Company Law, Business Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Company Law, Business Law - Essay Example Adam does have several options that he can choose should he decide. Adam can decide to accept the decisions of the board of directors and understand that they do not need the approval of shareholders for certain high-value transactions. The magnitude of special resolutions will determine whether the board of directors would have needed the approval of the shareholders. Further, Adam has the option as a stockholder and a member of the general public to trade his shares publicly, or he also has the option of selling his shares of the company to the majority of the shareholders who agree with the special resolutions that were implemented by the board of directors. In the case of First American Bank v. Shivers, Robert W. Shivers, a shareholder, voted against a merger agreement with FABM Acquisition Bank. He and his fellow shareholders comprised less than the number of bank shareholders needed to defeat the proposal. Adam also has the right to propose questions to the board of directors r egarding the two recent special resolutions. ... Further, Anton does enter into a contract with a local computing company that is operated by one of his friends. During the business transactions, Anton receives a laptop computer and gives it to his son as a birthday present. Samantha is very satisfied with the quality of her new IT system; however, she does discover that Anton has received a laptop computer, and has given it to his son as a birthday present. Samantha should confront Anton about the situation with the laptop computer, and instruct him that he cannot personally give merchandise to his family and friends that have been acquired within the business. Samantha should also instruct Anton to retrieve the laptop computer that he has given to his son. Anton should return the laptop computer of the local computing business if it was given to him as a favor because the company is operated by one of his friends. If the laptop computer was given to Anton for company use, then he still needs to retrieve the laptop computer, and i t needs to be used by Samantha's company for business use. In the case of IBG Insurance Services Corp v. Superior Court - No. 3153400 (Cal. Ct. App. 2002), Robert Zieminski, a senior executive for IBG Insurance Services Corporation, violated the "electronic and telephone equipment" policy statement of the company when he accessed certain explicit websites from his computer at work. He used two computers, one computer at home and one computer at work. When he was caught accessing certain websites from his computer at work, IBG demanded that the computer that Zieminski was utilizing at home be returned. However, Zieminski explained that his wife and children were utilizing the computer at home for personal

Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 9

Assignment Example Community health care can be defined as the overall healthcare provision service that is formulated to deliver health care services to the homesteads. It is a decentralized avenue of taking the services to the lowest level of households. It ensures healthcare services accessibility to the marginalized, coronary illness victims and generally reaches to the disadvantaged at the ground level. It is designed to help people live as independent as possible within the confines of their homes and communities. The trends of interconnectedness in global practices have led to sharing of positive effects as well as negative effects as regards to the various health care systems. On the positives, globalization has led to the easy spread of favorable healthcare practices at all the care systems from one country to another. However, infectious diseases are easily spread within the era of globalization through easy travelling from one place to another. In my own opinion, improvements in the health c are systems notable within the US can be attributed highly to globalization. This is because there is easy movement in technology and improvements. However, globalization has also adversely affected the health sector in that there is a high rate of new infections due to easy movement. Health care teams have noted effects on the ever increasing numbers of immigrant nurses. Despite the great need for nursing services within many countries, the mass movement of nurses towards the other countries especially the developed countries has been disturbing. Much of the concern is due to the increased competition which in turn leads to strain in resources within the management teams in catering to the rising costs to maintain these immigrants. Moreover, the management teams may find it hard to effectively handling the ever-growing number of these immigrants. Though cultural diversity may be interpreted in different perspective, the challenges that accompany it are widely spoken of. Majorly, ma nagement practices vary due to the reasons of the varying cultural practices as well as believe. Moreover, interpersonal relations may be affected by the cultural lineages. Organizational management as well as better communication strategies is among other effective strategies that the nurse leaders within culturally diverse working group may use to ascertain effectiveness in their roles (Contino, 2004, 1-2 of 11). Through proper organization, the diversity in cultural orientation would be positively interpreted for the sake of productivity. Moreover, efficiency in communication would bring cohesion within the nursing fraternity and hence success in management. As a nurse, the future success in the profession requires certain professional as well as personal attributes through which the effectiveness of a nurse is analyzed. Nursing is a profession and as many other professional careers are, they are guided by set values, ethics and regulations for work. Moreover, personal attributes are very basic for the personal effectiveness as a nurse. Among the strengths that would drive me towards realizing competency in the field of nursing are the basic professional values which are globally biding. Nevertheless, some of these values and traits are human developed and as such requires personal efforts to cultivate. The self attributes of compassion, empathy, self awareness, selflessness as well as knowledge-ability equally befits me for a successful nursing career in the future. Image

Why college education is important to me Essay Example for Free

Why college education is important to me Essay College education is important to me because it will create more opportunities with my employer as well as increase my salary. I know some employers put more emphasis on a college education than others. Unfortunately, college education isn’t an option for some individuals. I know many people around me that couldn’t go to college due to conflicting obligations or lack of financial support. I am thirty-eight years old and am just now starting college. While I do see an importance for college education on some career paths, I also see that not all career paths require it. My current employer now requires a college degree for any of their professional positions. My employment relationship with my company began through a high school co-operative program and, at the time, there was no requirement to possess a degree. Today, my position has been grandfathered in through seniority, but I need a degree for advancement in my career path; therefore, a college education is very important for me and my family and the advancement of my career. My salary will have the potential to double with a degree. With my current career, I was able to advance to a certain point without a college education and was very satisfied with my advancement. However, as time has passed, I have come to see firsthand the value in post-secondary education. Right now I work with Auto-CAD drafting for engineering schematics, and the average draftsman will top out at $55K per year.1 I have personally praised college education within my work organization and promoted the awareness of the earnings and advancement potential for them. Many in our organization are now seeking opportunities to continue their education. According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, an individual  is 2.5% more likely to be unemployed if he/she doesn’t have a college education.2 The journey to continue my education has come with many emotions. I have been afraid, thinking that I will not be able to complete the course. I have had pride issues thinking that I am too old and too wise for college. I have been training college recruits with my employer for years. I actually oversee approximately one hundred fifty student workers, many of which have a Bachelor’s degree, and even some have a Master’s degree, in Engineering. As I watch these degreed students get promoted to other organizations with significant salary increases, I realize that education is the only difference between them and me. While I do see a value in a college education, I also see the value in those that are on a technical path and will be working a career doing a trade. It takes both for our society to function. I am thankful to be blessed with the opportunity to advance my education. I am also thankful for the ability to better my family’s economic situation.

