Enron Corporation Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Enron Corporation - Movie Review Example Enron had implemented fraud transactions and accounting deceit. It had filed in erroneous details and accounting figures, keeping the whole world in the dark. Financial corruption has been personified by Enron, which had finally filed for bankruptcy. As shown in the movie, the traders of Enron manipulated the whole setup of transactions. This they did, by reducing power supply and by effecting and increment in the prices for power. They targeted poorer consumers and indulged in such activities, at their expense. The need to beget more money, the greed to possess was the recognized motive behind such activity of the traders. Enron Corporation had employed the 'mark-to-market' type of accounting procedure, wherein they had reported the entire financial year's estimated value, as the profit rather than making periodical assessments of the profit margin, as cash came in. Therefore, the high level of profits reported were untrue and misleading, which can be considered frauds. 4.

Assessment and Feedback Essay Example for Free

Assessment and Feedback Essay Assessment drives the choices students make about their learning. It is widely recognised that assessment and feedback contain the strongest potential to change how, and what, students do to succeed in their learning (Ramsden, 2003). This Effective Teaching Guide on Assessment provides practical suggestions on assessment and feedback. Assessment of Learning and Assessment for Learning David Boud, a recognised researcher and scholar of assessment in higher education, suggests that assessment has many purposes, but particularly to help students to improve their learning and certify students’ learning. These two purposes lead to different ways of thinking about what, how, and when to assess students: |Assessment OF Learning |Assessment FOR Learning | |Focused on learning that has already happened; |Focused on learning for the future; | |Making a judgement about final performance; |Goal is to provide useful information to students about how to learn | |Designed to discriminate between students’ achievement and performance; |more effectively; | | Focused on grades, precision and measurement; |Helps students to identify what they do and don’t know – focus is on | |Concerned that tasks are reliable and valid; |improvement; and, | |Testing usually takes place under ‘standardised’ conditions; and, |Develops students’ judgements about the quality of their work – and how | |Grade contributes to final certification. |to improve. | According to Boud and Associate’s Seven Propositions for Assessment Reform in Higher Education (2010), assessment has most effect when: 1. Assessment is used to engage students in learning that is productive (including the need for assessment to be designed to focus students on learning); 2. Feedback is used to actively improve student learning; 3. Students and teachers become responsible partners in learning and assessment; 4. Students are inducted into the assessment practices and cultures of higher education; 5. Assessment for learning is placed at the centre of subject and project design; 6. Assessment for learning is a focus for staff and institutional development; and, 7. Assessment provides inclusive and trustworthy representation of student achievement. The power of feedback Feedback plays an important role in improving students’ learning. A useful summary is that provided by Gibbs and Simpson’s (2004). In their meta-study of the research about how assessment and feedback support student learning, 7 of their 10 identified conditions relate to feedback, and students’ understanding of feedback. These are:  Ã¢â‚¬ ¢ Sufficient feedback is provided, both often enough and in enough detail; †¢ Feedback focuses on students’ performance, on their learning and on actions under the students’ control, rather than on the students themselves and on their characteristics; †¢ Feedback is timely in that it is received by students while it still matters to them, and in time for them to pay attention to further learning or receive further assistance; †¢ Feedback is appropriate to the purpose of the assignment and to its criteria for success; †¢ Feedback is appropriate, in relation to students’ understanding of what they are supposed to be doing; †¢ Feedback is received and attended to; and, †¢ Feedback is acted on by the student. Hounsell (2004) also makes the following points about feedback: †¢ It can be extrinsic (assessment-focused) or intrinsic (activity and practice-based); †¢ It can be immediate and verbal (in order to address the potential lack of engagement when it arrives after an assessment); †¢ It can be provided to be a whole class; †¢ It can be many to many where students are involved in identifying the strengths and weaknesses (peer feedback); and, †¢ Feedback can be a loop – it can be offered on unfinished work. Another useful idea is feed-forward. Feed-forward encourages students to use something like a marking rubric (also captured by the idea of criteria and standards) to help plan their approach to an assessment. While a marking rubric is routinely used by university teachers to mark/grade students’ work (as an expression of what a student needs to demonstrate (and the level they need to achieve) to receive a particular grade), the idea of feed-forward is about encouraging students to use that same information in the rubric to plan their work, and perhaps even, to self-assess it before submitting it for formal feedback. In summary: Feedback example: Develop a marking rubric as a cover sheet. The rubric identifies the elements of the assignment, together with a breakdown of marks for each element or a description of the standard for an A, B, C, D, P etc. Feed-forward example: Provide the marking rubric to students before the assignment is due so that they clearly understand what’s expected, the levels of achievement, and can plan their approach accordingly. In marking student work, you’ll need a suite of feedback techniques. Remember, if you’re going to be spending a lot of time providing feedback, you want to make sure that students read, use and engage with your feedback to improve their next assignment. The best way to do that is to have a range of techniques that you can draw on, when you need to. The table below describes some feedback techniques. |Technique |Why use this technique? |How would I use this technique? | |Use a marking rubric that contains information |To encourage students to engage, wrestle |Set aside time to discuss the rubric with students| |about criteria and standards. Offer it to |with and develop an understanding of the |in class. Provide examples of what an A, B, C, D | |students so that they can use it to plan high |criteria and standards related to an |and P level answer /assignment looks like. Explain| |achieving work. |assessment task before embarking on their|the differences to students and engage them in a | | |work. |dialogue. Get them to mark assignments samples so | | | |that they have to engage with the criteria and | | | |standards before embarking on their own | | | |assignment. | |Provide verbal ‘global’ feedback to the whole |To emphasise the common achievements and |As you mark assignments, make a list of 3 things | |class. |errors made across all assignments within|done well, and 3 things in need of improvement | | |a student cohort. |across the whole cohort. Use the next available | | | |class to provide feedback to the whole cohort. Be | | | |specific and provide an example. Post a summary on| | | |Moodle. | |Provide written feedback only. The mark/grade |To focus students’ improvement efforts on| | |is released only after students demonstrate a |the written comment rather than the | | |plan for improvement. |number/grade. The technique assumes that | | | |the learning for students is located in | | | |the staff comments. | | |Invite students to tell you 2-3 specific |To develop students’ capacity to |Ask students to write these 2-3 elements somewhere| |elements of the assignment they would like you |self-assess the quality of their |on the assignment cover sheet before submitting | |to focus your feedback on. |submitted work. |it. Your feedback on these elements does not need | | | |to be extensive but they warrant comment. | |Ask students to indicate the grade (ie, A, B, |To encourage students to engage with the |Invite students to write a 100 word justification | |C, D) they think their assignment should |criteria and standards for the assignment|about the grade they’ve nominated. Your final | |receive. |as part of their planning. |feedback and grade does not need to align with the| | | |students but you may wish to note any differences | | | |in each of your perceptions about the quality of | | | |the work. | |Encourage students to demonstrate/write how |For students to demonstrate how they have|Make this aspect a ‘hurdle’ requirement – to be | |they’ve used your feedback as part of the next |used feedback to improve future learning. |submitted with the next immediate assignment. | |assignment. | | | One observation you might make about each of these techniques is that they are focused on: (i) engaging students with the criteria and standards, and (ii) with what the student does with the feedback they receive. If you’d like to read more about these two ideas (and others like them), two articles may be especially useful to you: Rust, Price O’Donovan (2003) and Price, O’Donovan Rust (2004). Consistency and fairness in marking and feedback Consistency in marking, or moderation, is aimed at ensuring fairness in marking, and requires finding or establishing agreement between markers. Making sure that assignments contain criteria and standards is a good start because the expectations involved are clear to the student and clear to the marker. Although this does not absolve the marker from interpreting students’ work, without criteria or standards, the job of marking ends up being much harder. The procedures for marking are set out in the University’s Assessment Procedures (an excerpt of the principles is below): Where there is more than one marker, selected pieces of work from each assessment task should be reviewed by the subject coordinator to verify the level and consistency of the marks allocated by the marker. This process, called moderation, increases the reliability of the assessment process and application of standards, promotes consistency, supports objectivity and establishes a shared understanding of standards and fairness in assessment. The university also has a grading schema with a range of Pass grades. |80-100% |A | |70-79% |B | |60-69% |C | |50-59% |D | |Ungraded |P (may also denote satisfactory completion of a Masters Prelim course of | | |postgraduate thesis) | Graduate capabilities Alongside the conventional grading schema, from 2012, all commencing first year students will receive a result on the achievement of the university’s six graduate capabilities at the end of the year: †¢ Writing †¢ Speaking †¢ Inquiry/Research †¢ Critical thinking †¢ Creative Problem-solving †¢ Teamwork There are some subjects which have been designated cornerstone, mid-point and capstone status. This means that their curriculum has been designed to teach, assess, provide feedback and report specifically on these graduate capabilities. For each graduate capability, students will receive one of three results: exceeded expectations, met expectations or did not meet expectations. Each faculty has carefully crafted a description of what these standards look like. It may be the case that you will be asked to provide feedback to students about their graduate capability achievement as well. Because faculties will have already done substantial work outlining those standards, it is likely you will be asked to offer students that feedback. Summary When considered together, assessment and feedback are incredibly powerful levers for influencing the direction of students’ efforts, and their learning. For many students, the assessment in the subject is the actual curriculum. It is largely students’ reading and perception of what the assessment demands of them which is a key determinant in how they spend their time in a subject. Therefore, the messages that students take away about assessment from the documents; the Subject Guide; from interaction with other students, are important considerations. In the second week, you will discover just how crucial feedback is to this process and how the adoption of standards and criteria will help you mark and grade more efficiently and effectively. References Gibbs, G. and Simpson, C. (2004). Conditions Under Which Assessment Supports Student Learning. Learning and Teaching, Issue 1, pp: 3-31. Hattie, J. Timperley, H. (2007). The Power of Feedback. Review of Educational Research, 77(1), 81-112. Hounsell, D. (2004). Reinventing Feedback in the Contemporary Scottish University. Scottish Quality Enhancement Workshop on Assessment, University of Glasgow [available online at: www. enhancementthemes. ac. uk/documents/events/20040604/Hounsellpaper. pdf]. O’Donovan, B. , Price, M. , Rust, C. (2004). Know what I mean? Enhancing student understanding of assessment standards and criteria. Teaching in Higher Education, 9(3), 325-335. Orrell, J. (2006). Assessment beyond intuition. Central Queensland University [available online at: http://www. learning. cq. edu. au/FCWViewer/view. do? page=8896, accessed Feb 2011]. Price, M. , O’Donovan, B. , Rust, C. (2004). Know what I mean? Enhancing student understanding of assessment standards and criteria. Teaching in Higher Education, 9(3), 325-335. Ramsden, P. (2003). Learning to teach in higher education. (2nd edition). Routledge, NY London. Rust, C. , Price, M. , O’Donovan, B. (2003). Improving Students’ Learning by Developing their Understanding of Assessment Criteria and Processes. Assessment Evaluation in Higher Education, 28(2), 147-164. Taylor, J. (2008). Assessment in First Year University: A model to manage transition. Journal of University Teaching and Learning Practice, 5(1).

