Relationship between Byzantium and Islam Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Relationship between Byzantium and Islam - Essay Example According to the research findings, administrative and doctrinal differences caused the Eastern and Western churches to divide in 1054, ending a centuries-long partition between Greek and Latin Christendom.   Byzantium attained its political height through Justinian, who re-conquered the old Western empire parts.   Successive attacks from various peoples, including Latin Christians, made Byzantium weak, finally falling to the Ottoman Turks (1454). As the 7th century began, vast territories that extended from Egypt to Syria and across North African territories were under the rule of Byzantine Empire from Constantinople (modern Istanbul), its capital. Critical to the power and wealth of the empire, these southern territories long influenced by the Greco-Roman traditions held Orthodox, Syriac, and Coptic, Christians, Jewish communities, among other many religions. Great pilgrimage centers engrossed the faithful followers from as far away as Scandinavia in the west and Yemen in the e ast. Major trade routes extended down the Red Sea to eastward past Jordan to Indian lands in the south, bringing ivories and silks to the imperial territories. Key cities made wealthy by commerce protracted along inland trade routes Constantinople north and along the coastline of Mediterranean sea. Commerce carried ideas and images freely through the region. In the same 7th century, the newly founded faith of Islam began from Medina and Mecca along the Red Sea trade way and reached westward to the Byzantium Empire’s southern provinces. Religious and political authority was conveyed from the long conventional Christian Byzantine to the newly founded Umayyad and well along Abbasid Muslim dynasties. These new powers capitalized on the advantage of existing region traditions in developing their compelling religious and secular visual identities. This exhibition shadows the Byzantine Empire southern provinces artistic traditions from the 7th century to the 9th, as they were change d from being fundamental to the Byzantine tradition and beliefs to being a critical Islamic world part.

Abu Dhabi economy Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Abu Dhabi economy - Assignment Example All Islamic adherents imbue involving social and religious attachment on the work culture while guiding employees accordingly. The guidance starts at the beginning of employment when a prospective employee is given a contract that shows a modern Islamic culture in the workplace. In the holy month of Ramadan, companies advise their staff to follow internal cultural transformation. The opportunity offers a comfortable environment which encourages all employees not to miss the chance to fast without official Islamic grounds to perform appropriate obligatory prayers, and offer charity to their best. Halal food products The Muslim staff is not allowed to eat, smoke and drink in the month of Ramadan, however, non-Muslims are allowed to use hidden office spaces to take lunch, and tea breaks dressing conventionally is encouraged to adhere to religious observances of other people, and music is banned across all the premises. The month of Ramadan is celebrated by special foods in baskets to ea ch employee at an elaborate Iftar party festival. In addition, office working hours have been shortened to six hours from 8:00 AM to around 2:00 PM. Ramadan is not only a significant month in the marketing activities of the company but also the busiest one (Davidson, 2009, p.256). The company’s warehouse is often active all round the clock as regional distribution processes and production degrees rise significantly. In each month of Ramadan, the Al Islam’s sales have increased from twenty to approximately forty percent in comparison to other months. Laudable remains the fact that demand increase is not entitled to only individuals, but for family consumption with massive number of donations meals arranged for the under-privileged. Each year, Ramadan brings an aggressive feeling of competition among other food companies. On its part, Al Islamic has introduced a range of marketing as well as theme founded promotions to encourage its sales by increasing up its distributio n activities. The company focused on unique and Ramadan specific commodities offerings with exceptional discounts given to consumers, and iftar and suhur made available. As a leader in the halal segment, the firm has undertaken the social role of educating the general public on the halal meat process together with innate difference between halal and the genuine halal. The company launched a Ramadan’ promotional strategy on creating awareness on animal’s electric stunning, which is associated with the slaughtering process. On the other hand, stunning is a practice associated with the food industry as â€Å"real halal† slaughtering takes place without stunning (Davidson, 2009, p.456). Al Islami has undertaken an initiative to educate consumers on different slaughtering practices, as well as informing them that the firm does not make use of stunning, and deploys a hygienic method of slaughter using hands. Al Islami makes use of representatives at various slaughterh ouses and abattoirs in the world. Al Islami Foods believe that they have to be an example with successful management that blends religious obligations in the working culture. They provide a healthy corporate, as well as social environment, reflects the holiness of the Holy month. Advantages of Abu Dhabi business environment Abu Dhabi has become a competitive business location in attracting foreign investments by ensuring updating of business legislation to establish an optimum environment for investments to flourish. Present legislation in terms of tax, property rights, corporate governance, ownership and corporate governa

