Never judge a person by external appearance Essay

I believe that judging about anyone by his external appearance, we perform a tremendous mistake. I have numerous examples in my life when I didn’t like the people at first site but eventually they have become my friends. The culture and subculture determine the appearance of their followers, but they don’t determine the entire consciences and qualities of the representatives. There are manifold types of clothes all over the world and if the woman wears in Arab headscarf it doesn’t mean that she is a terrorist. It’s most probably the part of her culture, but unfortunately we have in mind stereotypes from a TV. Even in one country numerous subcultures represents the different types of the appearances yet good and bad people are everywhere. As a matter of fact people have bad and good days and they look and behave accordingly to their moods. It’s quite common when a person, having temporary money problems, wears and looks not too exquisite and, even he’s a good specialist, it will be hard for him to find a job. Sometimes a person don’t have enough time to maintain the glamorous appearance, what obviously doesn’t signify that he is worse than another, spending his time in a beauty shop. Someone, who doesn’t have excellent exterior, could have other, more important qualities. Will you be friends with the beautiful but stupid and selfish man? Certainly will not. He could be a good musician, awesome orator and perfect sportsman, but you wouldn’t give him a chance to show all these talents if you paid attention only to the imperfect appearance. Also, we could have some bad remembrances relating with the certain appearance and sometimes it’s difficult to overcome them. I believe it’s not right to judge people by their exterior because you could miss the chance to meet with very interesting humans and make useful acquaintances.

Against schools Essay

The article Against Schools is a very intriguing article or could case great debate and concern about public schooling systems in America today. Born in Monongahela, Pa, John Taylor Gatto is a retired America school teacher with nearly 30 years of experience in the school system. Gatto is a recipient of many awards such as: The New York City Teacher of the Year award in 1989,1990, and 1991 and The New York State Teacher of the Year award in 1991. He is broadminded perilous of compulsory schooling, and author of several books on education. Gatto voiced his belief that the public school system that we use, is not there for educational means; instead, exist to fulfill the function to cripple children in the long run. After reading Gatto’s article and reasoning for his opinion, I harmonize with Gatto’s belief. His article explains how our system was constructed and its purpose. I felt that the points he made displayed a lot of truth in them and it brought to reality effects about public school systems that I would have never thought to question or recognize. In the article Against School, John Taylor Gatto expresses his outlook that the public school system isn’t there for informative measures, instead â€Å"it exist to fulfill six covert functions meant to cripple our kids. † (Gatto 14 ) He speaks about the public school system not being of what we think and how it originates from the Prussian culture, which is a system deliberately designed to produce ordinary brainpowers that are simply ran. He emphasizes in the article how mandatory schooling has encouraged children not to think at all as a result leaving â€Å"them sitting ducks for the modern era of marketing†. (Gatto 148) Gatto states the fact that do to the training in school, â€Å"we have become a nation of children, happy to surrender our judgments and our wills to political exhortations and commercial blandishments that would insult actual adults†. (Gatto 148) The article goes on to express Gatto’s opinion that the school system encourages children not to think for their selves and children should be taught to manage their own lives. He says that he feels the solution is to simply let them be their true selves. One of the major points that Gatto explains in the article Against School is how the public school system originates from the Prussian culture and how compulsory school was intended to be just what it had been for the Perssia. According to several sources, â€Å"Horace Mann, credited as the father of the American public school system, studied a wide variety of educational models before implementing the Prussian system designed by Fredrick the Great. King Frederick created a system that was engineered to teach obedience and solidify his control. Focusing on following directions, basic skills, and conformity, he sought to indoctrinate the nation from an early age. Isolating students in rows and teachers in individual classrooms fashioned a strict hierarchy—intentionally fostering fear and loneliness. Mann chose the Prussian model, with its depersonalized learning and strict hierarchy of power, because it was the cheapest and easiest way to teach literacy on a large scale. Social efficiency theorists who sought to industrialize the educational process perpetuated this system throughout the early twentieth century. Led by educators such as Ellwood P. Cubberley, they used education as a tool for social engineering. Building upon the depersonalized uniformity and rigid hierarchy of the Prussian system, they constructed an industrial schooling model designed to produce millions of workers for America’s factories. Believing that most of America’s students were destined for a life of menial, industrial labor, these theorists created a multi-track educational system meant to sort students from an early age. While the best and brightest were carefully groomed for leadership positions, the majority was relegated to a monotonous education of rote learning and task completion. Consequently, our schooling system is still locked into the Prussian-industrial framework of fear, isolation, and monotony. For both students and teachers, procedure is emphasized over innovation, uniformity over individual expression, and control over empowerment. It is, therefore, not surprising that the majority of America’s classrooms have changed little in over one hundred years. †(Web) Gatto makes this point by stating these historical facts in his article. Gatto also gives examples of the outcome of compulsory school, which he says, results in adults that are manageable beings. He says those adults by things they don’t need because they are trained to believe they give some sense of proudness like a television to order more things on TV. Gatto states, â€Å" Easy answers have removed the need to ask questions. † (Gatto148) The point is definite proven by Gatto in the article which is that â€Å" mandatory education serves children incidentally†¦ its real purpose is to turn our children into servants. † (Gatto 149) He feels that instead of let the government managing our children, the solution is to let them manage themselves. The best way this can be achieved in Gatto’s vision is through homeschooling children. When I thought about the public school system, I did not ever question its purpose but to be anything but benficual to children. I thought it was to enlighten them and bring out their true individualism and make them productive citizens in society. I agree with Gatto’s article after recalling back to my experience in school. Everything was so ordered and strict, to mold everyone to be what was told of them. I did from time to time question the why can I not do this that way or why can it not be something else and I was always told by my teachers because this is the right way. Everybody does it like this so you have to as well or you are wrong. Gatto says that schooling structures us into the reliant, mindless adults we are in ways like: â€Å"easy divorce encouraging us not to work on relationships, easy credit removing the need for fiscal control, easy entertainment removing the need to entertain one’s self, etc. † (Gatto148) It does not make sense that if we are each individuals, then why are we taught and ma to think the same. Gatto feels the solution is to go back to the original way and possibly teach children our selves, preferably at home not in a â€Å"institution and the government should not really have any say so over it. I believe that yes children should be encouraged to be who they truly are and explore their minds deepest capacities; however, there should still be some stucture in their lives outside of home. They need to learn to coexist with others and their own ideas as well. I do not agree with the idea of homeschooling completely. With the economy being the way it is families have to work to provide for there families and some families are single parent homes, therefore leaving no time to instruct the children to proper way. John Taylor Gatto purpose for wring the article Against schools, was to bring to light the issue that our government is corrupting Americans from the beginning through something almost everyone supports, Our educational system. Gatto more than prospered with attainment of his point being acknowledged. I was stunned to discover that the American public school system is one designed to casts an being’s mind to be what its told to be, not what it is suppose to be or wants to be, and that is very disturbing to me. Gatto bringing the origin of the public school system to light did his work justice. On the contrast, I do not believe that the resolution is to teach children at home. In conclusion, the reality of it is: even though the system is corrupt and controlling, it has been operating for years and no one has changed it. We will never be able to subdue the government, so the best is to just make do the way we can. Works Cited 1. http://thenewamericanacademy. org/index. php/home/our-philosophy-menu/the-prussian-industrial-model. 2. Gatto, John Taylor. â€Å"Against Schools. † Rereading America. 9th ed. Ed. Gary Colombo, Robert Cullen, Bonnie Lisle. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2013. p141-150.

Redcuding carbon emssion on UK properties Essay

Redcuding carbon emssion on UK properties - Essay Example â€Å"The significance of historic buildings clearly encompasses the architectural and aesthetic values†¦, associations with historic people and events, examples of technological innovations, aspects of social history and links with a building’s setting and other heritage assets.† (English Heritage 2011). Due to such crucial importance historic buildings are protected and also continuous refurbishments are made to it. However, at the same time, these historic buildings may not have sustainable designs and features. That is, these buildings because of their designs and other things could make negative Carbon imprint and thereby have environment damaging features. Carbon Dioxide (CO2) is one of the key Greenhouse Gases, which has many negative effects on the environment and also human living. It is widely considered to be the main cause of global warming and other pollutions, thus forcing governments of many countries including the UK government to come up with restr iction on CO2 emissions. In the construction and property development industries, the contemporary ‘climate’ or trend is against using eco-damaging products, and go for environmentally friendly products and also sustainable designs. Due to that trend, the industry has maximally adjusted or adjusting to the demand of the people and the government agencies, by using of eco-friendly products in the construction of buildings and various other structures. Thus, the final constructed building will be â€Å"environmentally friendly† or â€Å"green† in the every sense of the word. This usage of environmentally friendly or eco-friendly products and features will not only provide positive benefits to the occupants, but also to various sections from neighbors to the whole community. However, as majority of the historic buildings do not feature these products and sustainable designs, and importantly as it is difficult to completely refurbish them with sustainable desi gns, views has emerged to bring down those environmentally problematic buildings, in order to cut down the CO2 emissions from it. Thus, this paper will first discuss about the targets and the related legislations formulated by the UK government to reduce Carbon emissions. Then, although if a historic building cannot meet government targets of reduction in carbon emission, and importantly even if it finds difficult to carry out the needed sustainable refurbishments, it should not be replaced due to certain limitations, instead certain effective strategies can be followed to refurbish in line with government legislations and regulations. Carbon dioxide is emitted in various industrial sectors from energy, mechanical to the construction industries, etc, etc., and by various objects including automobiles, various electrical and electronic appliances, etc. The commonly known fact is humans normally exhale carbon dioxide, and so if there build up of it in the human body, it can kill that person. So, the maximum carbon emission and the resultant exposure of it on humans, as well as natural environment to it, are leading to grave problems. Due to high CO2 emissions, human health is

