How to achieve peace in Pakistan Essay Example for Free

How to achieve peace in Pakistan Essay Pakistan was founded. Pakistan was built to fulfill the needs of the Muslim community by providing them equality, Justice and freedom. However, soon enough it failed to fulfill the promises it had made to its society thus instability, restlessness and wretchedness reigned throughout the nation. Achievement of peace in Pakistan is actually the desire of every follow Pakistani or at least a huge majority of them. To devise a proper strategy we need to analyze and understand the causes f unrest and chaos in Pakistan. Factors causing disturbance in Pakistan can be categorized in internal and external factors. Internals factors consist of social, economic, political and administrative whereas external factors are related to regional instability and international so-called war on terror involving Kashmir, Iran, Afghanistan and Baluchistan. For achievement of peace and stability we need to address the huge gap between haves and have nots. Firstly socially, there seems to be a huge gap between the different classes within the country. A large majority when sees a small minority enjoying a very luxurious life style they naturally rebel and resort to unlawful activities to become rich overnight. We can say this is a poor vs. rich tension, which disturbs the peace of society in various ways such as crime and law breaking. Secondly, politically, in Karachi different political parties have armed wings. Karachi being the biggest city has greater influence. Respective political leaders protect crimes of members of these gangs. While political leaders re enjoyingi government position at the same time they are patronizing criminals, murderers, target killers, extortionists and land grabbers. Thirdly, economically, Karachi being port city and major economic hub affects Pakistan. One day of strike and unrest in Karachi costs billion of rupees to national exchequer. Lastly, on the administrative side, law enforcement agencies are plagued by corruption. They are packed with cronies of influential people along with lack of proper training and sufficient resources. In some cases sources of trouble and unrest outnumber civil law nforcement agencies. Furthermore criminals are able to get relief from tax and justice procedures. They can even intimidate eyewitnesses and thus obstruct dispensation of Justices. This further erodes confidence of public on the prevailing system and thus increases unrest and instability. Therefore, to achieve peace we need to address all these issues immediately. The first step should be to break the vicious cycle of illiteracy, poverty and disease by providing educational and health facilities and equal Job opportunities on merit. We have to uplift standard of general public through a fair system based on social Justice by educating general public through print and electronic media about the responsibilities and rights of a citizen. Law enforcement agencies need to be revamped by selecting officers and cadres on merit, proper training and equipping them with latest equipment and technology and where necessary paramilitary forces can be used to assist them. A fair and speedy Justice system, which ensures that troublemakers are taken to task without ny delay, should be formed. Similarly, on the international front we have to get out of Afghan war. We should not allow proxy wars to be fought in our territory. In KPK and Baluchistan political reconciliation is required since administrative measures alone have failed to give desired results. To sum up, peace in Pakistan cannot be achieved in bullet but a set of social, economic, political and administrative system could help our country to gradually move towards the right path and a path towards stability.

Warrior Marks :: essays research papers

Alice Walker, Warrior Marks: Female Genital Mutilation and the Sexual Blinding of Women. New York: Harcourt Brace, 1993, 373pp. Female genital mutilation, also known as female circumcision, is a practice that involves the removal of part or all of the female external genitalia. It occurs throughout the world, but most commonly in Africa where they say that it is a tradition and social custom to keep a young girl pure and a married woman faithful. But to some Westerners, the practice is viewed as being primitive and barbaric. We react with disgust and find it nearly incomprehensible that female genital mutilation can occur in the world today   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In Warrior Marks, Alice Walker looks at the reality that millions of African, Asian and Indian women suffer from genital mutilation. The book begins with the re-telling of a story of how she lost one eye. This wound was inflicted on her when she was three years old and for years, she felt handicapped and isolated. Her brother, who caused this accident with a BBgun, is referred to as a â€Å"warrior† and the blinding of her eye is the warrior mark. Her visual mutilation is what helped her see the subject of genital mutilation. She sees it as a terrible form of patriarchal oppression, characterized by â€Å"the feeling of being overpowered and dominated by those you are bound to respect.† The book goes on and discusses the health risks that are involved in the practice. It talks about how the women who perform the surgery have a minimal knowledge of anatomy and hygiene, which results in infections of the genital and often results in the transmission of the HIV virus. Besides the initial pain of the operation, these girls also suffer long-term physiological, sexual and psychological effects. A mother reveals that she would stop the pain and betrayal if she could but because of tradition, she and others would risk banishment, torture and abuse.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the end, Walker emphasizes that these African women are not victims, but survivors. In the book, the women grow gardens on dry land and trade food, clothing and crafts in the marketplace. Whether a battered wife, a rape survivor or genitally mutilated woman, Walker concludes that a woman warrior learns that if she is injured, she can fight back. She closes by saying, â€Å"Your wound could be your guide.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Female circumcision is based on gender oppression and degradation of women.