State Civil Society Relationship Social Work Essay

State Civil Society Relationship Social Work Essay The concept of civil society remains elusive, complex and contested. There are different meanings and interpretations and, over time, different schools of thought have influenced theoretical debates and empirical research. Civil society is conceived to be an arena of un-coerced collective action around shared interests, purposes and values. As a public sphere where citizens and voluntary organizations freely engage, it is distinct from the state, family and the market. From the above conceptions of civil society, they can therefore be considered as the wide array of non-governmental and non-profit organizations that have a presence in public life, expressing the interests and values of their members or others, based on ethical, cultural, political, science, religious or philanthropic considerations (World Bank 2006, Kaldor 2003, Carothers 2000). The concept has its origin from the Greek philosophy though some scholars consent that its origin dates back in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries (Kaldor 2003, John et al., 1999) Civil society also has been centrally linked to the   contemporary status of   democracy and   change in the world.   It has been presented as the beacon of freedom, the fountain for the protection of civil rights and of resistance against state repression, the mobilizing platform of society for the protection and projection of substantive interests, the compelling force for state moderation and the epitome of popular struggles and civil power has been a central force in political and economic reforms. The activities and even proliferation of civil groups have been seen by several scholars as vital to the democratization process and its sustenance. Donor discourse on international development policy now places much emphasis on civil society than in the past. Therefore it would be worthy to note that in practical sense, the boundaries between state, civil society and even market can hardly be defined or drawn (Kane, 2001, Camarrof, 1999, John et al., 1999, Salamon and Anheier 1996). Hyden (1995)   further clarifies on the concept by   emphasizing that there are variables that determine civil society, these include: basis of social action, nature of state action, nature of political legacy and nature of inter-cultural relations. But above all these, from myriad studies conducted, it is clear that the middle class has on large extent paved the way for civil society especially in fostering democracy. 1.1 Objective The purpose of this research is to understand reality of civil society in Uganda in relation to the theoretical concept of civil society and to go deep to understand the bilateral functions of civil society in Uganda. This study may be of great use to the policy makers, civil society actors, legislators and researchers who might be more enlightened about civil society in Uganda. In doing so the study will be contributing to the board of knowledge about civil society in Uganda. 1.2 Disposition This thesis will be organized as follows; the subsequent chapter (two) will present methodology used in this study. Chapter three will present conceptual framework. This will include definitions and the concept of civil society that I consider to be crucial for this study. Chapter four will be about civil society reality in Uganda. Chapter five will be about data presentation and analysis. 1.3 Problem Statement The past two decades have witnessed a proliferation of civil society organisations and they have made big strides towards improving the interplay between political and economic systems and thus have ensured democratic, participatory and decision making in society (World Bank 2006). NORAD (2003), UN-RISD (2005) present state, private sector and civil society as three separate arenas of development that operate independently from each other. Civil society has been well acknowledged as an important third sector whose strengths have positively influenced state and market and it is an important agent for promoting transparency, responsibility, accountability and openness. Civil society model recognizes   functions that are believed to be universally applied in all societies and according to Edwards 2004, World Bank 2003, SIDA 2005, the core functions of civil society include: to protect the citizens lives, property and freedoms; monitoring activities of state, central powers and state a pparatus; advocacy through articulation of interests of the citizens; socialization through practicing values and attitudes of democracy; intermediation and facilitation between state and citizens; building communities through voluntary interactions that build a bond between members of the society and service delivery in social service sector. Despite its increased importance and value, civil society in developing world has lingered behind and somewhat not understood. In Uganda, the basic descriptive information about civil society, its size, area of activity, sources of revenue and the policy framework in which it operates seem not to be available in an organized way. There seems to be domination of state and market while civil society structures are superficial and are shadows of the ideal model of civil society (Salamon, Sokolowski and Associates, 2003). Moreover, civil society tend to play a supportive role rather than confrontational or conscious raising roles. A report by NORAD (2002) indicates that the involvement of civil society in policy processes is cosmetic with limited impacts in Ugandan society. Therefore the actual situation about civil society in Uganda seems not to be according to ideal model of civil society in western societies. The point of departure in this study is to investigate and compare civil society reality in Uganda to the ideal concept of civil society in developed, modern and democratic societies while also trying to understand why the bilateral function of civil society in Uganda seem not to work properly. The purpose of the study therefore, is to investigate, understand and eliminate this discrepancy and comprehend the bilateral functioning of the civil society in Uganda with subsequent benefits derived from it. 1.4 StudyObjectives The general aim of the study is to investigate the reality of civil society in Uganda in relation to the general concept of civil society. There are a number of specific objectives, these include: To identify major areas of operation by civil society in Uganda. To identify the major actors of civil society in Uganda. To identify functions of civil society To find out factors that influence State-CSOs relationship in area of advocacy. To determine whether the Western models of CSOs are applicable in Uganda. Research questions How applicable is the western model of civil society in Ugandas context? How is the relationship between state and CSOs in Uganda? In what areas of operation are CSOs active in Uganda? Who are the major actors of civil society in Uganda? What are the factors that influence the relationship between state and civil society in policy advocacy in Uganda? What are the functions of civil society in Uganda 1.5 Research Frontier The thesis aims at filling an apparent gap that exists since most studies have primarily focused on other areas of civil society like the relationship with political parties, civil society in conflict resolution and in poverty alleviation but little has been written on the civil society reality in Uganda with reference to the model concept of civil society. 