Describe Your Favorite Time of the Year and Explain What Makes It Special.

Describe your favorite time of the year and explain what makes it special. My favorite time of the year is when I enjoy the most and have fun. The most delightful time of the year is also hanging out with your chums. To me that time of the year falls after winter vacations when the final year starts and the countdown begins for the examination. During this period of time there is a lot of work to do, cease our entire course and then sit in our homes for studying. But still I like this time because we are free from school and waking up early in the morning. And then the weak begins of our breakdown.Last day of school is the most memorable day of school in the whole of the year. Then the days arrives that every student fancies†¦. THE SUMMER BREAK!!! And that is because we get to sleep more. All of the students enjoy with their families and fast friends. People visit different places of their own beloved country and of other countries. Student’s hangs out, at different eatin g places; where they eat less and laugh’s a lot. Girls talk about different fashion icons and brands- gossip is their most akin topic. Boys like to talk about sports and superb cars. Beside these all enjoyment we have to do our holiday homework.That is also a sort of fun as it reminds you of school days and the cheers with buddies. The days follow in a simple row with more smiles and little tears. And then the count down begins again. The last day of holidays is the end of my favorite time of the year. School starts again and with new session and a bigger class, there is more work to do. And we may get a chance to make new friends and try to improve more in our studies than the last year. However, I do know that the days will fly by so fast that I will get to experience my favorite time of the year all over again. And try to make it more memorable than the past year. Words=340

Hospitals are Driving toward a Leaner Organization Essay

To obtain sustainable organizational efficiency and service quality, many hospitals have adopted an Open Systems Perspective by using â€Å"lean management† procedures borrowed from leading car manufacturers, in an effort to â€Å"reduce and remove waste from work processes†. These processes improved organizational efficiency reduced costs and provided better patient care. i What ‘seems’ to be the Problem: Secondary Symptoms Full waiting rooms, long wait times, inefficient use of supplies and budgets, needless stress and high mortality rate is feedback from the external environment that the hospitals are not meeting the needs of their stakeholders, or fitting in with their environment. Before adapting lean management processes, hospital staff and patients alike shared the burden of what appeared to be the inevitable consequences of health care delivery and a closed systems perspective.ii These problems are manifestations of organizational deficiencies which negatively affect the quality of patient care, the distribution of hospital resources and employee morale. The Real Reasons Hospitals are Facing Difficulties: Primary Problems The secondary symptoms are indicative of underlying issues, highlighting their poor organizational-environmental fitiii and the ineffectiveness of communication between Internal Subsystems.iv To a large extent hospitals have not adapted to their external environment nor have hospitals managed it effectively.v Hospital management, for example, has not adequately promoted the appropriate use of hospitals as opposed to family physicians. The departmentalization of hospitals has unintentionally caused a disconnection between internal subsystems. The lack of coordination between hospital management, physicians, hospital staff and patients prevents the flow and use of information within the organization. The ultimate result is that resources (staff, equipment, financial resources) are not allocated to their optimal use causing superfluous procedures and purchases.vi Solutions, Recommendations and Implementation Plan: Open Systems Perspective and Lean Management strategies will promote organizational efficiency and resolve the underlying problems. Steven L.  McShane explains that collaborative efforts between internal subsystems have proven to reduce the time, efforts and costs contributing to the primary problems. vii Hospitals can use information technology and incentives to staff to share information about where efficiencies can be realized. For example, those responsible for hospital purchases will be greatly assisted by pertinent information from those using the equipment and supplies. The strategy will be financial costly in the short to medium term as the costs associated with implementing such a system will not be compensated for until efficiencies realized over the long run exceed its cost. Furthermore, cost and effort may be required to change the organizational and departmental cultures within hospitals to foster the collaboration necessary for the exchange of information. Including hospital staff in decision making of management may also increase job satisfaction and morale. Efficiencies discovered through information sharing will take stress of budgets and savings may be allocated to areas in need of more resources. A second organizational fit strategy is to transfer resources from underutilized areas to areas in need of greater health care services. Hospitals have likely not allocated their resources to respond demographic changes. Transferring health care resources will almost certainly result in public discontent in areas from which some health care resources are removed. There is also a financial cost and time associated with transferring resources from one geographic area to another more needy one, such as construction costs. In the medium to long term, however, moving resources from areas where they are not needed to an underserviced environment increases efficiency which addresses long wait times, lower quality of care and higher mortality. A further strategy from the Open Systems perspective is to manage the environment by engaging and educating the public about how to more efficiently access health care services. Hospital management will be required, in pursuing this strategy, to spend resources on promotion and education which may exacerbate wait times and the other secondary problems discussed earlier. In the medium to long term, the more efficient use of hospital resources on those that truly require them and diverting other potential hospital users to the appropriate health care provider, such as a family physician, will necessarily alleviate wait times, increase quality of care and improve hospital budgets. Finally, from the internal sub-systems  perspective, through expending resources on gathering empirical data concerning the relationship between resources and health care outcomes, as well as developing and employing greater diagnostic testing, physical resources and time can be managed more efficiently. Hospital management must implement a system and allocate resources to data gathering and analysis. Physicians must participate in providing data and expertise. Through continuous improvement the benefits of not expending hospital resources superfluously may be realized in the medium to long term. These solutions will positively impact full waiting rooms, long wait times, inefficient use of supplies and budgets, needless stress and potentially contribute to a decrease in the mortality rate. This allows hospitals to better fit and manage their environment.

Cultural Imperialism in the Film Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom Essay

Cultural Imperialism in the Film Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom - Essay Example The history of immigration to the United States and their contribution to succeeding generations of American-born racial groups are indispensable in United States' social, economic, political, and cultural history.By 1870, a huge flood of Chinese immigrants (8.6 % of the total populace of California forming 25% of the labor force) arrived in the U.S., mainly on the West coast between the beginning of the California gold rush in 1849 and 1882, until the U.S. Congress ratified federal law in 1882 to avert Chinese immigrants from coming in or staying in the U.S. ... Â  government policy that excluded or limited by quota immigration by Japanese, Filipinos and the whole range of peoples from Asian nations by an agreement called the Gentlemen's agreement (The Chinese Exclusion Act, lehigh.edu). It was an accord between the United States and Japan in 1907 making Japan to end the migration of its workers to the United States and t United States stopping to victimize the Japanese living in the United States. This accord ended in 1924 by the act of Congress ruling out immigration from Japan, as immigration from China had been earlier prohibited (Gentleman's Agreement, multied.com). Â  Academics like Carol Gigliotti consider that all artistic decisions and expressions essentially have a moral implication. Therefore, Spielberg's action-adventure movie(To critics, like Daniel Griffin, it is more like a pasty Tarzan film rather than an action movie of old westerns genre, or, superhero serials, and war pictures), Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom is not just an escapist fiction movie but a post-colonial distortion of Indian culture and traditions. So, modern India is demonstrated here as immature, sub-human and crude "reality" forcefully, credibly, and intentionally built by Spielberg (Kotwal, The Film Journal). Â  Edward Said's definition of the Orient and its relation to the West, mainly Europe, consist s of matters concerning the Settler and the settled. Said studies the upshots of the colonized when the colonizer goes away. He examines the mind of the colonized already looted of its economic, social, cultural, religious, political, historical bases and future potential, in absence of the colonizer.

Social Theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Social Theory - Essay Example 66). Marx argues that there is a relation between ideas and material activity in society. The different ways of production thus determines relations. For example, in modern capitalist societies such as Britain, labour is valued and is exchanged voluntarily with wages so as to earn a living because the society is based on exchange of commodities and labour. All labour that is not used for producing commodities for exchange such as housework is valueless and is not accounted for in national income calculations as it does not add any value. The manner of production also divides the society into classes with one class being dominant and the other subordinate. In a society based on exchange, the bourgeoisie or capitalist is the owner of means of production hence is dominant and the wage labourer is subordinate. Contrary to Hegel’s perception that ideas were the forces in history, Marx argues that ‘ideas and beliefs symbolize our economic and class relations and experiences we have with others in society’ (Morrison, 2006 p. 66). He also acknowledges that the political economy develops in stages through historical events. In the critique of the political economy, they explained how economy moved from feudalism to capitalism as a result of English civil war which dismantled it thus putting land under private ownership. Serfs were separated from means of production hence were forced to offer their labour to owners of the means of production (Gaunt, 2000).Using the labour, the capitalists transform raw materials into finished products with own forces of production and become owners of the products. Labour in this case is transformed from its use-value into a commodity and become labour power which has an exchange value. They criticized the work of Adam Smith and Ricardo who were advocates of capitalism and were of the view that capitalist society is governed by fixed economic laws and that value was inherent in commodities. For Marx, consumption and p roduction were related contrary to Smiths assertion that they were independent. He also saw commodities as not having value as they had two uses; consumption and exchange in the market. If a commodity is not for use as in feudal society, then value is obtained when it is exchanged in the market thus the labourers lose ability to freely employ means of production and have no control of the product (Morrison, 2006). The system of exchange thus determines the relations of production in capitalist societies. The exchange of labour according to Marx is a historically developed system of division of labour from family labour which only had use value to capitalism where labour power is exchanged for wages and that in future, labour would be free where one would work according to his needs. In Britain, the products produced by wage labourers are exchanged in the market and so as to measure value, the monetary system was introduced such that price actualizes the exchange-value instead of exc hanging goods with other goods or with gold. However, prices are affected by other factors involved in the activity of exchange such as input prices. Marx acknowledges that wage labour is a form of exploitation (Marx & Engel, 2002). Wage labourers produce surplus value which Marx defined as the proportion of unpaid, surplus labour workers perform for their employer to the necessary labour workers pe

Extracurricular activties Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Extracurricular activties - Essay Example However, some of the private schools make extracurricular activities mandatory so as to create a more â€Å" well rounded student† (Allen 56-58). This seems to contradict the main definition of extra-curricular activities which are meant to be voluntary, but it is also an obligation for all the students to participate in an extracurricular activity of their choice. Extra curricular activities have positive effects on the student’s creativity, behavior and enhanced racial and economic diversity, but technology has negatively impacted student participation and some of the students feel left out of these activities. There are numerous benefits that students can get from extracurricular activities. These are the activities that students participate in but do not fall into the realm of normal curriculum activities. The extracurricular activities are totally voluntary so students that do not want to participate in them to not have to. They allow students to apply the knowledg e that they have learned and acquire new concepts from these activities. The positive effect of extracurricular activities includes good behavior, better grades in school and positive attitude towards life. Students who participate is extracurricular activities have reduced behavior problems. ... Extra curricular activities offer an open opportunity for anybody to portray his or her own skills in any the clubs that they enroll in. The students who indulge in such activities come from different ethnic and racial backgrounds. It is through in this platform that these people are able to interact with each other so that they can share some of their cultural background with one another (Barbieri 45-48). For example, a football team can have players who come from different ethnic and racial backgrounds but are able to play together as a team. Extra curricular activities helps to embrace cultural diversity as people from different cultures are able to enjoy the one thing that brings them together. The extracurricular activities that may be offered at a certain school may require the students who participate to meet certain requirements (Rugg 34-35). For example, to be able to join the debate club, you need to be a good orator, to be able to join football or rugby or football, you ne ed to be physically fit and masculine : these are just but of the few extracurricular activities that require the participants to meet certain standards. This makes some of the students who would want to join this clubs but not meet the requirements needed feel left out of some of the extracurricular activities and are forced to be spectators. Conversely, some of the students who join some of these clubs may face discrimination or ridicule and end up giving up any extracellular activities. The technological advancement that has been witnessed around the world is phenomenal. Virtually, every student has frequent access to the either a computer device or the internet. However, this has greatly affected the