Apple Financial Report Essay

Background Object: Apple Inc, an American multinational corporation that designs and markets consumer electronics, computer software, and personal computers. I would like to emphasize that this report supports in order to have a general look of long-term investment. Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (or SWOT matrix) of Apple Inc will be mentioned below. Specifically, I will talk about issues which are relevant for investors in the long time. However they are concerned and depended on numbers with ratios in only financial report. Strengths Total assets are about $53,851 billion (Apple Inc balance sheet in Sep-2009). When we compare with some other companies, Apple Inc is really one of the leaders among technology companies. Company Microsoft Apple Inc Nokia Dell HP Assets (billion $) 86,112 53,851 51,276 30,060 4,265 Moreover, Apple’s products such as IPhone, IPod or IMac with good quality are appeared every countries and they have a large attraction with customers. For example, according to Brandonweir (from Apple’s Quarterly Earnings  Reports), 2010, 33 million IPhone have sold until the end 2009(1), â€Å"At the September 9, 2009 keynote presentation at the Apple Event, Phil Schiller announced total cumulative sales of iPods exceeded 220 million†(2) according to Downhill Battle in 2010. It figures strong abilities and important position of Apple Inc in the world. Established on April 1, 1976, with over 30 years surviving, Apple Inc have experienced an increase in their growth, profit and stocks while some large ones else such as IBM could not survive by the time. Since beginning, Apple Inc has not only survived for 30 years but also acquired many small and medium in various aspects. It proves strong ambitions to expand company more and more. In addition, from YCHARTS in 2010, R&D (Research and Development) of company is 6.58% of total assets(6), it makes company independent on potential threats. Here is 7 biggest companies of 28 which are acquired by Apple Inc(3) with total investment over 1,335 million dollars, according to Alacrastore in 2010. It is argued that the company has strategy plans for sustainable development in the long time. Time Company Value 7/2/1997 NeXT – Computer programming services $ 404,000,000 2/9/1997 Power Computing-Clone-Making–Clone computers $ 100,000,000 31/12/2001 PowerSchool – Online info systems services $ 62,000,000 1/7/ 2002 Emagic – Music production software $ 30,000,000 24/4/2008 P.A. Semi – Semiconductors $ 278,000,000 5/1/2010 Quattro Wireless – Mobile advertising $ 275,000,000 27/4/2010 Intrinsity – Semiconductors $ 121,000,000 There are nearly 899,805,500 and 888,325,973 shares issued and out standing until September 2009 (From financial report, p. 56). It is clear that a large of number shareholders do believe in company success and their capital are invested correctly. While their profit from stocks and shares are increasing, it is stated that investing Apple stocks will earn profit more and more. And the company has more capital from investors to use it for developing projects. Moreover, in fact, one positive point of Apple Inc is they do not pay out any dividends. Therefore company could re-invest the money into active capital structures. It shows a sustainable development with clear projects for long-term investment of shareholders. Weaknesses Apple Inc has 323 stores however 82% of them (265 by 323) only in US and UK(4), according to Wikipedia, 2010. It is stated that Apple Inc should expand company to get more profit of potential customer from other areas in the world. Moreover, it is a chance to create new contracts with various producers. Because with well-known trade name and quality products, it is argued that if company only wants to increase profits in some big countries, it is a big waste. Opportunities Generally, potential investors need a general view about company STOCKS and SHARES since some years ago because it would help them to be sure that basically, their money is invested in right way or not. From 2004 to 2009, company’s stocks are increasing rapidly every year although it is affected by recession in 2008 therefore their profitability is their high earnings per share. Specifically, company’s stocks rose quickly from 100$ in 2004 to 957$ in 2009. From Apple Inc financial report in 2009, p.35 Meanwhile, from table below seems to suggest that a significant rate of development of Apple Inc when we compare some other index. In 5 years, this stocks in 2009 gets nearly by ten times (957$ and 100$) in 2004 (beginning). Moreover, it shows that stocks and share of Apple Inc is higher than competitive companies about development therefore investing Apple Inc at this time for a long-term is a correct decision. September 2004 September 2005 September 2006 September 2007 September 2008 September 2009 Apple Inc. $100 $277 $397 $792 $587 $957 S&P 500 Composite Index $100 $112 $124 $145 $113 $105 S&P Computer Hardware Index $100 $115 $123 $181 $152 $180 GROSS MARGIN PERCENTAGE of Apple Inc also rose from 2007 to 2009 with about 35% each year. Profit margin measures the performance of the company in generating profits from sales therefore from this ratio, Apple Inc figures a rapid development with positive effect. This is a percentage showing the relationship between a business’s profits before overheads are taken away (gross profit), and the total amount of income from sales. It is claimed that investors could believe in the company financial situation nowadays completely. 