Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Global Warming Is Not Caused by Humans Essay Example

Global Warming Is Not Caused by Humans Paper There are many scientists who say that humans are the cause of global warming. With all the talk about green house gases going up and the amount of emissions that humans are putting into the atmosphere, not very many people talk about the other side of the story. By proving that humans are not the Cause of Global warming people will better understand what really is causing global warming. There are three very important points that one needs to look at when discussing the issue of global warming. One is ICC concentrations are not very high at all. The second is that solar cycles cause eating on not only earth but other planets. The last would be that global warming Of the earth is a natural cycle that the earth goes through and has been going through for many years. It is very easy to get caught up in the global warming talk. One of the biggest issues is that of carbon dioxide. People claim that carbon dioxide is the main cause of global warming but carbon dioxide concentrations are not all that high. People have studied that historically there has been much more carbon dioxide in our atmosphere than there is today for example: During the Jurassic Period, 200 million years ago, average ICC concentrations were bout 1 800 pump or about 4. 7 times higher than today. The highest concentrations of ICC during all of the Paleozoic Era occurred during the Cambrian Period, nearly 7000 pump about 18 times higher than today (Global Warming– Introduction). The Carboniferous Period and the Ordination Period were the only geological periods during the Paleozoic Era when global temperatures were as low as they are today (Global Warming, Introduction). To the concern of global warming proponents, the Late Ordination Period was also an Ice Age while at the same time ICC concentrations then were nearly 12 times higher than today– 4400 pump. We will write a custom essay sample on Global Warming Is Not Caused by Humans specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Global Warming Is Not Caused by Humans specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Global Warming Is Not Caused by Humans specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer According to greenhouse theory, Earth should have been exceedingly hot. Instead, global temperatures were no warmer than today. With these facts there has to be other factors besides atmospheric carbon influencing earth’s temperatures and global warming. Plus Carbon dioxide is such a small component of Earth’s atmosphere that it is only about 0. 04% of all gases in the atmosphere. In the last 600 million years of Earth’s history only the Carboniferous Period and our present age, the Quaternary Period, have witnessed ICC levels less than 400 pump (Global Warming- Introduction). Scientists fight back saying that the increase in fossil fuels burning are causing the increase in temperature. Humans use of fossil fuels is just a small portion of the carbon dioxide that makes up our atmosphere. Carbon Dioxide from all coal burning worldwide comprises only 0. 013% Of the greenhouse gases in Earth’s atmosphere (Global Warming- Introduction). This is a very small portion of the Carbon Dioxide that humans contribute to the atmosphere, but what is the percentage of Carbon dioxide contributed by humans to the atmosphere? According to Greatcoat. Com carbon dioxide by human activity is just a minuscule . 17% of the entire atmosphere. There are far too many facts stating that carbon dioxide makes up just a little portion of the atmosphere. With humans only contributing only . 117% carbon dioxide in the entire atmosphere, humans cannot possibly be the cause of global warming. Solar Cycles show proof that humans are not the cause of global warming. Scientists have been observing warming on other planets not just earth. Planetary warming was observed on Mars, Jupiter, Pluto, and Neptune largest moon Triton during decades following the peak of the Solar â€Å"Grand Maximum† (Solar Climate). These same observations are being made on Earth. Having this information how can scientists say that humans are causing global warming when other planets are experiencing the same warming, and humans are not there? According to Nick Frozen on launderers. Mom Pluto is moving further from the sun in its orbit, thus it should be cooling, but instead it is warming. This is one sign that shows that the climate change on Earth is caused by solar cycles. According to Frozen the sun is now changing from its solar Grand Maximum to its solar Grand Minimum. The Earth Heats up after every Grand Maximum lagging a bit after he peak (SolarClimate). Latest science reveals sharp increases in global warming precede sharp increases in carbon dioxide, not the other way around. Global warming causes more carbon dioxide to be released from the oceans (SolarClimate). Current research shows Earth’s oceans are now beginning to cool Frozen says it is also now clear that temperatures over the last century correlate far better with cycles in oceans than they do with carbon dioxide; and the temperature cycles in the oceans are caused by cycles of the sun In 2005 data from Anna’s Mars Global Surveyor and Odyssey Missions valued Global Surveyor and Odyssey missions revealed that the carbon dioxide â€Å"ice Caps† near Mar’s South pole had been diminishing for three summers in a row (National Geographic). Habitual Bodhisattva head of space research at SST. Petersburg Pullout Astronomical Observatory in Russia, says the Mars data is evidence that the current global warming on Earth is being caused by changes in the su n. â€Å"The long-term increase in solar radiance is heating both Earth and Mars,† he said (National Geographic). Bodhisattva believes that changes in the sun’s heat output can account for almost all the climate changes scientists have seen on both planets. Mars and Earth for instance, have experienced periodic ice ages throughout their histories (National Geographic). Abductors says that man-made greenhouse warming has made a small contribution to the warming seen on Early in recent years, but it cannot compete with the increase in solar radiance (National Geographic). Abductors research proves that humans are not the cause of global warming. Science Daily shows A study in the July 2002 issue of Journal of Geophysical Research-Space Physics, published by the American Geophysical Union, proposes for the first time that interstellar cosmic rays could be the missing link between the discordant temperatures observed during the last two decades (since recorded satellite records began in 1979). The report, by Fanning You of the State University of New York-Albany, proposes that the rays, tiny charged particles that bombard all planets with varying frequency depending on solar wind intensity, may have height-dependent effects on our planet’s cloudiness (Science Daily). â€Å"A systematic change in global cloud cover will change the atmospheric heating profile,† You said. â€Å"In other words, the cosmic ray-induced global cloud hanged could be the long-sought mechanism connecting solar and climate variability’ (Science Daily). With this discovery scientists are closer to proving that humans are not the caus e of global warming. Global warming is a cycle the earth has been going through for many years. There are natural cycles, over which we have no control, that dictate how warm the planet is (Absences). According to research conducted by professor Don Easternmost from Western Washington University last November, the oceans and global temperatures are correlated. The Oceans have a cycle in which they warm ND cool cyclically (Absences). One of the cycles scientists have named the Pacific Decal Oscillation (POD). In April 2008, scientists at Anna’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory announced that while the La Ina was weakening, the Pacific Decal Oscillation-?a larger-scale, slower-cycling ocean pattern-?had shifted to its cool phase (NASA: POD). The picture to the right shows both the La Nina anomaly and the POD anomaly on a thermal map. For much of the asses and 1 sass it was a positive cycle which means warmer than average. Observations have revealed that global temperatures were warm too Absences). Scientists say that the oceans control a big part of the temperature and climate of every place in the world.

Sunday, November 24, 2019

The Life and Works of David Ricardo - a Biography

The Life and Works of David Ricardo - a Biography David Ricardo - His Life David Ricardo was born in 1772. He was the third of seventeen children. His family was descended from Iberian Jews who had fled to Holland in the early18th Century. Ricardo’s father, a stockbroker, emigrated to England shortly before David was born. Ricardo began working full-time for his father at the London Stock Exchange when he was fourteen. When he was 21 his family disinherited him when he married a Quaker. Luckily he already had an excellent reputation in finance and he set up his own business as a dealer in government securities. He quickly became very rich. David Ricardo retired from business in 1814 and was elected to the British parliament in 1819 as an independent representing a borough in Ireland, which he served up to his death in 1823. In parliament, his main interests were in the currency and commercial questions of the day. When he died, his estate was worth over $100 million in todays dollars. David Ricardo - His Work Ricardo read Adam Smiths Wealth of Nations (1776) when he was in his late twenties. This sparked an interest in economics that lasted his whole life. In 1809 Ricardo began to write down his own ideas in economics for newspaper articles. In his Essay on the Influence of a Low Price of Corn on the Profits of Stock (1815), Ricardo articulated what came to be known as the law of diminishing returns. (This principle was also discovered simultaneously and independently by Malthus, Robert Torrens, and Edward West). In 1817 David Ricardo published Principles of Political Economy and Taxation. In this text, Ricardo integrated a theory of value into his theory of distribution. David Ricardo’s attempts to answer important economic issues took economics to an unprecedented degree of theoretical sophistication. He outlined the Classical system more clearly and consistently than anyone before had done. His ideas became known as the Classical or Ricardian School. While his ideas were followed they slowly were replaced. However, even today the Neo-Ricardian research program exists.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Lobbing group Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Lobbing group - Essay Example Freedom House central mission is to ensure the government is accountable to their people, the right rule of law is upheld, there is freedom of speech and expression for all, association and ensure there is respect for freedom and rights of the minority. Freedom House mainly concentrates on laws regarding human rights the civil society and in regards to communication and information. It focuses on rules that facilitate free and unbiased flow of information and ideas through the media or the Internet. Freedom House targets mainly the legislators who pass and amend the laws regarding freedom of speech, free Internet and freedom of the media and the security agencies that are against freedom of communication and the Internet. Freedom House is a board of trustees who are comprised of mainly labor leaders, business leaders, former senior government officials, scholars, journalists and writers. The board members and the organization do not identify itself with either the Democratic or the Republican parties in the USA. The members who join have to have one voice and agree that promotion and making the government accountable for human rights and democracy is crucial to American citizens interests locally, internationally and towards achieving international peace. Policy agenda of Freedom House especially the freedom of expression and that of global Internet freedom has support from individuals and large corporations. Supporters especially the staff members and board members who dedicate their time and money towards Freedom House are mainly political enthusiasts who want a liberal society where the government is accountable. Achieving such interests for themselves and the community they live in will ensure a better life in general for the country and the world as a whole. Some members of the organization are businessmen who make donations to the Freedom House

