American Government Essay Example for Free

American Government Essay Introduction There are different ways to which issues in the society can be expressed in relation to emotions, thoughts and artistry. In various eras, movies have been used to tackle issues on religions, philosophies, and even the thoughts and emotions of the writers and directors during the time it is being filmed. For example, the movies entitled Blue Collar, Norma Rae and Roger and Me are movies wherein the problems on employment in any societies have been tackled accordingly. During the time of the creation of the movies, there have been apparent issues with employment that needs to be addressed by the government. Apparently, the theme of conservatism and the plight to destroy it is was the main theme of the three movies mentioned. The motivational principle that has been applied in the course of generating an understanding of the concept of conservatism as highlighted in the movies is sovereignty. It is very elementary to say that in the democratic and liberal forms of government, the sovereign power resides in the people. Under this concept, it cannot be denied that men are only equal before the law and of God. Aside from it, there is no equality. By this, it only means that men are protected only as far as laws and God is concerned. Body Noting this kind of principle is the apparent absence of equality in terms of the social, political and even economic aspects of human being. In terms of the social aspect, it can be seen that men are distinct from women. There is a status quo that should be adhered upon especially when treating men and women. They are not equal under the social order of the society. Men are considered higher in terms of intelligence, capabilities and social status. As per women, they are made to be inside their houses and taking care of the children and of their husbands. It is as if saying that women and men played totally different roles in the society. One is for the house while the other is for the working. Such difference in the social standing of men and women is apparent and to remind people of the principle that aside from law and God, no equality can be measured outside such borders. Women cannot and must not force the society to accept and treat them in the same manner that men are being t reated because it will never be in that way under the conservative theory of governance (Garcia, 2008). The basic foundation of governance that has been tackled in the movies is comprised of the idealism that a just and humane society must be formed. It must be understood that the State should promote a just and dynamic social order. This is accomplished through policies that provide adequate social services. Every society must ensure the prosperity and independence of the nation and free the people from poverty. Hence, it means all people not just the aristocratic few. The goal is to reduce the political and economic power of the privileged few by equalizing widely differing standards and opportunities for advancement and to raise the masses of the people from their poverty to a qualitative life worthy of human dignity. With the eradication of mass poverty being experienced of a nation, the State solves at the same time a chain of social problems that comes with it; social unrest, breakdown of family systems, diseases, ignorance, criminality, and low productivity. Policies must only be created to promote social justice in all phases of national development. In the fulfillment of this duty, the State must give preferential attention to the welfare of the less fortunate members of the community—the poor, the underprivileged and those who have less in life for the benefit of the whole nation. On the issue of economic equality, on the other hand, the movies have made it clear that there are economic differences between the poor and the rich. No equality are being afforded to them. The rich people are getting more privileges in the society as compared to the poor. The poor can never get such privileges because it is just for the rich to experience and enjoy. Since there is no equality, the poor gets poorer with each passing day while the rich gets richer by the hour. There is a distinct role that separates the rich and the poor. While the rich pose as the employers, the poor works as slaves to earn a living. There is equality and hence, no growth and improvement is being afforded to the latter (Funnel, 2009). Conclusion Undeniably, there is an inherent advantage in adopting a development strategy that promotes industrialization and full employment without giving more importance on gender issues. An important aspect of industrializations is that it generates a high level of employment. Factories and industrial sites create job opportunities and thus create sources of livelihood for the people. The high incidence of poverty in the country is rooted in the social scourge that is unemployment. The nation will never recover economically, and social peace and political stability will never come to our land as long as the problem of mass poverty persists. The first step towards the solution of the problem is therefore, the creation of massive work opportunities that will absorb millions of unemployed and underemployed labor in the country, and this can only be done through full and rapid industrialization. But nevertheless, despite the different trajectories that has impacted the lives of the nation and the people inhabiting the place. Ironically, it can be said that whatever the advocates of conservatism have fought for in their lifetimes it has all been gone because of the fact that changes have constantly brought liberalism to the nation. It is one that completely rejects advice or assistance from without. To be realistic, a policy must have global outlook in view of the deleterious effect on the country’s relations with other countries with policies that revolve only on the relations with select members of the international community. Bibliography Funnel, W. (2009). In Government We Trust: Market failure and the Delusions of Privatization. Sydney: University of New South Wales Press. Garcia, J. (2008). Up to our Eyeballs: How Shady Lenders and Failed Econoimc Policies are Drowning Americans in Debt. New York: The New Press.

