The Conflict In The Former Portuguese Southeast Asian Colony Of East T

The conflict in the former Portuguese Southeast Asian colony of East Timor, illegally invaded and annexed by Indonesia in September 1975, continues to fester away. Indonesia's suppression of legitimate East Timorese aspirations for respect of their human rights, including the right of self-determination, has been a cause for continued international tensions. The death toll in East Timor is approximately 250,000. The size of the death toll, combined with Indonesian policies that seem to be explicitly aimed at lowering and diluting the Timorese population have led to accusations stating that this is intentional genocide by the Indonesian regime. The Indonesian military has established an intense and pervasive presence in East Timor. Weapons have been supplied to the military by many countries, including the United States and the United Kingdom. The government of Singapore supports the removal of such weapons as fighter planes, bombers, missiles, helicopters, light tanks, armored personnel carriers, armored water cannons, Bailey bridges, Land Rovers, frigates, patrol boats, naval guns and firing systems. Such actions as reductions to the Indonesian Military Education and Training (IMET) program, an embargo on the sale of light weapons to Indonesia, and a suspension on the sale of certain types of heavy weapons is also supported. The government of Singapore is giving their full support toward removing troops from East Timor. Not only will this cease the violence, it will also allow the process of self-determination to begin. In December of 1975 and April of 1976, the Security Council of the United Nations passed resolutions which demanded that "the Government of Indonesia withdraw all of its forces from the territory." Although all United Nations members are bound to abide by Security Council resolutions, Indonesia has been in defiance of this rule for over twenty years. The government of Singapore is showing a willingness to work with the international community towards removing these troops. Singapore fully believes that peace can not be solely established in East Timor with just the removal of the Indonesian military, but through the process of removing all weapons, and with the reductions of such programs as the IMET. The Situation in Afghanistan Singapore, as much of the global community, is concerned with the current crisis in Afghanistan. In August of 1998, the United Nations Security Council passed Resolution 1193, which called for an immediate cease-fire, peace talks, elimination of aid, and the immediate release of any diplomats held by the Taliban. This Resolution has been refused by the Taliban to this date. Because of the many humanitarian issues involved, Singapore, as upholders of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Religious Intolerance, believe that the Taliban's restrictions are a direct violation of many basic human rights, such as freedom of religion. In addition, more economic and humanitarian aid to the people of Afghanistan is strongly recommended by the Republic of Singapore who encourages all members to support joint resolutions advocating such actions. As the Taliban's actions threaten to lead the war between Afghanistan and Iran, Singapore calls upon the Taliban government to answer all of Iran's complaints honestly and to negotiate a settlement without preconditions to prevent further problems in the future. The Kosovo Crisis The government of Singapore is severely concerned with the violent actions which are taking place in Kosovo. On February 28, 1998, Serbian special police launched a brutal attack against the Albanians. From that day on, several massacres of innocent civilians have been committed. Singapore supports the peace talks taking place in France, which give the international community an historic opportunity to create peace in Kosovo that provides the basis for long-term stability in the region. The government of Singapore will show a willingness to work within the international community to create a resolution in order to gain and retain peace. The government of Singapore also believes that all Serbian forces should be removed from Kosovo. Removal of the forces will dramatically improve the security situation for international peace-keepers assigned there by removing the target of KLA attacks. The removal will also create an atmosphere of security in which the population of Kosovo can end its reliance on armed resistance. In exchange for the removal of Serb forces, Singapore also believes that the Kosovar Albanians must provide a

What is a Federal Perkins Loan How Do You Get One