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Central Banks & other International banks Assignment

Central Banks & other International banks - Assignment Example In some cases, the central government may place restrictions con how to hold and use foreign exchange or how to dispose local currency. 2. What did the central banks do to stabilize the financial systems in 2007–2009? In order to stop the financial crisis, central banks across the world followed plans that were almost parallel inaction. The eurozone, US and Britain central banks cut interest rates almost to zero, injected capital in the markets (through massive stimulus programs) and guaranteed bank lending (Allen, 2008). These actions were taken in a bid to restore investor confidence and liquidity. In some nations, the central governments have endeavored to coordinate debt issuance with an aim of avoiding the destabilization of their financial markets. 3. In an effort to stabilize the financial system how much money, in U.S. dollar equivalent and as a percentage of the country's GDP, did the European Central Bank, Bank of England, Bank of China, and the Federal Reserve put i nto the economy in 2008 and 2009? The Central banks responses to the financial crisis were quick and dramatic. The US pumped close to one trillion USD in total in 2008 and 2009 in two massive stimulus packages. In the final quarter of 2008, the European Central Bank and the US Federal Reserve purchased about 2.5 trillion USD worth of government debt and private assets from banks (Spiegel, 2008). Today, the US has spent about 11 trillion USD to the financial crisis about 9.8 trillion USD going to troubled US corporate entities including JPMorgan Chase and General Motors. About 1.2 trillion USD has been set for use in the countries stimulus programs. Of the 9.8 trillion USD, about 6.4 trillion USD is set to be used in Federal Reserve Rescue Efforts. The Bank of China in 2008pledged to release 586 billion USD in the domestic market to stimulate the country’s economy (Morrison, 2009). 4. How well did each country's efforts work at stabilizing the economy? The central banks of mos t countries have worked in coordination with their counterparts elsewhere cutting short term interest rates. Even the People's Bank of China joined the major economies in cutting interest rates. The central bank interventions worked positively for all the countries in mitigating the effects of the financial crisis. In fact, the effects of the crisis have continued to dwindle over time. 5. What appears to be the major constraint that the central banks used to determine the limits of the monetary injections into the economy? The US assumed a most proactive role in tackling the financial crisis. The Federal Reserve has mainly applied interest rate changes to stop the financial crisis from having greater effects on the economy – more than any other central bank. The bank’s interest rate has been reduced from about 5.3% in September, 2007 to about 1.4% over the last couple of months (Senanayake, 2009). 6. Did the United States use the same or different criteria? Through thi s action, the bank has managed to shelve away worries related to high inflation rates. The US applied interest rate reduction, stimulus packages and a relaxed monetary policy like the other central banks albeit more proactively. By lowering interest rates, the supply of money in the market got to increase thereby reducing inflation and panic in the market. 7. To what extent to do you agree/disagree with the actions of

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Human nature Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Human nature - Essay Example The researcher has established the premise that human nature serves as the amalgamation of the features of goodness and evil, which overcome each other on the foundation of various resistible and irresistible circumstances, and hence lead to the development of human nature. The term human nature simply refers to the features and characteristics attributed to human perception, thought, feelings, emotions and sentiments; all of which are reflected in the actions, reactions and behavior of the individuals while entering into interaction with their social, natural and physical environment at large. Such patterns of behavior not only influence their individual life, but also leaves indelible imprints on the collective life of the members of society and culture one belongs to. Consequently, the social norms and cultural values mirror the traits and characteristics observed by human nature. Psychologists, theorists and researchers have always been interested in exploring the human nature and the foundations on which it appears to be erecting (Liebert & Spiegler 6). Some of them view human nature to be the mixture of the qualities man inherits from both of the parents, on which the individual does not maintain any control altogether; on the other hand, some of the theorists strongly declare the physical surroundings and social environment to be responsible for all the activities man is involved into. Hence, proper education and adequate training can introduce imperative alterations in human personality, where a deviant could be taught the manners of leading a law-abiding and sophisticated life. Consequently, nature-nurture debate has always been the moot point for the scholars, philosophers, intellectuals and religious leaders for centuries. While discussing Islamic perception with regards to human nature, it becomes evident that Islam lays stress upon both nature and nurture,

Friday, November 15, 2019

Literature Review Of Flooding And Flood Risks Environmental Sciences Essay

Literature Review Of Flooding And Flood Risks Environmental Sciences Essay The concept of flooding has a multi-disciplinary definition based on the interest of the defining discipline. However, flood is generally taken to include any case where land not normally covered by water becomes covered by water (FWMA, 2010: Pt 1). In recent decades there have been raging scientific and media debates on likely changes in flood regimes generated by land-use changes and climate change (Ranzi et al, 2002). The crux of most of these debates is centred on the simulated risk from such flood events. These risks are related to human health, infrastructure, socio-economic well-being of affected individuals and damage also to archaeological relics. Methods of evaluating and assessing flood risk have been developed in the field of insurance, technological and environmental fields (Molak, 1997; Jones, 2001). Although river flooding is often related to natural disasters, the impacts of human activities such as urbanization have been observed by many scholars (Sala and Inbar, 199 2; Kang et al, 1998; Ranzi et al, 2002). Flood risk is expressed in terms of the probability of occurrence of adverse effects of flood related hazards and vulnerability with potential consequences (Mileti, 1999; Merz, et al, 2007; FWMA, 2010). Although a number of approaches have been tested for flood events prediction, hydraulic models have been specifically designed to predict flood inundation (Horritt and Bates, 2002). Consequently, in the development of an effective and efficient flood risk management strategy hydraulic, hydrologic and socio-economic factors must be taken into consideration (Merz et al, 2007). 2.2 Urbanisation and Flooding Urbanization and flooding are intricately linked in both developed and developing countries. Increasing population growth and continued urban expansion has led to a reduction in surface permeability which invariably increases surface runoff in the absence of alleviating urban drainage design (Kang et al, 1998; Parker, 1999; Ranzi et al, 2002). Although the UK has only small rivers by world standards, with the tendency for smaller-scale floods to occur (Wheater, 2006), considerable economic and infrastructural losses arise from urban flooding (Mark et al, 2004). This loss is significantly higher in smaller river bank communities. For instance, Wheater (2006) notes that the 24hr rainfall in Carlisle on the 8th and 9th of January 2005 resulted in the loss of two lives, an estimated damage of  £450 million and flooding of over 2000 properties when the flood defences were over-topped. The engineering and design of flood defences are based on hydrological and hydraulic models of river ca tchments. Hydrological models simulate surface runoff from rainfall while the hydraulic model describes structural controls of the river system (Kite, 2001; Mark et al, 2004; Kidson et al, 2006; Heatlie et al, 2007). We conclude that urbanization can represent a very significant increase in flood risk at small catchment scale, but that the effects are commonly mitigated, to a greater or lesser extent, by design measures. The impacts of effects at larger scales are complex and depend on the relative magnitude and timing of sub-catchment responses and the performance of mitigation strategies. Relative effects of urbanization on flooding are expected to decrease with increasing storm return period, but the performance of mitigation strategies for events rarer than the design criteria adopted is largely unexplored. 2.3 Global warming and Flooding Though it is still difficult to attribute global warming recorded this century to the enhanced greenhouse effect and the resultant increase in observed rainfall (Reynard et al, 2001; Robson et al, 1998), the recurrent incidence of floods and their magnitude in the UK in recent times have raised major concerns that the effect of climate change is already being felt across the country (Robson, 2002). Milly et al, (2002) produced the theory Global Climate Models have been used to determine the likelihood of increased flood risk from global warming. Reynard et al (2001) used the CLASSIC (Climate and LAnd use Scenario Simulation In Catchments model) continuous flow simulation model to assess the potential impact of climate and changes in land use on the flood regimes of the Severn and Thames rivers. They found that for the 2050s, the climate change scenarios results in an increase in both the frequency and magnitude of flooding events in both rivers. Similarly, Milly et al (2002) observed that the frequency of great floods increased significantly during the twentieth century. Accordingly, the statistically significant positive trend in the risk of floods was consistent with the results from the climate model (Milly et al, 2002). Roy et al (2001) investigated the impact of climate change on summer and autumn flooding on the Chateauguay river basin. Their study reveals serious potential increases in the volume of runoff, maximum discharge and water level with future climate change scenarios for a three 20-year periods spanning 1975 1995, 2020 2040, 2080 2100. 2.4 Modelling of Flood events The simulation of extraordinary flow events characterized by high hydraulic risk has posed serious problems for policy makers, engineers and environmentalists around the world. The use of 1-D modelling for predicting flood risk generated by events of different return period or multiple land use and climate change scenarios is widespread (Lin et al., 2005; Mark et al., 2004; Horritt and Bates, 2002; Mark et al., 2004; Lin et al., 2005; Hall et al, 2005). In their study, Bates and De Roo (2000) demonstrated the use of a 1-D model type storage cell called LISFLOOD-FP to produce designated channel cells for channel routing and uniform flow formulae for floodplain routing, through the process of discrete raster-based analysis derived from a DEM at 100, 50 and 25m resolutions respectively and applied to a major flood on a 35km reach of River Meuse. Syme (2001) notes that in addition to rapid wetting and drying, the strength of TUFLOW is its powerful 1D linking options, modelling of hydraul ic structures, treatment of levees and embankments, effective data handling and quality control outputs. Horritt and Bates (2002) conclude that HEC-RAS models calibrated against discharge gave good flood predictions of inundated area on a 60  km reach of the river Severn, UK. Reed and Robson, (1999, cited in Dawson et al., 2006) stressed that many flood estimation problems were likely to arise at ungauged sites due to the unavailability of flood peak data recorded in the UK Flood Estimation Handbook (FEH). The FEH is produced by the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology with information about River catchments in the UK such as, rainfall frequency estimation, statistical procedures for flood frequency estimation, rainfall-runoff and catchment descriptors. Dawson et al., (2006) used the Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) technique to estimate flood statistics for un-gauged catchments (for most of the River catchments in the UK). The index flood analysis from the ANN results produced a comparable accuracy to that obtained from the Flood Estimation Handbook (FEH), but the flood estimation for each catchment was carried out for only a 10, 20 and 30 year flood event period giving room for short term flood defence preparation thereby incurring future expense on what ca n be predicted for up to 1000 years. A study by Yang et al (2002) on prediction of flood inundation and risk, using GIS and Hydrodynamic model showed the ability to use a DEM manipulated in GIS and translated into MIKE21 (a modelling environment). In the study, different scenarios were evaluated and results translated to the GIS environment for visualization and analysis on flood events for an estimated 100-year flood return period. However, Yang et al, stressed that there were no real means to calibrate the simulations from the modelling output, as flow and stage data were rarely recorded for flood events and also, compare between outputs from MIKE21 and MIKE1, the former, being an upgrade of the latter. 2.5 One-Dimension ISIS flood Modelling The ISIS model has been used extensively in modelling inundated flow regimes of rivers across the UK (Heatlie, et al. 2007). The Manchester Ship Canal, a 58 km long river located in North West England and constructed in 1894 to include the navigable part of River Irwell (including River Irwell at Radcliffe, Bury) was one of the last major watercourses in the United Kingdom to be analysed with hydraulic modelling techniques (Heatlie, et al. 2007). In preparation of an indicative flood mapping (IFM), the EA used an unsteady ISIS 1-D hydraulic model for the mapping of a 47km length of the Upstream Bristol Forme catchment to define areas at flood risk in 2002 (Syme et al, 2004). According to past studies (Costa-Cabral and Burges, 1994; Bodis, 2007; Rees, 2000) it is evident that the use of Digital Elevation Model (DEM) in flood model creation have played a big role in the successful presentation of hydrological and topographical drainage basin data analysis (Peckham, 1998) because it depicts an array of elevations across the basin at regularly spaced intervals (Cunha, 2009). This eliminates the assumption that the catchment or area is a flat surface without contours. In research carried out by Sansena Bhaktikul (2006) on the integration of hydraulic modelling and GIS towards the study of river the Mae Klong (Bangkok, Thailand). The runoff frequency analysis was used in the creation of a flood risk map. The study also showed that the results from the simulation carried out, was properly presented in GIS and DTM format, by making use of the contour and river spot height data. Sansena Bhaktikul (2006) conclude their study by suggesting that further studies be done on larger basins by dividing them into sub-basins and the network link to integrate them should be introduced to have an overview of the basin. The runoff flow in flood plains, river channels and man-made structures are important factors in the study of runoff flow behaviour prediction of flood areas, they added, and thus further studies are therefore recommended to include rainfall runoff models in upstream and unsteady areas. 2.6 Aim To develop an appropriate one-dimensional ISIS hydraulic model of flood events that includes upstream catchments of the River Irwell and produce a flood map to predict flood extents an extreme flood event period. 2.7 Research Question Does the inclusion of upstream catchments improve the net flood prediction model of the river Irwell? What areas are most vulnerable to flood risk in Radcliffe, Bury? To what level should the flood defences be built around the Radcliffe area?

