Program Planning and Evaluation

Program planning is the starting blue prints or structure of a new program or even used to improve a program already in place. Program planning involves research, making goals, setting up objectives in order to meet goals and gathering information. Program planning also includes information about the budget such as how much it will cost in order to provide the services intended by the program. Program planning tells us what the problem is, who the program targeted population is, where are the targeted population demographically located, and why there is a problem. Program planning involves a lot of thought and information collected by the staff and where available the clients as well. Program planning determines what obstacles the program may encounter along the way and plans to work around the obstacles. Program planning should be done carefully and thoroughly because as a blue print for a program we would like the finishing product to be very well built and organized with a great finished product. Program evaluation is the ongoing collection of data which the staff of the program can take into consideration when making changes for necessary improvements or for future planning of the program. Program evaluations show the staff the strong points of the program they may wish to leave alone and also the weak points of the program they may need to make stronger. Program evaluation is important because it helps to keep the program running smoothly in order to meet their goals and provide sufficient services to the community and clients that the program serves. Program planning and program evaluations work together in order to make a program effective and efficient. Program planning does not stop just because a program is up and running since there will always be changes that need to be made as the program grows and needs to meet the demands of more clients and becomes a bigger part of the community it serves. Therefore program evaluations continue to help keep the program planning on a proper level and help the staff make decisions needed in order to meet demands and still plan goals and objectives successfully. The scenario I have chosen to work with this year is the PEACE Domestic Violence Agency. I believe that both program planning and program evaluation interrelate in this scenario because there is a growing problem with violence in the city of Portland and without action it will probably become worse. There needs to be a program in place in order to give any means of help to the community that can be offered and that will require program planning. The continuous changes of needs, and the need to ensure effectiveness is going to require the implementation of program evaluations in order to help measure the success and continue make the success rates higher. The technical aspects of program planning should consist of inputs to outputs that would in turn provide the community the social justice needed. I believe that the technical aspects are to make a crisis hotline available which would provide 24 hour access to a staff member who can help. I believe that there should be qualified counselors staffed within the program in order to help the individual to identify needs and also to obtain protection orders if necessary. I think that having a shelter or an affiliated shelter would be helpful because some clients are going to need a place to stay and receive a chance at a fresh start through transitional housing. Further I believe that technical aspects would be to also get some community awareness started about violence and ways to prevent it. This can be a fun community activity during which individuals learn to look out for one another instead of hurting one another or turning the other way while someone else is hurt. On the other hand there needs to be rehabilitation for the individuals who act violently. Enabling them to lead a better life and teaching them to protect others instead of causing harm. Aspects that can affect the program planning and evaluation process are that there might be some people still too afraid to come forward and fight for the changes that benefit them. They might have their doubts that the program will work because the violence rates are so high and so many people have failed to fully help them. A person who has been a victim might be inclined to move on but become victim again. A person hurting others may be inclined to feel there is no need for them to get help. The way these aspects can affect the program planning and program evaluation are because they are obstacles that would prevent the program from becoming successful and promoting a better outcome for individuals and the community. In order to prevent hindering the program we have to find other ways to get through and rebuttal the situations. Political aspect of the program planning and evaluation would be to ask for harder punishment for those who are on the violent side of the fence. I would also ask for more police involvement in the community and if needed be the hiring of more police authority in the area to help in lowering the amount of time it takes to get to a situation involving violence. I would ask for education about violence to be implemented through school systems and jail or prison facilities to raise the possibility of positive changes. I would ask for cameras to be placed at stop lights and in other areas where road rage was the worst in order to help in providing proper apprehending of drivers who have a problem. These aspects could affect planning and evaluation of the program because political authorities might not feel there is enough violence to take action. It also could affect the planning and evaluation because the political authorities might not have the funds to provide the help needed. The political authorities might agree to the needs but on lesser terms. This would mean that in order to have success rates we are looking for we need to find other ways to get the help needed.

Narrative (fiction) texts Essay

Children should be able to distinguish narrative texts from expository ones. For a child to be familiar with each type of text means to possess sound communicational, analytical, reading, and writing skills. DQ 14 It is critical that children are able to distinguish expository texts from narrative works of writing. Generally, there are several features which make narrative and expository texts different from each other. Narrative (fiction) texts are filled with numerous sensory details. Personal experience is not a rare subject of fiction stories. Fiction literary works are usually told from a first person’s view. In many instances, the author of a fiction story will refer to personal interpretation of events and phenomena by using â€Å"I† or â€Å"we† pronouns. Expository (non-fiction) texts are primarily aimed at informing, explaining, or persuading the reader. Expository texts are not colored with emotions, being written from a non-personal (often neutrally objective) viewpoint, and carrying no sensory details. Expository texts are never written in the first person (Vacca, 1999). Children should be able to differentiate expository texts from narrative literary works. Children need these skills to read and interpret texts, to be able to search and analyze the required information, to choose a correct writing style according to the specific writing needs and circumstances (Vacca, 1999). The process of education requires using either expository or narrative information as the source of knowledge on various curriculum subjects. To understand the meaning of a word, to communicate with audiences, to acquire new information, and to use this information to achieve personal goals, children need to possess sound knowledge on what a fiction, and what a non-fiction text is. The five examples of fiction books: Louis Ehlert’s Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf; Mary Hoffman’s Amazing Grace; Jerry Stanley’s Children on the Dust Bowl; Harriette Gillem Robinet’s Children of the Fire; Marya Dasef’s Tales of a Texas Boy. The five examples of non-fiction books: DK Publishing’s Children’s History of the 20th century; Delia Ray’s A Nation Torn: The Story of How the Civil War Began; Anne Millard’s Pyramids; Aliki’s Communication; Russell Freedman’s Children of the Wild West. References Vacca, R. T. (1999). Content area reading: Literacy and learning across the curriculum. New York: Longman.

Clytemnestra’s Deception as Depicted in the Oresteia Trilogy

Clytemnestra Deception In The Agamemnon book of the Oresteia trilogy, the Chorus in each play represents the people who feel under represented and disrespected by the society's changing values. They also fear the control of an effective woman in Clytemnestra rather than the leadership of Agamemnon. The Chorus takes direct actions, thought to ensure their prominence. Agamemnon, the king of Argos, returns home from the war at Troy. As his war prize he brings with him the prophetess-maiden Cassandra, daughter of King Priam of Troy.She was chosen by Apollo and granted the gift of prophecy, but as a result of Apollo's anger towards Cassandra, no one believes her predictions. Cassandra knows she and Agamemnon are going to die, but is powerless to prevent it. This is the main plot that unfolds in The Agamemnon. Clytemnestra kills Agamemnon and Cassandra, but her motive for these murders is much more serious than Just marital infidelity: He sacrificed his own daughter, â€Å"my beloved chil d to whom I gave birth suffering great pains, Just to control the Thracian winds with pells† (1417-18).Clytemnestra hates Agamemnon, who was ordered by the goddess Artemis to sacrifice their first-born, Iphigenia. However, â€Å"Clytemnestra is also angry with her husband because of Cassandra, and she express that both adulterers deserved punishment† (1431-47). The situation is somewhat dubious. Clytemnestra herself is having an adulterous affair with Agamemnon's worst enemy, Aegisthus, with whom she has also been plotting the murder of Agamemnon. In terms of marital infidelity, Clytemnestra cannot claim moral superiority over Agamemnon.So the son of Agamemnon, Orestes, murders his mother to avenge the murder of his father. Clytemnestra dies not Just because of her adultery but for her treachery. The crucial issue is the regicide, and the question of whether Clytemnestra's horrendous deeds can be Justified as a response to Iphigenia's sacrifice. The Homecoming-rituals s hape the dramatic structure of the play. In the first half of the play Clytemnestra deliberately perverts all the rituals involved in the homecoming of the king.This is an ntentional and important aspect of her character and a way for the queen to assert her power. She makes the elders of Argos wait for her answer at the palace, when they came to ask her about the sacrificial fires burning in every major and minor shrine in the town. â€Å"The elders are skeptical of Clytemnestra's reasons for believing that the expedition to Troy has been successful, and the conversation between the queen and the elders is reminiscent of a duel† (258-60).However, Clytemnestra masterfully uses rhetoric worthy of a man, and in the end the elders admit defeat 351-54). The queen disparages the herald who arrives to inform her of the safe return of Agamemnon. Clytemnestra cuts off his announcement by telling him that she already knows of the victory and claims that her husband will tell her every thing she needs to know (587-614). Once again, she has successfully been undermined by her ‘unfeminine' strength of mind and speech.When Agamemnon arrives, Clytemnestra assumes control of the situation by arriving late and giving a lengthy and garrulous welcoming speech to ner husband 8 Finally, in the tamous arpet-scene (914-74), the queen persuades Agamemnon to offend the gods by walking on the luxurious purple clothes and straight to his death by her actions, Clytemnestra has managed to break with all the traditional Greek customs and rituals related to the homecoming of a king.That is the theme that dominates the first half of the play. Clytemnestra's actions reveal to the audience her intentions. They also expose her growing power and the political and psychological battle between the elders†who represent the people of Argos†and the herald.

