The Opium War

In this descriptive essay the movement for china to prohibit opium and the formation and the devolution of the first opium war from 1839 till 1842 and its aftermaths for china will be shown. The Opium War was one of the most important points of inflexion in the history of china. Before this war, china was an autonomous feudal state that administrates the state without interventions of other states. After the repression of the Qing Dynasty by the British and the signing of the disparate contract of Nanjing in 1842, china converted step by step to a half feudal and half colonial state.Already in the forties of the 19th century, Great Britain was a high developed, capitalistic State. After it has tightened its colonial control about India, their aggressions adjust against china. In this time china was still a self isolated feudal state with a dominant autarkic agricultural economic system. British industrial goods were not liked and couldn’t be sold in china in this time, so that Britain had to pay big amounts of silver to buy Chinese products like silk and tea.To avoid these high costs, Britain starts to bribe Chinese functionaries by opium. It was brought in rising high amounts to china. For example in contrast to 1820 where they brought 4000 cases with 600 kilo of opium for each to china, they transported 40000 cases of that in 1838 to the empire of the middle, which means that a very high amount of silver leaves china in this years. The price of silver was rising high so that the burden of the Farmers gains and the Qing Dynasty get into financial problems consequently.Thereby the number of opium smokers elevates, the feudal functionaries getting more and more corrupt and the fighting power of the Chinese army was enervated. Finally the Emperor of the Qing Dynasty Daoguang (from 1821 till 1850) was frightened of his authority. Because of that he sends the general governor of Hunan and Hubei, Lin Zexu, as a special representative to Guangzhou to eliminate dealing with opium. In Guangzhou he let arrested the dealers, punished corrupt functionaries and ordered the foreign traders to surrender their opium to him.The foreign traders also had to sign a commitment that they never would deliver opium to china again. The counteraction of Charles Elliot, the British inspector for trade in China, attempts to perforate the prohibition and told the foreign traders that they don’t have to sign the commitment and don’t have to surrender their opium to the Chinese governor. He also commands the trade ships which anchor in front of the Pearl River to get away. After those actions Lin Zexu prohibited all trading actions between Chinese and British people and let guard the British residential area by the army.On the 3rd of June in 1839 he gave the order to a public burn down of 1,15 million kilogram of the surrendered opium at the beach of Humen. Thereafter he wanted to go back to the normal trade between china and Britain with a genera l prohibition for opium. After the public burn down, Charles Elliot pressures the British government to start a vengeance war against china. In April of 1840 the British parliament declares a resolution for a war against china on what they started an offense in June. They first attacked the coast of Guangzhou with 40 warships and about 4000 army soldiers.That was the beginning of the opium war. The Chinese army was prepared well for this offense so that they can kickback the attacks in Guangzhou and later also in Xiamen in the province of Fujian. Later they charged Dinghai in the province of Zhejiang and push along to the north where they accomplished the harbor of Tianjing and menace the capital Beijing. The Qing administration was afraid about this development so that they sent Qishan, general governor of Zhili (today called Hebei), to Guangzhou to start negotiations for peace.But during the negotiations in January of 1841, the British army attacks the fort in front of Humen and c aptured it. Because of that Qishan was affected to sign the convention of Chuanbi which declares the abandonment of Hongkong to Great Britain and the payment of reparations for the burned opium. This convention was an affront for the Emperor Daoguang which threatened his authority. Because of that he declared the war against Great Britain. He sent his nephew Yishan to Guangzhou who should direct this military act. But even before he arrived the British army captured Humen that were protected by admiral Guan Tianpei and 400 soldiers.If they also blast to Guangzhou by cannon, Yishan capitulates, asked for peace and signed the convention of Guangzhou which obligates him to pay 6 million silver dollars as reparation for the war. But the Britain government was disaffected with the advantages of the provisional convention of Chuanbi so that they sent again 26 warships with 3500 soldiers to expand the war of aggressions. In august of 1841 they captured Xiamen and later in October Dinghai, Zhenhai and Ningbo in the province of Zhejiang. In June of 1942 they ineffectively attacked Wusong nearby shanghai and captured later shanghai itself and Zhejiang.In August the British warships advanced the Yangtzekiang River to ship to Nanjing. If they arrived at Nanjing the Qing administration sent a diplomatic, called Qiying, to a British ship for negotiate peace. On the 29th of August in 1842 he signed the infamous Chinese – British contract of Nanjing which was the first disparate Contract of the modern Chinese history. The contract, which includes 13 articles, orders China to open Guangzhou, Xiamen, Fuzhou, Ningbo and Shanghai as trade harbors, to assign Hongkong to Great Britain and pay a reparation of 21 million silver dollars.In the following year Great Britain compel the Qing administration to sign the abstract rules for the British – Chinese trade in five free trade harbors and also to sign the contract of Humen as accessory to the contract of Nanjing, which includes that the maximum duty for British goods is constricted on 5%. It also declares that British people are able to build up houses for permanent living. Through the Nanjing contract and other disparate contracts in the following years china lost its political independence.The inflow of foreign goods started to corrode the Chinese feudal economy. Because of that china developed into a half feudal and half colonial society in these years. In my opinion the opium war was a very important and influencing part of the Chinese history. I made the experience that you can find these influences till today. It especially affects Hong Kong which is a part of china again since 1997 but till 2047 declared as a special administrative region with an own currency and own rules. You can make this experience if you know different parts of china.In Hong Kong you can find many European looking buildings, a lot of western food and about 19. 000 Britain’s. It is a very international, intercul tural city and nearly everybody speaks English. But you can also see the differences if you visit some other cities which were colonized before a long time. For example in Shanghai or Qindao. But every region which was colonized is again a part of china today. In the time of international trade and globalization a European people like me can’t imagine that in our days a region of a country is colonized by another country.And I also think that Daoguang, the emperor of the Qing Dynasty in the time of the opium war, reacts completely correct to this situation because no emperor in this world allow another country to make his nation addicted to drugs and cheat to them about the income of the international trade. So that I can say that I think that the events which happened turned into a negative light only because of the arrogance and presumption of the Britain’s, that captured parts of china, despite to the big resistance of China, to acquire things which were not owned b y them and to browbeat a country which is cultural known for harmony till today.

Dodge Charger Commercial Analysis

Commercial subject was to show that if you have this car will make your life better. To appeal to an audience of those individuals who have low self-esteem and are unsocial and lonely it expresses the notion that if you purchase this Dodge Charger that you will attract people who are on a higher social status. This â€Å"nerd† and his unattractive girlfriend are sitting in a car and he Is trying to convince her to have sex with him.Then an attractive girl comes and taps on the â€Å"nerds† window and asks about his car. After that more attractive girls come and ask bout the car, within all this action the â€Å"nerds† girlfriend ends up out of the car and all of the attractive girls end up In the car and they drive off leaving the unattractive girl behind. The Dodge commercial Is appealing to those Individuals who are on a low social status the nerds geeks and loners of the world.The purpose of this commercial Is to get people who are on a low social status to bu y this car because they believe the car will make them cooler. The voice of the speaker Is the â€Å"nerd† the typical nonsocial loner and the commercial portrays him becoming â€Å"cooler† and more social because of the car. The tone of the commercial optimistic and cheerful, the â€Å"nerd† was enthusiastic at the fact that the girls were giving him attention.The attitude of the commercial is joyful, the â€Å"nerd† is happy when the attractive ladies show him attention. This commercial is effective in its efforts to persuade its viewers to buy this car, there are a lot of lonely people in this world who would look at this commercial and believe one hundred percent that this car will do what the commercial is portraying, to give them friends and a social life and higher social status.

Fashion Magazines as Influence of Female Body Image Assignment

Fashion Magazines as Influence of Female Body Image - Assignment Example Magazines such as Cosmopolitan use language which asserts that women are socially substandard and not acceptable without sustaining the good looks of other women utilized in the magazine’s imagery. Over time, after being exposed to these messages and innuendos, women believe in this propaganda (Lemberg, 1999). When fashion magazines use images of unattainable physical perfection, it is said that this imagery diminishes feminist ideologies and begins asserting to women that maintaining a similar physical exterior is the fundamental objective of being a woman (Cash, Gitter, Kogel and Zaphirpoulos, 1997). Hence, women begin to develop ideologies related to vanity and seeking a magazine-asserted perspective of body perfection in order to be considered socially-viable which supersedes feminist beliefs. Furthermore, Suls, Martin, and Wheeler (2002) suggest that most women in society look toward social reference group figures when assessing their identities. This well-respected psychological theory suggests that women’s sense of identity is constructed by conducting social comparisons with aspirational figures in society that have built a positive social reputation, achieved fashion sense, or have achieved the body image portrayed in fashion magazines. Magazines seem to understand this phenomenon, which is why these publications use celebrity imagery because of their aspirational traits. Therefore, women look toward these social figures as a means of making status comparisons to themselves and the celebrity. When women see that they have more curves or fatness as compared to these slender and popular famous persons, they begin to develop a negative body image and reduced self-esteem. A study was conducted in which researchers used MRI technology to reveal changes in the brain as a result of exposure to fashion imagery.

The Life and Work of Countess Markievicz Research Paper

The Life and Work of Countess Markievicz - Research Paper Example Her family was evidently well-connected in the country; in 1887 she was presented at the court of Queen Victoria, where she was called â€Å"the new Irish beauty.† In her teenage years, Constance enjoyed her place among the Anglo-Irish aristocracy and was regarded as a fine horsewoman and an excellent shot (Riordan). She was extremely passionate about art and studied at the Slade School in London, and later at the Julian School in Paris. It was here where she met and fell in love with her soon-to-be husband, the Polish Count Casimir Dunin-Markievicz. He too was from a wealthy family who owned extensive estates in Ukraine. Her career as an artist developed and in 1903 she moved to Dublin and set up as a landscape artist. At this time, Dublin was a thriving city and home to many artists, actors, and writers. Four years later, she helped to set up the United Arts Club, which sought to bring together all artists in the city (Riordan). There are two important factors which propelled Constance into political action. Firstly, the influence of the Irish poet William Butler, who, on his many visits to her parents home Lissadell, told Constance tales of Irish mythology, folklore, and his political ideas. Historians have recognized his influence on the Countess. Secondly, in her rented cottage at Dublin, whilst working as an artist, Constance found copies of the Peasant and Sinn Fein, revolutionary publications which enlightened her in the Republican cause. She felt â€Å"stirred to action† and instantly became devoted to the cause (Riordan). In 1907, Constance joined the group Inghinidhe na hÉireann, the Daughters of Ireland. This group had been formed in 1900 by a small group of women in Dublin. The group was a response to women's exclusion from other militant Nationalist organizations and at its heart was the commitment to free Ireland from British rule.  