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

The language of fashion magazines

Overture The significance of print media has been getting bigger and bigger as the time progress all over the world. Magazine is one of the popular forms of print media worldwide. There are different types of magazines with different features and attributes. They are mostly periodic- monthly and quarterly magazines are most common. The magazines generally focus a particular area and they target a particular group of people as their target readers.Such as business and economics oriented magazines are designed mostly for the business people, Science and genealogy for the young people and students, art and literature for the readers who particularly possess interest towards art and literature. Sports magazines target the young and enthusiastic sports lovers and fashion and lifestyle magazines are for the people who are concerned pretty much about their living style and modern days fashions. In this report we have selected such two fashion and life style magazines, one local and one inte rnational. Instill† the international one, published as British version and Mirror- the Bangladesh magazine regarded as one of the most rumoring and classic fashion magazine of the country. Both the magazines follow English as their media language and are published monthly. We will try to identify the approach of these two commonly oriented magazines. Both the magazines target the today's modern women with their independence and glamorous. In the next section we shall be introduced with these magazines. 1. Mirror; at a glance: Name: Mirror Magazine Nature: Monthly Magazine Type: Fashion & Life style Established (First Issue): 2003, Dacha Editor: Quasi Changer Lam Number of publication: 24,000 (2013) Language: English Company: Mirror Group (Bangladesh) 1. 3 Instill; at a glance Name: Instill Established (First Issue): June, 1994 Editor: Ariel Fox Number of publication: (2011) Company: Time Inc. (US) EPIC Media (I-J) part: TWO 2. 1 PURPOSE STATEMENT This paper has been intended as an academic purpose of the students of M. A. In English Program.It aims to find out a comparative analysis of both the magazines in literal as well as structural sense. This comparison will reveal both the similarities and dissimilarities between the two magazines each possess supreme popularity in their own platform. The other purpose of the study is to analyze the style of language of English and what techniques are used in the magazines. This paper also tries to find out how to use language in print media 2. 2 Methodology For a constructive comparison time frame and contextual frame should be pretty much same and identical.Here two magazines have been selected with same nature and categorical similarities. In order to maintain the time frame, the particular number of the magazines for analysis was kept concurrent. The Bangladesh magazine â€Å"Mirror† was taken of volume 10, which is the July-August Edition of the rent year and an Did Fashion Special. On the other hand, the I-J based international Magazine â€Å"Instill† was taken of Volume 20, number 5 and it was the edition of the month of May of this going year. Thus, from the time frame perspective, both have same platform.In order to maintain the contextual frame, the two magazines taken from the similar taste and target readers. Both are fashion and life style magazines particularly designed for the progressive modern ladies. It is important to mention that the comparison was not made from all the numbers of the magazines, rather the two given numbers mentioned earlier. In the next section, we will begin with the comparative analysis of the magazines. Part: THREE Comparative discussions on the two magazines The previously mentioned numbers of each magazine were brought under the observation of the readers.We have tried to point out similarities and dissimilarities found in their writing styles, literal values and presentations. 3. 1 Point of Similarities: 3. 1. 1 Presentation of the C over Page: Both the magazines feature their cover page with the photos of two very beautiful and glamorous celebrities. The one at the left is the cover page of the Bangladesh gagging â€Å"Mirror† which features Biddy Sinai Mim, a very promising and one of the top models of current times of the country. On the right top, we have the cover page of the British tabloid â€Å"Instill† which features the global celebrity Emily Blunt, a very popular international actress.This similarity is quite an evident and a very common method for the fashion magazines to feature a photo of a beautiful looking celebrity with her distinguishes appeals and glamour. This similarity is not true for these two numbers of the magazines, bull almost all numbers of all fashion magazines. 3. 1. Domination of Photos of the models at pose: This is perhaps the most significant similarity and feature of the fashion magazines. They use the photos more than words. In fact, in the two numbers of the mag azines, almost 80 percent of the pages contain photo of the glamorous models at their beauty pose.Thus, the language of fashion magazines are predominately visual and not word oriented. This has been found in both the magazines case. 3. 1. 3 Presentation of Commercial Advertisements Both the magazines preach quite a heavy volume of advertisements. The advertisements are found to be similar in nature. The advertisements are mostly of the beauty products and colorful photos are used in form of commercial advertisements. This reveals that both the fashion magazines use their commercials as like their features as the magazines features models and their beauty styles.Thus the advertisements seem like the magazines own features. 3. 1. 4 Similar presentation of articles: Both the magazines publish few articles in their magazines apart from the photos. The articles are mostly short, generally contains less than 250 words. The British tabloid of May, 2013 featured few articles regarding Osca r programs and activities of he international celebrities. The local tabloid featured with beauty instructions and tips and promotes latest fashions through their articles. In each case, the language is short, easily understandable and free from literal complicity. . 1. 5 Similarity in Language and writing style: Due to the light nature, both the magazines follow short and simple writing styles. They use simple worlds, short speeches and the articles are mostly free from articulate and literal beauty. 3. 2 Point of Dissimilarity: 3. 2. 1 Contextual Dissimilarity: Despite of their similar nature of fashion and life style, the magazines differ in their approach too. â€Å"Instill† exhibits its high interest in the life style of the celebrities whereas â€Å"Mirror† focuses more on the fashions of the progressive ladies.The photos and the features of the magazine â€Å"Instill† uses the international celebrities to preach the activities of the celebrities. Mirror- the Bangladesh Fashion tabloid on the other hand, focuses more on the fashion and glamour of the local celebrities. 3. 2. 2 Difference in the theme: it has seen that the local fashion magazine focuses on the impact of culture and seasons. For instance, the selected edition was an Did special. There were previous editions on summer bride, pupas special, bookish special etc. This suggest that the local magazine focuses on the cultural impact in the world of fashion.The international tabloid focuses on the life of the celebrities, their activities are the elements of interest. The impact of culture and season was not found to be strong. 3. 2. 3 Difference in Approach: The British magazine provides short article and information though small news in columns which has been completely missed out in the beggarliness magazine. Bangladesh magazine on the other side focuses on the physical beauty of their local liberties (mostly models) and the pattern of their latest fashions thought the exhi bition of a series of photos.Part Four Findings of the language of Fashion Magazine: The noticeable findings of the language of fashion magazines are It shows how linguistic techniques such as puns and presuppositions are used by magazines to capture our attention It examines how image and text combine to produce meaning It discusses how ideological messages are conveyed It analyses how the appeals are constructed through language It looks at how magazines relate to culture part FIVE Conclusion The language of fashion magazines is lively.Furs are to-die-for', colors are ‘drifts dreamy and looks are ‘leotard simple. The last three decades have witnessed a reevaluation of fashion, both in terms of its credibility as an area of academic investigation and its importance in Western culture, which has caused its reconsideration within popular culture. Today, fashion can be found when flipping through art and fashion magazines. The art press, however, locates fashion within wid er social and cultural dialogues, reflecting upon the social, cultural, psychological ND economic implications of dress.As women's fashion magazines have critical role in the maintenance of cultural values and representation of the gender identity, we will be able to investigate how English language relates to gender identity through fashion in Bangladesh. Even though synergies effect of fashion and language as symbolic capital is very interesting subject to study. This habitation of two is neutralized as to create mythology of the modern society is hard to deconstruct. To demythologize the fusion of English language and fashion more profound research will be needed.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Child Soldiers