No topic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 33

No topic - Essay Example I want you to convince Ted that repairing those machines is important to the buyer†. This is a clear evident that George is a dishonest person as he is making false claims so as to improving his economic status. Moreover, being deceitful is against the law as he involvers himself in financial Scandals by raising the money approximated to repair the machine from $100, 000 to $150,000 that is considered to be unethical. Additionally, George has also portrayed poor customer service since is taking the advantage of his position to double-deal his clients, and this practice is considered to be unethical. George is forgetting that it is a duty of any well business individuals to act as consultants who will ensure that they are giving sound guidance to their clients. In view of that, the facts of the situation that are relevant to the aforementioned unethical issues are common such as making deceitful claims during advertisement, poor or faulty products and failing to refund customers their purchase price. Therefore, individuals and the corporation should address the aforementioned unethical of dishonesty, poor customer service and financial Scandals by ethical training individuals as this is an essential component for corporate to run an effective workplace. Therefore, the franks options should involve training individuals to uphold the value of honest as this will help them act with integrity hence averting dishonesty that propagate poor customer service and financial Scandals. Conversely, moral philosophy such as normative ethics can be applied to avert the unethical dilemma facing George. Normative ethics will help companies like JSYK and individuals like George to comprehend that the consistent practice of wicked business ethics will make them face several problems such as poor reputation. For instance, if Ted and Reverend Smith came to realize about George’s conspiracy,

Mobile Cybersecurity Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Mobile Cybersecurity - Research Paper Example To top that cloud-computing has served as an icing to the cake. There is now a whole new and refined market place for the mobile devices and their data-sharing. There are different kinds of threats that a user of these devices face. Threat of device being actually stolen (physical threat), threats of virus attacks or hijacking of the devices (McGhee).The most basic reason that writers put forward for such mobile security risks is the lack of awareness and ignorance by the general public at large to such great threats or risks. They say that either users are not aware of such risks or either if they do they believe that their devices have enough security features to protect them as evident from†¦ Keywords: cyber security, digital devices, wireless networks Introduction While living through the Network Era, we are witnessing the drastic changes that the industry of information and technology is going through. It has become a norm that within short intervals of time period we witne ss something much more innovative and creative. On daily basis human race comes up with a brand new idea which makes the previous ones obsolete. Especially in the techno sector, this change is so fast paced that the slow movers are thrown out within moments. From industrial manufacturing processes to daily lives to computer world, everything is changing. All of this happened just in a couple of decades. We are witnessing things that were previously never thought of or if anyone used to talk about it he or she was considered lunatic. But now with such technological advancements nothing seems to be impossible. From mainframe to mini and mini to personal computers, now even from personal computers to handheld digital devices, we mark the beginning of a new era; the era of mobile and smartphones. It would not be wrong if I say here that the time is not far when even laptops will be replaced by these portable handheld devices. Today, everyone can be seen to own one of those devices. Be i t a business professional, house wives or kids at school or college. These devices have become a part of our daily life and routine. Without them the world does not seem complete or it seems that something is missing. Be it a trend to own them or a necessity or some peer/social pressure or influence, everyone wants to grab one. With the advancements in the field of information and technology and wireless protocols, a whole new world has been opened for researchers and techno lovers. With the advent of third generation and now even fourth generation a whole new realm of opportunities has opened. To top that cloud-computing has served as an icing to the cake. There is now a whole new and refined market place for the mobile devices and their data-sharing. With the mobile market increasing exponentially, we can see the new ways and work practices that individuals and even organizations are adopting. There is an increased use and reliance has been observed by both individuals and the org anizations. This is due to the basic factor that these digital mobile devices or smartphones provide; that is the ease of connectivity and their mobility. It just becomes easier for everyone to collaborate even from the remotest of the places. But with the introduction of such devices for example net books, tablets, smartphones and even now personal music players; there comes another risk, the risk of their security. Today these devices hold

Reaction essay Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Reaction essay - Assignment Example The Holocaust Memorial is therefore symbolic of the murdered Jews that is why it was aptly named â€Å"Memorial for the Murdered Jews of Europe† (Michael Blackwood Productions, Inc., n.d., par. 2). I think that the ‘ort’ was a good idea to provide visitors and guests with the crucial information relating to the museum. This is necessary especially for people in future generations who could not have been appropriately informed of the historical events that transpired during this time. I still believe that the title is the most appropriate one given that even those who died of old age or disease in concentration camps also fall within this category; since they would not have been forced to be in these camps in the first place if the intention were not to murder them. Their dying of old age or of disease were just a matter of consequence. affirmation that people of the United States detest what had happened during the holocaust. Likewise, there is a need to commemorate the Jews who died and might have relatives who died during this time to manifest unity in remembering them. No national monument for the victims of slavery and genocide were erected in this country because it would not befit to show to the world that these discriminatory events and violations of human rights were actually perpetuated by people from this country. From the documentary video of Emmaly Reed, the viewers are given the prerogative to either believe what she is narrating or to dismiss this as virtually unsubstantiated (Cantrell, n.d. ). One could believe her given that there were other victims who relayed similar incidences and stories of harm that were apparently inflicted. On the contrary, given that she must have been two or three years old at that time, the events could not have been possibly remembered. Likewise, with the narration that she could have been subjected to various torture (hammering of nail on her skull or hanging and poisoning), given

Sociology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 12

Sociology - Essay Example (2). The social perceptions and social constructs of gender have played a major role in the way in which the two genders have advanced in politics in the United States of America. (3). In this social construct women were considered Ill-equipped for the function of politics, leading to women having hardly any role to play in politics. (1). Women meekly accepted this less than subordinate role in politics, as assigned by social constructs, so much so they played a very small role in the political arena, leading to a situation wherein there was a paucity of women as political leaders, a vacuum that women still strive to fill in the United States of America. Thus the absence of women from the political power structures can be put down to the social construct of women not being naturally built for a role in politics, and the meek acceptance of such a social construct by women for a very long period of time in American politics. (4). The United States has for long been known as the â€Å"melting pot† of diverse races and cultures, which should mean that assimilation has occurred and there is equality in all aspects. However, this is not true particularly in the case of the minorities made up of the African-Americans, the Latinos and the Asians, who have not been assimilated into this land with a white majority, and so do not enjoy equality in all aspects including economic power. (5). This lack of assimilation is important in a land where the whites are in majority and believe that the responsibility of success or failure of an individual or a group of individuals is solely theirs and is a reflection of the effort, culture, and values of the individual or group of individuals. Having been the dominant grouping with access to all the facilities that are required for economic success, while there has been denial to the minorities

World War I and the Economic Impact on the United States Essay

World War I and the Economic Impact on the United States - Essay Example Even though the United States was actively involved in the war for only 19 months, the economic effects of World War I started as the war broke out in Europe and extended way into the 1920s and 1930s long after the war had ended in 1918. The economic impact of World War I on the economy of United States is twofold: Economic impact during the war and impact after the war. The economic impact during the war and immediately after the war, which was short term, was a positive one which helped the American economy to recover from recession. The economic impact after the war, which was long term, was a negative one which forced the American economy into depression (The Great Depression). During The War Prior to the war, United States was in a recession. The economic situation changed dramatically during the war as United States saw the economy boom during this period. The demand for war goods increased rapidly across Europe and the United States benefited greatly from this increase in dema nd as Europeans started purchasing war goods from the United States1. The Manufacturing industry benefitted heavily from the rise in demand from Europe. All kinds of goods were now exported to Europe from America bringing in huge profits. American industries expanded rapidly during the period. Unemployment declined greatly during the war as 3 million people were recruited by the military and half a million jobs were created in the government2. This created employment opportunities for women and immigrants of African origin who were not a major part of the workforce prior to the war. Manufacturing and other industry related jobs were created and were now filled by the previously unemployed. Unemployment rate fell from 7.9% to 1.4% during the war3. Another major impact of World War I on United States was the graduation from a net debtor to net creditor. Prior to the war United States was a debtor country but by the time war had ended it had become a net creditor. In 1914 foreign inves tment is the United States was way greater than the amount invested abroad by the United States. But the equation had changed dramatically during the war and by the end of it United States had emerged as a creditor country. New York had replaced London as the world capital market and Federal Reserve had emerged as the world’s most important financial institution downplaying the bank of England4. This change made great impact on the American economy and contributed to development of America as a global economic superpower in the second half of the 20th century. Post World War Post world war production in industries slowed down and the demand for labor also reduced drastically. Adding to the already poor unemployment condition was the return of soldiers from the war. There weren’t enough jobs for all. Due to decrease in demand the prices of many farm products fell by nearly 50% and this lead to many farmers going bankrupt. Demand for many industry products had reduced an d this meant the overall production went down. Apart from decline in jobs, this also reduced the cash flow into the country. The European demand for American products after the war was not the same as it was during the war. Industry that thrived during the war was the industries that produced weapons and other war goods. All of a sudden there was no demand for the war industry goods. One of the other negative effects of World War I on United States was inflation. The cost of living by the end of the war rose to 100% above the level before the war5. The seeds of the Great Depression were planted by the rising unemployment and bleak economic situation after World War I. Impact on the Ideas about Economics Apart from

Law Enforcement Information Sharing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5250 words