Statement of Purpose to Enter the University Assignment

Statement of Purpose to Enter the University - Assignment Example I expect to acquire knowledgeable concepts, information and tactics to improve my planning and development skills through which I can serve people for the betterment. There is always a room for improvement and I feel that nothing but education can fill the existing gap. By participating in the educational program at the university, I would be able to polish my existing abilities and would learn to use the new concepts in my practical life. This doctorate grabbed my attention when I completed my Masters in the field of Psychology from the same university. I have ever since worked on my skills and have served the community by working in different organizations. I have completed my Bachelors and Masters in the field of psychology and have attained relevant knowledge that can help me to pursue a degree in the doctorate. This course will help me in attaining the understanding of complex patterns of psychology along with new ideas and theories. In today’s era of globalization, it is important that one has firsthand experience in multiculturalism and I have achieved this objective by studying in a multicultural university previously. Ever since I attained the degree of masters I have used my time effectively to explore the world and work with people who are homeless and addicted to drugs. It has helped me to learn the behavioural patterns of different people as the field of psychology teaches us. I expect to acquire kn owledge on the issues related to the field of psychology in all aspects. The political, social, environmental and economic issues are somehow related to the field of psychology and I believe that with the right knowledge I would be able to serve better in my field. Knowing the value of the degree that will be awarded from Carlos Albizu University, I expect to get a reputable post in a well-known organization. The university carries great importance in the educational field and with the experience of the faculty, I think that I would be able to excel in my field.  

Racial Differences in the Corrections System Essay Example for Free

Racial Differences in the Corrections System Essay â€Å"According to Black Star Project Executive Director, Phillip Jackson, in 2007 there were 321 African American men enrolled at Northwestern University (1.7 percent of the student body) but four times that number – 1,207- imprisoned at Western Illinois Correctional Center (60 percent of the prison population)† (Walker, Spohn Delone, 2012). This is only one example of the astounding percentage of young black men currently serving jail time as opposed to pursuing a college education. Something must be vitally wrong with our criminal justice system, since it allows these staggering numbers to hold truth. Overall the total percentage of young African American males is almost five times more than that of their young white or Hispanic male counterparts. I find this statistic very disturbing and chose to research the why and how this is occurring. There are many possible reasons such as limited access to public health clinics, racial profiling, unfair judicial systems, racial differences in judges, lawyers, and law makers, poverty, and parental upbringing; to name a few. How do these young men get sucked into a life of crime, do they have an alternative or a role model to seek counsel form? The numbers do not lie and there must be sound reasons behind them. In this paper I will research and discuss the various reasons why young African American males are grossly over represented in the criminal justice and corrections facilities. While the overall white population is higher than the African American population, 10.4 percent of African American men between the ages of 25-29 can expect to spend time in jail, compared with 2.4 percent of Hispanics and 1.2 percent of white men. Throughout this paper I will discuss not only the staggering numbers but also the reasoning behind them and possible solutions or at the very least a starting point to help fix the problem at hand. â€Å"†¦People of color are disproportionately involved in the criminal justice system, as crime victims, offenders, persons arrested, and persons in prison† (Walker, Spohn Delone, 2012). It Starts at a Young Age There is more than one reason behind the racial imbalance in the criminal justice system. Areas that have been evaluated are parental involvement, peer groups, neighborhoods, the individual, and racial discrimination at all  levels. It appears that the problem is present in the juvenile justice system as well, something is not working right if these children are not receiving the rehabilitation and or help they need to lead a non-criminal life. Redding Arigo, 2005 state this about the number of African American juvenile offenders, â€Å"†¦compromising only 15% of the juvenile population†¦and 57% of the juveniles in state prisons† I decided to discuss juveniles because I found it interesting that they also represented a large number of the criminal offenders in the juvenile justice system in a very similar way that the 25-28 year old African American males do. Several avenues I researched concluded that African American’s have a harder time accessing health facilities