1.6 Significance of the study The study will contribute to the board of knowledge. It will be used as a literature for the future studies related to civil society and state in Uganda. The study findings can also be used to harmonize the relationship between state and civil society so that they can work for the benefit of citizens in the country. 1.7 Structure This thesis will consist of 6 chapters. Chapter 1 will be about Introduction of the study. Chapter 2 will include conceptual framework while Chapter 3 will be about Literature review. Chapter 4 will consist of Methodology and chapter 5 will be on Data analysis and results. The last Chapter 6 will consist of Conclusions and Recommendations. CHAPTER TWO 2.0 Methodology of the Study This chapter is about the methods that have been used in this study and explains the approaches that will be used in order to understand civil society reality in Uganda in relation to the model of the concept in the western democratic societies. 2.1 Methods This is a qualitative study primarily based on desk research of available documentations about civil society as well as few interviews from the civil society actors in Uganda. The method used for this study has some advantages and disadvantages. Advantages include: it saves time that would otherwise have been spent on collecting data. It provided a broad data base more than what one can collect. Secondary data also provided the basis for comparisons of the information about civil society in Uganda with the model concept of civil society in the western societies. Lastly, the author did not worry about the informed consent and human subject restrictions and the method is relatively cheap. Much as the benefits of secondary sources are considerable, their disadvantages are also identified. There was likelihood of having outdated data. The author had no control over how the data was collected. There may be biases in the data that was already collected by researchers. In order to ensure reliability and validity of the study, many comparisons between the data were made. This involved checking other sources such as other references and information from highly regarded sites on the internet for instance from World Bank, donor agencies, universities among others. The information used was in line with what was collected from other sources. The information is also reliable in a way that it was collected from government documents and other sites mentioned above. The information was valid since the findings relate to the issues and aim of the study. 2.2 Type of study-Case study A case of Uganda will be used. Goerge and Bennet 2005:18 define case study â€Å"as well-defined aspect of a historical episode that an investigator selects for analysis, rather than a historical event itself†. Case study is one of the several methods used in conducting studies in the area of social science, psychology, political science and it has the following advantages: It will be used in this study because of its high possibility or ability to achieve high conceptual validity. In other words, the researcher is able to compare, measure and identify which indicators best correspond to the concept.   It has also been chosen because it helps to understand a variety of intervening variables and makes it possible to single out conditions in a case that trigger out causal mechanisms. However, case study method has a weakness of selection bias. In other words, there is a possibility of overstating or understating the relationship between independent and dependent variables (ibid) 2.3 Data collection The nature of the study requires drawing lessons from multiple sources. Therefore, in undertaking this, it is proposed that a wide range of data collection methods should be used, both primary and secondary sources of data. The methods will capture qualitative data. The method will provide flexibility in data collection through triangulation of different research methods. This approach will also assist in cross checking information. 2.4 Primary Sources of Data Different stakeholders will be targeted since they are able to provide valuable insights on various issues of the interest of the study. Among the specific methods that will be used to collect primary data will include: Semi-Structured Interviews Semi-structured interviews will be used with key informants in Uganda such as Civil Society actors. Interviews in this regards will be very helpful as they will deal with more detailed perceptions and experiences. The researcher intends to have deep and rich interaction with key informants in order to understand various issues pertaining to the various opportunities and challenges that Civil Society Organizations face. In all cases, confidentiality of sources of information will be ensured to allow for discussion of more sensitive issues. 2.5 Secondary Sources of Data Relevant literature pertaining to issues under investigation will be collected from the various sources including government documents about CSO and official reports from various sources, including published books, journals, and other relevant materials will be consulted. Internet resources shall also be used to access relevant information as well. Combining various methods of collecting data will enrich the whole study as each method of collecting data will capture a specific angle of the issue in consideration. Furthermore, different methods tend to have weaknesses when used in isolation, so combining various approaches will enhance chances of getting more reliable information upon which inferences will be drawn. 2.6 Sampling procedure A non probability sampling strategy will be used, that is, Purposive sampling. This type of sampling will be used because it is helpful in targeting and getting views from those people who are perceived to be well vested with issues of civil society and policy advocacy in particular. 2.7 Data Analysis Qualitative data from semi-structured interviews will be analyzed using qualitative techniques such as thematic analysis. This will be used because it is highly inductive and will help in understanding more about civil society in Uganda.   Another advantage is that the researcher does not impose themes but rather themes are generated from the data. 2.8 Secondary and content analysis Secondary analyses in this case regard to the studies that are taken from historical data as well as informational materials that exist beforehand but analyzed by other researchers which can be used as sources for new research or study under investigation (Goerge and Bennet, 2005). This will be used in this study on civil society in Uganda in relation to the model of concept of civil society in developed world. 