Law Enforcement Information Sharing - Essay Example es and technology (National Institute of Justice, 1999).   Organized criminals, taking advantage of these developments, have become more agile than governmental agencies (Brock et. al. 2006). On the other hand, though technology and other infrastructure are available to law enforcement agencies, democratic governments require a consensus among leaders and citizens to establish priorities and allocate funds before significant changes are implemented. (Broude & Teichman, 2009). This constraint slows down government progress and makes law enforcement a complex process. Thus, making policy change and implementation becomes difficult and is not always successful (Broude & Teichman, 2009).  In contrast, criminals act independent of bureaucracy, advancing their own interests (Beare, 1997).  The agility of the criminal enterprises makes it difficult to anticipate criminal activity, making such activity an insurmountable threat (Williams & Godson, 2002).  The reluctance of some commun ities to recognize a developing or already present criminal threat can also contribute to the growth and entrenchment of crime. (Mackenzie, 2007).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Available literature on the topic chronicles twentieth and twenty-first century efforts undertaken by the federal government to combat transnational crime. (Dowling et al. 2006).   However, there is a dearth of literature on the trends in criminality from the perspective of federal law enforcement officers (Small & Taylor, 2006).   Statement of the Problem: Transnational crimes, especially terrorism, have remained a huge threat to nations all over the world from time immemorial. Experts in the fields of law enforcement and counter terrorism believe that proper sharing of information among various intelligence agencies in different countries... From this research it is clear that events of September 11, 2001 demonstrate what can happen when the law enforcement community fails to adequately share and analyze information available to them. Those events are an extreme example, but many other terrorism and transnational crimes threatened society long before 9/11 and continue to do so today. The U.S. Government recognized key information sharing gaps that contributed to the terrorist’s ability to execute their attack and took measures to curtail such gaps in the future. One noticeable paradigm shift was the creation of the Department of Homeland Security, merging 170,000 employees from 22 federal agencies, and move by DHS leadership to develop unique â€Å"one-DHS† culture. The purpose of this case study is to describe what measures federal law enforcement agencies have implemented, and what steps can still be taken, to enhance information sharing with State and local partners and other peer agencies. A review of t he literature on sharing in the law enforcement community includes an exploration of factors related to (a) An awareness of transnational criminal and terrorist threats before and after 9/11, (b) Human factors related to the sharing of information in person and through technological tools, (c) Organizational changes contributing to information sharing, (d) Factors affecting sustainability of information sharing initiatives. While modern transportation and technology enhanced the developmental activities on one hand, it also accelerated the country’s illegal enterprises on the other.

Write a Marketing Plan and Plan Report for a launch event of a new Essay

Write a Marketing Plan and Plan Report for a launch event of a new Master programme in Events Marketing Management, the only course of its kind in the world. Th - Essay Example The main purpose of this paper is to write a Marketing Plan and Plan Report for a launch event of a new Master programme in Events Marketing Management. The event shall take place on London Metropolitan University premises in June 2006. The underlying assumption is that there will be launch of the programme in June 2006, and the main goal of promotion marketing plan is to make positive public opinion and awareness towards Programme launch by this date. The London Metropolitan University needs to implement an integrated marketing plan to achieve a level of 100% enrolment at the Course during its first year, in order to do this it need to strategically categorise the potential students into various segmented areas. Consideration also needs to be given to the large number of students who have not decided on whether they want to join the Course. The plan advises what methods need to be used along will how they need to be implemented to obtain the overall objectives of the plan. The theoretical part or this paper will analyse the plan written in terms of academic marketing theory. Following are the key terms and concepts explained; they could be found over marketing plan in order of appearance. The main distinction of this marketing plan is in its core objective – promotion and marketing of new Master’s programme. Since it is not a tangible product or service, some characteristic points will be considered further. Context Analysis determines the overall strategic direction, it must be a â€Å"comprehensive and through analysis of the background situation†1, therefore consideration must be given to the market, customer, company (internal) and general environment (external) contexts. 2 These are specific ‘goals’ that need to be achieved during the timescale of the overall plan. It is important that these ‘goals’ are clearly understood and accepted by everybody involved. All of these

Product Life Cycle Essay Example for Free

Product Life Cycle Essay â€Å"Products, like humans, no matter how successful, are mortals† (adopted from Batory, 2008). This interesting quote shows the fact that a product does have a lifespan in the marketplace. That’s why managers and marketers should understand the life cycle concept in order to effectively manage their products in each different stage. This essay aims at giving an idea about the Product Life Cycle (PLC) concept. It begins with defining the concept. Then, it gives an idea about the four different stages of the product life cycle (introduction- growth- maturity- decline) with example product in each stage. First of all, to understand the concept of ‘Product Life Cycle’ (PLC), it is better to start by defining the concept. According to Merriam Webster (2008), a product ‘life cycle’ term is defined as â€Å"a series of stages through which a product passes during its lifetime†. These four stages â€Å"begin with the introduction of the product to the market and end with the decline of this product or even the withdrawal of this product from the market† (Thompson, 2001). The life cycle of a product –generally- is divided into four main stages, (1) introduction, (2) growth, (3) maturity, and (4) decline. Obviously, the logic or analysis in this life cycle is based on the change or performance of sales, revenues or profitability of this product in the market. The â€Å"duration of products or brands could be few months or even centuries, such as gasoline powered automobile† (NetMBA, 2007). Now, to realize the importance of this concept, it is important to know what this concept exactly means for business managers or marketers. According to Kotler and Keller (2006), this life cycle shows that â€Å"products have main things in common, (1) a limited lifespan; (2) changes in sales/revenues/profits depending on each stage with different characteristics, challenges, and opportunities; and (3) the need to use different strategies (financial, human resources, manufacturing, marketing, and purchasing) in each stage†. (Cited in Papares4You, 2007) As a result, these different stages of the product life cycle could be used to effectively manage the product by using the appropriate strategies or even making any required changes in the marketing mix. The first stage is the introduction stage which begins after the product development, when the product is introduced to the market. The most important thing is to create ‘demand’ for this new product by creating ‘customer awareness’ of it. It is natural in this stage to have low growth in the sales (or profitability) of this product. That’s why promotion in the introduction stage should be intensive to create ‘customer awareness’. Companies should have a long-term marketing strategy for the product in this stage. For example, it is not important during this stage to have high revenues or profits; the company could adjust the pricing policy based on this long-term strategy and introduce the product at a low price to attract customers and make it easy for them take the purchasing decision. There are many examples for products in this stage such as iphones, virtual reality, digital cameras, mini computers, DVD, video phones. Some of these examples will remain in this stage longer than the others due to high prices such as video phones, and others won’t remain for too long –may be 5 or 10 years- such as digital cameras, mini computers, DVD, iphones due to the increasing awareness of the product along with the increasing demand from consumers. The second stage is the growth stage; when the product becomes available and sales begin to rapidly increase till the market approaches saturation. Competitors start to enter the market in this stage. Companies could succeed in this stage by –for example- â€Å"adding new product features or improve its quality and managing customer relationship†. (Papares4You, 2007) There are many examples for products in this stage such as CD player, personal or home computing, the internet and mobile or cellular phones. The sales of these products are growing faster and faster. However, a product such as CD player may be replaced by other products. But, the internet and personal computing are about to enter the maturity stage may be five or ten years. The third stage is the maturity stage; and this is when the market is saturated with this product. However, it is not necessary that the product reaches this stage. Sales in this stage continue to grow till their peaks but with a low growth rate. There are â€Å"some product categories which remain in this stage for decades or centuries such as automobiles, cigarettes, and refrigerators; sales for these categories may remain at their peak for decades† (Thompson, 2001). There are many examples for products in this stage such as automobiles, toothpaste (such as Crest and Colgate), Coca-Cola and Pepsi, batteries (such as Duracell). Batteries’ technologies are changing that’s why a product like traditional batteries will stay – may be for 20 years for maximum- until new batteries enters the market. There are some strategies such as intelligent branding, entering new markets, and adding significant changes to the product could make the product stay longer in this stage. The fourth stage is the decline stage; when the product withdraws from the market due to deterioration in sales and profits. The decline in sales could be due to â€Å"(1) technological developments, (2) changes in consumer behaviour, or (3) significant increases in competition† (Kotler and Armstrong, 2004 cited in Papares4You, 2007) There are many examples for products in this stage such as vinyl records, black and white T. V. , the yo-yo, the hula-hoop, the pet rock Now, after having an idea about the four stages of product life cycle, it is important to realize that the product could repeat this cycle over as the case in fashion for example. And the duration of the product in each stage isn’t fixed because there are products that stays for too long in the introduction stage (such as video phones- microwave ovens- automatic dishwashers) or in the maturity stage (such as refrigerator- T. V. Coca-Cola). Also, the product needs different strategies in each stage. For example, to use intensive promotion’ in the ‘introduction stage’ to create ‘customer awareness’ or to introduce products with low prices to increase customers; and to add more features to the product or decrease prices in the ‘growth stage’ to enter new markets and to still competitive. Finally, any product could be affected by many factors –mentioned previously- in its life cycle such as â€Å"(1) technological developments, (2) changes in consumer behavior, or (3) significant increases in competition† (Kotler and Armstrong, 2004 cited in Papares4You, 2007). That’s why business managers and marketers should continuously study the external environment along with the product life cycle to be able to effectively manage their products and in the marketplace.