such as metal health clinics, where many of the common mental health disorders that criminal offenders suffer from can be treated. â€Å"As many as 70 percent of youth in the system are affected with a mental disorder, and one in five suffer from a mental illness so severe as to impair their ability to function as a young person and grow into a responsible adult† (Hammond, 2007). It seems to me that if we can stop the current process at a young age, why wouldn’t we? Poverty and Single Parent Homes Walker, Spohn Delone state that 9.4 % of white Americans live in poverty compared to a shocking 25.8% of African American’s that live in poverty. There are thousands of studies that link poverty and poor neighborhoods with criminal activity, both victim and criminal. With a quarter of the African American population living at poverty level it is not surprising that they also retain such a large portion of the inmate population. â€Å"Regardless of whether poverty is a cause or an effect, however, the conditions associated with poverty can work against the development of human capital—that is the ability of individuals to remain healthy and develop the skills, abilities, knowledge, and habits necessary to fully participate in the labor force† (Nilsen, 2007). If people are not allowed the opportunity to reach their full potential often times a life of crime if the only way to survive. The United States Government recognizes that there is a link yet the problem still exists. Yes there are federally funded programs such as Medicaid, Food Stamps, and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, but the poverty level is still alarmingly high. â€Å"The most telling fact about poverty in the  United States is how thoroughly it is ignored† (Royce, 2009). While there is a link between poverty and crime, there is also a link between single parent homes or absentee parent homes and crime as well. The percentage of African American families run by a single parent, usually the mother, is astounding, â€Å"†¦50% of all black households with children under age 18 are headed by black women† (Bush, 2004). Often times the majority of these families live at or below the poverty level, leading to a higher chance of violence and criminal activity. The evidence above begins to show the reasoning behind why African Americans have the highest racial population in prisons. In addition they often are judged harder and serve longer sentences in jail than there non-black counterparts. While racial profiling seems to be a likely source I found various accounts of whether or not it is a direct cause of the higher numbers of African American men in prison, the problem seems to lie further up the judicial system. â€Å"Young African American and Hispanic males, in other words, face greater odds of incarceration than young white males primarily because the commit more serious crimes and have more serious prior criminal records† (Walker, Spohn Delone, 2012). Even though they may commit more serious crimes, when sentenced next to a non-minority for the same crime, their sentences are often longer. Clifford Levy 1996 of the New York Times states,† black and Hispanic people sentenced for minor felonies or misdemeanors in New York were treated more harshly than whites in similar circumstances.† His statements are based on a study released by the Pataki administration. Higher Up the Judicial System Other areas that may lead to the disproportioned numbers in the jails are judges, juries, and lawyers. Next I plan to discuss the differences in race among the judges, juries, lawyers, and law makers. â€Å"The jury is the heart of the criminal justice system† (Cole, 2000). How can racially fair rulings be handed out if the jury consists of mostly non-minorities? Racially biased judgments could be a cause of the difference in numbers in our criminal justice system. â€Å"An analysis of Jefferson Parish, La., by the Louisiana Capital Assistance Center found that from 1999 to 2007, blacks were struck from juries at more than three times the rate of whites† (Dewan, 2010). In  additional differences amongst the jurors, judges and lawyers are mostly white males. â€Å"Combined African American and Hispanic representation among lawyers was 7% in 1998†¦ There are fewer active African American federal appellate judges today than when Jimmy Carter was President† (T he collaboration the, n.d.). The buck does not stop here, the racial inequality continues up the ladder to Congress, the Senate, and the House. The article Do Your Lawmakers Represent all Americans, or is it Time to Change Congress states, â€Å"The U.S. population includes 12 percent African Americans, 9 percent Hispanics, and 3 percent Asian/Pacific Islanders and other groups. Congress, however, is 87 percent white; 85 percent in the House and 96 percent in the Senate.