Tuesday, January 28, 2020

Social and Economic Problems of the Arab World

Social and Economic Problems of the Arab World The Arab World refers to the 22 Arabic speaking countries located between the Atlantic Ocean in the west to the Arabian Sea in the east, and the Mediterranean Sea and Turkey in the north to the Indian Ocean and mid-Africa in the south. It consists of an area of around 14 million square kilometres, most of which is desert except for the coastal areas. There are approximately 250 million people living in the Arab World, with the majority being Muslims, although there are many from other religions too. Historically, the Arab World was not divided into states, but now it is, and its 22 countries form many popular regions such as the Gulf area, the Middle East, North Africa and the Sahara. History, language, religion are some of the many unifying factors that exist in the consciousness of every Arab man. After gaining independence, some Arab states and some memorable Arab leaders tried their best to reunify the Arab World, but their efforts were in vain, especially after many failed attem pts such as the rise of the United Arab Republic between Syria and Egypt in 1985. From then on, all Arab states set off on the journey of improving and developing themselves depending on their potential power. Although the Arab World is experiencing a state of stability, there are still many social and economical problems threatening the development of many of the Arab states. The first problem to discuss here is unemployment in Arab countries, which is the highest in the world and threatens to spread poverty in the Arab World; the increase in the number of workers was not matched by an equal increase in employment in the Arab World and with the collapse of the oil revenues and the implementation of stabilization and structural adjustment program, employment growth slowed or became negative; as a result unemployment increased (1). According to the annual report of the Arab Labor Organization, 14% of the population are unemployed, which means that there are more than 17 million Arab people without work. There are many reasons for this: first, the failure of development due to the political situation in the Arab World. Civil wars and conflicts are considered the main obstacles that hinder development. Second, the poor economic performance of the Arab governments due to poor administrative tools and corruption. Third, the failure of education to meet the requ irements of the job market and the neglect of technical and applied education, which is important to widen the labour market. Finally, the failure of the governments to create attractive investment opportunities that could increase the number of jobs that are available, and the weak laws that, if strengthened, could encourage investments. This dangerous problem has devastating effects, and so Arab states should do their best to encourage the private sector to increase the number of job opportunities for unemployed people. This can be achieved through issuing a number of laws to urge businessmen and companies to get involved in the national market. In addition to encouraging investment within the Arab World, investment in the Western countries should be encouraged, as well as opening the national market to foreign firms and companies to set up effective projects, which could help the national economy improve. Another social problem in the Arab World is that women do not have access to all of the rights stated in the Islam religion, despite the fact that the majority of Arabs are Muslims. In Islam, women have the right to learn, to live a good life, to agree or refuse marriage, to work, and many others, and it is totally forbidden to deny them of any of these. In the Arab World, many women are not given these rights, and in some Arab countries, girls under the age of 15 are forced to get married to older men without their consent. One example is a 12-year-old Yemeni girl, who was forced into marriage and then died during painful childbirth, which also killed her baby. Moreover, according to UN data, the proportion of womens representation in Arab parliaments is only 3.4% (as opposed to 11.4% in the rest of the world). In addition, 55% of Arab women are illiterate (2), and in many parts of the Arab World they are not allowed to continue their learning, despite this being a fundamental right in Islam that considers the education of women in particular as essential for the construction of society. Furthermore, women do not enjoy the right to vote in many Arab countries. For example in Kuwait, they do not have the right to elect until two years. This bad situation for women in the Arab World should be considered and analysed as soon as possible, because womens role in society cannot be denied, otherwise the whole of society will be threatened. Therefore, the improvement of education for women and the elimination of high female illiteracy rates in the Arab World is an urgent necessity, and can be achieved by making primary school education both free and compulsory. The most dangerous problem in the Arab World is the widespread illiteracy, which is threatening future development. The UN report found that one third of Arabs are illiterate and only $10 per person is spent on scientific research (3). The report also found that almost nine million children of primary school age are not attending school in the Arab World. Based on the general census of the population for the year 2004, the illiteracy rate among those aged 10 years and over was 45.7%, with a significant disparity between male and female males had an illiteracy rate of 29.8% as opposed to females at 62.1% (4). No one can deny how serious this problem is, since it is the cause of many other problems such as poverty, disease and death. The highest rate of illiteracy recorded is among women, since the female education in the Arab World is seen as less important, especially in rural areas. The Arabic governments, organisations and international organisations must cooperate and work togeth er to reduce this high rate of illiteracy, and an enlightenment campaign must be held in the rural areas to let people know the importance of the education of women in society. Arab governments have to make education more accessible and increase the number of schools, especially in rural areas and deserts, where the rate of illiteracy among nomads is very high. They must also reward those who become literate. However, these plans are in vain if there is no money available, so a respectable amount of money should be specified for the purpose of fighting illiteracy among Arabic people. This money can support all efforts to improve education and be spent on helping poor people to continue learning, especially if we take into consideration that poverty is one of the main causes of illiteracy. In conclusion, unemployment, illiteracy and the neglect of women are just some of the social and economic problems of the Arab World. Unemployment is a serious challenge because it is the cause of many social and economic problems, and can lead to an increase in crime, poverty, illiteracy and humiliation, as people who do not work do not have enough money to live a respectable life. Women in the Arab World should enjoy their rights that are stated in Islam because if they are educated, they can play an essential role in life, which benefits the whole of society. In Islam it is said that if you teach a male, you teach an individual, but if you teach a female, you teach a whole nation. The last problem that we discussed was the problem of illiteracy in the Arab World and how this hinders progress and development, and causes many social and economic problems such as poverty and a high rate of fertility, which in turn is another serious problem. It is clear that all of these problems are related to each other in one way or another, so Arab governments must be aware of how to face these through working hard and planning to prevent them from worsening. Furthermore, rich Arab states such as Qatar and UAE can participate in the efforts to reduce the suffering in poor areas. For example, the campaign led by Dubai to help blind people get their sight back was a great success all over the world. REFERENCES Rivlin, P. Economic policy and performance in the Arab World. p.36. Al-Quds Al-Arabi (London), December 4, 1999. http://www.menassat.com/?q=en/news-articles/7272-un-arab-world-rife-illiteracy-lacks-innovation http://www.yementimes.com/DefaultDET.aspx?i=1226p=fronta=2

