Digital library Essay

Digital library An electronic library (colloquially referred to as a digital library) is a library in which collections are stored in electronic media formats (as opposed to print, microform, or other media) and accessible via computers. [1] Wikipedia:VerifiabilityThe electronic content may be stored locally, or accessed remotely via computer networks. An electronic library is a type of information retrieval system. In the context of the DELOS [2], a Network of Excellence on Digital Libraries, and DL. org [3], a Coordination Action on Digital Library Interoperability, Best Practices and Modelling Foundations, Digital Library researchers and practitioners and software developer produced a Digital Library Reference Model[4][5] which defines a digital library as: â€Å"A potentially virtual organisation, that comprehensively collects, manages and preserves for the long depth of time rich digital content, and offers to its targeted user communities specialised functionality on that content, of defined quality and according to comprehensive codified policies. â€Å"[6] The first use of the term digital library in print may have been in a 1988 report to the Corporation for National Research Initiatives[7]Wikipedia:Verifiability The term digital libraries was first popularized by the NSF/DARPA/NASA Digital Libraries Initiative in 1994. [8] These draw heavily on As We May Think by Vannevar Bush in 1945, which set out a vision not in terms of technology, but user experience. [9] The term virtual library was initially used interchangeably with digital library, but is now primarily used for libraries that are virtual in other senses (such as libraries which aggregate distributed content). A distinction is often made between content that was created in a digital format, known as born-digital, and information that has been converted from a physical medium, e. g. paper, by digitizing. It should also be noted that not all electronic content is in digital data format. The term hybrid library is sometimes used for libraries that have both physical collections and electronic collections. For example, American Memory is a digital library within the Library of Congress. Some important digital libraries also serve as long term archives, such as arXiv and the Internet Archive. Others, such as the Digital Public Library of America, seek to make digital information widely accessible through public libraries. [10] Academic repositories Many academic libraries are actively involved in building institutional repositories of the institution’s books, papers, theses, and other works which can be digitized or were ‘born digital’. Many of these repositories are made available to the general public with few restrictions, in accordance with the goals of open access, in contrast to the publication of research in commercial journals, where the publishers often limit access rights. Institutional, truly free, and corporate repositories are sometimes referred to as digital libraries. Digital archives Physical archives differ from physical libraries in several ways. Traditionally, archives are defined as: 1. Containing primary sources of information (typically letters and papers directly produced by an individual or organization) rather than the secondary sources found in a library (books, periodicals, etc. ). 2. Having their contents organized in groups rather than individual items. 3. Having unique contents. The technology used to create digital libraries is even more revolutionary for archives since it breaks down the second and third of these general rules. In other words, â€Å"digital archives† or â€Å"online archives† will still generally contain primary sources, but they are likely to be described individually rather than (or in addition to) in groups or collections. Further, because they are digital their contents are easily reproducible and may indeed have been 1 Digital library reproduced from elsewhere. The Oxford Text Archive is generally considered to be the oldest digital archive of academic physical primary source materials. The future Large scale digitization projects are underway at Google, the Million Book Project, and Internet Archive. With continued improvements in book handling and presentation technologies such as optical character recognition and ebooks, and development of alternative depositories and business models, digital libraries are rapidly growing in popularity. Just as libraries have ventured into audio and video collections, so have digital libraries such as the Internet Archive. Google Books project recently received a court victory on proceeding with their book-scanning project that was halted by the Authors’ guild. This helped open the road for libraries to work with Google to better reach patrons who are accustomed to computerized information. One factor that gave Google an advantage is the librarie’s fair use argument. According to Larry Lannom, Director of Information Management Technology at the nonprofit Corporation should be for National Research Initiatives, â€Å"all the problems associated with digital libraries are wrapped up in archiving. † He goes on to state, â€Å"If in 100 years people can still read your article, we’ll have solved the problem. † Daniel Akst, author of The Webster Chronicle, proposes that â€Å"the future of libraries — and of information — is digital. † Peter Lyman and Hal Varian, information scientists at the University of California, Berkeley, estimate that â€Å"the world’s total yearly production of print, film, optical, and magnetic content would require roughly 1. 5 billion gigabytes of storage. † Therefore, they believe that â€Å"soon it will be technologically possible for an average person to access virtually all recorded information. â€Å"[11] Searching Most digital libraries provide a search interface which allows resources to be found. These resources are typically deep web (or invisible web) resources since they frequently cannot be located by search engine crawlers. Some digital libraries create special pages or sitemaps to allow search engines to find all their resources. Digital libraries frequently use the Open Archives Initiative Protocol for Metadata Harvesting (OAI-PMH) to expose their metadata to other digital libraries, and search engines like Google Scholar, Yahoo! and Scirus can also use OAI-PMH to find these deep web resources. [12] There are two general strategies for searching a federation of digital libraries: 1. distributed searching, and 2. searching previously harvested metadata. Distributed searching typically involves a client sending multiple search requests in parallel to a number of servers in the federation. The results are gathered, duplicates are eliminated or clustered, and the remaining items are sorted and presented back to the client. Protocols like Z39. 50 are frequently used in distributed searching. A benefit to this approach is that the resource-intensive tasks of indexing and storage are left to the respective servers in the federation. A drawback to this approach is that the search mechanism is limited by the different indexing and ranking capabilities of each database, making it difficult to assemble a combined result consisting of the most relevant found items. Searching over previously harvested metadata involves searching a locally stored index of information that has previously been collected from the libraries in the federation. When a search is performed, the search mechanism does not need to make connections with the digital libraries it is searching – it already has a local representation of the information. This approach requires the creation of an indexing and harvesting mechanism which operates regularly, connecting to all the digital libraries and querying the whole collection in order to discover new and updated resources. OAI-PMH is frequently used by digital libraries for allowing metadata to be harvested. A benefit to this approach is that the search mechanism has full control over indexing and ranking algorithms, possibly 2 Digital library allowing more consistent results. A drawback is that harvesting and indexing systems are more resource-intensive and therefore expensive. Frameworks The formal reference models include the DELOS Digital Library Reference Model[13] and the Streams, Structures, Spaces, Scenarios, Societies (5S) formal framework. [14] The Reference Model for an Open Archival Information System (OAIS) provides a framework to address digital preservation. [15] Construction and organization See also Digital Collections Selection Criteria. Software There are a number of software packages for use in general digital libraries, for notable ones see Digital library software. Institutional repository software, which focuses primarily on ingest, preservation and access of locally produced documents, particularly locally produced academic outputs, can be found in Institutional repository software. This software may be proprietary, as is the case with the Library of Congress which uses Digiboard and CTS to manage digital content. Digitization In the past few years, procedures for digitizing books at high speed and comparatively low cost have improved considerably with the result that it is now possible to digitize millions of books per year. [16] Google book-scanning project [17] is also working with libraries to offer digitize books pushing forward on the digitize book realm. Advantages The advantages of digital libraries as a means of easily and rapidly accessing books, archives and images of various types are now widely recognized by commercial interests and public bodies alike. [18] Traditional libraries are limited by storage space; digital libraries have the potential to store much more information, simply because digital information requires very little physical space to contain it. As such, the cost of maintaining a digital library can be much lower than that of a traditional library. A physical library must spend large sums of money paying for staff, book maintenance, rent, and additional books. Digital libraries may reduce or, in some instances, do away with these fees. Both types of library require cataloguing input to allow users to locate and retrieve material. Digital libraries may be more willing to adopt innovations in technology providing users with improvements in electronic and audio book technology as well as presenting new forms of communication such as wikis and blogs; conventional libraries may consider that providing online access to their OPAC catalogue is sufficient. An important advantage to digital conversion is increased accessibility to users. They also increase availability to individuals who may not be traditional patrons of a library, due to geographic location or organizational affiliation. †¢ No physical boundary. The user of a digital library need not to go to the library physically; people from all over the world can gain access to the same information, as long as an Internet connection is available. †¢ Round the clock availability A major advantage of digital libraries is that people can gain access 24/7 to the information. †¢ Multiple access. The same resources can be used simultaneously by a number of institutions and patrons. This may not be the case for copyrighted material: a library may have a license for â€Å"lending out† only one copy at a time; this is achieved with a system of digital rights management where a resource can become inaccessible after expiration of the lending period or after the lender chooses to make it inaccessible (equivalent to returning the 3 Digital library †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ resource). Information retrieval. The user is able to use any search term (word, phrase, title, name, subject) to search the entire collection. Digital libraries can provide very user-friendly interfaces, giving clickable access to its resources. Preservation and conservation. Digitization is not a long-term preservation solution for physical collections, but does succeed in providing access copies for materials that would otherwise fall to degradation from repeated use. Digitized collections and born-digital objects pose many preservation and conservation concerns that analog materials do not. Please see the following â€Å"Problems† section of this page for examples. Space. Whereas traditional libraries are limited by storage space, digital libraries have the potential to store much more information, simply because digital information requires very little physical space to contain them and media storage technologies are more affordable than ever before. Added value. Certain characteristics of objects, primarily the quality of images, may be improved. Digitization can enhance legibility and remove visible flaws such as stains and discoloration. [19] Easily accessible. Challenges Digital preservation. Digital preservation aims to ensure that digital media and information systems are still interpretable into the indefinite future. Each necessary component of this must be migrated, preserved or emulated. [20] Typically lower levels of systems (floppy disks for example) are emulated, bit-streams (the actual files stored in the disks) are preserved and operating systems are emulated as a virtual machine. Only where the meaning and content of digital media and information systems are well understood is migration possible, as is the case for office documents. [21][22] However, at least one organization, the WiderNet Project, has created an offline digital library, the eGranary, by reproducing materials on a 4 TB hard drive. Instead of a bit-stream environment, the digital library contains a built-in proxy server and search engine so the digital materials can be accessed using an Internet browser. Also, the materials are not preserved for the future. The eGranary is intended for use in places or situations where Internet connectivity is very slow, non-existent, unreliable, unsuitable or too expensive. Copyright and licensing Digital libraries are hampered by copyright law because, unlike with traditional printed works, the laws of digital copyright are still being formed. The republication of material on the web by libraries may require permission from rights holders, and there is a conflict of interest between libraries and the publishers who may wish to create online versions of their acquired content for commercial purposes. In 2010, it was estimated that twenty-three percent of books in existence were created before 1923 and thus out of copyright. Of those printed after this