Four basic models of the BGS relationship Essay

Dutch-Bangla Bank Ltd is a commercial bank of Bangladesh. The Bank was established under the Bank Companies Act 1991 and incorporated as a public limited company under the Companies Act 1994 in Bangladesh with the primary objective to carry on all kinds of banking business in Bangladesh. It is one of the fast growing leading online banks in private sector. This is a descriptive report on Dutch-Bangla Bank Ltd. that mentions the activities of General Banking, On-line banking and corporate social responsibility (CSR) of the bank. The bank is established jointly by local Bangladeshi parties spearheaded by M Sahabuddin Ahmed (Founder & Chairman) and the Dutch company FMO. This report’s objective is to find out more information about CSR of Dutch-Bangla Bank Limited. I hope that my report on CSR of Dutch-Bangla Bank Limited would be a summarized view of CSR activities of Dutch-Bangla Bank. 1. INTRODUCTION Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is a form of corporate self-regulation integrated into a business model. CSR policy functions as a built-in, self-regulating mechanism whereby business monitors and ensures its active compliance with the spirit of the law, ethical standards, and international norms. The term â€Å"corporate social responsibility† came in to common use in the late 1960s and early 1970s. ISO 26000 is the recognized international standard for CSR (currently a Draft International Standard). Figure 1: Where big corporations spending CSR resources The banking sector of Bangladesh has a long history of involvement in benevolent activities like donations to diï ¬â‚¬erent charitable organizations, to poor people and religious institutions, city beautification and improving art & culture, etc. In a natural calamity-prone area like Bangladesh, there remains an existing and  distinctive CSR agenda focused on the business contribution to tackling social crises in the aï ¬â‚¬ected area. Dutch Bangla Bank Limited as a responsible corporate body has been playing a pioneering role in implementing social and philanthropic programs to help disadvantaged people of the country. Education, healthcare, human resource development, conservation of nature, creation of social awareness, rehabilitation of distressed people and such other programs are some of the important areas where the bank carries out its social and philanthropic activities. In 2010 alone, DBBL donated BDT 340 million towards social causes. 2. Origin of the report: This report is prepared as a partial requirement of the course, Business Communication, assigned by my course instructor Nigar Sultana on â€Å"Corporate Social Responsibility of Dutch-Bangla Bank Limited† submitted on 1th December, 2012. The recent activities of various kinds of business firms on CSR have inspire me to do this report on CSR of Dutch-Bangla Bank Limited. Some recent CSR activities also influence me to do this report on CSR activity of DBBL. 3. Problem & Purpose: This report is divided into two objectives. Those are : Primary Objectives: The primary objectives are – > To find out more information about CSR of Dutch-Bangla Bank Limited & new fields of their CSR. Secondary Objectives: > To develop skills of writing a formal report, techniques and principles as well. 4. Scope of the report: This report can be used by others as secondary information. The information of this report will be used for any other survey or making any other document. To find any new scope of CSR, anyone can take help from this report & its information. 5. Limitations of the report: I didn’t face any major limitations in this research. But, if I personally go DBBL’s head office, that will be more helpful for me. There is also some time pressure for making this report properly. Because of time limitations, I cannot collect my require information properly. 6. Findings: By investigate about CSR of Dutch-Bangla Bank; I’ve to know about their regular CSR activities. DBBL’s Corporate Social Responsibilities are- 1. In Education sectors, 2. In Health sectors, 3. In Social Welfare. 6.1 In Education DBBL is providing scholarships to students, especially for those who cannot continue their study due to financial constraint as well as to the meritorious and needy students every year since 2003. The bank awards around 300 new scholarships of Tk. 1,000 per month every year along with continuing scholarship for those studying at HSC level. The Graduation level scholarships of Tk. 2,000 per month are renewable for their entire academic period of graduation level. DBBL has decided to award financial support to SSC and HSC students this year. According to the official data revealed by Bangladesh Bank, DBBL spent more than Tk 172 million in various CSR activities in 2011. Dutch-Bangla Bank awarded scholarships to meritorious but needy students including physically disabled students who passed HSC Examination in 2010 and studying at graduate level. The Dutch-Bangla Bank Ltd (DBBL) also decided to donate Tk 9.73 crore to Dhaka University (DU) for establishing a research centre on the university campus. The DBBL Board of Directors in its 77th meeting decided to donate the money for constructing an 11-storey research centre ‘Dutch-Bangla Bank Centre for Advanced Research in Arts and Social Sciences Bhaban’ on the DU campus. The research centre, which would be the first of its kind in the country, will be supervised by renowned teachers, scholars and researchers. It will also  award scholarship to researchers and scholars at home and abroad. Some more information: # Handed over the Letter of Commitment for donating Tk. 9.73 crore to Dhaka University for constructing â€Å"Dutch-Bangla Bank Centre for Advanced Research in Arts & Social Sciences† on February 27, 2008. # Donated reference books to the library of diï ¬â‚¬erent educational institutions like BSMMU, Dhaka University etc. # Donated Tk. 15.00 lac for purchasing academic reference books for Dhaka University Central Library on June 8, 2006. 6.2 In Health DBBL is just not a bank, it also a producer of CSR. It has some contributions on health sectors of Bangladesh.DBBL do many CSR activities related public health such as they contributed to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) build a new auditorium and to by new equipments. Also donated an ambulance to Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU. Under the DBBL Smile-Brighter Program, Dutch-Bangla Bank Limited organized a 4 day-Iong plastic surgery operation, during September 06 to 09, 2006 in Faridpur for the poor cleft-lipped boys and girls at the bank’s own cost to bring back enduring smile on their faces. With generous financial support from the Dutch-Bangla Bank Foundation (DBBF), ICDDR,B is setting up a world-class blood bank that will provide transfusion services to patients attending its Dhaka Hospital and others in need. Some more Information: # Cleft-lip problem is not only a health problem but it aï ¬â‚¬ects the whole family along with the victim. Since 2003 DBBL is working with these vulnerable groups under its Smile Brighter Program to bring back smile on their face and to enable them to start normal life. This is a continuous program aiming to perform as much operation possible per year. Total 5,000 poor cleft-lipped boys and girls have so far been successfully operated across the country till date. # The Board of Directors of DBBL handed over the Commitment Letter for the donation of BDT 11.476 million to Dr. M. A. Salam, Director of ICDDR,B at a simple ceremony held at the conference room of ICDDR,B on June 03, 2009. # DBBL launched a free treatment over the country in many Public hospital in every week to eradicate diseses from the  country. # They also launched HEALTH CARE INFORMATION seminar over the country in different times in the year to convey the information’s over the rural and uneducated people. # DBBL is also contributing for the HIV/AIDS patients including women and children. They managed the ARV(Anti-Retro-Viral) to them and treat them properly. # As a part of Corporate Social Responsibility, Dutch-Bangla Bank Limited has donated an amount of Tk 2.02 crore to Diabetic Association this year. # DBBL donated generous amount of money to diï ¬â‚¬erent health organizations for medical instruments and medical infrastructural development such as operation theatres, laboratory, hospital building, etc. 6.3 In Social welfare Dutch-Bangla Bank Limited has been playing a pioneering role in executing social and philanthropic programs since its inception to reduce the sufferings of the common man and helping the disadvantaged people of the country. In order to implement programs related to social cause with more dedication, Dutch-Bangla Bank Foundation(DBBF) was established in 2001. A number of sectors are on the focus list of the bank. Education, health care, human resource development, conservation of nature, creation of social awareness, rehabilitation of destitute people and such other programs are some of the important areas where the Bank is carrying out its social and philanthropic activities. Dutch-Bangla Bank do huge amount of CSR for social welfare like, has donated a huge amount of money to EKMATTRA for establishing EKMATTRA-Dutch-Bangla Bank Academy to provide education as well as other facilities for underprivileged children of the country. Dutch-Bangla Bank Limited has extended financial assist ance amounting to Tk. 18.5 lac to 17 NGOs engaged in rehabilitation of the disabled children of Bangladesh on June 05, 2006. Some more information: # For the development of the vulnerable segments of Bangladesh, DBBL assisted to rehabilitate the acid and dowry victim women by providing one-time financial assistance for establishing small scale agro-based rural economic enterprise to be self-reliant. # DBBL provides financial support for  rehabilitation of physically handicapped, mental impaired, visually impaired, hearing impaired, autistic and street children by ensuring education and vocational training. # DBBL runs mass awareness programs on diï ¬â‚¬erent burning issues through print and electronic media. Some remarkable issues are as follows: Save the Nation from curse of Dowry, Stop Acid violence, Prevent Drug Abuse, Tree plantation and preservation of environment, Right of disable children etc. # Financial support to ‘Nirapad Sharak Chai’ for helping the victims of road accident and mass campaign for prevention of traffic accident. # City beautification and preserving environment to develop an eco-friendly society for healthy human life. 6.4 Rewards: # Southern University Bangladesh (SUB) conferred Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) award on the Dutch-Bangla Bank (DBBL) for its immense contribution to different fields in the society. # In 2007, the bank won the Bangladesh Business Awards for being the ‘Best Financial Institution’ mainly for its commitment to technology and community service. # The DBBL received an international award on CSR from Asian Institute of Management, Manila in the 3rd Annual Asian CSR Award ceremony. # Also granted numerous national and international awards for its role in the development of Bangladesh. 7. Recommendations: By knowing & analyzing regular CSR activities of Dutch-Bangla Bank, the bank can easily find out the new field or scope for their CSR activities. DBBL can increase their budget for CSR activity to increase their popularity & market share. They should give more attention for CSR in disaster relief. Because, their CSR on disaster relief is very helpful for the affected poor people. 8. Conclusion: While the Dutch-Bangla Bank Limited is a business enterprise, its Foundation, established in June 2001, is dedicated to working in social arenas with the greatest need, as part of their corporate social responsibility (CSR). The Dutch-Bangla Bank Foundation carries out diverse social and philanthropic  activities in the field of education, health, conservation of nature, social awareness, human rehabilitation, and other programs to reduce human suffering. The social commitment of the Dutch-Bangla Bank and the Foundation is clearly reflected in their Vision and Mission. 9. Appendix: Bangladesh Bank annual CSR report 2009 Bangladesh Bank annual CSR report 2010 World CSR survey Annual report of DBBL Documents from Dutch-Bangla bank limited. 10. Bibliography: www.dbbl.com www.wikipedia.com/dutchbanglabank www.ssupport.com www.google.com www.bangladeshbank.org Daily Newspapers

