Unit 3 IP Pre Submit Essay

Unit 3 IP Pre Submit Essay Unit 3 IP Pre Submit Essay Unit 3 IP. In a criminal trial based on the rights outlined within the Bill of Rights an appeal can be made after a ruling has been handed down by the judge. This appeal is done as a result of the defendant and his representative having the view point that justice was not served or some aspect of his or her rights have been violated or that there were some errors in the carrying out of their due process as it relates to the first 10 amendments of the U.S. Constitution, the Bill of Rights. Another basis for appeal would be the omission of nay portion of due process. Once again, the defendant will need to point out and prove that due process has been denied, omitted or encroached on which would result in an infringement of the right encapsulated in the 14th amendment, the due process clause. The verdict handed down to a defendant in a state trial can be appealed and subsequent to due process of the initial appeal and verdict or judgment is delivered, the defendant still has another opportunity to appeal the second decision given by the appellate court as a last resort. The initial appeal is usually submitted to the Intermediate Court of Appeals which are found in 39 of the United States of America. In the state of Florida, there are 5 Intermediate Courts of Appeals which are also called District Courts of Appeals (DCA). As we may know, these courts’ function as a fine-toothed comb, ensuring that every aspect of the law as consistent with the constitution has been duly observed in relation to a defendant’s rights and liberties outlined in the Bill of Rights. Depending on the jurisdiction of the lower court the relative district court will then be selected for any course of appeals. In Florida, the courts of appeal are located in Tallahassee, Lakeland, Miami, West Palm Beach and Daytona Beach respectively. Although there is a possibility for an appeal to the Florida Supreme Court, then the U.S. Supreme Court as a final resort as it relates to litigated case s, it is a general rule that the decisions of the DCA represents the final appellate review. Most cases submitted for appeal to the Florida Supreme Court or the U.S. Supreme Court that has already received ruling from the DCA is essentially denied. (Ref 1: www.flcourts.org) In the state of Florida, due to the size of the state, most of the cases submitted for appeal are never handled by the Florida Supreme Court or the U.S. Supreme court as the DCA have been empowered to function as the supreme courts would. The same processes employed to select Supreme Court Justices are used when selecting District Court Justices thus affording the Justices of the DCA the same authority as those in the Supreme Court. This step taken to

Building a Network

Building a Network The Web abounds with writers who ponder how to develop that proverbial network thats supposed to represent their 1,000true fansthose fans who are supposed to make our growth possible. Those fans who want anything we have to offer, and tell others about it. In case you are not familiar with the concept, read these articles. You need to know. Your 1,000 True Fanshttp://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2008/03/1000-true-fans.html A 20-Step Process for Finding Your 1,000 True Fanscopyblogger.com/20-steps-1000-fans/ 1,000 True Fanskk.org/thetechnium/archives/2008/03/1000_true_fans.php But writers fail to build these fans. Either they are blind to the opportunities when they present themselves, or they profess they have no time. In either case, they set themselves up to fail. And when they need those fans the most, they fuss about not having them. I know you have limited time. Every other person on the planet has limited time. The successful manage their time more efficiently. So its on you, my friend. That is, assuming you seriously want to be a writer. So . . . to earn those true-blue 1,000 fans, you need to: 1) Return emails to anyone with the slightest interest in your work, without exception. Regardless of what you think of them, regardless of how serious you think they are about their writing, regardless of how quirky, angry, bubble-headed, or tacky they are. You are not in this business to judge. You are in this business to write, and in this effort, you have no right to be selective about who has the potential to like your work. In other words, enjoy anyone who likes reading and writing. Were all different. There is no right or wrong. 2) At conferences, collect those business cards, and upon your return home, reach out and rejuvenate that connection. Be gracious. 3) Be liberal in your Facebook and Twitter connections and friends. 4) Be bold in your profiles on any online resource (Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, Amazon, Pinterest, Google, LinkedIn, etc.). Liberal means being upfront about what type writer you are. Show others you mean business in this writing business. 5) Reach out. Whether you have a newsletter or keep a blog, communicate. If you dont have time for your fans, why should they have time for you? 6) Smile. Enjoy others company. Appreciate people. Sounds like work, doesnt it. Duh! Of course it is. But its the most rewarding work, outside of writing your stories, that you can accomplish. Assuming you want to put WRITER on your tax return under PROFESSION.

Statistical coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Statistical - Coursework Example Beta is the gradient of the model line. Nonetheless, for ADM, BLT, AV, CPG and RIO Company, there was no significant beta to explain the market risk since t-statistic was less than the critical value. Generally, alpha, the constant, illustrated how much worse or better the company performed than CAPM predicted (negative alpha illustrated how much worse the fund performed and vice versa). The quality of our model was illustrated by our R2. While an R2 of 1.0 would imply that our model fit the weekly data perfectly (100%) and that the performance of the funds were explained by their risk exposure, as estimated by beta, this was not the case as evidenced in different R2, s in the Table 1. According to Reilly & Brown (2012), variation of stock returns is the concern of any shareholder. As such, most models are not interested in finding out the most convenient way of determining stock return but to see which macroeconomic factors determine the variation of stock return. CAPM is a simple model that is perceived on sound reasoning, some of the assumptions that look like the model are unrealistic. Rather than simply just broadening an existing theory, Albright, Winston & Zappe (2009) propos this concern by giving a completely different model: the Arbitrage Pricing Theory (APT). Being the opposite of CAPM, the current developed APT starts with the assumption that arbitrage opportunities should not be found in perfect financial markets. This thought is a little bit restricted than those needed to develop the CAPM. Bruns (2013) claims APT starts by assuming that there are n factors, which cause asset returns to significantly differ from their expected values. Secondly, it adopts systematic risk (beta). CAPM considers systematic. This has been assumed in other return models, like the dividend discount model (DDM). Systematic or market risk is a fundamental variable because it is one does not see it therefore cannot be

