Michel Trudeau Killed by Avalanche in 1998

Michel Trudeau Killed by Avalanche in 1998 Michel Trudeau, the 23-year-old son of former Canadian Prime Minister  Pierre Trudeau  and Margaret Kemper and younger brother of current Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was killed by an avalanche in British Columbias  Kokanee Glacier Park  on November 13, 1998. Three other skiers also present on the slopes were rescued by a national park service helicopter from the provincial park in the wilderness area northeast of Nelson, B.C., where the young Trudeau was presumed to have been pushed off the ski trail by the avalanche and swept down into Kokanee Lake, where he was believed to have drowned. A private memorial service for family and friends was held on Friday, November 20, 1998, in Outremont, Quebec, though his body was never recovered from the lake. After the Incident Nearly ten months after the avalanche that killed Michel Trudeau, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (R.C.M.P.) sent a dive team into Kokanee Lake to search for his body, but a long winter, cold summer, and snow in the Rockies hampered search efforts. Before beginning the search, the R.C.M.P. cautioned that it was possible young Trudeaus body may never be found because divers could only go down to a depth of 30 meters (about 100 feet) while the lake is 91 meters (close to 300 feet) deep at its center. After nearly a month of searching - largely due to the limited number of days of open waters on the lake and the high altitude that prevented deep diving - Trudeaus family called off the search without recovering the body and later erected a chalet nearby as a memorial to Michel. More About Michel Nicknamed Miche by Fidel Castro (of all people) during a visit with his grandparents to Cuba in 1976, Michel Trudeau was born only four months before on October 2, 1975, in Ottawa, Ontario. Upon retiring from politics, Michels father Pierre moved the family to Montreal, Quebec, where the 9-year-old Michel would spend the rest of his childhood. Michel attended the Collà ©ge Jean-de-Brà ©beuf before pursuing a graduate degree in microbiology at Nova Scotias Dalhousie University. At the time of his death, Michel had been working at a mountain resort in Rossland, British Columbia for about a year.   On November 13, 1998, Michel and three friends set out on a backcountry skiing trip in the Kokanee Glacier Park, but the avalanche separated the group from Michel as he was swept downhill into the lake.   After his death, a newly discovered varietal of rose was named after him, dubbed the Michel Trudeau Memorial Rosebush, with proceeds from sales of the new flower benefitting the Canadian Avalanche Foundation, which helps survivors and victims of Canadas many avalanches recover after getting caught in one of natures most destructive natural disasters.

Frances Perkins and the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire

Frances Perkins and the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire A wealthy Bostonian who had come to New York for a Columbia University graduate degree, Frances Perkins (April 10, 1882 - May 14, 1965) was having tea nearby on March 25 when she heard the fire engines. She arrived at the scene of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in time to see workers jumping from the windows above. Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire   This scene motivated Perkins to work for reform in working conditions, especially for women and children. She served on the Committee on Safety of the City of New York as executive secretary, working to improve factory conditions. Frances Perkins met Franklin D. Roosevelt in this capacity, while he was New York governor, and in 1932, he appointed her as Secretary of Labor, the first woman to be appointed to a cabinet position. Frances Perkins called the day of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire the day the New Deal began.

The Dramatic Endings in The Playboy of Seville and Don Juan Tenorio Essay

The Dramatic Endings in The Playboy of Seville and Don Juan Tenorio - Essay Example Despite that fact that both plays are constructed on a similar foundation of themes, there are still many major differences between them which can be due to the fact that both were written in very different times. Social conventions and cultural norms became quite different in the 19th century than how they were in the 17th century. Years of difference not only transformed societal structures around the world, but they also significantly influenced the shape of literature. Following discussion will explore how the ending scenes in both plays are different from each other and how those differences at the end of the plays reflect different attitudes of the two societies towards the character of DJ. In the early 17th century at the time when the Playboy of Seville by Tirso de Molina came into existence in the world of literature, the way DJ is explored in the story is intended to reflect on the Spanish Golden Age which was the early modern Spanish society. The play is set in this time period and abides by the popular social, religious, and cultural conventions of that time. This is why in contrast to the 19th century version of Zorrilla, Tirso de Molina’s play is staunchly Catholic. It is the staggering difference between the nature of these two eras that there is such difference to be seen in the plays also particularly in context of their ending scenes. The early 17th century version focuses on the relationship between actions and their consequences, while the modern version appears to question the Christian philosophy related to actions and their effects. The later version has a different ending from that in the original play because writers of that time stopped feeli ng the need to remain strictly loyal to the Catholic philosophy. Religion was beginning to become abstract at that point as more and more people began to question its validity in certain matters in life. In old times like in the early 17th century strictly