† If fact black members of the three government bodies above are often times questioned about decisions and their backing status far more than their non-minority counterparts. These numbers back the idea that African Americans face a discriminatory criminal justice system that starts at the top. Unfortunately racial biased is still something that is ingrained in most Americans and until the minorities are fairly represented in the government and judicial system, racial inequality within these entities will still exist. Comparison As mentioned previously African American males face longer prison sentences due to the fact that they commit more serious crimes and have longer criminal records, in general, than white Americans. The racial differences also extend to length of time served, higher rate of convictions and prison sentences. â€Å"The national incarceration rate for whites is 412 per 100,000 residents, compared to 2,290 for African Americans and 742 for Hispanics† (Mauer King, 2007). Incarceration rates are directly affected by the sentencing process. As one might expect African Americans and Hispanics face a harsher time during the sentencing process than white Americans. â€Å"Of the estimates of the direct effect of race on sentencing at the state level, 43.2% indicated harsher sentences for blacks, and over a quarter (27.6%) of the estimates on the direct impact of ethnicity registered harsher sentences for Latinos† (Kansal, 2005). Per the U.S. Sentencing Commission’s sourcebook of Federal Sentencing Statistics in 2007 the conviction ratio broken down by race is as follows: whites 28.8%, blacks 24.4%, and Hispanics 43%. Overall the percentage of African American males and Hispanics males that will serve  time in prison compared to white males is significantly higher. Structural Inequality Based on the information above I believe it is apparent that there is severe structural inequality starting at the top with the government down through to the jurors. How can racial unbiased laws be passed if the government writing them is made up the racial majority. It is impossible to truly understand what it is like to be a minority without living it. Some may say they understand and can make unbiased decisions, but the fact remains that without living the lifestyle this is impossible to truly accomplish, which is why African Americans and Hispanics must fight to increase their numbers within the governing bodies. Next the judicial system needs to be addressed; they face the same racial disparities that the government does. White judges and juries are handing out the majority of the convictions and sentences, including those handed out to the minorities. It is evidenced that African Americans face harsher sentences and longer jail times than their white counterparts. â€Å"Efforts should be made to reinstate judicial discretion into the sentencing process to permit judges to craft sentences that accurately reflect the charged conduct and circumstances of the offense and defendant† (Mauer King, 2007). Efforts need to be made to correct the imbalances that the United States criminal justice system currently faces. Conclusion â€Å"To be sure, criminalizing young Black males and warehousing them in jails and prisons will further exacerbate the problems of racial domination and ossify the economic and social inequities structuring their everyday lives† (Hill Lee, 2010). The evidence does not lie; there are sound reasons why African American males between the age of 25-29 have more of their population behind bars. It often times starts at home and works it all the way up to the top. The same problem has been recognized at the juvenile level. African American juvenile offenders represent with a higher number of their population in the criminal justice system. I found some interesting studies that link mental illness to criminal activity. Many families living in poverty have limited access to mental health clinics, thus a possible source of aggression and criminal behavior is going untreated. Poverty levels are still extraordinarily high and it has been proven that living at  or below the poverty level and in rough neighborhoods, leads to criminal activity. As many as 50% of the African American families at or below the poverty level are run by a single parent, leading to even more family strain and stress. Another area that is giving rise to the above mentioned numbers is the fact that the criminal justice system, itself, has very few minority members. The House, Senate, and Congress also are compromised of mostly white. The numbers do not correlated with the overall populations in the United States. White judges, lawmakers, juries, and lawyers comprise over 90% of the judicially system and government bodies. It is easier to understand why minorities are dealt harsher sentences, serve longer jail times, are convicted at a higher rate and hold a larger percentage in the prison system. With the current system in place and the obvious structural inequality within the criminal justice system, I fear that the numbers will not change. Action must be taken to incorporate the minorities into these governing bodies. The issue needs to be addressed at the juvenile level, by helping these troubled teens; their numbers may start to decrease at all age levels. The reasoning behind the numbers has been laid out, is know by most, and yet is still a problem. It is time to make a change, if not 1 in every black male born today will see the inside of a prison cell and this is not acceptable. References Bush, L. (2004). How black mothers participate in the development of manhood and masculinity: What do we know about black mothers and their sons? The Journal of Negro Education, 73(4), 381-391. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/4129623?uid=3739256uid=2uid=4sid=21101002202873 Cole, D. (1999). No equal justice: Race and class in the american criminal justice system. New York: New. The collaboration the legal profession. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.lfoa.org/barnone/barnone_collaboration. Dewan, S. (2010, June 1). Study finds blacks blocked from southern juries. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/02/us/02jury.html?_r=1scp=1sq=Blacks Still Being Blocked from Juries in the South, Study Findsst=cse Do your lawmakers represent all americans, or is it time to change congress?. (n.d.).

