I Am A Math Lesson Essay - 1469 Words

For my second lesson, I decided to conduct a math lesson as I had never conducted a math lesson in an elementary classroom let alone a 3rd grade classroom. I discussed with my CT what math concept I could teach that pertained to one of the 3rd grade standards. My CT told me that I could introduce the new concept of area to the class on the Friday that I was supposed to teach my lesson. I knew that that introducing a new topic on a Friday in an elementary classroom was not ideal as the majority of teachers that I have observed in the past usually wrap up their week’s lessons on Friday. The Friday I was conducting my lesson was also a shorten day due to Fall Break, so I thought the students would show some off task behavior for the early release day. These circumstances made me think hard about how I was going to introduce the concept of area to the students in an effective way. I knew that I needed to have a lesson that included an exploratory hands- on activity to keep the st udents engaged and wanting to learn. Therefore, I decided to use cheese crackers as manipulatives to represent square units. The students were to first guess what the area of the different shapes in a worksheet packet were and then they were to use the crackers to figure out the actually area of the different shapes. I had been grading the students’ weekly math quizzes that pertained to arrays and multiplication a couple of weeks prior to my lesson which helped me presses the students’ knowledge onShow MoreRelatedSupport Staff and Teachers1033 Words   |  5 Pagesa learning practitioner may contribute to the planning, delivery and review of learning activities Unit 210 1.1 As a teaching assistant your teacher may involve you in the planning of a lesson, she will tell you what the lesson is about and who they want you to work with. When the teacher is planning the lesson you should have the opportunity to discuss and look at pupils work with the teacher, this is called review. Review is when you can look to see if the work that has been set has been doneRead MoreMy Last Semester At Mink Shoals1178 Words   |  5 Pagessemester of observing before student teaching, I was placed at Mink Shoals in a fifth grade class. I was placed with Miss Whitten. She is an amazing teacher who has taught me many valuable lessons. Miss Whitten has been at a variety of schools and classrooms so your management techniques and basic skills were great. I spent about one-hundred hours in her classroom. I got to know her, and all of her students very well. Being at Mink Shoals was the first time I had the opportunity to work with hearing impairedRead MoreMy Experience With A Learning Experience907 Words   |  4 Pagesexperience and I couldn’t be more grateful for all the opportunities I got to encounter over the past several weeks. I got the chance to be a part of a learning support program that was a push-in and pull-out service. I got to work with children in grades 3 through 5 and I got to build professional relationships with teachers in grades 3 through 5. This experience taught me so much: from having to lesson plan weekly for every lesson, to reflecting on everything that I do (and how what I do affects myRead MoreEvaluation Of The Post Assessment1397 Words   |  6 Pagesassessment, I have organized data results to display a score for each lesson taught as well a total score for the entire test, for each student. This way, there is a clear result of student understanding of standards and objectives in each section of the post test, organized by the lessons that were taught. Based on the student scores, there is a balance of understanding throughout the post assessment, for all lessons. Although there seems to be a balance of understanding for each lesson, almost allRead MoreI Didn t Hate Math Essay729 Words   |  3 PagesIn my younger elementary years, I didn`t love math, but I also didn’t hate math. I loved learning the times tables. We had practice tools with string on them, and I had to figure out what answer belonged to the equation. I would have to connect the equation and the answer by using the string. It would create a pattern, and I would compare with my partner to see if I got the same pattern. I always enjoyed using those to help me further my knowledge. There were a lot more hands on activities, suchRead MoreInstruction Methods For Teaching Decisions864 Words   |  4 PagesI honestly thought that this lesson was going to be taught to teach to the class. I spent countless hours reading the information in the curriculum handbook and even collaborating with other teachers just to understand the material properly. I was thoroughly surprised at how well the lesson was received and it greatly boosted my self confidence in my planning and teaching decisi ons. This lesson was all about symmetry and dividing â€Å"crazy cakes† evenly between two people by looking for smaller shapesRead MoreAnalysis Of Leni Fragakis s Third Grade Class1157 Words   |  5 PagesSchool I did my observation in Leni Fragakis’s third grade class. This was the first observation I had done since learning about instructional design. Since learning it, I now have a new way of observing, I pay more attention to the teacher; how she implemented the lessons, what strategies she uses, and the types of assessments she uses. This gives me a better experience because before I was just paying attention to what the students were doing and their part in the classroom and now I am payingRead MoreQuestions On The Mathematics Of Math942 Words   |  4 Pagesfor the x variable. I would consider myself somewhat good at math I do not always get a concept right away but I will work through the difficulty until I discover how to understand the concept at hand. I will study and persevere until the challenge at hand is resolved. Usually, I am a quick learner which allows me to understand math fairly quickly and at a easy rate. However, there are some parts of