Nelson Mandela Essay

The world leader I have chosen to write about is Nelson Mandela:  Nelson Mandela’s rise in the political arena can be traced back to his years as one of the leading members of the African National Congress, otherwise known as the ANC, beginning in 1944 (Mandela, 2009). The ANC was one of the oldest South African civil rights unions. The union’s primary purpose, the freedom and equal rights of all black citizens from the practice of apartheid–South Africa’s then legalized form of racism–was a natural draw for Mandela.Mr. Mandela describes in his own words the deciding moment when he joined the ANC: I had no epiphany, no singular revelation, no moment of truth, but a steady accumulation of a thousand slights, a thousand indignities, a thousand unremembered moments, [that] produced in me an anger, a rebelliousness, a desire to fight the system that imprisoned my people (Mandela, 2009). Mandela’s desire and drive helped sustain him in the diffi cult years ahead. After joining the ANC and creating its first youth league (Mandela, 2009). Mandela went on to organize many nonviolent protests and civil disobedience demonstrations throughout much of the country.Growing in popularity, these campaigns were eventually deemed illegal by the National Party–the white supremacist government in power at the time–and ultimately led to the imprisonment of Mandela in 1962 (Mandela, 2009). Although many people advocated for his release throughout the years, it was from his own prison cell twenty years later when Nelson Mandela finally negotiated his own freedom and began the long, tedious, yet peaceful process of creating a new government for the South African people. Working together with South Africa’s new president, F.W. de Klerk, Mandela negotiated heroically in the creation of a new and non-discriminatory government.The two men made history on September 26, 1992 when they signed the Record of Understanding, a docum ent formalizing their agreement to create a new, non-racial, democratic government freely elected by the people (Mandela, 2009). Nelson Mandela went on to become the first freely elected President of South Africa and continued the hard work of rebuilding his country. He served his presidency for five years, stepping down from politics in 1999. Although removed from public office, Mandela continued to  advocate for issues important to his country; issues such as AIDS, poverty, and human rights. Again, Nelson Mandela worked tirelessly on behalf of his people, receiving numerous rewards throughout the years, until he formally retired from public life in 2004 (Mandela, 2009).As a result of his life’s work, Nelson Mandela forever changed the social view and practice of apartheid in his country. Politically, his efforts resulted in the first non-discriminatory, democratic (majority rule) government for South Africa. Therefore, I find these to be the two most significant social an d political changes that occurred as a result of Nelson Mandela. Task B.The individual I have chosen to write about is Martin Luther King, Jr.:  Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was known as a religious reformer and civil rights activist who rose to greatness during the civil rights movements of the United States.Dr. King began his career as a civil rights activist in 1956 (About Dr. King, n.d.) when he was hired as a spokesman for the Montgomery Bus Boycott; a campaign organized and fully supported by the black community of Montgomery in protest of the segregation of the city bus lines. This boycott, which lasted for 381 days, ended successfully with the U.S. Supreme Court ruling declaring racial segregation in public transportation unconstitutional (About Dr. King, n.d.). This landmark protest would prove to be but one of the many successful campaigns Dr. King would lead throughout his lifetime.In 1958, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) elected Dr. Martin Luther Kin g, Jr. as their president (About Dr. King, n.d.). The SCLC’s mission of providing guidance to the growing civil rights movement (occurring throughout much of the south) served as the perfect platform for Dr. King’s message. From here, Dr. King would go on to organize many campaigns, most of them occurring in Birmingham, Alabama, then described â€Å"as the most segregated city in America† (About Dr. King, n.d.).Drawing from the nonviolent teachings of Mohandas Gandhi, Dr. King’s peaceful protests and civil disobedience demonstrations were televised in stark contrast to the brutality of Birmingham’s police force. The televised beatings of young black protesters proved too much for the nation to bear, prompting congress  to begin legislation on behalf of the civil rights movement in 1962 (About Dr. King, n.d.).Although the Birmingham demonstrations led to the writing of his open and now famous â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail;† an articulat e, well written manifesto of Dr. King’s beliefs and actions (About Dr. King, n.d.), time would show that Martin Luther King, Jr.’s greatest moments were still to come. In 1963 Dr. King gathered more than a quarter-million people to Washington D.C.’s National Mall for the â€Å"March for Jobs and Freedom,† now commonly referred to as the â€Å"March on Washington† (About Dr. King, n.d.)It was here that Dr. King delivered his legendary â€Å"I Have a Dream† speech, firmly placing himself on the world stage as a social and political leader, as well as becoming the youngest man–30 years of age– to receive the Nobel Peace. As a result of all the publicity Dr. King drew to the civil rights movement, congress soon passed the historical 1964 Civil Rights Act, and soon after the 1965 Voting Rights Act (About Dr. King, n.d.); sweeping legislation declaring it illegal to discriminate against blacks or any other minority people, and removi ng any obstacles obscuring blacks of their right to vote.After the passage of the Civil Rights Act, Dr. King carried on with his work, choosing to focus on economic justice and international peace. Tragically, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated while visiting a motel in Memphis on April 4, 1968 (About Dr. King, n.d.).Through his work, Dr. King introduced our country to the practice of â€Å"nonviolent† demonstrations, socially changing the way many people participate in protests even today. Due in part to his nonviolent campaigns, Dr. King’s efforts resulted in the passing of the Civil Rights Acts, one of the most significant political changes occurring in the history of our country. Therefore, I find these to be the two most significant social and political changes resulting from the actions of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Oedipus by Thomas Blackburn Essay