What is a Federal Perkins Loan How Do You Get One SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips There are a lot of great federal aid options out there, for every type of student. The Perkins loan may just be one of many types of federal loans, but it comes with a lot of perks that make it worth an in-depth look.I'll go through all the information you need about this loan program, before telling you how to get your own Perkins loan. What Is the Perkins Loan? Like the Direct Subsidized and Direct Unsubsidized programs, Perkins are government-backed, low-interest loans that are meant to help students pay for school. Certain federal aid programs don't require students to demonstrate financial need as an eligibility requirement, like Direct Unsubsidized loans. The Perkins is meant for students who demonstrate exceptional financial need, however; as such, there are some extra perks built into the loans. Before I talk about some of the benefits of the Perkins loans, I'll talk briefly about how loans usually work. Then, I'll go into more Perkins loans details, and explain how this loan program differs from the norm. What It Means to Take Out a Loan When you take out a loan, by definition, you're borrowing a sum of money (a principle) from a person or institution (a lender), with the promise that you'll pay this money back at a later date. You'll likely also agree to repay extra money in addition to the principle (interest), over a certain time period (the length of the loan). People usually pay back their student loans by making monthly payments after they graduate. A part of the payment covers accrued (accumulated) interest, whereas the rest of it goes towards paying back the principle. Interest accrues on your loan at a certain rate, usually starting when the loan amount is given out to you (disbursed). The higher your interest rate, and the longer it takes you to pay back your loan, the more interest will accrue. Standard repayment terms for federal student loans (unless the loans are quite small) are 120 monthly payments, or 10 years. Finally, interest can also capitalize, or be added to your principle amount. What this ultimately means is that interest is now accruing on a new, larger principle; the bigger the principle, the more interest will accrue. The rate of capitalization depends on your loan, but some student loans capitalize at graduation. As you might have deduced by now, one method of saving money on your loans is to minimize the amount of interest that accrues and/or capitalizes. You'll see in the next section why Perkins loans make this process a little bit easier on student borrowers. Interest may just come to pennies a day, but it can add up to a significant amount over time. What's Unique About Federal Perkins Loans? In the previous section, I noted that interest usually starts accruing when the loan is disbursed. If I take out a loan my freshman fall, interest will accrue through all 4 years of college. When I graduate, I'll owe my principle + 4 years of interest - and depending on the type of loan, this interest may capitalize when I graduate. With Federal Perkins loans, you won't see any interest accrue while you're in school, during grace period, or during a period of deferment. The grace period for a Perkins loan is also a bit longer than the standard: 9 months vs. 6 months, which means another 3 months of no interest post-graduation. Here's an example of how loan repayment might play out. In this example, I have both a Perkins loan and an unsubsidized loan, both disbursed at the beginning of my freshman year. Even though the interest rate is higher for the Perkins loan, you end up paying out a lot more for the unsubsidized loan: Perkins Loan Unsubsidized Loan Interest Rate 5% 4.29% Principle $5,000 $5,000 Balance Due 6 Months Post Graduation $5,000 $5,911 Monthly payment (based on standard 120 month repayment) $53.03 $60.66 Total Amount Paid $6,363.60 $7,279.2 Finally, and perhaps most excitingly, Perkins loans give students the option of loan cancellation or loan forgiveness if they pursue particular job or careerpaths. If you play your cards right, you could walk away without owing any money on your loans. I'll talk more about loan cancellation in the next section. Loan Details The Perkins loan interest rate is currently at 5%, which is only slightly higher than interest rates on Direct Unsubsidized and Direct Subsidized loans. Like I mentioned in the previous section, interest does not accrue during school, grace periods, or deferment periods. There are no other loan fees. Loan money is applied directly to school-related charges (tuition, fees, and on-campus room and board). If there is any money left over after the loan is applied to these charges, you'll receive a refund from your school. You can use this money on any other school-related costs (e.g. transportation, books, personal expenses). Repayment You have 9 months after you leave school, graduate, or drop below half-time status before you have to start making monthly payments on your loan. The standard federal loan repayment option has borrowers making 120 monthly payments (10 years) to pay off the loan in full. Loan Cancellation Cancellation sounds like it would be a bad thing, but when it comes to student loans, cancellation arguably the best thing that can happen. Your Perkins loan debt could be wiped, or canceled, in part or in full if you spend time working in particular fields. There are many different situations that could make you eligible for loan cancellation.Examples of cancellation-eligible positions include law enforcement officer or firefighter, teacher, nurse, medical technician, and even attorney. Factors such as your length of employment, the area you're working in (e.g. if you're serving low-income communities), and the demand for certain services (e.g. if there's a higher demand for teachers in certain subjects) could all affect how much loan cancellation you're eligible for. Working in a cancellation-eligible job would constitute a period of deferment, so no interest would accrue! You can apply for Perkins loan cancellation through your school, or