2.9 Content analysis This is another approach if used properly enables research problems to be identified both qualitatively and quantitatively. Three basic requirements used in this method include. First, the author should be objective, in other words he/she should not follow their instincts or the way they see materials but should follow an objective approach of representing the materials. In this study this will be followed and done. Second, is the exclusion and inclusion of the content. This implies that the author in some cases has to include or exclude some contents much as it can be useful or useless for the study (Mikkelsen, 2005). This has also been applied in this study in order to ensure coherence. 2.10 Materials used Materials used in this study were obtained from already published books, articles and journals. Additional materials were obtained through the internet via various data bases that include: ELIN, LIBRIS, Google scholar. Official government websites were also used as well as other reputable sources like official website of the United Nations, World Bank, academic institutions and think tank organisations were also used. Other relevant information about civil society in Uganda was obtained from the news paper publications of The New Vision, The Daily Monitor and The Weekly Observer and bulletins from civil society organisations in Uganda. 2.10.1 Evaluation of the sources When dealing with sources which normally present different views from different authors, it is important to remain unbiased while using them as the source of information for the study but students normally find it very difficult to deal with. In order to evaluate the sources this study will base on the set of methodological rules of simultaneity, genuineness, independence and tendency. 2.11 Previous Studies on Civil Society Several studies have been conducted and many authors have written a lot about civil society. Kaldor Mary (2003) a school professor on Global civil society at London School of Economics in her article â€Å"Civil Society and Accountability† highlights the issue of trusting civil society groups in regard to giving the voice to the marginalized. She further sheds more light about moral accountability and procedural accountability referring civil society groups being accountable to the people they serve and accountability as internal management respectively. She finally elaborates on difference between Non-Governmental Organisations and civil society by indicating that the former is a subset of the latter. John Keane, a re-known scholar and a Professor of Politics at the Center for Study of Democracy, university of Westminister. He has published many books and articles on civil society, democracy and politics. He has collected myriad samples about what writers have produced on the subject of civil society especially writers in Europe. In one of his books â€Å"Civil Society and the State, New European perspective†. He clarifies on distinction between state and non-state realm of civil society. He further coins out why the distinction which was important in the first half of nineteen century but later lost trace (Keane, 1988). Hyden Gà ¶ran a professor of political science at the University of Florida. He has published a lot on governance, politics and civil society. In one of his books â€Å"Assisting the growth of civil society. How might it be improved?† he analyses various literatures on civil society and supports the idea that civil society is an important tool that has been directed at promoting democracy in societies which are under dictatorial regimes. He further points out that in many cases external support is meant to complement the efforts of transition from despotic rule, but rather, the strengths of civil society depend on the domestic social forces of a certain country (Hyden, 1995). A study conducted by World Bank, (2006) elaborates that increase in conflicts in 1990s contributed to a focus on civil society as key actors in peace building initiatives and hugely contributed to massive increase of civil society sector. The study also points out that the presence of civil society does not simply result to peace building, but rather, proper understanding and analysis of civil society functions, validity, scope and content are paramount to peace building initiatives. CHAPTER THREE Conceptual Framework of Civil Society 3.1 Defining Civil Society Different scholars define civil society differently. Some scholars define it broadly while others define it in specific or narrow terms. For instance Carothers (2000), Kaldor (2003) define it in specific terms as â€Å"a domain parallel to but separate from the state realm where citizens associate according to their own interests and wishes† (Carothers, 2000:1) and Kaldor, (2003) defines it as an associational sphere between state and family aggregated by organisations which are detached from the state and they are formed by society members voluntarily to guard and preserve their values and interests. From the above definitions, there is a common thread in which all authors depict civil society as autonomous from state and market. Further, there seems to be a consensus among the definitions on the term civil society signifying that it is an arena or sphere made up of different or a collection of groups amalgamated together with the a common shared purpose, values or interests. Is this amalgamation of different groups harmonious? It seemly unlikely to have a harmonious relationship between these groups because they have different interests, values and their social fabric is totally different. Therefore to belong to one sphere or dome and have same reasoning, tolerance among each other and advance one goal as civil society sector might remain a myth not a reality. However, some scholars define civil society broadly to mean that it goes beyond being an arena between state and family. For instance Centre for Civil Society goes further to mean that civil society does not only mean a sphere outside state and market but even its boundaries in between them can never be drawn and therefore very ambiguous and Shauder et al., (2003) portray it as an all-inclusive term often used to mean social structures and interests further than household and outside the state institutions, including voluntary associations and non-profit organizations where people mingle for their collective interests. It would be argued that by making civil society all-inclusive like what Shauder et al argues above, renders it more ambiguous because like it was earlier argued, merging different groups of different backgrounds clearly makes civil society mysterious concept. There is another category of scholars who define civil society in a broad way for instance Cohen and Arato (1992), Michael and Edwards (1996:1) look at civil society as not only a sphere of charitable links and informal networks in which groups