English composition 2 Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

English composition 2 - Research Paper Example And just like the physical world, online problems became present that the call to regulate the cyberspace mounted. Also the issue about the ethical use of the internet came into question. The digital personality which Netizens assumed in the cyberspace loosened up with their personality becoming invisible. And â€Å"the growing incidence of online fraud and identity theft, privacy incursions, copyright infringements, trademark violations, domain name disputes, spamming, computer viruses, inadequate or vaguely defined consumer protection laws, and terrorist-related and pornographic websites has fuelled such concerns† (David 2006). These issues necessitated internet governance to regulate the decentralized, scalable and even anarchaic nature of the cyberspace. Since the cyberspace’s geopolitical demarcation is virtually erased, the question of how to control and maintain a set of behaviors according to an acceptable standard became an imperative. But as how to do it still remains the questions; of whether a big government should intervene or the industry itself should regulate and police themselves. This brings to mind the geographic relativity of laws. For example, laws governing e-commerce and speech in the United States may differ or may not even exist say that of the Middle East country and vice versa that the enforcement of cyberspace regulation may prove to be a challenge if not impossible to implement. Such, many concerned parties proposed to adopt an intergovernmental regulation to create a cross-border harmonization of internet governance policy for greater efficacy. There is however other interest groups that espouse the idea of self-imposed regulation of cyberspace conduct. Among these is the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) in the United States whose mandate is to develop a bottom-up consensus on the usage of the internet among the private sector. Though it differed in

Museum Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Museum Paper - Essay Example He was laid to rest in a complicated grave in Saqqara. He earned titles such as the â€Å"Chief of Royal Scribes†, Governor of Buto†, and â€Å"Chief of Dentist† (El-Shahawy & Farid 67). The three panels, bearing these titles, are among the six remaining panels, which were discovered decorating the interior of niches that were cut from the west wall of the large gallery, below Hesire’s mastaba (El-Shahawy & Farid 67). The six panels depict him in different costumes and present his titles and names carved above him (Kamrin 32). They are carefully sculptured in low relief and the inscribed hieroglyphs are equally written with care and precision. They highlight the aesthetic value of each element in the panel, particularly Hesire’s body and his accessories, which are represented with respect to the conventions of Egyptian art (Kamrin 17). Hesires historical art figure is in the form of wooden panels that were set for his remembrance. The wooden panels were initially eleven, but only six of them are currently available. These remaining panels are examples of elevated implementation of hieroglyphs on corpse, and they have several forms of Egyptian language hieroglyphs (Kamrin 27). The remaining wooden panels were used to plaster his mud brick grave and were curved in different postures and ages with the facts of grave’s owner. For example, Hesire, as a middle-age person, was depicted to be standing, but his left leg always onward. A weighty wavy wig, which resembles his real hair, is placed on his head. His right hand is holding a † harp† that signifies authority and dignity while his left hand is holding scribal tools that have a palette with two inkwells and a skin bag for supply (Gardner & Kleiner 98). A kit with a belt is tied around his waist. Kamrin has had the opportunity to translate the four vertical corners. He says the â€Å"Elder of the Qed-hetep† is translates to a â€Å"father of mine and the doctor of the majestic scribes† (Kamrin 44).

Purpose of existence and after life in Islam Vs. Existentialism Essay

Purpose of existence and after life in Islam Vs. Existentialism - Essay Example The tradition of the Islamic religion outlines detailed actions regarding every aspect of life, which every Muslim must adhere to. These aspects include daily activities and rituals such as Namaaz, food etiquettes, respect for elders, marriage ceremonies, peaceful and friendly behavior towards neighbors, friends, relatives, and numerous aspects of daily life. thus we can say that the Koran is the code of conduct, a reference book for the Muslim community to lead a peaceful and content life while doing good deeds, for which they shall be rewarded in the life, hereafter, or after death. Existentialism is not a religion; it is a movement which began in the early 18th century, by a group of scholars. The movement is atheistic as it does not believe in God as the supreme power governing the actions and occurrences of the world. Existentialism is a way of life which determines that the actions of a person are based on free will. It states that morals, value and ethics in the life of an individual necessitate form the individual’s experiences of the world, and as such are based on personal perceptions. The movement is known to have begun by scholars like Soren Kierkegaard, who emphasizes on the occurrence of truth, rejecting the system of Hegelianism. He states that each individual has to pass through three stages in life. The other prominent scholar of existentialism, Friedrich Nietzsche, believes in the concept of â€Å"nothingness†. His famous quote, â€Å"God is Dead†, stems from the fact that more and more people are becoming atheist and that Christianity cannot be a basis for values, ethics and morals. He criticizes Western culture stating that there is an absence of morals and values in the culture. he believes that the strong will for â€Å"freedom† is the most dominating emotion over all the other wills of religion, morals and ethical values. He firmly

A response to Generation Like Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

A response to Generation Like - Essay Example They could require brands to pay them for promotion, but they agree to work in exchange of goods and services. It turns out that teenagers underestimate their role in commercial culture today. Most of them tend to watch TV less and spend more and more time online using social media as a tool to express their identity. Brands cannot use conventional channels to reach and retain new audiences any more. They address Youtubers, fans, Twitter or Instagram celebrities to promote their products and they agree to do this for free. SMM advertising is very valuable because it is natural and it addresses loyal audience of viewers who identify with products liked by people they adore or follow. At the same time, kids learn fast and apply marketing strategies in their smaller channels in order to engage their fans and interact with them effectively. Overall, this documentary proves that social media marketing is not a game anymore and people engaged in it need to understand their value in

Evolution of Global Consumer Trends by Datamonitor Essay

Evolution of Global Consumer Trends by Datamonitor - Essay Example As a consequence of the remarkable expansion of luxury markets over the recent decade, the literature in marketing has currently witnessed considerable enthusiasm in the investigation of prestige brands, particularly in the fashion industry. However, scarce is known about the effective process of marketing and observing prestige brands. Research carried out in the UK by Applied Futures, a market research company predicted significant social changes at the advent of the 21st century. Their investigation determined that individual’s needs for appearances and materialism were escalating. Specifically, they identified an elevating demand for flamboyant and status fashion products (M2 Presswire, 2008). For instance, current market reports in Australia appear to provide evidence to this assertion. The Sunday Telegraph revealed an exceptional increase in Australia’s luxury products, such as amplified demand for mink furs, and very expensive jewelleries such as diamonds. This i s, which is important to note, occurred prior to the economic slowdown which started in 1997 (ibid). The perspective for Europe’s textile and fashion industry in 1996 is, primarily, not good. Recent reports on market conditions in Italy, Germany, France and the UK are revealed. Germany’s primary suppliers and retailers of clothes for women predict no or zero growth. Several analysts predict sales of apparel in Italy to remain slow-moving, yet others anticipate significant growth (Weisman et al., 1996). Regardless of a number of encouraging reports everywhere, the UK luxury fashion at the advent of the 21st century is far from pretty. Women in UK remain the primary users and buyers of products within the cosmetics and toiletries department, with roughly eight in ten women admitting that they purchase the bulk or cosmetic and toiletry products in their homes.

Sophocles Antigone Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Sophocles Antigone - Essay Example Like for example stop signs in places that do not warrant them. I have to admit that there may perhaps be occurrences where I have overlooked them. Be no mistake that I recognize the need for safety but there are just those that seem superfluous and unnecessary. The general thought that comes to my mind is the ardent belief that I am doing the right thing and that I was not blinded by personal misconceptions and that fundamentally no one will be hurt. I imagine that people will actually benefit from my acts and others may perhaps be enlightened. I consider that I may not always be right but there are moments when I have to be in the right. In this regard, I identify more with Antigone who has sacrificed herself to uphold what she believes in and refuses to be subjected to any law from the oppressive Creon. Her refusal to be subdued by restrictive orders is admirable in the sense that she honors her independence more than anything, even her life. To be able to live by one’s own virtues properly guided by ethical standards of morality is the greatest law anyone could

A Journal of Woe Essay Example for Free

A Journal of Woe Essay The pain was excruciating as I struggled to fight for my life under the pillow that my beloved husband had forced upon me. I remember how much it hurts as I tried to gasp for air beneath Othello’s powerful arms. I can recall those murderous eyes driven mad by jealousy and hate. For an instant, I failed to recognize the man I have fought to love. I cannot recognize that man I secretly married despite my father’s objections. For a moment, I failed to see the man who promised to love me for the rest of our lives. It all started that fateful night when Othello fired Michael Cassio from his lieutenant position. He accused me of sleeping with Cassio. The jealousy was probably most triggered when he felt that I was being too concerned with Cassio’s situation. He must have thought that my acts in favor of Cassio’s defense were signs of affection for him. He accused me of giving Cassio the handkerchief which was a gift from him. There is no way I would have given such a valuable gift to someone else! My love and affection is undividedly offered for Othello. It does not seek other men aside from him. My fidelity to my marriage and to my husband is pure and untainted. How could he even dare think of me with such immorality! However, it was too late to defend myself further, for the fire in his eyes was already consumed with too much evil to pay any heed to my cries. Yet, before death consumed what was left of my body, the image of the man I love came before my eyes. I forgive him. He is a victim and not a murderer. I know in his heart that he loves me still, and once this madness brought about by his jealousy ends, he would repent and ask for forgiveness. Or, he might end his life as well to follow me, so he can make it up to me personally—and I will be waiting on the other side.

