Education-Reading Assessment Essay

In determining books for elementary-grade children, it is important that I consider their curriculum as well as the level of their understanding and interest. Children have different interests. By this time, they are also starting to read on their own. Thus, books that they can read-along with, with subjects that they can associate with and learn from are my best choices. Not all elementary-grade children will like the same books. For children to develop interest in reading, it is also essential for them to be able to choose the books that they like. Thus, I should have several books tackling different subjects which children can choose from. If I must present or read a book aloud, I should try to choose something that can also be incorporated with sound effects such as animal or character stories. This way, I can get the attention of the children while we read. 2. Describe a creative way to document writing progress. Cite sources that you used to help you create this method. A good way to document writing progress is through a student journal. Students will be asked to keep a daily account according to specific instructions that will be given to them throughout the week. For example, for week one, they are going to write 100-word personal essays about a tangible thing. They are supposed to talk about one different thing for each day. Then, for week two they are going to write 100-word persuasive essays about anything that they think they should persuade people to believe, and so on. This method tackles the different areas of writing progress. It helps the students improve their writing vocabulary because of the daily exercise. It also entitles the students an exercise of the different aims of writing. The students will also be able to be sensitive about instructions while on the process of composing. According to the National Assessment Governing Board of the US Department of Education (2007), students need to know the definite expectation in their compositions. This does not only help them come up with more competitive essays that will mark higher, it will also make it easier for the teacher to streamline the evaluation and grading criteria. Busch, Hall and Lembke (2007) agree, stating that curriculum-based monitoring criteria are effective in measuring improvement of students. A journal is also a creative way to make the students write without pressure, instead of giving them daily writing seatwork which can give them the impression that they are pressured and tired. 3. How can you monitor children’s growth in spelling? Why have you chosen this method for monitoring? Curriculum-based monitoring (CBM) to measure spelling progress is a good method for assessing the improvement in children’s spelling. This can be done by dictating a list of words to spell to students. The words should match their current vocabulary level. Students are then expected to write down the words. A time limit will be necessary. (Busch, Hall and Lembke 2007) In scoring spelling activities using the CBM method, the words may be scored two ways. One is with correct spelling and another is through letter sequences, where letters placed in the correct sequence gets points. In this method, the total score is the total number of letters in the word—and each word is scored separately. With proper implementation, it is effective in gauging and monitoring the current level of a student’s spelling abilities. It is also creative and encouraging in such as way that students will not get frustrated over low spelling marks. Because they will realize that there are some words that they did not get correctly, they are encouraged to try harder for the next exercise. In the process, the students do not only see that their spelling was wrong, they also know what went wrong and how to remedy it. 4. Find a reading formula that you think you could use with a struggling reader. Name the formula. What have researchers written about the formula? Why do you think it will be productive? The Spache readability formula is a good tool for struggling readers. Dawson (nd) states that it matches readers up to the third grade, which makes the text easier for struggling readers of all levels as compared to texts which used the Dale-Chall formula. Moreover, Welna (nd) asserts that Spache matches actual classroom reading levels and is widely used. Coping with a struggling reader requires both patience and proper metrics. The use of Spache will not only ensure that the reader is starting at an early level, it also introduces new words and increases vocabulary. As the readers goes along, the Spache level of reading materials can be increased accordingly to introduce newer words and more complex sentences. Struggling readers need encouragement and one way that they can get this is with step by step reading guidance and monitoring. By introducing reading materials that are one score step at a time according to the Spache formula, the reader will slowly develop his reading skills. He will also feel positive about reading if he realizes that he is slowly conquering his own difficulties. On a technical note, because Spache is widely used, the reader is also assured that the level of reading metrics that he is achieving is similar with the skills developed in other students. References Busch,T. , Hall, T. , and Lembke, E. 2007. Using CBM for progress monitoring in written expression and spelling. Retrieved September 2, 2008, from http://www. studentprogress. org/summer_institute/2007/Written/ProgressMonitoring-Writing_2007. pdf Dawson, J. nd. How to choose the best readability formula for your document. Retrieved September 2, 2008, from http://www. streetdirectory. com/travel_guide/15675/writing/how_to_choose_the_best_readability_formula_for_your_document. html National Assessment Governing Board of the US Department of Education. 2007. Writing framework and specifications for the 2007 national assessment of educational progress. Retrieved September 2, 2008, from http://www. nagb. org/frameworks/writing-framework-07. pdf