and individuals come together to participate in activities of public importance but also is a realm of private voluntary association, from neighbourhood committees to interest groups and philanthropic enterprises of all sorts. According to the definitions above, civil society is consented as a set of voluntary and not-for-profits associations sharing same interests. This is not far from what has been defined by afore mentioned authors but the difference here is that Shauder et al broaden the definition to imply that civil society goes beyond household and state while Cohen and Arato include an aspect of â€Å"charitable links† and â€Å"informal networks† to the definition, to some scholars it is a mixture of formal and informal and perhaps that why its boundaries are unclear. These links and networks as commonly known are horizontal linkages/networks and vertical linkages, that is, a connection of groups in a same category and connection of groups in different categories respectively. These different points of view clearly depict the term civil society to be an imperceptible concept which many social scientist have come up to conclude that it has no universal definition and therefore difficu lt explain due to its vagueness. It becomes different from what Parnini (2006:4) defines it as the â€Å"totality of groups and individuals in a country who show a regular concern for the social and political affairs in that country without fulfilling the function of political parties†. Closely related, in his writing, Hyden, (1995:3) defines civil society as â€Å"the political realm, specifically the means and processes through which citizens shape the character of political life in their country†. All the definitions above portray civil society as a sphere made up of myriad individual groups and associations, but other scholars like Hyden bring in an aspect to show that civil society is a ‘political realm which becomes quite different from what other scholars or authors who believe that civil society is   rather public or social realm. This sparks further debates; hence the term has become a centre of both political and academic discourses all over the world. It becomes an elusive term because what Parnini explains above signify that civil society cares more about what government should do to suit the interests of citizens but does not play the role of political parties, yet to some scholars, political parties are part of civil society and if anything there are some civil society actors which play the same roles as political parties; a case in point is the role of mobilizing citizenry. This role is played by actors like church, community based organisations or even non -governmental organisations. The working definition for this study is thatcivil society is an amalgamation of both human and associational activities that operate in a non-restrictive, open to everyone sphere without involvement of the state and market. It is a dome where people express their interests and ambitions but with pull factors based on common goal, values and customs. 3.2 The Evolution of Civil Society concept The contemporary term ‘civil society has its origins in the early modern period in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, however, Kaldor (2003), points out that the term has its origin from Greek political philosophy. This is not far from what John and Comaroff (1999) noted that the term became prominent in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries in the period of modern European state formation, when it was used and explained by Ferguson, Kant, Hegel, Marx and Tocqueville. It is further argued that apart from being used by Gramsci, however, it did not thereafter dominate western political theory until recently (ibid). Kaldor (2003) further indicates that it has been narrowed in 20th century into forms of social contacts that are separate from both the state and market. There is a commonality in which different authors above perceive the genesis of civil society. This implies that the concept itself was in existence though dormant before seventeen and eighteen centuries but civil society activism became prominent at a point in Europe when most societies sought to have a modern state. Thus modern state formation phenomenon in Europe was envisaged to have a civil society which would play an important supportive role in fostering democracy as part of the means of transforming societies from authoritarian rule. What should be known at this point is that civil society was brought in as one of the ingredients for democracy just as Hyden (1995) clarifies that civil society was a vital step towards the direction or realization of modern and democratic society. The most recent usage the concept of civil society has been distinguished into three versions: the ‘activist version which emerged in 1970s and 1980s especially in Latin America and Eastern Europe which referred to the idea of a area outside political parties where individuals and groups aimed to democratize the state, to restructure power, rather than to capture authority in a traditional sense (Kaldor 2003). It is imperative to note that different versions were perceived differently by different scholars. In the first version (activist), the situation in Latin America and Eastern Europe compelled the need for civil society because there were military dictatorial regimes and totalitarian communist rule respectively. It seems the term was dubbed ‘activist because it was quiet hard for the common people to change governments in these regions, so what people did was to devise means of removing the government through formation of active groups independent of state which woul d change the relationship between state and societies (ibid) The ‘neo-liberal version which Salamon and Anheier (1996) argue, is connected with views of ‘third sector or ‘non-profit sector that was developed in the United States where there are groups or associations that were not controlled by the state or even the market, but were important with potential of facilitating the operation of both. It is argued that this version was taken up by Western donors in the early 1990s because CSOs were needed to mitigate against the shocks associated with Structural Adjustment Programmes, to provide social safety net and foster good governance. It should be remembered that when SAPs were introduced by Bretton Woods institutions, governments were forced to cut on spending on public services, in so doing, civil society was to come in and bridge that gap as well as help in fostering good governance. In comparison with the first or ‘activist version, it is observed that in the neo-liberal version came with the element of minimizing the role of state by checking the abuses and practices of the state just like what Kaldor had earlier alone argued, this version is linked with the ideas of social capital and trust of Robert Putman and Francis Fukuyama respectively. This differs from the first version of ‘activist in Latin America which mainly hinges on conscientization of