Kosovo Conflict Essays (1633 words) - AlbaniaSerbia Relations

Kosovo Conflict The Balkans have been a very unstable region for hundreds of years. The reason for contention is because of ethnic origin and disputes of which race owns which land.. That is the reason for the dispute over Kosovo is because of the same thing. This is a very complicated situation, that I don't really know everything about. I just kind of know the basics. Back in the 1500 hundreds, the Serbs conquered the Kosovo area, slowly and gradually over the years the Ethnic Albanians started occupying the territory, until before the bombing began, Kosovo consisted of 90% Ethnic Albanians. Well, the Serbs didn't like this, especially Milosevic who is the ruler over Serbia. Since Kosovo has many historical ties to the Serbs, and the Serbs conquered that territory back in the 1500 hundreds, Milosevic wanted to reclaim their rightful territory. And his method to do this was through "ethnic cleansing" Kosovo. Stats: -Milosevic has been doing this subtlety for years, and as of last fall has increased his killing of "ethnic Albainians". To date, there are now 200,00 people dead as a result of Milosevic's ethnic cleansing. That is probably a very low figure. 100,000 Kosovar men are now missing, which might be the reason for the "mass graves" that have been pictured. Nearly one half a million people have been expelled from their homes, many forced out at gunpoint, while the Serbian troops destroyed their identity papers, making them unable to return to their homes. This flood of refugees have overwhelmed neighboring countries, who are economically weak, and are unable to take in all the refugees. 600,000 Kosovars are surviving off the land in mountains nearby. Controversy: -You might wonder what business the U.S. has in a country on the other side of the world, where it seems to be no political interest whatsoever. That is a big controversery of whether or not NATO should be involved. At first I was against NATO involvement for just those reasons, why should NATO get involved where there would be no benefit to us, because this was more of a humanitarian issue. But as I researched this and read more about it, I am in favor of NATO involvement. I believe that we should do everything possible to help stop Tyrants from killing innocent people. Which is what was and is occuring in Kosovo. -But I am against NATO in who, why and how NATO is handling this conflict. Who: -NATO is very hypocritical by saying they got involved in this situation purely because of humanitarian reasons. There have been many occasions where the U.S. looked the other way on bigger humanitarian disasters. In West Africa, there was a similar "ethnic cleansing" situation where the U.S. did not get involved. Why: -In the begging, where NATO was on the verge of bombing Kosovo, Clinton spoke in a public meeting about why we were getting involved. He said, trying to get public approval, that the reason the U.S. is getting involved is largely an economical reason. He said that this war would help the U.S. financially. By getting involved, we would become partners with Europe, thus increasing a trade relationship. That is what I am against. I am against the U.S./Clinton thinking more about how much money we can get, rather than saving innocent lives from being brutally murdered. -After the bombing had dragged on for longer than expected, which was only about a week in some people's opinion, the objectives were stated as follows: "To stop ethnic cleansing, stop flood of refugees into nieghboring countries, stop NATO from splitting, prevent Milosevic from strengthening his grip on the Balkan region." And, after over 2 months of involvement, NATO has not been able to meet those objectives. -Bob Bennet said that the current bombing has "been no help to the Albanians and Macedonians, who have seen hundreds of thousands of refugees flood across the borders into their ill-equipped countries. It has been of no help to NATO, an alliance that has seen its military stocks drawn down to dangerously low levels, with no effects on the atrocities going on in the killing fields." -One speculated reason to get involved was because of the military stategic point in the Balkans. After NATO wins, the U.S. would put troops in the area to secure it. That was one reason why Russia is against U.S. involvement. How: This is my biggest controversy to NATO's actions. NATO's strategy to stop Milosevic from killing innocent people, was to bomb him into submission. Military officials predicted this "war" Kosovo Conflict Essays (1633 words) - AlbaniaSerbia Relations Kosovo Conflict The Balkans have been a very unstable region for hundreds of years. The reason for contention is because of ethnic origin and disputes of which race owns which land.. That is the reason for the dispute over Kosovo is because of the same thing. This is a very complicated situation, that I don't really know everything about. I just kind of know the basics. Back in the 1500 hundreds, the Serbs conquered the Kosovo area, slowly and gradually over the years the Ethnic Albanians started occupying the territory, until before the bombing began, Kosovo consisted of 90% Ethnic Albanians. Well, the Serbs didn't like this, especially Milosevic who is the ruler over Serbia. Since Kosovo has many historical ties to the Serbs, and the Serbs conquered that territory back in the 1500 hundreds, Milosevic wanted to reclaim their rightful territory. And his method to do this was through "ethnic cleansing" Kosovo. Stats: -Milosevic has been doing this subtlety for years, and as of last fall has increased his killing of "ethnic Albainians". To date, there are now 200,00 people dead as a result of Milosevic's ethnic cleansing. That is probably a very low figure. 100,000 Kosovar men are now missing, which might be the reason for the "mass graves" that have been pictured. Nearly one half a million people have been expelled from their homes, many forced out at gunpoint, while the Serbian troops destroyed their identity papers, making them unable to return to their homes. This flood of refugees have overwhelmed neighboring countries, who are economically weak, and are unable to take in all the refugees. 600,000 Kosovars are surviving off the land in mountains nearby. Controversy: -You might wonder what business the U.S. has in a country on the other side of the world, where it seems to be no political interest whatsoever. That is a big controversery of whether or not NATO should be involved. At first I was against NATO involvement for just those reasons, why should NATO get involved where there would be no benefit to us, because this was more of a humanitarian issue. But as I researched this and read more about it, I am in favor of NATO involvement. I believe that we should do everything possible to help stop Tyrants from killing innocent people. Which is what was and is occuring in Kosovo. -But I am against NATO in who, why and how NATO is handling this conflict. Who: -NATO is very hypocritical by saying they got involved in this situation purely because of humanitarian reasons. There have been many occasions where the U.S. looked the other way on bigger humanitarian disasters. In West Africa, there was a similar "ethnic cleansing" situation where the U.S. did not get involved. Why: -In the begging, where NATO was on the verge of bombing Kosovo, Clinton spoke in a public meeting about why we were getting involved. He said, trying to get public approval, that the reason the U.S. is getting involved is largely an economical reason. He said that this war would help the U.S. financially. By getting involved, we would become partners with Europe, thus increasing a trade relationship. That is what I am against. I am against the U.S./Clinton thinking more about how much money we can get, rather than saving innocent lives from being brutally murdered. -After the bombing had dragged on for longer than expected, which was only about a week in some people's opinion, the objectives were stated as follows: "To stop ethnic cleansing, stop flood of refugees into nieghboring countries, stop NATO from splitting, prevent Milosevic from strengthening his grip on the Balkan region." And, after over 2 months of involvement, NATO has not been able to meet those objectives. -Bob Bennet said that the current bombing has "been no help to the Albanians and Macedonians, who have seen hundreds of thousands of refugees flood across the borders into their ill-equipped countries. It has been of no help to NATO, an alliance that has seen its military stocks drawn down to dangerously low levels, with no effects on the atrocities going on in the killing fields." -One speculated reason to get involved was because of the military stategic point in the Balkans. After NATO wins, the U.S. would put troops in the area to secure it. That was one reason why Russia is against U.S. involvement. How: This is my biggest controversy to NATO's actions. NATO's strategy to stop Milosevic from killing innocent people, was to bomb him into submission. Military officials predicted this "war"