2009 2008 2007 Net sales $36,537 $32,479 $24,006 Cost of sales 23,397 21,334 15,852 Gross margin $13,140 $11,145 $ 8,154 Gross margin percentage 36.0% 34.3% 34.0% GEARING, which is defined DEBT divide EQUITY, is important because the level of risk increases as the proportion of debt increases and equity shareholders are paid after the demands of loan capital providers have been met. According to financial report, Company’s long-term debt is zero while equity is $ 1743 therefore gearing = 0 is enough low to invest with fairly safety. Apple Inc has a very good financial standing and is not in any immediate danger of bankruptcy. When we have a brief look, gearing and debt of others competitive companies like HP, Dell or Microsoft are higher so much than Apple Inc. Therefore shareholders could believe the safety of their capital in the long time. On the other hand, ASSET TURNOVER, which is defined TOTAL SALES divide ASSETS (36537 / 53851 = 67.85%) is used to measure the performance of the company in generating sales from the assets at its disposal. Asset turnover is one of two important ratios for shareholders to return on capital employed therefore it helps investors identify the safety of their capital. With 67.85%, it shows a positive number of efficiency for long-term investment. CURRENT RATIO which is defined CURRENT ASSETS divide CURRENT LIABILITIES relates the current assets of the company to its current liabilities. It is a measure of a company’s ability to meet its short-term solvency. These assets should at least be sufficient to meet the any short-term liabilities – generally that is taken to mean a ratio of 2:1 or better because many State Securities Bureaus will require this ratio for stocks and make investors believe financial situation of company. When we compare among some large technology companies, apple is the best of them (table above). This ratio shows that Apple Inc would be considered to have good short-term financial strength. If we have a look QUICK RATIO, which is defined: (CURRENT ASSETS minus INVENTORY) divide CURRENT LIABILITIES, excludes inventory from the current assets figure because it may be difficult to convert inventory to cash quickly. This ratio assumes that inventory is not available as part of the asset base a vailable to meet the demands of immediate liabilities. 1:1 ratio or higher is considered good because it proves financial strengths of company to meet any sudden accident. Apple Inc  is better able to meet their current liability obligations by using their liquid assets when the company is compared to the industry. With 1.86, Apple Inc defeated main competitive companies to pay its short-term debt and made customer confidence for company success. Threats Apple is still a successful modern company nowadays however actually, according to Ben McClure (Investopedia), 2010 when Apple Inc spends too much money with 1.109 billion dollars (2008) on R&D (Research and Development)(5) while some other aspects such as architecture of agents around the world need more capital to invest although it is a positive point which made a good position of Apple Inc nowadays. Another view that we need to consider carefully is recession. Actually, from the stocks chart above, Apple Inc was affected by this in 2008 (decreased from $792 in 2007 to $587 in 2008). Therefore when recession has not gone out completely, shareholders should examine their investment for sustainable future. Conclusions From SWOT matrix above, with rapid grow speed of stocks & company and also developing strategies in the long-term, I want to recommend that Apple Inc is a good choice to invest in the long time. Although the company has some threats and weaknesses, Apple Inc has every confidence from investors who have invested in the long time before. When we analysed SWOT above, financial ratios and numbers show a quick increase with stable development therefore it is claimed that investing Apple Inc for a long-term is a right decision. Notes Anyway, this report only analyses some salient features and predictions above can be not sure 100% in the future. Because company’s success is affected by many different aspects such as demand of customers in the long time however some of them are not mentioned in this report. Although the ratios and the financial numbers of Apple Inc are fairly good, nothing is impossible in the  long-term. References (1) Brandonweir, 2010, how many iphone have been sold, [accessed 29 