Brand Influence on the Behavior of Generation Y Research Paper

Brand Influence on the Behavior of Generation Y - Research Paper Example The paper "Brand Influence on the Behavior of Generation Y" discusses the factors of fashion brands that influence the buying decisions of this segment. Research shows that price, peer feedback, advertising, emotional value, product quality, brand identity and the physical environment influence the buying behaviour. These factors are discussed in detail in the following sections. This paper is based on the findings of qualitative research conducted on Generation Y fashion consumption behaviour. The benefit of a qualitative research is that it can accommodate a wide variety of sources and benefit from the scholarly work of several researchers. The study is based on analysis of secondary sources which includes research publications and online content. Major themes that recur most frequently in the secondary sources have been discussed in this paper. Research journals, textbooks and websites covering issues of brand management and marketing were consulted to collect data for this paper. The results of the research showed that rational factors affect brand consumption behaviour among Generation Y consumers as much as emotional factors. The consumers appear to be motivated by product quality and price based on their parental influence. At the same time, they are also influenced by peer feedback, brand identity and brand advertising. As a result, fashion brands pay equal attention to reflecting quality through tangible and intangible aspects in their product development and marketing practices.

Sickle-cell anemia and malaria Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Sickle-cell anemia and malaria - Essay Example In other words, there are some natural selection traits that favor sickle cell-anemia allele in some individuals. Malaria occurs in the tropical zones and is caused by a protozoa transmitted by the anopheles female mosquito. As such, people from an African descent have the sickle cell anemia allele considering that heterozygotes for the allele are protected from malaria while not showing any significant characteristics of sickle-cell anemia. These people can then live to adult age and transfer these alleles to their offspring, which guarantees the transfer of the allele along the genetic line of individuals, leading to a new gene pool. Therefore, for some recessive alleles that are destructive to the recessive homozygotes, natural selection is an important process through which the heterozygotes of the recessive alleles have to survive (Sabeti, 2008). For instance, when an individual carrying the sickle cell allele is in an area where malaria is not prevalent, having the sickle cell anemia allele does not guarantee any survival advantage. As such, in countries such as United States, there are much fewer cases of sickle cell alleles compared to tropical regions such as in Africa. However, the disease is still reported among people of the African descent, though on low frequencies. This is because, the time required for the allele frequency to reduce significantly to negligible amounts has not passed. With the passage of time, the sickle cell anemia may become extinct in these areas. Application of advanced technologies would ensure individuals are in a position to make better and informed decisions on reproduction, which may help in ensuring extinction of a number of genetic diseases from passing through

Law in the Healthcare System Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Law in the Healthcare System - Essay Example Written rules lay down protocols that direct the practice of healthcare system. By so doing, it encompasses the rights and freedom of all stakeholders and major interest groups. For instance, the healthcare system in place should take into account patients’ health welfare as well as promote the social and economic welfare of caregivers. In this regard, there is a balance between patients-caregivers interaction, so that none of the two becomes better off at the expense of the other. Written rules, therefore, assist in evaluating the functionality, performance, and efficiency of the healthcare system in place. Loopholes identified within the system can further be accounted for by relevant rules. On the same note, written rules provide a guideline to the practice of the system, coordinate healthcare activities across the sector and monitor the conduct of all stakeholders bound to the system. There are pros and cons to account for with regard to the integration of written rules in the healthcare system. Healthcare system that accounts for the social, cultural, economic and political factors to determine personal and social welfare cannot be fully operational in the absence of written rules. This is because ethical and unethical concerns will arise from time to time, and the mechanism through which they need to be addressed necessitates the need for written rules. Written rules combine all the four major factors to drive the system forward and make improvement adjustment as the need arises. On the other hand, there are negative aspects that come with written rules. Written rules are often rigid and bureaucracy complicates the reform process of written rules. It, therefore, takes a long process before these rules are changed even when there is a dire need to do so.  

Contemporary issues in market strategy Assignment

Contemporary issues in market strategy - Assignment Example It is now universally accepted that the majority of consumers spend more time online than on other media channels such as television. Information is derived from an individual consumer’s online activities that include Facebook, twitter, tumbler and many more. The information of interest to marketing personnel relates to the consumer’s tastes and preferences as well as their wishes and expectations. Marketers are also interested in consumers’ opinions and perspectives on products (BOUTELLIER, GASSMANN & ZEDTWITZ 2008, pg33). The information gathered is then used to influence the individual consumer into consumption of a â€Å"personalized† product. Modern day consumer behavior forces companies to understand the individual consumers in addition to acquiring knowledge about the consumers. That is; these companies have shifted their strategy from production of goods for the consumers to creation of consumers who then form the demand part of their sales cycle. The shift from traditional marketing has led to the emergence of innovational marketing strategies which are discussed below. Digital marketing refers to the extensive employment of electronic media such as computers and software dependent devices, smartphones, cellphones, gaming devices, personal computers and tablets in the marketing of products and services (KASHANI & HOROVITZ 2005, pg44). The internet is regarded as the most effective and popular and digital marketing tool since it statistically agrees that most people spend more time online than on any other electronic channel. Digital media marketing also occurs through channels such as text messaging, instant mobile messaging, electronic billboards, digital radios and televisions, mobile applications and podcasts. Through digital marketing, companies can understand the tastes and preferences of their consumers, therefore, creating a special type of relationship

Poverty Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Poverty - Essay Example People living in poverty have poor access to health facilities, and, as a result, suffer from poor heath owing to the minimal care to which they are exposed. Some of the reasons as to why they have limited access to health care services are that they lack financial resources to pay for services rendered, as well as information on medical services. In addition, due to lack of medical care, ill health is prevalent among poverty-stricken areas and people. One of the main reasons that poverty stricken people cannot access, or have limited access to healthcare facilities is the geographical locale of the facilities. This is concerning the physical distance between the local area that an individual resides in, as well as the time required to travel to the health facilities. Moreover, people living in poverty do not seem to get the right type of care availed to them in health care facilities. This is concerning the time that Medicare is required, such as desperate times and conditions that require specialized equipment to treat. To add to this, the issue of acceptability crops up in the form social stratification. Medical practitioners tend to be more responsive to the needs of the socially able, while those of the poor are left to fend for their needs and receive minimal care. Furthermore, the quality of health care offered to these impoverished is of important concern, as quality of care usually depends on the monetary wellbeing of the patients. Therefore, poor patients receive poor quality services, as compared to their wealthy counterparts. In addition to this, there are far fewer medical facilities available in poor areas thus making it even more difficult for poor people to have appropriate access. Owing to the poor access to medical facilities, impoverished people are faced with a certain myriad of diseases and conditions that have already exited

Women Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Women - Essay Example Equality refers to the state where individuals living in a society are free from the discrimination at all the levels. However, the discrimination and its various components are subject to continuous change with respect to time, knowledge, experience and understanding of people. This indicates that things which were acceptable for a particular society few years back might not be appreciable in the current circumstances. Let’s talk about women and their social status which was limited to the domestic work few decades before. Due to this they were substantially facing equality issues. But today the modern human society does not have any place for such differences and women are no longer bounded to the domestic restrictions. Though women have entered into the work force, the employment opportunities are limited for them and consequently they are often subject to employment based discrimination. According to Abella, equality in employment signifies that every individual is given a n equal working opportunity irrespective of all the innate abilities (Abella; Chapter 1: Defining Equality in Employment, 1984). In the contemporary world equality in employment has yet another perspective i.e. employees must be treated as per their differences, because if we are ignoring the individual differences for the sake of equality then as per the arguments of Abella, it is also a form of discrimination. There are basically two types of differences, one which arises due to personal actions and policies such as education, financial status, etc. and other is solely based upon the innate characteristics such as gender, ethnic background or disabilities. The latter one can be accommodated through equality in employment. One of the most significant methods to apply employment equality in a workplace is to remove the individual differences based on gender, disability, ethnicity or race because they do not have any acceptable justification (Abella; Chapter 1: Defining Equality in E mployment, 1984). In this regard Agocs, Burr and Somerset have given several remedies which require the employers to first eradicate the current employment obstacles faced by the disadvantaged groups of the society such as aboriginal people, women and other minorities, who need to have an equal employment opportunity without any difference of treatment. Their innate disabilities and skill deficiencies must be accommodated. The second most crucial remedy is the surety of prevention from future discrimination. Third remedy focuses on the equal distribution of resources among the workforce regardless of gender, race, ethnicity or disability (Agocs, Burr and Somerset; Chapter 1: The State of Art, 1992). The Report of the Royal Commission 1984 has a legislation regarding the equality in employment which considered compulsory employment regulations so as to ensure equal employment opportunity for the disadvantaged groups of the society. In the later part of the second chapter, authors hav e discussed further solutions that can play an important role in the elimination of discrimination and projection of equal employment opportunities. In this regard we first of all require developing a sound understanding of what does inequity means and where does it exist in a workplace. Subsequently we need to remove all the barriers for the disadvantaged groups through employment equity programs. Afterwards we necessitate developing smooth access to the jobs with an additional accommodation program which satisfies the needs and requirements of an intensely diverse workforce. Equal Employment opportunity also requires the employers to maintain an ethical and hospitable internal working environment

The enzymic synthesis of starch Essay Example for Free

The enzymic synthesis of starch Essay When green plants photosynthesise, the leaf produces simple sugars such as glucose, and sugar phosphates such as ribulose 1,5 biphosphate. These are transported to all leaf cells and other organs, and may be deposited as starch anywhere in the plant. The plant makes these products during the light independent stage of photosynthesis, and converts them to starch, other carbohydrates, lipids, and amino acids after the light independent stage and so light is not necessary. This explains the presence of a small amount starch in the leaf cells left in the dark with glucose solution. Only a small amount is present because, starch can only be synthesised by using sugar phosphates and enzymic processes using starch phosphorylase enzymes. This would have been possible by using the small amounts of sugar phosphates already present in the leaves. The presence of starch in the leaves left in glucose in the light is because the leaves have a plentiful supply of glucose, as well as being able to photosynthesise and produce their own simple sugars and phosphates. The reason for starch being present in the leaves left in water in the light, is that as there was plentiful light, the leaves had the capacity to photosynthesise, and produce their own glucose and other sugars and sugar phosphates, of which some was obviously converted to starch. No starch was present in the leaves in the water in the dark because no light was present so no sugars could be produced through photosynthesis, neither was there any glucose available for the leaves to convert into starch. The potato results prove the idea that starch can only be synthesised by using sugar phosphates, because tube C was the only one which showed any sign of there being starch present, and tube C was the only one that contained Glucose 1-phosphate as well as the starch phosphorylase. Starch is used by cells for storage (in a starch grain), as the molecules are big and cannot get out. It is also insoluble and this means that it stays where it is put and does not dissolve in water. The leaf experiment already showed that phosphates are more important for making starch than light, and this just reinforces the fact. Evaluation The experiment could have produced inaccurate results. The leaves were placed in a cupboard, for a dark place and it may have allowed a small amount of light to get through. The temperature in the cupboard and under the daylight lamp may have also fluctuated, altering the results. Also, when pouring the de-ionised water into the beaker for the leaves to rest on, some air may have been absorbed. The plant samples used were kept in a bin liner overnight before the experiment was done, to destarch the plant. This may not have been long enough for the plant to use all its starch reserves, which would mean that starch could have been detected when it was really there all the time.

