Nicaragua Essays - Nicaragua, Republics, Managua,

Nicaragua Have you ever wanted to go to a place during our winter season that is warm or hot most of the year? Well, most people choose Florida, or California. But, why not go out of the country this winter and try the largest country of Central America, Nicaragua. I did lots of research on Nicaragua, and I hope you learn as much as I did. To begin my report, I will give you some brief history. The first inhabitants of Nicaragua were the Nicaro Indians. This way of life was blended with Spanish settlers when they first came. The name of this tribe was from a great Indian chief, whose name was also Nicaro. This chief was so famous that the country of Nicaragua was also gotten from his name. Next, I will tell you about the land of Nicaragua. It is located in Central America, and is the largest country there. It is on the continent of North America. Nicaragua is 50,193 square miles (130,000 square kilometers). Honduras borders Nicaragua in the north, and it is bordered by Costa Rica on the south. There are two oceans that border Nicaragua. On the east, there is the Carribean Sea and on the west is the Pacific Ocean. Nicaragua has many different types of land forms. There are mostly volcanoes, some active, behind the coastal plains and along the Pacific border. The active volcanoes cause some danger to the coastal cities, but there haven't been any serious accidents. The largest volcano in Nicaragua, the Santiago Volcano, lies south of Nicaragua's capital city. Lots of steam rises from the little holes that surround the volcanoes. East of these volcanic regions are the Central Highlands. This part of Nicaragua is rainy and has some evergreen and deciduous forests dotted around. The forest's floors are flat, not hilly like some other regions. Very few people live in this forest-like place. There are also some lakes in Nicaragua. One lake, Lake Nicaragua, is the largest one in Nicaragua and Central America. The other lake is Lake Managua. Both of the lakes are joined by the Tipatapa River. The Carribean coast is called Mosquito, or Miskito after the small Indian group who lived there. Most Nicaragu ans live there. Although most people live in the Mosquito area, the majority of Nicaraguans say that Matagalpa is the nicest and coolest place to live. Some say that this suburban region is so nice because the sun always shines, but it is less humid than the other Nicaraguan cities and towns. The hottest place in Nicaragua is in the East. It is always hot and wet, but is perfect for growing bananas. There are many rainy places in Nicaragua, and as a result, most of Nicaragua has tropical rainforests. The rainforests are homes to many types of insects and animals. There are many, but I will only name a few. Mammals such as monkeys, alligators, and snakes are the main wildlife. There are billions and billions of (no typing error, just exaggeration) insects from ?A' to ?Z', such as red ants, mosquitoes, and even a striped house fly called the zebra fly! The wild fowl, such as parrots, toucans, macaws, humming birds, and vultures fly through the air. Fur-bearing creatures like the coyote and grey and red fox, roam the evergreen forests and are even sometimes kept as pets. The least likely place you'd find any animals is the small desert area in the west. This is the driest part of Nicaragua. This place even has a dry winter and hot summer season, and the summer season is hotter of the two. As I said before, the most rain falls in the East. The average was about 100-300 inches a year. Almost all the rain that falls to make up the 100-300 average falls in the east. Now I will get away from the land (finally) and tell you some things about the people of Nicaragua. The main ethnic group in Nicaragua is the mixture of European and Indian decent, or Mestizoes. 5% are of American Indian decent, and 17% are European. 99% of the population's skin color is black. The main religion was Christianity, beginning in the early 1500's when the Spanish missionaries

SAT Accommodations What They Are and How to Get Them

SAT Accommodations What They Are and How to Get Them SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips You can slow down the clock with SAT accommodations. If you have a documented disability, or are just curious about what it takes to get SAT extra time, you may be wondering about the process of getting SAT accommodations. We’ll take you through the process step-by-step, and show you how to maximize your odds of getting accommodations. If you’re taking the SAT and have a disability or other condition, you will want to read this guide! Overview of the Accommodations Process There are two ways to get accommodations on the SAT – either by requesting them through your school, or requesting them yourself using a paper application. College Board strongly encourages going through your school, since they allow school coordinators to use their online Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) system. If you use the paper request system, it will take longer, plus you will have to provide much more documentation about the accommodations you need and the condition that you have. Even by going through your school – the fastest option – getting your accommodations can take up to seven weeks. That means if you want accommodations by a certain test date, you should begin the approval process well in advance. For some tests you may even have to begin getting your approval during the previous school year. For example, if you want to take the October SAT with accommodations, College Board recommends you begin the process the previous spring. Getting accommodations can be a long process, and will require lots of documentation. It should go without saying that you should only seek accommodations if you have a disability or condition that requires them. Typically, most students who get accommodations on the SAT are students with disabilities who also receive accommodations at school. Still, if you don’t receive accommodations at school but think you may need them for the SAT, read on to learn about the process and your odds of getting accommodated. The Three Basic Steps to Getting Testing Accommodations 1. Start the process early enough to make sure you have time – keeping in mind it takes seven weeks once your materials are submitted. Keep reading for a detailed timeline! 2. Send your request and documentation to College Board, either through your school’s SSD coordinator or via paper. (For more on documentation, types of accommodations, and conditions that are most commonly accommodated, see below.) 