The Poisonwood Bible By Barbara Kingsolver - 1241 Words

Bauer 1 Zoe Bauer Mrs. Carroll AP English IV – 5th hour 7 April 2015 We live in a paternalistic society which is defined as a society controlled and run by men. Men not only dominate in government and business, but they also make the rules for the world that we live in. It is said to be a man s world. In essentially every past and present known society, women have not been treated as the full equals of men. A woman s main value is to support a man, bear children, and housekeeping duties. This is how it has always been in most cultures. The novel, The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver, shows the paternalistic society in which the Price family lives in. In 1959 an obstinate Baptist minister named Nathan Price drags his wife and four daughters deep into the heart of the Congo on a mission to save the unenlightened souls of Africa. Nathan Price is a prime example of an arrogant father. He, a servant of God, seems to think that he is God. This complex is magnified by the fact that the minister has a low opinion of the female sex in general, and he doe s not exclude his daughters or his wife. In a society where men and women are not seen as equals, women struggle to find their identity. Nathan sees his wife children as burdens, rather than gifts. A child is supposed to be your pride and joy and Nathan does not see this. He is more of a ruler than a father. Orleanna even Bauer 2 asks him, â€Å"Is that how a father rules?† A family is not supposed to be one person ruling overShow MoreRelatedThe Poisonwood Bible By Barbara Kingsolver1124 Words   |  5 PagesIn the novel The Poisonwood Bible, written by Barbara Kingsolver, the reader is introduced to the Price family, Baptist missionaries who are attempting to â€Å"Christianize† the country of Congo, more specifically the village of Kilanga. As the story progresses, the family realizes that they are not changing the Congo; instead, the Congo is changing them. The development of the characters within the novel is due to the instrument of cruelty. Although distasteful to regard it as such, cruelty motivatesRead MoreThe Poisonwood Bible By Barbara Kingsolver1352 Words   |  6 Pagessuccessful. In the beginning of The Poisonwood Bible, Orleanna introduces to the readers in a third person’s point of view, â€Å"The daughters march behind her, each one tensed to fire off a womanâ⠂¬â„¢s heart on a different path to glory or damnation† (5). Orleanna, a mother who lives throughout the story of The Poisonwood Bible, acknowledges how women, in great numbers, are found walking down the path of trying to be successful. The Poisonwood Bible, by Barbara Kingsolver, involves the Price family of 6, whichRead MoreThe Poisonwood Bible By Barbara Kingsolver1142 Words   |  5 PagesThe Poisonwood Bible Nowadays, in today’s society, survival is considered the basic instinct of all humans. Commonly defined as the state of â€Å"continuing to live or exist, in spite of an accident, ordeal or difficult circumstance,†(Dictionary) survival teaches us the will to succeed and face adversity despite the challenges and obstacles we may encounter along the way. In Barbara Kingsolver’s novel â€Å" The Poisonwood Bible,† there is a central theme of survival. Whether it includes finding suppliesRead MoreThe Poisonwood Bible By Barbara Kingsolver1198 Words   |  5 PagesPeriod 2 Part I Title: The Poisonwood Bible Author: Barbara Kingsolver Date of Original Publication: 1998 Biographical information about the author (five facts): -Kingslover was born in 1955 - Throughout her life, she has lived in England, France, and the Canary Islands, and has worked in Europe, Africa, Asia, Mexico, and South America. - Kingsolver was named one the most important writers of the 20th Century by Writers Digest. - Her work, The Poisonwood Bible, was a finalist for the PulitzerRead MoreThe Poisonwood Bible By Barbara Kingsolver1807 Words   |  8 Pageshalf of humanity, for the benefit of all†. Feminism, the act of advocating for female rights in order for them to be equal to those of men, has been an issue for hundreds of years that is sadly lacking present-day progression. In The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver, five females narrate their experiences in Congo during the sixties under not only the Belgian’s rule, but more terribly, under the tyranny of Nathan Price, a Baptist preacher on a mission to convert â€Å"arrogant† Congolese people intoRead MoreThe Poisonwood Bible By Barbara Kingsolver1295 Words   |  6 Pages Imperialism has been a strong and long lasting force, oppressing societies for generations on end. The Poisonwood Bible, by Barbara Kingsolver, demonstrates how the Congo is continuously affected by this concept and ideology. Throughout this stor y, Kingsolver manipulates each family member and individual within the book, to better show Western and European ideas and attitudes, to convey the large amount of hypocrisy, in foreigner’s actions. No one shows the oppression, inflicted upon the Congo’sRead MoreThe Poisonwood Bible By Barbara Kingsolver1732 Words   |  7 PagesThe Poisonwood Bible 1998 Historical Fiction Characteristics: Unique location, Primitivism, different ways of speaking and racial views Barbara Kingsolver Barbara Kingsolver, born in 1955, grew up in Kentucky and lived in many different countries such as : England, France, and Canary Islands. She attended Debauw University and University of Arizona where she earned a biology degree. Kingsolver now is a beloved author of eleven books and has been named the most important author of the twentieth centuryRead MoreThe Poisonwood Bible By Barbara Kingsolver1961 Words   |  8 PagesThe poisonwood Bible is a book about identity, growing up and family. The main characters throughout the book grow and learn to become new people through new relationships they develop while in the Congo as well as through struggles they face while in the Congo. Barbara Kingsolver uses the literary elements of plot, the characters, and point of view to develop the characterization and relationships between the Price family in the Poisonwood Bible. Throughout the book Kingsolver uses different aspectsRead MoreEssay on The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver919 Words   |  4 Pagesa sure sense of self. But along with all these great things come regret, guilt, and shame of past events. Everyone deals with these in different ways, sometimes turning to religion and denial as coping mechanisms. In the novel The Poisonwood Bible, By Barbara Kingsolver, each member of the Price family deals with a personal guilt either gained while on their mission in the Congo or long before. This novel exemplifies the different types of guilt the Price family experienced throughout their stay inRead MoreThe Poisonwood Bible By Barbara Kingsolver2015 Words   |  9 PagesThe Poisonwood Bible, written by Barbara Kingsolver, details the experiences of a missionary family in the Congo, narrated by the Price women. Multiple questions are introduced over the course of the novel, some being answered and others not so much. One important theme in the novel is the influence of surroundings on the characters, specifically Leah Price. Leah Price arguably went through the most change and development as a result of her surroundings and environment. Her moral, psychological change