math that come more naturally to me than others. For example, in precalculus I found graphing moreRead MoreEssay On Classroom Reflection898 Words   |  4 Pages When I first signed up for this class I didn’t know what to expect. But after two classes, I realized it was a class to discuss and interpret curriculum from a deeper and substantial stand point. Outside of simply teaching a lesson, what is the purpose of the lesson? How can you make the lesson relevant to students lives or real world situations? These are abstract thoughts each teacher should have to design curriculum that students not only understand but increases engagement, and participationRead MoreA Short Note On Non Verbal Learning Disorder1005 Words   |  5 Pages2011, I was diagnosed with Non-Verbal Learning Disorder(NLD). A brain-based condition that effects educational and social development. When I was young, I was described as a social butterfly. But in class I was labeled as disruptive and unable to focus. As I got older, my peers and the adults around me noticed that I was different. I was unable to pick up on social cues, therefore unable to keep friendshi ps. I have always been a loud talker, but I didn t know when to stop. The more anxious I got,

How far has the USA role in world affairs developed from 1929 to 2000 Free Essays

America had adopted a policy of isolationism following the events of WW1, stating openly that the US wanted to stay out of world affairs. They believed that they were geographically isolated – sufficiently protected from potential enemies by the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. They wanted to avoid sending US soldiers on another ‘death march’ and instead focus on US economic problems such as the Depression. We will write a custom essay sample on How far has the USA role in world affairs developed from 1929 to 2000? or any similar topic only for you Order Now They managed to keep their role in world affairs to a minimum by not joining the League of Nations and passing a series of Neutrality Acts after 1935 which made them neutral. However, they did not suppress their role in world affairs completely. They were still involved in foreign affairs – they loaned money to Europe to help them recover after WW1 and they signed the Kellog-Briand Pact in 1928 which renounced war as a means of settling disputes. America’s role in world affairs was minimal – they stayed out of the League of Nations but they were still involved in world affairs, shown by the US investment into Europe to help it recover from WW1. America’s role in world affairs changed from isolationist when they joined WW2 in 1941, following the Japanese attack on the US naval fleet at Pearl Harbour on December 7 1941. After the attack, it became evident that America had assumed a more prominent role in world affairs, particularly in Europe and in the Pacific. They had taken part in the D-Day landings in June 1944 with the Allies which had led to the surrender of Germany in May 1945 and had governed the end of the war by dropping atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945. WW2 was an important factor in re-orientating US foreign policy as America had abandoned their policy of isolationism and had intervened in a war. America role in world affairs developed as they emerged from WW2 as a paramount nation that had survived the war with its economy rebuilt and other nations had turned to them for protection from emerging communist countries like the USSR. America had started to play an international role in world affairs when they adopted a policy of containment, announced by Truman in an important speech in March 1947 which marked a turning point in US foreign policy as it was the start of a proactive policy. He backed this policy of containment with the Marshall Plan announced in June 1947 which would provide economic aid to European countries that had suffered badly as a result of WW2 and were struggling to deal with the damage. America played a part in leading the West in the Cold War. America’s involvement in world affairs increased when they sent forces to Korea, Vietnam and Cuba in an attempt to contain communism, which shows they had a more proactive role in world affairs. The expense of the policy of containment had to be cut as the cost of the arms race was massive. America wanted to develop friendlier relations with the Communist superpowers during the 1970s; US foreign policy had changed to detente. Nixon visited China in 1972 and the 21 year old trade embargo was lifted. The policy of detente had improved relations with the USSR between 1972 and 1979 – arms reduction agreements such as SALT 1 emerged. However, when Ronald Reagan became president in 1980, he was not a supporter of detente and called the USSR an ‘evil empire’ in a speech in June 1982. He issued SDI (a plan to shoot down Soviet missiles in space) which caused the relations to deteriorate and cause a Second Cold War. In 1985, the new USSR leader Gorbachev and Reagan returned to the policy of detente and the Cold War ended in 1989. In the 1990s, America had become increasingly involved in the Middle East such as the conflicts of Iran and Iraq. America fought in the Gulf War in 1990 to protect oil supplies in Kuwait, as oil was important to the US economy. This conflict showed that America were still proactive in world affairs and were involved in most of the conflicts. Since 1929, America’s role in world affairs has developed increasingly. They were isolationist and inactive in world affairs in the 1930s. The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour forced America to become reactive in world affairs and enter WW2 in 1941. In 1947, America’s role in world affairs had become proactive, attempting to prevent the spread of communism. In the 1970s, America attempted to reduce its role in world affairs by following the policy of detente but the conflicts in the Middle East showed their role to be more proactive in world affairs. How to cite How far has the USA role in world affairs developed from 1929 to 2000?, Papers