the poor and breaking the culture of silence  Ã‚   the ideas of Gramsci and the inspiration of liberation theory. The overall difference between these two versions seems to be that neo-liberal version has an element of endorsing the western way of governance just as Salamon and Anheier had earlier indicated that it was developed in United States; while the activist version aims at emancipation and enhancement of human rights and justice but both have a commonality of being western-driven. The above versions are in contrast with the third version of civil society ‘the post modern which asserts that the ‘activist and ‘neo-liberal versions are a Western discourse. Post-modern version criticizes activist and neo-liberal versions because there is exclusion of civil society actors like religious groupings and organisations which are based on kinship, they are sidelined and considered as traditional, that is why John and Comarrof (1999) clarify on this by arguing that there should not be ‘good westernized civil society and bad traditional un-civil society. Therefore, here, we should ask ourselves, is there bad and good civil society? The answer is no and yes, but in order to be rational, the definition should include all the categories mentioned in the activist version (social movements), neo-liberal version (third sector) and post-modern version (traditional and religious groups). The western concept of civil society has largely strayed from its original meaning and role where NGOs are considered as the same as civil society. The terms ‘civil society, ‘NGOs and the ‘non-profit sector have been regarded as the same by western donors since the early 1990s (Parnini, 2006:4). However, it can be argued that a full understanding of civil society has more than what NGOs does because civil society is a public sphere where non-state actors are mingled together. It has to include social movements that promote emancipation of poor and excluded, it has to include social organisations that protect and promote the interests of members, and it has to include nationalist and religious groups that foster empowerment of national and religious groups respectively. Therefore, it is rather a combination of all these actors that a coherent and robust collection can act together in order to bring transformation in society. Nevertheless, Kane (2001) observes, civil society can be fostered through taking part in participatory activities ‘through grassroots organisations, through se

Marie de Champagne :: Essays Papers

Marie de Champagne Marie de Champagne is the oldest daughter of Eleanor of Aquitaine, Queen first of France and then of England. Known for her interest in poetry, music and the arts, Eleanor is "credited with the development of the rules of courtly love, and for their dissemination throughout the medieval society of France and England" (Patronage 1). Sharing a very strong mother-daughter relationship, "Marie is known to have shared many of her mother's views and ideas" (Patronage 1). Competing against each other in an "elaborate intellectual game," Eleanor and Marie "try to outdo each other in presenting situations which test the boundaries of courtly love" (Patronage 1). The courtly love relationship is between a knight and his lady. The knight serves his lady with utmost obedience and loyalty while the lady is in complete control of the love relationship. In order to be worthy of the lady's love, the knight must perform great deeds that display his chivalric characteristics. The courtly love relationship typically is not between husband and wife, but usually a knight and a married lady. "Courtly love may therefore be regarded as the complex product of numerous factors--social, erotic, religious, and philosophical" (Courtly 1). As a crusader of courtly love literature, Marie greatly influences Chretien de Troyes' works "which reflect her own world views" about the relationships between men and women (Patronage 2). Writing under the guidance of Marie, Chretien claims that Marie's "command has more importance in his work than any effort [he] might put into it" (Patronage 2). Enforcing the importance of courtly love to the development of the Arthurian legends, Chretien with Marie's influence introduces a complex tale of courtly love and deception between Lancelot, Queen Guienevere and King Arthur. A story of love, lust, and betrayal, the characters that Chertien creates "personify the ideals of chivalry and courtly love according to the social mores of the literary patron, Marie de Champagne" (Patronage 3). In order win Queen Guinevere's heart, Lancelot endures great humiliation and heroic feasts, which portray his virtuous and chivalric character. Chretien's portrayal of Lancelot "is in complete harmony with [Marie's] vision of [courtly] love" (Patronage 3).

Polar Bears :: essays research papers

Habitat Polar bears prefer to live in extremely cold artic climates. They live only in the Northern Hemisphere, on the arctic ice cap, and they spend most of their time on coastal areas. Polar bears are widely spread in Canada, extending from the northern arctic islands south to the Hudson Bay area. They are also found in Greenland, on islands off the shore of Norway, on the northern coast of the former Soviet Union, and on the northern and northwestern coasts of Alaska in the United States. Physical Features The polar bear is one the largest members of the bear family. Males Polar Bears stand from eight to 11 feet tall and generally weigh from 500 to 1,000 pounds, but can weigh as much as 1,400 pounds. Female bears generally stand eight feet tall and weigh 400 to 600 pounds, except some, which can reach 700 pounds. The reason the polar bear weighs so much is that is stores about a four-inch layer of fat to keep it warm. The polar bear has a long, narrower head and nose, and small ears. The polar bear has coat that appears white but, each individual hair is actually a clear and hollow. This helps the polar bear keep warm. The polar bear's coat helps it blend in with its snowy surroundings, this adaptation helps the Polar Bear hide while hunting. The polar bear's front legs are slightly pigeon-toed, and fur covers the bottoms of its paws. These adaptations help the polar bear keep them from slipping on ice. Diet The polar bear rarely eats plants. That is why it is considered a carnivore, or meat-eater. The ringed seal is the polar bear's primary prey. A polar bear hunts a seal by waiting quietly for it to emerge from an opening a seal makes in the ice allowing them to breathe or climb out of the water to rest. Polar bears eat only the seal's skin and blubber of the seal. The remaining meat provides a food source for other animals in the Arctic. Polar bears also prey on young walrus’s. The remains of whale, seal, and walrus are also important sources of food for polar bears. In fact, because of their acute sense of smell, polar bears can sense animal remains from far away. Breeding Breeding usually takes place in April to June. Polar bears reach breeding maturity at three to five years of age.