Molecular Basis of Disease Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Molecular Basis of Disease - Lab Report Example Staining is one of the techniques used in the characterization of cancer cells. The most commonly used staining methods and Hematoxylin and Eosin staining. Generally the two methods have been used to differentiate between the nucleus and the cytoplasm of cells. Hematoxylin stains the nucleus purple while Eosin stains the cytoplasms pink. Cancer cells can also be stained particularly to differentiate them from other cells. However, it is imperative to note that there are preparation processes that should take place in order for tissue staining to be specific and relevant (Ahmed, 2007, p.490). Histopathology is a technique that involves the studying of disease development in tissues at the microscopic level. In medicine histopathology refers to the examination of tissue biopsies that have already been prepared through histological techniques and placed on glass slides. The histological techniques used in sample preparation are tissue harvesting, fixation, embedding, mounting and staini ng of the tissue sections. Tissue harvesting: it involves the surgical removal of the tissue followed fixing to ensure that the tissue is stable and that it does not decay. Fixation: two methods are used; chemical fixation and freeze fixation. Chemical fixation is done using formalin while freeze fixation is done using cryo-protectants such as OCT, TBS or Cryogel before freezing. Mounting: Tissues are placed in paraffin before being sectioned using a microtome before they are stained. Staining: The processed tissues are stained for viewing under a microscope. Objectives I. To prepare low and high power drawings of normal skin, breast and colon tissues. II. To prepare low and high power drawings of one diseased skin specimen or one diseased colon specimen. III. To prepare low power diagrams of all three diseased breast tissue specimens IV. To answer the relevant questions in the practical manual Materials I. Light microscope. II. Blank plain paper. III. Pencil IV. Specimens: a) Colon - Normal human - Polyposis b) Skin - Normal human - Basal cell carcinoma - Malignant Melanoma - Squamous cell carcinoma c) Breast - Normal human - Lobular hyperplasia - Fibrodenoma Methods Human Colon The slide was held up to the light and the darker purple staining layer of the gastric mucosa (inner most layer of colon) identified. The slide was then place on the stage so that the inner layer of the colon was on top. The upper edge of the specimen was then focused under low power magnification of the microscope (X40) and the following areas identified: gastric mucosa, muscularis mucosa, sub-mucosa and muscularis. After the major layers had been identified, the following layers were labeled: mucosa, colonic glands, gastric pits, sub-mucosa, muscularis mucosa (inner and outer layers) and blood vessels. A high power drawing of the gastric mucosa was the prepared and the following labeled: surface epithelium, colonic glands, goblet cells and lymphoid follicles. The same procedure was repeated for diseases colon cells and the differences between tissue specimens identified. Human Skin The slide was held up to the light to identify the outer layer of the skin. The slide was then placed on the stage so that the surface of the skin was positioned on top. The upper edge of the specimen was focused under low

History of capitalization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

History of capitalization - Essay Example Neo-colonialism (that flourished after the 16th century) is just another name for Western influence by means of political, military and ‘economics’ of the third world (Naipaul 3). The European merchants benefitted a lot from the colonialism as the sub-states depended so much on their European masters; the African colonies are the best examples of this dependency (Naipaul 75) that nurtured Merchant Capitalism. People were buying things they didn’t need but they lacked the skill and knowledge to make things that people (especially in African colonies) (Naipaul 54) and the merchants capitalized on this. Africa wasn’t the only colony that gave a boost to Merchant Capitalism, the Indian subcontinent was once the capital of world trade. During the 17th century, the world trade was governed by Mercantile Capitalism, and the Indian subcontinent was the busiest workshop of the world. That place alone contributed to nearly a quarter of global manufacturing output (Ro bins 61). Considering what mercantilism means, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that various trading houses in India governed by people such as Amir Chand and Jagat Seth were wealthier than East India Company (Robins 65), which had huge military support and connections. The East India Company (a monopoly corporation) was an essential part of England’s commercial armory (Robins 48). This company alone revolutionized the whole business pattern of the world. Other than capitalizing on merchant trade, this company was accompanied by the British navy and headed by a brilliant Merchant brain, Sir Josiah Child. Just like other successful merchants of the world, Child believed that wealth lies in extracting as much as possible from the landed regions (Robins 48). India was known as the golden sparrow of the world and the East India Company had caught this bird and was enjoying the benefits. Child believed not only in military dominance but in commercial conquest abroad (Robins 49); the typical merchant business strategy. He traded with Mughals and got the better part of the trade by taking Bengal (Robins 49). Despite the fact that Mercantile Capitalism enjoyed world domination for centuries but like all other business tactics, time makes them old and they get replaced by a newer and a better one. By the end of eighteenth century, neo-colonialism didn’t remain as strong as it once used to be and lost its sparkle and with it went down the mercantile capitalism and the world witnessed the dawn of Industrial Capitalism. With the start of the nineteenth century, great revolutions in Industrial field manifested and formed the basis for factory culture. Machines such as spinning jenny and cotton gin ruled the manufacturing grounds and produced remarkable results in terms of efficient output. As opposed to Mercantile Capitalism, the new trade strategy focused more on capital intensive market rather than going for labor intensive flea markets. Less labor me ant more machine work, and this is where people like Walter Shewhart and Eli Whitney come in. They revolutionized the trade with their great inventions (Green 74). Industrial machines such as spinning wheel, Spinning Jenny, Handloom and Power Loom etc., brought industry and trade to new heights. Productivity skyrocketed, and thus came mass production at lower prices. Technology wasn’t the only player in revolutionizing the trade; business practices played a huge part in it. Andrew Carnegie’s name will always be remembered in business reformation. Born in

The Drivers of Chinese Businesses Strategy for Expansion into Nigeria Dissertation

The Drivers of Chinese Businesses Strategy for Expansion into Nigeria - Dissertation Example The political and economic hardships that faced China at that time qualified it to be an implausible partner of development. Moreover, subsequent to the policies of Deng Xiaoping of the 1970s and1980s, Chinese spectacular innovation and intensification, industrial attendant and demands of market expansion, plunged it into inevitable contact with the African continent (Utomi 2012:1). Its fresh extended presence provided a relationship viewed by several stakeholders as a substitute and replica of Western partnerships. In fact, the augmenting presence of China in Africa, and particularly in Nigeria has elicited a lot of issues concerning the rising relation’s model. A national discussion across sectors upon that relationship would be a practice which is healthy and may impel additional scrutiny (Taylor 2012: 111). In point of fact, viewpoints in Nigeria are far from forming a balance between the motives of China, the budding rivalry with Western associates or renewed collaboration possibilities between new and old partners. The focus of this proposal is the drivers of Chinese business strategy for expansion into Nigeria. The study is grounded on cross-examining the officials of the Nigerian government, business people, and the private sector. The broad purpose of this research proposal is to explore the drivers of Chinese business strategy for expansion into Nigeria. In this scenario, China uses clever tactics to create room for expanding business operations in Nigeria. On the other hand, Nigeria benefits when the Chinese involve themselves in foreign direct investment. In comparison to Nigeria’s conventional Western business partners, China seems to have better terms, thus gaining more ground in Nigeria.

The title to be used when submitting this assignment is Materiality in Essay

The title to be used when submitting this assignment is Materiality in Auditing - Essay Example Therefore, an auditor has to set a materiality level for important and vital aspects of the audit in order to concentrate and focus on the areas that are important and necessary. The Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) defines materiality as â€Å"the magnitude of an omission or misstatement of an accounting information that, in the light of the surrounding circumstances, makes it probable that the judgement of a reasonable person relying on the information will have been changed or influenced by the omission or misstatement† (Johnstone, et al., 2013 p268) This implies that materiality is about the important issues and matters which when overlooked, will cause the financial statement to be overly misleading. Therefore, in the auditing context, materiality involves a situation whereby the auditor examines and reviews important things in his analysis of the financial statements in order to ensure that the opinion they pass on the financial statement are valid and reliable. Materiality affects sample sizes and determines whether the financial statement needs adjustments or not, and it represents the difference between a qualified and an unqualified report (Bagshaw & Selwood, 2013). This shows how the auditor can estimate the levels of issues that matter and then define the way and manner in which work can be distributed and conducted throughout the entire audit. This therefore means that materiality informs an auditor of which aspects of the financial statement amounts are to be given certain levels of attention. This gives the auditor guidelines on how to evaluate and analyse things and the extent to which focus should be given to certain components of the financial statement. Materiality is to be defined on a case-by-case basis. It involves the integration of professional judgement. It is done by examining the entire financial statement as a whole and this will help the

Assimilation, pluralism, and multiculturalism models, and include Essay

Assimilation, pluralism, and multiculturalism models, and include their historical timelines - Essay Example In this instance, the groups maintain their elements of their identities such as their culture, language and their other form of cultural practices or the traditions. Pluralists in this instance, believe that they can only allow intermingling of their culture with the modern aspects of life. Such aspects include education, music, art, history, cuisine and other relevant aspects of life (Suarez-Orozco, Suarez-Orozco, & Qin-Hillard, 2010). It refers to the evolution of the diversity of culture within a given limit that took place in the past. The evolution of the culture was under the influence of the selection, institution, and the settlement policies. It entails the conjunction of two or more groups due to the demographic features that surround them. The Hispanics regarded themselves as not the same as the Americans’ while some of them could speak both English and Spanish could not fully assimilate into the American culture. Hispanics were also more liberal and conservative in comparisons to the Americans decided not get assimilated into the American culture (GarciÃÅ', 2005). The relationship between these people and the natives was very worse. It was not possible for them to socialize with the natives since there was a lot of racial discrimination regarding their skin culture. Almost in all sectors in the United States, these people never interacted with the natives or the real American citizens by birth. As such, they ended up, not getting assimilated into American culture (Suarez-Orozco, Suarez-Orozco, & Qin-Hillard, 2010). The wave of the assimilation that was to occur for the Native Americans was to undergo the assimilation that involves the acceptance of the foreign culture from the Europeans. The foreigners were at those times majorly the colonialists in the country. Europe agitated for a standard form of education system all over the world, but the Americans believed that theirs was more superior and decided to follow

Google Car Essay Example for Free

Google Car Essay Google Car: In the paper, the point of view will be Google’s. Questions that will be answered in the paper including but not limited to the economical and technical viability for Google to produce Google car in a large scale, reasons that Google will succeed or fail, the best strategy for Google to adopt. For the industry analysis, Porter’s five forces (Appendix 1) will be used to explore the environment of the automobile industry and if Google will be able to enter the industry and produce automobiles on its own. The financials of Google will also be analyzed to prove if it is economically capable of investing enough capitals in the system and manufacturing automobiles. A SWOT analysis and discussion of the competitive advantages of Google will also be included to examine the internal capability of Google. Since the idea of a Google Car was introduced, the reviews have been polarized. here are plenty of positive comments about Google Car. Google’s strong and enormous database, especially data on maps is greatly applauded and trusted to be useful and essential in developing the driverless car. On the other hand, there are skeptics who question Google’s ability to produce the automobiles because car building requires certain expertise that Google does not have. In addition, pressures from automobile manufactures, unions and insurance companies might hinder the certain legislations of manufacturing driverless cars to be approved by Congress. The actions that Google should take to rebut the doubts that public and critics have about the functions, utility, safety, etc. about the car will also suggested in the paper. The most crucial question that the paper will try to answer is what is the optimal strategy that Google should do with Google Car. There are many possible outcomes including allying with an automobile manufacturer, purchasing a manufacturer, selling the technology of its driverless car system to interested manufacturers. All three strategies will be discussed and one final solution will be suggested for Google. Sources: 1. Muller, Joann. â€Å"Will Google Kill The Auto Industry? No, And Heres Why†. Forbes.com, January 25th, 2013. Accessed April 2nd,2013. http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?sid=00fae55e-c3c5-4b78-bd6e-326f38265257%40sessionmgr10vid=2hid=23bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=bthAN=85142822 2. Academic Minds (2012). Automotive Industry Analysis-GM,DaimlerChrysler, Toyota, Ford, Honda. Accessed November 27th, 2012 from: http://academicmind.com/unpublishedpapers/business/management/2004-11-000aaa-automotive-industry-analysis.html 3. IBIS World (2012). IBIS World-Car and Automotive Manaufacturing. Accessed November 26th, 2012. http://clients1.ibisworld.com/reports/us/industry/default.aspx?entid=826 4. Investopedia (2012). The Industry Handbook: Automobiles. Accessed November 26th, 2012. http://www.investopedia.com/features/industryhandbook/automobile.asp#axzz2D0aOFEIL 5. Helft, Miguel, â€Å"Larry Page looks ahead†. Fortune, 00158259, 1/14/2013, Vol. 167, Issue 1. Accessed on March 29th, 2013. http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?sid=dac8d930-8af3-40fa-91e3-71f73362d61a%40sessionmgr111vid=2hid=121bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=bthAN=85623367 6. Brown, Alan S. â€Å"Google’s Autonomous car applies lessons learned from driverless races†. Mechanical Engineering. Feb. 2011. Accessed 29th March,2013 http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=405dc68c-19c8-4554-addd-6e6b7371c8fa%40sessionmgr11vid=6hid=10 7. Higgins, Tim. â€Å"Will driverless cars become the new road rage?† Bloomberg Businessweek. December 1st, 2011. Accessed on 1st April. http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/will-driverless-cars-become-the-new-road-rage-12012011.html 8. Brown, Jerry. â€Å"California legalizes driverless cars† Electronics Weekly. October, 2012. Accessed 1st April. 2013. http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?sid=405dc68c-19c8-4554-addd-6e6b7371c8fa%40sessionmgr11vid=5hid=10bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=bthAN=82337032 9. Knapp, Alex. â€Å"Nevada passes regulations for driverless cars†. February, 2012. Accessed 1st April. 2013 http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?sid=405dc68c-19c8-4554-addd-6e6b7371c8fa %40sessionmgr11vid=5hid=10bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=bthAN=71870057 Appendix 1: Preliminary Industry Analysis A. Competitive dynamics within the industry The automobile manufacturing industry t is often considered as an oligopoly, where there is a medium to high industry concentration and only a handful of key players exist: Toyota, General Motors, Ford Motor, Hyundai-Kia Automotive Group and Honda (IBIS World 2012). â€Å"Automakers compete primarily on the basis of price, fuel economy, reliability, styling and utility† (IBIS World 2012). B. Bargaining power of suppliers Due to the numerous parts that are required to produce an automobile, there are many suppliers in the supplying business and they are quite segmented, thus the bargaining power of suppliers in the automobile industry is extremely low. C. Bargaining power of customers In the automobile industry, customers hold medium amount of power. Consumers account for a significant or almost all of the industry’s outputs and revenues, and there is low cost involved in switching, the companies have to accommodate their tastes and needs. There are numerous factors that can alter their buying decision: brands, appearances, quality, functions, environmental effects and prices. Due to different demographics of the consumers, the manufacturers have to produce various models with people’s different needs. D. Threat of New Entrants The threat of new entrants is low because there are high barriers to enter the industry. First of all, in order to be able to compete in the automobile industry, a company has to produce massively to achieve large economies of scales to make products accessible and competitive, and since it requires enormous amount of specialized and sophisticated capitals and manufacturing facilities and experienced workforce to mass-produce, there is a huge amount of upfront cost (Academic Minds 2012). In addition, not only the manufacturing startup cost is high, the cost of research and development View as multi-pages