Project Safety Risk Management Plan

Executive Summary This report is a study of an Australian construction project known as Sydney Light Rail Construction and Extension. The project costs around US$ 100 million. It is a continuing project which is highly manageable.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Project Safety Risk Management Plan specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This project has been shown to be specifically risky in terms of safety. Risk management is therefore predominantly applicable for this project with special techniques and education being established for risk management. The project stakeholders relevant to this project are the contractors. The methodological approaches used in risk management in this project are risk identification, risk analysis and evaluation, risk treatment, risk management and control. The main safety risks identified on this project include site condition risks, fire outbreaks, wars leading to disputes, earth quak es, tsunamis, whirlwinds, low management capabilities of contractors, price increase of raw materials, environmental risks, accidents, water availability, contraction of major water pump components, lack of training, difficulties in capturing and stipulating the construction requirements and poor relationships between the incorporated organizations incorporated. The report focuses on coming up with a detailed Safety Management Plan. It will clearly identify the specific safety risks and requirements of this project excluding other risk variables. The risks will be controlled through arranging risk management duties, actions and financial plans. A risk officer who in most cases is a team member will be assigned the duty of managing safety risks in this project. He will be kept responsible of predicting possible project problems. A live project risk record will be maintained. In this record, each risk will have elements such as the opening date, name, a short explanation, probability and significance. A risk reporting means will be created whereby each project member will be endowed with the task of reporting risks he foresees. Mitigation plans for risks that are to be controlled will be prepared. Finally, planned and met threats, efficiency of the control activities and attempts made for risk management will be summarized.Advertising Looking for report on project management? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Introduction Sydney Metro Light Rail Construction and Extension is a construction project in Australia. It was opened in 1998 and is owned by Metro Transport Sydney. It is managed by Connex which is a principal transport operator in Australia on an agreement of seven years. It has a route length of 7.2 km (4.5 miles). This project came to Australia with the opening of the present tramway from the central station to the town area of paramount (Bent, Nils and Werner 2003). This project has shown high grow th with the pronouncement meant on 2008 that geotechnical explorations that are very important in constructing its tunnels had begun. The late South Wales regime has instigated a number of key transport projects such as Sydney link, The North West Metro and most probably west and south east in the future. The Metro link, which is a major component of Sydney link, is likely to change Sydney’s civil property with metro handrails.17 new stations are to be established in the North West Metro whereby some are to be through by 2015 and others by 2017. It is postulated that the North West Metro will offer high quality transport links for its dwellers as well as provide rail services to the inner Sydney environs. It is to function as a stand- alone system integrating world class plans and expertise. The objective of this report is to come up with a risk management plan for the construction projects in this company focusing on the safety risks involved in construction and how they can be controlled. Manual and intuitive risk management approaches will be used. Establishment of the context This report is prepared on the managers’ perspective. Managers in this construction project have legal liabilities in relation to the safety of this project. These includes providing a general risk plan and organizing the project risk management team. The project risk manager will come from outside to ensure neutrality.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Project Safety Risk Management Plan specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This report is relevant to both internal and external stakeholders mostly the construction head contractors and the sub contractors. The key performance indicators that will be used to measure the success of this construction project include quantifiable indicators, performance measurements, billability and percentage of projects profitable. The projects safety risks will be evaluated based on the likelihood of risk occurrence also known as the Consequence matrix. Communications and Consultation Plan The project stakeholders that have been consulted in the preparation of this report are the head contractors, sub contractors and the clients. These have provided inputs such as informing the managers of the most common safety risks and giving their views on how these risks can be managed. The project stakeholders that need to comply with the safety risk management plan are the contractors in general. This will be communicated through seminars which will educate them on how to mitigate risks involved in this safety risk management plan (Covello and Frederick 1988). Risk Identification Risk identification approach used in this project involved pinpointing and classifying safety risks that could affect this project and writing them down. These resulted to a list of risks. The project risk events were then compiled. This included a close scrutiny on the issues and conc erns established by the project development team. This was derived from an assessment of the project depiction, collapsing work structure, cost approximation, outline and construction schedules. Top down risk identification approach which entailed the use of chief executives with a complete view of the construction project was applied. Intangible risk identification approach which involved pin pointing new types of risks which had a high chance of occurring though being ignored by the construction company was also used.Advertising Looking for report on project management? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The uncertainty involved in this construction project came from many sources and frequently involved many partakers. The safety risks relating to this Australian construction project are listed below. Environmental protection is the first safety risk. This is due to the incapability by the contractors to be familiar with the requirements of the construction and the time it will take to obtain authorization from the dictatorial agencies. Risks due to public safety regulations were identified. This was related to situations where the risks involved in construction were likely to affect the people’s health and well being. Safety risks occurring as a result of poor relationships between the organizations incorporated in the construction process were also identified. Such safety risks led to problems often concentrated on people other than project needs. Technological issues presented another form of safety risks. This was attributed to fast improvements in new technologies which impart new problems to designers and constructors. Technology was considered as a safety risk in this project since several design assumptions which have helped the professions well in the ancient times may be outdated in working with new types of constructions especially those with larger complications and scales. New buildings may thus end up collapsing in the future hence harming the public. Site condition is a safety risk to this construction project. This is specifically due to under surface conditions which constantly impart some degree of insecurity for structures with unknown features during operation. Other safety risks identified included contractual relations, poor attitude of contractors, communication problems and construction occupational safety. Climate conditions also posed a safety risk due to unfavorable weather changes. Risks associated with fire outbreaks, wars and poor relationships between the constructors were also identified. Other safety risks involved in th is construction project included poor safety alertness of top management, lack of sufficient training, uncontrolled operations, unwillingness to input resources to safety, difficulties in capturing and stipulating the construction requirements, difficulties in specifying the time and resources required to complete the construction and difficulties involved in measuring the development of the design during construction. Other safety risks included acute noise pollution caused by the construction, low management capabilities of sub contractors, tight project plans, unsuitable construction programme planning, variations of construction programmes, lack of dexterity between project participants, unavailability of sufficient professionals, lack of adequate amount of skilled labour, dispute occurrences, imprecise cost estimates, government systems, excessive approval procedures in administrative government department, incomplete approval and other documents, lack of resources, inefficienc ies in operations, regulatory risks, rebellions, strikes, personal risks, price increase of raw materials, supplier and subcontractor default, credit risks, legal liabilities, accidents, natural disasters, intentional attacks from an adversary, rain, water availability, inefficient energy sources, contraction of key water pump components, earthquakes, floods, storms, tsunamis, whirlwinds, risks that the project will not be completed in time, construction difficulties, political risks and environmental risks. Risk analysis and evaluation In risk analysis, the likelihood and effect of the ordinary risk events in this construction project were weighed up. Likelihood entailed assessing the regularity of these risks and gauging them as either qualitative or quantitative. The effect was examined by taking into account the elements depicted to a safety risk event or a sequence of events and their susceptibility. A good understanding of risk, disclosure and susceptibility of risks caused by natural hazards was ensured. Evaluation criteria in this project involved identifying the initial stages of the risk management procedure. This helped in establishing the focal point of the risk analysis and setting points of risk approval (Dorfman 2007).To reduce the consequences of ordinary catastrophes, improved understanding of the risks and their prospective effects was held important. Risk analysis in these project involved analyzing and establishing a ranking of these risks. The Likelihood of occurrence also known as the consequence matrix was used. The velocity of occurrence was multiplied by the impact of the risk. The impact of the risk was calculated on a degree of 1 to 5. This signified the least and greatest possible impact of risk occurrence. The likelihood of occurrence was measured on a range of 1 to 5, where 1 stood for a very low likelihood of the risk happening in reality while 5 signified a very high likelihood of the risk occurring. Both probability of risk occ urrence and risk impact changed in extents depending on the sufficiency of risk aversion and prevention actions taken. The top 10- 15 risks in this construction industry can therefore be ranked in the following order. Site condition risk, fire outbreaks, wars leading to disputes, earth quakes, tsunamis, whirlwinds, low management capabilities of contractors, price changes