Strategic Management and Leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words - 3

Strategic Management and Leadership - Essay Example The company’s headquarters is in Memphis, Tennessee. The corporation has many major divisions working under it which are like FedEx Express, FedEx Freight, FedEx Services and FedEx Ground. Among all these the flagship segment for the company is its FedEx Express which is the global leader in shipment industry providing the best quality service tot eh customers over the years continuously. The company has its business operations spread across in totally 220 countries with 300,000 employees, 660 aircrafts and 90,000 vehicles ready to perform at their best to provide the best quality service to the customers across all the countries. The company has been rated in the top 100 companies across the world in Fortune magazine and also has been ranked among the top 10 companies that are been admired globally in 2009 (FedEx, 2014). The corporation has got the highest number of aircrafts for shipment purpose than other companies in the shipment industry present in the global world. In 20 12, in US the company had a market share of 49% and also had a dream to grow continuously and capturing 15-20% of the market share in the global market having its good presence in mostly all the countries. The company’s net operating income value is around $2 billion and the revenue of the company is approximately $42 billion, in this 80% of the income generated for the company is from its flagship service FedEx Express which has been on the top of shipment of goods among all the other competitors present in the market. Many big companies like Apple have trusted over FedEx for their shipment process and they have used the service of FedEx to ship their products and parts to different parts of the world. Looking at the financial report of the company over the last few years it can be seen that the company has grown in a huge way in the last few years and has increased its market share and revenue with a good percentage over the previous years.

Ethnographic Process †Homo Narrans Essay Example for Free

Ethnographic Process – Homo Narrans Essay With her assertion in Number Our Days that humankind is a species of homo-narrans, Barbara Myerhoff describes us as story-telling creatures. We identify, express, discover and categorize ourselves based on the legends and lore of our cultural heritage as well as the anecdotal accounts of our personal lives. The works we have read support Myerhoff’s assertion, demonstrating through the narratives that humans define their world through stories at the same time that their stories define them. Myerhoff, Cruikshank and Fabian all respond to humans as story-telling beings, employing ethnographic strategies based on a holistic combination of qualitative and quantitative research. In her Number Our Days, Myerhoff gathered exhaustive narratives from the senior Jewish population of Venice, California. Likewise, Cruikshank’s interviews with the Yukon elders in Life Lived Like a Story reveal how thoroughly she participates with the ethnographic study of man as homo-narrans. (I particularly liked Angela’s story of balancing old and new customs. Similarly, Fabian’s Power and Performance supports itself upon qualitative fieldwork, contributing a plethora of anecdotal information to African anthropological studies. All authors interacted with and affected the social environment in which they worked, their studies not only speaking to the lives of their research subjects but the research and researchers themselves. I support the ways these authors respond to the notion of mankind as homo-narrans. People tell stories in life as a way to communicate their identity and beliefs, their backgrounds and ambitions. The only challenges I foresee lie in the fact that personal accounts are not always representative of the group to which they belong. And while it is impossible not to affect the sample population from which researchers derive information, to feel personally moved even to advocate on its behalf, it seems best that researchers remain objective in their studies, at least for the duration of those studies. A mind clouded with passion is not a viable tool of rational inquiry or observation. Once the study is complete, I could not fault a researcher for advocating people s/he discovered to be in need of help in the course of the inquiry.

Jonathan Edwards and the Puritan Mind Essay example -- essays papers

Jonathan Edwards and the Puritan Mind If one were to study the idea of Puritan thought through only the reading of these three works of Jonathan Edwards, one could probably gather a good idea of the inner workings of the Puritan mind. These three works do well to disclose to the reader the inner and outer workings of Jonathan Edwards. The Personal Narrative displays to the reader Jonathan Edwards' view of himself as he progressed through life, and the ideals and the things that were most valuable to him, and the things that were a hindrance to himself. The sermon A Divine and Supernatural Light exhibits the nature of Jonathan Edwards' intellectual mind, and the view of expository preaching that he and the Puritan mind may have held and endorsed. Finally, Sinners in the Hand of an Angry God shows Jonathan Edwards' passion for people to come to the same understanding of God as he (and most other Puritans) held. Through these three literary pieces we will see how the Puritan mind struggles with the goals of inner and oute r piety, and how they concern themselves with the eternal position of their soul. Jonathan Edwards, as a model of Puritan life, lived a life that concerned itself greatly with appearing and feeling godly. Most of the Personal Narrative shows Edwards in a struggle between delighting in God, and returning "like a dog to his vomit," (176) and going the way of sin. It seems, though, as Edwards grew in his faith, his concern for piety grew even further. At several points in his life he decided to "part with all things in the world for an interest in Christ" (177). Edwards struggled to delight himself in the things of God and surround himself with those things, often shutting other things out in order that he ma... ... salvation as some liberal theologians would suggest to us. In conclusion, Edwards paints a very unmistakable picture of how a Puritan mind works through these three essays/sermons in this book. Puritan thought is seen as very pious, reflective, spiritual, works-based, concerned about their salvation, and exclusive in nature. Edwards offers a three-dimensional view of how his mind works through the narrative of his personal life (Personal Narrative), the work of his intellectual mind (A Divine and Supernatural Light), and the passion of his soul (Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God). Being a student of theology, I found it an interesting insight into how his mind worked, in seeing Edwards' view of God. I am a firm believer in understanding people and their motivation by looking at their understanding of God. Edwards was an excellent example of the Puritan mind.