Child soldiers a) The nature of the human rights issue A child soldier is a person under the age of 18 who participates, directly or indirectly, in armed conflicts as part of an armed force or group, in either armed and supporting roles. The use of children in armed conflict is considered to be a form of slavery or human trafficking. Although children join armed groups ‘voluntarily’ it often involves coercion, force or deception, or the child may see no other option for survival but to join. The UN and human rights watch estimated that the number of children serving in armed conflicts at between 200 000- 300 000.The UN reported 57 armed groups’ worldwide using child soldiers. b) Where the human rights issue occurs. Worldwide conflicts that have involved child soldiers include: * Srilanka * Uganda * Colombia * Myanmar * Iraq * Israel * Palestinian territories * Sudan In Uganda more than 30 000 children have been kidnapped to serve as soldiers and slaves my lordâ₠¬â„¢s resistance army (LRA); the boys are forced to loot and burn villages and to torture and kill neighbours; girls are raped or become sex slaves. c) The legal and non legal responses to child soldiers both include international and domestic responses.Legal responses: International responses include the Geneva conventions, ‘laws of war’. Which is a series of 4 treaties adopted between 1864 and 1949 to regulate the conduct of armed conflict and attempt to limit its affects. these 4 treaties include; the first Geneva convention (1864) which protects wounded and sick soldiers on land during war, the second Geneva convention (1906) which protects wounded, sick and ship wrecked military personnel at sea during war, the third Geneva convention (1929) which applies to prisoners of ar and the fourth Geneva convention (1949) which affords protection to civilians, including occupied territory. Also, additional protocols to the Geneva conventions includes; the problem of child s oldiers being recognised and the minimum age for recruitment or use in armed conflict was set at 15 years for government and non-government parties.In addition to these conventions include the convention on the rights of the child (1989), the Rome statute of the international criminal court (2002), the worst forms of child labour convention (1999) and the UN Security Council (2004-2005). An example of these legal responses in action is the Thomas lubanga dyilo case where he was accused of conscripting child soldiers to fight in armed conflict in the DRC during 2002 and 2002.Domestic responses although limited by state sovereignty include the child soldiers accountability act which allowed the US to prosecute individuals domestically who have knowingly recruited or served as child soldiers in or outside the country. Other responses include the amendment of the criminal code act 1995 (cth) where two sections were added to the criminal code to criminalise the use, conscription or enlis tment of children as a part of an international or national armed conflict. Non legal responses: International responses include; the United Nations which monitors the use of child soldiers worldwide – the international labour organisation and unicef which play a role in research and studies into the status of the problem, providing recommendations to the UN and to member states and promoting the obligations of the treaties on children in armed conflict – and the coalition to stop the use of child soldiers which compromises many different member organisations with a common purpose of preventing the recruitment and use of children as soldiers, securing the demobilisation of child soldiers and their reintegration into society.Domestic responses include domestic NGOs, Groups or individuals and the media. Domestic NGOs focus on issues relating to child soldiers, particularly in countries where recruitment of child soldiers is a significant problem. For example red hand day . Groups and individuals assist in the rehabilitation of former child soldiers, by helping to relocate their families, get back into school, provide vocational training and re enter life. The media informs the public about the existence and problems of child soldiers for example the movie blood diamond focussed on the recruitment and use of child soldiers in diamond related conflict areas. Child Soldiers critical Analysis of the use of Child Soldiers in Liberia 5. 1 Introduction Generally stated ,this paper seeks to establish the role of child soldiers in the escalation of armed conflict in Africa. The previous chapters have discussed the regional armed conflicts where child soldiers were used or are being used like the case of DRC Congo. This chapter will critically analyse the use of child soldiers in Liberia. There were approximately 120,000 child soldiers who were participating in armed conflicts in Africa. Out of these, approximately 24,000 were in the Liberian conflict.Liberia is not a poor country. It has natural resources that could sustain its estimated population of 3. 2 million people. The question is how the available resources was being utilised and how did it contribute in fuelling the conflict. The availability of precious minerals and hard wood timber in Liberia contributed greatly in escalating and maintain the 14 years Liberian conflict. The age of the child soldier does not guarantee their immunity from being deployed the battlefield because while most are in their teens, some are as young as seven years old.Being so tender in age, they may start out as cooks, messengers, porters or guards, but often end up on the frontlines of combat. In Liberia, many boys some as young as nine or ten man checkpoints. The authority that goes with the responsibility gives them the free rein to harass, loot, terrorize and sometimes, kill civilians. Manning checkpoints gives a child power and influence, even if he is twelve years old. There have been instances where fifteen or twenty boys man a checkpoint and the commander is only ten years old.In long-drawn-out conflicts, children also become a valued resource. Children who have grown up surrounded by violence see this as a permanent way of life. Some having been orphaned, they are left on their own and are often frightened, bored and frustrated, leaving them with little options but to fight. When schools are closed and families fragmented, there are few influences that can compete with a warrior’s life. The human rights violations that occur when children are used in hostilities are not limited to child soldiers killing and being killed or injured.Girls also are used as soldiers, and fall victims of rape and other sexual abuse. The human rights impacts are terrible and far-reaching and have an impact not only on those children directly concerned but also on the families and communities, and continue long after the hostilities have ended . Besides being the continent that has the highest propensity for girls entering forces or groups via abduction or gang pressing, Africa is also the region with the highest number of children in armed opposition forces, numbering to approximately 120,000.In addition to being participant in combat, girl soldiers are often required to perform sexual services. In some cases, girls are in fact primarily recruited or abducted as ‘wives’ or ‘concubines', a common practice in Sierra Leone and Liberia. Among the common roles found in countries from every region of the world was the use of girl soldiers as porters, cooks or made to perform a variety of domestic labor, as well as spies and looters in villages taken over by armed forces or armed opposition groups. 5. 2Why children become child soldiersThe factors which give rise to the participation of children in conflict are complex. No single model can either explain all the factors, or outline a uniform procedure that will prevent child recruitment, and enable procedures for the demobilisation and social reintegration of children who have participated in conflict. Most child soldiers are from poor or disadvantaged sections of the society in conflict. Children, who live in the conflict zones by themselves are often recruited. Also, those children with disrupted families or no families at all are more likely to become child soldiers.In Liberia, child soldiers we of ten recruited from refugee camps in neighbouring countries like Guinea, Ivory coast and Sierra Leone while others were recruited from Internally Displaced Camps(IDP), within Liberia. In the months following UNMIL’s deployment on 1 October 2003, assessment missions carried out by UNMIL and humanitarian agencies, including into areas of the country until recently inaccessible, revealed large numbers of injured people, mostly children, which was consistent with the widespread use of child soldiers.The proliferation of small arms in West Africa contributed greatly not only to continuing conflict and repeated failure of successive peace agreements in the region, but has also encouraged and facilitated the recruitment and use of child soldiers, as well as other serious human rights abuses against the civilian population. The widespread availability of modern lightweight weapons enables even the youngest child soldier to use weapons efficiently.Technological development of arms toda y has produces arms weighing less than seven pounds and cost cheaply and yet so advance that even an illiterate child of ten could strip, reassemble, load and fire it. This mere knowledge however, did not make them skilled soldiers. On the contrary, they suffer much higher casualty rates than their adult counterparts, in part because of their lack of maturity and experience that leads them to take unnecessary risks. Their frail bodies are more susceptible to complications if injured, and they are more likely to fall ill in the rough conditions of military camps.Child soldiers are viewed as more expendable and therefore receive less training and must undertake the most dangerous tasks such as checking for mines or spying in enemy camps. Often children are recruited through abduction in massive sweeps of homes, schools, Refugee camp, Internally displaced camps and streets. In some situations, child survivors of village raids and massacres are forcibly inducted. Abduction is only the f irst step in a process that uses fear, brutality and psychological manipulation to achieve high levels of obedience in converting children into killers.In many conflicts, child recruits are subjected to beatings, humiliation and acts of sadism. During the escalation of the conflict, especially in Monrovia in June and July 2003, there was a marked increase in forcible recruitment of children by all sides. A frequently used tactic in indoctrinating children to violence is exposing them progressively to violence, thus numbing them so that they might someday commit acts of sadism on fellow humans. Child recruits in Liberia, were forced to cut the throats of domestic animals and drink its blood.Children are often terrorized into obedience, consistently made to fear for their lives and well-being. They quickly recognize that absolute obedience is the only means to ensure survival. Sometimes they are compelled to participate in the killing of other children or family members, because it is understood by these groups that there is â€Å"no way back home† for children after they have committed such crimes. Evidence indicates that the recruitment and use of children has become the means of choice of many armed groups for waging war.Certainly, not all inductions of children are forced. Those old enough to understand the underlying cause of the conflict want to join adults in a revered cause. Others participate to prove themselves and please adults while yet there may be victims or have family members who were victims, join to seek revenge. There are several cases in Liberia were children decided to join rebel groups to avenge the murder of their kin. Media images may also play a part. In Liberia, opposition forces could broadcast Rambo-style movies as part of its combat training.In such contexts, young boys learn machismo and come to associate military activity with respect and power-compelling attractions for children who otherwise feel powerless. DDRR The implem entation of the Liberian peace agreement and consolidation of peace, security and the rule of law were contingent on successful completion of the DDRR program. All other initiatives aimed at post-conflict reconstruction and restoration of basic human rights, including those of child soldier, are predicated on effective DDRR.The importance of completely disarming fighters and destroying weapons is very critical because the ex-combatants can use the weapons to harass civilians, loot properties or attack their opponents . Continued delays in disarmament and demobilization, and provision of the financial incentive to former combatants, can aggravate a precarious security situation. In March 2004 MODEL combatants in Tapeta, Nimba County, threatened harassment of international humanitarian agencies in the area in protest at the delays.Similarly, former