of raw materials, environmental risks, accidents, water availability, contraction of major water pump components, lack of training, difficulties in capturing and stipulating the construction requirements and poor relationships between the incorporated organizations. Risk Treatment/ Response Risk treatment techniques involved in these project included risk avoidance, risk reduction, risk sharing and risk retention. Risk avoidance would involve keeping away from all the activities that could bring in risks to the project. This would entail doing away with, abandoning or not getting involved in such activities. It wou ld also involve avoiding risks by shutting down a specific high risk construction area. Site condition risks could be avoided by selecting stable sites for construction. Wars leading to disputes among the contractors could be avoided by ensuring good relationships between the contractors. Risks as a result of accidents in the company could be avoided by enhancing carefulness. Risk reduction is another strategy that I would adopt to treat these risks. This would entail minimizing the cruelty of the loss arising from a safety risk or the probability of the loss from coming about. Sprinklers would be installed to reduce risks associated with fire breakouts. Risks associated with price changes of raw materials could be reduced by having cost budgets which plan for unexpected changes. Risk optimization strategy could also be adopted. This would involve finding equilibrium between adverse risks and the gains associated with their operation. This would also entail getting a balance between threat reduction and the applied effort. Outsourcing is another good strategy I would use to treat these risks. For instance, the construction company could outsource the assemblage of hard goods to another company while dealing with project management itself. This way, the construction company could deal with the project management without getting concerned with the manufacturing processes (Roehrig 2006). Risk sharing is another risk treatment criterion I would use. This would involve risk transfer whereby the safety risks associated with this construction project are moved to a third party through outsourcing or indemnity. Risk retention which involves admitting the loss or profit of gain from a risk when it happens is a good way of treating risks. It would involve real self insurance of all the parties involved in the construction. Risk retention may also be acceptable in cases where possibilities of large losses occurring are small and costs associated with their insurance are too high that it would hinder the achievement of the organizations goals. Risk retention therefore involves precise retainance of the risk by the group. Examples of risks treated through retention include wars. This is because losses attached to war are mostly retained by the ensured. Risk management and control The top 10-15 risks in this project could be managed by analytically selecting cost effective tactics for reducing the effect of threat realization to the firm. This is due to the fact that in any project all risks can never be completely avoided due to economic and practical restrictions (Crockford 1986, p 18). These risks could also be managed by sticking to a precedention process whereby the risks causing the highest harm to the project and the utmost possibility of occurring are dealt with first. Examples of such risks include site condition risks, fire outbreaks, wars leading to disputes, earth quakes, tsunamis, whirlwinds and price changes of raw materials. This is fol lowed by the risks with low occurrence probability and very little loss to the project such as low management capabilities of contractors, environmental risks, accidents, water availability, contraction of major water pump components, lack of training, difficulties in capturing and stipulating the construction requirements and poor relationships between the incorporated contractors. Equilibrium between hazards with high occurring probabilities but low deficits versus those with low occurrence probabilities but high deficits should be maintained. (Hubbard 2009, p 46). Risk management in this project could also involve detecting, categorizing and assessing risks. This could be followed by gauging the vulnerability of the key assets to particular risks and establishing the anticipated effects of these risks. Ways of minimizing these risks would then be ascertained and risk reduction procedures prioritized based on certain approaches. For these risk management approaches to be effective , it was ensured that they created some worth, were a fundamental part of the construction undertakings and formed part of supervisory management. They were to openly address improbabilities, be logical, well organized, comprehensive and consider individuals wellbeing. The control of the top ten risks involved in this project included activities such as arranging how the risks will be managed. This was to include risk management duties, actions and financial plans. A risk officer who in most cases is a team member was assigned. He was kept responsible of predicting possible project problems. A live project risk record was also maintained. In this record, each risk would have elements such as the opening date, name, short explanation, probability and significance. Risk reporting means were to be created whereby each project member was endowed with the task of reporting risks he foresees. Mitigation plans for risks that are to be controlled were prepared illustrating how a particular risk would be dealt with. Finally, planned and met threats, efficiency of the control activities and attempts made for risk management were summarized. Conclusion Risks directly decrease the productivity and knowledge of the employees, decreases expenses, good turn, brand value and character. Indefinable risk management permits risk management to create direct value from the pinpointing