Film Analysis-Spartacus, Full Metal Jacket

Having viewed in class five of Stanley Kubrick's films and a documentary about him, a decent understanding of Kubrick's process and vision is learnt; the two films Spartacus and Full Metal Jacket were the most inspirational and significan films of the bunch. Spartacus is about a rebellious (slave of the same name) purchased by Lentulus Batiatus, owner of a school for gladiators. For the entertainment of corrupt Roman senator Marcus Licinius Crassus, Batiatus' gladiators fight to the death.On the night before the event, the enslaved are â€Å"treated† with female companionship. Spartacus refuses to engage with Varinia, a slave from Brittania, and they form a sturdy relationship. When Spartacus later learns that Varinia has been sold to Crassus, along with the murders of his brothers (the slaves forced to fight), this ignites a burning desire inside him, a yearning to seek freedom. He leads fellow gladiators in revolt, and they flee out of Italy collecting money as they go, in o rder to buy sea transportation from the pirates of Cilicia.They are united by additional runaways, which transform the rogue slaves into a colossal army; escaping to join his cause is Varinia, who has fallen in love with Spartacus, and Antoninus. Crassus bribes the pirates to abandon Spartacus and pushes them toward Rome, were panic that Spartacus means to attack the city, causes the Senate to give Crassus absolute power. In the battle, most of the slave army is killed by Crassus' forces. Afterward, when the Romans try to locate Spartacus, every surviving man shields him by shouting â€Å"I'm Spartacus! Varinia and her new son are held prisoner by Crassus who forces Spartacus to fight Antoninus to the death, the survivor is to be crucified, along with all the other men captured after the battle. Spartacus wins the match and is crucified, this leaves Spartacus with the potential to become a martyr. Batiatus rescues Spartacus' family from Crassus and carries them away to freedom. Var inia is able to comfort him in his dying moments by showing him his little son, who will grow up without ever having been a slave. The movie was created to depict the brutal and unforgiving Roman Empire and the hardships the average slave could endure every day.It also shows anti slavery propaganda and the story not only of one’s man’s quest to revolt against his oppressors and to rise up from a state of disempowerment, but more importantly it is a story which offers hope and strength to mankind. The act of sacrifice is a dominant theme in the film and is essential to the idea of Spartacus’ character. Sacrifice is first seen before the revolt when the Draba, after defeating Spartacus in battle, refuses to kill Spartacus and instead sacrifices himself by attempting to attack Crassus. It this act inspires Spartacusand his actions for the rest of the film.Spartacus also proclaims during the film that everything he has done will be a success if his son can be born f ree, regardless of whether Spartacus is killed or not. In the final act of sacrifice Spartacus is crucified, sharing similarities with Jesus and his sacrifice for all mankind. Associated with sacrifice is the fight for freedom. Sacrifice is knowing that there might be a point were things must be used for the greater good and dying is a possibility, while fighting for freedom is having the courage to stand up for beliefs, never backing down and starting the movement to end oppression.This is shown when Spartacus is crucified, becoming a martyr and thus creating his legend. The path to freedom is the one goal that all the slaves had in common the thing that kept them united and strong. It gave them the strentgh to continue their journey and put everything on the line, with hope for the future as the backbone of their fighting spirit. This is put in the film to show the power that one man can create when uniting people under a common goal. In our society freedom is everything, without it we would all be the same, with no individuality or passion, not truly being alive.This helps the audience relate to the slaves and form a connection with them as they too would be quite upset if they were in the same coditions. The film takes a strong look at political lobbying and the corruption of goverment. In our society many feel as if the goverment tries to control and limit their freedoms, while the poloticians are greedy and many don't come through on the promises they make. They are seen as untrustworthy and unhelpful causeing many to try to take actions into their own hands. The film shows how people of political status abused their power and used any means to achieve their goals.This is shown constantly throught out the film, one example is how Crassus and his rival Gracchus fight over control of the Roman army when the Roman Senate sees Spartacus and crew as a threat. Gracchus own protege, a young Julius Caesar goes over to Crassus, when Gracchus reveals that he has b ribed the Cilicians to get Spartacus out of Italy and rid Rome of the slave army. Kubrick wanted to show modern people how Rome's republic and upperclasses were much more cutthroat and savage than our own, but at the same time not that dissimilar to the average modern poloticians in today's world.Some people may view Spartacus and frown upon the savage slavery and brutality of the ancient world, but the fight for freedom from oppression and the common man rising to greatness through bravery is something that will forever be remember and celebrated by all cultures. The second film Full Metal Jacket begins by following a platoon of Marine Corps recruits, focusing on the relationship between Sergeant Hartman and Privates Pyle and Joker. The second chapter continues with Joker, and how he joined the Corps to become a killer, but is mostly behind the scenes, as a combat correspondent.This is interupted when the Tet offensive puts him in real combat and tests him on his real worth as a so ilder, and if he really is a killer. Full Metal Jacket demonstrates the psychological break down of the soilders, as seen with the transformation of the character Pvt. Pyle. He comes to the Marine Corps as a naive, harmless young man who is guided by the belief that he is serving his country. Due to his failings of performing the tasks presented to him, he is constantly verbally and physically insulted by the drill instructor, Sgt.Hartman. Along with the torment from his drill instructor Pyle recieves additional abuse from his fellow recrits, beauase of the punishments they recieve due to his failures. In retaliation, the platoon hazes Pyle with a blanket party, restraining him to his bunk and beating him with bars of soap wrapped in towels. Joker, the Pvt. Squad leader, seeks to help Pyle, but as Pyle starts to become more productive, Joker recognizes signs of mental breakdown in Pyle, such as him talking to his M14 rifle.The internal struggle in the mind, is a characteristic of ev ery human being, one that all can relate to. Humans all contain that good verses evil, that little devil on the left shoulder and the angle on the right. Kubrick uses this to make the audience sympathetic towards Pyle, but also for them to really think about what the story is trying to show and how this also plays a role in their lives. Private Joker had on his helmet â€Å"Born to kill† but on his uniform he had a peace symbol.This was an incredible symbolic representation of the film because it was exactly what Kubrick was trying to establish in the audiences minds; the change in ones mind during war and the struggle that continues to take place during war between good and evil were represented between the born to kill on his helmet and the peace symbol on his chest. Joker can be seen as another victim of war, due to his being inthe back, when he finally kills someone, he achieves the thousand-yard stare, a limp, unfocused gaze of a battle-weary soldier.The film is successf ul in providing a perspective glance at the trials of a soldier. Like with most war movies, it relies heavely on powerful imagery; the film also adds the sense of â€Å"thereness† at boot camp, the sickening feeling from the sight of dead bodies, and the perspective from an enemy sniper. They force you to look at the world and don’t let you look away, or pretend, when things are gruesome, or violent, or terrible. Full Metal Jacket’ examines the morality of war and military existence.This was significant because it showed one how much the United States Military officials had to change ones mind set and character to be able to fight and kill men, women and children who were just defending their country in a country that no one was used to and that some did not even know was there. The audience leaves the film with Kubrick's selective snapshot of the Marine Corps and of Vietnam, hopefully with some sense of a soldier's reaction to it all.