Monday, January 20, 2020

Rotten dot Com :: essays research papers

I have to say rotten dot com is not my type of website, but it did catch my attention. Even if you are disturbed or not attracted to something, you should give it a chance. You never know what to expect especially when you see, "Rotten dot com collects images and information from many sources to present the viewer with a truly unpleasant experience" on the main page. The content of the site is different than any other website that I have seen, but the form and layout is very common among websites. Rotten dot com actually reminds of a newspaper's layout. On the main page there are several links, some on the left side, and some going down the bottom of the page. These links can be related to the subtitles of newspapers which lead you to the inside story. Being that the website is easily viewed and understandable, rotten dot com is a very well designed website. All the links show what topics can be viewed. Then after clicking on the specific link you want, a header page is opened. For example, if you click on the link "Celebrity Morgue", you will see a page with two skeletons on it, and the title overlapping them. Below the title and skeletons is a list of people who you can view dead bodies of. Under the photos of the bodies, there are brief descriptions of how each individual person died. Another one of these links is called "famous." The famous link takes you to a page similar to the Celebrity Morgue page, where there are several sub links on the page. With these links you can view rare photographs. Some of these photos contain Richard Nixon meeting Elvis Presley, and a picture of David Duchonovy almost nude, which appeared on the cover of a European magazine. Another picture is of Nancy Reagan sitting on Mr. T's lap, as he is dressed like Santa Claus. As I previously stated, the form of this website is extremely basic. It contains a lot of links to other pages, which consist of a few odd and disturbing photos. Each page contains a few cartoon pictures, which describe and are related to that specific title of the page. A nice link to click is the "mug shots" link. You can view and take a look at famous actors', criminals', and professional athletes' mug shots. Some mug shots that I think are good are Pee Wee Herman because he got arrested for masturbating, Charles Barkley because he broke a man's nose in a bar fight, and Al Pacino as young hoodlum growing up in Brooklyn.