Promoting Gender Equality Essay

For centuries women were not treated equal to men in many ways. They were not allowed to own property, they did not have a Share in the property of their parents, they had no voting rights, they had no freedom to choose their work or job and so on. Now that we have come out of those dark days of oppression of women there is a need for strong movement to fight for the rights of women and to ensure that they get all the rights which men have or in other words a movement for the Empowerment of Women. The present seminar has been planned with a view to discuss the various issues related to the Empowerment of Women and to suggest measures for achieving this end.The body of research on women‘s empowerment has conceptualized and defined this construct in many ways and used different terms, often interchangeably, including ―autonomy,â€â€"―status,â€â€" and ―agencyâ€â€" (Lee-Rife and Edmeades 2011; Malhotra et al. 2002; Upadhyay and Hindin 2005). see more:examples of gender equality A review of the literature also shows different measures for the same conceptualization. For example, studies often measure women‘s autonomy with an index that assesses their participation in decision-making in various household issues. This index represents women‘s degree of control over their environment. Some researchers include both major and minordecisions, while others include only major decisions, excluding day-to-day household decisions and those that are traditionally within the woman‘s domain. Women‘s empowerment encompasses many dimensions, including economic, socio-cultural, familial/interpersonal, legal, political, and psychological (Malhotra et al. 2002), which contributes to the wide variation in conceptualizations of women‘s empowerment. Given this variation in conceptualization, it is difficult to measure women‘s empowerment consistently. Kabeer (2001), whose definition is widely accepted, defines empowerment as ―the expansi on of people‘s ability to make strategic life choices in a context where this ability was previously denied to them. Two central components of empowerment are agency and resources needed to exercise life choices (Kabeer 2001; Malhotra et al. 2002). Even with a clear definition, these constructs are difficult to quantify in a standardized way.Additionally, to measure empowerment at an individual level, researchers must translate the amorphous constructs into a set of specific questions that population-based surveys can ask of individual respondents (Kishor and Subaiya 2008). Another challenge is the variation in cultural contexts that affect the measurement of women‘s empowerment. It is desirable to use standardized questions that enable cross-cultural comparisons of empowerment. Yet a measure that captures empowerment in one context may have limited relevance in another, as is the case with measures that assess mobility in a community where women‘s free movement is the norm. While many existing measures of empowerment were originally conceptualized and developed for the context of Asia, and for South Asian countries in particular (Dyson and Moore 1983; Mason 1987), measures that are universally applicable regardless of the gender equity environment, such as those used in Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS), are most useful for cross-national comparisons. Using the available standardized measures of women‘s empowerment among several population-based samples from sub-Saharan Africa will allow us to make comparisons and better understand whether the available measures adequately capture empowerment in these settings. It is still unknown whether the same dimensions of empowerment that were developed elsewhere are relevant in sub-Saharan Africa, where the gender environment is completely different than in other regions. In Africa, empowerment is likely to look different than elsewhere because of such differences as more working women who have control over their earnings, more polygamy, more nuclear families (as opposed to extended families), and larger ideal family size, and because women‘s status is often tied to their fertility. EMPOWERMENT AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH A broad body of research exists on women‘s empowerment and reproductive outcomes. Substantial research, primarily focused on Asia, demonstrates that women‘s empowerment is associated with contraceptive use (Gwako 1997; Morgan and Niraula 1995; Schuler et al. 1997; Woldemicael 2009), lower fertility (Balk 1994; Dyson and Moore 1983; Hindin 2000), and longer birth intervals (Upadhyay and Hindin 2005). Some researchers have suggested that women‘s empowerment is a key pathway through which education influences fertility (Jejeebhoy 1995; Mason 1987). To operationalize women‘s empowerment, much of the research literature uses the previously mentioned index of participation in house holddecision-making. The standard DHS questionnaire includes a set of questions about household decision-making. Other approaches include assessing women‘s acceptance of reasons that a husband is justified for beating his wife, and also reasons that a wife is justified in refusing sex with her husband (Ethiopian Society of Population Studies 2008). The DHS includes questions about these issues. Such gender-role attitudes measure the extent of women‘s acceptance