Factors Influencing Conflicts in Schools

Factors Influencing Conflicts in Schools FACTORS INFLUENCING CONFLICTS IN SCHOOLS.AN EXPLORATORY CASE STUDY OF PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN TANZANIA. BY: BONIPHACE, M. FASILI. INTRODUCTION: Organizational psychologists start with the view that there is ,or can be, a genuine conflict between a human being and his or her job of work, between the satisfaction of the needs of the individual worker, and the needs of the employing organization. However, some common ground between them is that: people have needs and, consequently, motives for doing things. These needs and motives, therefore, do affect peoples behavior, and their behavior c an be explained,(Chris, A.). There can be conflict between the goals of the organizations and the goals of people working for those organizations. The way to avoid such conflicts in practice is not by offering bribes and sweeteners to the workers, nor is it by offering them massive welfare programs, but is by changing the very structure and goals of the organization to accommodate peoples personal goals,(Chris, A., in Kooontz ,H. and C. ODonnel,1976). While other thinkers suggest that, the best type of organization is one which succeeds best in achieving the accommodation of peoplesÂÂ   personal goals by promoting worker participation in decision making, enabling workers to fulfill themselves and use a wide variety of talents, management by objectives rather than by authority, and finally, good communication and expressive supervision. Schools as organizations are said to be influenced by a combination of factors and have their own organizational culture of change and development,(Mbiti, D.M.,1974).In most cases, school development implies the management of planned change. These changes may at times be consistent or not consistent with the organizational culture.Unplanned changes are no more than accidents. An attempt to redesign a school organizational culture in the way that will adapt to the changes within and in the external environment or to effectively achieve the goals sometimes result into conflicts, Mosha, H.(1994).This may be caused by shifts inÂÂ   the interest and perceptions of the organization members, fear of change ,self interest, perception of the organization goals strategies by teachers or long for good old days. The school management has to overcome these factors if it is to accomplish the planned change. BACKGROUND TO THE PROBLEM Schools have traditionally been expected to teach children academic skills. The school has the responsibility to develop in each child a favourable attitude towards learning.Schools are also places where students interact with one another, their teachers and educational administrators. Many educators believe that student behaviour affects academic achievement (Boothe,Bradley,Flick,Keough, and Kirk,1993). Traditional disciplinaryÂÂ   practices include various forms of punishment based on the assumption that if negative behaviours are eliminated, the classroom climate will be conducive for learning,(Canter Canter, 1992). Critics of traditional disciplinary practices believe that the emphasis on punishment thwarts development of student responsibility, leadership, independence and interdependence(Dreyfuss,1990, in Mahduri Pendharkar,1995). Tanzania like any other developing countries is at the forefront to make socio economic transformations to achieve some laid down principles in the Millenium Development Goals (MDGs). Some major transformations have been directed towards improving the management and performance of educational institutions including more enrolment in both primary and secondary schools, and prioritizing girls education,(TDREG 1989).The period between 2000 t0 2005 have showed an increased school enrolment. This has also impacted on recruitment of more teachers and increased government expenditure in education,(BEST 2005). While improvedÂÂ   performance in education is expected, training for management is frequently neglected. The impact has reflected on frequently and repeated conflicts in schools manifesting in boycott, riot, drop outs, as well as breakdown of managerial capacities and accountability in some schools. Whereas, conflict resolution skills for teachers or students in most schools is not emphasized. In most schools in Tanzania there are discipline masters, Patrons and Matrons whose traditional role is to suppress negative behaviours of students. Some of them were appointed on the basis of certain personal attributes rather than the required skills. Most of them lack conflict management skills. As a result students hate them. This is impacted by lack of conflict resolution skills in schools. The emphasis is on rigid rules and discipline. Lyons and Hathering (1992) pointed out that, organization health is characterized by high levels of trust, low conflict and friction, respect for differences, personal freedom and individual autonomy in patterns of supervision and control. Conflict in schools need to be properly managed in order toÂÂ   create a healthy organizational climate that is so important for effective learning and performance of responsibilities. Mosha, H.J.(1994) stressed that, some conflicts in higher learning institutions occur due to lack of proper diagnosis leading to crisis. Conflicts in schools are either not understood or not managed properly. Burton (1969) suggested for conflict management which include deterrence strategies aimed at avoiding escalation of conflict while maintaining control without giving way. Burton further suggested that if conflict builds towards crisis successful management should be able to turn the conflicting forces towards a constructive rather than a destructive direction. However, teachers training programs in Tanzania have not provided for greater flexibility for teachers to manage conflicts other than becoming disciplinarians. Mismanagement of conflicts in schools has resulted into increased government intervention leading to closure of schools and increased expenditure. Meanwhile, effective teaching and learning programs are always impaired leading to further crisis in schools and the government in general. The situation also creates burn out to some teachers to change their career. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM: The purpose of this study is to investigate on the factors influencing conflicts in schools in Tanzania. Several conflicts have been reported to have devastating impacts. There are frequently and repeated conflicts in most schools in Tanzania. The scientific explanation about the nature of these conflicts is not well established neither documented. It has also been reported that those conflicts involve school administrators and teachers, teachers and students, students and the school administration, as well as students themselves. At some levels conflicts escalate to involveÂÂ   the external school environment. The impacts of these conflicts have resulted into loss of lives of some students, demolished school buildings, riots, boycott and increased hostilities in the workplace, lack of conducive teaching learning environment, dismissal and suspension of students, administrators and teachers. This study therefore, is an attempt to investigate on the nature of conflicts in schools, and possibly come up with the real explanation as to why they frequently occur, as well to establish approaches that can be applied to harmonize the situation. OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY: (a). ToÂÂ   identify the nature of conflicts in public secondary schools in Tanzania. (b). To establish means to minimize conflicts in schools. (c). To contribute and extend knowledge and skills in conflict management for schools teachers and administrators. (d). To influence the government policy in education, conflict management is an integral part of the contemporary school environment. RESEARCH QUESTIONS/HYPOTHESES: SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY: This study is intended to be broad spectrum in nature. It is expected to come up with possible explanation of the sources of conflicts in schools as learning and work places in Tanzania. It will also establish possible preventive conflict management approaches that are so essential and could be applied in resolving conflicts which arise in the school environment. Whereas, the study is expected to contribute the generation of new insights, knowledge and skills in management in general, and form a baseline for school administrators, managers, teachers and students to reflect on during situations of problems leading to conflicts. This study is perhaps the pioneer one as far as conflict management in schools is concerned. It is expected to influence the policy of the government. Conflicts in the contemporary school environment are becoming part and parcel of the total education system. Finally, the study will impact on other broader dimensions of the social systems in Tanzania. LITERATURE REVIEW: This section reviews and examines briefly some literature on relevant scholarly work. Mosha, H.J.(1994) describes conflict as an interactive opposing behavior between two or more people, organizations or systems over incompatible goals, interests, scarce resources, values, belief system, power and prestige, nature of relationship as well as performance. He further states that, conflicts behaviours may range from intellectual jostling or malicious gossip all the way to use of physical force to cause destruction of property or physical injury. Mosha,(1994) further suggests that conflicts are integral part of any social system they need to be properly managed in order to create a healthy organizational climate that is so important for effective performance of responsibilities. Whereas, Lyons and Hatherly, (1992) comment on organizational health that is the state in institutions characterized by generally highÂÂ   levels of trust, low conflict and individual autonomy in patterns of supervision and control. Lyons and Hatherly further insist that in health organizations relationships are honest, there is high degree of trust, poor performance is confronted and joint solutions sought. People feel free to signal problems and participate in finding solutions. Murphy and Saal(1990) in Mosha,(1994) stated that conflict management is a process of becoming aware of actual or potential conflict, diagnosing its nature and scope and employing appropriate methodology to diffuse the emotional energy involved and enable disputing parties to understand and resolve their differences. While, Burton(1969) adds on conflict management that include deterrence strategies aimed at avoiding escalation of conflict while maintaining control without giving way. According to Gray and Starke(1990) traditionalists conceived conflict as being intrinsically bad. Under this school of thought members of the organization who caused the conflict were regarded as emotionally disturbed, otherwise they should not have caused the conflict. Thus, to eliminate the conflict and thereby solve the problem it was necessary to fire or get psychiatric help for the responsible employees (Jandt and Gillettee,1985). The modern theorists according to (Gray and Starke,1990) in Mosha,(1994) argue that organizational conflict is neither good nor bad per se, and that it is inevitable. Conflict is inevitable and not necessarily harmful. Indeed, they continue to argue that you can not have an organization, community or society that is free from conflict. However, Mosha, H.J.(1979:169) argues that competence should be the major criterion for participation as educational problems have ramifications that require attention and specialized assistance is useful in mobilizing needed knowledge and judgment. At another scale of looking at leadership styles, Bennis,W.G.,(1989) was of the view that the challenges confronting organizational leaders are daunting even to the most intrepid. Bennis further comments that organizational restructuring has bulldozed away much worker morale and loyalty, along with many levels of management and thousands of jobs. The loosened bonds between workers and organizations have increased worker disaffection and raised turnover. Bennis, W.G.(1989) further commented on achieving styles, cultures, values, rewards and discontinuities that organizations have their special achieving styles, styles that their cultures, consciously or unconsciously inculcate in their members. That is, organizations characteristically reward certain kinds of achieving behavior and punish or ignore other kinds. Organizational culture both comfort and control its members. It comforts them by generating a familiar context for organizational life and offering membership to those who conform. At the same time, organizational culture controls members by constricting the range of behaviours and attitudes that are valued andÂÂ   rewarded. Furthermore, Max Weber(1864-1920) examined the organization and came up with the opinion that the term organization meant the ordering of social relationships, the maintenance of which certain individuals took upon themselves as a special task. Weber, further maintains that the presence of a leader and an administrative staff was a characteristic of an organization, which in fact was them who preserved the organization. Hence, basic to WebersÂÂ   ideas was the notion that human behavior is regulated by rules. The existence of a distinct set of rules was implicit in the concept of organization. On management, Henry Fayol (1916) stated that to manage is to forecast and plan to organize, to command and to co-ordinate and to control. While G.A. Cole(1994) proposed a working definition for strategic management as a process directed by top management to determine the fundamental aims or goals of the organization and ensure a range of decisions which will allow for the achievement of those aims or goals in the long-term whilst providing for adaptive responses in the short term. The above implies that, if the management is not successful in dealing with resistances to change and if it still wishes to change and continues to implement the change program, conflict will eventually arise, Mosha,(1994). Whereas, Ekval, G.(1993) cautioned that where antagonistic groups, divisions and camps exist the work climate is bound to be poor.