date, only five percent were still in print as of 2010. Thus, approximately seventy-two percent of books were not available to the public. [23] There is a dilution of responsibility that occurs as a result of the distributed nature of digital resources. Complex intellectual property matters may become involved since digital material is not always owned by a library. [24] The content is, in many cases, public domain or self-generated content only. Some digital libraries, such as Project Gutenberg, work to digitize out-of-copyright works and make them freely available to the public. An estimate of the number of distinct books still existent in library catalogues from 2000 BC to 1960, has been made. [25] The Fair Use Provisions (17 USC  § 107) under the Copyright Act of 1976 provide specific guidelines under which circumstances libraries are allowed to copy digital resources. Four factors that constitute fair use are â€Å"Purpose of the use, Nature of the work, Amount or substantiality used and Market impact. â€Å"[26] 4 Digital library Some digital libraries acquire a license to lend their resources. This may involve the restriction of lending out only one copy at a time for each  license, and applying a system of digital rights management for this purpose (see also above). The Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998 was an act created in the United States to attempt to deal with the introduction of digital works. This Act incorporates two treaties from the year 1996. It criminalizes the attempt to circumvent measures which limit access to copyrighted materials. It also criminalizes the act of attempting to circumvent access control. [27] This act provides an exemption for nonprofit libraries and archives which allows up to three copies to be made, one of which may be digital. This may not be made public or distributed on the web, however. Further, it allows libraries and archives to copy a work if its format becomes obsolete. [28] Copyright issues persist. As such, proposals have been put forward suggesting that digital libraries be exempt from copyright law. Although this would be very beneficial to the public, it may have a negative economic effect and authors may be less inclined to create new works. [29] Another issue that complicates matters is the desire of some publishing houses to restrict the use of digit materials such as e-books purchased by libraries. Whereas with printed books, the library owns the book until it can no longer be circulated, publishers want to limit the number of times an e-book can be checked out before the library would need to repurchase that book. â€Å"[HarperCollins] began licensing use of each e-book copy for a maximum of 26 loans. This affects only the most popular titles and has no practical effect on others. After the limit is reached, the library can repurchase access rights at a lower cost than the original price. † [30] While from a publishing perspective, this sounds like a good balance of library lending and protecting themselves from a feared decrease in book sales, libraries are not set up to monitor their collections as such. They acknowledge the increased demand of digital materials available to patrons and the desire of a digital library to become expanded to include best sellers, but publisher licensing may hinder the process†¦ Metadata creation In traditional libraries, the ability to find works of interest is directly related to how well they were cataloged. While cataloging electronic works digitized from a library’s existing holding may be as simple as copying or moving a record from the print to the electronic form, complex and born-digital works require substantially more effort. To handle the growing volume of electronic publications, new tools and technologies have to be designed to allow effective automated semantic classification and searching. While full text search can be used for some items, there are many common catalog searches which cannot be performed using full text, including: †¢ finding texts which are translations of other texts. †¢ linking texts published under pseudonyms to the real authors (Samuel Clemens and Mark Twain, for example) †¢ differentiating non-fiction from parody (The Onion from The New York Times, for example). References [1] Greenstein, Daniel I. , Thorin, Suzanne Elizabeth. The Digital Library: A Biography (http:/ / www. clir. org/ PUBS/ reports/ pub109/ pub109. pdf). Digital Library Federation (2002) ISBN 1-933645-18-0. Accessed June 25, 2007. [2] http:/ / www. delos. info [3] http:/ / www. dlorg. eu [4] L. Candela, G. Athanasopoulos, D. Castelli, K. El Raheb, P. Innocenti, Y. Ioannidis, A. Katifori, A. Nika, G. Vullo, S. Ross: The Digital Library Reference Model. April 2011 ( PDF (http:/ / bscw. research-infrastructures. eu/ pub/ bscw. cgi/ d222816/ D3. 2b Digital Library Reference Model. pdf)) [5] L. Candela et al. : The DELOS Digital Library Reference Model – Foundations for Digital Libraries. Version 0. 98, February 2008 ( PDF (http:/ / www. delos. info/ files/ pdf/ ReferenceModel/ DELOS_DLReferenceModel_0. 98. pdf)) [6] L. Candela, G. Athanasopoulos, D. Castelli, K. El Raheb, P. Innocenti, Y. Ioannidis, A. Katifori, A. Nika, G. Vullo, S. Ross: The Digital Library Reference Model. April 2011, 17. ( PDF (http:/ / bscw. research-infrastructures. eu/ pub/ bscw. cgi/ d222816/ D3. 2b Digital Library Reference Model. pdf)) 5 Digital library [7] Kahn, R. E. , & Cerf, V. G. (1988). The Digital Library Project Volume I: The World of Knowbots, (DRAFT): An Open Architecture For a Digital Library System and a Plan For Its Development (http:/ / hdl. handle. net/ 4263537/ 2091). Reston, VA: Corporation for National Research Initiatives. [8] Edward A. Fox. The Digital Libraries Initiative – Update and Discussion. (http:/ / www.asis. org/ Bulletin/ Oct-99/ fox. html), Bulletin of the America Society of Information Science, Vol. 26, No 1, October/November 1999. [9] Candela, L. ; Castelli, D. & Pagano, History, Evolution and Impact of Digital Libraries (http:/ / www. igi-global. com/ viewtitle. aspx? titleid=47467& sender=4dcefe4d-ef33-4836-8eea-f02af2cc374d). In P. Iglezakis, I. ; Synodinou, T. & Kapidakis, S. (ed. ) E-Publishing and Digital Libraries: Legal and Organizational Issues, IGI Global, 2011, 1- 30 [10] Yi, Esther, Inside the Quest to Put the World’s Libraries Online (http:/ / www. theatlantic. com/ entertainment/ archive/ 2012/ 07/ inside-the-quest-to-put-the-worlds-libraries-online/ 259967/ ), The Atlantic, July 26, 2012. [11] Akst, D. (2003). The Digital Library: Its Future Has Arrived. Carnegie Reporter, 2(3), 4-8. [12] Koehler, AEC. Some Thoughts on the Meaning of Open Access for University Library Technical Services Serials Review Vol. 32, 1, 2006, p. 17 [13] Agosti, M. , Candela, L. , Castelli, D. , Ferro, N. , Ioannidis, Y. , Koutrika, G. , Meghini, C. , Pagano, P. , Ross, S. , Schek, H. -J. , & Schuldt, H. (2006). A Reference Model for DLMSs Interim Report. In L. Candela, & D. Castelli (Eds. ), Deliverable D1. 4. 2 – Reference Model for Digital Library Management Systems [Draft 1]. DELOS, A Network of Excellence on Digital Libraries — IST-2002-2. 3. 1. 12, Technology-enhanced Learning and Access to Cultural Heritage. Online at: http:/ / 146. 48. 87. 122:8003/ OLP/ Repository/ 1. 0/ Disseminate/ delos/ 2006_WP1_D142/ content/ pdf? version=1 [14] Goncalves, M. A. , Fox, E. A. , Watson, L. T. , & Kipp, N. A. (2004). Streams, Structures, Spaces, Scenarios, Societies (5S): A Formal Model for Digital Libraries. ACM Transactions on Information Systems (TOIS),22 (2), 270-312. [15] â€Å"The DSpace team recognized the value of the OAIS framework and recast the repository’s architecture to accommodate this archival framework† [16] Committee on Institutional Cooperation: Partnership announced between CIC and Google (http:/ / www. cic. uiuc. edu/ programs/ CenterForLibraryInitiatives/ Archive/ PressRelease/ LibraryDigitization/ index. shtml), 6 June 2007, Retrieved 7. [17] http:/ / www. google. com/ googlebooks/ library. html [18] European Commission steps up efforts to put Europe’s memory (http:/ / europa. eu/ rapid/ pressReleasesAction. do? reference=IP/ 06/ 253& type=HTML& aged=0& language=EN& guiLanguage=en) on the Web via a â€Å"European Digital Library† Europa press release, 2 March 2006 [19] Gertz, Janet. â€Å"Selection for Preservation in the Digital Age. † Library Resources & Technical Services. 44(2) (2000):97-104. [20] Cain, Mark. â€Å"Managing Technology: Being a Library of Record in a Digital Age†, Journal of Academic Librarianship 29:6 (2003). [21] Breeding, Marshall. â€Å"Preserving Digital Information. †. Information Today 19:5 (2002). [22] Teper, Thomas H. â€Å"Where Next? Long-Term Considerations for Digital Initiatives. † Kentucky Libraries 65(2)(2001):12-18. [23] Van Le, Christopher, â€Å"Opening the Doors to Digital Libraries: A Proposal to Exempt Digital Libraries From the Copyright Act,† Case Western Reserve Journal of Law, Technology & The Internet, 1. 2 (Spring 2010),135. [24] Pymm, Bob. â€Å"Building Collections for All Time: The Issue of Significance. † Australian Academic & Research Libraries. 37(1) (2006):61-73. [25] Antique Books (http:/ / www. antiquebooks. net/ datatop. html) [26] Hirtle, Peter B. , â€Å"Digital Preservation and Copyright,† (http:/ / fairuse. stanford. edu/ commentary_and_analysis/ 2003_11_hirtle. html) Stanford University Libraries. Retrieved October 24, 2011. [27] United States Copyright Office, â€Å"The Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998 – U. S. Copyright Office Summary† (http:/ / www. copyright. gov/ legislation/ dmca. pdf) 1998, 2. [28] United States Copyright Office, â€Å"The Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998 – U. S. Copyright Office Summary† (http:/ / www. copyright. gov/ legislation/ dmca. pdf) 1998, 15. [29] Van Le, Christopher, â€Å"Opening the Doors to Digital Libraries: A Proposal to Exempt Digital Libraries From the Copyright Act,† Case Western Reserve Journal of Law, Technology & The Internet, 1. 2 (Spring 2010),145. [30] STROSS, RANDALL. â€Å"For Libraries and Publishers, an E-Book Tug of War – NYTimes. com. † The New York Times – Breaking News, World News & Multimedia. N. p. , n. d. Web. 6 Mar. 2013. 6 Digital library External links †¢ CNRI-DARPA: D-Lib Magazine (http://www. dlib. org/) Electronic publication that primarily focuses on digital library research and development †¢ http://www. librittio. com – World’s Most Advanced Professional Digital Library System †¢ / Democratization of Literature:The Rise of the Digital Libraries on the Internet (http://www. reflectionedu.com/ attachments/File/Barnolipi/EngT_8_11. pdf) by Tarun Tapas Mukherjee]. From BARNOLIPI: An Interdisciplinary Journal, Volume I, Issue II, 2011. [http://fbc. pionier. net. pl/ Search Engine of Free Resources, available online in Polish Digital Libraries (http://www. barnolipi. com/) Conferences †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ TPDL (http://www. tpdl. eu/) – International Conference on Theory and Practice of Digital Libraries ECDL (http://ecdlconference. isti. cnr. it/) – European Conference on Digital Libraries ICADL (http://www. icadl. org/) – International Conference on Asian Digital Libraries JCDL (http://www. jcdl. org/) – ACM and IEEE Joint Conference on Digital Libraries ICSD (http://www. icsd-conference. org/) – International Conference for Digital Libraries and the Semantic Web 7 Article Sources and Contributors Article Sources and Contributors Digital library Source: http://en. wikipedia. org/w/index. php? oldid=570781509 Contributors: — April, 24fan24, 2A00:1620:C0:50:C8B0:1C9B:27C1:7990, A. B. , Aap3030, Aarontay, Abdullah Albluchi, Acc60, Adoniscik, Afl2784, Aladin p, Alain Caraco, Alaniaris, Alexius08, Alf7e, Andrejj, Andy Dingley, Andyjsmith, Aragor, Arctic Kangaroo, Artdhtml, Ashenfelder, Ata, Ata.rehman, Azpayel, BadBull, Badan barman, Baileycw, Beetstra. BlindWanderer, Bob103051, Bomzhik, Bonadea, Bujar, Buridan, CVCE, Candela, Catfoo, Cej10, Ceyockey, Charivari, Chhotu372, Choukimath, Coldmachine, CommonsDelinker, Conversion script, Creationlaw, Curious1i, CutOffTies, Cwconservation, DGG, DaGizza, DabMachine, Dalf, Danny lost, Dawnseeker2000, DebbieWiLS, Deborah-jl, Denverjeffrey, Diglibs, Disavian, Djstasiewski, Dlkwiki, Dthomsen8, Dylan furnas, Eanc, Eilthireach, Enduser, Epbr123, Erianna, Evil saltine, Fatalityonline, Feedmecereal, Femto, Filterking. Floating red, Fmccown, Gaius Cornelius, Galka, Gareth Owen, Gego, Gouwepv, Greenrd, Greenteablues, Grika, Harris7, Hhanke, Hiogui, Hollymorganelli, Hu12, Ilsessay, Ipigott, Irbisgreif, Irishguy, Ithinkhelikesit, Ixfd64, JLaTondre, JakobVoss, Jaqian, Jchang12, Jeremykemp, Jewers, Jo 316, John, John Hubbard, Jpbowen, Jpom, Jsweetin, Jua Cha, Jweise, Kanags, Kansoku, Karen Johnson, Kattmamma, Katywatson, Kbel32, Kggy, Killian441, Kinu, Klemen Kocjancic, Ktr101, LadislavNK, Lawandtech, Lawsonstu, LeeNapier, Leonardo. candela, Loonymonkey, Lquilter, Ltfhenry, Lyc. Cooperi, Lysy, MBisanz, MK8, Maristella. agosti, Marselan, Martinlc, Masgatotkaca, Materialscientist, Mboverload, Mcanabalb, Mean as custard, Mets501, Mica Gomes, Michael Hardy, Mike. lifeguard, Missenc, Mmj, Mogh, Morbusgravis, Mordsan, MrOllie, Mseem, Mwisotzky, Mxn, Mairtin, Ncschistory, Nealmcb, NeilN, Neilc, Neo3DGfx, Nigholith, Night eule, Noisy, NorwalkJames, Notinasnaid, Nurg, OSU1980, Oicumayberight, OlEnglish, Olexandr Kravchuk, Olgerd, Omegatron, Pamplemousse, Patrick, PeepP, Phauly, Pinethicket, Pinkadelica, Poindexter Propellerhead, Poor Yorick, Prajapati Reena, Ps07swt, Ptgraham, Puckly, Padraic MacUidhir, Quadell, RJBurkhart3, Racheltaketa, Raghith, Rajankila, Rich Farmbrough, Richard Arthur Norton (1958- ). Rickprelinger, Rlitwin, Robert Thibadeau, Rozek19, Russell Square, SRHMGSLP, Sander Sade, Sandox, Sayeedmd, Senu, Sfiga, Shanes, Shyamal, SimonP, Skomorokh, Skysmith, Smmurphy, Spdegabrielle, Stbalbach, Stephen Burnett, Stephen Gilbert, Stevertigo, Strabon, StradivariusTV, Stuartyeates, Supersion, Svchameli, TWWhiting, TakuyaMurata, Targi, Tentinator, The Anome, The Evil Spartan, TheNewPhobia, Thebt, Thingg, Timeshifter. Tl246, Tlearn, Trapow, Travczyk, Treemonster19, Tregoweth, Trek011, Ttm1974, User A1, Utcursch, Vamshi 12345, Vanprooi, Vector Potential, Vicky877, Victorlamp, Viriditas, Volphy, WJetChao, Wavelength, Wayland, Wikiborg, Wmahan, Wya, YVSREDDY, Yerpo, Yosri, Zack wadghiri, Zundark, Zzuuzz, 302 anonymous edits License Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3. 0 //creativecommons. org/licenses/by-sa/3. 0/ 8.