James Baldwin versus Malcolm X Essay -- Race African American

Gentle Yet Strong: Leading the Oppressed Malcolm X and James Baldwin were two men that played a large role in defining a people and a cause during the 1950s and 1960s. Both of these men were dynamic African-Americans who lived primarily to help their people, who were terribly persecuted in the United States for many years. The interesting thing about these two men is that they strove towards the same goal—to unify African-Americans and give them strength and confidence—but they accomplished this goal in very different ways. Malcolm X, a leader in the Nation of Islam movement, believed that African-Americans needed to acquire strength and confidence so that they could separate from the White man and live together in peace, harmony, and production. On the other hand, James Baldwin, renowned writer, believed it necessary for African-Americans to have strength and confidence so that they might coexist on the same level as whites and accomplish what whites were accomplishing. The methodology and teachings of J ames Baldwin and Malcolm X differed greatly, but their general belief, that African-Americans were just as good as everybody else prevailed over all else, and made these men two of the very important faces of a generation. More often than not, the quality of leadership lies deep within certain people. It is not a quality that people build or develop easily. The basis of good leadership is personality. Those who have dynamic and charismatic personalities can lead, if they choose to do so. Malcolm X possessed these types of qualities. Throughout his life, Malcolm—born Malcolm Little—always showed a proficiency for leadership, as evidenced by his roles as seventh-grade class president, as leading hustler ... ...li, Noaman. Malcolm-X.org. 2000. 28 Apr. 2004. . Baldwin, James. â€Å"Down at the Cross.† 1963. James Baldwin: Collected Essays. Ed. Toni Morrison. New York: Library of America, 1998: 296-347. ---. â€Å"Take Me to the Water.† 1972. James Baldwin: Collected Essays. Ed. Toni Morrison. New York: Library of America, 1998: 353-403. ---. â€Å"To Be Baptized.† 1972. James Baldwin: Collected Essays. Ed. Toni Morrison. New York: Library of America, 1998: 404-474. Harper, Frederick D. â€Å"The Influence of Malcolm X on Black Militancy.† Journal of Black Studies 1 (June 1971): 387-402. Hoyt, Charles Alva. â€Å"The Five Faces of Malcolm X.† Negro American Literature Forum 4 (1970): 107-112. Shabazz, Ilyasah. â€Å"Malcolm X.† Ebony July 2002: 122-124. X, Malcolm. â€Å"God’s Judgement of White America.† 4 Dec. 1963. Ali. 28 Apr. 2004.

King of Country Music Essay

When Strait was a teenager, he began his music by joining a rock and roll garage band. After he graduated high school, he enrolled in college, but soon dropped out and married his high school sweetheart, Norma Voss, in 1971. He later enlisted in the Army. He was stationed in Hawaii and began to play in an army-sponsored band called Rambling Country. On October 6, 1972, while still in Hawaii, George and Norma welcomed their first child, Jenifer. In 1975, Strait was discharged from the Army and soon after returned to Texas. Strait returned to college in San Marcos, where he graduated in 1979 with a degree in agriculture. During college, he joined the country band â€Å"Stoney Ridge†, answering a flyer the band posted around campus looking for a new vocalist. Strait renamed the group the â€Å"Ace in the Hole† and quickly became the lead, they began to perform at different honky tonks and bars around south and central Texas, traveling as far east as Huntsville and Houston. They gained a regional following and opened for national acts such as The Texas Playboys. Soon, his band was given the opportunity to record several Strait-penned singles including â€Å"That Don’t Change The Way I Feel About You†, for the Houston-based â€Å"D† label. However, the songs never achieved wide recognition, and Strait continued to manage his family cattle ranch during the day in order to make some extra cash. Strait attempted tried to become famous in Nashville but failed because he lacked any strong business connections. In 1979, he became friends with Erv Woolsey, a Texas club owner who once worked for MCA Records. Woolsey invited several MCA executives to Texas to hear Strait. He did so well on his performance they signed him in 1980. Straits first single was â€Å"Unwound’ in 1981. It made it into the Top 10. Next he released two more songs â€Å"Down and Out† and â€Å"If You’re Thinking You Want a Stranger (There’s One Coming Home)†. Both these songs did great on the charts, but it wasn’t until 1982 when Straits second album Strait from the heart was released. Then George Strait had his first number one hit â€Å"Fool Hearted Memory. In the 1980s alone, he reached the top of the chart 18 times with songs such as â€Å"The Chair,† â€Å"All My Exes Live in Texas,† â€Å"Famous Last Words of a Fool† and â€Å"Baby Blue. † In 1985, he won CMA awards for album of the year and male vocalist. In 1986, he repeated his win as male vocalist, but his year was marked by tragedy when his daughter was killed in a car wreck. â€Å"B aby Blue† is said to have been written for his daughter. Strait won CMA entertainer of the year award in 1989 and 1990. In the 1990’s, George Strait continued to dominate country music. He released his tenth album, Livin’ It Up, which featured two number one hits including â€Å"Love Without End, Amen† and â€Å"I’ve Come to Expect It From You†. He later released the singles â€Å"If I Know Me† and â€Å"You Know Me Better Than That†which both were number one hits. In 1992, Strait starred in the movie Pure Country and recorded â€Å"I Cross My Heart† which is still one of his biggest hits today. His song once again reached number one. In 1995, He released a four-CD boxed set, Strait Out of the Box. It had become one of the five biggest-selling boxed sets in music history.