3. Once College Board approves your request, they will give you a seven-digit code. Use that code when signing up for the SAT online and your accommodations will automatically be included. What Kind of Disability or Condition Do I Need to Have to Qualify? To get approval of your accommodations by College Board, they need to verify you have a documented disability or condition that impairs your ability to take the SAT. For the SAT, students with disabilities like the following are often accommodated, though this is not an exhaustive list: ADHD Autism Spectrum Disorders Communication Disorders Head Injuries Hearing Impairments Learning Disorders Physical/Medical Disabilities Psychiatric Disorders Tic Disorders/Tourette’s Visual Impairments Note that limited English proficiency is not considered a condition that College Board can provide accommodations for. For the fine print on College Board’s eligibility standards, see their website. What If I Have a Temporary Condition? It’s not going to be easy to bubble in answers with a broken wrist†¦ If you have a temporary condition that is impairing your ability to take the SAT - for example you broke your right wrist and that’s your writing hand - it is possible to get accommodations, but it will be much more difficult. The odds increase if you are signed up for an AP Exam and will not heal by the late test date, or if you are a senior who hasn’t taken the SAT yet. The process will be different for you. Instead of working with your school’s SSD coordinator or sending in the Accommodations Approval form to College Board, you will submit a different form, which you can access online here. What Are Common Accommodations? The accommodations you can get will vary based on your needs and situation. Here are some of the most commonly given SAT accommodations: Extended time (50% extra is most common, anything more than 100% is considered rare) on either one section or the entire test Computer for typing essays Extra or extended breaks Reading/seeing accommodations (e.g. large print, Braille, magnifier) Scribe for essays Reader for the test Different setting – e.g. preferential seating, small group, or a private room For a more exhaustive list, see this College Board guide. As an example, a student with ADHD might take the test with a small group of students to minimize distractions. Or a student with a learning disability in math might receive extended time on the math sections. Or a student with diabetes might request frequent breaks to be able to track their blood sugar during the test. There are many different potential combinations of condition and accommodation, and they will change based on your particular situation. Extended time, extra or extended breaks, computers, and reading/seeing accommodations are among the most common, though there is a much longer list of potential accommodations. (The College Board provides a more exhaustive list including rarer accommodations like special time of day and special lighting.) If you need an accommodation not listed, College Board encourages you to submit your request anyway for approval. Timing to Request SAT Accommodations Get ready to plan ahead. Make sure to begin the process of seeking accommodations early. The approval process can take up to seven weeks, and only begins once College Board has received all of your documentation. If some of your documentation is missing and/or you have to resubmit information, the seven-week process will begin all over again. Since preparing documentation and getting all of your information to College Board will take some time, even if you are working through your school, make sure you begin with plenty of time to spare – at least three months before your desired test date to be safe. College Board recommends the following timeline to receiving documentation: 2016-17 Test Date Deadline for College Board Receiving Documentation October 1, 2016 SAT August 12, 2016 October 15 and 19, and November 2, 2016 PSAT/NMSQT August 30, 2016 November 5, 2016 SAT September 16, 2016 December 3, 2016 SAT October 15, 2016 January 21, 2017 SAT December 2, 2016 February 21-March 31, 2017, PSAT 10 December 16, 2016 March 11, 2017 SAT January 20, 2017 April 3-14 , 2017, PSAT 10 February 13, 2017 May 1-5, 8-12, 2017, AP Exams February 17, 2017 May 6, 2017 March 17, 2017 June 3, 2017 April 14, 2017 Timeline via College Board. Obviously, many of these test dates and deadlines have already passed, but you can use these dates to plan ahead – for example, if you are planning on taking the SAT in October of your junior year, know that you should have all documentation submitted by late August of your junior year. Also, note that for the October tests, since the deadline for materials being received is in late August – when most school years start – you should begin the process of reaching out to your school’s SSD Coordinator and getting documentation the previous Spring. The first week of school is a hectic time, so you'll likely not be able to get it done then. In fact, to be safe, it’s not a bad idea to have your materials submitted by June so just in case something is missing, you will have time to get everything sent over the summer so there will be plenty of time to approve your request before the October test. So How Do I Apply for SAT Accommodations? Method 1 (Highly Recommended): Go Through Your School College Board recommends, and we agree, the most efficient way to get accommodations is to go through your school. Specifically, contact your school’s Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) coordinator. If you’re not sure who that is, contact someone at your school’s guidance counseling department and they will be able to direct you. Your school’s SSD coordinator will be able to use College Board’s SSD Online service, which is a more streamlined accommodations approval service. In fact, it’s likely your school’s SSD coordinator has already been through this process with other students, so they will be familiar with College Board’s SSD system and will be able to help guide you through the process. The SSD coordinator will provide you with a parent consent form, which you need to get signed by your parents/guardians and returned to the school before the process can begin. Next, the SSD coordinator will sign up for SSD Online, and submit documentation related to your request, including your IEP (Individualized Education Plan) or 504 Plan if you have one. (If your school’s SSD coordinator is new to the process, direct them to this link for College Board’s instructions.) In other words, your SSD coordinator will handle most of the process, including making the request and providing necessary documentation. In most cases, this means your family does not have to provide additional documentation. However, you may need to provide extra documentation if any of the following scenarios apply: 1. You are not on an IEP or 504 Plan, or have one but haven’t been using it for at least the last four months, or haven’t been receiving any accommodations for at least four months. Basically, if you haven’t been receiving accommodations at school, College Board will want to know why you need them for the SAT. 2. Your school does not have documentation that meets College Board guidelines. 3. Your disability testing is not current. 