Impact of Radio in Law Enforcement Essay

I believe the largest impact on policing has been made by the simple invention of the two way radio which has in turn been expanded upon with cell phone and mobile internet capabilities. I had read this in textbooks concerning the evolution of policing, but reading this article certainly helped to confirm it. The advent of the car and of two-way wireless communications systems brought about what it called an â€Å"incident-driven† policing strategy that relied on random patrol and rapid response in radio-equipped patrol cars to prevent crime. However, research conducted in the latter part of the century on the impact of this strategy found it to be too costly in terms of the actual number of officers and vehicles that an agency would have to deploy to have a meaningful impact. Research also found that adopting this strategy contributed to the social distancing of the police from the community, with its consequent negative effect on an agency’s ability to not only prevent and detect crime but also on its ability to enforce the law and to maintain order. While the ability to communicate instantly over long distances is certainly a boon when it comes to coordinating efforts to detain criminals on the run, it has damaged the relationship the police have with the public. Crime typically happens in such a small window it is often rare that a police officer arrives in time to prevent its commission or at the very least its escalation. Not only that, the addition of the accessibility of the internet can make it painfully obvious the difference of the level of effort in some communities as opposed to others. Either way, it seems to be losing battles for law enforcement as budgets are cut yet more is asked of them while at the same time embellishment of negative incidents makes it more difficult for them to perform their duties in an increasingly more sensitive public environment. Being that funding is based on the surrounding areas and their ability to generate taxes, it seems we are on an inevitable course that will see justice served only to those with the means to fund its pursuit.

Project mangment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Project mangment - Essay Example The ideal required wind energy can be found at high altitudes where continuous wind speeds occur. In general the sea coastal areas and / or hilly areas are more preferred locations to establish the wind mills because of uninterrupted flow of wind. Wind – movement of air is called wind. The wind moves everything whatsoever comes in its way. Wind turbines or wind generators, like propeller blades of aircraft, turn and power electric generator generates an electric current. In more simplified it is stated that a wind turbine is opposite of a home fan. Instead of using electricity to make wind in fan, a wind turbine uses wind to make electricity. The wind turns the blades on the tower and spins a shaft which is connected to a generator to generate electricity. This production of electricity mainly depends on the velocity of the wind. Only higher wind velocity throughout the year makes the wind mill project viable. The wind turbine system consisting of blades, shafts, gears and generator is operated through a sophisticated computer controlled system installed at the base of the tower which also have sensors to sense the wind speed and its direction to switch on and off the wind turbine generator. Generally the user company gives a time limit or schedule for building and operation of wind mill project and the supplier (s) and / or contractor (s) should abide by the given time table as much as possible. However in certain cases the delivery time of many materials is long which delays for completion of project. Prevalent circumstances like human factors, whether or other natural calamity also sometimes create late completion. Ideal time for completion of project could be 3-4 months. Most countries maintain whether, oceanic and atmospheric records for different purposes including future prediction, study, educational research, etc. These information are

Health and Safety Practices Plan (Part Six) Health and Safety Research Paper

Health and Safety Practices Plan (Part Six) Health and Safety Monitoring and Final Summary - Research Paper Example It also delivers digital applications such as iPhones, Mac, Apple TV and a portfolio of clients and specialized software applications and does its marketing and selling through online retail stores, direct line stores and direct sales force globally. The involvement of human labor in all the stages necessitates that the company adopts a well-designed safety and health plan targeting improved working conditions for the employees (Karen, 200). Discussion The organization has adopted in the past professional external auditors as well as internal auditors to analyze the capacity of the company to provide safe and healthy environment to workers. Professionalism has been the basis on which the auditors are evaluated on before they are contracted in order to ensure that they deliver on the expected results in order to have the organization improve through the strategic recommendations that are given. Among other findings by the teams in the past has been the non compliance in wearing protec tive gears while working, insufficient installation of fire detection and management kits within the premises as well as poor structural designs which limit exit paths in such times of emergencies like fire outbreaks. The working environment of the apple Inc exposes the workers to various health hazards, which include increased exposure to harmful gases such as n-hexane commonly used to clean appliances’ screens, which have often led to sicknesses in the past. Other unfortunate features within the working conditions in Apple Inc are violence, stress as well as substance abuse. Nevertheless, it is to be acknowledged that the company has had the burden to improve on the health and safety standards of employees and have organized on safety trainings in the past to raise awareness and empower workers through social responsibility. Besides, team awareness campaigns have been in use in the past to address such issues as drug use, stress as well as violence at workplace. Although th e mitigation strategies adopted in the past have not been fully effective, this paper adopts such forms to be the basis of many of our recommendations. This is because with only some improvements, the strategies would be very effective and efficient in mitigating the concerns. Besides, the design and adoption of favorable emergency response plans are quite commendable efforts because they have the capacity to revolutionize the working of the organization greatly. The safety and response plans that have been discussed above are very basic tools for any organization and thus should be embraced and harnessed (Anonymous, 1996). They are basic tools, which show the ethical compliance of any company as it explains responsiveness to regulations within an organization, prevention mechanisms on injuries and illnesses, emergency plans as well as social responsibility. Besides ethics dictate that companies take up the role of investigating non compliance with such predefined tools by workers a nd the subsequent adoption of appropriate measures in order to ensure that the standards of compliant employees is guaranteed. Ethics are fundamental in management of any business entity as well as such companies as the Apple Inc. Based on the previously discussed safety, illness and response plans, the company has the ethical responsibilities to ensure that regulations and procedures are adhered to. This is not

Labor market Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Labor market - Research Paper Example What are the exchange-offs confronted by firms in paying diverse wages? How do wages and turnover associate? What decides the proficient measure of turnover? The financial fortunes of most people are to a great extent controlled by their labor market encounters that is, by ways for their wages, their employers, and their interceding spells of employment or unemployment. Subsequently, economists are commonly intrigued by reporting the exact conduct of wages, occupation, and unemployment, and likewise in building models to help us comprehend the drives that shape these conclusions and utilizing the models to evaluate the results of progressions in arrangements or organizations. (ROGERSON et al, 2005: 959) â€Å"Workers prefer to work when the wage is high, and firms prefer to hire when the wage is low. Labor market equilibrium balances out the conflicting desires of workers and firms and determines the wage and employment observed in the labor market.† (Borjas, 2011) 1. Compensating differentials: a worker may be paid less in cash, in light of the fact that he is getting a piece of his payment regarding some other aspects of the occupation, which may incorporate lower level exertion prerequisites, better working conditions, better comforts and so forth. (Acemoglu & Autor, n.d.) 2. Labor market imperfections: Notwithstanding its creative approach and significance in comprehending various micro-macro mysteries, the current business cycle writing has genuine impediments, some of which are because of its shortsighted perspective of the work market. Business cycle demonstrates that join ostensible rigidities (known as New-Keynesian). The compartmentalization of exploration in the process of childbirth commercial concerns and business cycle is sad, as the absolute most essential alteration forms pertinent to the connection between true and ostensible macroeconomic variables begin in the

The Electronic Policy Network Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Electronic Policy Network - Research Paper Example The users access the policy network through the subject lists; for instance, democracy, globalization, trade, and gender. Each topic has links to other appropriate and relevant websites. The users can access information from their preferred organizations through signing-up. The information is periodically sent to their e-mail. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is one organization that is represented in the online consortium. The ACLU entails a non-partisan and also a non-profit organization. The mission of the organization involves defending the individual rights and also the liberties of individuals, which are guaranteed in the United States constitution and other applicable laws1. The ACLU works through various approaches, for instance, community education, litigation and lobbying. The organization was started in 1920 by the initiatives of Roger Baldwin, Walter Nelles, and Crystal Eastman. The organization has more than 500,000 members, and its annual budget estimates is approximately $100 million. The organization has affiliates in all the states in America and also Puerto Rico. The ACLU gives legal assistance during cases that put at risk the civil liberties. The legal support provided include; direct legal representation, and the preparation of amicus curiae briefs that illustrate legal argum ents. The amicus curiae briefs are prepared, when another legal firm is adequately providing legal representation. At the initial formation stages, the main focus of the ACLU was the freedom of speech. This was majorly applicable to the anti-war protestors2. In the 1920s, the organization increased its activities to encompass safeguarding the free speech rights of striking employees and also artists. The enhanced activities also entailed the collaboration with the national Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). The collaboration was aimed at preventing discrimination and also racism. In the 1930s, the organizations began to