The concepts of motivation and learning become a crucial part

Through the study of Psychology we find that the concepts of motivation and learning become a crucial part of our development and growth.   A continual cycle of need and fulfillment, it is that which compels us, as individuals, to seek out goals and the means by which we achieve those goals.   Motivation and learning does not end in the abstract but accompanies us throughout the complexities of real life experiences.   In settings like that of the classroom or workplace we may be exposed to an array of new opportunities.To further our need for growth we may explore the resources of undertaking a second language or learn the latest product information in order to market a new wireless communication service plan.   Does this mean we will automatically accept such ventures merely because they exist or do we remain solely within the boundaries of satisfying our needs?   Throughout the following we will examine those experiences and discuss various theories as they relate to the concepts of motivation, learning and the connection thereof.Motivation is by all means an awakening of our individual needs and desires.   Though its concept may be construed as vague, it is our needs that drive us to act and react through both internal and external stimuli.   Food, money, status and love can be determining factors in human motivation.   As such, ones motivation is relatively a manifestation of our experience and environment. (â€Å"Managerial Psychology†, 1989, pp. 22-35)Clinician A.H. Maslow (1954) believed such needs should be classified in terms of a hierarchy system defining different levels of needs.   As each need evolves and satisfaction is obtained a higher need will inevitably develop. Suffice to say, the concept of motivation must first occur before action or direction can be achieved.   By applying theory to real world instances, we can more readily understand the guiding forces that stir our motivations.We begin by examining the need a nd drives of individuals within a classroom setting.   What as students incites us to seek higher learning of that which was previously unknown?   Take for example, a student who undertakes second language learning.   Though at times such coursework may be required, more often than none it is the student who initiates the process and at the very least retains control over which language they choose to learn.The need can be induced by nothing more than the need to fulfill ones own goals and potential.   Maslow’s (1954) Self-Actualization Theory details how an individuals unique potential entices them to further develop their own capabilities.   (Buck, 1988, pp. 32-34)   A student may seek the knowledge gained by second language learning simply because the mastery of their primary language has been so great that they are confident in their abilities to achieve a far more superior challenge.The need for belonging may also play a key role in our motivations to set goa ls of second language learning.   Maslow (1954) concluded the absence of friends or family can guide how strongly our need for group placement overtakes our actions.   This type of motivation can become the single most important part of our life. (â€Å"Managerial Psychology†, 1989, p. 27)Individuals who find themselves, for whatever reason, residing in foreign locations may often incur problems with communication and development of new friendships because they are unfamiliar with the existing language.   For this reason, many who immigrate, work diligently to comprehend the language as determined by the inhabitants of their new geographic location and the need to fit within that group.Just as we find within the classroom, the workplace can also delegate various stimuli that prod our motivations.   Let us say that our employer offers us the opportunity to learn essential features of a new wireless communication service plan.   What influences our decision to accept the offer?   One theory states that motivation may arise out of the need for fulfillment of self-esteem issues.In other words, we desire attributes that lead to self-respect, respect of others, status, achievement, reputation and appreciation.   Discouraging this type of need, could lead an individual to experience feelings of inferiority and weakness. (â€Å"Managerial Psychology†, 1989, p. 27)   We may accept the opportunity set forth mainly as a means to gain recognition from our employer and co-workers.   In turn, such recognition may increase our chances at a higher status as viewed within the company.On the other hand, achievement alone can serve to propel us towards new endeavors.   According to McClelland’s (1988) Theory of Achievement Motivation, individuals with this type of need often overload themselves with difficult challenges yet their goals are obtainable.   These challenges are usually underscored by the need for feedback and assessment of their performance.   A prime example may be those individuals we stereotype as a â€Å"workaholics.†Ã‚   These individuals may be seen as the â€Å"movers and shakers† within their respective fields.   They are by all means, the employees who are known and relied upon to complete the tasks at hand and who are driven solely by their need for accomplishment.Once we have been stimulated by motivations the need must then be fulfilled.   The act of learning is inherent to us from the moment of birth provoking change that can be temporary or long term.   Through learning we seek to absorb the necessary knowledge that allows us to reach the desired result.   Learning may take on a wide range of forms and can be influenced by several factors including, but not limited to, social class, environment and of course motivation. (Howe, 1984, pp. 7-10)While the process of learning may differ between classroom and workplace, the act itself remains constant.   If we examine are previous examples of second language learning and the sale of wireless communication service plans, we can theorize as to which process may be best suited to each venture.Second language learning as with the majority of school learning requires the systematic approach of beginning first with basic comprehension and gradually increasing each subsequent level until the final objective is achieved.   As with motivation, we may associate a hierarchical process of learning with that of a classroom setting.The hierarchical aspects of learning set forth by Gagne (1970) are based on the idea that previous knowledge and experience influences future learning.   Thus, the learner must first acquire lesser skills before developing advanced capabilities.   (Howe, 1984, p. 11)   To simplify this theory, we can say a student though unfamiliar with the language at hand has already achieved the ability to understand concepts of phonetics, grammatical rule and sentence structure. By furt hering those concepts and advancing skill, the motivated student will eventually achieve fluency.Another theory suggests that there are three separate modes of learning known as Accretion, Structuring and Tuning. (Rumelhart & Norman, 1978)   Similar to aspects of hierarchy, Accretion combines new knowledge with previous experience.   Structuring allows new concepts to formulate, while Tuning thrives within a practical setting.   It is also noteworthy to mention that of all three modes, Tuning has the slowest turn around.   This most certainly is due generous amount of time needed to practice and hone learned skills.In more basic terms these modes can be viewed in the context of a generated mental cycle of acquisition, formulation and application.   As students we are taught from an early age that it is only by study and rote application of the knowledge that we will ultimately achieve success.  Ã‚   This is especially true in the sense of academics and the concept of sec ond language learning.In the workplace, the process of learning may vary somewhat from that of the classroom.   However different, the processes are undoubtedly relative to one another.   One theory we may equate with the workplace is the Experiential Learning Theory formulated by Rogers. (1996) Rogers theorized that through this classification of learning, the needs are addressed by gaining applied knowledge as opposed to academic knowledge and that such learning was synonymous with change and growth.This process of learning would include such qualities as personal involvement, self-initiation and pervasive effects to the learner.  Ã‚   We may choose to learn the product detail and how to sell a new wireless communication service plan simply because it is an area of great personal interest.   We may engage employment prospects solely for the benefit of fulfilling the need and yet we are further rewarding by putting into action all that we have learned.   Through employmen t not only do we obtain the skills necessary to achieve this goal, we are then able to put those skills into action.   Growth in this situation could be immense.A second theory that lends itself to the workplace is the Functional Context approach to learning.   (Sticht, 1988)   This theory bases itself primarily on the idea that previous knowledge facilitates new knowledge through association while emphasizing real life problem-solving and learning strategies.   Content of the instruction is delivered in such a way that it will be meaningful to the learner.Additionally, educational materials for this type of learning are generally designed for the learners’ reference once training has been completed.   Employment training classes are a good example of this theory.   Much like in Experiential Learning, we are given both the knowledge to succeed and the avenue in which to apply that knowledge.If we take for instance, an individual who has been employed by the same w ireless communications company for some time and that individual suddenly decides to change his/her position from administration to sales, it is safe to say they will in be required to attend additional training sessions.   Since the individual in all likelihood has already gained a considerable amount of knowledge pertaining to new company products and wireless communication plans, they will be able to associate their previous experience with the new concepts being instilled.In conclusion, while we may regard motivation and learning as two separate entities, their effects when combined cannot be diminished. As humans we are bombarded by stimuli that urge us to seek fulfillment of our awakened needs. Such needs make it possible us to determine our future goals and avoid stagnation.   Motivation and learning, for all intent and purpose, allows us to achieve those goals and to further our growth in both personal and professional terms.Reference ListBoje, D.M. & Leavitt, H.J. & Pon dy, L.R. (Eds.). (1989).   Motivation:   The Driving Force.   In Readings in Managerial Psychology (4th Ed.) (pp. 20-35).   Chicago:   Chicago Press, LTD.Buck, R. (1988).   Maslows Hierarchy of Motives. In Human Motivation and Emotion (2nd Ed.) (pp. 32-34).   New York:   John Wiley & SonsHowe, M.J.A. (1984).   Learning Takes Many Forms.   In A Teachers Guide to the Psychology of Learning (pp. 7-10).   Oxford:   Basil Blackwell, Inc.McClelland, D. (1988)   Human Relations Contributors.   Retrieved on November 17, 2006, fromhttp://www.accel-team.com/human_relations/hrels_06_mcclelland.html

Childhood Wounds in Cats Eye essays

Childhood Wounds in Cat's Eye essays Elaine Risely is an artist who returns to her childhood home of Toronto for an art exhibition, and confronts her deeply buried feelings of inadequacy and pain from her childhood while she is there. Elaine is a happy young girl at first, but as she makes friends with other girls, she finds they are always watching her, waiting for her to do something wrong, whether it is in Sunday school, or in her house, which does not "measure up" to theirs. Carol sees her unfinished house with "incredulous glee, . . . as if she's reporting on the antics of some primitive tribe" (Atwood 49). In fact, the girls games and taunting become even more grisly as they bury Elaine alive, in a "pretend" game. "They pick me up by the underarms and lower me into the hole. Then they arrange the boards over the top. The daylight air disappears, and there is the sound of dirt hitting the boards, shovelful after shovelful. Inside the hole it's cold and dim and damp and smells like toad burrows" (Atwood 112-113). It is after this incident that Elaine realizes she has lost control of herself, and she begins to live two different and separate lives, one, where she appears happy and content, and one where she is caught up in the pain of her past that she cannot forget. She notes early in the novel, "If you can bend space you can bend time also, and if you knew enough and could move faster than light you could travel backwards in time and exist in two places at once" (Atwood 3). In fact, she does exist in two places at once, and it is tearing her life apart at the seams. She says later, At these times I feel blurred, as if there are two of me, one superimposed on the other, but imperfectly. There's an edge of transparency, and beside it a rim of solid flesh that's without feeling, like a scar. I can see what's happening, I can hear what's being said to me, but I don't hav...

interracial children essays

interracial children essays Proposal: Would there be a benefit for interracial children having a multiracial box on any application as means of identifying interracial children. Despite growing numbers, public images of interracial people - who have been part of the American landscape since the first Africans reached America's shores. Confusion surrounding race stems from the illogic used to define it. Slavery laws and social practices set a precedent - which survives to this day. Traditionally, "White America" as a whole has disenfranchised a people who appears or by definition has physical characteristics that challenge their hue as "White", today, this challenge is more evident than ever as marriages of different races has climbed in the United States. According to the United States Census data, there are over one million interracial marriages. Marriages between white men and Asian women are highest, supporting almost 25 percent of all interracial covenants. It is estimated that one out of every four marriages is between blacks and whites. This research proposal will designate its focus and energy toward the offspring of interracial couples. Until recently, conventional wisdom typically classified an interracial child as being of the same race as the minority parent. It is this limited and compartmentalized approach that has warranted a push for reclassification of interracial children. A child of an interracial partnership should have the right to choose which race identifies them. This analysis will examine the need for affirming the uniqueness of the child and why a full racial heritage will conceal a more settled, secure child. Once a child has cultural security, this research will prove that interracial children will dissipate the belief of inferiority among the minority parent. The basis of this analysis will contrast the studies that interracial children are inferior, abn...

How an Extended Response Item Can Enhance Learning

How an Extended Response Item Can Enhance Learning Extended response items have traditionally been called essay questions. An extended response item is an open-ended question that begins with some type of prompt. These questions allow students to write a response that arrives at a conclusion based on their specific knowledge of the topic. An extended response item takes considerable time and thought. It requires students not only to give an answer but also to explain the answer with as much in-depth detail as possible. In some cases, students not only have to give an answer and explain the answer, but they also have to show how they arrived at that answer. Teachers love extended response items because they require students to construct an in-depth response that proves mastery or lack thereof. Teachers can then utilize this information to reteach gap concepts or build upon individual student strengths. Extended response items require students to demonstrate a higher depth of knowledge than they would need on a multiple choice item. Guessing is almost completely eliminated with an extended response item.  A student either knows the information well enough to write about it or they do not. Extended response items also are a great way to assess and teach students grammar and writing. Students must be strong writers as an extended response item also tests a students ability to write coherently and grammatically correct. Extended response items require essential critical thinking skills. An essay, in a sense, is a riddle that students can solve using prior knowledge, making connections, and drawing conclusions.  This is an invaluable skill for any student to have. Those who can master it have a better chance of being successful academically.  Any student who can successfully solve problems and craft well-written explanations of their solutions will be at the top of their class.   Extended response items do have their shortcomings. They are not teacher friendly in that they are difficult to construct and score.  Extended response items take a lot of valuable time to develop and grade.  Additionally, they are difficult to score accurately.  It can become difficult for teachers to remain objective when scoring an extended response item. Each student has a completely different response, and teachers must read the entire response looking for evidence that proves mastery. For this reason, teachers must develop an accurate rubric and follow it when scoring any extended response item. An extended response assessment takes more time for students to complete than a multiple choice assessment.  Students must first organize the information and construct a plan before they can actually begin responding to the item.  This time-consuming process can take multiple class periods to complete depending on the specific nature of the item itself. Extended response items can be constructed in more than one way. It can be passage-based, meaning that students are provided with one or more passages on a specific topic. This information can help them formulate a more thoughtful response. The student must utilize evidence from the passages to formulate and validate their response on the extended response item.  The more traditional method is a straightforward, open-ended question on a topic or unit that has been covered in class.  Students are not given a passage to assist them in constructing a response but instead must draw from memory their direct knowledge on the topic. Teachers must remember that formulating a well written extended response is a skill in itself.  Though they can be a great assessment tool, teachers must be prepared to spend the time to teach students how to write a formidable essay.  This is not a skill that comes without hard work.  Teachers must provide students with the multiple skills that are required to write successfully including sentence and paragraph structure, using proper grammar, pre-writing activities, editing, and revising.  Teaching these skills must become part of the expected classroom routine for students to become proficient writers.