your school's loan servicer.Don't ever assume that your loans will be eligible for cancellation; run everything by your school's financial aid office first, and don't stop making payments until your loan is officially deferred. Loan cancellation won't be right for everybody, but it's a great debt-erasing option for people interested in certain career paths. Perkins Loan Eligibility and Limits As great as the Perkins details sound (especially with the possibility of cancellation), there are unfortunately some eligibility restrictions and limits to keep in mind. In order to be eligible for a Perkins loan, you must: Meet basic federal aid requirements (learn more about these requirements here) Be an undergraduate, graduate, or professional student enrolled in a participating school Demonstrate "exceptional" financial need. Perkins loan borrowers are typically from low-income families; 30% of families with dependent students who took out Perkins loans in 2012 made less than $30,000. The amount of money you can take out in Perkins loans depends on (1) your financial need, and (2) how much money your school can lend. Not everyone who meets basic eligibility requirements will receive Perkins loan options. As such, it's difficult to estimate ahead of time how much money you'll get through the Perkins loan program. Although there's not much you can do to estimate your Perkins loan amount, you can keep loan limits and averages in mind: Maximum undergraduate annual amount: $5,500 Maximum undergraduate lifetime amount: $27,500 Maxiumum graduate annual amount: $8,000 Maximum graduate lifetime amount (includes any undergraduate Perkins loans): $60,000 The average new Perkins loan award is about $2,000, much lower than the annual limits for both undergrads and graduate students. How to Apply Perkins loans sound like pretty good options, right? You can apply for Perkins loans by submitting a Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA. The application isn't just for Perkins loans - when you submit a FAFSA, you're also considered for Pell Grants and other federal loans. You can get step-by-step instructions for submitting a FAFSA here. Although Perkins loans are government-backed, your Perkins loan lender would be your school, not the US government. Because schools need to have a certain amount of available funds in order to offer these loans to students,not all schools participate in the Perkins loan program. You can find out if a school offers Perkins loans by contacting its financial aid office. As you might have expected, Perkins loan funds tend to be limited, and often run out before the official FAFSA deadline. In order to optimize your chances of getting a Perkins loan, try to submit your FASFA early in the spring semester for the next academic year. For example, if you'd like aid for the 2016-2017 academic year, plan on submitting your FAFSA in January or February of 2016. What's Next? Perkins loans aren't the only federal loans with competitive interest rates. Check out our guide comparing Direct Subsidized and Direct Unsubsidized loans. As great as low interest rates sound, even with the possibility of loan cancellation, there's something even better than money you have to pay back: free money. Learn more about Pell Grants here. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Critical Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Critical Analysis - Essay Example We can draw such a conclusion because he is asking his wife if she is reading the letter while in his mom’s presence. This can be found in the beginning of the song, when he sings â€Å""If youre reading this and my mamas sitting there†¦" The soldier hopes that his family will read his letter, so they can know about what has happened to him, as well as receive reassurance and encouragement to go on. The diction that Tim McGraw uses in his song portrays two different tones. The tones are of sadness, as well as encouragement. The words that he uses to portray sadness is when he is talking about how he will not be able to give his wife another kiss and how he cannot be there to witness the birth of his little girl. He also talks about how he will no longer be there to spend the rest of his life with her. Though he has told her this, she gives his wife encouragement. He tells her that it is okay to move on and be with someone else. He offers reassurance to his wife and his family that he is okay up in heaven and is at peace. NO longer is he being tormented by war. NO longer is he hurting. In addition to the point of view diction that Tim McGraw uses to get his strong and powerful message across to his listeners, he also uses allusions to speak of the dead soldier’s spiritual state. For instance, Tim McGraw makes a reference to the child’s prayer by singing â€Å"Now I lay me down† meaning that he is talking to God, and his family should also do the same. The reference to this prayer can also mean that he is resting in peace, no longer suffering from the ravages of war. Tim McGraw also makes references to heaven, as his song contains a line that states that he is with God watching down on his wife, his family, and his unborn baby girl. Finally, Tim McGraw references the Christian hymn, Amazing Grace. This reference is to pain the picture how powerful the Christian hope is and how it can get one through the trials of losing someone. Furthermore, it provides

Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 79

Essay Example For life insurance it is the person, who is claiming the insurance, in case of general insurance the insurable interest must be present at place when the application for insurance is being made as well as during the claim of the insurance. The principle of insurable interest mentioned that the person or the object which is getting insured must have insurable interest in the object of insurance or the life of the person who is being insured. A person who has an insurable interest when the physical presence of the insured object gives him some gain but its non-existence will give him a loss. In simple words, the insured person must suffer some financial loss by the damage of the insured object. The owner of a commercial vehicle (be it a taxi/bus or tempo) has insurable interest in the vehicle because he is earning money by using that vehicle directly or indirectly from it. Same way owner of any bus or tempo or goods vehicle, if give that on rent still have the insurable interest on it as well as the person who is driving the same because indirectly he or she is earning money from it. But, if someone sells the vehicle then he or she will not have an insurable interest left in that vehicle because the individual already have earned money one time basis from the same. By analyzing this we can easily mentioned that ownership plays an important role in the evaluation of insurable interest. Same way every individual person has an insurable interest in his or her own life.. The subject of insurance can be any property or interests such as a house,car, a person’s life, or his or her liability that rises in significance of the death or injury of or damage to the property of another person.In insurance terms, the above-mentioned definition is known as insurable interest.(Korttermynversekering, 2013). The term is associated with sea and inland waterway transport. It means that the seller delivers goods and product

Success of Product Repositioning Strategy for Class B Office Essay

Success of Product Repositioning Strategy for Class B Office Development in Moscow - Essay Example My company hired by a real estate investments fund, an owner of this property, received commercial contract to arrange marketing campaign and to sell these buildings as residential property. The reasoning behind this strategy is quite simple. On one hand, relatively small investors receive opportunity to invest into lucrative office property market in Moscow, which has 10-12% rate of return on investment compared to 5-6% that of residential property market. On the other hand, property developers receive so much desired cash significantly decreasing the whole property development cycle and improve their own rate of return on investment. The classical scheme (when office buildings are kept by developers to receive lease income or sold to strategic investors interested in regular income stream provided by lease payments) is modified with a new buy option for typical clients (lease holders) and completely a new option for residential property investors. Despite recent severe turbulence o n the equity markets and overall pessimistic attitude towards any long term investments our group managed to achieve remarkable results. The success of the strategy is proven by retail sale of a number of office buildings in Moscow. The purpose of this essay is to illustrate how theoretical strategic tools can be used in a real business situation to identify new business innovations and to assess how close the theory is to reality. The strategy theory undoubtedly provides useful tools for assessing current situation and identifying new opportunities. Elements of Five forces, basic supply – demand analyses, Value creation model, ERRC (Eliminate, Raise, Reduce, and Create) grid, reluctant customers and non-customers issues are theory tools used in the analysis. The analysis consists of macro and micro examination of the current commercial property industry situation in Moscow, and formulation of new opportunities in the office property sector of the industry based on the above analysis. The description of the real estate investment market in Russia In the situation of global market economic crisis, investors are becoming more risk averse and switching investment portfolios in favor of core assets like gold and real estate. Investments in property market in Russia in 2011 demonstrated 46% year on year growth with the highest volumes of 7 bn USD (See Exhibit 1 Investment volume dynamics), of which the commercial real estate sector accounts for about 95% (See Exhibit 1 Investment by sector). 2011 in Russia was remarkable by the rising number of foreign capital investments, which comprise around 45% of the total investment volume (See Exhibit Investment by investor origin). The reason for this is potentially high demand almost on all sorts of commercial property. Retail and office segments usually dominate the sector investments having 40% of total investment volume each (See Exhibit 1 Investment by sector). Moreover, the deal size increased in 2011: the numb er of deals exceeding 100 mn USD increased to 33% of total number of deals compared to 23% 2010. The market sector prime yields in Moscow stabilized at 9% in office and 11% in warehouse sectors in 2011 from the recent highs of 11.5% and 14.5% in 2009 (See 1 Exhibit Prime yield dynamics in Moscow) reaching pre crisis levels achieved by the market in 2007-2008. Historically, the office sector in Moscow has been the most attractive for