government forces fired their weapons at night near Maimu internally displaced people's camp in Totota, Bong County, and threatened to loo t the camp if disarmament and demobilization were further postponed. In early April 2004 LURD combatants, also angered by the delay in disarmament and demobilization, were reported to have harassed civilians and stolen money and property at unofficial checkpoints on the road between Totota and Gbarnga.The previous disarmament and demobilization process which took place in Liberia in the late 1990s was seriously deficient in returning former child soldiers to their families and communities. While up to 20,000 child soldiers were estimated to be involved in the conflict which ended in 1997, little more than 4,000 were reported to have been fully disarmed, demobilized and reintegrated into their communities. As a result, with the resumption of hostilities, rapid re-mobilization of children was possible because many were to some degree still under the control of local commander.The Cape Town Principles, as observed by the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), define a child soldier as any person under 18 years who is part of any kind of regular or irregular armed force in any capacity, including but not limited to cooks, porters, messengers and anyone accompanying such groups, other than family members. The definition includes girls recruited for sexual purposes and for forced marriage. It does not, therefore, only refer to a child who is carrying or has carried arms .Application of this broad definition is important: possession of a weapon is not a prerequisite for a child soldier to benefit from the DDRR process. In Liberia, possession of a weapon or ammunition was the criteria for inclusion in the DDRR process. Since not all the child soldiers were armed or involved in the actual fighting, many former child soldiers were not involved in the DDRR process and thus did not benefit from the cash allowances paid to those with weapons to assist them reintegrate into their society.Those who were left out in the DDRR programme simply crossed over to the neighbouring, especially in Ivory coast , joined other rebel group and took up arms. The conflict in West Africa was a vicious circle which saw child soldiers moving from one rebel group to another, for them, it was their lifestyle. The net effect of this was that conflicts in this part of west Africa have continued shifting from one country to the other.Governments international organizations involved in the DDRR process should ensure speedy registration procedures at camps and settlements, as well as at demobilization centres. They should also prioritize the immediate psychological, social and physical rehabilitation of former child soldiers generally and to prevent re-recruitment. The involvement of children in conflict has a devastating effect on their physical and mental integrity. There are higher casualty rates among children because of their inexperience, fearlessness and lack of training.In addition to the inevitable risks of death or serious injury in combat, children suffer disproportionately fr om the general rigours of military life, especially in the bush, and are particularly vulnerable to disease and malnutrition. The full extent of the impact of the severe psychological consequences of active participation in hostilities, with children witnessing and at times also committing atrocities, may only become apparent over a long period. It takes a matter of moments to abduct and forcibly recruit children; it takes years, owever, for former child soldiers to be fully rehabilitated and reintegrated into their families and communities and able to resume their lives. Child soldiers in Liberia were cynically used as they were perceived as cheap and expendable, and easier to condition into fearless killing and unquestioning obedience. Those resisting refusing to comply with their commanders' orders risked being beaten or killed. Both the rebel groups and government forces abducted children, both girls and boys and some as young as seven years, and forced them to fight, carry ammu nition, prepare food or carry out other tasks.Girls were raped and forced to provide sexual services. While older girls were actively engaged in fighting, younger ones provided domestic services as cooks or cleaners or carried arms and ammunition. Many child soldiers were given drugs and alcohol to induce aggression and inhibit fear. With little or no military training, they were sent directly to the front line where many were killed or wounded. The conflict in Liberia lasted for 14 years due to availability of child soldiers and funds from the illicit trade of Gold and Diamonds run and sustain the conflict.The conflict in Liberia has forced vast numbers of civilians to flee their homes. During 2003 it was estimated that more than 500,000 were internally displaced and another 300,000 living as refugees in neighbouring countries. Child soldiers were recruited from neighbouring countries of Ivory coast, Guinea and Sierra Leone. LURD forces abducted and recruited children from internal ly displaced people's camps in Liberia, especially those in Montserrado County as they advanced towards Monrovia during 2003. They were also reported to have abducted children from refugee camps in Guinea.MODEL recruited children from refugee camps in Cote d'Ivoire and further swelled their ranks with children as they advanced towards Buchanan, Grand Bassa County, over which they took control on 26 July 2003. .Rape and other grave sexual violence against children. The rape and sexual violation of children and women is increasingly a characteristic of conflict. Such violence is often perpetrated against boys and girls in a rule of law vacuum that is a consequence of conflict and is exacerbated by the ensuing culture of impunity.In some instances sexual violence has been used as a premeditated tactic of war designed to humiliate or exterminate a population or to force displacement. Reports of high incidence rates of rape and sexual violence against children were received in Liberia. I n many cases, the data on incidents, magnitude and scope of sexual violence is unreliable or non-existent due to deep cultural taboos surrounding such crimes, fear of reprisal of victims and their families and a range of other factors.Precise information, critical for combating impunity and for programmatic response, is difficult to obtain or verify. Sexual violence appears to be especially prevalent in and around refugee camps and settlements for internally displaced populations. For children especially, the physical and mental consequences are devastating. Such violations may also take the form of sexual slavery, forced prostitution and marriage or sexual mutilation.The long-term health consequences for the victims include sexually transmitted infection such as HIV/AIDS, fistula, early pregnancy and debilitating psychological trauma. Although cases of sexual violence against boys are sometimes reported, insufficient attention is paid to this particular dimension, and such violatio ns remain largely undocumented. Some research indicates that boys are especially vulnerable to sexual violence during military operations in civilian areas or during military conscription or abduction into paramilitary forces.They are also especially vulnerable in refugee and internally displaced settings and in detention. Sexual violence in times of conflict, in particular against boys and girls, constitutes the breaking of deep social taboos in every culture and as such causes maximum devastation to the social fabric of communities. Therefore, the interventions required in the aftermath of widespread and systematic sexual violence necessitates more comprehensive approaches that begin with the victims but extend to the communities in which they must once again find their place and comfort.The stigmatization of victims of sexual violence, which often leads to their being ostracized or marginalized, requires comprehensive community-level interventions for affected girls and boys. Emp hasis must be placed on fighting impunity for rape and other sexual violence through rigorous and systematic investigation and prosecution of such crimes at the national level and an increased focus on this problem by international justice mechanisms. At the national level, comprehensive initiatives to address the issue of sexual violence are required, and national ownership of such programmes is critical.Donors, the United Nations system and non-governmental organizations should accord priority to providing technical and financial support to national authorities for the preparation and implementation of national strategies to address sexual violence. A regional approach to ending the use of child soldiers The conflict in Liberia was not simply an â€Å"internal† armed conflict; it had acquired a regional dimension involving, in particular, Cote d'Ivoire, Guinea and Sierra Leone. Arms and fighters crossed back and forth across the borders between the four countries.Peace in L iberia was and still is essential for maintaining peace in West Africa; conversely, any increase in hostilities across Liberia's borders could undermine efforts to maintain peace in Liberia. In order to restore peace and security to West Africa, there was to be a coordinated approach across the region, with harmonization of UN efforts, including those of UN peace-keeping operations: UNMIL, the UN Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) and the UN Mission in Cote d'Ivoire (MINUCI).Structured dialogue on cross boarder recruitment and use of children has already paved the way for dialogue on broader child protection issues and enabled child protection actors in the field to pursue other priorities such as provision of education and healthcare to ex-child soldiers. Convention on the Rights of the Child – fulfilling commitments Liberia ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1993. During the subsequent decade, however, Liberian children have been denied their most funda mental rights.On 17 May 2004 the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child begins its thirty-sixth session during which it will consider Liberia's initial report on the measures taken to implement its obligations under the Convention. The Committee's consideration of Liberia's report offers an important opportunity to highlight the plight of Liberia's children and to consider ways of strengthening implementation of the rights enshrined in the Convention.Review of the report will lead to the adoption of the Committee's concluding observations which usually identify positive aspects, factors impeding implementation, principal areas of concern and recommendations. The concluding observations provide an opportunity to urge the NTGL to undertake concrete measures to improve the situation of children in Liberia and, at the same time, to encourage the international community to support the NGTL's efforts to meet its commitments.The report of the UN Secretary-General on children and armed con flict of 10 November 2003 specifically recommends that the Committee use the occasion of country reports and reviews to promote monitoring and accountability. (18) The NTGL's responsibility to end the use of child soldiers Under the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the National Transitional Government of Liberia (NTGL) was legally obliged not to recruit and use children under the age of 18 years as combatants.An important element of post-conflict reconstruction in Liberia was the formation of a new, professional, well-trained army. The peace agreement stated explicitly that all irregular forces would be disbanded and that the Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL) would be reformed with a new command structure. Assistance was requested from the international community, including the UN, the African Union, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the International Contact Group on Liberia.It specifically requests the US to take a lead in restructuring the armed forces. A Military Advisory Commission was established in early 2004, with the new, restructured armed forces deployed by the end of December 2005. This offered an important opportunity for concrete measures by the NTGL to ensure that no child under the age of 18 was recruited by the armed forces. Liberia is a signatory to the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child but it is yet to ratify it.Liberia should ratify without delay the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict which raises the age for participation in hostilities to 18 years, and enact legislation making 18 years the minimum age for military recruitment. CONCLUSION As is known, basic survival needs take precedence over psychological during times of war but there is an increasing concern today that the experiences of war will have damaging effects on not only the psychological but also the social skills, attitudes towards the society th ey live in, their