Two Techniqyes in Hospitals Laboratory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Two Techniqyes in Hospitals Laboratory - Essay Example This paper summarizes each of these methods and provides examples of their relevance to biomedical research and clinical medicine. Flow Cytometry Analytical flow cytometry (AFC) is used to assess the biochemical composition of cells using an optical scanner in the assessment of individual cells as they are screened individually at a rapid rate (approximately 100 cells per second) through an optical scanner (Boddy et al 2001; Givan 2001). This methodology permits quantitative measurements of molecular components within each cell individually (Davey & Kell 1996; Givan 2001). An important medical use of AFC is the identification of specific strains of infectious bacteria in infected cells obtained from patient biopsy (Boddy et al 2001). Once the pathogen is identified, AFC is also used in therapeutic assessment of antibiotics on the clinical course of infection by examining patient cells by AFC post-treatment. In this regard, AFC is an important biomedical tool in the assessment of para meters of clinical sensitivity and resistance of specific bacterial strains to specific therapeutic regimens (Davey & Kell, 1996). In addition, AFC can be used to measure the cellular DNA and protein concentration and the activity of specific enzymes (Roederer 2001). The capability of AFC to assess molecular content within individual cells involves the use of fluorescence measurements to characterize the biochemical components of cells. In this technique, fluorescent probes are applied to specific cell molecules which are then assessed via the detection of optical excitation patterns emitted by these optically labeled cell components. (Shapiro 2003). These optical excitation patterns emitted by the fluorescently labeled cell components can be used to pinpoint specific types of molecules and to quantitate their concentrations within the cell (Shapiro 2003). This accuracy is facilitated by the standardization of controlled flow by means of hydrodynamic focusing methods (Shapiro 2003). Further analytical sophistication can be achieved by the use of multiple optical beams and two channel detectors to detect two different cellular signals at the same time in the same scan while providing a high sensitivity (Zhong et al 2005). Labeled nanoparticles are also be utilized as probes in the molecular assessment of cell composition (Zhong et al 2005). In addition to biochemical composition, AFC can be used to assess cell proliferation by means of accurately identifying cell cycle composition of dividing mitotic cells. This assessment can be carried out in individual cells (Pozaroski & Darzynkiewicz 2004). This method requires the DNA binding dye propidium iodide (Shapiro 2003). DNA and protein content can be assessed simultaneously in individual cells by means of bivariate analysis and comparisons between normal cells and tumor cells (Pozaroski & Darzynkiewicz 2004). This technique also permits the evaluation of cell viability on an individual basis and can distinguish ce ll death resulting from apoptosis versus necrotic mechanisms (Bertho et al 2000). Apoptosis results in a characteristic cell fragmentation into small apoptotic bodies containing fragmented DNA segments; this process can be detected by AFC and distinguished from plasma membrane degradation which is characteristic of necrotic cell death mechanisms. Cell viability measurements are an important component of disease assessment with regard to the identification of pathogenic mechanisms that may cause cell

Middle East Fashion - Syria and Jordan Research Paper

Middle East Fashion - Syria and Jordan - Research Paper Example The essay "Middle East Fashion - Syria and Jordan" explores the fashion of Syria and Jordan. Archeological data show that the ancient Jordanians practiced tradition such living in circular house, domesticating animals, used sophisticated methods for agriculture, made pottery and worshipped ancestors. The data also show that Jordanians practiced copper smelting as evidenced by the large copper mines in Khirbet Feinan. Jordanians speak Arabic as the native language though English is the favorable means of communication among the schooled population. During ceremonial occasions, Jordanians serve tea, Arabic coffee or fruit juice, usually accompanied by sweets. The main dish of the community is Mansaf that consists of lamb meet prepared using dried yogurt, and serve alongside seasoned rice place on flat bread. Mansaf is common meal during ceremonies such as holidays, weddings, engagement, and visits by friends and family. Islam is the dominant and national religion in Jordan, meaning tha t most of the customs are Islamic in nature. Women in Jordan wear conservative clothes that limit at long dresses and hijab for covering the head and face. The traditions do allow the Jordanian women to dress in tight clothes, shorts, sleeveless blouses and short skirts. Jordan allows different types of clothing for women depending on their backgrounds. Very religious women dress in jilbab or libis shari, which are floor-length. The women also cover their heads with scarf. Another type of clothing is national costume.