Narratives of Adolescence Explored Through the Harry Potter

Ergo, when had decided to examine the movies, two movies in particular came to mind – Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Cabana (2004) and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part One (2010). My Hypothesis is that as the movies progress, or rather, as Harry Potter (the main character) grows up, his surrounding social relationships mature him as well. They shape his personality and consequently, shape the turn of events yet to come. And I would like to explore how they Influence him and why.The movie relates to the topic of the course, as it focuses on narratives of adolescence in European cinema. It takes place In a far off dimension in the United Kingdom, contains a unique combination of basic teen everyday dilemmas, social relationship matters, mental maturity conversion, and various turning points heehawed by a super natural kick. I plan to explore different influences within Harry life – his parents and parent-like role models, his friends, romantic relationships an d rival enemies – to see how those relationships attributed to his maturing.Consequently, the point of focusing on society will result In a comparison of his decisions, which were much associated with protecting his kind and ensuring peace to the generations after him. The matter of taking responsibility for not only oneself, but also others, is very much relevant to the pressure many teens are feeling across the globe today. As the course focuses on gaining content and source for the corning of age subject through films, discussion and analysis of the Harry Potter movies will aim at gaining a general understanding of trauma and its depiction.Therefore, distinguishing between the personal and the social levels will emphasize these findings. In order to fully comprehend the concluding outcome of Harry Potter's development, the basic plot shall be briefed: Harry Potter was born to a wizard and a witch, Lilly (a mugged – has no wizardly blood) and James (pure-blood) Potte r, during the First Hazarding war. HIS parents were members of the order of the Phoenix – an organization led by Albums Tumbledown, purposed to defeat the dark lord, Voltmeter, and his enforcers, the Death Eaters.Voltmeter, hearing the prophecy of Hardy's future causing his defeat, murders Lilly and James with the killing spell. However, his attempt to kill baby Harry fails, as Lilly's love and protection causes the spell to bounce off Harry, leaving him with a lightening-shaped scar on his forehead. The scar 1 OFF Now orphaned Harry is adopted by his aunt and uncle (muscles), who mistreat him and neglect his needs. By locking Harry in his small, dusty under-staircase room and polling their only child right in front of his eyes, Harry develops a dealing mechanism of settled life.He is not aware of his rich wizardly history, or of his magical potential. When Haggard, a half-giant wizard gamekeeper from Hogwash's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry appeared with the school's lett er of acceptance addressed to Harry, an immensely influential turning point had taken over Hardy's life. No longer was he feeling out of place or unneeded – he had finally felt he had belonged somewhere. These feelings encouraged Hardy's sense of purpose in life, especially as he quickly bonded with two other students at Hogwash's – HeroineGranger and Ron Wesley. As fate would have it, Harry and his two new friends were all sorted into the same house – Gratifying. The individual who has not befriended Harry, and mocked the name preceding him was Dorado Malady, and he was sent into the Slithering house. Many relationships have influenced Harry Potter and shaped his unique characteristic individuality. This enabled a reoccurring plot twist of the constellation of his personal relations (family, intergenerational relations, peer groups- friendly allies and notorious enemies, etc. . With time, Harry is exposed to various situations here he is put under a magnifying glass for his choice of actions, although always well intended. It is almost as if he is pressured into maturing all too fast, as from the point of attending Hogwash's Harry deals with constant life threats on his own. Help from his friends and some handpicked school staff is provided, and although much is being done in order to make Harry feel safe and home, it is quite clear that much is being put at stake on the young adolescent's shivering shoulders.In the first movie to be discussed – the Prisoner of Cabana – Harry is in his early adolescence stage, as he is thirteen years-old. His cinematic narrative and inherent conflicts represent a less romantic and more individual growth, as it has mostly to do with family descendents reaching out to him and unveiling the truth behind his parents and their cause of death. However, in the second movie I wish to refer to – the Deathly Hallows, Part One – Harry is eighteen years-old, meaning he is in his late adole scence stage, Just approaching the emerging adulthood stage.This movie puts the spotlight on the threesome's friendship (Harry, Ron and Heroine), as they set out on a mission to find and destroy all of the Hercules, as they are the key to Voltmeter's immortality. Adult presence is not felt particularly within this movie, as there is no guidance or protection from their professors, families or others. The threesome rely on each other, however, this turns out to be a difficult task, as the Dark Forces use black magic and mind games to make the three turn on each other.Overall, the learning process the film offers is a distinguished moral outline of adolescents' development, demonstrated by social relations and interactions. The protagonist – Harry Potter – faces many obstacles in the righteous path of discovering and tears. His character evolves from a clueless, naive and stray form, to a mature, responsible, identity confident state. In this essay I plan on using a vari ety of research materials – the official Harry Potter books and movies, websites, fan pages and open-floor forums.The reason I have decided to use many forms of median resources is because not only am I interested in my interpretation of the character development, but I would also like to review other opinions. Shall my hypothesis be refuted, conclusive evidence must be provided as to what has influenced Harry Potter to fulfill his prophecy – become the error and savior of an entire magical kingdom. Part II: 1. Exposition (central conflict of narration). Which are the antagonistic elements of the film? 2. Intensification of the conflict (Show scenes and explain them) 3.Show development of main characters. What do they learn? How is it expressed in their action? Which fields of adolescence are addressed? 4. Turning points of story (Periphery) 5. Resolution of the conflict? Message of the story (cognitive level) 6. Which feelings/ emotions are conveyed by the film? What was the strongest emotional impression for you? How did it relate to the plot or to certain aesthetically elements of it like music, pictures. Can you describe it as an experience? / (Flabbergasting II) 7.Assessment: How could the filmed be used for educational purposes? What can be learned or experienced? Make a short statement. Work (education, profession, socio-economical situation) Cultural Belief System (Ideology, political and historical Identity) Part Ill: Scientific articles Find at least one scientific article which relates to your subject. It is favorable to use also an article that provides insights to the film, director, genre etc. Give the main arguments of the texts and try to draw a line to the message / (Flabbergasting) of the movie.

Human Resource Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Human Resource - Research Paper Example It has been noticed that, issues of sexual preferences and gender are much more sensitive because individuals who have different preferences feel discriminated in many avenues of life (Burns and Krehely, 2005). Most organizations proclaim that they do not carry out any form of discrimination, but in practice they do and violate the rights of the employees. This is exactly what happened with Oiler. Oilers contributions to the organization as well as his work record were not taken into consideration when making the decision regarding his termination. Furthermore, the disturbing fact was that the laws of the federation and the state did not have any protection for the transgendered employees. Therefore, not only were employee rights of Oiler violated, he did not receive any protection from the state or federation either. 2. What do you see as the consequences of organizations that punish employees for certain off-the-job behaviors? Explain. Punishing employees for certain off-the-job be haviors can create a negative perception among the employees as well as the public because the organization does not practice equality and non-discrimination (Weiss, 2007). Termination of the employees for such reasons would be a negative publicity as clients and employees would exercise caution in approaching the organization in the future.

Nutrition, health, and wellness Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Nutrition, health, and wellness - Essay Example Considering the general health of people, several organizations have come with a food guide pyramid, which serves as a guide for healthy eating. While the focus is on food, daily exercise and weight control form the basis of the pyramid as these, according to research conducted in several countries, have a strong influence on keeping the mind and body fit. The pyramid has a broad base which includes vegetables and whole grains and these should be consumed in sufficient quantities as they provide the much needed proteins to the body. This is followed by whole breads, fruits, olive oil and leafy vegetables which need to be consumed in lesser amounts compared to the first. Plant-based products are generally suggested by nutritionists as they provide the necessary vitamins and minerals to the body and they have low carbohydrates and are usually devoid of fats. The next portion in the pyramid includes fish, poultry and other sea foods and nuts which could be consumed in moderate amounts a s they contain considerable amount of healthy fats. Milk and other dairy products can be consumed in limited quantities mainly for their protein content and finally the upper tip of the pyramid contains red meat, potatoes and aerated drinks which are unhealthy nutrition wise and are can be avoided. Thus the pyramid is constructed keeping in mind the nutritional benefits provided by foods and the amount in which they can be consumed (The Nutrition). Both governmental and independent organizations formulate dietary guidelines and these are published for public viewing. The health department and the agricultural department of the US government have released their dietary guidelines. A similar healthy eating pyramid has been designed by the faculty of the nutrition department at Harvard School. The Food and Drug Administration has released its set of dietary guidelines for Americans. In addition there is also a dietary guidelines advisory committee (DGAC)