Second assignment topshop lt Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Second assignment topshop lt - Essay Example In the context of the present study, it needs to be mentioned that while analyzing the overall international business structure, the key business issues required to operate a business in the international market have been considered, which include marketing, logistics, organisational structure and communication. However, even before describing the proposed international business structure, it is important to provide a brief insight about market trend of the behaviour exhibited by the African consumers (Burgemeister, 2003, p. 192). African Retail Industry The launch of Topshop stores in Johannesburg and Durban shows the degree of attractiveness of the South African retail market. In the year 2011, The African Development Bank and AFDB provided a report that described the middle class of the country as those people having daily consumption of US$2-20 per day. Industrialists, however, wish to think differently. Mr. Mncane Mthunzi, the executive director of Massmart, believes that compan ies should not focus too much on the so-called definition of the African middle class. According to Mthunzi, as per the retailers, the disposable income should be decided by the fact whether the people coming to retail store have the money to buy the designated product or not. According to experts, the fact that the sub-Saharan Africa does not have modern retail outlets or major shopping malls does not imply the fact that the south-African consumers do not have the purchasing power. Experts believe that South African customers can be categorised as wealthy or upper class, rising or higher middle class and also rural customers. Analysts actually believe that the major retailers including global as well as local firms should actually focus on the rising middle class segment (Churchill, 2009, p.211). This is a group that is becoming more judicious in the consumer behaviour. Such groups are looking for quality branded products. Analysts also added that this is the trend that can be seen throughout the continent. However, as compared to other African neighbours, South Africa has shown rapid growth in the retail segment. The country has been able to get over the aftershocks of 2008 economic slump. In 2012, the country saw an economic growth of 2.6%. The retail sales have increased by 3.9%. The consumer spending has increased by $4,291 per capita. Managing the international distribution network One of the major decisions that a company has to make while aiming at internationalisation is managing the overall channel and distribution. One of the key elements of the distribution strategy is to decide upon the market entry strategy. There are various modes of entry that a company can choose, including joint ventures, strategic alliances, acquisitions, green-field strategy and franchising. While making the market entry decision into a foreign country, one of the key factors to be considered is the risk factor. In the context of this, it is to be mentioned that despite of growth potential, the African retail industry can be tagged as a virgin market. Also the disposable income of the people of Africa may not be as high as other European and North American nations since the African

Placement Experience and Personal and Professional Development Essay

Placement Experience and Personal and Professional Development - Essay Example In addition, I was also assigned with the responsibility to handle queries of customers who are already in the middle of a tour or those who are about to go on a tour. Queries were mostly related to payment, travel tickets, travel documents, immigration and local guidance. My duty was also to process the queries and delegate them to my superiors in cases where handling those queries were beyond my capability as well as authority. Another major responsibility was to notify clients of any modifications in the tour plans and other updates related to date of departure and arrival (such as, notifying any flight postponement or delay). Alongside that, my job role required me to gather feedback from our customers regarding quality of products and services offered by us. Thereafter, I was supposed to deliver the feedback to my superiors as well as manager in order for them to identify area of strengths and improvements. Lastly, I provided assistance to my manager so as to finish the day†™s task.DiscussionBeing the sales representative in Hino Travel Limited, my major responsibility was to attend customers who come for consultancy and provide them with all necessary information regarding products and services that we had to offer. In such a situation I had to use my presentation skills combined with a positive attitude in order to persuade them to choose the deals that we had on offer. I was able to do so by developing an exhaustive picture of needs and expectations of the customers.

The Mona Lisa Essay Example for Free

The Mona Lisa Essay The Mona Lisa is perhaps Leonardo Da Vinci’s most famous of paintings. It is an oil painting, painted on poplar wood. The painting is most famous for the smile of the woman, which people have been trying to decipher for a long time. Many believe that the portrait is that of Da Vinci himself, while many also place a lot mystic connections with this painting. The portrait depicts a woman’s bust, with a distant landscape that is visible in the backdrop. Leonardo used a pyramid design to install in simple and calm manner within the painting. The woman is shown with her hands folded, with her breast, neck, and face painted the same color as her hands. The light is diffused so that the various curves and geometrical shapes on the painting are made visible through it. Perhaps the most interesting thing about the painting is the woman’s smile. Many believe that it is innocent and inviting, while others believe that of smugness and a smirk. Many scientific studies have been undertaken to determine the exact nature of the smile and the real reason remains a mystery. It is believed that every person sees the smile differently because of the changes in the lightning that Leonardo presented. The woman is shown seated in an open area, and behind her is a vast landscape, which recedes to an icy mountain. Some winding paths and a far away bridge is also perceptible in the background. The painting is an amazing one should definitely take a look at it in order to appreciate its full beauty. The painting is currently on display at the Musee du Louvre, in Paris.