and reduction of risks that reduce productivity. If risks are inappropriately considered and prioritized, time can be washed out in dealing with loss risks that may not occur. Using a lot of time evaluating and managing unlikely risks can reroute resources that could be used more beneficially. Emergencies do occur and when they do, retaining the risk associated with it and dealing with the outcome is recommended. Senior managers should however avoid prioritization of risk management processes since these can prevent them from ever finishing a project or even commencing a project. They should control conflicts among the employees. Senior managers should also recognize that there is need for provision of incentives to reduce these risks. They should always be aware of risk problems and should always try to tackle some of these problems. Proper harmonization throughout the project period and good organizational communication should be enhanced. It is therefore clear that senior managers of this construction project should participate actively to control and manage the mentioned safety risks. References Bent, F. Nils, B. and Werner, R. (2003) Megaprojects and Risk: An Anatomy of Ambition. London: Cambridge University Press. Covello, V. Frederick, H. (1988) Seven Cardinal Rules of Risk Communication. Washington, DC: Environmental Protection Agency. Crockford, N. (1986) An Introduction to Risk Management (2 ed.). Cambridge: Woodhead-Faulkner, p.18. Dorfman, M. (2007) Introduction to Risk Management and Insurance (9 ed.), Englewood Cliffs, N.J: Prentice Hall. Hubbard, D, (2009) The F ailure of Risk Management: Why It’s Broken and How to Fix It, NY: John Wiley Sons, P 46. Roehrig, P. (2006) Bet On Governance To Manage Outsourcing Risk. Business Trends Quarterly, (1) 5-6. This report on Project Safety Risk Management Plan was written and submitted by user Malaysia Cortez to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Free Essays on Narrative In The Life Of Frederick Douglass

Frederick Douglass himself wrote the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave. He was born into slavery in Tuckahoe, Maryland in approximately 1817. He has, "†¦no accurate knowledge of my age, never having seen any authentic record containing it" (47). Having himself been kept as a slave until he escaped from Maryland in 1838, he was able to deliver very impassioned speeches about the role of the slave holders and the slaves. Many Northerners tried to discredit his tales, but no one was ever able to disprove his statements. Frederick Douglass does offer a biased review of slavery, as he was born into it, yet even in his bias he is able to detect and detail the differences in the slaveholders cruelty and that to which he was subjected. From being whipped and humiliated daily, "a very severe whipping†¦ for being awkward" (101), to being able to find his own work and save some money, he is able to give the reader a more true picture of slavery. Frederick Douglass has woven many themes into his narrative, all being tied with a common thread of man’s inhumanity towards man. Children were uprooted from the arms of their mothers, and sold to other slaveholders. Brutal whippings occurred for even the smallest imagined offense, women were treated as no better than common concubines and the slaves were forced into living quarters, worse than some of the farm animals. The slaves were not allowed even the most meager portion of food to last a month. Clothes were scarce and illness was never tolerated. It was unthinkable for the slaves to practice any type of religion, hold any gatherings, become literate to any degree, "unlawful†¦ unsafe, to teach a slave to read" (78) or even make the simple decision of when to eat and sleep. One of the themes that the book dealt with is society and it’s handling of slavery under the guise of Christianity. Those who professed to being the most Christian, was ac... Free Essays on Narrative In The Life Of Frederick Douglass Free Essays on Narrative In The Life Of Frederick Douglass Frederick Douglass himself wrote the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave. He was born into slavery in Tuckahoe, Maryland in approximately 1817. He has, "†¦no accurate knowledge of my age, never having seen any authentic record containing it" (47). Having himself been kept as a slave until he escaped from Maryland in 1838, he was able to deliver very impassioned speeches about the role of the slave holders and the slaves. Many Northerners tried to discredit his tales, but no one was ever able to disprove his statements. Frederick Douglass does offer a biased review of slavery, as he was born into it, yet even in his bias he is able to detect and detail the differences in the slaveholders cruelty and that to which he was subjected. From being whipped and humiliated daily, "a very severe whipping†¦ for being awkward" (101), to being able to find his own work and save some money, he is able to give the reader a more true picture of slavery. Frederick Douglass has woven many themes into his narrative, all being tied with a common thread of man’s inhumanity towards man. Children were uprooted from the arms of their mothers, and sold to other slaveholders. Brutal whippings occurred for even the smallest imagined offense, women were treated as no better than common concubines and the slaves were forced into living quarters, worse than some of the farm animals. The slaves were not allowed even the most meager portion of food to last a month. Clothes were scarce and illness was never tolerated. It was unthinkable for the slaves to practice any type of religion, hold any gatherings, become literate to any degree, "unlawful†¦ unsafe, to teach a slave to read" (78) or even make the simple decision of when to eat and sleep. One of the themes that the book dealt with is society and it’s handling of slavery under the guise of Christianity. Those who professed to being the most Christian, was ac...