The Role of Diplomat and Functions

The Role of Diplomat and Functions INTRODUCTION Communication and technology has been the driving force of a new world order of globalization affecting areas of the international system bringing about certain developments and changes that affects statecraft and the roles of the professionals that carries out this functions for the state. The role of a diplomat has a tremendous impact on foreign policy decision which consequently finds expression through certain means such as communication and technology, with the primary motive of using information and representation as a vital instrument of diplomacy. Diplomacy therefore can be said to be defined â€Å"as the professional management of relations across sovereignty† (Melissen, 1999, p.1). Over time the growth in communication and technology has had major effect on how diplomats carry out their functions and the major roles they play bringing about certain changes from the diplomacy of the Ancient periods to the present day modern diplomacy. However, in examining how the changes in communication and technology has affected the role of the modern diplomat this essay is going to examine the historical context of diplomatic communication, the roles of the modern diplomat, the impact of communication and technology in diplomacy, how certain changes have affected the roles of the modern day diplomat and thereby concluding with certain solutions that would improve the negative effects of communication and technology on the roles of the modern diplomat. THE HISTORICAL CONTEXT OF DIPLOMATIC COMMUNICATION. Diplomatic communications in the past was basically done by non technological means through the use of very obscure methods such as signs, wooden tablets and the use of messengers. According to Melissen the first record of a diplomatic communication was in form of a letter written on a stone which was to be delivered by a messenger who walked 2000 kilometers to perform his roles.(1999,p.3). The use of the messenger symbolized representation of the country in communicating certain issues of foreign policy to the other country making sure that every information was confidential and delivered to the right person with total understanding of its content. During this period the method of delivering letters was one of the most effective ways to carry out diplomatic relations with the messenger as the professional who has the ultimate role of making sure the purpose of the representation is achieved and also responsible for giving his home government feedback on his diplomatic mission. The messenger served as a form of sovereign equality between the countries and was being sent because of certain qualities which he possessed and as the countrys confidant. (Melissen 199 9,p.4) Also elites in the society and men of very high reputations experienced in states affairs were also given roles of negotiating agreements on behalf of their state government. (Leguey-Feilleux 2009, p.25) The messengers served at different levels of state postings for a period of time reporting and collating many conversations with the king, palace officials and other foreign diplomats (Melissen 1999, p.4). They basically helped in carrying out major functions that facilitated the several achievements of their government. The messengers also engaged in several strategic activities such as forming alliances with neighboring countries and intelligence collation of political issues. (Melissen 1999, p.5). They were also used to foster trade negotiations between counties on behalf of their home countries. These messengers also had to be resident abroad to constantly perform duties because traveling was very dangerous and often difficult. (Leguey-Feilleux 2009, p.24). At this time there were no good road networks or viable transportation system in other words messengers traveled very long distances to perform roles in very unsafe conditions. Consequently Leguey-Feilleux emphasizes on the fact that, these messengers were been used as a source of contact between their countries and their neighbors playing roles of mediation and were also used to make preparation for court visits, served as agents on temporary and adhoc missions, engaged in crucial debates with other representatives over their governments policies and engaged in information gathering of both internal and external relations (Leguey-Feilleux 2009, p.31-36) Consequently diplomats also submitted protest, presented legal claims for review, made proposals, represented at social functions and tolerated diversity of civilizations (Melissen 1999, p.9) There was also the exchange of objects, drawings and gifts that clearly stated out the diplomatic intentions of the diplomats and the kind of relationship they want to maintain. (Bianca, 2009, No 1). Despite all these roles clearly stated there were some limitations that brought about the need for an improvement on the roles of the diplomat (messenger). Challenges such as animosity in a mission and bad behavior altered communications between states and made some representatives unfriendly with each other. (Eban, 1998, p.27). Governments were also in doubts of the representatives they sent on missions in other words they were not given total authority on certain issues of international politics considerably there was the problem of cultural and language differences which sometimes made missions not so productive and some times the messengers were captured for ransom.