of norms that justify men‘s control over women. As expected, they are associated with lower levels of power over household decision-making among women (Dhaher et al. 2010; Hindin 2003; Linos et al. 2010). MAJOR OBSTACLES TO THE PROMOTION OF GENDER EQUALITY AND EMPOWERMENT Notwithstanding the widespread commitment shown through the ratification of international and regional gender equality frameworks, normative gains are not yet fully reflected in substantial changes in women’s lives, as shown in the preceding section. Large gaps remain between policy and practice and it is the aim of this section to discuss some of the major challenges that have been experienced. Continued presence of strong cultural and traditional practices constraining progress in achieving gender parity The continued presence of long standing cultural and traditional practices that discriminate against women and girls’ have constrained the progress towards achieving gender equality. Discriminatory practices and public attitudes towards the advancement of women and gender equality have not changed at the same pace as policy, legal and institutional frameworks. Lack of ratification of the instruments that promote gender equality Previous sections have identified the status with respect to a number of regional instruments, particularly the African Women’s Protocol. Some countries are yet to sign this instrument, while a considerable number are yet to ratify it. Ineffective institutional and policy implementation mechanisms Thirteen years after the adoption of the BPFA by the Fourth World Conference on Women in 1995, the greatest challenge facing countries and regional institutions is the effective implementation of the adopted commitments. Good policies that do not have well formulated implementation plans and resources render the policies ineffective. In some countries, the capacity of gender machineries has also contributed to the slow pace. Some policies are not effectively implemented because they were not developed in a participatory way inclusive of both men and women. Lack of targets with well defined time-frames are also some of the factors that have hampered effective implementation of policies. Lack of monitoring and evaluation mechanisms also plays a significant role in the lack of implementation. Moreover, some policies tend to focus on the symptoms rather than addressing the persistent underlying causes of gender inequality. African women, especially those living in rural communities and those with disabilities, still face exclusion from participating in development processes that can empower them and improve gender equality. It is crucial to undertake inclusive participatory approaches in policy development that involve women as equal partners. Lack of adequate resources Lack of human and financial resources severely limits gender mainstreaming to achieve gender equality and women’s empowerment. Even in situations where a comprehensive plan of action for gender mainstreaming has been developed, countries may not have adequate resources to implement the plan. In particular National Gender Machineries (NGMs) experience limited financial and other material resource base to enhance the implementation of gender equality mandates, roles and responsibilities. In addition, there are gaps in human capacity, there is generally a challenge with respect to gender competence skills of officers in the NGMs to influence the engendering of macro-economic and sector policy frameworks. There is high staff turn over of experts, and low staff retention, most countries are facing difficulties of retaining and sustaining staff with the necessary expertise. Continued presence of strong cultural and traditional practices constraining progress in achieving gender parity in education In taking decisions with respect to the education of their children, some families continue to have preference for educating boys rather than girls. As noted female-to-male school enrolment, retention and completion favor boys in a majority of countries. Very few countries have female to male enrolment rates that favor girls over boys and these countries have been making progress to redress the situation. Continued presence of strong cultural and traditional practices constraining progress in achieving gender parity in health Some cultural and traditional practices continue to inhibit progress in the area of sexual and reproductive rights. Women and girls continue to risk death from maternal mortality. There is need to provide accessible sexual and reproductive healthcare services and education to reduce maternal mortality. Such interventions need to address the roles of both men and women. The rate of HIV infection is much higher among women than men and in this regard, governments must establish and monitor strict legal frameworks to address the vulnerability of women and girls. Furthermore, access to anti-retroviral treatment should be ensured. Lack of enforcement of laws that promote gender equality and lack of knowledge of laws In some countries laws that promote gender equality are in place, however lack of enforcement of such laws leads to the perpetuation of gender inequalities and violence against women. In some countries, laws are in place, but interpretation of these laws is lacking and as such, they are not enforced. Lack of