Marriage at an Early Age Essay Example for Free

Marriage at an Early Age Essay Marriage is regarded as a moment of celebration and a milestone in adult life. The age at first marriage varies across the globe. Being married before the age of 18 has been a social norm in third world countries [refer to Appendix A]. The percentage of women being married before age 18 is estimated to be 20 to 50 percent in average in developing countries (Joyce, et al. , 2001). On the other hand, western countries are unlikely to experience the similar pattern of marriage. The marital union is normally delayed too long although this is the most apparent reason for the breakdown in sexual ethics (Orsi, 2001). Because of its wealth, western society chooses to marry later in life until they have built an adequate maturity in age, education and financial state. Nowadays, many international organizations have made an effort to reduce the number of early marriage worldwide (Yudkin and Robert, 1996). Many believe that the practice of early marriage can hinder self-development of young girls. However, in western countries, there are several efforts to promote young marriages (Orsi, 2001). They believe that early marriage should be looked as a platform to cultivate maturity together but not as an institution just for the grown-up individuals. As we are concern, early marriage is widely practice in developing countries hence a global issue has arisen as to whether early marriage does really hinder self development due to the consequences it brings to young girls. The practice is believed to bring several benefits to some extent. However, the adverse effects it brings can impede the self-development of young adolescences in many aspects including health consequences, character building and education as well as career opportunities. 2. 0Statistical Studies of Early Marriage This aspect highlights the prevalence of early marriage across the globe and the very reasons of early marriage especially in developing countries. This aspect is important to illustrate the situation regarding early marriage worldwide. 2. 1Prevalence of Young Marriage The practice of young marriage is most common in developing countries (United Nation Children’s Fund (UNICEF), 2001). According to Joyce (2001), an analysis of Demographic and Healthy Survey data shows that Latin America, Sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asian countries are having the most cases of early marriage. Of these countries that have high cases of young marriage, Niger is the leading country with 88 percent of the women married before age 18. Adapted From: Joyce, L. F. , et al. (2001). Future Options Foreclosed: Girls Who Marry Early. Reproductive Health and Rights. 139-143. Retrieved January 25, 2006, from the World Wide Web: http://www. path. org/files/RHR-Article-14. pdf. 2. 2Major Factors That Lead to Early Marriage The huge number of young marriage in developing countries is due to several reasons. Poverty is one of the major factors underpinning early marriage (Joyce, 2001). A young girl may be regarded as an economic burden for a family thus early marriage is looked as a strategy for economic survival. A current study of five very poor villages in Egypt shows that young girls are being married off to much older men from oil-rich Middle Eastern countries for family survival (UNICEF, 2001). Besides, early marriage is one way to ensure that a girl is protected from physical disturbance (UNICEF, 2001). Parents believe that their daughters are safer when they marry early as there is always a man to guard them. For instance, some families in Northern Uganda encourage the young girls to marry to militia members in order to secure protection (UNICEF, 2001). For third world countries, marriage shortly after puberty is common among those living traditional lifestyles (Joyce, 2001). The girls as early as 14 years old have to carry responsibilities as a wife. As it has become a social custom, the tradition is carried on from one generation to the next. 3. 0Opponents’ Views Against Early Marriage This aspect discusses some of the opponents’ views against early marriage. It mostly talks about the disadvantages of early marriage to the girls including the lack of education, health problems and psychosocial disadvantages. The arguments given agree that early marriage does hamper self-development. 3. 1 The Denial of Education The opponents believed that early marriage denies the right of young adolescents to the education they necessitate for self-development. In traditional societies, the investment in a girl’s education is thought to be wasted as the girl is going to marry and stay at home doing household chores (UNICEF, 2001). For instance, in Northern Nigeria, early marriage is the very reason girls are often withdrawing from school (UNICEF, 2001). Because of the early end of female education, they have limited opportunities to develop skills and acquire knowledge ‘that serve them well throughout their lives’ hence restricts their economic and career opportunities (Joyce, 2001). This is because withdrawal from school that results in illiterate and unskilled women will lead to no recognition in professional field. 3. 2 Health and Reproduction Problem The opponents also argued that early childbearing which always occurs in early marriage endanger the lives of both the mother and her baby (Joyce, 2001). The early pregnancy increases the risk of complications and dying during delivery. A report shows that the risk of death due to pregnancy-related cases is doubled among women aged 15 to 19 compared to adult women (Adhikari, 2006). They further stressed that these girls are also more susceptible to sexually-transmitted diseases (UNICEF, 2001). Hormonal fluctuations and permeability of vaginal tissues experienced by these girls can lead to infertility. Moreover, according to a study in Rwanda, 25 percent of women who were pregnant before 18 were infected with HIV although they only had sex with their husbands (UNICEF, 2001). 3. 3Psychosocial Disadvantages When early marriage takes place, the girls will confront with great emotional damage. Sociologists suggested that this is due to their confinement at home to do household chores hence their mobility is denied (UNICEF, 2001). Most of the girls are depressed with this situation that eventually affects their emotional well being. An Indian research conducted in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh found that the spouses of early marriage usually suffered from great psychosocial damage (UNICEF, 2001). Another concern raised by the opponents is that the young girl loses her social life outside family cycle and this has affected her chance of cultivating her own identity (UNICEF, 2001). The most important implication of this is that her self-esteem is silently hindered from being developed and this will make her vulnerable to sexual and physical violence. In Eastern Africa for instance, a young wife has no right to refuse sex to her husband even though her partner is suspected with HIV (UNICEF, 2001). 4. 0 Proponents’ Views on Early Marriage This part will enlighten several views that support early marriage in our society. This includes health benefits, social stability and character advantages. In this argument, early marriage is looked upon as a better practice than delayed marriage. 4. 1 Health Benefits The proponents believed that body functions are more effective and healthy at early stage in life. For women, the body is particularly geared towards reproduction during early adulthood (Orsi, 2001). Early marriage is beneficial because desire and energy from young couples also produce healthy offsprings. They also highlighted that later marriage has led to problematic births and birth defects. This can happen as the body is unlikely to negotiate any burden like pregnancy at a late age. Not surprisingly, later marriage which is always associated with cohabitation and premarital sex increase the risk of sexually-transmitted diseases (Orsi, 2001). The hazardous infections like HIV will spread widely if the practice of premarital sex has became a lifestyle. 4. 2 Early Marriage as a Solution to Cohabitation Another issue raised by the proponents is that the trend towards later marriage has led to a great social deterioration in the society in term of cohabitation. In the United States of America, cohabitation is more prevalent than other countries as the people choose to marry later in life (Henslin, 2005). A study found that cohabitation before marriage is the very reason for breaking up after they were married (Henslin, 2005). Besides that, the increasing case of cohabitation in the United States of America is clearly illustrated by the graph on the next page. Adapted From: Henslin, J. M. (2005). Cohabitation. Sociology- A Down to Earth Approach (2nd Ed. ). 468. Boston: Pearson, Allyn Bacon. They further argued that married couples including young spouses gain more benefits in terms of physical health, general happiness and longevity than cohabitants. This is proven from a study which was cited as strong evidence that cohabiting couples experienced the rate of depression three times more than married couple (Popenoe and Dafoe, 2006). . 3 Self-development Improvement It is also believed that early marriage helps in cultivating maturity. Early marriage is looked upon as a platform for young people to grow in maturity together. Moreover, they share experiences at an early age before egoism is deposited in their heart. This is important to ensure a successful marriage is established (Orsi, 2001). They further emphasized that early marriage is a natural institution to grow emotionally by everyday give and take at an early age. This foundation is hard to build later in life. Also, through The London Telegraph, Emma Besbrode has reported that individuals that are unmarried by early age are more vulnerable to depression and loneliness (Orsi, 2001). This unbalance in emotional development will lead to a stressful life. 5. 0 How Does Early Marriage Hamper Self-development? In this area, both arguments from proponents and opponents are being evaluated in terms of health, character building and education. This is important to determine whether the practice of early marriage does impede self-development. 5. 1 Health Aspect Health is a very important aspect in self-development of an individual. Early marriage greatly affect the health of young adolescents especially girls. Although women who marry later in life are also vulnerable to problematic birth, (Orsi, 2001) the girls who are particularly still growing up have to struggle with the risks associated with early pregnancies (UNICEF, 2001). This is because the physical features of the girls are not fully developed and therefore both the girls and their babies have to compete to obtain the necessary nutrients for themselves. This means that early marriage endangers both mother and her baby. Besides those, sexual intercourse that takes place at a very young age can enhance the risk of sexually-transmitted diseases (STD) (UNICEF, 2001). It is also true that STD can also infect unmarried people as well especially among cohabitants, but a recent study conducted in Rwanda shows that the younger the age at sexual intercourse, the higher the risk of STD (UNICEF, 2001). This proves that early marriage set off a poor cycle of health. 5. 2 Character Building Aspect Each and every individual has his/her own character. The practice of early marriage limits character development as a girl who marries early experiences less socialization outside her family cycle (UNICEF, 2001). This reduces her opportunities for building her own identity which is vital for her successful self-development. On the other hand, some individuals believe that early marriage is a stage for maturity to be acquired and it is not just for matured individuals (Orsi, 2001). However, it is not the case as these girls are affected by great emotional disturbance and depression. Inter-American researchers have discovered that these emotional consequences are ‘unavoidable part of life’ for those who choose to marry early (UNICEF, 2001). Therefore, it is clearly shown that early marriage does hinder personal development. 5. 3 Education and Intellect The importance of well-developed education is vital for an individual to survive. Since early marriage is the major reason for young adolescents to quit from school (Adhikari, 2006), it can restrict career prospects of a girl by limiting her chances to acquire important skills and knowledge. Without those qualities, the girl’s future seems to foreclose to any opportunities for economic survival. In fact, unemployment rates are higher for those who have limited education (Baker and Dryden, 1993). This is clearly illustrated from the table below. Unemployment Rate by Educational Attainment for 15 to 24 year-olds, Canada, 1991 Educational AttainmentUnemployment Rate 0 to 8 years29. 5 Some secondary education20. 7 High school graduation15. 7 Some post-secondary12. 6 Post-secondary certificate11. 7 University degree 8. 1 Total16. 2 Source: Baker, M. and Dryden, J. (1993). Patterns in Employment and Unemployment or Young People. Families in Canadian Society (2nd Ed. ). 93-94. Canada: McGraw-Hill Ryerson Limited. For those reasons, early marriage is proven to bring more harm than benefits. This practice consequently hampers one’s personal development. 6. 0 Conclusion The practice of early marriage in our society today does hinder personal development of individuals in terms of health, character building and intellectual qualities. First, a girl is more vulnerable to diseases and complications when sex intercourse takes place between the spouses occur at an early age. Early pregnancies followed by childbearing can also bring harm to the girl by increasing the risks of dying and problems during delivery. Apart from this, character building which is important to determine one’s unique identity will be affected as well when a girl enters marriage at a young age. The loss of mobility and social life due to the early marriage will result in lack of self esteem and great emotional damage. In addition, limited education is obvious among those who marry early. In the long run, this lack of schooling will restrict economic and career prospect in the future because withdrawal from school means no qualifications and recognition. This will foreclose the future options of one’s self. Therefore, the practice of early marriage is proven to hinder personal development and should be reduced among young adolescents especially in developing countries with high incidence of young marriage. Effective steps should be executed by international organization to reduce the number of this practice worldwide. For instance, each country should rise up the legal age for marriage. Besides that, education should be promoted among young couples so that they acquire adequate level of education for their future. Although it is difficult to reduce the number, by helping the young spouses with their life, it more or less, reduces the burden they carry.