Geography of Time Essay Example for Free

Geography of Time Essay The sixth chapter â€Å"Where is Life Faster† discusses differences between life tempos in different cultures trying to reveal in what culture life is the fastest. The author writes that it is very interesting for him to compare one culture to another because a lot of unknown facts contributing development of psychological studies will be identified. Authors’ comparison focuses on time and speed of life. Cultural tempo is argued to affect the quality of human life. Nevertheless, it may be tricky to compare different cultures because labeling individuals should have scientific or psychological basis. It is necessary to go beyond the boundaries in order to measure the tempo of life with accuracy and objectivity. The author finds it interesting to compare indicator of speed in working office in different countries. However, the research has failed as the author needed to find observable jobs and workers should be residents of particular country. Research at gas station has failed as well, because such businesses are not equivalent across countries. According to author’s research, the fastest countries are Japan and Western European countries. Western Europe has nine fastest countries and Japan is the only Asian countries with life tempo. The fist place in West Europe is given to Switzerland, whereas the second is given to Ireland. Ireland is characterized by the fastest walking speed, whereas Switzerland is characterized by the splendid findings. Surprisingly, New York hasn’t gained the highest scores as some workers in office move very slowly. In contrast, the slowest speed of life is observed in non-industrialized countries and it is the countries of Asia, Africa and Latin America. The slowest is claimed to be Brazil, Indonesia and Mexico. Daily life in these countries is very slow and Brazilians, for example, â€Å"not only expected the casual approach of life, but had abandoned any semblance to of fidelity to the clock†. (p. 136) In such a way the author shows that there are many ways to measure speed of life and the results shows that different cultures has their own life tempo. Further, the author compares Japan, the USA and Western Europe to identify which of the countries is La Dolce Vita. Much of European countries are characterized by opportunities to relax and in the pleasures of good life. Therefore, Levine suggests that La dolce Vita is easier for Europeans rather than for Asians and Africans. For example, Japanese work harder and have less time for relaxing. Europeans are claimed to live better than Americans. La Dolce Vita is welcomed in Italy as they try to balance hard work and leisure. It is necessary to underline that working week is longer in the USA than in most of European countries. However, Japan is characterized by the longest working week. For more than half a century the working week hasn’t been changed and it is argued that time for leisure is decreasing in the country and the nation has less time for themselves. In contrast, in Europe the tendency to work has been replaced by the tendency to relax. For example, without leisure workers in France are more irritating and nervous. Therefore, Western Europeans have more vacation time. For example, in France â€Å"workers by law receive at least five weeks and often six weeks of paid vacation†. (p. 143) When comparing countries examples of cultural differences are seen the most. However, speed of life varies across cities and regions of one country. It is true for the USA as well as the country is very large and each state has its own traditions and customs. The slightest geographical shifts are profound and for example, moving from Oklahoma to Texas is viewed as â€Å"entering France, say, out of Switzerland†. (p. 146) The author is willing to reveal whether there are differences between New York and other large cities. Research results demonstrate that Northeastern United States is viewed as fast-spaced, whereas Californians are more relaxed. Boston and New York are the fastest cities in the country, whereas Los-Angeles is claimed to be one of the slowest in the country. One of the biggest challenges was to measure accurately walking speed as in some regions it was hard to find any walkers at all.