Disasters In Tamilnadu Coastal States

Disasters In Tamilnadu Coastal States Natural Disasters like Cyclone, Flood and Tsunami have been affecting the coastal communities for a long time. The prime reason behind this impact is the lack of last mile communications. In a disaster situation, timely warnings allow people to take actions that save lives, reduce damage to property and minimize human suffering. To facilitate an effective warning system, there is a major need for better coordination among the early warning providers as well as those handling logistics and raising awareness about disaster preparedness, security and management. There are many new communication technologies that allow warning providers not only to reach the people at risk but also to personalize their warning message to a particular situation. Opportunities are available right now to significantly reduce loss of life and properties if disaster warning systems can be improved. In this study, the researcher analyzes how various forms of Radio plays an important role in disseminating infor mation among the people during emergencies using survey and interviews. This paper also looks into the effective role of ICT in communicating security planning, preparedness and risk management strategies to coastal communities in the Tamil Nadu state of India. Keywords: natural disasters, communication, technology, radio, village information centres DISASTERS IN TAMILNADU, A COASTAL STATE IN INDIA India is one of the most disaster prone countries of the world. It has had some of the worlds most severe droughts, famines, cyclones, earthquakes, chemical disasters, rail accidents, and road accidents. The developing countries are becoming increasingly exposed to greater numbers of natural and man-made disasters, resulting in larger numbers of people becoming victims. It is estimated that between 1980 and 1984, about 800 disasters affected the lives of about 400 million people in the world. The high density of population in the developing countries, especially in the high risk coastal areas, results in several millions of people getting affected by natural disasters, especially in recurring disasters like floods, cyclones, storm surges, etc. Tamilnadu being one of the 28 states of India lies on the eastern coast of the southern Indian peninsula bordered by Puducherry (Pondicherry), Kerela, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. Since Tamilnadu and Puducherry were located in the coastal areas of Bay of Bengal, the natural disasters such as Tsunami, Floods, Cyclone takes away the lives of many people which include damage to the properties. Over 1000 killed as Tsunami hits Eastern and South coastal areas in India. Over a thousand people have been killed in tidal waves in Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Andhra Pradesh and Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Tamil Nadu and Puducherry was the worst affected with possibly over 800 people killed. At least 350 people have been confirmed dead in Tamil Nadu with over 100 people dead in Chennai alone. As many as 239 people have been killed in Cuddalore in Tamil Nadu, while in Nagapatnam; the number of dead has been confirmed as 273. INFORMATION NEEDS IN DISASTER MANAGEMENT The information needs of disaster management deals with collection of two categories of disaster-related data: â‚ ¬Ã‚  Pre-disaster baseline data about the country and risks; and Post-disaster real-time data about the impact of a disaster and the resources available to combat it. Similarly, the disaster management functioning procedure is dealt with two types of activities: â‚ ¬Ã‚  Pre-disaster activities: analysis and research (to improve the existing knowledge base), risk assessment, prevention, mitigation and preparedness; and Post-disaster activities: response, rehabilitation and reconstruction. The ability of leaders and administrators to make sound disaster management decisions to analyze risks and decide upon appropriate counter-measures can be greatly enhanced by the cross-sectoral integration of information. COMMUNICATION FACILITIES FOR DISASTER MANAGEMENT Communication is a major bottleneck in case of any major disaster particularly when the traditional network system already in force brakes down. In order to strengthen communications, it has been decided that police network (POLNET) will also be used for disaster management. For this purpose POLNET communication facility was extended to District Magistrates, Sub Divisional Magistrates as well as the Control Rooms. For emergency communication, mobile satellite based units which can be transported to the site of the disaster are being procured. A group was constituted to draw a comprehensive communication plan for disaster management nd the report has since been received. This provides for a dedicated communication system for disaster management with built in redundancies. Communication and education can play a proactive role in mitigation through awareness about the types of disaster and as to how prevention measures can be taken up. There is also a Satellite based communication system called the Cyclone Warning Dissemination Systems (CWDS) for transmission of warnings. There are 250 cyclone-warning sets installed in the cyclone prone areas of east and west coast. The general public, the coastal residents and fishermen, are also warned through the Government machinery and broadcast of warnings through AIR and Television. The use of satellite, computers, electronics, better communication facilities are make significant difference in disaster management. The data processing and computers are providing a useful tool in decision making in disaster. OBJECTIVES To study the various communication technologies applied for the inter-organizational communication for disaster management in Cuddalore, a coastal state of TamilNadu. To investigate the effectiveness of VHF Radio System based EWS in disseminating early warning to coastal communities in Cuddalore. REVIEW OF LITERATURE ROLE OF GOVERNMENT IN DISASTER MANAGEMENT The role of Government in disaster management is to provide a central, coordinated plan of action to address the damage caused by a disaster as well as the needs of the people affected. They also address the degree of risk present within an emergency situation. They repair the hazardous conditions such as polluted water supplies, damaged power lines, and inadequate housing. When needed, civil defense units such as the National Guard is called to maintain order within a disaster situation. Emergency management also involves providing the support necessary to prepare and rebuild a community aftermath a disaster. Government agencies also provide the lines of communication needed to keep responders in touch with government and public officials. Mobile communications systems are also put in place to provide airlifted networks of communication throughout a particular region. A World Wide Scenario A report on Disaster Management Centre, published by Government of Sri Lanka (2005) provides details regarding the functioning of disaster management centre in Sri Lanka. Hazard Mapping and Risk Assessment, information and data collection are the major functions of this centre. The collected information is disseminated to the communities through mobile phones, loudspeakers, television, radio etc. The article also stresses on the difficulties in communication in an emergency situation. Frequent breakdown in telephone systems, jamming of telephones systems, non-availability of telecommunication facilities in remote villages creates major hindrance in communication during an emergency situation. Kerala State Disaster Management Policy, a report published by Government of Kerala (2009) shows the system and procedure of working of Emergency Operation Centre (EOC). The system of EOC is designed in such a way that the information can be promptly assessed and relayed to concerned people. Rapid dissemination contributes to quick response and effective decision making during emergencies. EOC functions round the clock and maintains direct linkage with district control rooms through phone, fax, wireless and internet. Report also mentions the incidence command system. The Incidence Command System is an organized system of government departments and other agencies that are to be worked under a structured pattern for response and recovery. Disaster Management Policy and Communication Systems, a report published by Government of Japan (2007) brings out the functioning procedure of Disaster Management Communication Systems in Japan. Data gathering and message sending to communities are the major functions of this system. The information collected is disseminated to communities through loudspeakers and sirens. Report also shows the organizational communication between various departments like fire and disaster management centre, telecommunication and broadcast ministry, municipality etc. A Nation wide Scenario The article on Disaster Management, published by Government of India (2004) discusses the activities carried out by the central government at the times of a disaster. The basic responsibility of the government is to undertake rescue, relief and rehabilitation measures, and provision of logistical and financial support to state governments during a disaster. The logistical support includes deployment of aircrafts and boasts, specialist teams of Armed Forces, Central Para Military Forces, arrangements for relief materials essential commodities including medical stores, restoration of critical infrastructure facilities including communication network and such other assistance as may be required by the affected stats to meet the situation effectively. An article on Disaster Management in India, published by Government of India (2005), reveals the functioning procedure of National Emergency Management Authority. Reviewing the status of warning system, mitigation measure and disaster preparedness are its major functions. It suggests the state governments to restructure/re-group the officers/staff within the Department of Disaster Management with definite functions to pursuer the holistic approach to disaster management. The four functional groups to be assigned with specific tasks within departments are, hazard mitigation, preparedness and capacity building, relief and response, administration and finance. Development of National Emergency Communication Plan, an article published by Government of India (2006) recommends a nationwide network between the state governments with triple redundancy and full reliability during emergencies to connect the national, state and district Emergency Operation Centres. In Phase I of the report, it is proposed to establish an Emergency Communication System to provide mobile communication linkages through satellite between on-site disaster response teams to be deployed in remote locations and national and state Emergency Operation Centres. In Phase- II, the plan insists the connectivity using lines with various satellite back ups from the existing networks such as BSNL, Police Network, SPACENET to establish an integrated network among all Emergency Operation Centres and mobile Emergency Operation Centres at disaster sites. State Wide Scenario In Tamil Nadu and Puducherry A report Disaster Management in Tamil Nadu, published by Government of Tamil Nadu (2005) describes the activities carried out by the government in all three phases of disaster management. In Phase I (pre-disaster phase), all district collectors would prepare detailed action plans at local body level and at district level. The public and private sectors, voluntary agencies and community would be actively involved in the formulation of such plans. Formulation of appropriate policies and guidelines for disaster management, risk assessment and mapping of disaster vulnerable areas, establishment of communication network, setting up early warning systems would be carried out in pre-disaster phase. In phase II (disaster phase) warning and evacuation, immediate search and rescue operations, providing medical care, adequate health and sanitation care, provision of safe drinking water, mobilizing funds for relief, rehabilitation, relief packages are carried out in disaster phase. In phase III (post-disaster phase) reconstruction of houses, relocation of affected people, disbursement of funds, redressal of grievances, modification and updation of disaster plans are carried out. Disaster Management Action Plan for Floods Cyclones, a report published by Government of Puducherry (2009) describes the details regarding various organizations like revenue department, fire and rescue department, health department etc. involved in disaster management within Puducherry and their functions. Report also mentions the activities carried out by these departments during a disaster, like revenue department disseminates early warnings before a disaster strikes, fire and rescue department helps in search and rescue process while all the medical needs and disturbances are handled by health department. A report on Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for disasters, published by Government of Puducherry (2009) describes the steps prepared in concise form as a response to any kind of disaster. It suggests the sequence of actions to be taken by different departments in central/state/district level. The SOP will respond to all disaster calls, mobilizing staff and fire units, effective management of resources by communication and mobilization of additional resources. It will be altered according to the scene of occurrence and a quick spot decision will be made by the operational in charge in consultation with the controlling officers. ORGANIZATIONS INVOLVED IN DISASTER MANAGEMENT Functions at National Level J. P. Saulina Arnold (2006) discusses National Disaster Response Mechanism, which reviews the existing arrangements for preparedness and mitigation of natural/man-made disasters, recommend measures for strengthening organizational structures and recommends a comprehensive model plan for management of the disasters at National, State and District level. National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has been established with personnel from the Para military forces for strengthening the preparedness and emergency response in the country. Eight battalions of the NDRF have been setup and deployed in strategic locations in the country and the NDRF personnel are being trained and equipped with state-of-the-art life saving equipments, search and rescue equipments, inflatable boats, etc. The NDRF personnel are also being trained for preparing and responding to Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) emergencies. Vinod Chandra Menon (2009) discusses the role of National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA). NDMA is chaired by the Prime Minister is the apex body for disaster management in country, which sets up State District Management Authorities for the effective coordination among the central and state to minimize the impact of the disaster. The National Institute for Disaster Management (NIDM) has been established as the apex training institute for disaster management in India. NIDM coordinates the capacity building efforts of disaster management faculty in State Training Institutes and also offers a few distance education programmes in disaster management in collaboration with the World Bank Institute. The NIDM also hosts the SAARC Centre for Disaster Management. Vinod K. Sharma (2006) describes the role of National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC), which gives direction to the Crisis Management Group as deemed necessary. The Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs is responsible for ensuring that all developments are brought to the notice of the NCMC promptly. The NCMC can give directions to any Ministry/Department/Organization for specific action needed for meeting the crisis situation. The article also describes the role of National Emergency Management Authority at the National level (NEMA). When a disaster strikes, the Authority will coordinate disaster management activities. The Authority will be responsible for:-  · Coordinating/mandating Governments policies for disaster reduction/mitigation.  · Ensuring adequate preparedness at all levels in order to meet disasters.  · Coordinating response to a disaster when it strikes.  · Coordination of post disaster relief and rehabilitation. Functions at State Level The report Disaster Management in Tamil Nadu, published by Government of Tamil Nadu (2006) describes the role of State Emergency Management Planning Committee (SEMPC). State Emergency Management Plan is prepared for each kind of disaster and the details of the organizational structure for emergency management activities are known. Responsibility of concerned agencies for the execution of rescue, relief and recovery operations and Standard Operating Procedure for each is available. A State Emergency Management Planning Committee (SEMPC) should be constituted with all the stakeholders as members. The report also analyzes the role of State Crisis Group (SCG). State Crisis Group (SCG) enables quick decision making, operational direction and coordination of the issue of warning and execution of rescue, relief and recovery operations. The responsibilities of the SCG would include: On spot decision making Control and coordination of response and recovery activities Resource mobilization and replenishment Monitoring of overall response recovery activities. Preparation of reports for submission to State Government State Emergency Control Room (SECR) ensures all warning and communication systems, instruments are in working condition and collect information on a routine basis from the State departments on the vulnerability of areas to disasters. Functions at District Level The report published by Government of Tamil Nadu (2006) reviews the functioning procedure of disaster management organizations at district level. It is the District Collector who is the focal point at the District level for directing, supervising and monitoring relief measures for disaster and for preparation of District level plans. The relief measures are reviewed by the district level relief committee consisting of official and non-official members including the local legislators and the members of parliament. The Collector maintains close coordination with the Central Government authorities in the districts, namely, the Army, Air Force and Navy, Ministry of Water Resources, etc., who supplement the effort of the district administration in the rescue and relief operation. ORGANIZATIONAL COMMUNICATION FOR DISASTER MANAGEMENT Duke H. Jeong (2006) analyzes the Inter-Organizational Information Management and Communication Breakdowns in Initial Disaster Response Mechanism. During disaster relief operations, collaborative critical decisions are often made by decision-makers from many different organizations and from a diversity of professional fields. Communication breakdowns often hamper the effective coordination of a disaster response, particularly when a multiplicity of Federal, state, local and volunteer organizations takes part in the effort. A communication breakdown is defined as the failure to communicate information due to the inability to obtain critical and needed information and the inability to obtain sufficient information quality to support decision-making. Gauruav Vivek Bhatnagar (2009) discusses the New Network for Disaster Management. Terrestrial Trunked Radio (Tetra) Communication would help establish the countrys first exclusive Government Radio Network (GRN) in Delhi. Tetra network seeks to facilitate swift and secure communication among various government agencies like Police, Fire services, hospitals, Public Works Department and Transport Corporation, the system would of be of great help in any disaster management exercise. Johnson and Zawawi (2002) describe the advances in inter-organizational disaster Management. Inter-organizational disaster response requires collaboration among geographically distributed public and private organizations to enable a rapid and effective response to an unexpected event. In order to ensure coherent coordination among the responding organizations, relevant information needs have to be collected from multiple sources, verified for accuracy and shared with appropriate organizations, all within a short time frame. Humphrey (2009) suggests that disaster management should get proactive by using RPM method. RPM stands for Recognize, Prioritize, and Mobilize to anticipate potential disasters. This approach involves recognizing potential threats, prioritizing them according to their seriousness and mobilizing resources to prevent them from occurring or at least minimizing their impact. Most organizations fail to anticipate threats mainly because of following reasons: Lack of recognition: Leaders remain oblivious to approaching threats and pay no head to warning signs. Lack of prioritizations: Leaders detect a threat but do not consider it serious enough and therefore do not give the attention it deserves. Lack of Mobilization: They recognize a danger and are aware of its seriousness but neglect to take proper action in time. Lawal Billa, Mansor Shattri, Ahmad Rodzi Mahmud and Abdul Halim Ghazali (2006) have discussed about the Comprehensive Planning and the Role of Spatial Decision Support System. Through case study, they have analyzed that the strength of Spatial Decision Support System in the collection and processing of information to speed-up communication between the proponents of the disaster management program. Moreover, Spatial Decision Support System plays an important role in decision-making. Louise K. Comfort (2006) describes the Inter-Organizational Design for Disaster Management. Cognition understanding; communication, coordination and control are the main factors to be concentrated between the organizations of disaster management. Marijn Janssen and Nitesh Bharosa (2005) discuss the Advances in Multi-agency Disaster Management. When a disaster strikes, the complex task environment requires multiple organizations to transform from autonomous actors to interdependent decision-making teams. In order to ensure coherent coordination among the responding organizations, relevant information needs to be collected form multiple sources, verified for accuracy and shared with appropriate responding organizations all within a short time frame. Naim Kapucu (2006) describes the Interagency Communication Networks during Emergencies. He focuses on pre-incident and technical aspects of communication. Pre-incident communications deals among key local disaster response organizations such as law enforcement agencies, fire departments, local emergency management agencies and organizations in the health and welfare sectors. The tool used for communication between organizations during a disaster is mobile communication and computer based networking. Technical problems also inhibit the information exchange. Flooding, hurricanes, earthquakes are all capable of toppling antennas and interrupting normal electrical power. Nigel Martin (2007) has reviewed how regional governments in Asia and other national governments around the world collect, manage and share critical geo-technical information. Through case study, it was concluded that early warning information were not handled by the government in an efficient way before the tsunami wave stroke. No proper technological solutions to provide earthquake and tsunami warning information. N. K. Chhibber (2007) describes the Disaster Communication Network in Maharashtra. VSAT network and VHF radio network has been maintained for the dissemination of emergency information within the state. Ryan, Matheson (2009) analyze the Significance of Communication in Emergency Management. The study attempts to quantity the importance of communication activities to emergency management. Through content analysis, it was founded that there is a rapid improved communication between the organizations. Sir car, Scalem (2004) has described about the Networking of Organizations in four zones of working such as normal stage, pre-disaster stage, disaster stage and post-disaster stage. The role of Revenue department in pre-disaster stage is to collect the warning news from higher officials and pass the information to communities through mobile technology or radio technology. The role of Fire and Rescue Department is to provide rescue and rehabilitation procedure. Soundarya Viswanathan (2009) describes the awareness level among the government officials, representatives of local bodies and general public of disaster. Lack of awareness among them, lead to a serious disruption of the functioning of a community or society, causing widespread human, material, economic or environmental losses. In order to meet the disaster risk posed by forms of disasters, a system of enormous task must be undertaken such as hazard analysis and dissemination to the community, identification of vulnerabilities to various hazards, eliminating or strengthening the vulnerabilities, capacitating the community for readiness and resilent to all types of hazard. S. Suri (2000) analyzes the reasons behind the Orissa disaster which took away many lives of the people due to the failure of Cyclone Warning Dissemination System (CWDS). Due to the system failure, warnings were not given so to create awareness to the people, which has lead to a major destruction. Only television and radio warnings were given, but not of accurate information. Vinod K. Sharma (2002) describes the overall view of the disaster administration mechanism in the country at the central, the state and the district level also highlighting the role played by the secondary institutions. The Department of Agriculture and Cooperation (DAC) in the agriculture ministry is the nodal department for all matters concerning natural disasters relief at the centre. It transmits all emergency information to all concerned state governments for effective disaster management. The report published by Government of Puducherry (2006) describes the implementation of various communication technologies in Puducherry after tsunami. It describes the activation go emergency operation centre and dissemination of early warming through VHF sets. METHODOLOGY For this study the researcher has adopted survey method which is a quantitative type of research. The tool used for data collection is Questionnaire. Cluster sampling technique was used for data collection from coastal communities in Cuddalore. The sample size is 300. The Survey was conducted to find the mostly employed communication technology for security planning during disasters and the effectiveness of VHF based Early Warning Systems among them. ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION The following is the graphical presentation of data collected from the questionnaires. When asked whether they are aware about various disasters, the response was the following: Fig. 1 Awareness level about various disasters Coastal communities are majorly aware of following communication technologies: Fig. 2 Knowledge regarding Communication technologies Communication technologies they have in their homes, which are majorly employed in disaster management are: Fig. 3 Communication technologies used in homes. When asked the source of getting disaster news, the response was the following: Fig. 4 Devices used to getting information regarding disasters. When asked, whether they are informed regularly the alterations in weather conditions, the response was the following: Fig. 5 Updation of weather alterations. They get weather information from, Fig. 6 Organizations that provide weather informations. When asked about the usage of mobile phones in disaster management, the response was following: Fig. 7 Usage of Mobile Phones for disseminating disaster news. When asked whether they are aware of VHF Radio based Early Warning System, the response was following: Fig. 8 Awareness level regarding VHF systems. The Efficiency of VHF Radio based Early Warning System before 2009 is: Fig. 9 Efficiency of VHF systems before 2009. The Efficiency of VHF Radio based Early Warning System after 2009 is 76% as shown below: Fig. 9.1 Efficiency of VHF systems after 2009. The Efficiency of Village Information Centres (VIC) Public Address System (PAS) based Early Warning System before 2009 is: Fig. 10 Efficiency of VIC early warning systems before 2009. The Efficiency of Village Information Centres (VIC) Public Address System (PAS) based Early Warning System after 2009 is just 19%: Fig. 10.1 Efficiency of VIC early warning systems after 2009. Type of information they get from VHF system is, Fig. 11 Type of information provided by VHF systems. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS 87% of the respondents told that they are aware of various disasters that would bring great disturbance to their livelihood. 13% of the respondents very unable to distinguish the natural disasters from man-made disasters. Majority of the respondents replied that, Mobile Phones and TV are the major communication technologies, which knew that mainly provide information regarding disasters. There are majorly two modes of communication dedicated for disaster management in coastal areas. One is from the government side and the other is from the non-governmental organizations (NGO). The government of Tamil Nadu has set up VHF Radio based early warning system in all the panchayat offices of coastal villages that are present in the High Tide Line (HTL). HTL is defined as the area within 500 mts from the sea level. The warning is given through PAS (Public Address System) present on top of the panchayat office buildings that have a reach of 1 to 2 kms. NGOs have established Village Information Centres (VIC) in most of the coastal areas that are vulnerable to coastal disasters. These VICs also have PAS for disaster information dissemination. 98% of the respondents said that they are aware of VHF Radio based Early Warning System and VICs run by the local NGOs, while 2% of the respondents are unaware of it. Majority of the respondents told that VHF Radio based Early Warning System is effective in disseminating in disaster news to coastal community before 2009. It is to be noted that the Indian Ocean Tsunami striked the Tamil Nadu coast during December 2004 and after that immediately, VIC and VHF based early warning systems were established. It was functioning very well for more than 2 years as said by the respondents. But there is deterioration in the quality and frequency of disaster information being disseminated through both the systems after 2009 especially with respect to the VICs run by NGOs because of their problems with financial sustainability. The figures and percentages are clearly given in the graph above. 64% of the respondents replied that they gain early warning alerts from VHF system, 32.8% respondents receive preparedness aler