Making Preschool a Supportive Environment

Making Preschool a Supportive Environment Childcare – Making A Pre-School Setting A Supportive And Safe Environment Introduction Section 1 explores the variety of pre-school providers and summarises the services they provide. Section 2 investigates how children develop. Section 3 examines the strategies pre-school providers need to implement in order to meet the requirements of the Foundation Stage Curriculum. Section 1 – Early Years: Where Your Child Can Learn There is a wide variety of early years’ education and childcare available for young children. It is best to check out the different providers in your area to see what services and facilities they provide. A great deal of learning and development takes place before the age of five, and your child can learn in a number of settings. These include: Nursery classes, nursery schools and day nurseries Pre-school playgroups Reception classes Accredited childminders who are part of an approved network Children’s Centres Finding An Early Education Place Near You – It is possible to find out what is available in your area by contacting your local Children’s Information Services (CIS). Your CIS can also provide help and advice with all aspects of childcare and early years’ education. You can also search for nurseries, childcare and schools online by accessing the following website: www.dfes.gov.uk and clicking on Early Years. This facility provides you with the opportunity to type in your postcode to get a list of providers near you. This on-line facility allows you to: Find a new school Find out more information about schools, such as contact details, School Profiles, Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted) reports, maps and achievement tables Find childcare options, such as childminders, crà ¨ches, nurseries, out of school care, holiday care and pre-school care Of critical importance to a child’s long-term development is sourcing a highly effective provider in your local area. School Profiles are the new way for schools to report annually to parents, replacing the Governors’ Annual Report. All schools use the simple format, designed to provide information about the school’s performance and its broader achievements, both in and beyond the classroom. The School Profile is intended to give parents the information they need to understand the school’s performance, strengths and areas for improvement and contains: The school’s successes Details of extra-curricular activities Health and safety information The school’s response to the latest Ofsted report Free Education For Under Fives – All three and four year olds in England are entitled to a free, good quality, part-time early education place. The entitlement consists of a minimum of 12.5 hours per week for 38 weeks a year. It begins after your child turns three (the exact date depends on when their birthday falls). It ends when they reach compulsory school age. Nursery Classes, Nursery Schools And Day Nurseries – Nursery classes and schools fall into two groups: state and private. Most day nurseries are privately run. Most nurseries: Will take your child between the ages of three and five, although many day nurseries take younger children Open throughout the school year, although some private day nurseries open during the school holidays Operate a core day of 9.00 to 3.30 pm, although many nurseries offer longer days Offer five half-day sessions, although some types of nursery will offer part-time or full-time places depending on your needs Nursery schools and classes have a minimum ratio of two adults to 20 to 26 children – one must be a qualified teacher, the other a qualified nursery assistant. Day nurseries have more intensive staffing ratios and different rules on qualifications of staff depending on the ages of children being cared for. Pre-School Playgroups – These are often non-profit making. They may be run by volunteers, often including parents. Most playgroups: Will take your child between the ages of three and five, although some will take two year olds Open throughout the school year Usually offer half-day sessions, although are not always open all week, and others may be able to provide you with longer hours Provide places for between 10 to 20 children – there must be one adult for every eight children, and at least half of the adults must be qualified leaders or assistants Reception Classes – Some primary schools are able to admit children under five into a reception class. Reception classes: Take children aged four and five Open throughout the school year May take your child for half-day sessions at first, and then build up to full-time attendance Are limited by law to up to 30 children – most have assistants Childminders – They usually look after children in their own home. Some childminders work as part of a network to offer early years’ education. All childminders who care for children under eight agree to certain quality standards and must be registered, checked and inspected regularly to make sure they are suitable to look after children. Childminders: Look after your child from a few months old up to the age of five and some will also look after school age children after school and in the holidays Can often be flexible about the days and times they work: however, every childminder will be different so you will have to discuss this with the childminder Can look after up to six children under eight years old, although no more than three must be aged under five years of age. Children’s Centres – Sure Start Children’s Centres can provide early education and full day care for children under five, as well as a range of other services such as family support and health services. They are open a minimum of 10 hours a day, five days a week, 48 weeks a year. Section 2 – Child Development The importance of the first five years of a child’s life in terms of mental, emotional, social and physical development is now widely recognised. To this end the Labour Government since it was elected in 1997 has introduced a number of measures, which have improved the availability and quality of pre-school provision. The variety of this provision was explored in section. All pre-school providers must comply with a number of legal acts e.g. The Children Act 1989, The Care Standards Act 2000 etc, which are administered by a variety of regulatory bodies. The most effective way to make the pre-school environment safe is for the staff to fully understand how children develop. When children are stimulated and are actively encouraged to become involved with learning activities, this reduces the occurrence of bad behaviour and makes a significant contribution to improving the safety of the pre-school provision. This section is concerned with exploring how children learn and develop. How Do Children Develop? During the last 10 years, there has been an explosion in our knowledge of the ways in which humans develop and learn. When educators discuss children’s development, they usually talk about physical, mental, social and emotional development. It is important to remember that some children progress faster than others and that the time spent in stages does not reflect their intelligence. They may have a personality which needs to move slower in order to enjoy life and really internalise their learning. Physical Development – Once born, children develop strength from top to bottom (head, then body, then legs, then feet); from the inside to the outside (trunk, then arms and legs, then hands and feet, then fingers and toes); from large muscle (jumping, hopping, running, throwing, catching, carrying, climbing and balancing) to small muscle (using muscles of the wrist and hand in activities such as cutting, drawing, stringing beads, building block towers, working with play dough) skills. This is a sequence that all humans follow. While children are young we need to do many activities to strengthen their large and small muscles. Muscle skill development and maintaining a healthy body are especially important for future reading, writing, and maths success. Mental Development – When a child is born, he / she comes with a brain ready and eager to learn. The brain is very much like a new computer. It has great potential for development, depending on what we put into it. Early experiences greatly influence the way a person develops. Everyone who works with children has a major responsibility for the future of those children. The activities you do with them from birth to 10 will determine how their learning patterns develop. As children interact with their environment, they learn problem solving skills, critical thinking skills, and language skills. Social Development – First children develop a sense of self and then a sense of belonging to a family. They begin to watch other children and want to interact with them. Children’s plays develops through stages (playing alone, playing near others but not sharing, playing and sharing, playing with a purpose, organised games). These stages develop over time and with practice. Later, children develop their ability to respect the rights of others and to feel empathy for them. They learn to work cooperatively with others and to resolve conflicts in peaceful ways. You can interact with your child in ways that encourage cooperative behaviour and respect for the rights of others. Interacting with others in positive ways is critical to successful life. Emotional Development – As babies grow, they learn that they are not the centre of the universe and that they can depend on others. They develop a trust or mistrust of others. As toddlers, they learn to be proud of their accomplishment and state their opinions and desires. As they become pre-schoolers, children learn to separate from their parents and adjust to the school environment. They begin to participate in classroom activities. They learn to take turns and to solve conflicts using words. They begin to learn to control their emotions. They learn that it is okay to make a mistake. They develop confidence in themselves and learn to love themselves. You can help your children by encouraging them and showing your faith in their abilities. Having confidence in yourself and liking yourself are critically important to future success in school and in life. How Do We Prepare Children To Be Ready To Learn? – There is great interest on the part of parents in teaching children their letters and numbers and writing skills. The following lists show the pre-reading and pre-writing skills and beginning number skills that every child must develop in order to learn to read, write and do well in maths. Reading Skills – Reading skills develop in sequence and teachers try to help each child progress along the sequence as he / she is ready to progress. First, a child develops a love of books. At the same time they are beginning to develop eye-hand coordination. Next, they acquire tracking skills (the ability to follow words and pages from left to right through a book). Then children begin to recognise individual letters and later they realise that letters form words. Next they begin to understand that words remain the same from day to day. Listening skills improve at about the same time. The child begins to hear letter sounds and connect them with the written letters. Later, he/she begins to string sounds together to make words. The child then learns to hear and use the rhythm of the language. Reading ability continues to improve as he/she receives positive feedback from interested adults. Writing Skills – This is a sequence which each child passes through. One step follows another. A lot of practice is required at each stage. First the child begins to develop the sequence of drawing skills (from scribbling to making representational drawings). Encourage them to draw often. Small muscle strength needed for controlling writing instruments is increased through activities using squeezing, pinching and cutting. Then the child begins to imitate letters and numbers for fun and then to write for a purpose. When they receive positive feedback from interested adults, children’s skills will continue to improve at a fast pace. Maths Skills – These skills develop with much practice and we encourage their development as the child is ready. The child begins to count for fun (rote counting). Then they begin to see the purpose for counting and begin counting objects in a set (meaningful counting). Next they begin adding to or subtracting objects from a set. They begin comparing objects in a set. Then the child begins sorting (by size, shape, colour etc.) and ordering (by size, first-second-third etc). They enjoy learning to estimate (guess how many) and predict (what will happen next). They begin to sequence objects (red, yellow, blue, yellow, _____). This is a slow process and requires a lot of practice. At last the child begins to recognise numbers and associate the number with a like number of objects. They also begin to write numbers. Later, they will write the number words. If we make the learning fun, children will enjoy learning maths through their school years. SECTION 3 – FOUNDATION STAGE 3-5 The Foundation Stage was introduced as a distinct phase of education for children aged 3-5 in September 2000. In preparation, Curriculum Guidance For The Foundation Stage was distributed in May 2000 to all schools with nursery and reception classes, and to early years settings receiving education grant funding. This guidance sets out six areas of learning which form the basis of the Foundation Stage Curriculum. These areas are: Personal, social and emotional development Communication, language and literacy Mathematical development Knowledge and understanding of the world’ Physical development Creative development Each area of learning has a set of related early learning goals. Curriculum Guidance For The Foundation Stage is intended to help practitioners plan to meet the diverse needs of all children so that most will achieve and some, where appropriate, will go beyond the early learning goals by the end of the Foundation Stage. The Education Act 2002 extended the National Curriculum to include the Foundation Stage. The six areas of learning became statutory, and the Act also specified that there should be early learning goals for each area. A national consultation on the content of the early learning goals as set out in Curriculum Guidance For The Foundation Stage was carried out in autumn 2002. Following this consultation the early learning goals and use of the Curriculum Guidance as a guide, became statutory in March 2002. The Act also established a single national assessment system for the Foundation Stage, replacing baseline assessment schemes. The Foundation Stage profile was introduced into schools and settings in 2002-03. The Foundation Stage profile has 13 summary scales covering the six areas of learning, which need to be completed for each child receiving government-funded education by the end of his or her time in the foundation stage. The curriculum for the Foundation Stage should underpin all future learning by supporting, fostering, promoting and developing children’s: Personal, Social And Emotional Well-Being – In particular by supporting the transition to and between settings, promoting an inclusive ethnos and providing opportunities for each child to become a valued member of that group and community so that a strong self-image and self-esteem are promoted. Positive Attitudes And Disposition Towards Their Learning – In particular an enthusiasm for knowledge and learning and a confidence in their ability to be successful learners. Social Skills – In particular by providing opportunities that enable them to learn how to cooperate and work harmoniously alongside and with each other and listen to each other. Attention Skills And Persistence – In particular the capacity to concentrate on their own or on group tasks. Language And Communication – With opportunities for all children to talk and communicate in a widening range of situations, to respond to adults and to each other, to practise and extend the range of vocabulary and communication skills they use and to listen carefully. Reading And Writing – With opportunities for all children to explore, enjoy, learn about and use words and text in a broad range of contexts and to experience a rich variety of books. Mathematics – With opportunities for all children to develop their understanding of number, measurement, pattern, shape and space by providing a broad range of contexts in which they can explore, enjoy, learn, practise and talk about them. Knowledge And Understanding Of The World – With opportunities for all children to solve problems, make decisions, experiment, predict, plan and question in a variety of contexts, and to explore and find out about their environment and people and places that have significance in their lives. Physical Development – With opportunities for all children to develop and practise their fine and gross motor skills and to increase their understanding of how their bodies work and what they need to do to be healthy and safe. Creative Development – With opportunities for all children to explore and share their thoughts, ideas and feelings through a variety of art, design and technology, music, movement, dance and imaginative and role play activities. In order to fulfil the requirements of the Foundation Stage Curriculum and provide a safe and supportive environment, pre-school providers need to implement the following strategy: To Encourage Physical Development Pre-School Providers Need To: Feed children meals with good nutritional value and teach nutrition activities to children and parents Teach children and families about good hygiene Practise large motor skills (balancing, galloping, skipping, building muscles in the arms, legs, and trunk) Build small motor skills through practise (cutting, holding writing instruments, drawing, painting, stringing beads, using play dough, water play) Present activities to develop eye-hand coordination Offer many movement activities Play instruments to the rhythm of the music Play games that involve listening to and following directions Parents should be encouraged to take their children for regular medical and dental checkups To Encourage Mental Development Pre-school Providers Need To: Ask open-ended questions (questions which encourage children to think because they have no right or wrong answer) Give children choices Allow and encourage creativity (through art, music and movement, dictation, re-telling stories and creating new ones) Building language skills (through conversation with adults and each other, word games, reading stories, learning nursery rhymes, singing, dramatic play, introduction of new words, providing a writing centre with word cards and writing materials, activities with puppets, listening centre activities) Provide science experiments and introduce concepts about our world to help them make sense of it Learn about the neighbourhood and the city through walks and field trips Provide many manipulative materials which encourage the development of problem solving skills Encourage counting objects through games and individual questions Ask the children for their opinions Make charts with their predictions and their opinions and re-read them often Provide small groups and individual activities involving counting sets and adding or subtracting; provide manipulative exercises which encourage classifying (by size, colour shape, general classes like animals or plants and by function such as library and book) Read daily to the children Help them learn sequencing by telling stories back to the teacher Observe each child in order to provide activities to encourage their individual learning It is important to remember what children know depends on the experiences they gain To Encourage Social Development Pre-School Providers Need To: Set up their classrooms in learning centres to enable and encourage children to work together in small groups Help them develop self-esteem by accepting and respecting their efforts Give children jobs and responsibilities in the classroom Teach children to clean up and straighten up at the end of their work time Help them learn to respect others through adult action, words, stories and conversations Encourage children to help other children in need and to share Give them encouragement Invite them to share their culture with others and encourage their parents to come into centres Introduce them to children of other cultures and different abilities Help children develop a positive attitude by being trustworthy role models Read books and have discussions which show parents leaving their children at school and being there when their children arrive home Talk about careers and jobs and why parents have to work Have a structured day so that children will feel secure Let children help make the rules for the classroom and let them choose projects to work on Through example and opportunity help the children learn to work and play cooperatively with others Give the children the words to use to solve their problems with other children To Encourage Emotional Development Pre-school Providers Need To: Help children learn to control their own behaviour through setting a positive example Help the children to learn to wait for a turn and to share with others Help them develop plans for activities to do while waiting for a turn Reassure children that it is okay to have feelings and to express them in acceptable ways Give them the ability to channel their energy in constructive ways Through showing respect to our children we help them to learn to show respect for each other Give children self-respect through accepting them as they are and helping them develop their negotiating and problem-solving skills REFERENCES Bee, H. and Boyd, E. (2004), â€Å"The Developing Child†, (10th Edition, Pearson Education) Gopnik, A. / Meltzoff, A. / Kuhl, P. (2001), â€Å"How Babies Think†, (Phoenix) Hobart, C. and Frankel, J. (1999), â€Å"A Practical Guide To Child Observations And Assessment†, (Nelson Thornes) Foundation Stage 3-5, QCA, (http://www.qca.org.uk/160.html) Early Years, DFES, (http://www.dfes.gov.uk)