A Game of Thrones Chapter Forty-two Free Essays

string(99) " to toss the dice, I was counting on your being smart enough to know where your best interest lay\." Tyrion They had taken shelter beneath a copse of aspens just off the high road. Tyrion was gathering deadwood while their horses took water from a mountain stream. He stooped to pick up a splintered branch and examined it critically. We will write a custom essay sample on A Game of Thrones Chapter Forty-two or any similar topic only for you Order Now â€Å"Will this do? I am not practiced at starting fires. Morrec did that for me.† â€Å"A fire?† Bronn said, spitting. â€Å"Are you so hungry to die, dwarf? Or have you taken leave of your senses? A fire will bring the clansmen down on us from miles around. I mean to survive this journey, Lannister.† â€Å"And how do you hope to do that?† Tyrion asked. He tucked the branch under his arm and poked around through the sparse undergrowth, looking for more. His back ached from the effort of bending; they had been riding since daybreak, when a stone-faced Ser Lyn Corbray had ushered them through the Bloody Gate and commanded them never to return. â€Å"We have no chance of fighting our way back,† Bronn said, â€Å"but two can cover more ground than ten, and attract less notice. The fewer days we spend in these mountains, the more like we are to reach the riverlands. Ride hard and fast, I say. Travel by night and hole up by day, avoid the road where we can, make no noise and light no fires.† Tyrion Lannister sighed. â€Å"A splendid plan, Bronn. Try it, as you like . . . and forgive me if I do not linger to bury you.† â€Å"You think to outlive me, dwarf?† The sellsword grinned. He had a dark gap in his smile where the edge of Ser Vardis Egen’s shield had cracked a tooth in half. Tyrion shrugged. â€Å"Riding hard and fast by night is a sure way to tumble down a mountain and crack your skull. I prefer to make my crossing slow and easy. I know you love the taste of horse, Bronn, but if our mounts die under us this time, we’ll be trying to saddle shadowcats . . . and if truth be told, I think the clans will find us no matter what we do. Their eyes are all around us.† He swept a gloved hand over the high, wind-carved crags that surrounded them. Bronn grimaced. â€Å"Then we’re dead men, Lannister.† â€Å"If so, I prefer to die comfortable,† Tyrion replied. â€Å"We need a fire. The nights are cold up here, and hot food will warm our bellies and lift our spirits. Do you suppose there’s any game to be had? Lady Lysa has kindly provided us with a veritable feast of salt beef, hard cheese, and stale bread, but I would hate to break a tooth so far from the nearest maester.† â€Å"I can find meat.† Beneath a fall of black hair, Bronn’s dark eyes regarded Tyrion suspiciously. â€Å"I should leave you here with your fool’s fire. If I took your horse, I’d have twice the chance to make it through. What would you do then, dwarf?† â€Å"Die, most like.† Tyrion stooped to get another stick. â€Å"You don’t think I’d do it?† â€Å"You’d do it in an instant, if it meant your life. You were quick enough to silence your friend Chiggen when he caught that arrow in his belly.† Bronn had yanked back the man’s head by the hair and driven the point of his dirk in under the ear, and afterward told Catelyn Stark that the other sellsword had died of his wound. â€Å"He was good as dead,† Bronn said, â€Å"and his moaning was bringing them down on us. Chiggen would have done the same for me . . . and he was no friend, only a man I rode with. Make no mistake, dwarf. I fought for you, but I do not love you.† â€Å"It was your blade I needed,† Tyrion said, â€Å"not your love.† He dumped his armful of wood on the ground. Bronn grinned. â€Å"You’re bold as any sellsword, I’ll give you that. How did you know I’d take your part?† â€Å"Know?† Tyrion squatted awkwardly on his stunted legs to build the fire. â€Å"I tossed the dice. Back at the inn, you and Chiggen helped take me captive. Why? The others saw it as their duty, for the honor of the lords they served, but not you two. You had no lord, no duty, and precious little honor, so why trouble to involve yourselves?† He took out his knife and whittled some thin strips of bark off one of the sticks he’d gathered, to serve as kindling. â€Å"Well, why do sellswords do anything? For gold. You were thinking Lady Catelyn would reward you for your help, perhaps even take you into her service. Here, that should do, I hope. Do you have a flint?† Bronn slid two fingers into the pouch at his belt and tossed down a flint. Tyrion caught it in the air. â€Å"My thanks,† he said. â€Å"The thing is, you did not know the Starks. Lord Eddard is a proud, honorable, and honest man, and his lady wife is worse. Oh, no doubt she would have found a coin or two for you when this was all over, and pressed it in your hand with a polite word and a look of distaste, but that’s the most you could have hoped for. The Starks look for courage and loyalty and honor in the men they choose to serve them, and if truth be told, you and Chiggen were lowborn scum.† Tyrion struck the flint against his dagger, trying for a spark. Nothing. Bronn snorted. â€Å"You have a bold tongue, little man. One day someone is like to cut it out and make you eat it.† â€Å"Everyone tells me that.† Tyrion glanced up at the sellsword. â€Å"Did I offend you? My pardons . . . but you are scum, Bronn, make no mistake. Duty, honor, friendship, what’s that to you? No, don’t trouble yourself, we both know the answer. Still, you’re not stupid. Once we reached the Vale, Lady Stark had no more need of you . . . but I did, and the one thing the Lannisters have never lacked for is gold. When the moment came to toss the dice, I was counting on your being smart enough to know where your best interest lay. You read "A Game of Thrones Chapter Forty-two" in category "Essay examples" Happily for me, you did.† He slammed stone and steel together again, fruitlessly. â€Å"Here,† said Bronn, squatting, â€Å"I’ll do it.† He took the knife and flint from Tyrion’s hands and struck sparks on his first try. A curl of bark began to smolder. â€Å"Well done,† Tyrion said. â€Å"Scum you may be, but you’re undeniably useful, and with a sword in your hand you’re almost as good as my brother Jaime. What do you want, Bronn? Gold? Land? Women? Keep me alive, and you’ll have it.† Bronn blew gently on the fire, and the flames leapt up higher. â€Å"And if you die?† â€Å"Why then, I’ll have one mourner whose grief is sincere,† Tyrion said, grinning. â€Å"The gold ends when I do.† The fire was blazing up nicely. Bronn stood, tucked the flint back into his pouch, and tossed Tyrion his dagger. â€Å"Fair enough,† he said. â€Å"My sword’s yours, then . . . but don’t go looking for me to bend the knee and m’lord you every time you take a shit. I’m no man’s toady.† â€Å"Nor any man’s friend,† Tyrion said. â€Å"I’ve no doubt you’d betray me as quick as you did Lady Stark, if you saw a profit in it. If the day ever comes when you’re tempted to sell me out, remember this, Bronn—I’ll match their price, whatever it is. I like living. And now, do you think you could do something about finding us some supper?† â€Å"Take care of the horses,† Bronn said, unsheathing the long dirk he wore at his hip. He strode into the trees. An hour later the horses had been rubbed down and fed, the fire was crackling away merrily, and a haunch of a young goat was turning above the flames, spitting and hissing. â€Å"All we lack now is some good wine to wash down our kid,† Tyrion said. â€Å"That, a woman, and another dozen swords,† Bronn said. He sat cross-legged beside the fire, honing the edge of his longsword with an oilstone. There was something strangely reassuring about the rasping sound it made when he drew it down the steel. â€Å"It will be full dark soon,† the sellsword pointed out. â€Å"I’ll take first watch . . . for all the good it will do us. It might be kinder to let them kill us in our sleep.† â€Å"Oh, I imagine they’ll be here long before it comes to sleep.† The smell of the roasting meat made Tyrion’s mouth water. Bronn watched him across the fire. â€Å"You have a plan,† he said flatly, with a scrape of steel on stone. â€Å"A hope, call it,† Tyrion said. â€Å"Another toss of the dice.† â€Å"With our lives as the stake?† Tyrion shrugged. â€Å"What choice do we have?† He leaned over the fire and sawed a thin slice of meat from the kid. â€Å"Ahhhh,† he sighed happily as he chewed. Grease ran down his chin. â€Å"A bit tougher than I’d like, and in want of spicing, but I’ll not complain too loudly. If I were back at the Eyrie, I’d be dancing on a precipice in hopes of a boiled bean.† â€Å"And yet you gave the turnkey a purse of gold,† Bronn said. â€Å"A Lannister always pays his debts.† Even Mord had scarcely believed it when Tyrion tossed him the leather purse. The gaoler’s eyes had gone big as boiled eggs as he yanked open the drawstring and beheld the glint of gold. â€Å"I kept the silver,† Tyrion had told him with a crooked smile, â€Å"but you were promised the gold, and there it is.† It was more than a man like Mord could hope to earn in a lifetime of abusing prisoners. â€Å"And remember what I said, this is only a taste. If you ever grow tired of Lady Arryn’s service, present yourself at Casterly Rock, and I’ll pay you the rest of what I owe you.† With golden dragons spilling out of both hands, Mord had fallen to his knees and promised that he would do just that. Bronn yanked out his dirk and pulled the meat from the fire. He began to carve thick chunks of charred meat off the bone as Tyrion hollowed out two heels of stale bread to serve as trenchers. â€Å"If we do reach the river, what will you do then?† the sellsword asked as he cut. â€Å"Oh, a whore and a featherbed and a flagon of wine, for a start.† Tyrion held out his trencher, and Bronn filled it with meat. â€Å"And then to Casterly Rock or King’s Landing, I think. I have some questions that want answering, concerning a certain dagger.† The sellsword chewed and swallowed. â€Å"So you were telling it true? It was not your knife?† Tyrion smiled thinly. â€Å"Do I look a liar to you?† By the time their bellies were full, the stars had come out and a halfmoon was rising over the mountains. Tyrion spread his shadowskin cloak on the ground and stretched out with his saddle for a pillow. â€Å"Our friends are taking their sweet time.† â€Å"If I were them, I’d fear a trap,† Bronn said. â€Å"Why else would we be so open, if not to lure them in?† Tyrion chuckled. â€Å"Then we ought to sing and send them fleeing in terror.† He began to whistle a tune. â€Å"You’re mad, dwarf,† Bronn said as he cleaned the grease out from under his nails with his dirk. â€Å"Where’s your love of music, Bronn?† â€Å"If it was music you wanted, you should have gotten the singer to champion you.† Tyrion grinned. â€Å"That would have been amusing. I can just see him fending off Ser Vardis with his woodharp.† He resumed his whistling. â€Å"Do you know this song?† he asked. â€Å"You hear it here and there, in inns and whorehouses.† â€Å"Myrish. ‘The Seasons of My Love.’ Sweet and sad, if you understand the words. The first girl I ever bedded used to sing it, and I’ve never been able to put it out of my head.† Tyrion gazed up at the sky. It was a clear cold night and the stars shone down upon the mountains as bright and merciless as truth. â€Å"I met her on a night like this,† he heard himself saying. â€Å"Jaime and I were riding back from Lannisport when we heard a scream, and she came running out into the road with two men dogging her heels, shouting threats. My brother unsheathed his sword and went after them, while I dismounted to protect the girl. She was scarcely a year older than I was, dark-haired, slender, with a face that would break your heart. It certainly broke mine. Lowborn, half-starved, unwashed . . . yet lovely. They’d torn the rags she was wearing half off her back, so I wrapped her in my cloak while Jaime chased the men into the woods. By the time h e came trotting back, I’d gotten a name out of her, and a story. She was a crofter’s child, orphaned when her father died of fever, on her way to . . . well, nowhere, really. â€Å"Jaime was all in a lather to hunt down the men. It was not often outlaws dared prey on travelers so near to Casterly Rock, and he took it as an insult. The girl was too frightened to send off by herself, though, so I offered to take her to the closest inn and feed her while my brother rode back to the Rock for help. â€Å"She was hungrier than I would have believed. We finished two whole chickens and part of a third, and drank a flagon of wine, talking. I was only thirteen, and the wine went to my head, I fear. The next thing I knew, I was sharing her bed. If she was shy, I was shyer. I’ll never know where I found the courage. When I broke her maidenhead, she wept, but afterward she kissed me and sang her little song, and by morning I was in love.† â€Å"You?† Bronn’s voice was amused. â€Å"Absurd, isn’t it?† Tyrion began to whistle the song again. â€Å"I married her,† he finally admitted. â€Å"A Lannister of Casterly Rock wed to a crofter’s daughter,† Bronn said. â€Å"How did you manage that?† â€Å"Oh, you’d be astonished at what a boy can make of a few lies, fifty pieces of silver, and a drunken septon. I dared not bring my bride home to Casterly Rock, so I set her up in a cottage of her own, and for a fortnight we played at being man and wife. And then the septon sobered and confessed all to my lord father.† Tyrion was surprised at how desolate it made him feel to say it, even after all these years. Perhaps he was just tired. â€Å"That was the end of my marriage.† He sat up and stared at the dying fire, blinking at the light. â€Å"He sent the girl away?† â€Å"He did better than that,† Tyrion said. â€Å"First he made my brother tell me the truth. The girl was a whore, you see. Jaime arranged the whole affair, the road, the outlaws, all of it. He thought it was time I had a woman. He paid double for a maiden, knowing it would be my first time. â€Å"After Jaime had made his confession, to drive home the lesson, Lord Tywin brought my wife in and gave her to his guards. They paid her fair enough. A silver for each man, how many whores command that high a price? He sat me down in the corner of the barracks and bade me watch, and at the end she had so many silvers the coins were slipping through her fingers and rolling on the floor, she . . . † The smoke was stinging his eyes. Tyrion cleared his throat and turned away from the fire, to gaze out into darkness. â€Å"Lord Tywin had me go last,† he said in a quiet voice. â€Å"And he gave me a gold coin to pay her, because I was a Lannister, and worth more.† After a time he heard the noise again, the rasp of steel on stone as Bronn sharpened his sword. â€Å"Thirteen or thirty or three, I would have killed the man who did that to me.† Tyrion swung around to face him. â€Å"You may get that chance one day. Remember what I told you. A Lannister always pays his debts.† He yawned. â€Å"I think I will try and sleep. Wake me if we’re about to die.† He rolled himself up in the shadowskin and shut his eyes. The ground was stony and cold, but after a time Tyrion Lannister did sleep. He dreamt of the sky cell. This time he was the gaoler, not the prisoner, big, with a strap in his hand, and he was hitting his father, driving him back, toward the abyss . . . â€Å"Tyrion.† Bronn’s warning was low and urgent. Tyrion was awake in the blink of an eye. The fire had burned down to embers, and the shadows were creeping in all around them. Bronn had raised himself to one knee, his sword in one hand and his dirk in the other. Tyrion held up a hand: stay still, it said. â€Å"Come share our fire, the night is cold,† he called out to the creeping shadows. â€Å"I fear we’ve no wine to offer you, but you’re welcome to some of our goat.† All movement stopped. Tyrion saw the glint of moonlight on metal. â€Å"Our mountain,† a voice called out from the trees, deep and hard and unfriendly. â€Å"Our goat.† â€Å"Your goat,† Tyrion agreed. â€Å"Who are you?† â€Å"When you meet your gods,† a different voice replied, â€Å"say it was Gunthor son of Gurn of the Stone Crows who sent you to them.† A branch cracked underfoot as he stepped into the light; a thin man in a horned helmet, armed with a long knife. â€Å"And Shagga son of Dolf.† That was the first voice, deep and deadly. A boulder shifted to their left, and stood, and became a man. Massive and slow and strong he seemed, dressed all in skins, with a club in his right hand and an axe in his left. He smashed them together as he lumbered closer. Other voices called other names, Conn and Torrek and Jaggot and more that Tyrion forgot the instant he heard them; ten at least. A few had swords and knives; others brandished pitchforks and scythes and wooden spears. He waited until they were done shouting out their names before he gave them answer. â€Å"I am Tyrion son of Tywin, of the Clan Lannister, the Lions of the Rock. We will gladly pay you for the goat we ate.† â€Å"What do you have to give us, Tyrion son of Tywin?† asked the one who named himself Gunthor, who seemed to be their chief. â€Å"There is silver in my purse,† Tyrion told them. â€Å"This hauberk I wear is large for me, but it should fit Conn nicely, and the battle-axe I carry would suit Shagga’s mighty hand far better than that wood-axe he holds.† â€Å"The halfman would pay us with our own coin,† said Conn. â€Å"Conn speaks truly,† Gunthor said. â€Å"Your silver is ours. Your horses are ours. Your hauberk and your battle-axe and the knife at your belt, those are ours too. You have nothing to give us but your lives. How would you like to die, Tyrion son of Tywin?† â€Å"In my own bed, with a belly full of wine and a maiden’s mouth around my cock, at the age of eighty,† he replied. The huge one, Shagga, laughed first and loudest. The others seemed less amused. â€Å"Conn, take their horses,† Gunthor commanded. â€Å"Kill the other and seize the halfinan. He can milk the goats and make the mothers laugh.† Bronn sprang to his feet. â€Å"Who dies first?† â€Å"No!† Tyrion said sharply. â€Å"Gunthor son of Gurn, hear me. My House is rich and powerful. If the Stone Crows will see us safely through these mountains, my lord father will shower you with gold.† â€Å"The gold of a lowland lord is as worthless as a halfman’s promises,† Gunthor said. â€Å"Half a man I may be,† Tyrion said, â€Å"yet I have the courage to face my enemies. What do the Stone Crows do, but hide behind rocks and shiver with fear as the knights of the Vale ride by?† Shagga gave a roar of anger and clashed club against axe. Jaggot poked at Tyrion’s face with the fire-hardened point of a long wooden spear. He did his best not to flinch. â€Å"Are these the best weapons you could steal?† he said. â€Å"Good enough for killing sheep, perhaps . . . if the sheep do not fight back. My father’s smiths shit better steel.† â€Å"Little boyman,† Shagga roared, â€Å"will you mock my axe after I chop off your manhood and feed it to the goats?† But Gunthor raised a hand. â€Å"No. I would hear his words. The mothers go hungry, and steel fills more mouths than gold. What would you give us for your lives, Tyrion son of Tywin? Swords? Lances? Mail?† â€Å"All that, and more, Gunthor son of Gurn,† Tyrion Lannister replied, smiling. â€Å"I will give you the Vale of Arryn.† How to cite A Game of Thrones Chapter Forty-two, Essay examples