November 2010], available at http://www.mahalo.com/answers/how-many-iphones-have-been-sold. (2) Downhill Battle, 2010, Are all those iPods empty?, [accessed 29 November 2010], available at http://www.itunesperipod.com/. (3) Alacrastore, 2010, Apple Inc Mergers and Acquisitions, [accessed 29 November 2010], available at http://www.alacrastore.com/mergers-acquisitions/Apple_Inc-1001101. (4) Wikipedia, 2010, Apple store, [accessed 29 November 2010], available at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Store. (5) Ben McClure (Investopedia), 2010, R&D Spending And Profitability: What’s The Link?, [accessed 29 November 2010], available at http://www.investopedia.com/articles/fundamental-analysis/10/research-development-rorc.asp (6) YCHARTS, 2010, AAPL, [accessed 3 December 2010], available at http://ycharts.com/companies/AAPL

Resettlement Patterns in Spanish Colonialm System in the Philippines Essay

Spain and Portugal were the two superpowers who pushed through their ultimate goals to discover the rest of the world. These nations, with their greed for material wealth, set colonies in the Americas, Africa and East Asia to establish their powers to greater heights. Because of a high demand for exotic spices in Europe, Spain was forced to circumnavigate the world in search for the Spice Islands (Muruku Islands) with an ultimate goal which was to accumulate wealth through mercantilist trade and to expand the rule of Spain throughout the corners of the globe. Because of this, Spain met the islands of the Philippines. The rediscovery of our country by Magellan on March 17, 1521, marks a new age in our history. After this discovery, Spain sent various expeditions for the conquest and colonization of our country, namely the Loaisa expedition (1525), the Cabot expedition (1526), the Saavedra expedition (1527), the Villalobos expedition (1542), and the Legazpi expedition (1564). It was the Legazpi expedition which succeeded in colonizing our country and establishing Spanish rule. Spain had three aims in colonizing our country, namely (1) to spread Christianity, (2) material wealth, and (3) to acquire political glory. Under Spanish rule our country developed religiously, economically, politically, and culturally. Our land acquired a national name  ¬Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¬- Filipinas. Our people came to be known as Filipinos. Towns, cities, provinces, schools, hospitals and charitable institutions were established. New plants and animals, the Christian religion and Spanish civilization, and new industries were introduced. Domestic and foreign trades with China and Japan were fostered. Communication and transportation were improved. Our country during the Spanish reign was a crown colony of Spain, in the sense that it belonged to the Spanish crown. From 1565 to 1821, our archipelago was governed by the Viceroy of Mexico in the name of the Spanish king. All officials, royal decrees, and troops for the Philippines came from Mexico. It was also the Mexican viceroy, not the king of Spain, who sent the annual subsidy to Manila to cover up the annual deficit of the Philippine government. In 1821 Mexico won her independence from Spain, so that from this year to 1898, Spain directly ruled our country. Spain as a colonizing power was marred by certain defects such as (1) inefficiency and corruption in the colonial government, (2) abuses by the friars, (3) racial discrimination against our people, (4) denial of human rights to Filipinos, and (5) inequality of Spaniards and Filipinos before the law. These colonial defects, however, were offset by the good things done by Spain in our country. By and large, we owe her a lasting debt of gratitude. She gave the majority of the people a great religion, taught us how to build more durable buildings, roads, and trade facilities, introduced new crops and livestock and better methods of farming, and brought our people into contact with the western culture. Settlement Patterns Before and During the Spanish Period During the Pre-Colonial period, the social unit in the Philippine islands was the barangay which comes from the Malay term balangay meaning boat. They were headed by a datu or the village chief. Barangays were generally small and consisted of thirty to one hundred houses and the population varied from one hundred to five hundred persons. The largest barangay was Manila which had two thousand inhabitants at the time of the Spanish conquest. Communities were coastal, near-coastal and riverine in orientation. This was because the principal sources of protein came from the seas and rivers; people rely more on fishing than on hunting. People travelled principally by water, the movement of the population were across rivers and along the coasts. Trails followed by the streams; neither roads nor any wheeled vehicles were there. It was in the coastal communities that were more accessible to traders where a higher degree of development emerged. A higher cultural level was attained