The Role And Teachings Of The Dalai Lama Philosophy Essay

The Role And Teachings Of The Dalai Lama Philosophy Essay It is up to each of us to make the best use of our time to help create a happier world1. The mark of the 21st century embraced upon a civilization corrupted with greed for power. It originated a society that talks, walks, and breathes desire for power, and to achieve this desire it will go to any cost. It does not care how many innocent people die or how many people become homeless, all it cares about is being on top and surviving. Violence is in every corner, in every street, in every block, and pretty much in every country. To live, people are willing to kill their neighbours, more or less their own blood. Violence has engulfed all of what is in existence today. It has become a source of power, a source of desire, mankinds aspiration. Although, majority of mankind may be corrupted, there still lie those who believe and have faith in amity. A belief that one day this hunger for power will lie behind us and the future will dictate peace and uphold a place of altruism (unselfishness). Amongst these believers of hope is His Holiness, Tenzin Gyatso. Tenzin Gyatso is one who seeks to find peace even in the darkest of days. Tenzin Gyatso is the 14th Dalai Lama and a symbol for future hope for both Buddhism and his nation, Tibet. He is recognized as the reincarnation of Avalokiteshvara, a Buddha who has chosen to be reborn in order to enlighten others. The Dalai Lama embraces a genuine model of life: a model through reason and selflessness and not through force; a model which is neither harmful not hostile to humanity. The Dalai Lama governs without resorting to any means of punishment: he wields weapons against no one, ruling honourably and serenely with no hatred. The Dalai Lama preaches to cultivate compassions, and metta (kindness) for all beings. An in depth analysis of the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, and his philosophies illustrate the through non violence one can achieve inner peace. Tenzin Gyatso, more formally recognized as the Dalai Lama, is the religious Buddhist leader of the country Tibet. He is the 14th manifestation of the Bodhisattva of compassion, Avalokiteshvara. To Tibetans, this Dalai Lama is known by his title, Dalai meaning ocean, and Klein, Leslie. Sprituality in a Materialistic World. AuthorHouse, 2008. Lama meaning Wisdom2. To himself, he is Tenzin Gyatso, a simple Buddhist monk- no more no less3. His holiness was born on July 6th 1935 in a small village Takster to a peasant farm family of sixteen. Takster is a village in the eastern Tibet province Amdo. At the age of 2, Tenzin Gyatso was identified as the reincarnation of his precursor, the 13th dalai Lama, becoming the 14th in line of the Dalai Lamas. Born as Lhamo Dhondrub, he was renamed rJe btsun jam dpal ngag dbang blo bzang ye shes bstan dzin rgya mtsho srid gsum dbang bsgyur mtshungs pa med paI sde bzang po4. The tulkus (reincarnated lamas) coronation ceremony occurred on February 22, 1940 in Tibets capital, Lhasa. His education began at the age of six. At the age of 15, on 17 November 1950, he was crowned the title of Dalai Lama, becoming Tibets most important spiritual and political leader. At the age of 24, he was evaluated at the monastic universities of Drepung, Sera and Ganden. In Monlam Festival Prayer, Tenzin Gyatso took his final assessment at Jokhang where he was examined on the 3 subjects: logic, Middle Path, and the canon of monastic discipline. At the age of 25 he finished the Geshe Lharampa Degree, the Doctorate of Buddhist Philosophy. In 1989, the Dalai Lama received the Noble peace prize2. To understand Dalai Lamas preaching of non violence, first one must comprehend non- violence. Non-violence is one of the highest virtues that should be accepted by everyone, no matter if they plead to Buddhism or not. Non-violence means to refrain from vicious actions. One should not kill another living being. One should not hurt another living being. One should not pain another living being. One should not ahimsa (harm) another being. This is non-violence. According to the Dalai Lama, violence is not the key, it is not the answer to anything. 2 Mullin, Glenn H., and Valerie M. Shepherd. The Fourteen Dalai Lamas: a Sacred Legacy of Reincarnation. Santa Fe, NM: Clear Light, 2001 3 Mehrotra, Rajiv. In My Own Words: an Introduction to My Teachings and Philosophy. Carlsbad, CA: Hay House, 2008. 4 Mehrotra, Rajiv. Understanding the Dalai Lama. Carlsbad, CA: Hay House, 2008. We have two options. First, nonviolence. Second, violence- thats suicide. We have to live with the Chinese side by side. It is very essential to carry this movement of nonviolence, so that later, we can live happily. If we adopt violence on the Chinese, then Tibetans will also suffer. Some positive outcome- quite a few Chinese became sympathetic of Tibetan people. They came to me expressed themselves. Nonviolence is the best method5. Violence cannot be overcome by more violence. By responding to violence, the result will be catastrophic. On the contrary, by avoiding violence one can only hope to diminish others violence. A great example of this is the homeland of the Dalai Lama, Tibet. In 1950, the genocide of Tibet began with the Chinese army of the Peoples Republic. In 1951, the Chinese government tried to take