Impact of British Colonization on the Gulf

Impact of British Colonization on the Gulf 1. Introduction The term ‘colonization’ is used to refer to the active spread of political and economic power over a region, on the part of a country which has occupied the location, and which is normally far in advance of it, in terms of military and technological prowess. It can be defined by the movement of foreign nationals to the location, or by an official seizure of power over the region, either via political or military means. This process can be triggered by many different things – a swollen population, economic upheaval, social disturbances, and even religious conflicts within the region being colonized. Yet, all of these factors can be linked with expansionism, intrusive humanitarianism and the goals relating to national development, to at least some degree. The act of colonization can be led by the government, or it can be an independent endeavor, helmed by big business. However, before the process can be started, any and all native citizens are first required to be restrained and integrated, or adapted to the customs of the invaders; or else, an agreement has to be drawn up, via the obligation of a treaty or official alliance. The British Empire was made up of the states, domains, provinces, dependencies and terrains which were governed and controlled by Great Britain. It has its beginnings in the foreign trading routes created by Britain, between the 16th and 18th century. At its peak, it was the biggest overseas kingdom ever seen and, for more than a hundred years, it was the primary world leader. By the end of 1922, Britain controlled more than 458 million people around a fifth of the global population. The empire itself stretched across more than 33,000,000 km squared, which is approximately a quarter of the area of the planet. Unsurprisingly ten, its political, legal and cultural norms travelled far and wide. At its strongest point, the adage ‘the empire on which the sun never sets’ was commonly used to refer to the British Empire, as its huge surface area meant that the sun would always be shining in at least one of its newly acquired domains (see Exhibit 1). [1] 1.1 Definition of colonization According to the Collins English Dictionary, the word colonialism can be defined as ‘the strategies and regulations of a power, in spreading influence over vulnerable populations or regions.’ The Merriam-Webster Dictionary actually provides no less than four definitions, which include ‘something representative of a colony,’ and ‘influence by one power, over a vulnerable region or population.’[2] The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy utilizes the word ‘colonialism’ to refer to ‘the practice of European invasion, and the spread of political influence, across the planet – this includes the United States, Australia and portions of Asia and Africa.’ It explores the disparity between colonialism and imperialism, claiming that ‘as a result of the complexity of constantly separating the two words, this definition will refer to colonialism as a widespread notion, relating to the process of European political control, from the 16th to the 20th century, which culminated in the national emancipation protests of the sixties.’[3] 1.2 Objectives of colonization 1.2.1 Political Purpose The political purpose can be assimilate in improve the colonial position in competition for advanced positions on the ladder of the international forces, in order to expand its influence in the international community and make it more powerful to control the international resolutions and directed to its advantage. [4] 1.2.2 Economic Purpose Colonization can be to have new source for raw materials that country needed, the Europe industrial revolution that happened in the late eighteenth century and early nineteenth century create a need for new source of raw materials for the new industrials. The industrial revolution created a wild manufacturing movement, spread across large factories in the colonial states and that led to have surplus in the goods, and colonization allow them to have new markets to sell their products. Get cheap labor, the colonial powers worked to move millions of people from areas colonized to other areas, in order to employ low-wage or trade them as slaves. At present, many of the industrial countries transfer some of its factories to developing countries, to take advantage of cheap labor in these countries. Secure transportation routes was one of many purpose for colonization, many countries resort to colonize new areas to secure transportation routes to different areas, in order to protect property and maintain its vital interests, and use commercial stations. [5] 1.2.3 Culture Purpose When you look at the linguistic map of the world, we find that the colonial language to replace the local language in the colonial countries; Most of the Spanish colonies in America, the Latin used Spanish as an official language, and English is the official language of a number of British colonies such as India and Nigeria, and South African, as French is the official language in the French colonies, such as Chad, Mali, Senegal, and the Portuguese language is the official language of Mozambique as a former Portuguese colony. If we apply it to the second language in a number of countries, we find that they colonized the language, as is the case with English in Iraq, Egypt and Jordan, which is in line with what the world Tritscka said of that language is the basis of the booming trade, as the nation does not lose its colonies associated language and culture, even if interrupted political association. [6] 1.2.3 Religious Purpose Colonization has been associated with the presence of a number of campaigns and missions consignments religious missionary, a number of them have succeeded in evangelizing sectors of the population of the colonies, and was the most prominent cases of success in this area in African countries such as South Sudan and southern Nigeria. 1.3 Types of Colonization It is common for scholars to make a clear distinction between two closely related manifestations of colonialism. ‘Settler colonialism’ refers to mass movements, usually driven by religious, political or economic motives. ‘Exploitation colonialism’ did not involve as many migrants, and instead placed emphasis on the availability of goods for international trade, usually at the centre of the empire. This latter definition relates to the use of trading stations, as well as bigger domains in which migrant colonists would manage most of the political and economic logistics. Yet, they would still lean heavily on native assets for labour and goods. Just before the culmination, and eventual eradication, of the slave trade, if native labour was not accessible, it was common for slave workers to be shipped to America, by migrant colonists from either Britain, France, Holland, Spain or Portugal. For instance, a plantation based settlement would be an exploitation colony. Yet, invading forces would take advantage of both types of colonialism, in various different domains, contingent on what sort of cultural, economic and topographic conditions confronted them. ‘Surrogate colonialism’ is used to refer to a colonisation venture, funded by a dominant power, in which the majority of the migrants are not native to this power. ‘Internal colonialism’ relates to imbalanced organisational influence, shared between regions of a nation state – the primary motivator of manipulation is the government itself. 