Modern Lifestyle Essay

Modern Lifestyle Essay The modern lifestyle has a number of advantages which includes easing peoples life, saving hundreds of peoples lives by the new development of medicine and vaccines. On the other hand different modern life style patterns have negative effects on health physically, psychologically, and socially. One of these modern ways of living is the high intake of fast foods. This is due to specific reasons such as the short time specified for eating and choosing healthy food. Lack of physical activity combination with fast foods leads to bad effects on the hearts health. Use of high technology machines is another way of modernity. Although use of these machines has helped in saving the time to do a lot of tasks, the wrong use of them will indirectly affect health. Another point is the advanced transportation which reduces the time needed to travel and made travelling an enjoyable time. Last, is the use of computers and internet in the communication, transfer of information, and entertainment as w ell. Altogether will constitute the elements of a sedentary life style. That means, high fatty foods intake and lack of physical activity. Which both are caused by fast foods, depending on high technology machines and transportation, and sitting long hours in front of the computer. Modern life style increases the risk of obesity. Consequently, leading to diabetes, heart diseases, and cancers. Pollution caused by the machines and advanced transportation causes different respiratory diseases. Furthermore, it leads to atopic diseases which are group of hereditary diseases contributing to allergies and asthma. Psychologically, persons are prone to increased stress level and depression. Social isolation will occurs due to spending long time on computer and internet. Effects of modern life style Nobody can ignore the usefulness of modernization on our daily life, especially on how much it makes life of humans easier. This is particularly correct about the new evolution of the new development of medicines, vaccines that save people from the fatal endemic diseases. On the other hand, Modern life style becomes more and more an important factor influencing health state of most developed countries. Unhealthy behaviors responsible for increasing the mortality of the cardiovascular, cancers, diabetes, and respiratory diseases. There is increasing evidence that following a healthy lifestyle including appropriate diet, satisfactory physical activity level, and healthy weight can provide significant cardiovascular and metabolic benefits. From that we come to a conclusion that different modern life style patterns affect our health physically, psychologically, and socially. The main life style patterns that are going to be discussed in this research are the use of high technology machin es, fast foods, advanced transportation, and the use of the computer including internet and video games that is being used by almost every member of the family. The way people eat today is far different the way people ate before. Hundred years ago people used to include a lot of fruits and vegetables in their diet. This gives a lot of nutritional value to their meals, and decreases the risk of getting cardiovascular diseases which is related to the less fat content of these foods. These days people have very bad nutritional habits, especially with the fast widespread of fast food culture particularly between young people which they continue to carry on the same eating habits in their adulthood. According to Shepherd et al. (2001), the promotion of healthy eating is high on the health policy agenda in the UK.They mentioned that young people are particularly important group, as poor eating habits established during teenage years may be maintained into adulthood, creating a number of cardiovascular and other health related problems later in life. Ed Edelson (2009) mentioned in his article that data from 2003-2006 shows that 11.3 percent of chil dren and teenagers were at or above the 97th percentile in body mass index for their age. This shows that overweight teens have a 70 percent chance of becoming overweight adults (Para.6).The reason for peoples poor eating habits is the less time provided by them to prepare a healthy food which probably would take time. Furthermore, people dont spent enough time to eat and choose correct and healthy meals. Everyone is just busy in building their future ignoring the fact that this might be interrupted by diseases caused by their poor eating habits. Other reasons include the need for both the man and women to join the work field. This means that the women will be away from home for long hours and depend on the fast foods to feed her family. Therefore, children will acquire this habit and they wont be able to differentiate between healthy and unhealthy food. In addition to poor eating habits, lack of physical activity is a major problem in this todays life. That is, if it is together pr esent with the high consumption of fatty foods, they will lead to disastrous effects on the persons health status. So, maintaining regular exercise is good for the well being of an individual health and helps prevent so many heart and metabolic diseases. The use of modern technology makes living better and brings certain advantages to people. Such advantages include fast communication and improvement of travelling. Before, people use animals to help them travel from one place to another which might take days to travel. Now, we spend only few hours using the air planes which make the journey easier. The use of new technology machines is also now in our home. We do most of the house cleaning with machines, which actually makes the life very easy. Every day a new machine is invented for human use to ease their lives. According to Emmanuel Mesthene (n.d.), Technology is neither good nor bad, it is neutral(page 12).This means that technology can bring us luxuries, but it also can cause problems. It is a matter on how the technology is used according to him. Computer and internet are being introduced into most houses. Although they have a lot of advantages, they have adverse effects on people health. Jayashree, 2007 said Internet has been perhaps the most outstanding innovation in the field of communication in the history of mankind. As with every single innovation, internet has its own advantages and disadvantages(Para.1). According to her the advantages include better communication, and faster way of getting information, and for entertainment. The internet has made the world smaller; it also provides services for people use. Children also now use the computers very widely. It is even being introduced in the teaching curriculum of majority of schools. They also use it in playing video games for their entertainment and joy. Even a lot of adults enjoy the video games as well. All of the past modern life style patterns lead to adopting sedentary life style which combines eating high calorie diet and lack of physical activity. Which are major risk factors for getting a lot of different diseases. In my opinion, sedentary life style includes the wrong use of available high technology machines and transportation as well. Physical effects of modern life style patterns especially the fast foods and the lack of physical activity increase the risk of getting cardiovascular diseases. Acharia (2007), wrote in his article Modern Life Style Could Damage Your Heart, The modern lifestyle, which puts people under constant stress, could severely damage major organs and lead to heart attacks, kidney disease and dementia(Para.1). Other diseases caused by sedentary life style include type two diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia. Doctors said that sedentary life style is a modifiable risk factor. This means that this risk factor can be prevented and changed by following a healthy life style. A healthy life style means healthy eating and regular exercising. Obesity, which is a major health problem of industrialized countries, is a result of following sedentary life style as well. A study done by Rodriguez,Nvalbos, Martinez, and Eschobar (2009), results shows that the highest levels of obesity associat ed with daily alcohol consumption, greater consumption of television, and sedentary pursuit. A lower prevelance of obesity is observed among those with active physical activity. (Para. 1) Pollution caused by the use of high technology machines and transportation contributes to many respiratory and skin diseases as well. Furthermore, Herbert et al. (2009) study showed that so-called western lifestyle may contribute to the development of atopic diseases. (Para. 1). Atopic disease means the hereditary tendency to experience immediate allergic reactions such as asthma or vasomotor rhinitis because of the presence of antibody in the skin or bloodstream. The effects of modern life style on the psychological status of people are still on research. But, most researchers agree that to some extent modern life style indirectly impact psychosocial life of individuals. Experts from university of Washington have warned that the way modern technology has been breaking peoples connections with the natural world may give rise to a major psychological problem. One of these effects includes increasing the stress level due to the so many obligations todays person might take. Even though some degree of stress might be useful in order to handle different problems we face every day. Chronic stress will have effects on the persons physical state as it will lead to many diseases. Raylopez, (2009) said in his article about causes of stress in modern life style In modern lifestyle, however, stressful stimuli are continues and stress is daily, so the pressure builds up and eventually causes damage to the body.(Para. 4). A healthy life style will have its positive effects on the psychological status of the individual which will directly affects his physical status as well. The use of high technology machines will reduce persons self independence and make him depend in doing his job on the machines. This will subsequently reduce the self satisfaction. As doing a job on your own will make you more confident about your abilities. Brendan, (2009) cited from lardies research findings in his article Depression Caused By Modern life style. Those findings are conclusive that depression primarily stems from modern living: social isolation, fast food laden diets, physical inactivity, sleep deprivation, and less exposure to the outdoors. (Para.6) .Depression finally will damage persons life physically and socially and will deprive him from his normal life. Socially, modern life style affects the social relationships very strongly. Especially with the use of internet to chat with others. People use internet messenger widely in their communication with others. This will lead to social isolation as a result of spending long time on the internet. As consequence, the person will isolate himself at home and deprive himself from family and friends social gatherings. Using the internet may lead to declines in visiting with friends and family. Irina, Robert, and Lee, (2004). They mentioned also that frequent internet use has negative social outcomes. They cited in their research the results of other research findings which includes; internet is associated with increases in depression and social isolation Kraut et al. (1998).(Para.3). Irina,Robert, and Lee, identified that frequency of internet use associated with declines in spending time with family and friends and in attending social events. (As cited in Nie et al. 2002). (Para.3). Conclusion To sum up, different modern life style patterns affects our health in different aspects physically, psychologically, and socially. I think that if the peoples awareness about these effects doesnt increase, this may lead to dangerous consequences in the near future. Adopting this life style patterns and especially sedentary life style for long time might threaten peoples life. If this happens then the community health will be affected and we will be having high percentage of diseased and disabled persons. Which finally reduce individuals productivity and development of their own communities. The best way for reducing the effects of these modern patterns of living is by educating people about its effects on their lives. Particularly concentrating in educating children as changing the way these children live will affect future generations coming after them as well. Another part of resolving the problem is the proper use of high technology machines and advanced transportations. Such prop er way means correct use in benefiting the humanity not affecting it and increasing the self dependency in doing different tasks of the day. Promoting healthy life style which includes proper eating, physical activity, and better way of communicating and socializing in the community will have its positive impacts. Furthermore, it will reduce the risk of getting so many diseases which cardiovascular diseases and cancers are at the top of them. Finally, maintaining peoples health is a primary goal of any country that probably would make her spend millions of dollars to achieve it as people are the real wealth of a country.