4. You’re requesting an uncommon accommodation like more than 100% extended time. College Board will want to make sure that, when granting exceptional accommodations, you actually need them. After your SSD Coordinator submits your request, College Board will send back an approval or denial within seven weeks. One benefit of the SSD Online system is that, if College Board requires extra documentation or something is missing, they will be able to immediately alert your school’s SSD coordinator, which will speed up the process. Method 2: Submit a Paper Request If you can’t use your school’s SSD coordinator to submit a request, it is also possible to submit a paper request to College Board. This method takes longer, since you are mailing documents rather than sending them online, plus you will have to provide much more documentation. First of all, to get the form, you either need to pick it up from your school’s SSD Coordinator or request it from College Board’s SSD department, whose contact info is below. There is no way to download it online. Email info@ssd.collegeboard.org Phone 212-713-8333 Fax 886-360-0114 TTY 609-882-4118 Mail College Board SSD Program P.O. Box 8060 Mt. Vernon IL 62864-0060 Once you get the form, you will list your personal information, your high school’s College Board code, and the date of your desired SAT test. (Note that this form does not double as a test registration form, you will still have to sign up for the SAT after you get your accommodations.) Next, you will state which accommodations you are requesting. Make sure the accommodations are specifically linked to your disability, and do not repeat. (For example, do not request both a reader and a cassette player if you need the test read aloud.) Also make sure you provide information about those accommodations, including your history of using them at school, and your performance with and without accommodations. (For example, if you are requesting extended time, include a comparison of your work ability in timed and untimed conditions.) Finally, and most importantly, you will provide documentation about your disability. This includes information about your IEP or 504 Plan if you have one, most recent cognitive or ability testing, and most recent medical evaluation if you have a medical or psychiatric disability. Documentation required will vary by disability and the accommodation(s) you’re requesting. Your documentation must be very detailed – not just a medical note or your IEP. History of your symptoms, accommodations given in school, and the reason accommodations are necessary for the SAT are all necessary information. You can find more fine print on documentation here. Okay, so it might not take this much documentation to get SAT accommodations, but it might feel like it! You can find complete instructions and requirements for completing the paper form at College Board’s website. Once you send in the form, College Board will first verify that you have sent in all necessary documentation, and request more if needed. After that, they will either approve or deny your request. Approved? If your request for accommodations is approved, your accommodations will remain in place until one year after you graduate high school. So once you’re approved, you don’t have to worry about ever going through the process again! College Board will give you a seven-digit code to use whenever you sign up for a test online. You will be able to use your accommodations on all College Board tests, including the PSAT, SAT, SAT Subject Tests, and AP Exams. To use them on SAT and SAT Subject Tests, use your code when you sign up online. For the PSAT and AP Exams, inform your school you receive accommodations from College Board and they will make sure your accommodations are in place on test days. If you have to change your accommodations, either inform your school’s SSD Coordinator and have them submit the request through SSD Online, or submit your request independently. Again, the fastest way to change your accommodations will be by going through SSD Online, so use that if possible. More Hints and Tips If you need accommodations, get them as early as possible in your high school career. Since College Board’s accommodations will last until after you graduate, the earlier you get your accommodations the more you will be able to use them – especially on AP Exams and the PSAT, which you may begin taking as a sophomore or even a freshman. If you’re unsure if you need or want accommodations on the SAT, consider your situation. If you’re on an IEP or 504 Plan that grants you extra time, breaks, or tools on tests, it’s highly likely you will also benefit from those accommodations on the SAT. Remember, the SAT is a very challenging test that requires a ton of mental processing, math calculations, and writing in a short period of time. Plus, it will be easier to get accommodations on the SAT if they are similar to ones you have been using in school. If you are not on an IEP or 504 Plan at school, but have a condition that will make the SAT difficult, consult with your school’s SSD Coordinator about taking the SAT with or without accommodations. It will be harder – though not impossible – to get accommodations if you are not on a plan with your school, so determining if you need them will be an important first step. You could also try taking SAT Practice Tests with and without the accommodations you think you will need to get a sense of if you want to request them. For example, if you think you will need extra time, try taking one practice test using typical SAT timing, and one with extended time. If your condition or disability makes it markedly more difficult to complete the SAT in the allotted time, consider seeking out the accommodation. Don’t underestimate the SAT! Finally, whether you end up getting accommodations or not, make sure you take enough time to study and prepare for the SAT. It is a very difficult test, and will not be like tests you take for class or standardized state exams. Along with your necessary accommodations, smart studying is the best way to be ready for the SAT. What’s Next? Once you get your accommodations, what score should you aim for? Learn about the average SAT score, the average SAT score in your state, and how to develop your own personal target score. Curious about how the SAT is scored? Learn how your answers get turned into a composite score between 600 and 2400 and how to use that information to your advantage. Stressed about taking the SAT? Learn about the three most common sources of anxiety and how to cope with them. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points?We've written a guide about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Human Services Research Article Discussion Essay - 2