2. Colonization in the Arabian Gulf The unique location of the area was the cause of the greed of others and a direct motivates them to attacks; in order to control the strategic location, and undermine its authority in this vital region. Arabian Gulf experienced multiple stages of the foreign presence began to phase control of the Portuguese, followed by the Dutch occupation stage then stage British colonization. Portuguese ambition to expand began in the fifteenth century, that ambition stemming from the desire to explore, and the desire to spread Christianity around the world. This expansion began in the Indian Ocean during their trips to west coast of Africa and southern deserts; and in order to get the goods and slaves. The fall of Portuguese in 1625 after the Battle of Bandar Abbas had a big role in paving the way for the Dutch and the British to enter the region, and in a short time its became a Dutch trading station at Bandar Abbas which was the most active and successful areas; where traded sugar and spice and Indian fabrics, copper, iron, have concluded with Shah Abbas I in 1623 a contract for the silk trade. With the beginning of the seventeenth century, the Dutch became dominant force in the Indian Ocean and the Arabian Gulf. The Arabian Gulf was a battle field for European conflicts, specifically the British and French, but in 1810 the British navy campaign managed to hit the island of Mauritius, which was the start of the French attacks against the British rule; enabling them to become the only dominant force in the region. British’s began in this period to conduct surveys in the ports, and in the pearl banks; to identify the nature of the area, which has increased the denominators activity in tracking the British ships in the Indian Ocean (1811- 1818), Until they got to a distance of about 60 km from Bombay, which prompted the British to develop plans to destroy the power of denominators and weaken their union; because they see in them a group of pirates, sending a campaign led by General Kiir to Ras Al Khaimah, as a result, the British took control complete control over Arabian Gulf. Login began with the Gulf sheikhs in the peace treaties, the best known: Treaty (General Peace 1820). Since that time, British placed a naval force in Ras Al Khaimah, and then force in Qeshm; and to oversee treaties signed. 3. The impact of British colonization in the Arabian Gulf Any colonization will leave impact on the colonist, its can be positive or negative and to be more realistic it usually will be mix between them and the British colonization is no different, the Gulf area which was one of British colonists suffered politically, economically, and socially and in the same time they benefit from that colonization. The British colonization on that time ended a lot of wars and fights between tribes in Gulf and secure the area which gave people there the feeling of safety, British colonization organized the trading between the gulf and India and eliminate the pirates by agreements with the gulf presidents at that time mostly with Oman and United Arabic Emirates, on other hand British Colonialism altered the geographical map of the Gulf and drew the boundaries and appointed leaders over the Gulf countries. After WWII, the British were in Palestine, Iraq, Arabian Gulf, the Indian Subcontinent, Malaya, and Brunei. It replaced the educational, legal, and economic institutions. British colonialism replaced Muslim self-rule under Islamic Law, which had been in existence from the time of the Prophet Muhammad, by their European lows. The Muslim world’s centuries of long struggle with Western colonial rule was followed by authoritarian regimes installed by European powers. The absence of stable states has led many to ask whether there is something about Islam that is antithetical to civil society and rule of law. The answer to this question lies more in history and politics than in religion. Modern Muslim states are only several decades old and they were carved out by European powers to serve Western interests. British set the borders for Iraq and Kuwait and created a new entity called Jordan. Such arbitrary borders fed ethnic, regional, and religious conflicts including the Lebanese Civil War between Christians and Muslims, the occupation of Lebanon by Syria, the Gulf War, which resulted from Saddam Hussein’s claim to Kuwaiti territory, and the Israel-Palestinian conflict. One of the biggest borders problems that stile exist the one between United Arabic Emirates and Saudi Arabia, without a doubt the origin of the border problems due to the maps that drawn by the British to the region but also Saudi Arabia greed that have borders problems with all Gulf countries contribute take that problem to other level. The dispute between Saudi Arabia and the UAE, has begun after the independence of the United Arab Emirates in the early seventies of the last century. The dispute was about the Buraimi Oasis, which was at the same time a subject of dispute between Abu Dhabi and Oman, which ended up sharing the region. And away from the logic, Saudi Arabia imposed on the UAE unfair deal when dropped their demands in the AL-Ain area and desert Dhafra according to Jeddah agreement to the border with the UAE in 1974, attached to it by recognizing the UAE, and got in return some areas. That agreement separated UAE and Qatar, and give Saudi Arabia 80% of the oil that was between the countries (see Exhibit 2). We can see on that example how the British colonization even after it withdrew from the area produced contrasting appreciations, it give the preference for Saudi Arabia over UAE and a lot of oil that belong to Saudi Arabia today could be belong to UAE or at least could be joint field between the two countries. Also these borders separated UAE from Qatar which give the advantage to Saudi Arabia again, before the British colonization there was prosperous trade between UAE and Qatar throw their borders but after the new borders set they had to pass Saudi Arabia to reach each other which lead to weakness this trades and in the same time benefit Saudi Arabia (see Exhibit 3). Political and economic models were borrowed from the West to replace the Islamic political and economic systems after independence from colonial rulers in the mid-twentieth century, creating overcrowded cities lacking social support systems, high unemployment, government corruption, and growing the gap between rich and poor people. Rather than leading to a better quality of life, Westernization led to the breakdown of traditional family, religious, and social values. Many Muslims blame Western models of political and economic development as the sources of moral decline and spiritual malaise. On other hand, the British colonization period strengthens the bonds between Gulf countries and western countries, and these relations still existing until today, and we can clearly see it in the trading products between countries and how Gulf countries rely on Europe and epically on British to import lot of goods. On other level we can see the influence of that colonization on the political system, where all Gulf countries leaders are from the royal family and not elected by people, on social and culture level the British colonization had a big influence on the people in the gulf region, because of all other factors we mentioned before and how close the Gulf become from British the people