The Culture of Overtesting in Americas Public Schools

The Culture of Overtesting in Americas Public Schools Over the past several years, many parents and students have begun to launch movements against overtesting and the high stakes testing movement. They have begun to realize that their children are being stripped of an authentic educational experience that instead hinges on how they perform on a series of test over a period of a few days. Many states have passed laws that tie student test performance to grade promotion, the ability to obtain a driver’s license, and even the earning of a diploma. This has created a culture of tension and anxiety among administrators, teachers, parents, and students. High Stakes and Standardized Testing I spend quite a bit of my time thinking about and researching the topics of high stakes and standardized testing. I have written several articles on those subjects. This includes one where I consider my philosophical shift from not worrying about my student’s standardized test scores to deciding that I need to play the high stakes testing game and focus on preparing my students for their standardized tests. Since I made that philosophical shift, my students perform significantly better when compared to my students before I shifted my focus to teaching towards the test. In fact over the last several years I have had a near perfect proficiency rate for all of my students. While I am proud of this fact, it is also extremely disheartening because it has come at a cost. This has created a continuous internal battle. I no longer feel like my classes are fun and creative. I do not feel as if I can take the time to explore the teachable moments that I would have jumped on a few years ago. Time is at a premium, and nearly everything I do is with the one singular goal of preparing my students for testing. The focus of my instruction has been narrowed to the point that I feel as if I am trapped. I know that I am not alone. Most teachers are fed up with the current overtesting, high stakes culture. This has led many excellent, effective teachers to retire early or to leave the field to pursue another career path. Many of the remaining teachers have made the same philosophical shift I chose to make because they love working with kids. They sacrifice conforming to something which they do not believe in to keep doing the job they love. Few administrators or teachers see the high stakes testing era as something positive. Many opponents would argue that a single test on a single day is not indicative of what a child truly has learned over the course of a year. Proponents say that it holds school districts, administrators, teachers, students, and parents accountable. Both groups are right to some extent. The best solution to standardized testing would be a middle ground approach. Instead, the Common Core State Standard era has in some degree ushered in increased pressure and continued over-emphasis on standardized testing. Common Core States Standards The Common Core States Standards (CCSS) have had a significant impact on ensuring this culture is here to stay. Forty-two states currently utilize the Common Core State Standards. These states utilize a shared set of English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics educational standards. However, the controversial Common Core has lost some of its luster due in part to several states parting ways with them after initially planning to adopt them,  Even still there is rigorous testing intended to assess student understanding of the Common Core State Standards. There are two consortiums charged with building these assessments: Partnership for Assessment and Readiness of College and Careers (PARCC) SMARTER Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC). Originally, PARCC assessments were given to students over the course of 8-9 testing sessions in grades 3-8. That number has since been reduced to 6-7 testing sessions, which still seems excessive. The driving force behind the high stakes testing movement is two fold. It is both politically and financially motivated. These motivations are interlocked. The testing industry is a multi-billion dollar a year industry. Testing companies win political support by pumping thousands of dollars into political lobbying campaigns to ensure that candidates who support testing are voted into office. The political world essentially holds school districts hostage by tying both federal and state money to standardized tests performance. This, in large part, is why district administrators put pressure on their teachers to do more to increase test performance. It is also why many teachers bow to the pressure and teach directly to the test. Their job is tied to the funding and their family understandably trumps their internal convictions. Overtesting Era The overtesting era is still strong, but hope arises for opponents of high stakes testing. Educators, parents, and students are beginning to awaken to the fact that something needs to be done to reduce the amount of and overemphasis of standardized testing in America’s public schools. This movement has gained much steam within the past few years as many states have suddenly reduced the amount of testing they required and repealed legislation that tied test scores to areas such as teacher evaluations and student promotion. Even still there is more work do be done. Many parents have continued to lead an opt-out movement in the hope that it will eventually rid or drastically reduce the public school standardized testing requirements. There are several websites and Facebook pages dedicated to this movement.   Educators like me appreciate the parental support on this issue. As I mentioned above, many teachers feel trapped. We either quit what we love to do or conform to how we are mandated to teach. This does not mean that we cannot voice our displeasure when given the opportunity. For those who believe that there is too much emphasis placed on standardized testing and that students are being overtested, I encourage you to figure out a way to make your voice heard. It may not make a difference today, but eventually, it could be loud enough to put an end to this insatiable practice.

Fieldwork Skills and Supervision Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Fieldwork Skills and Supervision - Essay Example One particular area of emphasis in these sessions is the use of touching, which builds an additional effective level of connection between therapist and patient (Popa M and Best P, 2010). The therapist and I would use massage to warm up the clients’ backs and other muscles. This posed challenges at times because some of the patients would refuse physical contact. In the beginning, I had difficulty with touching all of the clients, but it became easier over time as I developed more confidence. The afternoon session followed a similar schedule.My role in this session was that of a trainee dance movement psychotherapist. In general, the main goal of these sessions was to develop consistency as a group, so that participants would feel a sense of trust and belonging as part of a team (Burns CA, 2012). This gives patients the chance to improve their social skills in expression, communication and forming relationships. Another area of need is improving and expanding the range of moti on available to each patient. Obviously, attendance is very important for patients to show development over time. Also, ensuring that each session has a clear structure from beginning to end maximizes the efficient use of each patient’s time, particularly using the beginning and the end to help patients understand and realize their own areas of improvement (Burns CA, 2012). The patients build trust through having fun and feeling safe when it comes to expressing feelings and needs (Barton EJ, 2011).