rule over Tibet from the Dalai Lama through the seventeen-point agreement. In 1959, there was an uprising against the Chinese military; when that failed the Dalai Lama was force to flee to India. In 1959, his Holiness refuted in Dharamsala, North India where he established a government-in-exile2. The Chinese captured and imprisoned naive citizens and protestors, devastating the Tibetan culture. The Dalai Lama did not refute to foul words, he did not speak ill of the Chinese. Instead of fighting back, the Dalai Lama preaches that one should meditate and reflect on what they might have done on their previo us life that they are being tormented now. He helps people understand that if one responses by causing suffering amongst another, they are not contributing to a unity in their internal world nor to the external world. The lives they live are meaningless if it does not contribute to anything. By causing suffering they cause themselves more suffering, for in their next birth they will reborn into a worse life. The life one lives is based on the karma, action, of one in the previous life. Thus, rather than devoting oneself to harm the Dalai Lama preaches Tibetans to abstain from armed struggle and accumulate good karma to achieve inner peace. If everyone adopts and learns the morals of inner peace, no longer will there be people in this world who will cause ahimsa. No longer will there be violence. As a well-known spiritual leader and political ruler, the Dalai Lamas first and foremost 5 McLennan, Scotty. The Heart of Nonviolence: A Conversation with the Dalai Lama. WisdomPortal.com. Web. 1 Aug. 2010.. obligation is to protect his people and nation. The Dalai Lama has never ceased his people from using violence just because of Buddhist morals, but because, nonviolence is for us the only way. Quite patently, in our case violence would be tantamount to suicide 6. Some might think that by not fighting he brings upon torture to his people, but the initial purpose behind the Dalai Lama is to help his people to learn and to develop. By not fighting back he tries to show people that good does not come through war and bloodshed, by refusing to fight in the long run we secure a better future. Right now we must suffer, but the seeds to our suffering will grow a clean planet. The Dalai Lama is an idol to humanity, an advocator of non-violence. Thos who do afflict harm, the enemies, are just a test of time. With time and patience, as one accumulates good karma, the birth of amity will take place, and violence will vanquish. The enemy teaches you inner strength. Your mind by nature is very soft, but when you have troubles, your mind gets strong 7. Enemies are the test of time, for when one is surrounded by enemies one has to make important judgements. These judgements define the inne r self. If one is able to refrain from violence and overcome satanic thoughts and stay on the right path, one can achieve inner peace. Thus, through the process of non violence one achieves inner peace. When one is at inner peace with themselves in times of battle they make correct decisions and refuse to fight, ultimately causing outer peace. The Dalai Lamas believes nonviolence is connected with the free understanding of individuals. The free understanding of individuals is ultimately a path leading to mental amity. Thus, non violence originates inner peace. His Holiness, the14th Dalai Lama, believes to embark inner peace one must develop metta, (love, kindness and compassion)7. When we are non-violent and refuse to fight we attain metta in our hearts. When there is violence there is anger, hatred, 6 Bstan-Ê ¼dzin-rgya-mtsho, and SÃÅ' aÃÅ'„ntideva. A Flash of Lightning in the Dark of Night: a Guide to the Bodhisattvas Way of Life. Boston: Shambhala, 1994. 7 Piburn, Sidney. The Dalai Lama, a Policy of Kindness: an Anthology of Writings by and about the Dalai Lama. Ithaca, N.Y., USA: Snow Lion Publications, 1990. and attachment, but when there is no violence one is calm, and serene. With the origins of violence comes desire and greed, eventually leading to mental unrest. When we are kind and compassionate to others it makes others feel loved, and it helps us develop inner happiness. In one of his interviews, the Dalai Lama states: If you give way to anger, hatred, you get lost. No sensible human being wants to loose himself or herself. Hope and determination will bring upon a brighter future So in order to develop human determination you need hope. And to develop hope you need compassion, love. Love and compassion are the basis of hope and determination8. If one gives into anger and hatred they give in to inner strife. If one refuses to fury and forbids him or herself from fighting they develop love and compassion to bring upon a better future. One must first develop compassion and love towards others, and then will they receive love and compassion back. One must realize that nothing good comes without suffering. Rather than making others suffer, rather than raising weapons, one should be hopeful and determined. Good karma leads to a good life. When one develops compassion and love one achieves inner peace. Without inner peace we remain longing for desire. The Dalai Lama believes that if everyone achieves calmness, compassion, and love for others eventually one day there would not be a single person left that will cause brutality