Argue The Pros And Cons Of The Said Proposition †Free Samples

Question: Discuss about the Ngos Need Highly Professional Fundraisers, Marketing Teams And Public Relation Lobbyist. Argue The Pros And Cons Of The Said Proposition. Answer: Introduction Non-government organizations or as is also said not for profit organisations, are formed to basically help the needy, poor, women empowerment, deal with child abuses of various kinds etc. They ensure upliftment of the society in a sustained manner and across the borders as well. These organizations are focussed on particular tasks and the participants are individuals who have a common interest. The NGOs main work is to bring the various issues and problems of the citizens in the eyes of the government so that the government can take certain steps for the prevention of the same. However, the present day NGOs should look upon upgrading their internal technical competencies immediately. NGOs work upon the funds they receive as charities from the various organizations and individuals and are very high on maintaining public relations. But globalisation has led to the emergence of a need of better fundraising techniques which is more professional in nature, a team who could market about th eir NGO in a more attractive manner so as to attract more people to become their members and also help in receiving huge amounts of charity and also successful in maintain high end public relations (International Institute of Sustainable Development, 2013). The said essay discusses upon the advantages and disadvantages of the said proposition i.e. the need of the NGOs of professional fundraisers, marketing teams and public relation lobbyists. Pros And Cons Of Having Professional Fundraisers By The Ngos Fund raising in a more professional manner has become very crucial for all NGOs because of the increase in the quantum of the NGOs. Earlier people had very less choice for giving donations, but nowadays the numbers of NGOs opened have increased. Since these are not for profit organizations, hence they do not have profits generated which they can plough back and carry out the work of their organization. Thus the NGOs are highly dependent upon the funds they receive from the donors. Therefore, due to the same, the need for professional fundraisers has become very important, but unfortunately it also calls for various disadvantages also along with the benefits it has to offer. Planning various fundraising events on its own by the NGOs can pose various challenges as well along with the benefits it has to offer. Since the fundraising procedures are basically putting up of events which needs a lot of planning prior to execution as well as execution at a highly professional level due to the growing competition, planning of any event on a big scale or a small one necessitates the attention of the people who would donate money and also to make people aware of the happening of the event by good advertisement gimmicks. However, the same is not possible without the help of a professional as they know how to attract the crowd and what to highlight in front of those who are willing to make a big donation for the organization (Cherico 2014). These professional fundraising teams would help to prepare a more convincing memorandum and prospectus which would help in collecting the funds more easily. However these benefits are there for the appointment of the professionals , but at the same time is the budget that the NGOs have in organising such events. It should cross the amount of funds received else such events would be of no economic benefit. The biggest disadvantage is the investment and the risk involved which is very high and whether the return would be good or not. However, the number of advantages it has to offer is many. First and foremost is that these professionals help the NGO get various corporate sponsorships which are a must for the successful union of any event specially for NGOs who basically do not have their own funds. It also helps to raise a huge quantum of money and that too within a very short period of time, which these NGOs would have find it very difficult to otherwise. Since these professionals are well versed with the kind of events which would attract the crowd, they would ensure that every penny is received back by the entity. Last but not the least, professional fundraising methods helps in branding a NGO which would help in raising funds in future as well. Pros And Cons Of Having Marketing Teams By Ngos NGOs are organizations that need to market their objectives and aim to the society so that they can procure funds as these are entities formed for not seeking any profit and hence work basis the funds received by the members and those willing to donate. Consequently they need to appoint professional marketing teams who would help to raise funds easily. Since NGOs generally run very low budget thus appointing marketing teams would turn out to be a costly affair for them, further to this if the said team is internalised then they have to assure to provide them with frequent training of the various developments which would help them to market in newer and better ways (Kenner, 2005). They cannot market their firms in a commercialised manner unlike the corporates. However more than the disadvantage of having a separate marketing team, the said prospect of the now NGOs need a separate marketing team since the competition is so high that if the marketing team is not well versed with fresh i deas then the competitors would be ahead and they would lack raising of adequate funds. Specifically, the benefits are more if the marketing team is not inbound and outsourced both monetary wise as well as experience wise. The internal team may lack the required expertise as they have a significant learning curve which the outsourced marketing teams do not as they have experience in their kitty (Arora, 2016). Thereby to fight the pros and cons of having a marketing team from the perspective of a NGO, they should appropriately have a mix of both internal as well as outsourced. Pros And Cons Of Having Public Relation Lobbyist In Ngo Lobbying is a rapid emergent ground that is intimately associated to public relations as the role of lobbyist is to manipulate and persuade the legislators, by means of the skill of affiliation on behalf of organisations view point on different problems. NGOs are basically formed with a mission in their mind such as educating the crowd about various issues and how to deal with the same (Saylor Academy. 2012). Lobbyist in public relation has gained importance as they make efforts on behalf of the NGOs in circulating and propagating civic information, convincing the people to adopt those views of the NGO with the usage of press as an agent and asymmetric public relations and the usage of symmetrical public relations so that funding from various donors can increase as well as funding from the government (Kennerknecht, 2017). Generally those who form NGOs are very influential people such as former government workers or employees and there way of lobbying public relation is partnering wit h the various leaders such as political and social to fulfil their aims and the initiatives. Although it is very beneficial as it helps these NGOs to seek help and funds very easily, but the disadvantage of the same is that these influential people often try to take undue advantage of their position and utilise these NGOs for siphoning of their funds (Howard, 2014). Unfortunately the main aim and goal of forming a NGO gets defeated as soon as such lobbyist get into the picture. Thus even though they are helpful in making people aware of the various issues being dealt by the NGOs, but their need for funds make these NGOs as well also to indulge into such manipulations and laundering of funds. Conclusion Thus the fact that these NGOs will succeed in this competitive world only via proper professional attitude towards raising of funds rather than depending upon their traditional methods of knocking at various doors, ensuring that the marketing team is well versed with the requirement of the present hour and the fact that outsourcing brings with it experience as well with knowledge and lobbying the public relation since it is very difficult to get through influential people otherwise and without them also it becomes difficult for the NGOs to do branding of their entity and procure funds to meet the cause of the organization cannot be denied. But further to this one cannot even ignore the darker side of the same wherein appointing of professionals would hit the budget part of the NGO, the outsourcing of the marketing team is not the sole solution and thus a mix is very important and along with the same maintaining a parity between the two i.e. internal and external team is a difficult t ask and last but not the least, lobbying public relation may at times defeat the whole purpose of forming a NGO. Thus even though adoption of these methods are seemingly becoming a must for all NGOs due to the immense competition, yet they should adopt only after analysing both sides of the coin so that the organization is not in a lost position. References: Arora,S., (2016), How Marketing and Communication Strategies can help NGOs achieve Fundraising Success, Available at https://www.fundsforngos.org/civil-society-2/how-can-marketing-communications-strategies-help-ngos-achieve-fundraising-success/ (Accessed 13th September 2017) Cherico,C., (2014), Challenges and Benefits of Non-profit Event Fundraising, Available at https://trust.guidestar.org/blog/2014/03/25/challenges-and-benefits-of-nonprofit-event-fundraising/ (Accessed 13th September 2017) Kenner,K., (2005), 5 Outsourcing advantages for your marketing team, Available at https://grasshoppermarketing.com/5-outsourcing-advantages-for-your-marketing-team/ (Accessed 13th September 2017) Kennerknecht,M., (2017), Is PR the New Lobbying? Available at https://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-kennerknecht/is-pr-the-new-lobbying_b_8983516.html (Accessed 13th September 2017) Howard,E., (2014), 10 things you need to know about corporate- NGO partnerships, Available at https://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/2014/nov/24/10-things-corporate-ngo-partnerships (Accessed 13th September 2017) International Institute of Sustainable Development, (2013), The rise and role of NGOs in sustainable development, Available at https://www.iisd.org/business/ngo/roles.aspx (Accessed 13th September 2017) Saylor Academy., (2012), Mastering Public Relations: Chapter 10: The Practice of Public Relations, Available at https://saylordotorg.github.io/text_mastering-public-relations/index.html (Accessed 13th September 2017)

Iroquois Confederacy Notes free essay sample

Many of the Iroquois converted into Catholicism from the efforts of the french missionaries. However, like there was a great awakening in america, there was a revival of the old religion in the Iroquois. A new religion was developed, incorporating old pagan beliefs as well as some Quaker beliefs Culture. Family: They had 8 clans, led by clan mother. Oldest Women, not man. Marriages were decided upon the family and the spouses. They had a matrilineal society so daughters were more valued as sons, an oddity in Europe. They were a melting pot of people, adopted many people into their tribes. These people were generally given names to replace the deceased. They had many different festivals and ceremonies like the planting of the corn ceremony and the mind winter festival. Government economy The government of the Iroquois was defined by a unwritten framework known as the great peace. Under this structure, 50 chiefs came together to discuss problems. We will write a custom essay sample on Iroquois Confederacy Notes or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Most of the times, they found a way to cooperate. Even if the individual tribes that make up the confederacy couldnt find a compromise, they were able to find a way to pursue their own separate interests without hindering the other tribes. Economy: The Iroquois were by tradition farmers, farming the 3 sister crops of Corn, beans and squash. wampum, colored pieces of shell. Used for jeweler y, symbols of status, Warfare: The Iroquois held off European conquest for a very long quest, preferring to fight other neighboring tribes. However during the 1600’s they did fight wards with the french and Huron allies to control the fur trade, They also sided with the British during the French and Indian war. hoping to avoid future conflict with them.