Digital Media And Democracy Tactic

Transformation nowadays was at hand in different facet of our lives. Same with the instance in the field of media practices, everyone has the right to participate in this free trade of information. The query if this alteration in media can be utilized in forming social movements was at hand. Taking this into account, clearly we can say that new technologies can take us to another level. It is so powerful that it can contribute to the knowledge that we possess and it can even mold us to be someone we dream of becoming.Technologies absolutely provide us with lots of awareness and new ideas, â€Å"technology is offering us new standards, platforms and ways of expression† (Boler). In the interview with Boler, interesting topic that unravels the layers of expression through the use of technologies, blogging is one of the concepts that have been touch. Indeed, it connotes a new system of negating with other people. Of course there are a certain restrictions in making a blog for inst ance, but the focal point of everything is simply going deep with the material and exploring the new concept of technology, this is what can make us truly express our emotions.Using this medium we would be able to have a grip towards the different phenomenon in our realm. Globalization has a lot to do with the fuzz about the internet. Practically, the emerging technique of using the internet was said to expand the horizon of an individual. On the contrary, the effects of such was claimed by some to be alarming since it dominates liberalization and freedom of speech, â€Å"internet’s material properties are biased towards openness, liberalization, democracy, freedom of speech and communication† (Boler). Censorship on matters of exceeding within the limits of exhausting the internet should be inflicted.People who are engage in using the system should know the proper utilization. We know how powerful our new systems could get and we can never deny the fact that the improp er use of such could result into a serious matter of politics. Anything that is set to contain in any sites should be filtered in any way to increase the sensitivity of everyone. This extraordinary issue of technological upgrading should not be exploited to serve only one purpose; it is ultimately design for the common good and for the sake of everyone else.

Fast Food Essay Essay

America’s obesity is caused by numerous factors, that which are viewed differently by people. For example, many different people believe the problem of obesity is caused by over eating, increased portion sizes, lack of nutrition, and how fast food companies are going after children. These problems are all considered to be immense problems of obesity. Though, different people may believe only one of the followings is a major cause. Thus, it is of importance to discuss the reasons why. see more:effect of junk food essay First of all, portion sizes from fast food restaurants have dramatically increased over the course of a few decades. In the article, â€Å"By Any Other Name, It’s Still a Supersize,† the author, Lisa R. Young, states that, â€Å"In the last few years, Hardee’s, Burger King and Wendy’s all have introduced 1,000-calorie-plus sandwiches stuffed with 12 ounces of beef – the amount of meat recommended for two days for most adults.† This shows that one meal can be more than half the average calories needed for individuals in a single day. Instead, people should avoid large quantities of food and should eat healthier. Consequently, big portion sizes are one of the factors of obesity. Second, fast food companies are deliberately targeting children as they are easy targets to go after. Kelly Brownell, the author of â€Å"Are Children Prey for Fast Food Companies?† says how Happy Meals from McDonalds are served with toys. These toys are advertised and are served with low nutritious food. â€Å"Only 12 of 3,039 possible kids’ meal combinations meet nutrition criteria for preschoolers.† However, if fast food companies would serve healthier foods to children, like fruits and milk, the statistics would increase. Also, these foods are high in sugar, and fat. Ultimately, companies targeting children with unhealthy food and toys can lead to a higher rate of children being obese or diabetic. Strangely enough, fast food mimicking fast casual places may actually be better and healthier due to its fresher ingredients. Julie Jargon writes the article, â€Å"Fast Food Aspires to ‘Fast Casual’†; and she states that fast food restaurants are up scaling their food. â€Å"In the hope of appealing to more-sophisticated consumers, fast-food chains are moving beyond simple cheeseburgers and tacos, adding fancier ingredients such as portabella mushrooms, citrus-herb marinated chicken, and pepper bacon.† This upgrade may be attracting more customers to the fast food industry, but they will be attracted to healthier foods. Therefore, it may not be as much as a leading cause as of obesity as other things. In conclusion, fast food companies have changed America for the worse over the course of a few years. Fast food places mostly have high fat and low nutritious portion sizes that shouldn’t be eaten daily. Families shouldn’t eat fast foods as much as they think they should, and instead should result in eating healthier, fresher products. Alternatives to fast food places may dramatically decrease obesity in America. America’s obesity epidemic may be led by the fast food industries.

Finance & Growth Strategies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Finance & Growth Strategies - Essay Example The risk can be greatly reduced by holding diverse security portfolios of various industrial sectors. Good performance of other companies in the portfolio would negate the effect of bad performance of some of the companies. Since the risk is diversifiable investors would not be able to demand a premium on investment due to the unsystematic risk. Systematic, non-diversifiable, market or relevant risk is inherent in the market due to macro and economic factors such as interest and exchange rates, recession, inflation, consumer demand, oil prices, taxation and bear market (market where prices decline). This risk cannot be diversified as the above mentioned factors influence the stock market and subsequently the market index. Investors who want high returns on investments should select assets with higher systematic risks while investors who want to eliminate risks should invest in risk-free assets such as government bonds. However, investors generally prefer higher rate of returns on investments in Public listed companies (PLC) rather than risk free assets to compensate for undertaking systematic risks. Systematic risks are considered relevant as they can’t be successfully diversified. According to Anon, â€Å"Only the systematic risk is relevant for assessing the rate of return required by shareholders – efficient markets do not offer a reward for bearing specific risk† (2007a, p. 6.20). Though diversification is not a guarantee against loss it is a prudent strategy to achieve long term financial objectives. 1. b. According to the CAPM, Beta or financial elasticity and correlated relative volatility is a measure of systematic risk. Systematic risk earns a risk premium and Beta is a calculated coefficient that indicates the amount of risk contributed by a security to the market portfolio. Beta, is determined by taking into consideration both dividend and capital appreciation. Beta is â€Å"†¦a measure of the responsiveness of the expected return on

In Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni's short story, Clothes (page 533), Essay

In Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni's short story, Clothes (page 533), Sumita, the protagonist, comes to America where she exp - Essay Example Conflicts in the Life of Sumita Culminated through the Symbolic Scheme Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni’s fictions are generally set against the background of India or in America and mostly they centre round the experiences of the South Asian immigrants especially the women. The story â€Å"Clothes† is not an exception in this regard. The story presents the transition that the protagonist, Sumita undergoes in her life. The story revolves round the transition of Sumita from a young girl to a woman; from woman to a wife and finally facing the climax and the predicament in her life by being a widow. Sumita accepts the tradition of her society and accepts the concept of arranged marriage and marries a man whom she has never met before. She accepts the fact and is shown at the outset of the story to explore the unexplored and know the unknown and with this vision; she whole heartedly starts dreaming of her new life which is going to place her to a complete different socio-cultural milieu. She undergoes a paradoxical transition in her life and that evolves at different times through her clothes and their colours (Almeida, â€Å"The politics of mourning: Grief Management in Cross-cultural Fiction†). Conflict essentially builds up and strengthens the dramatic qualities of any fiction and that conflict does not necessarily mean a conflict with an antagonist in its physical form. The antagonist as in the case is society and the cross cultural transition which treats the existential discourse of the protagonist. Sumita in the US faces difficulty to adept complete change in her attire from eastern styling to that of western. The conflict which she faces is from the transition that she undergoes while changing her identity from wife to a women. One of those dresses includes a T-shirt which is orange in color and symbolizes hope and change on a brighter note. But the destined predicament at the last segment of the story where Sumita has to encounter an unfortu nate incident in the face of her husband’s murder washes all sort of colour and possibility in her life and places her with a confrontation of uncertainty where she is confused to continue her life in a country where the life of her husband was not secured even or get back to the soil i.e. her country from where she was uprooted long back as she fails to identify herself in both the nations and their societies. This is probably the greatest threat encountered by the protagonist of Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni’s short story, â€Å"Clothes† presented in the form of diasporas of existential and identity crisis from the perspective of feminist discourse. Transition in Sumita’s life does not only take place at physical plane but it takes place also mentally. Quite natural to the human nature, it gets reflected through the outward appearance of Sumita precisely through her clothes and its colours. The Indian traditional attire for women is Sari and Sumita at the beginning of the story is seen clad in it fully at one with the tradition of her soil. The selection of each cloth in the story and its colour has a purpose. The story begins with a stage in Sumita’s life when she is about to be a bride and puts a yellow sari, all set to meet her prospective

I do not know please but the sutible topic Essay

I do not know please but the sutible topic - Essay Example On the other hand, Shary also describes in his article â€Å"Youth in School† the cinematic image of nerds. Nerds as we know it could be either a representation of individuals with high academic achievement, virgins or those usually left behind in the social group due to issue of conformity and acceptability (Choi 119; Driscoll 71). For instance, Shary emphasizes there are substantial opportunities for popular teens, those who are highly accepted in the group, and as a result, would mostly even have rich experiences when it comes to love (social affection) and sex (Shary 1989). Thus, in order for nerds to transform or gain acceptability, they have to produce something among themselves. Whatever might it be, the idea should be to increase their group and social acceptability or desirability. A specific example of this would be some of those shown in weird science films showing the protagonist (nerd) to excel and end up gaining high value in the society (Shary 1985). Thus, the b ottom line would be to increase the level of affection given to them by the surrounding social environment. Laney Boggs from the movie film â€Å"She’s All That† is unpopular art student in the campus, physically unattractive and wallows into solitary atmosphere. In the movie, Boggs needed to be transformed as somebody that comes from being an ugly duckling to a stunning beauty, which is a remarkable depiction of increasing one’s value and social acceptability. The movie film â€Å"The Breakfast Club† featuring the character of Brian Johnson also depicts issue concerning conformity, rebellion and social acceptability. Johnson in this film shows how shameful on his part to remain virgin at his age, which depicts issue about conformity. Shary’s ideas on the nerd concept are actually exemplified in the case of Boggs and Johnson due to the associated issue about conformance and rebellion. In the case of Boggs, her

The importance of cultural diversity in one's life Essay

The importance of cultural diversity in one's life - Essay Example Through improved communication and a broader sense of understanding, culturally diverse communities can achieve success that is unparalleled in homogenous populations. The wide influx of ideas and practices in a culturally mixed group enriches a community and allows for greater intellectual, economic, and spiritual growth within the population. Cultural diversity is becoming ever more important in an increasingly global society and also has an accepted facet in day to day life. Cultural diversity spears economic growth and can help in the reduction of world poverty (UNESCO). Distinct cultures are capable of interacting in an economically advanced manner that will help not just the motherland, but other countries in need as well. Besides economical benefits, cultural diversity also enriches the human soul. Through the exchange of cultural ideas, individuals experience intellectual, emotional, moral, and spiritual growth (UNESCO). For example, millions of people worldwide now practice yoga as a form of exercise and spiritual relaxation. This would not be possible without the exchange of ideas between cultures. All cultures can stand to gain valuable insight into economic and emotional health by exchanging ideas. Multiculturalism within a community encompasses many distinct groups and interests. Race, gender, class, and sexual orientation are some of the categories that help decide the relationships between different cultural groups (Rendon). The key to success in environments with extensive multiculturalism is acceptance and tolerance. This is in opposition to monoculturism in which the group of people is homogenous or not mixed as in multiculturalism. A culture that is completely homogenous may view cultural diversity as a threat to social life, education, or financial well being (Rendon). However, homogenous groups of people are becoming more rare as the world continues to grow. Most college campuses are mixed gender, as well as mixed race, mixed socio-economic status and mixed gender orientation. For this reason, it is important to establish acceptance and communication within multicultural campuses. Diversity is nothing something that should be viewed as a threat, but something that sho uld be embraced as a positive force. As communications, transportation, and biotechnology continue to improve, the world will continue to move towards a global culture instead of distinct cultural areas. It is important to recognize a degree of cultural unity in order to give validity to laws passed by international bodies, such as the United Nations (Ayton-Shenker). International law is designed as rules for the global community and does not establish differences between particular countries. As diverse as the world is, these unifying bodies provide a sense of group belonging to the global community (Ayton-Shenker). In this sense, cultures that are as different as China to Brazil to the United States are all held to the same standards under international law. The knowledge that can be attained by accepting other cultures is perhaps the most important aspect of cultural diversity. Rudolph J. Marcus accounts for this wealth of information in his article, "Harvesting the advantages of cultural diversity." He states, "working together across paradigms can be fruitful. Some behaviors and practices on both sides help this process,

The Promise of Stem Cell Research for Solving Complex Medical Problems Paper

The Promise of Stem Cell for Solving Complex Medical Problems - Research Paper Example It is evidently clear from the discussion that stem cell research might seem to be a catch-all solution to a myriad of clinical problems. If the public listens to certain corners of the bioethics field, stem cell research might seem to be a scientific solution that comes at a great cost to human life. Of course, most approaches to stem cells contain far more nuance than â€Å"for† and â€Å"against† embryonic cell research; however, it is a polarizing subject that is divisive even among researchers in the field. The purpose of this paper is to define some of the challenges—both ethical and scientific—posed to embryonic stem cell research, which includes looking at possible future directions for clinical practices, research agendas, and ethical systems that might oppose the use of embryonic stem cell lines. Overall, the â€Å"promise† of stem cell research includes not only the potential for benefiting mankind with novel kinds of treatment for painfu l and debilitating diseases, but also the potential for creating these treatments in ways that do not harm human dignity. First, a distinction should be drawn between embryonic and adult stem cells, particularly with regard to differences in their potentials to grow and regenerate tissues. Stem cells in general are a rare subset of primitive cells that, at the single-cell level, can self-renew as well as give rise to mature, differentiating daughter cells. According to the NIH, embryonic stem cells are grown easily in culture, while adult stem cells are rare in mature tissues. Accordingly, isolating these cells from an adult tissue is difficult, and methods to develop more cells in cell culture have not yet been developed. This distinction is significant insofar as large numbers of cells are needed for stem cell replacement therapies. In other words, adult stem cells cannot provide a sufficient level of coverage for stem cell research, let alone stem cell treatments on a public leve l. Therefore, stem cell research is normally biased toward the use of embryonic stem cells. Such stem cells are taken from embryos that are fertilized in vitro. The development of cells in a laboratory setting is known to scientists as â€Å"cell culture.† Embryonic stem cells are grown by transporting cells from a pre-implantation embryo into a culture environment that holds a nutrient-rich base known as a culture medium. Over the process of development, the cells divide and coat the surface of the dish into which they were transported. Once a cell line is developed, the original stem cells can produce millions or perhaps billions of embryonic stem cells for researchers to utilize in making discoveries and potentially treating diseases. Stem cells that proliferate in a cell culture of an extended period of time but have not differentiated into a specific kind of cell are known as â€Å"pluripotent† (meaning, literally, not constrained toward a specific developmental p athway). These cells are truly useful because they can be

Accounting and Corporate Finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Accounting and Corporate Finance - Essay Example It follows the principals of having discounted cash flows. The formula to find out the Net present value precisely can be written as: Cash flow (today i.e. year 0) + Cash flow (1 year from now) [/1+r (cost of capital)]^1 + Cash flow (2 years from now)/](1+r)^2 Cash flow refers to the amount of expected cash to be received at a certain point in time X years from now. Cash flows can either be negative or positive. An inflow of cash is a positive cash flow such as an income whereas an outflow is represented with a negative sign and denotes an outgoing cash amount due to for instance expenditure. If the NPV of a certain project equals zero, it denotes that the project is a break-even project; working at no profit-no loss. In simple words it means that the amount of capital invested is exactly equal to the return that would be generated by undertaking the project. A project should be taken up or initiated only if the net present value is at least zero or greater than zero. Even though the calculations of Net Present Value are fairly simple and convenient, it is still quicker to use a financial calculator for these calculations because if there are a large number of cash flows, it will become very inconvenient and time consuming to make the calculations with the formula (Brigham et al, 2010). IRR (Internal rate of Return) IRR is the value where the NPV is equal to zero. It is the optimal value where a project is most beneficial. IRR can gauge the profitability of a proposed investment by taking into consideration the concept of discounted cash flows. IRR is not as easy to calculate as Net Present Value especially if each cash flow is different every year therefore it needs to be calculated using financial calculator. If not, then it is done on the basis of trial and error. The IRR can also be calculated in Microsoft Excel but it begins with guessing. IRR is very closely related to Net Present Value and it marks the next step to the calculation of Net Present Value. T he IRR is the yield at which the investments constitute of cash outflows and inflows that occur at a certain time period in a fixed amount (Helfert, 2001). Profitability Index: Profitability Index is basically a measure of the per dollar value of the initial investment spent on a project. This means that if a project’s PI is 1, then the project will give a break-even value of return in comparison to the initial spending done on it. If the value is below 1.0, it means that the project is going to incur a loss and the investment done on it will be greater than the relative return it will give back over the years. If the Profitability Index is greater than 1 then the project can be accepted as it will be giving a profit. For mutually exclusive projects, the project with the higher Profitability Index is a better option. It is calculated as: Present Value of future cash flows/initial cost (ACCA, 2008). Discounted Payback Period: Payback period is another technique used to measure the viability of projects in terms of the number of years that it takes to pay back an initial investment. It is measured in number of years till recovery and the following formula can be used to measure it. No. Of years prior to full recovery+ Unrecovered cost at beginning of year/Cash flow during full recovery year (Kinney et al, 2009). b) Discuss the results for the numerical examples NPV Year CF Project First CF Project Second 0 (1000) (1000) 1 500 500 2 600 400 3 700 300 4 800 100 Project First: (1000)+ 500/1.10^1+600/1.10^2+700/1.10^3+800/1.10^4 = -1000+ 454.54+