Filipino Women Writers and Jose Garcia Villa Essay

Estrella D. Alfon (July 18, 1917 – December 28, 1983) was a well-known prolific Filipina author who wrote in English. Because of continued poor health, she could manage only an A. A. degree from the University of the Philippines. She then became a member of the U. P. writers club and earned and was given the privileged post of National Fellowship in Fiction post at the U. P. Creative Writing Center. She died in the year 1983 at the age of 66. Estrella Alfon was born in Cebu City in 1917. Unlike other writers of her time, she did not come from the intelligentsia. Her parents were shopkeepers in Cebu. [1] She attended college, and studied medicine. When she was mistakenly diagnosed with tuberculosis and sent to a sanitarium, she resigned from her pre-medical education, and left with an Associate of Arts degree. Alfon has several children: Alan Rivera, Esmeralda â€Å"Mimi† Rivera, Brian Alfon, Estrella â€Å"Twinkie† Alfon, and Rita â€Å"Daday† Alfon (deceased). She has 10 grandchildren. Her youngest daughter, was a stewardess for Saudi Arabian Airlines, and was part of the Flight 163 crew on August 19, 1980, when an in-flight fire forced the aircraft to land in Riyadh. A delayed evacuation resulted in the death of everyone aboard the flight. Alfon died on December 28, 1983, following a heart attack suffered on-stage during Awards night of the Manila Film Festival. Professional She was a student in Cebu when she first published her short stories, in periodicals such as Graphic Weekly Magazine, Philippine Magazine, and the Sunday Tribune. She was a storywriter, playwright, and journalist. In spite of being a proud Cebuana, she wrote almost exclusively in English. She published her first story, â€Å"Grey Confetti†, in the Graphic in 1935. She was the only female member of the Veronicans, an avant garde group of writers in the 1930s led by Francisco Arcellana and H. R. Ocampo, she was also regarded as their muse. The Veronicans are recognized as the first group of Filipino writers to write almost exclusively in English and were formed prior to the World War II. She is also reportedly the most prolific Filipina writer prior to World War II. She was a regular contributor to Manila-based national magazines, she had several stories cited in Jose Garcia Villa’s annual honor rolls. Alfon was one writer who unashamedly drew from her own real-life experiences. In some stories, the first-person narrator is â€Å"Estrella† or â€Å"Esther. † She is not just a writer, but one who consciously refers to her act of writing the stories. In other stories, Alfon is still easily identifiable in her first-person reminiscences of the past: evacuation during the Japanese occupation; estrangement from a husband; life after the war. In the Espeleta stories, Alfon uses the editorial â€Å"we† to indicate that as a member of that community, she shares their feelings and responses towards the incidents in the story. But she sometimes slips back to being a first-person narrator. The impression is that although she shares the sentiments of her neighbors, she is still a distinct personality who detaches herself from the scene in order to understand it better. This device of separating herself as narrator from the other characters is contained within the larger strategy of ? distantiation? that of the writer from her strongly autobiographical material. – Thelma E. Arambulo| †| In the 1950s, her short story, â€Å"Fairy Tale for the City†, was condemned by the Catholic League of the Philippines as being â€Å"obscene†. [3] She was even brought to court on these charges. While many of her fellow writers did stand by her, many did not. These events hurt her deeply. [1] In spite of having only an A. A. degree, she was eventually appointed as a professor of Creative Writing at the University of the Philippines, Manila. She was a member of the U. P. Writers Club, she held the National Fellowship in Fiction post at the U. P. Creative Writing Center in 1979. [5] She would also serve on the Philippine Board of Tourism in the 1970s. Stories * Magnificence and Other Stories (1960) * Stories of Estrella Alfon (1994) (published posthumously) * Servant Girl (short story) * English Jose Garcia Villa Jose Garcia Villa (August 5, 1908 – February 7, 1997) was a Filipino poet, literary critic, short story writer, and painter. He was awarded the National Artist of the Philippines title for literature in 1973 as well as the Guggenheim Fellowship in creative writing by Conrad Aiken. He is known to have introduced the â€Å"reversed consonance rime scheme† in writing poetry, as well as the extensive use of punctuation marks—especiallycommas, which made him known as the Comma Poet. He used the penname Doveglion (derived from â€Å"Dove, Eagle, Lion†), based on the characters he derived from himself. These animals were also explored by another poet e. e. cummings in Doveglion, Adventures in Value, a poem dedicated to Villa. Villa was born on August 5, 1908, in Manila’s Singalong district. His parents were Simeon Villa (a personal physician of Emilio Aguinaldo, the founding President of the First Philippine Republic) and Guia Garcia (a wealthy landowner). He graduated from the University of the Philippines Integrated School and the University of the Philippines High School in 1925. Villa enrolled on a Pre-Medical course in the University of the Philippines, but then switched to Pre-Law course. However, he realized that his true passion was in the arts. Villa first tried painting, but then turned into creative writing after reading Winesburg, Ohio by Sherwood Anderson. Writing career Villa’s tart poetic style was considered too aggressive at that time. In 1929 he published Man Songs, a series of erotic poems, which the administrators in UP found too bold and was even fined Philippine peso for obscenity by the Manila Court of First Instance. In that same year, Villa won Best Story of the Year from Philippine Free Press magazine for Mir-I-Nisa. He also received P1,000 prize money, which he used to migrate to the United States. He enrolled at the University of New Mexico, wherein he was one of the founders of Clay, a mimeograph literary magazine. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree, and pursued post-graduate work at Columbia University. Villa had gradually caught the attention of the country’s literary circles, one of the few Asians to do so at that time. After the publication of Footnote to Youth in 1933, Villa switched from writing prose to poetry, and published only a handful of works until 1942. During the release of Have Come, Am Here in 1942, he introduced a new rhyming scheme called â€Å"reversed consonance† wherein, according to Villa: â€Å"The last sounded consonants of the last syllable, or the last principal consonant of a word, are reversed for the corresponding rhyme. Thus, a rhyme for near would be run; or rain, green, reign. † In 1949, Villa presented a poetic style he called â€Å"comma poems†, wherein commas are placed after every word. In the preface of Volume Two, he wrote: â€Å"The commas are an integral and essential part of the medium: regulating the poem’s verbal density and time movement: enabling each word to attain a fuller tonal value, and the line movement to become more measures. Villa worked as an associate editor for New Directions Publishing in New York City between 1949 to 1951, and then became director of poetry workshop at City College of New York from 1952 to 1960. He then left the literary scene and concentrated on teaching, first lecturing in The New School. The New School for Social Research from 1964 to 1973, as well as conducting poetry workshops in his apartment. Villa was also a cultural attache to the Philippine Mission to the United Nations from 1952 to 1963, and an adviser on cultural affairs to the President of the Philippines beginning 1968. Death On February 5, 1997, at the age of 88, Jose was found in a coma in his New York apartment and was rushed to St. Vincent Hospital in the Greenwich area. His death two days later was attributed to â€Å"cerebral stroke and multilobar pneumonia†. He was buried on February 10 in St. John’s Cemetery in New York, wearing a Barong Tagalog. Personal In 1946 Villa married Rosemarie Lamb, with whom he has two sons, Randy and Lance. They annulled ten years later. He also has three grandchildren. Works As an editor, Villa first published Philippine Short Stories: Best 25 Short Stories of 1928 in 1929, an anthology of Filipino short stories written in English literature English that were mostly published in the literary magazine Philippine Free Press for that year. It is the second anthology to have been published in the Philippines, after Philippine Love Stories by editor Paz Marquez-Benitez in 1927. His first collection of short stories that he has written were published under the title Footnote to Youth: Tales of the Philippines and Others in 1933; while in 1939, Villa publishedMany Voices, his first collection poems, followed by Poems by Doveglion in 1941. Other collections of poems include Have Come, Am Here (1942), Volume Two (194 in that year when he edited. The Doveglion Book of Philippine Poetry in English from 1910. Three years later, he released a follow-up for The Portable Villa entitled The Essential Villa. Villa, however, went under â€Å"self-exile† after the 1960s, even though he was nominated for several major literary awards including the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry. This was perhaps because of oppositions between his formalism (literature)formalist style and the advocates of proletarian literature who misjudged him as a petty bourgeois. Villa only â€Å"resurfaced† in 1993 with an anthology entitled Charlie Chan Is Dead, which was edited by Jessica Hagedorn Several reprints of Villa’s past works were done, including Appasionata: Poems in Praise of Love in 1979, A Parliament of Giraffes (a collection of Villa’s poems for young readers, with Tagalog language Tagalog translation provided by Larry Francia), and The Anchored Angel: Selected Writings by Villa that was edited by Eileen Tabios with a foreword provided by Hagedorn (both in 1999). Among his popular poems include When I Was No Bigger Than A Huge, an example of his â€Å"comma poems†, and The Emperor’s New Sonnet (a part of Have Come, Am Here) which is basically a blank sheet of paper. Paz Marquez Benitez She was Born in 1894 in Lucena City, Quezon. Marquez – Benitez authored the first Filipino modern English language short story, Dead Stars, published in the Philippine Herald in 1925. Born into the prominent Marquez family of Quezon province, she was among the first generation of Filipino people trained in the American education system which used English as the medium of instruction. She graduated high school in Tayabas High School now, Quezon National High School and college from the University of the Philippines with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1912. â€Å"Marquez†Benitez. She was a member of the first freshman class of the University of the Philippines, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1912. Two years after graduation, she married UP College of Education Dean Francisco Benitez with whom she had four children. Marquez-Benitez later became a teacher at the University of the Philippines, who taught short-story writing and had become an influential figure to many Filipino writers in the English language, such as Loreto Paras-Sulit, Paz M. Latorena Arturo Belleza Rotor,Bienvenido N. Santos and Francisco Arcellana. The annually held Paz Marquez-Benitez Lectures in the Philippines honors her memory by focusing on the contribution of Filipino women writers to Philippine Literature in the English language. Though she only had one more published short story after â€Å"Dead Stars† entitled â€Å"A Night In The Hills†, she made her mark in Philippine literature because her work is considered the first modern Philippine short story. For Marquez-Benitez, writing was a lifelong occupation. In 1919 she founded â€Å"Woman’s Home Journal†, the first women’s magazine in the country. Also in the same year, she and other six women who were prominent members of Manila’s social elites, namely Clara Aragon, Concepcion Aragon, Francisca Tirona Benitez, Carolina Ocampo Palma, Mercedes Rivera, and Socorro Marquez Zaballero, founded the Philippine Women’s College now Philippine Women’s University. â€Å"Filipino Love Stories†, reportedly the first anthology of Philippine stories in English by Filipinos, was compiled in 1928 by Marquez-Benitez from the works of her students. When her husband died in 1951, she took over as editor of the Philippine Journal of Education at UP. She held the editorial post for over two decades. In 1995, her daughter, Virginia Benitez-Licuanan wrote her biography, â€Å"Paz Marquez-Benitez: One Woman’s Life, Letters, and Writings. â€Å"