What are some of the techniques or processes that can be employed to Essay

What are some of the techniques or processes that can be employed to evaluate health policy as opposed to evaluating a specific health intervention - Essay Example Grossly, there are three types’ measures which are used for evaluation (Gilson et al, 1975). They include ‘measures of structure, measures of process and measure of outcomes’. Measures of structure and process evaluate the strategies behind the policy while the measures of outcome assess the effects of the policy on the affected population. Community participation in the evaluation of any health policy is of prime importance and deliberative approaches when used by the concerned authorities are successful in yielding information which leads to the development of effective and appropriate modifications in any health programme (Gregory et al, 2008). A specific health intervention which has definite end points like the success of Polio immunization can be simply evaluated by taking the total figures of immunization doses administered (process measure) and demonstrable data of less occurrence of Polio (outcome measure) (Gilson et al, 1975). On the other hand more comp licated policies like evaluating the outcome of preventive strategies for Alzheimer’s disease might need more through data collection, research and analysis. Evaluation of a health programme involves the general processes like audit and quality assurance to determine whether predetermined standards have been met (Bowling, 2002). It may be directly focussed on patients in relation to treatment and care, evaluation of specific biochemical indicators or on the measurement of broader quality of life of the patients. Outcome of medical interventions from social, psychological, physical and economic perspectives are measured (Bowling, 2002). Gregory J., Hartz-Karp J. & Watson R (2008) Using deliberative techniques to engage the community in policy development, Australia and New Zealand Health Policy 2008, 5:16, retrieved online September 17, 2009 from

Crime Data Comparison Paper Essay Example for Free

Crime Data Comparison Paper Essay The two metropolitan areas I have decided to do my research paper on are Cincinnati, Ohio and Dallas, Texas. I choose Cincinnati because it is one of the bigger cities where I live. I choose Dallas because there seems to be a big difference in crime rates compared to Cincinnati. In this paper I will be comparing the burglary rate between these two cities. I will identify the number of burglaries reported to the police in each area and also explain which area had more reported burglaries as well as what were the rates of the crimes in each area. I will also explain whether the rates have changed at all and look into what factors that might be involved that might explain the difference in the burglary rates. Looking at the research, Cincinnati, Ohio had a rate of 6,287 burglaries that were reported to police in 2009 (Crime in the United States, 2009). Dallas, Texas on the other hand had 19,428 burglaries in that same year. The rate of crime given for Cincinnati in 2009 was 375.1 occurrences per 10,000 persons (Crime in the United States, 2009). Dallas by comparison had a crime rate of 1505.7 occurrences per 100,000 people. According to the crime statistics, crime in Dallas, Texas is down 6.4 percent from 2008 and Cincinnati has one of the highest crime rates in the country compared to all communities of all sizes. Ones chance of becoming a victim of property crime is one in twelve. (NeighborhoodScout, 2012). There are many factors that could explain the differences in the crime rates between these two cities. One factor could be the difference in population. The population in Cincinnati is 296,943 within the city limits according to the 2010 census. (Crime in the United States, 2009) whereas in Dallas, Texas the population is 1,197,816 according to 2010 censes. When you look at the numbers the more people living in an area the higher the crime rate will be. There are also other factors that could explain the big differences between these cities. The ethnic and racial makeup of the people living there and their educational levels could be a big difference. To really explain the increase or decline in both these cities is difficult because the two areas that I choose are so very different in population is really the biggest difference. In conclusion, in comparing both these big cities Cincinnati is showing an increase in the number of burglaries and almost every other crime as for Dallas, the crime rate there is down 6.4 percent. With the population in Dallas being 1,197,816 and Cincinnati’s population being 296,943 people would think that Dallas would be a city full of crime but Cincinnati is far worse. According to NeighborhoodScout . com, on a scale of 100 to 1(100 is the safest) Cincinnati rates just a two. This scale shows that Cincinnati is just safer then two percent of the cities in the United States of America. There are many factors that could explain why Cincinnati has one of the fasting growing crime rates in the nation. One could be the economy where there is nine percent unemployment in the city alone. Another factor could be the racial and ethnic makeup of the city. Looking at the Dallas, Texas crime rates, it rates a six in the crime index (NeighborhoodScout.com). This means that Dallas, Texas is safer than six percent of the cities in the United States. In Dallas there were 8,341 violent crimes and 63,022 property crimes compared to Cincinnati’s 3,087 violent crimes and 20,911 property crimes. Looking at how big Dallas is compared to Cincinnati you would think that there would be more crimes per 1,000 residents but it is not even close. In Cincinnati there are 10.42 crimes per 1,000 residents compared to Dallas’s 6.82 annual crimes per 1,000 residents. When you compare Cincinnati with Dallas, the crime index, population, and the crime rates going up or down, Dallas to me would be the safer of the two cities to live in. References Crime in the United States of America. (2009). February, 2012 http://www.2.fbi.gov/ucr/cius2009/data/table_06.html Neighborhood Scout. (2012) http:/www.neighborhoodscout.com/Cincinnati/crime http:/www.neighborhoodscout.com/Dallas/crime