full involvement of men and boys Changing cultural and traditional beliefs including patriarchy requires the involvement of men, and boys in the promotion of gender equality through innovative rights-based, culturally sensitive programmes and continued education and sensitization. Continued lack of recognition of women’s unpaid work The continued lack of recognition of unpaid work (domestic, reproductive, care and support) performed by women hampers the development of policies that can effectively promote gender equality. There is therefore need for such work to be given due recognition in the computation of national income. Limited role of the media The media can play a major role in promoting gender equality beyond what it is currently doing. In particular in creating awareness, sensitization and education campaigns to change patriarchal attitudes. As noted before establishing new laws alone is not enough; existing gendered social relations and cultural norms may quickly shape these laws. There is need for measures to counter preexisting social forces through education and training of both men and women. The media can make a major contribution towards promoting these gender equality messages. Lack of sex disaggregated and gender responsive data Sex-disaggregated data and information from gender-sensitive indicators are often not collected, lost in aggregation of published data, or not used. Gender responsive data would help in tracking the progress made towards achievement of gender equality. SUGGESTED RECOMMENDATIONS Translation of commitments and policies promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment into action on the ground remains a major challenge in Africa. Based on the findings of this study, this section highlights some recommendations that can help countries successfully implement the commitments and policies aimed at promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment. Improved research and collection of gender responsive statistical data It is important to systematically collect accurate sex and gender disaggregated data and conduct research that is essential for monitoring and evaluating progress towards achievement of gender equality and women’s empowerment. More efforts are needed to build capacity of national experts to collect gender disaggregated data in order to enhance integration of gender perspectives in the development process. Strengthen documentation and dissemination of information on promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment Sharing of information is important within countries, between countries and internationally and is critical to the success of achieving gender equality and women’s empowerment. There is need to intensify documentation of experiences with successful and unsuccessful practices and widely disseminate this information. It is important for member States, development partners and international and regional bodies to identify information exchange systems that can facilitate wide exchange of this information in the region. CONCLUSION The Empowerment of women has become one of the most important Concerns of 21st century not only at national level but also at the international level. Efforts by the Govt. are on to ensure Gender equality but Government initiatives alone would not be sufficient to achieve this goal. Society must take initiative to create a climate in which there is no gender discrimination and Women have full opportunities of Self decision making and participating in the Social, Political and Economic life of the Country with a sense of equality. As countries around the world work to promote gender equality and empower women as part of achieving the Millennium Development Goals, it can be expected that demand for smaller families will follow. Additionally, family planning programs can address women‘s empowerment as part of their mission to help women and couples have only the number of children they want. Such programs are likely to generate interest in family planning services, create demand for smaller families, and also reduce unwanted fertility. REFRENCES _Abadian, S. 1996. Women’s Autonomy and Its Impact on Fertility. World Development 24(12):1793-1809. _Gwako, E.L. 1997. Conjugal Power in Rural Kenya Families: Its Influence on Women’s _Decisions about Family Size and Family Planning Practices. Sex Roles 36(3-4):127-147. _Jejeebhoy, S.J. 1995.Women’s Education, Autonomy, and Reproductive Behaviour: Experience _from Developing Countries. Oxford, England: Clarendon Press. _Jejeebhoy, S.J. 2000. Women’s Autonomy in Rural India: Its Dimensions, Determinants, and the Influence of Context. Pp. 204-238 in Women’s empowerment and demographic processes: moving beyond Cairo, edited by H. Presser and G. Sen. London: Oxford University Press. _ Lee-Rife, S.M. 2011. Women’s Empowerment and Reproductive Experiences over the Lifecourse. Soc Sci Med 71(3):634-642. _Linos, N., M. Khawaja, and M. Al-Nsour. 2010. Women’s Autonomy and Support for Wife Beating: Findings from a Population-Based Survey in Jordan. Violence Vict 25(3):409-419. _ Mason, K.O. 1987. The Impact of Women‘s Social Position on Fertility in Developing Countries. Sociological Forum 4:718–745. _Morgan, P.S. and B.B. Niraula. 