started to gain some habits from British culture. For example most people in Gulf and other colonies with was colonized by British like Egypt and Iraq started drinking tea and consider it necessary part of their daily life, which is originally an English habit. Another culture effect we noticed is the language influence, lot of our words that we used today are taken from English language for example in Kuwait we say the â€Å"tire† while it’s in Arabic language â€Å"Etar† and there are lot of other wards. But the language influence didn’t stop there. In recent years, the subjects of global English, and language based imperialism, have been explored in great depth – not least in the Arabian Gulf, where Arabic is still the main tongue, even if it is gradually becoming less used and less prevalent, particularly in regards to the proportion of speakers. In many ways, the English language is now a representation of the internationalization and transformation, resulting from the hydrocarbon profits which support many of the Gulf nations. As these countries attempt to expand their economies, retain skilled professionals, and prepare natives for life on the international stage, the English language has become a much talked about issue in discussions on religion, politics and society. In fact, it is regularly held responsible for the decay of Islamic lifestyles. Whilst the prominence of the English language certainly comes with disadvantages, a high proportion of young workers seem to understand its benefits, and are much more willing to utilize it within business, law and science sectors. According to many of these people, poor English skills are one of the biggest limitations on the development of private sectors. According to the research of Karmani, which has monitored the development of the English language learning sector, in economic and social terms, in Arabic countries – these motivations, linking back to the fifties and seventies are entrenched in the political world, and have become reciprocally aligned.[7] A lot of workers in the Gulf come from domains which used to be controlled by the British Empire (regions like India and Pakistan), so the English language continues to have an important function for many. It can function as a primary ‘lingua franca,’ particularly in regards to disparate emigrant populations, and between Arabs and emigrants. In some of these nations, the emigrant population accounts for more than 81% (CIA, 2011).[8] A collective anxiety, across the Gulf nations, relates to the decay and possible abandonment of Arabic, as a written and verbal tongue. In fact, there are lots of people, across the Emirati and the Arabic regions, who are extremely worried about the impact that this kind of linguistic transition is bound to be effecting on the integrity of the Arabic spoken in the UAE. 4. Conclusion Colonialism is a practice of domination, which involves political and economic control over the colonist areas. Economic Instability, political weakness, revolutions and other factors can be the reason of colonization. The goal of colonization can be increase its power and influence globally, find a new source of row materials, widens its culture over the world, and expand its religious. Arabian Gulf went throw many colonialisms, the British colonization was the last one which controlled the area to achieve specific goals one of them to secure the trades that have established with India. Although that, Arabian gulf got freedom for a while now but we still can see that the impact of that colonization exist on several levels: political, economic, and social. Here we have to mention that the impact of the colonization is not always negative there are some positive impacts, like the economics relationship that existing between British and most Gulf countries and also the improvement in education process in these countries. On other hand colonization some time can create preference for one country over other country, like the dispute between Saudi Arabia and UAE over boards and how Saudi Arabia took over the oil fields. Exhibit 1 British Empire Exhibit 2 UAE-Saudi Arabia Boarder Exhibit 3 UAE-Qatar Boards [1] Colonization. The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2014. Encyclopedia.com. (November 17, 2014). [2] Colonialism. Merriam-Webster. Merriam-Webster. 2010. Retrieved 5 April 2010. [3] Margaret Kohn (2006). Colonialism. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Stanford University. Retrieved 5 April 2010. [4] Anton Mata (1993). â€Å"Tarak Al-Estiamar in Arabian Gulf†. Beirut. Dar Al-Jeal. [5] Anton Mata (1993). â€Å"Tarak Al-Estiamar in Arabian Gulf†. Beirut. Dar Al-Jeal. [6] Jameil Baiton (2002). â€Å"Tarek Al-arab Al-hadeth†. Beirut. Dar Al-Amal. [7] Karmani, S. (2005). Petro-Linguistics: The Emerging Nexus Between Oil, English, and Islam. Journal of Language, Identity and Education, 4.2, 87-102. [8] CIA Factbook. (2011). United Arab Emirates. 18 Nov. Web. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-worldfactbook/geos/ae.html

Using Technology to Cope with Terrorism :: War Terror Essays

Using Technology to Cope with Terrorism Each one of us has our own unique story of where we were when we learned of the attack on the World Trade Center towers. It’s a story we’ve told to friends and a story we’ll continue to tell as this event transforms from a living reality to a historical one. Some were awoken by roommates, others informed by colleagues passing through the hall, and others happened to turn on the television and watch with horror as the World Trade Center towers burned and finally collapsed. As word spread, though, Americans became united in their need to know exactly what had happened. We turned on the television, we paused to listen to radios filtering out of cars, we visited Internet news sources again and again, clutching and grasping for facts, hoping that some sort of clarity would calm us. Hour after hour we sat by the television trying to make sense of it all. Unconfirmed reports were treated as facts by frantic news anchors, sketchy reports of hijacking were announced and t hen confirmed. The news changed by the minute. A nation in shock began calling loved ones across the country, just to check in and to share the horror together. Cell phone networks were inoperable in many areas of the country, not just in New York. Web-traffic became so congested that viewing CNN’s web page became virtually impossible. We used these fleeting news sources as a way to grasp reality. But for many it didn’t become a reality until we saw it the way our parents and grandparents had in years past; black and white banner headlines announcing the tragedy in a format that couldn’t be refreshed, revised, or corrected. It was permanent, and it was true. The unimaginable had happened. And for those of us outside of New York, Pennsylvania, and Washington D.C. we used the technology around us to begin to comprehend. Trying to understand what it was like when the building collapsed, we listened to and read countless witness testimonies. Though weary with despair we felt that it was our duty to experience the agony of watching the collision and the collapse over and over again, as if we could alleviate some of the New Yorkers’ suffering by taking some of it on as our own. We watched around-the-clock coverage from ground zero; we contributed to discussion boards and listservs on the Internet, we held countless discussions among family members and friends.