Marketing Interview Essay -- GCSE Business Marketing BTEC Coursework

Marketing Interview Many small businesses don’t realize how important their company image really is. The following is a formula for low cost marketing for a small business to create or better their image. To find this formula I interviewed Evan Paull, the owner of a small sign making company based in Annapolis Maryland called ‘Independent Sign Consortium’ or ‘ISC.’ ‘ISC’ was started in 1996 and has had a steady growth ever since. I also interviewed Allison Green, the marketing director of ‘Revisions,’ ‘Revisions’ is based in Baltimore Maryland and is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping the mentally ill. Many small companies believe that a corporate or company image develops all on it’s own. Therefore, they believe the business itself has little or no control over shaping the outcome of the image. Often a company will delay any investment in a public image because they think it’s an expensive luxury. It is only after some bad publicity or a negative event do they relies that some effort needs to be put into improving or defining their look. Of course if you wait until something like this happens the cost is always going to be higher. â€Å"Most successful businesses have a carefully crafted image that separates them from the competition and helps to establish a solid public presence,† remarks Allison Green. A distinct corporate image benefits many aspects of any business. Public relations rely on image to attract new customers and to generate repeat business. Finance departments depend on image to impress investors and shareholders with a sense of stability. Employees feel more secure when a company has a good image. An image should always accurately reflect the substance of a company. However, an image is only a perception, an appearance, a representative look of that substance. Subsequently, as Green says, â€Å"†¦it doesn’t always have to cost an arm and a leg†¦Ã¢â‚¬  to accurately represent the company. Given an unlimited budget, any fat corporation can create a new image or alter an outdated or damaged one. Those of us with more modest resources, given only a camera, a copier and an ink jet printer adding some creativity can do it even better. There are some things on which you should never cut corners, safety regulations or legal issues for example. Looking only at the surface, in this instance, is a good thing as is going for style not ne... ...e business community perceives you. Improve your image and increase your company’s public awareness and your networking by aligning yourself with a nonprofit as well. Have key staff serve as volunteers on the board of directors for one or more worthy causes. Press releases can go a long way to help out your image. News reports will jump on a dramatic news story or an important event. Realistically though, how often does that happen at most organizations. One way to improve the odds of getting your news in the press is to do it yourself. Do the research, find the angle, and write the article. Many reporters will take the easy road rather than write their own article. If they have space and all the work is already done, chances are they will use your story. For even better odds put the article on disc in a format that they use and include a photo. Last but certainly not least â€Å"never apologize on stage. Let people think you paid a lot for something. Don’t volunteer information. Most times no one will know the difference unless you tell them,† Green says. WORKS CITED Paull, Evan D. Personal interview. 22 November 2000 Green, Allison W. Telephone interview. 01 December 2000

Siberian Tigers :: essays research papers

What it looks like: Siberian tiger is the largest and most rare of all members of the cat family. This cat is 8-10 feet long, excluding their 25-38 inch rattling tail. This species of tiger weighs 400-700 pounds. Like all members of the tiger family, males are significantly larger than females.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The fur of the Siberian tiger is long, thick and yellow with dark black stripes running through it. The coat of this animal is reddish colored in the summer months. The underside of the Siberian tiger is bright white, and the tail area is white and black. What its eating habits are: Like all members of the cat family, tigers are carnivores. The Siberian tiger hunts a wide range of prey, including small mammals, deer, water buffalo, wild pigs, and birds. Tigers ambush their prey, often camouflaging themselves and observing their intended victims for long periods of time. Siberian tigers are strong animals, able to tackle large animals almost twice their size, and render the victim helpless by inflicting a series of deadly bites into the animal's spine or throat. This semi-nocturnal animals covers 6-12 miles each night in search of food. MATING: Siberian tigers mate in winter months and following a 3-5 month gestation period, the female produces 3-4 cubs. Cubs weigh just over 2 pounds each and are born blind. The small litter of cubs stay close to their mother for the first 8 weeks of life. By 18 months, the young are capable of hunting on their own. Young stay with their mother for 2 years, at which time they leave the pact and travel solo. The life span of the Siberian tiger is 15 years in the wild, and significantly longer in captivity. LIFESTYLE: The Siberian tiger at one time ranged through Korea, China, parts of Russia, and Siberia. Today, they are near extinction in all areas, except Russia. The Siberian tiger is a solitary animal, preferring to travel and hunt alone or with a small pack. This animal lives in mountainous regions and heavily forested areas. The tiger's first line of defense is the rattle at the end of its tail. The Siberian tiger will shake the tail to warn off enemies or communicate to others the threat of danger. This cat is a powerful jumper and climber, also capable of running at high speeds. The paws of the Siberian tiger are equipped with long, sharp, dagger-like retractable claws.

Getting Tough With Terrorism :: Argumentative Persuasive Topics

Getting Tough With Terrorism Which will it be: victim or victory for the United States of America? Our leaders tell us nearly every day that another attack by terrorists -- possibly with nuclear, biological or chemical weapons -- is imminent. The message seems to be: Get your affairs in order, make sure your will is up to date and prepare to meet thy God." Instead of our leaders sending that message to us, how about them sending the message to our enemies in a package more powerful than rhetoric? Whatever happened to the confidence represented by the World War I song, "Over There" ("The Yanks are coming, the Yanks are coming... and we won't come back 'til it's over, over there.")? Who has more to fear, them or us? Do we have more to fear than fear itself? "The Sum of All Fears," now playing in a not so nuclear-free zone theater near you, is a film about neo-Nazis (a politically correct choice of a hate group selected to offend hardly anyone), who blow up Baltimore, of all places. In the film, Americans are again at the mercy of crazed hate-mongers. We are portrayed as powerless to do anything about them. Viagra is often prescribed for physical impotence. What's the cure for political and military impotence? It is victory! In his remarks to graduates of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, President Bush may have signaled the beginning of the end of this victim attitude. Halfway through his speech, he said that our security will require all Americans to be forward-looking and resolute, to be ready for preemptive action when necessary to defend our liberty and to defend our lives.(President) Preemptive action, not reaction, is what's needed. The president said we must uncover terror cells in 60 or more countries. Let's start with one cell in one country, besides Afghanistan. Villagers in some backward country that harbors terrorists should wake up one morning and notice the terrorists among them are dead or missing. People like Saddam Hussein, not Americans, should start each day looking in the mirror and wondering if today is their last day on Earth. Money should be missing from terrorist bank accounts all over the world as American intelligence confiscates large amounts of cash through electronic transfers. Terrorist cells in this country should be located, their headquarters raided and their members arrested before they know what hit them.