Marketing Plan for Dog and Duck Bar Research Paper

Marketing Plan for Dog and Duck Bar - Research Paper Example A careful evaluation of the weekly customer flow and entertainment schedule served as the foundation for this analysis and the following marketing plan. The demographics of the target markets are somewhat varied and the customer attendance is unpredictable, but research indicates that bistro clientele is extremely loyal. The plan focuses on DDB's future growth strategy in increasing public awareness, developing and maintaining customer loyalty, improving the acoustic and functional design of the interior, maximizing future profits by promoting the bistro within its specific niche market, and emphasizing the bistro's superiority in the live entertainment music market and restaurant. Because DDB's promotional budget is rather limited, free exposure like press releases and emails will be sent out on a regular basis to announce the entertainment schedule and cooperative advertising will be pursued for all future print media. A part-time marketing director will be hired to assist the owne rs in creating ad layout and content, as well as helping with public relations. Because DDB's has relatively weak marketing and financial resources, it has relied heavily on extensive word-of-mouth advertising. Fortunately, this approach has helped to achieve a limited degree of success thus far in the club's existence, but this method will not achieve the type of profit margin the owners are hoping to obtain or sustain any type of business for very long. In the meantime, the employees will have to make a major effort to ensure that once they gain new customers, they don't lose them by consistently delivering quality products and services at competitive prices. To obtain repeat business from loyal customers, DDB's must work hard to establish long-term relationships with its clientele. Â  

Connections Les Murray Essay Example for Free

Connections Les Murray Essay A connection is an avenue of interaction that establishes and develops a relationship between people, places, and culture. Connections as social constructs may be positive or negative, impacted by internal beliefs, values and ideas that underlie the external determinants of environment, attitudes and culture within society. Poet Les Murray and educator Jane Elliott critically explore in their texts the cultural disconnection in the Australian and Canadian communities in response to the interaction of these factors and their effect on the avenues of interaction between people. Les Murray’s Sydney and the Bush embodies the poet’s personal connection and attachment to the ‘farmer lifestyle’ as he blames the disconnection of urban and rural Australia entirely on the city’s infatuation with materialistic pleasure. This consequently emphasises his value of the nature of rural society. Murray perceives the infatuation as an external attitude of the modernised and corrupted urban society, factored by the city individual’s internal values of luxury, wealth and power being the unmistakable cause of the cultural divide. He reinforces this notion through the technique of repetition, using the phrase ‘When Sydney’ in order to periodically mark the progression of cultural disconnection and accentuate the attributing internal and external factors. â€Å"When Sydney ordered lavish books, and warmed her feet with coal† reiterates the internal necessity for comfort and sophistication as few of limited sources of satisfaction. Les Murray further develops the concept of disconnection in the poem when â€Å"then bushman sank and factories rose, and warders set the tone†, contextualising this to reveal a loss of cultural identity for the rural community through industrialisation. â€Å"Then convicts bled and warders bred, the bush went back and back† whereby the poet suggests that nature is the central value of the farmer lifestyle, governing the internal and external factors of their connections, which in this poem is a disconnection to the urban society. Thus, Murray demonstrates that our connections are negatively impacted by internal and external factors, expressing a critical perspective that reflects his own value of and connection to nature and its simplicity as a source of contentment. creates another social critique of the urban social hierarchy contrast he begins the poem with â€Å"When Sydney and the Bush first met, there was no open ground† and ends with a juxtaposing â€Å"When Sydney and the Bush meet now, There is no common ground† enabling readers to identify the divided Australia in its urban and rural communities.

My Mean Old Art Teacher Essays -- Personal Narrative Writing

My Mean Old Art Teacher Mr. Arnold stands smugly by his classroom door between classes, with his arms proudly crossed over his chest as trails of students trample past his art room each day. Many of the passers-by recognize this man simply as "the scary art teacher." Those who have experienced Mr. Arnold's art class first-hand regard him otherwise. I had heard many stories about Mr. Arnold before entering his grueling class. "Most people don't like him," some warned me. Others commented, "I've heard his class is really difficult." I can remember my first day in his art class clearly. I entered his room a timid freshman with unpleasant expectations. Maybe I was even a little more than timid. The concept of high school frightened me, and having a teacher with a bad reputation didn't ease my fears. I was a sheltered fourteen-year old girl; a girl who had been babied most of her life. I entered room 28 for the first time on a warm late-summer's afternoon, as the sun's rays attempted to soothe me through the windows. The poignant smell of oil paint filtered through the air, soft classical music drifted from his office and impressive artwork decorated the walls. Mr. Arnold always insisted, much to the students' opposition, that, "Classical music puts you in the right mind set to create art. It will not distract you, it will force you to focus." The shelves juggled piles of aged art supplies and half-filled canvases doffed the edges of the room. Mr. Arnold loomed in front of the class with his pointer, a man with frosty silver hair and an undeniable bald spot, unraveling his list of arduous requirements. "Art is not an easy B", he smirked, making reference to a sign on the wall, and squinting at us with his sharp icy eyes. "Furt... ...der his tutelege. Mr. Arnold's guidance has made me realize that if I deeply and genuinely love what I do, I can succeed. Art has wisked me into lands of creativity and imagination I never knew. I've learned to expand my boundaries by setting sail on risky bodies of water. I may be somewhat of a timid person, but when I create art, I can fly. Mr. Arnold has helped me gain more of the confidence I so desperately needed to break loose. I spent four years in that same room, a room where I grew to love the familiar smell of oil paint and the sound of classical music, listening to Mr. Arnold holler, narrate, criticize, instruct and laugh. I do know an art teacher, different from the one who stands smugly by the door of his art room, with his arms proudly crossed over his chest, and I will never forget him because his teaching has shaped me as an artist, and as a person.