elationship with others as well as their perspective on life itself will be greatly impaired. It is sad that children have to watch their role models that include parents, teachers or elders, torture and kill each other while some trade their children for food and security. This act of breaching the expected moral standards of behaviour by authoritative figures are translated by children as betrayal, which in turn are manifested in themselves, as they grow up. These manifestations can take many forms.While studies have shown that school absenteeism and juvenile crimes or attitudes favoring gambling, pre-marital sex and smoking could indicate such altered moral learning in children, acts of physical aggression, imitation of military acts and unwillingness to co-operate with peers are also indicators of developmental damage. Even when the war is over, its effects on children linger on long after the stressful event. They may experience numbing of responsiveness to or reduced involvement with the external world.This may be indicated by a marked diminished interest in activities and surroundings, feelings of detachment or estrangement from others, loss of energy or withdrawal. Such negative developments in the child would influence the child’s occupational choice and his relationship with others later in life. 38 Poverty appears to be the motivating factor in most of the countries where child soldiers prevail. It is therefore important for relevant sections of the international community to also look at the flaws in the international economy.The economy disparity between the developed and the developing world must be addressed because it is under these dire economic conditions in the developing world that innocent children are recruited as soldiers. Improvement of standards of living is vital to overcome the menace of recruiting children as combatants Maybe there is still hope for those unfortunate children who are victims of adultsâ€℠¢ irresponsibility. A mechanism for international accountability was drafted on 17 July 1998 and open for signatures a year later. However, as in other treaties of the United Nations, it can only come Child Soldiers critical Analysis of the use of Child Soldiers in Liberia 5. 1 Introduction Generally stated ,this paper seeks to establish the role of child soldiers in the escalation of armed conflict in Africa. The previous chapters have discussed the regional armed conflicts where child soldiers were used or are being used like the case of DRC Congo. This chapter will critically analyse the use of child soldiers in Liberia. There were approximately 120,000 child soldiers who were participating in armed conflicts in Africa. Out of these, approximately 24,000 were in the Liberian conflict.Liberia is not a poor country. It has natural resources that could sustain its estimated population of 3. 2 million people. The question is how the available resources was being utilised and how did it contribute in fuelling the conflict. The availability of precious minerals and hard wood timber in Liberia contributed greatly in escalating and maintain the 14 years Liberian conflict. The age of the child soldier does not guarantee their immunity from being deployed the battlefield because while most are in their teens, some are as young as seven years old.Being so tender in age, they may start out as cooks, messengers, porters or guards, but often end up on the frontlines of combat. In Liberia, many boys some as young as nine or ten man checkpoints. The authority that goes with the responsibility gives them the free rein to harass, loot, terrorize and sometimes, kill civilians. Manning checkpoints gives a child power and influence, even if he is twelve years old. There have been instances where fifteen or twenty boys man a checkpoint and the commander is only ten years old.In long-drawn-out conflicts, children also become a valued resource. Children who have grown up surrounded by violence see this as a permanent way of life. Some having been orphaned, they are left on their own and are often frightened, bored and frustrated, leaving them with little options but to fight. When schools are closed and families fragmented, there are few influences that can compete with a warrior’s life. The human rights violations that occur when children are used in hostilities are not limited to child soldiers killing and being killed or injured.Girls also are used as soldiers, and fall victims of rape and other sexual abuse. The human rights impacts are terrible and far-reaching and have an impact not only on those children directly concerned but also on the families and communities, and continue long after the hostilities have ended . Besides being the continent that has the highest propensity for girls entering forces or groups via abduction or gang pressing, Africa is also the region with the highest number of children in armed opposition forces, numbering to approximately 120,000.In addition to being participant in combat, girl soldiers are often required to perform sexual services. In some cases, girls are in fact primarily recruited or abducted as ‘wives’ or ‘concubines', a common practice in Sierra Leone and Liberia. Among the common roles found in countries from every region of the world was the use of girl soldiers as porters, cooks or made to perform a variety of domestic labor, as well as spies and looters in villages taken over by armed forces or armed opposition groups. 5. 2Why children become child soldiersThe factors which give rise to the participation of children in conflict are complex. No single model can either explain all the factors, or outline a uniform procedure that will prevent child recruitment, and enable procedures for the demobilisation and social reintegration of children who have participated in conflict. Most child soldiers are from poor or disadvantaged sections of the society in conflict. Children, who live in the conflict zones by themselves are often recruited. Also, those children with disrupted families or no families at all are more likely to become child soldiers.In Liberia, child soldiers we of ten recruited from refugee camps in neighbouring countries like Guinea, Ivory coast and Sierra Leone while others were recruited from Internally Displaced Camps(IDP), within Liberia. In the months following UNMIL’s deployment on 1 October 2003, assessment missions carried out by UNMIL and humanitarian agencies, including into areas of the country until recently inaccessible, revealed large numbers of injured people, mostly children, which was consistent with the widespread use of child soldiers.The proliferation of small arms in West Africa contributed greatly not only to continuing conflict and repeated failure of successive peace agreements in the region, but has also encouraged and facilitated the recruitment and use of child soldiers, as well as other serious human rights abuses against the civilian population. The widespread availability of modern lightweight weapons enables even the youngest child soldier to use weapons efficiently.Technological development of arms toda y has produces arms weighing less than seven pounds and cost cheaply and yet so advance that even an illiterate child of ten could strip, reassemble, load and fire it. This mere knowledge however, did not make them skilled soldiers. On the contrary, they suffer much higher casualty rates than their adult counterparts, in part because of their lack of maturity and experience that leads them to take unnecessary risks. Their frail bodies are more susceptible to complications if injured, and they are more likely to fall ill in the rough conditions of military camps.Child soldiers are viewed as more expendable and therefore receive less training and must undertake the most dangerous tasks such as checking for mines or spying in enemy camps. Often children are recruited through abduction in massive sweeps of homes, schools, Refugee camp, Internally displaced camps and streets. In some situations, child survivors of village raids and massacres are forcibly inducted. Abduction is only the f irst step in a process that uses fear, brutality and psychological manipulation to achieve high levels of obedience in converting children into killers.In many conflicts, child recruits are subjected to beatings, humiliation and acts of sadism. During the escalation of the conflict, especially in Monrovia in June and July 2003, there was a marked increase in forcible recruitment of children by all sides. A frequently used tactic in indoctrinating children to violence is exposing them progressively to violence, thus numbing them so that they might someday commit acts of sadism on fellow humans. Child recruits in Liberia, were forced to cut the throats of domestic animals and drink its blood.Children are often terrorized into obedience, consistently made to fear for their lives and well-being. They quickly recognize that absolute obedience is the only means to ensure survival. Sometimes they are compelled to participate in the killing of other children or family members, because it is understood by these groups that there is â€Å"no way back home† for children after they have committed such crimes. Evidence indicates that the recruitment and use of children has become the means of choice of many armed groups for waging war.Certainly, not all inductions of children are forced. Those old enough to understand the underlying cause of the conflict want to join adults in a revered cause. Others participate to prove themselves and please adults while yet there may be victims or have family members who were victims, join to seek revenge. There are several cases in Liberia were children decided to join rebel groups to avenge the murder of their kin. Media images may also play a part. In Liberia, opposition forces could broadcast Rambo-style movies as part of its combat training.In such contexts, young boys learn machismo and come to associate military activity with respect and power-compelling attractions for children who otherwise feel powerless. DDRR The implem entation of the Liberian peace agreement and consolidation of peace, security and the rule of law were contingent on successful completion of the DDRR program. All other initiatives aimed at post-conflict reconstruction and restoration of basic human rights, including those of child soldier, are predicated on effective DDRR.The importance of completely disarming fighters and destroying weapons is very critical because the ex-combatants can use the weapons to harass civilians, loot properties or attack their opponents . Continued delays in disarmament and demobilization, and provision of the financial incentive to former combatants, can aggravate a precarious security situation. In March 2004 MODEL combatants in Tapeta, Nimba County, threatened harassment of international humanitarian agencies in the area in protest at the delays.Similarly, former government forces fired their weapons at night near Maimu internally displaced people's camp in Totota, Bong County, and threatened to loo t the camp if disarmament and demobilization were further postponed. In early April 2004 LURD combatants, also angered by the delay in disarmament and demobilization, were reported to have harassed civilians and stolen money and property at unofficial checkpoints on the road between Totota and Gbarnga.The previous disarmament and demobilization process which took place in Liberia in the late 1990s was seriously deficient in returning former child soldiers to their families and communities. While up to 20,000 child soldiers were estimated to be involved in the conflict which ended in 1997, little more than 4,000 were reported to have been fully disarmed, demobilized and reintegrated into their communities. As a result, with the resumption of hostilities, rapid re-mobilization of children was possible because many were to some degree still under the control of local commander.The Cape Town Principles, as observed by the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), define a child soldier as any person under 18 years who is part of any kind of regular or irregular armed force in any capacity, including but not limited to cooks, porters, messengers and anyone accompanying such groups, other than family members. The definition includes girls recruited for sexual purposes and for forced marriage. It does not, therefore, only refer to a child who is carrying or has carried arms .Application of this broad definition is important: possession of a weapon is not a prerequisite for a child soldier to benefit from the DDRR process. In Liberia, possession of a weapon or ammunition was the criteria for inclusion in the DDRR process. Since not all the child soldiers were armed or involved in the actual fighting, many former child soldiers were not involved in the DDRR process and thus did not benefit from the cash allowances paid to those with weapons to assist them reintegrate into their society.Those who were left out in the DDRR programme simply crossed over to the neighbouring, especially in