A Photograph-Shirley Toulson Essay

What does the word ‘cardboard’ denote in the poem? Why has this word been used? In the poem, the word ‘cardboard’ stands for the frame that supports and borders the photograph. The photograph shows the poet’s mother as a twelve-year-old girl with two of her cousins, Betty and Dolly. The word ‘cardboard’ has been used to depict that the photograph is many years old. The use of cardboard as a photo frame was common in old times. What has the camera captured? The camera has captured a happy moment from the childhood days of the poet’s mother. The photograph was taken when the poet’s mother (at the age of twelve or so) went to a beach holiday with two of her cousins, Betty and Dolly. The captured picture serves as a preserved memory both for the mother as well as the poet. What has not changed over the years? Does this suggest something to you? The lines, ‘and the sea, which appears to have changed less’ depicts that the sea have stayed the same over the years. It has not changed at all. These lines suggest a sharp contrast to the mortal human life. Human life is transitory and temporary whereas the sea symbolizes permanence, immortality and eternity. The poet makes use of the phrase ‘terribly transient feet’ to highlight the ephemeral nature of human life. The poet’s mother laughed at the snapshot. What did this laugh indicate? The poet’s mother laughed while recalling a moment of her past captured in the photograph. She looks back at her childhood days with nostalgia and recollects her innocent joys. Looking at the picture years later brings in her mind the fond memories. She laughs at the way they were dressed up for the beach holiday. But in the midst of these pleasant memories, lies the pain of loss. The pain comes from the acknowledgement that the lovely days of her childhood will never come back to her. What is the meaning of the line â€Å"Both wry with the labored ease of loss†? The context of the above lines is the mother’s recollection of her childhood days and the poet’s recollection of her mother’s laughing face. The mother has fond memories of her past but there is a sense of loss in recalling those moments as they make her realize that the good old times of her childhood will never come back. For the poet, the ‘loss’ refers to the loss of her mother. She has fond memories of her dead mother but she misses her laughter and her presence that will never return to the poet. Thus, both remember their pasts with a laugh that conceals sadness as none can re-live those lost moments. The three stanzas depict three different phases. What are they? The first stanza refers to the childhood days of the poet’s mother when she was twelve years old or so. The stanza depicts a photograph of her mother when she went for a beach holiday with her cousins and uncle. The second stanza refers to the poet’s childhood days when her mother had become an adult. It depicts her mother recalling her childhood days while looking at the old photograph of hers (mentioned in the first stanza). In the last stanza, the poet’s adult life is described in which her mother is not with her anymore. She has been dead for almost twelve years. The stanza depicts the poet’s looking at the same photograph and recollecting her mother’s laughter. The loss of her mother puts her in utter grief. She has no words to describe the terrible pain of her mother’s death.

Bmw Organizational Structures Essay

Well first what is culture and how do you define it? It can be defined in many ways like what I think it is. Culture to me is the way we as a people are perceived by others. If you take that outlook and put it to a company say like BMW it merges nicely. What goes through your mind when you see someone driving in a BMW? If you’re like most people a number of things and it can be anything thing like nice car, they got money, what’s his job, etc†¦ But most the time when someone sees a BMW on the road they associate with some form of being successful. That I my eyes is a direct impact on a culture and in retune it impacts the company’s culture. How you ask? Well let me see if I can explain it the way see it. BMW has been a status symbol for as long as I can remember and longer early to mid-70’s. Today even more so and that makes people want to own one. Which makes them strive harder to be successful and in return makes the economy grow and that raises the bay in our culture as a people. The impact on that company makes them grow, build higher quality products and so forth. So it’s a big circle, the better we do the better they do. The more the company grows the better it is for our culture by make more jobs that boost the economy which boosts the way we fell about ourselves and that directly affects our culture. But it doesn’t stop they companies like BMW do more than make cars and jobs. They are pioneers of technology, safety innovations and many other things. One of the down falls of this can be said that it is taking the American out of being American. What I mean by that is that we are striving to own an import car not an American car. Cause to me there is nothing like being American and driving a big horse power American v8 muscle car. (I own a BMW M5 Funny right!) But at least I got the v8 right. One other down fall to that as for our culture is that by BMW being such a status symbol many people do resort to desperate act to obtain that status. And that bring a negative aspect to our culture. I remember working at Academy Sports a several years ago. I was one of the first at this store I even built the store (us on the build team) then stayed on as an associate. Saw many store managers come and go. With each one they left a mark on the way we did things in the store. We went form overnight receiving and stocking at the being to coming in early and finally to doing it during work hours. Each manager also had their own way they wanted the store to look, people act, way we greeted consumers, and even dress codes. Every one changed the leader roles around till they found what worked for the way they wanted thing done. So you could say in the process of 2 years I got culture shock about 4 times. So that’s one of my dealings with culture change within an organization among many others. Reference: bmwgroup.com

The Trends in Auto Industry Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

The Trends in Auto Industry - Assignment Example The total number of cars and commercial vehicles produced in Japan in 2006 was 11,484,233. The same number was 1,508,358 for Russia, 11,263,986 for USA, 5,819,614 for Germany,   7,188,708 for China and 2,572,292 for Canada (â€Å"OICA >> Production Statistics†).The year 2008 will see a rise in the demand for eco-friendly cars especially in the USA which is the leading pollution causing the nation of the world. The infrastructure for supporting hydrogen car is being developed. Car companies like Toyota and Honda are aiming the hybrid markets. Honda has decided to lease more cars to individuals to get feedback for the future. In the year 1916 in Munich, Germany. In 1928 BMW acquired Eisenach vehicle factory and launched its first motorcar. The first car was an Austin Seven built under license(â€Å"Welcome to BMW Company Facts†). BMW is also the world’s largest manufacturer of luxury cars. The brands owned by BMW are BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce. The BMW sales of un its in 2006 were 1,179,317 for BMW, 186,674 for MINI and 847 for Rolls-Royce. Its biggest buyers are European Union with 37% and the United States with a 22.8% share (â€Å"Welcome to BMW Company Facts†).

The Right to Silence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Right to Silence - Essay Example In England, the right to remain silence, during interrogation by the police, was developed in 1829. This right came into force with the establishment of the professional police force. Prior to the development of this principle, there were complaints that confession were illegally obtained by the police. Under this right, a suspect can refuse to answer the questions posed by the police or courts. The 1912 guidelines, relating to the interrogation of suspects by the police, gave effect to this right. Furthermore, this instrument incorporated a right to silence in the Judges’ Rules. The right to remain silent is inherent in the legal system of the majority of the countries. The accused can exercise this right during pre-trial interviews and interrogations, conducted by the police. Another right, in the criminal justice system is the privilege against self-incrimination. The right to remain silent and protection against self-incrimination have connoted different things at different times. In England, the privilege against self-incrimination was initially available, only to individuals under oath. All the same, those under oath were prevented from giving evidence, and this enabled the prosecution to subject the accused to incriminating questioning (Skinnider and Gordon). In Ibrahim v R, the court held that the confession of the accused could be accepted only if such confession had been voluntarily provided, by the accused. The prosecution was required to establish that the accused had voluntarily confessed his guilt (Ibrahim v R). The right to remain silent has lo ng been deemed to be a fundamental right of an accused person. However, the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 has significantly reduced the effectiveness of this right. This Act empowers the courts to draw conclusions from the silence of an accused person, under the following circumstances (Curtailment of the right to silence). First, if the accused fails to mention a fact, during the trial, even though that fact directly relates to his defence, the court may arrive at its own conclusions regarding the accused. Second, if the accused fails to mention a fact, on being charged with some offence, which should have been reasonably mentioned by the accused (Curtailment of the right to silence). Third, if the accused fails to acknowledge the objects, substances, or marks on his body, clothing or personal effects found at the place where the accused was arrested. Fourth, if the accused fails to account for his presence at the place where the offence was committed, at the time that the offence had been committed (Curtailment of the right to silence). The Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 has come into force, from April 1995. This Act places a number of restrictions on the exercise of the right to silence by suspects, during trial and police interrogation. If the accused chooses to abstain from mentioning facts during questioning,

Some questions to answer in a half page Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Some questions to answer in a half page - Article Example His pranks were smart and funny. Instead of accusing Nixon of misdeeds, Tuck made him look foolish with his pranks. Nixon really could not defend himself against the pranks as he could have against a direct attack on the same issues. Tuck outsmarted Nixon. I think that is funny, because too many politicians take themselves too seriously. Assignment #2:(1/2 page) How did Vince Foster die and do you think the Clinton's were involved? Vince Foster committed suicide a few months after becoming a lawyer during Clinton’s first administration. He was very respected as a lawyer in Arkansas before coming to Washington D.C. After the Wall Street Journal ran a few scathing reports on Foster, he became depressed. His family had remained in Arkansas, so he was alone. I do not believe the Clinton’s were involved in his death. His depression came from coming to the hostile environment from a place where he was highly respected. Washington politics made him depressed, but the Clintonâ €™s did not have anything to do with that. Assignment #3:(1/2 page) Tell me your opinion about why USA invaded Iraq?, 5 reasons. I believe the USA invaded Iraq for several reasons. The first was arrogance. Bush made some demands of Hussein which were not met. If Bush would have realized or understood Hussein and his tribal background, he would never have tried to corner Hussein. I believe Bush thought there were weapons of mass destruction (WMD). After realizing quickly there was not any, Bush’s arrogance kept America in Iraq. Fear led the invasion of Iraq. The fear that radical Muslims could attack America again after 9/11 made the USA invade Iraq. The unsuccessful hunt for Osama bin Laden made the Bush Administration invade Iraq. They wanted to make Americans feel safe by waging a war on terrorism. Finally Bush invaded Iraq for political reasons. He wanted to keep his political ratings high. If he was seen as soft, Republicans would ditch him like they did the more libe ral McCain. Assignment #4::(1/2 page) http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/cheney/view/ Watch the entire video and give me one paragraph about it : This video is scary. It shows how close America is coming to a tyrannical society all in the name of fighting terrorism. Cheney believes that the safety of America should come at the cost of losing some of our basic rights. He does not think the Constitution should dictate to a president. The last time I checked only the Supreme Court could determine or interpret the Constitution, not the vice president. Mistakes were made in ignoring the signs of 9/11 before it happened. However if we use 9/11 as an excuse to limit freedoms for Americans, or discriminate against Muslims, Bin Laden has won. Even if not one more American dies, any loss of our freedoms because of 9/11 and men like Cheney makes Bin Laden a winner. Assignment #5:(1 page) Watch the following video. http://www.abc.net.au/catalyst/stories/s1515141.htm Tell me what "Peak Oil" is? When do you think gas will reach: $5.00/gallon $7.00/gallon $10.00/gallon Does government need to address this problem and what should the response be? .. .. Peak Oil is the oil being pumped right before the decline. Peak Oil is between the new oil that pumps out from pressure and the oil manually pumped out with water. The oil worldwide is being used more than is being produced. The video said that 1981 was the last time more oil was pumped than was being used.