The Bildungsroman and the Big Screen Essay -- Film

Abstract — The female bildungsroman, also known as the bildungsromane, is known as a sub-genre of novel where the principle focus of the novel is the education of the protagonist. Literary critic M.H. Abrams defines the bildungsroman as, "the development of the protagonist's mind and character, as [s]he passes from childhood through varied experiences†¦into maturity and the recognition of [her] identity and role in the world". The character of Elizabeth Bennet from Jane Austen's celebrated novel Pride and Prejudice is one such bildungsroman heroine. The reader is given insight into her psychological development as she matures over the course of the novel. She begins the novel as a clever, but somewhat immature character. While she initially revels in her powers of discernment, she later learns that she has allowed prejudice and her own pride to blind herself to reality. Her education and maturity are the principal foci of the novel and the principle foci of film adaptatio ns of the novel, as well. In order to illustrate this continuing emphasis on development, this paper discusses relevant passages from the novel Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. The paper also analyzes how three modern film adaptations deal with the maturation of Elizabeth Bennet-- focusing on the ways they recognize the power of Austen’s coming-of-age narrative and its importance to the plot, independent of the courtship of Darcy and Elizabeth. The three modern adaptations analyzed within are as follows: Pride & Prejudice (2005) directed by Joe Wright, Bride & Prejudice (2004) directed by Gurinder Chadha, and Bridget Jones's Diary (2001) directed by Sharon Maguire. Elizabeth Bennet overcomes many obstacles on her journey to adulthood. The most profound obsta... ..."The Absent-Minded Heroine: Or, Elizabeth Bennet Has a Thought." Eighteenth-Century Studies 39.3 (2006): 337-50. Project Muse. Web. 10 Apr. 2011. Labovitz, Esther Kleinbord. The Myth of the Heroine: the Female Bildungsroman in the Twentieth Century. 2nd ed. New York: Lang, 1988. Print. Leitch, Thomas M. Film Adaptation and Its Discontents: From Gone with the Wind to The Passion of the Christ. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins UP, 2009. Print. Leitch, Thomas M. "Twelve Fallacies in Contemporary Adaptation Theory." Project MUSE. Johns Hopkins UP, Spring 2003. Web. 02 Feb. 2011. Pride & Prejudice. Dir. Joe Wright. Perf. Keira Knightly, Matthew Macfadyen, Rosamund Pike, Jena Malone. Studio Canal, 2005. DVD. Zacharek, Stephanie. "Pride & Prejudice." Rev. of Pride & Prejudice (2005). Salon. Salon Media Group, 11 Nov. 2005. Web. 13 Apr. 2011. .

William Blake Essay -- Biography Blake Poet Poetry Essayas

William Blake The poet, painter and engraver, William Blake was born in 1757, to a London haberdasher. Blake’s only formal education was in art. At the age of ten, he entered a drawing school and then at the age of fourteen, he apprenticed to an engraver. ( Abrams & Stillinger 18). Although, much of Blake’s time was spent studying art, he enjoyed reading and soon began to write poetry. Blake’s first book of poems, Poetical Sketches, "showed his dissatisfaction with the reigning poetic tradition and his restless quest for new forms and techniques" ( Abrams & Stillinger 19). Poetical Sketches, was followed by many other works including, Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience. These series were accompanied by etchings, which depict each of the poems in the two books. Blake was such a revolutionary poet because he used visual agents to emphasize and express his poetry as he set the standards for the Romantic Era in poetry. Blake was influenced by religion very early in his life. "At the age of ten, Blake tried to convince his father that he had seen angels in a tree, and, he asserted through the rest of his life, that he spoke with many of the spirits, angels and devils that he wrote about" (Union 1). Blake’s strong religious faith has a great impact on his life and we can see the religious overtones in much of his work. Blake was a strong believer of the spirit world, which enables us to relate his work to the Romantic poet’s incorporation of an imminent god into their poetry. The Romantic form of poetry gained its popularity in the late 18’th century. "Romanticism can be seen as a rejection of the precepts of order, calm, harmony, balance, idealization and rationality that typified Classicism in general and late 18’th... ...rd Edition, New York: Houghton Mifflin, 1994. Downie, Daniel. "The Toils of Los: Complete Written Works of Blake with Illustrations And Art. Blake Web. <20 November 1999> http://198.247.176.53 Goetz, Philip W. "Religious Symbolism and Iconography" Britannica Encyclopedia Vol. 26. Chicago: University of Chicago, 1995, 29. Harden, Mark & Carol Gerten-Jackson. America Online. <22 October 1999> http://sunsite.sut.ac.jp/wm/paint/auth/blake/ Marcotte, Adam. "The Optimistic Lineage of William Blake: Songs of Experience and The Book of Urizen Revisited" Class Paper, SUNY Cortland. July 30, 1996. "Babynames" 1996-1999. <20 November 1999> www.babynames.com "Blake: Man, Writer, Thinker, Artisan" Online. <20 October 1999> www.vu.union.edu/~blake/life/html "Romanticism" <22 October 1999> http://sunsite.sut.ac.jp/wm/paint/glo/romanticism

The Man Who Planted Trees Essay example -- Literary Review, Jean Giono

The Man Who Planted Trees by Jean Giono was wan extraordinary story about one man’s efforts to help the environment. It tells the story of one shepherd's extensive and successful singlehanded determination to re-forest a desolate valley in the foothills of the Alps near Provence throughout the first half of the 20th century. The story is narrated by a man who throughout the book in anonymous. The story begins in the year 1910, when a young man is undertaking a long hiking trip through Provence, France, and into the Alps. The narrator runs out of water in a treeless, uninhabited valley where there is no trace of civilization. The narrator finds only a dried up well, but is saved by a middle-aged shepherd who gives him a drink of water from his water-gourd. Later, the shepherd takes the narrator to his cottage where he offers him food and a place for the night. As the narrator stays for the night he becomes curious about this shepherd, who lives all alone in this stone house, and decides to stay for a while longer. The shepherd, after being widowed, had decided to restore the ruined landscape of the isolated and largely abandoned valley by single-handedly cultivating a forest, tree by tree. The shepherd, Elzà ©ard Bouffier, makes holes in the ground and plants acorns that he had collected from far away into those holes. The narrator was astonished at what this man had done all on his own. It was an amazing project that not just anyone could have done. The narrator leaves the shepherd knowing for sure that he would be back to see what he had accomplished. He later fights in World War One. In 1920 the man returns back to the same valley. Instead of seeing a desolated valley with little progress, to his astonishment there were saplings... ...t. By late 2005, through the Pan-African Green Belt Network, over fifteen African countries had become involved with the Green Belt Movement. The movement spread beyond the African borders to the United States. For her lifelong dedication to environmental and human rights Maathai received numerous awards, including the Goldman Environmental Prize, the Right Livelihood Award, and the United Nation's Africa Prize for Leadership. Furthermore, in 2004 Maathai was honored with the prestigious Nobel Peace Prize becoming the first black woman and the first environmentalist to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. Maathai was best known as the founder of the Green Belt Movement: an initiative to plant trees in forested areas of Kenya that were starting to be used commercially. Critics wondered whether a "tree planter" was truly a peace activist and I am here to say she was.