Oedipus Tyrannus Essay

Oedipus Trynnus was Sophocles masterpiece and it occupies a key place in the Greek’s mythologies and probably the most famous. This Sophocles’s piece of work is also referred to as Oedipus Rex and was performed for the time in C429Bc. It was a play that was set in Thebes, a city that had been rocked by plague. In this mythology, the mother of Oedipus committed suicide by hanging herself while his real son Oedipus self exiled himself after he learned the truth that he had married his own biological mother. Oedipus had been abandoned by his father after the oracle told him that he would suffer in the hands of his own son and for this reason he ordered him to be killed. As he was ordered, shepherd refused to kill the child and gave it to another shepherd after he was unable to raise the child himself who then gave it to a childless king of Colinth, Polybus. He was raised and brought up in his courtyard until he was fully mature. All this time he never knew that those were not his real parents but through rumors, he learned that they were not his real parents and he felt like killing the king, Polybus. He decided to consult the Oracle over this issue but it declined to tell the truth although he later established the truth. The oracle seemed to ignore his question and instead told him that he would mate with his own mother and that he would shed the blood of his own sire with his own hands. (Sophocles, Meineck P, and Woodruff P. 2000) Oedipus pretended not to be hurt and continued to believe that Merope and Polybus were his real parents. Later he contemplated of leaving Corinth for Thebes to avoid the thoughts of killing them. On his way to Thebes on his chariot, he met a man whom they disagreed over who had the right to pass first. As the quarrel ensued, due to his arrogance Oedipus killed him but this was part of the prophecy that he would kill his parents using his own hands. He was not aware that that was his biological father. This action cannot be blamed on him that he killed his own father for it was a prophecy that he would shed the blood of his own sire and so he did. What should be known is that Oedipus was just fulfilling the prophecy of the oracle although he was doing this unconsciously. At time went on, Crossby H. (1860) he managed to solve a riddle that had left many baffled. This was known as Sphinx’s riddle and the riddle was, â€Å"what walks on four legs in the morning then at noon it uses two legs and in the evening on three legs? † Sphinx never imagined that anybody would unravel the mystery and so when it was done, she threw herself off the cliff side. Although again not aware of what Oedipus did, saving the world from the curse, he opened himself another door by being made the king and in addition he was given queen Jocasta to marry. This was her real mother but he was not aware. At this juncture oracle’s prophecy could be said to have materialized although none of the key players was aware even Oedipus himself despite the fact that he had been briefed by the Oracle. Immediately after he assumed the throne (Sophocles. 2006), he was promised a Prague by the gods for the murder of Laius. For this reason, he took it upon himself to look for the killer although he was not aware that he was the murderer. In aid of the search, a blind prophet, Tiresias was approached so that he would assist in bringing the killers to book. Soon, he was given a warning not to follow the matter and was blamed by the king of killing the man. In his retaliation he told the king that he was looking for himself something that made the king to look incredulous. The king in his reaction accused Teresias of being in conspiracy with Jocasta’s brother Creon to overthrow him. (Seagal C. 2000) It should be understood that the king had no other option apart from doing that because he was obliged to do so by the oracle although he was not aware that he was fulfilling the prophecy that had been made earlier to him that he would kill his own sire using his bare hands and the same happened when he killed the man over the chariot’s passage rights. Again as it had already prophesied that he would sleep with his own mother, the same happened when he married Jocasta, the queen who was given to him after she unraveled Sphinx’s riddle something that saved Thebes’s kingdom from gods’ curse. So he was just accomplishing what was predestined to happen in his life by the Oracle. He had no power to reverse this and so he was not to be blamed for his actions. If Oedipus knew that the man whom he quarreled with was his father and that the lady that was given to him as a reward was his biological mother, he wouldn’t have done what he did and so he was innocent and should not be blamed for his actions. (Crossby H. 1860) Oedipus came to learn the naked truth when king Polybus who raised Oedipus died and a messenger who was the only witness to the murder of Lais came to Thebes to convey the message of Polybus’ death (Wilson A. 994). He had run away from Thebes because he did not want to be the one that would reveal the secret. He kept his secret and the truth came to the right when the second messenger accompanied by a shepherd told him that his real parentage was unknown. While they were still seated there, her wife told him the truth something that hurt him very m uch. The truth was that he was the kid who was abandoned by Laius after he was told by the oracle that he would bring suffering to his own father. After this, his wife ran away and committed suicide by hanging herself and when the king learned of his death from his messenger he gouged his eyes out with the golden brooches that were on Jacasta’s dress. (Hunt A. J. 1937) This left him a confused man and that was why he blinded himself so that he would never meet his father in the after world. He even decided to exile himself leaving his children in the hands of Jocanta’s brother, care. At first he insisted to have the company of the children but Creon refused. In short though unaware, all his actions were predetermined and he was just doing what was in the Oracle’s design.