Cloud computing risks & security concerns Essay

Cloud computing risks & security concerns - Essay Example They could be deployed as private, solely for an organisation; public, accessible by the public; community, shared by organisation; hybrid, bringing together multiple clouds between which application and data portability could occur; and partner, offered to a limited and definite number of parties (Pearson & Yee 2013). With cloud computing, organisations do not have to invest in physical infrastructure. Instead, they contract computing services based on demand. This therefore presents immense benefits and cost savings to organisations. For this reason, over 33% of UK companies compute in the cloud (Buyya, Broberg & Goscinski 2011). However, the technology has aroused numerous risk and security concerns in organisations across the world. This paper reviews the risks associated with cloud computing and based on the three service models of this technology, the security concerns would be evaluated. This would inform the recommendations put forth to foster data, network and infrastructure security. There are three layers of cloud services referring to the varied types of service models with each providing discrete capabilities. According to Pearson and Yee (2013), consumer capabilities involve the use of the applications in the cloud infrastructure of the provider in the Software as a Service, SaaS model. Clients access the applications through a thin interface like a web browser using their devices as per their demand and pay as per use. In Platform as a Service, PaaS, the consumer would be given the capability to deploy individual applications onto the cloud infrastructure without the installation of tools or any platform on their machines. It provides platform layer resources that could be used in building higher-level services. Finally, the Infrastructure as a Service, IaaS model provides consumers with the capability to provision storage, networks, processing and other basic computing resources but would not control or

Employee Development and Talent Management Essay

Employee Development and Talent Management - Essay Example It is evident from the study that human resource department is responsible for attracting prospective employees through hiring, and training, evaluating, retaining, and performing other functions that make work beneficial for both employees and the firm. In other words, the human resource management is the link between the senior management and employees. This department works to ensure that the workforce is utilized effectively to further organisational goals while ensuring employee interests are not ignored. The human resources department has various professionals who must work together for the department to execute its roles flawlessly. In small start-up businesses, one individual handles the various roles of a human resource officer since the issues are few with a low number of employees. However, in larger organizations, human resource is a full department with various professionals specializing in the numerous functions of the human resource management.The functions of the huma n resource management include creating an enabling environment, in addition to, promotion of employee training and talent development. This task includes regular, formal and informal training of employees at all levels as well as identifying and encouraging growth of careers for employees with the potential for growth. One current concern of the human resource management in the UK revolves around striking a balance between the cost of labour and the quality and quantity of production. This is because there is highly qualified labour in the UK, which comes at a cost so high that it deters a company from making desirable profit margins. In addition to the cost, human resource departments face the challenge of workforce shortage and have to contend with importing labour, especially from Asia where majority of the educated population is young (Scholz and Bohm 2008, p. 245; Banfield and Kay 2008). In employee training and development, the human resource team faces many issues that harden tasks and make it ineffective. Crucial issues include assessment of administrative performance, and setting of benchmarks for competency, transparency, accountability and a sense of public interest. Other issues are categorised based on the functions of the human resource management. These categories include recruitment issues, employment issues, autonomy concerns and structural issues. All these issues have to do with fair decision making and allocation of resources in a way that promotes achievement of company objectives and at the same time taking care of employee interests. The human resource should create a balanced workforce with no discrimination whatsoever which is mainly based on race, gender, education level, religion or any other basis. However, the non-discrimination policy should not put the main company objective profit maximisation in jeopardy. In an attempt to explain why employee training is not all that effective, the study first aims to identify various issues th at the human resource management team faces as it does employee training and development. The next aim was to make recommendations on some steps that could reduce or eliminate these challenges for effective human resource management (Briscoe, Schuler and Claus 2008, p. 200; Dowling, Festing and Engle2008, p. 153). Critical Issues Administrative Performance The human resource management is responsible for the welfare of the whole company’s workforce, including that of the top management. The human resource management is part of the company management that it is supposed to assess. However, it is a hard task analysing the performance of administrative departments since that is akin to supervising oneself. In this case, the human resource management may not be objective enough to ensure impartiality in its analysis. This is a matter of concern especially because the people that sit in other management offices are, in many cases, the ones that sit in assessment panels. It is huma n nature for these individuals to put their personal interests

Celia Cruz Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Celia Cruz - Essay Example She was a Cuban singer who came from a humble background until she rose to fame in the US. It is through her music that she encouraged the conservation of marginalized people, as well as, promoting a world Latin American identity, principally utilizing the different syncretic threads of Salsa, originated from Cuban. By doing so, she was able to make a huge contribution to the Cuban music. By doing so she made Salsa a highly historical genre, by using her influence of musical aspects from different countries. Salas is defined by ethnomusicologists, as a genre that has Cuban traditions, mixed with guaracha in addition to rumba (Abreu 96-100). Moreover, salsa also has a huge influence of Colombian cumbias, and merengues from the Dominican Republic in addition to Puerto Rican bombas, (Abreu 105-107). However, the final form of this genre was developed by Latin musicians in the US by combining all the named contributions with aspects of American rock and jazz (Brill 2011). Nevertheless, S alsa contains some African melodious elements, apparent in the principal percussive instrumentation especially the drums, as well as, the call and response approach which is used to improve the vocal layers. Additionally, there is a Spanish influence that can be identified in some instrumentation of the genre. In general, salsa’s structure is in a pattern of the main body piece followed by the call-and-response aspects (Brill 120-126). This is what offers Salas a rhythm which is fast and lively which is valued in its performance. This can be depicted in some of the famous Cuban music. For instance, â€Å"Flor de Mayo,† starts with the clear guitar timbre. Chord strumming is fast in tempo, with slight tension between notes. The melody’s structure is followed by guitar notes that can only best described to have a Spanish style. These are some of the aspects that are identified in Salsa music that are in Cruz songs. Therefore, one can say that her songs contributed a lot in the invention of Salsa music and mostly because she made it acceptable to different people of diverse origins and culture. This does not mean that the genre was accepted by all genertons. In the 1960s, the trending music was the American rock and pop and many Lation youths did not accept the Salsa rhythm as expected. The genre was associated with the old generation and termed as outdated. This is attributed to the fact that many of them wanted to assimilate into the prevailing American culture. However, decade later, there was an overwhelming popularity of Salsa with the emergence of Celia Cruz as the most popular artist and she was ready to satisfy the transformed enthusiasm portrayed by the Latin American music. Cruz was born in Barrio Santos Suarez in Havana, which was a black neighborhood of Cuba in in October 21, 1924 (Ortiz 5-7). She had 13 siblings but she is the only ones that showed interest in singing. This is because as a child, one or her key chores was singing to her younger siblings to sleep. This encouraged her to sing as a child and in her first appearance, she was able to earn a pair of shoes given to her by some tourist that were watching. She developed to a teenager and performed in numerous talent shows in the community and also at school. Her aunt took her to cabarets and nightclubs. She was supported by her family but the

What were the main effects of the 1979-1997 Conservative governments Essay Example for Free