Human Services Research Article Discussion - Essay Example Although the authors tried to impress upon the appropriate governments of taking the children’s well-being into account, there was no bias as set forth in the APA Publication Manual (Emory). Active voice was utilized and there were no racial lines discussed, as it can be assumed that the article encompassed all children â€Å"in care†. As Ms. Davidson is a social services manager and Dr. McKenzie is a clinical psychologist, both women are well versed in the subject matter. They were comprehensive in interviewing other social workers in the field. The actual study was conducted in a mostly rural area of the country which had seen an astronomical increase in small children (under one year old) being placed in care. Social workers seemed to be both harried and stymied by an overloaded system and most of the time the services put in place for the parents (alcohol, drug, and mental heath therapy) collided with the children’s needs, so that even though the case workers were aware of the child’s developmental milestone needs, the procedures were delayed by the legal system (P 36). The conclusions reached included the fact that even though workers had as much as twenty seven years of experience they could be better trained to deal with the greater influx of infants and babies requiring foster care and the special considerations that age group requires. This was supported by the social workers themselves in the body of the study. Even the authors admitted the small number of children studied (eighteen) was disproportionate to the numbers nationwide and the study was maybe not representative of Scotland as a whole. For instance, they could have expanded the study to include what developmental delays occur when cultural lines are crossed, such as children being placed in a home of a different race than their own. Another good study for this would be the ability to thrive of those children placed from Eastern European countries such as

Scotts Micracle-Gro Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Scotts Micracle-Gro - Case Study Example Finally, a number of alternative solutions will be discussed and the most potential solution will be recommended for the company. Background of the situation The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company, commonly known as Scotts, was formed through the merger of Miracle-Gro and the Scotts Company in 1995 (The Scots Miracle-Gro Company, n.d). The company is headquartered at Marysville in the Ohio. Through this merger, the Scotts became the largest organization in the North American lawn and garden industry. The company rapidly grew to be a leader of lawn and garden care products as well as professional horticulture products. The company manufactures and sells various spreaders including drop spreaders, broadcast spreaders, and hand-held spreaders. As per the 2007 fiscal year annual report, the company achieved $2.7 billion net sales. Key Issues From the SWOT analysis, it is clearly identified that increasing labor rate and mounting electricity rates in California are the key threats to the Scotts. This issue is likely to reduce the firm’s profitability over the next fiscal years. In addition, the Scotts currently employs temporary workers so as to manage the declining demand for labor. This situation would probably lead to the formation of an inefficient workplace environment. Finally, avoidable overhead costs and growing current liabilities significantly threaten the firm’s operational efficiency. ... Alternative solutions One of the potential solutions for the company to curb this issue is to outsource the production of its spreaders to a low wage manufacturing country like China. By doing so, the Scotts can take advantages of cheap rate labor in China and thereby reduce the total cost of production to a great extent. In addition, it is also advisable for the company to hire more skilled and cheap foreign workers. This option may allow the company to cut down its labor costs without closing the operation of its Temecula manufacturing plant. Selected solution to the problem While closely analyzing the alternative solutions identified above, it is clear that the process of employment of foreign workers would involve a series of difficulties, and this strategy may not often guarantee a competitive workplace environment. Hence, I would choose the production outsourcing option. Setting of short term goals is vital for a firm to achieve its long term objectives (Strategy implementation ). The case scenario clearly indicates that creation of an automated plant is the major short term objective of the Scotts. The Scotts management believes that automated operations would greatly assist the company to cut down its labor costs as well as landed costs. The company continuously improves its operational efficiency through process innovations and R&D activities. Although labor costs in China are expected to increase noticeably over the next 10 years, it would be comparatively lower than that of the US. Hence, the outsourcing strategy would best fit the Scotts to trim down its labor costs in the short run. During the next ten years, Scotts may make its Temecula manufacturing plant fully automated and therefore the company can replant its production

An analysis of the Hindu caste system

An analysis of the Hindu caste system The caste system is one of the oldest forms of social stratification and even though it may be prohibited by the law, the political divisions continue to exist in the minds of the people leaving many oppressed. Before the caste system, India had four groups or divisions already established: the Negrito, Mongoloid, Austroloid and Dravidian. It was during the Aryan invasion around 1500 BCE when the caste system was created. The word caste derives from the Portuguese word casta , meaning breed, race, or kind. In this system, the citizens are divided into categories or castes. Varna, the Sanskrit word for color, refers to large divisions that include various castes; the other terms include castes and subdivisions of castes sometimes called subcastes. Among the Indian terms that are sometimes translated as caste are jati, jat, biradri, and samaj. There are thousands of castes and subcastes in India. It follows a basic precept: All men are created unequal. Each category or jat has a specia l role to play in the society as well as a unique function: this structure is a means of creating and organizing an effective society. The caste system in India is primarily associated with Hinduism but also exists among other Indian religious groups. Castes are ranked and named. Membership is achieved by birth. Castes are also endogamous groups. Marriages and relationships between members of different castes, while not actually prohibited, face strong social disapproval and the threat of ostracism or even violence. To illustrate, in a notorious case in August 2001, a Brahmin boy and a lower-caste girl were publicly hanged by members of their families in Uttar Pradesh, India for refusing to end their inter-caste relationship. The first of the four basic Vedic books, which are considered the source of Indian wisdom, is the Rig Veda- a collection of over 1,000 hymns containing the basic mythology of the Aryan gods. The Rig Veda contains one of the most famous sections in ancient Indian literature in which the first man created, Purusa, is sacrificed in order to give rise to the four varnas. The varna of Brahmans emerged from the mouth. They are the priests and teachers, and look after the intellectual and spiritual needs of the community. They preside over knowledge and education. The varna of Kshatriyas emerged from the arms. Their responsibility is to rule and to protect members of the community. They are associated with rulers and warriors including property owners. The varna of Vaishyas emerged from the thighs. They are the merchants and traders and those who look after commerce and agriculture. The varna of Sudras emerged from the feet. They are the laborers. Castes or subcastes besides