Ivory coast , joined other rebel group and took up arms. The conflict in West Africa was a vicious circle which saw child soldiers moving from one rebel group to another, for them, it was their lifestyle. The net effect of this was that conflicts in this part of west Africa have continued shifting from one country to the other.Governments international organizations involved in the DDRR process should ensure speedy registration procedures at camps and settlements, as well as at demobilization centres. They should also prioritize the immediate psychological, social and physical rehabilitation of former child soldiers generally and to prevent re-recruitment. The involvement of children in conflict has a devastating effect on their physical and mental integrity. There are higher casualty rates among children because of their inexperience, fearlessness and lack of training.In addition to the inevitable risks of death or serious injury in combat, children suffer disproportionately fr om the general rigours of military life, especially in the bush, and are particularly vulnerable to disease and malnutrition. The full extent of the impact of the severe psychological consequences of active participation in hostilities, with children witnessing and at times also committing atrocities, may only become apparent over a long period. It takes a matter of moments to abduct and forcibly recruit children; it takes years, owever, for former child soldiers to be fully rehabilitated and reintegrated into their families and communities and able to resume their lives. Child soldiers in Liberia were cynically used as they were perceived as cheap and expendable, and easier to condition into fearless killing and unquestioning obedience. Those resisting refusing to comply with their commanders' orders risked being beaten or killed. Both the rebel groups and government forces abducted children, both girls and boys and some as young as seven years, and forced them to fight, carry ammu nition, prepare food or carry out other tasks.Girls were raped and forced to provide sexual services. While older girls were actively engaged in fighting, younger ones provided domestic services as cooks or cleaners or carried arms and ammunition. Many child soldiers were given drugs and alcohol to induce aggression and inhibit fear. With little or no military training, they were sent directly to the front line where many were killed or wounded. The conflict in Liberia lasted for 14 years due to availability of child soldiers and funds from the illicit trade of Gold and Diamonds run and sustain the conflict.The conflict in Liberia has forced vast numbers of civilians to flee their homes. During 2003 it was estimated that more than 500,000 were internally displaced and another 300,000 living as refugees in neighbouring countries. Child soldiers were recruited from neighbouring countries of Ivory coast, Guinea and Sierra Leone. LURD forces abducted and recruited children from internal ly displaced people's camps in Liberia, especially those in Montserrado County as they advanced towards Monrovia during 2003. They were also reported to have abducted children from refugee camps in Guinea.MODEL recruited children from refugee camps in Cote d'Ivoire and further swelled their ranks with children as they advanced towards Buchanan, Grand Bassa County, over which they took control on 26 July 2003. .Rape and other grave sexual violence against children. The rape and sexual violation of children and women is increasingly a characteristic of conflict. Such violence is often perpetrated against boys and girls in a rule of law vacuum that is a consequence of conflict and is exacerbated by the ensuing culture of impunity.In some instances sexual violence has been used as a premeditated tactic of war designed to humiliate or exterminate a population or to force displacement. Reports of high incidence rates of rape and sexual violence against children were received in Liberia. I n many cases, the data on incidents, magnitude and scope of sexual violence is unreliable or non-existent due to deep cultural taboos surrounding such crimes, fear of reprisal of victims and their families and a range of other factors.Precise information, critical for combating impunity and for programmatic response, is difficult to obtain or verify. Sexual violence appears to be especially prevalent in and around refugee camps and settlements for internally displaced populations. For children especially, the physical and mental consequences are devastating. Such violations may also take the form of sexual slavery, forced prostitution and marriage or sexual mutilation.The long-term health consequences for the victims include sexually transmitted infection such as HIV/AIDS, fistula, early pregnancy and debilitating psychological trauma. Although cases of sexual violence against boys are sometimes reported, insufficient attention is paid to this particular dimension, and such violatio ns remain largely undocumented. Some research indicates that boys are especially vulnerable to sexual violence during military operations in civilian areas or during military conscription or abduction into paramilitary forces.They are also especially vulnerable in refugee and internally displaced settings and in detention. Sexual violence in times of conflict, in particular against boys and girls, constitutes the breaking of deep social taboos in every culture and as such causes maximum devastation to the social fabric of communities. Therefore, the interventions required in the aftermath of widespread and systematic sexual violence necessitates more comprehensive approaches that begin with the victims but extend to the communities in which they must once again find their place and comfort.The stigmatization of victims of sexual violence, which often leads to their being ostracized or marginalized, requires comprehensive community-level interventions for affected girls and boys. Emp hasis must be placed on fighting impunity for rape and other sexual violence through rigorous and systematic investigation and prosecution of such crimes at the national level and an increased focus on this problem by international justice mechanisms. At the national level, comprehensive initiatives to address the issue of sexual violence are required, and national ownership of such programmes is critical.Donors, the United Nations system and non-governmental organizations should accord priority to providing technical and financial support to national authorities for the preparation and implementation of national strategies to address sexual violence. A regional approach to ending the use of child soldiers The conflict in Liberia was not simply an â€Å"internal† armed conflict; it had acquired a regional dimension involving, in particular, Cote d'Ivoire, Guinea and Sierra Leone. Arms and fighters crossed back and forth across the borders between the four countries.Peace in L iberia was and still is essential for maintaining peace in West Africa; conversely, any increase in hostilities across Liberia's borders could undermine efforts to maintain peace in Liberia. In order to restore peace and security to West Africa, there was to be a coordinated approach across the region, with harmonization of UN efforts, including those of UN peace-keeping operations: UNMIL, the UN Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) and the UN Mission in Cote d'Ivoire (MINUCI).Structured dialogue on cross boarder recruitment and use of children has already paved the way for dialogue on broader child protection issues and enabled child protection actors in the field to pursue other priorities such as provision of education and healthcare to ex-child soldiers. Convention on the Rights of the Child – fulfilling commitments Liberia ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1993. During the subsequent decade, however, Liberian children have been denied their most funda mental rights.On 17 May 2004 the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child begins its thirty-sixth session during which it will consider Liberia's initial report on the measures taken to implement its obligations under the Convention. The Committee's consideration of Liberia's report offers an important opportunity to highlight the plight of Liberia's children and to consider ways of strengthening implementation of the rights enshrined in the Convention.Review of the report will lead to the adoption of the Committee's concluding observations which usually identify positive aspects, factors impeding implementation, principal areas of concern and recommendations. The concluding observations provide an opportunity to urge the NTGL to undertake concrete measures to improve the situation of children in Liberia and, at the same time, to encourage the international community to support the NGTL's efforts to meet its commitments.The report of the UN Secretary-General on children and armed con flict of 10 November 2003 specifically recommends that the Committee use the occasion of country reports and reviews to promote monitoring and accountability. (18) The NTGL's responsibility to end the use of child soldiers Under the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the National Transitional Government of Liberia (NTGL) was legally obliged not to recruit and use children under the age of 18 years as combatants.An important element of post-conflict reconstruction in Liberia was the formation of a new, professional, well-trained army. The peace agreement stated explicitly that all irregular forces would be disbanded and that the Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL) would be reformed with a new command structure. Assistance was requested from the international community, including the UN, the African Union, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the International Contact Group on Liberia.It specifically requests the US to take a lead in restructuring the armed forces. A Military Advisory Commission was established in early 2004, with the new, restructured armed forces deployed by the end of December 2005. This offered an important opportunity for concrete measures by the NTGL to ensure that no child under the age of 18 was recruited by the armed forces. Liberia is a signatory to the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child but it is yet to ratify it.Liberia should ratify without delay the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict which raises the age for participation in hostilities to 18 years, and enact legislation making 18 years the minimum age for military recruitment. CONCLUSION As is known, basic survival needs take precedence over psychological during times of war but there is an increasing concern today that the experiences of war will have damaging effects on not only the psychological but also the social skills, attitudes towards the society th ey live in, their elationship with others as well as their perspective on life itself will be greatly impaired. It is sad that children have to watch their role models that include parents, teachers or elders, torture and kill each other while some trade their children for food and security. This act of breaching the expected moral standards of behaviour by authoritative figures are translated by children as betrayal, which in turn are manifested in themselves, as they grow up. These manifestations can take many forms.While studies have shown that school absenteeism and juvenile crimes or attitudes favoring gambling, pre-marital sex and smoking could indicate such altered moral learning in children, acts of physical aggression, imitation of military acts and unwillingness to co-operate with peers are also indicators of developmental damage. Even when the war is over, its effects on children linger on long after the stressful event. They may experience numbing of responsiveness to or reduced involvement with the external world.This may be indicated by a marked diminished interest in activities and surroundings, feelings of detachment or estrangement from others, loss of energy or withdrawal. Such negative developments in the child would influence the child’s occupational choice and his relationship with others later in life. 38 Poverty appears to be the motivating factor in most of the countries where child soldiers prevail. It is therefore important for relevant sections of the international community to also look at the flaws in the international economy.The economy disparity between the developed and the developing world must be addressed because it is under these dire economic conditions in the developing world that innocent children are recruited as soldiers. Improvement of standards of living is vital to overcome the menace of recruiting children as combatants Maybe there is still hope for those unfortunate children who are victims of adultsâ€℠¢ irresponsibility. A mechanism for international accountability was drafted on 17 July 1998 and open for signatures a year later. However, as in other treaties of the United Nations, it can only come