due to contact with traders from China, India and Arabia. The economy of the barangay communities deeply relied on agriculture. There was an abundance of rice, coconuts, sugar cane, cotton, hemp, bananas, oranges, and other fruits and vegetables. Land cultivation was done through the kaingin system or by tilling. Pigafetta, the chronicler of Magellan, noted that there was an abundant produce of the land in Cebu as well as in Palawan. Productivity was increased by the use of irrigation ditches, as evidenced by the world-famous Banaue Rice Terraces in Ifugao. Aside from agriculture, pre-colonial Filipinos had other industries such as animal-raising, lumbering, weaving and gold and silver mining. The absence of a political unity involving all or the majority of the people of the archipelago allowed the Spanish conquistadores to impose their will on the people step by step even with a few hundreds of colonial troops at the start. The successful voyage of Miguel Lopez de Legazpi to the Philippines was a prequel to the long term colonization of t he country under the imperialist Spain. The Filipino society, split up into numerous barangay units, faced the impossibility to put up an effective armed resistance against the well-equipped and prepared conquistadores; an almost â€Å"bloodless† conquest of the Philippines was then accomplished. It was Legazpi who in 1565 and thereafter succeeded in hoodwinking a large number of barangay chieftains typified by Sikatuna in quelling recalcitrant barangays with the sword and in establishing under the cross the first colonial settlements in Visayas and subsequently in Luzon.The kind of society that developed in more than three centuries of Spanish rule was colonial and feudal. It was a society basically ruled by the landlord class, which included the Spanish colonial officials, the Catholic religious orders and the local puppet chiefs. The masses of the people were kept to the status of serfs and even the freemen became dispossessed. In the classic fashion of feudalism, the union of church and state suffused the entire colonial structure. All colonial subjects fell under friar control from birth until death. In the material base as well as in the superstructure, friar control was total and most oppressive in the towns situated in vast landed estates owned by the religious orders. In the colonial center as well as in every province, the friars exercised vast political powers. They supervised such diverse affairs as taxation, census, statistics, primary schools, health, public works and charities. They certified the correctness of residence certificates, the condition of men chosen for military service, the municipal budget, the election of municipal officials and police officers and the examination of pupils in the parochial schools. The Encomienda and Hacienda Encomiendas are grants from the Spanish crown to a Spaniard to exercise control over a specific place including its inhabitants. It is from the Spanish word â€Å"encomendar† which literally means to entrust. Thus, a definite number of â€Å"souls† or inhabitants of a territory were entrusted to the care of an encomendero. The encomienda grant can only be passed up to the third generation and was then given back as the crown’s property. There were three kinds of encomiendas: (1) the royal encomiendas, belonging to the king of Spain, (2) the ecclesiastical encomiendas, belonging to the church, and (3) private encomiendas, belonging to private individuals who were rewarded for their services to the crown. The encomienda was an administrative unit with powers to collect tribute and to use the personal services of the inhabitants of their encomiendas. In return, the encomenderos were supposed to look after the welfare of the natives and to give them some education. Theoretically, each encomendero, in whose care a native settlement, was entrusted a threefold responsibility: (1) to protect the natives by maintaining peace and order within the encomienda, (2) to support the missionaries in their work of converting the people to Catholicism, and (3) to help in the defense of the colony. In return for these services, the crown authorized the encomendero to collect a tribute of eight reales or its equivalent in kind from all 19 to 60 year old males in the encomienda. At least one-fourth of the total collection went to the encomendero, another portion to the friars, and the rest to the government. What seemed to be beneficial for the natives’ development was turned the other way around. The encomienda system was generally characterized by greed and cruelty. The encomenderos exercised their powers to the full but for the most part ignored their duties and treated the natives as slaves. They saw the grant as nothing more than an opportunity to enrich themselves and used every opportunity open to him, whether in the collection of tributes or in the unlawful exaction of numerous services. Antonio de Morga writes: â€Å"They employ the indios in building houses and large vessels, grinding rice, cutting wood, and carrying it all to their houses and to Manila and then pay them little or nothing for their labor.