upon another. When everyone has achieved this state of happiness no longer will there be armed conflict, poverty, destruction, and prejudice. The Dalai Lama is a role model of non-violence, and believes inner peace can only be achieved through non violence. The Chinese have put Dalai Lama and his people through a lot of agony, yet he still prays for their wellness. He believes that rather than drawing upon weapons, if he holds back he will attain peace with the Chinese. That one day they will see that violence only leads to deaths; through non-violence they can reach a compromise. Tibetans refuse to fight, they decided to listen to his Holiness, and abstain from harming (ahimsa) another being. Through non-violence and compassion inner happiness and peace will develop, and likewise, through 8 Bstan-Ê ¼dzin-rgya-mtsho, and SÃÅ' aÃÅ'„ntideva. For the Benefit of All Beings: a Commentary on The Way of the Bodhisattva. Boston: Shambhala, 2009 inner peace outer peace will develop. Without inner peace one will always remain worried, disturbed or unhappy. The Dalai Lamas preachings about non-violence and metta to achieve inner peace is Tibetans hope and determination for the resolution of the Chinese Genocide. In his Dentsik Monlam prayer the Dalai Lama articulates: the violent oppressors are also worthy of compassion/ Crazed by demonic emotions, they do vicious deeds/ that bring total defeat to themselves as well as to others9. This prayer was written by the Dalai Lama when he was extremely ill and all around him was bloodshed caused by the Chinese Military. The Dalai Lama wanted his people to realize that liberation can only be achieved non-violently via altruism (unselfishness) and metta (kindness). Altruism and metta can only be achieved via non-violently. Thus through the non violent approach one achieves peace of mind. The Chinese Military will stop if the Tibetans do not respond. Violence can only grow when you nurtur e to it, by not giving it violence you forbid it from growing. According to his Holiness, the spirit of non-violence is the basis for achieving inner peace. But why should one achieve inner peace? To achieve inner peace is a step to achieving liberation. The first of the 5 Buddhist precepts is the vow to refrain from killing. That one should neither hurt nor harm (ahimsa) another being, but rather practise compassion and kindness (metta) towards them. To reach the ultimate goal of Buddhist path, Nirvana, and break through samsara, the cycle of life, one must be peaceful. To achieve enlightenment and to see things for what they really are, panna, one must reach tranquility of the mind. This calmness of the mind can only be achieved through meditation, and inner peace, not violence. The actions we take affect everyone around us, not just us, so how can you believe to be liberated when you bring harm upon others. Thus, in order to achieve inner peace and deliberate ourselves from suffering, we need to focus on others, and refrain from violent actio ns. 9 Bstan-Ê ¼dzin-rgya-mtsho, Dupchok Gyaltsen. Rabjampa, and Peter Gold. Words of Truth: a Prayer. Boston: Wisdom Publications, 1993. We can never obtain peace in the world if we neglect the inner world and dont peace with ourselves. World peace must develop out of inner act As long as the weapons are left alone in storage they cannot do any harm. A human being must use them.7. Resolution through conflict does not guarantee a solution every time. Outer disbarment comes from inner disarmament. The only true guarantee of peace lies within ourselves6. In a time of conflict, we become attached to our views and forget that everything is impermanent. Our thoughts become too clouded, and we become too ignorant. When one is no longer ignorant one achieves bodhi, total awakening. Any being who understands inner peace, and subsides in a non violent conduct is evidentially contributing to the universal peace of all beings and the exile of violence. 2.com/title/Non-violenceNon-violence means 2.com/title/co-operationco-operation where it is possible, and 2.com/title/resistanceresistance where it is not10. Through Non violence one is able to control their emotions and stay happy. Through non-violence one is able to love, be compassionate and be metta towards others, as well as live in unity with humanity. Ultimately altruism, self consciousness, and amity through equal justice and fair-play lead to non-violence. Non-violence helps one acknowledge their internal awareness pertaining to greed, desire and hatred, and their outer awareness pertaining to how their internal awareness will affect the world. This awareness is ones inner peace. His Holiness, Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama has become a worldwide symbol for peace, a teacher of non violence, an inspiratio n for billions. According to the Dalai Lama the first inner awareness is that suffering exists and the way to liberate from it is through hope and compassion, not violence. Through non violence we attain inner peace, through violence we attain inner discord. Hence, the 14th Dalai Lama raises no weapons, faces no wars, and preaches for non violence to achieve inner peace, for hatred never ceases through hatred in this world; through non violence it comes to an end10. 10 Sulak, Sivaraksa. Seeds of Peace: a Buddhist Vision for Renewing Society. Berkeley, CA: Parallax, 1992.