Retirement Age Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Retirement Age - Assignment Example Raising the retirement age to 65 is not favorable especially I this current situation of the economy where job opportunities are scarce. This denies the young energetic generations the opportunities to enter the job market earlier enough. Older people should retire and pave way for youths. Moreover, employment currently dictates that anybody eligible to retire should go ahead and do so. Currently, the economy dictates the age at which one wishes to retire; this is because the economy does not match the savings of workers. People are pessimistic about their little savings that cannot sustain them after the retirement of 65. Workers, therefore, should be allowed to stay working in order to meet their demands pertaining their social security. Employers too determine the age retirement of employees, especially in the private sector. This comes in situations whereby a worker can decide to seek earlier retirement basing on the working conditions and. In this case, the employer should allow the employee to do so and therefore this call for employers to consider the employee’s increments. A person should, therefore, be allowed to express his or her rights but many at times employers take advantage of such situations to lay off these workers and they even deny workers their returns. Basing on this argument retirement age should not be enforced rather people should be allowed to enjoy. People should not be forced to retire at age 65 since, under the employment law, there is no exact age of employing professionals.

MODELS OF HRM Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

MODELS OF HRM - Essay Example Mike Noon (1992) believes that much confusion arises because HRM is of an 'ambiguous pedigree' which can be traced back to organisational development and human capital theory. HRM appears to be an enigma, of which John Storey (1992) states is: " A basic management function or activity permeating all levels of management in any organisation. Personnel administration is organising and treating individuals at work so that they will get the greatest possible realisation of their intrinsic abilities, thus attaining maximum efficiency for themselves and their group, and thereby giving the enterprise of which they are a part its determining competitive advantage and its optimum results." (Pigors and Myers: 1969) (cited by Legg:1989) 2. A term that identifies a new and distinct approach to the management of people in the work environment. One which, although may incorporate the established personnel activities, is truly much more wide in its scope, and thus can be clearly distinguished as being such, is HRM a new phenomenon The models of HRM all lead us back to this underlying question, what is HRM, how can we define it, is it something new or simply the old re-branded, old wine in a new bottle (Torrington, 1989; Poole, 1990; Storey, 1995). Examination and analysis of the various theories... The models of HRM all lead us back to this underlying question, what is HRM, how can we define it, is it something new or simply the old re-branded, old wine in a new bottle (Torrington, 1989; Poole, 1990; Storey, 1995). Examination and analysis of the various theories and models allows us to consider whether there is one true model in existence or a combination, or, fragments of various models / ideologies. Also, we must consider how relevant in reality are the various theoretical academic frameworks, do they in fact reflect reality, or does each industry sector or business need to simply adapt their own type of model, appropriate to the nature of their enterprise One of the first models of HRM developed was in 1984 by Fombrum, Tichy and Devanna with their "matching model." The model was used to depict their proposed framework of HRM which identifies its position in relation to organisational strategy and demonstrates how HRM activities can be designed to support the strategy of an organisation. The model is manipulated to achieve strategy objectives and goals such as overall increased company performance. If HRM is to be viewed as a new management approach, then distinction from personnel management is required. Distinction may be by integration. This is proposed by Devanna et al (1984) with their model: "They suggest that Human Resource Managers perform four 'generic functions' of selection, appraisal, reward and development. Performance is the dependent variable; it is influenced by a 'cycle' of human resource interventions which represents, sequential managerial tasks." (Storey: 1992, 24) This type of integration in the form of

Human resource development-A practitioners perspective Essay

Human resource development-A practitioners perspective - Essay Example The HR practitioner has to perceive a multi-dimensional view of organizational aims to correlate with the employees' goals. A human resource professional has to concentrate on three main functions performance, feedback and counseling. These three are important functions of an HR team. The entire organizational objectives circumvent in-between these three functions. The present paper analyses the interrelation among these three functions and highlights their significance in enhancing organization performance. The figure depicts the three import operational features which has much significance in development of an individual profitable to an organization.. Ignorance of one function will effect on the overall performance of an organization as it is similar to farming. Planting the seeds and leaving its fate doesn't yield the required crop. Similarly setting performance targets and initiating them doesn't guaranty good results. Employees should be made accountable and responsible to the work they are carrying out at the work station. To monitor the performance, performance appraisals are put in place. The underperformers and the star performers can be identified by these appraisals. The star performers are rewarded and encouraged. The underperformer is counseled to c apture his mindset and the HR team tries to tune with the party. The functions are interrelated to each other as performance management initiates the process of working; it educates the employees on the steps to execute and at regular intervals appraisals keeps monitoring the standards to keep them aloft. Whenever there is a requirement the individuals are counseled to elevate their thought, values and goals towards the organizational goals Performance Appraisal Performance Management Career counseling Performance management -Performance appraisals-Career counseling Performance is an important operational toll of the HR department. Performance management sets the direction for inducting the future aspirations and objectives of an organization. An organization has to set the level of standard they were aspiring to reach their objectives. The employees' abilities are to fine tuned towards the fulfillment of this objective. Performance has to identify the section and field and level of operations that require attention and approach that aspect. The HR Performance Management Model has to focus on decision-making and accountability at the level where the work is done, development of a service culture that rewards team performance, and integration of operations. The success of the HR departments depends on the adoption of a customer service orientation, a flexible attitude to mould according to current requirements, and streamlined business processes supported by networked administrative systems. For an effective organizational performance first we ne ed to frame performance management plan leads to performance development process comprising performance appraisal and career counseling. The performance management has to look into the aspects like previous achievements, the previous setbacks new challenges. The current employees' standards, the current skill levels of the

Informative speech on the UFC Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Informative speech on the UFC - Essay Example All the reference sources are mention under the title â€Å"Works Cited†. The aim of this speech is to reveal information regarding UFC and provide others with the useful information that how and when it was established? What makes it unique and what it holds in it for its fans? The objective will be achieved by starting with a short introduction of UFC, then mentioning about its hold all over the world with statistics and figures and telling briefly about the fighter’s categories, rounds and the final decision criteria of the referees and judges. When we talk about the fights, how can we forget about mentioning Ultimate Championship (UFC)? UFC is the largest Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) promotion company in the world that hosts most of the top-ranked fighters in the sports. It produces the fighting events world-wide. Initially started as an inspiration of  Vale Tudo  Tournaments in  Brazil,  the UFC and the sport of MMA have roots in the ancient Olympic  combat sport of  Pankration. The UFC held its first competition in 1993 in Denver, Colorado. Showcasing fighters of different disciplines including  boxing,  Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, wrestling,  Muay Thai,  karate  and other styles, the UFC sought to identify the most effective  martial art  in a real fight. An ongoing expansion of UFC through Canada, Australia, Europe, Middle East, Asia and the exploration of new markets within the USA has lead it to gain popularity along with greater main stream media coverage. UFC knows that it has millions of viewers and to aid them it has started the pay-per-view access for them on television in U.S., Brazil, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Italy. Going towards media covering in term of sports channels, its programming can also be viewed on Spike, Versus and Fox-Network in U.S., and on ESPN in UK and Ireland. Besides that UFC has also provided its events available be watched over 150 countries in 22 different languages world wide. It has provided its fans with

Julius Ceasar and william shakespear Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Julius Ceasar and william shakespear - Essay Example Mark Antony, who was Caesar’s friend, offered an interment oration that remained famous to date. It is fundamental to explore the role of fallacy, omen and divination as demonstrated, and their relationship with the Roman culture and religions, by Brutus, Mark Antony and Julia Caesar. The paper will explore the dynamics among the various characters to establish the role of Shakespeare. Brutus Brutus, being the tragic hero of the play, portrays immense complexity in the character and motivations. Apart from being a powerful figure, he comes out as a loving husband and a good master of his servants. He is also a loving pal and a noble military leader. This character has a rather rigid ideology that doubles up as both his strength and weakness. His quest to put his ambitions on top of everything makes him fit the description of being â€Å"the noblest of the Romans.† Besides, he is also committed to principle, and this works against him always as he consistently makes misc alculations. For instance, when Cassius suggested to him that the conspirators would kill Caesar and Antony, he blatantly ignored. He again showed the naivety of his idealism during Caesar’s funeral when he allowed Antony to make the famous oration over the remains of Caesar. Consequently, he forfeited the authority about the last word of the murder, and this ensured that Antony succeeded in inciting the plebeians to protest against his compatriots (Bowen, Shakespeare, and Garcia 47). Julius Caesar He lived and portrayed an overly ambitious character determined to acquire and wield absolute power over Rome. He strongly comes out as a figure that only lived on the minds of other men. He strongly believed that his hold on Rome was permanent and, therefore, committed his loyalty to principles besides regarding himself as a public institution. Unfortunately, this later proved to be his utmost undoing. When Calpurnia, his wife, shared with him her nightmares, he stubbornly dismiss es them and fails to heed. He also ignores the supernatural omen circulating in the atmosphere. With the prospects of coronation, Caesar allowed his big ambitions to get on top of him. He lived a life of conflation whereby his public image and private self conjure. This led him to embrace a mistaken belief that he is immortal and that his mortal body protects his public self. However, his mortality later comes into play in Act V, Scene iii, when Brutus attributed the misfortunes befalling Cassius to Caesar’s power coming beyond the grave (Bowen, Shakespeare, and Garcia 18). Antony Antony plays a role in disapproving Brutus’ supposed strength. He is naturally improvisatory and impulsive and this perfectly helps him prove that Brutus is weak. He does this by first persuading the conspirators of his support to gain leniency from them. He then persuades the plebeians of the injustices committed by the conspirators against them and subsequently acquires support of the masse s. This makes him a consummate politician who ably could use skilled rhetoric and gestures to his advantage. Besides, he wisely responds to delicate cues from both his friends and enemies to determine his correct mode of conduct in each distinct situation. This always ensured that he gained the biggest advantage among his political peers. When he got an opportunity to eulogize Caesar’s death, he strategically designs his speech and words to please the audience and attract their desires. Interestingly, he ensured