(Leguey-Feilleux,2009,p36-40). But with time things began to change especially as country moved from one political era to another and with the creation of improvised means of communication and the lingering evidence of interdependence which is today known as globalization coupled with the conscious growth of technology. Melissen confirms this by emphasizing on the growth of civilization as flourishing diplomatic practice (1999, p.7). According to Leguey-feilleux, the fourteen and the fifteenth century improvement on communications and technology intensified diplomatic practices and sharpened the roles of a diplomat marking the renaissance period the beginning of modern diplomacy which brought about significant diplomatic innovations. (2009, p.37) During this period slight changes were made to make the roles of the diplomat more efficient and specific. As regards this there were more diplomatic missions established abroad giving the instance of the first realistic resident embassy in Italy (Melissen1999, p.13) New forms of activities arrived; government started using couriers, ciphers, codes, telegrams, pomps and ceremonies were seen as being vital but traveling still remained difficult. (Leguey-feilleux, 2009, p. 42) In addition the nineteenth century brought an improvement to the roles of diplomat with the creation of multilateral diplomacy where by diplomats had a larger playing ground to perform their roles. (Leguey-Feilleux, 2009, p 43). THE ROLES OF THE MODERN DIPLOMAT. Gradually with the emergence of the twentieth century the roles of the modern diplomat increased in different dimensions and moved considerably to a global level with obvious changes in communication and a severe impact from technology. According to the Vienna Convention some of these roles are as follows; The representation of state socially, politically and ceremonially in other countries. The protection of states interest, overseas nationals and states commercial activities. Negotiations on behalf of government and signing of agreements. Information gathering of states activities externally, and in missionary cases, gathering information from host countries. The promotion of cordial and friendly relations in the international system. (Encyclopedia Britannica,2009, No.164602) Other major functions are as follows; which finds expression in political activities, trade activities and consular activities. This trade activities as to do with knowing about commercial developments, while the consular deals with the major local activities of its host country and political activities are majorly maintaining good political relationships abroad. (Eban 1998, p.33-39) Consequently the roles of the modern diplomat can extend to his family basically on the social aspect and morals of good behavior. According to Wood, the roles of a diplomat has a form of professional identity on their wives and family, giving the example of the wife of a Mexican diplomat who contributed to her husbands roles by writing a book on diplomatic identity.(2004,volume 25) Diplomats also play major roles such as being among a committee to draft a charter giving the example of Lord Gladwyn a British diplomat who took part in drafting the United Nations Charter. (Stout, 1996, p.2) Diplomats also create relationships and maintain good level of communication between external affairs and internal structures.(Watkins, 2008, No1). THE IMPACT OF COMMUNICATION AND TECHNOLOGY AND ITS EFFECT ON THE ROLES OF THE MODERN DIPLOMAT. Globalization is the major catalyst of the wind of change that has blown into the works of the modern diplomat. Starting from the consular diplomat to the political and all other areas, the issues of global interdependence and its continuation through technological means of communication as left little for the diplomat to function on but in no doubt there are some major achievements as a result of this change. Consequently technology as brought about faster means of carrying out diplomatic statecraft functions which can be seen according to Melissen â€Å"through the invention of devices such as telephone, technological transportation systems, telecommunications and the internet. (1999, p.171) As a result of this diplomats can do their works faster without fear of danger especially while traveling, there are better methods of communicating with friendly relations without walking long distances, there are more graphical technological instruments that describes complex economic and political situations that helps the diplomat to be effective in his work and also help the government of the day to whom he reports to. According to Melissen. The creation of the rail way transportation gave the diplomats a very good edge in performing their functions on land, also with the creation of electric telegraph and fax machines which has enabled faster communication between diplomatic relations.