Tourism Market in Mozambique

Tourism Market in Mozambique Abstract Tourism is the movement of people to destinations away from their place of residence for any reason other than following an occupation, remunerated from within the country visited for a period of more than 24hours. It is one of the worlds fastest growing industries and an important source of foreign exchange and employment for many developing countries. Since crossing many of the primary needs of the population, when harnessed it can be a key instrument to poverty alleviation and socioeconomic promotion and given to its sustained growth and resilience, can also contribute to facing the main global challenges of our societies Mozambique is a country with a great potential to become a tourist destination at regional and international levels which origins from the relevant characteristics of its natural resources, cultural and historic value. But, despite the countrys tourism potential, the increase in investments and number of international tourists arrivals as well as its proximity to South Africa which is one of the worlds top tourist destinations, it still far from the expected and has little expression to the regional and international levels as a tourist destination. The purpose of this paper is to contribute to a greater understanding on tourism market in Mozambique as a tourist destination by analyzing the tourism market development from 2004 to 2009. The research study was based in literature review for theory and problem discussion and the data collected from the Mozambiques Tourism Ministry reports on tourism demand from 2004 to 2009. The study shows that the high costs of tourism services for the local people and their small capacity of investment are the main factors for the slow development of domestic tourism. The tourism development in Mozambique is different when analyzing each province and type of tourists. Leisure and holidays is the main reason for visiting the country, followed by business and conference and, lastly visit relatives and friends. It also shows that its important to create guidelines to brand destinations differently and design specific tourism plans, according to specific characteristics of the tourist zones, create new marketing strategies which aim not only international tourists but also domestic tourists and specific policies for domestic tourism development, create incentive programs which stimulate and encourage the use of local architecture design and materials by local and foreign investors, create policies that stimulate and facilitate participation of the local communities in tou rism projects, employment, training food furnishings and crafts and, complementary products. 1. Introduction Tourism is the movement of people to destinations away from their place of residence for any reason other than following an occupation, remunerated from within the country visited for a period of more than 24hours (wikibooks.org). It is one of the worlds fastest growing industries and an important source of foreign exchange and employment for many developing countries. With destinations not only in industrialized countries, but also in less developed countries in East Africa, Central America and South East Asia, when harnessed, tourism can be a key instrument to poverty alleviation and socioeconomic promotion, since crossing many of the primary needs of the population. (World Tourism Organization, 1996). According to Salgado e Cravo (1999), tourism industry employs about 204.000.000 persons in all over the world, generates 655.000 millions of dollars in taxes and pays 1.7000.000 millions in salary which make it a very important activity in the world. Due to the income generated by the consumption of goods and services by tourists, the taxes levied on businesses in the tourism industry, and the opportunity for employment in the service industries associated with tourism, it has become vital for many countries and a popular global leisure activity(www.sidestore.com/) and also a factor of social stability, mutual understanding among individuals and peoples and acquired an important cultural and moral dimension. Tourism can be an efficient tool to advance international peace and understanding. It is growing steadily and needs to be viewed in its social, cultural and ethical dimensions and therefore in its potential to alliance of civilizations. It shares with religions and civilizations values such as tolerance, respect of diversity, respect of nature, rediscovery of oneself and of the others. Given its sustained growth and resilience, the sector is in fact, in ideal position to contribute to facing the main global challenges of our societies (www.world tourism.org). According to the manila declaration, 1980, tourism is an essential activity for the life of nations due to its direct effects on cultural, social, educational and economic sectors of the national societies and their international relationships. Its contribution to national economy and international trade makes it a significant factor in world development and one of the main economic activities in the world through its function i n national economy, international transactions and in securing balance of payments equilibrium. Tourism that focuses on natural environments is a large and growing part of the tourism industry. While it can contribute in a positive manner to socio-economic development and environmental protection, uncontrolled tourism growth can also cause environmental degradation, destruction of fragile ecosystems, and social and cultural conflict, undermining the basis of tourism. The intangible nature of tourism industry services makes its quality control difficult but crucial and more difficult for potential costumers to evaluate and compare service offerings. In addition, instead of moving the product to costumer, the costumer must travel to the product which means spent money and time. As an industry, tourism has many components comprising to the overall travel experience. Along with transportation, it includes accommodations, food and beverage services, shops, entertainment, aesthetics and special events. To overcome this hurdle tourism, related businesses, agencies and organizations need to work together to package and promote tourism opportunities and align their efforts to assure consistency in product quality (Mahoney and Warnell, 1987). The different definitions of tourism in each country, the difference in census techniques, the great mobility of tourists and its several motivations, the heterogeneity tourism types are some reasons which make the to urism a difficult statistic object in definition and measurement (Salgado e Cravo, 1999). Manila declaration 1980 says that tourism resources (space facilities and values) are available in various countries in risk of deterioration and destruction and belong to heritage mankind. The development of tourist activities cannot be prejudicial to economic and social interests of the population in tourist areas, to the environment and to the natural resources. The national and international communities and the states are responsible for preservation and conservation of historical, cultural and religious sites at all times. In order to maximize tourisms poverty reduction potential, multiple strategies may be required that combine action at the destination, at national policy level, and internationally. Since one organization cannot operate effectively at all three levels, complementary actions by different stakeholders are required at all levels to enhance the positive outcomes of tourism. The destination level relies primarily on initiatives by private companies, NGOs, and the communities themselves. Nationally the governments can reduce obstacles to informal sector participation. Internationally, the promotion of responsible consumer and business behavior and the establishment of enforceable international industry codes of conduct can also contribute towards poverty reduction potential of tourism (Ashley, Boyd and Goodwin, 2000, p6). 1.1. Significance of the research Mozambique is a country with a great potential to become a tourist destination at regional and international levels which origins from the relevant characteristics of its natural resources, cultural and historic value. Its distinct local style consists of a blend of African, Arab and Portuguese influences and provides a contrast to the other southern African countries, offering an unique historical and cultural heritage, tropical beaches, coral reefs, spectacular landscapes, intriguingly rich architecture and small desolated islands close to the coast, Mozambique is one of the most enticing tourist destinations in Southern Africa. In 2001, the country received about 400 thousands tourists, about 80% of the arrivals in Tanzania which is a country with the same natural characteristics and product lines but without the same proximity and access routes to south africa (one of the worlds top tourist destination). In the same period, South Africa received 6 million of tourists and according to WTO, is expecting to receive 30 million tourists in 2020.The tourism contribution to the Gross Domestic Product in Mozambique was also relactively low (1,2% in 2001). In 2002, the country received 900 thousands tourists mostly from the neihgboring countries. In south Africa, the sector contributes with about 8% to the national economy, in Sub-Saharian Africa with about 6.5% of the GDP and in the world with 10.2% of the GDP. According to tourism in Mozambique.wikipedia.The free encyclopedia, by the end of 1990s tourism was the best growing sector of Mozambiques economy and in 2005 the country registered the fastest growth rate in the world. Despite the countrys tourist potential, the obvious increase in investments and number of international tourists arrivals as well as its proximity to South Africa, it stills far from the expected and has little expression to the regional and international levels as a tourist destination, so, this research intends to analyze the tourism market development in Mozambique as a tourist destination from 2003 to 2008 and identify how to attract new tourist markets. 1.3. Problem discussion Tourism is an attractive tool for economic development, especially in the developing world and has assisted many developing countries to move away from a dependency on agriculture and manufacturing (Tooman, 1997 cited by Kabia, 2005). Chosen for its ability to bring in needed foreign exchange earnings, income and employment; it has become a popular addition to economic development policies in many African, Asian, South and Central American countries. Although it seems to be adding substantially to the economic growth of many of these regions, many developing countries are not reaping to full benefits from tourism. More than two thirds of the revenue from international tourism never reaches the local economy because of high foreigner exchange leakage. Understanding the many ways that tourism profits can leak out of an economy and, devising strategies to minimize could make tourism a more effective economic development agent (kabia, 2005). Worldwide, international tourist arrivals in 1999 are estimated at approximately 700 million, resulting in over $500 billion in tourist receipts and tourism generates nearly 250 million jobs worldwide (kabia, 2005).the increasing fascination potential economic benefits for destination areas(kabia, 2005).In the past two decades increased attention to the negative social, cultural and environmental impacts of tourism has also emerged, calling for more careful planning and management of tourism development (WTO, 1996). According to (Harrison Husbands, 1996 cited by kabia, 2005) achieving sustainable tourism (the one that maintains economic benefits and limits associated negative impacts), lie in minimizing negative impacts by strategies such as environmental and social impact analysis, community control and segmenting markets. The potential economic benefits of tourism are a major attraction for developing countries due to three pro-tourism arguments: the trend in demand for international travel is projected to continue at astonishing rates due to the economic stability and travel preferences of people in the developed regions such as Europe, Asia and North America ; the income elasticity of demand for tourism means that the household incomes of people in the developed world increase, more disposable income will be directed towards travel and, developing countries are in need of foreign exchange earnings to support their economic development initiatives and to satisfy the demands of their residents (kabia, 2005). Today traveling for pleasure (leisure, recreation holidays and visiting friends and relatives) is the most common form of traveling. People have a number of different motivations for traveling. Some people travel for sun, sand and sea while others, are most interested in cultural and sporting activities associated with the travel. When surveyed people tend to list the following reasons for travel (Walker, 2004): To experience new and different surroundings To experience different cultures To rest and relax To visit friends and family To view or participate in sporting recreational activities According to the same author, longer life spans (people live longer and have better health), flexible working hours, early retirement, greater ease of travel, tendency to take shorter but more frequent trips and increase on standard of living are factors contributing to an increase on number of traveling in the coming years. The future travel patterns are vary hard to predict but there are number of trends and factors that will definitely impact on how, where, when and why we are going to travel. Visitors often come from particular socioeconomic layer of the population of industrialized countries and capital surplus, which requires relatively sophisticated market research to identify and analyze and profiles the preferences of these visitors. Although in these countries a prosperous minority exists that is capable of undertaking domestic tourism, many inhabitants lack the income and wherewithal to travel, so, the research must not focus only on measurement of domestic tourism but on ways and means to improve access of underprivileged layers of the population to holidays and travel, and on devising economical, but adequate means of supply (accommodation and transportation) to achieve this aim (kabia, 2005) As we know, when harnessed, tourism can be a key instrument to poverty alleviation and socioeconomic promotion, since crossing many of the primary needs of the population. 1.4. Research approach According to Denscombe, 1998, the research approaches can be divided in two: qualitative and quantitative. A quantitative study is associated with numbers as the unit of analysis, analysis, large scale studies, a specific focus, researcher detachment and a predetermined research design while a qualitative study is associated with words as the unit of analysis, description, small scale studies, holistic perspective, researcher involvement and an emergent research design. This thesis is a research quantitative since it uses numbers as unit of analysis of the tourism market as a tourist destination in Mozambique. According to Fretchling (2001), the careful forecaster will inquire into how the data to be used was collected and processed to understand what measurement anomalies may be present and how much of the variation through time is due to sampling error. My study was based in already existing data records, which made it difficult to predict and prevent eventual mistakes occurred dur ing the data collection process, but some studies indicate that is difficult to determine the economic performance of the tourism sector in Mozambique due to difficulties in collecting data and statistical indicators of some revenue like, average rates of occupancy and international flows in the country. 