the four mentioned include such groups as the Bhumihar or landowners and the Kayastha or scribes. Some castes arose from very specific occupations, such as the Garudi snake charmers or the Sonjhari, who collected gold from river beds. Each caste is believed by devout Hindus to have its own dharma, or divinely ordained code of proper conduct. Brahmans are usually expected to be nonviolent and spiritual, according to their traditional roles as vegetarian teetotaler priests. Kshatriyas are supposed to be strong, as fighters and rulers should be, with a taste for aggression, eating meat, and drinking alcohol. Vaishyas are stereotyped as adept businessmen, in accord with their traditional activities in commerce. Shudras are often described by others as tolerably pleasant. The existence of rigid ranking is supernaturally validated through the idea of rebirth according to a persons karma, the sum of an individuals deeds in this life and in past lives. After death, a persons life is judged by divine forces, and rebirth is assigned in a high or a low place, depending upon what is deserved. This supernatural sanction can never be neglected, because it brings a person to his or her position in the caste hierarchy, relevant to every transaction involving food or drink, speaking, or touching. The Rig Veda mentions how the four varnas were created but it does not mention the concept of untouchability. The idea of an Untouchable caste à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ is not in the Vedas or the law books, which list only four varnas. It is a part of the system that has been created by society itself. Untouchables are the fifth group. They are considered unworthy that they fall outside of the caste system. In 1950, the term Untouchable was eradicated under Indias constitution, and untouchables are now formally referred to as the Scheduled Castes. Gandhi referred to untouchables as Harijan, which means people of God. Politically active untouchables feel that this term Harijan might evoke pity rather than respect, and prefer the term Dalits, which means, oppressed. Dalits are descendants of the ancient Dravidians of India who lost their language and were subjugated due to the linguistic and socio-cultural oppression by the perpetrators of the caste system. While Dalits in Tamil Nadu speak Tamil, their brethren in other parts of India speak different Dravidian or tribal dialects or languages that arose due to mixtures of Tamil, Sanskrit, Persian and Arabic, such as Hindustani (Hindi). As an Indian is born into the caste system, they are supposed to stay with that caste until death. What a person in each of these varnas can and cant do, is prescribed in detail in the laws of Manu, written by Brahman priests at least 2,000 years ago. The laws of Manu are inscribed in Indian culture. Umashankar Tripathy, a Brahman priest, says, Manu is engraved in every Hindu Untouchables or Dalits obviously live also by a certain set of rules. The occupations of people in caste systems are hereditary and dalits perform jobs that cause them to be considered impure and thus untouchable and for little or no pay at all. They are restricted to occupations such as landless farm workers and peasants, and forced into washing clothes, beating drums, cutting hair, cleaning latrines and sewers, working as a leatherworker (they work with animal skin which makes them unclean), street cleaners, and manual scavengers. Manual scavenging refers to disposal of human waste by hand, using only the most basic tools, typically a brush, a tin plate and a wicker basket. Scavengers also dispose of dead animals. Millions of Dalits work even as slaves. They mostly have no opportunities for better employment. Dalits live in the most congested and cramped slums in villages, towns and urban areas consisting of huts or ghettos which are damp and cramped. They live in the most insanitary conditions with no access to public health and sanitation amongst open sewers and open air toilets. There are no state sponsored public housing rights or public health rights in India. Most Dalits are forced to live in isolated areas. Even after death, grave sites are segregated. The best housing is reserved for the upper castes; the government provides separate amenities for each neighborhood, which are segregated on caste lines. Dalits are usually left with the worse of the amenities or none at all. Over 85% of Indian Dalits own no land and are dependent on landlords for work or land to rent; those that do own land may find it difficult or impossible to enforce their rights; workers rarely receive the statutory minimum wage. Furthermore, in past decades, Dalits in certain areas (especially in parts of the south) had to display extreme deference to high-status people, physically keeping their distancelest their touch or even their shadow pollute otherswearing neither shoes nor any upper body covering (even for women) in the presence of the upper castes. In northern India for example, untouchables had to use drums to let others know of their arrival. Even their shadows were considered polluted. In the south, some Brahmins ordered Untouchables to keep at least 65 feet away from them. Untouchables are shunned, insulted, banned from temples and higher caste homes, made to eat and drink from separate utensils in public places. The higher-caste people do not accept food or water from the untouchable because it would transmit the pollution permanent and inherent in the person of the untouchable. Thus, untouchables are not allowed to drink from the same wells, wear shoes in the presence of an upper caste, or drink from the same cups in tea stalls. They are not allowed to touch people from the four varnas or caste groups. They are not allowed to enter houses of the higher varnas especially in which the chula (the small earthen stove) is located. In public occasions, they were compelled to sit at a distance from the four varnas. They are also denied education, freedom of expression, and many other rights the higher classes have. Dalit children do not have access to education due to the lack of mandatory and universal primary and secondary education in India. Even in rural areas where there may be schools, Dalit children are ostracized, oppressed and stigmatized from attending school. Thus, few Dalit children progress beyond primary education and they are often made to sit at the back of the class. Nearly 90 percent of all the poor Indians and 95 percent of all the illiterate Indians are Dalits, according to the International Dalit Conference. Dalit Children are also subjected to atrocities such as sexual abuse in rural areas, physical abuse and murder just as adult Dalits are. They have a high level of malnutrition and ill health. Some are ordained into temple prostitution as a part of religious rituals for exploitation by non-Dalit men of the village or town. Dalit women do all the back breaking work society expects Dalits to do, such as manual scavenging, farm labour, stone breaking, etc., and in addition they have to bear domestic responsibilities as mothers and wives. Dalit women suffer double discrimination as Dalits and as women. They are exposed to sexual abuse at the hands