Comparative Industrial Relations Between France Germany And Sweden Management Essay

Comparative Industrial Relations Between France Germany And Sweden Management Essay The European systems of industrial relations exemplified by France, Germany and Sweden are fundamentally similar. Furthermore, the Japanese and U.S. systems of industrial relations are fundamentally different from those found in the three European countries. What is your view of these statements? How do you justify your view? Table of Content Introduction 3 Main Body Systems of Industrial Relations in France, Germany and Sweden 4 Labour Market 5 Trade Union 6 Employers Association 7 Collective Bargaining 8 Employee Participation and Works Councils 10 Government and Regulation 11 Compare Systems of Industrial Relations between France, Germany and Sweden and in the United States and Japan 12 Labour Market 12 Trade Union 14 Employers Association 15 Collective Bargaining 16 Employee Participation and Works Councils 16 Government and Regulation 17 Conclusion 17 References 20 Introduction Industrial relations generally involve employment relations related issues in the past and present and how the changes happened. It is dynamic and changing all the time (Salamon, 1994, p.3). According to Dunlop (1958), systems of industrial relations include three main actors and their representations. The three actors are employers and their representatives, employees and their representatives and the government. Within these three parties, there is collective bargaining which is usually conducted between trade union and employers associations; and in some countries government can directly interfere collective bargaining while some cannot. Governments roles in systems of industrial relations are very significant. Dunlop also mentioned that there are factors which can affect the three parties relations, and these factors are market of labour force and power of parties. Industrial relations systems involve varieties of institutional structures beyond just employer-employee relationshi p (Hyman, 2000). Because different countries have their own unique ways of development, systems of industrial relations should be different among countries. However, from a macro point of view, it is claimed that there is a European systems of industrial relations. The creation of European Works Councils and the social partners agreement of 1991 are evidence of European industrial relations systems (Jensen et al, as cited in Hyman). In this essay, I will analyse the European industrial relations systems which demonstrate by France, Germany and Sweden which have some similarities, but differ a lot. This essay also addresses the issue that systems of industrial relations in Japan and the United States are fundamentally different from those found in the three European countries. This essay argues the following: in the three European countries, there are some similarities on aspects of labour market, employers associations structure, high coverage of collective bargaining and the decentralised bargaining level. However, they differ a lot because the difference of trade union confederation, union density, reason of high coverage of collective bargaining and decentralised bargaining level, works councils and government intervention. There are huge differences between these European countries as a whole and Japan and the United States. They are different in terms of labour market, trade unions, employers associations, collective bargaining, employee participation and works councils, and government intervention and regulations. In order to explain the above arguments, the essay concludes two main sections. In section one, I will explain the general European background for the three countries, followed by the systems of industrial relations in the three European countries. In section two, I will analyse differences between the three European countries as a whole and Japan and the United States. Within each section, the analysis is based on labour market, trade unions, employers associations, collective bargaining, employee participation and works councils, and government intervention and regulations. Main Body Systems of Industrial Relations in France, Germany and Sweden Firstly, there is one thing to be notice, and that is both these three countries are operating under a common community-the European Union. Within this European Union framework, they have some common regulation and organisations. For example, the Maastricht Treaty on Monetary Union and European Works Councils Directive of 1994 are breakthroughs of European industrial relations systems (Streeck, 1998, p443-445). Through Maastricht Treaty, member states began to have their European single currency which they can benefit a lot, such as a more stable currency, low costs of trade and European identity (Europa.eu, 2010). For the European Works Councils, they need to meet at least once a year to share information and consultation on issues such as economic and social development (Schulten, 1996). There is even a transnational employers association in Europe. Although there is a common framework for European countries, there are some similarities in the systems of industrial relations in France, Germany and Sweden; but they differ a lot. This is probably because of path dependency, countries develop towards different directions based on their own situation. I will analyse it from the aspects of labour market, trade unions, employers associations, collective bargaining and employee participation, and government roles and regulations. . Labour Market From the table below, we can see that unemployment rates of 2005 in France and Germany were quite similar and both are around 10%, while Sweden remained relatively low, at only 5.60%. The working time in these three countries are similar, around 40 hours per week. Unemployment rate (2005) Working time (weekly hours) France 10.10% 38.3 Germany 10.60% 39.9 Sweden 5.60% 40 Source: unemployment rate-Indexmundi; working time-eurofound Trade Unions About trade union confederation, according to Bean (1994), France, Germany and Sweden represent three different types of confederation. For France, confederation is considered as political unionism (p.20) because confederations are based on political affiliations and there are five main confederations in France. For example, CGT and CFDT affiliate with communist and socialist party separately (Labbe, 1994). Because the five confederations are not for specific industries or occupational groups, there are competitions among those five confederations (Freyssinet, 2003). The second type of confederation is the single dominant confederation (DGB) represented by Germany. Since there is only one confederation, confederation competition is not existed in Germany. The third type of confederation is confederations organised by occupational groups which is found in Sweden. There are confederations for blue collar workers, white collar workers and professional/ academic groups (Carley, 2002). Th is occupational division of confederations kind of follow the early union formation which was unions organised all workers, skilled and unskilled, who worked with a given material (Bean, 1994, p. 27). Union density also differs a lot through these three countries. The union density is 9.1%, 29.7% and 79% for France, Germany and Sweden separately (1999 Eurostat Labour Force Survey, as cited in Carley, 2002). What is worth notice is that although union density in France is very low, the mobilisation of French unions is quite high compared with its union membership (Gallie, 1980). Employers Associations Employers association is an organisation which is similar with trade union confederation, except that it is in favour of employers instead of employees. Employers associations structure is similar in these three countries. They all have a peak employers association which in France is SAF (SN), in Germany is BDA and in Sweden is CNPF (MEDEF); and those peak organisations cover their own entire countries in terms of geography and industries (Bean, 1994). In all the three countries, the peak employers associations do not conduct collective agreements and the member organisations that conduct collective bargaining and conclude collective agreements (Traxler, 2003; Wallerstein, et al, 1997). It is the sectoral employers organisations that have collective bargaining roles (Carley, 2002). However, the power of these peak organisations, control over member firms and the strength of affiliates are different for France, Germany and Sweden. As you can see from the table below (as cited in Traxl er, 1999), for France, the peak organisations power is above average; the control over member firms is average, and the affiliates are weak. For Germany, both peak organisations power and control over member firms are weak while the affiliates are strong. For Sweden, peak organisations power, control over member firms and the affiliates are all extremely strong. Although employers associations in Sweden are very powerful, the membership is in low level compared with membership in France and Germany (Traxler, 2000) C:UsersEllenDesktopà ¦Ã…“ ªÃƒ ¥Ã¢â‚¬ËœÃ‚ ½Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ Ã‚ .jpg. Collective Bargaining Country Collective bargaining coverage (%) Key level of collective bargaining France 93 Industry towards company negotiations Sweden 90 Industry Germany 64 Industry (Source: Worker representation in Europe. Labour Research Department and ETUI-REHS: 2007, as cited in worker-participation.eu) As you can see from the table above, all the three countries have high coverage of collective bargaining. Both France and Sweden have high collective bargaining coverage which is above 80%. As discussed before, union density in Sweden is very high. So, we can say that the high coverage of collective bargaining is associated with high union density in Sweden. France has a high coverage of collective bargaining (but a low union density) is mainly because its government. Government in France encourages collective bargaining and provides some legislation for that (Bean, 1994, p.76). In Germany, compared with its collective bargaining coverage, its union density is relatively low; it is employers associations that ensure the coverage of collective bargaining is high (Waddington, 2009). The table also illustrate that the level of bargaining in the three European countries is at industry level. However, there is a trend of decentralisation of collective bargaining in these three countries. For France, it is the state that tries to drive collective bargaining downwards and there are legal frameworks to encourage bargaining at lower levels (Goetschy and Jobert, 1993, p.162). It is even towards company negotiations now. In Germany, there are agreed forms of opening clauses that allow decentralisation happens (Katz, 1993, p.7). Sweden moves from single framework agreement to industrial bargaining with more flexibility and bargaining leverage (Katz, 1993, p.5). For wage bargaining, Germany and Sweden mainly rely on sectoral level, while company level is the key bargaining level for France (Carley, 2002). In general, it can be concluded that collective bargaining is conducted mainly at industry level in those three countries; and the bargaining depends on state/ legislation, employers associations or union organisations for France, Germany and Sweden separately. Employee Participation and Works Councils The ways which employee participation and works councils operate in these three countries are different, but with some similarities as well. In Sweden, because most employees are union members (high union density), there is no works councils at workplace separately from trade unions to represent employees and it is trade unions and shop stewards that have similar roles of works councils in other countries (Hammarstrom, 1993). Works councils are available in both Germany and France, and works councils for both countries are in statutory form (Goetschy and Jobert, 1993; Fuerstenberg, 1993). In Germany, the participation system is considered as harmony of interest between management and labour. (Bean, 1994, p.167). In France, works councils have rights to be informed and consulted about general management of the firm, especially on issues related to employees; however, they seldom have decision-making power (Goetschy and Jobert, 1993, p. 158). For Germany, expect the rights to informati on and consultation, works councils also have the right of co-determination, such as on personnel selection and training; and for consultation right, worker representatives can also have some influence on outcome (Fuerstenberg, 1993, p. 186-87). For both France and Germany, work councils elected by employees which may or may not from trade unions lists (Carley, 2002). However, it is the dual system in Germany which is there is a formal separation between institution of workplace participation (works councils) and institutions engaged in collective bargaining (trade unions) (Hassel, 1999). For France, both collective bargaining and institutions of workplace participation (works councils) involve trade unions and trade unions have a formal presence within the workplace (Treu, et al, 1993). Government and Regulation Within these three countries, states play different roles on collective bargaining. In Germany, there is a very important constitutional principle about collective agreement-Tarifautonomie; it is about the state cannot directly interfere in the negotiation arrangement conducted by the employers associations and the trade unions; and parties conduct collective agreements are independent (Burgess and Symon, 2005). In contrast to Germany, state intervention is very important in France, and the French state plays some direct role in collective bargaining (Bean, 1994, p.155). The French government always tries to encourage conversation between employers associations and trade unions (Bean, 1994, p.76). The Swedish state is special because almost every economic and social policy issue is discussed between three parties-state, labour and business (Pontusson, 1991; Waddington, 2009). Compared with the other two countries, welfare provision in Sweden is huge with great public expenditure (Cas tles and McKinlay, 1979). Compare Systems of Industrial Relations between France, Germany and Sweden and in the United States and Japan From the analysis above, it can be seen that there few similarities among the three European countries-France, Germany and Sweden. However, when compare those countries with the United States and Japan, they are often considered as Europe and become quite similar. The Japanese and U.S. systems of industrial relations are different from those found in the three European countries. I will also analyse it in terms of labour market, trade unions, employers associations, collective bargaining and employee participation, and government roles and regulations. Labour Market Unemployment Rate France Germany Sweden Japan U.S. 2005 10.1% 10.6% 5.6% 4.7% 5.5% 2006 9.9 11.7 5.8 4.4 5.1 2007 8.7 7.1 5.6 4.1 4.8 2008 7.9 9.0 6.1 3.8 4.6 Source: Indexmundi.com Nickell (1997) once argued that there is no relationship between Europeans rigid job market and the relatively high unemployment rate. However, from the table above, we can see that compared with these European countries, the Unites States which has a more flexible job market has relatively low level of unemployment rate from 2005 to 2008. Japan also has a low unemployment rate. European countries Japan U.S. Maximum working time/week (by law) France/ Germany48 hours Sweden40 hours 40 hours (but usually extension ) No statutory maximum working week (but must receive overtime pay if exceed 40 hours) Average weekly hours by full-time workers (in 2001) France 35.7hours Germany 37.7hours Sweden38.8hours __ 42.8 hours Minimum period of paid annual leave (by law) France 25 days Germany 20days Sweden 25 days 20 days No statutory annual leave entitlement Actual annual work hours (in 2000) France 1589 hs Germany 1525 hs 1970 hs 1986 hs Source: EIRO; Carley, 2004, eurofound From the table above, we can conclude that compared with the three European countries, Japan and the United States generally work more and have less holiday time. It is also argued that Japanese and American workers are more tolerant and tend to accept overtime and irregular working time; and therefore European workers are considered in lower work ethic (Streeck, 1992, p.312). The characteristic and economic aspects of labour market between the three European countries and Japan and USA are also different. According to Streeck (1992), there are two distinction of labour market between European countries and the other two countries. The first one is the skilled level of labour. Labour in European countries is identified as high-skill workers, and they also have relatively high wages and social benefits. The high-skill workers have a strong relation with training schemes in European countries. This also illustrates the difference between LMEs (USA) and CMEs (France, Germany, Sweden and Japan). The apprenticeship system in USA is not strong and has no institutionalised links with the general education system; while the apprenticeship system is better in CMEs, and especially in Germany which has new apprenticeship programmes in both manufacturing and service sectors (Bosch and Charest, 2008, p.429). Bosch and Charest also mentioned that vocational training pro grammes have minor roles in USA while in Germany, employers, trade unions and government drive occupational training together (p.433). Japanese workers tend to be trained on-the-job (Hashimoto, 1979). Japanese workers skills are also in high level but with low transportability which is the second distinction Streeck mentioned. Labour can be easily transportable in European countries and USA but in Japan, labour is firm-specific (p.311); and the low transportability of Japanese workers is mainly due to lifetime employment (Hashimoto, 1979). Trade Unions As mentioned above, Germany has a single dominant confederation (DGB), and this is similar with the United States because it has unified confederal arrangements (AFO-CIO) (Carley, 2004). A noticeable feature of U.S. unionisation is business unionism which focuses on economic aspects of the members and collective bargaining instead of concerning social reorganisation and political activities; and it has little direct connections with political parties (Bean, 1994, p.21). For Japan, it is similar with France because its two main confederations are based on political affiliations (Rengo links with left party and Zenroren links with further left party) (Kuwahara, 1993). One similar trend for those five countries is the decrease on number of trade unions and the merging of trade unions (Carley, 2004). Generally speaking, trade union density is declining in all the five countries; trade union density in Japan and USA is lower than the average of it is in those three European countries, but higher than it is in France (see the table below). Country 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 France 8.4 8.3 8.2 8.4 8.2 8 8 7.9 7.8 Germany 25.3 24.6 23.7 23.5 23 22.2 21.6 20.7 19.9 Sweden 80.6 79.1 78 78 78 77.3 76.5 75.1 70.8 Japan 22.2 21.5 20.9 20.3 19.7 19.3 18.8 18.3 18.3 U.S. 13.4 12.8 12.8 12.6 12.4 12 12 11.5 11.6 Source: OECD.Statistics Employers Associations As mentioned above, all the three European countries have their own national peak employers associations and the subsections of the peak associations conduct collective bargaining. Japan also has a national employers association-the Japan Federation of Employers Associations (Nikkeriren) which does not engage in collective bargaining and collective bargaining is usually conducted at company level (Bamber and Lansbury, 1993). But, Nikkeriren do have formal conversation with the government and trade unions; although Nikkeriren cannot force companies to follow its guidelines, its member associations play a behind role which influence member companies (Carley, 2004). However, this is not the case in the United States. Employers organisations are less important in USA and no national employers confederations have ever been engaged in collective bargaining (Wheeler, 1993). Collective Bargaining Country Coverage of collective bargaining Level of collective bargaining France 93% Industry Germany 67% Industry Sweden 90% Industry Japan 20% Company U.S. 15% Company Source: Eurostat Labour Force Survey 2002 From the table, we can see that the coverage of collective bargaining in both Japan and USA are very low compared with the three European countries. As mentioned before, France, Germany and Sweden have high bargaining coverage depend on the government, employers association and high union density separately. For Japan and USA, the low bargaining coverage matches their low union density (Carley, 2004). The table also demonstrates the level of collective bargaining. For the three European countries, collective bargaining conducts mainly at industry level, whereas for Japan and USA, it happens at company level. It is noticeable that USA employers tend to oppose to unions since mid-1970s, and employers opposition to collective bargaining is more spread in USA than in other countries (Bamber and Lansbury, 1993). In Japan, both unions and employers organisations satisfy with company bargaining because firms rely mainly on internal market and employees tend to stay in the same company (Kuwahara, 1993). Employee Participation and Works Councils While in France and Germany, there is legislation for exchanging information and cooperation negotiations between employers and employees; by law, Swedish trade unions have the rights of information, consultation and co-determination; both USA and Japan, there is no legislation for works councils and employee participation, but Japan does have a high level of employee-management cooperation (Carley, 2004). Government and Regulation Because USA is a typical country of LMEs, government intervention is relatively less compared with it is in CMEs. In France, Germany, Sweden and Japan, there are clear legislations that support collective bargaining, but legislative support of collective bargaining in USA is very limited (Bean, 1994, p.124-26). For new forms of work, such as part-time work and temporary agency workers, European countries tend to regulate them with legislation; USA leaves them unregulated; and Japan is in between (Carley, 2004). Compared with Japan and USA , European countries provide high level of basic social rights for employees; and European industrial relations also provide publicly guaranteed status to strong, independent unions both in the industrial and the political arena (Streeck, 1992, p.314). Conclusion The systems of industrial relations are mainly about the three actors which are employers and their representatives, employees and their representatives and the state. When looking at systems of industrial relations in France, Germany and Sweden as a whole as European countries and comparing them with systems in Japan and the United States, it is believed that the three European countries are similar while fundamentally different from Japan and the United States. However, when compare the three countries separately, they have many differences. Trade union confederations in France, Germany and Sweden are under three different systems-political affiliations, single dominant confederation and divided by occupational groups separately. The high coverage of collective bargaining mainly depends on government, employers associations and high union density in France, Germany and Sweden. Sweden has a single channel system and has not works councils at workplaces while works councils are avail able in France and Germany; and in Germany, trade unions and works councils are separated from each other by law, but this is not the case in France; French trade unions involve in collective bargaining and have formal presence in workplace. For labour market, Japan and the United States tend to have lower unemployment rate than it is in European countries; those European countries workers work less and have more holidays compared with Japan and the United States; labour in European countries with wider range of training programmes is in high-skill level while in low-skill level in the United States; Japanese workers are also well trained, but the transportability in low compared with it is in European countries and the United States. Trade unions in European countries concern with social issues and have some relations with political activities, whereas focus on economic issues and has little relations with political activities. National employers associations are available in Japan and the three European countries, but absent in the United States. Legislative support of collective bargaining is placed in European countries and Japan (CMEs), but limited in the United States (LMEs). Both union density and the coverage of collective bargaining are high in the three European countries while low in Japan and the United States. The bargaining level in European countries is mainly at industrial level, but at company level for Japan and the United States. When there is no legislation on works councils in Japan and the U.S., it is available in European countries. European employees enjoy higher social rights than employees in Japan and the United States. Word count: 3661