(1999,p.171) Leguey_feilleux also describes major technological innovations as substantially contributing to the evolving of new diplomatic methods that shapes the roles of the modern diplomat at the level of communication (2009, p.46). The impact of the media in fostering the roles of the modern diplomat are not underestimated as well, giving information and sometimes helps in relaying diplomatic intentions to the public creating a from of feedback process from the public to the government. The creation and the application of IT (information Technology) is no exception to the fostering of modern diplomatic roles with the increasing performance of hardware and software for information gathering (Melissen, 1999, p.171). With this development information is easily accessible and can be codified there by serving as a source of security for important documentations and intelligence finding. This would practically make the diplomat work more efficiently to accomplish missions. Looking closely all this impact on modern diplomatic roles finds expression in digitalization bringing new management tools, low cost on access to information and integrated resources of information. (Melissen, 1999, p.171) The use of media especially as regards public diplomacy has fostered the role of the diplomat in breaking down cultural barriers between its policy officers and the specified public. (Gilboa,2000,No. 3) This thereby creates a political atmosphere for better functioning. Despite all this major impact of communication and technology, there has been major changes that as served to displace the roles of the modern diplomat. Melissen confirms this by saying that, â€Å"the position of a diplomat is related to the sovereignty of a state which as a result of globalization as thrown into questions the viability of a state to manage social, economic and political affairs.†(1999, p.173) Looking closely as well, the creation of international organizations, such as ILO (international labor organization), United Nations and Commonwealth undertake certain functions diplomats carry out because of the states membership and inability to solve certain problems. (Leguey- Feilleux, 2009, p.45). Economic initiatives such as the Bretoonwoods system and GATT were majorly done out of the context of the roles of the diplomat, it was basically done and concluded by international organizational members (Leguey- Feilleux, 2009, p.45). Without any doubt, the use of telephones, media and satellite communication has weakened diplomatic representatives (Melissen, 1999, p.171) Heads of states now conclude on foreign relations via telephones without the representation of the diplomat and also hold conference meetings with other heads of state via video calls and internet conferencing. This gives the diplomat little to do because its role on representation is being replaced with some form of technological breakthrough. Also some international organizations perform major diplomatic assignments on their own by sending special officers on special missions, interfering in external dispute thereby altering the roles of the diplomat (Leguey-feilleux 2009, p.46) Further more there is the emergence of transnational actors whom as a result of technology have supporters around the world, yielding into political power itself without any form of representation. (Leguey-Feilleux 2009, p.46) For example looking at the connections between elites of a society with other elites outside its countries who basically have business relationships with each other and make decisions that affect states policies without official representative of the state. Consequently also the relationships between diplomats and their government is changing, when there are misconceptions on issues states actors just use the most effective technology to communicate.(Leguey-feilleux,2009,p.86) More so giving the fact that the concept of power as changed in the international system, there is no more clear distinction of the concept of diplomacy. (Melissen.1999, p.175). This simply refers to the obvious that major international organizations mediate the act of diplomacy on their own especially when it comes to war situations or peacekeeping without totally involving diplomats but involving state actors at some point. More over the source of information is regarded to be more powerful than even territory and physical resources. (Melissen 1999, p.175) According to Nye and Owen in this fast growth of an international political system aided by technology, information is seen as the ultimate weapon of state relations (Nye and Owen cited in Melissen, 1999, p.175). As a result of this states actors on their own hirer special officers to look into certain issues and bring viable information rather than leaving it to the diplomats. Nye and Owen further argue that; the importance of technology, education and institutional flexibility is increasing and its changing the roles of foreign policy actors and also their governments in managing and promoting national interest.