of the so called caste Hindu men and also men who work or state authorities such as the police. They are frequently raped, gang-raped, beaten and tortured or forced to walk through the streets naked as punishment as an act of reprisal against male relatives who have committed some act worthy of upper-caste vengeance. Atrocities such as rape of Dalit women in police custody, bonded labour and physical abuse are common in India. The chastity of women is strongly related to caste status. Generally, the higher ranking the caste, the more sexual control its women are expected to exhibit. Brahman brides should be virginal, faithful to one husband and celibate in widowhood. By contrast, a sweeper bride may or may not be a virgin, extramarital affair may be tolerated, and, if widowed or divorced, the woman is encouraged to remarry. For the higher castes, such control of female sexuality helps ensure purity of lineageof crucial importance to maintenance of high status. Among Muslims, too, high status is strongly correlated with female chastity. Many thousands of Dalit girls are forced into marriage to temples or local deities in south India, often before puberty, sometimes in payment of a debt. They are married to temples under the guise of the religious practice Devadasis, meaning female servant of god. They are then unable to marry and become unwilling prostitutes for upper-caste men, many eventually being sold into brothels. The Badi Jat is regarded as a prostitution subcaste. Women and girls are routinely trafficked into brothels. Perversely, and hypocritically, untouchability does not seem to apply to prostitution and customers are mainly men from the upper castes. If, because of any reason, there was a contact between an untouchable and a member of the Varnas, the Varna member became defiled and had to immerse or wash himself with water to be purified. In strict societies, especially among the Twice Born (the three top Varnas) the touched Twice Born also had to pass through some religious ceremonies to purify himself from the pollution. If the untouchable entered a house and touched things of a Varna member, the Varna members used to wash or clean the places where the untouchable touched and stepped. A twice born Hindu is a male member of one of the three upper castes who has completed the thread ceremony. The thread ceremony is a Hindu initiation ceremony, similar to a Christian confirmation or a Jewish Bar Mitzvah. A thread is given to the boy and it is thereafter worn over the left shoulder or around the waist. The thread has three strands, representing the three gunas (qualities): satya (truth); rajas (action); and tamas(inertia). Sudras a nd Dalits are excluded from the thread ceremony and cannot become twice-born. Horrific and unbearable are just a few words that come to mind when thinking of the abuse towards Dalits. More than 160 million people in India are considered achuta or untouchable. Human rights violation against these people known as Dalits is extremely prevalent although obviously illegal. Laws have been passed to prevent the abuse of the Dalits and NGO groups have been established to protect these people. However, that doesnt limit the crimes. The enforcement of laws on both local and nationwide scale designed to protect the Dalits is lax if not nonexistent in many regions in India. Often times, especially in rural areas, where the practice of untouchability is the strongest, police officers even join in the abuse of the Dalits. Nearly 50 years later, another event gave rise to a mass of conversions by the untouchables. A man from their class became educated, and then dared to try and watch a festival that the upper class men took part in. The untouchable was soon discovered and called a dirty untouchable and then killed. When the dead mans family tried to report the murder to the police, the police turned them away because they were untouchables. Eventually the police gave in and investigated the murder, later convicting a young man, but that did not satisfy the people. They were tired of being treated so poorly, and soon decided to abandon the Hindu religion and chose a new one. Other headlines about crimes victimizing the Dalits are as follows: Dalit boy beaten to death for plucking flowers; Dalit tortured by cops for three days; Dalit witch paraded naked in Bihar; Dalit killed in lock-up at Kurnool; 7 Dalits burnt alive in caste clash; 5 Dalits lynched in Haryana; Dalit woman gang-raped, paraded naked; Police egged on mob to lynch Dalits. Fear of public humiliation, beatings, and rape keep Indias Untouchables in their place. Statistics from Indias National Crime Records Bureau indicate that in 2000 25,455 crimes were committed against Dalits. Every hour two Dalits were assaulted; every day three Dalit women raped, two Dalits murdered, and two Dalit homes torched. Majority of crimes go unregistered, because the police, village councils, and government officials often support the caste system, which is based on the teachings of Hinduism. Many crimes go unreported due to fear of reprisal, intimidation by police, inability to pay bribes, or simply because people know that the police will do nothing. There will be no punishment for the criminals; no justice for the victimized. Amnesty estimated that only about 5 percent of attacks are registered Hundreds of thousands of Dalits have already renounced Hinduism, generally by conversion to Buddhism or Christianity, sometimes in mass ceremonies. Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, a Dalit leader, lawyer, and politician, famously led several hundred thousand Dalits in converting to Buddhism, saying I was born a Hindu, but I will not die one. Conversion is not a panacea, however, and converts to other religions, especially Christianity and Islam, have suffered continued discrimination. Some converts have lost reserved occupations on the grounds that they are no longer members of scheduled castes and converts are not counted as Dalits in the Indian census. Amidst the oppression and hardships, Dalits still have social life which is expressed through dance and music. Theyre dance and music are full of fiery spirit, spontaneity and humour without the inhibitions and rigid classical structure that characterizes Hindu music and arts. Dalit songs celebrates life but laments their life conditions, while frankly exposing the realities of life, in a style full of humour and sensual zest, by using simple instruments and vocals. In modern times, Dalit poetry and writing by social and political activists have taken centre-stage amongst the educated activist community. Despite the harsh treatment that the untouchables are receiving, there have been certain attempts to help them. The elimination of untouchability became one of the main planks of the platform of all social reform movements of India. Reform movements and humanitarian acts such as those started by Buddha, Ramanuja, Ramanand, Chaitanya, Kabir, Nanak, Tukaram and others were established but they hardly had any effect on the peoples treatment on the untouchables. The Hindu state also enacted laws to punish those who rebelled against their intolerable conditions. The social oppression