Saturday, January 11, 2020

How Significant Was Slave Trade in the Growth of the British Empire

Mahfuz Chowdhury How Significant Was Slave Trade in the Growth of the British Empire in the Years c. 1680-1763? I agree to some extent that slavery played a significant role in the growth of the British Empire in the years 1680-1763. This is because slavery allowed the British to import a high amount of goods that were in demand such as sugar and tobacco which generated profits for plantation owners especially as slave labour was cheap. The slave trade was mainly involved in two key aspects: the growth of the sea trade and maintenance of existing settlements.Even though slavery was considered of great importance, there were other key factors involved with the expansion of the British Empire . Trading companies traded slaves and goods produced by slaves. The tax collected helped to fund the navy which protected trade and played an important role in war. So along with the trading companies; the Government; Royal Navy and War, were all factors that played an important part in the growth of the empire. Trade was one of the main key factors that allowed the British Empire to increase and grow steadily.This trading routine was the beginning of the Empire and from all the joint stock companies formed, Britain allowed its Empire to grow in profits and increase in size. The slave trade played a major role in the growth of seaborne commerce mainly across the Atlantic seas. The use of slavery helped the British a vast amount by bringing in increased profits and goods that were on demand such as cotton, tobacco and sugar. There was a triangular trade where a three point voyage took place. This helped Britain gain prosperity and wealth and also a monopoly on the Atlantic. By 1720, they had ‘transported 100,000 Africans, exported ? 1. million worth of goods and imported 30,000 tons of sugar’. 1 The growth of the British Empire was focused on seaborne trade. Therefore, they concentrated on the Atlantic trade. Britain would trade goods with African colonies for sl aves. The slaves were then traded in the Caribbean and North America to work on plantations. The goods produced were returned to Britain. As a result, slavery played an important role in helping trade and the growth of the British Empire. Slave trade and trading companies are linked. Joint stock companies such as the Royal African Company and the East India Company were mainly the most dominant companies in trade.The Royal African Company was the biggest British slave trade company. It began in 1672 after the failure of The Royal Adventurers of Africa due to interlopers and not rising up to its expected standards. It was created with the intention of making a huge profit from slave trade. The demand for slaves was high because it was considered that African slaves were used to the conditions of plantations in the Caribbean. Furthermore, because of high death rates and infant mortality, ‘the supply of slaves†¦needed regular replenishment’. Also slave labour was seen as the best form of labour as it didn’t require the workers to be paid which meant larger profits for plantation owners. In addition slave owners were able to force them to work long hours in harsh conditions. As mentioned earlier, slave trade was highly profitable because by 1720, they had ‘transported 100,000 Africans, exported ? 1. 5 million worth of goods and imported 30,000 tons of sugar’. 3 The Royal African Company became a monopoly and its profits and fortunes rose immensely from the other goods (like sugar) they imported too. However, just like The Royal Adventurers, the company’s James Walvin, Black Ivory: Slavery in the British Empire, Blackwell Publishing, 2001, pg 31 2 Kenneth Morgan, Slavery, Atlantic Trade and the British Economy 1660-1800, Cambridge University Press, 2000, pg 10 3 James Walvin, Black Ivory: Slavery in the British Empire, Blackwell Publishing, 2001, pg 31 Page | 1 Mahfuz Ahmad Chowdhury AA45161 History profits had been inte rfered by interlopers and they went out of business. Despite the Royal African Company ending, it put an end to foreign monopoly. By joining the slave trade, it helped British trading companies maintain its dominance.The British had supremacy over Africa which simulated exploration for new raw materials and food articles. This dominance helped bring a vast amount of profits in and therefore help the growth of the British Empire. The trading companies were crucial to the growth of the British Empire especially after 1688. In 1688 ‘The Glorious Revolution’ took place. The Dutch William of Orange replaced James II on the throne. This was very useful to the East India Company because they were unsuccessful in the East as their Dutch rivals were doing better than them.But with the new king, ‘a deal was done which effectively gave Indonesia and the spice trade to the Dutch, leaving the English to develop the new Indian textiles trade’. 4 This proved to be a good deal for the East India Company because by 1720 they had generated more profit than the Dutch. In relation to slavery, the East India Company played a small role in the transportation and use of slaves. Despite not using slaves, they were successful. For instance in Bengkulu, the East India Company was ‘regularly sending between 453,600 and 907,200 kgs per year to London’. This is important in highlighting the fact that trade would was successful without slaves. It also corroborates that trade was an important factor in the growth of the British Empire. Prior to 1688, the government also played a crucial role by passing laws to protect British overseas trade. A series of 29 laws were passed between 1645 and 1761 and were known as the Navigation Act. These were laws that ‘forbade goods being imported into England if they were not carried in English or colonial ships’. 6 In other words, the government was ‘confining the benefits of empire to the state a nd its own subjects’. This meant Britain received trade from colonies even if other countries offered a higher price. As a result, the economy was boosted. By limiting ships and crews to being British, skilled seamen were created which then allowed the navy to become a powerful and dominant sea power. These acts were pivotal in the success of trade at the end of the 17th and beginning of the 18th century. Furthermore, the government set up its own bank called the Bank of England. The creation of the Bank of England led to a stronger of the Royal Navy because of the virtuous cycle. People invested in the Bank of England with a promise of a return.The government then spent that money on the navy. This protected the transportation of trade and trading ports during times of war. This was especially important as Britain was focused on slave trade across the Atlantic. Taxes collected from the trade were then used to pay investors their money back. In addition, trading companies mad e more profit. All of this had positive knock on effects on other industries such as agriculture, iron, carpenters and many more. From 1689 – 1714, the number of ships increased from 100 to 131 and the number of cruisers increased from 8 to 66.This was essential in the growth of the British Empire. 4 Niall Ferguson, Empire, Penguin books, 2004, pg 23 5 http://www. britishempire. co. uk/maproom/benkulen. htm 6 www. sagehistory. net/colonial/topics/navacts. htm 7 Kenneth Morgan, Slavery, Atlantic Trade and the British Economy 1660-1800, Cambridge University Press, 2000, pg 10 Page | 2 Mahfuz Ahmad Chowdhury AA45161 History Not only did it protect trade which brought more wealth, it aided victory in major battles. For instance in 1707, the navy defeated the French at sea. Consequently, Britain went on to become the greatest navy.Moreover, it opened up new trade routes and brought Britain more colonies. War is another key reason for the expansion of the Empire. The main war was t he War of Spanish Succession which ended in 1713 with the Treaty of Utrecht. The treaty gave Britain land such as Gibraltar and Canada. These new colonies meant that Britain was able to export new products. The new plantations also meant that there was a higher demand of slaves which Britain provided helping to generate more profit. Crucially though, from the French, they gained the Asiento – a contract with Spain to supply its South American colonies with slaves.A third major trading company was given a royal charter to trade in South America; the South Sea Company. It was known to ‘help British wealth creation considerably and too boost British power’. 8 The request from Britain for the Asiento in the treaty signifies the importance of slave trade to the growth of the empire. In conclusion, slave trade was crucial in the growth of the British Empire to some extent. But without trading companies, slaves couldn’t have been traded. Nor could goods produced by slaves be exported.In addition the government and its navigation acts helped trading companies reduce competition with other countries. The Navy was important in winning wars and protecting trade. It helped gain the Asiento by winning the War of Spanish Succession. Bibliography †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ G. Raudzens, Empire, Sutton Publishing Limited, 1999 J. Walvin, Black Ivory: Slavery in the British Empire, Blackwell Publishing, 2001 K Morgan, Slavery, Atlantic Trade and the British Economy 1660-1800, Cambridge University Press, 2000 N. Ferguson, Empire, Penguin books, 2004 8 George Raudzens, Empire, Sutton Publishing Limited, 1999, pg139 Page | 3