(Nye and Owen cited in Melissen 1999,p.175). the understanding this gives is that supranational organizations are becoming more powerful in the international system which affects statecraft and consequently affects the works of the technocrats under its administration not making them effective as they use to be. Information technology is gradually making spatial concept irrelevant looking at the use of satellite in space to get first hand information which basically alters a diplomats role in gathering information (Melissen 1999, p.176). This basically implies that others especially the media already have the same information as well and can deliver the information even before the diplomat does. Another major effect of technology is the Media. According to Leguey-feilleux, The CNN factor makes information instantly known around the world which mounts pressure on state to find solutions in time which consequently gives diplomats very short time to deliberate, strategize and respond to issues. (2009, p.87). Eban in his book calls this â€Å"The Intrusive Media† (1998, p.75). The media is basically seen as an obstruction often which basically slows diplomatic duties and bring about inadequate decision making. But Eban points out to the fact that no matter the situation of the media the diplomat still as to put in to consideration his partner and his own public opinion.(1998,p.75) CONCLUSION Consequently the many changes in communication and technology has its major positives sides using the telephone as an example which can be used to carryout roles especially in warring situations without being in physical danger of any kind. Giving the example of the â€Å"mediation by telephone in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict which brought the signing of the Oslo peace process between the two countries in 1995† (Leguey-Feilleux, 2009, p. 89). Technology has also helped to facilitate the work of diplomatic intelligence with the creation of electronic spying, network power, early warning and crises management and cyber security.(Leguey-Feilleux,2009,p.92-94) Therefore the role of a modern diplomat can basically be managed with respective cooperation from the state actors, civil service and the Foreign Service itself. With each understanding the underlying factors of its functions without clashes of any kind as regards communication, information and technology. BIBLIOGRAPHY Leguey-Feilleux, J.(2009),The Dynamics of Diplomacy (Lynne Rienner Publishers Inc.). Eban, A. (1998), Diplomacy for the Next Century (Yale University). Melissen, J. (1999), Innovation in Diplomatic Practice (Macmillan Press Ltd.) Wood, M. (2004), â€Å"A Diplomats Wife in Mexico: Creating Professional, political and National Identities in the Early Twentieth century† A Journal of Women Studies Volume 25. Stout, D. (1996), â€Å"Lord Gladwyn, British Diplomat, U.N Leader (News) (Obituary)† Daily News Los Angeles CA,October 27.,pp.2. Gilboa, E. (2000), â€Å"Media coverage of International Negotiation: A taxonomy of levels and effects† International Negotiation Journal, Volume 5, NO.3 Bianca, C. (2009) â€Å"Digging for Antiquities with Diplomats:Gisbet Cuper (1644-1716) and His Social Capital† Republic of Letters : A Journal for the study of knowledge, politics and the arts Volume 1, No.1 Watkins J. (2008), â€Å"Toward a New Diplomatic History† Journal of Medieval and Early Modern Studies Volume 38, No.1. Encyclopedia Britannica, (2009). â€Å"Diplomacy†, Retrieved 07/01/10, from Encyclopedia Britannica online. Http://www.britannica.com/EB checked/topic/164602/Diplomacy. Melissen, J.(2009), â€Å"Americas Information Edge† in S. Nye and W.A. Owen, Innovation in Diplomatic practice. (Macmillan Press Ltd),PP. 175

The Rise of Civilization :: World History

The Rise of Civilization Essay: Explain the rise of Civilization and include 3 basic features. A civilization is the starting point of a society. Civilizations have existed for millions of years and are the basic unit of structure for a society. Civilizations were the base of great societies such as Egypt and Rome. If not for civilizations these societies would not have flourished or even existed. A civilization is compiled of eight features. 1. Cities 2. Well-Organized Central Government 3. Complex Religions 4. Job Specialization 5. Social Classes 6. Arts and Architecture 7. Public Works 8. Writings Cities are the central feature of a civilization. The first cities emerged shortly after farmers began cultivating fertile lands along river valleys and producing surplus foods. These surpluses allowed the population to expand. As population grew, some villages expanded into cities. These cities rose independently in the valleys of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. The conditions of river valleys favored farming in these and other such river valleys. Floodwater spread silt across the valley renewing the soil and keeping it fertile. Animals that drank from the river were also a source of food. The river also supplied the people with a regular source of drinking water and the means of transportation. However rivers also posed challenges. Farmers had to control flooding and channel waters to the fields. Early farmers built dikes, dug canals and also made irrigation ditches. Such projects required leadership and a well-organized government. A government was required to lead the people and aid in organizing a city. City governments were far more powerful than the council of elders and local chiefs of farming villages. At first, Priest probably had the greatest. In time, warrior kings came to power as chief political leaders. They soon set themselves up as the chief hereditary ruler and passed their power from father to son. Governments soon became more complex as rulers issued laws, collected taxes, and organizes systems of defense. To enforce order, rulers relied on royal officials. Over time, government bureaucracies evolved. Almost always rulers claimed their power came from god or divine right. These rulers then gained religious power as well.