† Regarding the collection of tributes, the encomenderos forced the natives to pay a higher rate of tribute; they collected according to their personal whim. When gold was abundant and money was scarce, they demanded cash or reales; when the reales were plentiful and there was scarcity of gold, they asked for gold even when the poor Filipinos were coerced to buy them. Encomenderos sometimes seized the entire quantity of his rice from the Filipino without leaving him a grain to eat. Many Filipinos died of starvation, especially during famine and drought due to the scarcity of rice and they were forced to eat coconut and banana shoots. If the Filipinos resisted, they were publicly fogged, tortured or jailed. The unjust collection of tributes was one of the primary causes of intermittent uprisings in the Philippines. Haciendas grew out of the encomienda system and the hacienda system is still being used today; however, haciendas during the Spanish occupation era were given as incentives to deserving Spanish friars who will act as land lords. It has the characteristic of a feudal system which was prevalent in Europe during those times. Encomienda and hacienda system were forms of colonial appropriation but they were never the same and one did not necessarily lead to the other. The exploitative relations are based on and grow out of the ownership by the landlord of the tracts of land from which the tenants derive their livelihood. The hacendero has the right of inheritance and free disposition, two rights not covered by an encomienda grant. The exploitations of the hacenderos are more disguised than that of the encomendero through a fiction of partnership, hence the term kasamahan to denote a joint venture and the reference to the tenant as kasama or companion. Instead of tribute-paying, the system denotes sharing of the crops in terms of sharing of risks. The hacenderos will most likely require the lion’s share of the crops but in terms of the expenses for maintenance of the hacienda, the tenants are to pay more. The Center and the Periphery of the Colonial System With the pacification of the Filipino natives, Spain made a colony that will supply the crown with goods for its financial gain. Spain did this by exploitation of the natives so as to produce a product surplus. With the help of the personal greed of Spanish colonial administrators, friars, and officials, the natives, though living in subsistence, were made worse. Bureaucracy in the Philippines during the Spanish period may be divided into different levels of administration, from the national, provincial, city, municipal, and barrio levels. On the national level, with its seat of power in Manila, Intramuros, the governor general (gobernador y capitan-general) became the spokesman and the representative of the King of Spain to the Philippines. He was the commander-in-chief of the military and the navy. He was also the vice-real patron who supervises the work of the Catholic Church to spread the gospel of Christianity in the colony. His great powers were checked by the Real Audiencia (Supreme Court), the archbishop and the civil officials who denounced to the king whatever abuses the governor general might have committed. On the provincial level, heading the alcaldia or provincia was the alcalde mayor for the pacified provinces and districts. The corregimientos or unpacified military zones were headed by the corregidores. Only a Spaniard can be an alcalde mayor or a corregidor. The city government was called as the ayuntamiento and was headed by one or two alcaldes ordinarios. On the municipal level, the gobernadorcillo headed the pueblo or municipio. A Filipino or a Chinese mestizo can be head of the municipio; this was the highest government position a Filipino could attain during the Spanish regime. Barrio government rested on the cabeza de barangay whose main role was to be tax and contributions collector for the gobernadorcillo. All royal officials had the responsibility of keeping peace and order. To check the abuse of power of royal officials, two Castillan institutions, the residencia and the visita were employed. The residencia was the judicial review of a residenciado (one judged) conducted at the term of his office, a visita on the other hand was conducted by an officer sent from Spain and might occur at any time within the official’s term. Residencia and visita were supervised by juez de residencia and visitador-general respectively; its objective is to ensure faithful and efficient service on the part of the government authorities. If proven guilty of public misconduct, an official may be fined, dismissed from office, expelled from the colony, or imprisoned. However, Filipino natives still didn’t escape the exploitation of the government officials. The tribute collectors often abused their offices by collecting more than the law