What were the main effects of the 1979-1997 Conservative governments Essay What were the main effects of the 1979-1997 Conservative governments reforms to collective labour law and what distinguishes the approach taken by the current Labour administration? In order to answer this question collective labour law must be explained and defined so the effects of each government can be focussed in the appropriate area. This essay will then move on to examine the situation prior to 1979 so as to assess the extent of the Conservative administrations impact of collective labour law at that time, a type of before and after measurement. Having done this, the emphasis will switch to examining Thatcherite and Conservative ideology hoping therefore to explain the mechanics of the legislation that the Tories then introduced. Its effects will then be assessed. After this point this essay will turn its attention to Labour Party ideology, in order to use it as a means of putting into context the legislation which the party has introduced, this will then be assessed in greater detail. The link between New Labours administration and the European influence will also be examined at this point in the essay, and how this has impacted on British collective labour law. A summary will then be given and all conclusions will be drawn together in order to answer the set question. Brown (1993) said, It is generally more useful to use the term [collective labour law] to cover a broader set of joint regulatory behaviour, whereby employers deliberately permit representatives of employee collectives to be involved in the management of the employment relationship. This generally means that employers choose to liase with union representatives to discuss the manner in which the company is run and debate issues affecting its employees. Collective labour law is the legislation outlined by the government that regulates this area of bargaining and discussion, including union regulation, recognition, membership, organisation and industrial action (of all kinds). The Labour Party, formed in 1893, has its roots firmly in the industrialisation era. It is traditionally working class in membership. Jon Monks (cited in Salamon pg104) said that Labour and the trade unions had shared values: primacy of collective bargaining, expansion of the welfare state and state intervention to promote economic growth and employment. The Labour Party was elected to power in 1974. Though as New Labour the party has now adopted The Third Way at that time, it still supported the Corporatist ideology, part of which meant supporting the trade unions and collective bargaining. During this time, trade unions accounted for ninety per-cent of party membership, [provided the party with] eighty per-cent of its annual income [and] sponsored fifty per-cent of its MPs (Salamon pg105). The Employment Protection Act of 1975 (and Employment Protection (Consolidation) Act of 1978 encouraged trade union membership and activities as well as legislated so that statutory time off had to be given in order to enable union officials to complete their union duties. The act also facilitated trade union recognition by employers (under section 11 of the EPA 1975) with the instigation of a set union recognition procedure involving ACAS (Advisory Conciliation and Arbitration Service), and obliged employers to consult and share information with unions regarding organisational changes and matters directly affecting employees. However in an effort to protect all employees, not just union members, the act also provided legal procedures for extending the terms and conditions of the employment contract where major unions were not recognised and could not bargain on behalf of the employees. The legislation from that particular Labour administration also promoted conciliation, arbitration and employees participation (in the bargaining process). The act also tried to regulate incomes with the setting up of 26 regional wages councils to standardise incomes and set recommended minimum wage levels. In 1980 trade union membership in the following unions was; Transport and General Workers Union, 1887000, the Amalgamated Engineering Union, 1166000 and the General Municipal Boilermakers Union stood at 916000. In 1979 total union membership stood at 13447000 with a union density of 55. 4% (Bain Pierce 1983). It can be seen from the above that the Labour administration of 1974-1979 was one of support for trade unions, collective bargaining and collective labour law. Membership of trade unions was, it can now be see, at an all time high. However, all this was to change once the Conservatives came to power under Margaret Thatcher in 1979. According to Farnham, (1999, p215) [the change in State policy] had considerable implications for public policy on employee relations, which shifted from one focused on voluntary collective bargaining in conditions of full employment and strong trade unions (with attempts at bargained corporatism through social contracts) to neo-laissez-faire. Thatcherite and Tory ideology was indeed one of laissez-faire, liberalist (neo-unitarist) foundations. It was a kind of economical Darwinism, survival of the fittest. Mrs Thatcher is famous for having apparently said that there is no such thing as society. For this reason it is not possible to legislate for the benefit of it, only for individuals. According to Salamon (2000: p292) the Conservative government aimed to redress the perceived power imbalance in favour of trade unions and allow management to re-exert its prerogative which was to promote responsible trade unionism, to protect individual members against union tyranny and to promote employment opportunities and labour flexibility through de-regulating employment. It can be seen from this statement that the Conservative government very much believed in the individuals right not to join a trade union, and to give back control (it having been removed by the unions ability to strike without notice) of industries to the organisations themselves. Blyton and Turnbull (1994 p155) describe Mrs Thatchers opinion as being that the nationalised industries which should have virtue on their side were hopelessly distorted and confined by state control and the absence of market competition. The unions, who were beneficiaries of these monopolies were accomplices to the most scandalous inefficiencies and had to be stripped of power. This philosophy could perhaps explain the reason why the Conservatives chose to introduce eight acts of legislation affecting the unions within thirteen years. These acts covered three main points. They restricted the scope of lawful industrial action thereby reducing trade union power. They established rights to disorganise (Lewis cited in Salamon p107) by establishing non-membership rights thereby undermining the maintenance of collective relations. The final point is that the legislation intervened in the internal affairs of trade unions by promoting a representational democratic model, thereby reducing the influence of activists in union decision making. The acts themselves are listed as follows: The Employment Act 1980; this reduced employment rights under unfair dismissal and reduced in instances in which dismissal could be classed as unfair. It also placed restrictions on closed shops (where all employees must be union members) in that an employee could work in a closed shop but not be a member on the grounds of strongly held political convictions. New closed shops now needed 80% of its work force to be in agreement or 85% of all those voting in order to make their place of work a closed shop. A right to be re-instated after maternity leave was introduced, the trade union recognition procedure was repealed, a code of conduct regarding picketing was established and secondary picketing (picketing away from the site of the dispute) was outlawed. Secondary and sympathetic (workers in differing industries striking in support of other workers) strikes had restrictions placed on them. The grounds for refusal to join a trade union were extended. The Employment Act 1982; this reinforced many points from the previous act including the restrictions on closed shops, and protection and compensation payments for non-members. Ballots on closed shops had to be taken in all existing arrangements across the UK, and union labour only commercial contracts became illegal. The act made it legal to selectively dismiss striking employees and redefined trade dispute in that political strikes became illegal. The act also removed trade union immunities from the civil courts (which affected strike action). The Trade Union Act 1984; this act concerned itself with the internal affairs of the trade unions. It stated that ballots had to be held every five years to elect officials to the unions National Executive Committees, secret ballots had to be held before industrial action took place (and not more that four weeks before the action was to take place). Ballots also had to be taken to establish who the union was to give its political funding and this had to be reaffirmed every ten years. The act also redefined political objects on which the unions political fund could be spent. The Wages Act 1986; after this act the wages councils (of which there were twenty six) were only allowed to specify a single minimum wage rate of pay and a single overtime rate which applied to every worker regardless of skill. Workers under twenty one were no longer covered by this wage protection. The Sex Discrimination Act 1986; this removed the exemption that the small firms (five or less employees) had from the Sex Discrimination Act of 1975. The Employment Act 1988; under this act a union must hold separate ballots for industrial action if those who are likely to take part in such action have different places of work. Ballot papers must ask whether the member is prepared to take strike action or action short of a strike. Members were given the right not to be unjustifiably disciplined by their union, and a new commissioner for the Rights of Trade Union Members was appointed. The Employment Act 1990; when this act was passed pre-entry closed shops became illegal, unions became vicariously liable if any of its officials called for strike action without following the proper procedures, employers were given greater freedom to dismiss any employee taking unofficial strike action, and further restrictions were placed on secondary action. Trade Union Reform and Employment Rights Act 1993; under this act employees were given the right to decide which union they joined. Postal ballots had to take place now before any strike could occur, and unions had to provide employers with at least seven days notice before any strike action could take place. The twenty-six wage councils were abolished and ACAS requirement to encourage collective bargaining was removed. At the end of the Conservative run of administration (finally finishing with John Major as Prime Minister in 1997) it is evident that the legislation very much followed the Conservative ideology of individualism, legislating for the individual and stripping collectives of their powers, as evidenced by the following figures. In 1990 the Transport and General Workers Union membership stood at 1224000, the Amalgamated Engineering Union at 702000 and the General Municipal Boilermakers Union membership stood at 865000. In 1978 the total number of working days lost that year was 9405000 but in 1995 that number was just 415000. From this can be seen the total effect that the Tories had on collective labour law and bargaining. Blyton and Turnbull (1998 p263) said, Throughout the 1980s the Thatcher government had made a virtue out of standing firm. The Conservatives had actively discouraged collective bargaining and hindered the trade unions as much as possible, so much so that union membership had dwindled to the figures in the previous paragraph. In 1997 trade union membership stood at 7154000 employees, a massive drop of 6293000 from that of 1979, and a union density of 30. 2%, again a big drop of 25. 2%. The effects of the Conservative era of power can clearly be seen here. When John Major and his party were defeated, the unions were virtually powerless, with their membership drastically reduced. Labour is traditionally the party of the trade unions as has previously been discussed. However, since the birth of New Labour things have changed considerably. In the 1980s Labour became concerned by their apparent unelectability so its leaders reformed and modernised the party image, which included loosening the link between themselves and the trade unions, even incorporating a Business Manifesto for their 1997 election campaign. At this time the party also adopted The Third Way. This replaced the previous Corporatist ideology behind the party. The Third Way is a middle ground between the traditional socialist views of the old left wing party and the right-wing views held by the Conservatives. The result of the image overhaul and change in strategy is that the trade unions became part of a coalition supporting Labour, but not the senior partners as of old (Salamon: 2000). Accordingly the New Labour Party focuses much more on the fact that labour flexibility has become an increasingly important issue for government strategies which are aimed at improving economic competitiveness and reducing unemployment (Salamon pg 282). Unconditional labour market de-regulation could have a detrimental effect on socially desirable employment policies such as social benefits, training, employee protection legislation and even the national minimum wage. Labours employment strategy [now] emphasises inclusion, social partnership and fairness at work (but without special favours towards trade unions) (Salamon pg 292) It has re-introduced the statutory union recognition procedure, introduced a national minimum wage and has signed up to the Social Chapter (European Union legislation). Metcalf (who is a member of the Low-Pay Commission) believes that the commission is an exemplar of social partnership which rehabilitated the unions and employees into a process that contrasts sharply with the there is no such thing as society' confrontational Thatcher era. (Salamon pg293) For this reason since New Labour came to power in 1997 the government has heavily legislated in many areas, and employment has not been excluded from this. One act in particular has directly impacted on Collect Labour Law, which is:- The Employment Relations Act 1999. This act effects trade union recognition and de-recognition (bringing back in the standard procedures), access to workers when industrial action is being considered and ballots are taking place. It also affects ballot procedure. The time between ballot result allowing action to take place has doubled from twenty-eight days to two months. Unfair dismissal is also affected as workers can no longer be dismissed for lawful industrial action. Finally, union membership rights were changed slightly in that the act states people can not be refused employment because of their trade union affiliations. Everyone has the right to belong to a trade union and the right not to be excluded from one. Along with this element of the act is a section dictating that compiling a blacklist of union members by employers is also illegal. This act strengthened the trade union and employee position, but it could also be argued that it is not a great overhaul of the law given the Labour Partys legislative history during previous administrations. Labour could be seen to be attempting to pacify the unions whilst trying not to alienate big business. The remaining major issue to be considered in this area of the essay is Europes influence on Collective Labour Law and the government in the United Kingdom. Once Labour formed the government in 1997 the Conservative decision to opt out of the Social dimension of the Maastricht Treaty of 1992 was reversed under the treaty of Amsterdam 1997 and in so signing, Labour consented to the treaty and all its terms. Maastricht (1992) could be considered as the Constitution of the European labour Market. It dealt principally with issues of fair remuneration, a national minimum wage, improvement in working conditions, unions rights and development of the employees rights to consultation and information. There were three immediate effects (in the form of European Directives handed down by the European Commission) when the UK joined the treaty. The European Works Council Directive, Parental Leave Directive and the directive covering the burden of proof in Sex Discrimination cases. The only directive to have any direct impact on collective labour law was the European Works Council Directive. This was aimed at large multinational firms and ensured proper communication between employee representatives (such as shop stewards) and management. The Working Time Directive is one further outcome of the agreement to the Social Chapter. The basic rights and protections that the Regulations provide are a limit of an average of 48 hours a week which a worker can be required to work (though workers can choose to work more if they want to), a limit of an average of 8 hours work in 24 which night workers can be required to work, a right for night workers to receive free health assessments. a right to 11 hours rest a day, a right to a day off each week, a right to an in-work rest break if the working day is longer than six hours and a right to four weeks paid leave per year. As can be seen from the above legislation Labour has not acted according to their ideological heritage, preferring instead to develop greater support for market competition, deregulation and privatisation. The party more strongly believes in the Stakeholder Economy, Welfare to Work, Social Partnership and Fairness at Work (Salamon pg21) principals and schemes. Most of the legislation is concerned with individual rights at work and not at all with collective labour law or collective bargaining. To a certain degree Labour now has little control regarding employment legislation as it is handed down to the government by Europe. However, it was New Labours choice to sign the treaty and harmonise the United Kingdom with the other member states and so must accept and implement all directives that are issued. The effects of the previously mentioned legislation can be seen in the following figures. In 1999 trade union membership in the following unions was; Transport and General Workers Union, 881625, the Amalgamated Engineering Union, 717874 and the General Municipal Boilermakers Union stood at 712010. Whilst the TGWU and GMBU show a decline in membership (and so in the powers of collective bargaining), the comparison is in fact to 1990 when the Conservatives still had another five years in power, membership has actually slightly increased since 1997 In 1999 trade union membership stood at a combined total of 7801315 employees, an increase from 1997 (when New Labour came to power) of 647315. The number of working days lost due to industrial action also dropped in 1999 to 266400 from 415000 in 1999, a drop of 148600 (all above figures from Salmon pg113). So as can be seen above the actions of both parties during their respective administrations have had a profound effect on collective labour law and collective bargaining, with the Tories having most impact. Labour is conspicuous in that it has done comparatively little to over turn the Tory instigated legislation. The actions of both parties can be explained by their ideologies, with Labours changing radically during the last decade. Their approaches have differed in that the Conservatives stripped the unions (which are the primary partners in bargaining and negotiation) of the majority of their rights and were not concerned with how ruthlessly it was done. The individuals rights were improved, but only as a means of weakening union power and increasing the strength of big businesses and employers in accordance with Conservative thinking and strategy. The Tories refused to sign up to the Social Chapter as they believed that employment legislation should come from within the country that is to be affected by it and in joining would lose total legislative control. In contrast to this Labour have signed up to the Social Chapter and tried to make the employment situation better for employees as individuals. This is because according to the third Way which creates a perceived political and cultural ideology within which management, unions and employees have to work (Salmon pg 21) it would benefit both employers and employees. It can be seen from this that both parties have similar outcomes from their legislation (in so much as figures for union membership and days lost in industrial action have only improved in comparatively mediocre terms and figures) though each party has taken a different approach for differing reasons. Bibliography Books Farnham, D. (1997) Employee Relations In Context London: CIPD Salamon, M. (2000) Industrial relations Theory and Practice: London, Prentice Hall (4th edition) Blyton, P. and Turnbull, P. (1998) The Dynamics of Employee Relations, Basingstoke: Macmillan (2nd edition) Cully et al. (1999) Britain At Work, London: Routledge Incomes Data Services Ltd (2000) Trade Unions Employment Law Handbook: London: IDS Websites http://www.cipd.co.uk http://www.dti.gov.uk http://www.libr.port.ac.uk http://www.labour.org.uk http://www.conservatives.com http://www.tuc.org.uk

Teenage Pregnancy Essay Example for Free

Teenage Pregnancy Essay Challenges of Teenage Parenthood A. Parenthood Options B. Continuing Education C. Financial Problems V. Conclusion Teenage pregnancy is a major concern in todays society ;there are many ways to prevent teenage pregnancy, many people to get advice from, and many decisions a teenage parent must make. The statistics tell that the U. S. has the highest rate of teen pregnancy Teen Pregnancy Teen Pregnancy ; Parenting You sit there tense, your face is turning cherry red, your eyes are fixed on the little white machine, and you feel like the suspense is and births. More than 4 out of ten young women become pregnant at least once before they reach the age of 20-nearly one billion a year(Teen Pregnancy Facts and Stats 1). Teenage pregnancy has declined slowly but steadily. These recent declines reverse the 24-percent rise in the teenage birth rate from 1986 to 1991 (Teen Pregnancy Facts and Stats 1). Usually only one-third of teenage mothers receive a high school diploma. The rest of the mothers usually end Teen Pregnancy You sit there tense, your face is turning cherry red, your eyes are fixed on the little white machine, and you feel like the suspense is killing you, two minutes p on welfare. A majority of both boys and girls who are sexually active wish they had waited. Eight in ten girls and six in ten boys say they wish they had waited (Teen Pregnancy Facts and Stats 1). Many people are concerned about the problems teenage parents and their children face. The health risks for a teenage girl who becomes pregnant increase sharply. One of the concerns of teenage mothers is the health risk. Usually young women have Teen Pregnancy Teen Pregnancy Over the past two decades, the rates of teen pregnancy have grown dramatically. According to the Prevention of Teen Pregnancy, approximately every thirty-one seconds teenage pregnant in the more complications in pregnancy than older women. The most hazardous complication is low birth weight. One out of seven babies born to teenage mothers have a low birth weight (Hildebrand 88). Poor eating habits, smoking, or using alcohol or drugs, cause low birth weight. Premature babies and babies with low birth weights often have organs that havent fully developed, such as lungs, heart and brain. These babies get sick easier than normal weight babies. As a result Teen Pregnancy The situation is as follow: A teen girl (anywhere from the age thirteen to eighteen) finds herself in a sexual relationship with a male. The end result is from what was motioned above, teenage mothers are considered to be in the high-risk health category. They need good prenatal care as soon as they find out they are pregnant. A doctor, nurse, or other medical practitioner gives most of the information about nutrition. Prenatal care can help prevent pregnancy complications and improve ones chances of having a healthy baby. The best way to prevent teenage pregnancy, which is 100% effective, is abstinence. Most teenagers have a whole Teen pregnancy Teen Pregnancy There are a lot of teen mothers growing up in this world wondering, what if I would have stayed in school? What could I have become? life ahead of them and having a child will cause a lot of complications in your goals. Its not impossible for teenage mothers to complete high school, or try to reach their goals in life, but having a child could very well interfere with these goals. Another way of protection is condoms. There are a lot of protections out there, but these protections are not 100-percent reliable. There are a lot of places and people to go to Teen Pregnancy Teen Pregnancy There are a lot of teen mothers growing up in this world wondering, what if I would have stayed in school? What could I have become? for support and advice. In addition there are many organizations and hotlines a teenage mother can contact for advice and assistance. Parents and family are one alternative. There are a lot of teenagers that are afraid of their parents reactions. However, most parents are calmer and more supportive than teenagers expect. Most parents are shocked when the teenager comes and tells them that they are pregnant. Just give the parents time and they will try to give their Teen pregnancy Teen Pregnancy There are a lot of teen mothers growing up in this world wondering, what if I would have stayed in school? What could I have become? teenager the best advice that they know. The school nurse or counselor is another place to get advice. The counselor usually can gather up pamphlets and brochures about pregnancy. The counselor can also help the teenager remain in school. They are very supportive and understanding. Doctors and clinics are very important for a teenage parent to go to. There are a lot of home pregnancy tests available, but the doctor is a lot more reliable and gives