Summary Response

Agents of Change and Nonviolent Action* Nonviolent action is a way for ordinary people to fight for their rights, freedom, and justice. It is frequently associated with moral or ethical nonviolence, but I will address it here as a distinct phenomenon, separate from any moral or ethical underpinnings, to expand on how it works as a pragmatic way to exert leverage in a conflict. Nonviolent action is based on the insight that power in a society is ultimately derived from people’s consent and obedience.In contrast, the prevailing view is that power in a society is inherently based on whoever has concentrated wealth and the greatest capacity for violence. But just as the economy is a subsystem of the biosphere— and therefore is ultimately governed by the laws of the biosphere—so too, systems of power that are seemingly based on violence and money are actually subsystems of thousands or millions of people’s broader behavior and obedience patterns.If those people shift their loyalties, behavior, and obedience, the balance of power in a society, and in the world, shifts. Simply put, if people do not obey, then rulers or corporations cannot rule. Nonviolent action, therefore, wields power by creating shifts in people’s loyalties, behavior and obedience patterns at a collective level. This can happen dramatically, for example as it did at moments during the Indian Independence Struggle, the US Civil Rights Movement, various labor struggles (i. . the United Farm Workers movement in the mid-late 1960s), and the downfall of Ferdinand Marcos (1986), Augusto Pinochet (1988), Apartheid in South Africa (1980s-90s), Slobodan Milosevic (2000), and the authoritarian system in Ukraine (2004). Or, shifts can happen more subtly, as when people choose to shop at locally owned businesses, boycott a product, or work to develop alternative institutions and economies.Regardless of its myriad of methods and manifestations, all acts of nonviolent action fa ll into one of three categories: acts of 1 Â © 2008 Hardy Merriman. *A slightly modified version of this essay appeared in: Conservation Biology, Volume 22, No. 2, April 2008 pp. 241-2. commission—that is, people do things that they are not expected, supposed, or allowed to do; acts of omission—that is, people do not do things that they are expected, supposed, or required to do; or a combination of acts of commission and omission. In order to promote shifts in people’s obedience and behavior patterns, it is important to understand why people obey and behave as they do in the first place. Reasons will differ from society to society, but two of the most common reasons for obedience that I encounter in my work with activists and organizers around the world are that people feel there is no alternative way of behaving and they lack confidence that their actions make a difference. Many people have forgotten that they are the true power holders in their society.Of cou rse formal education, corporations, governments, and media all reinforce the narrative that power resides among the few individuals in a government building or corporate headquarters, and that money and guns (on which they have a monopoly) are the ultimate source of strength. This narrative suits their purposes well. Successful nonviolent movements throughout history, however, have awakened people to the fact that through their collective actions, people who are organized around a common vision and act strategically are far stronger than armies and money.Any contemporary grassroots movement that wants to gain traction should take note of this fact and make reminding people that they are powerful a central point of its rhetoric. Taking this one step further, successful movements not only tell people that they are powerful, they demonstrate people’s power by setting clear, achievable objectives and then documenting and publicizing their victories. The victories themselves may b e limited, but their impact on mobilizing people can be enormous.For example, the US Civil Rights Movement concentrated its strength on desegregating buses in Montgomery, Alabama in 1955-56 and desegregating Nashville lunch counters in 1960. The Indian Independence Movement focused its effort on gaining concessions from the British on the Salt Acts and others laws in 1930-31. Once achieved, these objectives were small 1 Gene Sharp, Waging Nonviolent Struggle: 20th Century Practice and 21st Century Potential, (Boston, MA: Porter Sargent Publishers), 2005, p. 547. 2 Â © 2008 Hardy Merriman. A slightly modified version of this essay appeared in: Conservation Biology, Volume 22, No. 2, April 2008 pp. 241-2. relative to the mammoth task of overturning segregation in the entire US South or gaining independence in India. But their true impact was in their catalyzing effect on the movements themselves. These victories showed people that their actions mattered and that they were capable of making a difference, which led to great increases in support and mobilization and propelled these movements to the national and international center stage.These objectives were not achieved merely because the US Civil Rights Movement or the Indian Independence Movement occupied the moral high ground. They were achieved also because of hard work, creativity, and skillful political analysis. This is true of all successful nonviolent action. However, many neglect this fact and instead assume that nonviolent action consists primarily of public protests, expressions of outrage, and moral injunctions, or that its success depends on a charismatic leader or some sort of mystical power. It does not.Nor does it require people who are ideologically committed to pacifism or ethical nonviolence. What it does require is an inclusive vision that unites people, sound strategic planning, effective public communications, and the identification of appropriate methods for the situation. There is no one -size-fits-all recipe—nonviolent action is place-specific. While the principles that govern it, such as power being based on consent and obedience, are constant across all struggles, its application depends on the context and particulars of a given society.Whether it manifests as bold public action, subtle shifts in buying patterns, or both (most movements have a wide variety of tactics that are designed to be used by people with different levels of involvement), it provides a way for people to use or create political space in their society from which to leverage concessions from an entrenched adversary. Fortunately, a lot of intellectual work, research, and communication have been done about how people can use, and