There are many levels of pain, some of which are discomfort, grief, and agony. In his poem â€Å"Oedipus†, Thomas Blackburn uses diction, imagery, and organization to create a tone of suffering that truly exemplifies pain at its greatest, as well as a tone of feebleness and impotence. From the beginning of the poem, Blackburn’s diction suggests Oedipus’s immorality and wretchedness. For example, Oedipus’s shadow is â€Å"monstrous†, representing his horrific past and future as a monster. However, Oedipus is soon transformed into a powerless and blind being. The poem describes Oedipus as he â€Å"gropes† and â€Å"stumbles†, signifying his weakness and the effects of his self-inflicted blindness and handicap. The diction is very significant, as it provides insight on the actual story. Near the conclusion of the play, Oedipus is weak and blind not only to the physical world, but to the truth as well, resulting in his mother hanging herself, as seen in the poem in, â€Å"and let this woman on the strangling cord†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . In the second to last line of the poem, Blackburn symbolizes Oedipus’s degeneration into death by discussing an ape’s â€Å"carcass†. The dead body of the animal shows Oedipus’s final stage in life, from his powerful position in the â€Å"palace† to the carrion of the â€Å"desert†, and supports the tone of suffering and impotence. The many stages of Oedipus’s nature, from his wickedness to his gloom, are effectively portrayed through Blackburn’s use of imagery. Blackburn quickly introduces the depravity of Oedipus, who has â€Å"the odour of her body on his palms.† This image refers to Oedipus, who sleeps with his mother and wife, Jocasta. Yet, without knowing the story, the image created is sinful itself in nature by the mood created by the â€Å"odor of her body†, which appears both sexual and sensual. In the next stanza, Blackburn depicts Oedipus as he â€Å"gropes for the sage’s lips.† This symbolizes Oedipus’s realization of the truth, which Teresias, the â€Å"sage† has told Oedipus. Upon piecing all the clues and knowledge together, Oedipus knows that he has been ignorant and avoiding his inevitable fate. With Oedipus acknowledging the truth, Blackburn leads to the dominant image of Oedipus as he suffers the consequences of his unwise actions. After Oedipus is banishes from the land, he is seen as a â€Å"newly born† with his daughters â€Å"leading him with childish  hands.† The reader can instantly envision Oedipus as a child crawling through the desert, with his daughters ironically portrayed as his guardians. Oedipus loses the sense of sight and turns into a powerless creature with no spirit, represented by a child that is associated with a figure that is new to the world and knows nothing, including the truth, in Oedipus’s case. Thus, the usage of imagery develops Blackburn’s tone of suffering as Oedipus progresses toward what his fate has decreed. Organization throughout the poem helps to portray and lay emphasis upon certain areas where Blackburn’s message about the fall of Oedipus and fate is evident. Analysis of the overall poem shows a decrease in Oedipus’s character. He is first portrayed as a monster in the palace walls, but as the poem progresses, Oedipus’s fall into destruction progresses as well. He begins to desperately seek the truth and when it is found, Oedipus becomes a helpless and weak creature. Similarly, the beginning to the poem depicts Oedipus as he indulges himself in his desires. However the ending of the poem shows â€Å"prophetic birds† flying overhead, symbolizing fate and how Oedipus eventually falls into submission and lowers himself as a person. The chronology also adds to the tone by allowing readers to slowly develop an understanding of Oedipus’s suffering and pain. The placement of Oedipus’s demise at the end also adds emphasis to the message, since it is the last stanza that the reader reads and will remain in the reader’s mind the longest. It is clearly evident that the special organization of the poem helps to support the tone and message conveyed to the readers throughout the writing. From the introduction to the end, Blackburn constantly provides support for the tones of suffering and weakness. Through diction such as â€Å"helpless†, imagery of Oedipus’s demise in the desert, and organization that created emphasis on certain clues, the tone and message is easily identified. Oedipus was truly a tragic story involving the fall of a king to a blind and powerless child, with the sad, horrific, and painful understanding of truth and fate integrated to create a dramatic play.