Comparison of Benjamin Rush and John Adams

Comparison of Benjamin Rush and John Adams Cody Palladino Revolution essay Between the year of 1760 and the 1800 many events happened including the revolutionary war that would become an important part of American history. Both Benjamin Rush and John Adams were very accomplished men that had very different views on the revolution in America. Also, both john Adams and Benjamin Rush had enormous influence on the outcome of the American revolution. During this essay, I will explain how the view of Benjamin Rush and john Adams differ from one another such as how John Adams thought that the American revolution was over before the war but that wasnt the case for Benjamin rush as for he thought the American revolution was far from over even after the revolutionary war. Also as much as they did not agree upon each others view of when the revolution ended they did agree upon some idea about the American revolution. Lastly this essay will explain my views as well to if the American revolution qualify as revolutionary. First, John Adams was one of the leader in the American revolution, and was the second president of the united states form (1797 to 1801). He was born in Massachusetts and was soon to be recognized as a Harvard-educated graduate who shortly after became a lawyer. John Adams was extremely intelligent, patriotic, and very opinionated. Adams became a huge correspondent of great Britains colonial America and he also thought that the British tariffs and high taxes were a tool of oppression. In 1765 the passage of the Stamp Act thrusted Adams into the public affairs of the empire and colony. This same year John Adams had Published his first major essay about politics called A dissertation on the Canon and Feudal Law, and also composed the Braintree Instruction. These pieces of work assailed the Stamp Act for striping the American colonists of their two basic rights. These two rights were, the rights to be taxed only by consent and tired only by ones peers for the jury, these rights were gu aranteed to all Englishmen by the Magna Carta and were still being taken away. In the 1770s John Adams became a member of the continental congress. John Adams was also one of the only two signers of the Declaration of Independence. John Adams had dedicated his life to the cause of liberty and to the development of the republican government in America. His views and beliefs about the American revolution are far from that of Benjamin Rush. John Adams believed that that the revolution occurred before the actual war did. Adams has suggested that the colonists has already mentally rebelled against the monarchy before the actual bloodshed. The event such as the Boston tea party supported his claims. Thus, was because when England started taxation British people rebelled throwing tea off the ship into the harbor which could be evidence that there was already a metal revolution. Next, Benjamin Rush was a big advocator of social reforms and also the singer of the Declaration of Independence. Benjamin Rush was extremely well educated and became a doctor and surgeon during the war who treated the wounded. Benjamin Rush was one of the top Physician in the newly developing Americas. Benjamin was a strong supporter for his nation and the people trying to help out where he can even provide medical care for the poor. He was a very vocal proponent of the emancipation of slaves, descent care for the mentally ill, and also public education. Rush agreed with John Adams and wanted to abolish to Stamp Act of 1765 because he thought is was ludicrous and also a violation to the American people imposed by the British primarily because they were in a long 7-year debt. He had and influence on one of the founding fathers Thomas Paine in which Paine wrote a book called Common Sense. This book had a dramatic effect on the people convincing them in favor of the independence. Rush also helped Ratify the constitution because he served in the Pennsylvania convention. Rush was a strong believer in the principle of equality, and he wanted to abolish slavery. In the book titled Visions of America by Jennifer Keene it states, Women needed to be familiar with the political idea of republicanism (136). This is why Benjamin Rush was championing female education so much. Rush believes that the American war that made us independent is over but the revolution is far from that. He thinks that the revolution is not just the war. Independence was not the only fact and cause for this revolution. Also he thinks the revolution is more than trying to get independence from Britain it about changes that havent happened and are struggling to. He was very important to making this amazing country we live in today. In my opinion based on the American revolution, I believe that the American Revolution wasnt very revolutionary and this is based on a couple reason I will talk about in the paragraph. First of all the same people or kind of people were in power in the colonies and later what became known as the United States. There was no actual real change in social relations. Women were still unequal as to men and sadly slavery still existed. Many different races, ethnicities, poor white Americans and females did not achieve their liberty from the new leadership after the American revolution. In the American revolution, what actually happened was the American colonist began to realize that their rights were being stripped from them and they started voicing their opinion, the British government were abusing many of their rights. So many years after the colonist people had spent many years trying to propose a compromise peacefully. When change didnt take place wars/fights broke out which eventually lead the colonist to declare their independence and fought for their freedom. Just because the colonist received their independence doesnt mean that this event was revolutionary. Its not out of the ordinary for people to want to change and replace a type of government that is unfairly treating the people. What was designed and created after the revolutionary war was not too much different than what was created before the war, nothing dramatically changed or happened for the good. the definition of revolutionary is involving or causing a complete or dramatic change in which the American Revolution did not obtain even after the American war. The revolution did lead to some great accomplishments such as civil liberties enacted by the Founding Fathers that was based on axiological laws of nature and religious beliefs. All in all, both John Adams and Benjamin Rush had different views and understandings of the American revolution. John Adams was a strong believer that the revolution happened before the actual war. Adams has suggested that the colonists has already mentally rebelled against the monarchy before the actual bloodshed. For Benjamin Rush his views explain that just because the war was over the revolution was far from that. Benjamin Rush interpretation can be justified that the revolution wasnt over because there wasnt any new form of government established and perfected after the American War. The articles of confederation clearly is an example of the failure. In my opinion the American revolution was not very revolutionary at all. There was no actual real change in social relations. What was designed and created after the American revolution wasnt very different than what was accomplished before the wars, things generally stayed the same. Although John Adams and Benjamin Rush did not agr ee about when the revolution was over they did have similar views and agreeance with some of the stupid laws that the British opposed such as the tax tariffs and the Stamp Act. Work Cited Keene, Jennifer D., et al. Visions of America: a History of the United States. 3rd ed., vol. 1, Boston, Pearson, 2017.

Tahiti and the French Polynesia :: essays research papers

Spread across nearly 2,000,000 square miles of the South Pacific, in an area as large as the continent of Europe, lies the Territory of French Polynesia and its principal island, Tahiti. Settlers from Southeast Asia are thought to have first arrived in the Marquesas Islands, in the northeastern part of what is today called French Polynesia, around 300 AD and in the Society Islands, including Tahiti, to the west by about 800 AD. Prior to the first European contact, the islands were ruled by a hierarchy of hereditary tribal chiefs. The first Europeans to visit the area were the English explorers Samuel Wallis in 1767 and James Cook in 1769. French explorer Louis-Antoine de Bougainville arrived in 1768 and claimed the islands for France. In the late 1700s occasional ships arrived in the islands, most notably the H.M.S. Bounty in 1788, captained by William Bligh. The first missionaries, from the London Missionary Society, arrived in the islands in 1797. By 1815, with the support of the most powerful ruling family in the islands, the Pomares, the British missionaries had secured a strong influence in much of the Society Islands, doing everything possible to eliminate traditional Polynesian culture by barring traditional dance and music as well as destroying carvings and temples associated with native religion. The French continued to hold influence over the Marquesian Archipelago and eventually were successful in expelling the British and securing influence over much of what today constitutes French Polynesia, leaving the ruling Pomare family as little more than figureheads. In 1880, King Pomare V was forced to abdicate, and a French colony was proclaimed. By 1901, the colony included the Austral Islands, the Gambier Archipelago, the Marquesas Islands, the Society Islands and the Tuamotu atolls to the southeast. The first half of the twentieth century saw periods of nationalistic protest in the colonies which were by then called the Établissements franà §ais d'Ocà ©anie (French Pacific Settlements). It was not, however, until after World War II, when Tahitians who had served France returned home, that pressure forced the French government to extend French citizenship to all islanders. The first territorial assembly was established in 1946, and by 1949 the islands obtained representation in the French Assembly. In 1957, the territory was officially renamed the Territory of French Polynesia. The Republic of France is represented in the territory by a high commissioner appointed by the Republic. Throughout the second half of the twentieth century, limited autonomy was granted to the territorial government to control socioeconomic policy but not defense, law and order, or foreign affairs.

Its Time to Stop the Censorship Music with Explicit Lyrics Essay

It's Time to Stop the Censorship Music with Explicit Lyrics Music with explicit lyrics or content started having black and white parental advisories on them in 1994 (http://www.riaa.org/Parents-Advisory-4.cfm). Are these labels necessary? Is controversial music molding our society and causing teenagers to turn to drugs? Is censorship necessary to protect the youth of our nation. Generally, younger people are against censorship on this issue. Music is an outlet and even an anti-drug for many teens; however, parents and society feel differently. Should parents censor their children or society, many parents would like to raise their own children. â€Å"Censorship, like charity should begin at home; but unlike charity, it should end there,† is a quote by Clare Boothe Luce (Fitzhenry, 84). Many believe that the â€Å"explicit† lyrics and content in this controversial music like Eminem will turn their children to crime and drugs. Music censorship started in the United States in the late fifties and continues till today. Will it ever go too far or stop? Society causes a lot of music censorship. Starting in the late fifties and early sixties members of society made efforts to censor R&B music(http://teenmusic.about.com/library/weekly/aa022301a.htm). They were concerned that the music endorsed wild living, promiscuous sex, and lewd dancing (http://teenmusic.about.com/library/weekly/aa022301a.htm). â€Å"During the late sixties and seventies, Jim Morrison’s dark and suggestive lyrics stirred up communities, and parents were appalled to see Elvis Presley’s hip-thrusting† (http://teenmusic.about.com/library/weekly/aa022301a.htm). Society censors music like this because they are afraid of it. They think it will alter the minds of their children and cause them to do things they would have never done if it were never suggested in a song’s lyrics. â€Å"Music mirrors the society that creates it† (http://teenmusic.about.com/library/weekly/aa022301a.htm). Some people believe this, while others believe that mu sic causes problems in our society such as crime and drugs. â€Å"For every person who believes certain lyrics portray a frightening world, there is another person who finds them deep and powerful because that world is all too real† (http://teenmusic.about.com/library/weekly/aa022301a.htm). A number of people believe there is a correlation between album sales and the parental adviso... ...ost, I believe that music censorship infringes our first amendment to the Constitution, freedom of speech. Saying that music artists may not use certain words is the same as saying a newspaper cannot print a certain article in my opinion. Yet it seems that music is an easier target because pro-censorship groups claim that they are helping the youth of America. Sources 1. â€Å"About R.O.C.† 11 February 2002. http://www.theroc.org/aboutroc/roc10.htm 2. â€Å"Controversial Music, The Beat Goes On.† 7 February 2002. http://teenmusic.about.com/library/weekly/aa022301a.htm 3. Fitzhenry, Robert I., ed. The Harper Book of Quotations. New York, New York: Harper Collins Publishers Inc., 1993. 4. Hoffman, Hank. â€Å"Wal-Mart Blues.† 18 February 2002. http://www.metroactive.com/papers/sonoma/01.09.97/walmart-music-9702.html 5. Record Industry Association of America. 7 February 2002. http://www.riaa.org/Parents-Advisory-4.cfm 6. â€Å"The 2 Live Crew.† 11 February 2002. http://music.lycos.com/artist/bio.asp?QW=2+Live+Crew&AN=The+2+Live+Crew&MID=66486&MH 7. Winfield, Betty Houchin and Davidson, Sandra, eds. Bleep! Censoring Rock and Rap Music. Wesport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press, 1999.

Increasing Number of Out of School Youth Essay

Out of school youth are the helpless people who have needs. Nobody can deny that the facts of education are the most important thing or factor for some people to bring change in their lives. It has been recognized as the most prevailing gearing-up the socio-economic development of our government or our nation. The percentage of children enrolled in the 2006-2007 school year primary school was down to 83% from 90% seven years ago, according to National Coordination on Board by Agency France Pressed(AFP) And also this 2012 the numbers of out of school for secondary education getting worse. Education is the great equalizer that will give all Filipinos rich or poor, the chance to uplift their lives and face a secure future. One in six-school-age children in the Philippines are being deprived of education and the number is raising steadily a study by the National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB) showed 4 years ago. And also the number of six-year-old children who are not in Grade I reached 1.207 million and have 3.8 million school-aged children who likely have not attended school. The 2003 Functional Literacy, Education and Mass Media Survey or (FLEMMS) conducted by the National Statistics Office (NSO) every 5 years cited 11.6 million Filipinos aged 10-24 are not attending school. The NSCB said the number of Filipino children who did not have access to primary education worsened to 16.8 % of school-age population in the school year ending 2007 from 15.6 % the previous year because of the rising cost of living. And the latest number of children who did not have access to elementary education was even worse compared with the 9.7% recorded in school year 2003. Out of the 17 regions of the country Western Visa as was the worst performer. In the region 25% of children ages 6-11 years old were not going to elementary school. Most Filipinos read and write and young Filipinos are better educated than their parents and most of their Asian neighbours. But still the average Filipino has only a 5th grade education. Almost every child gets to see the inside of a school, but not nearly enough of them stay long enough to get the education needed in an advancing economy.