historically have used, nonviolent action to achieve great results.Demand for this knowledge is increasing among those who recognize the power and potential that nonviolent action holds. You won’t read about this in most 3 Â © 2008 Hardy Merriman. *A sligh tly modified version of this essay appeared in: Conservation Biology, Volume 22, No. 2, April 2008 pp. 241-2. newspapers, and you won’t find a lot of politicians talking about it, but if you talk to grassroots organizers and members of civil society around the world, they will tell you. They recognize that it is the people in a society who are the agents of change and that structural change is created from the ground up.They are not waiting for a person to lead them, because they understand that most government and corporate leaders will not take the lead to do what is right if their populations are disengaged and do not know the means to hold them accountable. Therefore, people around the world are increasingly looking towards nonviolent action (which they may use in conjunction with voting, the legal system, or other traditional means of making change) as a pragmatic way to empower their communities to win human rights, freedom, justice, transparency, women’s, indige nous people’s and minority rights and environmental protection.Regardless of the objective for which nonviolent action is used, its prerequisite is the same: a reframing of the concept of power in people’s minds. Sharing this knowledge, and awakening people to their power, is an essential task in shifting humanity’s course. 4 Â © 2008 Hardy Merriman. *A slightly modified version of this essay appeared in: Conservation Biology, Volume 22, No. 2, April 2008 pp. 241-2. Summary Response Agents of Change and Nonviolent Action* Nonviolent action is a way for ordinary people to fight for their rights, freedom, and justice. It is frequently associated with moral or ethical nonviolence, but I will address it here as a distinct phenomenon, separate from any moral or ethical underpinnings, to expand on how it works as a pragmatic way to exert leverage in a conflict. Nonviolent action is based on the insight that power in a society is ultimately derived from people’s consent and obedience.In contrast, the prevailing view is that power in a society is inherently based on whoever has concentrated wealth and the greatest capacity for violence. But just as the economy is a subsystem of the biosphere— and therefore is ultimately governed by the laws of the biosphere—so too, systems of power that are seemingly based on violence and money are actually subsystems of thousands or millions of people’s broader behavior and obedience patterns.If those people shift their loyalties, behavior, and obedience, the balance of power in a society, and in the world, shifts. Simply put, if people do not obey, then rulers or corporations cannot rule. Nonviolent action, therefore, wields power by creating shifts in people’s loyalties, behavior and obedience patterns at a collective level. This can happen dramatically, for example as it did at moments during the Indian Independence Struggle, the US Civil Rights Movement, various labor struggles (i. . the United Farm Workers movement in the mid-late 1960s), and the downfall of Ferdinand Marcos (1986), Augusto Pinochet (1988), Apartheid in South Africa (1980s-90s), Slobodan Milosevic (2000), and the authoritarian system in Ukraine (2004). Or, shifts can happen more subtly, as when people choose to shop at locally owned businesses, boycott a product, or work to develop alternative institutions and economies.Regardless of its myriad of methods and manifestations, all acts of nonviolent action fa ll into one of three categories: acts of 1 Â © 2008 Hardy Merriman. *A slightly modified version of this essay appeared in: Conservation Biology, Volume 22, No. 2, April 2008 pp. 241-2. commission—that is, people do things that they are not expected, supposed, or allowed to do; acts of omission—that is, people do not do things that they are expected, supposed, or required to do; or a combination of acts of commission and omission. In order to promote shifts in people’s obedience and behavior patterns, it is important to understand why people obey and behave as they do in the first place. Reasons will differ from society to society, but two of the most common reasons for obedience that I encounter in my work with activists and organizers around the world are that people feel there is no alternative way of behaving and they lack confidence that their actions make a difference. Many people have forgotten that they are the true power holders in their society.Of cou rse formal education, corporations, governments, and media all reinforce the narrative that power resides among the few individuals in a government building or corporate headquarters, and that money and guns (on which they have a monopoly) are the ultimate source of strength. This narrative suits their purposes well. Successful nonviolent movements throughout history, however, have awakened people to the fact that through their collective actions, people who are organized around a common vision and act strategically are far stronger than armies and money.Any contemporary grassroots movement that wants to gain traction should take note of this fact and make reminding people that they are powerful a central point of its rhetoric. Taking this one step further, successful movements not only tell people that they are powerful, they demonstrate people’s power by setting clear, achievable objectives and then documenting and publicizing their victories. The victories themselves may b e limited, but their impact on mobilizing people can be enormous.For example, the US Civil Rights Movement concentrated its strength on desegregating buses in Montgomery, Alabama in 1955-56 and desegregating Nashville lunch counters in 1960. The Indian Independence Movement focused its effort on gaining concessions from the British on the Salt Acts and others laws in 1930-31. Once achieved, these objectives were small 1 Gene Sharp, Waging Nonviolent Struggle: 20th Century Practice and 21st Century Potential, (Boston, MA: Porter Sargent Publishers), 2005, p. 547. 