Reflective Report on Psychology Presentation

Reflective Report on Psychology Presentation This is a reflective report on my presentation on 4th February, 2015. Topic: What pressures do children of immigrant families face, in adjusting to a new culture and what are the implications of this for counselling? Introduction This was an individual presentation that was assessed by Tim Wilkinson who is the lecturer for Christian Integrative Therapeutic Counselling II, for Year 3. The second assessor was Dr. Barth Orji. I put in a lot of effort in preparing for this presentation. I visited the British Library twice and I engaged several scholars listed in my bibliography. I was really amazed to find that there was an enormous amount of materials on the topic. I critically analysed the views and the materials that I engaged. I also consulted my lecture notes and even the Tutor and Peer feedback forms so that I prepared not only for the content and materials but on the presentation too. I had a rehearsal at home in the presence of my wife and I asked her to critique the presentation. She gave me some valuable advice which I took on board. As with all my assessments, I had mixed feelings leading to the day. I was anxious because I was to be assessed and I was also exhilarated in anticipation of receiving some very constructive feedback that will further enhance my counselling skills, as I have known the two assessors involved to be very objective. On the day, I arrived in time but the second assessor was a bit late which in the end gave me ample time to relax my nerves. I was the first to present which ordinarily would have been nerve racking but surprisingly, I was very calm, composed and confident all through my presentation. Upon reflection, I think that it is the result of my quest to raise the bar and improve. Many will avoid starting first so as to learn from the feedbacks of those that present ahead of them but I would rather have an assessment of my genuine ability and take on feedbacks that will be useful to help me to the next level. The presentations went on as scheduled. Every student attended and took part in peer assessment. Everyone gave feedback which made it more interesting because there were diverse perspectives to the feedbacks. Summary of my presentation There are issues that Immigrant children face in a bid to adapt to a new culture. I grouped these issues into six sub themes: Educational, New community, Emotional, Language, Racism and Identity. In the course of my research, I discovered that there is another side to the coin; there are also benefits. Such benefit will include Bi-cultural competence (Garcia-Coll Magnuson 1997) and development of the mental ability to cope with stress. Some children adapt easily while some others struggle. There is a great variation in how the children adapt. These variations are so much so that they pose a challenge in drawing conclusions. There are implications that these issues could have on counselling. I realised that even though parents expect that the Counsellor will put their child right, not very much is known about these issues. I think the Counsellor must strive to equip himself to be effective. Pre-migration and post migration circumstances combine to influence how these children navigate this adaptive process. However, I think that more research is required to formulate effective models of interventions to support immigrant children. This will support immigrant children in establishing the foundation for their futures. (Szapocznik Kurtines,1993). The Counsellor requires an in-depth understanding of the aforementioned issues. Again, I think that the government can support immigrant children by establishing counselling services in schools; this will enhance mental wellbeing, bi-cultural abilities and stronger community among immigrants’ children. Questions and Feedback from Peers and Tutors My colleague Israel, who was one of the peers assessors questioned my definition of immigrants’ children and wanted more clarification. I reiterated that a child born abroad and brought to live in the United Kingdom as well as a child born to a first generation immigrant parent, is an immigrants’ child. The lecturer, Tim Wilkinson concurred with my definition and in his contribution, gave an example of a child born to a Caucasian family who lived as missionaries in Africa; upon returning to the United Kingdom, the child struggled to cope with the culture and eventually