Plagiarism in Higher Education Essay Example for Free

Plagiarism in Higher Education Essay Al Ain Women’s College, Higher Colleges of Technology, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates Abstract Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of the modern information society on attitudes and approaches to the prevention of plagiarism and to examine a less punitive, more educative model. Design/methodology/approach – The approach taken is a literature review of plagiarism in contemporary society followed by a case study of the education department of a tertiary-level college in the United Arab Emirates. Findings – The authors advocate a move towards a less punitive, more educative approach which takes into account all the relevant contextual factors. A call is made for a truly institutional response to a shared concern, with comprehensive and appropriate policies and guidelines which focus on prevention, the development of student skills, and the proactive involvement of all relevant stakeholders. Practical implications – This approach could inform the policies and practices of institutions who wish to systematically deal with plagiarism in other contemporary contexts. Originality/value – This paper could be of value to policy makers and administrators in tertiary institutions, particularly in English as a second language contexts, who recognise the limitations of traditional approaches to plagiarism and wish to establish more effective practices. Keywords Copyright law, Information society, Dishonesty, United Arab Emirates Paper type Literature review Plagiarism in political discourse Politicians, more than anyone else, need to portray an image of integrity, honesty, and independent thought. Their election, their livelihood, and the fate of their constituents would seem to depend on it. Yet politicians commonly use speechwriters who have the speci? c task of conveying their thoughts, personality, and personal sincerity (see for example, Philp, 2009). It may be argued that although politicians do not necessarily write the words themselves, they endorse the words they use. But what if the words themselves are not original? In one instance, the presidential candidate Barack Obama was confronted by the fact that some of his speeches had taken material from Deval Patrick, the Massachusetts Governor. Obama admitted he should have acknowledged his source: Education, Business and Society: Contemporary Middle Eastern Issues Vol. 3 No. 3, 2010 pp. 166-177 q Emerald Group Publishing Limited 1753-7983 DOI 10. 1108/17537981011070082 I was on the stump. [Deval] had suggested that we use these lines and I thought they were good lines [. . . ] I’m sure I should have – didn’t this time [. . . ] I really don’t think this is too big of a deal (Obama cited in Whitesides, 2008). Published by kind permission of HCT Press. Plagiarism has been de? ned as â€Å"the unacknowledged use of someone else’s work [. . . ] and passing it off as if it were one’s own† (Park, 2004, p.292) and it is interesting to speculate whether such an excuse would be accepted from a student by an educational institution’s plagiarism committee. Accusations of plagiarism in politics have been made before, of course, though the outcomes were often different, suggesting that a shift may be taking place in attitudes towards plagiarism in politics. In 1987, another presidential hopeful was forced to abandon his ambitions for high of? ce largely because he had plagiarised a speech by the British politician Neil Kinnock and because of â€Å"a serious plagiarism incident† in his law school years (Sabato, 1998). Ironically, the candidate was none other than Joe Biden, the man chosen by Obama to be his Vice President. In politics today, it seems as though plagiarism no longer signals the end of a career. In contrast, students who are caught cheating or plagiarising can be subject to sanctions and consequences that are severely life impacting, which in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) can include permanent exclusion from all tertiary education (see for example, Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT), 2008). One question of fundamental concern that we must ask ourselves as tertiary-level educators is why college students, who have much less at stake, considerably less experience and knowledge and who do not use English as their ? rst language, should be held to higher standards of responsibility in communication than those in the highest political of? ces? Yet, if we make allowances for students who are still learning to orientate themselves in academic discourse, what standards should be applied? Plagiarism in a complex information society The concept of plagiarism is a relatively new cultural phenomenon. Greek philosophers regularly appropriated material from earlier works without compunction, and originality was considered less important than imitating, often orally, the great works of their predecessors (Lackie and D’Angelo-Long, 2004, p. 37). All the way through the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, the study of rhetoric rather than written language was often the norm, with students required to give public speeches to assembled faculty. Only the subsequent move towards written assignments brought with it new perceptions of student plagiarism (Simmons, 1999, p. 41). Around the same time, in the earlier part of the twentieth century, the formalization of citation styles from organizations such as the American Psychological Association marked a desire to standardise academic writing and provide a model for ethically quoting the work of others (Simmons, 1999, p. 42). With the rise of the information society and electronic media, another cultural shift seems to be underway. There have been recent suggestions that plagiarism is becoming more prevalent, and much of the blame has been placed on â€Å"nearly universal access to the Internet† (Scanlon and Neumann, 2002, p. 374). Park (2004, p. 293) refers to the ease of â€Å"copying [. . . ] in a digital world of computers, word processing, electronic sources and the Internet. † However, the explosion of electronic sources of information has not just made copying easier, it has also made it much more central to our students’ cultural and social experiences. Students going into tertiary education have grown up with the internet and are at home with downloading â€Å"free† ? lms, sharing music and modifying and emailing all kinds of material taken from the web. They have developed highly skilled ways of conducting non-academic research using  services such as search engines, social networking sites, podcasts, RSS feeds, discussion boards, etc. with Dealing with plagiarism 167 EBS 3,3 168 hyperlinks allowing them to jump from site to site as though the internet were a single-uni? ed source, and with copying and pasting a mainstay of interaction. They take it for granted that a pop star such as will. i. am can pick up and rework virtually the entire content of a political speech, and turn it into the award winning song and music video Yes we can, apparently without Obama’s knowledge or consent ((The) ABC News, 2008). They are not surprised when this video is then embedded in countless webpages, with the lyrics of the song posted on music sites without any attribution of the original source (see for example, LyricsReg, n. d). This intertextuality is a perfect example of the â€Å"postmodern, self-cannibalizing popular culture† (Bowman, 2004, p. 8) that our students now engage with on a daily basis. Students may well bring to the classroom very different ideas from their teachers about what constitutes fair use. Indeed, one study of 2,600 tertiary-level students in the UAE found that just over 40 percent considered cutting and pasting from the internet as either trivial cheating or not cheating at all. The attitudes of UAE students are similar to those of other students around the world (Croucher, 2009). Some theorists have gone a step further and argue that as the new media become more interactive and collaborative, it calls into question the whole idea of a â€Å"creative, original, individual who, as an autonomous scholar, presents his/her work to the public in his/her own name† (Scollon, 1995, p.1). The multiple contributors to Wikipedia pages is a clear example of how a collaborative process undermines our sense of authorship. In addition, the notion of what constitutes â€Å"fair use† is changing quickly. This is exempli? ed by the open source movement where material can be downloaded, modi? ed, and shared with minimal and strictly controlled author’s rights (See for example, Open Source Initiative, n. d). As Blum (2009) notes, the â€Å"rules about intellectual property are in ? ux. † Where does this leave educators? Has plagiarism become an irrelevant concept, too outdated in its de? nition to be of use in the production of educated professionals ready to take their place in our post-modern society? Do we have to accept Johnson’s (2007) argument that in the digital age, writing an original essay outside of class for assessment purposes is no longer viable in its current form because of the ease of copying from the internet? Do we have to agree with him when he says such tasks are no longer even relevant because they fail to re? ect the modern workplace? As Johnson argues: My transfer from education to the world of business has reminded me just how important it is to be able to synthesize content from multiple sources, put structure around it and edit it into a coherent, single-voiced whole. Students who are able to create convincing amalgamations have gained a valuable business skill. Unfortunately, most schools fail to recognize that any skills have been used at all, and an entire paper can be discarded because of a few lines repeated from another source without quotation marks. Plagiarism in education Plagiarism in education seems to operate under a very different set of rules from the pragmatic ? elds of politics or business and can create emotional responses that deploy highly charged metaphors such as The Plagiarism Plague (Bowman, 2004) or â€Å"Winning hearts and minds in war on plagiarism† (Jaschik, 2008). In education, plagiarism is â€Å"seen as a transgression against our common intellectual values, carrying justi? ably bad consequences for those guilty of the practice† (Isserman, 2003). Why is it generally accepted that politicians can use ghostwriters, but that students cannot, even if the stakes for the students are much lower? The critical issue for education is that plagiarism â€Å"circumvents the learning process† (Spencer, 2004, p. 16). The process of analysing and synthesizing ideas, and reformulating them in writing, is seen as central to learning. Only by ensuring that students struggle to assimilate material and develop their own voice do students go beyond surface information and develop higher order thinking skills. As Isserman (2003) notes: [.. . ] ownership over the words you use [. . . ] is really at the heart of the learning process. You can read a dozen books about the cold war, but if you can’t explain what you have learned to someone else in your own words, no real learning has taken place [. . . ] and you will have made no progress whatsoever toward realizing the central goal of a liberal-arts education: the ability to think for yourself. Dealing with plagiarism 169 This struggle for intellectual development is not easy, which is precisely the reason that makes plagiarism attractive for some students. In most cases teachers are not concerned about literary theft, but that their students are missing out on opportunities for learning because they are failing to engage with the material in a meaningful way. Plagiarism is therefore â€Å"denying them the opportunity to learn lessons, improve their study skills, and improve their knowledge and understanding† (Lancaster University, 2009, p. 3). If plagiarism is especially serious in education because it is an obstacle to learning, then we should deal with instances of plagiarism primarily from an educational perspective rather than the punitive one. Students need to learn the importance of academic integrity and understand that it is not just a hoop to be jumped through, but is integral to intellectual and personal growth. Clearly this learning process cannot be instantaneous, and allowances should be made as students develop. However, this does not mean that severe penalties should be removed from the process entirely as there will always be students who refuse or are unable to meet appropriate standards. Factors in? uencing the incidence of plagiarism Individual, pedagogical, and institutional factors can all in? uence the incidence of plagiarism. Students themselves can be impacted by a wide range of factors including their educational conditioning, cultural background, motivation, language skill, peer pressure, gender, issues with time management, ability, and even the subject being studied (Roig, 1997). If the tertiary experience is vastly different to students’ previous educational experience, the motivation for plagiarism again increases. In the UAE, it is likely, for example, that the students’ primary and secondary schooling was characterised by rote learning and the quest for a single correct answer, non-transparent and poorly conceived assessment practices, and vast social inequities within the student base, and between students and their often socially and economically disadvantaged teachers. Norms, expectations, and demands learned in this context can be dif? cult to dislodge in subsequent institutions which place a premium on the exploration of problems and solutions, independent and critical thinking skills, and academic integrity. If plagiarism is not de? ned or academic processes made explicit, then such students will ? nd it impossible to reach the standards that are suddenly and (to them) inexplicably imposed on them. Pedagogical approaches may also contribute to the prevalence of plagiarism. Current methodologies place much more emphasis on collaboration and group work, with a greater weight given to out-of-class projects and portfolios at the expense of formal exams. The result is that the line between collaboration and cheating during assessed tasks is blurred, and if this is not explicitly dealt with by assessors, it will inevitably EBS 3,3 170 result in misunderstandings as to what is acceptable. Also, students are more likely to justify cheating if the coursework or assignments they were given were too hard, poorly scaffolded, or based on unreasonable expectations of their abilities (Naidoo, 2008), and plagiarism will be made easier if the assignments are not constructed carefully so that stock answers cannot be copied from the internet (Wood, 2004). However, the institutional context plays perhaps the most critical role. For example, unclear and uncommunicated institutional policies with vague de?  nitions of plagiarism can affect the incidence of plagiarism, as can the application of those policies (McCabe et al. , 2002). Some aspects of an organization may unwittingly encourage plagiarism. For example, in contrast to schools, tertiary education institutions in the UAE do not typically award top grades to large numbers of students, and there is evidence to suggest that students justify using ghostwriters in such an environment because they believe they deserve better grades (Croucher, 2009). An often overlooked but crucial aspect of deterring and detecting plagiarism is the application of institutional policies by teachers. One survey of 800 American academics at 16 institutions found that 40 percent never reported incidents of plagiarism while a further 54 percent did so only seldomly, even though the evidence suggested they must have received plagiarised work (McCabe, 1993 cited in Schneider, 1999). There are many reasons why teachers may be reluctant to report plagiarism. Teachers may feel the potential penalties for students are too high (Auer and Krupar, 2001). They may also be wary of making false accusations which potentially undermine their own professional status. Some teachers object to taking on the role of detective or enforcer as it undermines the mentor-student relationship (Schneider, 1999; Park, 2004) while others may not have the time to make an extra effort to uncover plagiarism and follow it up (Park, 2004). It may also be that some teachers, especially teachers of content subjects where the focus is less on form and more on ideas, may not have suf? ciently developed skills to detect plagiarism. Hyland (2001) found that even teachers who detect plagiarism may use indirect feedback when dealing with plagiarism (for example, comments in the margins such as â€Å"Are these your own words?