Marital Destruction Out of Dysfunctional Marriage

Course: College English 2 Date: 12/4/12 Marital destruction out of dysfunctional marriage and Othello’s characters William Shakespeare is(1564-1616) widely regarded as the greatest writer in the history of English literature and the most pre-eminent dramatist around the world. Among all his works, many literary critics regard Othello as the peak of his tragedies. Othello is not only a tragedy of family, but also a tragedy of love. Jealous psychology of the characters ultimately leads to the marital tragedy. Iago was jealous of Cassio and Othello, so he slandered and entrapped Cassio and Desdemona, which directly brought about the tragedy.Othello’s true love to Desdemona was utilized by Iago who had an ulterior motive. Driven by jealousy, Othello readily believed Iago, and personally killed his own wife, and eventually drew his sword to cut his own throat. Therefore, the tragedy in Othello’s marriage is largely rooted in jealous psychology. We analyze the reason e ffect this tragedy of marriage by following the premarital objective situation and the subjective married life. Othello and Desdemona’s marriage is doomed and dysfunctional from the beginning because of acute differences in marriage and due to Othello’s flaw of characters.We analyze the reasons which affect this tragedy of marriage by following the premarital situation then Othello’s characters in married life. To pave the way for detailed analysis, it is necessary to know about two types of marriages at that time. Jessica Tvordi says in â€Å"In quarter and in Terms like Bride and Groom†: Reconfiguring Marriage, Friendship, and Alliance in Othello â€Å"In its treatment of marriage, Othello introduces and creates tensions between two models of marriage: the dynastic or lineal marriage and the â€Å"companionate† or affective marriage. The traditional discourse of dynastic marriage reflects large concerns regarding the necessary of marriage which means â€Å"long term objectives of linear family† which is defined by Lisa Jardine. Jessica Tvordi says â€Å"†¦the discourse of affective marriage emphasizes the importance of companionship in marriage rather than political and economic gains†. About play Othello, Othello is a Moorish general of Venice. Othello is described by Iago as â€Å"Barbary horse† (105 line, Scene1, Act1). However, Desdemona is a beautiful girl who is the daughter of Venetian senator Brabantio.Brabantio is a traditional noble person, his mind obeys and follows the dynastic marriage rule. As Desdemona’s father, depend on the different races and different status, Brabantio certainly fight against with the marriage between Othello and his daughter. In other words, Othello lacks the â€Å"required conveniences† for Brabantio’s family which is pointed out by Iago. Moreover, similar like the two types of marriages affective marriage and the dynastic marriage are not only occurred in England, but also happened in other country.For example, when people marriage in China, they follow â€Å"be matched for marriage†. Because in Chinese culture, marriage is not only two people’s combination but also two families’ unite. So â€Å"match† means two families’ economic conditions, social status, and members of family should be equivalent. Apparently, Othello and Desdemona have a big gap in economic conditions and social status. Here, we can find out that Othello and Desdemona’s marriage doomed from the start, at least, their marriage is not benedictory.However, Desdemona and Othello are against the dynastic marriage rule, they start a clandestine marriage which seemed as a misalliance. Iago reveals their marriage to Brabantio, emphasizing the nature of Desdemona’s actions as disruptive of lineal conventions. Seeming, Desdemona and Othello aspire a kind of affective marriage which is presented by Jessica Tv ordi â€Å"a more equal partnership between husband and wife†. In fact, â€Å"Desdemona and Othello represent their feelings for one another within the Protestant paradigm of companionship and affection, which at its most elevated usually downplays strictly lineal concerns. As point out by Jessica Tvordi. When Othello is asked about the match, he explains that Desdemona loves him because of Desdemona’s admiration and pity, she thank'd me, And bade me, if I had a friend that loved her, I should but teach him how to tell my story. And that would woo her. Upon this hint I spake: She loved me for the dangers I had pass'd, And I loved her that she did pity them. This only is the witchcraft I have used(3. 3. 90) Desdemona also confirms her promise and says: My noble father, I do perceive here a divided duty: To you I am bound for life and education; My life and education both do learn me How to respect you; you are the lord of duty; I am hitherto your daughter: but here's m y husband, And so much duty as my mother show'd To you, preferring you before her father, So much I challenge that I may profess Due to the Moor my lord. †(180 line, Scene 3, Act 3) Desdemona and Othello’s representation certify that they will have an affective marriage and the love between them is true love.Although their premarital condition is not being unpromising, they believe that this affective marriage carrying their true love will have a happy ending. But at the end of the play, this kind of affective marriage change into a tragedy. The reason result in tragedy is Othello’s character emerges in the married life. In Othello’s character, he has a fatal weakness which is jealousy. On the battlefield, Othello is an all-power hero. However, he is made use of by Iago, giving rise to the credulity tragedy of murder his wife and suicide.The tragic results are not only coming from treacherous Iago who is full of jealousy and great ambition but also comes f rom Othello’s jealousy. Moreover, the jealousy consists of inferiority complex and being credulous. First, Othello always has an inferiority complex because of his black race. His fragile mind has never disappeared although he has been promoted as a noble general. When he hears from Iago about his wife has love affairs with Cassio, he said, â€Å"Haply, for I am black And have not those soft parts of conversation That chamberers have, or for I am declined Into the vale of years,—yet that's not much—She's gone.I am abused; and my relief Must be to loathe her. † (line262 Scene 3, Act 3) If he is not inferior, he would not judge and suspect his wife based on several pieces of provocation. He is inferior in color and age. In practice, he feels that he is not worthy of Desdemona. He feels inferior to Cassio so that he had an indefinable fear. Second, Othello is too credulous of Iago. He cannot imagine Iago is such an evil who envies Desdemona’s beauty a nd is very angry and hates him due to a promotion.Therefore, to achieve his revenge, Iago deliberately spread rumors, which Othello did not perceive. I do beseech you—Though I perchance am vicious in my guess, As, I confess, it is my nature's plague To spy into abuses, and oft my jealousy Shapes faults that are not—that your wisdom yet, From one that so imperfectly conceits, Would take no notice, nor build yourself a trouble Out of his scattering and unsure observance. It were not for your quiet nor your good, Nor for my manhood, honesty, or wisdom, To let you know my thoughts. 145 line, Scene 3, Act 3) On the contrary, Othello thought Iago is an honest man since Iago behaved in a hesitant way to expose the truth to him, seems like a righteous man from the heart. In addition, Othello has another character which is male chauvinism. When he is provoked by Iago, he begins to doubt his honesty of Desdemona. It is rather his male chauvinism than so much trust in Iago. In hi s view, Desdemona’s derailment is shameful, heinous, hurting his big man’s self-esteem. Even if it is only a rumor, he also cannot wait to ask to find evidence.I’ll see before I doubt, when I doubt, prove, And on the proof there is no more but this:Away at once with love or jealousy! (195 line, Scene 3, Act 3) When he finds that his handkerchief which is used as engagement pledge in Cassio’s room and suspected his wife’s infidelity, it is understandable and justifiable based on his male chauvinism. Another drawback of Othello’s character is his violent personality and impulsiveness, which finally causes the tragedy. Othello looks like a tamed lion after marriage. However he still has the lion’s nature. When he is stimulated, he would fly into a rage.In â€Å"Marriage, the Violent Traverse from Two to One in the Taming of the Sbrew and Othello†, the author Unhae Langis says â€Å"The seeds of disaster are sown in the characters of Othello and Desdemona themselves: as Heraclitus once noted, â€Å"Man’s character is his fate [daimon]. † Unhae Langis analysis the relationship between Othello and Desdemona based on the Othello’s character like that: â€Å"Othello inexorably enacting upon Desdemona the disaster of his marital state and the violent liberalization of the male headship in the smothering of his wife.Ironically, it is their very passion for virtue that induces their ruin. Contrary to the common focus of criticism, it is sameness rather difference that brings on the debacle. † Just like Unhae Langis says, Othello’s violent personality makes his marriage tend to tragedy. Consequently, we can say Othello’s violent personality and impulsiveness is the reason leading to the destruction. We believe it is a true love between Desdemona and Othello. But the result of their marriage is a tragedy. The tragedy is rooted in the objective marriage model and the subjectiv e Othello’s character.At that time, dynastic marriage is the common marriage model. Affective marriage which Othello and Desdemona follow is not receptive at that time. Apparently, their races, social status and family condition are not match. Therefore, Othello and Desdemona’s marriage doomed from the start because of their differences. Furthermore, by Othello’s characters, which are violent personality, jealousy and male chauvinism, although they start this heavy marriage based on their true love, they cannot keep this marriage for a long time. Finally, their marriage is destroyed by Othello’s character and social environment.Shen, Good effort in the first draft! The thesis is clear and you have followed good research to show that the Othello-Desdemona marriage was doomed from the beginning. The biggest drawback in this paper was the use of research—you have too many quotes, without explaining what they mean and how they are being used in the spe cific paragraph or context of your argument. You also need to focus on MLA citations in the second draft. The paper requires 4 sources and so far you have two critics cited. The Works Cited page also should be formatted correctly. Good effort overall!Citation 1. Shakespeare, William. Othello. Literature Reading Fiction, Poetry, and Drama. Ed. Robert, Diyanni. New York: McGraw Hill 2007. Print 2. Langis, Unhae. â€Å"Journal of the Wooden O Symposium. † Marriage, the Violent Traverse from Two to One in the Taming of the Sbrew and Othello 8 (2008): 45-63. Academic Search Complete. Web. 4 Dec. 2012. 3. Jessica, Tvordi. â€Å"Journal of the Wooden O Symposium. † In Quarter and in Terms like Bride and Groom†: Reconfiguring Marriage, Friendship, and Alliance in Othello 8 (2008): 85-101. Academic Search Complete. Web. 4 Dec. 2012.