Land law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Land law - Essay Example 15,000 for the purpose of them being a home together and Mr Winston used this sum to purchase the property along with a mortgage in his sole name. There doesn’t appear to be any express valid trust regarding Miss Kaur’s contribution however Miss will most likely have a proprietary right in equity under resulting trust3. Resulting trusts usually involve contribution to the initial cost of the family home, which is registered solely in the name of another person4. Equity does not presume an outright gift, but rather a presumption that the contributing party intended to retain a beneficial interest in the property5 (despite no evidence of actual intention). Whilst this approach has been criticised theoretically as the imposition of an â€Å"artificial presumption6†, it is arguably a necessary approach to protect third party interests7. On this basis, Miss Kaur may be able to claim an equitable interest in the Property under resulting trust and on this basis Mr Winst on will have held the Property as sole trustee with there being two co-owners in equity8. As the Property was held in trust and there is only one trustee of the land and two co-owners, Ms Winston will not be able to rely on the doctrine of overreaching to negate Miss Kaur’s interest9. Moreover, as Miss Kaur has an equitable interest on grounds of resulting trust, Section 3310 of the LRA provides that trusts are not registerable as notices on the register and therefore Miss Kaur’s interest will not have been registered. Furthermore, the effect of Section 26 of the LRA is that purchasers are entitled to proceed, in the absence of such an entry on the register on the basis that there are no limitations on the owner’s powers11. As Miss Kaur has an equitable interest in the Property under the trust, her interest will only be binding on third parties if it constitutes an overriding interest12. Schedule 3, paragraph 2 of the LRA protects overriding interests of those w ith rights to the property that are in actual occupation13. However, in the current scenario, Miss Kaur was away for over a year and did not live in the property. Accordingly, Miss Kaur will not be able to establish an overriding interest by virtue of actual occupation. Therefore, on this basis Ms Winston will hold the Property on trust for Miss Kaur and any proceeds of any potential sale will be held on trust for Miss Kaur in proportion to her contributing share to the purchase price14. 3: Miss Thomas With regard to Miss Thomas, she did not contribute to the purchase price however she undertook significant renovations and modernisation to the kitchen and gave up her local housing authority home to live in the Property on the basis of Mr Winston’s representations. Therefore, Miss Thomas may have an equitable proprietary interest under common intention constructive trust15. The leading case of Lloyds Bank plc v Rosset16 highlighted the essential requirements for the imposition of a constructive trust asserting its foundation in the common intention of the parties to share the properties. Lord Bridge further asserted in this case that intention could be express or inferred from conduct17. Furthermore, Lord Bridge in highlighting the reasoning in Gissing v Gissing18 asserted the concept of

The Cold war and realism in International Relations Essay

The Cold war and realism in International Relations - Essay Example Even after the fall of Soviet Union the subject continues to attract much attention of the scholars. The desire to understand the rise and fall of a great power has combined with the urge of better understanding the future course of history. Various scholars have attempted to understand the volatile nature of modern international relations. International Relation theories help a great deal in understanding the historical events and when we talk about Cold War, the theory of realism dominates the other theories towards a better understanding of the facts. The theory has its pros and cons but it hold itself true in many cases while trying to understand the cold war phenomenon. The end of World War II marked the start of the cold war. The cold war was essentially a struggle of power between the west led by United States of America (USA) and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). Although both were partners during the World War II but their differences arose soon after the war on the future shape of the world. The USA led the western block whereas USSR created the eastern block comprising over eastern European countries and countries annexed by USSR. The cold war was multifaceted. It signified a bi-polar world where both US and USSR were striving for hegemony on political, military and economic fronts. Both had their ambitions but had the fears of other’s dominance resulting in efforts of balance of power as well. The cold war reached it culminating point when USSR invaded Afghanistan and tried to reach the warm waters whereas US used its diplomacy and resources to stop USSR. It ended in 1991 when the later collapsed due to economic, military and political turmoil. The cold war is named as such because through out this era no actual war took place between the two sides but the threat of such war kept looming the political world throughout. Such was the tension between the two sides that the world at large feared a World War

Project Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Project Management - Essay Example In this regard, it has been observed that Nokia Corporation is one of the renowned companies, which has recently undergone a change in its operational processes in order to remain abreast with the changing environment of the market. The company has undergone a redesigning process in its operations to cope up with the changing needs of the customers as well as the markets all over the world. The revised operational strategy of the company includes the strategic alliance of it with Microsoft to come up with different ranges of products in the market. This alliance enables the company to deliver innovative products and enhance its geographical reach along with product identity. With this strategy, the company has the desire to increase its sales by a considerable margin. This change was much needed for the company as the nature of the market was constantly changing and there was a danger that the preferences of the customers might get switched to another brand. This approach of the comp any correlates with the operational purview where a company generally changes its operational strategy in accordance with the needs of the current business environment. This approach is termed as operational strategy approach of market requirement (Nokia, 2011; Slack & Nigel, 2009). Furthermore, the operational strategy of the company has witnessed significant changes in the recent years with the inception of the new leadership team in the operations. It has been observed that the new team of the company has acquired considerable knowledge and is competent to deal with the dynamic nature of today’s business environment. The team is also viewed to have utmost commitment towards the operational goals of the organisation. With the establishment of a new team, the company i.e. Nokia will be able to improve its decision making perspective as it is directly connected with the performance of the organisation. Furthermore, the new team of the company will also facilitate to enhance t he marketing operations or activities of the products which were lacking in the previous operating strategy of the company. In precise, it can be said that the new team of the organisation, which is a part of the operational strategy, will have its maximum focus on speed as well as accountability that would ultimately enable to deliver positive results. It would be vital to mention in this regard that the company has appointed a new face for every section of its operations from top to bottom and each one of them will have their specific targets that need to be fulfilled. This approach of the company correlates with the top-down operational strategy. In such strategy, companies experience a change from top to bottom in its operational conduct (Nokia, 2011; Pearson Education, 2010; Slack & Nigel, 2009). From the overall analysis of the strategy of Nokia Corporation, it has been learnt that the company follows two operational approaches which entail the current market requirement appro ach as well as the top-down approach. However, there are two more operational strategies that can be incorporated by the organisation in its operation. These two approaches will comprise bottom-up approach and strategy based on resources of organisation. In the bottom-up approach, a company such as Nokia would experience a change in strategy from bottom to top by taking into consideration the views and the

Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) Essay

Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) - Essay Example Most people find this depressing and confusing. The calculation of the ability to get aid based on individuals’ financial circumstances may limit some students in getting financial aid and therefore it should be on merit and not on the size of assets owned by individuals and their families. The FAFSA form does not consider the financial challenges that most families live in and therefore most family members find it intimidating. Therefore most families and students fail to go for higher level of education like colleges, since it has over hundred questions and most of these questions are base on the financial wellbeing of parents and families. This becomes a limiting factor to students in need of financial aid. The Free Application for Federal Student Aid process faces challenges because it is ineffective in ensuring college completion by the students because of the complexities involved. Due to lack of finances enough to sponsor education sector, the organizations using the FAFSA process imposes policies that make parents to start paying immediately the students are enrolled in the loans programme. This makes poor families strain even more and hence find themselves in a bad financial situation. Proposal have been made for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid form to be narrowed down to be user friendly but instead more questions were added to the already existing ones to help asses financial situations of students seeking loans and grants in or4der to finance their education. This is a challenging factor because, even if the questions are answered, it does not put into consideration of the high costs of living in various states in the nation. The fact that the accessibility of loans and grants are based on the credit worthiness according to the financial position of the families, most poor families find it