Chapter 33 The Death Eaters

Voldemort looked away from Harry and began examining his own body. His hands were like large, pale spiders; his long white fingers caressed his own chest, his arms, his face; the red eyes, whose pupils were slits, like a cats, gleamed still more brightly through the darkness. He held up his hands and flexed the fingers, his expression rapt and exultant. He took not the slightest notice of Wormtail, who lay twitching and bleeding on the ground, nor of the great snake, which had slithered back into sight and was circling Harry again, hissing. Voldemort slipped one of those unnaturally long-fingered hands into a deep pocket and drew out a wand. He caressed it gently too; and then he raised it, and pointed it at Wormtail, who was lifted off the ground and thrown against the headstone where Harry was tied; he fell to the foot of it and lay there, crumpled up and crying. Voldemort turned his scarlet eyes upon Harry, laughing a high, cold, mirthless laugh. Wormtail's robes were shining with blood now; he had wrapped the stump of his arm in them. â€Å"My Lord†¦Ã¢â‚¬  he choked, â€Å"my Lord†¦you promised†¦you did promise†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Hold out your arm,† said Voldemort lazily. â€Å"Oh Master†¦thank you, Master†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He extended the bleeding stump, but Voldemort laughed again. â€Å"The other arm, Wormtail.† â€Å"Master, please†¦please†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Voldemort bent down and pulled out Wormtail's left arm; he forced the sleeve of Wormtail's robes up past his elbow, and Harry saw something upon the skin there, something like a vivid red tattoo – a skull with a snake protruding from its mouth – the image that had appeared in the sky at the Quidditch World Cup: the Dark Mark. Voldemort examined it carefully, ignoring Wormtail's uncontrollable weeping. â€Å"It is back,† he said softly, â€Å"they will all have noticed it†¦and now, we shall see†¦now we shall know†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He pressed his long white forefinger to the brand on Wormtail's arm. The scar on Harry's forehead seared with a sharp pain again, and Wormtail let out a fresh howl; Voldemort removed his fingers from Wormtail's mark, and Harry saw that it had turned jet black. A look of cruel satisfaction on his face, Voldemort straightened up, threw back his head, and stared around at the dark graveyard. â€Å"How many will be brave enough to return when they feel it?† he whispered, his gleaming red eyes fixed upon the stars. â€Å"And how many will be foolish enough to stay away?† He began to pace up and down before Harry and Wormtail, eyes sweeping the graveyard all the while. After a minute or so, he looked down at Harry again, a cruel smile twisting his snakelike face. â€Å"You stand, Harry Potter, upon the remains of my late father,† he hissed softly. â€Å"A Muggle and a fool†¦very like your dear mother. But they both had their uses, did they not? Your mother died to defend you as a child†¦and I killed my father, and see how useful he has proved himself, in death†¦.† Voldemort laughed again. Up and down he paced, looking all around him as he walked, and the snake continued to circle in the grass. â€Å"You see that house upon the hillside, Potter? My father lived there. My mother, a witch who lived here in this village, fell in love with him. But he abandoned her when she told him what she was†¦.He didn't like magic, my father†¦ â€Å"He left her and returned to his Muggle parents before I was even born. Potter, and she died giving birth to me, leaving me to be raised in a Muggle orphanage†¦but I vowed to find him†¦I revenged myself upon him, that fool who gave me his name†¦Tom Riddle†¦.† Still he paced, his red eyes darting from grave to grave. â€Å"Listen to me, reliving family history†¦Ã¢â‚¬  he said quietly, â€Å"why, I am growing quite sentimental†¦.But look, Harry! My true family returns†¦.† The air was suddenly full of the swishing of cloaks. Between graves, behind the yew tree, in every shadowy space, wizards were Apparating. All of them were hooded and masked. And one by one they moved forward†¦slowly, cautiously, as though they could hardly believe their eyes Voldemort stood in silence, waiting for them. Then one of the Death Eaters fell to his knees, crawled toward Voldemort and kissed the hem of his black robes. â€Å"Master†¦Master†¦Ã¢â‚¬  he murmured. The Death Eaters behind him did the same; each of them approaching Voldemort on his knees and kissing his robes, before backing away and standing up, forming a silent circle, which enclosed Tom Riddle's grave, Harry, Voldemort, and the sobbing and twitching heap that was Wormtail. Yet they left gaps in the circle, as though waiting for more people. Voldemort, however, did not seem to expect more. He looked around at the hooded faces, and though there was no wind rustling seemed to run around the circle, as though it had shivered. â€Å"Welcome, Death Eaters,† said Voldemort quietly. â€Å"Thirteen years†¦thirteen years since last we met. Yet you answer my call as though it were yesterday, we are still united under the Dark Mark, then! Or are we?† He put back his terrible face and sniffed, his slit-like nostrils widening. â€Å"I smell guilt,† he said. â€Å"There is a stench or guilt upon the air. A second shiver ran around the circle, as though each member of it longed, but did not dare to step back from him. â€Å"I see you all, whole and healthy, with your powers intact – such prompt appearances! and I ask myself†¦why did this band of wizards never come to the aid of their master, to whom they swore eternal loyalty?† No one spoke. No one moved except Wormtail, who was upon the ground, still sobbing over his bleeding arm. â€Å"And I answer myself,† whispered Voldemort, â€Å"they must have believed me broken, they thought I was gone. They slipped back among my enemies, and they pleaded innocence, and ignorance, and bewitchment †¦. â€Å"And then I ask myself, but how could they have believed I would not rise again? They, who knew the steps I took, long ago, to guard myself against mortal death? They, who had seen proofs of the immensity of my power in the times when I was mightier than any wizard living? â€Å"And I answer myself, perhaps they believed a still greater power could exist, one that could vanquish even Lord Voldemort†¦perhaps they now pay allegiance to another†¦perhaps that champion of commoners, of Mudbloods and Muggles, Albus Dumbledore?† At the mention of Dumbledore's name, the members of the circle stirred, and some muttered and shook their heads. Voldemort ignored them. â€Å"It is a disappointment to me†¦I confess myself disappointed†¦.† One of the men suddenly flung himself forward, breaking the circle. Trembling from head to foot, he collapsed at Voldemort's feet. â€Å"Master!† he shrieked, â€Å"Master, forgive me! Forgive us all!† Voldemort began to laugh. He raised his wand. â€Å"Crucio!† The Death Eater on the ground writhed and shrieked; Harry was sure the sound must carry to the houses around†¦.Let the police come, he thought desperately†¦anyone†¦anything†¦ Voldemort raised his wand. The tortured Death Eater lay flat upon the ground, gasping. â€Å"Get up, Avery,† said Voldemort softly. â€Å"Stand up. You ask for forgiveness? I do not forgive. I do not forget. Thirteen long years†¦I want thirteen years' repayment before I forgive you. Wormtail here has paid some of his debt already, have you not, Wormtail?† He looked down at Wormtail, who continued to sob. â€Å"You returned to me, not out of loyalty, but out of fear of your old friends. You deserve this pain, Wormtail. You know that, don't you?† â€Å"Yes, Master,† moaned Wormtail, â€Å"please. Master†¦please†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Yet you helped return me to my body,† said Voldemort coolly, watching Wormtail sob on the ground. â€Å"Worthless and traitorous as you are, you helped me†¦and Lord Voldemort rewards his helpers†¦.† Voldemort raised his wand again and whirled it through the air. A streak of what looked like molten silver hung shining in the wand's wake. Momentarily shapeless, it writhed and then formed itself into a gleaming replica of a human hand, bright as moonlight, which soared downward and fixed itself upon Wormtail's bleeding wrist. Wormtail's sobbing stopped abruptly. His breathing harsh and ragged, he raised his head and stared in disbelief at the silver hand, now attached seamlessly to his arm, as though he were wearing a dazzling glove. He flexed the shining fingers, then, trembling, picked up a small twig on the ground and crushed it into powder. â€Å"My Lord,† he whispered. â€Å"Master†¦it is beautiful†¦thank you†¦thank you†¦.† He scrambled forward on his knees and kissed the hem of Voldemort's robes. â€Å"May your loyalty never waver again, Wormtail,† said Voldemort. â€Å"No, my Lord†¦never, my Lord†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Wormtail stood up and took his place in the circle, staring at his powerful new hand, his face still shining with tears. Voldemort now approached the man on Wormtail's right. â€Å"Lucius, my slippery friend,† he whispered, halting before him. â€Å"I am told that you have not renounced the old ways, though to the world you present a respectable face. You are still ready to take the lead in a spot of Muggle-torture, I believe? Yet you never tried to find me, Lucius†¦.Your exploits at the Quidditch World Cup were fun, I daresay†¦but might not your energies have been better directed toward finding and aiding your master?† â€Å"My Lord, I was constantly on the alert,† came Lucius Malfoy's voice swiftly from beneath the hood. â€Å"Had there been any sign from you, any whisper of your whereabouts, I would have been at your side immediately, nothing could have prevented me -â€Å" â€Å"And yet you ran from my Mark, when a faithful Death Eater sent it into the sky last summer?† said Voldemort lazily, and Mr. Malfoy stopped talking abruptly. â€Å"Yes, I know all about that, Lucius†¦.You have disappointed me†¦.I expect more faithful service in the future.† â€Å"Of course, my Lord, of course†¦.You are merciful, thank you†¦.† Voldemort moved on, and stopped, staring at the space – large enough for two people – that separated Malfoy and the next man. â€Å"The Lestranges should stand here,† said Voldemort quietly. â€Å"But they are entombed in Azkaban. They were faithful. They went to Azkaban rather than renounce me†¦.When Azkaban is broken open, the Lestranges will be honored beyond their dreams. The dementors will join us†¦they are our natural allies†¦we will recall the banished giants†¦I shall have all my devoted servants returned to me, and an army of creatures whom all fear†¦.† He walked on. Some of the Death Eaters he passed in silence, but he paused before others and spoke to them. â€Å"Macnair†¦destroying dangerous beasts for the Ministry of Magic now, Wormtail tells me? You shall have better victims than that soon, Macnair. Lord Voldemort will provide†¦.† â€Å"Thank you, Master†¦thank you,† murmured Macnair. â€Å"And here† – Voldemort moved on to the two largest hooded figures – â€Å"we have Crabbe†¦you will do better this time, will you not, Crabbe? And you, Goyle?† They bowed clumsily, muttering dully. â€Å"Yes, Master†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"We will, Master†¦.