†) which can lead to miscommunication with the student about what is acceptable. With so many factors at play, the responsibilities of teachers must be clearly codi? ed if any institutional initiative is to have any success. Plagiarism and ESOL/EFL English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) and English as a foreign language (EFL) contexts may be more prone to infringements of academic integrity because students lack the English skills to understand the coursework and so may feel that plagiarism offers the only solution (Hyland, 2001; Liu, 2005). Moreover, the cultural conditioning of English as a second language (ESL) and EFL students has been cited as another contributing factor. Moder (1995 cited in Lackie and D’Angelo-Long, 2004, p. 38) suggests that some societies, including those in the Middle East, â€Å"value memorization and imitation as the mark of an educated person† which may mean that plagiarism is viewed as being less signi? cant. Liu (2005, p. 239) disagrees with the notion of cultural conditioning, however, claiming that â€Å"it is  based on incorrect information and is presented often via unwarranted jumps in reasoning and con? ation of separate issues. † More pertinently, perhaps, she goes on to argue that: [. . . ] even if we concede that such cultural conditioning indeed exists to some extent, we still cannot say for sure that it is the main reason that ESOL students plagiarize. There are many other factors that may motivate ESOL students from many L1 backgrounds to plagiarize, including a lack of adequate pro? ciency, lack of task speci?c writing skills, and of course, the urge to cheat (p. 239). Dealing with plagiarism ESOL students, then, whether or not cultural conditioning is accepted as an underlying factor in plagiarism, may still have greater motivation than their ? rst language counterparts to take and use the ideas and words of others in their own assignments. Ironically, plagiarism by ESOL students is also far more likely to be detected because of more prominent differences in language level and tone between copied and original work. Degrees of plagiarism Intuitively, plagiarism varies in its severity in a way that cheating (e. g. using crib sheets or having someone else take a test for you) does not. It can consist of minor lapses, for example, when original material is poorly paraphrased but the source is acknowledged, through deliberately copying parts of a text without citing the source, to submitting work from an online paper mill (Roig, 1997). Critical factors in determining the severity of the plagiarism include the intention behind the plagiarism (was it deliberate or accidental? ), the amount of material that has been plagiarised, the inclusion of the source in the list of references, the degree to which the plagiarised material differs from the source (an indication at an attempt to paraphrase), the time the student has spent in tertiary education, and whether it is the ? rst, second, or subsequent occurrence. Given the wide variation in the seriousness of plagiarism and the developmental process students must undergo to assimilate the norms of academic writing, it is clear that the appearance of plagiarised material is not always a deliberate attempt to cheat. For example, students are often poor at paraphrasing and may not be fully aware that this could be construed as plagiarism. Roig (1999) gave English-speaking undergraduate students a two-sentence paragraph to paraphrase and found that between 41 and 68 percent of the responses contained strings of at least ? ve words or more copied from the original. These results clearly back up the claim that plagiarism may indicate a de? cit in appropriate skills and not intentional academic dishonesty. Towards an institutional response to plagiarism In many educational institutions, plagiarism is seen largely as a teacher/student problem. If plagiarism is detected, then the teacher makes a decision as to whether to escalate the case for possible punitive action. The plagiarism is seen either as morally wrong or as a â€Å"crime† – the breaking of a rule that has inevitable consequences (Blum, 2009). Unfortunately, dealing with plagiarism in this way can result in decisions which are reactive, emotive, and which are made informally on an ad hoc basis, thus inviting inequity and inconsistency. When the focus is directed towards punishment, there may be little maturation in terms of academic integrity for the student concerned, or for those who watch their classmate’s fate from the sidelines. Academic endeavour must take place within an institutional culture that routinely recognises and reinforces the value of academic integrity so that all stakeholders are obliged to proactively follow and uphold best practice in order to reduce the impact of the contributing factors discussed above. This requires the establishment of an institutional response to plagiarism that is comprehensive, appropriate, fair, developmental, transparent, and educative. 171 EBS 3,3 Park (2004, p. 294) describes such an institutional framework for dealing with plagiarism that was developed by a working party at Lancaster University in consultation with staff and with reference to experience and the literature: The working party sought to move the plagiarism discourse beyond just detection and punishment and to situate and embed it in a cohesive framework that tackles the root causes as well as the symptoms of plagiarism as a family of behaviours. 172 The key elements underpinning this framework were consistency and transparency. These were ensured by the explicit codi? cation of stakeholder responsibilities, procedures, and penalties. In order for such a framework to be implemented effectively, Park (2004, p. 296) noted that â€Å"all stakeholders within the institution must understand and appreciate why the framework is necessary and how it protects their own interests. † A case study Park (2004, pp. 295-9) nominated a number of central pillars that lend validity and effectiveness to any such institutional framework. These included transparency, ownership by stakeholders, student engagement, academic integrity, framing the initiative to ensure compatibility with the culture of the institution, focus on prevention and deterrence, and the supportive and developmental nature of the framework. These pillars provide excellent reference points for the approach taken in one department in a college in the UAE and allow us to examine the viability and ef? cacy of such a framework for the local context. The Education Department at Abu Dhabi Women’s College (ADWC) has addressed its concerns with academic honesty in a concerted, collaborative, and multi-faceted fashion. As teacher educators, the faculty in this department are intent on producing future academics. Much like politicians, words, information, and the generation of ideas are the very foundation of our professional lives, so we regard it as essential that the â€Å"rules† of using these appropriately are disseminated, understood, and followed at all times by all of our students. To this end, we have established and adhere to a set of policies and practices at all levels that support and facilitate academic honesty. Institutional/departmental level The HCT, of which ADWC is only one of 16, institutionally mandates the prevention and sanctioning of plagiarism and related offences. Consequences of infringements of these rules are outlined in of?cial policies, Student Handbooks (see for example, HCT, 2008), contracts signed by students at the commencement of their studies, and reinforced by administrative staff and faculty at every student meeting and examination session held throughout the student’s academic career at HCT. From these guidelines, the Education Division throughout the colleges has documented standards and procedures that address academic honesty in its assessment handbooks – one that is distributed to all education students and the other, more comprehensive and speci?c, that is used by all education faculty. This shared written documentation enables best practice in assessment to be disseminated and followed, provides the underlying philosophy and approach for the division as a whole, and addresses academic honesty both directly and indirectly to better support student writing and make plagiarism a less viable or attractive option. The assessment handbooks re? ect the developmental curricular approach of the division as a whole, and so specify the type, nature, and expectations for assessments at each level to scaffold the students’ ability to produce increasingly sophisticated and original work. Ensuring that requirements are reasonable and documented minimises the students’ need to seek help through illegitimate means. These handbooks are the basis of communication within the ADWC Education Department on all matters regarding assessment and have served to ensure a common approach and understanding. Insights gained by instructors in their daily interactions with students and their submissions inevitably reveal general dif?culties facing students, which are then examined in regular formal and informal meetings to brainstorm and implement further strategies that may be useful. The ongoing concern at faculty level with issues of academic honesty is mirrored in the systematic recycling of warnings, information, and explicit instructions to students. As a department, the theft or misappropriation of ideas and words has been, and continues to be, addressed as professionally offensive and inappropriate. Initiatives suggested by Education Department faculty as well as colleagues in other departments and colleges are pursued vigorously. One recent example has been the provision of workshops by library staff on research skills and academic procedures. The plagiarism detection software, Turnitin, was originally adopted by the department as both a defence against plagiarism and a tool to help students protect themselves against accidental plagiarism. This proved to be very effective, but unfortunately access to this subsequently became unavailable. Now, suspicious text samples are input into search engines and all assignments are run through SafeAssign, a plagiarism checker in Blackboard (the online course management system). These have proved to be acceptable alternatives. As Braumoeller and Gaines (2001) found in their study, â€Å"the deterrent effects of actually checking for plagiarism are quite impressive (p. 836). † The departmental approach has included a series of mandatory workshops and masterclasses on academic writing and plagiarism for all students in slightly altered learning contexts designed to motivate, encourage participation, and focus attention. It should be noted that the relatively small size of the department (one chair, six faculty, and fewer than 80 students) makes shared understandings, uniform dissemination of information, and infraction detection much easier and more likely than in a bigger department where students are not familiar to every teacher. Course level Academic writing skills are an important component of all education courses. Referencing skills are taught explicitly in a speci? c course during the students’ ? rst semester, and then constantly reinforced and recycled throughout the programme. The education programmes at the HCT are based on re?  ective practice. This means that assignments are contextualised and require the application rather than the regurgitation of theory, so copying from previously submitted work or in any way buying or commissioning a paper cannot be so easily accomplished as theory has to ? t the student’s individual circumstances. In addition, the student’s right to submit and receive feedback on a ? rst draft of every paper (Assessment Handbook, 2009, p. 7) allows plagiarism, deliberate, or accidental; to be detected and remediated at an earlier stage before punishment becomes the only option. The feedback and scaffolding policy (pp.53-5), which outlines the form and scope of feedback to be given, draws instructor attention to both macro and micro features of the submission, so any attempt to use words or ideas from an external source should be revealed at least a week before ? nal submission. Dealing with plagiarism 173 EBS 3,3 All students submitting assignments in the Education Division are required to sign a declaration on their cover page that the work is entirely their own and all sources have been acknowledged (Assessment Handbook, 2009, p. 47). This provides a ? nal reminder that academic honesty is expected and will be monitored. Faculty responsibilities and input All faculty in the Education Department, regardless of their course allocation, consider themselves teachers of English. This is not only because we each have ESL teaching quali? cations and experience (obviously an advantage), but also because we recognise the importance of language as the vehicle for idea generation and transmission. Language is inseparable from the content area in which those ideas are conceived and manipulated. This can be a very different orientation to that of colleagues in other departments whose subject area specialisation takes precedence. Our more holistic approach means that we explicitly teach both content and the language elements with which to express that content to students who may be struggling with the unfamiliarity of both. It also means that we take our role as defenders of academic integrity very seriously and vigilantly monitor and check student output. As professional ESL teacher educators, we strive to be models of effective language use as well as successful proponents of academic scholarship, so ongoing instruction in both is a routine aspect of teaching and learning in the department. This increased student awareness of appropriate academic writing processes reduces their motivation to misappropriate text written by others. The cultural and social aspects of plagiarism are also given attention by faculty. In a society that places less value on individuality than it does on cooperation and social cohesion, it is important for students to understand that they have not only the right, but the responsibility, to turn down requests for assistance from peers. Faculty not only explain this, but also explain to students how to respond assertively with friends or relatives asking for inappropriate help. Without this, no amount of education or punishment can ever be successful. Student involvement Education students are required to be active participants in their own learning. Because all assessment processes are documented and transparent, they have the ability to question and ask for clari? cation on any aspect that they do not understand. All expectations or consequences are addressed in multiple ways, so ignorance is no defence for malpractice. Submissions of ? rst drafts are perhaps the most critical aspect for students. Although these are universally permitted and scheduled, they are never awarded a mark and are not always actually demanded, so it is up to the student to take advantage of their right to pre-submission feedback. An appropriate framework? The Education Department at ADWC values academic honesty very highly and has organized its procedures and practices accordingly. The very infrequent occurrence of plagiarism is testimony to the effectiveness of: . proactive strategizing; . clear documentation; . reasonable and appropriate expectations; 174 . . . . . awareness raising; sustained faculty vigilance and involvement; support for the development of student skills and cognitive growth; decreased student opportunity and motivation to cheat; and the pervasive sense of professional identity and responsibility that characterise departmental efforts on this issue at all levels. Dealing with plagiarism 175 The work done in this department is thus an arguably successful attempt to â€Å"devise a student plagiarism framework that best suits [our] own culture and circumstances†.