Song of solomon Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Song of solomon - Essay Example Thirdly, guitar is fatherless, motherless and homeless while milkman has both parents and is from a good home. Finally milkman is into women and partying while the guitar is into racial equality campaign and politics. Guitar is different from milkman in various ways not only in upbringing but also in his outlook of life. We see when milkman found guitar at the barbershop listening to a story about a black man trampled to death by the whites. Guitar is shaken and wants to protest while milkman is not bothered. Therefore, guitar having had a rough life of poverty and experienced racial discrimination at its worst is determined to speak up. Milkman starts drifting from guitar because their reasoning is changing since he wants to party with women instead of a campaigning. Moreover, milkman thinks about money and business and owning property, guitar thinks about bettering the lives of black people. Guitars life experiences have shaped him to be a more patient man with humility and empathy for his fellow brothers. His poverty has made him to want a better life for his fellow black people. He has no interest in partying and women while his brothers are being discriminated upon. He has no interest in owning property and mistreating his fellow brothers and not caring like his friend milkman. In page 153, guitar tells milkman, ‘†¦cards are stacked up against us†¦ stay alive and in the game, makes us do funny things†¦things that make us hurt one another†¦don’t carry it inside†¦try to understand†¦ just forget it†¦ keep yourself strong†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ ((Morrison,153). Q2. What kind of person is Milkman at the beginning of the novel? What makes him tick? What are his attitudes? What evidence in the text do you see of such attitudes? In what ways does he differ from his father? Is he similar in any way? Milkman is a man who does not believe in class difference in the society that is why he befriends