Pigs Cant Fly Essay -- Childrens Books Literature Essays

Pigs Can't Fly "Why?" Amma said. "Because the sky is so high and pigs can't fly, that's why." --From "Pigs Can't Fly" The "why" and "because" of life is often best captured by children, for they, as the relatively less socialized individuals in society, will often innocently question the social myths we, the adults, always take for granted and as the truth. Hence, adults are usually at a loss as to the "because" when children ask in that "cruelly direct way" why certain things happen, or why certain things are the way they are in society. Many adults simply brush off the children's disturbing questions, either telling the children to leave well alone or replying with an answer that has absolutely no relation to the original question, as Arjie's mother does in "Pigs Can't Fly". However, question though they may, children do not have the ability to comprehend the complex societal boundaries they transgress. Intelligent criticism of what we assume as our social reality must come from adult minds. Very often though, a literary text is able to dexterously blend both the poignancy of childhood and the sha rp perspective of a mature consciousness to better question the social myths we assume to be truth and reality. "Pigs Can't Fly" is such a text, and it achieves its blend of childhood poignancy and adult maturity through the literary devices of narrator and narratee. The narrator in "Pigs Can't Fly" is a young child of seven, and the whole story is related to us through his childish perspective, except for a brief moment when we get a sense of an older Arjie, who tells us that "the remembered innocence of childhood" is now lost to him forever. The narratee, the person whom the author assumes the story is to be told to, is howe... ...s a criticism of the social myths we wrap comfortably around ourselves as reality, my reading requires a narratee who has a certain background in social criticism and who may be interested in reading the story in this way. However, many readings may be derived from "Pigs Can't Fly," and hence I feel it is enough to simply understand that the story is essentially about the alienation and loneliness one feels at not being what society expects, and empathy with such a person, instead of bristling self righteousness will better serve towards peace and tolerance in our societies, than all the wealth or knowledge we can ever garner. Bibliography Chatman, Seymour. "Narration: Narrator and Narratee." Reading Narrative Fiction. Ed. Seymour Chatman. New York: Macmillan, 1993. 130-141. Selvadurai, Shyam. "Pigs Can't Fly." Funny Boy. New York: Vintage, 1995. 1-40.