moved back to live in Africa. The peer assessors were Israel, Tuoyo, Ayo, Chikere and Bernardine. Tuoyo noted that the content was extremely rich and well researched. He thinks that the strongest part of the presentation was the definitions. Israel observed that it was well referenced with enough scholars. Ayo thinks that the presentation was thorough and that I exhibited confidence, Chikere and Bernardine agreed with the rest but pointed out that I needed to improve on my time management. There was a consensus that it was a very good presentation. Dr Barth observed that I did not use visual aids but handed them printed copies of my presentation. He observed that the communication was very good, subject well researched, indicating that I know and mastered the subject. He also said that there was good eye contact, gesture and body language was good, stance was good and voice projection was excellent. He also commended me for remaining focused even when there was distraction from peers. Tim Wilkinson did not want to repeat what had been said; he added that research was thorough, but that the material was too much hence I exceeded the allocated time. He observed that there was evidence of good knowledge of the subject, clear English, voice projection was good. However, he thinks that the eye contact can be better. Reflection and Conclusion: I think that my presentation was hitch free. I engaged several scholars in the course of my research and I found the topic very interesting. I put in all effort but I am aware that there is still a lot more research to be done in developing intervention models for immigrants’ children. I reflected and listened to myself as I was presenting, and I was quite surprised at how confident I came across. At the end, I still felt that I did not do my best and so I was amazed at the feedbacks that I received. I think that overall, having evaluated the whole exercise including feedbacks, it was a good presentation. However, it was a learning process for me and I have taken note of the feedbacks on areas highlighted for improvement. I will endeavour to use visual aids in the future, work on my time management and improve on my eye contact. (1073 words) Bibliography Cropley, A.J. (1983). The education of immigrant children. London: Croom Helm. Das, A. and Kemp, S. (1997). Between two worlds: Counselling South Asian Americans. Journal of Multicultural Counselling and Development, 25, 23 – 33. Garcia-Coll, C and Magnuson, K. (1997). The psychological experience of immigration. In A. Booth, A. Gibson, M. (1988) Accommodation without assimilation: Sikh immigrants in an American high school. Ithaca, N.Y.: Cornell University Press. Kim, E, and Diaz, J. Immigrant Students and Higher Education: ASHE Higher Education Report 38:6 ONS (17 December, 2013) http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/dcp171776_346219.pdf [Accessed 02/02/2015] ONS (May, 2014) Portes, A. (1995). Children of immigrants: Segmented Assimilation and its determinants. Rumbaut, R.G. (1995). The New Californians: Comparative research findings on the educational progress of immigrant children. In R.G. Rumbaut W.A. Cornelius (Eds.), California’s Immigrant children: Theory, research, and implications for educational policy (pp. 17 -70). La Jolla: Center for U.S. Mexican Studies, University of California, San Diego. Sam, D.L. (1992). Psychological acculturation of young visible immigrants. Migration World Magazine, 20, 21 24. Szapocznik, J. and Kurtines, W. (1993). Family psychology and cultural diversity: Opportunities for theory, research, and application. American Psychologist, 48, 400 – 407. Vernez, G. and Abrahamse, A. (1996). How Immigrants Fare in U.S. Education. Santa Monica, C.A.: RAND Corporation. Peter Emordi COU 3000 Task 2 1

An Annotation of Emily Dickinsons I Taste A Liquor Never Brewed Essay