The importance of HR measurement and metrics to HR's role as a Thesis

The importance of HR measurement and metrics to HR's role as a strategic business partner - Thesis Example This thesis describes measurement of the effects of human capital that has become a continual challenge for human resource professionals in various industries. Practices for human resource management are of paramount importance in enhancing the overall performance of firms. Based on previous findings, investments on human capital can bring about favorable returns, such as the increased employee skills, increased productivity and profitability, or enhanced stock market performance. Consequently, organizations have come to recognize that improvements in their human resources can strongly increase organizational efficiency despite increasing competition, business operations and need for cost effective environments. In addition, there has been considerable pressure on the HR function to evaluate and measure its role and contribution in increasing competitive advantage for organizations. In particular, organizational changes, increased accountability, increased productivity, implementatio n of HR strategies, increasing application of human resource information systems, and growing reliance on the interaction between managers and HR. Consequently, previous studies have looked into the different approaches that can be used for measuring HR contributions, hence the term ‘HR metrics’. This study will then focus on the gas and electric utilities industry of the United States, particularly their use of HR metrics and its impact on their performance. Gas and Electric Utilities Industry in the U.S. The electric utility industry in the country is considerable in size. According to the International Energy Agency, it may be likely that demand for electricity will double in the next 25 years. Consequently, large investments in equipment and services that transmit electricity to residential homes and workplaces can be expected as well. As a response to the financial crisis in 2008, the US government had allocated $11 billion to develop the smart grid infrastructure that will enable electricity transmission from long distances as well as increase the energy use efficiency. What has been referred to as electric utilities at present have been associated with companies that generate, transmit, distribute, and conduct billing. Historically, due to the natural monopoly, such electric utilities may either be strictly regulated or public owned. In the past decade, generation of electricity has been separated from its transmission and distribution for companies to create wholesale power markets with which electric utilities obtain energy from their competing generators. In addition, natural gas utilities in the United States have been serving over 70 million customers in the country that is provided by means of underground delivery systems that run for over 2 million miles (AGA, 2011). Residential customers, electric power plants, and establishments that mainly utilize gas for commercial purposes, such as restaurants, account for majority of the consum ers. In terms of employment and working conditions, numerous utility workers typically experience night and weekend shifts with which a number of these employees may work overtime to assist peaks in demand as well as repair the damages caused by accidents, natural disasters, and other occurrences. The working environment of the electric and gas utilities industry has also been associated with hazardous operations and materials, hence the continual need for their employees to undergo adequate and formal training (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2011). Despite the efforts of the utilities industry to increase profitability and enhance worker productivity, however, a number of challenges are still being faced by the electric and gas utilities firms, such as the need for sustainability, security of supply, a more complex combination of energy technologies and resources, as well as access to lucrative opportunities (MCE, 2011). It

International HRM PowerPoint Presentation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

International HRM - PowerPoint Presentation Example Other studies suggest that there are certain aspects to business organisations like technology, structure and other common practices that transcend culture and form a commonality between how businesses operate across cultures (Kerr et al, 1973 & Hickson et al, 1979 cited in Mullins, 1999). In Hofstede’s words, â€Å"effective multinationals have created practices that bridge the national value differences† (1997). This suggests that uniformity in organisational structure may in fact help the organisation create its own culture regardless of national culture differences. These common practices are what help international managers operate effectively beyond their own cultures. Identifying Cultural Differences and Prejudices: â€Å"One’s own culture provides the ‘lens’ through which we view the world; the ‘logic’ by which we order it; and the ‘grammar’ by which it makes sense† (Avruch and Black, 1991) Hofstede (1994, 199 7), argues that ethnocentrism, the behaviour where one considers their own culture to be superior over others, has no place in a world that is getting smaller due to globalisation. The same applies to management, as Evans et al (1989) suggest that managerial styles designed in one culture may not easily translate to another because of the differences in traditions and values of the management and workforce. Globalisation has increased pressure upon firms to invest across cultures to maintain their competitive advantage and to be open for new opportunities. This calls for international managers to be prepared for the challenges they may face as they venture into unknown cultures. Understanding people requires understanding their background, as their background has provided them with their culture and would help one predict their present and future behaviour (Hofstede, 1991 cited in Tulder & Zwart, 2006; Scullion and Linehan, 2005). This calls for an understanding of historical origin s of culture in terms of religious beliefs, values and norms (Hofstede and Bond, 1988). In most cases cultural traits can be identified through culture-specific literature, for example, the Holy Bible, which has historic significance in the evolution of both American and British cultures. Both cultures, argues Cleary (1991), are derived from belief in Biblical texts, which suggest an absolute truth outside of oneself, and as a consequence, one evaluates issues in terms of absolutes and fixed goals. So both Brits and Americans, or westerners in the general sense, according to Trompenaars (1993), tend to be goal oriented and tend to rely on legal contracts during business negotiations. Also, as multicultural nations, both offer a weak culture (Robbins, 2003), which is flexible to change. People in both cultures also tend to be more short-term oriented in their association with organisations. Evans et al (1989) suggest that in the west in general, â€Å"workers ‘sell’ the ir time to the company for wages and do not owe any allegiance to the company in their own time† (pg130). The Five Cultural Dimensions: Hofstede’s five dimensions of cultural values can be now applied to both cultures to better understand the challenges of cross-cultural management, and to derive suggestions for the International