1995. Gender Inequality and Fertility in Two Nepali Villages. Population and Development Review 21(3):541-561. _Westoff, C. and A. Bankole. Reproductive Preferences in Developing Countries at the Turn of the Century. Calverton, Maryland: ORC Macro. DHS Comparative Reports No. 2. April 2002. http://www.measuredhs.com/pubs/pub_details.cfm?ID=369#dfiles . _Malhotra, A., S.R. Schuler, and C. Boender. Measuring Women’s Empowerment as a Variable in International Development. Washington, DC; June 28, 2002. http://hdr.undp.org/docs /network/hdr_net/GDI_GEM_Measuring_Womens_Empowerment.pdf . _ Gebreselassie, T. 2008. Spousal Agreement on Reproductive Preferences in Sub-Saharan Africa. Calverton, Maryland: Macro International Inc. DHS Analytical Studies No. 10. http://www.measuredhs.com/pubs/pdf/AS10/AS10.pdf _ UNECA, (2004b), Seventh African Regional Conference on Women (Beijing +10) Decade Review of the Implementation of the Dakar and Beijing Platforms of Action: Outcome and Way forward, Addis Ababa. _UNECA-SA, (2003), Land Tenure Systems and Sustainable Development in Southern Africa, Lusaka. _ WHO, (2002) Gender and Reproductive Rights Glossary. Geneva . _ World Bank, (2000), Can Africa Claim the 21st Century?, The World Bank, Washington DC. _Budlender D, J. Hicks and L. Vetten, (2002) South Africa: Expanding into diverse initiatives, in Gender Budgets Make More Cents Country Studies and Good Practice edited by D. Budlender and G. Hewitt, Commonwealth Secretariat, London. _ Government of Kenya, (2005), MDG Status Report For Kenya, Nairobi. _Government of Malawi, (2004) State Party Report of Malawi to the CEDAW Committee, Lilongwe. _ Government of Sierra Leone, (2004), PRSP of Sierra Leone, A National Programme for Food Security, Job Creation and Good Governance (2005 – 2007), Freetown. _ Green Africa Network, (2004), Policy Document on Overall Sustainable Women Development for Socioeconomic Development of Rural Africa, Nairobi. _ Longwe S. H., (2000), Towards realistic strategies for women’s political empowerment in Africa, Gender and Development, Vol. 8, No. 3, pp. 24-30. _ OECD and NEPAD, (2007), Gender and Economic Empowerment in Africa Outcome of the meeting of the 8th Africa Partnership Forum Berlin, Germany 22-23 May 2007. _Oxfam, 2004, Mozambique’s Family Law passes, http://www.oxfam.org/en/programs/development/ safrica/moz_law.htm _ Reeves H and S Baden, (2000), Gender and Development: Concepts and Definitions, Report prepared for the Department for International Development (DFID) for its gender mainstreaming intranet resource, Institute of Develo pment Studies, BRIDGE report Number 55, Brighton. _ Sen A, (1993) Capability and well-being, in Amartya Sen and Martha Nussbaum (eds.), The quality of life, Oxford, Clarendon Press. _ UNDAW, (2005) Enhancing Participation of Women in Development through an Enabling Environment for Achieving Gender Equality and the Advancement of Women, Aide Memoire held in Bangkok, Thailand, 8 – 11 November 2005. _UNECA and AUC (Forthcoming) Good Practices for Addressing GBV/VAW in Africa, Draft Document, September 2008, Addis Ababa. _ UNECA, (2008a), The Millennium Development Goals in Africa: Progress and Challenges. _ UNECA, (2008b), Millennium Development Goals Monitoring: Challenges and Opportunities for African Countries – E/ECA/STATCOM/1/6, Report prepared for the First Meeting of the Statistical Commission for Africa (STATCOM-AFRICA I) held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 21-24 January 2008. _ UNECA, (2008c), The State of Older People in Africa –2007: Regional review and appra isal of the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing, UNECA, Addis Ababa. _ UNECA, (2007a), Accelerating Africa’s Growth and Development to meet the MDGs: Emerging Challenges and the way forward: An Issues Paper for the Conference of African Ministers of Finance, Planning and Economic Development/Fortieth session of the Commission Twenty-sixth Meeting of the Committee of Experts held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 29 March – 1 April 2007. _ UNECA, (2007b), Ministerial statement of the Conference of African Ministers of Finance, Planning and Economic Development/Fortieth session of the Commission Twenty-sixth Meeting of the Committee of Experts held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 29 March – 1 April 2007. _ UNECA, (2007c), Millennium Development Goals Report, Report to the Conference of Ministers of African Ministers responsible for Finance, Planning, and Economic Development held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, April 2007. _ECA (2007d) Land Policy in Africa: A Framework to Strengthen Land Rights, Enhance Productivity and Secure Livelihoods, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. _ UNECA, 2006: Meeting the Challenge of Employment In Africa, An Issues Paper for the Twenty-fifth meeting of the Committee of Experts of the Conference of African Ministers of Finance, Planning and Economic Development Ouagadougou 10 – 13 May 2006. _ UNECA (2005a) Economic Report on Africa 2005 – Meeting the Challenges of Unemployment and Poverty in Africa, Addis Ababa. _UNECA (2005b), Promoting Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment in Africa: Questioning the Achievements and Confro nting the Challenges Ten Years after Beijing, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. _UNECA (2004a). The African Gender and Development Index. (ECA) Addis Ababa.