2 Â © 2008 Hardy Merriman. A slightly modified version of this essay appeared in: Conservation Biology, Volume 22, No. 2, April 2008 pp. 241-2. relative to the mammoth task of overturning segregation in the entire US South or gaining independence in India. But their true impact was in their catalyzing effect on the movements themselves. These victories showed people that their actions mattered and that they were capable of making a difference, which led to great increases in support and mobilization and propelled these movements to the national and international center stage.These objectives were not achieved merely because the US Civil Rights Movement or the Indian Independence Movement occupied the moral high ground. They were achieved also because of hard work, creativity, and skillful political analysis. This is true of all successful nonviolent action. However, many neglect this fact and instead assume that nonviolent action consists primarily of public protests, expressions of outrage, and moral injunctions, or that its success depends on a charismatic leader or some sort of mystical power. It does not.Nor does it require people who are ideologically committed to pacifism or ethical nonviolence. What it does require is an inclusive vision that unites people, sound strategic planning, effective public communications, and the identification of appropriate methods for the situation. There is no one -size-fits-all recipe—nonviolent action is place-specific. While the principles that govern it, such as power being based on consent and obedience, are constant across all struggles, its application depends on the context and particulars of a given society.Whether it manifests as bold public action, subtle shifts in buying patterns, or both (most movements have a wide variety of tactics that are designed to be used by people with different levels of involvement), it provides a way for people to use or create political space in their society from which to leverage concessions from an entrenched adversary. Fortunately, a lot of intellectual work, research, and communication have been done about how people can use, and historically have used, nonviolent action to achieve great results.Demand for this knowledge is increasing among those who recognize the power and potential that nonviolent action holds. You won’t read about this in most 3 Â © 2008 Hardy Merriman. *A sligh tly modified version of this essay appeared in: Conservation Biology, Volume 22, No. 2, April 2008 pp. 241-2. newspapers, and you won’t find a lot of politicians talking about it, but if you talk to grassroots organizers and members of civil society around the world, they will tell you. They recognize that it is the people in a society who are the agents of change and that structural change is created from the ground up.They are not waiting for a person to lead them, because they understand that most government and corporate leaders will not take the lead to do what is right if their populations are disengaged and do not know the means to hold them accountable. Therefore, people around the world are increasingly looking towards nonviolent action (which they may use in conjunction with voting, the legal system, or other traditional means of making change) as a pragmatic way to empower their communities to win human rights, freedom, justice, transparency, women’s, indige nous people’s and minority rights and environmental protection.Regardless of the objective for which nonviolent action is used, its prerequisite is the same: a reframing of the concept of power in people’s minds. Sharing this knowledge, and awakening people to their power, is an essential task in shifting humanity’s course. 4 Â © 2008 Hardy Merriman. *A slightly modified version of this essay appeared in: Conservation Biology, Volume 22, No. 2, April 2008 pp. 241-2.

Australia And China Relations

As the saying goes â€Å"No man can live alone†, so is a nation. In this era of globalization, no nation can meet the demands of the new world order without the help of other nation. The International Community is composed of various nations, sharing ideas and lending hand to establish progress for a better future. Australia which is a member of the United Nations and other international organizations also shares its ideas and resources to other nations while gaining its interests for the good of its people. In addition, building friendly relations with other nations plays an essential role in furthering plans for the future of its constituents. Nations to befriend with does not necessarily require similarities in advocacy or type of government. It is necessary that an issue that interests both nations will be properly addressed. Moreover, according to Alan Oxley, interests shape relationship. In the case of Australia, building ties with China, which is a rising superpower, is possible because of some interests that bind both of them. According to Grattan’s and Nicholson’s article, the Prime Minister wanted to establish a personal relationship with Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and President Hu Jintao. In addition, according to Toy and Grattan, building personal ties with leaders could not be hard because of Prime Minister Kevin Rudd’s skill and intelligence on China’s tradition and political culture and his experience as Australian diplomat in China. According to Grattan and Nicholson, the relationship between Australia and China is one of common economic and national interest. Some of these interests that Prime Minister Kevin Rudd wants to pursue with China are free trade and bilateral agreement, the issue on climate change and to encourage Chinese people to become full partners in the global international order and establish a long- term partnership with China. On economic issue, the Prime Minister is boosting for free- trade and bilateral agreement. Through these, a wider business opportunity will open to both countries. According to Alan Oxley, Chair of the APEC Centre at Monash University, Australia is a major supplier of resources for China. Moreover, according to Grattan and Nicholson, Australia is known of its coal resources which are needed by China as a source of energy. On the other hand, free trade will open China for Australian investors because of its growing market in the pensions and superannuation industry, as stated by Toy and Grattan in their article. The free- trade agreement will also push to finalize the Doha deal which is an advantage for Australia. Some barriers in the business transactions between the two countries will also be addressed to further a smooth flow of business. According to Grattan’s and Nicholson’s article, Dr. Malcolm Cook stated that China, on its part, is also interested because of its interest in the bid to buy into Rio Tinto to keep down the costs of resources from Australia. Through free trade agreement, both countries will be able to meet their interests. Under the free- trade agreement, China may as well be granted with investment rights. Through investment rights, according to Trade Minister Simon Crean, China will be allowed to invest up to $1 billion at a time without having to seek approval from the Foreign Investment review Board (FIRB). However, the proposed changes could raise questions because of the recent increase in Chinese equity investments and takeovers, especially in the resources sector, at a time when Beijing has accumulated $US1. 