The Prohibition of Mixed Marriages Act in South Africa

The Prohibition of Mixed Marriages Act in South Africa The Prohibition of Mixed Marriages Act (no. 55 of 1949) was one of the first pieces of apartheid legislation enacted after the National Party came to power in South Africa in 1948. The Act banned marriages between â€Å"Europeans and non-Europeans,† which, in the language of the time, meant that white people could not marry people of other races. It also made it a criminal offense for a marriage officer to perform an interracial marriage ceremony. Justification and Aims of the Laws The Prohibition of Mixed Marriages Act did not, however, prevent other so-called mixed marriages between non-white people. Unlike some other key pieces of apartheid legislation, this act was designed to protect the â€Å"purity† of the white race rather than the separation of all races. Mixed marriages were rare in South Africa before 1949, averaging fewer than 100 per year between 1943 and 1946, but the National Party explicitly legislated to keep non-whites from infiltrating the dominant white group by intermarriage. Both the Prohibition of Mixed Marriages Act and the Immorality Act of 1957 were based on then-active United States segregation laws. It was not until 1967 that the first U.S. Supreme Court case rejecting miscegenation laws (Loving v. Virginia) was decided. Apartheid Marriage Law Opposition While most white South Africans agreed that mixed marriages were undesirable during apartheid, there was opposition to making such marriages illegal. In fact, a similar act had been defeated in the 1930s when the United Party was in power. It was not that the United Party  supported interracial marriages. Most were vehemently opposed to any interracial relations. Led by Prime Minister Jan Christiaan Smuts (1919–1924 and 1939–1948), the United Party thought that the strength of public opinion against such marriages was sufficient for preventing them. They also said there was no need to legislate interracial marriages since so few happened anyway, and as South African sociologist and historian Johnathan Hyslop has reported, some even stated that making such a law insulted white women by suggesting they would marry black men. Religious Opposition to the Act The strongest opposition to the act, however, came from the churches. Marriage, many clerics argued, was a matter for God and churches, not the state. One of the key concerns was that the Act declared that any mixed marriages â€Å"solemnized† after the Act was passed would be nullified. But how could that work in churches that did not accept divorce? A couple could be divorced in the eyes of the state and married in the eyes of the church. These arguments were not enough to stop the bill from passing, but a clause was added declaring that if a marriage was entered into in good faith but later determined to be â€Å"mixed† then any children born to that marriage would be considered legitimate even though the marriage itself would be annulled. Why Didn’t the Act Prohibit All Interracial Marriages? The primary fear driving the Prohibition of Mixed Marriages Act was that poor, working-class white women were marrying people of color. In actual fact, very few were. In the years before the act, only roughly 0.2–0.3% of marriages by Europeans were to people of color, and that number was declining. In 1925 it had been 0.8%, but by 1930 it was 0.4%, and by 1946 it was 0.2%. The Prohibition of Mixed Marriages Act was designed to protect white political and social dominance by preventing a handful of people from blurring the line between white society and everyone else in South Africa. It also showed that the National Party was going to fulfill its promises to protect the white race, unlike its political rival, the United Party, which many thought had been too lax on that issue. Anything taboo, however, can become attractive, just by virtue of being forbidden. While the Act was rigidly enforced, and the police endeavored to root out all illicit interracial relations, there were always a few people who thought that crossing that line was well worth the risk of detection. Repeal By 1977, opposition to these laws was growing in the still white-led South African government, dividing members of the liberal party during the government of Prime Minister John Vorster (Prime Minister from 1966–1978, president from 1978–1979). A total of 260 people were convicted under the law in 1976 alone. Cabinet members were divided; liberal members backed laws offering power-sharing arrangements to nonwhites while others, including Vorster himself, decidedly did not.  Apartheid was in its painfully slow decline. The Prohibition of Mixed Marriages Act, along with the related Immorality Acts which prohibited extra-marital interracial sexual relations, was repealed on June 19, 1985. The set of apartheid laws were not abolished in South Africa until the early 1990s; a democratically elected government was finally established in 1994.   Sources Curbs on Interracial Sex and Marriage Divide South African Leaders. The New York Times, July 8, 1977.  Dugard, John. Human Rights and the South African Legal Order. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1978.Furlong, Patrick Joseph.  The Mixed Marriages Act: a historical and theological study.  Cape Town: University of Cape Town, 1983.Higgenbotham, A. Leon Jr., and Barbara K. Kopytof. Racial purity and interracial sex in the law of colonial and antebellum Virginia. Georgetown Law Review 77(6):1967-2029. (1988–1989).  Hyslop, Jonathan, â€Å"White Working-Class Women and the Invention of Apartheid: Purified Afrikaner Nationalist Agitation for Legislation against Mixed Marriages, 1934-9† Journal of African History 36.1 (1995) 57–81.Jacobson, Cardell K., Acheampong Yaw Amoateng, and Tim B. Heaton. Inter-Racial Marriages in South Africa. Journal of Comparative Family Studies 35.3 (2004): 443-58.Sofer, Cyril. â€Å"Some Aspects of  Inter-racial  Marriage s in South Africa, 1925–46,†Ã‚  Africa,  19.3  (July 1949): 193. Wallace Hoad, Neville, Karen Martin, and Graeme Reid (eds.). Sex and Politics in South Africa: The Equality Clause / Gay Lesbian Movement / the Anti-Apartheid Struggle. Juta and Company Ltd, 2005.Prohibition of Mixed Marriages Act, 1949. (1949). Wikisource.