How Evil is Portrayed in Lord of the Flies by George Orwell Essay examp

How Evil is Portrayed in Lord of the Flies by George Orwell William Golding uses allegory in Lord of the Flies to portray the evil that is in people. An allegory is a story with an underlying meaning as well as a literal one. William Golding uses allegory on two levels in Lord of the Flies, one relating to World War Two that had just taken place when the book was written and another relating to Jesus Christ and the Garden of Eden. An important aspect of the novel is the time in which it was written, due to the Second World War ending. This means that Golding would have experienced and seen the cruelty and bitterness of man. William Golding had a theory as to why people do evil things. This was known as the 'original sin' or 'inner evil'. He believed that when you are born you have a certain amount of good and a certain amount of evil inside you. There are many characters that are protrayed as evil, one of which is Roger. Roger is pure evil, and only in the last four chapters does the reader discover this. Roger seems to be quite timid at the beginning of the story when he marches in with the choir. However, as the story progresses, Roger starts to show signs of evil escaping him. Roger could be compeared to satan in an allegorical level. He can be decribed as satan because of the number of evil acts which have been manufested by him. He also is the one who is solely responsible for the death of Piggy. Roger is described as a small boy with dirty and shaggy black hair, ' he was noticeably darker than when he had dropped in, but the shock of black hair down his nape and low on his forehead, seemed to suit his gloomy face and ma... ... portray evil in the Lord of the Flies, such as Roger, the 'scar' and the 'beastie'. At the end of the novel they are saved by a naval officer. The arrival of the naval officer thus seems like a happy and ironic ending, but if one digs deeper it is just a continuance from one war to another. Once all the boys get on the Navy cruiser, they'll most likely just be subjected to more battle and fighting, this time on a worldwide level, due to the war taking place in the outside world. Golding makes his views and messages of the 'darkness in mans heart' with this book, because it shows us what man is capable of if there was no social control. He has shown us that without these conditions, our ideals, values, and the basics of right and wrong are lost. Without society's rigid rules, anarchy and savagery can come to light.

Destruction through Imagery and Theme in The English Patient Essay

Destruction through Imagery and Theme in The English Patient The imagery in Michael Ondaatje's novel The English Patient serves to illustrate the theme of destruction in this novel. The setting of the novel as well as the characters themselves present to the reader a vivid picture of demolition. Critics also find that Ondaatje's imagery is a vital element in the presentation of this theme. The English Patient is set at the end of World War II in a war-ravaged Italian village. Ondaatje gives vivid descriptions of the damage the village sustained due to the war: As the hill town began to be torn apart like a battle ship at sea, by fire shells, the troops moved from the barrack tents in the orchard into the now crowded bedrooms of the old nunnery. Sections of the chapel were blown up. Parts of the top storey of the villa crumbled under the explosions. (12) Ondaatje's detailed and memorable description completes his picture of the county side. "Dead cattle. Horses shot dead, half eaten. People hanging upside down from bridges" (Ondaatje 19). This elaborate a...