Essay sample on #8220;The History of Music#8221;

Essay sample on #8220;The History of Music#8221; Music exists in every culture, without exception. One can say that music is innate to humans, and to summarize the whole history of music in the space of one essay is not an easy feat. Therefore, this paper will provide a brief overview of how music developed throughout the ages. In the following paragraphs, we will discuss prehistoric music, ancient music, the biblical period, and early music, which are all formal names for the first four periods of music’s history. Prehistoric music All music under this category comes from prehistoric times (preliterate). Mostly theories account for what we assume happened during this period. It is often assumed that the first instrument was the human voice itself. This has been suspected since Darwin’s time. After the human voice, there are many different ideas about what musical instruments were played. However, findings of flutes made in Paleolithic times is an often-cited example of one of the earliest instruments (â€Å"Paleolithic Bone Flute Discovered: Earliest Musical Tradition Documented In Southwestern Germany†). In addition, clapping and making drums by covering pits with animal skins are also notable theories about the first musical instruments. From the earliest beginnings of its history, music was used for various reasons: spiritual practices, entertainment, courtship, ceremonies, and more (â€Å"Prehistoric Music†). Ancient music As soon as writing appeared, it is said the prehistoric age ended. With the invention of writing came the first-recorded songs. The oldest written song to date is about 3400 years old from Syria, recorded in cuneiform. The initial instance of polyphony shows up in many ancient texts (such as Aristotle’s books). With writing coming into being, many new instruments were introduced, such as the bagpipe, double pipes, intricate flutes, and several types of stringed instruments. Popular examples of ancient music represented in literature are found in India, with the Vedas mentioning music in various places. One of the most ancient stringed instruments is the veena from India, and it is even stated as a divine instrument played by goddess Saraswati (Massey, Reginald, and Jamila Massey). Another ancient musical tradition comes from Iran. All the way back to the Elamite Empire (2500–644 BC) in prehistory, Iran has had sophisticated musical instruments and compositions. In addition, ancient Greece put a lot of importance on music within their theaters, temples, and places for celebration. Almost everyone in ancient Greece knew how to play musical instruments (â€Å"Greek Traditional Music†). Biblical period The hebrews feature strongly in this period. Literature by the Hebrews is plentiful in references to music and their cultivation of it. It is said that the time of Solomon, David, and Samuel was the golden age of music for the children of Israel. This period features the first time music was methodically taught in schools. From these institutions came professional singers and instrumentalists. Their music and musical education went on to influence the Greeks and Romans, and forever changed how religious compositions are played (â€Å"A Theatre Before the World†). Early music This period mostly concentrates on the European classical traditions after the collapse of the Roman Empire in 476 AD. It comprises Medieval music (500–1400) and Renaissance music (1400–1600). Early music had a multitude of styles, traditions, instruments, and purposes. This is when music became highly integral in societies, and when sophisticated systems of performing music came about, such as the ancestors of the symphony. With more and more trade, musical styles intermixed. The individuality of music by region became less distinct. All in all, it was music’s most explosive time since the first instruments were made (â€Å"Early Music: A Very Short Introduction†). In looking back, we can see that music developed gradually throughout the ages. Starting from flutes, the human voice, clapping, and animal-skin drums, stringed instruments eventually came, along with pipes, and more intricate things for producing music. India, Iran, Greece, and the Hebrews led the earliest revolutions in music. By the time of the fall of Roman Empire, music began to grow even more sophisticated, with complex, long compositions, and large groups of instruments being played together in what was to become the symphony. Music continues to expand its limitations, and seems to be on a road of infinite discovery and innovation. â€Å"Paleolithic Bone Flute Discovered: Earliest Musical Tradition Documented In Southwestern Germany.† ScienceDaily, ScienceDaily, 25 June 2009, www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090624213346.htm. â€Å"Prehistoric Music.† Copernicus Science Centre, www.kopernik.org.pl/en/exhibitions/archiwum-wystaw/wszystko-gra/muzyka-prehistoryczna/. Massey, Reginald, and Jamila Massey. The Dances of India: a General Survey and Dancers Guide. Tricolour Books, 1989. â€Å"Greek Traditional Music.† Greek Music Information Center, www.musicportal.gr/greek_traditional_music/?lang=en. â€Å"A Theatre Before the World.† The Journal of Religion and Theatre, web.archive.org/web/20061004134128/rtjournal.org/vol_5/no_1/krahenbuhl.html. â€Å"Early Music: A Very Short Introduction.† Google Books, Google, books.google.co.uk/books?id=eAAC072TMBAClpg=PP1dq=what is early musicpg=PA1#v=onepageqf=false.

The Commonly Confused Wait and Weight

The Commonly Confused Wait and Weight The words wait and weight are homophones: they sound alike but have different meanings. The verb wait means to stay in place until something else happens. As a noun, wait refers to the time spent waiting. The verb weight means to load down or make heavier. The noun weight refers to a measure of heaviness or to an object used to hold something down. Examples You cant wait for inspiration; you have to go after it with a club. (Jack London)After a long wait for luggage, I took a cab to my hotel.Any object is dragged down when a heavy weight is tied to it. Practice (a) Every year, people make resolutions to exercise and lose _____.(b) I couldnt _____ for success, so I went ahead without it.(c) One end of the belt was attached to a five-pound _____.(d) The _____ was agonizing, and our thirst became almost unbearable. Answers (a) Every year, people make resolutions to exercise and lose  weight.(b) I couldnt  wait  for success, so I went ahead without it.(c) One end of the belt was attached to a five-pound  weight.(d) The  wait  was agonizing, and our thirst became almost unbearable. Glossary of Usage: Index of Commonly Confused Words

Second rich generation in china Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Second rich generation in china - Essay Example This means that they are mainly reliant on their families, which are filthy rich. Through this character, a serious economic challenge comes up, and the economic future of the country stands to be threatened if these people are consumers and are not working to expand their parents businesses. Although, some people saying â€Å"SRG† are only a very small group of people, they cannot make any huge influence. Considering the behavior they have now and the wealth they will control in the future, I am still thinking they will make a huge negative impact to Chinese society and economy in the near future. The building of an economy required the input of all the citizens in a country. Since 1980s there were a group of hardworking people, they used their intelligence and knowledge to help China finished industrialization. Their hardworking not only made them become the first group of billionaires in China but also helped the country grown to be one of the giant economies in the world. However, most of their children are not diligent as their parents, they have decided to sit back and eat what their parents made. Compare to business, they are seem to be more interested in the sports cars and private jets. This is a very dangerous scenario given that there is no income that is generated from this generation. I interviewed a SRG recently, although he indicated that he wants to have his own career and pay for his own life in the future. He still admitted that it is not easy to do and most of the SRG now are not thinking like him. According to Liu (2012) Songyang Fu’s father was the owner of a still factory near Beijing. A car accident took away his father’s life in 2006 and Fu was only nineteen. Fu inherited his father’s legacy and became the thirtieth richest person in China on the Forbes’s rank. However Fu was not interested in his father’s steel business at all. He decided to use his father’s money to realize his own

Detecting Jamming Attacks Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Detecting Jamming Attacks - Case Study Example As a result, the first measure towards avoiding jamming attacks is the detection of modes used by jammers to stifle operations by applying mechanisms that enable a user to handle the situation. The jamming attackers normally hinder the signal reception by preventing a real server from conveying information or by avoiding the function to genuine packets. Considering this, the various models adopted by jammers is the constant discharge of radio signals, the introduction of a regular package to the channel without any breaks between ensuing packet broadcast and alternation between inactivity and jamming (Xu, et al, 2005). This implies that a jammer will continually send radio signals to interact with data submissions, causing delays in the systems. The introduction of a regular package to the channel is detrimental because it activates a system to a default mode that does not portray the current activity (Xu, 2007). For instance, if a node can be set to remain in the receive style regardless of whether it is sending or not doing so. The alternation between inactivity and jamming is that the system is automatically set to be inactive and resume operations after a certain time (Xu, et al, 2005). This makes the system to be in the attacker’s default mode or experience delays. Another jamming mode is the employment of a reactive strategy in which the jammer does nothing when the channel is idle and assumes operation upon the detection of signals. A receptive jammer targets the response of a message to execute the attack. Although most jammers use varied models for their missions, users should always monitor their wireless for possible attacks. This implies that they need to install necessary detection mechanisms that enhance the safety of their devices. The first detection measurement is checking the signal strength to determine the presence of unusual scenarios in the system. This employs gathered