Economics- Asean

History of ASEAN: ASEAN was originally formed out of an organization called the Association of Southeast Asia (ASA), an alliance consisting of the Philippines, Malaysia, and Thailand that formed in 1961. As such, ASA is considered the predecessor to ASEAN. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is a political and economic organization of countries located in Southeast Asia. ASEAN was formed on August 8, 1967 by the Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, as a display of solidarity against Communist expansion in Vietnam and insurgency within their own borders. ASEAN itself was established on August 8, 1967, when foreign ministers of five countries— Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand met at the Thai Department of Foreign Affairs building in Bangkok and signed the ASEAN Declaration (also known as the Bangkok Declaration). The five foreign ministers, considered the organization's Founding Fathers, were Adam Malik of Indonesia, Narciso R. Ramos of the Philippines, Tun Abdul Razak of Malaysia, S. Rajaratnam of Singapore, and Thanat Khoman of Thailand. The founding fathers envisaged that the organization would eventually encompass all countries in Southeast Asia. Brunei Darussalam became the sixth member of the ASEAN when it joined on January 8, 1984, barely a week after the country became independent on January 1. It would be a further 11 years before ASEAN expanded from its core six members. Vietnam became the seventh member—and the first Communist member of ASEAN—on July 28, 1995, and Laos and Myanmar joined two years later in July 23, 1997. Cambodia was to have joined the ASEAN together with Laos and Myanmar, but was deferred due to the country's internal political struggle. Cambodia later joined on April 30, 1999, following the stabilization of its government. Thus was completed the ASEAN-10 —the organization of all countries in Southeast Asia. The ASEAN region has a population of about 500 million, a total area of 4. 5 million square kilometers, a combined gross domestic product of almost US$ 700 billion, and a total trade of about US$ 850 billion. Members of ASEAN: Member Countries | |[pic] |[pic] |[pic] |[pic] |[pic] | |Brunei Darussalam |Cambodia |Indonesia |Laos |Malaysia | | | | | | | |[pic] |[pic] |[pic] |[pic] |[pic] | |Myanmar |Philippines |Singapore |Thailand |Vietnam | The ASEAN was founded by five states, mostly from maritime Southeast Asia: the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand. The British protectorate of Brunei joined the ASEAN six days after the country became independent f rom the United Kingdom on January 8, 1984. The mainland states of Vietnam, Laos and Myanmar were later admitted. Vietnam joined the ASEAN on July 28, 1995. Laos and Myanmar were admitted into the ASEAN on July 23, 1997. Cambodia became the newest member when it was admitted on April 30,1999. The Melanesian state of Papua New Guinea has observer status in the ASEAN. East Timor on the other hand is expected to formally apply for full membership at the 2006 39th Annual Ministerial Meeting of ASEAN Foreign Ministers in Kuala Lumpur. The association includes about 8% of the world's population and in 2003 it had a combined GDP of about USD$700 billion, growing at an average rate of around 4% per annum. The economies of member countries of ASEAN are diverse, although its major products include electronics, petroleum, and wood. The ASEAN countries are culturally rich. It includes more Muslims than any other geopolitical entity. About 240 million Muslims live mostly in Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei. Buddhism constitutes the main religion of mainland Southeast Asia and there are about 170 million Buddhists in Thailand, Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam and Singapore. Roman Catholicism is predominant in the Philippines. Through the Bali Concord 11 in 2003, Asean has subscribed to the notion of democratic peace, which means all member countries believe democratic processes will promote regional peace and stability. Also the non-democratic members all agreed that it was something all member states should aspire to. Objectives of ASEAN: The ASEAN Declaration states that the aims and purposes of the Association are: (1) To accelerate economic growth, social progress and cultural development in the region and 2) To promote regional peace and stability through abiding respect for justice and the rule of law in the relationship among countries in the region and adherence to the principles of the United Nations Charter. FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES ASEAN Member Countries have adopted the followi ng fundamental principles in their relations with one another: †¢ Mutual respect for the independence, sovereignty, equality, territorial integrity, and national identity of all nations; †¢ The right of every State to lead its national existence free from external interference, subversion or coercion; †¢ Non-interference in the internal affairs of one another; †¢ Settlement of differences or disputes by peaceful manner; †¢ Renunciation of the threat or use of force; and †¢ Effective cooperation among themselves. General information of ASEAN: Members |[pic]  Brunei | | |[pic]  Cambodia | | |[pic]  Indonesia | | |[pic]  Laos | | |[pic]  Malaysia | | |[pic]  Myanmar | | |[pic]  Philippines | | |[pic]  Singapore | | |[pic]  Thailand | | |[pic]  Vietnam | |Seat of Secretariat |Jakarta | |Secretary General |Ong Keng Yong | |Area |4,480,000 km2 | |Population | | |  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Total  (2004) |592,000,000 | |  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Density |122. 3 peop le/km? | |GDP (2003) | | |  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Total |$2. 72 trillion (PPP) | |  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Total |$681 billion (Nominal) | |  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ GDP/capita |$4,044 (PPP) | |  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ GDP/capita |$1,267 (Nominal) | |Formation |Bangkok Declaration | |  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Signed | | | | | | |  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ 8 August 1967 | |Currencies |Bruneian Dollar (BND), | | |Rupiah (IDR), Riel (KHR), | | |Kip (LAK), Kyat (MMK), | | |Ringgit (MYR), Peso (PHP), | | |Singapore Dollar (SGD), | | |Baht (THB), Dong (VND) | The ASEAN Summit: The organization holds annual meetings in relation to economic, and cultural development of Southeast Asian countries. The ASEAN Leaders' Formal Summit was first held in Bali, Indonesia in 1976. At first there was no set schedule due to domestic issues in the member countries. In 1992, leaders decided to hold meetings every three years; and in 2001 it was decided to meet annually to address urgent issues affecting the region. Member nations were assigned to be the summit host in alphabetical order except in the case of Myanmar which dropped its 2006 hosting rights in 2004 due to pressure from the United States and the european union. The formal summit meets for three days. The usual itinerary is as follows: ? ASEAN leaders hold an internal organization meeting. ASEAN leaders hold a conference together with foreign ministers of the ASEAN Regional Forum. ? Leaders of 3 ASEAN Dialogue Partners (also known as ASEAN+3) namely China, Japan and South Korea hold a meeting with the ASEAN leaders. ? A separate meeting is set for leaders of 2 ASEAN Dialogue Partners (also known as ASEAN-CER) namely Australia an d New-Zealand. At the 11th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, new meetings were scheduled. ? East Asia Summit – converging ASEAN and six dialogue partners namely China, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand and India. ? ASEAN-Russia Summit – meeting between ASEAN leaders and the President of Russia. ASEAN Formal Summit | |Number |Date |Country |Place | |1st |1976 February 23 – February 24 |[pic]  Indonesia |Bali | |2nd |1977 August 4 – August 5 |[pic]  Malaysia |Kuala Lumpur | |3rd |1987 December 14 – December 15 |[pic]  Philippines |Metro Manila | |4th |1992 January 27 – January 29 |[pic]  Singapore |Singapore | |5th |1995 December 14 – December 15 |[pic]  Thailand |Bangkok | |6th |1998 December 15 – December 16 |[pic]  Vietnam |Hanoi | |7th |2001 November 5 – November 6 |[pic]  Brunei |Bandar Seri Begawan | |8th |2002 November 4 – November 5 |[pic]  Cambodia |Phnom Penh | |9th |2003 Oc tober 7 – October 8 |[pic]  Indonesia |Bali | |10th |2004 November 29 – November 30 |[pic]  Laos |Vientiane | |11th |2005 December 12 – December 14 |[pic]  Malaysia |Kuala Lumpur | |12th |2006 December 11 – December 14 |[pic]  Philippines |Metro Cebu | |13th |2007 |[pic]  Singapore |Singapore | |14th |2008 |[pic]  Thailand | |15th |2009 |[pic]  Vietnam | | Logo and Flag of ASEAN: [pic] The New ASEAN logo represents a stable, peaceful, united and dynamic ASEAN. The colors of the logo — blue, red, white and yellow — represent the main colors of the crests of all the ASEAN countries. The blue represents peace and stability. Red depicts courage and dynamism. White shows purity and yellow symbolizes prosperity. The ten stalks of padi represent the dream of ASEAN's Founding Fathers for an ASEAN comprising all the ten countries in Southeast Asia bound together in friendship and solidarity. The circle represents the unity of ASEAN. [pi c] Flag of ASEAN In 2003, the ASEAN Leaders resolved that an ASEAN Community shall be established comprising three pillars, namely, ASEAN Security Community, ASEAN Economic Community and ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community. ASEAN SECURITY COMMUNITY To build on what has been constructed over the years in the field of political and security cooperation, the ASEAN Leaders have agreed to establish the ASEAN Security Community (ASC). The ASC shall aim to ensure that countries in the region live at peace with one another and with the world in a just, democratic and harmonious environment. It has the following components: political development; shaping and sharing of norms; conflict prevention; conflict resolution; post-conflict peace building; and implementing mechanisms. It will be built on the strong foundation of ASEAN processes, principles, agreements, and structures, which evolved over the years. ASEAN ECONOMIC COMMUNITY Its goal is to create a stable, prosperous and highly competitive ASEAN economic region in which there is a free flow of goods, services, investment and a free flow of capital, equitable economic development and reduced poverty and socio-economic disparities in year 2020. The ASEAN Economic Community shall establish ASEAN as a single market and production base, turning the diversity that characterizes the region into opportunities for business complementation and making the ASEAN a more dynamic and stronger segment of the global supply chain. ASEAN’s strategy shall consist of the integration of ASEAN and enhancing ASEAN’s economic competitiveness. In moving towards the ASEAN Economic Community, ASEAN has agreed on the following: †¢ Institute new mechanisms and measures to strengthen the implementation of its existing economic initiatives including the ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA), ASEAN Framework Agreement on Services (AFAS) and ASEAN Investment Area (AIA); †¢ Accelerate regional integration in the following priority sectors by 2010: air travel, agro-based products, automotives, e-commerce, electronics, fisheries, healthcare, rubber-based products, textiles and apparels, tourism, and wood-based products. Facilitate movement of business persons, skilled labor and talents; and strengthen the institutional mechanisms of ASEAN, including the improvement of the existing ASEAN Dispute Settlement Mechanism to ensure expeditious and legally-binding resolution of any economic disputes. Other major integrati on-related economic activities of ASEAN include the following: †¢ Roadmap for Financial and Monetary Integration of ASEAN in four areas, namely, capital market development, capital account liberalization, liberalization of financial services and currency cooperation; †¢ Trans-ASEAN transportation network consisting of major inter-state highway and railway networks, including the Singapore to Kunming Rail-Link, principal ports, and sea lanes for maritime traffic, inland waterway transport, and major civil aviation links; †¢ Roadmap for Integration of Air Travel Sector; Interoperability and interconnectivity of national telecommunications equipment and services, including the ASEAN Telecommunications Regulators Council Sectoral Mutual Recognition Arrangement (ATRC-MRA) on Conformity Assessment for Telecommunications Equipment; †¢ Trans-ASEAN energy networks, which consist of the ASEAN Power Grid and the Trans-ASEAN Gas Pipeline Projects; †¢ Initiative for ASEA N Integration (IAI) focusing on infrastructure, human resource development, information and communications technology, and regional economic integration primarily in the CLMV countries; †¢ Visit ASEAN Campaign and the private sector-led ASEAN Hip-Hop Pass to promote intra-ASEAN tourism; and †¢ Agreement on the ASEAN Food Security Reserve. ASEAN SOCIO-CULTURAL COMMUNITY The ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community envisages a Southeast Asia bonded together in partnership as a community of caring societies and founded on a common regional identity. The Community shall foster cooperation in social development aimed at raising the standard of living of disadvantaged groups and the rural population, and shall seek the active involvement of all sectors of society, in particular women, youth, and local communities. ASEAN shall ensure that its work force shall be prepared for, and benefit from, economic integration by investing more resources for basic and higher education, training, science and technology development, job creation, and social protection. ASEAN shall further intensify cooperation in the area of public health, including in the prevention and control of infectious and communicable diseases. The development and enhancement of human resources is a key strategy for employment generation, alleviating poverty and socio-economic disparities, and ensuring economic growth with equity. Among the on-going activities of ASEAN in this area include the following: †¢ ASEAN Work Programme for Social Welfare, Family, and Population; †¢ ASEAN Work Programme on HIV/AIDS; †¢ ASEAN Work Programme on Community-Based Care for the Elderly; †¢ ASEAN Occupational Safety and Health Network; ASEAN Work Programme on Preparing ASEAN Youth for Sustainable Employment and Other Challenges of Globalization; †¢ ASEAN University Network (AUN) promoting collaboration among seventeen member universities ASEAN; †¢ ASEAN Students Exchange Programme, Youth Cultural Forum, and the ASEAN Young Speakers Forum; †¢ The Annual ASEAN Culture Week, ASEAN Youth Camp and ASEAN Quiz; †¢ ASEAN Media Exchange Programme; and †¢ Framework for Environmentally Sustainable Cities (ESC) and ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution. EXTERNAL RELATIONS: The ASEAN Vision 2020 affirmed an outward-looking ASEAN playing a pivotal role in the international community and advancing ASEAN’s common interests. Building on the Joint Statement on East Asia Cooperation of 1999, cooperation between the Southeast and Northeast Asian countries has accelerated with the holding of an annual summit among the leaders