Understanding Multi-Universe Engineering :: Mathematics Engineerings Essays

Understanding Multi-Universe Engineering A mathematical movement based on a concept of prime numbers from which to model energy pools and their link status to parallel memory spaces is a decisive factor in understanding how a unified theory for energy qualifies as a model for energy exchange within a limited function criteria as set out herein. Life spaces connected by transit designs and their sequence modulations produce flow dynamic accessing energy pathways that concurrently synchronise process and concept determination. Concentration in defining a clear interpretation of pathway methodology to thus describe mental tasks of thought and its overview architecture reduces the emphasis on level structures and their definition within paradigmatic values. Assigning parallel mechanism to design as well as nano-processing methods to acoustical thought links the development of movement with its symbiotic concept as a complex model. Movement transfigures process by duplicating exchange templates within the mnemonic interpretations used by mental values to co-ordinate and dissimulate theory of mind into and beyond the confines of understanding, thus a cliched syntax used to reveal a priori patterns may be placed in context to extension variables. An interpretative understanding in how sense constructs are maintained and support mental movement as a means to evolve and define parallel conditions needed in memory organisation becomes by definition a series of relationships between application of pattern synthesis and initiating nano-patterns exhibiting choice related organisation ab initio leading to milo forms. In considering thought as a matrix from which nano-positions may be seen to relay material development through a series of design arcs consistent with design as control of material interaction to applicate the synthesis of design matrix. Matrix loops developed by adjusting bonding structures via acoustical densities that link with the properties of material structure and so alter structure in accordance with the elemental synthesis required. If a nanodesign is to satisfy criteria for creative logical models and therefore achieve aesthetic credence in design semantics a theoretical perfect linking of elements is envisaged to act as a template e.g. an arrangement of light atoms that store and transmit energy in the form of colour intensity states adjustable by an integrated nanocircuitry of symbolic signals passing through the template system formed of multiform density states. Programmable studies would show the inherent flexibility of multiform nano-states and their self defining properties in designing template systems in which to sub-group and determine signal propagation as a source of powerful binding sites. Frequency structures may be maintained via an in-built system oscillator functioning on a megahertz cycle interpolating and computing at

Culture in Piano and Drums by Gabriel Okara Essay -- Culture Symbolism

Culture in Piano and Drums by Gabriel Okara In the poem â€Å"Piano and Drums† the poet Gabriel Okara depicts and contrasts two different cultures through symbolism of pianos and drums. The Poem is divided into four stanzas. The first two stanzas represent the â€Å"drum† culture and the second two stanzas show the â€Å"piano† culture. The description of the drums is in two stanzas, but is one sentence long. The first line of the first stanza: ‘When at break of day at a riverside’ Uses trochees to emphasize the deliberate broken rhythm. The stanza has savage words, â€Å"bleeding flesh,† â€Å"urgent raw,† â€Å"leopard snarling,† â€Å"spears poised,† to show that this is a primitive culture, one which has dependency on the environment, as is represented by the â€Å"hunters crouch with spears poised.† The environment in this culture is physically dangerous, surrounded by wild animals. Drums here are a way of communication, and â€Å"jungle drums telegraphing the mystic rhythm, urgent, raw†¦Ã¢â‚¬  shows the way of life in this culture. This is life which is simple, near the beginnings of man. The stanza uses alliteration, consonances and similes to give a rhythm that is like that of a drum. Threatening imagery is also used to give the image of danger and show physical hazards. The first stanza mainly describes the way of life and sets the scene. It shows how the drums are associated with the jungle and a primitive way of life. In the second stanza the persona says how when he hears the drums, he goes back to his youth, â€Å"my blood ripples, turns torrent, topples the years...† reminiscent of his childhood to when things were simpler and carefree, â€Å"in my mother’s lap a suckling.† The repetition of the ‘t’ sound in â€Å"turns, torrent and top... ...† shows how he is lost between the two societies- between his background and upbringing and what he is aspired to be. â€Å"Wandering in the mystic rhythm of jungle drums and the concerto.† The poem follows a logical format with each stanza beginning with â€Å"When, And, Then and And.† The connotations of each instrument contrast with one another, with Drums illustrating primitive behaviour, and a savage, dangerous culture. The connotations of the piano are complex and technical. The piano uses significantly different word sounds, showing that it is learnt, westernized and intricate compared to the drums which is instinctive and naturally acquired, and simple. The poem uses no set rhyme pattern which suits the poem as it has an undecided effect, emphasizing the confusion of the persona over his future. There is some iambic use as well as the use of trochees.