Friday, January 3, 2020

Unknow Lab Report - 1325 Words

Introduction The purpose of this lab was to identify unknown bacteria cultures using various differential tests, and my unknown bacteria is #17. The identification of these unknown cultures was accomplished by separating and differentiating possible bacteria based on specific biochemical characteristics. Whether the tests performed identified specific enzymatic reactions or metabolic pathways, each was used in a way to help recognize those specifics and identify the unknown cultures. The differential tests used to identify the unknown cultures were Gram stain, Catalase, Mannitol Salt Agar (MSA), Blood Agar, Novobiocin, Coagulase, and DNAse (Alachi, 2007). Rebekah Worley February 21, 2012 Mitchell Section 4 Biol 311 Staining and†¦show more content†¦This is important in the medical field because identification of unknown bacteria can help treat a patient by knowing the contributing source of a disease. Also knowledge of different bacteria helped others make antibiotics used today. This lab was completed by using the methods learned thus far in identification of bacteria. There are many reasons for identifying an unknown bacterium. The reasons range from medical purposes, such as determining if the unknown could cause ailments in living things or knowing what microorganisms are needed to make antibiotics to other purposes such as knowing the exact microorganism has to be used to make certain foods. This experiment was done by applying methods in order to identify an unknown bacterium. An unknown bacterium was handed out by the lab instructor. The methods that have been learned so far in identifying bacteria were applied to this unknown. Procedures were followed as stated in the lab manual and biochemical test handouts. The first procedure that was done was a gram stain followed by a streak of the unknown on a TSA plate in order to determine the gram reaction and observe the colony morphology. After that, specific biochemical tests were performed for gram positive, since unknown number five was determined to be gram positive rod. The other tests were performed in this order: Mannitol Salt (MSA) streak, Blood Agar streak, Catalase test, Nitrate Reduction test, and PhenylShow MoreRelatedUnknown Microbiology Lab Report Essay1128 Words   |  5 PagesUNKNOW BACTERIA LAB REPORT UNKNOWN 36 Introduction The purpose of this lab was to identify two unknown bacteria from a mixed culture. The reason for identification of unknown bacteria was to help students recognize different bacteria through different biochemical tests and characteristics. This is important in the medical field because identification of unknown bacteria can help treat a patient by knowing the contributing source of a disease. Also knowledge of different bacteria helped others