of ASEAN, China, Japan, and the Republic of Korea (ROK) within the ASEAN Plus Three process. ASEAN Plus Three relations continue to expand and deepen in the areas of security dialogue and cooperation, transnational crime, trade and investment, environment, finance and monetary, agriculture and forestry, energy, tourism, health, labor, culture and the arts, science and technology, information and communication technology, social welfare and development, youth, and rural development and poverty eradication. There are now thirteen ministerial-level meetings under the ASEAN plus Three process. Bilateral trading arrangements have been or are being forged between ASEAN Member Countries and China, Japan, and the ROK. These arrangements will serve as the building blocks of an East Asian Free Trade Area as a long term goal. ASEAN continues to develop cooperative relations with its Dialogue Partners, namely, Australia, Canada, China, the European Union, India, Japan, the ROK, New Zealand, the Russian Federation, the United States of America, and the United Nations Development Programme. ASEAN also promotes cooperation with Pakistan in some areas of mutual interest. Consistent with its resolve to enhance cooperation with other developing regions, ASEAN maintains contact with other inter-governmental organizations, namely, the Economic Cooperation Organization, the Gulf Cooperation Council, the Rio Group, the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, the South Pacific Forum, and through the recently established Asian-African Sub-Regional Organization Conference. Most ASEAN Member Countries also participate actively in the activities of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM), and the East Asia-Latin America Forum (EALAF). ASEAN Vision â€Å"2020†: This was said at one of its summit. We, the Heads of State/Government of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, gather today in Kuala Lumpur to reaffirm our commitment to the aims and purposes of the Association as set forth in the Bangkok Declaration of 8 August 1967, in particular to promote regional cooperation in Southeast Asia in the spirit of equality and partnership and thereby contribute towards peace, progress and prosperity in the region. We in ASEAN have created a community of Southeast Asian nations at peace with one another and at peace with the world, rapidly achieving prosperity for our peoples and steadily improving their lives. Our rich diversity has provided the strength and inspiration to us to help one another foster a strong sense of community. We are now a market of around 500 million people with a combined gross domestic product of US$600 billion. We have achieved considerable results in the economic field, such as high economic growth, stability and significant poverty alleviation over the past few years. Members have enjoyed substantial trade and investment flows from significant liberalization measures. We resolve to build upon these achievements. Now, as we approach the 21st century, thirty years after the birth of ASEAN, we gather to chart a vision for ASEAN on the basis of today's realities and prospects in the decades leading to the Year 2020. That vision is of ASEAN as a concert of Southeast Asian nations, outward looking, living in peace, stability and prosperity, bonded together in partnership in dynamic development and in a community of caring societies. ASEAN shall have, by the year 2020, established a peaceful and stable Southeast Asia where each nation is at peace with itself and where the causes for conflict have been eliminated, through abiding respect for justice and the rule of law and through the strengthening of national and regional resilience. STRUCTURES & MECHANISMS: The highest decision-making organ of ASEAN is the Meeting of the ASEAN Heads of State and Government. The ASEAN Summit is convened every year. The ASEAN Ministerial Meeting (Foreign Ministers) is held annually. Ministerial meetings on the following sectors are also held regularly: agriculture and forestry, economics (trade), energy, environment, finance, health, information, investment, labor, law, regional haze, rural development and poverty alleviation, science and technology, social welfare, telecommunications, transnational crime, transportation, tourism, youth. Supporting these ministerial bodies are committees of senior officials, technical working groups and task forces. To support the conduct of ASEAN’s external relations, ASEAN has established committees composed of heads of diplomatic missions in the following capitals: Beijing, Berlin, Brussels, Canberra, Geneva, Islamabad, London, Moscow, New Delhi, New York, Ottawa, Paris, Riyadh, Seoul, Tokyo, Washington D. C. and Wellington. The Secretary-General of ASEAN is appointed on merit and accorded ministerial status. The Secretary-General of ASEAN, who has a five-year term, is mandated to initiate, advise, coordinate, and implement ASEAN activities. The members of the professional staff of the ASEAN Secretariat are appointed on the principle of open recruitment and region-wide competition. ASEAN has several specialized bodies and arrangements promoting inter-governmental cooperation in various fields including the following: ASEAN Agricultural Development Planning Centre, ASEAN-EC Management Centre, ASEAN Centre for Energy, ASEAN Earthquake Information Centre, ASEAN Foundation, ASEAN Poultry Research and Training Centre, ASEAN Regional Centre for Biodiversity Conservation, ASEAN Rural Youth Development Centre, ASEAN Specialized Meteorological Centre, ASEAN Timber A Partnership in Dynamic Development: We resolve to chart a new direction towards the year 2020 called, ASEAN 2020: Partnership in Dynamic Development which will forge closer economic integration within ASEAN. We pledge to sustain ASEAN's high economic performance by building upon the foundation of our existing cooperation efforts, consolidating our achievements, expanding our collective efforts and enhancing mutual assistance. We will create a stable, prosperous and highly competitive ASEAN Economic Region in which there is a free flow of goods, services and investments, a freer flow of capital, equitable economic development and reduced poverty and socio-economic disparities. We resolve, inter-alia, to undertake the following: †¢ Maintain regional macroeconomic and financial stability by promoting closer consultations in macroeconomic and financial policies. Advance economic integration and cooperation by undertaking the following general strategies: fully implement the ASEAN Free Trade Area and accelerate liberalization of trade in services, realize the ASEAN Investment Area by 2010 and free flow of investments by 2020; intensify and expand sub-regional cooperation in existing and new sub-regional growth areas; further consolidate and expand extra-ASEAN regional linkages for mutual benefit cooperate to strengthen the multilateral trading system, and reinforce the role of the business sector as the engine of growth. †¢ Promote a modern and competitive small and medium enterprises (SME) sector in ASEAN which will contribute to the industrial development and efficiency of the region. †¢ Accelerate the free flow of professional and other services in the region. †¢ Promote financial sector liberalization and closer cooperation in money and capital market, tax, insurance and customs matters as well as closer consultations in macroeconomic and financial policies. Accelerate the development of science and technology including information technology by establishing a regional information technology network and centers of excellence for dissemination of and easy access to data and information. †¢ Establish interconnecting arrangements in the field o f energy and utilities for electricity, natural gas and water within ASEAN through the ASEAN Power Grid and a Trans-ASEAN Gas Pipeline and Water Pipeline, and promote cooperation in energy efficiency and conservation, as well as the development of new and renewable energy resources. †¢ Enhance food security and international competitiveness of food, agricultural and forest products, to make ASEAN a leading producer of these products, and promote the forestry sector as a model in forest management, conservation and sustainable development. meet the ever increasing demand for improved infrastructure and communications by developing an integrated and harmonized trans-ASEAN transportation network and harnessing technology advances in telecommunication and information technology, especially in linking the planned information highways/multimedia corridors in ASEAN, promoting open sky policy, developing multi-modal transport, facilitating goods in transit and integrating telecommunica tions networks through greater interconnectivity, coordination of frequencies and mutual recognition of equipment-type approval procedures. †¢ Enhance human resource development in all sectors of the economy through quality education, upgrading of skills and capabilities and training. †¢ Work towards a world class standards and conformance system that will provide a harmonized system to facilitate the free flow of ASEAN trade while meeting health, safety and environmental needs. †¢ Use the ASEAN Foundation as one of the instruments to address issues of unequal economic development, poverty and socioeconomic disparities. promote an ASEAN customs partnership for world class standards and excellence in efficiency, professionalism and service, and uniformity through harmonized procedures, to promote trade and investment and to protect the health and well-being of the ASEAN community, †¢ enhance intra-ASEAN trade and investment in the mineral sector and to contribute towards a technologically competent ASEAN through closer networking and sharing of information on mineral and geosciences as well as to enhance cooperation and partnership with dialogue partners to facilitate the development and transfer of technology in the mineral sector, particularly in the downstream research and the geosciences and to develop appropriate mechanism for these. USE OF THE NAME â€Å"ASEAN†: The Presidium Minister for Political Affairs/Minister for Foreign Affairs of Indonesia, the Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia, the Secretary of Foreign Affairs of the Philippines, the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Singapore, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Thailand do hereby declare the establishment of an association for regional cooperation among the countries of Southeast Asia to be known as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). – ASEAN Declaration, Bangkok, 8 August 1967 I. NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS The ASEAN Standing Committee, at its meeting in Manila on 16-18 June 1986, adopted the Guidelines for ASEAN Relations with Non-Governmental Organizations, which included a provision on the use of the name â€Å"ASEAN. † The relevant provision states that, an affiliated NGO â€Å"may use the name ‘ASEAN’ and display the official ASEAN emblem in correspondence, communications, and at its official meetings so long as the displaying of such emblem is non-commercial in nature. † II. PRIVATE SECTOR The ASEAN Standing Committee, at its meeting in Jakarta on 10 January 1979, adopted the Guidelines on the Use of the name â€Å"ASEAN† by the Private Sector. Below are the main points: Member countries shall exercise some measure of control on the use of the name â€Å"ASEAN† by the private sector for business purposes. This administrative control shall be exercised where official registration is required by law for setting up a company, such as a trading company, whether as a corporation or sole proprietorship. Any request for the use of the name â€Å"ASEAN† should satisfy the following conditions: (i)The entity should be regional in character involving all members of ASEAN; (ii)The name â€Å"ASEAN† should not be brought into disrepute by its usage; iii)The entity should be indigenous to ASEAN; (iv)The usage of ASEAN should not have any negative effect on the aims and objectives of ASEAN; The entity should have the sponsorship of any of the ASEAN Nation al Secretariats. ASEAN Regional Forum: [pic] ASEAN Regional Forum: —  ASEAN countries —  Other ASEAN Regional Forum participants. ASEAN regularly conducts dialogue meetings with other countries and an organization, collectively known as the ASEAN dialogue partners during the ASEAN Regional Forum(ARF). The ASEAN Regional Forum is an informal multilateral dialogue of 25 members that seeks to address security issues in the Asia-Pacific region. The ARF met for the first time in 1994. The current participants in the ARF are as follows: ASEAN, Australia, Canada, People's Republic of China, European Union, India, Japan, North Korea, South Korea, Mongolia, New Zealand, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Russia, East Timor, and the United States. Bangladesh was added to ARF as the 26th member, starting from July 28, 2006. Outlook of ASEAN: Realizing the vision of ASEAN’s founding fathers of an association of all Southeast Asian countries is thus hardly the end of ASEAN history. It is rather a call for a renewed commitment to broader regional solidarity among the peoples of Southeast Asia. ASEAN has learned to draw strength from unity not only among governments but also among its diverse peoples. The ASEAN experience and the ASEAN process must reach out to all spectra of our societies,† said former Foreign Minister Prachaub Chaiyasan of Thailand in 1997. â€Å"Through ASEAN this region will become a grassroots-supported and close-knit community bound together no t only by common interests but by shared values, identity and aspirations among our peoples. † ASEAN faces the future with confidence. Its strong foundation and remarkable achievements will serve Southeast Asia well as it pursues higher goals in the new millennium. ASEAN’s leaders have reaffirmed that co-operative peace and shared prosperity should be the association’s basic goals. Towards these goals ASEAN shall remain a driving force in building a more predictable and constructive pattern of relationships among nations in the Asia-Pacific region. ASEAN will move towards greater economic integration, emphasizing sustainable and equitable growth. ASEAN will nourish a caring and cohesive Southeast Asian community, whose strength lies in fostering a common regional identity and a shared vision of the future. Overview: The ASEAN declaration of 1967 exhorts the association to attain its economic, social and cultural aims through â€Å"joint endeavors† and â€Å"active collaboration and mutual assistance. † Regarding its political objective of regional peace and stability, however, the Declaration contains no equivalent exhortation. It speaks only of â€Å"respect for justice and the rule of law† and â€Å"adherence to the principles of the United Nations Charter. † It makes no impassioned call for the ASEAN member states to take common political positions. The restraint with which ASEAN’s founders expressed the political aim of their brainchild was understandable. They did not want their intentions to be misunderstood. They did not want ASEAN to be mistaken for a military grouping among political allies-as some of its predecessors had been. Moreover, at the time of ASEAN’s conception, Southeast Asia was beset by instability aggravated by underdevelopment. The ASEAN pioneer states themselves were just beginning to learn to trust one another, while