† â€Å"The same goes for you, Nott,† said Voldemort quietly as he walked past a stooped figure in Mr. Goyles shadow. â€Å"My Lord, I prostrate myself before you, I am your most faithful -â€Å" â€Å"That will do,† said Voldemort. He had reached the largest gap of all, and he stood surveying it with his blank, red eyes, as though he could see people standing there. â€Å"And here we have six missing Death Eaters†¦three dead in my service. One, too cowardly to return†¦he will pay. One, who I believe has left me forever†¦he will be killed, of course†¦and one, who remains my most faithful servant, and who has already reentered my service.† The Death Eaters stirred, and Harry saw their eyes dart sideways at one another through their masks. â€Å"He is at Hogwarts, that faithful servant, and it was through his efforts that our young friend arrived here tonight†¦. â€Å"Yes,† said Voldemort, a grin curling his lipless mouth as the eyes of the circle flashed in Harry's direction. â€Å"Harry Potter has kindly joined us for my rebirthing party. One might go so far as to call him my guest of honor.† There was a silence. Then the Death Eater to the right of Wormtail stepped forward, and Lucius Malfoy's voice spoke from under the mask. â€Å"Master, we crave to know†¦we beg you to tell us†¦how you have achieved this†¦this miracle†¦how you managed to return to us†¦.† â€Å"Ah, what a story it is, Lucius,† said Voldemort. â€Å"And it begins – and ends – with my young friend here.† He walked lazily over to stand next to Harry, so that the eyes of the whole circle were upon the two of them. The snake continued to circle. â€Å"You know, of course, that they have called this boy my downfall?† Voldemort said softly, his red eyes upon Harry, whose scar began to burn so fiercely that he almost screamed in agony. â€Å"You all know that on the night I lost my powers and my body, I tried to kill him. His mother died in the attempt to save him – and unwittingly provided him with a protection I admit I had not foreseen†¦.I could not touch the boy.† Voldemort raised one of his long white fingers and put it very close to Harry's cheek. â€Å"His mother left upon him the traces other sacrifice†¦.This is old magic, I should have remembered it, I was foolish to overlook it†¦but no matter. I can touch him now.† Harry felt the cold tip of the long white finger touch him, and thought his head would burst with the pain. Voldemort laughed softly in his ear, then took the finger away and continued addressing the Death Eaters. â€Å"I miscalculated, my friends, I admit it. My curse was deflected by the woman's foolish sacrifice, and it rebounded upon myself. Aaah†¦pain beyond pain, my friends; nothing could have prepared me for it. I was ripped from my body, I was less than spirit, less than the meanest ghost†¦but still, I was alive. What I was, even I do not know†¦I, who have gone further than anybody along the path that leads to immortality. You know my goal – to conquer death. And now, I was tested, and it appeared that one or more of my experiments had worked†¦for I had not been killed, though the curse should have done it. Nevertheless, I was as powerless as the weakest creature alive, and without the means to help myself†¦for I had no body, and every spell that might have helped me required the use of a wand†¦. â€Å"I remember only forcing myself, sleeplessly, endlessly, second by second, to exist†¦.I settled in a faraway place, in a forest, and I waited†¦.Surely, one of my faithful Death Eaters would try and find me†¦one of them would come and perform the magic I could not, to restore me to a body†¦, but I waited in vain†¦.† The shiver ran once more around the circle of listening Death Eaters. Voldemort let the silence spiral horribly before continuing. â€Å"Only one power remained to me. I could possess the bodies of others. But I dared not go where other humans were plentiful, for I knew that the Aurors were still abroad and searching for me. I sometimes inhabited animals – snakes, of course, being my preference – but I was little better off inside them than as pure spirit, for their bodies were ill adapted to perform magic†¦and my possession of them shortened their lives; none of them lasted long†¦. â€Å"Then†¦four years ago†¦the means for my return seemed assured. A wizard – young, foolish, and gullible – wandered across my path in the forest I had made my home. Oh, he seemed the very chance I had been dreaming of†¦for he was a teacher at Dumbledore's school†¦he was easy to bend to my will†¦he brought me back to this country, and after a while, I took possession of his body, to supervise him closely as he carried out my orders. But my plan failed. I did not manage to steal the Sorcerer's Stone. I was not to be assured immortal life. I was thwarted†¦thwarted, once again, by Harry Potter†¦.† Silence once more; nothing was stirring, not even the leaves on the yew tree. The Death Eaters were quite motionless, the glittering eyes in their masks fixed upon Voldemort, and upon Harry. â€Å"The servant died when I left his body, and I was left as weak as ever I had been,† Voldemort continued. â€Å"I returned to my hiding place far away, and I will not pretend to you that I didn't then fear that I might never regain my powers†¦.Yes, that was perhaps my darkest hour†¦I could not hope that I would be sent another wizard to possess†¦and I had given up hope, now, that any of my Death Eaters cared what had become of me†¦.† One or two of the masked wizards in the circle moved uncomfortably, but Voldemort took no notice. â€Å"And then, not even a year ago, when I had almost abandoned hope, it happened at last†¦a servant returned to me. Wormtail here, who had faked his own death to escape justice, was driven out of hiding by those he had once counted friends, and decided to return to his master. He sought me in the country where it had long been rumored I was hiding†¦helped, of course, by the rats he met along the way. Wormtail has a curious affinity with rats, do you not, Wormtail? His filthy little friends told him there was a place, deep in an Albanian forest, that they avoided, where small animals like themselves had met their deaths by a dark shadow that possessed them†¦. â€Å"But his journey back to me was not smooth, was it, Wormtail? For, hungry one night, on the edge of the very forest where he had hoped to find me, he foolishly stopped at an inn for some food†¦and who should he meet there, but one Bertha Jorkins, a witch from the Ministry of Magic. â€Å"Now see the way that fate favors Lord Voldemort. This might have been the end of Wormtail, and of my last hope for regeneration. But Wormtail – displaying a presence of mind I would never have expected from him – convinced Bertha Jorkins to accompany him on a nighttime stroll. He overpowered her†¦he brought her to me. And Bertha Jorkins, who might have ruined all, proved instead to be a gift beyond my wildest dreams†¦for – with a little persuasion – she became a veritable mine of information. â€Å"She told me that the Triwizard Tournament would be played at Hogwarts this year. She told me that she knew of a faithful Death Eater who would be only too willing to help me, if I could only contact him. She told me many things†¦but the means I used to break the Memory Charm upon her were powerful, and when I had extracted all useful information from her, her mind and body were both damaged beyond repair. She had now served her purpose. I could not possess her. I disposed of her.† Voldemort smiled his terrible smile, his red eyes blank and pitiless. â€Å"Wormtail's body, of course, was ill adapted for possession, as all assumed him dead, and would attract far too much attention if noticed. However, he was the able-bodied servant I needed, and, poor wizard though he is, Wormtail was able to follow the instructions I gave him, which would return me to a rudimentary, weak body of my own, a body I would be able to inhabit while awaiting the essential ingredients for true rebirth†¦a spell or two of my own invention†¦a little help from my dear Nagini,† Voldemort's red eyes fell upon the continually circling snake, â€Å"a potion concocted from unicorn blood, and the snake venom Nagini provided†¦I was soon returned to an almost human form, and strong enough to travel. â€Å"There was no hope of stealing the Sorcerer's Stone anymore, for I knew that Dumbledore would have seen to it that it was destroyed. But I was willing to embrace mortal life again, before chasing immortality. I set my sights lower†¦I would settle for my old body back again, and my old strength. â€Å"I knew that to achieve this – it is an old piece of Dark Magic, the potion that revived me tonight – I would need three powerful ingredients. Well, one of them was already at hand, was it not, Wormtail? Flesh given by a servant†¦. â€Å"My father's bone, naturally, meant that we would have to come here, where he was buried. But the blood of a foe†¦Wormtail would have had me use any wizard, would you not, Wormtail? Any wizard who had hated me†¦as so many of them still do. But I knew the one I must use, if I was to rise again, more powerful than I had been when I had fallen. I wanted Harry Potters blood. I wanted the blood of the one who had stripped me of power thirteen years ago†¦for the lingering protection his mother once gave him would then reside in my veins too†¦. â€Å"But how to get at Harry Potter? For he has been better protected than I think even he knows, protected in ways devised by Dumbledore long ago, when it fell to him to arrange the boy's future. Dumbledore invoked an ancient magic, to ensure the boy's protection as long as he is in his relations' care. Not even I can touch him there†¦.Then, of course, there was the Quidditch World Cup†¦.I thought his protection might be weaker there, away from his relations and Dumbledore, but I was not yet strong enough to attempt kidnap in the midst of a horde of Ministry wizards. And then, the boy would return to Hogwarts, where he is under the crooked nose of that Muggle-loving fool from morning until night. So how could I take him? â€Å"Why†¦by using Bertha Jorkins's information, of course. Use my one faithful Death Eater, stationed at Hogwarts, to ensure that the boy's name was entered into the Goblet of Fire. Use my Death Eater to ensure that the boy won the tournament – that he touched the Triwizard Cup first – the cup which my Death Eater had turned into a Portkey, which would bring him here, beyond the reach of Dumbledore's help and protection, and into my waiting arms. And here he is†¦the boy you all believed had been my downfall†¦.† Voldemort moved slowly forward and turned to face Harry. He raised his wand. â€Å"Crucio!† It was pain beyond anything Harry had ever experienced; his very bones were on fire; his head was surely splitting along his scar; his eyes were rolling madly in his head; he wanted it to end†¦to black out†¦to die†¦ And then it was gone. He was hanging limply in the ropes binding him to the headstone of Voldemort's father, looking up into those bright red eyes through a kind of mist. The night was ringing with the sound of the Death Eaters' laughter. â€Å"You see, I think, how foolish it was to suppose that this boy could ever have been stronger than me,† said Voldemort. â€Å"But I want there to be no mistake in anybody's mind. Harry Potter escaped me by a lucky chance. And I am now going to prove my power by killing him, here and now, in front of you all, when there is no Dumbledore to help him, and no mother to die for him. I will give him his chance. He will be allowed to fight, and you will be left in no doubt which of us is the stronger. Just a little longer, Nagini,† he whispered, and the snake glided away through the grass to where the Death Eaters stood watching. â€Å"Now untie him, Wormtail, and give him back his wand.†