Children Matters: Conflict Minerals and their harmful

Congo, I decided to focus my paper on the children of the Congo and rounding countries, Including stones of child soldiers of the country and how It affects the community and family stung there. Why? These children are facing an unimaginable reality that is culturally bypassed by our degree of living here in America. I want to see how my recent knowledge of conflict minerals affects this relationship between the young children there and how it contributes to their upbringing, If there is a relationship at all.For this paper, extensive research has been placed on many sources, both academic and non-academic. I tried to choose viewpoints that showed opposition to en another on the subject of child issues and conflict minerals, as well as find viewpoints that might provide a unique perspective. For the beginning research and to get me started on thinking of the conflicts within the Congo come the two texts we used for our conflict minerals readings and paper one, â€Å"Consuming the Co ngo' by Peter Chastened and â€Å"Coolant† by Michael Nest.Both these text offer opposing views on the role of conflict minerals within the Congo and but detail some statistics and personal experience to. Peter Lactated Is a dedicated Journalist who shares stories f human rights abuse and is also a stakeholder in the role of child soldiers, the focus of his first main book written in 2010. He has spent years traveling throughout Africa finding tales of incredible courage from natives and exposing some of the true horror that takes place there. Michael Nest is a Journalist who focuses development issues and governance with regards to natural resources.He has collected many statistics through his work In Africa to showcase and explain that It's not only minerals that are fueling the fire in the Congo, and takes a look at other political and economic factors. From my academic books and to hopefully showcase some light on child soldiers' subject I choose these credible books. Fir st is â€Å"Young Soldiers, Why They Choose to Fight by Rachel Brett and Irma Suspect. This book collects firsthand accounts of why children who have been abducted by various militia groups throughout Africa by the former soldier themselves.It also highlights their roles In book and its accounts within because they offer true words and experiences from these kids. The authors spent a good deal of research to showcase this book and it reflects in the stories that are given. My next piece is title Child Slavery Now by Gary Craig. Gary Craig is an Associate Fellow and Emeritus Professor of Social Justice at the Wildflower Institute for the study of Slavery and Emancipation where he led a team of workers following modern slavery for nine years.He currently is His book has brought together countless contributions from multiple authors, each with a high level of understanding of modern slavery issues, all around the world. This piece offers great support for this topic. My last book, tit led â€Å"War and Children†, is a reference handbook written by Kenned E. Deputy and Shrink Peters. This book, although lengthy, highlights some of the true horrors of mid Africa and there consequences both to the country, and to the children. It's great interesting to see how an unlucky experience in the Congo or anywhere else can lead to a life full of pain.This reference also effectively describes the groups and activist that are in the fight to help solve these horrible happenings and uses other sources that help represent additional stakeholders in my paper. Other notable sources used for this paper include some facts that represent United State stakeholders from Whitehorse. Ova, the official government site of the United States of America. I also used an article from the New York Times who offers current and public opinion on what is going on multiple issues worldwide.These sources are trusted by the people of America for our daily news to governmental policies put in e ffect across America. Their ethos is incredibly accounted for on a variety of issues and I am happy to have their words and facts within this document. Interesting enough there is a stakeholder that is not represented by words but has had his actions criticized by my other sources. His actions have recently gained national attention and exposure from credible news stations to social media sites such as Backbone and Twitter.Everyone is asking the same question, where in the world Joseph Kong is. Joseph Kong is the leader of the LIRA, the Lord's Resistance Army, infamously known for their recruitment of young child soldiers within their group from the Congo, by any means necessary. Joseph Kong might be the most searched man for 2012 but his lack of words will prove to be the source of some of the most heated feelings within the Congo and among my other sources. I look forward to explaining more as the paper goes along.My luckiest and most valuable source I feel I have for this paper i s my friend Maggie who recently spent 6 months in Uganda, a neighboring country of the Congo in which she dedicated her time to helping child soldiers within the area. Before she came, she did years of research, independent study, and kept up to date with Invisible children, rehabilitation centers, what happens to people once they get out of the center. For months she followed Sam Chillers, who opened an orphanage to protect surrounding areas from the dangers of child soldier endangerment and abduction.She worked personally with former child soldiers and listened and learned their stories and built relationships with these children over a span 3 months, recently coming back in September 2011. Her firsthand experience and knowledge of the unfolding events there both give her an incredible amount of ethos and a leg up on my paper for my sources; I feel her story will help me better With these sources in abundance, I have no doubt I have some good information and good opposing views fo r this paper. These sources are backed by years of research and personal stories/experiences.I didn't really give thought to how many resources I should pick, but feel this is quite adequate for the lesson at hand. Their words should really give a detailed look into the lives of the children within the Congo, and how conflict minerals and other factors contribute to this rapidly media attention getting lifestyle of Africa. Section l: Fact: Conjecture and Definition The conjecture of conflict minerals and child issues within the Congo are in abundance with regards to my sources. For the beginning of this section and my early research, I have found that all my sources do in fact agree on the belief that these actions are real.That is, they are happening. The steady mining of minerals by natives who have been exploited and/or worse, turned into rebel army members to force others to do their dirty deeds has Just been the fuel that has burned this real life wildfire for years. â€Å"Con suming the Congo' written by Journalist Peter Chastened might Just perhaps be the best source to define the term conflict minerals. His book was incredibly easy to understand and relate to as he took me through the Journey behind the curtains of Africans darkest war.He defines the conflict minerals resources mined in the midst of armed conflict and egregious human right buses† (Chastened). That is, these are minerals used by the world by labor rights that cause conflict within Africa. These conflicts included forcing natives to mine the minerals under the eyes of militia groups that use the minerals to wage for machinery within their rebel groups. As well as his research behind the conflict minerals within the Congo, Peter helps tie in my other research and definition of child soldiers within the country as well.He in fact wrote his first book about it, titled First Kill your family: Child Soldiers of Uganda and the Lord's Resistance Army. From y understanding, Chastened first covered this story to see what was in deed happening right in the land where Maggie traveled. This indeed should build upon hi ethos. Coolant is another great source and Nest's works goes above and the beyond the violence in Africa. Michael Nest shares some of the dark and disturbing facts and figures of the minerals that are mined daily, there are an estimated 750,000 to 2,000,000 artisan miners in the DRY peg. 7. In 2000, eastern DRY became enveloped in coolant fever, akin to the gold rushes of the 19th century in the United States. Conflict is not new to Congo' (Nest peg. 6). Between the amount of workers that are exploited for these minerals and the rush for the mineral brought by major corporations, show indeed why these minerals are considered conflict material. â€Å"Few share Island's confidence in the government. Some suggest that if the government wants peace in eastern Congo, it needs to involve mining communities in the structure of the government.The government needs to become more inclusive, not exclusive. Most communities are isolated and therefore vulnerable, forcing them to turn to armed ethnic groups for protection and for a sense of community and control. (Nest) Young Soldiers. â€Å"l entered in war very early, when I was 12 or less I came to Missionaries for schooling and I became involved in war. I never wanted to use gun and I never wanted to fight in my country. [†¦ ]We had to defend and fight, proves that this is indeed happening to kids, on not Just Africa but a global level.The point of this book shares the untold stories of children, straight from the children themselves. Child issues in Africa are defined in many ways as shown by my sources as well as the conflict minerals. For most of my sources, their reason for their existence is based n the universal, Western definition and belief that children, especially under the age of 18, should not be involved with the actions of war. However ,Young Soldiers, Why they Choose to Fi ght wants to define these children as indicating they have a choice in whether they pursue this lifestyle or not, a unique perspective.There following 53 natives of boys and girls The United States of America has constructed laws in attempts to define Child Soldiering and how they would react to it, thus indicating that they do in fact believe these acts are happening. According to this New York Times Article written in 010 about child soldiers in the Congo, the U. S reported the following; â€Å"The Congo was exempted because United States-backed programs were helping its military become more professional and fight rights abuses. † â€Å"Recruiting young children for militia