Peru Essay Example for Free

Peru Essay The country of Peru is entrenched in a colourful history of wonder and innovation. This South American country has a diverse array of cultures, lands, foods and languages amoung other distinct and unique attractions. Peru is best known for its Incan mystical historic site, Machu Picchu and the Nazca Lines. Peru also consists of the world’s highest navigable lake, Lake Titicaca which it shares with Bolivia. Despite Peru’s large pallet of exclusive appeals however, it does have internal problems in relation with its socio-economic realm; which has hindered its advancement as a society in many ways. Some problems in Peru revolve around poverty, a growing gap in inequality, and extreme debt to foreign corporations and organization such as the International Monetary Fund. Due to these problems and many others Peru remains a developing nation. This report will consist of four sections that will fully explore Peru and its people. The four sections are geography, society, economy, and the political system of Peru. Geography: Peru as a whole has an area of 1,285,216 km? in its territory. The countries of Ecuador (1,529 km border) and Colombia (1,506 km) border Peru to the north, while Brazil (border 2,822 km) and Bolivia (1,047 km) border Peru to the east. Chile (border 169 km) and Bolivia also border Peru to the south. Peru’s landscape can be best classified by three distinct regions. These regions are made up of a coastal region running parallel to the Pacific Ocean sea line, the highlands (the Andes), and the Eastern lowlands more specifically the jungle (the Amazon). Each section is distinct in its own characteristics which make Peru a diverse country. The coastal region of Peru houses Peru’s capital Lima amoung other large cities (such as Trujillo, and Chiclayo). This region is paramount for aquatic life and rich in gorgeous beaches. The highland region of Peru contains the Andes Mountains. This region is most known for the city of Cuzco (the highest above sea level city in the world). The land located there is also rich in valuable minerals (such as gold, copper, silver, gold, petroleum, iron ore, coal, phosphate, potash which in turn has attracted a lot of corporations) . This region is also known for Machu Picchu, which is a historic landmark where the nobles and kings of the Incan empire once lived (the indigenous Peruvians). This site is also considered to be a mystical spot, a centre of worship, and an astronomic observatory for the Incas that have attracted a lot of tourists . Along the slopes of this region also lies the Altiplano plateau (a dry basin). This region more specifically is located near southeastern Peru. This section also borders Chile and is known for the Atacama Desert (the driest place on earth). In this desert located between the coastal region and the Andes lies Nazca. This land is also very famous for its ‘Nazca lines’. These lines are massive imprints of animal figures and other designs stretching across the desert which have remained there for centuries. To the East of Peru lies a massive tropical jungle named the Amazon Forest (the biggest in the world, it is as large as Western Europe or the whole of the US) . The Amazonian forest is the habitat of thousands of different species of animals and plants. It also is famous for medicines found there. The Amazon also contains one of the biggest rivers in the world named the Amazon River ‘its length lies anywhere between 6,259 km (3,889 miles) and 6,800 km (4,225 miles). It has over 1,000 tributaries, 8 of which are over 2,000 kilometers’ . To the very South of Peru integrated with Bolivia is Lake Titicaca (the highest navigable above sea level lake in the world) . Geographically Peru is very rich in resources and beauty, but for that same reason Peru faces significant environmental and political consequences. Some problems associated with Peru and its land is deforestation (some the result of illegal logging mostly in the Amazon regions); overgrazing of the slopes of the costal region and highland region leading to soil erosion; desertification; and other hazards such as air pollution especially in Lima; pollution of rivers and coastal waters from municipal and mining wastes . These problems have greatly limited Peru from retaining a healthy and secure environment for its citizens. Despite Peru’s problems with its environment, the majority of the Peruvian society cannot be completely held responsible. There are issues (such as powerful politicians and foreign investors) which greatly deprive Peruvian citizens from having the ability to truly govern themselves. Society: Peruvian society is highly stratified between the rich and the poor. Peru’s total population consists of 27,167,000 inhabitants. 71% of which subsists in urban areas while 29% of Peru’s total population lives in rural areas. There is a distinct difference in quality of life between the Peruvians who live in urban areas versus the people who live in rural areas (which is predominately poorer). Peru’s ethnicities are mainly divided by Amerindian 45%, mestizo (mixed Amerindian and white) 37%, white 15%, black, Japanese, Chinese, and other 3%. The official languages of Peru are Spanish (official), Quechua (official, spoken by the indigenous), and Aymara. The Spanish language in Peru is predominately used due to Peru’s history of colonization by Spain during the 1520s. Also because of the colonization of Peru, 90% of the Peruvian population is Roman Catholic. Peru in terms of specific characteristics of their overall population is quite common for a third world. According to the World Bank the average life expectancy for a Peruvian citizen is seven one years old. According to the World Health Organization, the life expectancy for most males in Peru is sixty-eight years old. While for females seventy-three years old is the most common age of death. The World Health Organization also explains that in Peru child mortality rates per thousand people are thirty-six for males and thirty-two for females; and for adults it is one-hundred and ninety-three for males, and one-hundred and thirty-three for females. Uncommon however to most third world countries, Peru’s literacy rates above the age of fifteen who can read and write for all of Peru’s population is 88% (95. 2% for males, and 86. 8% for females). For the most part, Peru’s social situation is extremely interconnected with Peru’s economy and its division of power. Economy: Peru’s economy is very dependent on foreign investment and aid. Like most developing nations, Peru is rich in natural resources, but poor in efficiency in retaining economic sovereignty in relation to the international market. Peru is heavily into debt with foreign corporations. According to the World Bank, as of 2006 Peru’s total debt per GDP was 30. 2 billion dollars US. According to the same source Peru’s total debt in service and exports as of 2006 was 12. 9 billion dollars US. This massive debt that Peru is chained to drastically diminishes Peru’s ability to have true sovereignty and the ability to provide the best interests for its people. For this reason 11% of Peru’s population lives below one dollar US per day (1995-2005) . But although a lot of Peruvians live in poverty, the country’s economic growth rate has been going up. It was said by Peru’s â€Å"Economy and Finance Minister Luis Carranza †¦ that Peru’s 2007 economic growth was 8. 3 percent, the highest since 1994† . This ironic actuality exposes the degree of inequality in Peru. If the nation itself seems to be improving, then so should the conditions of its people; but this is not true in this case. From a purely economics standpoint the World Bank dictates that Peru’s annual average annual growth of GDP per capita was 7. % in 2007. The World Bank also states that Peru’s main economic centers and industries are set up as follows: By percent of GDP, Peru’s agriculture sector is 6. 3%, the industry sector is 35. 2%, the manufacturing sector 15. 1% and Peru’s biggest sector being services accounts for 58. 5%. To give a better idea of what Peru offers to the international market in terms of exports, Peru is ‘the worlds leading silver producer and ranks second in copper and zinc†¦ Among other products, Peru is a global supplier of asparagus, fish, grapes, and organic bananas’ . These statistics show that Peru does have the ability to compete in the international market if it could set its own prices for the goods it exports and if it were not in debt to international organizations. But because Peru must oblige to institutions such as the International Monetary Fund, World Bank, and World Trade Organization, Peru has no chance of removing the shackles of foreign power. Political System: Peru politically is a republic and contains a multi-party system that sponsors a president. The capital of Peru is Lima, and it is here where the President of Peru Mr. Alan Garcia Perez situates his reign . The major political parties in Peru are the Peruvian Aprista Party or PAP (Alan Garcia Perez is the leader of this party); the Independent Moralizing Front or FIM; the National Unity (Unidad Nacional) or UN; Peru Posible or PP; Popular Action or AP; Solucion Popular; Somos Peru or SP; and the Union for Peru or UPP. Peru has a democratic system where a president is elected through a party. The government similar to the North is divided into three branches the Executive, the Legislative made up by 120 members of the Congress who are elected for a five year-period; and the Judiciary, made up by the Supreme Court. Peru politically is in turmoil with its people. There are many groups such as the Sendero Luminoso (Shining Path) who oppose the neo-liberal type of government in Peru. Peru does have free democratic elects but history has shown in Peru (especially with president Fujimori) that most politicians have become corrupt and weak to foreign influences (especially the USA). To conclude the Peruvian people need to come together to conquer the influence of Western capitalism, inequality, and the rule of the elites in Peru. If Peru ever wishes to become truly independent and fair for all its citizens it must break off ties with dominating international organizations and nationalize a lot of its markets. Only when Peru is free of debt and agreements which favor the wealthy of Peru instead of all of its citizens will Peru find true development. Peru must utilize its vast amount of resources to help all of its citizens not just the elite.

The Efficiency of Hybrid Cars Essay -- Hybrid Cars Car Gasoline Effici

The Efficiency of Hybrid Cars   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Transportation is a large concern in today’s modern world. Most individuals have opted to buy vehicles for their personal use. Most of these vehicles consume gasoline and a smaller proportion is hybrid based. These two types of vehicles have many similarities. The two such vehicles require an energy source and both types of vehicles provide an important function to society. That function is to provide people with a reliable form of transportation. Although these two types of vehicles have many similarities, their differences are what distinguish them. Hybrid vehicles are more cost effective, environmentally sound, and safe than the standard gasoline vehicles in the long run. Cost is a key factor to consumers in determining what vehicle to purchase. On average hybrid vehicles cost fifteen hundred dollars more than the standard gasoline vehicle. However, this extra expense is well invested. A hybrid vehicle can reach sixty-one miles per gallon, whereas a typical gasoline vehicle can only reach twenty-eight miles per gallon. Currently gas costs two dollars and ten cents per gallon. The average individual can be expected to drive fifteen miles per year. This amounts to a total gas expense of eleven hundred dollars. If one were to own a hybrid vehicle this expense would eventually pay for the extra fifteen hundred dollars that was required to buy a hybrid car. In two years one would expect to have saved over seven hundred dollars and in t...

GEICO Culture: Nicely’s approach to the Four Functions of Management

In the mid-1930s, at the height of the Great Depression, there weren't many people with the foresight and courage to start up a new company. Yet the husband and wife team of Leo and Lillian Goodwin were up to the challenge. Confident that he could create a successful auto insurance business by marketing directly to carefully targeted customer groups, Leo Goodwin hammered out a business plan during his early career in Texas. In 1936, he put that plan into action, establishing the Government Employees Insurance Company–the company known and loved today as GEICO. Few people realize that GEICO was initially targeted to federal employees and certain categories of enlisted military officers. From the 1960’s to the early 90’s GEICO had other CEO’s in place but it was not until 1993 that the company began to change as a whole. In 1993, Olza â€Å"Tony† Nicely was named GEICO's new chairman, president and CEO, and worked to expand the customer base through a new four-company strategy. Along with it came an increased advertising budget which propelled GEICO toward much higher national visibility. In all successful corporations planning is essential. Planning is the first and most important step in the process of successfully managing a corporation. Planning activities determine an organization’s objectives and establish appropriate strategies for achieving them. The organizing, controlling, and leading functions of management are all derived from planning. All members of management in any organization must plan. Through plans managers are able to communicate their expectations and strategic plans to achieve corporate mission. Tony Nicely, GEICO’s CEO understands the importance of planning. Nicely is very involved in the planning process and stays abreast of the corporate business stance as well as how each functional department plans to achieve corporate goals. Nicely meets with top management to develop plans for the upcoming year. The decisions and plans made by top level management are communicated to mid-level management in the form of business level plans. Mid-level management is responsible for creating functional level plans where. The use of this systematic approach to planning ensures that each level of the hierarchy within an organization understands the corporate mission and their role in achieving it. GEICO’s planning is centered around its 7 operating principles: * Respect: Respect, support and provide opportunity for all associates. * Service: Be fanatics for outstanding customer service. * Low-Cost: Be the low-cost provider. * Integrity: Operate with uncompromising integrity. * Discipline: Maintain a disciplined balance sheet. Profitable Growth: Make an underwriting profit while achieving optimum growth. * Invest: Invest for total return. Organizing The second function of management is organization. We need to organize everything we need in order to achieve our goal. We need to find people who will work on that project and we need to gather resources which we need to reach our goal. Once we organize everything we can move to the third function of four functions of management. Creates a structure of task and authority relationships that supports attainment of organizational goals. Organizing is the process of structuring both human and physical resources to accomplish organizational objectives. Thus, organizing involves dividing tasks into jobs, delegating authority, determing the appropriate bases for departmentalizing hoibsm and deciding the optimum numbers of jobs in each department. Leading The third function is directing or leading. We need to lead people to use the resources we prepared in the second function. Leading is probably the hardest function of all four. We need to know our people in order to lead them correctly Controlling The last function is controlling. This one is as any other of the four functions of management very important. We first must explain what controlling actually is. This is not just controlling over workers as one might think, this is also the controlling of your programs and your goal achievement at the end. This last function enables us to improve our skills and process in future by correcting errors that happened during this cycle.