1.5. Outline of the thesis The presented thesis is basically composed by four parts: Introduction this part introduces the area of study, presents the significance of the research, problem discussion, research approach, outline of the thesis and finally the purpose of the thesis. Methodology this part gives a brief and clear description of the methods used when conducting the study. Mozambiques tourism sector overview this part presents a general description on tourism in Mozambique Findings, conclusions and recommendations the final part, reaches and describes the research purpose by analyzing, commenting and suggesting on how to improve the performance of the tourism sector in Mozambique. 2. Research purpose The purpose of this paper is to contribute to a greater understanding of tourism market in Mozambique as a tourist destination by analyzing the tourism market development from 2004 to 2009, through: characterizing the tourism market development in Mozambique from 2004 to 2008; Identifying some of the main constraints and contributing factors to tourism development in Mozambique. Identifying how to attract new tourism markets 3. Methodology 3.1. Literature review To make the study clear and well planned, first was used the method of library research which means that the information was taken from different sources related to tourism industry. Denscombe (1998, p. 58) cited by tese2, says that a research should always start with a literature review that: shows that the researcher is aware of the available existing work already undertaken in the area identifies what the researcher takes to be the key issues, the crucial questions and the obvious gaps in the current state of knowledge provide signposts for the reader about where the research is coming from it allows the reader to see which theories and principles have been influential in shaping the approach adopted in the proposed research In this study, databases Elsevier Direct Science was used in order to find full text studies from academic journals that are related the area of research using search words such as: Tourism, Ecotourism, Tourism analysis, Destination, Destination Marketing, Destination Management, Tourism in developing countries, Tourism market in Mozambique. Public libraries, websites like, jstor.org, WTO.org, MINTUR.org, as well as textbooks and doctoral thesis were also used to find more theory, gain more insight and latest information about the research area. The research was based on data records on tourism market demand in Mozambique from 2004 to 2009 received from the Ministry of tourism, planning and cooperation department. 3.3. Research strategy The research strategy consists of a quantitative method for collecting and analyzing data. Tourism demand data can be compiled from administrative reports such as counts of tickets sold, passenger carried for transportation. Theme parks, museums and other attractions also produce administrative records. Commercial lodging places in most countries are required to keep careful records of the number of guests and length of stay. Sample surveys and direct observation are also techniques used to estimate tourism demand data. (Fretchling, 2001). These are also the main methods used in Mozambique to estimate the tourist demand. Due to lack of resources in terms of time and money I had to limit myself to the Mozambiques Tourism Ministry reports on tourism demand. The information collected was related to Mozambiques tourism market from 2004 to 2008. Information retrieval, libraries and other related information centers were also consulted and, relying on the data collected that enabled to organize and guide this study and its analysis, was written this research report. 4. Tourism in Mozambique 4.1. Mozambiques tourism sector overview 4.1.1. General information about Mozambique Mozambique is located on the southeast coast of Africa, to the east is the Indian Ocean; to the north, Tanzania, Malawi and Zambia; to the west, Zimbabwe and South Africa and to the south Swaziland and South Africa. The country has a total area of 799380 km ² with approximately 20 millions of inhabitants of a diverse cultural environment with several ethnic groups and religions (tourism guide) ¼Ã…’it is ranked 33rd country in the world according to its size. It is formed by 11 provinces and its capital is Maputo. Portuguese is the official language but the linguistic diversity is one of its main cultural characteristics. Each ethnical group has its own language and for the majority of the population, mainly in rural areas, the national idioms are the mother tongue and the one most used on a daily basis (tourism guide). Most educated people speak English which is used in schools and business as second or third language. Altogether this accounts to approximately 43 different languages. (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Languages_of_Mozambique). There are many religions in Mozambique but the 1997 census showed, 23.8% Catholics, 17.8% Muslims, 17.5% Zionist Christians, 17.8% other, 23.1% none (www.indexmundi.com/mozambique/religions.htm). 4.1.2. Tourism in Mozambique Mozambique is a country of contrasts and extreme beauty, with attractions ranging from crystalline beaches, nature reserves and parks, plenty of opportunities for fine adventure and business travel and a huge historic and cultural value which attract tourists from all over the world interested in adventure, leisure, business, ecotourism, religious tourism and others(MINTUR, 1999). The country is now investing on recovering of its wildlife, with a great variety of nature reserves, and its likewise devoting resources to tourism with a high quality hunting safaris, but at the same time working to develop greater awareness of the natural environment. In the towns and cities, a great diversity of history and culture is melded into the architecture and the pulse of daily history life can be felt from the bustle of the markets to the striking handicrafts, from the museums to the bars and restaurants (tourist guide, 2007). Due to its nature diversity composed by tropical and crystalline beaches, with hot water creating opportunities to practice fishing and aquatic sports, sub aquatic richness composed by varieties of species, animals, coral reefs and rich in archaeological finds with great ecological value is known as the Indian pearl (MINTUR, 1999) and considered one of the worlds new sanctuaries (tourist guide, 2007). 4.1.3. Tourism development in Mozambique Tourism has become regulated and supported by the colonial government in the second half of the 50ths with the creation of the first information and tourism centers and establishment of the first tourist zones. In this period the tourism was basically characterized by safari tourism with international character (around 50% of tourists were Americans) leading to regeneration of the campsite service to the detriment of the hotels. After the independence (in 1975) there was a great depression in national tourism industry as result of the difficult relationship with the two countries in the region which formed the main market (south Africa and Zimbabwe), lack of technician to plan and manage the tourism sector, the armed conflict that destroyed the tourist infrastructure as well as the flora and wildlife, and blocked access to communication and transportation. The tourism industry was basically constituted by international cooperation missions. The end of the civil war (in 1992) and the development of the structural adjustment program defined a restoration program for tourism sector considering tourism as a sector of maximization of foreign currency entry and job generation, to enhance regional development and distribute its benefits to all areas of the country as well as to project a prestigious image of Mozambique abroad and promote greater involvement of national enterprises in tourism undertakings. Due to the speed and decentralization in evaluation and approval of projects, improvement of security in business environment, resulting from the new program implementation, there was a rapid growth of investment in the sector, goods and services as well as travel agencies and promotion of national and domestic tourism campaigns. According to (MINTUR, 1999), the ministry of tourism is the central organ of the state which is responsible, in accordance with the principles, aims and tasks defined by the government, for the application of the policy for the tourism in the public, private and community domains. The tourism law, is the instrument used, was established bearing that Mozambique has tourism resources that place it in a favorable and competitive position in the regional and international tourism market, and considering that tourism needs to be developed in a sound, sustainable way in accordance with its cross cutting nature, recognizing tourisms eminently dynamic character in promoting jobs and generating foreign currency, and the need to bring existing legislation up to date, it is incumbent upon the state to update relevant legal instruments (MINTUR,1999). 4.1.4. Tourist zones Mozambique is very rich in natural resources (land, sea, fauna and flora). The type of land and climate has created three different varieties of vegetation, dense forestland in the high parts of north and centre of the country, woodland and savannah in the south and mangrove along the coastline. In terms of wildlife a variety of species can be found in these ecosystems as well as beautiful landscapes and views along the coast and in the higher mountainous areas (tourism guide, 1999). The tourist zones in Mozambique are subdivided into three (north, center and south) with different geophysics characteristics, socio economic development and tourist profiles (Salgado e Cravo, 1999). a) North (rich in cultural resources) With a unique identity in Southern Africa, the region is composed by Cabo Delgado, Nampula, Niassa and Zambà ©zia provinces. (3) Due to its great touristy potential and tourism products which need to be exploited is called the Jewel of Tourism (2) Tourism is mainly concentrated in Nampula, Nacala and Pemba cities. (2) Is an exclusive destination for international and regional markets, with beaches and tropical islands, scuba diving and deep-sea fishing activities, with a strong cultural influence and Strong market opportunities for eco and hunting tourism (3) There is a growing interest by investors in new project infrastructure such as hotels, hostels, campsites and others. (3) The marine life and the beauty of probably one of the worlds most beautiful archipelagos, the Quirimbas archipelagos, the forest intact and extensive part of the Niassa Reserve and the unique biodiversity of Lake Niassa.(2) In this region, outstands, ilha de moà §ambique (mankind heritage by UNESCO), Ibo island (with a wonderful marine life), Quirimbas archipelago,Niassa reserve and Niassa lake (tourism guide, 1999) a) Mozambique island b) Mozambique island c) Niassa Lake d) Ibo island b) Center (rich in natural resources) Composed by Sofala, Manica and Tete provinces, this region is based on nature and wildlife, characterized by business facilities, beaches, exotic animals (is what really attracts tourists) around conservation and preservation of wild species areas. Its an exclusive destination for adventure tourism and ecotourism for specialized markets (Hiking, appreciation of birds, hunting, fishing, ecotourism) and important to the business market and sun, sand and sea tourism for domestic and regional markets (3) The city of Beira is the countrys second city and an important regional economic center. Its port plays an important role in linking Mozambique with Zimbabwe and other neighboring countries located in the center and the citys tourism is based on commerce and trade.(2) In this region highlights are, Gorongoza national park (was one of the most famous in southern Africa), Chimanimani and Marromeu reserves and, electrical barriers of Cahora Bassa and Chicamba Real (tourism guide, 1999). a) Gorongoza national park b) Gorongoza national park c) Electrical barrier of Cahora Bassa d) Electrical barrier of Chicamba Real c) South (rich in coastal and marine resources) Composed by Maputo, Maputo City, Gaza e Inhambane provinces,is a perfect national and regional destination for sun, sand and sea and water sports holidays (3). This region is benefiting from considerably higher levels of development and has the best infrastructure of the whole country and concentrates almost 50% of the national tourism (over 50% of the total of registered establishments and 65% of the total beds). With a vast coastline with beaches and tropical waters and marine resources of exceptional quality (3), and beautiful landscapes, the region is characterized by business and leisure tourism. Maputo concentrates business tourism, while leisure tourism basically composed by diving, eco-tourism and culture (3) is progressing satisfactorily in various parts of Maputo, Gaza and Inhambane provinces. (2) The tourist infrastructures in this region are accessible and of the most varied ranges.The beaches of Vilanculos, bazaruto,Bilene, Xai Xai, Macaneta are essential for a good family tourism, Ponta do Ouro and Ponta Malongane are the major poles of attraction for watersports tourism practitioners and enthusiasts.(2) The fact that this part of the Mozambican tourist attractions have derived from the ecological environment, the occurrence of natural phenomena, reinforces the interest of tourists to know and enjoy the privilege of coming in contact with such beautiful landscapes.(3) The highlights are Limpopo National park, Bazaruto archipelago, and special elephants reserve (Tourism guide, 1999). a) Elephants reserve b) Limpopo national park c) Aechipelago of Bazaruto d) Aechipelago of Bazaruto 5. Literature review 5.1. Destination 5.1.1. Definition Destinations have emerged as the fundamental unit of analysis in tourism (WTO, 2002) and form pillar in any modeling of the tourism system as most tourism activities take place at the destination (Pike, 2005). A tourist destination is defined as a physical space where visitors spend at least one overnight (WTO) or as the focus of facilities and services designed to meet the needs of tourists (Cooper et al, 1998). It includes tourism products such as support services and attractions, and tourism resources within one days return travel. It has physical and administrative boundaries defining its management, and images and perceptions defining its market competitiveness (WTO). A tourist destination describes a geographical space which provides all parts of a destinations supply (attractions, amenities and access) to satisfy the needs of specific tourism segments during their vacation or it includes elements of the supply chain: accommodation and gastronomy, entertainment and leisure time amenities, transportation, information. While these services are delivered by different suppliers, they are offered to their consumers as one unit. The destinations dimension or size is perceived differently by the visitors depending on: its distance to the visitors place of origin, its popularity and image as well as the visitors travel experience (Kloiber ¼Ã…’2008). According to Buhalis (2000), it can be characterized as the six frameworks: Attractions (natural, man made, artificial, purpose built, heritage, special events) Accessibility ( entire transportation system comprising of routes, terminals and vehicles) Amenities (accommodation and cat