of the untouchables had religious sanctions. The British listed the poorest (principally Dalit) subcastes in 1935, creating detailed lists of scheduled castes and scheduled tribes. The 1948 Indian constitution, thanks to its architect Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, reinforced this classification, for a system of affirmative action called reservation. The concept was that these measures would help the poorest to escape poverty and oppression. Reservation is an attempt by the Indian national government to redress past discrimination. The constitution reserves 22.5% of national government jobs, state legislature seats, seats in the lower house of the national parliament and higher education places for members of scheduled castes and scheduled tribes. Unfortunately, this policy has not been implemented in full. Less than half the national government quota had been filled in total in 1998 and less than 15% of reserved public sector jobs. An unspoken policy discriminates in favor of upper castes, particularly Brahmins. Dalit representation in university teaching posts is less than 1%. New economic forces, education and nationalist movements had different impacts on the treatment of the people on untouchables. Because of new economic forces, railways and buses were introduced, thus, bringing touchables and untouchables together. Modern industries established in India recruited their labor supply and labor market from both touchables and untouchables, who further worked at the machines in physical proximity to one another. The workers also fought together during labor strikes. Because of education, whether liberal or technical, their economic conditions somewhat improved and different sections following different occupations began to merge, on class basis, with groups of other castes following similar occupations. The new bonds were based not on caste but on common occupation and class. This very slowly began to dissolve the mass of the untouchables into groups such as factory workers, teachers, clerks, merchants, mechanics, or manufacturers. New economic bonds betw een the touchables and untouchables following the same economic activity started weakening the prejudice of untouchability. Finally, nationalist movements also contributed to the benefits received by the untouchables. For example, the Swaraj struggle demanded the democratic alliance of all castes and communities in India whose vital interests lay in the political independence of the country. The nationalist movement contributed towards the dissolution of old distinctions. The social reformers were moved by humanitarian and national considerations when they crusaded against purely social evils. The Untouchables is a topic that touches on many sensitive issues relevant to every society; not only to the Indian society. One prevalent issue that the Untouchables have driven out is that of being an outcast. Perhaps many of us, if not all, can relate to the feeling of being unable to belong and just longing to fit in. Perhaps in high school, we tried out many roles and sought the group we most felt at home in. For the Dalits, life is high school taken to the worse extremes. From birth, they are ostracized. They are placed outside of society; and seen as less than human. They are given roles that they must play, and follow a certain set of rules for the rest of their lives, or suffer the consequences. In our society, to be treated as an outcast in this manner is simply unimaginable. It would seem as though one would go through life apart from society; apart from people. It would be as though one isnt a person at all; that one would be less than a person; less than even an animal. This sense of inequality was seen many times over history, in many different societies, and many are still relevant in todays society. Divisions were brought about by differences in gender, creed, and race, to name a few. Wars have been waged; rallies have been set into motion; and lives have been lost, with regard to all these issues. With all that has happened in our worlds history, Indias society learned nothing to deter from inequalities problems. The Dalits are maltreated and discriminated against. The maltreatment for Dalit women are even harder hit. Their people experience the never-ending cycle of poverty. The caste system was built and based on the idea that each caste or jat has a special role to play in the society but shouldnt an individual have the right to choose what role he/she will play in the society? Is the caste system the best way to achieve an organized and effective society? It is understandable that breaking away from the caste system would be difficult or something very hard to get used to. India has lived through all these years with the mentality that all men are unequal and there will always be untouchables or Dalits. It has become a part of their lives and is embedded in them. There is very little pressure for change, especially within India: it is said that the majority has an interest in perpetuating caste discrimination. Protests by Dalits themselves are rare: for many Dalits, day-to-day survival may be a higher priority. To quote Human Rights Watch: The solution lies in concerted international attention to assist national governments in this important and long overdue work. If you take a look at our society, even without the caste system, you will see that this never-ending cycle of poverty is also a major problem in the Philippines, and one question still stands, that is, How can one break free from poverty? Poverty is a problem, because those experiencing it, the poor, are marginalized. They can barely afford or sometimes cannot afford basic necessities such as food, clothing, and shelter. Yes, in India, as well as the Philippines, there have been programs, laws to aid and support these people. However, it is in the implementation of these laws that fail to solve the problem. For most Western people, the single action that has the best chance of making a difference would be to raise awareness of the problem, repeatedly bringing it to the attention of individuals, politicians, media, diplomats and above all the Indian government. The lack of will to change and unity among people (in India, as well as the Philippines) is one important problem in breaking away from poverty and making a change. Therefore, the caste system or these political divisions continue to live in the minds of many, leaving millions of untouchables or Dalits trapped in a world of oppression and poverty. Change is something much called for in the Indian society, in our society, and in many others around our world today. We can study the oppressive Dalit cases time and time again. We can feel disgusted, depressed, and down reading about them, and we can wonder, can their lives ever change? It isnt enough to read and wonder, in order for change, action is a must. In retrospect, there isnt much radical action one can take for the Dalits when still in second year college in the Philippines. However, we believe there is much we can do in the future, for our society, as well as others. In the words of Mahatma Ghandi, be the change you want to see in the world.