Lanier Corporation Operates on a Calendar

Lanier Corporation operates on a calendar-year basis. It begins the annual budgeting process in late August when the president establishes targets for the total dollar sales and net income before taxes for the next year. The sales target is given first to the marketing department. The marketing manager formulates a sales budget by product line in both units and dollars. From this budget, sales quotas by product line in units and dollars are established for each of the corporation’s sales districts. The marketing manager also estimates the cost of the marketing activities to support the target sales volume and prepares a tentative marketing expense budget. The executive vice president uses the sales and profit targets, the sales budget by product line, and the tentative marketing expense budget to determine the dollar amounts that can be devoted to manufacturing and corporate office expense. The executive vice president prepares the budget for corporate expenses. She then forwards to the production department the product-line sales budget in units and the total dollar amount that can be devoted to manufacturing. The production manager meets with the factory managers to develop a manufacturing plan that will produce the required units when needed within the cost constraints set by the executive vice president. The budgeting process usually comes to a halt at this point because the production department does not consider the financial resources allocated to be adequate. When this standstill occurs, the vice president to finance, the executive vice president, the marketing manager, and the production manager meet together to determine the final budget for each of the areas.This normally results in a modest increase in the total amount available for manufacturing costs and cuts in the marketing expense and corporate office expense budgets. The total sales and net income figures proposed by the president are seldom changed. Although the participants are seldom pleased with the compromise, these budgets are final. Each executive then develops a new detailed budget for the operations in his or her area. None of the areas has achieved its budget in recent years. Sales often run below the target. When budgeted sales are not achieved, each area is expected to cut costs so that the president’s profit target can be met. However, the profit target is seldom met because costs are not cut enough. In fact, costs often run above the original budget in all functional areas (marketing, production, and corporate office). The president is disturbed that Lanier has not been able to meet the sales and profit targets. He hired a consultant with considerable experience with companies in Lanier’s industry. The consultant reviewed the budgets for the past 4 years. He concluded that the product line sales budgets were reasonable and that the cost and expense budgets were adequate for the budgeted sales and production levels.

To A Friend Whose Work Has Come To Triumph Essays - Greek Mythology

To A Friend Whose Work Has Come To Triumph Essays - Greek Mythology To a Friend Whose Work Has Come to Triumph In the poem "To a Friend Whose Work Has Come to Triumph", Anne Sexton alludes to the flight of Icarus and Daedalus and to "To a Friend Whose Work Has Come to Nothing" to convey a message to a friend. I think this poem was written to reassure a friend that what she did was the right thing. Perhaps a father figure of the friend advised her to do something and she defied him, making herself feel worried that she did the wrong thing. William Butler Yeats once wrote a poem titled "To a Friend Whose Work has Come to Nothing". It was a poem believed to be written to reassure a friend that what she ended up doing was a noble thing even though in reality she failed her original task. The title of Sexton's poem is an obvious allusion to Yeats' poem. Sexton changed "Nothing" to "Triumph" in her title. Sexton's friend must have been a fellow poet to be able to catch the allusion to Yeats' poem. I believe she wanted her friend to know that what she did was the right thing. Perhaps she compared her friend to Yeats' friend. Sexton wrote "Think of the difference it made!" referring to Icarus' flight. She might have wanted her friend to realize a difference her defying her father made. The final line of the poem has a comparably different tone than the first 13 lines. The last line, "See him acclaiming the sun and come plunging down while his sensible daddy goes straight into town.", seems more mocking of Daedalus' flight. It seems that Sexton feels that Daedalus' flight was a wasted chance and was in no way adventurous. She might also be comparing her friend to Icarus, seeing as he too failed his initial task but accomplished something greater on a global scale. I believe Sexton thought that Icarus' flight was not foolish or a failure, but adventurous and a great personal success, even though his satisfaction and personal glory was short-lived. She wrote "Admire his wings", "wondrously tunneling", and "Who cares that he fell back to the sea", therefore I think that she doesn't believe that the fact Icarus plunged to the sea is important. Many have used the process of allusion in the past to help convey a meaning of a poem. A popular example and choice of an allusion topic is the bible or past works of art and literature. Anne Sexton obviously chose allusion as her method of conveying her emotional message to her friend.

How to Write a Good Shakespeare Essay

How to Write a Good Shakespeare Essay How to Write a Good Shakespeare Essay William Shakespeare and his works of literature are probably one of the most popular topics for college and university students to have their written papers composed about. No wonder, in our days this is not as easy to come up with a great and interesting essay or research paper devoted to this topic – so many words have already been said and written about this gross figure in the English classical literature. Still, if you dig deeper and make much efforts in order to make your academic paper about Shakespeare sound interesting and fresh, then you have the chance to succeed. In particular, you are welcome to order a custom written paper about the playwright and poet in one of the online-based custom paper writing companies. The services these companies offer are good and their prices are competitive and customer friendly. No matter which topic or aspect of the Shakespeare’s works you have chosen as the basis for the academic work, the custom writing services would be granted to you. So, start with searching for a good online writing company and once you find one, get acquainted with its policies and guarantees. This is your duty and foremost responsibility as the customer of a custom writing agency to be aware of what you are eligible for, be that the Money Back guarantee, Plagiarism-free policy of Revision policy. If you find the policies and responsibilities posted by the company reliable enough, then your next step should be checking the pricing. If the pricing for academic papers is good as well, then you are welcome to start the order placing procedure. After you are done with this, state the instructions and requirements you have received from your tutor on the future paper about William Shakespeare. And once the order is placed, just wait for the writer to compose the academic paper for you within the deadline you have specified. This is easy as a cake. The writers from online custom paper writing companies know all the topics which may be covered in an essay or research paper about William Shakespeare, so they will not dissatisfy you with the final result. Their knowledge on the topic is enormous and the databases they have in their hands are very impressive too. Have no worries, the academic paper ordered from an online custom paper writing company will have no high similarity index. Academic writers from such agencies and companies do not tolerate plagiarism and will never put your academic reputation at a risk. They will complete a clear and clean paper according to your and your tutor’s requirements and instructions, so the paper about Shakespeare will be enjoyed by you and the rest of the group. is one of professional writing services which can provide you with essay writing help on Shakespeare topics. Dont hesitate to visit our service now!

If you were a victim of crime, what services would you expect to Essay

If you were a victim of crime, what services would you expect to receive Should you be given financial compensation Offender - Essay Example A crime can be of various dimensions, ranging from physical abuse, physical and mental violence, to crimes against property. Considering the fact that numerous types of criminal acts fall under these categories mentioned above, the victims of crimes also vary with regard to the extent and kind of criminal act they were exposed to or witness to. The kind of services that are offered to victims of crime vary from one place to another, or in other words, the services offered to victims of crime are related to the legal and institutional practices associated with the territory inhabited by the crime victim. For instance, in the USA, the services offered would differ one state to the other. Also, the compensation packages that are offered to crime victims vary with regard to the nature of crime perpetrated upon them along with the variation in laws from state to state. 2 Since the experience of having been victim to a crime leaves behind stress and trauma which differs according to the ty pe of crime one has been victim to, the level and kinds of services required also differ. For instance, the victim of domestic abuse will need a lot of emotional counseling as will the victim of rape. However, the victim of property theft may require insurance assistance.

Fall of Zine El Abidine Ben Ali Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Fall of Zine El Abidine Ben Ali - Research Paper Example Ben Ali was later appointed as the prime minister in October 1980. During this time the ruling president Habib Bourguiba was ill and was unable to rule the country effectively. Murphy (1999) points out that Ben Ali succeeded him in a peaceful coup that saw him in power in November, seven 1980. Elections were later held in 1989 and Ben Ali was the winner with more than 99% of the vote. During his time of reign people expected Ben Ali to take a more moderate approach especially to the religious groups (Kahana & Suwaed, 2009). The Fall of Zine El Abidine Ben Ali Coker and Gauthier-Villars (2011) remarks that, when Ben Ali took over power he banned the Nahdah, which is a renaissance and called for the suppression of all the Islamist militants in the country. At this point in the rule of Ben Ali people started to question Ben Ali’s respect for the human rights. Ben Ali became a dictator and controlled most of the wealth in the country. Through his corrupt ways Ben Ali accumulated a lot of wealth for his family. Through the misappropriation of the states’ wealth different sectors of the economy were weakened. Ben Ali was re-elected back in to government on several occasions toppling his opponents by a big margin. Ben Ali became a tyrant who could not listen to his advisors on matters of national importance (BBC Monitoring Middle East 2011). Hindman (2009) states that in November 2010 there were many protests in the country and many people complained on issues of poverty, unemployment, and the freedom of speech. Ben Ali believed that by suppressing the various fundamentalists groups in the country would help in counter-terrorism. The United States of America accorded Ben Ali more Aid because of his attempts to eliminate terrorists in Tunisia. This brought about discontent among the local citizens. The government’s poor human rights record did not alter the USA’s effort in Aiding Tunisia. Tunisia’s military was offered free training a nd was made a member of the US State Department’s Middle East Partnership Initiative (Wall Street Journal 2011). BBC Monitoring Middle East (2012) agrees that the fall of president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali was marked by the rise of many protests in the country. Tunisia lacked the freedom of speech and the local citizens could not air their problems freely without being arrested by state police. This made it impossible to address the underlying problems without bias and address them in the right way possible. With the president being reluctant in addressing the most urgent issues, the local citizens decided to apply all means of fighting for their rights. Protests rose in many parts of the country especially on the case of unemployment. The rising costs of living in Tunisia also prompted the local people to hold protests in fighting for their rights. In the town of Sid Bouzid a 26 year vendor who was a university graduate refused to move his grocery stall to another area as dir ected by Sid Bouzid’s municipal regulation service. The municipal council took possession of the vendor’s vegetables which resulted in to the vendor burning himself. The public reacted to the munipal’s act by protesting. Riots erupted between the police and the local people with the police throwing tear gas on the masses (Boyle & Sheen 1997) Following this incident, another unemployed young man named Hussein Nagi Felhi killed himself by climbing a high voltage pole that transmitted electricity

Political Contributions by Corporations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Political Contributions by Corporations - Essay Example Second, the evidence suggests that in many cases the desired political favors have been and are granted. More specifically, the data demonstrates a correlation between political contributions and benefits allocated among corporations. Finally, with respect to the effect of this link between political contributions and favors granted, the literature suggests some positive characteristics as well as some negative characteristics. Some corporations, for instance, have been granted special access to international markets that generates profits and some employment benefits for Americans whereas some corporations have abused the benefits conferred upon them to the detriment of Americans more generally. This paper will examine the case of Enron because this case is illustrative of the many issues surrounding political contributions by corporations; to be sure, the Enron case is one of extremes, not experienced in all cases, but these extremes demonstrate the dangers inherent in unregulated or poorly regulated systems for dealing with political contributions by corporations. ... From a conceptual framework, scholars have approached connections between corporations and politicians in a variety of ways. Some, for example, have examined how connections to politicians affect a corporation's underlying valuation or stock prices (Faccio and Parsley, 2006). The research has found a correlation between certain connections, whether in the form of lobbying or direct political contributions, and this data is well-known by corporations and corporate decisions makers. Because the value of stock prices can be sustained or increased, to some degree, by pursuing political connections, corporate executives are keen to align themselves with some or many politicians. In addition, scholars have also approached the connections between corporations and politicians by noting which corporations have been bailed out with government funds during periods of economic distress, and the extant of the political contributions made by these bailed-out corporations; interestingly enough, the data demonstrates that corporations with stronger political connections, whether in the form of lobbying or political contributions, are more likely to receive governmental bailouts than corporations with less substantial political connections (Faccio, Masulis, and McConnell, 2006). Two other areas of inquiry, of particular relevance in the Enron case, are how connections between political contributions by corporations to politicians affect its export business and its corporate sales through government contracts (Agrawal and Knoeber, 2001) as well as the ability of such corporations to secure certain tax benefits at the state or federal level (Gupta and Swenson, 2003). A review of the literature, therefore demonstrates that there are many important reasons for corporations to