Living with Chronic Illness Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Living with Chronic Illness - Article Example Through methods of â€Å"interpretive phenomenology in the Heideggerian tradition, which holds that a person is self-interpreting and understands a situation directly according to the meaning it has for her† (Levin, 1999 as cited by Fox, 2008, 110). The data were collected using narrative accounts, interviews, transcribed verbatim results, of women’s experiences of coping with chronic illness in relation with HCPs direct governance and assistance. The article revealed various experiences as narrated by the participants in terms of qualities of personableness and partnership with the identified HCPs. The exercise of power and control was also evaluated as contributory to manifesting feelings of dependency, helplessness, oppression, and alienation, among others. The findings revealed that the status of these women’s health were greatly and significantly influenced by the kind and level of relationship shared with their HCPs. As Fox revealed, â€Å"the women experienced a sense of well-being in which they felt cared for and in which they were assured that they were not alone with their illness† (Fox, 2008, 115). Future implications for the research should focus on the development of committed and connected relationships between the patients and the HCPs, especially for women with chronic

Descriptive Statistics. Dearborn Park Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Descriptive Statistics. Dearborn Park - Essay Example While quantitative methods primarily apply systematic approaches that involve numerical data manipulation, qualitative techniques use a different approach which is largely ethnographic and involves description and explanation of findings (Beebe, 2012). Quantitative methods of data collection and analysis have been given greater weight in this study with descriptive statistics being allocated a central role in trying to analyze and explain the findings of the study. Sampling techniques used According to Beebe (2012), a statistical sample of any given population can be tested through quantitative techniques to provide answers to research questions or to test hypotheses. This study was carried out by sampling the population for the purpose of coming up with quality research findings covering a manageable area and population. Dearborn Park was used as a case study to determine the social and physical benefits of parks and recreation as well as important factors affecting them. For this r eason there was no sampling per se as the population of the park was considered as a whole. Basically this was made possible by the fact that the data for the park is available on the internet through various websites. All the other features and properties of the park that form part of the data collected were collected from the entirety of the park and thus no part thereof was sampled as a representative. Data collection and instruments used In this research, three main methods of data collection were applied; observation, telephony and search from the internet. Observation was carried out by the researcher visiting the area and recording all relevant information and data that could be observed with the help of park guides. The information collected through observation mainly included park activities, the general settings and environment of the settlement, demographic and other similar information; the researcher visited the park twice, once during the weekdays and once during the w eekend so as to get the contrast between those two periods in terms of residential activities. Telephony was applied when additional information was needed about the park both before the visit and after. The researcher basically called the park manager and asked any relevant questions related to the study. The researcher especially called the manager to get information about the size of playground, tennis court, open fields of the park. The final and most productive source of data for the study was the internet. Most of the quantitative data for the park was obtained from various websites dealing with recreational parks in the USA. Information about parks and their demographics was obtained from websites with park data, other specific information about issues related to the parks such as health and crime was obtained from websites dealing with the specific issues in relation to estates. Search Strategy For data to be gathered from websites, a good search strategy targeting the most relevant websites was required so as to get quality information. The search strategy included identification of the main key words related to the topic of study and Dearborn Park. Some of the main phrases used included ‘Dearborn Park LA’, ‘Dearborn Park statistic’, and ‘Dearborn Park LA characteristics’. Databases searched included OARE, EBSCO HOST and MEDLINE. Findings The tables below present the data findings of the study. Each of the tables presents