International Influences to Democratization Essay

International Influences to Democratization - Essay Example It is a government by the people and for the people. As opposed to authoritative regimes, a democratic government is more open and more responsive to the needs of the people. It is a government in which the cities are involved in the process of democratization. The process of achieving a democratic regime is not that smooth and sometimes it may even involved shedding of blood. Democracy cannot take place overnight and that is why it has taken many countries in the world a lot of time to come up with a democratic regieme. There is also a factor of the vested individual interest in every regime which makes it hard to achieve opening in a government. In may cases democracy has been achieved throngs the influence of the internals community and not from the process of internal democratization. Although internal democratization unconsidered to be the best form democratization, sometimes it is hard to achieve due to the clout of few individual who want to maintain their vested interest in the governments that they are running. That is why the process of democratization has remained to be different in different parts of the world depending on the influence of the international community. (Keane 2000, p. 39) As the wave of globalization brings that world to a global village, there are more openings in the government which has been enabled by the increased flow of information from one place to another, government have become more exposed to the scrutiny of the world and they have been gauged by the way they are having open regimes. One of the critical issues of democracy in nations has been the respect of human rights. In this case there have been class for the need to observe international human rights. Democracy has been marked by some key factors which are concerns of human nature. For example the respect of human rights has been used as one of the most important gauge to measure the level of democracy in a nation. Presence of free and fair poll which elect leaders of the country has been used as another gauge of democracy. The electoral process and the ability to meet the needs of the citizens is one of the most important factor that signify how open and democratic the country is rules. (Currain 2006, p. 69) Democracy is based on institutions. Therefore its the way a country formulate institution that will help it uphold the above said principles of democracy that will determine how it will be able to have democratic regime. This is one of the reasons why the process of democracy takes a long time to achieve and why it may need the influence of the international community. Institution like the election commission or any other body which is free from the executive or the legislative arm of the government is very important to ensure that a democratic regime is put in place. A democratic regime should also be able to uphold the principles of rule of law. This means that it should have a constitution in place the will effectively serve the needs of the people. A condition is the most important tool or institution as is used to uphold the principles of democracy in a country. The judicially system should be fair and free from the influence of the executive which will help it to rule the count ry according to the principles of the rule of law. (Rita 2000, p. 64) Comparative democratization in

The overall importance of the Millenium Development Goals project Essay

The overall importance of the Millenium Development Goals project - Essay Example The Millennium Summit was offered with the details of the Secretary General. The Millennium Forum set further contribution, which gathered delegates of more than 1000 non-governmental as well as civil society establishments from over 100 nations. The Forum gathered during May 2000 to wrap up a two year discussion procedure covering topics such as poverty eradication, ecological safeguard, constitutional rights and safety of the helpless. The sanction of the Millennium Development Goals Project was perhaps the most important result of the Millennium meeting. Within the area of harmony and defence, the implementation of the Brahimi account was perceived as appropriately preparing the association to achieve the authorizations provided by the Security Council (Feeny & Clarke, p. 173, 2009). â€Å"The Millennium Development Goals† (Tankut, p. 76, 2009) derived from the Millennium Declaration generated by the United Nations. The Declaration emphasizes that all human beings has the r ight to solemnity, independence, equal opportunity, an essential level of comfort that incorporates autonomy from starvation and aggression, and supports broad-mindedness as well as harmony. The Millennium Development Goals Project were prepared to ‘operationalize’ these plans by setting aims and signs for poverty decline with the intention of achieving the constitutional rights laid down in the Declaration on a set fifteen year timeline (Tankut, p. 76, 2009). Nonetheless, the Millennium Declaration was just part of the starting points of the Millennium Development Goals Programs. It came about from not only the United Nations but as well the â€Å"Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund† (Buvinic et al, p. 221, 2008). The setting took place by a sequence of UN-led conventions in the 1990s concentrating on concerns such as kids, diet, constitutional rights, women and others. On the side of t he Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, there was a disapproval regarding the fall of international Official Development Assistance by most important benefactors. With the beginning of the UN's 50th anniversary, then UN Secretary saw the requirement to deal with the number of advancement concerns. By this time, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development had already created its International Development Goals and it was shared with the UN's attempts during the World Bank's 2001 conference to shape the Millennium Development Goals Programs (United Nations - Halving Hunger, p. 82, 2005). The Millennium Development Goals Programs concentrate on three most important areas of Human progress: strengthening human capital, recovering infrastructure, and boosting communal, financial and political privileges with most of the focus heading in the direction of rising essential standards of living. The aims selected in the human capital focus take account of recov ering nourishment, healthcare and schooling. For the infrastructure focus, the aims take account of recovering infrastructure by means of increasing access to harmless drinking water, power and contemporary information and communication expertise; strengthening farm productivity by means of sustainable traditions; developing transportation infrastructure; and safeguarding the atmosphere (Spratt, p. 382, 2008). Finally, for the communal, financial as well as political rights focus, the aims t