Informative speech on the UFC Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Informative speech on the UFC - Essay Example All the reference sources are mention under the title â€Å"Works Cited†. The aim of this speech is to reveal information regarding UFC and provide others with the useful information that how and when it was established? What makes it unique and what it holds in it for its fans? The objective will be achieved by starting with a short introduction of UFC, then mentioning about its hold all over the world with statistics and figures and telling briefly about the fighter’s categories, rounds and the final decision criteria of the referees and judges. When we talk about the fights, how can we forget about mentioning Ultimate Championship (UFC)? UFC is the largest Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) promotion company in the world that hosts most of the top-ranked fighters in the sports. It produces the fighting events world-wide. Initially started as an inspiration of  Vale Tudo  Tournaments in  Brazil,  the UFC and the sport of MMA have roots in the ancient Olympic  combat sport of  Pankration. The UFC held its first competition in 1993 in Denver, Colorado. Showcasing fighters of different disciplines including  boxing,  Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, wrestling,  Muay Thai,  karate  and other styles, the UFC sought to identify the most effective  martial art  in a real fight. An ongoing expansion of UFC through Canada, Australia, Europe, Middle East, Asia and the exploration of new markets within the USA has lead it to gain popularity along with greater main stream media coverage. UFC knows that it has millions of viewers and to aid them it has started the pay-per-view access for them on television in U.S., Brazil, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Italy. Going towards media covering in term of sports channels, its programming can also be viewed on Spike, Versus and Fox-Network in U.S., and on ESPN in UK and Ireland. Besides that UFC has also provided its events available be watched over 150 countries in 22 different languages world wide. It has provided its fans with

The Impact of Using Multimedia in an Online Learning Setting Essay

The Impact of Using Multimedia in an Online Learning Setting - Essay Example The paper "The Impact of Using Multimedia in an Online Learning Setting" talks about the impact of Multimedia on online learning. Learning is done in a computer-based setup where multimedia is used as a material for teaching. Having multimedia presentations through videos creates a sense of understanding in a given scenario.Nowadays, technology has been the number one accessible source of information around the world and its remarkable continuity gets to blow up as the years go by. In fact, it has become a feasible and possible preference to people especially to those who are into learning. It has given an opportunity for a new learning net to be born. Multimedia and online learning nurture information that is merely pertinent, applicable and significant for the college students. It would be best inculcated to them if multimedia is interactive and the control of it solely relies on the learner. In a live chat with a student who is shy, inspirational videos such as believing in oneâ⠂¬â„¢s self can encourage the student, even more, to believe in herself. As the college students continue to explore what life has to offer, engaging in the learning process results in a better exploration as they see it through an enhanced multimedia instruction. Online learning, or what is also referred to as distance learning, is an educational medium of instruction through the use of Internet. Its objectives are aligned with the same goals one would find in a traditional classroom setup. Instruction can take place anytime and anywhere.