Evidence from International Stock Markets

Evidence from International Stock Markets Portfolio Selection with Four Moments: Evidence from International Stock Markets Despite the international diversification suggested by several researchers (e.g. Grulbel, 1968; Levy and Sarnat, 1970; Solnik, 1974) and the increased integration of capital markets, the home bias has not decreased (Thomas et. al., 2004 and Coeurdacier and Rey, 2013) and there is no complete explanation of this puzzle. Furthermore, there are the fastgrowing concerns of investor for extreme risks[1] and the investors preference toward odd moments (e.g. mean and skewness) and an aversion toward even moments (e.g. variance and kurtosis) considered by numerous studies (e.g. Levy, 1969; Arditti, 1967 and 1971; Jurczenko and Maillet, 2006). According to these reasons, this paper propose to investigate whether the incorporation of investor preferences in the higher moments into the international asset allocation problem can help explain the home bias puzzle. The study will allow investor preferences to depend not only the first two moments (i.e. mean and variance) but also on the higher moments, such as skewness and kurtosis, by using the polynomial goal programming (PGP) approach and then generate the three-dimensional efficient frontier. The main objective of the proposed study is to investigate whether the incorporation of skewness and kurtosis into the international stock portfolio selection causes these issues: The changes in the construction of optimal portfolios, the patterns of relationships between moments, and the less diversification compared to the mean-variance model. Since several researchers (e.g. Grulbel, 1968; Levy and Sarnat, 1970; Solnik, 1974) suggest that investment in a portfolio of equities across foreign markets provide great diversification opportunities, then investors should rebalance there portfolio away from domestic toward foreign equities. However, US investors continue to hold equity portfolios that are largely dominated by domestic assets. Thomas et. al. (2004) reported that by the end of 2003 US investors held only 14 percent of their equity portfolios in foreign stocks. Furthermore, Coeurdacier and Rey (2013) also reported that in 2007, US investors hold more than 80 percent of domestic equities. Many explanations have been recommended in the literature to explain this home bias puzzle include direct barriers such as capital controls and transaction costs (e.g. Stulz, 1981; Black, 1990; Chaieb and Errunza, 2007), and indirect barriers such as information costs and higher estimation uncertainty for foreign than domestic equities (e.g. Brennan and Cao, 1997; Guidolin, 2005; Ahearne et. al., 2004). Nevertheless, several studies (e.g. Karolyi and Stulz, 1996; Lewis, 1999) suggests that these explanations are weakened since the direct costs to international investment have come down significantly overtime and the financial globalization by electronic trading increases exchanges of information and decreases uncertainty across markets. Since the modern portfolio theory of Markowitz (1952) indicates how risk-averse investors can construct optimal portfolios based upon mean-variance trade-off, there are numerous studies on portfolio selection in the framework of the first two moments of the return distributions. However, as many researchers (e.g., Kendall and Hill, 1953; Mandelbrot, 1963a and 1963b; Fama, 1965) discovered that the presence of significant skewness and excess kurtosis in asset return distributions, there is a great concern that highermoments than the variance should be accounted in portfolio selection. The motivation for the generalization to higher moments arises from the theoretical work of Levy (1969) provided the cubic utility function depending on the first three moments. Later, the empirical works of Arditti (1967 and 1971) documented the investors preference for positive skewness and aversion negative skewness in return distributions of individual stocks and mutual funds, respectively. Even Markowitz (1959) himself also supports this aspect by suggesting that a mean-semi-variance trade-off [2], which gives priority to avoiding downside risk, would be superior to the original mean-variance approach. While the importance of the first three moments was recognized, there were some arguments on the incorporation of higher moments than the third into the analysis. First, Arditti (1967) suggested that most of the information about any probability distribution is contained in its first three moments. Later, Levy (1969) argued that even the higher moments are approximately functions of the first moments, but not that they are small in magnitude. Several authors (Levy, 1969; Samuelson, 1970; Rubinstein, 1973) also recommend that in general the higher moments than the variance cannot be neglected, except when at least one of the following conditions must be true: All the higher moments beyond the first are zero. The derivatives of utility function are zero for the higher moments beyond the second. The distributions of asset returns are normal or the utility functions are quadratic. However, ample evidence (e.g., Kendall and Hill, 1953; Mandelbrot, 1963a and 1963b; Fama, 1965) presented not only the higher moments beyond the first and their derivatives of the utility function are not zero, but also the asset returns are not normally distributed. Furthermore, several researchers (Tobin, 1958; Pratt, 1964; Samuelson, 1970; Levy and Sarnat, 1972) indicate that the assumption of quadratic utility function is appropriate only when return distributions are compact. Therefore, the higher moments of return distributions, such as skewness, are relevant to the investors decision on portfolio selection and cannot be ignored. In the field of portfolio theory with higher moments, Samuelson (1970) was the first author who recommends the importance of higher moments than the second for portfolio analysis. He shows that when the investment decision restrict to the finite time horizon, the use of mean-variance analysis becomes insufficient and the higher moments than the variance become more relevant in portfolio selection. Therefore, he developed three-moment model based on the cubic utility function which expressed by Levy (1969)3. Following Samuelson (1970), number of studies (e.g. Jean, 1971, 1972 and 1973; Ingersoll, 1975; and Schweser, 1978) explained the importance of skewness in security returns, derived the risk premium as functions of the first three moments, and generated the three-dimensional efficient frontier with a risk-free asset. Later, Diacogiannis (1994) proposed the multi-moment portfolio optimization programme by minimizing variance at any given level of expected return and skewness. Consequently, Athayde and Flores (1997) developed portfolio theory taking the higher moments than the variance into consideration in a utility maximizing context. The expressions in this paper greatly simplified the numerical solutions of the multi-moment portfolio optimal asset allocation problems4. 23 Levy (1969) defines the cubic utility function as U(x) which has the form: U(x) = ax + bx + cx , where x is a random variable and a,b,c are coefficients. This function is concave in a certain range but convex in another. Jurczenko, E. and Maillet, B. (2006) Multi-Moment Asset Allocation and Pricing Models, Wiley Finance, p. xxii. Different approaches have been developed to incorporate the individual preferences for higher-order moments into portfolio optimization. These approaches can be divided into two main groups, the primal and dual approaches. The dual approach starts from a specification of the higher-moment utility function by using the Taylors series expansion to link between the utility function and the moments of the return distribution. Then, the dual approaches will determine the optimal portfolio via its parameters reflecting preferences for the moments of asset return distribution. Harvey et. al. (2004) uses this approach to construct the set of the three-moment efficient frontier by using two sets of returns[3]. The results show that as the investors preference in skewness increases, there are sudden change points in the expected utility that lead to dramatically modifications in the allocation of the optimal portfolio. Jondeau and Rockinger (2003 and 2006) and Guidolin and Timmermann (2008) extend the dual approach in portfolio selection from three- to four-moment framework. A shortcoming of this dual approach is that the Taylor series expansion may converge to the expected utility under restrictive conditions. That is for some utility functions (e.g. the exponential function), the expansion converges for all possible levels of return, whereas for some types of utility function (e.g. the logarithm-power function), the convergence of Taylor series expansion to the expected utility is ensured only over a restricted range6. Furthermore, since Taylor series expansion have an infinite number of terms, then using a finite number of terms creates the truncation error. To circumvent these problems, the primal approach parameters that used to weight the moment deviations are not relate precisely to the utility function. Tayi and Leonard (1988) introduced the Polynomial Goal Programming (PGP), which is a primal approach to solve the goal in portfolio optimization by trade-off between competing and conflicting objectives. Later, Lai (1991) is the first researcher who proposed this method to solve the multiple objectives determining the set of the mean-variance-skewness efficient portfolios. He illustrated the three-moment portfolio selection with three objectives, which are maximizing both the expected return and the skewness, and minimizing the variance of asset returns. Follows Lai (1991) who uses a sample of five stocks and a risk-free asset, Chunhachinda et. al. (1997) and Prakash et. al. (2003) examines three-moment portfolio selection by using international stock indices. Regarding the under-diversification, many studies (e.g. Simkowitz and Beedles, 1978; Mitton and Vorkink, 2004; and Briec et. al., 2007) suggested that incorporation of the higher moments in the investors objective functions can explain portfolio under-diversification. Home bias puzzle is one of the under-diversification. It is a tendency to invest in a large proportion in domestic securities, even there are potential gains from diversification of investment portfolios across national markets. Guidolin and Timmermann (2008)[4] indicate that home bias in US can be explained by incorporate the higher moments (i.e. skewness and kurtosis) with distinct bull and bear regimes in the investors objective functions. Several researchers use the primal and the dual approaches to examine the  international portfolio selection. Jondeau and Rockinger (2003 and 2006) and Guidolin and Timmermann (2008) applied the dual approaches using a higher-order Taylor expansion of the utility function. They provide the empirical evidence that under large departure from normality of the return distribution, the higher-moment optimization is more efficient than the mean-variance framework. Chunhachinda et. al. (1997) and Prakash (2003) applied the Polynomial Goal Programming (PGP), which is a primal approach, to determine the optimal portfolios of international stock indices. Their results indicated that the incorporation of skewness into the portfolio selection problem causes a major change in the allocation of the optimal portfolio and the trade-off between expected return and skewness of the efficient portfolio. Appendix 1 presents methodology and data of the previous papers that study international portfolio selection with higher moments. In the proposed study, I will extend PGP approach to the mean-variance-skewnesskurtosis framework and investigate the international asset allocation problem that whether the incorporation of investor preferences in the higher moments of stock return distributions returns can help explain the home bias puzzle. Since previous research (e.g. Levy, 1972; Singleton and Wingerder, 1986) points out that the estimated values of the moments of the asset return distribution sensitive to the choices of an investment horizon, I will examine daily, weekly, and monthly data sets in the study[5]. The sample data will consist of daily, weekly, and monthly rates of return of five international indices for all available data from January 1975 to December 2016. These five indices cover the stock markets in the main geographical areas, namely the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan, the Pacific region (excluding Japan), and Europe (excluding United Kingdom)[6]. Moreover, the study also use three-month US Treasury bill rates as the existence of the risk-free asset in order that the investor is not restricted to invest only in risky assets. The data source of these indices is the Morgan Stanley Capital International Index (MSCI) who reports these international price indices as converted into US dollar at the spot foreign exchange rate. The MSCI stock price indices and T-bill rates are available in Datastream. The methodology proposed in the study consists of two parts. First, the rate of return distribution of each international index will be tested for normality by using the Shapiro-Wilk test. Then, the PGP approach will be utilized to determine the optimal portfolio in the fourmoment framework. 