News and History: Re-Inventing Iraq Through British Drawdown

Early this month U.S. Defense Department’s Secretary Robert Gates and British Defense Secretary Des Browne met in London to agree on the withdrawal of half of the British troops in   Iraq. They said that the pull out was not because of any mounting domestic political pressure from any individual or groups but because of the improved situation in the said region. Des Browne said that Britain and the U.S. have the same aspirations for Iraq. But while the situation in Iraq continues to stabilize, in Afghanistan, however, it was the opposite. Des Browne is calling for additional international forces to be sent to Afghanistan which he said as part of the â€Å"long-term commitment† to pursue stability in those areas. That probably is the catch for the withdrawal because according to him all the 2,500 troops that would be taken out in southern part of Iraq would be diverted to Afghanistan to support the present force manning those territories. The two powerful personalities agreed that there is no need for most of the forces in those parts of Iraq and that the withdrawal was agreed by Gen. David Petraeus who was the highest military personnel in Iraq. Accordingly the situation in this part of the region has been neutralized and had been peaceful in the past few months and no major war can be foreseen. Also, Australian troops would be included among those to be withdrawn. These three countries have been blood allies from the beginning and such decision are always being agreed by these three powerful nations. But that is not the end of the news, however. According to the New York Times, in reality there is still continuous fighting between the rival Shiite factions who are trying to gain control of the oil-rich section of Iraq. Just recently, politicians were assassinated in the provinces of Muthanna and Diwaniyah. These provinces were located in the southern part of the country and people say that these political killings are being done by certain groups to have control over all of the oil reserve found in these areas. Britain’s Prime Minister Tony Blair was somewhat dismayed of the growing fractionalization and rebellion in Iraq. The Prime Minister has always been supporting the U.S. in its long time war with Iraq and ironically his decade-long tenure ended in June this year. Blair was questioning British Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s decision on the issue of withdrawal and for now Brown had to distance himself from the embattled ex-Prime Minister. Britain has more than 5,000 troops particularly situated in Iraq while the U.S. has nearly 170,000 troops all stationed around Iraq. After the announcement of the withdrawal, Brown said those who will remain would be tasked to train Iraqi government troops and will only fight if necessary. They will also be withdrawn by the end of next year, he said. The New York Times also reported that some U.S. Marines were proposing to be pulled out along with the Britons and also wanted to move to Afghanistan because they feel they are better suited to fight in that war (Youssef, 2007). This news was more related with Toby Dodge’s book Inventing Iraq where in the old days the British colonizes part of the Ottoman territories in the now modern Iraq and built frontiers to keep natives from uniting and throwing them out of their colonies. British has long been trying to conquer Iraq because of its vast oil resources and widening its territories. Although it has established itself temporarily, ultimately it failed to conquer the country due to Britain’s misguided policies plus the ever intervening attitude of the U.S. The result was a failure of governance and ultimately the assumption of rule by the Iraqis. The author has explicitly vindicated the fate of the oppressed as against the oppressor and implied that no one has the right to rule anybody because it is unjust and immoral. Reference: Youssef, N. A. (2007). Gates: British Drawdown In Iraq Due To Improved Conditions [Electronic Version]. Retrieved October 17, 2007 from http://www.mcclatchydc.com/homepage/story/20393.html.      

Arthur Miller Bio Essay

Arthur Miller Bio Essay Arthur Miller Bio Essay Kaelin Johnson Ms. Tague AP Literature 14 Jan. 2013 Arthur Miller, one of the most influential writers of his time and the greatest playwright of the twentieth century, had a very difficult life growing up which indeed reflected the themes of his famous works of literature; one being Death of a Salesman. The great play, Death of a Salesman, was written by Arthur Miller in 1949. This world famous play was the recipient of the 1949 â€Å"Pulitzer Prize† and the â€Å"Tony Award for best play.† This play went on to showcase over 700 performances and it has been improved b Broadway four time which enabled the play to win three â€Å"Tony Awards for Best Revival.† Even though the play was filled with great actors and an excellent script, this was not the only reason for its success. The time period form which it was written attracted many people and the audiences were able to relate to the problems of the characters on stage. In the midst of a postwar boom in 1940, many Americans were optimistic about their future an d their hope for an improvement with their finances. They hoped to become rich from a commercial venture and then live a peaceful life with their families; This was their definition of the â€Å"American Dream.† Arthur Miller’s creation of Death of a salesman was completely opposite of this belief that people formed in their minds (Marino). They play’s main theme was a man’s quest to achieve the â€Å"American Dream† and his failure to ever reach it which then causes his death. This theme is well acknowledged in a quote from Death of a Salesman, â€Å"WILLY: What’s the mystery? The man knew what he wanted and went out and got it! Walked into a jungle, and comes out, the age of twenty-one,