Why did the United States fail to sign the Treaty of Versailles Research Paper

Why did the United States fail to sign the Treaty of Versailles - Research Paper Example In fact, he worked a lot for that to happen but the end result did not turn out as he had wished. The United States did not sign the treaty because Wilson did not have the vote of all the Senate members. Wilson required constitutionally mandated two-thirds vote for ratification which he did not get. Henry Cabot Lodge and Alfred Beveridge were highly against the treaty. Lodge was a Republican and the Senate majority leader and Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, thus holding a lot of power and responsibility. The failure of the United States to ratify the Treaty of Versailles and, eventually, join the League of Nations is a story of conflict. However, no matter where the focus is on – personalities, political parties and branches of government, or ideas and institutions, Wilson certainly did lie at the crux. It was his overweening confidence in the view that he held of the world that he dealt with which formed the basis of the defeat of the very tool that he had devise d in order to secure the world of future wars. Clemenceau once said bitterly: â€Å"Talk with Wilson! How can I talk to a fellow who thinks himself the first man in two thousand years to know anything about peace on earth?† and â€Å"I get on with you. You are practical.... Wilson was a visionary reared with a strong moral background. While others wanted to punish Germany, Wilson wished to get rid of the old system and come up with a new world order which would not treat Germany like a defeated enemy; instead he wanted to her to be like others, a partner of the new system he had envisioned. On the other hand, Clemenceau did not wish to end the old system but rather to make it stronger to build peace, and this meant that the conquerors would divide the spoils to come up with a reimbursement as satisfactory as possible to their respective nation’s requirements. History has paid substantial attention on the personal enmity that existed between Wilson and Lodge, and, from the consequences that we have seen it is clear that there was, in fact, a lot of political animosity between them4. It should also be considered, however, that they had opposite views regarding the issues of the day and thus their political behavior showed varied opinions. From the way Lodge was repudiating the President it seemed that it was his behavior rather than genuine ideological opposition. Instead of coming up with actual and meaningful debate that would list the reasons why the treaty should not be signed, Lodge kept delaying action by reading – word-for-word – the language of the Treaty5 6. Therefore, what it resulted in was just endless criticism that took about six weeks of public hearing. For the Senate Foreign Relation Committee he chose those senators whom he thought would go against the treaty. After the committee had reported the Treaty to the full Senate they did so after burdening it with corrections which Lodge had said were necessary to adopt and

No topic Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 3

No topic - Assignment Example Finally, the overarching application of philosophy in current times were asserted in terms of updating previously archaic topics and issues to make them relevant and useful. These topics include a discussion on three identified areas: medicine, environment, and feminism (Hildebrand). One found the intention to provide a definition of God as interesting; yet still wanting. The definitions that were presented were still very much abstract and readers from a wide range of demographical and cultural background could find it challenging to grasp the concepts being asserted. It was, likewise, commendable to try and explain the different constructs of religion as containing three common elements: a content; a method; and a divine guarantee (Hildebrand). Some ideas which were unique included establishing a link between religion and democracy; as well as affirming that religion no longer plays a significant credible appeal in Western society’s existence (Hildebrand). It could be asserted that the notion was primarily taking the author’s perspective. One strongly believes that religion still plays an active role in contemporary societies’ values and beliefs; as it assists in the formation of values and conformity with moral and ethical standards on a more universal and global scale. However, one finds it difficult to agree with the contention that â€Å"If it can be appreciated that many of our most celebrated achievements have been directly facilitated by a human community (and not by God), then community may provide a powerful source of inspiration for this new, common faith† (Hildebrand 202). One is convinced that human community, by nature, cannot be separated from the purpose of God’s creation. As such, the driving force of human community is still believed to be theologically spurred, especially for very religious groups, like predominantly Catholic nations. The steadfast and firm believe in God has entrenched values and beliefs which emphasize