nursing he hangover of bitter disputes of recent years. The newborn ASEAN was, therefore, presented as a sub regional grouping for economic, social and cultural cooperation. But security concerns and political purposes were never far from th e ASEAN founders’ intentions. As a key figure in ASEAN diplomacy, former Indonesian Foreign Minister Ali Alatas has pointed out, â€Å"The truth is that politics attended ASEAN at its birth. It was the convergence in political outlook among the five original members, their shared convictions on national priority objectives and on how best to secure these objectives in the evolving strategic environment of East Asia which impelled them to form ASEAN. ASEAN spent almost the whole first decade of its existence developing and refining the concepts that form the basis of its work and methods of cooperation. In those early years its ministerial and other meetings became occasions for fostering trust and goodwill, for developing the habit of working together informally and openly. In the process ASEAN leaders realized that their countries could never attain national stability and socioeconomic development if Southeast Asia-afflicted with strife and cold War rivalry-remained in poli tical turmoil. The ASEAN member states strove for resilience, both individually as nations and collectively as a sub regional grouping; for they knew the association would not amount to much if external powers regularly intervened in Southeast Asian affairs. At the First ASEAN Summit in Bali in February 1976, the member countries signed the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia, which spelled out the basic principles for their relations with one another and the conduct of the association’s programme for cooperation: †¢ Mutual respect for the independence, sovereignty, equality, territorial integrity and national identity of all nations; †¢ The right of every state to lead its national existence free from external interference, subversion or coercion; †¢ Noninterference in the internal affairs of one another; †¢ Settlement of differences or disputes by peaceful means; †¢ Renunciation of the threat or use of force; and †¢ Effective cooperation among themselves. The treaty envisaged these principles as the foundation of a strong Southeast Asian community. It stated that ASEAN political and security dialogue and cooperation should aim to promote regional peace and stability by enhancing regional resilience. And this resilience shall be achieved by cooperation in all fields among the member countries. Following these principles and guidelines, Southeast Asia embarked on a journey towards regional solidarity that has been steady and sure. Through political dialogue and confidence building, ASEAN has prevented occasional bilateral tensions from escalating into confrontation among its members. And by 1999 the vision of an ASEAN is including all the countries of Southeast Asia as members had been achieved. Achievements in Political Collaboration: Since 1967 ASEAN has forged major political accords that have contributed greatly to regional peace and stability, and to its relations with other countries, regions and organizations. Foremost among these are: Zone of Peace, Freedom and Neutrality. On 27 November 1971 the foreign ministers of the then five ASEAN members met in Kuala Lumpur and signed the Zone of Peace, Freedom and Neutrality (ZOPFAN) Declaration. It commits all ASEAN members to â€Å"exert efforts to secure the recognition of and respect for Southeast Asia as a Zone of Peace, Freedom and Neutrality, free from any manner of interference by outside powers,† and to â€Å"make concerted efforts to broaden the areas of cooperation, which would contribute to their strength, solidarity and closer relationship. ZOPFAN recognizes â€Å"the right of every state, large or small, to lead its national existence free from outside interference in its internal affairs as this interference will adversely affect its freedom, independence and integrity. † Another five years passed before the next major development in political cooperation came about-the First ASEAN Summit in Bali, when the ASEAN leaders signed three major documents: the Declaration of ASEAN Concord, the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia, and the Agreement Establishing the ASEAN Secretariat. Declaration of ASEAN Concord. Departing from the more circumspect Bangkok Declaration, the Declaration of ASEAN Concord stated for the first time that the member countries would expand political cooperation. It also adopted principles for regional stability and a programme of action for political cooperation. The programme called for holding ASEAN summits among the heads of government; signing the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia; settling intraregional disputes â€Å"by peaceful means as soon as possible†; improving the ASEAN machinery to strengthen political cooperation; studying how to develop judicial cooperation including the possibility of an ASEAN extradition treaty; and strengthening political solidarity by promoting the harmonization of views, coordinating positions and, where possible and desirable, taking common action. Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC) in Southeast Asia. TAC raised the provisions of the Kuala Lumpur Declaration to the level of a treaty to which other Southeast Asian countries could accede and with which the nonregional countries could associate themselves. The treaty enshrines the following principles: mutual respect for one another’s sovereignty; noninterference in internal affairs; the peaceful settlement of intraregional d isputes; and effective cooperation. The treaty also provides for a code of conduct for the peaceful settlement of disputes. And it mandates the establishment of a high council made up of ministerial representatives from the parties as a dispute-settlement mechanism. To this day, TAC remains the only indigenous regional diplomatic instrument providing a mechanism and processes for the peaceful settlement of disputes. Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone. At the ASEAN Summit in Bangkok on 15 December 1995, the leaders of all the ten Southeast ASEAN countries signed the Treaty on the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone (SEANWFZ). As a key component of ZOPFAN, the SEANWFZ treaty ex-presses ASEAN’s determination to contribute to-wards general and complete nuclear disarmament and the promotion of international peace and security. It also aims to protect the region from environmental pollution and the hazards posed by radio-active waste and other toxic materials. The SEANWFZ treaty came into force on 27 March 1997. ASEAN is now negotiating with the five nuclear-weapon states on the terms of their accession to the protocol which lays down their commitments under the treaty. ASEAN has put in place the SEANWFZ Commission and the Executive Committee of the commission to oversee implementation of the treaty’s provisions and ensure compliance with them. The association adopted procedural and financial rules governing the work of the treaty bodies at the seco0nd meeting of the SEANWFZ Commission in Bangkok in July 2000. Settlement of the Cambodian Conflict. One of the most important chapters in the history of ASEAN diplomacy took place during the Cambodian conflict. The ASEAN-sponsored resolutions at the UN General Assembly, which called for a durable and comprehensive political settlement in Cambodia, received consistent support from the international community. With Indonesia as interlocutor, ASEAN maintained its dialogue with all parties to the conflict. This eventually led to the Jakarta Informal Meetings at which the four Cambodian factions discussed peace and national reconciliation. The process proved to be protracted, requiring the help of many states and the United Nations. It extended to the early 1990s, culminating in the 19-nation Paris Conference on Cambodia, which was chaired by France and Indonesia. On 23 October 1991 the Paris Conference on Cambodia produced the Comprehensive Political Settlement of the Cambodian Conflict. This settlement paved the way for the formation of the Cambodian Supreme National Council, in which four factions participated, and the holding of elections supervised by the United Nations Transitional Authority on Cambodia. Nineteen ninety-nine will be remembered as the year when the vision of ASEAN’s founders to build an association comprising all the Southeast Asian countries was fully realized. The admission of Cambodia to ASEAN on 30 April 1999 in Ha Noi completed the association’s efforts towards regional cohesion, 32 years after the original five members-Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines and Thailand-first got together. Insular and peninsular Southeast Asia and all of mainland Southeast Asia are now joined in one association. The region is no longer divided between ASEAN and non-ASEAN, between mainland and maritime Southeast Asia. Recent Issues and Concerns: It is in ASEAN’s ability and readiness to resolve political differences affecting its members and other countries in the Asia-Pacific region that the association’s commitment to political co-operation is put to the test. More often than not, that commitment has been affirmed and the ASEAN approach to solving potentially explosive issues vindicated. These issues include territorial and jurisdictional disputes in the South China Sea; self-determination for East Timor; nuclear proliferation in Northeast Asia and South Asia; weapons of mass destruction; and the impact of globalization. South China Sea. Like many other parts of the world, Southeast Asia faces territorial disputes among its members and nearby states. In these disputes ASEAN has consistently pursued a policy of cooperation in seeking the peaceful settlement of differences. In 1992, recognizing that any conflict in the South China Sea could directly affect peace and stability in the region, ASEAN issued a declaration â€Å"urging all parties concerned to exercise restraint in order to create a positive climate for the eventual resolution of all disputes. ASEAN further â€Å"emphasized the necessity to resolve all sovereignty and jurisdictional issues about the South China Sea by peaceful means, without resort to force. † The Manila Declaration of 1992, which pr oposed a modus vivendi in the South China Sea, represents one of the most remarkable demonstrations of political solidarity among ASEAN members on strategic issues of common concern. On the suggestion of ASEAN, ASEAN and China have been working on a Code of Conduct to govern state behavior in the South China Sea. The ASEAN-China Senior Officials’ Consultations Working Group on the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea met four times this year to negotiate a working draft code of conduct covering principles and norms of state-to-state relations, peaceful settlement of disputes and cooperation. East Timor. ASEAN supported the implementation of the agreement between Indonesia and Portugal on the question of East Timor and the 5 May 1999 agreements between the United Nations and the Indonesian and Portuguese governments about the modalities for the popular consultations of the East Timorese. The consultations were held on 30 August 1999. As violence rocked the territory following the referendum, the ASEAN leaders who were in Auckland for the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting gathered to address the problem. Some of them agreed to contribute, at great expense, to the International Force for East Timor, which was formed upon Indonesia’s invitation. The UN Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET) was subsequently set up, with a Filipino general taking over the command of the peacekeeping force. A Thai general has since succeeded him. Other ASEAN members have been extending humanitarian and other forms of assistance to East Timor. ASEAN has called on the international community to help East Timor achieve peace, stability and prosperity during its transition to full independence, which would contribute to the stability of Southeast Asia. Following the separation of East Timor from Indonesia, ASEAN has declared its position that a united, democratic and economically prosperous Indonesia is basic to the maintenance of regional security. In this context, the association emphasized its support for Indonesia’s territorial integrity. Northeast Asia. At the Seventh ASEAN Regional Forum in July 2000, the participation for the first time of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea in the ARF process was welcomed-a significant step in the rapid evolution of the situation on the Korean Peninsula and thus in the security environment of the Asia-Pacific region. North Korea’s ARF membership provides additional opportunities for dialogue and exchanges between North Korea and those ARF countries with key roles in the Korean situation. ASEAN expressed support for the historic summit between the North and South Korean leaders, held in Pyongyang on 13-15 June 2000. It also commended the 15 June North-South Joint Declaration, the first agreement signed at the highest level since the division of the Korean Peninsula in 1945. Challenges of globalization. The Seventh ASEAN Regional Forum observed that although the security outlook for the region remains positive, uncertainties and challenges-particularly those posed by globalization-would increasingly require ARF’s attention. The Seventh ARF also considered the economic, social and human components of security and the need to promote regional cooperation in dealing with regional security issues. It discussed both the positive effects and the repercussions of globalization, including greater economic interdependence among nations and the multiplication of security threats like transnational crime. In responding to globalization, ARF felt it necessary for nations to strengthen their individual and collective capacities to meet the challenges affecting their common security. ARF has reaffirmed the need for Southeast Asian countries to continue efforts, through dialogue and cooperation at national and international levels, in dealing with the economic, social and political impacts of globalization so as to ensure sustained economic and social development. ASEAN and intra-ASEAN relations: weathering the storm? In April 1999, ASEAN formally admitted Cambodia thereby completing its declared goal of grouping together all ten Southeast Asian countries under its umbrella. This was the culminating event in the latest phase of ASEAN's enlargement. This process, however, had been problematic from the start. The entry of Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam without any clear criteria for admission has raised questions regarding the preparedness of these countries to participate in ASEAN. More importantly, it led to strains in ASEAN's relations with its dialogue partners over the legitimacy of some of the governments in power in these countries. The was further complicated by the economic upheaval caused by the financial crisis which struck Southeast Asia in 1997. The impact of these events on ASEAN has put into question the association's growing role as a leading player in Asia-Pacific affairs. More importantly, it has raised issues which are central to ASEAN's continued existence. Bibliography: 1. www. google. com. 2. www. ASEANsec. org. 3. Introductory Managerial Economics-II (By D. M. Mithani)