Sikkim Wildlife and Biodiversity

Chapter 2 WILDLIFE & BIODIVERSITY Biodiversity at a Glance India is recognized as one of the 12 mega diversity centres of the world. Out of the 18 Biodiversity hot-spots in the world, India owns 2, namely the Western Ghats and the Eastern Himalayas. Sikkim covering just 0. 2 % of the geographical area of the country has tremendous biodiversity and has been identified as one of the HOT-SPOT in the Eastern Himalayas. There are 10 bio-geographic zones & 25 biotic provinces— which have 16 major forests types & > 200 sub types as per (Champion & Seth 1968).Sikkim falls under Himalayan (2) Bio-geographic zone & Central Himalaya (2c) biotic province—-having about 9 types of forests types (Champion & Seth). The State is endowed with rich floral and faunal diversity. Species wise, the State harbors over 4500 flowering plants, 550 Orchids, 36 Rhododendrons, 16 Conifers, 28 Bamboos, 362 Ferns and its allies, 9 Tree Ferns, 30 Primulas, 11 Oaks, over 424 Medicinal plants, 144+ ma mmals, 550 Birds, 48 Fishes and over 600 Butterflies.While these figures are still not absolute, it may be kept in mind that this is only the mega-fauna and flora. The tremendous diversity of insects like beetles and moths as well as a host of other life forms is yet to be enumerated. Most of the high altitude medicinal plants are rare and endangered species. Sikkim also has 28 Mountains/Peaks, more than 38 Glaciers, 227 high altitude lakes/wetlands and over 104 rivers and streams. Nature has been particularly generous in her gift of sylvan treasures to the state of Sikkim.Luxuriant forest, abound in all part of state and variety of medicinal plants, herbs, shrubs, bamboos and trees growing in state is truly rich. In the forest, there are number of plants whose medicinal values have been well recognized by local people as well as by different pharmaceutical, insecticidal and perfumery sectors. Medicinal plants ought to be given the status of a â€Å"National Resources† becaus e their sustained availability is essential to sustain one of the world’s oldest medicinal traditions, a priceless legacy of the Indian people.The local inhabitants for treatment of various ailments use numerous herbal remedies. Further more, modern medicines owes to the flora of these mountains. Many inhabitants for treatment of various ailments use numerous herbal remedies. Many species of Himalayan origin have revolutionized the allopathic systems of medicine. (The Medicinal Plant found in Sikkim is listed in Annexure II) ECOREGIONS Sikkim is a land of vast variation in altitude within very short distances ranging from around 300m to 8598m. Elevation plays a prime role in fashioning the ecoregions of the state.This is evident from the presence of Sal Shorea robusta forests in the Rangit Valley in the south to the temperate fir forests in the north, beyond which lie the trans-Himalayas and cold desert of the Tibetan plateau. Broadly speaking there are five altitudinal zones of vegetation. They are not clear-cut at their boundaries but merge into one another, often showing considerable local encroachments and recessions above and below the line depending upon physical configuration and exposure of the terrain and the resulting ecological factors.Chapter 2 Wildlife & Biodiversity The Tropical ecoregion extends roughly from the foothills of the outer Himalayas to an altitude of about 1200m. It contains steep sided valleys and gorges with well-drained flanking slopes. Various species of orchids, Rhaphidophora; wild banana, Pandanus; Nettles and giant bamboo are characteristic. The Rangit Valley Sal Shorea robusta in this region shows a unique association with the Chir Pine Pinus roxburghii. In patches of protected forest it is possible to see the weak Sal being slowly dominated by the Pine.These patches are however relatively poor in bird life. Lowland forests of Sikkim are home to several endangered species of birds like the Rufous-necked Hornbill Aceros nipalensis, Great Indian Hornbill Buceros bicornis homrai locally called ‘Hongraio’, Chestnut-breasted Partridge, Black-breasted Parrotbill, Grey-crowned Prinia and Ward’s Trogon. Other lowland fauna includes the Porcupine, Assamese Macaque, Barking Deer, Wild Boar, Tree Shrew, Peafowl (introduced), Python, Geckos, a host of butterflies and other invertebrates, riverine fish, frogs and toads.Several species of migratory water birds use the river systems during transit. Lantana is a major weed in this region. A small part of this ecoregion, a representative area of the Kitam Reserve Forests has recently been included in the wildlife protected area network of the state as the Kitam Wildlife Sanctuary. Forest fires are generally reported from this zone and there is an occasional problem of illegal removal of the Sal, Teak trees. New hydel projects have also been taken up in this zone.The important medicinal plants of this ecoregion are Terminalia bellerica, Termina lia chebula, Embellica officinalis, Azadirachta indica, Aegle marmelos, Ocimum sanctum, Oroxylum indicum, Holarrhena antidysenterica, Murraya sp. etc. However the wildly spreading alien invasive weed Mikania micrantha is fast manifesting as a serious threat to farmlands and young forests along with Lantana camara. The Sub Tropical eco-region extends up from about 1200 m to 3000m. The rainfall in this zone is the heaviest and conditions remain humid throughout the year.The crop in the upper storey consists of mainly Castanopsis hystrix (Katus), Machilus spp. (Kawla), Rhododendron spp. (Chimal), Symplocos spicata (Kholme), Symplocos theifolia (Kharane), Michelia excelsa (Rani Champ), Quercus lamellosa (Buk), Quercus lineata (Phalant), Leucoseptrum canum (Ghurpis), Quercus pachyphylla (Sungure Katus), etc. The other associates in the upper storey are: Betula alnoides (Saur), Nyssa javanica (Lekh Chilaune), Bucklandia populnea (Pipli), etc. In the underwood, Engelhardtia spicata (Mahuwa ), Eurya japonica (Jhingni), Rhododendron arboreum (Guransh), Vibernum spp. Asarey) etc. are the main species. In the upper reaches the upper storey consists of Quercus lamellosa (Buk), Q. lineata (Phalant), Machilus spp. (Kaula). The other associates in the upper storey are: Cinnamomum spp. (Sissi), Michelia excelsa (Rani Champ), Quercus lancaefolia (Patle Katus), Acer campbelli (Kapasi), Magnolia campbelli (Ghoge Champ), Q. pachyphylla (Sungure Katus), Castanopsis hystrix (Katus), Elaeocarpus lancaefolius (Bhadrase) etc. In the middle storey, Symplocos theifolia (Kharane) is the main species and Litsea spp. Pahenle), Rhododendron arboreum (Guransh), Bucklandia populnea (Pipli) etc are other associate species. Dense tall evergreen forests with oaks and Rhododendrons predominate. The undergrowth consists of Arundinaria maling, dwarf Rhododendron, ferns, epiphytic mosses and orchids. This area also is probably the richest in birds such as the Rusty-bellied and Lesser Shortwings, Kali j and Satyr Tragopan; reptiles like Japalura lizards, Cobra, Krait and Himalayan Pit Viper; Himalayan Bullfrog; butterflies and leeches. Eupatorium is a major weed competing out Artemesia and other secondary growth.Large Cardamom under-planted in forest patches and a tea estate at Temi are dominant features of the landscape as much as the naturalized exotic Cryptomeria japonica patches. Fambong Lho Wildlife Sanctuary and part of Pangolakha Wildlife Sanctuary in East Sikkim and Maenam Wildlife Sanctuary in South Sikkim are the two wildlife protected areas in this ecoregion. Most of the human population of Sikkim resides in these two zones in an agricultural setting where terrace farmed rice, ginger, orange, cardamom are commercially grown while guava, banana, squash and marigold are common along with vegetables and herbs in homestead gardens.Forest produce like bamboo shoots, ferns and nettles are also collected during season. Soya bean, millet and cruciferous vegetables are grown an d processed into fermented foods like ‘Kinema’, a specialty of the Subba community; ‘Gundruk’ and drinks like ‘Chang’. Exotic oyster mushroom cultivation is being popularized along with trial commercial cultivation of flowers like hybrid orchids, lilies and gladioli. Hybrid stall fed livestock is seen around villages while the local breed of ‘Siri’ Cow can graze on the hill slopes.Sericulture is practiced through schemes of the forest department while apiculture is more of a hobby with the bee species Apis cerana. The government encourages pisciculture of Common and Grass Carp. The important medicinal plants of this ecoregion are Swertia chirata, Rubia cordifolia, Astilbe rivularis, Berginia spp, Acorus calamus, Kaempheria rotunda, Costus speciosus, Viscum articulatum, Rhus semialata, Phytolacca acinosa, Litsaea citrata, Drymaria cordata Artemisia vulgari,s etc. State of Environment 2007 – Sikkim 8 Chapter 2 Wildlife & Biodi versityThe Temperate ecoregion extends from 3000m to 4500m with mixed coniferous forests of Hemlock, Spruce, Pine, Fir and Junipers with shrubby undergrowth of Rhododendron and Arundinaria bamboo. Red Panda, Common Langur and Himalayan Black Bear, Lesser cats, Goral, Serow, Himalayan Monal, Fire-tailed Sunbird, Blue Magpie and few species of reptiles and amphibians are characteristic. Brown Trout Salmo trutta fario has been introduced in high altitude lake and river systems. Wild Seabuckthorn Hippophae sp. occurs some of which is collected for medicinal properties and as a dye.Potato and cabbage are grown as cash crops. Subsistence farming of wheat, barley and maize is carried out while beans, peas, some apple, peach and pear are grown on homesteads. Some amount of cattle rearing is practiced with stall fed hybrid milch cows with some trans-humance for local breeds in forest areas. Handloom cottage industry for making blankets, rugs and carpets uses some wool from sheep grazed at hi gher altitudes. The Alpine forests and scrub extend upto 4500 m with small crooked trees and large shrubs interspersed with fir and pine. The stunted forest is mainly of rhododendron of many species.Dominant wild fauna includes Musk Deer, Himalayan Tahr, Blue Sheep, Blood Pheasant, Ibisbill and a Snow toad. River systems harbour some of the (introduced) trout Salmo trutta fario. Most of the flora of this region attracts interest for medicinal purposes. Dwarf rhododendron leaves are used for burning as incense. This region has very little resident human population, mainly Bhutias and mostly pastoral, herding livestock like yak, dzo (cow-yak hybrid) and domestic cattle. Many wild edibles are collected from the forest floor like Arisaema sp. tubers, ‘Khendu’ Cardamine spp. and Agaricus spp. ushrooms. The Temperate ecoregion is protected in three wildlife sanctuaries at Shingba (North Sikkim), Kyongnosla and part of Pangolakha (East Sikkim), Barsey (West Sikkim) and one nat ional park namely Khangchendzonga National Park (North and West Sikkim). They harbour representative biodiversity of these ecoregions. The important medicinal plants of this ecoregion are Aconitum ferox, Aconitum heterophyllum, Heracleum wallichii, Nardostachys grandiflora, Orchis latifolia, Panax pseudo-ginseng, Picrorrhiza kurooa, Podophyllum hexandrum, Ephedra gerardiana, Taxus baccata, Hippophae spp. tc. The Trans-Himalayan ecoregion extends from 4500 m to 5500m with characteristic cold desert vegetation exclusively restricted to the north of Sikkim. This ecoregion has not yet been included in the protected area network of the state and is perhaps the most threatened as it contains mostly endangered species. Dominant among these are Kiang, Nayan or Argali, Tibetan Gazelle, Blue Sheep, Snow Leopard, Eurasian Lynx, Tibetan Wolf, Tibetan Snowcock, Lammergeier, Raven, Golden Eagle and Ruddy Shelduck breeding in the wetlands.The region has a short four-month growing season during whi ch grasses, sedges and medicinal herbs grow abundantly supporting a host of insect fauna as well as the wild and domestic herbivores, larks and finches. There are no permanent settlements. Human population consists of a small number of nomadic Tibetan graziers or ‘Dokpas’ (who herd yak, sheep and pasmina-type goats) and large number of Defence personnel as the area forms the international border with Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR).Closure of the border to trans-humance over the last three decades has led to intense grazing pressure by both the domestic and wild herbivores on the land. The area also suffers from the presence of landmines causing casualties among Nayan, Kiang and Tibetan wolf. Existence of feral dogs is a major hazard in this region. This ecoregion needs to be urgently represented in the wildlife protected area network of the state. The important medicinal plants of this ecoregion are Aconitum spp. , Nardostachys grandiflora, Picrorhiza kurooa,Gentiana spp , Rheum spp. tc. State of Environment 2007 – Sikkim 9 Chapter 2 Wildlife & Biodiversity There is a growing concern throughout the world that the natural resources essential for human development and survival are being depleted and destroyed at an alarming and ever increasing pace. In order to protect, propagate and develop this rich wilderness, the State has realized that only by bringing in more such areas under the Protected Area Network could save this fragile eco-system from being over exploited and depleted.Keeping this in mind almost 31% of the total geographical area of the state has been brought under this network and state has recently added one more feather in its cap by declaring the Pangolakha Range as a Wildlife Sanctuary which is another rich treasure house of biodiversity. The existing status of wildlife protected areas is described as follows. Map 2. 