Challenges Faced by Pvos in Effective Mobilization of Communities in Rural Agriculture Projects in Kirinyaga District

CHALLENGES FACED BY PVOS IN EFFECTIVE MOBILIZATION OF COMMUNITIES IN RURAL AGRICULTURE PROJECTS IN KIRINYAGA DISTRICT Name: PATRICK KARIMI Adm No: EMB/0088 COURSE: DIPLOMA IN PROJECT MANAGEMENT Subject: Project Research Methods (DPM 5) Lecturer: Mr. J. Ndukanio Due Date: 15th Aug 2009 A Research Proposal Presented In Partial Fulfillment for the Award of Diploma in Project Management Kenya Institute of Management AUG, 2009 DECLARATION Declaration by Student I do here declare this is my original work and has not been presented for exams before. Signature†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Date†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. Patrick Karimi Adm No: EMB/0088 Declaration by Supervisor LETURER: Mr. Ndukanio Signature†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Date†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ DEDICATION To My wife and friend. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT Thanks to my lecturers at KIM and class mates. Thanks also to my workmates and friends TABLE OF CONTENTS Title pagei Declarationii Dedication iii Acknowledgementiv Table of contentsvii CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION 1. Introduction 1. 1 Background of the study 1. 2 Statement of the problem . 3 Objective of the study 1. 4 Research questions 1. 5 Significance of the study 1. 6 Limitations of the study 1. 7 Scope of the study 1. 8 Conceptual framework CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW 2. 0 Introductionâ⠂¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€œ 2. 1 Empirical review 2. 2 Critical review 2. 3 Research gaps CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY 3. Introduction 3. 1 Research design 3. 2 Target population 3. 3 Accessible population 3. 4 Sampling technique 3. 5 Data collection method and procedures 3. Data analysis technique References APPENDICES APPENDIX 1†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. Questionnaire APPENDIX II†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Time line APPENDIX III†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Budget CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION 1. Introduction This chapter will cover the background of the study, purpose of the study, problem statement, objectives of the study, research questions, importance of the study, limitations of the study, scope of the study and the conceptual framework 1. 2. The Background of the study Agricultural production and productivity in the EAC is largely constrained by natural factors, policy and adoption of technologies. The reasons for poor performance of the agricultural sector include:   Policy related factors, Technology related factors, Nature related factors, Cross cutting and cross-sectorial related factors. The above constraints have inhibited the rural economy’s potential to: alleviate poverty through employment creation and income generation, meet growing food needs driven by rapid population growth and urbanization; stimulate overall economic growth, given that agriculture is the most potential lead sector for growth and development; and conserve natural resources. The main challenge facing the rural sector is to increase productivity and economic growth in order to halt the worsening food security and to reduce poverty by 50 percent by the year 2015. This is at a time when East Africa faces declining financial resource base, HIV and AIDS pandemic, globalization and declining natural resources, which reduce availability of investment funds. East Africa has a significant irrigation potential that remains unexploited. Irrigation can play an important role in increasing agricultural productivity, expanding area under production and stabilizing agricultural production in situations of adverse weather conditions. Opportunity to expand irrigated agriculture exists. Utilization of this opportunity would boost agricultural production. From past studies in community projects, it is clear that meaningfully involving communities at all phases of a development project are determinant to ensuring development. Only in such a manner can people become leading actors in and generators of their own development, rather than being passive recipients of external support (Bessette, 1996). 1. 3. The Problem Statement The Community is faced with a number of challenges: harmonizing various policies and legislations; increasing involvement of local communities in planning and decision making; increasing production and economic growth; elimination of trans boundary pests and diseases including wildlife diseases; expanding irrigated agriculture; reducing poverty levels; combating the HIV and AIDS pandemic; slowing down the environmental egradation and desertification process; sustaining utilization of natural resources; establishing an effective early warning system and improving governance, security and political stability Government agencies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and other stakeholders in Kenya have of late been exerting great efforts to increase communities’ access to sanitati on and hygiene facilities and to promote safe hygienic behavior, especially in rural areas. However, their efforts have not been able to bring about the desired output. Underlying reasons for this failure are that most of the projects were supply-driven; top-down interventions designed and implemented with little or no involvement by the user communities. In fact, most of the projects were forced interventions designed and implemented with little or no involvement by the user communities. In fact, most of the projects were forced interventions rather than agreed-upon involvements. There has been more emphasis on the construction of latrines than on the promotion of their proper use and usage and technologies employed were, by and large, expensive. Thus, coverage, access and usage of sanitation are still inadequate. In other words, with regard to safe hygienic behavior, much remains to be desired. Consequently, diarrhea morbidity and mortality originating from fecal contamination, especially among under-five children, are still high. Demographic health statistics show that 46% of childhood deaths in Ethiopia are caused by diarrhea, and 80% of the diarrhea is attributable to unsafe water supply and poor sanitation and hygiene. These suggest the need for a development approach that empowers communities mentally and psychologically; and promotes self-respect and self-reliance for communities to properly plan and act. Programs designed should center on needs-based and community-led panning and implementation of projects to create a strong sense of ownership on the part of the user communities. This study therefore seeks to address the challenges faced by PVOs in effective mobilization of community participation in rural agriculture projects in Kirinyaga District. . 4 Research Objectives: 1. 4. 1 General Objective The research Project aims to improve the mobilization approaches to community agriculture productivity and sustainability of existing small and medium farmer-managed irrigation systems suffering from low productivity and poverty in Central Kenya and thereby enhancing the livelihoods of the poor. 1. 4. 2 Specific Objectives 1. To examine the challenges caused by incidence of poverty in effective mobil ization of community participation in rural agricultural project 2. To investigate the challenges caused by social infrastructure in effective mobilization of community participation in rural agricultural project 3. To find out the challenges caused by Gender balancing in effective mobilization of community participation in rural agricultural project 1. 5. Research Questions 1. To what extent does incidence of poverty a challenge in effective mobilization of community participation in rural agricultural project? 2. What challenges are caused by social infrastructure in effective mobilization of community participation in rural agricultural project? . Are there challenges caused by Gender balancing in effective mobilization of community participation in rural agricultural project? 1. 7. Significance of the Study †¢ To community workers and stake holders: The research project will enhance the livelihood of rural smallholders by improving the performance of the existing farmer-managed irrigation systems. †¢ By establishing sound evidence on se rvice delivery mechanisms and community institutions to support such initiatives To future researchers; As this research study is limited to the challenges faced by PVOs in effective mobilization of community participation in rural agriculture projects in Kirinyaga District, it can be used as a platform for further research studies to identify additional challenges and also explore how these challenges can be overcome. 1. 8. Limitations of the Study ? Collection of data: Lack of extensive data in some aspects of the study will be overcomed by making use of a diverse range of sources for the data including the internet, newspapers, magazines, books, business journals, and any other available material. Questionnaire responses So that respondents would not find it time consuming to complete the questionnaire, the researcher attempted to simplify the questionnaire as much as possible so as to make it easier to complete without it being time consuming. 1. 9. Scope of the Study The study covers agricultural based irrigation projects in Kirinyaga District. The study will cover the challenges faced by PVOs in effective mobilization of community participation in rural agriculture projects in Kirinyaga District. The study duration will be October-December 2009. . 10. Conceptual Frame Independent variables Dependent variable CHAPTER TWO 2. 0. LITERATURE REVIEW 2. 1Introduction The Chapter reviews literature related to agriculture based project and its impact on community mobilization done by different writers and researchers. 2. 2. Main Review The main challenge facing the rural sector is to increase productivity and economic growth in order to halt the worsening food security and to reduce poverty by 50 percent by the year 2015. This is at a time when East Africa faces declining financial resource base, HIV and AIDS pandemic, globalization and declining natural resources, which reduce availability of investment funds. East Africa has a significant irrigation potential that remains unexploited. Irrigation can play an important role in increasing agricultural productivity, expanding area under production and stabilizing agricultural production in situations of adverse weather conditions. Opportunity to expand irrigated agriculture exists. Utilization of this opportunity would boost agricultural production. The Community is faced with a number of challenges: harmonizing various policies and legislations; increasing involvement of local communities in planning and decision making; increasing production and economic growth; elimination of trans boundary pests and diseases including wildlife diseases; expanding irrigated agriculture; reducing poverty levels; combating the HIV and AIDS pandemic; slowing down the environmental degradation and desertification process; sustaining utilization of natural resources; establishing an effective early warning system and improving governance, security and political stability Government agencies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and other stakeholders in Ethiopia have of late been exerting great efforts to increase communities’ access to sanitation and hygiene facilities and to promote safe hygienic behavior, especially in rural areas. However, their efforts have not been able to bring about the desired output. Underlying reasons for this f ailure are that most of the projects were supply-driven; top-down interventions designed and implemented with little or no involvement by the user communities. In fact, most of the projects were forced interventions designed and implemented with little or no involvement by the user communities. In fact, most of the projects were forced interventions rather than agreed-upon involvements. There has been more emphasis on the construction of latrines than on the promotion of their proper use and usage and technologies employed were, by and large, expensive. Thus, coverage, access and usage of sanitation are still inadequate. In other words, with regard to safe hygienic behavior, much remains to be desired. Consequently, diarrhea morbidity and mortality originating from fecal contamination, especially among under-five children, are still high. Demographic health statistics show that 46% of childhood deaths in Ethiopia are caused by diarrhea, and 80% of the diarrhea is attributable to unsafe water supply and poor sanitation and hygiene. These suggest the need for a development approach that empowers communities mentally and psychologically; and promotes self-respect and self-reliance for communities to properly plan and act. Programs designed should enter on needs-based and community-led panning and implementation of projects to create a strong sense of ownership on the part of the user communities. Accordingly, in