The North Korean missile defense testing Essay Example for Free

The North Korean missile defense testing Essay The North Korean missile defense testing in the Pacific is a current event that can be considered to have a great impact in the world today. North Korea’s neighbors and the United States are particularly concerned because it just raised the accusations that the North is keeping weapons of mass destruction, which could be more dangerous than those threats posed in Iraq. As Marianne Bray claims, the nuclear class has become a high-stakes no bluff game, where the threats are potentially greater than those posed in Iraq (Bray, 2003). According to her, North Korea might be using its nuclear program as a bargaining tool to get attention, money, food and fuel from the outside. The article by Marianne Bray even if it is true supports the idea that media can make or break a company’s or country’s image. While it is true that North Korea has strong and big armed forces, ranging in about one-million men and several missiles, Bray may have unintentionally led her readers to believe the far-reaching damage that North Korea can give to the world. This may be seen as an exaggeration of the consequences of North Korea’s power. Since North Korea claimed to have launched a nuclear underground test a few weeks ago, there have been doubts if indeed North Korea launched the said test as the explosion was only a small one and it still has to be confirmed if it was from a nuclear weapon. Clearly then, the article by Bray has widened North Korea’s image as a dictator and oppressive regime which can be a great danger to the world. However, she only gave a little importance on North Korea’s economic capability to endure boycotts from other countries and sanctions which will be given by the United Nations. All in all, this article has been negligent because it has been impartial and reported more on the options that might be taken against North Korea by its neighbors and the United States.