1 Protected Area in Sikkim Source : CISMHE State of Environment 2007 – Sikkim 10 Chapter 2 Wildlife & Bi odiversity Protected Area NetworkProtected area network has been playing an important role in maintaining the natural resources of this fragile eco-system and to the economy of the State, providing a base for recreation and tourism. Existence of protected areas in the higher reaches sustains environment stability of the surrounding region and thereby reduces occurrence of landslides and droughts, protecting the soil from erosion etc. Further it helps in maintaining the productive capacity of eco-systems, thus ensuring the continuing availability of water for sustaining life down stream.Because of an extensive Protected Area Network, and with better protection and sustainable human use, habitats have recuperated and in 1999 Takin Budorcas taxicolor was reported at Kyongnosla Alpine Sanctuary which was once native to this eco-system and similarly Tiger Panthera tigris migration is often reported every year. Even Himalayan Tahr or ‘Shapi’ Hemitragus jemlahicus, Musk deer M oschus chrysogaster and other endangered Himalayan fauna thrive within Kahngchendzongs National Park at locations like Bikmatar, Satdharey, Kasturi Orar with healthy population.Snow leopard Uncia uncia, a highly endangered animal of Himalayan eco-system which is at the top of ecological pyramid has also shown remarkable population increase as reported although proper census has not been conducted for the last few years. People from far off places come to see this elusive animal and for research purposes. Protected area network of Sikkim has contributed a lot in respect to scientific research and monitoring of wild species with some students also having carried out PhD dissertations. The rich diversity of wild flora is also being protected and preserved in this network. Table 2. 1 Protected Area NetworkSl. No. Name of Protected Area Area in sq. km. District Biogeographic Province Altitude 1 Barsey Rhododendron Sanctuary 104. 00 West 2C 2200-4100 m 2 Fambong lho Wildlife Sanctuary 51. 76 East 2C 1524-2749 m 3 Kyongnosla Alpine Sanctuary 31. 00 East 2C 3292-4116 m 4 Maenam Wildlife Sanctuary 35. 34 South 2C 2400-3263 m 5 Pangolakha Wildlife Sanctuary 128. 00 East 2C 6 Shingba Rhododendron Sanctuary 43. 00 North 1B 3048-4575 m 7 Kitam Bird Sanctuary 6. 00 South 300-1000 m 8 Khangchendzonga National Park 1784. 00 North/West 1B Total Protected Area 2183. 10 Total Geographical Area 7096. 00 9 Khangchendzonga Biosphere Reserve 620. 00 North/West 1B & 2C 2725-5537 m 10 National Park 1784. 00 North/West 11 Buffer area 836. 00 North/West Note: 1. Protected Area Network does not include area under buffer zone of a biosphere reserve. 2. Total area under Protected Area Network of State is 2183. 10 sq. km. (i. e. 30. 77% of the total geographical area) 3. Total area under Protected Area Network including the buffer zone of biosphere reserve in State is 3019. 10 sq. km. (i. e. 42. 55 % of the total geographical area). 4. Total protected area including the biosphere reserve ar ea is 51. 68 % of the total recorded forest area of the state.Most of the Ecotourism potential is prevalent only in Protected areas and one of the most important destination is Khangchendzonga Massif itself which is considered as cultural heritage and deity of Sikkim people, which also fall within Protected area in the name of Khangchendzonga National Park, which is a nucleus center for attracting tourists off far and wide and some other important places of interest also do exist only inside the Protected areas such as Dzongri trail, Green Lake, different varieties of Rhododendron species, glaciers ,alpine flowers , grassland, high cliffs , waterfalls , caves and other small lakes which are considered sacred place for pilgrimage.In order to have glimpses of this natural landscapes, tourists from far off places used to visit Sikkim which is contributing economy at the local level as it stimulates profitable domestic industries – hotels , restaurants, transport systems , souven irs and handicrafts and guide services. Without Government strategy and interest in preserving this rich bio-diversity and cultural heritage and without active people participation this fragile environment would not have been preserved and protected so far. Hence this protected areas network has contributed much to the economy of the State as well as in preserving the wilderness and providing sustainable livelihoods to the people living in the buffer. State of Environment 2007 – Sikkim 11 Chapter 2 Wildlife & Biodiversity AVIFAUNAL DIVERSITY With in an area of 0. % of India, the Sikkim harbors around 550 bird species representing around 30% of the aggregate bird species and subspecies found in the entire Indian subcontinent. This region of the Central Himalayas lies within the Eastern Himalayas Endemic Bird Area (EBA) and for several bird species such as Chestnut-breasted Hill Partridge Arborophila mandelli, Rusty-bellied Shortwing Brachypteryx hyperythra and White-naped Yuhi na Yuhina bakeri this EBA is very important. It also has globally threatened species such as the Black-necked Crane Grus nigricollis and Lesser Kestrel Falco naumanni. There are eleven IBAs recognized by the Government of Sikkim in the State. Table 2. 2 List of Threatened Birds found in Sikkim Critically Endangered Oriental White-backed Vulture Gyps bengalensis Slender-billed VultureGyps tenuirostris Vulnerable Baer’s Pochard Aythya baeri Pallas’s Fish-Eagle Haliaeetus leucoryphus Greater Spotted Eagle Aquila clanga Lesser Kestrel Falco naumanni Red-breasted Hill-Partridge Arborophila mandellii Blyth’s Tragopan Tragopan blythii Black –necked Crane Grus nigricollis Wood Snipe Gallinago nemoricola Rufous-necked Hornbill Aceros nipalensis Rusty-bellied Shortwing Brachypteryx hyperythra Slender-billed Babbler Turdoides longirostris Black-breasted Parrotbill Paradoxornis flavirostris Hodgson’s Prinia Prinia cinereocapilla Beautiful Nuthatch Sitta Formos a Near Threatened Satyr Tragopan Tragopan satyra Giant Babax Babax waddelliEndemic Bird Area 130 : Eastern Himalayas Rusty-bellied Shortwing Brachypteryx hyperythra Hoary-throated Barwing Actinodura nipalensis White-naped Yuhina Yuhina bakeri Red-breasted Hill-Partridge Arborophila mandellii Black-browed Leaf-Warbler Phylloscopus cantator Ward’s Trogon Harpactes wardii Rufous-throated Wren-Babbler Spelaeornis caudatus Wedge-billed Wren-Babbler Sphenocichla humei Broad-billed Flycatcher-Warbler Tickellia hodgsoni Giant Babax Babax waddelli Endemic Bird Area 133 : Tibetan Plateau Hoary-throated Barwing Actinodura nipalensis Broad-billed Flycatcher-Warbler Tickellia hodgsoni State of Environment 2007 – Sikkim 12 Chapter 2 Wildlife & Biodiversity 1.DOMBANG VALLEY-LACHUNG-LEMA-TSUNGTHANG A full checklist of this site is not available but the bird records maintained by the department show that this area could have significant populations of Vulnerable Beautiful Nuthatch Sitt a formosa and Wood Snipe Gallinago nemoricola. The site lies in Eastern Himalayas Endemic Bird Area (EBA 130) where Stattersfield et al. (1998) have identified 21 restricted range species. Only one such species, White-naped Yuhina Yuhina bakeri has been noticed till now (U. Lachungpa pers. comm. 2002), but looking at the extent of pristine habitat still available in this site, more restricted range species are likely to be found here.This complex, with wide altitudinal variation, basically lies in Biome-7 (Sino-Himalayan Temperate Forest), but avian elements of Biome-5 (Eurasian High Montane – Alpine and Tibetan) and Biome-8 (Sino-Himalayan Subtropical Forest) are also found as these biomes merge with Biome-7, and secondly, many birds show seasonal altitudinal movement. Seventeen out of the 48 species listed in Biome-5 (BirdLife International, undated) are found in this site. Similarly, 47 out of 112 species listed in Biome-7 are found here. As this site also has Montane Mixe d Broadleaf- Coniferous Forest, Broadleaf Evergreen Forest and Deciduous Forest, many species of Biome-8 are also found here. Thus, this site perhaps has the most numerous biome restricted species among all the sites of Sikkim.The important birds of the valley are Himalayan Griffon Gyps himalayensis, Wood Snipe Gallinago nemoricola, Snow Pigeon Columba leuconota, Grandala Grandala coelicolor, Plain Mountain-Finch Leucosticte nemoricola and Hill Partridge Arborophila torqueola. A specimen of Tibetan Horned Owl (Eurasian Eagle-Owl) Bubo bubo from Lema was collected and deposited with BNHS. TSO LHAMO PLATEAU-LASHAR-SEBU LA-YUMESAMDONG COMPLEX A total of around 227 birds have been recorded from this c. 500 sq. km area, including four globally threatened species, three Restricted Range species and 93 Biome-restricted species (Ganguli-Lachungpa and Rahmani 2003). One of these, Babax waddelli, is reported only from extreme northeast Sikkim from 2,700-4,400 m in the Tibetan Plateau facies ( EBA-133) in Hippophae thickets.It is found in dense deciduous scrub above tree-line and edge of coniferous forest (Stattersfield et al. 1998). It is reported as ‘locally common’ (Ali and Ripley 1987). This site in the Eastern Himalayas Endemic Bird Area is the highest altitude eco-region in Sikkim spanning two biomes, Sino- Himalayan Temperate Forest (Biome-7) and Eurasian High Montane (Alpine and Tibetan) (Biome-5) as described by BirdLife International (undated). Of the 48 Biome-5 (Eurasian High Montane – Alpine and Tibetan) species, 35 occur here and of the 112 Biome-7 (Sino-Himalayan Temperate Forest) species, at least 12 are from here. More are likely to be found after detailed investigations.The important breeding bird species recorded here are Tibetan Snowcock Tetraogallus tibetanus, Black-necked Crane Grus nigricollis, Brahminy Shelduck Tadorna ferruginea, Common Redshank Tringa totanus, Tibetan Sandgrouse Syrrhaptes tibetanus, Snow Pigeon Columba leucono ta, Robin Accentor Prunella rubeculoides, Guldenstadt’s Redstart Phoenicurus erythrogaster, Plain Mountain Finch Leucosticte nemoricola, Black-headed Mountain Finch Leucosticte brandti, Mandelli’s Snowfinch Pyrgilauda taczanowskii, Tibetan Snowfinch Montifringilla adamsi, Plain-backed Snowfinch Pyrgilauda blanfordi, Rufous-necked Snowfinch Pyrgilauda ruficollis, Hume’s Groundpecker Pseudopodoces humilis, Yellow-billed Chough Pyrrhocorax graculus, Lesser Sand Plover Charadrius mongolus, Golden Eagle Aquila chrysaetos and Little Owl Athene noctua. Some of the non-breeding birds are Lesser Kestrel Falco naumanni, Bar-headed Goose Anser indicus and Common Hoopoe Upupa epops. State of Environment 2007 – Sikkim 13Chapter 2 Wildlife & Biodiversity Map 2. 2 Barsey Rhododendron Sanctuary, West Sikkim Source: Wildlife Division, Forest Department BARSEY RHODODENDRON SANCTUARY This is an important IBA on the southeast corner of Sikkim with Nepal as its western border and contiguity with KBR and Singalila, stretching from alpine meadows down to subtropical forests. Birds from biomes 5, 7, 8 and 9 have been recorded here including at least three globally threatened species, two restricted range species, five out of 48 Biome-5 species, 38 out of 112 Biome-7 species, 21 out of 96 Biome-8 species and three out of 9 Biome-9 species. However, much more research input is needed.During a brief survey in September 1996, Biome-7 birds such as White-browed Tit- Babbler Alcippe vinipectus, Rufous Sibia Heterophasia capistrata, Grey-faced Leaf-Warbler Phylloscopus maculipennis, Orange-gorgeted Flycatcher Ficedula strophiata, Rufous-bellied Niltava Niltava sundara, Rufous-bellied Crested Tit Parus rubidiventris and Red-headed Bullfinch Pyrrhula erythrocephala were ringed with BNHS rings. State of Environment 2007 – Sikkim 14 Chapter 2 Wildlife & Biodiversity Map 2. 