The impact of conflict on Somali women

The impact of conflict on Somali women Somalia was formed by the union of Italian Somalia and the British Somaliland protectorate, after gained independence in 1960. The main legacy of colonial rule was a centralized system of government which the military, under General Mohammed Siyad Barre, seized in 1969, after nine years of democratic elections and amid accusations of corruption. Barre adopted an anti-tribalism policy of scientific socialism advocating popular participation through local councils and worker committees.. It has been now without a central government after its last president Despot Mohamed S. Barre fled the country in 1991. Following, the fighting among warring groups and clan leaders resulted in the killing, raping, and displacement of the Somali community in whole especially in Mogadishu and Baidoa that led hunger of thousands of persons, which made later on an Intervention led by the United Nations peacekeeper. Due to, without central administration system for the last four decades, and still the country is under different factional leader, thought there is a so called Somali federal government, but it controls less than 30 percent of the capital of the country and at the sometime, according to UNICEF Reports of 2010 indicates that the half of the population of estimated 3.6 Million people lives in a state of humanitarian emergency and over 1.5 million is burdened by violence and instability, extreme poverty, food insecurity due to drought and high prevalence of child protection violations, especially recruitment and use of children and youth in armed conflict as well as other form of sexual violence . Surprisingly the regions which called themselves by a state that succeeded from the rest of Somalia, like the Somaliland, have achieved a lot in aspects including political, security and economical development. Somaliland has achieved many things that are including the recent free and fair election which was historically and that same in took place in 2003, April 14. With the emphasise on Security council report that states the presidential election- took place in Somaliland on 14 April 2003. That the three candidates representing three political parties were Somalilands incumbent -president, Dahir Riyale Kahin of the allied peoples democratic party (UDUB); Ahmed Muhammed silanyo, a veteran politician of the solidarity party (Kulmiye); and Faysal Ali Warabe, a civil engineer from the diaspora, of the justice and welfare party (UCID). On the 19th April the national electoral commission announced that incumbent president Dahir Riyale had won the election by a margin og 80 votes out of almost 500,000 cast. and the recently election took in 26th June 2010 peacefully according the report issued by IRI-International Republican Institute Somaliland citizens remain committed to developing democrati c institutions and carving out a peaceful, self-sufficient nation in the Horn of Africa.   For Somalilanders, the upcoming presidential election  is a crucial step in their nations democratic development.. However with this discussion the paper will look deeply in the case Somalia conflict and will it narrow toward the women regardless which situation they are the pre and post conflicts. The Conflict, Political and Security Impact on Somali women This paper will focus the political history of Somali conflict, and this was very clear that the fighting had begun in the late 80s was mainly limited to the north. Where then the civil war spreads toward the south and middle regions including the capital of Mogadishu until the fighting engulfed the whole country. Resulted the overthrown of Barres regime in January 1991. Somali was under military regime that has been leading the country from 1969 to 1991, creates a platform of balanced gender in Somalia, and number of international conventions were adopted relating to the rights Somali women including the convention of the elimination of all forums to discrimination against women, but none has been signed or ratified. Somali women were enjoying at that time their roles as a citizen. Barres administration issue law that made both gender to be the same under the law, and give the women same right and opportunity as men do and that led women to became and hold such as the highest ranks in the administration, their ranks were varies from profession to profession such as colonels, pilots, ambassadors and as well as judges. This paper will argue that gender was equal under the Somali law thought there was a cultural and religion misconceptions within the Somali society that were in place. The emergencies situation discourses in Somalia due to the civil war and famine have created less struggles toward in the long and short-term on human development and the empowerment of women. The prolonged civil war, food insecurity and the Islamic secularism threat have turned into the women more vulnerable to political and economic insecurities than men. According to the June 2003 report of the Secretary General to the Security Council, which states that about 400,000 Somalis are refugees are in the neighboring countries while up to 370,000, are internally displaced have no basic human life support such as water, health and school facilities. Women and children are made the majority of the internally displaced persons living in camps within the country and as well the neighboring countries. While this paper argues that women became more stronger than they were, and the reason is that the life without the basic human support are entire critical to the human life to lives and the females faces daily such horrible man-made disaster and that they undergo daily consequential problem, which made them to be very strong and endurable to condition. Somali women become more productive as their husbands, brother and sons joins the warring militias and being absent in their supporting, and with this reality women have gained greater responsibility in the micro economy in the country. Of course the larger businesses are controlled and run by men, but Recognition by women of the necessity of petty trading has also led to some co-operation, including that between women from different clans which will be important in future periods of peace and reconciliation. Women have pooled their resources and strengths, increasing the potential of their livelihood strategies. Women with some education assist illiterate women and groups have established small co-operatives. In many cases women are forced to hire men, often relatives, to protect their stores, sleep in shops and warehouses, activities which are socially precluded for women (Bennett et al 1995). Human rights violation and the violence against women The challenge of civil war can be summarized as follows. Civil war imposes high costs on the warring people, especially the poor countries, and will impose even higher costs on future generation. It effects on education, health and infrastructure of the country, but it is wisely agreed that civil war causes not only destruction and wiping out of a complete generation, but also the impact on the sustainability on human and economy development. The wars are key that creates the human right abuses, violence against human and deeply effected on women and children, and it is therefore, widely known that militias and other gunmen in Somalia rapes women and girls of opposing clans and other vulnerable groups, particularly the internally displaced people such as the minority group of Bantu, Midgan, Tumal, Yibir, Bravanese and also wealthier Benadiri communities and according to a report issued on Wednesday 24 November 2010 minorities such as the Bantu and Gaboi suffer even more than the gene ral population in war-torn Somalia, and this recently published news report reveals that, these groups suffer abuses including summary executions, beheadings and rape. This because they are not protected by the traditional powerful clan structure, quoted from the minority right group international. The Mark Lattimer, the groups executive director, point out that the worst is definitely in south central Somalia, where much of the territory is more controlled by al shebaab, by Islamist militia, there are acute human rights abuses, including a great problem of the curtailment of religious freedom. Many traditional Somali Muslim religious practices are being suppressed by al shebaab. Who follow a very exclusionary ideology; He adds that his group has noted widespread rape as well as executions, torture, forcible displacement and expropriation of land., and this is why the conflict has led decreased mobility for Somali women due to the threat and fear of rape . So that human rights abuses in Somalia are unaccounted for and those who pay the prices are the minority clans especially those who do not have support with strong clan or military strength. Women who have been raped suffer health issue related during their forced sexual assault. The stigmatization causes that the women cannot contacted or consulted with doctors after they have been raped, unless they have other serious injuries and this is a difficult to conceal by the doctor whether they have raped or not. Regarding to the Human right watch reports in 1994 that Somali women who have raped face not only the physical and psychological trauma of rape but also the likelihood of rejection by their families. The strong cultural stigma is attached to rape in Somalia. In numerous cases, families have begged UNHCR officials to take their daughter to another camp after she has been raped because of the stigma on the family. Somalia Gender relation in pre-conflict Somalia was distinguished of culture in which men are the most powerful social system and that creates the gap between the genders in the terms of economy and political involvement. Economic, security and rights This paper will examine, that the Somali people has the highest illiteracy rate, and it is estimated that eighty percent are illiterate where 17 percent of Somali children go to school and one in four men and 13 percent of Somali women are literate in todays Somalia. A total of 81 percent can neither read nor write (afrol news). And this indicates that Almost near now three generation of children has lost their education since the infrastructure collapsed in 1991. The causative of the gender inequality in the educational system has vividly increased, where twice as many boys compared to girls entering primary school due to cash impoverished families choose to invest in sons over their daughters. The other important issue that Somali community cannot survive economically is the narcotic chewing leave called Qaat. The Qaat has destroyed the relationship between the families and it creates that men usually consume this drug that they diverted the funds towards that addicted consumption. Women and peace building This paper examines the role and the participation of the Somali women and their traditional role. Traditionally in Somalia, women cannot stand for clans and are not even respected as a clan member that limits their involvement in the Somali political arena. On the other hand, this neutrality has given women greater opportunities to engage in cross clan coalition building. For example, at Arta Peace conference, women from different clan came together to form the sixth clan so women could participate formally in the peace negotiation. Hence the Somali people are oral societies, both men and women, are highly regarded as orators. Womens viewpoints are heard within the range of family and valued, even though, not frequently in community and public conferences. Women also lend a hand to the attempts for the peace reconciliation, by shaping the formal the ongoing peace and dialog processes, for example, marched up and down between the groups demonstrating and singing buraanbur or womens poems. Because, they are commonly have no problem and being envoy between the clans in the war. Somali women born naturally into one disputing clan and married into the other often deem loyalty for both clans and work firmly to lower tensions between them and at the same time women are dual connected morally with one tribe she is married and the one she born for, and this opportunity gives them to be free to move in the hostile areas. and their involvement in Somaliland reconciliation women did everything we could stop the bloodletting that dragged on for a considerable time. at the same time women were the wind behind the peace conference from A-Z in term of mobilizing the elders, in preparing the venue, the food, and in encouraging the participants to keep until the final peace accord was reached. So that they have all the credit in making peace possible (Dr Adan Yusuf Abokor, personal communication) beside, between the peace and hostilities participation, Somali women may work out the disputes at the family stage and ensuring good, decent and fair relationships between her daughters and their husbands. Somali women are very good at settling down family issue, when the situation sometimes reaches that the family to break out, giving the kids the priority and helping finding solution to the issue within the family. Culturally it is a womens role to provide for guests to her household, foods, and other necessary t hat guest need for their accommodations, travel etc and it is very skilful performance that women help and contribute to the needy families more than men in Somali society. On the other hand the reconciliation conferences which took place in Somaliland during 1992, have remained male dominated activities in which women did not take a direct role. According to Farah (1993), northern Somali women enthusiastically support local forums but this support is confined to providing tradition domestic service. In the south, where the UN have facilitated high profile peace conferences, women have been present. However, womens presence doesnt necessarily represent participation