Friday, November 8, 2019

The Lord of the Flies1 essays

The Lord of the Flies1 essays In the story it best explains that there was a nuclear war going on. There was a plane in flying out of the nuclear war and crashed and the pilot dies but most of the children survive. First some boys find each other they names are Ralph and Piggy. When Ralph and Piggy find a conch and piggy tells Ralph to blow in it and the kids will hear it and come to see what it is. They find several other kids and determine who the leader is going to be. Some of the main characters in the story are Simon, Jack, Littuns, and the Bigguns. Everyone votes for Ralph to be the leader and Jack to be the hunter. Ralph decides to build a big fire so that a passing ship will see it but the fire gets out of control and the little boys that was complaining about a monster ends up missing. Why and how Golding wrote the Lord of Flies? Golding moved to London to be a social worker so he knows how kids act without any supervision. He also became a teacher and knows how kids act when they are together for a long time. Golding joined the Royal Navy and he also served on a cruiser. That gave him some knowledge about war and maybe some nuclear war. At the end of his career com7anded a rocket launching He saw action against battleships, submarines, and aircraft. He was in the D-Day invasion on Germany. Golding active participation in world war two influence on the novel The Lord of Flies. Then Simon and Eric tell Jack that there is a beast on the Island and that they should go kill it. Everyone goes crazy and decides to hunt the pig. The hunters kill Simon because they thought he was the pig. Jack kills Piggy by pushing him off a cliff. Piggy was only trying to get his glasses back. Ralph escapes death from Jack and runs to the navel officer. Why and how Golding wrote the Lord of Flies? Golding moved to London to be a social worker so he knows how kids act wi ...

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Free Essays on Skylab

12/4/00 Skylab was America's first space station. It was built and designed by McDonnell Douglas aeronautics. It cost approximately 2.6 billion dollars to finance the entire project (Cromie, 138). Skylab proved that humans could survive, long term, in space. The Skylab program was also used to survey the Earth for natural resources. The program was also monitored the Sun. It also tested human's endurance in weightlessness. The 100-ton Skylab was almost the size of a small house. The interior of the station measured 11334 feet in volume (Yenne,170). The dimensions of the station were 21.6feet at its widest point, and 48.1feet long. The Skylab consisted of four units. Three of these units sustained life. The orbital workshop (OWS) contained crew quarters and work areas. The OWS was divided into two stories. The upper story had food storage and space suits. The lower story contained crew quarters and places for experiments. The airlock module (AM) contained the station's control and monitoring center. The AM also allowed access to the outside of the station. The Apollo Telescope Mount (ATM) a solar observatory. The multiple docking adapter (MDA) contained docking ports for the Apollo spacecraft. When docked, the Apollo module acted as part of the station. Skylab 1 was launched on May 14,1973. Using a modified SATURN V rocket the station was sent into orbit (Cromie, 13). Skylab was set at an orbit of 270 miles (Cromie, 13). During the launch the meteorite shield was torn off. This shield not only protected against meteorites, it was coated with a special paint to resist heat. It acted as a shield from the Sun's heat. Also during the launch one of the Skylab's solar arrays was damaged. This would prove problems for the Skylab program. The crew of Skylab 2 included Charles Conrad, Joseph Kerwin, and Paul J. Weitz. The Skylab 2 mission was launched on May 15,1973. This mission's objectives included repairing the space sta... Free Essays on Skylab Free Essays on Skylab 12/4/00 Skylab was America's first space station. It was built and designed by McDonnell Douglas aeronautics. It cost approximately 2.6 billion dollars to finance the entire project (Cromie, 138). Skylab proved that humans could survive, long term, in space. The Skylab program was also used to survey the Earth for natural resources. The program was also monitored the Sun. It also tested human's endurance in weightlessness. The 100-ton Skylab was almost the size of a small house. The interior of the station measured 11334 feet in volume (Yenne,170). The dimensions of the station were 21.6feet at its widest point, and 48.1feet long. The Skylab consisted of four units. Three of these units sustained life. The orbital workshop (OWS) contained crew quarters and work areas. The OWS was divided into two stories. The upper story had food storage and space suits. The lower story contained crew quarters and places for experiments. The airlock module (AM) contained the station's control and monitoring center. The AM also allowed access to the outside of the station. The Apollo Telescope Mount (ATM) a solar observatory. The multiple docking adapter (MDA) contained docking ports for the Apollo spacecraft. When docked, the Apollo module acted as part of the station. Skylab 1 was launched on May 14,1973. Using a modified SATURN V rocket the station was sent into orbit (Cromie, 13). Skylab was set at an orbit of 270 miles (Cromie, 13). During the launch the meteorite shield was torn off. This shield not only protected against meteorites, it was coated with a special paint to resist heat. It acted as a shield from the Sun's heat. Also during the launch one of the Skylab's solar arrays was damaged. This would prove problems for the Skylab program. The crew of Skylab 2 included Charles Conrad, Joseph Kerwin, and Paul J. Weitz. The Skylab 2 mission was launched on May 15,1973. This mission's objectives included repairing the space sta...

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Bulimia Nervosa Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Bulimia Nervosa - Essay Example Social compulsions of trying to maintain a slim body have resulted in abnormal diet patterns. These abnormal diets have found acceptance in modern societies and this has led to bulimic behavior in the sub-clinical form. There can be no denying that the desire to remain thin, by attempting to restrict weight, is the trigger for the disorder. Bulimia has an effect on the emotions of the individual with the disorder and prevents the experiencing of uneasy feelings owing to the bulimic behavior. This is a paradox, as bulimia is the cause of their out of control behavior, and yet, is the only means for feeling that they are in control of the situation. The inherent dread of remaining without this protection is the reason that the bulimic behavior is maintained and gradually increases in severity to hold sway over all other emotional experiences. Diagnosis of bulimia nervous is not an easy task, as the bulimic individual tends to hide the disorder. All the same, there are several symptoms that indicate the disorder. Recurrently occurring binge eating is the first. Binge eating may be considered as the consuming of an amount of food, during a specific period of time that is definitely larger than is normal for most people during the same period given, given that the circumstances are similar. The next symptom is that during the binge-eating episode, the individual displays a lack of control on what or how much is being consumed. (McGilley, M.B., and Pryor, L.T. (1998). Assessment and Treatment of Bulimia Nervosa).

Friday, November 1, 2019

Summary and response Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Summary and response - Essay Example In her own words she notes, â€Å"I am strongly opposed to young children playing tackle football.† In another instance, she notes that, by children taking part in competitive sports, they will be deprived of their ability to develop competitive aspects. In conclusion, Statsky affirms her position by noting that competitive sports only stresses on the aspects of competition and winning. By only using such credible information, she is able to relay the intended message which is plainly illustrated in her statement in which she strongly develops the image that competitive sports may be harmful to children. In her opinion, children should just be allowed to play sports that are appropriate to them and suits their abilities and needs. By these statements, it is clearly and strongly evident how Statsky has developed her arguments against such plays among children, and the recommendations she gives as alternatives for such children. Looking at the arguments set forth in the essay, I would categorically state that I agree with Statsky’s position regarding competitive sports for young children, although to a partial degree. This is because; I also value the essence of competitive theory, which forms the basis of competitive growth even in sports. However, I am mesmerized by the manner in which the author organizes and presents her arguments on the topic. In this response, I would specifically concentrate on the points that seemingly make her essay to be very effective and how she manages to build on such credibility. Particularly, she appears to be consistent in her reasoning considering that her opinions are well-supported in the essay thus, allowing readers to be convinced by it. I think that the success achieved in conveying the message across is one main achievement that is made possible and feasible by the engagement of various kinds of