3 Fambong Lho Wildlife Sanctuary, East Sikkim Source: Wildlife Division, Forest Departme nt FAMBONG LHO WLS – HIMALAYAN ZOOLOGICAL PARK – RATEY CHU RESERVE FOREST COMPLEX Over 281 species of birds have been reported from this area, opposite the bustling township of Gangtok. Of these, the Oriental White-backed Vulture Gyps bengalensis not seen since the slaughterhouse at Gangtok was shifted to south to Rangpo almost a decade ago. The Rufous-necked Hornbill Aceros nipalensis reported by Ali (1962) from Gangtok has not been sighted lately.The Beautiful Nuthatch Sitta formosa a globally threatened is still found, while the Rusty-bellied Shortwing Brachypteryx hyperythra was remarkably easily netted and ringed both in Fambong Lho and Himalayan Zoological Park in the 2001 BNHS Bird-Banding Programme. The Red-breasted Hill-Partridge Arborophila mandellii was reported by Ali (1962) from Gangtok but not heard or sighted recently unlike the commoner Hill Partridge Arborophila torqueola. The Hoary-throated Barwing Actinodura nipalensis and the White-naped Yuhina Yuhi na bakeri are restricted range species reported from this IBA (Anon 2002). In this Eastern Himalayas Endemic Bird Area, four out of 21 restricted range species, at least five out of 48 Biome-5 species, 49 out of 112 Biome-7 species, 38 out of 96 Biome-8 species and three out of 19 Biome-9 species are found (U. Lachungpa pers. comm. 2003).Other bird species include the biome-restricted Mountain Imperial Pigeon Ducula badia, Slaty-headed Parakeet Psittacula himalayana, Red-winged crested Cuckoo Clamator coromandus, Large Green-billed State of Environment 2007 – Sikkim 15 Chapter 2 Wildlife & Biodiversity State of Environment 2007 – Sikkim 16 Chapter 2 Wildlife & Biodiversity KHANGCHENDZON HERE RESERVE Some important birding habitats here are D tam-Uttarey-Chitrey-Chewabhanjyang, the Rathong hu Valley along the Yoksum- Dzongri-Goecha La trekking trail, Tashiding, Rabdentse, Dubdi, Khecheopalri guthang- Gre GA NATIONAL PARK AND BIOSP C en all in West Sikkim; Tholung Valley in Dzongu, Tsungthang-Menshithang-Lachen- Thangu, the Muke route including the Zemu Glacier-Zemu Chu Valley, all in North Sikkim. Due to the size and en La altitude elevations in this IBA, birds recorded are from at least four biomes.Thus this IBA has at least 127 bird species of conservation concern including seven globally threatened and restricted range species, 24 species of Biome-5, 67 of Biome-7, 26 of Biome-8 and three listed in Biome-9. Birds like Lesser Kestrel Falco naumanni have been recorded from northern Trans-Himalayan part of the IBA while Baer’s Pochard Aythya baeri has been sighted in Lake Khecheopalri along with wintering Mergansers Mergus merganser and Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis (Ganguli-Lachungpa 1991), Mallard Anas platyrhynchos, Common Teal Anas crecca and Tufted Pochard Aythya fuligula. The Osprey Pandion haliaetus, protected under Schedule-I of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972, was killed atYoksum while fishing in the State Forest De partment’s fishpond (Ganguli-Lachungpa 1990).Black-necked Crane Grus nigricollis has been recorded from the Muguthang area of Lhonak Valley IBA contiguous to the north (Ganguli-Lachungpa 1998). A large loose flock of dark eagles (unidentified) was videographed, during a trek to Dzongri in December 1999, flying southwards along with Himalayan Griffon Gyps himalayensis and Lammergeier or Bearded Vulture Gypaetus barbatus (U. Lachungpa pers. comm. 2003). Local Lepcha people at Tholung report a unique phenomenon of congregations of either Ashy Wood-Pigeon Columba pulchricollis or Common Wood-Pigeon Columba palumbus near the Tholung hot-springs (a day’s trek from jeepable road) in summer (Chumden Nangpa pers. comm. 000), an annual event that has got disrupted due to development of the area for tourism (U. Lachungpa pers. comm. 2003). High altitude lakes at Kishong La are important stopover sites not only for migratory waterfowl but also for resident breeding birds like Brah miny Shelduck Tadorna ferruginea ducklings collected from here in 1986 survived for around five years at Gangtok’s Deer Park enclosure at Tashiling Secretariat (C. B. Bhujel pers comm. 2000)}. KYONGNOSLA ALPINE SANCTUARY– TSOMGO- TAMZE-CHOLA COMPLEX P sp of this site, the most prominent one would be the Wood Snipe Gallinago nemoricola, as it possiblrre (U. Lachungpa pers. comm. 2003). Satyr Tragopan Tragopan satyra at the upper limit of its b ange, and Himalayan Monal Lophophophorus impejanus, the former considered as Near Threatened (BirdLife International 2001), are also residents. The Snow Pigeon Columba leuconota come down here in winter. Other species of interest are the Fire-tailed Sunbird Aethopyga ignicauda and Gold-naped Black Finch Pyrrhoplectes epauletta, birds of temperate forest. Golden Eagle Aquila chrysaetos and Greater Spotted Eagle Aquila clanga, Brown-headed Gull Larus brunnicephalus with Tufted Pochard Aythya fuligula were seen occasionally in Tsomgo Lake during the winter Asian Waterfowl Census (AWC). Pallas’s Fish-Eagle Haliaeetus leucoryphus was once seen in the forest patch below Tamzey during a survey for Red Panda in 1998 (U. Lachungpa pers. omm. 2003). The site is located in the Eastern Himalayas Endemic Bird Area (EBA-130) where 21 species have been listed of which only one species, the Hoary-throated Barwing Actinodura nipalensis, has been found till now but more are likely to occur. Perhaps the most important reason for selection of this site as an IBA is the presence of large number of biome restricted species of three biome types. Although, this site lies chiefly in Biome-7 (Sino- Himalayan Temperate Forest), birds of Biome -5 (Eurasian High Montane – Alpine and Tibetan) and Biome-8 (Sino-Himalayan Subtropical Forest) are also seen, mainly due to their altitudinal movement.In winter, birds of Biome-5 move down, so we see species such as Rosy Pipit Anthus roseus, Snow Pigeon Columba leuconota, Alpine Ac centor Prunella collaris and others in this site. Thirteen out of 48 species of this biome have been seen in this IBA. Expectedly, the largest number of biome restricted species is from Biome-7: 35 out of 112 species but more are likely to be present. As the boundary between Biome-7 and Biome-8 is very diffuse (like all other biomes), some species are likely to be present in both the biomes. Till now, U. Lachungpa (pers. comm. 2003) has been able to locate only two biome restricted species, Grey-winged Blackbird Turdus boulboul and Black-spottedYellow-Tit Parus spilonotus, of Biome-8 in this IBA. Lhonak Valley is the famed flyway of migratory waterfowl (Ali 1962).Many Vulnerable and Biome-5 restricted species breed here such as the Tibetan Snowcock Tetraogallus tibetanus, Black-necked Crane (unsuccessful nesting attempt at Tebleh Tso, Muguthang), the Tibetan Sandgrouse Syrrhaptes tibetanus, the Guldenstadt’s Redstart Phoenicurus erythrogaster, the Hume’s Groundpecker P seudopodoces humilis. State of Environment 2007 – Sikkim 17 Chapter 2 Wildlife & Biodiversity Map 2. 5 Kyongnosla Alpine Sanctuary, East Sikkim Source: Wildlife Division, Forest Department Maenam Wildlife Sanctuary, South State of Environment 2007 – Sikkim 18 Chapter 2 Wildlife & Biodiversity ng the lowest altitude IBA in Sikkim, this site has records of birds restricted to biomes erhaps due to seasonal altitudinal migration as well as the telescoping effewhere in a distance of c. 100 km, habitats ranging from lowland subtropical forests ton be seen (Ali 1962).Hence, as many as 14 globally threatened and restricted range speat least four Biome-5 species, 15 Biome-7 species, 33 Biome-8 species and seven Biome- 9 sperded from this IBA. The lowland forests of Sikkim are home to several species identified ad by BirdLife International (2001): Great Pied Hornbill Buceros bicornis now restrir tea estates, Red-breasted Partridge Arborophila mandelli (not recorded recently) anr pactes wardi. The Nepal Wren-Babbler Pnoepyga immaculata could also occur here. Duconducted here in 1996, no potential habitat was found for the Rufous-necked Hornbill . Biome-5 species like Ibisbill Ibidorhyncha struthersii are regularly recorded in winter onat Rangit river; Wallcreeper Tichodroma muraria recorded from Trans-Himalayan Lhonaake) and other high altitude sites is also recorded from this IBA.The Collarex caerulescens was found breeding in 1996 very close to human habitation, hawkinge Fisheries Department pond at Baguwa but cleverly avoiding the mist-nets set arounds sighted at Baguwa and Jorethang in October 1996 (Ganguli-Lachungpa 1996). All these IBA a very interesting bird watching and conservation area. MAENAM WILDLIFE SANCTUARY –TENDONG RF There are several villages fringing this IBA due to which the habitat is open in several pla es of dense forest provides ideal bird hab 1998). The site lies in the Eastern Himalayas Endemic Bird Area (EBA- 130), in which Stattersfield et al. (1998) have listed 21 restricted range species. Eight of these have been seen here (U. Lachungpa pers. comm. 2003). This mid-altitude IBA falls mainly in Sino-Himalayan Temperate Forest (Biome-7). BirdLife International (undated) has listed 112 species in this biome, of which 53 are found here.The higher reaches of this IBA, above 3,000 m show some birds of Biome-5 (Eurasian High Montane – Alpine and Tibetan) where 48 species are listed and seven are seen in this site. At lower reaches, Biome- 7 merges with Biome-8 (Sino-Himalayan Subtropical Forest) where 95 species are listed. Almost half of them (42 species) have been found here. Some areas of this IBA, especially in the valleys also show some faunal elements of Biome-9 (Indo-Chinese Tropical Moist Forest). Four species of this biome are also found here. They are Grey Peacock Pheasant Polyplectron bicalcaratum (unconfirmed), Pale-headed Woodpecker Gecinulus grantia, Greater Necklaced Laughingthrush Gar rulax pectoralis and Sultan Tit Melanochlora sultanea. State of Environment 2007 – Sikkim 19Chapter 2 Wildlife & Biodiversity Map 2. 7 Pangolakha Wildlife Sanctuary, East Sikkim Source: Wildlife Division, Forest Department Map 2. 8 Shingba Rhododendron Sanctuary, North Sikkim State of Environment 2007 – Sikkim 20 Chapter 2 Wildlife & Biodiversity PANGOLAKHA WILDLIFE SANCTUARY–ZULUKBEDANG TSO – NATU LA n passes of Natu La and Jelep La (La = Pass) form the routes for migratoover at the various wetlands in the area, especially Bedang Tso Lapejanus (locally called as Feydong) used to be found here hence the name Bedang Tso. Sometimes there is mass migrationilvus and (unidentified) eagles. The Sherathang marshes are one aTadorna ferruginea breeds.Some birds of this complex are Eu and Wood Snipe Gallinago nemoricola, a globally threateccasionally seen on the banks of the Bedang Tso. Hill Pigeons Colchimneys of local houses in snowy winters. The Snow Pigeon Colu m, Himalayan Monal and Gold-naped Black Finch Pyrrhoplectes epaes. The Pallas’s Fish-Eagle Haliaeetus leucoryphus was once seen iha range in 1994. Large Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo and Bar-hea sighted at Bedang Tso in 1992 (U. Lachungpa pers. comm. 2003). Then harmani, a Near Threatened species, has been reported from Kup La . This area falls under PangolakhaWildlife Sanctuary and is adjane of the two endemic birds in Southern Tibet (e of mixed Broadleaf Coniferous forest; Rhododendron, Juniper and det al. 1998). Another Near Threatened species found in.Due to great altitudinal variation from 1300 m to above 4,000 m, three bian High Montane (Alpine and Tibetan), from above 3,600 m; st, between 1,800 m and 3,600 m; and, Biome-8: Sino-Himalayan Sub c. 1,000 m to 2,000 m (BirdLife International, undatedh 11 are found a t this site. YUMTHANG The globally threatened Wood Snipe Gallinago nemoricola is occasionally seen in the Rhododendron-Fir forest of Shingba, and Ibisbill breed s on the shingle beds of the Yumthang Chu in small numbers, usually not more than two pairs. Grandala Grandala coelicolor, a local altitudinal migrant, is seen sometimes in apparently all-female flocks. Blood Pheasant Ithaginis cruentus and Himalayan Monal Lophophorus impejanus breed in the higher reaches of the Sanctuary while the Himalayan Griffon Gyps himalayensis is a resident of the cold desert.Gould’s Shortwing Brachypteryx stellata, Rufous-bellied Crested Tit Parus rubidiventris and the restricted range Hoary-throated Barwing Actinodura nipalensis are common in forest patches. The Fire-tailed Sunbird Aethopyga ignicauda is conspicuous when Rhododendrons are in bloom. Rufous-bellied Eagle Hieraaetus kienerii was sighted in Yumthang in June 1984. Jungle Crows are now resident at this altitude of c. 4,000 m with increasing tourist pressure (U. Lachungpa pers. comm. 2003). This IBA lies at the interface of Biome-5 (Eurasian High Montane: Alpine and Tibetan) and Biome-7 (Si no-Himalayan Temperate Forest). Therefore, species of both biomes are represented.It has alpine meadows and scrubs, so we get Tibetan Partridge Perdix hodgsoniae, Tibetan Snowcock Tetraogallus tibetanus and Hume’s Short-toed Lark Calandrella acutirostris, while at slightly lower altitude where Montane Broadleaf Evergreen and Mixed Broadleaf–Coniferous Forest are found, species representing Biome-7 predominate. BirdLife International (undated) has listed 48 species in Biome-5, out of which 19 have been seen in this IBA. The Biome-7 has a long list of 112 species, of which 19 are found here. Looking at the intact habitat and the fact that no one has conducted detailed study on the avifauna of this site, more species of this biome are likely to be found here. State of Environment 2007 – Sikkim 21