7 trillion in foreign exchange reserves (cited from Rudd mat give investment rights). On the contrary, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd’s moves have raised questions from among observers like former Trade Adviser to the Chinese government, John McDonnell. John McDonnell said â€Å"The Prime Minister needs to clarify the nature of his connections with the Chinese Government and how they are likely to affect Australian interests and policies. † Moreover, John McDonnell has raised two things that the government and Prime Minister shall do to drive- away suspicions in the relationship of Australia and China. The first is the need to dispel the idea that the Prime Ministers or his ministers have behind-the scenes connections with Chinese interests. This is brought by the obscurity of government’s relationship with Australia- Beijing Technology. According to Mc Donnell, the nature of the business is not clarified to the public. The second is the need to clarify the extent of the government and the Prime Minister’s willingness to deal with an essentially corrupt, and grace-and-favour Chinese regime. According to McDonnell; â€Å"China remains a country without a fundamental legal structure. Its constitution amounts to a set of directives from the central government to the various organs and agencies as to how policy will be conducted. There are no guarantees of the sort embodied in the US constitution. It looks more like a set of cabinet than a basic law. ’ Moreover, Rowan Callick asserted in John McDonnell’s article, that party cadres who have been trained abroad and who have taken over state-owned enterprises. There is doubt that Australia, a democratic government, might not go well in business with a nation where Communism type of government is adhered. State-ownership may still be the core objective of China despite it’s participation in international affairs. In addition, John McDonnell stated that Government shall make it clear that if it does not get what it believes is a reasonable outcome from the FTA negotiations, then it will rely on the multilateral system to implement its policy objectives. This makes it clear that John McDonnell doubts that Australia will benefit from the free trade agreement. Momentarily, Prime Minister criticized the human right policy over Tibetans of China in his speech delivered in mandarin in Peking University. Some have given applause while others raised their eyebrows. According to Stuart Harris, former head of the Department of Foreign Affairs, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd’s speech was very clever while some says that it passed the test with considerable tact and skill. However, many also criticized his bold move by criticizing and at the same time building free trade with China. According to Dr. Malcolm Cook, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd could best influence China if the criticism was done behind closed doors. In the article of Toy and Grattan, China asserted that Tibetans are bestowed with wonderful human rights protection and the issue on Tibet is purely an internal affair that does not welcome any interference form foreign countries. In defense, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd stressed that his speech is an advice from a true friend. The Prime Minister said that a true friend can be a partner who sees beyond immediate benefit to a broader and firm basis for continuing, profound and sincere friendship. This issue raised the doubts and suspicion on the foreign policy of Prime Minister by entering a friendly relation and at the same time criticizing the nations’ policy. Nevertheless, the criticism did not weaken the plan of the two countries of becoming a long- term partner. Furthermore, the very essential factor that binds the two countries in entering into a friendly relation is the issue on climate change. It can be noted that Australia is playing a major role in addressing the issue on Global Warming. According to Grattan’s and Nicholson’s article, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd wanted to persuade the Chinese to play a bigger part on climate change. This would give China a crucial role in the coming international negotiations for a new agreement on climate change. According to Climate Change Minister Penny Wong, Australia and China have a common interest in finding lower carbon solution for coal which means developing a carbon capture and storage mechanism. Moreover, both leaders committed o wok more closely on climate change, particularly in the area of the development of low emission technology (cited from Rudd again raises Tibet issue with China). Notably, Australia has a significant coal export in China for the latter’s energy needs and coal is one among the elements that causes greenhouse effects causing climate change. In finding a solution to climate change, China plays an important role. As agreed, Australia has committed to fund $20 million in finding solutions for climate change. The funding will cover the researches in putting up a clean coal technology and collaboration on carbon sequestration. This will lower carbon emissions and at the same time address the energy needs of the world. Significantly, Australia and China will develop the world’s largest solar city through Australia’s funding. Both countries will also monitor the health of the Yellow, Pearl and Da Ling rivers in China. These are the plans of Prime Minister Kevin Rudd that he is proposing to China (cited from Australia to aid China’s solar city plan). According to Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, Australia have come a long way and can go further. Building friendly relation with China will not only benefit both countries on economy because investors from both countries will have business opportunity. The most essential effect of the relation would be the goal of both countries on issue on climate change. At present, all nations of the world are aware of the climate change but have no significant actions have been taken yet to deal with the problem. However, through the partnership of Australia and China, the global problem will be given solution which will effectively benefit not just Australians and Chinese but also all people of the world.