purposes and other doings?Yes, this type of enslavement exists. I have noticed it a lot in (through my research) of the Eastern Countries, in China, India, and especially in the area of Congo, Uganda, Sudan, and Central Republic of Africa†. (Maggie). These are the words from my fellow traveler Mag gie, who sums up in agreement what most of my other sources tell me within their own words. Her experience there leaves no doubt in my mind these actual crimes of humanity, as it would be viewed in the United States, are indeed happening overseas. About half of the victims and casualties of war are people under the age of 18 and nearly 250,000 boys and girls worldwide are actively involved in fighting as soldiers. † (War and Children). This staggering statistic sums up at once the fact that this type of injustice to children, 18 and younger, is happening. Nearly half, half of all the soldiers are merely children, who die as a result of this violence. Here is the law of the United States Child Prevention Act of 2008 which clearly fines child soldiers as illegal to practice.SUBJECT: Presidential Determination with Respect to Section 404(c) of the Child Soldiers Prevention Act of 2008 By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, pursuant to section 404(c) of the Child Soldiers Prevention Act of 2008 (CAPS), title IV of the William Wildflower Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorizing Act of 2008 (Public Law 110 457), I hereby determine that it is in the national interest of the United States to waive the application to Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sudan, and Yemen of the repetition in section 404(a) of the CAPS.If you read closely, this law makes child soldiers legal in the above listed areas, but only for a limited amount of time, a window that has far exceeded its curfew here in 2012. The United States is now firmly against the idea of Child Soldiers, all who are The consequence of this are mentioned later. Section II: Causes and Consequences: The amount of varied expressions and claims in this section make it the most interesting in my opinion.The general agreed upon assumption between all my sources is that the event of child soldiers and conflict minerals do exist in the C ongo ND throughout Africa and has caused some serious violence across the country. But there are other sources within that speak with their actions and show what many might think as a consequence as actually a great side effect. For my friend Maggie when asked about the cause of these young fighters, she quickly replied with intensity to her voice. It occurs in Uganda because the rebel army â€Å"Lord's Resistance Army or LIRA† take children because e they are easy targets and are part of their strategy because children are the only age group that will give the LIRA an advantage because their adversaries will reconsider shooting a child. It comes down to free labor,† she breathes â€Å"and they don't have to honor any rights in†. This is Magpie's view of the impending causes and consequences of the child soldiers within Africa. In this claim, she points to a group of rebels already within Africa, not at the United States. Is this because of lack of knowledge of o ur involvement or an oversight?This is Just one viewpoint. As mentioned before she doesn't really share the same ethos on conflict minerals as my other sources do. Chastened takes a much broader approach to the claim of conflict minerals, ultimately suggesting that the cause of this inflict, besides from the minerals, includes mostly the need for these items and the corporations who pay for them. In Consuming the Congo, he states the following. â€Å"Are the producers and consumers of electronics really at fault in eastern Congo? If corporate blame is to be dispensed, it needs to be directed to all. (Chastened, Epilogue 214).This includes the thought the we, westerners of society, are contributing to the deadly ear that has waged on for years there by the simple use of our cell phones and other daily items. Right from the beginning of his novel, Chastened calls out his audience with this call to action; â€Å"Every time you use a cell phone or log on to a computer, you could be co ntributing to the death toll in the bloodiest, most violent region in the world; the eastern Congo. † In the eyes of Nest, his view of the cause and consequences both mirror the thoughts of Chastened but still hold his own opinion. Coolant attracts so many armed groups. If there were no 136). By Ezekiel, a representative of the Lubber region, a gold mining community, met by Nest on his travels. The major assumption in this quote identifies the users of these items to be the reasons of conflict in Africa. The consequence is obviously death of millions of natives and mass damage to the land of Africa. Michael Nest's Book also states the following; â€Å"Coolant came to the attention of the general media in 2001 when reports began filtering in of warlords in the Congo earning enormous profits from a rare mineral and a frenzied coolant rush of miners into the Jungle to exploit deposits. Caused by Palpitation 2)peg. 12 Coolant and Conflict page 66-â€Å"A common them in all phase s of conflicts is the devastating impact of violence on civilians, especially in rural communities. Armed groups have engaged in widespread sexual violence, kidnapped men, women, and children, stolen livestock and possessions, burned houses, and made working in agriculture fields extremely dangerous. † Peg. 67 As mentioned before, Michael believes there are many cause of the violence of Congo, not Just Coolant. This includes politics, minerals from other countries and the greed of other major corporations within.These factors influence the rushes that have placed these natives to work in mines in order to survive. Young Soldiers Why the Choose to fight brings a new claim to the table on why these child soldiers are indeed soldiers. According to a research project conducted by the ILL, about two thirds of child soldiers interviewed in Burundi, Congo-Brazzaville, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and others concluded that they took the initiative of enrolling themselves When I first saw this I was shocked, these is no way this is true.But further research and analysis done by Brett and Speech and the stories they collected show another side of why these children decide to engage in acts we ourselves in the western world would not even think of. Then again, survival between African kids and American kids has a somewhat different meaning to it. And that's exactly what some of the causes for this unnatural (or natural behavior) are. Some of these kids that Join are for their own safety, they have nowhere else to go. There are economic downsides for the reintegration of child soldiers back into society.Sometimes it seems in the best interest in the child to return him to his family but sometimes they are too far gone or families can't afford to keep them. All my sources seem to agree that there is indeed a consequence of these actions that go with the children and conflict minerals, consequences that are not good, and lead into my next point of tension. Ba d consequences include the above. Outside of the children, damage to tribes, any family ties, trust between generations, instills corruption, fight to stay alive, family members turn on family members. (War and Children) Section Ill: Value and Evaluation: Most of my sources would agree the evaluation of the situation is a bad, but maybe not as bad as everyone thinks. This is seen in Michael Nest's book. â€Å"Violence in the DRY is not the result of Just one issue. â€Å"(Coolant, peg. 103). This is in terms of Coolant, only one mineral in Africa that provides the world supply of only Just 5 percent. When o look at the numbers and statistics of Michaels I must agree that it seems to be and providing hard times for children who are there mining instead of attending school Other examples of Coolant page 100-105 with this statement. A common theme in all phases of conflicts is the devastating impact of violence on civilians, especially in rural communities Naturally, the narrowed vie w of Coolant gives Nest a narrow mind set and not as broad as my other sources go such as Maggie with the thought of conflict When I asked my friend Maggie her evaluation this was her response. â€Å"My evaluation is that it is bad, I would dare to say it's terrible. Striping children of their innocence in any way is barbaric is horrible. And the things the Army makes them do is inconceivable.The issue of child soldiers in not a big deal maybe in our country, but in Africa, it's become a mainstream issue because anyone around that area has been affected. Whether it be people they know have been taken or have seen the violence, the natives over there have witnessed firsthand this injustice. † Maggie words speak to my soul and the hurt in her voice can only be the tip of what these children are feeling like when they are forced to do such horrible actions. She personal â€Å"l personally see no good consequences of this action because the damage done to the child is far greate r than any good could come out of it.Forcing children to kill parents, or beating, raping, torturing them into submission outweighs any â€Å"pros† that exist for the. † However this is seen in opposition by Joseph Kong, who is the ringleader in gathering up small children to fight in militia groups all around Africa. You could say he is the fire that both Maggie and other activist wish to extinguish and discontinue from burning. I personally have no words from Joseph himself, but his actions have certainly said plenty.It is quite evident he believes child soldiers are a good thing, a way of cheap labor and early brainwashing that allows his own methods of reasoning to be put in full use. His avoidance of capture suggest he knows what he is doing is wrong, but is perfectly k with continuing his lifestyle of crime, organizing militias to take unsuspecting children and ultimately develop them into a product that might never be able to be returned back to society. When the United States goes into evaluation of the conflict that is taken place in the Congo, it's obvious by the law that they don't believe in the practices that are in use there. † I prohibition in section 404(a) of the CAPS. † This is there Evaluation that it is no longer going to be tolerated by the United States if it in deed continues to happen, and that we will refuse to help their military should these illegal practices continue to be put into use A Story from War and Children. This quote is