BAY OF PIGS Essay -- essays research papers fc

BAY OF PIGS It seems that the United States has been one of the most dominant, if not the most dominant, countries in the world, since the Declaration of Independence. Yet, on Monday, April 17, 1961, our government experienced incredible criticism and extreme embarrassment when Fidel Castro, dictator of Cuba, instantly stopped an invasion on the Cuban beach known as the Bay of Pigs. President John Fitzgerald Kennedy, his advisors, and many Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) officials, made the largest error of their political careers. Once the decision was made to invade Cuba, to end Castro and his Communist government, Kennedy and his administration were never looked at in the same light nor trusted again. Russian leader Nikita Khrushchev was affiliated with Castro, and the two countries made many military decisions together. As Kennedy and the United States tried to stop Cuba and Russia from becoming a threat to the world, an invasion was planned out and executed. The results were a disaster. T he Bay of Pigs invasion was the largest military mistake ever made by the United States government and the CIA in the 20th century and brought America to the brink of war with Cuba and Russia. The Bay of Pigs invasion was not a quick decision, many hours of meetings and conferences occurred before President Kennedy gave permission for the attack. President Kennedy was inaugurated on January 20, 1961, and immediately wanted to take the initiative with the Soviet and Cuban governments (Pearson 12). Russia was already under Communist control, and Fidel Castro took over the Cuban government with heavily armed troops and policeman. Castro’s policemen filled the streets, and he ran the newspapers, as well as many assembly buildings (Frankel 60). At the beginning, Castro did not run a Communist government, but once he began to meet with Russian leader, Nikita Khrushchev, Castro started a Communist government (Crassweller 23). Max Frankel, writer for the New York Times, summarizes th e situation in Cuba by saying, â€Å"Little by little, the vise tightened. Little by little the free people of Cuba came to realize it could happen there. The grim facts of life on an island that became a police state† (Frankel 59). Every day, Castro came closer to controlling every aspect in life in Cuba. Fidel Castro even took control of the schools in Cuba, throwing out any teacher who he thought... ...urprise, they assumed many Cubans would defect from Castro, and help the U.S. fight. The undisputed fact is that the U.S. lost the battle at the Bay of Pigs. Nothing was gained, and nearly brought the U.S. into war with Cuba and its ally, Russia. After nearly 40 years, the Bay of Pigs remains the largest mistake made by United States officials. Bibliography â€Å"Bay of Blunders.† Savannah Now. 1998. 10 April 2000 Crassweller, Robert D. Cuba and the U.S.: The Tangled Relationship. New York: The Foreign Policy Association, 1971. Flaherty, Tom. â€Å"What We Learned from the Bay of Pigs.† Reader’s Digest July 1963: 92-94. Frankel, Max. â€Å"Cuba - A Case of Communist Take-Over.† The New York Times Magazine July 1961: 59-64 Guido, Jessica. â€Å"The Invasion and the Failure.† The Invasion of Cuba at the Bay of Pigs. 1999. 11 April 2000 . 1965: 47. Pearson, Drew. â€Å"Kennedy, Khrushchev, and Cuba.† Saturday Review 29 March 1969: 12-16. â€Å"The Price of Military Folly.† U.S. News Online. 1996. 10 April 2000 . Robinson, Linda. â€Å"What Didn’t We Do to Get Rid of Castro?† U.S. News Online. 1996. 10 April 2000 Schlesinger, Arthur M. A Thousand Days. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1965. BAY OF PIGS Essay -- essays research papers fc BAY OF PIGS It seems that the United States has been one of the most dominant, if not the most dominant, countries in the world, since the Declaration of Independence. Yet, on Monday, April 17, 1961, our government experienced incredible criticism and extreme embarrassment when Fidel Castro, dictator of Cuba, instantly stopped an invasion on the Cuban beach known as the Bay of Pigs. President John Fitzgerald Kennedy, his advisors, and many Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) officials, made the largest error of their political careers. Once the decision was made to invade Cuba, to end Castro and his Communist government, Kennedy and his administration were never looked at in the same light nor trusted again. Russian leader Nikita Khrushchev was affiliated with Castro, and the two countries made many military decisions together. As Kennedy and the United States tried to stop Cuba and Russia from becoming a threat to the world, an invasion was planned out and executed. The results were a disaster. T he Bay of Pigs invasion was the largest military mistake ever made by the United States government and the CIA in the 20th century and brought America to the brink of war with Cuba and Russia. The Bay of Pigs invasion was not a quick decision, many hours of meetings and conferences occurred before President Kennedy gave permission for the attack. President Kennedy was inaugurated on January 20, 1961, and immediately wanted to take the initiative with the Soviet and Cuban governments (Pearson 12). Russia was already under Communist control, and Fidel Castro took over the Cuban government with heavily armed troops and policeman. Castro’s policemen filled the streets, and he ran the newspapers, as well as many assembly buildings (Frankel 60). At the beginning, Castro did not run a Communist government, but once he began to meet with Russian leader, Nikita Khrushchev, Castro started a Communist government (Crassweller 23). Max Frankel, writer for the New York Times, summarizes th e situation in Cuba by saying, â€Å"Little by little, the vise tightened. Little by little the free people of Cuba came to realize it could happen there. The grim facts of life on an island that became a police state† (Frankel 59). Every day, Castro came closer to controlling every aspect in life in Cuba. Fidel Castro even took control of the schools in Cuba, throwing out any teacher who he thought... ...urprise, they assumed many Cubans would defect from Castro, and help the U.S. fight. The undisputed fact is that the U.S. lost the battle at the Bay of Pigs. Nothing was gained, and nearly brought the U.S. into war with Cuba and its ally, Russia. After nearly 40 years, the Bay of Pigs remains the largest mistake made by United States officials. Bibliography â€Å"Bay of Blunders.† Savannah Now. 1998. 10 April 2000 Crassweller, Robert D. Cuba and the U.S.: The Tangled Relationship. New York: The Foreign Policy Association, 1971. Flaherty, Tom. â€Å"What We Learned from the Bay of Pigs.† Reader’s Digest July 1963: 92-94. Frankel, Max. â€Å"Cuba - A Case of Communist Take-Over.† The New York Times Magazine July 1961: 59-64 Guido, Jessica. â€Å"The Invasion and the Failure.† The Invasion of Cuba at the Bay of Pigs. 1999. 11 April 2000 . 1965: 47. Pearson, Drew. â€Å"Kennedy, Khrushchev, and Cuba.† Saturday Review 29 March 1969: 12-16. â€Å"The Price of Military Folly.† U.S. News Online. 1996. 10 April 2000 . Robinson, Linda. â€Å"What Didn’t We Do to Get Rid of Castro?† U.S. News Online. 1996. 10 April 2000 Schlesinger, Arthur M. A Thousand Days. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1965.

Christopher Columbus Should Not be Considered a Hero :: Christopher Columbus Essays

Christopher Columbus was a man who much credit was given to for a very small deed. In fact he discovered a new world, but that world was only new to him and the men of his previous generations. What about the many Native Americans whose fathers and father’s fathers shed their blood for the land in which they had lived for so many years. How could one such as Christopher Columbus who was looking for freedom and hope cause so much bondage and destruction? One man’s victory turned out to be devastation for millions. When you think of historical greats like Mother Theresa and Martin Luther King Jr. Columbus is not a name that I would use in association with theirs. Now on the other hand I see similarities between Columbus and Hitler. When we remember Hitlerwe look back on all the devastation that he caused and have nothing but empathy and admiration for the Jews and their endurance. Why not the same for the Indians of these great lands, whose tears and blood where shed for nothing more than mere greed. Christopher Columbus can in no way, shape, or form should be considered a hero. A hero is someone who performs good deeds for the sake of others and not for their own benefit. Christopher Columbus did not do a single good deed in any of his four voyages in the late 1400's. 1492, proved to be a good year for Spain and Columbus , but it would become known as the year of hell for the Indians who occupied the land. Columbus and his crew basically enslaved a whole race of men, women, and children. The Natives were plagued by disease and forced into labor for the sole benefit of finding gold. How can one who is suppose to stand for such democracy assume the position of such a horrible dictator? We as Americans should look at the facts before we celebrate this so-called founder. For far too long we have praised and celebrated a tyrant instead of giving glory to the Native Americans whose land this rightfully is, we read in history books how victorious he was but as the story goes on it reveals a history of rape, murder and deception.

Racism and Sexism in Toni Morrisons Sula Essay -- Toni Morrison Sula

Racism and Sexism in Toni Morrison's Sula Racism and sexism are both themes that are developed throughout the novel Sula, by Toni Morrison. The book is based around the black community of "The Bottom," which itself was established on a racist act. Later the characters in this town become racist as well. This internalized racism that develops may well be a survival tactic developed by the people over years, which still exists even at the end of the novel. The two main characters of this novel are Nel Wright and Sula Peace. They are both female characters and are often disadvantaged due to their gender. Nel and Sula are depicted as complete opposites that come together to almost complete one another through their once balanced friendship. Nel is shown to be a good character because she plays a socially acceptable role as a woman, submissive wife and mother, while Sula conforms to no social stereotypes and lets almost nothing hold her back, thus she is viewed as evil by the people in her community. Both women are judged b y how well they fit into the preconceived social conventions and stereotypes that exist in "the Bottom." The social conventions that are set up in this book play out in a small black community in Ohio called "the Bottom." The community itself formed when a white slave owner tricked his naà ¯ve black slave into accepting hilly mountainous land that would be hard to farm and very troublesome instead of the actual bottom (fertile valley) land that he was promised. The slave was told "when God looks down, it's the bottom. That's why we call it so. It's the bottom of heaven-best land there is" (4), and on the basis of this lie a community was formed. Its almost as if the towns misfortune is passed down ... ... what happened as a turn in life and does not feel like she is the cause of Chicken Little's death. She mourns his death and then moves on. Sula has a feminist spirit and refuses to melt into the typical mold of a woman. She "discovered years before that [she was] neither white nor male, and that all freedom and triumph was forbidden to [her]" (52). Because of this she decides to lead her life on her own terms. Sula encounters both racism and sexism and is placed in a situation in which she has no release for her wild spirit. She cannot live out in the world with the freedoms of a man, but doesn't want to live as a stereotypically sheltered woman either. In attempting to break these boundaries she is hated by the town and viewed as an "evil" person by the community in which she lives. Works Cited: Morrison, Toni. Sula. Plume. New York: 1973.

Role of Parents Towards Their Children in a Society That Does Not Help in Raising Children Properly