4.1 Testing for normality of return distribution At the beginning of the empirical work, I will test the normality of return distributions of international stock indices and the US T-bill rates. This test provides the foundation for examine the portfolio selection problem in the mean-variance-skewness-kurtosis framework. Although several methods are developed, there is an ample evidence that the ShapiroWilk is the best choice for evaluating normality of data under various specifications of the probability distribution. Shapiro et. al. (1968) provide an empirical sampling study of the sensitivities of nine normality-testing procedures and concluded that among those procedures, the Shapiro-Wilk statistic is a generally superior measure of non-normality. More recently, Razali and Wah (2011) compared the power of four statistical tests of normality via Monte Carlo simulation of sample data generated from various alternation distributions. Their results support that Shapiro-Wilk test is the most powerful normality test for all types of the distributions and sample sizes. The Shapiro-Wilk statistic is defined as where is the i th order statistic (rate of returns), à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¹Ã‚ ¯ . à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¹Ã‚ ¯ / is the sample mean, are the expected values of the order statistics of independent and identically distributed random variables sampled from the standard normal, and V is the covariance matrix of those order statistics. Note that the values of are provided in Shapiro-Wilk (1965) table based on the order i. The Shapiro-Wilk tests the null hypothesis of normality: H0: The population is normally distributed. H1: The population is not normally distributed.    If the p-value is less than the significant level (i.e. 1%, 5%, or 10%), then the null hypothesis of normal distribution is rejected. Thus, there is statistical evidence that the sample return distribution does not came from a normally distributed population. On the other hand, if the p-value is greater than the chosen alpha level, then the null hypothesis that the return distribution came from a normally distributed population cannot be rejected. 4.2 Solving for the multi-objective portfolio problem Following Lai (1991) and Chunhachinda et. al. (1997), the multi-objective portfolio selection with higher momentscan be examined based on the following assumptions: Investors are risk-averse individuals who maximize the expected utility of their end-ofperiod wealth. There are n + 1 assets and the (n + 1)th asset is the risk-free asset. All assets are marketable, perfectly divisible, and have limited liability. The borrowing and lending rates are equal to the rate of return r on the risk-free asset. The capital market is perfect, there are no taxes and transaction costs. Unlimited short sales of all assets with full use of the proceeds are allowed. The mean, variance, skewness, and kurtosis of the rate of return on asset are assumed to exist for all risky assets for 1,2, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ . Then, I define the variables in the analysis as = ,, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ , be the transpose of portfolio component , where is the percentage of wealth invested in the th risky asset, = ,, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ , be the transpose of whose mean denoted by , = the rate of return on the th risky asset, = the rate of return on the risk-free asset, = a (n x 1) vector of expected excess rates of return, = the expectation operator, = the (n x 1) vector of ones, = the variance-covariance (n x n) matrix of , = the skewness-coskewness (n x n2) matrix of ,= the kurtosis-cokurtosis (n x n3) matrix of . Then, the mean, the variance, the skewness, and the kurtosis of the portfolio returns can be defined as:[7] , , à ¢Ã…  -,[8] Kurtosis = = à ¢Ã…  - à ¢Ã…  - . Note that because of certain symmetries, only ((n+1)*n)/2 elements of the skewnesscoskewness matrix and ((n+2)*(n+1)*n)/6 elements of the kurtosis-cokurtosis matrix must be computed. The components of the variance-covariance matrix, the skewness-coskewness matrix, and the kurtosis-cokurtosis matrix can be computed as follows: à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ, à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ, à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ, à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ, à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ, à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ. Therefore, the optimal solution is to select a portfolio component . The portfolio selection can be determined by solving the following multiple objectives, which are maximizing the expected return and the skewness while minimizing the variance and the kurtosis: , , à ¢Ã…  -, = à ¢Ã…  - à ¢Ã…  - . subject to 1. Since the percentage invested in each asset is the main concern of the portfolio decision, Lai (1991) suggests that the portfolio choice can be rescaled and restricted on the unit variance space (i.e. | 1 ). Under the condition of unit variance, the portfolio selection problem with skewness and kurtosis (P1) can be formulated as follows: , à ¢Ã…  -, (P1) = à ¢Ã…  - à ¢Ã…  - , subject to 1 , 1 . Usually, the solution of the problem (P1) does not satisfy three objectives (, , ) simultaneously. As a result, the above multi-objective problem (P1) involves a two-step procedure. First, a set of non-dominated solutions independent of investors preferences is developed. Then, the next step can be accomplished by incorporating investors preferences for objectives into the construction of a polynomial goal programming (PGP). Consequently, portfolio selection by satisfying the multiple objectives that is the solution of PGP can be achieved. In PGP the objective function ( ) does not contain a portfolio component , it contains deviational variables ( , , ) which represent deviations between goals and what can be achieved, given a set of constrains. Therefore, the objective function ( ) is minimization of the deviation variables ( , , ) to determine the portfolio component . Moreover, if the goals are at the same priority level, the deviations from the goals ( , , ) are non-negative variables. Given an investors preferences among mean, skewness, and kurtosis ( , , ), a PGP model can be expressed as: . subject to à ¢Ã‹â€ - , à ¢Ã…  -à ¢Ã‹â€ - , (P2) à ¢Ã…  - à ¢Ã…  - = à ¢Ã‹â€ - , 1 , 1 , ,, 0 . where à ¢Ã‹â€ - = the extreme value of objective when they are optimized individually, then à ¢Ã‹â€ - |1 , à ¢Ã‹â€ - |1 , and à ¢Ã‹â€ - |1 , = the non-negative variables which represent the deviation of and à ¢Ã‹â€ -, = the non-negative parameters representing the investors subjective degree of preferences between objectives, The combinations of represent different preferences of the mean, the skewness, and the kurtosis of a portfolio return. For example, the higher , the more important the mean (skewness or kurtosis) of the portfolio return is to the investor. Thus, the efficient portfolios are the solutions of problem (P2) for various combinations of preferences . The expected results provided in this section refer to two parts of methodology, the normality test and the international portfolio optimization in four-moment framework. 5.1 The expected results of the normality test Many researches examine the international stock indices and found that most of the stock return distributions exhibit skewness and their excess kurtosis are far from zero. For instance, in the work of Chunhachinda et. al. (1997), the Shapiro-Wilk statistics indicate 5 markets and 11 markets reject the null hypothesis of normal distribution at ten percent significant level, for weekly and monthly data, respectively. Prakash et. al. (2003) use the Jarque-Bera test to trial the normality of each international stock index, their results indicate that for 17 markets for weekly returns and 10 markets for monthly returns reject the null hypothesis of normal distribution five percent significant level. Therefore, I expected that the Shapiro-Wilk tests in the proposed study will be significant and reject the null hypothesis of normality. In other words, the return distributions of international stock markets during the period under study are expected to be non-normal. 5.2 The expected results of the multi-objective portfolio selection 5.2.1 The changes in the allocation of optimal portfolios Chunhachinda et. al. (1997) and Prakash et. al. (2003) both indicated that the incorporation of skewness into the portfolio selection problem causes a major change in the allocation of the optimal portfolio. However, their definitions of a major change are different. Chunhachinda et. al. (1997) found that there is a modification in the allocation when they compare between the mean-variance and the mean-variance-skewness efficient portfolios. However, both types of portfolios are dominated by the investment components of only four markets[9]. On the other hand, Prakash (2003) results show that the structural weights of the mean-variance and the mean-variance-skewness optimal portfolios are dominated by different markets. Therefore, I expected that when I compare between of the mean-variance efficient portfolios, the three-moment efficient portfolios, and the mean-variance efficient portfolios, the percentage invested in each asset will be different in magnitude and ranking. 5.2.2 The trade-off between expected return and skewness Most of the studies of international portfolio selection with higher moments (e.g. Chunhachinda et. al., 1997; Prakash et. al., 2003; Jondeau and Rockinger, 2003 and 2006) reported that the mean-variance efficient portfolios have the higher expected return while the three-moment efficient portfolios have greater skewness. Thus, they indicated that after incorporation of skewness into portfolio selection problem, the investor will trade the expected return of the portfolio for the skewness. More recently, Davies et. al. (2005) applied PGP to determine the set of the four-moment efficient funds of hedge funds and found not only the trade-off between the mean and the skewness, but also the trade-off between the variance and the kurtosis. Thus, I expected to discover the trade-off between the expected return and the skewness and the trade-off between the variance and the kurtosis. In addition, I will also investigate other relationships between the moments of return distribution and report them in both numerical and graphical ways. 5.2.3 The less diversification compared to the mean-variance model. To investigate whether the incorporation of higher moments than the second (i.e. skewness and kurtosis) can help explain the home bias puzzle, I will examine the hypothesis: H0: ZMV à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤ ZMVSK. H1: ZMV > ZMVSK. where ZMV and ZMVSK are the number of nonzero weights of the mean-variance efficient portfolios and the four-moment efficient portfolios, respectively. If the number of nonzero weights of the mean-variance efficient portfolios (ZMV) is greater than the number of nonzero weights of the four-moment efficient portfolios (ZMVSK), then I will rejected the null hypothesis. This implies that the incorporation of the higher moments into the portfolio decision can help explain the home bias puzzle. However, the results from the literature are mixed. On one hand, several researchers (e.g. Prakash et. al., 2003; Briec et. al., 2007; Guidolin and Timmermann, 2008) provided the evidence that the incorporation of skewness into the portfolio selection causes the less diversification in the efficient portfolio. On the other hand, the results of some studies (e.g. Chunhachinda et. al., 1997; Jondeau and Rockinger, 2003 and 2006) found that when compare with the mean-variance efficient portfolios, the diversification of the higher-moment efficient portfolios seem to be same or even became more diversify. I expected the results to show that the four-moment efficient portfolio is less diversified than the mean-variance one. In other words, the incorporation of the skewness and the kurtosis into the international portfolio selection can help explain the home bias. [1] Jurczenko, E. and Maillet, B. (2006) Multi-Moment Asset Allocation and Pricing Models, Wiley Finance, p. xxii. [2] Semi-variance is a measure of the dispersion of all observations that fall below the average or target value of a data set. [3] The first set consists of four stocks and the second set consists of four equity indices, two commodities, and a risk-free asset. 6 Jurczenko, E. Maillet, B., and Merlin, P. (2006) Multi-Moment Asset Allocation and Pricing Models, Wiley Finance, p. 52. [4] Guidolin and Timmermann (2008) analyze the portfolio selection problem by using the dual approach. [5] Chunhachinda et. al. (1997) and Prakash et. al. (2003) studied the portfolio selection across national stock markets by using two data sets, weekly and monthly data. [6] Guidolin and Timmermann (2008) reported that these markets represent roughly 97% of the world equity market capitalization. [7] I use the derivations of skewness and kurtosis as provided in the textbook Multi-Moment Asset Allocation and Pricing Models of Jurczenko and Maillet (2006) to transform the expectation operators into the matrix terms. [8] Let A be an (nÃÆ'-p) matrix and B an (mÃÆ'-q) matrix. The (mnÃÆ'-pq) matrix Aà ¢Ã…  -B is called the of matrix A and matrix B: [9] The four markets are Hong Kong, Netherlands, Singapore, and Switzerland. These markets have high rankings of the coefficient of variation under the sample period.