summarized by a kid who became part of the LIRA because his uncle turned his family so that his uncle would stay safe. He and two of his brothers were made into child soldiers and her sister had been raped repeatedly to the point where she now has five kids.His parents were killed in front of him by LIRA soldiers because they would not turn in their children to them. It's sad to think that your own family can be the cause of your situation as was the case with this child Consuming t he Congo- â€Å"Over five and a half million have died as a result of the violence that takes place there. Every time we use a mobile phone, use a video game console, or open a tin can, we hold the lives and deaths of the eastern. † This is the deep evaluation of Peter Chastened, which in Africa. † Peg. 5.It's an exaggeration that is meant to receive sympathy from the audience which in turns reveals that Peter does feel that the situation in the Congo is needlessly bad, and we have a chance to stop it. Young Soldiers- Why They Choose to Fight: The want for this particular source answers this proposal of this is bad. Children â€Å"volunteering† Just to have a meal it sickens me. But the stories within are not all as â€Å"bad†. There are children like Stephen from the United Kingdom and German, from the DRY who want to fight for their country. Is that a bad thing?Certainly not, I myself have a close friend who is joining the air force. The only difference is that he is 18, these kids are 12. It's this hype of cross roads that mix the evaluation as bad or good between my sources, heck even in between my own sources. Here in the United States it's against the law to Join the army so young, but we view defending our country as a good and honorable thing. Is it not Just as honorable if it's a child, according to most of my sources, and our western ideology in our modern world, the answer would be no. It sure gives something to think about through.. Section lb.Proposal Between all my sources, the current paid media attention and my own feelings toward these actions, it is quite evident that the call to action is to help these hillier and natives of the Congo. However, finding having the right call for action is like finding the right wireless network. Should one go unlimited, helping every known cause of war and conflict affecting these children, Juggling mass activist projects and let loose their opinions simply because they can, or shou ld one personalize their data plan, attacking the heart of problem of which they believe to have the most anguish and severity. And if so, what plan is right?To Maggie, the answer is clear. â€Å"Ending child slavery is a desirable action, for having it continue would be an injustice to these children and allow torture to continue. The emotion in Magpie's voice during this answer shows me she really cares about the inhumane actions that are happening here. She's seen firsthand the negative effects that continue to drive against these children. She also believes certain actions would lead to this desirable outcome. â€Å"On a small scale, apprehending Joseph Kong would go a long way. All the higher ups of the rebel army, all LIRA officials must be apprehended. Efforts by the U.S are in route but might be too late. I support people are trying to make this an issue. † Here Maggie reflects on the recent resurgence and the fight to bring this man, Joseph Kong, to Justice. â€Å" It's turned into genocide and we have ignored it for years for what, no icon value in Africa, focus on oil. Too fine he would be easy, he goes through talks and negations through other people but would flake out, for years the government has known where he is but has not gone after him. † When I questioned about the impending coverage of these children and Joseph Kong she replied with this; â€Å"It's finally getting more coverage, so it's on the radar.Mostly people Jumping on the bandwagon but it's out there All comes down to economics, the fact that we didn't alp reinforces the idea that they are not worth helping. † Here, Maggie claims that it is indeed important to bring down Joseph Kong and that we need to take charge in part of the United States is represented as well as I see a connection between Magpie's thoughts real events happening. The want to bring this guy to Justice is strong, flooding the airwaves of social media network to people all over the world.But its action from these people that will make a difference, not Just the click of a button in agreement with the above policy. The Proposal claim for Consuming the Congo was found in Chastened epilogue. The Congolese must create their own solutions to their problems. The key to solving the conflict minerals puzzle lies within the people of the eastern Congo and their government. Rather than engaging in aggressive public relations tactics, rights, campaigners, advocacy groups, and others might better become involved in eastern Congo in more meaningful ways.They have choices. † These choices don't Just include â€Å"Jumping on the bandwagon† as Maggie would say or even stopping using popular devices such as cell phones that use minerals mine by children and other natives who are doing forced labor. From his claim I have deemed that it is important that the Congo help themselves, and show a want to change of the conflict that arises from these terrible actions Michael Nest p roposal conclusion shares some actions from opposing author Peter Chastened. However, he has his own proposal and reasoning. What can and should a concerned person do to end the relationship between coolant and the war in the eastern Congo. He wants you to learn the facts, become educated. All decisions should be made if you are an informed person. † It might not be worth to participate in a mobile phone boycott. † (Coolant, 185) Nest offers a lot more participation from the government and politics to help bring a stop to the violence within the Congo. I whole heartedly agree with Nest's proposal because as more and more attention to this matter comes up, especially in conversations with my peers, I am noticing a lack of knowledge on the subject.If one wants to run and help, they must first learn to walk. Nest's also elaborates on the importance of the Congo needing to help themselves, placing some blame on the government. â€Å"Few share Island's confidence in the gove rnment. Some suggest that if the government wants peace in eastern Congo, it needs to involve mining immunities in the structure of the government. The government needs to become more inclusive, not exclusive. Most communities are isolated and therefore vulnerable, forcing them to turn to armed ethnic groups for protection and for a sense of community and control. (Nest) Based on this thought, it seems the government is not doing enough in Nest's opinion to take care of the growing problem. Having an inclusive community can change how they interact with one another and possible change their horrid lifestyles. The United States has proposed to stop Child Soldier with their Child Soldier Prevention act of 2008 as already discussed. With this law, aid of our Unites States military will not go those who allow people under the age of 18 to fight in wars.With this proposal put in effect, it has discouraged other countries from losing the aid we would give them, this is ultimately the acti on we want to take place in order to have the government of the Congo follow through and not allow Child Soldiers. My last proposal comes from Why They Choose to Fight. This book is unique as it begins to break down the stories of the children and ex-soldiers and asks them what they involvement from other to help build better education and employment opportunities so that kids now have more options then to have to fight for their freedom from rebel groups. Three of the most significant are education, employment, or other economic activity to reestablish relationships within families† (Young Soldiers) it seems they want people here to help and protect these three important factors in order to stop the flow of violence. The question of proposal that is being answered in the topic is: What can help the dire child issues within the Congo as well as its relation with conflict minerals. Nest and Chastened follow that of action, becoming educated and maybe Joining activist groups tha t know that follow the cause.The United States and Nelson feel it is important the Congolese Government step up and fight this issue. From the current media attention and Maggie thoughts, finding Kong 2012 is of the utmost importance. For authors Brett and Aspect, and Gary Craig argue to end child labor and cruelty by keeping children in school, employed, factors that don't influence to turn to this lifestyle. Each source brings good ideas to proposal, and factors them above and below everyone else's respectively. But the assumption of the need to help is there in all sources, and motivates its audience to do the same.Reflection, Synthesis, and Points of Entries for Papers 3 and 4 So this is it. This is the moment I have dreaded since I first became admitted into the University of Colorado Colorado Springs. This is the paper that will make or break me and allow all my weaknesses to be seen with hopes that the will either be improved, or point me down a much darker path that has no w riting in my future. I am scared for this paper 2. Not because of the number of pages or the deadline. It's the no BBS part. This paper is very real and is expected to be of superb material. How am l, a freshman, supposed to be able to produce this?To say I feel way in over my head is a huge understatement, I am not even sure where to begin. I know my focus on my paper should follow what we have covered in class and that has been the uprising of violence within the Congo. But what does that mean? Why do I care? How am I going to manage at least 15 pages of stasis theory to cover this in a way that puts me ahead of my scholars? That's my main concern, I really want to start proving I am a writer UT I feel so lost, to people here I'm Just another student, but I have dreams and I fear that this work will be for nothing.But anyway, let's focus more on this paper shall we. Children; kids, the future, young, innocent, free. These are the usual thoughts and synonyms that describe these lit tle people that could very well end the dire situation I have recently learned. We all have our own thoughts and when it comes to portraying children, now I think of them holding guns. Think of nine and ten year olds working to feed their families, being abducted from their village to Join militia armies