The Savior- Malcolm X :: essays research papers

The Savior, Malcolm X The decade of change as so many people called it, the United States of America was becoming a better place, for some. People began to speak their minds, tell the truth, and give their opinion even if it wasn’t wanted. All of that forced changes, changes from whites and blacks. No longer would our country stand as a racially divided society, the protesting had began. It was the sixties, and so many of the most memorable people in the history of our country, made their voices be heard by everyone. One of the few, who spoke so clear, was Malcolm X, a man who would risk his life for his brothers and sisters of America. Malcolm X told his faith, told his truth, and that made him an ideological hero, especially among the young black culture.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Malcolm Little grew up in Lansing, Michigan, where he witnessed first hand his home being burned to the ground by white supremacist, like the Ku Klux Klan. Two years later Malcolm’s father was murdered, tied to the tracks and ran over by a steam train. That same year his mother was placed in a mental hospital and Malcolm was situated throughout detention homes the following years. In his early years he moved to Boston to live with his sister Ella. Malcolm found good and bad around the outsized Boston area, and became involved in the dealing of cocaine, hustling, and gambling profoundly. The name Malcolm no longer existed to him, he was known as â€Å"Detroit Red† for his slicked back, greasy hair. Red decided it was time to hit the big show, and moved to New York, specifically Harlem where he could deal and â€Å"strike it big.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Dealing wasn’t enough for the gang banging slinger, he had to have it all and just when enough was enough he took it a step further. Malcolm teamed up with a white girl named Sophia he had known, her sister, and to other black male friends, to pull of some house burglaries. A few went well and turned out successful, and then Malcolm made a mistake. Malcolm had dropped off a stolen watched needed for repairing at a local jewelry store, and when he was returned to pick it up the New York Police Department was there to arrest him. Malcolm was convicted of larceny and sentenced eight to ten years in prison.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 1946 Malcolm began reading and educating himself to become a better person while in prison.