Biography of Sir Isaac Newton :: Contributions of Isaac Newton

Sir Isaac Newton, mathematician and physicist, was one of the foremost scientific intellects of all time. Born in 1642 at Woolsthorpe, near Grantham in Lincolnshire, he attended school. There he entered Cambridge University in 1661. He was elected a Fellow of Trinity College in 1667, and Lucasian Professor of Mathematics in 1669. He remained at the university, lecturing in most years, until 1696. Of these Cambridge years, Newton was at the height of his creative power as "the prime of my age for invention". He singled out for four years, which was spent largely in Lincolnshire because of plague in Cambridge. During two to three years of intense mental effort he prepared Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica commonly known as the Principia, although this was not published until 1687. As a firm opponent of the attempt by King James II to make the universities into Catholic institutions, Newton was elected Member of Parliament for the University of Cambridge to the Convention Parliament of 1689, and sat again in 1701. Meanwhile, in 1696 he had moved to London as Warden of the Royal Mint. He became Master of the Mint in 1699, an office he retained to his death in 1727. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of London in 1671, and in 1703 he became President, being annually re-elected for the rest of his life. His major work, Opticks, appeared the next year; he was knighted in Cambridge in 1705. As Newtonian science became increasingly accepted on the Continent, and especially after a general peace was restored in 1714, following the War of the Spanish Succession, Newton became the most highly esteemed natural philosopher in Europe. His last decades were passed in revising his major works, polishing his studies of ancient history, and defending himself against critics, as well as carrying out his official duties. Newton was modest, diffident, and a man of simple tastes. He was angered by criticism or opposition, and offensive resentment He was harsh towards enemies but generous to friends. In government, and at the Royal Society, he proved an able administrator. Biography of Sir Isaac Newton :: Contributions of Isaac Newton Sir Isaac Newton, mathematician and physicist, was one of the foremost scientific intellects of all time. Born in 1642 at Woolsthorpe, near Grantham in Lincolnshire, he attended school. There he entered Cambridge University in 1661. He was elected a Fellow of Trinity College in 1667, and Lucasian Professor of Mathematics in 1669. He remained at the university, lecturing in most years, until 1696. Of these Cambridge years, Newton was at the height of his creative power as "the prime of my age for invention". He singled out for four years, which was spent largely in Lincolnshire because of plague in Cambridge. During two to three years of intense mental effort he prepared Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica commonly known as the Principia, although this was not published until 1687. As a firm opponent of the attempt by King James II to make the universities into Catholic institutions, Newton was elected Member of Parliament for the University of Cambridge to the Convention Parliament of 1689, and sat again in 1701. Meanwhile, in 1696 he had moved to London as Warden of the Royal Mint. He became Master of the Mint in 1699, an office he retained to his death in 1727. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of London in 1671, and in 1703 he became President, being annually re-elected for the rest of his life. His major work, Opticks, appeared the next year; he was knighted in Cambridge in 1705. As Newtonian science became increasingly accepted on the Continent, and especially after a general peace was restored in 1714, following the War of the Spanish Succession, Newton became the most highly esteemed natural philosopher in Europe. His last decades were passed in revising his major works, polishing his studies of ancient history, and defending himself against critics, as well as carrying out his official duties. Newton was modest, diffident, and a man of simple tastes. He was angered by criticism or opposition, and offensive resentment He was harsh towards enemies but generous to friends. In government, and at the Royal Society, he proved an able administrator.

Free College Essays - A Separate Peace :: A Separate Peace Essays

A Separate Peace "Holding firmly to the trunk, I took a step toward him, and then my knees bent and I jounced the limb." This is a quotation from the novel A Separate Peace, written by John Knowles. My focus in the following will be on Man's Inhumanity to Man. There is a strong relation of this to the novel for which I read. My first point which I will talk about is about Finny's tragic fall and how Gene was the cause of it. My support from the story is Finny's desire to jump from the tree. Gene said that he was coming to join him but Finny reminded him about studying. Gene's thoughts on the matter were, "He had never been jealous of me for a second. Now I knew that there never was and never could have been any rivalry between us, I couldn't stand this." My second support is Gene's actions leading to the accident. He took a step toward the trunk, put his knees and jounced the limb. Thus, Finny lost his balance and tumbled to the ground. My third support goes back to the scene of the accident after Gene watches Finny fall. And he thinks to himself, "It was the first clumsy physical action I had ever seen him make." More less, this is a sign of pride within Gene as he watches the good athlete, Finny fall out of the tree. My second point is on the scene where Brinker brings Finny and Gene to the mock trial to let everyone know the real truth about the cause of the accident. In other words, it was a way of blasting away Gene and shoving his reputation as a respected individual into the ground. My support from the story is when Brinker and three acquaintances come into Gene and Finny's dorm and pull them out. After they entered the Assembly Room, Brinker remarks, "You see how Finny limps." This phrase was the beginning of his plan to set the truth loose, or primarily break the friendship link between Finny and Gene. Brinker chose the Assembly Room as the setting for this trial since there is nothing humorous about the place. It is a place which would be terrible for Gene's sake to talk about the cause of the accident.

Factors That Influence Infant Development

From the moment of conception, there are so many factors and hazards expecting parents must consider ensuring a safe pregnancy and healthy baby. All of which are very important to growth and development. In this essay, I will focus in on the key points an expecting mother should pay close attention to during pregnancy, labor, and the birth of her baby. Caring for yourself and the life growing inside of an expecting mother is a wonderful experience and sometimes a challenge. From the moment a couple decides to have a baby is when they should begin thinking about their future offspring. Taking care of yourself first is key to having an optimally healthy body to house a developing baby. Eating healthy, exercising and refraining from drugs, smoking and alcohol is of the utmost importance. Some mothers who are trying to conceive also take the extra measure of taking prenatal vitamins. It is also a good idea for a couple to visit their doctor to make sure they are in good health and given the â€Å"green light† to begin to work toward conceiving. Making sure you are in good physical health prior to conception is important to lessen the chances of complications during pregnancy. Once the joyous day arrives and you learn that you are expecting, it is very important to see your doctor and have him verify the news. Then begins the task of finding an OBGYN to care for you and your baby throughout the pregnancy and deliver the child when the time comes. Regular, consistent prenatal care is by far the most important factor in insuring the healthiest, safest pregnancy and delivery one can have. Your doctor will see you every month in the beginning of the pregnancy and track your baby’s growth as well as your weight and overall health. During these visits it is important to talk openly with your doctor about any questions or concerns you are having. Your doctor will prescribe prenatal vitamins and run regular tests throughout the pregnancy. When the due date gets closer a mother visits her OBGYN more frequently to track her progress and prepare her for the impending birth. Preventative care while pregnant is important to the growing fetus as well as the expecting mother to monitor progress and deal with any complications that may arise, such as gestational diabetes. What I feel is the most obvious hazard and precaution an expecting mother must consider is refraining from unhealthy activities, such as consuming alcohol, smoking or drug use. These toxins often have major and detrimental effects on a developing baby. There are many birth defects and disorders directly connected to expectant mothers unhealthy lifestyles during pregnancy, for example â€Å"fetal alcohol syndrome, which can cause deformities, mental retardation, learning disorders, vision difficulties and behavioral problems and are irreversible. †(www. mayoclinic. com) Drugs, smoking and alcohol all affect a baby that is in a critical time period of development and growth. An expecting mother must put the needs of her unborn child first. In this essay I have covered just a few important factors in the health and safety of a growing baby; but there are many, many more to consider. A couple planning to conceive must be aware of the hazards to their developing child and the precautions that must be heeded. Creating a new life is a wonderful, life changing experience. Every expecting parent should always do what is best for their child, from conception through the crucial first years of development on into adulthood.