18 Funny St. Patricks Day Quotes and Toasts

18 Funny St. Patrick's Day Quotes and Toasts Irish people love to joke about themselves, and their love for alcohol has long been a theme in St. Patricks Day humor- and their own good-natured ribbing of each other. Get a taste of the Irish sense of humor with these funny St. Patricks Day quotes, and use these toasts the next time youre in your favorite pub with friends. Irish Blessing May the Good Lord take a liking to you...but not too soon! May the Lord keep you in his hand and never close his fist too tight. Author Unknown Saint Patrick was a gentlemanWho through strategy and stealthDrove all the snakes from IrelandHeres a drinkee to his health!But not too many drinkeesLest we lose ourselves and then...Forget the good Saint PatrickAnd see them snakes again! Anyone acquainted with Ireland knows that the morning of St. Patricks Day consists of the night of the 17th of March flavored strongly with the morning of the 18th. Daryl Stout Why should you never iron a 4-leaf clover? You dont want to press your luck. Irish Saying There are only two kinds of people in the world, The Irish and those who wish they were. There are many good reasons for drinking,One has just entered my head.If a man doesnt drink when hes living,How in the hell can he drink when hes dead? An Irishman is never drunk as long as he can hold onto one blade of grass to keep from falling off the earth. Charles M. Madigan St. Patrick- one of the few saints whose feast day presents the opportunity to get determinedly whacked and make a fool of oneself all under the guise of acting Irish. St. Patricks Day Toast Here’s to a long life and a merry one.A quick death and an easy oneA pretty girl and an honest oneA cold beer- and another one! Irish Toast It is better to spend money like theres no tomorrow than to spend tonight like theres no money! May you die in bed at 95 years, shot by a jealous husband (or wife). May the sound of happy music, And the lilt of Irish laughter, fill your heart with gladness, that stays forever after. May your glass be ever full.May the roof over your head be always strong.And may you be in heaven half an hour before the devil knows youre dead. When we drink, we get drunk.When we get drunk, we fall asleep.When we fall asleep, we commit no sin.When we commit no sin, we go to heaven.So, lets all get drunk, and go to heaven! May you always have a clean shirt, a clear conscience, and enough coins in your pocket to buy a pint! May the winds of fortune sail you, may you sail a gentle sea, may it always be the other guy who says This drinks on me. May your doctor never earn a dollar out of you and may your heart never give out. May the 10 toes of your feet steer you clear of all misfortune, and before youre much older, may you hear much better toasts than this.

Estimate critical analysis of the companys recent history with Essay

Estimate critical analysis of the companys recent history with Financial Analysis of Heartland Express company - Essay Example (Rm-Rf) is the risk premium rate and beta can be defined as a measure of how much the stock and market move together. The following values have been traced through relevant financial sources WACC or the weighted average cost of capital is the weighted average cost of the company’s equity and long term debt. WACC is calculated by multiplying the cost of equity with the market value of the equity and cost of debt with the market value of the debt. Cost of debt is usually the interest rate that the company’s pay on its long term and short term financial borrowings. However, an analysis of the company’s financial statements will show that the company does have any long term or short term interest bearing financial debts. All of its debts comprise of trading nature and the company does have to pay any interest on such securities. Does the cost of debt for the heartland express is nil. Keeping all the above factors into consideration, the WACC of heartland express is equal to its cost of equity i.e. 6.11% The estimated value of the company’s equity is calculated by discounting the free cash flow of the company for the foreseeable future using the weighted average cost of capital of the company (WACC). Free cash flow method is basically a measure of financial performance of the company which is calculated as free cash flows minus the capital expenditure. From pure financial management’s perspective, free cash flow can be defined as the cash which the company is able to generate setting aside the money required to maintain or expand its current asset base. The following table presents the free cash flow calculation and the equity value of the company as at financial year end December 31, 2010. Note 2: In the free cash flow method, the depreciation and amortization expense are added to the profit after taxes since these are the non-cash items. For the