Bribe & Ethical

This study will discuss about the concept of organization’s social performance and economic performance. Economic performance deals with an organization’s main objective likes profit, revenue and cost while the social performance of an organization is their responsibilities to the society in relation to various ethical values in business. Ethical values are very important in a business. All ethical questions relate to what is right, just, and fair. â€Å"Terms like â€Å"professional ethics,† â€Å"work ethics,† and â€Å"business ethics† are misnomers.The principles we use in the workplace should be the same principles we use in other areas of our lives – they’re just applied to business situations. † In the present competitive world many organizations focus on their ultimate goal of profit maximization without any consideration of their means to achieving the goals. The impact of globalization creates a lot of opportunities in the business to transcend national boundaries. Many multinational companies have started their operations in other countries. In this backdrop where competition is quite tough, some organizations try to pay bribe for their business existence in the host country.â€Å"MNC bribery takes many forms: direct monetary payoffs to political officials, positions in the enterprise for officials, family members, friends and/or cronies, paid excursions, partnerships, invitations to prestigious universities and scholarships for their children, etc. † Each country has its own culture and moral values. These principles are highly dependant on that particular country’s economic and social situation. â€Å"The major problem of international business ethics is bribery. No single country allows businessmen to offer and government officials to accept bribes for deals.† Bribery is generally considered a reprehensible offence even in countries where it is alleged to be common. This study relates with BIM, a UK based IT consultancy, and its problem for meeting both the economical and social performance. BIM starts their operations in Nigerian city of Lagos. During the initial times their operation was not successful and they failed to meet their target. After an evaluation of the business environment of Lagos BIM’s sales team finds that payment of commission is very a common practice in that area for any business deals.BIM decides to follow the common practice of that area for meeting their target. On the other hand, BIM strictly follows ethical values in their business and their code of ethics would consider these commissions to be bribery and, therefore, not allowed. In this situation, the Branch Director finds himself in a dilemma as on one side he has to meet the goal of their branch, and on the other maintain the organization’s culture. Most of the ethical issues in management are apparently simple. â€Å"Many business managers said that the ir companies strictly uphold the principle against any form of bribery.They would choose to give up commercial contracts if they were asked to pay bribes or â€Å"kickbacks† to secure them. † There is a dichotomous, yes or no choice; which brings in conflict the organization’s economic benefit and their ethical values in business. Ethical decisions are not simple choices between right and wrong. In a case of bribery, it may affect the organization’s value and culture at the same time bribery can also create a bad precedent. â€Å"In developed countries, the moral expectations of the host country are as stringent as our own.With third world host countries, though the moral expectations often more lax, and multinationals are tempted to lower their standards when situations permit. † Bribery is a common practice in all of the third world countries; especially in bureaucracies most of these countries suffer acute problems of bribery in the areas of educ ation, health and other social welfare sector. Many multinational companies exploit these corrupted officials for their business purposes, selling off lesser quality products and violating the government rules and indulging in other unethical activities with the helps of these corrupted officials.†Market power is highly dependent on political relations with the state through a series of complex networks of ‘intermediaries’ who negotiate monetary and other payoffs in exchange for a range of highly profitable concessions. † In this type of business environment an organization can only meet its economical performance by promoting bribery but they will not be able to meet their social performance and they also risk neglecting the social responsibilities.In the context of BIM, the branch director has two options: the first is to pay the commission and make a good market for his product in that area; but this activity can be create a bad social situation. The seco nd option is to stick to the company’s tradition. The corrupted official can get more chances to earn money and they are ready to agree any types of products sales in that area. They are not bothered about the quality and benefit of product. Social responsibility of an organization is to provide quality product to customers and protect the market from illegal business practices. So the branch manager Mr.Thomas Harvey wants to follow his organization’s ethical codes against bribery and try to promote legal method of business promotion other wise he would have decided to pay commission and achieve a good business. It is not the part of BIM’s organization’s culture to pay bribe for business interests and it is not a suitable method for BIM’s long term business policy. Any other organization would be able to pay higher commission rather than BIM’s to penetrate the market. In this type of unethical business environment there is no stable growth, all business dealings would depend on the bribery and other illegal activities.BIM’s business practice is meeting both the economical and social performance their by maintaining their customers’ trust and loyalty in any where in the world with any type of business environment. So in this situation Mr. Thomas Harvey wants to give more priority to the social performance of his organization and therefore avoid unethical business practices. Works Cited What is business ethics? Scribbler’s Ink, copyright  © 2005, all rights reserved. http://www. scribblers-ink. com/business_ethics. html (accessed March 13, 2007).Petras, James. United States. Economic Empire Building: The Centrality of Corruption. http://www. socialistviewpoint. org/janfeb_07/janfeb_07_10. html (accessed March 13, 2007). Global Ethics in Global Economy. Editorial 15th Issue. Hong Kong Ethic Development Center. Ethics in Practice. http://www. icac. org. hk/hkedc/ethics/eip/edc005_e. htm (accessed Mar ch 13, 2007). Fieser, James. Business Ethics. Doing Business in Foreign Countries. http://www. utm. edu/staff/jfieser/vita/research/Busbook. htm (accessed March 13, 2007).