Changes in Ritas Character throughout Educating Rita Essay -- Educati

Changes in Rita's Character throughout Educating Rita With reference to the social context of the play, discuss the ways in which Willy Russell shows the changes in Rita’s character throughout Educating Rita. In the play Educating Rita by Willy Russell there are two main characters, Rita and Frank. Rita is a twenty six year old uneducated hairdresser. She wants a better life for herself; she wants to have an education. She didn’t get a full education at school as she says, ‘See, if I’d started takin’ school seriously, I would have had to become different from me mates, an’ that’s not allowed.† This shows Rita felt she could never take education seriously because it was for the ‘wimps’ and she didn’t want to be different to her friends, and her family didn’t regard education as being important. She goes to the Open University to further her education in English literature. In the Open University there is a professor called Frank, he will be tutoring Rita. Frank has a drinking problem and he also thinks he is a bad teacher. He says, â€Å"Everything I know – and you must listen to this – is that I know absolutely nothing.† He thinks literature and high culture have given him nothing in life to value, that’s why he thinks so poorly of his job. In the play Willy Russell tries to show the ways in which Frank and Rita communicate. When Rita first walks into Frank’s room she is full of questions, she has a lot to say. It seems as though she is full of life. Frank describes Rita, â€Å"Do you know, I think you’re the first breath of fresh air that’s been in this room for years.† Frank likes it that Rita is different from his other students because the things she says come to her naturally. Rita has not been tr... ...ere she is eager to learn, as she says, â€Å"†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..if you want to change, y’ have to do it from the inside, don’t y? know like I’m doin’.† This shows Rita wants to change. She also goes to summer school in order to learn more; by going to summer school it boosts her self-confidence. Then she moves in with someone called Trish, who she admires and now because she has changed, has a lot in common with her. The things Rita has done, which are to have taken great lengths in getting an education, show how serious she is about her desire to want to change herself. She even separates from her husband for the reason that she chose education instead of him, in an ultimatum her gave her. She has tried so hard to succeed and now that she has, I think that is being realistic. No one handed her an education on a plate, she worked hard for it, I this that is realistic.

Picasso’s Background And Life Experiences Essay

Picasso was arguably the most influential artist of the twentieth century. He had some degree of influence in all styles of painting which were used during his time, and was known and respected by almost every art enthusiast on the face of the planet. Pablo Picasso, born Pablo Ruiz Picasso, came into the world on the 25th of October 1881 in the southern Spanish town of Malaga. Pablo was an artist from early in his life – he was a child prodigy. He began his career as a classical painter. He painted things such as portraits and landscapes. But this style didn’t satisfy Picasso, he was a free man and wanted to express himself and ultimately leave a lasting mark on art, as we know it. Picasso turned his attention to cubes. He invented Cubism – a radical art form that used harsh lines and corners to display a picture instead of the usual soft curves. Picasso won a lot of fame for his Cubist paintings, but was criticized for it also. He designed and painted the drop curtain and some giant cubist figures for a ballet in 1917. When the audience saw the huge distorted images on stage, they were angry, they thought the ballet was a joke at their expense. Cubism lived on despite this. Other artists mimicked Picasso’s Cubism, and it took hold. Picasso had only just begun his one-man art revolution. In the late 1920s, Picasso fixed himself upon an even more revolutionary art form – Surrealism. Surrealism emphasized the role of the unconscious mind in creative activity. Surrealists aimed at creating art from dream, visions, and irrational impulses. Their paintings shocked the world – particularly Picasso’s – it was unlike anything a nyone had ever seen before. He took advantage of this fact and also the fact that he was extremely famous, to make a few political statements, statements that would go down in history. 1936 saw the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War. Fascist revolutionaries, led by Francisco Franco took hold of Spain and imposed a fascist dictatorship upon the country. Due to poor economic control and disregard for the people on the part of the Fascists, the country went through hell. The unemployment rate was phenomenal. The majority of the population were peasants and lived in appalling conditions. Impoverished gangs scavenged in fields and rubbish heaps for anything they could find. A vast horde of ragged, jobless people  wandered around from town to town. On top of this the Fascists operated as a police state and therefore anyone who opposed it would be executed. This incident sparked the most important time in Picasso’s life. On April 26 1937, Nazi German bombers flying under orders from General Francisco Franco, laid waste to the town of Guernica, in the Basque part of Spain, killing many innocent civilians. The bombing of Guernica was an extremely cruel example to th e rest of Spain of what would happen if the Republican resistance continued. This action prompted Picasso to paint Guernica; some say his greatest masterpiece ever. It shows the suffering and destruction of the town, as well as Picasso’s own horror and outrage at what happened. The painting depicts death and carnage on a large scale. A grief stricken mother is holding her dead child, a woman is burning, a severed arm holding a broken spear is lying next to a dead man and a horse, which represents the people, has been speared through the heart and is in agony. The bull stands alone, above everything else. The painting shook not only the art world but also the political world. Guernica is Picasso’s major political expression of all his paintings. Even though it is a single painting, it did so much. And even though it is painted using expressionism, it is still so powerful and it made people realize what was going on in Spain and struck up sympathy for the Spanish people, and hatred for the fascists. Even though Picasso only aimed to express his own horror, outrage, suffering and sorrow of the Spanish people. By unleashing Guernica on the world, Picasso achieved more than he set out to do. Guernica struck up mixed emotions. The Nazis thought of his work as â€Å"degenerate† art – not only did it defy â€Å"the rules† of painting; his artwork was anti-Fascist and therefore anti-Nazi. On the other hand, the British, Americans, French etc. loved his work because it expressed, as nothing else could, the horrors and atrocities of Fascism. When Nazi occupation of Paris came, Picasso’s work was prohibited from public exhibition. Picasso then took on a new role. He refused to leave Paris while the Nazis were there – his fame protected him. But Picasso’s refusal to co-operate with the Germans also made him, as a person, a symbol of freedom, of the â€Å"unvanquished spirit† After the war however, Picasso’s work was not  met entirely with open arms. In Paris, those still influenced by Nazi propaganda, violently protested against Picasso. But this wore off and Picasso went down in history as not only one of the greatest artists ever, but also a hero, and a figure of defiance against Fascism. Works Cited Page  ·Ã¢â‚¬ Pablo Picasso: The Early Years†. E-Library Article Preview. http://ask.elibrary.com  ·Picasso and Braque : pioneering cubism : [exhibition] Museum of Modern Art, New York, September 24, 1989-January 16, 1990.  ·The Artist and the Camera : Degas to Picasso, by Kosinski, Dorothy M.