Responses to Genocide: Political and Humanitarian Strategies

Responses to Genocide: Political and Humanitarian Strategies Political expediency and humanitarian imperatives in response to genocide   This dissertation examines the humanitarian crisis in the Sudanese region of Darfur during 2003-2004, a situation that has continued through to 2005. Recent reports from the World Food Programme estimate that the violence carried out by the tacitly government-supported militias against the non-Arab civilian population in the region has left 3.5 million people hungry, 2.5 million displaced by the violence and 400, 000 dead.   The Darfur crisis has been a humanitarian disaster unseen since the 1994 genocide in Rwanda. It has been a situation that ultimately foreign governments and international organisations have been unable to ignore. Chapter two examines firstly the theoretical questions behind humanitarian intervention. The realist theory of international affairsis at the heart of the debate – realism suggests that states should puttheir own security and self interest before any moral obligation to intervene. Set in the context of Darfur, there was nothing within the individual national interest of other individual states to intervene, yet at some point in the crisis the common assumption moved towards afeeling that intervention on the basis of humanity was required.   The Rwandan genocide of 1994 and the international response at the time isused as an example of realism dictating the initial response of theinternational community, only to be overtaken by a more moral based response once the sheer scale of the crisis and human rights abuses became apparent. Chapter three looks at events in Darfur in detail, from the beginnings of the crisis to the current situation. Using media sourcesas well as reports from organisation such as the UN and Human Rights Watch, this chapter summarises the main events of the crisis, with examples of the indiscriminate violence used by the government-backed Janjaweed militias against the civilian population in Darfur. The response of the Sudanese government along with the steps it took to prevent humanitarian intervention are describes, as are the actions, or in many cases, the inaction of sections of the international community.  Ã‚   The actions of the Sudanese Government would appear to be driven by the state centric realism that Webber and Smith term â€Å"acentral driving force for human motivation, namely a quest for power† Chapter Four attempts to analyse events in Darfur against the theoretical frameworks detailed in chapter two. Realist assumptions continue to carry a certain weight in international politics, but there are examples of some more ethical policy making within the international community. The roles of the Sudanese Government, the UN, the US and other Western nations are looked at against theoretical positions. Chapter Five offers some conclusions on the internationalresponse to Darfur. At the heart of any analysis of the international response to thecrisis in Darfur lies the question why should anyone care about Darfur.Whilst theories supporting just wars and humanitarian intervention fromthe likes of Kaldor and Walzer argue that there is a basic humanmorality that requires states that are able to intervene to stop thesuffering of oppressed people, a realist perspective, one thatrepresented the initial international response to Darfur, is that thekey value of national interest is independence and security.   It is aquestion that has been at the crux of international relations forcenturies – intervention in the affairs of another sovereign state isan issue that has generated much debate. State sovereignty has long been a fundamental pillar of internationalsociety and non-intervention has ensured that individual states canmaintain their political independence and territorial integrity.International organisations have generally supported this principlewith, for example, Resolution 2131 of the UN General Assembly in 1965stating: â€Å"No state has the right to intervene, directly or indirectly in theinternal or external affairs of any other state. Consequently, armedintervention and all other forms of interference or attempted threatsagainst the personality of the State or against its political,economic, or cultural elements are condemned†. Regional organisationshave taken a similar stance – the Organisation of American Statestotally prohibits direct or indirect intervention in the affairs ofanother state. A wide range of political theory also supports the viewthat sovereignty is all-important and one state should not interfere inthe affairs of another. Nonetheless, international affairs since the establishment of thenation-state have seen intervention by states in the affairs of otherfor a number of reasons. The earliest interventions were for economicand strategic reasons and to secure territorial security – nineteenthcentury European interventions in Africa and Asia to establish coloniesserve as an example of this. In the early twentieth century the USbegan to utilise a different type of intervention, intervening in theaffairs of Central American states such as Nicaragua to encouragedomestic political order, reduce economic corruption and reinforce itsown influence in the region. Such action drew the attention of realistcritics who have influence US foreign policy thinking more recently.Realists have alleged that the adherence to moral principles and thefailure in the past to understand the â€Å"power essence† of interstaterelations has led to unwise and unsuccessful policies , for example tofailed humanitarian int ervention in Somalia. Certainly, the memories ofSomalia will have effected thinking on a political and humanitarianresponse to Darfur. The Cold War saw intervention across the globe by the two superpowerseither to enhance their own strategic security or to advanceideological goals, for example the USSR moving to strengthen communismin Czechoslovakia in 1968 or the US challenging anti-democratic forcesin Grenada in 1983. It is however, humanitarian intervention that is most relevant to thesituation in Darfur, an type of intervention that according to JackDonnelly is foreign intervention that seeks â€Å"to remedy mass andflagrant violations of the basic rights of foreign nationals by theirgovernment†Ã‚  Ã‚   The failure of states and subsequent abuses of humanrights in the latter stages of the twentieth century have presentedother governments with numerous scenarios where they have to makedecisions as to whether military intervention for humanitarian reasonsis justified. It is a complex issue that poses a number of legal andmoral issues. Amstutz argues that humanitarian intervention presents a legalchallenge to the accepted systems of state sovereignty along with amoral challenge to the right of self-determination. Whilst the demandfor order, justice, stability and human rights may override theseconcerns, politicians are also faced with the decision as to whether,how and when their country should instigate humanitarian intervention.Such interventions can generally be justified if two criteria are met:firstly that humanitarian intervention be in the interests of theintervening state, i.e. that it perceives the human rights abuses inthe foreign state as a general threat to the order, legitimacy andmorality of global society, or as a particular threat to its owneconomic prosperity; secondly that the intervention must be in theinterests of the civilian population of the intervened state and thatthe legal and moral issues around military intervention can bejustified by the overall good that is accomplished. NATO intervent ionin Bosnia can be seen as an example of a situation that met the formercriteria, the situationsin both Rwanda and Darfur would appear to meetthe latter. Michael Walzer who has written extensively on just war theory andintervention argues that humanitarian intervention should be seen asdifferent from instigating a military conflict. As well as the legalistargument against intervention in the affairs of another state, there isalso the difficulty of intervention in a country that has not committedaggression against another state – there is a danger that interveningstates can be seen as portraying the message treat your people the waywe believe you should or be subject to the threat of armed punishment.Walzer nonetheless believes that even if intervention threatens theterritory and political independence of another state, there are timeswhen it can be justified. The onus of proof of justification howeverlies with the leader of the state that intervenes and this can be aheavy burden, â€Å"not only because of the coercions and ravages thatmilitary intervention brings, but also because it is thought that thecitizens of a sovereign state have a right, insofar as they are to becoerced and ravaged at all, to suffer only at one another’s hands†. Arguments that states should, regardless of how they are governed,should be left to deal with own affairs and influenced by the thoughtsof John Stuart Mill who argued from a utilitarian viewpoint stronglyfor the right of a single political community to determine its ownaffairs – whether or not its political arrangements are free is not anissue for other states – members of any political society mustcultivate their own freedom in the way that individuals must cultivatetheir own virtue, self-help rather than intervention from an externalforce must be the way towards a just society. Such arguments do notstand up when applied to some of the systematic and well-documentedhuman rights abuses of the twentieth century – foreign governments makedecisions based on a realist perspective not to intervene, butnon-intervention based on the idea of self-determination is to avoidthe issue and hide behind outdated ideas. There is a point at whichrealism has to be put aside and so me form of moral stance must betaken. For Walzer, there are three situations in which theinternational resistance to boundary crossings can be ignored: 1.  when a particular set of boundaries clearly contains two or morepolitical communities, one of which is already engaged in a large-scalemilitary struggle for independence; that is, when what is at issue issecession or ‘national liberation’ 2.  when the boundaries have already been crossed by the armies of aforeign power, even if the crossing has been called for by one of theparties in a civil war, that is, when what is at issue iscounter-intervention; and 3.  