bismiAllah hir Rahman nir Raheem Role of parents towards their children in a society that does not help in raising children properly A very common problem seen in youth in western countries is that their parents allow them to indulge in some form of haram in the hope that that will stop them from committing worse haram. An example of this is that parents will say that they allow their children to indulge in music in the hope that that will stop them from going out with bad people or leaving their home all together. Parents are afraid that if they enforce the law of Allah in their homes, that their children will leave. What is Islam’s position on this sort of compromise? Some parents also say that they only have the duty to tell their children something is haram, and then their children have to choose for themselves because they are already young adults (i. e. 13 -18 yrs old and unmarried, living at home). Don’t the parents have to forbid haram by all means, or do they just say that is haram and then leave them be? To what extent do parents have to go to forbid their children from haram? Parents also believe that once their children reach the age of puberty they are no longer responsible for their sins or actions, and so say they will have no sin if they advise their children something is haram and then leave them. Is this true? Or do parents always have the responsibility of forbidding their children from haram, and will they be responsible if they see their children doing haram and just leave them after advising them?. Praise be to Allaah. Firstly: The success or failure of the Muslim in raising his children depends on a variety of factors, which undoubtedly includes the environment in which they live, which plays a major role in the success or failure of that upbringing. Please see the answer to question no. 52893. Secondly: The parents have to understand that Allaah has given them responsibility over their children, and they have to fulfil the trust as Allaah has enjoined in the Qur’aan. The Sunnah also confirms this command in many saheeh ahaadeeth. The texts of the Revelation also warn the one who does not look after his lock sincerely and who neglects the trust with which Allaah has entrusted him. It was narrated that Ma’qil ibn Yasaar al-Muzani said: I heard the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say: â€Å"There is no person whom Allaah puts in charge of others, and when he dies he is insincere to his subjects, but Allaah will forbid Paradise to him. † According to anothe r report: â€Å"†¦ and he is insincere towards them, but he will not smell the fragrance of Paradise. † Narrated by al-Bukhaari (6731) and Muslim (142). See the answer to question no. 20064. Thirdly: Allaah has enjoined those who are in charge of children to raise them from when they are very small to obey Allaah and love Islam. Even though they are not accountable because they have not reached puberty, one should not wait until puberty to teach them, guide them and tell them to obey Allaah, because in most cases at that age (i. e. puberty) they will not respond unless they have been brought up in this manner and have learned it from their families since a young age. Hence parents are enjoined to teach young children how to pray from the age of seven and to smack them if they do not pray when they are ten. The Sahaabah used to make their young children fast, so as to get them used to loving Islam and its rituals, so that it would be easy for them to follow its commands and keep away from the things it forbids when they grow up. It was narrated that ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Amr said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: â€Å"Teach your children to pray when they are seven years old, and smack them if they do not do so when they are ten, and separate them in their beds. † Abu Dawood (495), classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood. It was narrated that al-Rubayyi’ bint Mu’awwidh ibn ‘Afra’ said: On the morning of ‘Ashoora’, the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) sent word to the villages of the Ansaar around Madeenah, saying: â€Å"Whoever started the day fasting, let him complete his fast, and whoever started the day not fasting, let him complete the rest of the day (without food). † After that, we used to fast on this day, and we would make our children fast too, even the little ones in sha Allaah. We would make them toys out of wool, and if one of them cried for food, we would give (that toy) to him until it was time to break the fast. Narrated by al-Bukhaari (1960) and Muslim (1136). Just as they raise them to do acts of worship, they should also prevent them from doing haraam things. If the child does an act of worship, the reward will be for him and for the one who taught him and encouraged him to do it. As for doing acts of disobedience or sins, the minor does not sin, rather the one who enabled him to do it and left the door open for him to do it and did not close it, is sinning. As for the one who tells him to do it, he is like the one who did it. Hence it is not something extreme at all if a Muslim raises his children to obey Allaah and prevents them from doing haraam things, such as males wearing gold or silk, or females wearing male clothing, or lying, stealing, swearing and other sins. Similarly, it is not something extreme if a Muslim raises his daughter to be modest and chaste and not to mix, because if a person gets used to something when he is young, there is the fear that he may persist in it. Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: Even though the child is not accountable, his guardian is, and it is not permissible for him to enable him to do something haraam, for he will get used to it and it will be difficult to wean him from it. Tuhfat al-Mawdood bi Ahkaam al-Mawlood (p. 162). And he (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: The one who neglects to teach his child that which will benefit him and leaves him with no care has done a very bad deed. The corruption of most children is due to their parents and their neglect of (their children), because they neglect to teach them the obligations and Sunnahs of Islam. So they neglected them when they were small, and (the children) turned out unable to benefit themselves or to benefit their parents when they are old. Tuhfat al-Mawdood, p. 229 The scholars of the Standing Committee were asked: With regard to my small children, should I teach them the etiquette of Islam and make the young girls wear Islamic clothes, or this regarded as extremism? If my doing this is correct, what is the evidence for it from the Qur’aan and Sunnah? They replied: What you have mentioned about making girls wear loose and concealing clothing and making them get used to that from a young age is not extremism, rather you are doing the right thing in giving them an Islamic upbringing. Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz, Shaykh ‘Abd al-Razzaaq ‘Afeefi, Shaykh ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Ghadyaan. Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah (25/285, 286). In his book Majmoo’ah As’ilah Tuhimm al-Usrah al-Muslimah, Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: The scholars say that it is haraam to dress a child in clothes that it is haraam for an adult to wear. Clothing on which there are images is haraam for an adult to wear, so it is also haraam for a child to wear it. What the Muslims should do is to boycott such clothes and shoes so that those who want to spread evil and corruption will not be able to reach us by these means. If they are boycotted they will never find a way to make them reach this land. After that, he was asked: Is it permissible for male children to wear things that are only for females, such as gold and silk, etc, and vice versa? He replied: This is to be understood from the first answer. I said that the scholars say that it is haraam to dress a child in clothes that it is haraam for an adult to wear. Based on this, it is haraam to dress male children in that which is only for females, and vice versa. After that, he was asked: Does this include isbaal or making clothes come below the ankles for male children? He replied: Yes, it includes that. End quote. And Allaah knows best. http://www. islam-qa. com/en/ref/103526 Praise be to Allaah. There is no greater calamity than that which befalls one’s religious commitment. That is true calamity. We ask Allaah to keep us safe from it. Nothing is more precious to a person – after his own self – than his child. Children are the apples of our eyes. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): â€Å"And those who say: ‘Our Lord! Bestow on us from our wives and our offspring the comfort of our eyes, and make us leaders of the Muttaqoon (the pious)’† [al-Furqaan 25:74] But the heart cannot find true joy except through righteous offspring. Al-Hasan al-Basri said: â€Å"This joy means seeing one’s wife, brother and close friend obeying Allaah. Tuhfat al-Mawdood by Ibn al-Qayyim, p. 424. Undoubtedly the most important thing that is asked of parents is to protect their children and take care of them, to bring them up to worship and obey Allaah and to keep them away from disobeying Him. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): â€Å"O you who believe! Ward off yourselves and your families against a Fire (Hell) †¦Ã¢â‚¬  [al-Tahreem 66: 6] Mujaahid and others of the salaf said: Advise your families to fear Allaah and discipline them. Qataadah said: Tell them to obey Allaah and forbid them to disobey Him. In al-Saheehayn it is narrated from ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: â€Å"Each of you is a shepherd and each of you is responsible for his flock. The ruler who is in charge of the people is a shepherd and is responsible for his flock. A man is the shepherd of his family and is responsible for his flock. A woman is the shepherd of her husband’s household and is responsible for her flock. A servant is the shepherd of his master’s wealth and is responsible for his flock. Each of you is a shepherd and is responsible for his flock. † Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 2554; Muslim, 1829. This hadeeth indicates that the one who is accountable will be brought to account for any shortcomings in those who are under his authority and under his care. The hadeeth states that parents are included in the general principle: â€Å"A man is the shepherd of his family and is responsible for his flock. A woman is the shepherd of her husband’s household and is responsible for her flock. So the parents are responsible for their children, because they have been commanded to strive to protect them from the Fire and to follow the commands of Allaah and to avoid the things that He has forbidden. If the parents do that which has been enjoined upon them, namely giving the children a sound upbringing and not falling short in that, then there is no sin on them if their children go astray. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): â€Å"and no bearer of burdens shall b ear the burden of another† [al-An’aam 6:164] If a person understands Islam clearly and has an ounce of common sense, he will understand that if he neglects his duty of guiding and teaching his children, then he is responsible for any deviation that they fall into. The responsibility of families who live in the west towards their children is of another kind that is even greater than that, because they are responsible for throwing the apple of their eyes into the sea bound and tied. It is even worse than that, it is the Fire and torment of Allaah. We ask Allaah to keep us safe and sound. In the case of your son, and many others, you should have closed the door to temptation before things got out of control. In Islam there is no such thing as friendship between a man and a woman who is not his mahram, especially at this dangerous stage of your son’s life. But the important question now is: what to do about it? You and his father have to act quickly to get your son away from these sinful relationships and cut off all ties with non-mahram women, even if you know that these relationships have not reached the level of zina. As we have stated, these relationships are not allowed in Islam in principle. One of the most important means of getting him away from these haraam relationships may be to protect him by means of marriage. Hence the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: â€Å"O young men, whoever among you can afford to get married, let him do so, and whoever cannot, let him fast, for it will be shield for him. † Agreed upon. What is meant by it being a shield is that it will protect him from falling into sin. But you know that keeping young men away from such haraam relationships is no easy matter; it may be almost impossible in the country in which you are living, because the western environment in which the hearts and minds of this generation have grown up is completely contaminated with every kind of temptation and whims and desires, temptations which surround the second and third generations of Muslims there, generations which are losing touch, day after day, with the symbols and laws of Islam, and imbibing instead the values and attitudes of the west, until there is nothing left but the â€Å"blessing† of their background? I ask you again: Are you serious about following the command of Allaah, and do you really fear betraying the trust towards your own soul first of all, then towards your offspring? Do you have the desire to set things straight? Do you have any motive to sacrifice the worldly pleasures and comforts of the west and bring your children back to your own land, or go to a place where your religious commitment will be safer, before it is too late and death comes when you are in this state, then one may say: â€Å"‘My Lord! Send me back, so that I may do good in that which I have left behind! ’ No! It is but a word that he speaks; and behind them is Barzakh (a barrier) until the Day when they will be resurrected† [al-Mu’minoon 23:99-100]; before we see the outcome of our deeds, i. e. , the consequences: â€Å"On the Day the event is finally fulfilled (i. e. the Day of Resurrection), those who neglected it before will say: ‘Verily, the Messengers of our Lord did come with the truth, now are there any intercessors for us that they might intercede on our behalf? Or could we be sent back (to the first life of the world) so that we might do (good) deeds other than those (evil) deeds which we used to do? ’ Verily, they have lost their ownselves (i. e. destroyed themselves) and that which they used to fabricate (invoking and worshipping others besides Allaah) has gone away from them† [al-A’raaf 7:99]. Or does this responsibility not deserve such a sacrifice? You may say that most of the Muslim lands nowadays are filled with temptations and evils, so we will never find the right atmosphere to raise our children in an Islamic way, so what would be the point of making this move? The answer is: Yes, you are right to a great extent, but even if we cannot achieve all the good things, we should do as much as we can; if we cannot ward off all evils we should ward off as much as we can; and some evils are less serious than others. All that is needed is to be sincere with oneself. Allaah has indeed spoken the truth: â€Å"Nay! Man will be a witness against himself, 15. Though he may put forth his excuses (to cover his evil deeds)† [al-Qiyaamah 75:14-15] May Allaah help us and you to do that which He loves and which pleases Him.