Republic Of China Essays - Republic Of China, Sun Yat-sen

Republic Of China Essays - Republic Of China, Sun Yat-sen Republic of China The republic that Sun Yat-sen and his associates imagined slowly came about. The revolutionists lacked an army, and the power of Yuan Shikai began to outdo that of parliament. Yuan revised the constitution at will and became dictatorship. In August 1912 a new political party was founded by Song Jiaoren ( 1882-1913), one of Sun's associates. The party, the Guomindang was an blend of small political groups, including Sun's Tongmeng Hui . In the national elections held in February 1913 for the new bicameral parliament, Song campaigned against the Yuan administration, and his party won a majority of seats. Yuan had Song assassinated in March; he had already arranged the assassination of several pro-revolutionist generals. Animosity toward Yuan grew. In the summer of 1913 seven southern provinces rebelled against Yuan. When the rebellion was suppressed, Sun and other instigators fled to Japan. In October 1913 an intimidated parliament formally elected Yuan president of the Republic of China, and the major powers extended recognition to his government. To achieve international recognition, Yuan Shikai had to agree to autonomy for Outer Mongolia and Xizang. China was still to be suzerain, but it would have to allow Russia a free hand in Outer Mongolia and Britain continuance of its influence in Xizang. In November Yuan Shikai, legally president, ordered the Guomindang dissolved and its members removed from parliament. Within a few months, he suspended parliament and the provincial assemblies and forced the promulgation of a new constitution, which, in effect, made him president for life. Yuan's ambitions still were not satisfied, and, by the end of 1915, it was announced that he would reestablish the monarchy. Widespread rebellions ensued, and numerous provinces declared independence. With opposition at every quarter and the nation breaking up into warlord factions, Yuan Shikai died of natural causes in June 1916, deserted by his lieutenants. Nationalism and Communism After Yuan Shikai's death, shifting alliances of regional warlords fought for control of the Beijing government. The nation also was threatened from without by the Japanese. When World War I broke out in 1914, Japan fought on the Allied side and seized German holdings in Shandong Province. In 1915 the Japanese set before the warlord government in Beijing the so-called Twenty-One Demands, which would have made China a Japanese protectorate. The Beijing government rejected some of these demands but yielded to the Japanese insistence on keeping the Shandong territory already in its possession. Beijing also recognized Tokyo's authority over southern Manchuria and eastern Inner Mongolia. In 1917, in secret communiqu?s, Britain, France, and Italy assented to the Japanese claim in exchange for the Japan's naval action against Germany. In 1917 China declared war on Germany in the hope of recovering its lost province, then under Japanese control. But in 1918 the Beijing government signed a secret deal with Japan accepting the claim to Shandong. When the Paris peace conference of 1919 confirmed the Japanese claim to Shandong and Beijing's sellout became public, internal reaction was shattering. On May 4, 1919, there were massive student demonstrations against the Beijing government and Japan. The political fervor, student activism, and iconoclastic and reformist intellectual currents set in motion by the patriotic student protest developed into a national awakening known as the May Fourth Movement. The intellectual milieu in which the May Fourth Movement developed was known as the New Culture Movement and occupied the period from 1917 to 1923. The student demonstrations of May 4, 1919 were the high point of the New Culture Movement, and the terms are often used synonymously. Students returned from abroad advocating social and political theories ranging from complete Westernization of China to the socialism that one day would be adopted by China's communist rulers. Opposing the Warlords The May Fourth Movement helped to rekindle the then-fading cause of republican revolution. In 1917 Sun Yat-sen had become commander-in-chief of a rival military government in Guangzhou in collaboration with southern warlords. In October 1919 Sun reestablished the Guomindang to counter the government in Beijing. The latter, under a succession of warlords, still maintained its facade of legitimacy and its relations with the West. By 1921 Sun had become president of the southern government. He spent his remaining years trying to