when the violation of human rights within a set of boundaries is soterrible that it makes talk of community or self-determination or‘arduous struggle’ seem cynical or irrelevant, that is, in cases onenslavement or massacre His criteria present a realistic scope for intervention. For all theideas of ethical foreign policies there has to be some realism ininternational relations in that states cannot simply intervene in everydispute between neighbours or outbreaks of political unrest in otherstates. Walzer’s criteria, particular his third, limit interventionwhen serious abuses of human rights appear to be taking place. At thispoint, political expediency and national self-interest should be putaside. Ultimately, Walzer’s thinking lead him towards an ethical theory ofpeace on the basis of sovereignty and other widely accepted states’rights. His values form the basis of a legalist paradigm, which providethe moral and legal structure for maintaining international peace. Hislegal paradigm also outlines the criteria for use of force tointervene. Its six key principles are: 1.  An international society of independent states exists; 2.  The states comprising the international society have rights,including the rights of territorial integrity and political sovereignty; 3.  The use of force or threat of force by one state against another constitutes aggression and is a criminal act; 4.  Aggression justifies two types of action: a war of self-defence bythe victim and a war of law enforcement by the victim and any othermembers of the international society; 5.  Nothing but aggression justifies war 6.  After the aggressor state has been militarily repulsed, it can be punished. Irrespective of the situation in a particular state and the legal ormoral issues around any form of intervention, the realist view ofinternational affairs can lead statesmen to decide againstintervention. Realists from Thucydides, Hobbes and Machiavelli throughto the likes of Kissinger and Waltz remain strictly sceptical aboutmoral concepts within international relations and assume that statesgoing to war or engaging in any form of intervention are more motivatedby power and their own national security than any moral issues. Thephrase â€Å"all’s fair in love and war† is often applied to the realistperspective with Walzer writing â€Å"referring specifically to war,realists believe that it is an intractable part of an anarchical worldsystem, that it ought to be resorted to only if it makes sense in termsof national self-interest†Ã‚   – in effect there are no moralconsideration in regard to military intervention, the human rightsabuses occurring in another state are of little importance to realists,intervention will only be considered if it is considered to beeconomically or strategically of value to the intervening state or itsleaders. This value can be political on occasions. There is littledoubt of the power of modern media to put pressure on politicians. TheUS intervention in Somalia and NATO action in Bosnia were to someextent related to public pressure on politicians to do something aboutscenes being broadcast into the homes of the electorate. Thinking on humanitarian intervention has had to adapt more recently tothe new type of wars that have proliferated across the globe since theend of the Cold War, for example the conflicts in the former Yugoslaviadriven by ancient ethnic hatreds. Certainly with the demise of thestand off between two military superpowers there has been greater scopefor the UN and individual states to become involved in conflictresolution and throughout the 1990s the UN has found itself constantlyinvolved in providing humanitarian aid, establishing safe havens,disarmament and demobilisation operations, monitoring and maintainingceasefires. New wars have involved a blurring of the distinction between war(usually defined as violence between states or organised politicalgroups), organised crime (violence undertaken by privately organisedgroups for private purposes, usually financial gain) and large-scaleviolations of human rights (violence undertaken by states orpolitically organised groups against individual).   Some of the ethnichatred that has fuelled new wars has in particular led to terriblehuman rights abuses; events that put moral pressure on others states toconsider intervention. Mary Kaldor suggests that there are two types ofresponse to new wars – one is to draw on the old war idea of the nationstate and look for solutions along the lines of intervention and peacekeeping whilst the other response is a more negative and fatalisticoutlook: â€Å"because the wars cannot be understood in traditional terms,they are thought to represent a reversion to primitivism or anarchy andthe most that can be done there fore is to ameliorate the symptoms. Inother words, wars are treated as natural disasters.† Kaldor’s view rightly challenge the realist assumption that statesshould not involve themselves in humanitarian intervention unless thereis some advantage to be gained in a self-interested pursuit of power.What is required is a more political response to new wars and theattacks on human rights that accompany them. The internationalcommunity should be looking towards politics of inclusion that capturethe hearts and minds of protagonists and any such politicalmobilisation should override traditional geopolitics or short termdomestic concerns. This type of thinking moves closer to a type ofneo-realism which places more of an emphasis on the structural featuresof the international system and avoids the stress on the often anarchicstriving for power that reflects traditional realism.   The drawback tothe neo realist approach is that its reliance on the determining impactof the structure of the international system allow policy makersrelatively little discretion. This can be seen to some extent in Darfuras representative from various states struggled to find a solution tothe crisis that met with consensus. There have of course been embarrassments for individual states andinternational organisations with attempts at humanitarian interventionin the 1990s, setbacks that will give weight to realist theory thatsovereign states should on the whole be left well alone. Kaldorconcludes that humanitarian intervention has had mixed success: â€Å"at best, people have been fed and fragile ceasefires have beenagreed†¦.at worst the UN has been shamed and humiliated, as, forexample, when it failed to prevent genocide in Rwanda, when theso-called safe haven of Srebrenica was overrun by Bosnian Serbs, orwhen the hunt for the Somali warlord Aideed ended in a mixture of farceand tragedy†. Nonetheless, the arguments for humanitarian intervention remain strong.Darfur is as good an example as any for this. As Orend writes â€Å"whyshould foreign states, which themselves respect human rights, be barredin principle from intervening in such illegitimate regimes?†Ã‚   Rwanda in particular serves as an example of both foreign states andinternational organisations initially taking a realist stance only toeventually to be spurred into action by the sheer scale of the genocidetaking place. In France’s case, the links between the powerful elitesin the two countries had long been established – not only had Francelong supported the Hutu regime but Francois Mitterand and RwandanPresident Habyarimana were personal friends, whilst their sons, JeanChristopher and Jean-Pierre were also friends and business associates.The two countries had mutual economic interests and there is evidencethat Jean Christopher was one of France’s biggest arms dealers to Rwanda. The French response to the developing crisis, when it came, was farfrom glorious. Rather than intervene to provide further killings itdecided to pull out its troops. In the previous week, the first of thegenocide they had evacuated as many as 1361 people including 450 Frenchnationals and 178 Rwandan officials and their families. No otherRwandan nationals were evacuated, not even Tutsi personnel from theFrench embassy or well-known opponents of the regime who had alreadybeen targeted by the militia.   The role of the United Nations mission (UNAMIR) has receivedconsiderable criticism in analyses of the genocide. The UN had its owninternal politics to contend with and its policies on Rwanda were inturn determined to some extent by realist self-interest. As anorganisation it was largely reliant on the support of its most powerfulmembers on the Security Council. These nations, mindful of thedisastrous US intervention in Somalia were wary of investing troops andfinances into another African conflict. Realism came to the forefrontof the early decision making process. Human Rights Watch, in additionto criticism of the UN for not taking heed of Dallaire’s warnings, isalso critical of the scale of the mandate itself.   It describes thedetails of the mandate as follows: â€Å"Not only was the UN slow, it was also stingy. The United States, whichwas assessed 31 per cent of UN peacekeeping costs, had suffered fromthe enormous 370 per cent increase in peacekeeping expenses from 1992to 1993 and was in the process of reviewing its policy on such operations. Quite simply the UN was not equipped to keep the peace in Rwanda.Members on its influential Security Council did not have the politicalwill to get involved, nor were they willing to take on the financialburden. The US and the UK, although less involved in Rwanda thanFrance, were similarly guilty of happily ignoring warnings of possiblegenocide and working towards the maintenance of the status quo. Bothhad sold arms to the Hutu regime and had trading links with Rwanda.Both also had little desire to see their own troops caught up as partof an UN force in Rwanda. The theory of non-intervention, as opposed torealism is another view that opposes humanitarian intervention. The keyassumptions and values for this concept are †¢Ã‚  the existing anarchic international system is morally legitimate †¢Ã‚  peoples have a right to political self-determination †¢Ã‚  states have a juridical right to sovereignty and territorial integrity †¢Ã‚  states have an obligation to resolve conflicts peacefully †¢Ã‚  force is a illegitimate instrument for altering the existing territorial boundaries Non –intervention theory argues in favour of an internationallegitimacy of states in which existing states are entitled to autonomyand domestic legitimacy which assumes that states are entitled torespect and support when they fulfil their core obligations as states.In terms of domestic legitimacy, in the light of the fact that thereare wide disparities in conceptions of human rights, this canessentially be interpreted that whether a state is entitled tonon-intervention depends largely on its subject’s approval of theregime itself. The counter-arguments of realism and moral intervention continue toplay a major role in international politics and are likely to continueto do so. It is a sad fact that the list of oppressive governments andmassacred populations