An Annotation of Emily Dickinson's I Taste A Liquor Never Brewed This poem by Emily Dickinson is much harder to figure out compared to her usual poems. She writes about a topic that is not normally written about at this time especially by a woman. At first glance, it is thought that this poem is about liquor and all of the bad things that go along with it, when in all reality it is a poem about sheer happiness. Dickinson is speaking not of a high derived from any alcoholic beverage, but rather of one acquired from life itself. I taste a liquor never brewed (214) Emily Dickinson I taste a liquor never brewed-- From tankards scooped in Pearl-- Not all the Vats upon the Rhine Yield such an Alcohol! Inebriate of Air--am I-- And Debauchee of Dew-- Reeling--thro endless summer days-- From inns of Molten Blue-- When "Landlords" turn the drunken Bee Out of the Foxglove's door-- When butterflies--renounce their "drams"-- I shall but drink the more! Till Seraphs swing their snowy Hats-- And saints-- to windows run-- To see the little Tippler Leaning against the Sun-- Despite the existence of metaphorical comparisons with drunkenness and liquor, this is definitely not a poem about any form of chemical intoxication. It is an expression of the author's love for a "drunken state"', created by how wonderful she believes life to be. In the second line, I realized the genuine depth of Emily Dickinson's affection for life. Here, she wrote, "From tankards scooped in Pearl," indicating special beer-drinking glasses, outfitted in pearl rather than in ceramic or in clay. According to my research, these were used during her time to drink in a more exquisite, elaborate fashion, usually when one had a notable fondn... ...y. It was the little things that gave her joy and pleasure. Just being surrounded by nature and other creatures gave her the happiness that others need marriage and money to find. Many of Dickinson's poems focus on the themes of life, love, and nature. This one has a little bit of all of those themes tied into it. It describes her love of life and nature by comparing it to the feeling one gets when they are drunk. Dickinson is very inspirational in this poem by showing us that there are many things in life to be greatful for and that we should experience this sense of joy and tranquility when we are surrounded by the simple pleasures of life that have been given to us all. Works Cited Dickinson, Emily. "314." The Complete Poems of Emily Dickinson. Ed. Thomas H. Johnson. Boston: Little, 1960. Encyclopedia Britannica. 12/05/01. Online. www.britannica.com.

Problem of Maoist Insurgency

Maybe when this article is read,an innocent tribal or a compelled jawan is ‘unreportedly’ being killed on the fringes of national mainstream by a so-called ‘maoist’. â€Å"Naxalism:single biggest internal security threat† screamed The Economic Times on 14th April,2006. And the threat has just got bigger. Our Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram drew lots of flak for ‘Operation Green Hunt’. Recently,our President Pratibha Patilhas urged the naxalites to shun violence and resort to talks. But one Question that comes to mind is â€Å"what prompted the Maoist uprising? (even Derek O’Brien was confronted wid the question when he visited the IIM-C recently). The basis of the answer may lie with the ‘Green Revolution’. It brought fruits to farmers,but only in some pockets of India. The rest of India has witnessed some violent uprisings against the state. But the naxalite problem has deeper roots. Poverty,land alienation,lack o f access to basic forest resources,largescale unemployment and exclusion from national mainstream are the common grievances among the rural population in east and central India.Despite being the most mineral-rich states in India,Chhatisgarh,Jharkhand,Orissa and West Bengal count among the poorest. Area| India| Chhatisgarh| Jharkhand| Orissa| West Bengal| Per-Capita Income| `24,295| `16,740| `15,303| `16,149| `23,229| Table showing per-capita income of Chhatisgarh,Jharkhand,Orissa and West Bengal in comparision with India. It is these resources and the irrational attitude of Indian Federal System towards them that forms the core of dissent among people here.For instance,tribals in mineral-rich Bastar in Chhatisgarh do not get a fair share of the resources from miningin the forests that they inhabit. The ‘freight equalization policy’ of the government hampered these states from translating their natural resources’ advantage into industrial growth. ,and led to the C entral Govt. Pocketing the lion’s share of royalties from mining. The complete failure of instruments like the ‘Panchayat(Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act,1996 and the Forest(Conservation) Act,1980 in these areas have only aggravated the problem.So,for the adivasis,Sarkar is exploiter in the form of forest officials who deny them entry into the forest,the police who demanded bribes and state-sponsored contractors who paid less than the minimum wage. The exploitation by the landlords and mahajans ,and lack of basic amenities of