End of Poverty Guide Essay Example for Free

End of Poverty Guide Essay Sachs throws out the normal ways of thinking about the causes of poverty in countries, for instance that people are lazy or stupid, or the countries are not democratic, and that corruption is wide-spread. Fifty percent of the world’s population exists on less than one dollar per day. He believes that much of the problem is structural, which can only be dealt with through the help of the rich countries. Sachs believes, first of all, that all current debt owed by the poor countries should be cancelled. Secondly, if the rich countries would increase their development aid from .2% to .7% there would be enough money available to increase the economic growth so that all countries would no longer be extremely poor. If MAI is to become known as an agency which teaches a new way of dealing with poverty, then we need to become aware of this book and Sachs understanding and approach to poverty. Chapter Twelve really speaks to CHE. I have tried to review what has appeared to me to be the most salient points, chapter by chapter. All chapters are not treated equally. I primarily do this exercise for myself to help me understand the key points from the book. If they are of any help to others, then that is a plus. I have gone into more detail in the other synopsis I have done because of the possible guidance this book can give us for a new paradigm for dealing with poverty individually, locally, nationally and globally (which in reality we are already on the road in doing). Some things are both structural and governmental issues and I am not suggesting that we get involved in these, but change must begin at the village level and then we can scale up our strengths from there. Chapter OneA Global Family Portrait Sachs sets the stage for his thesis and book using examples of Malawi, Bangladesh, India, and China to show different levels of poverty. He talks abut the ascending ladder of economic development for countries. †¢ Lowest are those who are too ill, hungry, or destitute to get even a foot on the bottom rung of the development ladder. They make up the bottom 1/6 of the world’s population, or one billion people. They are the poorest of the poor and live on less than $1 a day. †¢ A few rungs up the ladder at the upper end of the low-income countries are another 1.5 billion people. They live just above the subsistence level. These two groups make up 40% of the world’s population. CHE targets both of these groups, and especially with the first group. †¢ Another 2.5 billion include the IT workers of India. Most of them live in the cities and are moderately poor. †¢ One billion or one-sixth of the world come from the rich developed countries. Sachs says the greatest tragedy of our time is that one-sixth of the world’s population is not even on the first rung of the ladder. A large number of the extremely poor in level one are caught in the poverty trap and cannot escape it. They are trapped by disease, physical isolation, climate stress, environmental degradation, and extreme poverty itself. He breaks poverty into three levels: †¢ Extreme poverty means households cannot meet basic needs for survival. This only occurs in developing countries. World Bank says their income is less than $1 a day. †¢ Moderate poverty is where needs are generally just barely met. World Bank says this represents countries where their income falls between $1 and $2 per day. †¢ Relative poverty generally describes household income level at being below a given percentage of the average national income. You find this in developed countries. He then presents the Challenge of our Generation which includes: †¢ Helping the poorest of the poor escape the misery of extreme poverty and help them begin their climb up the ladder of economic development. †¢ Ensuring all who are the world’s poor, including moderately poor, have a chance to climb higher in economic development. He believes that the following can be done: †¢ Meet the Millennium Development Goals by 2015. †¢ End extreme poverty by 2025. †¢ To ensure well before 2025, that all of the world’s poor countries can make reliable progress up the ladder of economic development. †¢ To accomplish this with modest financial help from the riches countries, which will be more than is now provided per capita. Chapter TwoThe Spread of Economic Prosperity Sachs uses several graphs in this chapter. I will not go into detail on these, but I will point out some salient points: †¢ All regions of the world were poor in 1820. †¢ All regions experienced economic progress, though some much more than others. †¢ Today’s richest regions experienced by far the greatest economic progress. As an example, Africa has only grown at .7% a year while the USA at 1.7%. This may not seem much, but when compounded year-by-year, it results in the great differences between the two. †¢ The key fact today is not the transfer of income from one region to another, but rather that the overall increase in the world’s income is happening at different rates in different regions. Until the 1700’s, the world was remarkably poor by today’s standards. A major change was the industrial revolution coming to certain regions and not to others. The steam engine was a decisive turning point because it mobilized the vast store of primary energy which unlocked the mass production of goods and services. Modern energy fueled every aspect of the economic takeoff. As coal fueled industry, industry fueled political power. Britain’s industrial breakthrough created a huge military and financial advantage. But Britain also had existing individual initiative and social mobility than most other countries of the world. They also had a strengthening of institution and liberty. Britain also had a major geographical advantageone of isolation and protection of the sea, in addition to access to the oceans for worldwide transportation for their goods and importation of other countries’ goods. Sachs then goes on to outline what has fostered major economic growth: †¢ Modern economic growth is accompanied by people moving to the cities, or urbanization. This means fewer and fewer people produce the food that is required for the country. Hopefully, food price per farmer decreases as larger plots are farmed more productively. This also means sparsely populated land makes good sense when many farms are needed to grow the crops, but sparse land makes little sense when more and more people are engaged in manufacturing in the cities. †¢ Modern economic growth fostered a revolution in social mobility which affected social ranking of people. A fixed social order depends on status quo and agrarian population. †¢ There is a change in gender roles with economic development. This affects living conditions as well as family structure. The desired number of children decreases. †¢ The division of labor increases. By specializing in one activity instead of many, producti vity increases. The diffusion of economic growth occurred in three main forms: †¢ From Britain to its colonies in North America, Australia and New Zealand. (It was therefore relatively straight-forth to transfer British technologies, food crops and even legal institutions.) †¢ A second diffusion took place within Europe that ran from Western Europe to Eastern Europe, and from Northern Europe to Southern Europe. †¢ The third wave of diffusion was from Europe to Latin America, Africa, and Asia. Sachs believes that the single most important reason for prosperity spread is the transmission of technology and the ideas underlying it. The technological advances came at different times. †¢ The first wave revolved around the invention of the steam engine which led to factory-producing goods. †¢ The second wave in the 19th century was led by the introduction of the rail and telegraph. It also included the introduction of steam ships instead of sailing ones, and the construction of the Suez Canal. †¢ The third wave was initiated by electrification of industry and urban society. Along with this came the development of the internal combustion engine. †¢ The fourth wave came in the 20th century with the globalization of the world due to new methods of communication starting in Europe. †¢ There came a time of a great rupture which took place with the start of World War I, and sidetracked economic development for awhile. This led to the Great Depression which led to World War II. †¢ A fifth wave took place right after World War II, and in 1991. It began with the massive efforts of reconstruction of Europe and Japan right after World War II. Trade barriers began to come down. There were three worlds: the first was the developed West, the second was comprised of Socialist countries, and the third was made up of undeveloped countries (which were made up of the old colony countries). The world therefore progressed on three tracks. The problem was that the second and third worlds did not share in economic growth and actually went backward. By closing their economies, they closed themselves off from economic development. So what did this mean to the poorest of the poor countries? †¢ They did not begin their economic growth until decades later. †¢ They faced geographical barriers of being land-locked †¢ They faced the brutal exploitation of the colonial powers. †¢ They made disastrously bad choices in their national policies. Chapter ThreeWhy Some Countries Fail In this chapter, Sachs looks at the cause of poverty and possible solutions. He first deals with, how a family’s per-capita income might increase: †¢ The first way is through savings either in cash or similar assets like animals, etc. †¢ The second way is shifting to crops that bring a higher yield per hectare, and then adding value to the crop (which is what we teach in our PAD training). †¢ The third way is adopting new technology, which improves their productivity. †¢ The fourth way is resource boom, which means to move to a much larger and more fertile farm. The flip side of increasing their economic growth is by decreasing their per capita income which is more than just the opposite of the above factors: †¢ Lack of savings is of course one way to reduce per capita income. †¢ Lack of trade, meaning that a household hears of the new crop but cannot take advantage of it and stays with what they have. †¢ Technological reversal is when something like HIV hits an area and children lose their parents etc. †¢ Natural resource decline is where the land becomes less and less fertile producing less and less crops. †¢ Adverse Productivity Shock is where a natural disaster hits like a drought, tsunami, earthquake, typhoon, etc. †¢ Population growth lessens per capita income where the father has two hectares of land and it is divided among his five sons at his death. Now Sachs begins to get into the true heart of poverty on a country level: †¢ The poverty trap itself is where poverty is so extreme that the poor do not have the ability by themselves to get out of the mess. †¢ Physical geography plays a major role where countries are land-locked with poor or no roads, a lack of navigable rivers, or situated in mountain ranges or deserts with an extremely high transportation cost. The low productivity of the land is another factor in the geography. †¢ The fiscal trap is where the government lacks the resources to pay for the necessary infrastructure on which economic growth depends. †¢ Government failure happens when the government is not concentrating on high priority infrastructure and social service projects. †¢ Cultural or religious barriers especially as it relates to gender inequality play a significant role in dampening economic growth. †¢ Geopolitics such as trade barriers can impede economic growth. †¢ Lac k of innovation and technology plays a role if people cannot try new things because they cannot risk failure, or because they do not have funds to do so. Sachs believes that over the span of two centuries, the lack of using new technology is why the richest and poorest countries have diverged. †¢ He shows a scatter-gram graph showing there is a demographic trap as well. The higher the fertility rate, the lower rate of economic growth there is in a country. When they have too many children, they cannot invest in education, nutrition, or health, except maybe for the oldest male. One of the best ways to lower the number of children per family is through the education of the girls. Sachs then goes into detail in putting countries into different classes. He points out that none of the rich countries in North American, Western Europe or East Asia have failed to grow economically. All the problems lie in the developing world where 45 of these countries had a fall in GDP. Not all of these countries are in sub-Saharan Africa. He also points out that the oil-exporting and ex-Soviet countries, all high income countries, did not increase their economic growth evenly, primarily because of their authoritarian political structure. He also points out that the most important factor is agriculture. Those countries that used high yield cereals per hectare and that used high levels of fertilizers are the poor countries that tended to experience economic growth. In Africa, the land is much less densely populated but they use neither high yield cereals nor fertilizers and they had falling food production per capita. But they also have far less roads for transporting extra crops to markets and they depend on rainfall which is generally more erratic than high-producing agricultural countries. He also goes on to point out the following: †¢ Economic growth is rarely uniformly distributed across a country. †¢ Governments also fail in their role in allowing growth that might enrich the rich households, while the poorest living in the same area seldom seem to benefit. †¢ Another detriment to growth can be culture especially as it relates to women inequality. Chapter FourClinical Economics (CE) Sachs compares clinical economics to clinical medicine. He lays out five parameters for Clinical Economics: †¢ CE is made up of complex systems. The failure in one system can lead to cascades of failures in other parts of the economy. You therefore need to deal with very broad and multiple issues. †¢ CE practitioners need to learn the art of clinical diagnosis. The CE practitioner must hone-in on the key underlying causes of economic distress and prescribe appropriate remedies that are tailor-made to each country’s condition. †¢ Treatment needs to be viewed in family terms, not individual terms. The entire world is part of each country’s family. If countries work together they can have far more impact than working in isolation. †¢ Good CE practice requires monitoring and evaluation. More than just asking if the goals are being achieved, but also asking â€Å"why?† and â€Å"why not?