A New Era for Advertisers

In his article, â€Å"The Post Advertising Age,† Bob Garfield describes the end of advertising as we know it.   According to the author, a substantial number of television and print advertisers may soon find themselves out of work because online advertising is increasing.As a matter of fact, numberless viewers of television and readers of print media have already been seduced by the world wide web, which now caters to their viewing and reading needs better than television and print media ever could.The world of the Internet is interactive, allowing users to fulfill their viewing or reading needs depending on their demands at any given time.   The television and print media, on the other hand, do not carry the advantages that the Internet has.   In short, the kinds of choices available to users of the Internet cannot be matched by the advantages of television or print media.The only choice for a television viewer is to change the channels until he or she finds something o f interest.   The reader of a print magazine, on the other hand, has to purchase a new magazine if the one that he has already bought does not suit his interests.The Internet, on the contrary, is not only cheap, but also has the advantage of presenting all kinds of information to the user.   Hence, the advantages of online advertising surpass the advantages of television and print media advertising based on the basic benefits of Internet use as compared to television and print media.The number of people viewing MTV has been drastically reduced, thanks to the virtues of the Internet which allows the MTV generation to now enjoy online videos.[1]   Also according to Garfield:In December 2005, Viacom spun off CBS, the so-called Tiffany Network, lest the broadcast business impede growth and depress shareholder value.Just before Christmas 2005, Time Inc. laid off 100 employees.   Just after Christmas, inJanuary 2006, Time Inc. laid off 100 more employees.   In April 2006, Time I nc. laid off 250 more employees-the last round of job cuts, the company said.   In January, Time Inc. laid off300 more employees.   No wonder.   Since 2001, Time Warner's market capitalization has shrunk to $82 billion from $193 billion.Last fall, ostensibly to promote their new seasons, five broadcast networks bypassed their local affiliates and gave away new programs online.In October 2006, NBC announced a $750 million cost cutback, including 700 jobs and amoratorium on scripted programs in the first hour of prime time.In November 2006, Clear Channel-the boogeyman of media consolidation-sold to private- equity owners and declared that it wants to unload its TV and small-market radio stations.The sale fetched $38 a share.   In 2000, the stock sold at $100 a share.The Minneapolis Star Tribune, acquired by McClatchy in 1998 for $1.2 billion, was sold to private investors in December 2006 for $530 million.In 2000, Chicago-based Tribune Co. was valued at $12 billion.   It the n bought Times-Mirror Co. for more than $8 billion.   At this writing, with Tribune Co. for sale as a whole or in part, the value of the merged company is $7.34 billion.[2][1] Bob Garfield, The Post Advertising Age, Advertising Age, 78(13): 26 March 2007.

Self Confidence

Self confidence is the ability to posses the absolute sureness of feeling that you are equal to the task at hand. If one is self-confident, that trait shines through the person in everything they do, say, what they wear and how they look. People who have this desirable trait draw others around them in by their untouchable confidence. A confident person can easily combat the hurdles of life and can also influence others by their positive attitude and impressive personality. A confident person believes in themselves, does what they feel is right and is never afraid of failure. Self-confidence is extremely important in almost every aspect of our lives. The reason self confidence is so important is because out of confidence comes success. Proof of this is found in many instances. For example, it is proven that students who begin a test with confidence in themselves that they will achieve a desired goal have a better chance of doing-so opposed to those who begin a test with uncertainty. Another example is in the working world. It is very unlikely for an insecure, unconfident person to be a CEO of a flourishing company. When hiring an employee for an important position, an employer looks for certain qualities and self confidence is one major one. Self confidence is a disease. Friends, family, and all people other people in touch with a person displaying confidence are likely to generate similar self confident feelings. A confident person attracts friendships, but commands respect, too. 69% of women said that men possessing self confidence were 2 times more attractive than those lacking it. ‘I believe that a self-confident man is aware of his imperfections but doesn't allow them to hinder him from being the best person that he can be.’ Alison Austin of Dayton, OH. For a psychology project, two high school boys decided to test out the correlation between self confidence and attraction. They planned for their experiment to take place at a school dance. They two boys of the same social status enter a dance circle. One danced uncomfortably and the other danced with self confidence. As they predicted, the boy who danced self-consciously gained little attention from the opposite sex. On the contrary, the other boy drew attention from several girls and even influenced some of the guys to dance less timidly. This is another form of proof one person with self confidence can send vibes from person to another. Everyone longs to be appreciated and well-liked by their peers. By having a self confident personality, it is easy for others to see your true self break through the surface. Although most self confident people are unaware of the effects of their confidence on their surroundings, self confidence forms the basis of everything in the world. Without confidence sports stars, celebrities, government officials, and other people of high stature would never be where there are at today. Do you think Michael Phelps would have broken records and acquired seven gold medals if he lacked the confidence in his own ability? Do you think President Obama would have been able to represent our country if he believed the critics and stopped speaking out? Do you think Lil’ Wayne would have pursued his career if he listened to the people who told him he had no talent? The answer is no. Without confidence, you are nothing.