required and appropriating the difference. Many who did not pay, or could not pay were tortured or imprisoned. Others fled to the mountains only to have their houses burned or looted by the Spaniards in punishment for their defiance. In addition to the unjustified tribute, men between the age of sixteen and sixty were required to serve for forty days each year in the labor pool or polo, a form of forced labor. The polistas were seldom paid and death lurked to them and their families. Still another exploitative device was the bandala which was a kind of annual quota for the compulsory sale of rice, hemp and other farm products to the government usually without payment and seldom paid at very low prices. BIBLIOGRAPHY Agoncillo, Teodoro A. History of the Filipino People. Eighth edition, Quezon City: Garotech Publishing, 1990. Constantino, Renato. The Philippines: A Past Revisited. Manila, 1975. The Philippine History & Government. Mobcco. Circa 1970s Riple, Simoun. Philippine Society and Revolution. 1970`

Free Essays on Creation Myths

The Myths of Creation †¦Every culture has a story that tries to explain its human origins. This is simply a normal human phenomenon. The lucky cultures are those whose creation myths contain some humor and kindness†¦. Stan Mulder What purpose do the creation myths serve for humanity? Every society has a creation myth and that suggests that every society has a need for one some particular reason. We need to note, however, that to the society involved, these are not myths or stories told to enthrall the young. They are real, not in our scientific, linear, literal, sense, but nevertheless real, and part of the truth of humanity’s existence. The first characteristic is the emergence of order from chaos. And we know that chaos is not just first, it is always, never-ending. As well as being the primal dark into which the first creation comes, chaos is also present as the depth over which we move, threatening us with the perpetual possibility of engulfment, and which we, in our living, order. We have always needed stories that speak of cycles and of alternating light and dark without conceiving these movements as flowing from a single point of origin. We humans need these stories desperately. We need them to live ourselves and for the Earth to live. This was true for the ancient civilizations that we look back at and wonder about now, and they are true for the 21st century too. But action, the second element, must be there too. It is action that orders the ever-present chaos. Again, this action need not be taken to be temporally first. The action that generates myth is a beginning as the present point of order's emergence from chaos, rather than as the indefinitely remote past moment of first enactment. At every moment, act separates order from chaos. In any moment that we work to build the world, we are in harmony with the creative dimension of myth. But how is action possible in a world that is disordered? What can it mean? E... Free Essays on Creation Myths Free Essays on Creation Myths The Myths of Creation †¦Every culture has a story that tries to explain its human origins. This is simply a normal human phenomenon. The lucky cultures are those whose creation myths contain some humor and kindness†¦. Stan Mulder What purpose do the creation myths serve for humanity? Every society has a creation myth and that suggests that every society has a need for one some particular reason. We need to note, however, that to the society involved, these are not myths or stories told to enthrall the young. They are real, not in our scientific, linear, literal, sense, but nevertheless real, and part of the truth of humanity’s existence. The first characteristic is the emergence of order from chaos. And we know that chaos is not just first, it is always, never-ending. As well as being the primal dark into which the first creation comes, chaos is also present as the depth over which we move, threatening us with the perpetual possibility of engulfment, and which we, in our living, order. We have always needed stories that speak of cycles and of alternating light and dark without conceiving these movements as flowing from a single point of origin. We humans need these stories desperately. We need them to live ourselves and for the Earth to live. This was true for the ancient civilizations that we look back at and wonder about now, and they are true for the 21st century too. But action, the second element, must be there too. It is action that orders the ever-present chaos. Again, this action need not be taken to be temporally first. The action that generates myth is a beginning as the present point of order's emergence from chaos, rather than as the indefinitely remote past moment of first enactment. At every moment, act separates order from chaos. In any moment that we work to build the world, we are in harmony with the creative dimension of myth. But how is action possible in a world that is disordered? What can it mean? E...