† †¢ The development community lacks the requisite ethical and professional standards. Economic development does not take its work with the sense of responsibility that the task requires. It demands that honest advice be given. He points out where economic development practice has gone wrong: †¢ The rich countries say, â€Å"Poverty is your own fault. Be like us, have a free market, be entrepreneurial, fiscally responsible and your problems will be gone†. †¢ The IMF period of structural adjustment which supposedly dealt with the four maladies of poor governance, excessive government intervention in the markets, excessive government spending, and too much state ownership were not solved by the IMF prescription of belt tightening, privatization, liberalization, and good governance. †¢ The responsibility for poverty reduction was assumed to lie entirely with poor countries themselves. He then lays out his differential diagnosis for poverty reduction. He believes the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) goes a long way in reducing poverty. Once the diagnosis is completed, a proper treatment regime must be carried out. In doing differential diagnosis, questions must be asked in each one of the following areas: †¢ Identify and map the extent of extreme poverty from the household level all the way up through the community to the country to the state in all areas of life. †¢ The second set of questions deals with the economic policy framework. †¢ The third set deals with the fiscal framework. †¢ Fourth deals with physical geography and human ecology. †¢ Fifth, the questions deal with the patterns of governance. History has shown that democracy is not a prerequisite for economic development. †¢ Sixth are questions which deal with cultural barriers that hinder economic development. †¢ The last are questions that are related to geopolitics which involves a country’s security and relationship with the rest of the world. The next six chapters, five through ten, deal with specific countries that have gone through this process, and their results. His results are quite impressive. I will not deal much with each country, but an individual chapter might be of interest to the RC involved if he is interested in such things. Chapter FiveBolivia’s High Rate of Inflation Problem: A hyperinflation rate of 3000% (30 times) between July 1984 and July 1985 with a longer term hyperinflation rate of 24,000%. Lessons Learned: †¢ Stabilization is a complex process. Ending a large budget deficit may be the first step but controlling the underlying forces that cause the budget deficit is much more complex. †¢ Macroeconomics tools are limited in their power. †¢ Successful change requires a combination of technocratic knowledge, bold political leadership, and broad social participation. †¢ Success requires not only bold reforms at home, but also financial help from abroad. †¢ Poor countries must demand their due. Chapter SixPoland’s Return to Europe Problem: By the end of 1989, Poland had partially suspended its international debt payments. The economy was suffering from high rate of rising inflation and there was a deepening political crisis. Sachs’ approach in Poland, as in other countries, was built on five pillars: †¢ Stabilizationending the high rate of inflation, establishing stability and convertible currency. †¢ Liberalizationallowing markets to function by legalizing private economic activity (ending price controls and establishing necessary laws). †¢ Privatization identifying private owners for assets currently held by the state. †¢ Social netpensions and other benefits for the elderly and poor were established. †¢ Institutional Harmonizationadopting, step-by-step, the economic laws, procedures, and institutions. Lessons Learned: †¢ He learned how a country’s fate is crucially determined by its specific linkages to the rest of the world. †¢ Again the importance of the basic guidance concept for broad-based economic transformation, not to stand alone with separate solutions. †¢ Saw again the practical possibilities of large-scale thinking †¢ He learned not to take â€Å"no† for an answer, press on with your guidance. †¢ By the time a country has fallen into deep crisis, it requires some external help to get back on track. †¢ This help may be in the form of getting the basics right which includes debt cancellation and help to bolster confidence in the reforms. Chapter SevenRussia’s Struggle for Normalcy Problem: The Soviet Union relied almost entirely on its oil and gas exports to earn foreign exchange, and on its use of oil and gas to run its industrial economy. In the mid- 1980’s, the price of oil and gas plummeted and the Soviet Union’s oil production began to fall. Sachs suggested three actions of the West (but generally they were ignored by the West): †¢ A stabilization fund for the ruble. †¢ Immediate suspension of debt repayment followed by cancellation of their debts. †¢ A new aid program for transformation focusing on the most vulnerable sectors of the Russian economy. Lesson Learned: †¢ Despite much turmoil and rejection much went right so that eventually Russia became a lopsided market economy, still focused on oil and gas. †¢ Russia has a gigantic land mass which causes it to have few linkages with other nations of the world. †¢ Their population densities are low and agrarian and food production per hectare remains low. Over history, 90% of the population has been rural, with cities few and far between. This hinders economic growth. †¢ Without adequate aid, the political consensus around the reforms was deeply undermined, thereby compromising the reform process. Chapter EightChina Catching Up after a Half Millennium Being Isolated Problem: China lost its economic and cultural lead that it had in its early history. Sachs points out five dates which caused this: †¢ 1434 China had been the technological superpower. This year Emperor Ming closed China to the rest of the world and stopped their advanced ship fleets from going out to the world. †¢ 1839 China finally ended its economic isolation. †¢ 1898 Several young reformers tried to gain power and were stopped. †¢ 1911 Ching Dynasty collapsed and by 1916 China was falling into civil unrest. Their military took control of the empire. †¢ 1949 the rise of the Maoist Movement. He then compares China to Russia: †¢ The Soviet Union and Eastern Europe had massive foreign debt while China did not. †¢ China has a large coastline that supported its export growth, while Russia and Eastern Europe do not. †¢ China had the benefit of large off-shore Chinese business communities which acted as foreign investors, while Russia and Eastern Europe did not. †¢ The Soviet was experiencing a drastic decline on their main export product, oil and gas. †¢ The Soviet Union had gone further down the industrialization road than China. Chapter NineIndia Market Reform Which Was the Triumph of Hope Over Fear Problem: India was controlled by a business, British East India Company, which was driven by greed, and it did everything to maximize profit for the company at the expense of the country. Though India’s population throughout history has been Hindu, vast numbers of Muslims and Christians lived in and sometimes dominated the land. India had poor political and social structures because the land was broken into many small kingdoms governed by many different leaders. In addition, India has the caste-system of stratification of peoples. With independence from the British in 1947, Nehru looked for a path to self- sufficiency and democratic socialism. The Green Revolution had a major impact on the country as high yield crops were introduced. By 1994, India now faced four major challenges: †¢ Reforms needed to be extended especially in liberalization and the development of new and better systems. †¢ India needed to invest heavily in infrastructure †¢ India needed to invest more in health and education of its people, especially the lower castes. †¢ India needed to figure out how to pay for the needed infrastructure. Lessons Learned: †¢ The 21st century is likely to be the era when this poor country’s economic development is substantially reversed. †¢ The country has announced electricity for all as well as essential health services and drinking water for everyone. These are achievable goals and the basis for much-needed investment. †¢ The Hindus did not stifle growth. The Green Revolution and then market reforms overrode the rigidness of the caste-system and the slow growth of the 1950’s and 1960’s. †¢ India has become increasingly urbanized, thereby further weakening the caste-system. †¢ Democracy is wearing away age-old social hierarchies. †¢ India has grabbed the potential of the internet and IT and is leading the way for developing nations in this regard. †¢ India’s varied geography and its miles and miles of shoreline fosters its market position for the manufacture of products. Chapter TenAfrica and the Dying Problem: Three centuries of slave trade were followed by a century of colonial rule which left Africa bereft of educated citizens and leaders, basic infrastructure, and public health facilities. The borders followed arbitrary lines, not historic tribal lines which now divided former empires, ethnic groups, ecosystems, watersheds, and resource deposits. The West was not willing to invest in African economic development. Corruption was not the central cause for their economic failure as he showed. In the 1980’s, HIV became the worse killer of mankind. In 2001, life expectancy stood at 47 years, while East Asia stood at 69 years, and developed countries at 78 years. Sachs spends time looking at the major diseases of malaria, TB, diarrhea, and HIV. He says poverty causes disease and disease causes poverty. Lessons Learned: †¢ Good governance and market reform alone are not sufficient to generate growth if a country is in a poverty trap. †¢ Geography has conspired with economics to give Africa a particularly weak hand. Africa lacks navigable rivers with access to the ocean for easy transport and trade. †¢ Africa lacks irrigation and depends on rainfall for their crops. †¢ Farmers lack access roads, markets, and fertilizers, while soils have been long depleted of their nutrients. Chapter ElevenThe Millennium, 9/11, and the United Nations. The beginning part of this chapter deals with the Millennium Development Goals. Sachs says that the goals and commitment to reach them by 2015 convey the hope that extreme poverty, disease, and environmental degradation could be alleviated with the wealth, the new technologies, and global awareness with which we entered the 21st century. He says the first seven goals call for sharp cuts in poverty, disease, and environmental degradation, while the eighth goal is essentially a commitment to global partnership. Because you have all seen them, I am not including them here. Regarding 9/11, he says we need to keep it in perspective. On 9/11, 3000 people died for once and for all, but 10,000 people die each day from diseases that are preventable. He believes we need to address the deeper roots of terrorism of which extreme poverty is an important element. The rich world needs to turn its efforts to a much greater extent from military strategies to economic development. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt spoke of freedoms we were fighting for in WWII and for which we still should be attempting to accomplish: †¢ Freedom of speech and expression everywhere in the world. †¢ Freedom for every person to worship God in his own way everywhere in the world. †¢ Freedom from want which translates into economic development. †¢ Freedom from fear which translates into a worldwide reduction in armament, a reduction to such a point that no nation will be in a position to commit an act of physical aggression against any neighbor. One major thing he is suggesting is that the rich countries elevate their giving to .7% of their GNP from the average of .2% it is today. The rest of the chapter is about President Bush and the USA policies and actions. Chapter TwelveOn-The-Ground Solutions for Ending Poverty This chapter is really talking about CHE, but Sachs does not realize it. He says that the world’s challenge is not to overcome laziness and corruption but rather to take on geographic isolation, disease, vulnerability to climate shocks, etc. with new systems of political responsibility that can get the job done. He talks about a village of less than 1,000 in western Kenya, in a Sauri sub-location (in Siaya district in Nyanza province) that he visited, which opened his eyes. He found what we find place after place that they are impoverished, but they are capable and resourceful. Though struggling to survive, presently they are not dispirited but determined to improve their situation. He then goes on to describe the needs of a rural African community, the same type of community that we deal with every day, as shown in the abundance of applications we receive for CHE. A major problem, he feels, is that the farmers do not have the money to buy fertilizer that would impact their crop productivity drastically. Also they have no school or clinic. He then begins to calculate what it would cost per person to bring a school and teachers, simple clinic and staff, medicines, agriculture inputs such as seed and fertilizer, safe drinking water and simple sanitation, and power transport and communication services. The total cost for Sauri is about $350,000 a year, which converts to $70 a person per year, which could revolutionize the community. If he did CHE, the total cost and per person cost would be greatly reduced. He then goes ahead and extrapolates this up for the country of Kenya to $1.5 billion. At the same time he points out that Kenya’s debt service is $600 million a year and that it needs to be cancelled. But one problem that donors talk about is corruption needing to be eliminated. If countries do not eliminate corruption, they would not be eligible for relief. Also, a budget and management system need to be designed that will reach the villages and be monitorable, governable, and scalablea set of interventions to ensure good governance on such a historic project. The key to this is to empower village-based community organizations to oversee village services. Most of what he says in this chapter sounds like CHE to me, but we can do it at even a lower cost and we have the experience to implement it. That is why I said earlier that we need to talk to Sachs about CHE. He then goes on with this theme but changes the venue from rural to urban in Mumbai, India in a slum community built smack up against the railroad tracks, one-house deep. He points out the outstanding needs are not latrines, running water, nor safety from trains, but empowerment so they can negotiate with the government. He then mentions that several groups have been found and empowered to do this in this community. Again sounds like CHE for urban poor. Sachs says what this community needs is investments in the individual and basic infra-structure that can empower people to be healthier, better educated, and more productive in the work force. CHE deals with the individual side of the equation. He ends this chapter by discussing the problem of scale. He says everything must start with the basic village. The key is connecting these basic units together into a global network that reaches from impoverished communities to the very centers of power and back again. This, too, is what we are talking about when we describe scaling-up and creating a movement and then forming it into councils and collaborative groups. He believes the rich world would readily provide the missing finances but they will wonder how to ensure that the money made available would really reach the poor and that there would be results. He says we need a strategy for scaling up the investments that will end poverty, including governance that empowers the poor while holding them accountable. I believe CHE fits his prescription. Chapter ThirteenMaking the Investments Needed to End Poverty Sachs says the extreme poor lack six kinds of capital: †¢ Human Capital: health, nutrition, and skills needed for each person to be productive. †¢ Business Capital: the machinery, facilities, and motorized transport used in agriculture, industry and services. †¢ Infrastructure Capital: water and sanitation, airports and sea ports, and telecommunications systems that are critical inputs for business productivity. †¢ Natural Capital: arable land, healthy soils, biodiversity, and well- functioning ecosystems that provide the environmental services need by human society. †¢ Public Institutional Capital: commercial law, judicial systems, government services, and policing, that underpin the peaceful and prosperous division of labor. †¢ Knowledge Capital: the scientific and technological know-how that raises productivity in business output and the promotion of physical and natural capital. He spends several pages on charts showing income flow. He also uses the example of child survival and how it applies to the six kinds of capital. He makes the point that even in the poorest societies, primary education alone is no longer sufficient. He says all youth should have a minimum of 9 years of education. He says technical capacity must be in the whole of society from the bottom up. He talks about trained community health workers and the role they can play. Villages around the world should be helped in adult education involving life and death issues such as HIV. The main challenges now is NOT to show what works in small villages or districts but rather to scale up what works to encompass a whole country, even the world. Again sounds like CHE and where we are going. He goes through several examples where major diseases are being dealt with such as malaria, river blindness, and polio, as well as spread of family planning. He also briefly talks about the cell phone revolution by the poor in Bangladesh and how East Asia has established Export Processing Zones, all of which are improving the life of the poorest of poor nations. Chapter FourteenA Global Compact to End Poverty He says the poorest countries themselves must take seriously the problem of ending poverty and need to devote a greater share of their national resources to accomplish this. Many poor countries pretend to reform while rich countries pretend to help them. The chronic lack of donor financing robs the poor countries of their poverty-fighting zeal. We are stuck in a show play that is not real. There are two sides in a compact. In this compact, there should be the commitment in the rich countries to help all poor countries where the collective will to be responsible partners in the endeavor is present. For the other poor countries where authoritarian or corrupt regimes hold sway, the consequences for the population are likely to be tragic but the rich countries have their limits also. He spends time looking at several countries that have Poverty Reduction Strategies where some are working and some not. Ghana is a star in his book. He says a true MDG-based poverty reduction strategy would have five parts: †¢ A Differential Diagnosis which includes identifying policies and investments that the country needs to achieve the MDGs. †¢ An Investment Plan which shows the size, timing and costs of the required investments. †¢ A