is lengthy. Walzer points out that for every Naziholocaust or Rwanda there will be a number of smaller examples ofinjustice and abuse – so many that the international community cannothope to deal with. On a small scale at least, Walzer’s suggestion thatâ€Å"states don’t send their soldiers into other states, it seems, only tosave lives. The lives of foreigners don’t weigh that heavily in thescales of domestic decision-making†Ã‚   rings true – humanitarianintervention in smaller-scale situations is simply not realistic. Agreater test for the moral resolve of NGOs and wealthier nations istheir response in the face of large-scale humanitarian disasters andhuman rights abuses, again using Walzer’s words, when deal ing with actsâ€Å"that shock the moral conscience of mankind†. Ethical questions around the issues of international moral obligationstowards nations suffering from oppressive regimes and human rightsabuses are not easily resolved. Whilst humanitarian aid or interventionis generally seen as a morally correct route of action, politicalexpediency quite often takes precedence. Whilst it is generallyaccepted that, as Grotius believed, war ought not to be undertakenexcept for the enforcement of right and   when once undertaken it shouldbe carried on   within the bounds of law and good faith,  Ã‚   national selfinterest does not always allow for a strategy led by such moralincentives. In Darfur, the action of the Khartoum Government couldcertainly not be described as driven by moral incentives whilstelsewhere early responses to the crisis were driven by politicalexpediency   Major states have to ask themselves which moral valuesshould influence their foreign policies and which international valueis more important – sovereignty or human r ights? The answer should behuman rights, yet there is a fine line between using these values froma moral perspective or manipulating them into a realist opportunity toindulge the national interest with intervention elsewhere. There areother difficult questions – do human rights violations justify foreignintervention and at what scale?   Does international political moralityrequire the removal of illegal military regimes and the restoration ofdemocracy?   There are countless regimes around the world to which theworld might turn its attention and ask itself these questions. For themost part, small conflicts and small-scale abuse of human rights are,rightly or wrongly, ignored. The situation in Darfur from 2003 onwardshowever gave the international community a scenario that it could notignore. The world had to make decisions upon hundreds of thousands oflives would rest. Chapter Three – The crisis in Darfur The current situation in Darfur can be traced back to February 2003when fighters from the Sudanese Liberation Movement (SLM) and theJustice and Equality Movement (JEM) launched joints attacks againstgovernment garrisons in protest at what they saw as decades ofpolitical oppression and economic neglect by the Sudanese government.The attacks came at the same time that there had been high hopes of apeace settlement to the war in southern Sudan that had been ongoingbetween the government and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army(SPLM/A) since independence in 1965. The government’s response was unequivocal. Citing the rebels as anaggressive force against the state it set out to crush the rebellion byforce and utilised the powerful force of Arab Janjaweed militias toattack not particularly rebel soldiers but the civilian populationsfrom where the rebels would have originated.   The government expectedto crush the revolt, partly as it had done so in 1991 when a SPLA unitinfiltrated Darfur, and partly as it expected a lack on internationalinterest as Darfur was an internal Northern Sudanese issue with noChristian population and no oil interests involved. Khartoum –ledmilitary activity in late 2003 to early 2004 was brutal (â€Å"acounter-insurgency of extraordinary ferocity†)   and carried out whilstthe government prevented any humanitarian aid reaching the civilianpopulation. It was an action led by political expediency withabsolutely no regard for the human rights of an innocent civilianpopulation. Hugo Slim describes th e military action as completelydisproportionate to the targeted guerrilla warfare of the two Darfurinsurgent groups and states that â€Å"systematic and widespread governmentand Janjaweed assaults on civilians, their villages, theirinfrastructure and their livelihoods along with forced displacement andland-grabbing, intended to make it impossible for the terrorised andevicted populations to return. As this went on, the Government alsoenforced what was almost a complete ban on humanitarian aid accessingthe country between October 2003 and February 2004. Early talks on the crisis saw the Khartoum Government deliberatelystonewall on major issues. It objected to upgrading the small AUobserver force from 300 to 3500,with an increase in its mandate toinclude protecting civilians, and was then forced to accept thismeasure by the UN Security Council. It was a realist approach – lookingsolely after its own interests and using delay in an internationalresponse to move along with its aim to displace the population ofDrafur. Government and Janjaweed Cooperation There is little realdoubt that the government has worked closely with the Janjaweedmilitias. Human Rights Watch (HRW) investigations concluded thatgovernment forces and militia troops have taken part in massacres andsummary executions of civilians, burnings of towns and villages andforcible depopulation of areas across Darfur. †We are the government†has been a common response of Janjaweed at checkpoints and whenentering villages and HRW reports that â€Å"the government and itsJanjaweed allies have killed thousands of Fur, Masalit and Zaghawa –often in cold blood, raped women and destroyed villages, food stocksand other supplies essential to the civilian population.†. In the early stages of the conflict, the Sudanese government barelyattempted to conceal its close working with the Janjaweed. Mans writesthat â€Å"the Janjaweed militias are said to be of largely Chadian originand finance themselves through plunder and pillage, reportedly enjoyingimplicit support from the Government in Khartoum.† But this isunderstating the relationship between the two. In April 2004, theSudanese Foreign Minister, Mustafa Osman Ismail, admitted a commoncause with the Janjaweed stating â€Å"the government may have turned ablind eye to the militias†¦This is true. Because these militia aretargeting the rebellion.†Ã‚   President Bashir also had spoken on 31December 2003 of the government’s determination to defeat the SLArebellions and warned darkly that â€Å"the horsemen† would be one of theweapons it would use. There is other clear evidence of well established links between thegovernment and Janjaweed leaders. Many of the militia leaders areestablished emirs or omdas from Arab tribes who have previously workedin government. For example, Abdullah abu Shineibat, an emir of the BeniHalba tribe is a Janjaweed leader in the Habila-Murnei area, whilstOmar Saef, an omda of the Awlad Zeid tribe is leader of the Janjaweedfrom Geineina to Misterei. Other evidence pointed to a similarconclusion of complicity between government and militia: Janjaweedbrigades were organised along army lines with forces wearing similaruniforms and officers using the same stripes; militia forces used thesame land cruisers and satellite phones as army personnel and there isevidence that Janjaweed members were given assurances that they wouldnot face local prosecution for crimes, with police forces beinginstructed to leave them alone.   Again, the prevailing issue here ispolitical expediency overcoming any possible humani tarian response.Both the Government and Janjaweed had interests in devastating Darfur –there was political gain for the Government and financial gain for theJanjaweed. Both took the realist option of looking after themselves. Government and Militia forces attack civilians One of the mostnotable traits of the crisis in Darfur has been the fact that bothgovernment and militia forces have largely ignored rebel forces,preferring to use their weapons against the civilian population inareas that rebels may have originated from. HRW investigationsuncovered 14 incidents in Dar Masalit alone between September 2003 andFebruary 2004 in which 770 civilians were killed. It also gatheredwitness testimony to mass executions in the Fur areas of Wadi Salihprovince over the same period.   Aerial bombardment of civilians has also been commonplace. The SudaneseGovernment has made extensive use of attack aircraft, dropping bombsloaded with metal shards to cause maximum injury and also utilisinghelicopter gun ships and MiG jet fighters. Bombing has also beendeliberately targeted at villages and towns where displaced citizenshave gathered – for example on August 27 2003, aircraft carried out anattack on the town of Habila which was packed with displaced civiliansfrom surrounding areas. 24 were killed. Government and Janjaweed forces have also systematically attacked anddestroyed villages, food stocks, water sources and other essentialitems essential for the survival of villages in West Darfur. Refugeesin Chad have confirmed a sweep south east of Geneeina in February 2004saw the destruction of a number of villages including Nouri, Chakoke,Urbe, Jabun and Jedida. The International Response The international response to the situation in Darfur has been mixed,characterised by a willingness to condemn the Sudanese Governmentalongside a dragging of heels in actually intervening to stop what theUS Government has labelled genocide. Alex De Waal suggests thatpolitical repercussions for the Sudanese Government were gravewriting:   â€Å"International attention and condemnation exceeded allexpectations, culminating in Darfur being brought before the UnitedNations Security Council in July 2004† This analysis however fails tomention the scale of the crisis in the preceding months and suggests amore positive and effective response by the international communitythan was actually the case.. The international community may eventuallyhave come around to taking Darfur seriously – but much later than wasrequired. As Hugo Slim concludes: â€Å"the international community has notdenied, but it has delayed and dithered. Once engaged it fumbled andtook far too long to achie ve a united and sufficiently assertiveresponse.†Ã‚   There was a notable reluctance from the UN in particular to use theword genocide in relation to Darfur, a similar pattern to that had beenfollowed in Rwanda a decade earlier. It was in fact US Secretary ofState Powell that announced on September 9th 2004 that the USgo