Trauma and Grief in Australian Journalism Essay Example for Free

Trauma and Grief in Australian Journalism Essay Since November 22, 1800, when George Howe arrived in Australia and started production on Australias first newspaper, the Sydney Gazette, much has changed in the nation’s journalism industry (Morris, 2002). The rapid boost of information technology and advances in the Australia’s educational system brought forth a radical and innovative breed of young journalists, all too eager to partake in serving the community by divulging the truth. In present-day Australia, journalism takes course in virtually all aspects of daily living.   It thrives on reporting breaking events such as asbestos poisoning and backyard abortions, to bush fires in South Australia (Morris, 2002). The death and injury toll for journalists sent out to cover armed conflicts has never been higher (Feinstein, 2003) yet many media practitioners flock to the ‘biggest story going’ without wavering. Whether from the front line, embedded with invading forces, or entrenched down in a nuclear fallout shelter, journalists all say they have a sense of duty to their public, to tell the ‘real’ story, often without thinking about the toll getting that story can, does and will take on them personally (Feinstein, 2003). Reporters, especially those assigned in conflicts and disasters are as vulnerable to, and experience stress and trauma similar to that felt by traumatic event professionals, such as firefighters and combat soldiers (Hight, 1999). Foreign reporters often work alone in the field, with limited consular and often no physical support (Feinstein, 2003). The results can be tragic when stress rises to debilitating levels and goes untreated.   Journalists may abuse drugs or alcohol and struggle in their marriages and personal relationships. They may endure, often silently, such recurring problems as lack of sleep, hyper-arousal or emotional numbness (Place, 1992). Media men were always among the first to arrive in accidents and crime scenes, often ahead of the ambulance and lawmakers. They will be greeted with fresh casualties and survivors moaning in intolerable agony. Much more than this, they could witness those left behind, still shocked and stunned, whose agony seems insurmountable than those enduring physical pain. This causes the journalist, especially those who with more sensitive emotions, to feel the victims pain and loss as if it were their own (Hight, 1999). Journalists tend to conjure up isolation and guilt feelings and become anxious, thinking they too could experience such fate in the future.   From this stems loss of sleep and increased feelings of stress. Journalists usually encounter the wall of grief first at the beginning of their careers. With little or no training, they are assigned the police beat. They learn and gain experience by covering one tragedy. Victims coverage becomes a repetitive part of journalists careers that builds into more than just memories. (Hight, 1999). Distress from trauma builds up in a person after they experience an stressful event outside the range of normal every-day human experience, such as a serious threat to his/her life, physical integrity; or serious threat/harm to children, spouse, relatives or friends; more often for journalists, seeing another person seriously injured or killed in an accident or by physical violence (Feinstein, 2003).     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The more traumatic experiences a person has the greater and longer lasting their feelings of stress, and anxiety and risk of stress educed mental health disorders (Hight, 1999). Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is an anxiety disorder, or mental illness develops after exposure to a traumatic event or ordeal in which grave physical or mental harm occurred or was threatened (Creamer, Burgess, McFarlane, 2001).   Traumatic events that may trigger PTSD include but are not limited to violent assaults, natural disasters, terrorist attacks, vehicle accidents, rape, physical abuse and military combat, all of which are witnessed and/or reported on by journalists regularly (Creamer, Burgess, McFarlane, 2001).    PTSD sufferers have trouble functioning in their jobs and personal relationships and sufferer’s children can also be affected by their condition, reporting difficulty in school, becoming isolated and withdrawn from peers and developing phobias (Creamer, Burgess, McFarlane, 2001). PTSD affects people with varying degrees of severity, depending on the nature and number of traumatic experiences they have encountered and is diagnosed when symptoms last more than one month (Allen, 2003). Untreated, PTSD is unlikely to disappear (Allen, 2003). In Australia, university students taking up journalism courses are often told that PTSD exists and that they will have to cope up with grief/trauma but are seldom given practical coping skills as part of their degree/studies, with the exception of some top-ranking universities, such as the JSchool in Brisbane, Central Queensland University and University of the Sunshine Coast (Graduate Careers Australia, 2006). The present state of journalism education in Australia is disjointed. Institutions offering this discipline offer an impulsive mixture of practical training and professional concepts, from the realistic ones to the abstractions of mixed disciplines, such as art and theoretical sciences (Duckett, 2004). Large scale tertiary education began in the 1970s with the development of colleges of advanced education, such as the RMIT Advanced College, which sought to develop vocational streams of study. These colleges ultimately became universities, continuing their involvement in journalism education (Duckett, 2004). However, for a journalism student to be easily adaptable to the trauma he/she may experience in the field, university life should prepare him for the real challenge of the industry. Although many courses were established with industry approval and with some degree of industry control or input, the self-accrediting nature of Australian universities has seen a distancing of modern tertiary institutions from the news media industry (Henningham, 2003). This makes University journalism more of theoretical course, where students sit in a large lecture for two hours, and then afterwards, having a 30-minute tutorial where they’re one of 50 students. Reporters often work alone in the field, witnessing death, violence and enduring psychological and physical stresses without the support and security of home.   Unfortunately most Australian university degrees do not provide student journalists with adequate preparation and training for this unavoidable aspect of their jobs (Henningham, 2003). What we see is that many journalism degrees are very theoretical; they do have much academic rigor and critical thought which probably belongs in a degree. But the mistake is to think that will produce a work-ready journalist, because the two things are completely different. One is work training, I suppose, and the other is academic study. Theyre two completely different things. And I think the universities may have lost their way a little in their direction. Are they trying to offer trade courses or degrees? The two things are very different (Duckett, 2004). There is no guarantee that Australian journalists are really prepared and trained to cope with their role as witnesses to trauma and disseminator of information, analysis and opinion about it Journalism is a challenging and interesting career offering variety and diversity in work tasks and roles. In addition to a broad general comprehension and a thorough knowledge of current affairs, successful journalists should also have personal qualities such as determination and emotional resilience, and the ability to cope up with trauma, while preserving the necessary emotions in his/her stories, for most these skills do not come naturally and must be taught and developed (Harrison, 1999). Many journalists work long and irregular hours, with evening and late night work common. An assignment cannot be dropped just because a shift has finished; a journalist must see it through to the end. Often they are called back to work to cover an unexpected development, and they are frequently required to work when other people are not-at night, on weekends, on public holidays etc. The unusual work hours can make social life difficult. Besides the open-ended work hours, there are also pressures to meet tight deadlines and to ensure the facts presented are accurate. Despite scientific knowledge of trauma and PTSD for over twenty years, only in the past several years have major news organizations begun to establish programs to address work related trauma, grief and stress (Creamer, Burgess, McFarlane, 2001).   Progress has been made in the face of skepticism and resistance among many journalists and editors. Still, there are too few scientific studies of trauma and journalists, too few trauma services for journalists, and reluctant and slowly growing recognition of the effects grief and trauma has on journalists by news outlets (Creamer, Burgess, McFarlane, 2001). In many instances, journalists are unprepared for its impact, and they have limited knowledge and skills to cope with work related trauma. Journalism is far behind other professions, such as educational counselling and fire and police departments, in recognizing trauma as a serious issue that must be addressed. The myth still exists that journalists shouldn’t need trauma programs because journalists are supposed to be â€Å"tough as nails† (Place, 1992). When it comes to trauma, journalism sometimes appears to be one of the last â€Å"macho† professions (Place, 1992). Media companies profit on the talents of their journalists, so they should invest on maintaining their proper mental health and well-being. News companies can quite inexpensively develop effective trauma awareness and preparation programs and should acknowledge trauma as reality and a concern; not as an affliction of the weak or a career â€Å"stopper†.   News conglomerates must also regard trauma services as an essential part of staff well-being, similar to other programs such as workplace health and safety. Information, practical training, confidential counselling and de-briefing services should be made available to journalists by employers free of charge whenever they feel the need to access them.   Developing a policy on reporting crises, such as rotating reporters and peer de-briefing, could also prove helpful and is another strategy media outlets could easily implement with little economic or resource strain (Castle, 1999).   Media outlets must make trauma training part of their ongoing training for all their journalists to ensure they stay in the profession and do not burn out or develop damaging conditions such as PTSD. Peer support programs are not new to people who work in the front line emergency services. Police, ambulance, and other similar professionals who are first to arrive at scenes have received education and training to developed techniques for dealing with trauma and grief they inevitably encounter during their work (Castle, 1999). In the past people were told to make debriefing appointments with psychological professionals, however recent research has shown that peer de-briefing is much more effective, because it takes place in a much less formal, sterile way and has less stigma attached to it (Castle, 1999). Newsrooms are renowned for bravado, with journalist often saying â€Å"Im okay, Im tough, Im not affected†.   Those trained to recognize stress, and PTSD know one of the first signs of being affected is denial, and would see this as the first sign of a need for intervention. Peer support models from emergency services could be adapted and applied to Australian newsrooms to the benefit and success of Australian journalists as they have been to emergency workers (Place, 1992). This would see not only the journalists and camera people, trained to cope with grief and trauma but editors and telephone staff as well.   This way every member of the team can be of assistance in recognizing, and auctioning early interventions where necessary.   Training all members of the news room also means there will always be peer available to help and de-brief whenever the need arises. The first psychological study of war journalists, A Hazardous Profession: War, Journalists, and Psychopathology, was published in the American Journal of Psychiatry, September 2002. The study used self-report questionnaires and interviews to gather data from two groups: 140 war journalists and 107 journalists who had never covered war. The study concluded that war journalists have significantly more psychiatric difficulties than journalists who do not report on war. The study also found: Higher rates of alcohol use (14 units of alcohol per week; 7.6 for non-war reporters) †¢ Intrusive thoughts, replay of memories and hyper-arousal were common †¢ Low awareness of trauma †¢ Social difficulties, such as re-adjusting to civil society, reluctance to mix with friends, troubled relationships, and embarrassing startled responses The researchers recommended that these results should alert news organizations that significant psychological distress does occur in many war journalists and has devastating and significant impacts if untreated, as is sadly, often the case. Despite the fact many journalists, particularly war journalists suffer PTSD with similar severity as war veterans, the Australian government does not provide them with treatment programs similar to those established by the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DFA) for   War veterans (DVA, www.dva.gov.au). DFA entitlements such as private psychiatric and allied health services, intensive treatment programs for PTSD and a range of individual and group services should be extended to media practitioners directly involved in covering armed conflicts and other disasters (DVA, www.dva.gov.au). Further, all journalists should be provided with free access to professional psychological helping services as part of their employment packages. When examining grief and trauma in journalism, focus should not be confined to the newsrooms and behind cameras. Journalism isn’t always about the journalists, it’s also about stories they write, and the people behind these stories. Unconsciously, a reporter’s intrusion into an event may be untimely, and the respondent may offer several and unexpected reactions. There are ethical issues that a journalist may wish to consider when reporting on traumatic events.   Adhering to the MEAA code of ethics (MEAA, www.alliance.org.au) and maintaining professionalism under pressure will ensure journalists are comfortable with their own actions when reflected upon and will help them deal with personal feelings of guilt, responsibility and doubt. Before interviewing a person who has witnessed trauma, or a victim of violence, it is important to think about whether it is strictly necessary to interview the person immediately.   They may be in shock, disoriented, or frightened.   They may feel either guilty or elated that they have survived if others have not. This means that they may not be thinking clearly when they are asked for an interview, and that undergoing the process may bring up some unexpected feelings, emotions and behaviors offensive or threatening to the journalist, grief and trauma training would prepare journalists for these potential situations and impart practical skills for dealing with such (Place, 1992). As an ethical and professional journalist, check what interviewees would like to achieve by speaking publicly about traumatic experiences. Practicing and student journalists alike need to move away from traditional ‘macho’ thinking regarding trauma and grief, it’s place in their work and the potential affects it can have on their lives.   They need to understand that stress, anxiety and PTSD are real and that no matter how burning their desire to disseminate the truth or the story, they are not superhuman and that it is normal and ok to seek/receive help.   Journalists, as professionals need to be trained and alert to the symptoms and physical and psychological dangers grief and trauma of their work brings into their lives. Ten years ago a lot of veteran war correspondents and editors laughed at the idea that reporters should go for safety training; should go put on flak jackets and practice being shot at and stuff like that, however it has since been proven that such training is not only beneficial, it is lifesaving (Place, 1992). Psychiatry is a healing art, applied to individuals who suffer. There is no common path to healing after enduring human cruelty. But most individuals who do recover enough hope and worth to enjoy existence find meaning in their lives -and meaning in life itself. They escape that literal, factual and shattering treatment of personal reality. Most find the creation of life-enhancing myth a preferable alternative to existential despair. Many employ denial, delusion, and dissociation along the way. Therapists often help victims avoid intolerable memory (Ochberg, 1999). Journalism is not a healing art, but rather our best effort at undistorted perception of reality. It is neither psychiatry nor myth-making. It is the telling of those traumatic events, making a channel for the exit of those emotions, and arranging these stories into tangible aids for the future (Ochberg, 1999). Paradoxically, an energizing element of trauma,   is that can offer   transformative healing for individuals, such as the case with peer debriefing, as it can also offer for society at large (Place, 1992). As the medias role has expanded, its responsibility to media practitioners has expanded.   As academics and business leaders continue to understand and recognize the powerful influence of the mind, the medias responsibility to incorporate new knowledge regarding mental health and journalist wellbeing also expands. This is an invitation to put trauma, its impact, and the ability to be healed and transformed through it on the global agenda and to bring its awareness to the ones who are more frequently subjected to it, whether due to his/her course of living (such as the media men, etc.) or due to some unavoidable circumstances of nature. The media mirrors society and society mirrors the media. This interrelationship takes on a more pointed meaning when related to trauma. Media members, trauma researchers, and clinicians are invited to engage in dialogue on the expanding field of trauma knowledge. The media are the eyes, ears, and voice of our collective body. We must trust them; support them to cope so they can continue their roles as disseminators of truth, information, corporate/government watchdogs, and of course, the fourth estate. References    A Hazardous Profession: War, Journalists, and Psychopathology, American Journal of Psychiatry, September 2002 Anthony Feinstein 2003, Dangerous Lives: War and the Men and Women Who Report It, October 1, 2003 Australian Broadcasting Tribunal 1990, Violence on television, Sydney: ABT Creamer M, Burgess P, McFarlane AC 2001. Post-traumatic stress disorder: findings from the Australian National Survey of Mental Health and Well-being. Psychol Med 2001; 31: 1237-1247. Di Powell 1990, â€Å"Media Intrusion into Grief†, Media Information Australia, No.57, August, pp.24–29 Frank Morris 2002, â€Å"The birth of the book in Terra Australis†, April 26, 2002 Frank M. Ochberg, MD 1999, â€Å"Three Acts of Trauma News â€Å", Sacred Bearings Journal, April, 1999 Joe Hight 1999, Journalists who cover victims risk hitting The Wall , Daily Oklahoman , (Spring 1999) John Henningham 2003, Journalism sold short in media courses, The Australian (Media section), 23 October 2003 Lucinda Duckett 2004, Journalism Education: Cultures of Journalism/Lifelong Learning series, Radio National, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 26 June 2004 MEEA Code of Ethics, http://www.alliance.org.au/tech-support.html Nic Place 1992, â€Å"Journalists and trauma: The need for counselling†, Australian Studies in Journalism, Vol.1, pp.113–158 Phillip Castle 1999, â€Å"Journalism and trauma: Proposals for change†, AsiaPacific MediaEducator, Issue No. 7, July-December Shirley Harrison 1999, Disasters and the Media: Managing Crisis Communications, Macmillan, London .

Deforestation The Causes Effects And Controlling Techniques Environmental Sciences Essay