Pagan and Christian Symbols in Beowulf

At the time that Beowulf was written, the culture that produced the poem, the Anglo-Saxons, were a pagan culture. The Catholic Church was trying to spread its beliefs to other parts of the world. The Anglo-Saxons were a definite target. Many of the texts that we have out of that time period were written by Catholic monks. In Beowulf there are many references to pagan and Christian beliefs. These beliefs neither contradict, nor outshine each other. Rather, the monks writing the work interjected some Christian ideas in order to try and sell Christianity to the people that were familiar with the tale.The pagan and Christian ideas are perfectly laced together to introduce some of the ideas of Christianity to a pagan people. In this poem there are often references to pagan and Christian beliefs very close in the piece of poetry. This would tie a familiar belief to something exotic to the Anglo-Saxons. In lines 1261-1268, the story of Cain and Abel are briefly explained, but not far from t his Christian reference is the idea of revenge, in line 1278, which is frowned upon in Christianity, but it was a popular belief among the Anglo-Saxon culture at that time.By binding these two elements together, the monk was trying to make Christianity seem less foreign and more like something familiar to the people. At the end of the attack on Grendel’s mother, in lines 1553-1556, the outcome of the fight was said to have been decided by God. Beowulf even credits God and thanks him for guiding him through the battle at many different points of the story. Yet, at the very end of the poem the greatest thing for Beowulf is fame. He wants to be remembered forever for his actions.At this point there is no mention of God or God’s help. Beowulf boasts; I risked my life Often when I was young. Now I am old, But as king of this people I shall pursue this fight For the glory of winning, if the evil one will only Abandon his earth-fort and face me in the open. (lines 2511-2515) This gives to credit to God for his actions, but it does tie God into fame. Earlier in the poem God had helped Beowulf on his quest, which gained him eternal fame. This, again, ties a popular belief among the Anglo-Saxons to a Christian belief.Making it easier to understand and, in a way, makes Christianity seem like a desirable belief system if it will gain one fame. The monks who wrote down the oral tradition of Beowulf intertwined Christian and pagan beliefs, hoping it would make Christianity more familiar to the Anglo-Saxons of that time. The monks had also used examples of Christianity that made it seem desirable for the people to convert. The purpose of adding Christian elements to Beowulf was not to outshine the pagan beliefs but to make Christianity something the Anglo-Saxons would understand.

Importance of being on time USMC Essay

Being at the appropriate place of duty at the correct time is a very important part of being in the Marine Corps. Being at the right place at the right time for any member of the Armed forces is extremely essential to the defense of the entire United States. Also being at the right place at the right time ensures a steady workplace, and ultimately the reliablity that others have on us. A Marine can not move up in the ranks in the Marine Corps if he or she is constantly late and/or at the wrong place. A Marine who truly wants to succeed in the military must go out of his or her way to get squared away and be on time to his or her place of duty or consequences will be bestowed upon them. This concept goes for any person in any career not just the military. Of course being on time in the Marine Corps is being at your appointed place of duty fifteen minutes prior to the actual time of that was ordered. If some one can not carry out the most simple and most important aspect of being on time as a Marine, he or she will be considered unworthy or unfit to be or become an NCO or even higher in they’re career. Even if a Marine goes above and beyond in in the workplace, in events, is great with physical, and mental, but is not on time and punctual than he or she will never actually succeed in the military. Dependability, accountability, consistency and discipline are all crucially related to being on time. Being early also shows that the individual aims high and has their priorities straight. It is directly related to a Marines appearance, combat readiness, mission effectiveness, and essentially every aspect of military life and responsibilities. Your appreance is the first thing that a leader sees, if you have a bad or no shave, no haircut (for males), tardiness, bad physical appearance, druck or hungover to an extreme. Then automatically you have given off a bad appearance, they dont want to go to you for big things, important things, because you can not even handle the simplest things. If you are unable to complete simple things, then when the time comes how will you even be close to doing something tuely challenging. You may work hard and complete tasks faster than any of your other peers, but if your apprearance is bad, then your leader are not even looking they already have a mindset, a negative mind set. All you have in life is your credablity, once it is gone in one persons eyes, you have to put in way more  effort restoring that, compared to the effort that it would have required to maintain your ablility to be relied on. Failure to be on time not only hinders mission capability and readiness, but also can cost unnecessary life lives in or out of combat. For instance; a Marine is late or does not report at all to his place of duty as ordered. In an extreme case a Marine not being on time to relieve the current Marine on post would cause the combat effectiveness and readiness of this Marine to be greatly reduced. This would be caused by fatigue, or lack of supplies needed. As a result of this Marines combat effectiveness he could be compromised and the security of the area could be over run. This is why being where one needs to be at the correct time will always be one of the most important aspects of being in the military. These things do happen on the battle field, whether it be friendly of enemy. However, This can be avoided by, once again, being on time. This is also why being on time remains and always will be an extreme aspect of military bearing and discipline. If you can not be on time, it is said that you have no discipline. Without discipline there is no way for Marines to efficiently fight and win against the enemy. And if we cannot defeat our enemies then there will no longer be a need for Marines. There is nearly no excuse for being late, or not reporting to your rightful place of duty at the right time. Accountability also goes hand in hand with being on time. Which ranges from being on time for the first formation of the day, being on time to relieve a fellow Marine from his post, or being on time to provide critical reinforcements for a unit that has been weakened and compromised in battle. The were about of a Marine is of extremely important at all times. As people say, how a Marine trains is how a Marine fights. If this term is true someone can only come to the conclusion that if a Marine isn’t on time how can he save and protect the lives of other Marines. He or she can’t be depended upon if they aren’t disciplined enough to be on time every time he is ordered to be. Dependability is the key to discipline and if you cant be on time then you wont be depended on, and you are then useless to others. In other words, in military life there is simply no margin for error regarding  being late or tardiness.

Hum 176. Week 1 Mass Media

University of Phoenix Material- Effects of Mass Media Worksheet Write brief 250-to 300-word answers to each of the following: |Questions |Answers | |What were the major developments in the |In the early/middle 20th century brought a mass of developments into the world. Some of | |evolution of mass media during the 20th |the extended communication lines begin to extend then with radios, televisions, | |century? newspapers. The late 20th century added other forms of media through internet, social | | |communication, and technology such as video games. Media was the forefront of culture and | | |brought people together. Media is a mixture of mass media and communication outlets. | | |Before mass communication, people wrote letters and sent them through mail to communicate. | |However since the evolution, there are new ways such as email, text messages, video | | |conferencing, chatting, etc. This century has adapted to the media conversion and it has | | |evolved into daily lifestyles. In the average workplace, new waves of technology have | | |begun to embark on the evolution by removing files, the use of paper, more recycling, and | | |using technology to its full potential.The average employer no longer requires paper | | |applications. More applications for employment can be done online, through smartphone | | |services with just one touch. Another major development streamed lined in the early 1900’s| | |with the authority of the printing press. As the invention successfully streamed, it | | |allowed the news press and local media to get more local news out effectively. Theatres | | |embraced the line of cinema.More movies also became famous as part of the century | | |entertainment. There were no longer more outside evening films. The films also gained | | |communication through the development of radio. Radio became the worldwide core to news, | | |entertainment, and the source that people could rely on. The radio started to be the hit | | |location f or many artist to show their talents and for viewers to hear top hit songs.The | | |late 20th century brought on more collaboration of music through the internet, cell | | |phones, and applications downloads on the internet, and more. The major developments have | | |been a great asset to the country and will continue to be embraced by individuals. | |How did each development influence | | |American culture? | |

Sci/256 Week 2 Discussion Question

Identify a natural ecosystem in which you live or one near to where you live? How does this ecosystem support you? At what trophic level are you? Why? An ecosystem (2011), according to Merriam Webster Learners Dictionary, is everything that exists in a particular environment. An ecosystem includes living things, such as plants and animals, and things that are not living, such as rocks, soil, sunlight, and water. One such example of a natural ecosystem is the George Mitchell Nature Preserve in Creekside Village in the Woodlands, TX. Thewoodlandstx. com (2011) website illustrates that the George Mitchell Nature Preserve is part of the Montgomery County Spring Creek Greenway, which will connect and protect up to 12,000 acres of forest on both sides of Spring Creek. The Mitchell Preserve covers nearly 1,700 acres, and opened on October 19th, 2007. The natural ecosystem of this nature preserve can support humans in many ways. For example, the Spring Creek watershed currently contains tens of thousands of acres of bottomland hardwood forest and various edible plants. It also provides homes to wildlife, creates recreation opportunities such as hiking and biking trails, reducing flooding, and improving air quality (Montgomery County Precinct 3, 2011). Not to mention, the preserve increases real estate values and community pride, reduces pollution, and lowers air temperature. Second, wildlife in the nature preserve offers many to take the chance to bird watch. The forests along Spring Creek provide a crucial stopover point for migratory songbirds, where they can rest and refuel after crossing the Gulf of Mexico on their annual spring migration from Central and South America (Montgomery County Precinct 3, 2011). Many species of fish live in the lake year-round including catfish, crappie, and bass. White bass migrate through during springtime, and all are available for fishing. Last, the preserve offers an exceptional educational benefit. Several elementary, middle, and high schools have taken field trips learning about Spring Creek, the preserve, nature, and the benefits it has to offer to the public. A trophic level (2011) according to Encyclopedia Britannica, is a step in the nutritive series, or food chain, in the ecosystem. We as humans eat plants and animals, also considered omnivores. This in terms puts us at the third trophic level. However, several humans who are vegan would be considered second trophic level consumers because they eat only produce. Though it may sound simple, the food chains and food webs are often complex and difficult to analyze. The ecosystem is natural and living. As humans, we are as very much a part of the ecosystem as plants and animals, along with other organisms and bacteria. Although we expend plants and animals as third trophic level consumers and depend on them for survival, we must also take into consideration that the first, second, and fourth trophic level consumers also rely on the ecosystem for survival as well. Thus meaning ecosystems are essential for all life on earth. References Ecosystem. ( 2011). In Merriam Webster Learners Dictionary. Retrieved from http://www. learnersdictionary. com/search/ecosystem Montgomery County Precinct 3. (2011). Spring Creek Greenway. Retrieved from http://www. springcreekgreenway. org/the_creek. htm Thewoodlandstx. com. (2011). The Woodlands TX. Retrieved from http://www. thewoodlandstx. com/parks/george-mitchell-nature-preserve. php Trophic Level. ( 2011). In Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved from http://www. britannica. com/EBchecked/topic/606492/trophic-level