Financial Plan to fund the Investment Plan, including the calculation of the MDG financing gap, the portion of the financial needs that donors will have to fill. †¢ A Donor Plan which gives multi-year commitments from donors for meeting the MDGs. †¢ A Public Management Plan that outlines the mechanisms of governance and public administration that will help implement the expanded public investment plan. During the 1980’s and 1990’s, the IMF forced Structural Readjustment on the poor countries which did not work. The poor were asked to pay all the expenses for new services. They then moved to a compromise called Social Marketing where the poor were asked to pay a portion of the expense. But neither plan worked because the poor did not have enough even to eat, much less pay for electricity. He says a sound management plan should include the following: †¢ Decentralize. Investments are needed in all the villages and the details for what is needed needs to be established at the village level through local committees, not the national capitol or Washington DC. †¢ Training. The public sector lacks the talent to oversee the scaling up process. Training programs for capacity building should be part of the strategy. †¢ Information Technology. The use of information technologycomputers, e-mail and mobile phones needs to increase drastically because of the dramatic increase of knowledge that needs to be transmitted. †¢ Measurable Benchmarks. Every MDG based poverty reduction strategy should be supported by quantitative benchmarks tailored to national conditions, needs, and data availability. †¢ Audits. No country should receive greater funding unless the money can be audited. †¢ Monitoring and Evaluation. Each country must prepare to have investments monitored and evaluated. He then goes through the following Global Policies for Poverty Reduction: †¢ The Debt Crisis. The poorest countries are unable to repay their debt, let alone carry the interest. Therefore, for each country that agrees to the guidelines noted previously, their debt must be cancelled if there is to be true poverty reduction. †¢ Global trade Policy. Poor countries need to increase their exports to the rich countries and thereby earn foreign exchange in order to import capital goods from the rich countries. Yet trade is not enough. The policy must include both aid and trade. The end of agriculture subsidies is not enough for this to happen. †¢ Science for Development. The poor are likely to be ignored by the international scientific community unless special effort is made to include things that help the poor. It is more critical to identify the priority needs for scientific research in relation to the poor than to mobilize the donor community to spur that research forward. That would include research in tropical agriculture, energy systems, climate forecasting, water management, and sustainable management of ecosystems. †¢ Environmental stewardship. The poorest of poor nations are generally innocent victims of major long-term ecosystem degradation. The rich countries must live up to the ecology agreements they have signed. The rich countries will have to give added financial assistance to the poor countries to enable them to deal with the ecosystem problems. The rich countries will have to invest more in climate research. Chapter FifteenCan The Rich Afford to Help the Poor? He asks the question â€Å"Can the rich countries help the poor?†, and his answer is â€Å"Can they afford not to do so?† He gives five reasons that show that the current effort is so modest. †¢ The numbers of extremely poor have declined close to 50% two generations ago to 33% a generation ago to 20% today. †¢ The goal is to end extreme poverty, not all poverty, and to close the gap between the rich and the poor. †¢ Success in ending the poverty trap will be much easier than it appears. Too little has been done to identify specific, proven, low-cost interventions that can make a difference in living standards and economic growth (CHE does this). †¢ The rich world is vastly rich. What seemed out of reach a generation or two ago is now such a small fraction of the vastly expanded income of the rich world. †¢ Our tools are more powerful than ever, including computers, internet, mobile phones, etc. He then spends time in doing calculations to show how this can be accomplished. First he starts with the World Bank. They estimate that meeting basic needs requires $1.08 per person per day. Currently, the average income of the extremely poor is 77 cents per day, creating a shortfall of 31 cents per day or $113 per person per year. He then shows that this represents only .6% of a nation’s GNP. The MDG target which many countries have agreed to is .7% of their GNP. Later on, he shows that the USA is only spending .15% for aid to the world. Sachs then spends time on a six-step process to do a needs assessment to come up with the real number needed: †¢ Identify the package of basic needs. †¢ Identify for each country the current unmet needs of the population. †¢ Calculate the costs of meeting the unmet needs through investments, taking into account future population growth. †¢ Calculate the part of the investments that can’t be financed by the country itself. †¢ Calculate the MDG financing gap that must be covered by donors. †¢ Assess the size of the donor contribution relative to donor income. He proposes that interventions are required to meet the following basic needs: †¢ Primary education for all children with a designated target ratio of pupils to teachers. †¢ Nutrition program for all vulnerable populations. †¢ Universal access to anti-malarial bed nets for all households in regions of malaria transmission. †¢ Access to safe drinking water and sanitation. †¢ One-half kilometer of paved roads for every thousand population. †¢ Access to modern cooking fuels and improved cooking stoves to decrease indoor air pollution. He states extreme poverty (a lack of access to basic needs) is very different from relative poverty (occupying a place at the bottom of the ladder of income distribution) within rich countries, and goes through a more detailed approach of implementing the six steps. He points out that not all donor assistance is for development. Much is used for emergency relief, care for resettlement of refugees, geopolitical support of particular governments, and help for middle-income countries that have largely ended extreme poverty in their country. Also, only a small portion of development aid actually helps to finance the intervention package. Much of it goes for technical assistance which is not part of the MDG numbers. He spends time on the question, â€Å"Can the USA afford the .7% of their GNP?† He responds with a deafening â€Å"Yes!† He does this in multiple ways, one of which is to show that the increase is only .55%, which would be hardly noticed in the US’s average 1.9% increase year-by-year of its GNP. Chapter SixteenMyths and Magic Bullets This is an interesting chapter because Sachs shoots down commonly held beliefs concerning the causes and solutions for poverty. He uses Africa as his case to do so:. †¢ Contrary to popular conception, Africa has not received great amounts of aid. They receive $30 per person per year but only $12 of that actually went to be used in development in Africa. $5 went to consultants of donor countries, $3 went to food and emergency relief, $4 for servicing Africa’s debt and $5 for debt relief. In reality, in 2002, only six cents per person went to development. †¢ Corruption is the problem which leads to poor governance. By any standard of measure Africa’s governance is low, but not due to corruption. African countries’ governance is no different than other poor countries in the rest of the world. Governance improves as the people become more literate and more affluent. Secondly, a more affluent country can afford to invest more in governance. †¢ There is a democracy deficit. This is also not true. In 2003, 11 countries in Africa were considered free, with 20 more partially free, and 16 not free. This is the same as is found in other regions of the world. Democracy does not translate into faster economic growth. †¢ Lack of modern values. Again, this is also false. Virtually every society that was once poor has been castigated for being unworthy until its citizens became rich and then their new wealth was explained by their industriousness. He traces this trend in multiple countries. One major factor that does cause change is the change in women’s position in society as their economic situation improves, which accelerates the growth. †¢ The need for economic freedom is not fully true. Generally market societies out perform centrally planned economies. This leads to the thought that all is needed is that the people must have the will to liberalize and privatize which is too simplistic. He shows that there is no correlation between the Economic Freedom Index and annual growth rate of GDP. †¢ The single idea of Mystery of Capital put forth by Hernando de Soto which relates to the security of private property including the ability to borrow against it is also incorrect. Most poor hold their assets such as housing and land. †¢ There is a shortfall of morals which is thought to be the main cause of HIV in Africa. A study shows that Africa men are no different in the average number of sexual partners they have than any other part of the world. †¢ Saving children only to become hungry adults leads to population explosion. Actually it has been shown that the best way to reduce the fertility rate is to increase the economic status. In all parts of the world (except the Middle East) where the fertility rate is over 5 children, those countries are the poorest ones. As children survive, the parents feel less of a need to have more children which is a result of improved economic conditions. †¢ A rising tide lifts all boats. This means extreme poverty will take care of itself because economic development will pull all countries along to improvement. A rising improvement does not reach the hinder lands or mountain tops. †¢ Nature red in tooth and claw means that economic improvement is based on survival of the fittest and those who cannot compete fall behind. This is a Darwin thought which seems to still prevail throughout the world. Competition and struggle are but one side o f the coin which has the other side of trust, cooperation, and collective action. He rejects the doomsayers who saying that ending poverty is impossible. He believes he has identified specific interventions that are needed as well as found ways to plan and implement them at an affordable rate. Chapter SeventeenWhy We Should Do It There are several fallacies which affect the USA’s giving: †¢ The American public greatly overestimates the amount of federal funds spent on foreign aid. The US public believes that the government is providing massive amounts of aid. A 2001 survey by the University of Maryland showed that people felt that US aid accounted for 20% of the federal budget versus the actual of .15%. That is 24 times smaller than the actual figure. †¢ The American public believes that the US military can achieve security for Americans in the absence of a stable world. This has been proven untrue especially with 9/11. †¢ There is a fallacy in belief that there is a war of cultures. For many, this relates to Biblical prophesy of Armageddon and end times. The problem in the US is not opposition to increased foreign aid but a lack of political leadership to inform the public how little the US does supply, and then asking the US public to supply more. Hard evidence has established a strong linkage between extreme poverty abroad and threats to national security. As a general proposition, economic failure (an economy stuck in a poverty trap, banking crisis, debt default or hyper-inflation) often leads to a state failure. A CIA Task force looked at state failures between 1954 and 1994 and found that the following three factors were most significant in state failure: †¢ Very high infant mortality rate suggested that overall low levels of material well-being are a significant factor in state failure. †¢ Openness of the economy showed the more economic linkages a country had with the rest of the world, the lower chance of state failure. †¢ Democratic countries showed fewer propensities to state failure than authoritarian regimes. He then reviews what the US government has committed to since 9/11: †¢ Provide resources to aid countries that have met national reform. †¢ Improve effectiveness of the World Bank and other development banks in raising living standards. †¢ Insist on measurable results to ensure that development assistance is actually making a difference in the lives of the world’s poor. †¢ Increase the amount of development assistance that is provided in the form of grants, not loans. †¢ Since trade and investment are the real engines of economic growth, open societies to commerce and investment. †¢ Secure public health. †¢ Emphasize education. †¢ Continue to aid agricultural development. In reality, little progress has been done by the US to the accomplishment of these goals. But he does spend time discussing where plans were established and that funds were flowing where massive amounts of aid were provided by the USA: †¢ End of World War II with the Marshall Plan which revitalized Europe and Japan. †¢ Jubilee 2000 Drop the Debt Campaign started slow but ended up with large amount of national debt being cancelled in the poorest of countries. †¢ The Emergency Plan for HIV is providing $15 billion to fight this pandemic. The bottom line of this chapter is, â€Å"OK, USA and other rich countries, you are saying good things, now step-up to the plate and do what you have agreed to do.† Chapter EighteenOur Generation’s Challenge Our generation is heir to two and a half centuries of economic progress. We can realistically envision a world without extreme poverty by the year 2025 because of technological progress which enables us to meet basic needs on a global scale. We can also achieve a margin above basic needs unprecedented in history. Until the Industrial Revolution, humanity had known only unending struggles against famine, pandemic disease, and extreme povertyall compounded by cycles of war, and political despotism. At the same time, Enlightenment thinkers began to envision the possibility of sustained social progress in which science and technology could be harnessed to achieve sustained improvements in the organization of social, political, and economic life. He proposes four thinkers which led this movement: †¢ Thomas Jefferson and other founders of the American Republic led the thought that political institutions could be fashioned consciously to meet the needs of society through a human-made political system. †¢ Adam Smith believed that the economic system could similarly be shaped to meet human need and his economic design runs parallel to Jefferson’s political designs. †¢ Immanuel Kant called for an appropriate global system of governance to end the age-old scourge of war. †¢ Science and technology, fueled by human reason can be a sustained force for social improvement and human betterment led by Francis Bacon and Marie-Jean-Antoine Condorcet. Condorcet put much emphasis on public education to accomplish the goals. One of the most abiding commitments of the Enlightenment was the idea that social progress should be universal and not restricted to a corner of Western Europe. He said now it is our generation’s turn to help foster the following: †¢ Political systems that promote human well-being †¢ Economic systems that spread the benefits of science, technology, and division of labor to all parts of the world. †¢ International cooperation in order to secure a perpetual peace. †¢ Science and technology, grounded in human rationality, to fuel the continued prospects for improving the human condition. He then spends three or four pages discussing the good and bad points of the Anti-globalization Movement which is taking place. He also spends time discussing three movements which made these kind of changes in the world in their time: †¢ The end of Slavery †¢ The end of Colonization †¢ The Civil Rights and Anti-Apartheid Movement He closes with discussing the next steps which are: †¢ Commit to ending poverty †¢ Adopt a plan of action built around the Millennium Development Goals †¢ Raise the voice of the poor †¢ Redeem the role of the United States in the world †¢ Rescue the IMF and World Bank †¢ Strengthen the United Nations †¢ Harness global science †¢ Promote sustainable development †¢ Make a personal commitment to become involved Summary This is an interesting book with new perspectives for me, and which is beginning to be taken seriously by the world. I believe, as stated earlier, that MAI’s role is on-the-ground solutions for ending poverty through CHE which is spelled out in Chapter 12. But, as also noted, we can do it at a far lower cost than he estimates because of our commitment to empowering people to do things on their own and primarily with their own funds.