Currency Exchange Rates, Management, and Speculation

Currency Exchange Rates, Management, and Speculation Read about the ways government and investors can manage and speculate on the value of their currencies. Currency exchange rates have become a global issue in the past year, particularly for developing economies which are generally performing better than the economies of the US, Europe, and Japan – the three sources of the â€Å"reference currencies† that essentially determine the value of the rest of the world’s money. This article is a short primer on the basics of currency exchange. It explains the ways in which governments and private investors can manage and speculate on the value of their currencies. Fixed vs. Floating Exchange Rates The value of the currency is always relative to something else, whether some commodity (gold has historically served as a reference) or other currencies. A fixed exchange rate also called a peg is a value that is determined by a government’s central bank, which must engage in the market trade of its currency for the reference currency in order to maintain the peg value. The main requirement for a fixed exchange rate scheme is that the central bank holds a large reserve of the reference currency. In a scheme in which the currency is pegged to a single reference currency, maintaining the peg is relatively straightforward. The value of the local currency is a simple function of the amount of the reference currency in the financial system, and changes in the currency value are reflected as price inflation or deflation; in order to exercise control over the local currency, the central bank sells the reference currency to move the value of the local currency higher, or purchases the reference currency to reduce the value of the local currency. Read more:  Money Makes the World Go Around A single currency peg is impractical  because the value of the reference currency always fluctuates. Let’s say that an example country – we’ll call it Examplestan – sets the value of its currency, the clam, at 5 clams to one US dollar. If a merchant in Examplestan imports $20 worth of goods from the US, he pays 100 clams. At the same time, he imports $20 worth of goods from Europe, whose euro is equal to $1.20; therefore, he only receives $16.67 worth of goods for his 100 clams. That means to earn back his 100 clams from selling the goods, he has to inflate the price by 16.65%, because the goods he bought from Europe are only worth 83.35 clams. The relative value of the clam is also affected by price inflation or deflation in the US; the actual amount of goods received for the equivalent of $20 will differ as inflation increases or decreases, which causes inflation or deflation of the clam as a follow-on effect. The opposite end of the spectrum from a fixed exchange rate is a floating exchange rate, in which market forces determine the value of the currency. The currency in a floating exchange rate system is treated as a commodity, and its value is determined by supply and demand.   There is no country that uses a fully floating exchange rate scheme, but some of the effects of what it can do to a local currency can be seen in emerging markets where large inflows of foreign investment money have driven the value of the local currency higher. The Philippines, which currently has the best-performing stocks in the world, is a good example. The high inflow of foreign money into the local stock market represents high demand for the Philippine peso – the investors are trading their dollars, euros, yen, and other currencies for equity, valued in pesos, in Philippine companies. Thus the value of the peso is growing, meaning that fewer pesos can be exchanged for one unit of a foreign currency. This is good for the economy in one respect because it makes imports cheaper, but it increases the cost of exports and tends to dampen demand for local labor and goods. Dirty Floats and Currency Hedges In order to find a â€Å"happy medium† between imposing strict control over the currency value and allowing it to seek an efficient value through market effects, most governments practice what is called a managed float, sometimes also referred to as a â€Å"dirty float†. Instead of setting a fixed exchange rate for its currency, the central bank will set a target range. Rather than fix the currency at 5 clams = $1, the central bank of Examplestan might instead choose to let the value of the clam fluctuate, so long as it does not fall outside a range of 4.50 to 5.50 clams per dollar. There is a number of advantages to maintaining a dirty float. Allowing the currency to fluctuate within a controllable range reduces the number of foreign reserves the central bank must hold, which frees up financial resources and permits the central bank to speculate on the future value of the currency to a degree by issuing bonds denominated in either the local or foreign currencies. This is a form of hedging, because the bonds lock in a future value, in the sense that the amount of a bond issue represents a known release of either the local or foreign currency in the future when the bonds reach their maturity. This is similar to the forms of hedging and speculation that private investors can engage in by treating currency as a commodity, including options contracts, forward contracts, currency swaps, and futures contracts. In the private sector, currency hedging and speculation are particularly useful for companies whose trade involves a large amount of foreign currency. For example, the trader in Examplestan may wish to purchase an option to swap a certain number of clams for US dollars at a fixed rate lower than the present exchange rate, say 5.10 clams to the dollar, if he suspects that when he completes a future purchase of US imports, the rate will be even lower than that. If when the time comes, the actual exchange rate is 5.12 clams to the dollar, he exercises the option and lowers his purchase cost by 0.1% not a lot, but for companies whose transactions are in the millions of dollars (or clams), the difference can be very significant. Naturally, foreign currency exchange rates is far more complex theme than what is described in this brief article, but to help understand its intricacies, just remember the basic point that the value of a currency is determined by its amount in a financial system compared to other currencies in the system, and that managing the values of those is really only a matter of managing quantities.

Money & Banking Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Money & Banking - Assignment Example al interest rates do not stimulate consumers and lowering the interest rates to 0% do not translate to reduced commercial bank lending rates (Krugman 1). In this case, the demand for money remains perfectly elastic as monetary policies by the central bank fail to arrest the situation. In this situation, reducing the inflation rate too close to 0 % leads to deflation (Krugman 1). Even if the central bank maintains the nominal interest rates are zero, the eminent deflation will raise the real interest rates to significant levels. Increasing money supply in this case derives no economic effect since interest rates cannot fall further. Indeed, in a â€Å"Money Trap† situation monetary injections into the economy by the central bank do not reduce the interest rates depicting the ineffectiveness of monetary policies. A â€Å"Money Trap† situation relates to a condition where any monetary policy to reduce the interest rates during economic recession is futile and creates a recurring crisis that involves consumers, commercial banks, and the central bank. The â€Å"Money Trap† situation manifests in Europe where efforts to rescue the euro from the economic crush led to looming deflation and reduced economic growth (Krugman 1). Central banks regulate money supply by buying or selling government bonds. The buying of government bonds by the central bank reduces short-term interest rates and enhances money supply by enabling commercial banks to access additional capital that increases lending and liquidity. Quantitative easing refers to unconventional monetary policies initiated by the central bank to buy government bonds and other relevant securities with the intention of lowering interest rates and enhancing money supply in the economy (BBC 1). Quantitative easing does not entail printing more money and is only applicable when short-term interest rates are at or approaching 0 %. The US Federal Reserve initiated a $4.5tn bond-buying Programme in December 2008 to drive the