human existence only flare up the problem. Ajit Buxla,maoist leader,correctly points out, â€Å"When you see death taking tolls on your near and dear ones and you know their life could have been saved had they been given proper and timely medication,you are forced to believe that the existence of state has nothing to do with tha life of poor & maginalized. ENTER THE MAOISTS. treading on the Marxism-Leninism theoretical lineage of ‘anni hilation of class enemies’,the naxalites strategically take Maoism lineage against the state. â€Å"The Communist Party of India-Maoist(CPI-Maoist)†,formed on September 21,2004,was quick to notice that the causes of dissent was different in different states,and cashing in on the emotions of the local people,they staged violent uprisings. Over 600 lives have been lost in the militia’s process of forming ‘the Red Corridor’ or ‘Compact Revolutionary Zone(CZR)’.Though the naxalites have been more or less ousted from Andhra Pradesh,the three-fold-layer strategy of the maoist insurgency has led to the rebels gaining control of more ares. The sources of funding of the naxalites are extortion of ransoms,cultivating opium in Malkangiri district,charging the traders and buisnessmen who pass through the ‘Red Corridor’,and producing and smuggling enormous quantity of marijuana. But slowly,this movement ‘for the people’ has turned ‘against the people’.The tribals are being victims of human rights’ violations,such as,murder of all kinds,tortures,outrages upon personal dignity,extortions,etc. moreover,the rebels have interfered,challenged and destroyed the age-old social taboos of the tribals which is leading to growing resentment among the locals against them. As it is clear,no one-size-fits-all solution can be applied for this intuiging problem. The very root of the problem has to be axed through,& that too in a sensible manner.Mere military engagement of the maoist insurgents wont solve the problem. It will only joepardise the locals even more. Creation of civilian militas like ‘Salwa Judum’ should be shunned as they expose civilians to unnecessary danger,and only translate into abdication of security responsibility by the state. The State should provide security guarantees against retribution by cadres of the naxalites and should use the knowhow of such cadres in informative strategies against the rebels.The civil society representatives such as eminent personalities,political leaders,NGO’s should step-in as mediators between the state and the maoists. But most importantly,the grievances that increase the appeal of the maoists should be mitigated. There should be direct effort for development in these areas. The locals should be given employment and conditional cash transfers that counter the widespread deprivation in the region,thus,reducing the ‘recruitment-pool’ of the maoists.Investments shoul be made in social-overheads which would allow the locals easy access to the urban marketswhere they can sell their dairy products and forest-related products like cashew,chironji,lac,etc which have high market-value. The tribals should be empowered through education and a self-sustaining economic scheme,funded largely by mining revenues of the state,can be implemented to provide skills,literacy,healthcare,and above all,dignity and social justice to the people. As D. Bandopadhyay. retired-IAS officer experienced in dealing with naxalites in West Bengal in the 70’s,puts it, â€Å"Naxalism has emerged as a result of deficit in planning;constant alienation has made people take up arms,and its time one understands the problem as not just a law & order problem,but one that’s foundations are socio-economic. † India cannot afford a â€Å"lost generation† in the insurgency-affected areas even as it takes rapid steps towards becoming a global economic power. Ending the maoist insurgency needs to be a national priority.Else till then the voice of Koteshwar Rao(nom de guerre Kishanji) would continue to ring alarm bells inside startled ministers & common folk. The authorities would not be making the rules†¦ he would.References:- (1) â€Å"35-yr old tribal killed by Maoists†, The Deccan Chronicle, 19th January 2008. (2) â€Å"Maoists slay three tribals in Chhatisgarhâ₠¬ , Thaindian News, 21st March,2008. Sources:- (1) â€Å"India Research Group. † (2) â€Å"Down To Earth. † (3) â€Å"Institute of South Asian Studies,Roundtable Session(ISAS)†,14th March,2007. (4) â€Å"International Relations and Security Network(ISN)†,ETH Zurich.