Home Alone Quotes

Home Alone Quotes In the 1990 movie Home Alone, 8-year-old Kevin McCallister is accidentally left behind (via a series of unlikely events) while the rest of his family is on vacation in Europe for the Christmas holidays. Kevin believes the situation is due to his wish that his family would disappear, so (for some reason) does not seem alarmed, and doesnt contact the authorities. Unfortunately for Kevin, two bumbling robbers (played by Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern) are casing the neighborhood looking for homes whose occupants are away on vacation. They settle on Kevins house, but he prepares a series of booby traps to keep them from entering. Eventually, Kevins family returns and the bad guys get caught. The movie was a huge box-office success  and launched the acting career of child star Macauley Culkin, who played Kevin. It spawned four sequels, each increasingly more far-fetched (this family cant possibly abandon their child so frequently, after all).   Quotes From Home Alone Kevin: When I grow up and get married Im living alone! Did you hear me? Im living alone! Im living alone! Im living alone! Kevin: I made my family disappear. I made my family disappear! Kevin: Bless this highly nutritious microwavable macaroni and cheese dinner and the people who sold it on sale. Amen. Kevin: This is my house, I have to defend it. Kevin: Hey, Im not afraid anymore! I said Im not afraid anymore! Do you hear me? Im not afraid anymore! Kevin: You guys give up yet? Or are you thirsty for more? Kevin: Down here, you idiots! Come and get me before I call the police! Kevin: Will you please tell Santa that instead of presents this year, I just want my family back. Harry (first burglar): Merry Christmas, little fella! We know that youre in there and that youre all alone. Harry: You bomb me with one more can, kid, and Ill snap off your cajones and boil them in motor oil! Harry: Its too late for you, kid; were already in the house. Were gonna get ya! Marv (second burglar): Yeah, come on, kid, open up. Its Santa Claus... and his elf! Marv: Hes a kid. Kids are stupid. I know I was. Marley (Kevins elderly neighbor): You live down the street from me, right? You know anytime you see me you can always say hello, you dont have to be afraid. A lot of stuff has been said about me... none of its true. Kevin: No offense, arent you too old to be afraid?Marley: You can be too old for a lot of things, but youre never too old to be afraid. Kate McCallister (Kevins mother): This is Christmas, the season of perpetual hope. And I dont care if I have to get out on your runway and hitchhike. If it costs me everything I own, if I have to sell my soul to the devil himself, I am going to get home to my son. Kate McCallister: How could we do this? We forgot him.Peter McCallister (Kevins father): We didnt forget him, we just miscounted.Kate: What kind of a mother am I?Frank: If it makes you feel any better, I forgot my reading glasses.

Interactive Whiteboards Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Interactive Whiteboards - Research Paper Example As the report declares  the 21st century belongs to an information technology era, how to apply information technology into teaching and learning has become a key concern all over the world. In the year 1990, Australia national education revolution; in 1998, Hong Kong announces the first technology education strategy; in the year 2001, Europe Association clearly point out the ability of application technology and digit learning into future education has become the key ability.According to the essay findings the dynamics of the use of IWBs necessitated the integration of IT concepts into children’s instruction. Countries are adapting transformative IT concepts in the education sector. The use of IWBs is a manifstation of inclusion of the advancing technology into the education sector. Countries are adapting the use of IWBs with regard to the benefits that are accruable form such changes. Motivation and improvement of the learning environment are some of the integral factors t hat necessitate the replacement of traditional teaching methods with strategies that make education more exciting.  IWBs are used in teaching a variety of subjects with special reference to the sciences inclusive of mathematics. Britain, Asian nations and USA among others are some of the countries that have been advancing efforts that are aimed at integrating IWBs into classrooms.  The background of the initiation of IWB application in the process of teaching children owes its existence to the variant benefits that come with the replacement of traditional methods.