienced similar situations, and who may have a biased view or are not trained to deal with difficult situations (Adams et.al. 2002) Anti oppressive practice (AOP): Looking at the structure of oppression developed by Thompson (1993) called the PCS model. I can illustrate how oppression is occurring, because this model is used to develop our understanding of discrimination and the oppression that arises from it. (Thompson,1998:12). It operates at three very separate levels, which are inter-related. These levels being personal, cultural and structural (the term PCS model). (Thompson,1998:12). Oppression itself is a powerful force. On a personal level it can lead to demoralisation and lack of self-esteem, while at a structural level it can lead to denial of rights. (Dalrymple and Burke,1995:57) This statement proves to be true because at the personal level, because the majority of the community that come to our organisation are feeling oppressed by themselves because of not being able to access facilities and not receiving the advice in maintaining their health, hygiene and environment. At the cultural level oppression is coming from other communities because they feel that they are superior to them, due to the fact that they are more familiar with the services and maybe able to speak English, therefore demoralising the community . At the structural level, institutions such as schools, hospitals, social security offices, advice centres the list is endless do not provide a facility whereby individuals from the community can access them, whereby denying them their rights. As an advocate it was my duty to challenge what the service users where feeling and going through, whereby I would empower them to access necessary services and direct them to attend relevant courses in order to tackle there problems and emotional feelings. CONFLICTS OF INTEREST WHICH MAY ARISE IN ADVOCACY The most common conflict of interest that I was faced with whilst advocating was the language barriers between service users and advocacy staff , In reflection throughout the advocacy I noticed the significant difference that language plays throughout society. It made me realise that not having the language skills can be very oppressive to a person and can leave them marginalized from the rest of society. Communication is a skill in itself and it is central to the role of social work (Thompson, 2000). Communication can come in many different forms; this can include verbal, non-verbal, listening and writing skills. Conclusion In conclusion to the finding throughout research and practice, it shows a huge importance in working in partnership with service users and other professional, good partnership helps social workers and other professional to delivery an effective service. Social workers are helping to promote change; even though they are working within statutory agencies their role can have a huge influence from advocacy.

Wiccan religion: The Goddess and Gods of the Wiccan Religion :: Essays Papers

Wiccan religion: The Goddess and Gods of the Wiccan Religion "Wicca is the most prevalent form of reconstructionist neo-paganism in the United States and is the pre-Christian spirituality of the Celtic peoples who resided in the British Isles and Brittany and on the western coast of France." Wicca is a religion based upon deep personal understanding of oneself and the multi-verse in which one resides. They work with the Gods and Goddess that call to us, and we develop relationships with them that help and support them in their evolution. Wicca is a spiritual path, a way of seeing the world and Divinity, and our relationship to it. They believe that Goddess is imminent in the world around us. Goddess permeates every living thing, and most of them define rocks, soil, water, air, fire, and the plant herself as living things. "The God of Wicca is the Horned God, the ancient God of Fertility: the God of the forest, flock, and field and also of the hunt." He is Lord of Life, and the Giver of Life, yet he is also Lord of Death and Resurrection. http://www.interlog.com/~spawn/gods.html Wicca is considered to be a radical faith in spite of significant numbers of goddess devotes who are extremely conservative in their lifestyles and the tenets they hold. The wiccan religion is not solely a women’s faith. While their are "women-only" groupings, and women-led, or women-predominant ones, there are just as many mixed gender groupings, in some of which men are dominant. There are also numerous solitaries, both women and men. In Wicca, practitioners notice the holy duality of the sexes in nature and in themselves, and worship the Divine as both God and the Goddess. Most modern Wiccans feel that while the God and Goddess are separate and equal, there are also two separate sides of the same coin: all in one. And all that they see, touch, feel, hear, or sense is Holy. The Goddess is known as "The Powerful Lady Mother" each of whom could appear in many, guises depending on the personal needs of the individual invoking them. The God is known as the "Horned God." The Horned God is the group soul of the hunted animal, invoked by the primitive shaman and the tribe. "The Goddess, whether Gentle Lady-Mother or thundering and Powerful Seductress has never really been broadly attached specifically to an animal form as much as the God was.

The Australian Aboriginal People: Dating the Colonization of Australia :: Biology Biological Colony Essays

The Australian Aboriginal People: Dating the Colonization of Australia Abstract The colonization of each continent by modern human populations remains an important question in our history as a species. Studies of variations in mitochondrial genomes, Y-chromosomes, satellite DNA, and other genetic markers can be used to estimate the time of divergence of one population from another. Recent advancements in technology have advanced our capabilities in genetic analysis. In particular, PCR can be used to amplify, study, and sequence DNA from long-deceased specimens. Ingman and Gyllensten studied 101 complete mitochondrial genomes from contemporary populations in Australia and many other regions. The mitochondrial genetic diversity of Aboriginals is remarkably high, similar to that found in Asia. Ingman and Gyllesten estimated colonization of Australia at 40,000-70,000 years ago and supported multiple waves of migration. Another study by Adcock and others indicates that anatomically modern humans were present in Australia before complete fixation of the mtDNA lineage, but does not establish a colonization date. A study of Y-chromosome variation by Vandenburg and others in 1999 revealed two haplotypes unique to Australian Aboriginals. Most (78%) of Aboriginal haplotypes fell into two clusters, possibly indicating two original, separate lineages of founding Aboriginal Australians. As recently as the 1960’s, anthropologists predicted the colonization of Australia at less than 10,000 years ago. Advancments in thermoluminescence dating pushed back the estimated colonization time to 50,000-60,000 years ago in the early 1990’s. Improvements in thermoluminescence and carbon dating techniques adjusted previous colonization dates of 50,000-60,000 years to approximately 45,000 years. The results of morphological dating best-support the multiregional evolution hypothesis of modern humans, and further complicate the possible ancestry of modern Australian Aboriginals. Mitochondrial DNA analysis, recent thermoluminescence dates, and the history of ocean levels coincide roughly to indicate a colonization of Australia at approximately 50,000 years ago. Introduction Throughout recorded history, humans have been defined by a desire to know ourselves: Where did we come from? How did we get here? Where are we going? Many questions are directed towards our appearance as a species and subsequent populating of the earth, -- piece by piece. One particularly large piece of the earth is Australia: a continent, a country, and a mystery in human history. Though the major events in Australian natural history have been revealed, for the most part, human history remains a great topic of debate.