Frostbite Chapter 23

Twenty-three THE WEATHER WARMED UP ON the day of my molnija ceremony. In fact, it was so warm that a lot of the snow on campus began melting, running down the sides of the Academy's stone buildings in slim, silvery streams. Winter was far from being over, so I knew everything would just freeze up again in a few days. For now, though, it felt as though the entire world was weeping. I had walked away from the Spokane incident with minor bruises and cuts. The burns from the melting flex-cuffs were the worst of my injuries. But I was still having a hard time dealing with the death I'd caused and the death I'd seen. I'd wanted little more than to go curl up in a ball somewhere and not talk to anyone, except maybe Lissa. But on my fourth day back at the Academy, my mother had found me and told me it was time to receive my marks. It had taken me several moments to grasp what she was talking about. Then it occurred to me that in decapitating two Strigoi, I'd earned two molnija tattoos. My first ones. The realization had stunned me. All my life, in considering my future career as a guardian, I'd looked forward to the marks. I'd seen them as badges of honor. But now? Mainly they were going to be reminders of something I wanted to forget. The ceremony took place in the guardians' building, in a large room they used for meetings and banquets. It was nothing at all like the great dining room at the resort. It was efficient and practical, like the guardians were. The carpet was a bluish gray shade, low and tightly woven. The bare white walls held framed black-and-white photos of St. Vladimir's through the years. There were no other decorations or fanfare, yet the solemnity and power of the moment were palpable. All the guardians on campus- but no novices- attended. They milled around in the building's main meeting room, hanging out in clusters but not talking. When the ceremony started, they fell into orderly ranks without being told and watched me. I sat on a stool in the corner of the room, leaning forward with my hair hanging over the front of my face. Behind me, a guardian named Lionel held a tattooist's needle to the back of my neck. I'd known him the whole time I'd been at the Academy, but I'd never realized he was trained to draw molnija marks. Before he started, he had a murmured conversation with my mother and Alberta. â€Å"She won't have a promise mark,† he said. â€Å"She hasn't graduated.† â€Å"It happens,† said Alberta. â€Å"She made the kills. Do the molnijas, and she'll get the promise mark later.† Considering the pain I regularly put myself through, I didn't expect the tattoos to hurt as much as they did. But I bit my lip and stayed silent as Lionel made the marks. The process seemed to go on forever. When he finished, he produced a couple of mirrors, and with some maneuvering, I was able to see the back of my neck. Two tiny black marks sat there, side by side, against my reddened and sensitive skin. Molnija meant â€Å"lightning† in Russian, and that's what the jagged shape was meant to symbolize. Two marks. One for Isaiah, one for Elena. Once I'd seen them, he bandaged them up and gave me some instructions about caring for them while they healed. Most of it I missed, but I figured I could ask again later. I was still kind of shocked by it all. After that, all the gathered guardians came up to me one by one. They each gave me some sort of sign of affection- a hug, a kiss on the cheek- and kind words. â€Å"Welcome to the ranks,† said Alberta, her weathered face gentle as she pulled me into a tight embrace. Dimitri didn't say anything when his turn came, but as always, his eyes spoke legions. Pride and tenderness filled his expression, and I swallowed back tears. He rested one hand gently on my cheek, nodded, and walked away. When Stan- the instructor I'd fought with the most since my first day- hugged me and said, â€Å"Now you're one of us. I always knew you'd be one of the best,† I thought I'd pass out. And then when my mother came up to me, I couldn't help the tear that ran down my cheek. She wiped it away and then brushed her fingers against the back of my neck. â€Å"Don't ever forget,† she told me. Nobody said, â€Å"Congratulations,† and I was glad. Death wasn't anything to get excited about. When that was done, drinks and food were served. I walked to the buffet table and made a plate for myself of miniature feta quiches and a slice of mango cheesecake. I ate without really tasting the food and answered questions from others without even knowing what I said half the time. It was like I was a Rose robot, going through the motions of what was expected. On the back of my neck, my skin stung from the tattoos, and in my mind, I kept seeing Mason's blue eyes and Isaiah's red ones. I felt guilty for not enjoying my big day more, but I was relieved when the group finally started dispersing. My mother walked up to me as others murmured their goodbyes. Aside from her words here at the ceremony, we hadn't talked much since my breakdown on the plane. I still felt a little funny about that- and a little embarrassed as well. She'd never mentioned it, but something very small had shifted in the nature of our relationship. We weren't anywhere near being friends†¦but we weren't exactly enemies anymore either. â€Å"Lord Szelsky is leaving soon,† she told me as we stood near the building's doorway, not far from where I'd yelled for her on that first day we'd talked. â€Å"I'll be going with him.† â€Å"I know,† I said. There was no question she'd leave. That was how it was. Guardians followed Moroi. They came first. She regarded me for a few moments, her brown eyes thoughtful. For the first time in a long time, I felt like we were actually looking eye to eye, as opposed to her looking down on me. It was about time, too, seeing as I had half a foot of height on her. â€Å"You did well,† she said at last. â€Å"Considering the circumstances.† It was only half a compliment, but I deserved no more. I understood now the mistakes and lapses of judgment that had led to the events at Isaiah's house. Some had been my fault; some hadn't. I wished I could have changed some of my actions, but I knew she was right. I'd done the best I could in the end with the mess before me. â€Å"Killing Strigoi wasn't as glamorous as I thought it'd be,† I told her. She gave me a sad smile. â€Å"No. It never is.† I thought then about all the marks on her neck, all the kills. I shuddered. â€Å"Oh, hey.† Eager to change the subject, I reached into my pocket and pulled out the little blue eye pendant she'd given me. â€Å"This thing you gave me. It's a n-nazari† I stumbled over the word. She looked surprised. â€Å"Yes. How'd you know?† I didn't want to explain my dreams with Adrian. â€Å"Someone told me. It's a protection thing, right?† A pensive look crossed her face, and then she exhaled and nodded. â€Å"Yes. It comes from an old superstition in the Middle East†¦Some people believe that those who want to hurt you can curse you or give you ‘the evil eye.' The nazar is meant to counteract the evil eye †¦ and just bring protection in general to those who wear it.† I ran my fingers over the piece of glass. â€Å"Middle East†¦so, places sort of like, um, Turkey?† My mother's lips quirked. â€Å"Places exactly like Turkey.† She hesitated. â€Å"It was †¦ a gift. A gift I received a long time ago †¦Ã¢â‚¬  Her gaze turned inward, lost in memory. â€Å"I got a lot of †¦ attention from men when I was your age. Attention that seemed flattering at first but wasn't in the end. It's hard to tell the difference sometimes, between what's real affection and what's someone wanting to take advantage of you. But when you feel the real thing†¦well, you'll know.† I understood then why she was so overprotective about my reputation- she'd endangered her own when she was younger. Maybe more than that had been damaged. I also knew why she'd given the nazar to me. My father had given it to her. I didn't think she wanted to talk anymore about it, so I didn't ask. It was enough to know that maybe, just maybe, their relationship hadn't been all about business and genes after all. We said goodbye, and I returned to my classes. Everyone knew where I'd been that morning, and my fellow novices wanted to see my molnija marks. I didn't blame them. If our roles had been reversed, I would have been harassing me too. â€Å"Come on, Rose,† begged Shane Reyes. We were walking out of our morning practice, and he kept swatting my ponytail. I made a mental note to wear my hair down tomorrow. Several others followed us and echoed his requests. â€Å"Yeah, come on. Let's see what you got for your swordsmanship!† Their eyes shone with eagerness and excitement. I was a hero, their classmate who'd dispatched the leaders of the roving band of Strigoi that had so terrorized us over the holidays. But I met the eyes of someone standing at the back of the group, someone who looked neither eager nor excited. Eddie. Meeting my gaze, he gave me a small, sad smile. He understood. â€Å"Sorry, guys,† I said, turning back to the others. â€Å"They have to stay bandaged. Doctor's orders.† This was met with grumbles that soon turned into questions about how I'd actually killed the Strigoi. Decapitation was one of the hardest and rarest ways to kill a vampire; it wasn't like carrying a sword was convenient. So I did my best to tell my friends what had happened, making sure to stick to the facts and not glorify the killings. The school day couldn't end a moment too soon, and Lissa walked with me back to my dorm. She and I hadn't had the chance to talk much since everything had gone down in Spokane. I'd undergone a lot of questioning, and then there'd been Mason's funeral. Lissa had also been caught up in her own distractions with the royals leaving campus, so she'd had no more free time than me. Being near her made me feel better. Even though I could be in her head at any time, it just wasn't the same as actually being physically around another living person who cared about you. When we got to the door of my room, I saw a bouquet of freesias sitting on the floor near it. Sighing, I picked up the fragrant flowers without even looking at the attached card. â€Å"What are those?† asked Lissa while I unlocked the door. â€Å"They're from Adrian,† I told her. We walked inside, and I pointed to my desk, where a few other bouquets sat. I put the freesias down beside them. â€Å"I'll be glad when he leaves campus. I don't think I can take much more of this.† She turned to me in surprise. â€Å"Oh. Um, you don't know.† I got that warning twinge through the bond that told me I wouldn't like what was about to come. â€Å"Know what?† â€Å"Uh, he isn't leaving. He's going to stay here for a while.† â€Å"He has to leave,† I argued. To my knowledge, the only reason he'd come back at all was because of Mason's funeral, and I still wasn't sure why he'd done that, since he barely knew Mason. Maybe Adrian had just done it for show. Or maybe to keep stalking Lissa and me. â€Å"He's in college. Or maybe reform school. I don't know, but he does something.† â€Å"He's taking the semester off.† I stared. Smiling at my shock, she nodded. â€Å"He's going to stay and work with me†¦ and Ms. Carmack. All this time, he never even knew what spirit was. He just knew he hadn't specialized but that he had these weird abilities. He just kept them to himself, except for when he occasionally found another spirit user. But they didn't know any more than he did.† â€Å"I should have figured it out sooner,† I mused. â€Å"There was something about being around him. †¦ I always wanted to talk to him, you know? He just has this †¦ charisma. Like you do. I guess it's all tied into spirit and compulsion or whatever. It makes me like him †¦ even though I don't like him.† â€Å"Don't you?† she teased. â€Å"No,† I replied adamantly. â€Å"And I don't like that dream thing, either.† Her jade eyes went wide with wonder. â€Å"That is cool,† she said. â€Å"You've always been able to tell what's going on with me, but I've never been able to communicate with you the other way. I'm glad you guys got away when you did†¦but I wish I could have figured out the dream thing and helped find you.† â€Å"Not me,† I said. â€Å"I'm glad Adrian didn't get you to go off your meds.† I hadn't found that out until a few days after being in Spokane. Lissa had apparently rejected Adrian's initial suggestion that stopping the pills would let her learn more about spirit. She had admitted to me later, however, that if Christian and I had stayed missing much longer, she might have cracked. â€Å"How are you feeling lately?† I asked, recalling her concerns about the medication. â€Å"You still feel like the pills aren't working?† â€Å"Mmm†¦well, it's hard to explain. I still feel closer to the magic, like maybe they aren't blocking me so much anymore. But I'm not feeling any of the other mental side effects†¦not upset or anything.† â€Å"Wow, that's great.† A beautiful smile lit her face. â€Å"I know. It makes me think there might be hope for me to learn to work the magic after all someday.† Seeing her so happy made me smile back. I hadn't liked seeing those dark feelings starting to return and was glad they'd vanished. I didn't understand the how or the why, but as long as she felt okay- Everyone has light around them, except for you. You have shadows. You take them from Lissa. Adrian's words slammed into my mind. Uneasily, I thought about my behavior these last couple of weeks. Some of the angry outbursts. My rebelliousness- unusual even for me. My own black coil of emotion, stirring in my chest†¦ No, I decided. There were no similarities. Lissa's dark feelings were magic-based. Mine were stress-based. Besides, I felt fine right now. Seeing her watching me, I tried to remember where we'd left off in the conversation. â€Å"Maybe you'll eventually find a way to make it work. I mean, if Adrian could find a way to use spirit and doesn't need meds †¦Ã¢â‚¬  She suddenly laughed. â€Å"You don't know, do you?† â€Å"What?† â€Å"That Adrian does medicate himself.† â€Å"He does? But he said- † I groaned. â€Å"Of course he does. The cigarettes. The drinking. God only knows what else.† She nodded. â€Å"Yup. He's almost always got something in his system.† â€Å"But probably not at night†¦which is why he can poke his head into my dreams.† â€Å"Man, I wish I could do that,† she sighed. â€Å"Maybe you'll learn someday. Just don't become an alcoholic in the process.† â€Å"I won't,† she assured me. â€Å"But I will learn. None of the other spirit users could do it, Rose- well, aside from St. Vladimir. I'll learn like he did. I'm going to learn to use it- and I won't let it hurt me.† I smiled and touched her hand. I had absolute faith in her. â€Å"I know.† We talked for most of the evening. When the time came for my usual practice with Dimitri, I parted ways with her. As I walked away, I pondered something that had been bothering me. Although the attacking groups of Strigoi had had many more members, the guardians felt confident Isaiah had been their leader. That didn't mean there wouldn't be other threats in the future, but they felt it'd be a while before his followers regrouped. But I couldn't help thinking about the list I'd seen in the tunnel in Spokane, the one that had listed royal families by size. And Isaiah had mentioned the Dragomirs by name. He knew they were almost gone, and he'd sounded keen on being the one to finish them. Sure, he was dead now†¦but were there other Strigoi out there with the same idea? I shook my head. I couldn't worry about that. Not today. I still needed to recover from everything else. Soon, though. Soon I'd have to deal with this. I didn't even know if our practice was still on but went to the locker room anyway. After changing into practice clothes, I headed down into the gym and found Dimitri in a supply room, reading one of the Western novels he loved. He looked up at my entrance. I'd seen little of him in these last few days and had figured he was busy with Tasha. â€Å"I thought you might come by,† he said, putting a bookmark between the pages. â€Å"It's time for practice.† He shook his head. â€Å"No. No practice today. You still need to recover.† â€Å"I've got a clean bill of health. I'm good to go.† I pushed as much patented Rose Hathaway bravado into my words as I could. Dimitri wasn't falling for any of it. He gestured to the chair beside him. â€Å"Sit down, Rose.† I hesitated only a moment before complying. He moved his own chair close to mine so that we sat directly across from each other. My heart fluttered as I looked into those gorgeous dark eyes. â€Å"No one gets over their first kill†¦kills†¦easily. Even with Strigoi†¦well, it's still technically taking a life. That's hard to come to terms with. And after everything else you went through †¦Ã¢â‚¬  He sighed, then reached out and caught my hand in his. His fingers were exactly like I remembered, long and powerful, calloused with years of training. â€Å"When I saw your face†¦when we found you in that house†¦you can't imagine how I felt.† I swallowed. â€Å"How †¦ how did you feel?† â€Å"Devastated †¦ grief-stricken. You were alive, but the way you looked †¦ I didn't think you'd ever recover. And it tore me apart to think of that happening to you so young.† He squeezed my hand. â€Å"You will recover- I know that now, and I'm glad. But you aren't there. Not yet. Losing someone you care about is never easy.† My eyes dropped from his and studied the floor. â€Å"It's my fault,† I said in a small voice. â€Å"Hmm?† â€Å"Mason. Getting killed.† I didn't have to see Dimitri's face to know compassion was filling it. â€Å"Oh, Roza. No. You made some bad decisions†¦you should have told others when you knew he was gone†¦but you can't blame yourself. You didn't kill him.† Tears brimmed in my eyes as I looked back up. â€Å"I might as well have. The whole reason he went there- it was my fault. We had a fight†¦and I told him about the Spokane thing, even though you asked me not to†¦.† One tear leaked out of the corner of my eye. Really, I needed to learn to stop that. Just as my mother had, Dimitri delicately wiped the tear off my cheek. â€Å"You can't blame yourself for that,† he told me. â€Å"You can regret your decisions and wish you'd done things differently, but in the end, Mason made his decisions too. That was what he chose to do. It was his decision in the end, no matter your original role.† When Mason had come back for me, I realized, he'd let his feelings for me get in the way. It was what Dimitri had always feared, that if he and I had any sort of relationship, it would put us- and any Moroi we protected- in danger. â€Å"I just wish I'd been able to †¦ I don't know, do anything†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Swallowing back further tears, I pulled my hands from Dimitri's and stood up before I could say something stupid. â€Å"I should go,† I said thickly. â€Å"Let me know when you want to start practice again. And thanks for †¦ talking.† I started to turn; then I heard him say abruptly, â€Å"No.† I glanced back. â€Å"What?† He held my gaze, and something warm and wonderful and powerful shot between us. â€Å"No,† he repeated. â€Å"I told her no. Tasha.† â€Å"I †¦Ã¢â‚¬  I shut my mouth before my jaw hit the floor. â€Å"But†¦why? That was a once-in-a-lifetime thing. You could have had a baby. And she †¦ she was, you know, into you†¦.† The ghost of a smile flickered on his face. â€Å"Yes, she was. Is. And that's why I had to say no. I couldn't return that†¦couldn't give her what she wanted. Not when†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He took a few steps toward me. â€Å"Not when my heart is somewhere else.† I almost started crying again. â€Å"But you seemed so into her. And you kept going on about how young I acted.† â€Å"You act young,† he said, â€Å"because you are young. But you know things, Roza. Things people older than you don't even know. That day †¦Ã¢â‚¬  I knew instantly which day he referred to. The one up against the wall. â€Å"You were right, about how I fight to stay in control. No one else has ever figured that out- and it scared me. You scare me.† â€Å"Why? Don't you want anyone to know?† He shrugged. â€Å"Whether they know that fact or not doesn't matter. What matters is that someone- that you- know me that well. When a person can see into your soul, it's hard. It forces you to be open. Vulnerable. It's much easier being with someone who's just more of a casual friend.† â€Å"Like Tasha.† â€Å"Tasha Ozera is an amazing woman. She's beautiful and she's brave. But she doesn't- â€Å" â€Å"She doesn't get you,† I finished. He nodded. â€Å"I knew that. But I still wanted the relationship. I knew it would be easy and that she could take me away from you. I thought she could make me forget you.† I'd thought the same thing about Mason. â€Å"But she couldn't.† â€Å"Yes. And, so †¦ that's a problem.† â€Å"Because it's wrong for us to be together.† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"Because of the age difference.† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"But more importantly because we're going to be Lissa's guardians and need to focus on her- not each other.† â€Å"Yes.† I thought about this for a moment and then looked straight into his eyes. â€Å"Well,† I said at last, â€Å"the way I see it, we aren't Lissa's guardians yet.† I steeled myself for the next response. I knew it was going to be one of the Zen life lessons. Something about inner strength and perseverance, about how the choices we made today were templates for the future or some other nonsense. Instead he kissed me. Time stopped as he reached out and cupped my face between his hands. He brought his mouth down and brushed it against my lips. It was barely a kiss at first but soon increased, becoming heady and deep. When he finally pulled away, it was to kiss my forehead. He left his lips there for several seconds as his arms held me close. I wished the kiss could have gone on forever. Breaking the embrace, he ran a few fingers through my hair and down my cheek. He stepped back toward the door. â€Å"I'll see you later, Roza.† â€Å"At our next practice?† I asked. â€Å"We are starting those up again, right? I mean, you still have things to teach me.† Standing in the doorway, he looked over at me and smiled. â€Å"Yes. Lots of things.†