Deforestation The Causes Effects And Controlling Techniques Environmental Sciences Essay As we all know that fires, urbanization, and other infrastructures from the main causes of deforestation. Also we All know that living organism in this ecosystem was facing or will suffering from deforestation impact directly or indirectly through other environmental issues that happen because of deforestation. Therefore , in the next few papers we will illustrate to the seriousness and the importance of this problem depending on statistics ,pictures, studies and articles that published on books and internet websites. Introduction Is it right that our planet is under threat of climate changing? It is true that it is related to deforestation? What will happen if we didnt solve this problem? All of these question will be answered in this research. which will give you more information about deforestation, its causes, impacts, some statistics and how we could take people attention to the climatic change and prevent their actions on deforestation to save our planet. The cutting of forests or the destruction of the forests is called deforestation. deforestation term is called in cases that human-induced it or due to the forces of nature as well, so Human are mainly responsible for the destruction. Deforestation for need humans has cut down trees since they first appeared. In modern times the human needs was not limited on food , and shelter, but it surpassed it into weapons ,paper, furniture, paved roads, entertainment places and housing. So, Thousands upon thousands of acres of forest have disappeared worldwide to fill our appetite for wood and land. Deforestation for Profit The governments are often poor and the land is more valuable to large corporations than used for conservation and tourism. for this reason ,in poor countries Governments gives permits and licenses to those who have the money to buy the land and make their money. The activity of Deforestation is a way of making a living, through selling timber , and using the land for growing crops or grazing herds or to provide land for homes and businesses. As you can see in (Figure 1) that companies ,attract and involve the native people who are exist in the forest when they conduct this business. figure : Book: William P. Cunningham, 1990: Environmental Science A GLOBAL CONCERN. Wm. C. Brown Publishers, USA. Raising Consciousness Undoubtedly the reason that makes people more aware than ever of the effects of deforestation as more and more people become affected by climate change and extreme weather events which is the most important consequences resulting from deforestation. All of that would make human think of stopping or reduce deforestation activities for maintaining our atmosphere, slowing global warming , protecting us from floods, and ensuring a reliable and sustainable suppliers of natural resources . Body What is Deforestation? Deforestation is the clearing or removal of trees from an area of woodland or forest for many differing reason usually commercial  [1]  . And it also defined as the destruction of a forest and changing the use of the land  [2]  . Causes of Deforestation There are many different causes for deforestation and they vary widely from location to location. As it is known most of deforestation cases happen by human practices. And this idea is true , but also there are some natural causes leads to deforestation such as : firs, natural disasters(floods). Agriculture and Cattle-Raising The expansion of cattle-raising has also been promoted by the World Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank, as well as through tax incentives and has been closely linked to land concentration  [3]  . Cattle expansion in the Amazon in the last twelve years has been phenomenal. During this period, the number of cattle more than doubled, from 26million in 1990 to 57 million in 2002. In the process it has gone from representing 17.8% of Brazils total cattle herd to almost one third (see table 1). Table 1:INTERNET: Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) www.ibge.gove.be The phrase described how the rapid growth of beef exports from Central America to fast food chains in the United States was driving deforestation.  [4]   Dams and Megaprojects Usually the rivers that extend to thousand hectares or more in the forest have the greatest chance to implement of major infrastructure works , such as building dams for obtaining hydroelectric energy like what happen in Xingu river. It is estimated that nearly all the Amazon forest will be destroyed during the first half of this century if the present trends are increased with the implementation of major infrastructure works in the region.  [5]   Mining In many tropical areas mining is a major cause of deforestation and forest degradation, generating a large number of social and environmental impacts. A recent study published by Third World Network-Africa provides a detailed picture of those minerals in the Wassa West District of Ghana. The main minerals being mined in Ghana are gold, diamonds, bauxite and manganese, but the most dominant mineral commodity is gold.  [6]   Effects of Deforestation Deforestation is a problem with unlimited effects. Environmental problems: Hydrological Studies show that 99% of the water absorbed by the roots moves up to the leaves and evaporates to keep the weather nice and moisture, therefore if trees are cut down it will cause into drier climate. Another important hydrological impact of deforestation is that the soil capacity to store water is affected negatively because after deforestation , litter and other organic residue of plants change soil properties to make it good stores of water. But that water will not stay for long time because it will affected by sun rays which will evaporate most of groundwater. Atmospheric Trees represent a thick cover that prevent the damaging sun rays. And because of deforestation ,the sun rays can deeply penetrate into the forest than before, if that happen trees will wilts and dies . Green house effect: If forest is cut down forest and replaced by vegetation with a smaller biomass per hectare, there is a release of CO2 by burning or decomposition of forest plant  [7]  .Tropical deforestation is a substantial contributor to total CO2 production by human activity ( see table 2.4). TABLE 2 :Edward I. Newman, 2000: Applied Ecology Environmental Management. global climate change: green house gases ,forest fires, and the Pollution that rapidly growing along with population . Soil Drought: Trees absorb water through their roots and release it into the atmosphere. In the Amazon, half of the water is returned in the trees. If the trees are removed, the region becomes drier because it cannot hold as much water. Mudslides and erosions: Roots are existing to prove the soil ,and by deforestation The land becomes unstable because their are no trees. therefore it causes erosion. Economical impacts: In economic terms, forests does not only provide fuel and wood for industry, but they also provide the medicinal plants , fruit trees and nuts, which is the main source of food for forest dwellers. Also The forest have a large economic and environmental benefits , it is a haven for everyone, as they provide them with a feeling of comfort and peace of mind, and give them the fresh air and gains entertainment that any industrial facilities can not provide them , and beautifully landscaped. Therefore, it provides significant economic value through tourism activity. And when governments encourage individuals to cut trees timber and exercising a certain economic activities detrimental to the environment such as set on fire which leads to over-exploitation of forest wealth and the deterioration of its condition. The consequences of these behaviors are: population migration from these areas and the emergence of the problems such as: poverty, diseases, conflict on food, unemployment. Deforestation and biodiversity: Plants diversity No one can deny that we still rely on plants or herbs in the treatment of some diseases, such as cough, constipation and some skin diseases. we will proof this by these two facts about rainforest plants : Rainforests currently provide sources for one-fourth of todays medicines, and 70 percent of the plants found to have anticancer properties are found only in the rainforest.  [8]   Two drugs obtained from a rainforest plant known as the Madagascar periwinkle, now extinct in the wild due to deforestation of the Madagascar rainforest, have increased the chances of survival for children with leukemia from 20 percent to 80 percent.  [9]  (See figure 2)which is Madagascar periwinkle plant. Figure2: Book: William P. Cunningham, 1990: Environmental Science A GLOBAL CONCERN. Wm. C. Brown Publishers, USA. Animal diversity The human species has been the direct or indirect causes of most of the extinctions, especially through habitat destruction. When Europeans first arrived in the Hawaiian islands , there were sixty-eight unique bird species. of these, forty one now are extinct, mainly because of deforestation to create pineapple and sugarcane plantations, resorts, and cities  [10]  . Fish diversity In this aspect we illustrate that removing forest to build government projects, such as roads and dams, could protect threatened habitat. In the 1960s the Tennessee valley authority (TVA) announced intentions to dam the little Tennessee river for power , flood control, and recreation. opponent fought against this project for years, arguing that the dam was not needed , the cost was too high, the payback was too low, and it destroyed valuable forest , wildlife habitat, native American archeological sites, and recreational, historic, and scenic values. It was revealed that the only known habitat of small paperclip-size fish called the snail darter (percina tanasi) (figure 3) would be destroyed if the river valley was flooded  [11]  . D:Documents and SettingsAll UsersDocumentsMy PicturesSample Picturessnail.jpg Figure 3: Book: William P. Cunningham, 1990: Environmental Science A GLOBAL CONCERN. Wm. C. Brown Publishers, USA. How to Stop Deforestation We know that , stopping deforestation activity definitely not an easy task, but to reduce the impact of rapid spread of deforestation in previous years and to increase consciousness rate we suggest people to : * Try to use the paper more than once. For example, use both sides of paper. * put the paper in recycling paper box. *Use e-mails to aware your friends about impact of deforestation. *Aware about type of wood and avoid the tropical hardwood, such as ebony and rosewood. And make sure the manufacturer can guarantee that the hardwoods were harvested from agro forestry plantations. Also we Suggest government to: *Create law to deforestation: by making law that cutting trees from forests become a crime punishable by law. *Encouraging companies: that working in reforestation by decrease taxes for them and try to give them all help to increase number of those companies. * using selective timber -cutting instead of clear- cutting: because in selective cutting, foresters remove desirable tree species ,like deformed trees to get rid of them. * posting fire danger warnings and sponsoring television and radio announcements  [12]  . *reducing demand on wood by: using thinner saw blades in saw mills, which reduce the kerf ,and improved machines that do a better job of processing logos for plywood along with a host of other technologies. special training for workers could also help reduce wood waste  [13]  . *Farming: is a New methods are being developed to farm more intensively, such as high-yield hybrid crops, greenhouse, autonomous building gardens, and hydroponics. to keep balance between rates of farming and deforestation  [14]  . Conclusion Forests are a source of beauty, food, medicines, also its highly responsible in keeping and sustaining global ecosystems. It is also the home of more than half of all creatures and organisms in this planet. On the other hand we also gain other benefits by deforestation . For example: building the communities, residential houses, factories, and roads ; to be more suitable for the growing numbers of population. By Deforestation we can also convert the forest land to productive land for agricultural uses. As a result, we and all the other creatures on this planet suffer greatly from the consequences of deforestation. So deforestation should be stopped at any cost, especially the illegal cutting of trees. By increasing the government laws and punishment ,and increasing Perception and awareness among people which may leads us to gradual disposal of deforestation. References Books: Edward I. Newman, 2000: Applied Ecology Environmental Management, Second Edition. Blackwell Science Ltd, England. William P. Cunningham, 1990: Environmental Science A GLOBAL CONCERN. Wm. C. Brown Publishers, USA. William Mary Ann,2009, Principles of Environmental Science(Inquiry Application), Fifth Edition, Mc Graw Hill, New York. Internet: Effect of deforestation, ENTERNET: GREEN LIVING,. Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) www.ibge.gove.be Issue Number 85 August 2004:World Rainforest Movement, . Center for International Forestry Research, http://www.cifor.cgiar.org/publications/pdf_files/media/Amazon.pdf>. WRMs bulletin N ° 67, February 2003, World Rainforest Movement, . INTERNET: WRMs bulletin N ° 41, December 2000, World Rainforest Movement, . Rain Tree, . Ask, . Index Content Page Abstract 2 Introduction 2-3 Body What is Deforestation? 3 Causes of Deforestation Agriculture and Cattle-Raising 4 Dams and Megaprojects 5 Mining 5 Effects of Deforestation Environmental problems: 5-6 Economical impacts: 7 Deforestation and biodiversity: 7-8 How to Stop Deforestation 9 Conclusion 10