early 2007, plan Ethiopia and Plan Regional Office for Eastern and Southern Africa (RESA) learned that the Community-Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) approach proved successful in countries of Southeast Asia and Latin America in producing desired outcomes. Thus, inviting the pioneer of CLTS, Dr. Kamal Kar it introduced the approach in eight kebeles in Shbedino District of the Southern Nations, Nationalities and peoples’ Region (SNNPR). CLTS works by encouraging communities to â€Å"call a spade a spade,† thereby creating an element of shame, of disgust, and of fear as triggering elements. Dr. Kar also admonishes facilitators, or experts, not to dictate communities but, instead, to encourage them to identify their problems and come up with solutions. He also recommends close follow-up and periodic monitoring. In March 2007, Plan Ethiopia’s Shebedino program unit, together with the Shebedino District Health Office, Water Action, Kebele health extension workers, health messengers, community leaders, and communities themselves began exercising the CLTS approach. Members of Fura’s community ere highly triggered and they promised to proactively involve in sanitation activities: dig pit latrines and put an end to open defecation in their kebeles by mid-April 2007. Their motto was â€Å"No to open defecation! † â€Å"No to eating and drinking shit! † They then made good on their promise. With only some facilitation and follow-up by plan Ethiopia’s Shebedino Program Unit, the Shebedino Wereda Health Office, the health extension workers, the health messengers, and the community leaders, the communities in many of these kebeles registered impressive achievements. For instance, 465 of the 1265 households in the Fura kebele constructed household pit latrines after introduction of CLTS. That was about one-hundred-percent pit latrine coverage in the kebele. Furthermore, determined to make their kebele open-defecation-free (ODF), the residents of Fura built nine communal pit latrines for passers-by and for the pupils of the Fura Elementary School. They did it all on their own initiative, and with no subsidy, using only locally available materials. The pit latrine construction has accelerated in many her keeles, too. Monitoring reports indicate the communities in Taremessa, Midre Genet, Morancho Negash kebeles as well have constructed pit latrines and reached almost one hundred percent coverage, as compared to 28%, 25%, and 65% coverage respectively. Plan Ethiopia supported this initiative at negligible cost: around US$ 2,000 to train community leaders and other facilitators in Fura and other kebeles as well as staff members from partner institutions.. In the past, plan Ethiopia spent about US$ 25 per household for san plat provision alone. Thus, to support the construction of 465 pit latrines in Fura would have, therefore, cost plan Ethiopia more than US$ 11,625. Children, women and men are involved not only in construction pit latrines but also in keeping a watchful eye to make sure that passers-by do not defecate out in the open in Fura. They have set rules for penalizing offenders: offenders scoop their feces into nearby toilets and penalize and amount of US$ 0. 5-1. 00. Data from clinics operating in these areas indicate that the number of diarrhea cases is continuously declining. The residents of the Fura kebele designated September 02, 2007 as Open-Defecation- Free Environment Day. Around 500 people, including community members of the Fura keble, various government officials, health extension workers of the 35 kebles in the Woreda, staff members of Water Action and staff members of plan Ethiopia attended the celebration. Success recorded was however, not without challenges. Lack of efficiency and commitment on the part of the community leaders in some areas or among stakeholders was one of the problems. The fact that the various beneficiaries of the CLTS approach did not always reach a consensus also posed challenges. At times there have been problems of regressing to the old, unhygienic practice. From this project it is clear that meaningfully involving communities at all phases of a development project are determinant to ensuring development. Only in such a manner can people become leading actors in and generators of their own development, rather than being passive recipients of external support (Bessette, 1996). CHAPTER THREE 3. 0 RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY 3. 1 Introduction This chapter outlines the process the researcher uses to identify the target population, research design, sampling design, data collection methods and data analysis methods. 3. 2 Research Design The research design that will be adopted in this research study is the descriptive survey research design. Descriptive case study is a method of collecting information by interviewing or administering a questionnaire to a sample of individuals (Orodho, 2003). It can be used when collecting information about people’s attitudes, opinions, habits or any of the variety of education or social issues (Orodho and Kombo, 2002). The design adopted is an investigative design since it will be easy and efficient to use and is an accurate counter and indicator to measure (Pamela, 2003). The researcher chose this research design because the study aims at collecting information from respondents on their experiences, perceptions and opinions in relation to the challenges of marketing the credit card services to teachers. Both primary and secondary data will be colleted. Primary data will be obtained using questionnaires while secondary data will be from the internet, newspapers, magazines, journals, government publications, published company records and reports. 3. 3. Study population The target population will be all PVOs involved in community agriculture projects in Kirinyaga district. The accessible population is 12 PVOs. 3. 4. Sample Size The researcher selected 32 respondents on whom to conduct the survey. The choice of 32respondents will be based on Mugenda and Mugenda (2003) recommendation. The accessible population consisted of 32 respondents and so the sample size of 32respondents will be 100% as recommended by Mugenda and Mugenda (2003). 3. 5 Sampling design The research will be use a Stratified random sampling method to ensure that all categories are equitably represented in the sample. Then the researcher adopted case study census. 3. 6. Data collection instrument The researcher will be use a questionnaire for the teachers and an interview guide for the Bankers as the data collection instruments. The interview guide will be enable collection of in-depth information and they are appropriate where the population size is not large (Kothari 2007). The questionnaire is made up of both structured and unstructured questions so that qualitative and quantitative data is collected for the study. The researcher chose to use a questionnaire because of the following benefits. First, the questionnaire enables the researcher to ask structured or closed-ended questions which are easier to analyses as well as to administer since each question is followed by alternative answers. Secondly, the questionnaire also enables the researcher to use open-ended questions thus permitting a greater in-depth response from the respondents. These particular responses enable the researcher to get greater insight into the feelings, decisions and thinking of the respondents (Fraenkel, 2000). 3. 6 Data collection procedure Questionnaires were self administered as all respondents are literate enough to for purpose of the questionnaire items. The questionnaires will be conveyed to the respondents by use of the drop and pick method. An introductory letter from the KIM authorizing the research to be undertaken will be used by the researcher to assure the authenticity of the study. 3. 7. Reliability and validity Data reliability and validation will be done to maintain accuracy. Data reliability is the degree to which research instrument yield consistent results or data after repeated trials Mugenda and Mugenda (2003). To achieve this, the questionnaire has been designed with systematic and comprehensive questions to enable respondents to answer them without much reference. Data validity refers to the degree to which results obtained from analysis of data actually represents phenomenon under study, Mugenda and Mugenda (2003). To achieve content validity the researcher will seek assistance from the experts (supervisor) on various sections in the questionnaire as instruments for data collection. 3. 7 Data Analysis Procedure Analysis of raw data collected will enable the researcher to generate information. Data analysis will involve reducing accumulated data looking for patterns and applying statistical techniques. Data analysis will be done using both qualitative and quantitative analysis, because it is important to obtain data on the study by trying to establish trends. Patterns and relationships from the data gathered. The procedure included recording results from respondents and, evaluating the accuracy and relevance of data. Quantitative analysis will be used since the distribution of measures or scores need to be extensively described using descriptive statistical analysis as these are suitable in giving accurate findings revealed by research. Data will be presented in form of tables, graphs, charts, figures, to give meaning to the responses. APPENDIX I REFRENCES Thomas F. Patterson (1987) (HTML). Refining Performance Appraisal. http://www. joe. org/joe/1987winter/a5. html. Retrieved on 2007-01-18. Joyce Margulies (2004-03-24) (PDF). Performance Appraisals. http://www. bnabooks. com/ababna/eeo/2004/eeo55. pdf. Retrieved on 2007-01-18. Archer North & Associatiates (1998), Introduction to Performance Appraisal, http://www. performance-appraisal. com/intro. htm U. S. Department of the Interior, Performance Appraisal Handbook Mugenda A & Mugenda, O. 2003). Research Methods. Nairobi: Focus Hashemi, S. , Scholar, S & Riley, A. (1996). Rural Credit Programmes and Women Empowerment in Bangladesh. World Developm ent 24(4). Pgs 635-653. Wall JA Jr, Callister RR. Conflict and its management. Journal of Management(21:3), 1995, pp 515-558 APENDIX II Questionnaire for Respondents Name †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. (optional) Organization/ NGO†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. Designation†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 2. (a) How did you come to learn about PVOs In Embu? i. Founder member ii. Through a friend iii. Through the radio/TV iv. From church / chief (b) To what extend do the following motivate membership? |Very much |Much |Not much |Not very much |Not at all | |To get an income | | | | | | |To keep you busy | | | | | | |To help your relatives | | | | | | |T o help community | | | | | | |Because your friends were members | | | | | | 2 (i) Are you involved in formulating the activities of your organization? Yes No (ii) If no, who formulates the activities of the organization / group? The chairman The donors The committee All the members 3 (i) Are there benefits for success in the activities of the group? Yes No (ii) If yes, kindly rate the nature of the relationships of each stakeholder using the scale below. a) Committee of the group 12345 b) Donors to the activity 12345 c) Other group members 12345 ) The non participating group members 12345 e) Other CBOs 12345 Key 1= very supportive 2=supportive 3= just supportive 4= not supportive 5=not at al supportive 4 (i) Are your activities competitive in nature? Yes No (ii) If yes, answer question (a-b) and if no skip question (c-d) start at question e. (a) Briefly state, two recent activities of the organization. 1. —————————â€⠀Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€ 2. ——————————————————————————————————— (b) Kindly rate the involvement of the groups in the following issues involved. |Very much involved |Involved |It depends |Not very involved|Not at all | | | | | | |involved | |Group management | | | | | | |Group reconcile | | | | | | |Selection of group team members | | | | | | |Group activity selection | | | | | | (c) State two recent activities of the organization. 1. ———————————————— Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€ 2. ——————————————————————————————————– (d) Briefly state two methods used to accomplish organization activities. 1. ——————————————————————————————————— 2. —————————————————————————â€⠀Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€ 6 (i) How does the group choose the activities engage in In a meeting Informed by chairman Through lettersInformed by committee (ii) Do you always agree on the priorities of the group activities? Yes No (iii) If no, what causes most conflict disagreement? Kindly rate the following Determining the activity| | | | | |Choosing participants | | | | | |Allocating resources for | | | | | |activity | | | | | |Planning the activity | | | | | |Determining how much to | | | | | |do. | | | | | 7 (i) As group members what three issues about group leadership don’t your like? a) b) c) (ii) What two things about the group have made you feel appreciated? a) b) ‘ASANTE SANA’ ———————– Gender imbalances High incidence of poverty