International Students And Global Education Sociology Essay

International Students And Global Education Sociology Essay There is a widespread recognition and belief that our increasingly interconnected and interdependent global society mandates that students be educated to develop habits of the mind that embrace tolerance, a commitment to cooperation, an appreciation of our common humanity, and a sense of responsibility. The international students are the future leader of tomorrow. Understanding global issues is critical to the students across the global as they endeavor to promote democratic principles and social justice, improve our economic competitiveness, and provide leadership in the future. However, not enough is being done in public schools and classrooms to expose students to global issues. Research shows that most American students lag behind their peers in other countries in their knowledge of world geography, foreign languages, and cultures ( National Geographic-Roper, 2002). Our curriculum must undergo a paradigm shift recognizing that in order to be truly globally competitive; our teache rs must be globally competent. Educating young people to become global citizens will allow them to learn about the interdependence of the worlds systems, believe that solutions to global challenges are attainable, and feel morally compelled to confront global injustices and take responsible action to promote a just, peaceful and sustainable world. If we truly aspire to have a world-class education that connects and recognizes that what we do affects other humans in the world, we must engage with the world. The challenges that face the world today-from global poverty and climate change to financial systems and conflict-require globally-minded solutions (OMeara, 1997). Knowledge of these skills is necessary so that young people can invent a future that appropriately addresses global challenges. These young international students must gain global competence in addressing international issues as well as gaining the ability to work with people of diverse cultural backgrounds. Teaching for global connectedness should be grounded in the personal experiences of the student and her/his community. Teachers must be able to help students to connect global issues with daily life experiences. According to Ryan and Durning (1997) students ought to consider the impact of their daily consumption (and garbage) on the lives of other people and places in the world; the consumption of coffee, newspapers, t-shirts, shoes, car, computer, hamburger, french-fries and cola are traced from their origins through the inequities of the production process to the consequences of waste products. Teachers must approach global education from different perspectives, says Merry Merryfield, associate professor of social studies and global education at The Ohio State University. For example: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦some teachers have the rationale that, in order to compete in a global economy, students need a global perspectivebut others want to make the world a better place in terms of the environment and social justice. Still others want to promote cross-cultural understanding. Each of these is a valid approach, says Merryfield, as long as teachers emphasize multiple perspectives and global interdependence (Rasmussen, 1998, p.2). Teachers also need to have the competences they are trying to teach students. Our college preps do not prepare teachers to be globally competent. Understanding global issues makes teachers more apt to guiding students in the global challenges that face their countries of origin. Given the fragile state of the world and the level of continued destruction, more emphasis should be given to preparing students to become stewards of the earth and participants in democracy for global social justice. Authentic learning occurs when students from diverse cultures meet and work together, especially when they have equal status and collaborative goals that have meaning in their lives (Johnson Johnson, 1992). Global educators find ways to increase their students experiences with people different from themselves through work with international students from local universities, immigrant organizations in the community, service learning projects, exchanges through e-mail or videos, and taking studen ts overseas (Wilson, 1993). In a 10th grade world history, a unit on the Middle East, some teachers may motivate students by presenting exotic images-such as the harem, polygamy, belly dancing, Arab sheiks, and camel races-and may fail to challenge students comments that stereotype all Arabs as supporters of terrorism or all Arab women as having few rights. But Global educators, however, purposefully address stereotypes and challenge the exotic images and misperceptions that students bring with them into the classroom. They develop lessons to replace misinformation with knowledge of the complexity of cultures, cultural conflicts, and global issues. To begin a unit on the Middle East, for example, a global educator asks students to brainstorm what they know about Muslims, Arabs, and the Middle East and then immediately addresses common misperceptions. When students confuse the terms Arab and Muslim, the teacher helps students map where Arabs live and introduces primary sources for st udents to differentiate diverse Arab cultures and the Muslim world (Said, 1997). Said (1993) ideas on how Europeans constructed the Orient can help students recognize the exotic images of the Middle East in popular media, entertainment, and textbooks, and distinguish them from the materials that people of other countries have posted on the Internet and what local Egyptian, Lebanese, and Iranian students say about their lives back home. In developing an appreciation of the complexities within other cultures, students learn to challenge sweeping generalizations, misinformation, and stereotypes. Global Challenges Sustainable development and climate change People all over the world are struggling with problems of a magnitude no other generation has faced. Even in the most affluent nations, millions of people suffer from hunger, homelessness, and unattended health problems. Sach (1995) opines that wars, civil conflicts and invasions take the lives of millions more. Global changes in the climate are creating severe local weather conditions, destroying lives and property. Well intended projects continue to despoil the land, water and air ( Sach, 1995 p.7). Millions of tons of hazardous waste generated by industrialized countries are exported to non-industrialized areas of the world without regard to the health and environment consequences. Jacobson (1991) says that over three billion pounds of pesticides a year are used globally causing human poisonings, harm to fish and wildlife, livestock losses, groundwater contamination, destruction of natural vegetation, and more pests resistant to pesticides (Jacobson et al, 1991, p. 45). Deforestat ion, soil erosion, destruction of habitat, extinction of species, and depletion of aquifers are but a few of the many attacks on our planet. While natural resources are stripped from the earth, new species are genetically engineered by corporations for profitability and monopolized through complex international patent laws with few constraints for releasing them into the environment. According to Shiva (1997) ancient knowledge of plants and animals, and even human genetic material, are stolen from indigenous peoples and used to generate wealth for a few while the cultures which generated the knowledge are decimated. As these examples demonstrate, human rights and environmental issues are clearly intertwined. A country like Kenya is a prime example of not providing an economic infrastructure to meet the subsistence needs of the communities in the northern part of the country and creating man made famine. Countries with hungry people export grains or feed them to livestock for export. Millions of jobs are eliminated by technology or runaway factories as CEO salaries skyrocket. While the United Nations ratified a Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1989, more than 250 million children are forced into labor (Sanders, 1997). Enormous resources are wasted on the production of guns and weapons of mass destruction as social programs and education funds are drastically reduced. Projects to solve one problem have created other problems. McMichaels (1993) observes that dams, viewed for decades as creating clean energy and providing irrigation, are responsible for destroying the means of subsistence for millions of people who are forced to relocate their homes (McMichaels, 1993 page 36). Alteri ng the natural flow of rivers, these dams flood millions of hectares of arable land, create conditions for water born diseases and prevent fish from spawning. Aquaculture, heralded as the answer to declining fish and shrimp populations, is despoiling the habitat of other species. The primacy of profit maximization over all other values is the core of both social and environmental problems. Nations and nature are being restructured to meet this primary goal, not to meet the needs of ordinary people or to ensure a sustainable environment. The problems created are global, with consequences for many different countries and communities. For example, when U. S. companies move plants and jobs to other countries to take advantage of cheaper labor, they leave economic devastation in local U.S. communities and undermine the existing economies in the new locations. At the same time, they take advantage of less stringent environmental policies in other countries that allow them to pollute more freely or to use chemicals banned in the United States. Sometimes, these chemicals return to consumers in the U.S. in the imported products. Global problems necessitate going beyond national borders to embracing the concept of global citizenship. By learning how global issues affec t individual and community lives, how and why decisions are made which affect the planet and life on it and, most importantly, means by which the future can be influenced, global education can prepare students to become socially responsible international citizens. The empowerment of women Empowerment of women has been one of the strongest drivers of social evolution over the past century, and many argue that it is the most efficient strategy for addressing the global challenges in this chapter. Only two countries allowed women to vote at the beginning of the twentieth century; today there is virtually universal suffrage, the average ratio of women legislators worldwide has reached 19.2%, and over 20 countries have women heads of state or government. Patriarchal structures are increasingly challenged, and the movement toward gender equality is irreversible. With an estimated control of over 70% of global consumer spending, women are strongly influencing market preferences. Analysis shows a direct interdependence between countries Gender Gap Index and their Competitiveness Index scores and that Fortune 500 companies with more gender-balanced boards could outperform the others by as much as 50%. Yet the Gender Equity Index 2010 shows that significant differences still remain in economic participation and political empowerment. Gender stereotyping continues to have negative impacts on women around the world, and although progress is being made on closing the gender gap in terms of establishing global and national policies, real improvement will only be achieved when conflicts between written laws and customary and religious laws and practices are eliminated. Environmental disasters, food and financial crises, armed conflicts, and forced displacement further increase vulnerabilities and generate new forms of disadvantages for women and children. Women account for over 40% of the worlds workforce, earn less than 25% of the wages, and represent about 70% of people living in poverty. An OECD survey found that women spend more time on unpaid work than men do worldwide, with the gap ranging from 1 hour per day in Denmark to 5 hours per day in India. FAO estimates that giving women the same access as men to agricultural resources could reduce the number of hungry people in the world by 12-17%, or 100-150 million people. Child malnutrition levels are estimated to be 60% above average where women lack the right to land ownership and 85% above average where they have no access to credit. Microcredit institutions reported that by 2010, nearly 82% (about 105 million) of their poorest clients were women. However, many of their businesses are too small to transform their economic status, points out FEMNET. Empowerment of women is highly accelerated by the closing gender gap in education. Most countries are reaching gender parity in primary education, and 50% of university students worldwide are women. Yet regional disparities are high, and UNESCO estimates that women represent about 66% of the 796 million adults who lack basic literacy skills. Although the health gender gap is closing, family planning and maternal health remain critical. Determining the size of the family should be recognized as a basic human right, and more attention should be given to womens health and social support for affordable child care worldwide, including industrial countries, which are facing demographic crises due to low fertility rates. Of the more than 500,000 maternal deaths per year, 99% happen in developing countries, with the highest prevalence in Africa and Asia due to high fertility rates and weak health care systems. Unless providing effective family planning to the 215 million women who lack it is seen as a key component of development, the UN goal to reduce maternal mortality to 120 deaths per 100,000 live births by 2015 will not be achieved. Regulations should be enacted and enforced to stop female genital mutilation, which traumatizes about 3 million girls in Africa each year, in addition to the 100-142 million women worldwide affected by it today. While the prevalence of this in Egypt, Guinea, and some parts of Uganda is at over 90%, communities in India, Indonesia, Malaysia, and even in the EU are also affected. Violence against women is the largest war today, as measured by death and casualties per year. While the proportion of women exposed to physical violence in their lifetime ranges from 12% to 59%, a function of region and culture, sexual assaults remain one of the most underreported crimes worldwide, continuing to be perpetrated with impunity. According to UNODC, 66% of the victims of the $32 billion global industry of human trafficking are women and children. The Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children, has 142 parties and 117 signatories thus far, but it has yet to be adopted and enforced by some key countries. Female vulnerability increases during conflict, when sexual violence is often used as a weapon. Recovery from conflict and disaster should be used as opportunities to rectify inequalities. Nevertheless, women make up only 8% of peace negotiators, and only 25 countries have developed National Action Plans supporting UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on womens protection in conflict and participation in peace processes. Reduce the gap between rich and poor? The world needs a long-term strategic plan for a global partnership between rich and poor. Such a plan should use the strength of free markets and rules based on global ethics to combat poverty. Conventional approaches to poverty reduction (technical assistance and credit) that work in low- and middle-income stable countries do not work in fragile countries, which need stability first. Ethical market economies and systems require improved fair trade, increased economic freedom, a level playing field guaranteed by an honest judicial system with adherence to the rule of law and by governments that provide political stability, a chance to participate in local development decisions, reduced corruption, insured property rights, business incentives to comply with social and environmental goals, a healthy investment climate, and access to land, capital, and information. Direction from central government with relatively free markets is competing with the decentralized, individualized private enterprise for lifting people out of poverty (Hersh and . Paterson, 1994 pages 93-94) An alternative to trying to beat the brain drain is to connect people overseas to the development process back home by a variety of Internet systems. According to UNDP, if the WTO eliminated agricultural export subsidies, developing countries would gain $72 billion per year, according to UNDP. Structural imbalances in world trade have to be corrected to assure fair competition, respect of human rights, and labor and environmental standards, as well as efficient management of the global commons and prevention of monopolies. Chinas monetary policy adjustments could help other countries economic development and access to world markets. International students must be exposed to these issues and offer possible solutions in a project oriented instruction. Also as a resource, the native students from these countries provide a rich understanding of how the issues affect their lives. Australia has set up a recruiting structure that gives international students scholarships with a pledge that these students will work in Australia for five years after graduation before returning to the mother country. Relationships are being developed to foster cooperation and understanding. The case study of such programs would enhance students understanding of international connectedness as international students. They can learn that the human experience is an increasingly globalized phenomenon in which people are constantly being influenced by transnational, cross-cultural, multi-cultural, multi-ethnic interactions. It is therefore important international students begin developing a deeper understanding of the worlds economic, social, a nd political issues.